Tuesday 15 July 2014

BEST SELLING AUTHOR WRITES SCRIPT FOR GREENFIELDS THEATRE COMPANY

As some will know, Greenfields School has its own registered Theatre Company which produces and performs a play during the school's GALA weekend at the end of every summer term. Provided academic targets have been achieved, all the senior children are invited to participate and are allowed to take over the school under supervision from the drama department.

Students handle the many facets that a full-scale theatre production involves including public relations, marketing, finance, stage management, lighting, sound, props and scenery, costume making and of course singing, acting and dancing.

July 2014 will see an extra special performance by the GTC as the script 'COMEDY OF TERRORS' has been written for the school by friend of the school, and best-selling author ROGER ELLORY whose works include best sellers such as ‘A Quiet Belief in Angels’, ‘The Saints of New York’, 'Bad Signs' and 'A Dark and Broken Heart'.

Mr Ellory himself is due to attend one of the performances and also to tour the school and meet some of the actors and production team and is reportedly looking forward to seeing his work, for the first time, as a play.


Saturday 22 June 2013

Greenfields Success Story

Hello friends of Greenfields! We just received this letter from the parent of a boarder here and thought we'd share it with you. 


 "I come from Switzerland and I am the mother of a 15 years old girl.

Last year we moved to East Grinstead and put our daughter in Greenfields School – and believe me this was a very good choice.

My daughter has found in this school a very friendly environment. The teachers are very close to the students and take good care of them. She has made many new friends from England and many different countries of the world which has given her a broader viewpoint on other areas and cultures.

This school uses a unique study technology based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard which teaches students how to learn. The results I can see of this is that children continue to be interested in their studies, they come home happy and they stay motivated as they look forward to the future. It's a pleasure as a mother to find a child happy every day after school, willing to do her homework, and getting excellent results at school.

The school also organises many outings to London, music, theatre etc. And every year, the children create, produce and perform a play in the summer term. This encourages their creativity to have a place there - it's not only swallowing data.

Also, the environment is very safe. I feel totally relaxed and confident that my daughter is protected in that school. A system of rules is applied and this system protects the good students and penalises or corrects the children who need help in order to make them understand what good behaviour is.

My daughter has always been gifted at school but in the past this sometimes acted against her as she was a "good student" and this sometimes created jealousy. In this school she can move at her own rhythm and nobody is mean to her because of her fast progress. She is respected as she is by the other students and the teachers.

I consider that as parents we have a real responsibility to find the best for our children’s’ education and I think that I've accomplished this part by putting my daughter in this school. I want to thank all the team of Greenfields."

C.D.

Friday 7 June 2013

An Interview with Ludwig Amadeus - Greenfields Alumni


Ludwig Long aka Ludwig Amadeus is a musician, music producer and owner of Size 9 Records. He has composed for TV and adverts for companies such as Disney, Wella, NBC, and Universal. To date he has released three singles on his own label, all of which have received airplay on all major national UK radio as well as play listing on MTV and reviews in Mixmag and DJ MagHis next single ‘The Breeze’ is out on 24th of June 2013.


v  What have you been up to since leaving Greenfields?

Quite a great many things, the 3 passions I’ve developed since leaving have been in music, cycling and slightly reluctantly… Business

v  What are your fondest memories of Greenfields?

My fondest memories are of students and some of the teachers. Some of my best friendships were developed at Greenfields and the English class with Mr Hudson. It was always interesting and Mr Hudson had an infinite repertoire of excruciatingly bad puns so there was never really a dull moment.

v  What have you learnt at Greenfields that is still of value to you?

A lot of the things I learned in Maths and Business Studies. I didn’t think so at the time but they are two of the most valuable subjects in my life at the moment. Music and art in general are entirely Maths once you get down to the mechanics behind them. At the time I didn’t honestly consider any of the subjects to be of value but in hindsight I find myself actually remembering and applying most of what I learned in nearly every subject.

v  Describe Greenfields in three words…

Different, unique and inspiring

v  What inspired you to work in the music industry?

The effect that music had on me when I listened to it, we had a piano player staying at our house when I was leaving Greenfields, I heard him play just once and decided then and there that that’s what I would dedicate my life to doing. It was a bit of a pipe dream at the time and I never thought I’d actually end up doing it professionally but skip forward a few years and here I am…

v  What training or courses did you do to learn your craft?

None at all; Originally when I left Greenfields I was planning to go to a music school in London to do a degree but between me and my dad we just couldn’t afford it. In the end I just battled my way through on my own, I taught myself piano and then applied the mechanics to guitar, once I was at a certain level on guitar I applied the basics to bass and then started making some terrible recordings. That’s when I began learning how to produce.

v  You sing, play piano, bass and various other instruments, what equipment do you use?

I’ve got two pianos, a bass, a guitar and a home studio running Cubase, it’s a pretty basic setup but I feel it’s more about what you can do with the equipment than the equipment itself.

v  You have collaborated with other artists in the past, can you tell us about some of your productions?

Yeah I’ve collaborated quite a bit. I’ve released 3 singles so far on the label I set up with collaborations from some great rappers and singers. They’ve all done pretty well with press and radio coverage. Most of my money has come from writing songs for TV and adverts, I guess this is where I drop a few names:
Disney, Wella, NBC, Universal, Giovanni Bianco, Varipix.

v  What upcoming projects can you tell us about?

I always try to have 3 projects on the go:

1. My next single is called The Breeze which will be out on 24th June, It’s basically finished, and I’m just working on the promotion and marketing side of things right now, working with radio pluggers and PR people etc as well as lots of very boring admin.

2. In the meantime I’m recording the next single called Matter which is like a live classical dubstep orchestra. I took on a bit more than I can chew with this one as it’s something that’s never really been done, so it’s progressing, albeit slowly. The recording process alone has taken 4 months and will take another 4 still. That will be released towards the end of the year if all goes to plan.

3. I’m also making a documentary on busking which is less fun creatively, though it’s something very close to my heart and is important to do. It aims to explore the actual laws on busking in public and empower musicians to not be afraid of authorities by understanding the actual law, as opposed to what they are told it is by “officials”

v  You run your own label, what made you decide to do so?
                    
I got into music right when MySpace and Facebook were starting to get big and the industry seemed to be dramatically changing. I was meeting a lot of labels, management companies and “experts” around this time and came to the conclusion that they were pretty much making it up as they went along. I set up the label initially as a test to see how successful I could be at releasing a record on my own and to learn about the industry, it did better than I could have imagined and I realized that it was entirely possible to succeed without help from a large label so I’ve kept it running ever since and have released all of my work through it.

v  What advice can you give to any students wanting to work in the music world?

Learn the business.
It’s pretty much the one thing a musician or artist doesn’t want to do but it’s more important than you can imagine. Any success I’ve had so far is around 2% to do with me being a good musician and 98% about understanding the mechanics of the music business. I meet bands and singers who’ve been doing it far longer than me and don’t have the slightest idea about how the music industry works or where the money comes from and they will sadly never be successful as a result. So learn the business no matter how painful it might be and learn it for yourself, not what someone else thinks it is or says it is. Also do NOT quit your day job; I learned this the hard way…. Several times….

v  How can your fellow Old-Greenfieldians get in touch with you?

v  What are your ambitions and goals for the future?

To be the greatest composer in history and to inspire others as much as possible, no biggie…

Thursday 23 May 2013

Greenfields 30th Anniversary SPECIAL GALA WEEKEND


Greenfields 30th Anniversary TIMETABLE OF EVENTS 

Friday 19th July 
 

12:30 pm
Arrive and meet up with all your old friends in Greenfields reception.
           
1:00 pm - Greenfields Anniversary Opening 
Attend the welcoming ceremony, see the many interesting photo displays around the school and listen to the speeches about the past, present and future of Greenfields. 

1:30pm - Juniors Sports Day
Watch and cheer as the Lower School put themselves through their paces on Junior Sports Day. Meet parents who are Old Greenfieldians who will now be supporting their children and taking part. Relax and take in the atmosphere and enjoy the delicious refreshments available.
           
4.30pm - Family performance of GTC.
Be part of the excited audience for the Greenfields Theatre Company family performance of Peter Pan. Come and see swordplay, swashbuckling, the fearsome Captain Hook and his bloodthirsty pirates, journeys over moonlit rooftops and the jungles of Neverland as Wendy and her brothers join Peter and the Lost Boys in an adventure free of grown-ups in GTC's production of Peter Pan. Tickets from £9.50 Children £6.00

Saturday 20th July 

12pm to 4pm - Summer Fair

See all your friends at the fun-filled Greenfields Summer Fair. Take part in the fun and activities and soak up the spirit of Greenfields. Have your photos taken with other ex-class mates. Plenty of food and drink available.

3pm - 4:30pm - Old Greenfieldians' Tea
Old Greenfieldians enjoy your own special afternoon Tea with the Head and staff. Hear about the plans for the future. Complimentary Cream Tea.

7.30pm - Greenfields Theatre Production
Cheer and applaud the momentous closing night of the Greenfields Theatre Production of Peter Pan. Come and see swordplay, swashbuckling, the fearsome Captain Hook and his bloodthirsty pirates, journeys over moonlit rooftops and the jungles of Neverland as Wendy and her brothers join Peter and the Lost Boys in an adventure free of grown-ups in GTC's production of Peter Pan. Tickets from £ 12.00


Sunday 21st July

1:00pm - Graduation

Be refreshed and revitalised by this year's graduates' speeches and the other special awards and speeches at the Graduation ceremony for 2013.

6:00 - Old Greenfieldians Anniversary Dinner and Ball.

Old Greenfieldians and graduates dance and dine in the final grand night of the unique Gala Weekend. Enjoy a delicious three course buffet dinner at the famous Meridian Hall in East Grinstead. Listen to speeches addressing all the Old Greenfieldians and fun quizzes to test your knowledge on past Greenfields history and students. Then dance the night away at the Greenfields Ball, for both Graduates and Old Greenfieldians.  It will be a night to remember! Dinner and Ball £30 per person. Couples £55. Dress code : Formal.

TRANSPORT available to Greenfields School from East Grinstead car park opposite the cinema.
Friday 19th July  12:00 pm
Saturday 20th July 12:00 pm
Sunday  21st July  12:30 pm

Book Now!
Tel: +44 (0) 1342 822189
Email: oldgreenfieldians@greenfieldschool.com

Tuesday 30 April 2013

News from the English Department

Head of English Mr Grant Hudson B.A. and dynamic new English Teacher Mr David Hutt have been very busy this year implementing projects and initiatives designed to arm students with the ability to apply their English skills to the creation of tangible products of which they can be proud, such as impressive film productions and magazine publications.

 

As parents already know, the school announced its intention to switch over to the new IGCSE (International GCSE) syllabus; this transition is now in full swing in the English department, with all lesson plans and activities now fully aligned with the Cambridge-based IGCSE curriculum.

Here are a few examples of what is happening in the Greenfields English department to nurture students’ innate literary talents:
 

The school had several successful entrants into the national ‘Young Writers short story and poem competition’. Their works went on to be published in a nationally recognized text, a copy of which was presented to aspiring authors.
  

Students now regularly produce their own school magazine. They each decide on something to contribute to the publication, and proceed to bring their ideas to life. Many skills are used in its production including writing, cartooning and story writing. In coordination with both the English and the ICT departments, each would-be publisher creates his or her individual page using software like Photoshop and Publisher, thereby honing computer design skills, encouraging students to work as a team and cultivating within participants the viewpoint that a valuable exchangeable product should spring from their creative efforts. Students even manage the proceeds of the finished magazine, electing whether or not to invest funds in more advanced software, superior paper quality, prize money, etc.
  

In liaison with the Greenfields Drama department (and as a warm up for the Greenfields Theatre Company production in July), the English students of years 7 to 9 have been putting together a ‘Horror Com’ movie – all created, written and produced exclusively by the students themselves. Each student has elected a specific role as part of the production crew, be it an actor, a director, a cameraman, an editor or one of the many other key roles needed to put a production of this nature together. The Horror Com is the latest in a series of recent student-created productions in the English department, including an impressive series of films involving such themes as human rights and anti-bullying.

But the biggest news of all this year is the staggering boom in the sheer volume of reading that’s occurring in the Greenfields English department.  As L. Ron Hubbard pointed out in an article entitled ‘Teacher’s Hat:

“...it is quantity of easily read material which produces the result rather than minute perfection at the start. The keynote is familiarity gained by quantity rather than particular beginning accuracy.”

“Spelling and grammar almost can be neglected if a properly intense reading programme is carried forward in sufficient quantity.”


In the spirit of these words the Greenfields reading game, originally masterminded by Mr Hudson as part of a published series of Hudson literary programmes, was re-launched. In this ground-breaking initiative, students advance through a series of ‘statuses’ as their quantity of reading increases. Increasingly desirable privileges are attainable as readers rise from lowly ‘Squires of Reading’ towards the ultimate goal of becoming a ‘King or Queen of Reading’. The figures of this fun and enlightening game speak for themselves, with over 40,000 pages of reading having been achieved in just the last term alone by an inspired army of avid readers in the Greenfields Upper School.

The Greenfields English Department

Thursday 25 April 2013

Life as a Greenfields Boarder...


ADVANTAGES OF BOARDING AT GREENFIELDS

Greenfields started as a day school but as its reputation and numbers grew, over one fifth of the student body is now made up of boarding students. There are over 40 spaces available for boys and girls from 11 to 17 years old (younger students may occasionally be considered if accompanied by a sibling). Boarders are situated in the main school which sits in 6 acres of school grounds on the edge of the Ashdown Forest. It is a safe, peaceful and beautiful location within walking distance of the local village and bus routes to other areas. It is a 20 minute drive from Gatwick airport, 35 minutes from Brighton and the coast and 50 minutes by train or car to London. The boarding house is supervised by a team of dedicated and caring people most of whom are themselves parents. The main advantages of being a Boarding Student are:
  • Friendship. Children get to mix with other children of all nationalities. Boarding students learn life skills that other children may miss out on. It starts with the fact that they get to mix with other children from all over the world. When the school was inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in 2011, one of the main things that impressed the inspectors was the cheerful sense of camaraderie they witnessed among children of many nationalities and of all ages.  This ‘family’ feel is often mentioned in the speeches of graduate students and is evidently something that stays with them for life. 
  • Independence. Children learn independence as they have to tackle their own laundry as well as learning to keep their rooms tidy and their clothes in good conditions. They also learn rudimentary cooking skills and have a cleaning rota for the kitchen and other communal areas – all are life skills not necessarily enforced at home.
  • Teamwork . Every boarder in on a duty rota which rotates through a broad range of cleaning and maintenance activities around the school and boarding house.  Children learn to work together and to carry out the tasks assigned and the results of their work is monitored to keep it to standard.  Assignments are designed with due respect for cultural and ethnic backgrounds and age. This helps students learn to get along with others as well as developing their tolerance and respect for others.
  • Learn English faster. Immersed in an English speaking environment, boarding students quickly develop a working knowledge of English. This is enabled through the school’s own English Language unit where they learn the grammar and words of English which is complemented by taking part in every-day life, games, outings, and communications with their fellow boarders.
  •  Extra Study facilities. The school has its own ‘Study Hall’ open after normal school hours as well as an ICT room and a library where student s can access computers, do homework or receive additional help or tuition as needed.
LIFE AS A BOARDER
  • Evenings and Weekends. As well using spare time to catch up with friends or put in extra study hours, boarders have access to both indoor and outdoor school facilities. This includes tennis courts, football pitch and outside team games, boarding lounge, a wide screen plasma TV, a video console, board games, table tennis, football games and tea and coffee making facilities. There are also plenty of organised sports and other activities such as visits to the local swimming pool, gym, bowling alley, cinema, shopping trips, orienteering etc. The school is fortunate in its location on the edge of the Ashdown Forest as it has riding schools, sailing clubs, cycle routes, climbing facilities and many other outdoor activities within a few minutes drive or walk of the school . All of these activities and more can be organised via the school and taken up as hobbies if desired. 
  • Meals. Three meals are provided each day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. After school snacks are also provided. Meals are usually taken in a large communal dining room by staff and children alike.  A self-service system in in operation.
  •  Uniform. During boarding hours (evenings and weekends) the school does not insist on school uniform being worn but during school hours a proper and clean school uniform should be worn at all times.
  •  Discipline. Boarding schools in the UK adopt various sanctions against children who break the school rules. A list of rules will be provided on application. Greenfields adheres to a system of Plus and Minus points to either reward or penalise as appropriate
  • Students having their say. Every week the boarders are given a Questionnaire to complete so that they can express their opinions to improve activities, meals, dormitories and any-other thing they would like to tell us.  We always listen to them and try to accommodate their needs when possible. 
“My experience in Greenfields School has been very good! I have enjoyed everything. The outside activities and the school for the boarders are the very best things to me. Here in Greenfields I have made friends from England and from all over the world. I am never going to forget this experience at this school and I am never going to forget all the people that have been around me, including teachers and friends. I am leaving very satisfied with this experience and I hope I come back in my winter holidays and in June.
Thanks for everything Greenfields. “
P.G.V.


 For more information, please contact the Admissions Manager on admissions@greenfieldsschool.com Tel:  +44 (0) 1342 822189
Or boarding supervisors Michele and Paola: headofboarding@greenfieldsschool.com Tel: +44 (0) 1342 820345



Wednesday 27 March 2013

Summer Fun Timetable at Greenfields

Come to Greenfields School and Learn English!
 Ages 11 to 17. £525 per week

 

You will live on site in our Boarding House which has:

  • A caring, family atmosphere
  • Qualified and friendly staff
  • Welcoming rooms with views across the beautiful Sussex countryside
  • The chance to learn and improve English both in lessons and on regular outings
  • Lounge, games room, tennis and basketball courts, football pitch
  • A quality seven-day-a-week catering service with a qualified French chef
  • Tailor-made taxi services to and from Gatwick and Heathrow
  • Children from all over the world

TIMETABLE OF ACTIVITIES:

Week A 
22 - 28 July

Mon: Study,  Treasure Hunt, Games, BBQ 
Tues: Study, Brighton Beach, Aquarium, Pier
Wed:  Study,  Nymans Gardens National Trust, Swimming
Thurs: Study, London Tour, Shopping
Fri: Study, Kayaking, Bowling
Sat: Study, Hampton Court Palace, Westfield Shopping Mall 

Sun: Free time, Tunbridge Wells Shopping Mall, Movie Night


 

Week B 
29 July - 4 Aug

Mon: Study,  Games on site, Quiz Night
Tues: Thorpe Park Adventures
Wed:  Study, Sheffield Park National Trust, Laser Games
Thurs: S
tudy, London Tour, Shopping
Fri: Study, Crate Challenge, Strawberry Picking and Baking, Graduation Party
Sat: Oxford Tour, Boating on the River

Sun: Free time, Crawley Shopping Mall, Movie Night

 

Week C 
5 - 11 Aug

Mon: Study, Treasure Hunt, Games, BBQ
Tues: Study, Canterbury Tour, Cathedral, Shopping
Wed:  Study, Bluebell Railway, Standen National Trust, Swimming
Thurs: S
tudy, London Tour, Shopping
Fri: Study, Zip Wire, Bowling
Sat: Stonehenge and Salisbury

Sun: Free time, Tunbridge Wells Shopping Mall, Movie Night

 

Week D 
12 - 18 Aug

Mon: Study, Games on site, Quiz Night
Tues: Chessington World of Adventures
Wed:  Study, Wakehurst National Trust, Ice Cream at Local Restaurant
Thurs: S
tudy, London Tour, Shopping
Fri: Study, Horse Riding, BBQ, Graduation Party
Sat: Cambridge Tour, Bluewater Shopping Mall

Sun: Free time, Crawley Shopping Mall, Movie Night