March 2015 Newsletter

Transcription

STRATHAVEN ACADEMY NEWSLETTER
Headteacher’s Message
School Dress
Welcome to the March edition
of
our
newsletter.
We
celebrate the wide range of
activities and achievements of
our pupils, show some of the
diverse opportunities provided
to support their school experience and recognise the
time and effort that parents and pupils alike invest in
supporting worthy causes, both within and beyond
the school gates.
Uniform is an important element in the ethos and
identity of Strathaven Academy and is a means of
fostering a sense of belonging and pride in our school.
It also ensures that pupils are not subjected to
‘designer label’ peer pressure. As we move from the
winter months into (hopefully) better weather, we are
re-establishing expectations in respect of uniform.
SMT members have recently carried out a series of
spot checks and parents have been contacted to seek
their support in cases where pupils have not been
wearing appropriate school wear. A number of pupils
stated that they had simply forgotten to bring blazers
or ties. In those circumstances we may, in future,
contact parents to see whether it would be possible
for the forgotten items to be brought into school,
helping us to maintain standards. The most common
issues we face relate to leggings, training shoes and
black jeans. If leggings must be worn to school, they
should be worn with a skirt. Training shoes and black
jeans are not in keeping with the principle that pupils
should come smartly dressed for work rather than for
leisure. As ever, we greatly appreciate the support of
parents and carers.
Our PTA has once again provided tremendous support
to the school, contributing several thousand pounds
of funding in support of a range of projects, including
a contribution to Senior Prom and a contribution
towards the transport costs for S1 camp. The PTA
Spring Fayre was once again very successful, thanks to
the time and effort invested by PTA members, the
support of Parent Council members on the day and, of
course, the fantastic support of so many parents,
friends and family members who attended.
Our Parent Council have also provided excellent
support to the school this session. A number of PC
members are stepping down at the end of the year,
having served a full term or as a result of their
children moving on from Strathaven Academy. I
would draw your attention to the invitation for
expressions of interest in Parent Council membership
contained later in this newsletter. I extend a sincere
thank you to everyone who has been involved for
their time and commitment in support of our school.
As we approach spring break, I would take the
opportunity to wish each of our SQA exam candidates
well. Their hard work and commitment, supported by
the expertise and dedication of our staff, are at the
heart of the successes to come.
Stewart Nicolson
Head Teacher
PISA
On Tuesday, 10 March, approximately forty randomlyselected pupils from S4 and S5 took part in the
Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA). This is a worldwide study by the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
in member and non-member nations of 15-year-old
school pupils' scholastic performance in mathematics,
science, and reading. The PISA study is carried out
every three years with a view to improving education
policies and outcomes.
Further information on PISA study can be found at
www.oecd.org/pisa/.
March 2015
www.strathaven.s-lanark.sch.uk
Page 1
Parent Council
The AGM of the Parent Council will take place on
Tuesday, 21 April at 7pm in the library in the school.
All parents/carers of Strathaven Academy pupils are
invited and welcome to attend this meeting.
Six changes to the Constitution will be tabled at the
AGM. For more information, please contact the school
and a member of the Parent Council will be happy to
discuss these proposed changes with you.
Our Parent Council was formed eight years ago. This
group includes twelve parent/carer members who
represent the views of all parents/carers in the
Academy. The Parent Council currently has five
parent/carer vacancies for session 2015/16. We
would take this opportunity to invite parents/carers
to indicate expressions of interest by contacting the
school either by telephone (01357 524040) or email
([email protected]). In the event of
additional indications of interest received, we would
require to hold an election. We would ask for any
expression of interest to be with us on or before
Monday, 20 April, 2015.
Should you require any further information on the
work of the Parent Council, please contact the school
these will be passed to our Chairperson Mr Charles
Beattie and/or Clerk to the Parent Council Mrs Jillian
Storrie who will be more than happy to contact you
and discuss any queries you may have.
Eclipse
On Friday, 20 March, the most
spectacular eclipse of the sun
for fifteen years plunged
Britain into twilight for two
hours. In a rare astronomical
alignment, the moon passed
directly between the sun and
the Earth, blocking out most of the light.
Improving
Campaign
Air
Quality
–
Engine-Idling
Throughout January, February and March, there was a
campaign to target unnecessary engine-idling around
schools. At this time of year, there is great temptation
at school pick-up times to keep the engine running
due to the cold temperatures. Such activities can,
however, have a negative impact on the quality of air
that our children have to breathe.
Children are more vulnerable to air pollution than
adults because they breathe in 50% more air per
pound of body weight. Engine-idling occurs in schools
every day when children are dropped off and picked
up.
To target these ‘hot spots’ of pollution, officers from
South Lanarkshire Council undertook patrols during
the winter months. Engine-idling is an offence and
officers gave a warning to any driver found to be
idling their vehicle unnecessarily. If the driver failed to
turn the engine off, they may have been issued with a
£20 fixed penalty notice. The officers also distributed
information to educate drivers about the harmful
effects of engine-idling.
You can help to continue improving the air quality by
walking, cycling or using public transport to travel to
school, parking farther away from the school, and
turning off your engine.
Some very useful educational resources on air quality
are available on the following website:
http://cleartheair.scottishairquality.co.uk/
Should you have any queries, please contact Bronah
Byrne at [email protected]
Pupils took the opportunity to witness this during
period one, with many obtaining excellent
photographs.
March 2015
Page 2
P7 Challenge Day
My World of Work
parents.myworldofwork.co.uk is a website that has all
the information you need to support your child as
they make decisions about their future. Whether
they're making subject choices, getting exam results
or leaving school, there's advice to help you every step
of the way.
On Monday, 2 February,
124 pupils from our six
associated primary schools
spent the day at Strathaven
Academy as part of their
transition programme.
Pupils were put into groups that enabled them to
work with others from different schools as they faced
the challenges of making slime in Science, healthy
wraps in Home Economics, team sports in PE and
running a virtual hotel in Business/Computing. This
was their first experience of following a timetable and
moving between different classes, and they were ably
supported by some S3 volunteers. Lunchtime was
spent in the Street - they emptied the vending
machines and bought baguettes, although they
managed to leave just enough for the Strathaven
Academy pupils who followed.
‘My World of Work’s Subject Choices’ campaign
highlighted the help and support available to young
people and their parents to access up-to-date,
accurate and helpful information about subject
choices at school. This campaign launched on
Monday, 9 February, and ran until the end of the
month.
The key messages of this campaign were:


follow our five top tips for helping your child make
the right subject choices
think about your child’s choices in terms of what
they’re good at and the future world of work
Spring Fayre
Strathaven Academy’s annual PTA Spring Fayre took
place on Saturday, 7
March. The help and
commitment
of
pupils,
staff
and
parents were greatly
appreciated by the
PTA. This was another
very successful event,
which raised over £1300.
A successful day was had by all and we look forward
to welcoming P7s back in June, this time for a two-day
visit.
March 2015
Page 3
S2 Careers Morning
Rotary Public Speaking Competition
The annual Careers Morning for all S2 pupils took
place just after the Christmas Holiday and despite the
forecast of a very cold and snowy day, all twenty-two
consultants arrived in time to prepare for the morning
workshops.
On Tuesday, 17 March, S4 pupils Erfan, Molly, Calum,
Eve and Shona represented Strathaven Academy in
the Rotary Public Speaking competition.
All pupils had previously chosen to attend four
workshops of their choice with two reserve choices
from the range offered to them. Fortunately, we were
able to allow most pupils to visit at least three of their
choices, despite some being very popular choices
indeed! Other careers offered included Events
Management, Law, Primary and Secondary Teaching,
Mechanical Engineering, Retail, Army Careers and
Nursing.
The pupils were introduced to the morning ahead
with a presentation by our school careers adviser.
Very soon, the S2 children will be making important
decisions affecting their future by choosing a range of
subjects to study in S3 and beyond. Kim Charnley
emphasised some points to consider in this process
and explained how the Careers Morning would allow
them the opportunity to find out a little about some
of the options open to them in the world of work.
Although we couldn’t offer a taste of every career
path open to young people today, most of the
consultants present were able to talk in-depth about
their own jobs and the path they each followed to
achieve success, as well answer questions on aspects
of careers connected to their own. Each workshop
lasted for forty minutes and, following the four
sessions, pupils were gathered again in the Street for
a brief vote of thanks to all speakers and a reminder
of some of the important issues to be taken into
consideration when choosing subjects to study in third
year at Strathaven Academy.
Rag Bag
The next collection for rag bag will be on Tuesday, 12
May. The collection bin is at the side entrance of the
school and pupils and parents are encouraged to bring
old clothes and shoes and deposit them in the bin. All
money raised will go into the school fund.
March 2015
They spent time preparing very interesting and
informative speeches on a range of topics and
delivered these with passion, humour and conviction
– they were all a credit to the school.
Congratulations go to Molly, who won the shield this
year, with a talk about inequality in golf.
S5/6 PSHE Morning
On Monday, 16 February, we were delighted to
welcome representatives from a wide variety of
organisations as part of our senior school PSE event.
240 S5 and S6 year pupils were given the opportunity
to participate in a range of presentations designed to
inform them about matters related to their health and
wellbeing. The Samaritans spoke about Emotional
Health, Hamilton Information Project for Youth dealt
with the ever-present issue of underage drinking,
Phoenix Futures addressed the worrying rise in the
use of ‘legal highs’ and the Reverend Shaw Paterson
led several lively debates centred on moral dilemmas.
We were also lucky to secure the services of Naomi
Watt, a personal trainer. Naomi, who is a former
pupil, was able to put pupils through a demanding
fitness routine. The Scottish Parliament Outreach
Education programme also provided an interesting
interactive presentation on Minimum Pricing for
Alcohol. We were also very well supported in-house
by Mr Sinclair in the Home Economics Department
who bravely guided almost 60 seniors through the
production of a healthy protein shake. Many thanks
are due to everyone who so willingly gave their time
and their expertise to help make the event a success,
not forgetting the senior pupils who approached the
event in such a positive way.
Page 4
S3 Art Trip
On Friday, 6 February, four S3 art classes spent the
day in Edinburgh at the National Museum of Scotland.
When we arrived at the museum, we were given time
to explore the different exhibitions in the building.
While we were
in the museum,
we were given
the task of
picking
four
interesting and
tasteful pieces
of work to
sketch. We will
later use these
for a design unit. After each sketch was complete, it
was important that we noted the appropriate
information about each piece, including materials
used and place of origin. My favourite exhibition in
the museum was the ‘Natural World’ exhibit, as it
included life-scale models of a variety of animals
which I found fascinating. I really enjoyed my trip to
Edinburgh and I think it will be very beneficial for my
design unit in Art and Design.
Holocaust
Day
Memorial
As part of Holocaust
Memorial Day, S1 pupils
took part in activities to
commemorate the event.
Pupils received a talk from
Eddie (S6) and Morgan
(S6), who visited Auschwitz as part of the ‘Lessons
from Auschwitz’ project. They described their
experience to the largest Nazi death camp in great
detail and explained why it was so important for us to
remember events like this from the past. Pupils went
on to create memorials for victims of the Holocaust by
creating Stolpersteine and also read survivors’ stories.
Pupils gained a greater understanding of the
Holocaust. The students’ participation and discussion
were outstanding.
Chloe (S3)
Pictured above are some S3 pupils who attended the
museum.
March 2015
Page 5
CELEBRATING SUCCESS – PUPIL AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS
Future Chef
The Future Chef competition provides pupils ages 1216 years with access to, and direct support from, chefs
and other hospitality professionals, bringing the
industry alive in the classroom and getting the
classroom out into the industry. Strathaven Academy
has been taking part in this event for ten years and
our pupils have reached the regional finals on six
occasions. The competition is now part of the extra
curricular activities that we offer in the department.
This year, we were allowed to send two pupils to the
Lanarkshire round, so after competing in the school
heat, two of our pupils made it through to the local
finals at the beginning of January at the New College,
Lanarkshire. Emily (S2) and Arabella (S1) competed in
the heat, where they worked alongside Scott Baxter
from Rissons, to create two portions each of a twocourse meal, all of which had to be under the £7
budget. Their dishes were judged by industry chefs
and, after a close final, Emily won and competed in
the regional final.
The regional final took place
on the 23rd of February in the
City of Glasgow College,
where
Emily
competed
against 11 other pupils from
schools from other parts of
Scotland. Emily was our
entrant last year when she
was a first year pupil, and the experience she gained
from that gave her confidence to try even more
complex dishes under the guidance of Scott Baxter as
her Mentor Chef. Mr Baxter allowed her to develop
her dishes under his watchful eye and to perfect her
presentation skills.
However, the standard seems to get higher every
year, and only the winner is announced on the day.
Unfortunately, although she cooked and presented
two excellent dishes, Emily did not win, but she
gained valuable experience
and, following
constructive comments from the judging panel, she
already has plans for next year! The winner on the
night was from Edinburgh and, as this is 2015, the
‘Year of Food and Drink’ in Scotland, it would be good
to have a Scottish winner.
The competition is an excellent way for pupils to
develop their culinary talent and meet professional
chefs. Furthermore, students learn a vital life skill –
cooking!
Pictured above is Emily at the regional final.
March 2015
Pictured above is Ewan (S3) who also participated in
the school heat.
Page 6
Maths Roadshow
Young Writers’ War of Words Competition
As a pre-Christmas treat, pupils in S4 were given the
opportunity to take part in a Maths Roadshow on the
afternoon of Thursday, 18 December. Prior to the
event, many pupils expressed doubt about an
afternoon spent doing maths problems. Working in
groups of three or four, they had 50 different puzzles
to solve. There was a wide range of problems on offer,
many of a practical nature, and all requiring careful
thought and often perseverance. As the afternoon
developed, the pupils became more engrossed in
trying to solve as many problems as possible and great
rivalry broke out between the groups. By the end,
those involved agreed that it had been a fun way to
spend an afternoon and great debate ensued over the
solutions to a number of the problems.
As part of their S3 English course,
and for the centenary of the start
of WWI, Ms McGinley’s class did
a project, where they researched
the Unknown Soldier and then
wrote a letter or poem to him.
The
Unknown
Solder
is
commemorated as a statue at Paddington Station in
tribute to the soldiers who died in the war and whose
identity is unknown. The pupils wrote as though they
were a family member, a friend, or just themselves,
expressing their feelings about the loss. Ms McGinley
said the letters were so moving, she was in tears when
she was marking them!
At the same time as they were doing the project,
there was a poetry competition related to war and
conflict, so those pupils who had written poems
decided to enter. All the poems were judged to be of
such a high standard that they were published in the
Young Writers’ War of Words poetry anthology, so all
of the poets have their work in print – maybe the start
of a long career in writing!
Pictured above are the winners Anthony, Jack, Kyle
and Craig (S4).
Mathématiques Sans Frontières
This is an annual European-wide competition involving
mathematics and foreign languages. Our 4M1 class
took part in this year’s event on Tuesday, 24 February.
They were given ten demanding problems which
covered a wide range of mathematical skills. What
made the competition more interesting was that two
of the questions were supplied in a number of foreign
languages. Once these problems had been translated
and solved, the solutions then had to be given in a
foreign language. 4M1 showed their versatility by
answering one question in French and the other in
Spanish. All groups showed enthusiasm and great
camaraderie for 90 frantic minutes to produce a
solution to each of the questions.
March 2015
Pictured above are Sarah, Caitlin, John, Ramzy, Nicole,
Amy, Kyle and Jack.
Page 7
Fairtrade
Interdisciplinary Learning
On Wednesday, 18 February, the Fairtrade elective
held a coffee morning for all staff. This was dedicated
to the charities of Fairtrade and Hope for China and
the profits were split between them. Many of the
cakes were home-baked by pupils of the elective using
Fairtrade ingredients where possible. We also very
kindly received some home baking from staff (Mrs
Whitelaw’s scones were very yummy!) which helped
us greatly. We hope that the money we have raised
will have a significant effect on these unfortunate
people’s lives. We would like to thank Mrs McArthur
for helping us organise the event and all the staff for
their donations. The coffee morning was a great
success, raising £85.50. Thank you to everyone who
participated.
As part of our S3 curriculum in Chemistry, forty S3
pupils participated in an Interdisciplinary Learning
Project (IDL). Mrs Whitelaw issued us with the topic
entitled "Chlorine Gas" and instructions to think about
how the chemistry of chlorine can be linked to many
of our other curricular areas.
Beth and Julia (S3)
S3 Elective
A small group of Strathaven Academy pupils, under
the supervision of Mr McGuigan, have been very
‘BUZZY’ assembling beehives for the local Avondale
Beekeeping Society. Ten hives in total will be
assembled and sited locally. Pupils will have the
opportunity to visit some of the hives later in the year
and learn more about the art of apiculture. The pupils
have also learned the importance of teamwork and
the necessity of working to very tight deadlines in
order to complete manufacture in time for
colonisation of the hives to take place. The pupils look
forward to tasting honey and the possibility of candlemaking using real beeswax.
In Chemistry, we found out that chlorine is a green
gas with atomic number of 17 and a mass number of
35.5. We also learned that Carl Wilhelm Scheele first
produced chlorine in 1774 but it was Sir Humphry
Davy who, in 1810, proved that chlorine was an
element.
We found that, in English, poetry from World War
One such as Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum est"
described horrific chlorine gas attacks in the trenches.
Soldiers were in a panic trying to fit their gas masks
before the gas reached them. "Gas! Gas! Quick,
boys!" gives a vivid description of the chaos of a gas
attack. Owen describes the scene of how one soldier
is unable to fit his helmet in time before the gas gets
into his lungs:
"Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning."
Our link to Biology taught us how chlorine gas
affected the soldiers' respiratory systems and also
how this gas could cause blindness and skin irritation.
As a result, many soldiers died from terrible injuries.
Relating to Music, we discovered that chlorine gas is
also mentioned in a song written by Phyl Lobl called
"The Battle of the Somme". It is sung to the tune of
the same name composed by Pipe Major William
Lawrie. The song describes a gas attack in the
trenches of the Somme with the words,
"Rising and twisting the smoke curls above us, I see by
the green glow there's gas in its domes."
In PE, we learned that chlorine gas is used in
swimming pools to kill harmful bacteria. Whilst such
microbe-killing properties are useful, the chlorine can
also irritate some people's skin and can make the
swimmers' eyes very stingy.
Pictured above are pupils from the S3 Elective.
March 2015
I really enjoyed doing this IDL project and learning
how one subject can be related to lots of others. I
hope that it can continue to be part of our curriculum.
Kay (S3)
Page 8
Below are ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of Jennifer,
Gemma and Joanna.
Little Princess Trust is a charity which provides free
real-hair wigs to children that have lost their hair
through cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.
Joanna (S5), Jennifer (S5) and I found out about this
fantastic cause and wanted to do something about it
so we planned to donate some of our hair to make
wigs. I would like to thank the school who allowed us
to combine it with a non–uniform day. This allowed
us to increase our sponsorship fund dramatically and
our final total has surpassed £2,000. So, on Friday, 13
February, two hairdressers from Radiance Hair and
Beauty kindly gave up their time and we donated
almost 40 inches of hair between us. Hopefully, our
hair will help to bring a little more light into the lives
of kids battling cancer because every child deserves to
feel like a Little Prince or Princess.
Gemma (S5)
I would like to thank Gemma for all the hard work and
effort she put into gathering sponsors and
encouraging Jennifer and me to participate. Also, to
those who sponsored us and donated generously,
thank you, your encouragement was very much
appreciated.
I am very glad that I had this experience and hope that
I’ve brought a smile to a child’s face.
Pictured below are the senior pupils with the hair they
donated to the Little Princess Trust.
Joanna (S5)
François (S1) also felt that he
would like to help and raise funds
for this fantastic cause. He brought
in a variety of home-made cakes
and sold them in the street at the
interval. All money raised was
added to the sponsorship money
that the girls had received.
March 2015
Page 9
Photography Success
South Lanarkshire Photography Competition
S3 pupils Hannah and Olivia recently attended an
awards ceremony in Edinburgh to collect their prizes
for the Focus Environment photography competition.
Their success maintains Strathaven Academy’s
excellent record in this competition. Olivia was
awarded second prize in the ‘Nature’s Moods’ category
for her photograph ‘Shipwrecked’. Hannah was
commended for her photograph ‘Poppy Heaven’ in the
‘Wildlife and Habitats’
category
and
‘Floaters’ in the ‘My
environment’
category.
Olivia is going to put
some of her prize
money towards a
school netball trip.
Hannah used her prize
money to buy new
camera
equipment.
When asked about
what advice they
would give to pupils
wishing to enter the
Focus Environment competition in future, both girls
said, ‘You should just get out there and use your
camera as much as you can.’ Hannah also said that
pupils ‘should not over-think and don’t be afraid to
take lots of photographs of the same subject.’
The girls’ photographs are included in a Focus
Environment exhibition that will tour Scotland in 2015.
The exhibition of photographs will be seen in all of
Scotland’s biggest towns and cities, as well as the
Scottish Parliament building in Holyrood, Edinburgh.
Under 16 Rugby
On Wednesday, 11 March, the U16 rugby team
overcame soggy conditions to win two hard-fought
matches against strong opposition. They now progress
to the Lanarkshire Cup Final, where they will face the
top school team from North Lanarkshire. The final will
be played on Wednesday, 25 March, with kick-off at
6:30pm.
March 2015
S1 pupil Sarah’s outstanding
photograph named ‘Calder Water’,
won first prize in the junior section
of
the
South
Lanarkshire
Photography Competition. She
captured the scene for the
‘rural/landscapes’ category in black
and white, with a few artistic techniques to show the
water in flow. Winners of the 2014 Competition were
presented with their awards at an invitation-only
event on 30 January, 2015. All images entered for the
competition are now on show in the Cadzow Gallery
within the visitor centre at Chatelherault Country
Park, Ferniegair, near Hamilton.
Art Club
S1/2 art club were given £50 from enterprise funds in
order to buy clay equipment to make Christmas tree
decorations. These were then sold, with all profits
made going to the Multiple Sclerosis charity.
We rolled out slabs of clay and shaped it by using
cookie-cutters or craft knives. We then added a hole
in the top of the decoration so that it could be hung
up.
After the decorations had dried, we painted them
with glaze and put them into the kiln to be fired.
When they came out of the kiln, they were shiny and
colourful. During lunchtimes, we sold the decorations
in the Street, and we also sold them during the
Christmas concert. We raised £104 for the Multiple
Sclerosis charity.
Sophie (S1)
Page 10
U18 School Football Team
The U18s have continued their great run of form this
season by reaching both the Lanarkshire Cup Quarter
Final and the Scottish Cup Quarter Final.
They kicked off their Lanarkshire Cup campaign just
before Christmas, with an emphatic 5-1 victory over
Taylor High School. Captain Stefan scored four goals
with Sam adding an excellent fifth. This was followed
by an away tie to Calderglen High School which was
played on Wednesday, 18 February. A side which
contained five changes from the previous game
produced a fantastic performance to win 6-0 thanks
to a great hat-trick from Jack and goals from Arthur,
Callum and Alasdair. The boys will now play the
winner of St Andrew’s and St Bride’s v Trinity for a
place in the semi-final.
The Scottish Cup has produced some great memories
for the boys and the last two matches have been
nothing short of outstanding. On Thursday, 18
December, they played in the fourth round of the
competition against a very strong Mearns Castle
team. After withstanding early pressure, Stuart scored
a fantastic long-range goal against the run of play to
give Strathaven the lead. This allowed the team to
settle into the game and Stefan added a second just
before half time. The second half belonged to
Strathaven but they couldn’t find that killer third goal
until substitute Arthur was on hand to finish from
close range. This was quickly followed by a
phenomenal chip from Stuart. Mearns Castle scored a
late consolation goal but Strathaven went through as
winner by four goals to one.
The reward for this game was an away trip to Our
Lady’s High School in Cumbernauld. Both teams had
won every game so far this season, and the drama
which unfolded will live in the minds of the Strathaven
team for some time. Strathaven dominated the first
15 minutes and led 1-0 thanks to a Sam goal that went
straight in from a corner. Our Lady’s then started to
come into the game and deservedly led 2-1 at half
time. As the second half wore on, Strathaven began to
look like they had nothing left and with only four
minutes to go they still found themselves 2-1 down. A
long free kick into the box caused panic in the Our
Lady’s defence, and Stefan was the coolest person in
Cumbernauld as he calmly controlled the ball and
slotted it into the corner to give Strathaven a late
March 2015
equaliser. Just two minutes later Paul was the hero as,
after a corner was cleared to him 25 yards out, he
unleashed a powerful drive that the Our Lady’s
goalkeeper couldn’t hold and the ball found its way
into the net. The team held on through four minutes
of injury time to book the school’s first ever place in
the Senior Scottish Cup Quarter Final. They will travel
to Newbattle in Dalkeith for this match on
Wednesday, 4 March, and we wish them good luck for
the game.
U18 Lanarkshire Schools Football Team
The U18 regional select squad has continued its run in
the Scottish Cup with Stefan representing the school
during their quarter final victory over Aberdeen
Schools. The match was won 2-0 with Stefan scoring
the first goal with only ten minutes left. They now
look forward to the National Trophy semi-final and we
wish Stefan all the best for the game. Sam missed the
game through injury but we hope he will be fit to play
a part in the next match.
U15 Lanarkshire Schools Football Team
The U15 regional select squad has continued its run in
the Scottish Cup, with Ryan representing the school
during their quarter final victory over Aberdeenshire
Schools. The match was won 5-1 with Ryan playing
the full match in goals. They now look forward to the
National Trophy semi-final away match against
Aberdeen Schools and we wish Ryan all the best for
the game.
Gymnastics
Victoria (S2), Amy (S2) and Connor
(S5) who are all members of
Avondale Gymnastics Club in
Larkhall were invited to participate
in a competition in Middlesbrough.
Amy and Connor competed as a pair
and Victoria paired up with another
member of her club. Both pairs were
successful at this event with Amy and Connor winning
two gold medals and Victoria winning a silver and
bronze with her partner. Congratulations to the pupils
involved.
Page 11
MUSICAL ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
National Youth Pipe Band
Burns Supper and Concert
On Saturday, 24 January, Luke, an S1 pupil, attended
an audition for the National Youth Pipe Band of
Scotland and was offered a place. The National Youth
Pipe Band of Scotland is a non-competing, cutting
edge performance pipe band for 10-25 year olds in
Scotland. Launched in 2002, the National Youth Pipe
Band is the first and only organisation of its kind to
bring together Scotland’s most talented young
musicians at a national level. Membership is drawn
from across Scotland’s 32 councils, and young pipers
and drummers come from an array of different
musical backgrounds, brought together as some of the
very best chosen to play for their country.
Iain in S6 organised a Burns Supper and a concert in
January to raise funds for Strathaven Friends of Health
Help International, a local charity which supports
projects worldwide. Money raised from this event will
help the Strathaven Explorer Scouts return to Zambia
in the near future to install solar-powered lighting in
some schools.
Well done to Iain for all his hard work in organising
this successful event, and also to his fellow musicians
who provided entertainment.
Pictured above are the musicians Iain (S6), Katie (S6),
Euan (S6), Sarah (S6), Gillian (S6) and Jill (S6).
Holocaust Memorial Concert
Luke has been playing the bagpipes for just over one
year and has been playing with Boghall and Bathgate
Caledonia Pipe Band for six months. The band takes
part in local competitions, as well as the Scottish and
World Pipe Band Championships, and Luke has also
achieved success at solo competitions. Luke will
commence rehearsals with the National Youth Pipe
Band of Scotland in April, when he will prepare for
concerts both in Scotland and abroad. This is a huge
achievement for Luke. Well done!
March 2015
On
Tuesday,
20
January, S4 pupils
Erfan, Amy and Sarah
took part in a
Holocaust memorial
event at John Ogilvie
High School. Erfan
superbly
arranged
‘Walk’ by Ludovico
Einaudi for piano and
strings and this was
performed at the
concert. The pupils were honoured to be included in
this poignant and memorable event, in which pupils
from all schools across South Lanarkshire were invited
to perform.
Page 12
MUSICAL ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Glassford Guild
Rotary Young Musician
Pupils from Strathaven Academy, along with Mr
MacKay and Mrs Blades, put on a concert for the
Glassford Guild on the evening of Tuesday, 3 March.
They provided a varied programme of music from
classical flute, guitar and voice performances to jazz,
musical theatre and a traditional Scottish music set.
All pupils performed to an exceptionally high standard
and the evening was enjoyed by all.
On Saturday, 17 February, Cameron (S5) and Morgan
(S3) participated in the district final of the Rotary
Young Musician of the Year competition, which was
held in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in
Glasgow. This National Young Musician Competition is
a well-established and successful competition
promoted by Rotary International in Britain and
Ireland and sponsored by Harrods. It is a four-stage
national competition designed to support and
encourage the development of musical talent and
offers young people:



Pictured are Iain (S6), Jill (S6), Adam (S6), Morgan (S3),
Fraser (S6) and Ruth (S6).
Music Exam Successes
Throughout November and December, many pupils
undertook both practical and theory music exams
offered by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools
of Music and the London College of Music. All pupils
were extremely successful but a special mention goes
to Cameron (S5) who passed Grade 8 Saxophone - a
fantastic achievement at his age. Congratulations to
all pupils.
the experience of performing on a public stage
an opportunity to showcase their musical talent
impartial
feedback
and
assessment
of
performance by experienced adjudicators
Morgan, who was participating
for the second year said, ‘The
Rotary Young Musician of the
year competition at the Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland was an
extraordinary experience for me.
This year was my second time
performing and competing at the
event. It was an honour to have
been chosen to compete and
represent the Rotary Club of Strathaven. It was a
fantastic day and it was lovely to hear all of the
amazing performances.’
Cameron was participating for
the first time at this
competition. He really enjoyed
performing in the Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland, as
well as having the opportunity
to listen to and appreciate the
talented young people from
across the country.
Glasgow Music Festival
On Wednesday, 11 March, Amy, an
S3 pupil, achieved success at the
Glasgow Music Festival. She scored
86 marks out of 100, winning the
Intermediate Scottish vocal solo
category. Congratulations on a
fantastic achievement.
March 2015
Unfortunately, neither of the pupils was placed in the
top two performers in their category. However, they
both performed extremely well, received positive
feedback from the adjudicator, and had a fantastic
experience.
Page 13
FORTHCOMING EVENTS AND DIARY DATES
School Events
Supported Study for National 5/Higher
Candidates
w/b 20 April – S3 Exams
To support our pupils prepare for forthcoming exams,
we are offering Supported Study classes in some
National 5 and Higher subjects during the first week of
the Spring Break.
21 April – Rotary Design Awards
28 April – SQA Exams start
28 April – S5/6 Study Leave
29 April – S4 Study Leave
29 April – S1 Camp Meeting
5 May – New timetable starts
6 May – P7 Information Evening/ Uniform
The subjects on offer are Maths, French, Spanish,
Chemistry, Physics Geography, History, Health and
Food, Music and Physical Education. Classes will be
held from Tuesday 7 – Friday 10 April, from 9.30am –
12pm and 1 – 3.30pm on each day.
26 May – PTA AGM
Before the end of term, I will issue a more detailed
timetable for your child with classes, dates, times,
locations and any materials that they are required to
bring.
27 May – S3 reports to parents
Please note there will be no transport provided.
27 May – P7 Open Evening
We hope that your son/daughter will take advantage
of this valuable opportunity to consolidate and
enhance their learning.
11-15 May – Paris Trip
12-15 May – S1 Camp
29 May – SQA Exams finish/Study Leave ends
2 June – Parent Council AGM
Do not hesitate to contact me if you require further
information.
5 June – S1 reports to parents
L BARR
10-11 June – P7 Visits
Depute Head Teacher
16 June – Awards Ceremony
24 June – Summer Service
Achievements
Holiday and Inservice Dates
If you have any achievements to report, please send
an email to [email protected],
providing the name and register class of your
son(s)/daughter(s) with information of their
achievement/success and a photograph if possible.
3-17 April – holiday
4 May – holiday
7 May – Inservice day
22-25 May – holiday
24 June – close at 1.00 pm
Newsletters by Email
Sainsbury’s Vouchers
It is that time of year again! We are collecting the
Sainsbury’s Active Vouchers again this year. All
vouchers can be handed into the PE Department.
There will be a collection box outside the PE
department base door. Thank you for your support.
March 2015
If you would prefer to receive future newsletters via
email, please let us know. Send an email to
[email protected], providing the
name and register class of your son(s)/daughter(s)
and you will be added to a mailing list to receive
future newsletters electronically.
Page 14

March 2015 Newsletter

Transcription

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