We have had another busy and fulfilling term with many

opportunities for our pupils to demonstrate their skills and talents in

classes and outwith in the wider arena. The staff have worked

tirelessly to implement the new curriculum and we await the results

in August of our pupils in their SQA examinations which start on 30

April 2014, more details on our website.

Attainment

We have introduced a new curriculum structure in Monifieth High to allow us to fully embrace

and embed Curriculum for Excellence. Pupils will have increased personalisation and choice

of courses at the end of S2, studying 10 subjects in S3, and selecting up to 6 of these subjects

to continue as National courses in S4.

There are greater course options in the middle and senior school and it is very pleasing to see

the increased uptake of our vocational courses at college. This year has seen more pupils

obtaining places on the courses they wish to study, which is a tremendous achievement for

our timetable, Mr Morris.”

In order to support our raising attainment agenda, Miss Grant, Mr MacLean and Mr Latto

have been mentoring a small group in S4, offering additional support and guidance through

this challenging academic year.

A prefect training morning took place and was

facilitated by a group from Lipscomb University,

Nashville and Mr David Hamilton, (Chairperson of

the Parent Council) which allowed all S5 pupils who

wish to be considered as prefects next year to

develop some leadership skills and confidence,

which are key skills required for the role.

Mr Latto has chaired a small working party (members: Mr Tragham, Mrs Wainwright, Miss

McCumiskey and Miss Wilson) who, with help from all departments, have produced our new

Learners‟ Guide for the National courses. Much appreciation goes to Martin George, Pupil

Council representative and Mrs Beverly Grubb, Parent Council representative for their

valuable contributions and comments.

I wish to give you advanced notice about a parental consultation evening for our School

Improvement Plan which will take place on Thursday 8th May 2014 at 7pm. I would welcome

parental input to our new plan for session 2014/2015. The main themes are: Reporting, Tutor

Time, Restorative Practice, S1-S3 courses, Pupil Leadership, Higher Courses, Resilience, Study

Skills and the GIRFEC agenda, so, if you would like to have an input and hear from staff what

we hope to achieve, please come along.

I mentioned at one of the additional parents‟ evenings for S2 course choice that we could

offer the textbooks / study guides for subjects at a discounted price. It was suggested I target

S3 pupils, so if any parent would like to take up this offer, I am more than willing to put out an

order form. Please let me know if there is enough interest.

National Qualifications Revision in a Nutshell – subject guides for learners

The National Parent Forum of Scotland has prepared a series of revision support materials for

learners who are about to sit the new National 5

qualifications. The Revision in a Nutshell subject

guides are designed to complement learning and

revision in the classroom. The guides, which are

currently being added to the NPFS website, will cover

20 of the most popular subjects.

They provide links to:

SQA Specimen Papers and marking instructions

useful SQA past papers and marking

instructions, with questions listed

school websites with helpful course content and

revision activities

revision materials on BBC Bitesize, YouTube and to teacher blogs.

There is a link to the Nationals in a Nutshell on our website.

Health

We have had a series of Health Drop-Ins organised by Mrs Perry and School Health Nurses

during lunchtimes every Thursday. Each week we focus on a different topic such as alcohol

awareness, drugs awareness, healthy eating, eating disorders, sexual health, cancer

awareness and self-esteem. There are information boards, resources and activities relating

to the topic that week and pupils can discuss any questions/queries they may have. Pupils

can be referred to the School Health Nurses via their Pupil Care & Support Teacher or can

self-refer by completing the short referral form and placing it in the box in the PC&S base.

There will also be an Online Safety Evening on Thursday 15th May at 7.00pm which will be in

conjunction with our associated primaries about keeping your child safe on the internet.

We had a super turn out for the Sports Relief event held on Sunday 23rd March 2014, in

conjunction with Sainsbury‟s supermarket and Angus Council Sports‟ Coordinators. Many of

our families joined in the competition and fun to raise money for this worthy cause.

Mr Cunningham has enlisted support from parents in developing a new PE protocol. We must

thank Mr Caithness in particular for his comments and advice.

Our Senior Boys Football team won through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Football

Association Cup in Alloa last Friday. They were unfortunately beaten by Springburn

Academy, but we were immensely proud of them as they have been the only Angus school

to achieve this position.

Our S2 have also made us very proud by winning the National

Giant Heptathlon. It really is a tremendous achievement and we

look to watch this team go from strength to strength.

Community

We had a group of pupil volunteers helping the Rotary Club of

Monifieth and Eco Force replace infected Ash trees with new saplings on Sunday 23rd March,

2014. The Rotarians were very pleased to have the enthusiasm and energy of the pupils as

over 200 trees were planted that day. The pupils also ably assisted in finishing off the BBQ

food that was provided for all the volunteers. It was a lovely community event and we hope

it is the first of many such ventures.

The Fairtrade Team at Monifieth High School have been working hard to raise money for

Fairtrade not only throughout Fairtrade Fortnight but throughout the year too. Fairtrade

Fortnight started on the 24th February and ended on the 9th March, it is a great opportunity to

raise lots of money for Fairtrade. This year, a man named Foncho, who is part of a Fairtrade

certified co-operative called Coobafrio, is headlining the campaign for fair trade in order to

try to make bananas fair priced for the banana farmers like himself. The Fairtrade Team,

which consists of pupils from across the school, supported by staff members Miss Kelly and Mr

Gall, held assemblies for the pupils of Monifieth High where they talked about what Fairtrade

is and what Monifieth High have done in the past to support the campaign, and about what

the school will continue to do to support Fairtrade. They also talked about Foncho and

encouraged pupils to buy Fairtrade products. Stalls were set up at break time selling

chocolate and other sweet treats. The stall is usually only available to staff on Friday break

times but the stall was set up as a special treat for pupils during Fairtrade Fortnight. The stall

raised over £100 and all the money is going to Fairtrade. As well as stalls there have also

been form time activities for S1-S3 pupils, quizzes and a competition to create a poster in

which the pupils had to decorate bananas and include key issues about Fairtrade.

A group of senior pupils (Mya Bollan, Natalie Cavellini, Rebecca Creamer, Thomas Doig,

Rachel George, Annie Hosie, Dayna Irvine, Louise King, Rebekah Robertson, Sarah Spence

and Kaja Vesely) are going off to India with Miss Smith and Ms Grundy on 18th June 2014 to

support our link project in Tamil Nadu. There has been frantic fund raising as all the pupils

have to fund the trip themselves. The pupils

were the „horses‟ (well for one race

anyway) in our very well attended Race

Night at the Ballumbie Golf Course. It was a

fun filled night and we have to thank staff,

parents and supporters for attending the

event and for donating fantastic raffle

prizes.

Commonwealth Baton Holder

Fantastic news – Bruce Philip is going to be a batonbearer!

I am delighted to advise that Bruce is going to be a batonbearer representing Monifieth High

School in Angus on the Queen‟s Baton Relay (QBR) for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth

Games.

He will have the honour of carrying the Queen‟s Baton as it

travels the length and breadth of Scotland on the way to its

final destination at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow

2014 Commonwealth Games. By the time it arrives in

Scotland, the baton will have been on an epic 248 day

journey around all the nations and territories of the

Commonwealth.

The pupils of Monifieth High were well represented when the Angus Schools Senior Concert

took place at St Andrew‟s Church, Arbroath, on Wednesday 26th March 2014. The church

was packed full with invited guests, parents and members of the community. It was a very full

programme and showcased the immense talent we have in the schools in Angus.

Mrs McGalliard, Teacher of ASN is retiring at Easter after 18 years and 10 months working at

Monifieth High School. The school wishes her all the very best for a long and happy

retirement, which she is taking early to assist looking after her new grandchild.

ATTAINMENT

On the 19th of November, S6 pupils from Monifieth High School joined with other Advanced

Higher English pupils from across Angus to meet and speak to author Fiona Thackeray. The

pupils were given the chance to ask questions about creative writing and get tips from the

novelist. Fiona Thackeray has won many awards for her writing and has travelled to Poland

to be a guest of the Mayor at an International Book Festival. The S6 pupils were then given

the chance to discuss their creative essay ideas with each other and talk about what they

had learned after being given the chance to meet such an accomplished writer. All

Monifieth High pupils involved found the opportunity extremely worthwhile in helping them to

complete their Advanced Higher English coursework.

Over the February long weekend, a group of S4 German and History pupils took part in an

exciting and highly enjoyable excursion to Berlin, accompanied by Modern Languages

teachers Miss Low and Mr Julien. For the seventh time, the group followed tightly packed

schedule during their trip. After an early departure from Monifieth and a short flight to Berlin,

the group arrived in the city in the early afternoon. The hotel, which was cosy and

comfortable, was situated just off the Ku‟damm, Berlin‟s vibrant main shopping street, which

is central to all of Berlin‟s many attractions. The first activity on the busy schedule was an

orientation walk of the local area including a visit to the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche

where the group saw an exhibition of the bombing in Berlin during WW2. After that, the

enthusiastic group went over to Gesundbrunnen Station to take part in a tour of a WWII air

raid shelter and nuclear bunker at Unterwelten, situated in the hidden tunnels and unused

storerooms around a railway station. This tour gave the pupils an insight into the lives of

normal Berlin citizens during the war and taught them what the conditions would have been

like during the bombing raids. Here, they met with tour guide Nick Jackson, who remained

with the group for most of their time in Berlin. That evening the group then enjoyed their first

meal of the trip at the atmospheric 12 Apostel Restaurant, situated in the railways caverns

very close to German President Angela Merkel‟s apartment. The second day began with an

excellent walking tour of Berlin led by guide Nick Jackson, during which the pupils heard

about and saw the main highlights and historical sites of Berlin, including the Brandenburg

Gate, the remaining sections of the former Berlin Wall, the Reichstag, the Luftwaffe

Headquarters, the Holocaust Memorial, the site of Hitler‟s bunker, Gendarmenmarkt,

Checkpoint Charlie, Humboldt University and Bebelplatz, the site of the 1933 National

Socialist Book Burnings, many museums and Berlin Cathedral. The group also visited

Fassbender und Rausch, Berlins most well-known chocolatier, famous for scale models in

chocolate of historic monuments. Many photos were taken of the chocolate Brandenburg

Gate, TV tower, Reichstag, Gedächtniskirche and the Titanic. The smell in the shop was

mouth-watering and many purchases were made. The tour guide held the attention of the

whole group for the duration of the tour with his enthusiastic and energetic approach and his

undoubted excellent knowledge of the city and its colourful history. After lunch and some

free time to explore Berlin‟s main shopping street – the Ku‟Damm, the group visited the

Reichstag. This is Germany‟s Parliament building, which is the most visited parliament in the

world. The pupils had a guided tour in English, through which they learned about the history

of the building and those who worked there, and then they visited the debating chamber

where they were given a quick introduction to German politics. Following this, the group

climbed up to Sir Norman Foster‟s Dome, which is a very eye-catching and modern structure,

to get some excellent evening views of the whole city. The group then went to Hackischer

Markt for dinner at Barist. The third day began by meeting tour guide Nick Jackson again for

what proved to another interesting day, with a visit to a Nazi Concentration Camp. The

group travelled by train to the small town of Oranienberg, situated just to north of Berlin,

which is the home of the Nazi model and training Concentration Camp, Sachsenhausen.

The camp and memorials were particularly eerie and atmospheric in the dull, cold and

damp February weather. Pupils were given a guided tour of the site and visited many

exhibitions and memorials such as small museums, Jewish camp, barracks, the camp prison

and kitchens. The group then went to “Station Z”, the site of the mass murders and location

of the gas chambers and execution trenches in addition to

the remains of the furnaces where the bodies were burned

and the location of the mass graves where 8 tonnes of

human ash was dumped. Then the pupils were given a

further insight to the atrocities which took place at

Sachsenhausen by visiting the pathology labs and the

hospital where experiments were carried out on camp

prisoners, such as testing burn creams, testing the effects of

infectious diseases and the effects of high pressure on the

body before being shown the massive body cellar where

the victims of the Holocaust were stored before being transferred to the furnaces.

Punctuated by various anecdotes and personal accounts of the camp, this visit proved to

be a harrowing experience for all involved and brought some of the information that the

pupils had learned in school and throughout the course of the visit to Berlin into perspective.

In the afternoon, during some free time, a small group of young historians visited the

Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, which houses a large exhibition of personal

accounts of the holocaust. Here they found out more about the scale of the atrocities,

looked at photographs and read letters from holocaust victims to their families telling of their

suffering and impending death. The stories of children and young people of a similar age to

them were most harrowing. Dinner on Saturday took place at a traditional German

Gaststube, where pupils tried and enjoyed traditional food such as Schnitzel, Sauerkraut,

various German sausages, frikasse and various other delicacies. Despite the cuisine being

different to the standard Scottish fare, the pupils ate heartily and enjoyed their meal. A

relaxing evening at the bowling led to Daniel Barclay being crowned Berlin Bowler of the

year with his high speed and high quality bowling. The final morning was spent visiting the

East Side Gallery, which is the longest remaining section of the Berlin wall (1.3 kilometres),

which contains approximately 106 different paintings depicting freedom, before collecting

suitcases and returning to the airport for the journey back to Monifieth. Overall, the trip was

again a huge success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all involved. The pupils remained

enthusiastic and good humoured throughout, and were excellent representatives for

Monifieth High school. This was a very worthwhile trip and the pupils gained a valuable

insight into the history, language and culture of the country and many have vowed to return

in the future.

On Tuesday 14th January, pupils from Monifieth High School had the opportunity to attend a

talk by an OPITO representative about apprenticeships in the Oil and Gas Industry. The talk

was attended by pupils from S4-S6 who heard information about the recruitment process for

apprenticeships and the entry requirements needed to become involved with OPITO. OPITO

is a company which aims to service the needs of the oil and gas industry and deliver

initiatives and activities which ensure a competent and safe workforce supply for the industry

both now and in the future. The OPITO representative came from Aberdeen, where one of

the company‟s two UK offices is located. The aim of

this talk was to inform pupils about the benefits of

working in such a thriving industry and to inspire

school leavers by raising awareness of the breadth

of exciting career opportunities in the sector. The

pupils who attended found the talk very informative

and useful for helping them to understand

apprenticeships in these industries and consider

whether they would like to do these jobs in the

future.

As part of the Geography course at Monifieth High School, all S2 pupils had the opportunity

to visit Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, supported by their Geography teachers. These visits

were split over two days; unfortunately, due to bad weather the first of these visits had to be

rescheduled until January this year. During S2, pupils study earth forces, such as volcanoes

and earthquakes, along with different world regions such as deserts, the rainforest and the

Polar Regions; therefore, this visit was particularly well suited to supporting their learning. On

arrival at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, the pupils were welcomed and were invited to watch

an educational film in the show dome, which was then followed by a tour of the exhibition.

This tour took them on a geographical journey from the big bang right through to today.

The groups passed through different geographical

zones such as the rainforest, Polar Regions and the

hot desert. The pupils had the opportunity to

enhance their learning by trying out some of the

new interactive activities and watching a huge

variety of audio-visual presentations. Overall the

students that took part thoroughly enjoyed the

experience and many indicated that they would be

keen to visit the venue again with family and/or

friends.

On Monday 24th February, a small group of pupils from Monifieth High School took part in a

training day with the Royal Marines Band, which is an annual event to raise awareness of the

opportunities on offer to young musicians. The three young musicians

from Monifieth High School travelled to Montrose where they took part

in workshops and training sessions with the musicians from the Royal

Marines Band, giving them the opportunity to play alongside

professionals and learn new skills and techniques. In addition to the

workshops, where many questions were asked, the musical trio took

part in two concerts with the band, playing a variety of different styles

of music. This experience was enjoyed by all three musicians and it

showed them just how much can be achieved by dedication and

practice. All three players would be very happy to attend the workshops again in the future

to help develop their own performance skills, and would recommend the experience to

other young musicians.

On Wednesday the 5th of March, Ruth Ansell, a researcher for the Scottish Textiles Skills

Partnership (STSP) visited Monifieth High School. During her visit she spoke to a group of

second year pupils in order to gain an insight into

what children of that age know about the Textile

industry. The aim of her project and the STSP is to

raise awareness to the career possibilities available

in this industry as often so few are discussed. It was

a very interesting session as I, as a sixth year hoping

to go into the textile industry, discovered career

paths I knew little about. Ruth‟s visit was very

informative and the pupils that attended the

session found it very useful.

On Thursday 13th March, the Monifieth High School Woodwind Quartet took part in the

Secondary Schools‟ Ensemble Class at Arbroath Music Festival. Under the instruction of

successful woodwind teacher Mrs Susie Will, the four

talented musicians performed Turkish March by

Beethoven and Larghetto by Mozart to a panel of

adjudicators. The players were very successful with

both of their pieces, scoring 84 and 85 points

respectively, and winning their class overall. The

musicians enjoy all opportunities to develop their

abilities and repertoire and to perform to the public,

so the experience was very beneficial for all

involved.

COMMUNITY

In December, S1 and S2 pupils from Monifieth High School,

along with Staff, took part in the Angus Toy Appeal to

ensure that young people less fortunate than themselves

were not forgotten at Christmas. Organised by PC&S

teacher Mrs Perry, the group set to work advertising the

appeal in junior form classes and to the staff. Their efforts

paid off and 4 large boxes of gift were collected from the

school to be distributed to children in Angus in preparation

for Christmas.

Last week, Mr Alan Swankie from Angus Training Group LTD visited Monifieth High School to

deliver a presentation on modern apprenticeships in Angus for senior pupils. Angus Training

Group was established in 1966 to support the needs of employers by delivering high quality,

hands on training for young people in Angus. The group

focus on training in the engineering sector, covering a

range of skills including mechanical and electrical

engineering, welding and production engineering.

During the presentation, the young people heard about

the experiences of others who had been through the

programme and the progress and developments they

had made, as well as about the opportunities that are

available in the Angus area starting in August 2014. The

application and selection process was discussed and

many pupils left with applications for the programme. This interesting and highly informative

presentation was enjoyed by all who attended.

The Arbroath Music Festival is an

excellent opportunity for young

musicians to show off their talent

and perform competitively in the

local area. This year, many pupils

from Monifieth High School have

been involved in the Festival across

a range of different classes.

Monifieth High School‟s two choirs

both took part in the Senior Choir

class. Sing Out, a group of 24 keen

singers from S1-S6 sang „Skyscraper‟ and „Mirrors‟ under the direction of Mrs Ruth Longden.

The Boys‟ Vocal Group consisting of 10 members sang „Let me Go‟ and „Lego House‟,

instructed by Mr Stuart Brand. In this section, the Boys‟ Vocal Group took second place and

Sing Out took third overall. Many instrumental soloists also competed during the week-long

festival. S2 pupil Tyler Reid took part in two percussion classes, scoring 85 points in the

Elementary Snare Drum class and 82 points in the Elementary Drum Kit class. Caleb Owen

and Callum McGrath both competed in the solo guitar class and were asked to perform

„Gallop‟ as their test piece. Caleb won first place in this class with 86 points and Callum

scored 82 points. The brass classes took place on the afternoon of Friday 14th March. S4

trombone player Hannah Grubb took part in the advanced brass class, scoring 84 points.

Andrew Lannon competed in the intermediate brass class on tuba, scoring 84 points. These

many successes are due to the hard work and dedication of not only the young people, but

also the teachers who work with the pupils to bring them up to the required standards to

compete in such competitions. Well done to all involved.

Monifieth High School Art and Design Department are delighted to have had the opportunity

this month to welcome a talented young artist to the department. Leah Robb visited the

school on Monday 3rd February to give an illustrated lecture about her latest portrait painting

before it forms part of an exhibition for one of

Denmark's greatest living artists.

Leah Robb was educated at Perth Academy and

then studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of

Art and Design. She has travelled widely and

worked on various commissions in the past 14

years. Her visit on Monday the 3rd of February with

her painting saw her give two lectures to our current S3 rota of 160 pupils, as part our

'Perspective on careers' unit. This is a new initiative that looks to invite artists and designers to

visit the school and give talks on their careers and work to the young people and open their

eyes to opportunities for their futures. The S3 had just finished their portrait projects and they

found it useful to be able to speak to a practicing artist about her portrait work and career.

The Fairtrade Team at Monifieth High School have been working hard to raise money for

Fairtrade not only throughout Fairtrade Fortnight but throughout the year too. Fairtrade

Fortnight started on the 24th February and ended on the 9th March, it is a great opportunity to

raise lots of money for Fairtrade. This year, a man named Foncho, who is part of a Fairtrade

certified co-operative called Coobafrio, is headlining the campaign for fair trade in order to

try to make bananas fair priced for the banana farmers like himself. The Fairtrade Team,

which consists of pupils from across the school, supported by staff members Miss Kelly and Mr

Gall, held assemblies for the pupils of Monifieth High where they talked about what Fairtrade

is and what Monifieth High have done in the past to support the campaign, and about what

the school will continue to do to support Fairtrade. They also talked about Foncho and

encouraged pupils to buy Fairtrade products. Stalls were set up at break time selling

chocolate and other sweet treats. The stall is usually

only available to staff on Friday break times but the

stall was set up as a special treat for pupils during

Fairtrade Fortnight. The stall raised over £100 and all

the money is going to Fairtrade. As well as stalls

there have also been form time activities for S1-S3

pupils, quizzes and a competition to create a poster

in which the pupils had to decorate bananas and

include key issues about Fairtrade.

The S5 India Team, who are going to do voluntary work in Tamil Nadu in summer 2014, are

doing very well in raising the money for going to India in June, although they have a

considerable amount of money still to raise. So far the current total raised is £1,500, which

was achieved by hosting events such as a car wash, quiz nights and selling cupcakes every

Friday at break. Individuals are also participating in fundraising by hosting their own events

and getting many people to attend. The young people have written to local business and

already got positive feedback and support. In the next four months they plan to host more

events and raise even more money, such as a carwash on Tuesday 18th February, a ceilidh

on the 25th February, a Race Day in David Lloyds on the 25th February, selling cakes at S2 and

S3 Parents Evenings and a Coffee Morning on the 25th March. The India Team is preparing for

the trip by being trained in a paper-making (to help children build a sustainable business),

English and construction (bricks). The team are working very hard to achieve their goals, but

would gladly welcome any raffle prizes, sponsorship or support from their local community

and will have updates of their progress and upcoming fundraising events. If you can help in

any way with the fundraising effort,

please contact Ms Grundy or Miss Smith

at Monifieth High School on 01382

536700.

Pupils in S2 at Monifieth High School are currently taking part in the living spaces

interdisciplinary project, which has taken on a new and exciting dimension. Following the

new style launch in January that saw invited professionals present all aspects of eco house

design to the S2 year group, a small number of pupils and staff were invited by Ged Young,

who is a partner of AIM design in Dundee to visit Dundee‟s newest eco project. The visit by

representatives from each S2 team in the project took

place on Tuesday 11th of February. They visited „District

Ten‟ located in Dundee, which are eco designed office

buildings, created from shipping containers to provide

low cost accommodation for the creative media

industry of Dundee. Each representative reported

back to their group in school as part of the creative

process for the project. The project asks pupils to

design an eco-home for a site in the school grounds.

The grand final of the Living Spaces event will take

place in school on March the 26 th.

Last Tuesday, the leaders of Monifieth High School‟s Senior Charities Team were invited to the

Maggie‟s Centre Dundee for information and tour given by Claire Heaton. The school have

raised money for the Centre previously and the team are currently raising funds by selling

Valentine‟s Day sweets and carnations to pupils and teachers. The team were told that

there are over 10,000 people in Dundee and the surrounding areas living with cancer today.

In a warm and friendly environment, the Maggie‟s centre offers people suffering from

cancer, along with their family and friends, the opportunity to come in and find practical,

emotional and social support. The team also discovered that Maggie‟s offers more to its

visitors than just a cup of tea and a chat – they also have support groups and workshops

from eat-well ones to make-up tutorials for people of all ages too! The team were surprised

by the environment they were in – „I didn‟t expect it to feel so homely, it‟s not clinical at all –

there are no signs reminding you of where you are so

you forget that you are in the grounds of a hospital. If I

ever needed support, I would feel very comfortable in

coming here.‟ It costs £590,000 per year to keep the

Maggie‟s Centre open - the school hopes to raise over

£100 for the well deserving cause which could fund

three people visiting Maggie‟s for all the support they

need, two hours of support from a psychologist at the

Centre or a nutrition workshop for up to 10 people.

Pupils and staff from Monifieth High School have been involved in the Monifieth Befriending

Scheme, which provides friendship for isolated older people, and people of any age who

have suffered bereavements who live in the Monifieth area. The project aims to provide one

to one time to the more socially isolated members of the

community by training and providing volunteers to give

up their time to work with the scheme. The Resource Base

in Monifieth High School held a coffee morning to raise

funds for this worthwhile scheme and raised £450 for the

Befriending Scheme in Monifieth. In addition to this,

senior pupils Alexis Campbell and Ashleigh Begg have

been trained as befrienders through the scheme and are

now ready to work with members of the community. Well

done to all involved.

A team of 13 students from Lipscomb University in Nashville came to work with pupils at

Monifieth High School from Friday 14th March until Friday 21st March. This is an annual event

which has been made possible by the partnership between Lipscomb University and

Monifieth High School and is organised by teacher Miss Leanne Wilson. The first activity that

took place was an S5 Leadership Conference on Saturday 15th March involving pupils from

both Monifieth High School and Grove Academy, who are also involved in the partnership

project. This event was very successful for all involved, and also functioned as a good

introductory activity for the American group, as many of

them had not visited Scotland before. A prefect

training morning also took place and was facilitated by

the group from Lipscomb University, which allowed all

S5 pupils who wish to be considered as prefects next

year to develop some leadership skills and confidence,

which are key skills required for the role. In addition to

working with senior pupils, the group also held a variety

of workshops and activities for other year groups in the

school. All S2 pupils took part in an identity workshop

where they looked at differences between Scottish culture and American culture, how we

each see ourselves and identify what makes us how we are. For the S3‟s they acted out

some scenes from the play “Macbeth” in which they demonstrated how one leader made

some bad decisions which led to serious consequences, and they also talked about what

would have happened at certain points in the play if different decisions had been made.

Through this activity, the pupils learned the qualities of what it takes to be a good leader. A

Costa Night was held where the pupils could go and have a chat with the Team from

America and get to know each other and share thoughts and ideas. A ceilidh took place

on the final evening of the visit where the young American visitors had the opportunity to

learn some traditional Scottish dancing and taste stovies, which was enjoyed by all involved.

Overall, the event was very successful and the pupils have enjoyed working alongside their

American partners. Monifieth High School looks forward to welcoming the students of

Lipscomb University again in the future.

On the 13th March, 4 actors who were all previous students of Dundee and Angus College

came to Monifieth High to perform to S3 pupils. The aim of the drama was to raise some of

the main health issues concerning young people, e.g. mental well-being and sexual health

as well as working to inform pupils about services that can help and support them. The

drama also gave the pupils an opportunity to meet local health workers who deliver the

services discussed in the drama. Another aim of the event was to find out about the fears

and anxieties associated with using the services, e.g. confidentiality, embarrassment,

anonymity. Also, pupils were asked to consider the way in which boys face their health

issues and the difficulties they face in speaking about personal matters. The drama took

place in two distinct parts, and also included a

workshop and discussion session. The drama is part of

an annual tour organised by Health Promotion. It is a

forum for raising health issues, finding out the thoughts

and fears of young people and is an opportunity to

show the different services available in the local area.

The tour will go through Angus, Dundee, Perth and

Kinross schools. It was enjoyed by all involved.

On Tuesday 25th February, all senior pupils were invited to attend a post-prelim Ceilidh in the

Panmure Hotel in Monifieth. This event was organised by the pupils and staff who are taking

part in the 2014 visit to India, supported by Depute Head

teacher Miss Smith and teacher Miss Grundy. The music

was provided by Abertay University Traditional Music

and Piping Society. The group did an excellent job in

keeping the young people on their toes and in time to

the music, and made sure the event was a lot of fun.

The funds raised through the ceilidh will be used to

support the work team will be doing when they are in

India. The event was very successful and was enjoyed

by all involved.

HEALTH

S4 Monifieth High School pupil Andrea Goodman has given her running shoes a very good

workout over the past few weeks. On the 5th and 6th February, sprinter Andrea took part in

the Scottish Schools Athletics Association Indoor Track and Field Championships at the

Emirates Arena in Glasgow, which proved to be a huge success for the young sprinter.

Andrea, who trains diligently 5 times a week with Dundee Hawkhill Harriers under the

instruction of Dave Combe, came second overall in the 60 meter sprint with a time of 7.89

seconds, which was a new personal best. She also won all her heats to allow her to get to

the final stages of the competition. During the same

event, Andrea also achieved 2nd place overall in the

200 meter sprint, with a time of 26 seconds, again

winning all her heats to achieve her place in the final.

After her success at the Scottish Schools Championships,

Andrea then went on to compete in the National U18

and U20 Indoor Track and Field Championships, which

again took place at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on

the 15th February. Here she again excelled herself in

achieving second place overall in the Under 18 200

meter sprint, again setting a new personal best of 25.58

seconds, which ranks her a very impressive third place

overall in Scotland. She also took part in the National

final of the 60 meter sprint after having won all her heats, finishing with a time of 8.07

seconds. These are fantastic achievements for the fifteen year old and despite having only

been training for 10 months, she has worked hard, set high standards and goals and this

effort and determination has paid off with great success. Well done and good luck for future

competitions!

As is customary every Burns Day, one of Monifieth High School‟s senior pipers Keiran Kettles

received the honour of piping in the haggis at the Burns Day Lunch this year. This year he

was accompanied by award winning dancer, Isla Mitchelson. Followed the head of

Expressive Arts, Mr Latto, and highland dancer, Isla, Keiran piped his way through the lower

social area and dining area of the school and up towards the canteen. Isla then took to the

floor to perform a highland fling, accompanied by Keiran

on the pipes. The haggis was then ceremonially cut open

and presented to the dinner ladies for serving. The

canteen staff served a traditional dish of haggis, neeps

and tatties to pupils and staff eating in the canteen, along

with the usual menu being on offer for those who do not

have a taste for haggis.

On Saturday 9th March, S1 Monifieth High School pupil Jack Smith

travelled to Ayr to take part in a Scottish Karate Alliance Scottish

National competition. Jack, who has being doing karate for 6

years, is a member of the Saltire Karate Club in Muirhead and

trains three times a week with sensei, Kevin Scott. Jack‟s talents in

karate were very evident in Ayr as he won the Gold Medal in

fighting in the 11-12 years category, making him a Scottish

Champion. Jack then went on to also take Silver medals in Team

fighting, age 11-14 and in the Neon event. These results leave him

ranked very highly in Scotland for his age. Jack is very proud of his

achievements and at the young age of 12, he has already

represented Scotland 3 times in both European competitions in

Hungary and Sheffield, and in the World Championships in Serbia.

Well done Jack!

On the 13th and 14th of January Monifieth High School had a visit from ZooLab, a company

that delivers animal handling workshops for children all across the UK. This visit took place in

the Home Economics department and the workshop, entitled “The JunkFood Roadshow”

was for all S2 pupils. The theme was healthy eating and the workshop was designed to

reinforce dietary targets and show the pupils easy ways of achieving them. The leaders of

the workshop investigated the ingredients of common

unhealthy foods such as beef burgers to show the pupils

the sometimes unappetising things that go into their food.

Then they demonstrated how easy it is to create tasty fast

food that would count towards their daily dietary targets.

The pupils all had the opportunity to test the food at the

end of the workshop. The pupils all found the workshop

very interesting and worthwhile and they learned a lot

about how to get the most nutrition from their food whilst

not missing out on their favourite meals.

Monifieth High School‟s newly formed netball team has been

successful in gaining a place in the quarter finals of the

Scottish Schools Netball Cup. The qualifier took place on

22nd January and the S1 girls‟ team from Monifieth High

School took the lead in the last few minutes, finishing with a

score of 19-18 against Hawick High School. Coach Miss

Sturrock said that she is very impressed by the skill and

determination shown by the young people and she wishes

them all the best in the quarter finals.

Last week, the Monifieth high school S1-3 Hockey Team competed against St Paul‟s

Academy Junior Hockey Team in the Active Schools Plate Competition which took place at

Dawson Park astro pitch in Dundee. The young

hockey stars have been training all year with

coaches Callum McDonald and Michael Craig,

and the Monifieth High team performed well

despite the tough competition, producing a

convincing win of 5-0. As a result of their well

deserved success, the team were presented with

the Active Schools Plate for Hockey. Well done to

all involved.

Monifieth High School were recently crowned Scottish Schools S2 Giant Heptathlon Winners

at an event held at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow by Scottish Athletics. Their campaign

started back in November 2013 where they won the Angus event organised by Angus

Council Sports Development and Active Schools. All eight Secondary Schools competed in

the event, which consisted of various disciplines including sprinting, jumping, throwing,

hurdles, relays and endurance. The Angus Champions then went on to compete in the

Tayside and Fife Regional Final in Pitreavie, Dunfermline where they continued their success

by coming out on top against some very tough opponents from Dundee, Perth and Fife

schools. The Scottish Final, which took place on 21st March was held at the Emirates Arena in

Glasgow. Monifieth High School, representing the Tayside and Fife Region, demonstrated

fantastic speed, endurance, skill and physical ability as they stole a march on their fellow

Regional winners to take the National Schools Giant Heptathlon title. The school were

presented with their trophy and medals from Commonwealth Games contender, Kirsty Yates.

With 139 other Secondary Schools around the country involved in the S2 Giant Heptathlon,

this is a fantastic achievement! The team, who were managed by Alex Thom, PE Teacher

and Lynda Sim, Club Together Athletics Officer consisted of 7 Boys and 7 Girls from S2. They

have worked very hard to achieve this coveted title, with regular training from Lynda Sim.

Their dedication, enthusiasm and teamwork during training helped land them the title of

Scottish Champions.

On Friday 14th March, Monifieth High School held their annual inter-house swimming gala.

Competitors for all three houses - Dalhousie, Balmossie and Panmure competed in the

annual event to see who was going to become the swimming champions for 2013/2014. This

year, Panmure finished in third place, Balmossie in a very close second place and finally

Dalhousie finished in 1st place after winning the relays. The swimming trophies were presented

in a ceremony at the end of the event by Depute Head Teacher and PE Teacher, Miss Smith.

The S1 girls‟ trophy went to Emily McLean of Dalhousie. The S1 boys‟ winner was Darren

Mitchell of Panmure. The S2 girls‟ winner was Emily

Harle of Dalhousie and the S2 boys‟ trophy went to

Cavin Tosh of Panmure. The S3 girls‟ trophy went to

Erica Mappin of Dalhousie and the S3 boys‟ winner

was David Scott of Dalhousie. The senior girls‟

winner was Amy Robertson of Dalhousie and the

senior boys‟ winner was Scott Mitchell of Panmure.

The swimming gala was a great success for the

school this year, with over 100 pupils taking part.

Well done to all involved.

Last Friday, staff members and senior pupils dusted off their football boots for the annual staff

and pupil football match. Again, the pressure was on for the staff to show off their fitness

and skills on the pitch skills to try to win back their long lost

title as champions. However, under the close attention of

Referee Mr Farrell, the half time score remained 1-1. The

second half of the game again proved very exciting and

enjoyable, but the pupils scored in the final few minutes of

the game, allowing them to retain the title of MHS Staff Vs

Pupils Football Champions 2014 with a score of 2-1.

On Saturday 18th January, three junior pupils from Monifieth High School took part in the local

heat of the Rotary Club Future Chef competition. After an earlier competition in school

highlighted their talents, Maddie Owen, Elisabeth Appleton and Megan Bissett were selected

to progress to the local heats, which took place at Dundee High School. Again, the girls all

worked very hard and produced excellent menus to show off local produce, quality and

presentation, and then cooked their food to a very high standard. Judging was carried out

by members of the local rotary groups and chefs from local restaurants. Despite the fierce

competition, Maddie Owen and Megan Bissett have been selected to cook in the Dundee

Final which takes place on 25th January at Dundee College. Well done to everyone

involved.

Yours faithfully

Mrs McInally

Head Teacher