Newstead Girls' College Negombo
More Beyond
As one of the founder members of the Newstead Girls’ College English Drama Club, it is with immense pride and pleasure that I send this message to the web page as the current Teacher-in-charge of the English Drama Club.
The English Drama Club began its journey in 2007. Since then I have been with the students and as a result, I witnessed their talents, capabilities and enthusiasm. The teachers of English were always with them helping and guiding them in every possible way into proper direction so as to make their drama-life very much rewarding and successful.
I am pleased to see today that English Drama Club ofNewstead Girls’ College moves forward successfully by overcoming a myriad of challenges. I admire the true dedication of the students and we are confident that they will make even greater success in the
years ahead. My heartfelt wishes are always with the active, talented and energetic members of the English Drama Club.
I am happy to express my sincere thanks to Ms. GayaniHerath, the Principal of Newstead Girls’ College for granting me the opportunity to be the teacher-in-charge of the English Drama Club for the year 2015-2016. My honest thanks are also due to the members of the English unit for their co-operation and generous support extended.
May Newstead English Drama Club move from strength to strength, and More Beyond!
It is indeed with great pleasure I send this message to the web page of the English drama Club. Since the English drama Club at Newstead Girls’ College began its life in 2007, it has gone from strength to strength.
Newstead Girls’ College English drama Club has achieved well against all quality benchmarks in the recent past. I was
particularly pleased to see that the influential Sunday Times hailed us as Newstead Creates News in the field of drama when we emerged winners of the All Island Shakespeare Drama Competition in 2010.
Our college English drama Club achieved exceptional standards of excellence and the best possible ratings when we became the winners of the All Island English Drama Competition organized by the Ministry of Education in 2009.
Our achievements are a strong indication of levels of innovation and further underlines our status in the field of English Drama. The Annual Inter-house drama competition presented by the English drama Club of Newstead Girls’College has become an eagerly awaited event in the school calendar. The stiff competition under tremendous pressure gives our students the much needed exposure to theatre and further helps us to scratch the talents of Newsteadites.
In my opinion, drama benefits students in numerous way. Drama activities have values the most teachers might not even be aware of. For instance, they can increase students’ self-esteem, language skills and their ability to express themselves. In addition, they can develop social skills and make the students achieve more cultural knowledge in an interesting way through a dramatic context. This is what gave me the drive to take up English Drama at Newstead.
In fact, drama is constantly around us. It is not located merely within the four walls of a theatre or amidst people in abundance. Drama education creates meaningful learning experience. So I urge all students to take part in drama. I also take this opportunity to thank Mrs. H. M. G. P. Herath, the Principal of Newstead Girls’ College for her guidance and clear-sighted help towards the success of the English drama Club.
I also would like to acknowledge my sincere gratitude to Mr Shiran Croospulle, Mrs. Dayanitha Silva and all the other teachers of English for their enormous co-operation incredibly helpful to reach the goals of the English Drama Club. I am quite confident that I would gain the assistance and the contribution from them in the broadest possible way to achieve our further aspirations and preserve the prestige and the reputation that the English drama Club has already won.
Finally it is with a great sense of gratitude I recall the great service rendered by Mrs. Arosha Perera former teacher in charge of the drama club of Newstead Girls College who guided our drama club to greater heights of excellence and prestige.
Newstead English drama Club in the years to come may march for ahead with renewed vigour and hope and let more beyond be the visible sign of all the members of the English drama Club.
As the founder and the first teacher in-charge of NewsteadCollege Drama Club, I would like to share my thoughts and notes on establishing this wonderful opportunity to our students of Newstead Girls’ College, Negombo.
The motivation behind establishing this Drama Club was my students and their talents. I have had the good fortune to be associated with these enthusiastic students who inspired and urged me to find possibilities to show and practice their talents. As a result of that eagerness, we started our journey in May 2007.
I believed my students talents and capabilities. The harvest was indeed rich and prosperous. It has been a blessing to us as we have won first places in most of the competitions in the first couple of years. Yet, itled further motivation among the students and
it was a great contribution towards future plans.
Though I’m not among the students right now, my blessings and advices are always with them. After completing 7successful years, I’m proud to be a witness of their achievements in the journey.
My wishes are always with them. May God Bless You.
More Beyond Newstead !!!!!
| Activities | Scheduled Date | Date of Accomplishment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Workshop on Drama conducted by MrPalitha Silva | 23 June 2015 | 23 June 2015 |
| 2 | Participation in Shakespeare Drama Conducted by the YMCA | 08 September 2015 | |
| 3 | Inter-school Drama Festival | October 2015 | |
| 4 | Workshop on Drama conducted by expertise in the Drama & Theatre field | November 2015 | |
| 5 | Inter-house Drama Competition | January 2016 |
| Year | Name of the Play | Organized by | Place obtained | Press Release |
| 2009 | Bishops Candle Sticks | Ministry of Education | Champions | |
| 2009 | Taming of the Shrew | Shakespeare Centre Sri Lanka | Champions | |
| 2010 | Merchant of Venice | Y.M.C.A. and Rotary Club of Colombo | Champions | |
| 2011 | Measure for Measure | Y.M.C.A. and Rotary Club of Colombo | 1st Runner Up | |
| 2011 | Inter- house Drama Competition | English Drama Club of Newstead Girls College | Champions - Lawrence House | |
| 2012 | Importance of being Earnest | Ministry of Education | 1st place (provincial level) | |
| 2013 | Inter- house Drama Competition | English Drama Club of Newstead Girls College | Champions - Hartley House | |
| 2013 | The house of Bernarda Alba | Ministry of Education | 1st Place (Provincial level) | |
| 2013 | The Duchess of Padua | Ministry of Education | 2 nd place(Provincial level) | |
| 2013 | English Drama | Ministry of Education | 1st place(All Island) | |
| 2014 | Shakespeare Drama competition | YMCA and Rotary Club of Colombo | 2 nd Runners Up | |
| 2014 | English Drama | Ministry of Education | 1st Runner Up | |
| 2015 | Sinhala Drama | Ministry of Education | 1st place at All Island Drama Competitions |
| Year | Name of the Play | Directors and Trainers | Cast List |
| 2009 | Bishops Candle Sticks |
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| 2009 | Taming of the Shrew |
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| 2009 | Hamlet |
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| 2010 | Merchant of Venice |
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| 2011 | Measure for Measure |
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| 2011 | Inter- house Drama Competition |
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| 2012 | Importance of being Earnest | Rachithra Sandanayaka | |
| 2013 | Inter- house Drama Competition |
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| 2013 | The Duchess of Padua | Rajini Aloka |
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| 2013 | Hamlet |
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| 2013 | The house of Bernarda Alba |
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| 2014 | Inter School Shakespeare Drama competition |
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| 2014 | All Island Senior (Dialogue) English Drama Competition |
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| 2015 | Antony Cleopatra |
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