Dunfermline High School Newsletter - Home Page

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To Parents/Guardians/Carers
July 2009
RECTOR’S INTRODUCTION
I sincerely hope that everyone is having a relaxing and enjoyable summer holiday
and that all pupils are looking forward to returning to school on Wednesday
19th August at 8.55am.
Educational achievement and attainment are facilitated by the development of a
successful three way partnership between Pupils, Staff and Parents and this
partnership undoubtedly thrives in Dunfermline High School. One indicator of
this is the fact that we currently have one of the largest and most active Parent
Councils in Scotland. The current chairperson, Mrs Mhairi Weir, has had to
employ all of her skills in tact and diplomacy at several very well-attended Parent Council Meetings this
past session and deserves real praise for “a job well done.” In addition, Dunfermline High School is a real
Community School and is also one of the busiest Community-Use Schools in Scotland.
Exciting times are literally just round the corner as we enter the more detailed “Business Plan” stage in the
planning for a replacement school. Before a “new school” is officially authorised by the Authority it is
(understandably) necessary to complete a full and detailed evaluation survey of the existing buildings. It is
then necessary to compare not just the costs but also “the suitability for education in the 21st Century”
between a potential refurbishment of all or part of the existing buildings and a complete new build.
This “Business Plan” case, together with “Strategic Brief” documentation will be fully discussed by
councillors in approximately two months before the final decision is made regarding a “new school.”
However, there currently appears to be little doubt that a new replacement Dunfermline High School, built
on the playing fields to the rear of our current buildings, WILL be constructed over the next two and a half
years with occupancy planned for late 2012. Indeed, promoted staff from this school, working in collaboration
with Education Service Senior Managers and other Senior Council Staff, and particularly with our Lead
Architect, Dairmid McLachlan (and his team), are already well into the detailed planning and design process to
produce a new school truly fit for purpose for the 21st Century. Personally, I wish to thank all individuals
and parties involved in this process for their co-operation at all levels in “moving forward” this project.
(Full updates will be given, via Press Releases and Newsletters, as the project develops.)
Session 2008/2009 has been a very busy academic year for everyone in the school. Our main improvement
or development priorities were related to reviewing the current curriculum in relation to a “Curriculum for
Excellence”, raising attainment at all levels, improving the quality of learning and teaching and reviewing
staffing structures.
Many notable successes in raising attainment deserve to be mentioned:At “5-14” Levels, the percentage of S2 pupils attaining Level E or better by the end of S2 has increased in
Reading (by 3%), in Writing (by 4%) and in Mathematics (by 1%). These, (although modest), increases
take us above the Fife Council “averages” for all elements.
In the S4-S6 SQA Examinations results in August 2008, the S4 results improved very significantly for
English and for Mathematics AND for pupils achieving very good results at Standard Grade (or equivalent).
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For example, the percentage of pupils achieving five or more awards in subjects/courses at Credit Level
(or equivalent) rose by a remarkable 11% from 27% to 38%. (This was the highest figure in the school
since 1999). In S5/S6, there were average increases of 3% in the pupils attaining Higher Grade and
Advanced Higher awards. We will not be complacent however as we continue to strive to maintain or
improve the S4 award levels and to improve the S5/S6 figures (and I am relatively confident that I
will be reporting improved Higher Grade results this year by August).
Other “Achievements” in 2008/2009 are also extensive with a few examples being:Improved pupil attendance at school with the percentage of “Unauthorised Absences” dropping by 1%
(from 4.2% to 3.2%) and the “Total Absences” dropping by 0.9% (from 9.1% to 8.2%) - compared with a
“Fife Average” of 9.9% and a “National Average” of 9.2%.
The number of half-days of pupil exclusions reduced by an enormous 52% (from 2011 to 948 half-days)
and the actual number of exclusions also dropped by 52% (from 236 to 114). (These enormous reductions in the “exclusion figures” are, in a major way, thanks to the support of APEX (and the Locality
Managers and Local Children’s Services Committee) in providing substantial funding for our new
“Inclusion Unit” until September 2009. (Unfortunately the funding source for APEX has “dried up”
and we are currently investigating other funding sources as we do NOT wish to lose our
very successful and national Good Practice Award - winning “Inclusion Unit” (... So if you have your
cheque books at the ready...!) There have been many other successes during the session ranging from the
mammoth musical production of “We Will Rock You” last December to the superb National Success of
our Girls’ Football Team last month in winning the Scottish Coca-Cola 7’s Championship at Tynecastle without conceding a goal!
The Achievements by many individuals and groups in 2008/2009 have been outstanding and many of
these were recognised and rewarded at our “Colours Ceremony” in March.
I wish to record my personal thanks to all staff in Dunfermline High School for their positive and active
support of all aspects of a child’s wider education.
We have a wide diversity of study classes, activities, clubs, trips, excursions, visits and general opportunities f o r o u r p u p i l s w h i c h a r e , q u i t e s i mp l y , d u e t o t h e s h e e r p r o f e s s i o n a l i s m,
d e d i c a t i o n a n d commitment of staff. My thanks to staff for their unstinting support of pupils often in
their own time. I also wish to note my gratitude to the members and representatives of the Professional
Associations and Unions within the school for their valued understanding and support and helpful
constructive feedback on many consultation issues this session. One potentially difficult area which
we had to review in early 2009 was related to the whole “Management Structure Review” within the
school but this was completed, I hope successfully, in part thanks to the quality of staff relationships at
all levels within the school.
We have a total of 20 staff leaving the school this summer due to redeployment elsewhere, promotion
and even retirement. Our retirees include Gordon Wowk (Depute Rector - with 22 years service
to Dunfermline High School), John Hunter (Principal Teacher of History - with 38 years service
to Dunfermline High School), Pamela Macleod (Principal Teacher of Guidance - with 27 years service to
Dunfermline high School), Gordon Pate (Principal Teacher of Physical Education - with 8 years service
to Dunfermline High School), Elaine Campbell (Principal Teacher within Business Education with 24 years service to Dunfermline High School) and Sean McGarvey (Teacher of Chemistry - with
30 years service to Dunfermline High School). The total “experience” of these six members of
staff is 149 years and I have no doubt that this experience will be sorely missed. I thank them all for
the conscientious manner in which they have carried out their duties to support generations of pupils in
this school and we all wish them well-deserved, long and happy retirements (at least until I need to
‘phone them to do “Supply work”).
Can I however reassure all pupils, parents and carers that all of our vacant posts will be filled for August
2009.
Overall, session 2008/2009 has, in my opinion, been a very successful year for Dunfermline High School
and, as we look forward to the extremely exciting times ahead in the history of this school, I do strongly
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feel that everyone involved in our “wider community” should be confident that this school will continue
to thrive and improve for generations to come.
I thank you all for your much appreciated on-going support.
Thank you.
Brian W Blanchflower, Rector
July 2009
SQA EXAM RESULTS
Exam results will drop though your letter box on Wednesday 5th August. If, for any reason,
your results do not arrive you can contact the school where we will have a record of all results.
Please make sure that your postal delivery has taken place before contacting the school.
Candidates who have registered with “MySQA” will receive texts or emails between 8am and
9am on the 5th.
APPEALS
In some cases, it may be possible for the school to enter an appeal for a candidate where he or
she has performed less well in a subject, than the school predicted. Where an appeal is being
lodged, the SQA expect that the school will supply evidence which is “compelling, valid and
reliable” to back up that appeal. Pupils and parents should note that a bare 50% pass in a prelim
is unlikely to be regarded as strong evidence.
There is no need to contact the school during the holidays to discuss possible appeals. The
school will submit Stage 1 appeals (Adv. Higher and Higher) to the SQA on the 21st August.
Stage 2 appeals (Standard Grade, Intermediate 1 and 2) will be submitted to the SQA on the 11th
September.
SQA PAST PAPERS
From September 2009 Bright Red Publishing will be the new publisher of the only Official SQA
Past Papers. These can be purchased in the following ways:
By telephone:
By email:
By fax:
By post:
Online at:
0131 220 5804
[email protected]
0131 220 6710
Book Orders
Bright Red Publishing Ltd
6 Stafford Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7AU
www.brightredpublishing.co.uk
All Official Past Papers and Bright Red Revision and Results titles will also be available from
Waterstone's, Borders, Blackwells, WHSmith, and will be available to purchase or order from
all good independent bookshops. The Past Paper range covers over 70 subjects across all levels,
and will provide students with the best possible practice for their exams. The books are priced
at £7.99.
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AWARDS CEREMONY 2009 -TUESDAY 16 JUNE 2009
Breaking with tradition this session’s Awards Ceremony was held in the evening of Tuesday 16 June 2009
to enable more parents/carers/family members of award recipients to attend. This was very successful with
around 400 present in the Hall for the ceremony, the majority of whom partook of the
superb buffet and refreshments available afterwards in the Dining Hall.
The Guest Speaker was Mr David Currie (Managing Director of FMC Technologies U.K.)
The Awards presented were as follows:
DUX AWARDS
History
History
Alasdair D
D Drennan
Drennan
Alasdair
French (The
(The Elizabeth
Elizabeth Moyes
Moyes Lessels
Lessels Prize)
Prize)
French
Chemistry
(The
Black
Somerville
Prize)
Chemistry (The Black Somerville Prize)
Alasdair D
D Drennan
Drennan
Alasdair
Gordon
T
Snowden
Gordon T Snowden
Geography
Geography
Gordon TT Snowden
Snowden
Gordon
Mathematics (The
(The PP SS Black
Black Memorial
Memorial Prize)
Prize)
Mathematics
Jennifer H
H Bath
Bath
Jennifer
Computing
Computing
Max JJ Kreuger
Kreuger
Max
Fine Art
Art
Fine
Sean Adair
Adair
Sean
Drama
Drama
Carmel N
NH
H Lawson
Lawson
Carmel
Music (Sponsored
(Sponsored by
by Shell
Shell UK)
UK)
Music
Helena Bull
Bull
Helena
Religious and
and Moral
Moral Education
Education (The
(The Chaplain’s
Chaplain’s Medal
Medal
Religious
Donated by
by the
the Reverend
Reverend AA Jessamine)
Jessamine)
Donated
English
English
Laura M
M Boyle
Boyle
Laura
Sorcha Michie
Michie
Sorcha
THE DUNFERMLINE BUILDING SOCIETY AWARDS FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN THE
HIGHER CLASS
Biology
Physics
Alison Bullions
Joint
Stuart A Hamilton
Jing Yuan Zhu
Jing Yuan Zhu
Joint
English
Lindsay Russell
Rebecca Jordan
Rebecca Jordan
Chemistry
Euan R Clark
German
Vhairi Millar
French
Amanda C Richards
Mathematics
Business Management
History
Joint
Jordan Curran
Gregor Steedman
Esme A Bunton
Geography
INTERNAL SPORTS AWARDS
Excellence in Rugby
Rector’s Prize for Excellence in Games
Thomas G Murray
Sara L Orwin
Excellence in Hockey
Sara L Orwin
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EXTERNAL SPORTS AWARDS
The Coca-Cola 7s National Tournament Champions
(Football)
Caroline Weir
Katie Allan
Simone H Atkinson
Emma Craig
Georgia Gibson
Ellen Hutchison
Kirsten O’Neill
Carolyn Russell
Samantha J Somerville
Jordan Duncan
Samantha J Battrick
Chloe Brogan
Holly Burns
Maxine L Hamilton
Louise Jenkins
Sara Kousarieh
Kirsty McGuire
Lauren McMonagle
Fern Mason
Katie Reid
Leighann Russell
Amber Scullion
Lauren Smith
Christie-Alys Wilson
Fife Schools Girls Hockey Champions
Dance Leadership Certificate
EXCELLENCE IN THE HIGHER CLASS
Accounts (Sponsored by Exxon Mobil)
Administration
Rebecca Jordan
Caitlin K P Brown
Media Studies
Caitlin K P Brown
Drama
Laura Duncan
Mechatronics
Callum Thom
Hospitality
Hannah Farrimond
LCT
Chelsea Oliphant
HFT
Emma Baillie
Human Biology
Euan R Clark
Music (Sponsored by Exxon Mobil)
Claire Thomson
Physical Education
Bobbie Beveridge
Religious and Moral Education
Alasdair D Drennan
MEMORIAL AWARDS
The Alice B McKee Memorial Award for Academic
Excellence and Commitment to Sport
The Andrew Stewart Memorial Award for outstanding
Commitment and Achievement in Sport (class 4)
The Emma Stevenson Memorial Award for
Commitment to Drama
Sara L Orwin
Robyn Henderson
Fraser R Cowe
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Iain Drennan
The Kenneth L Mottram Memorial Award for Excellence in
Modern Studies (Donated by the Staff Association of DHS)
The Sam McClements Memorial Award for Excellence in
Physics (Class IV)
(Donated by the Staff Association of DHS)
Joint
Dale Cuthbertson
David Blair
The Louise B Brannan Memorial Award for Excellence
in History (Class IV) (L Dunkerley)
Joint
Craig Wilson
Chloe A Easton
The Craig Fenwick Memorial Shield for Commitment
to and Achievement in Rugby (Class II)
Andrew J Pollock
The Beth Tait Memorial Prize for Excellence in Drama
Chelsea Oilphant
The Hutton Memorial Medal and Prize for Excellence
in Academic and Extra-curricular Achievement
Rebecca Mann
The James Thompson Memorial Prize for Fine Art
Siobhan L Scott
The Juliet Thorburn Memorial Prize for Art and Design
Stephen Williamson
The Kenneth Forbes Memorial Medal for Creative
Writing (Class II)
Sally Ann Lamond
The L J Cranforth Memorial Prize for Excellence in
Computing
Joint
Nicole Brooks
Liam Wilson
The Angus McPherson Memorial Award for Excellence in
Technical Education
Lewis R Baillie
The Chris Drysdale Memorial Prize for Excellence in
Dance (Class I)
Jenna Yeates
The A M Cruickshank Memorial Award for Achievement in
English
Joint
Joint
S3
S3
S4
S4
Noor Abdel-Razik
Chloe S Williamson
Kirsty S Lewis
Christine E Pollock
The J E Arkieson Memorial Award for Excellence in
English (Class VI)
Sorcha Michie
The J E Arkieson Memorial Award for Excellence in
English (Class IV)
Jack Gavine
The Stacey Jobbins Memorial Award
Sarah Moor
MAJOR SCHOOL AWARDS
The Rotary Prize for Leadership
Joint
The 59ers Award
Joint
The Marquis of Tweeddale Queen Anne Medal
for Citizenship
The Dunfermline District Council Award for
Community Involvement
The William McLaren Erskine Memorial
Medal and Prize for Excellence in the Sciences
Morven A M Weir
Alasdair D Drennan
Morven A M Weir
Alasdair D Drennan
Misha Grant
Joint
The John Erskine VC Memorial Medal and
Prize for Excellence in the Arts
Robyn Milligan
Lauren Davis
Gordon T Snowden
Alasdair D Drennan
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GENERAL AWARDS
The Junior Debating Award (Sponsored by McIlroy Hipwell,
Solicitors and Notaries Public)
David Blair
The Public Speaking Gavel and Prize (Gifted by Mrs
Margaret Dean and Sponsored by McIlroy Hipwell,
Solicitors and Notaries Public)
Alasdair D Drennan
The Dunfermline High School Enterprise Award (Gifted by
Mr Matt Stewart from entrepreneur)
The Young Enterprise Award
Lorna E Mackie
The Prince’s Trust Award
Lorna M Ferguson
Daniel Horn
Murray McFarlane
The Lauder College Centenary Award
Charlie-Anne Richards
** S5 AND S6 COURSE CHANGES - IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR SENIOR PUPILS **
This year, we would like to make any course changes following the publication of the SQA results,
before senior pupils return for the start of the new session. If any senior pupils require a change to
their choice of subjects, they should bring a letter signed by a parent or carer, to the school library
at the following time:
S5 Bothwell and Canmore
2.00 p.m. – 2.50 p.m. Monday 17 August
Henryson and Queen Margaret 2.50 p.m. – 3.40 p.m. Monday 17 August
S6 Bothwell and Canmore
2.00 p.m. – 2.50 p.m. Tuesday 18 August
Henryson and Queen Margaret 2.50 p.m. – 3.40 p.m. Tuesday 18 August
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ATTEND TO ACHIEVE
Absence
Parents and pupils are reminded of the legal responsibility for children to attend school
regularly unless there is a reasonable excuse for absence. Should parents know in advance that a
child will be absent from school, e.g. for a medical appointment, they should send a note to the
relevant register teacher. If this is not possible, then parents should endeavour to phone the
school on the first day of absence so that we know that the child is safe and absent with parental
permission. This will prevent an automated call from Truancy Call which the school often
uses to follow up unexplained absence. On the pupil’s return to school, he/she should bring a
dated note giving a written explanation for absence.
If any pupil is to be absent on medical grounds for an extended period of time, parents should
contact the relevant Guidance Teacher who will arrange for the appropriate work to be sent
home so that he/she may keep up as far as possible with class work.
Lateness
Lateness is an increasing problem. School starts at 9.00am and pupils are expected to make their
way to class after the first bell at 8.55am. Anyone arriving after this time will be recorded as
Late. Parents and pupils are reminded that punctuality is regularly monitored and pupils will be
issued with punishment exercises if they are late without reasonable excuse. Special arrangements are made on the infrequent occasions that the school buses are late and pupils know to
sign in at the Main Office. However, for all other pupils, i.e. those walking to school, being
transported by car or on service buses, there is a legal responsibility on parents to ensure
punctuality. Letters will be sent home advising parents of any concerns, however they may be
required to attend a meeting at school with the relevant Depute or Guidance Staff should a
problem persist.
Holidays
Term time holidays cannot be authorised by the school under Fife Council guidelines. Parents
are therefore advised that all holidays should be taken outwith term time in accordance with this
policy.
It is important that parents work in partnership with the school to ensure their child’s safety,
discipline and attendance and we look for your support in complying with these reasonable
conditions which have been set up in your child’s best interest. Parents who have queries or
concerns about any of the above should contact their child’s Guidance Teacher in the first
instance.
S6 SUPERVISED STUDY PERIODS
This session, 2009/2010, all S6 pupils with “non teaching time” (due
to having a “free column” in their course options) will be given Supervised Study
periods, timetabled into classroom Q30. Pupils are expected to take their
own work with them and to use the time appropriately, without disturbing
others, to help improve their attainment levels.
Once all S6 Course Choices are completely finalised by late August, pupils will be given the
opportunity to do subject or course specific revision in a subject department but also
under staff supervision.
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USEFUL INFORMATION FROM THE OFFICE
1.
Registration: Please phone the school on the first day your child is absent from school
BEFORE 9.30 am whenever possible. If your child is absent due to illness they will be
marked ‘medical’ until their return. You must also send in a note of explanation on
your child’s return. (If the absence is going to be long term another phone call is
required.) Failure to phone the school could result in you receiving a Truancy Call.
2.
Appointments: If your child has an appointment during the day they MUST take either a
note or an appointment card to their Register Teacher at the very latest on the morning of
their appointment. They will then be issued with an appointment slip which indicates to
teachers that they have permission to leave school. Failure to do so may cause delays in
your child being given permission to leave school in time for their appointment.
3.
First Aid: Please ensure that if your child is unwell that they never leave the school without
permission. They MUST report to the first-aider in the main office who will then contact
parents if it is thought necessary. Please also remember that our first-aider is not a Doctor
or Nurse and cannot diagnose!
4.
Payments: All payments e.g. trips, home economics, sponsor money etc. can only be
made at the school office where a receipt will be issued. Please ask your child for their
receipt and keep it safely. Teachers are not authorised to take money.
5.
Myfife Cards: Pupils are responsible for the safekeeping of Myfife cards and should,
where possible, use a wallet to prevent them bending or breaking. (There is a strip which
runs round the outside of the card which if damaged prevents the card from working.) New
cards cost £5. Pupils ARE NOT issued with new cards at the start of each new school year.
6.
Timetables: Replacements timetables cost 50p however this doesn’t seem to be a
deterrent! It would be helpful if you could ensure your child’s timetable is copied into
their Student Planner.
7.
Bus Passes: Pupils who forget to bring their bus pass will be issued with a pass to get
home that day. They will only be allowed three of these passes in one year. Please also
remember that it is the parents’ responsibility to get their children to and from school.
8.
Parents of new S1 pupils: Please be advised that only VERY URGENT messages can be
passed on to your child.
One more thing!!! It would make our day if pupils said ‘please’ and thank you’ when
they call at the office.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
www.dunfermlinehigh.co.uk
The school website is now well established and is used by pupils, parents, staff and members of the
public. Like any website, development work is always required. Fife Council’s Service Improvement
Team is to further develop School Information Sites (SIS) and as part of phase 2 they are currently
surveying visitors to the school’s website to obtain feedback.
We have been asked to make parents aware of the survey on the school website and to ask you to
take part and give feedback.You will find the link to the survey at the bottom of the school’s homepage.
You can also send comments directly to the school by emailing: [email protected]
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DIARY DATE – CAREERS CONVENTION
HIGH PRAISE
Do you need help with your Course Choices for
S2>S3, S4>S5 or S5>S6?
LETTER FROM SHEILA DICK (CHIEF
SQA INVIGILATOR)
Are you possibly leaving
school either at Christmas
2009 on in the Summer 2010
and need advice regarding
jobs, training courses, further
education (college) courses or higher education
(university) courses etc?
I am writing on behalf of all the invigilators to
express our appreciation of the excellent
behaviour displayed by all candidates during
the recent SQA exams.
In both behaviour and attendance, the candidates
were a great credit to the school this year.
Come and get first hand advice from the many
experts who will be present at our Careers Convention
on Wednesday 30th September from 5.00 p.m.
to 8.00 p.m. in Dunfermline High School.
EDUCATION MAINTENANCE
ALLOWANCE 2009/10
Pupils should note that EMA forms will not be
available until after the summer holiday. A notice
will be posted in the bulletin when forms can be
obtained.
Open to pupils, parents/carers, families and
members of the local community.
ACTIVITY
HOUSES
CREATIVE SPACES CHALLENGE
Four S2 pupils took park in the Creative Spaces
Challenge in Dundee on the 8th May. This
competition is organised by Nicol Russell
Architects and this year the challenge was to
design an Eco-house. Pupils had to select a suitable
site, draw up detailed plans of the building, use
modelling materials to create an accurate scale
model of their proposals and give a presentation
to the judges and other teams at the end. The
team of Alison Hogg, Andrew Patterson, Dacha
Svetova and Jamie Brown made a fantastic
effort and even picked up cash prizes and free
cinema tickets!
WEEK
–
GINGERBREAD
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed getting creative
and
building
their very own
gingerbread
house.
There
were many budding architects in
the midst! The
trickiest
part
was icing the house together and this required a
lot of patience and skill from the pupils. In fact
the pupils were so keen to get their houses
complete they did not want to leave for a break. I
hope you all enjoyed eating your gingerbread
houses and well done!
S4/S5/S6 SUPPORTED STUDY CLASSES
These will commence after the October holiday.
Further details will be published in the next
Newsletter.
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INTERNET SAFETY - FOR PARENTS!
Earlier his session, I attended an in-service course organised by a group called Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP). The course was delivered by a police officer who is a
Schools and Communities Education Officer with Fife Constabulary. I was horrified to learn
just how vulnerable our children are on the internet, even as young as 6/7 years old.
We were given several examples of sites including one called Habbo Hotel where the child
enters a virtual world and meets others in that world. This site is aimed specifically at primary
school aged children and within minutes of entering the site, they can be ‘picked up’ by someone. For older children, a popular site is Second Life where millions worldwide have signed up
to this virtual world. Within the site there are hidden rooms where sex offenders go. Everything
in real life is mirrored in Second Life.
Girls tend to visit social networking sites like MSN, Bebo, Facebook and My Face. Did you
know that to go on Bebo and Facebook your child should be 13 and My Face 14? As was
pointed out children lie to go on these sites and therefore it should be made clear that people
they meet on the sites may also be lying. The advice is that if they have signed up to Bebo they
should keep their page “private”. If it is already “public” they can go into settings and make it
private. They should also delete all contacts they do not know. Both MSN and Bebo have
“report abuse” buttons.
Boys tend to be targeted through gaming sites like Runescape, World of War Craft and Lord of
the Rings Online. Sex offenders will pay people to go through games and get up through the
levels. The solutions will then be offered, at first free and then for images or they may suggest
meeting the young person.
25% of young people have met someone offline and a quarter of them went on their own. We
were given examples of the lengths these adults will go to in order to persuade young people to
meet with them. It can be a matter of months building up trust before they meet. The following
is just one of those real life examples:
A 16 year old girl wanted to be a model. She entered a modelling website where she got
chatting with a supposed model. She was then put in touch with a photographer who asked her
to send photographs of herself. She was then “hooked in” by being told that he thought she
could really be big. Eventually he suggested they meet, she refused so he put pressure on her
saying that he would make sure no agency would take her on. She agreed to go. He started
taking photographs of her and managed to persuade her to go topless. The next week he raped
her and threatened to publish the photographs. She was raped every week for 6 months.
Sex offenders will send mobile phones and top them up for the young people as well as games
and other gifts to encourage them to meet.
As a result of my experience on this course I decided to invite the CEOP trainer into school just
before Christmas. A number of staff were trained in the delivery of the teaching materials and
in March 2009, the Social Education classes were given a lesson using the materials. The feedback from this was very positive.
The materials are fairly hard-hitting and the pupils were given information about the website
recommended by CEOP for information www.thinkuknow.co.uk. This website gives
information on: How to have fun online; How to stay in control on the net and How to report if
you’re worried. As parents you can use the site which also has an area called, How to help
protect your kids online. This site contains lots of useful information for both adults and pupils.
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The experience of this course taught me that you can never be too careful when monitoring your
child’s use of the internet. I hope that this information is helpful in highlighting the dangers
and please do go onto the Think u Know website for more details.
Pamela Macleod
(PT Guidance)
MYFIFE CARDS
All pupils who enrolled in Dunfermline High School last session
received ‘MYFIFE CARDS’ with their own photographs. These are
used for a variety of purposes including paying for food and refreshments
in the Dining Hall and being used as bus passes.
Pupils must NOT dispose of their Myfife Cards as they will continue to be used whilst they are
a pupil at Dunfermline High School.
Look after your Myfife card or you will have to pay £5 to Fife Council for a replacement.
Pupils starting S1 in August 2009 will have Myfife cards posted to their homes before 19
August. Pupils from outwith our catchment area will receive temporary Myfife cards on
19 August in school.
Pupils MUST remember to bring their Myfife cards every day.
INTERVALS AND LUNCHTIMES
The geographical location of Dunfermline High School is very central with easy access by road
and rail.
However, given the proximity to the very busy dual-carriageway which links Dunfermline and
Rosyth, there are potentially serious concerns over aspects of road safety.
Pupils are NOT allowed to leave the school grounds at morning internal.
As the school, at the very least, has a moral responsibility for pupils at lunchtimes I would
prefer if all pupils also remained inside the school at lunchtimes. To help accommodate this we
have recently made improvements to the Dining Hall to increase the capacity and throughout
and make the surroundings more attractive.
In the interests of safety of pupils I would like to secure parental support in encouraging pupils
not to leave the premises at lunchtimes and to encourage pupils to have all snacks and meals in
the Dining Hall.
12
SCHOOL DRESS CODE
We hope that all pupils will be proud to identify with Dunfermline High School and expect
them to co-operate fully with our school dress code.
White shirt or Blouse complete with a School Tie
Black V-necked jersey, sweatshirt or cardigan – to
ensure that the school tie is clearly visible
Black Trousers or Skirt
School Shoes – NOT trainers
(All S5/S6 Prefects MUST wear a blazer (with cord or braid as appropriate) in addition to the
above items at all times.)
There are a number of items of clothing which are regarded as unacceptable in school in all
circumstances. These include items which:(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
Could potentially encourage factions (e.g. – football colours).
Could cause offence (e.g. – anti-religious symbolism or political
slogans).
Could cause health and safety difficulties (e.g. – loose fitting clothing or
loose fitting training shoes or particular items of jewellery).
Are of flammable materials which may be a danger in certain classes
(e.g. shell suits and tracksuits).
Carry advertising for alcohol or tobacco.
Denim jackets and jeans.
The general guideline is that clothing is unacceptable is it could disrupt the normal operation of
any class within the school or could possibly cause damage or injury. The items in the “School
Dress Code” are all regarded as affordable, practical, hard-wearing and appropriate for the
work to be done in school.
The following items are available from the School Shop at the very reasonable prices indicated:S1-S4
School Tie
S5/S6
School Tie
School Badge (for blazer)
Black Sweatshirt (V-neck)
Girls Black Zip Cardigan
£3.50
£5.50
£2.50
£10.00
£16.50
SCHOOL TRANSPORT
After the summer holidays pupils should continue to travel to and from school on the same
route and bus currently allocated, as shown on MYFIFE cards.
Transportation Service will no longer write to you during the holidays as your entitlement to
free transport is already included on your MYFIFE card.
13
UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS (UCAS) – ENTRY TO UNIVERSITY IN 2010
The process of applying to enter university in September / October 2010 will begin very shortly
after we return from the summer break in August. The school no longer processes paper
applications. All applications will be made electronically. This means that pupils will be able to
work on their applications wherever they have access to the Internet. Information on this
process, known as APPLY, will be provided to pupils as part of their Social Education
programme. Pupils will also have the opportunity of attending sessions in the school’s resource
centre at which they will learn how APPLY works.
UCAS Applications Timetable
1) 7.9.09
Information on the application process begins and other relevant
documentation is distributed to pupils in Social Education. They will also
have the opportunity to visit the school’s resource centre and work on
their electronic application.
2) 16.9.09
Higher Education Convention in Glenrothes. All prospective applicants will
have the opportunity of attending this as the school usually arranges a
morning visit. Admissions officers from most universities attend and can
provide pupils with useful information.
3) 9.10.09
The first draft of the application including personal statement must
be submitted to the appropriate Guidance Teacher.
4) 9.10.09
Final deadline for the submission of applications for veterinary medicine,
medicine, dentistry and Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
5) 27.11.09
Final date for the submission of applications for all pupils apart from those
applying for Route B Art courses.
6) 14.12.09
All completed UCAS applications will be sent electronically.
Please note that although the UCAS deadline is January 9th, the school
deadline is December 14th.
FOOTBALLING AMBASSADOR
Craig Reid, a sixth-year pupil at Dunfermline High School, was selected for the Fife Schools
Senior Football Squad who reached the final of the Scottish National Trophy. They meet
Aberdeenshire Schools in the final at Gayfield Park, Arbroath at 6.30pm on
Thursday 30 April 2009, but unfortunately were narrowly defeated.
The Fife Schools F. A. Secretary, Steven Kowbel from Kirkcaldy, commented that the whole
squad "have been a fantastic bunch to work with and their attitude and sportsmanship has been
an excellent example of the type of behaviour we are trying to foster in Fife Schools Football.”
He added that "Craig Reid has been an excellent ambassador for Dunfermline High School and
for the region as a whole."
14
HIGH COST OF NON RETURN OF TEXTBOOKS
Each year thousands of textbooks are lent to pupils in Dunfermline High School to help them
with their homework and to provide assistance when they are studying for their exams. When
they return for the next year we ask them to return the textbooks so that they can be issued to the
new classes and allow them to have the same opportunities of help and assistance.
Unfortunately this is where the problems start. A large number of pupils fail to return their textbooks and departments have to spend time and effort trying to get their books back. Steps taken
involve notices in the daily bulletin, memos to the pupils concerned and letters home. These
steps bring back most of the books. However each year there are a small but significant number
of books that are not returned. This places a double cost on departments. Not only have we paid
for the book originally, we now have to pay for a replacement book.
For example this year the Physics Dept has £714 of books not returned so far. With the replacement
costs this becomes a total of £1428. This is a third of the money available to finance the whole
of the Physics Department. This money cannot be used to buy new equipment or to replace
broken equipment.
This cost is repeated across the whole of the school putting a large hole in the school budget.
If you have any textbooks that should have been returned then please send them back to the
school and help reduce this massive drain on our finances.
UNEXPECTED CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL
If there is severe weather (or water, heating or building problems) it may occasionally be
necessary to close the school.
This information will be broadcast on Kingdom FM (95.2 and 96.1), Radio Forth (97.3), Radio
Tay (96.4 and 102.8) and on other local radio stations.
If there is severe weather you should USE THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS BEFORE
CALLING THE SCHOOL:(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
listen to the above local radio stations
log on to www.fifedirect.org.uk/news
access the necessary information on your Sky or Virgin digital set-top box. (See “Fife
Council TV” on the A-Z of services on www.fifedirect.org.uk, or in “Useful Guide to
Council Services”)
Call the Fife Council Closure Line on 08451 551199
then choose Option 1 for Schools Information
then choose Option 4 for Dunfermline Schools
then choose Option 2 for Secondary Schools
then listen carefully to the alphabetical list for Dunfermline High School
N.B. Parents can also receive text or email alters if the school is closed. If your child has
moved from a Primary School to the High School, you must ensure you are registered to
receive details on the correct school!
Log on to www.fifedirect.org.uk/closures.
Click on the Closure Alerts and the School Closure Alerts and follow the instructions to either
sign in or register.
PLEASE DO THE ABOVE BEFORE PHONING THE SCHOOL
15
S3 - S6 TARGET-SETTING AND TRACKING
Your child’s performance in S3 – S6 is very important and we will do our very best to ensure
that they perform as well as they can when it comes to exam time. We will be monitoring pupil
performance throughout the year to help us highlight any pupils who we believe are underperforming. Strategies will be implemented to improve performance of pupils who are underperforming. We welcome your support with this. Below is a brief summary of the Target-Setting
and Tracking process that we will be using this academic year.
Target-Setting
All pupils in S3 – S6 will be in discussion with each of their teachers regarding their targets for
the coming session. Teachers will be informing pupils what is required from them in order to
meet these targets.
You will receive a letter from the school listing all the subjects that your child is taking with
their targets for the year.
S3 Target-Setting letters will be posted on 26 October 2009
S4 Target-Setting letters were posted on 24 August 2009
S5/S6 Target-Setting letters will be posted on 11 September 2009
Tracking
Teachers will be monitoring your child’s progress throughout the year and have been asked to
highlight any pupils who are performing below their target grade.
You may then receive a letter from the school listing the subjects that your child is performing
below the standard necessary to meet their targets.
S3 Target Update details will be posted home on 29 January 2010 with details of the S3 Parents’
Evening on Wednesday 4 November 2009.
S4 Target Update details will be posted home on 25 September 2009 with details of the S4
Parents’ Evening on Wednesday 8 October 2009.
S5/S6 Target Update details will be posted home on 9 November 2009 with details of the S5/S6
Parents’ Evening on Monday 23 November 2009.
Final Update
Teaching staff will be asked to comment on your child’s performance after they have completed
their Prelim exams.
You will receive a letter from the school detailing whether your child is on target, exceeding
target or performing below target for each subject.
S4 Final Update letters will be posted on 12 March 2010
S5/6 Final Update letters will be posted on 23 April 2010
16
STAFFING CHANGES AT THE SUMMER 2009
a) The following staff will be leaving Dunfermline High School in August 2009:
Gordon Wowk (Depute)
John Hunter (PT History)
Gordon Pate (PT PE)
Pamela Macleod (PT Guidance)
Elaine Campbell (PT within Business Studies)
Sean McGarvey (Teacher of Chemistry)
Morag McLoughlan (PT/C) Mathematics and Numeracy)
Richard Wotherspoon (PT within Art and Design)
Linda Orr (Teacher of German)
Edith Carrick (Part-time Teacher of Computing)
Shirley Ann Whyte (Pupil Support Assistant – BSS)
Ann Marie Rogerson (Pupil Support Assistant – LSS)
Richard Johnston (Music Instructor)
Angela Allan (Probationer within Computing Department)
Peter Bristow (Probationer within English Department)
Vincent Clements (Probationer with RMPS Department)
Linda Greenshields (Part-time and Temporary with RMPS Department)
Craig Cochrane (Probationer within DET)
Keith Oxley (Teacher of English – Career Break for two years)
In addition, Rosemary Davidson (English) has reduced her hours to part-time employment and Kathryn
Malcolm (part-time in Art and Design) left us at the beginning of June 09.
Also, Victoria Russell (Business Education) continues her secondment to Principal Teacher of Business
Education at Beath HS in 2009/10, Mary Murphy (PT/1) in PE) continues her secondment to Teacher of
Behaviour Support at Lochgelly HS until Easter 2010, and Elena Henderson (Music) will be on Maternity
Leave followed by a Career Break for at least two years.
Alan Crossan (Teacher of Mathematics) will be leaving us in October 2009.
b)
The following appointments have been made from August 2009:
Depute Rector (Pt10) (Permanent) – Iain Macleod
Depute Rector (Pt6) (Temporary) – Being re-advertised in August
Principal Teacher (Curriculum) in Home Economics, Health and Hospitality - Louise Whitehead
Principal Teacher (Curriculum) in Physical Education and Sports Development – David Barclay
Teacher of Chemistry – David Monteith
Teacher of French and Spanish – Gavin Stewart
Teacher of Business Education – Carol-Anne Murray
Teacher of Music – Fiona Miller
Teacher of Home Economics – Claire Thomson
Teacher of Mathematics (from October) – Teresa Vala Pinto
Teacher of English (Temporary) – Naomi Rossiter
Teacher of Art and Design (Temporary) - Alister Hayes
Probationer Teachers:Business Education – Marion Campbell and Jenna Ferrie
D.E.T – Elizabeth Foley
History- Laura Titlow and Joanna Laing
Mathematics – Susan Lister
Music – Richard Hardy
c)
The post of Principal Teacher (Curriculum) in Mathematics and Numeracy
is being filled on temporary basis by Chris Nangle pending a national advertisement in August.
(Mathematics Supply Cover is to be provided, in the interim, by John Langlands.)
d)
Supply teacher (1 day per week) in Home Economics – Heather Milligan
17
THE SCHOOL YEAR – SESSION 2009-2010
1. Terms
Autumn
Winter
Spring
Summer
Monday 17 August 2009 to Friday 9 October 2009
Monday 26 October 2009 to Friday 18 December 2009
Monday 4 January 2010 to Thursday 1 April 2010
Monday 19tApril 2010 to Friday 2 July 2010
(all dates inclusive)
Autumn Term: Teachers return to work on Monday 17 August 2009, pupils return on
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Spring Term: Teachers return to work on Monday 4 January 2010, pupils return on
Tuesday 5 January 2010
Friday 2 April 2010 is Good Friday
The above pattern provides for 189 school days, once the four holidays* (detailed below)
and the six in-service days for teachers are deducted
2. Holidays
Autumn
Christmas
February
Spring
May Day
June
Monday 12 October 2009 to Friday 23 October 2009
Monday 21sDecember 2009 to Monday 4 January 2010
Thursday* 11 February 2010 to Friday*12 February 2010
Friday 2 April 2010 to Friday 16 April 2010
Monday* 3 May 2010
Monday* 7 June 2010
(all dates inclusive)
3. In-Service Training Days for Teachers
The in-service dates for 2009-10 will apply throughout Fife
Monday 17 August 2009
Tuesday 18 August 2009
Friday 13 November 2009
Monday 4 January 2010
Wednesday 10 February 2010
Tuesday 8 June 2010
SQA 2010
Exams start on 28 April and finish on 11 June
(PLEASE KEEP THESE PAGES FOR REFERENCE)
18
DUNFERMLINE HIGH SCHOOL 2009 – 2010 MAIN CALENDAR DATES TO NOTE!
Main Reporting Dates:
19 October 2009
18 January 2010
11 February 2010
8 March 2010
27 May 2010
14 June 2010
-
S1 “Settling In” Reports
S4 Reports
S2 Reports
S5/S6 Reports
S3 Reports
S1 Reports
(NB In addition to the above there will be target-setting and progress-update letters sent home
to parents of S3-S6 pupils on several other occasions.)
Parents Evening Dates:
Thursday 8 October 2009
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Monday 23 November 2009
Tuesday 26 January 2010
Monday 22 February 2010
-
S4
S3
S5/S6
S1
S2
-
S4 > S5 Info Session
S2 > S3 Info Session
S5 > S6 Info Session
P7 Parents’ Meeting
Additional Parent Information Sessions:
Monday 25 January 2010
Thursday 18 February 2010
Thursday 4 March 2010
Thursday 24 June 2010
Careers Conventions:
S6 Higher Education Convention
in Rothes Halls
- Wednesday 16 September (am.)
DHS Careers Convention
in Assembly Hall
- Wednesday 30 September
(5 pm. – 8 pm.)
Main Examination/Formal Assessment Dates:
S3 Exams -
19 to 27 April 2010
S4 1st Prelims 25 November to 4 December 2009
nd
2 Prelims (if appropriate) 15 to 31 March 2010
SQA
28 April to 4 June 2010
S5/S6 Prelims
SQA
2 to 9 February 2010
12 May to 11 June 2010
Parent Council Meetings (6.45pm. – 8.15 pm. in M28)
Monday 7 September 2009
-
Monday 5 October 2009
Monday 16 November 2009
Monday 18 January 2010
Monday 8 March 2010
Monday 26 April 2010
Monday 14 June 2010
-
Parent Forum Meeting and Parent Council
AGM in Main Staffroom (6.45 pm.)
Parent Council Meeting (6.45 pm.)
Parent Council Meeting (6.45 pm.)
Parent Council Meeting (6.45 pm.)
Parent Council Meeting (6.45 pm.)
Parent Council Meeting (6.45 pm.)
Parent Council Meeting (6.45 pm.)
(PLEASE KEEP THESE PAGES FOR REFERENCE)
19
SCHOOL CALENDAR DATES
4 August
17 August
18 August
19 August
-
20 August
-
24 August
26 August
-
28 August
-
31 August
-
2 to 4 September
7 September
9 September -
-
11 September14 September15 September16 September25 September29 September30 September1 October
-
5 October
7 October
-
8 October
9 October
19 October
22 October
26 October
-
August to October 2009
Pupils receive SQA results
Staff restart – In-service Day 1
In-Service Day 2
Pupils restart after summer holidays
S1 Assembly at 9 a.m. (prompt)
S2 Assembly at 9.15 a.m.
S3 Assembly at 10.10 a.m.
S4 Assembly at 11.20 a.m.
S5/6 Assembly at 12.30 p.m.
Initial S4 Targets sent home
9.15 a.m. S1 Assembly which will include the
Badging of S5/S6 Prefects
Nomination and Election of S1 House and Pupil
Representatives completed
45 S2/S3 pupils visiting the Edinburgh Book
Festival
Principal Teachers Meeting at 3.50 p.m.
Advanced Higher Geography pupils at Kindrogan
Parent Forum/Parent Council AGM (6.45 p.m.)
S5 and S6 Pupil Photographs being taken
(including Prefect and S6 Group Photos)
Techfest Presentations in Dining Hall for S4-S6
pupils from 9.45 a.m.
Initial S5/S6 Targets sent home
Techfest Presentations in hall to S1 pupils from
12.15 p.m. and to S5/S6 pupils from 2 p.m.
S1 and S3 Individual Photos being taken in the
Hall
S6 Higher Education Convention in Rothes Halls
(all morning)
S4 Parents Evening details sent home together with
Target Update1 details
Final Deadline for items (articles and photos) for
October Newsletter
S2 Geography Trip to Dynamic Earth
DHS Careers Convention in Hall (5 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
Final Deadline for S5/S6 pupils to complete their
UCAS Personal Statements and give directly to
their Guidance Teachers
Senior Drama Show in Hall
Parent Council Meeting at 6.45 p.m.
DHS Pupils involved in SSF Performance in the
Byre Theatre in St Andrews
S4 Parents Evening
Finish at 3.40 p.m. for October Holidays (2 weeks)
S1 “Settling – In” Reports/Letters posted home
October Newsletter posted home
Staff and pupils restart
20
PRIMARY 7 PE TRANSITION DAY
An afternoon of fun was organised for the Primary 7 pupils who will be coming up to the High
School next year. They were given the opportunity to take part in Swimming, Cricket, Hockey
or Dance. Wonderful weather and behaviour meant a great day was had by all. Many thanks to
the PE staff for volunteering their time!
21
DUNFERMLINE HIGH SCHOOL’S ENGINEERING LINKS
At present many S3/S4 DHS pupils are following the relatively new “Skills for Work” course in
Engineering working jointly with Carnegie College and Babcock (Rosyth).
However, a potentially very exciting new “21st Century” Engineering course is to be added to the
school’s Course Choice Sheet (S3-S6) by August 2010. This new course is to be developed by the
school, the SQA and by representatives of FMC Technologies UK from their Pitreavie Plant.
Why FMC?
FMC Technologies is one of the world’s leading
manufacturers and suppliers of subsea production
equipment for the oil and gas industry.
The group has operations throughout the
world including the USA and Brazil as well as
Dunfermline.
FMC Technologies employs approximately 11,000
people and operates 33 manufacturing facilities in 19
countries. Dunfermline is one of six major sub-sea
production sites globally with 600 people
employed locally.
The company is literally at the cutting edge of subsea technology and has an extremely proud
record of innovation in this sector. For example, last year, they set a world record depth of 9,356
feet (2,852 metres) for the installation of an enhanced vertical deepwater tree system for
a Shell-operated field in the Gulf of Mexico.
When the First Minister, Alex Salmond, visited the FMC Technologies Plant at Pitreavie their
Managing director David Currie commented:
“Our success is based on a continuing focus on customers and providing solutions to their needs,
and is attributable to our people, their excellent capabilities in performing to a high level and
meeting the challenge of change. While successful, we recognise challenges still to be met. We
have a vision to continuously improve on providing innovative solutions for our customers, coupled with
superb execution. This will also involve greater opportunities for our employees and deliver
improved results as an organisation.”
These comments could easily be directly relevant and
transferable to education!
We are delighted to have FMC on board for this superb
new development which will directly benefit DHS
pupils and thank David Currie for his support.
22
MATHS NEWS
In May, 90 S1 and S2 pupils took part in the United Kingdom
Maths Trust Challenge. This consists of answering 25 problems,
with no calculator, in one hour. The questions get progressively
harder as you work through them and in the later questions you lose
marks for wrong answers. We had great success in this and the
following pupils gained Gold, Silver or Bronze certificates for their
efforts.
Gold Certificates
S2
S1
Michael Kerr (best in school)
Lauren Turnbull
Silver Certificates
S2
S1
Robert Fraser
Alex Johnstone
Laura Joyce
Mhairi Clark
Catriona Murphy
Emma Craig
Ruyana Ruzgar
Rebecca Grant
Hamish Watters
Andrew Birnie
Sean Cox
Emma Parsons
Daniel Russom
Kirsty Hamilton
Bronze Certificates
S2
S1
Andrew Paterson
Alistair MacDonald
Josh Richards
Jamie Stevenson
Duncan Austin
Aimee Easton
Jodie Crate
Rachel MacDonald
Kathryn Duthie
Rebecca Neilson
Chloe Gauld
Sallyann Lamond
Calvin Kirkwood
Monica Dewar
Jordan Duffield
Gemma Milne
Aaron Stewart
Michael Joyce
Lindsay Begg
Euan Green
Kieran Peel
Well done everyone who took part.
23
DUNFERMLINE HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS WIN PLACES ON
SUMMER COURSE IN GERMANY
An opportunity arose this session for S3 pupils learning German to apply for a 2-week course in
Germany. The course is organised and funded jointly by the German government and the organisation
UK-German Connection and helps promote links between young people in the UK and in Germany. The
course involves a mixture of intensive lessons, trips to various German cities, visits to German schools,
cultural visits and the completion of a project during their visit.
To win a place the pupils had to fill in a very detailed application form, explaining why they
would be good ambassadors for the UK and they also had to include samples of their course
work to prove how good their German was.
Two pupils from S3, Noor Abdel-Razik and Bethany Coull, decided to apply, but we knew it
would be difficult to get a place as there would only be 36 places for the whole of the UK.
Imagine their delight when both girls received letters saying their applications had
been successful!
The girls then had to visit their local primary school to liaise with the pupils learning German
there and together they had to decide on a theme on which they could complete their project
whilst in Germany. The girls will then need to report back to the primary pupils on their return
by giving a short presentation about their findings.
The girls will be travelling to Germany in August and will stay with host families which will
give them a true insight into the lives of their German counterparts. We wish them both the best
of luck and we are sure they will have a fantastic experience!
Congratulations also go to Emma Wright who applied for a 3 day trip to Frankfurt. Emma had to
research the city and explain why she deserved to go on the trip. She was also successful in gaining
a place and will go on her trip at the beginning of July. We look forward to hearing all about her
experiences as well!
24
GERMAN PUPILS GET A TASTE OF SCOTTISH EDUCATION
On Wed 17th June 2009, Dunfermline High played host to 48 German pupils and their teacher
Frau Saling from the Konrad-Adenauer-Realschule in Landau.
The German pupils were paired up with Dunfermline pupils and accompanied them to their
various lessons that day! Pupils enjoyed, amongst other things, baking scones, playing basketball,
carrying out science experiments , singing the ‘elements ‘ song, making posters, playing guitars
in music, and were even forced to do some Maths!!
German pupils were most surprised by the size of the school (which is almost twice as big as
their own), the uniform (which they thought teachers should also wear as this would make it
fair) and the system of punishment exercises. They were also interested to see the canteen,
because they don’t have one as their own school finishes at 1 o’clock. They also found the one
way system in the school fascinating as in their own school, it isn’t the pupils who move around
in between lessons, it’s the teachers!
When our German guests left, many mobile numbers and e-mail addresses were exchanged and
they said the visit to our school had been the highlight of their trip so far!
25
DANCE LEADERSHIP AWARD
S2 NETBALL TEAM
Another successful 14 pupils at Dunfermline
High have passed their qualification to become
dance leaders. The qualification is one from
Sports Leaders UK and is great to put on CV's
and application forms. Well done for all your
hard work girls. Certificates and badges were
presented at Awards Ceremony on Tuesday
16th June. It is hoped that these girls will put
it to good use and assist Miss Beattie with
Dance at the High school and beyond.
Congratulations to the S2 netball team who
participated in their 1st tournament in Glenrothes.
The girls were excellent and won 3 games.
SNOOKER SUCCESS
Thomas Macleod 4B3 will be representing
Scotland in an International Snooker Match
against Wales in September 2009. We wish
Thomas well in his forthcoming competition and
look forward to hearing how he gets on.
S2 DANCE CLUB
As a treat for pupils in
S3 who attend dance
club every Monday,
Miss Beattie organised
for a circus skills coach
to come in and teach us
a few
tricks!
PE DEPARTMENT TUG OF WAR
Staff and pupils got together one lunchtime to
battle it out Highland Game style! Staff won 3
rounds easily against the S5/S6 Rugby team!
Any pupil wanting to participate in this event
at the Highland Games in Inverkeithing this August
should see Miss Beattie in PE. This is an open
competition, anyone can join a team. Thank
you to Frank Coyle for coming in and doing
this competition with us.
Activities such as juggling,
unicycling and magic were
attempted by all. Thank you
for your efforts this year girls.
DANCE FEVER DVD
Dance Fever DVD now on sale at the
main office price £4.
26
ACTIVITY WEEK – ICE SKATING 27/5/09
Activity week in general was a fantastic chance
for everyone to build their team work skills up a little
bit and also have loads of fun. Furthermore the people
who went ice-skating in Dundee really had a ball
whilst at the same time they were supporting and
helping their peers who were not as good on the ice as
others, which was excellent team work. After arriving
at the Ice Arena (as Ms Waugh likes to call it), we all
after a struggle managed to get our skates on and
headed for the ice. At first we were all a bit unstable
except for some smarties that had been before, but then
most of us got the hang of it and were quite happily skating away. We were later joined by Miss
Antosik and Miss Rankin who were both very good at skating on the ice. We were on the ice a
while then our bellies began to rumble and so we went
for some lunch. Some of us went to KFC but the majority
went to McDonald’s where the food was very good.
After lunch we went for a stroll in Camperdown Park,
it was fun and we all enjoyed a play about in the sand
and then an ice lolly. Soon after it was time to head
home, and most of us had a nice sleep on the bus.
Daryl Stobie Douglas, 2B2
ACTIVITY WEEK – TRIP TO “THE FACTORY” SKATEBOARD PARK IN DUNDEE
Another successful trip was held to The Factory in Dundee. We took a minibus each day for the 3 days and a total of 28 pupils took part. Sixteen pupils
made 1 visit, while seven more visited on 2 days. This year we had five pupils
who went for the whole 3 days.
The facilities were excellent and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful.
The pupils could try skateboarding, rollerblading and biking and made it all look very easy.
The group got on well together and everyone had a great time. The pupils were keen to get their
photos taken in action and some of the tricks attempted were very ambitious.
However we all returned unscathed and a lot of the pupils are ready to sign up again for next
year.
Whilst Mr Clark and Mr Ramsay spent a lot of time encouraging the pupils
and recording the event on camera they still managed to make full use of
the excellent café facilities.
The pupil’s attitude and behaviour were excellent and staff at The Factory
are only too happy to have us back next year.
27