intouch2019/20 ISSUE 1

■ MR MCPHAIL RETIRES

■ MARY POPPINS

■ POLAND

■ ART EXHIBITION

■ BIG SLEEPOUT

■ HOLLAND SPORTS TOUR

■ HOUSE SYSTEM

■ SPORTS AMBASSADORS

■ Collaborative teaching is a newJunior School initiative that we haveintroduced this year. Designed toenhance our strong transitionprogramme, pupils are able toestablish new connections withteachers other than their set classteacher or specialist Senior Schoolteachers. From J1 to J5, pupils experienceeither Literacy or Mathematics withanother Junior School teacher, alongwith Science or RME for some.Designed to flow across a 2 yearcycle, the pupils will then have theopportunity to be taught this specificcurricular area by the same teacher,for 2 consecutive years. Thisfacilitates a natural flow of learning

across the cycle and results in aseamless transition for theenhancement of progression. TheSupport Assistant the pupils had intheir classroom in the previoussession also moves with the class,generating a strong sense ofbelonging and community.In J6 and J7, designed tomaximise the transitionprocess into Senior School, theJunior School pupils have thebenefit of a set Junior Schoolteacher for pastoral care aswell as for the specificteaching of Literacy andNumeracy. For all othersubjects, the pupils are taughtby other Junior School

teachers who have a particularpassion or skill in that area. Not onlyplaying to teacher strengths, thestructure eases the J6 and J7 pupilsinto the busyness of Senior Schoollife by gradually increasing theamount of teachers they have acrossa day. When our Junior School pupilsenter into S1, they are equipped tocope with timetable changes and thedemands of up to 14 teachers acrossany one week.

■ We value a strong transition programme at HamiltonCollege, from Nursery through to Senior School. As weare able to have our 3 to 18 year olds learn in the samebuilding, this provides a valuable, enhanced transitionprogramme for our children and young people as theymove through the School. During one of our recent Nursery to Junior 1transition sessions, J1 pupils supported their Nursery

friends in building bridges in the Junior SchoolMakerspace. Inspired by the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff,the children worked together and persevered withdesign challenges to create some wonderful bridgesusing a variety of materials, that were tall enough to fittheir own trolls underneath! Our J6 pupils also go along to the Nursery forweekly transition sessions with their Nursery buddies.The children spend time playing and learning togetheras they get to know each other and developfriendships in advance of our pre-schoolers startingJunior School next year. As the pre-school childrenmove into J1, current J6 pupils move into J7 andbecome J7 buddiesfor the new J1class. The smoothtransition affordedby the friendshipsalready formed,sets an important,stable foundationfor better teachingand learning as ourJ1 class begin theirJunior Schooljourney.

Dear Parents,

■ Happy New Year to youall. I hope that you had awonderful Christmasbreak with family. It is my honour to begin

this term as ActingPrincipal, following Mr McPhail’s retirement. The whole school community is indebted to Tom forhis work, dedication and leadership over the past 6 years.I trust that God has a plan for his future, and I am thankfulfor all Tom has achieved in his time at Hamilton College.Once an educationalist, always an educationalist and Tomhas many things in the pipeline for his retirement,including undertaking further study. I wish him a long,happy and healthy retirement. In his Principal’s welcome to the last issue of InTouch, Tom talked about change and it is my intention tocontinue these changes as we progress through the rest ofthis academic session. I look forward to 2020 with a new Vision and Missionwhich will be shared by the end of this academic year.The Senior Leadership Team are, and will continue to,work in partnership this term with parents, pupils, staffand Governors to seek their views to help shape ourSchool’s vision for the future. We want Hamilton Collegeto stand out as a centre of excellence in education, where

pupils are encouraged to follow their own uniquepathways and to be the best version of themselves. At the start of this academic year we welcomed newstaff to the Hamilton College family who have all broughtnew ideas, passion and commitment to their roles. Ourstaff are key to what we offer at Hamilton College and Ithank them for their energy and professionalism as theyhelp to shape our children and young people. As we enter this New Year, we will no doubt have newchallenges to face, both personal and professional.Hamilton College is no different, but I believe that wehave the correct enthusiastic team in place to take ourSchool forward. It always satisfies me to see the collection of articleson the events, achievements, visits, activities, learningand teaching experienced by your children, collated ineach issue of In Touch. I hope that you enjoy readingabout the best of Hamilton College from last term. I thankall of you for your continued support, prayers and goodwishes. I am looking forward to working in partnershipwith you throughout the coming term.

Heather StarkActing Principal

Until the next issue, keep up to date with our latest news onthe school website hamiltoncollege.co.uk or social media.

CONTENTS

HamiltonCollegeScotland

HamiltonCollegeScotland

HC_Scotland,

HCJuniorSchool, HCSeniorSchool

HamiltonCollegeScotland

Please pass this issue on to friends or relatives and askthem to recycle it when they have finished reading it.

NURSERY TRANSITION

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ACTING PRINCIPAL'S WELCOME

LEARNING & TEACHINGTERM 1OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTSEDUCATIONAL VISITSVISITORS

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CHRISTMAS 30

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN OUR JUNIOR SCHOOL

ACTING PRINCIPAL'S WELCOME LEARNING & TEACHING

Christian Schools (Scotland) Ltd is a registered charity trading as Hamilton College – SC006206

Do you have a favourite moment from your time atHamilton College? There have been too many enjoyable, positivemoments to choose just one. Most of these momentsrelate to the inspirational young people and staff at theschool. My time at Hamilton College has been centeredaround developing our young people. To ensure thatthey have aspirations, are challenged and are preparedto face the world. All of the great educationalexperiences, events and activities that happen here arevitally important in shaping our pupils. Making surethat they are aware of the needs of others is just asvital, this is a large part of the School’s Christiancomponent.

How has your time at Hamilton College impacted youas a person? My six and a half years here have been God-Led.God has been central to my time here. I have learned tolisten more carefully to God’s voice and use it to aid mydirection. My outlook has changed. What youngpeople are capable of and what they can do if they aregiven the right opportunities has been beautiful towatch, and we see it enacted every day within HamiltonCollege.

What surprised you most about joining HamiltonCollege as Principal? I did not realise how involved I would become. Thatis the kind of school we are, staff cannot help but getinvolved. When I look at our pupils, I am reminded thatthey are quite stunning products. It is the job ofeveryone at Hamilton College to get pupils to that place.It takes a lot of hard work from both staff and pupilsthemselves, but there is a lot of pleasure and fulfilmentwhen young people reach that place.

What has been your greatest achievement at HamiltonCollege? Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than seeing ayoung person leave here to do what they want to dobecause we have enabled that. Pupils leave us with aChrist-centered value structure that allows them to

make a difference in the world. Equipping youngpeople to be able to deal with the world today and thechallenges they will face is quite an achievement.

Are there any Bible Verses that have stayed with youduring your time at Hamilton College? There are several, but two in particular, which I oftengrasped to take me forward. The first is Mathew 6:33;

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and hisrighteousness, and all these things will beadded to you”.

This verse reminds us to be concerned with God andhis kingdom above all else and he will take care of allyour other needs. Another verse which has been crucialis Philippians 4:13;

“I can do all things through Christ whostrengthens me.”

If you could give advice to a pupil here, what wouldyou say? I would say work hard at school, and at home, butalso develop other interests and choose a career thatyou will love. Develop yourself, but be aware of theneeds of other people. There is always someone outthere who you could help. I would also remind themthat it does not matter what other people think of youbecause you are your own person. You are who Godcreated, and you need to learn to love that person.Don’t let other people influence you, be the person Godwants you to be.

How would you like pupils and staff to remember you? As someone who has opened doors for them. As aPrincipal, my job is to educate young people to thehighest level, prepare them, and expose them to life.When I see the pupils we turn out at the end of sixthyear, I see young people that are equipped to make apositive difference to the world, not just as a result oftheir academic progress but also the effect they willhave on other people’s lives. God is there with them.

A FAREWELL INTERVIEW WITHFORMER PRINCIPAL MR MCPHAIL

WRITTEN BY HANNAH AND RAHUL (HEAD GIRL AND HEAD BOY)

Before Mr McPhail’s retiral as Principal, after 6 anda half years at Hamilton College, our Head PrefectsHannah and Rahul interviewed him in reflection ofhis time at the School.

He cannot fail to be after everything our pupilsexperience during their time at Hamilton College. The same applies to staff – I believe I have openeddoors for them and provided opportunities for them todevelop.

What advice would you have given yourself as ateenager? I would tell my younger self to work harder atschool! I did not have the same, considerable pressuresas a teenager today has but I would still say above allelse, be yourself and stay true to yourself. Follow yourdream, whatever that is!

What makes Hamilton College different to otherschools? The unique family atmosphere created by having 3-18 year olds in the same building. That familyatmosphere is something that is continually built upon.The beauty of being in one building is that it allows forcontinual crossover between Nursery, Junior School andSenior School. Very few schools have everyone underthe one roof, so we are fortunate that this brings ourchildren and young people phenomenal developmentand transition opportunities. The job of any school is tocreate pathways for pupils to get to where they want tobe. As a smaller, all-through school, Hamilton College isable to focus on each pupil, their unique gifts, and theirindividual pathways and therefore direct them in aninformed way.

What advice would you give the next Principal? I would say, they should know that the School willbecome part of them, as they become part of theHamilton College family. Hamilton College is awonderful place to be and this is what happens. I would advise them to build on the solid foundationsGod has put in place, to develop and make best use ofthe people that are here. To continue to know ourchildren and young people as individuals and tailortheir educational journeys accordingly. It is also crucialto build relationships with the families because theyare integral to the whole learner journey.

If you could describe your time at Hamilton College infive words, what would they be? Rewarding, demanding, thought-provoking,fascinating and at times, challenging.

What are your plans for the future? I am very much waiting on God to direct what I doand am perfectly at peace with that. I want to get backto working with my hands, in furniture design and wantto spend time with my family. I would like to work withpeople that are more needy, people that I can help.That is something that will never leave me and hasbeen honed to a certain extent during my time atHamilton College.

After your retiral, are you planning to keep aconnection with the school? Yes, I do not see how I can avoid this. When peopleleave Hamilton College, they never truly leave Hamilton

College. There will always be a connection which willremain and draw you back.

What would you want for the future of the school? I would hope that Hamilton College becomes one ofthe best Independent Schools in the country andcontinues to flourish, whilst keeping Christ at its core.The School cannot lose its focus on God, because thatwas how the school was created. God was central to itsdevelopment and that is why the school is here and hassurvived. LEA

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LEARNING & TEACHING

A RENOIR MASTERCLASS FOR S1

■ Mr Mitchell’s S1 English class were treated to aPierre-Auguste Renoir masterclass by our Head of ArtMr Wilson. As part of the class’s study of the novel Framed byFrank Cottrell Boyce, Mr Wilson introduced them toImpressionism and in particular, Renoir’s painting TheUmbrellas, which features in the novel. The valuable insights brought by Mr Wilson werethen used by pupils in a piece of writing, based on thepainting. The Manod March is a key event in the book,

organised by the mother of the main character. Shewas inspired by The Umbrellas to organise the March soit was only fitting that S1 did the same, following theirinspirational lesson with Mr Wilson. Continuing thetradition started 3 years ago, this year’s class Marchonce again formed a “psychedelic boa constrictor” ofhappiness, on a grey November morning.

LEARNING & TEACHING LEARNING & TEACHING

■ Following the PE Department’s successfulintroduction of the Sports Leaders’ course for S5 andS6 pupils last year, this year’s course is well underway with even more pupils choosing the course. Undertaking a qualification in Sports Leadershipallows pupils to learn and demonstrate important lifeskills such as effective communication and organisation whilst learning to lead basic physical activities with youngerpeople, their peers, older generations and within their community. Pupils are required to do 10 hours of volunteeringas a part of the course and many choose to help out with our Extra Curricular Programme. This year’s 17 Sports Leaders have already delivered extra PE sessions for our Nursery and Junior School childrenduring Health Week, to highlight the importance of an active lifestyle through fun activities. As the sessions were sowell received by both Junior School pupils and our Sports Leaders themselves, we aim to have sessions like thisbecome a more regular occurrence.

■ A group of 8 pupils along with Assistant PrincipalMiss Brynes and Head of Business andTechnologies Mr Cunningham, have participated inAnti-Bullying Ambassador Training, provided by TheDiana Award. Anti-Bullying Ambassador Training empowerspupils and staff to change the attitudes, behavioursand cultures of bullying by building skills andconfidence to address different situations both onand offline. This is all delivered through The DianaAward’s renowned peer-led approach. Pupils across our Senior School volunteered tobe part of this initiative following the launch of ournew Anti-Bullying policy, written last year.

NEW ANTI-BULLYING AMBASSADORS

GRADE A NATIONAL 5s IN S3■ For the last two years, ourMathematics Department hasoffered the National 5 Applicationsof Mathematics qualification to ourmore able S3 Mathematicians. Thepupils prepare for the courseindependently with thedepartment providing materials,internal assessments and prelims. The pupils can ask for helpwhen required but the onus is onthem to discipline themselves toundertake appropriate work anddevelop independent learningskills. They sit the National 5Applications of Mathematics examat the end of their S3, a yearearlier than National 5 exams areusually attempted. The MathsDepartment was once againdelighted with the success of thepupils, with everyone who sat theexam, over the last two years,achieving a Grade A. With the first group of pupilsnow in S5, we are seeing the positive

impact of encouraging them to workindependently for a National 5qualification in S3. In the 2019 exams, Calum,Samuel, David, Heather and Amy allachieved Band 1 Grade As, meaningtheir results were all above 85%. Weare delighted with their success andlook forward to working with the new

group, from our current S3, tocontinue this success this year. Mr Shields, Head of Mathematics,said of the results “Another fantasticachievement from this group ofexceptionally gifted Mathematicians.We are rightly proud of theirsuccess.”

SPORTS AMBASSADORS HARD AT WORK■ Following a rigorous application process, our PE Department appointed 4 keen andenthusiastic Senior Sports Ambassadors, who are tasked with organising and promotingpositive sporting experiences throughout the School. As the pupil 'sporting voice' the role of the Ambassadors often includes gainingpupil perspective and opinion, identifying events to promote our sports programmes andsupporting our extensive Extra-Curricular Programme. This year, our Senior SportsAmbassadors highlighted an areawithin our Extra-CurricularProgramme that they wanted toimprove. With the aim of improvingparticipation levels across our sportsclubs, they set about the task ofrunning J6/7 Sports Club TransitionEvents across a range of sports,namely Netball, Football, Rugby andHockey. The pupils benefited fromteam building exercises, skillspractice and applying what theylearned into game situations. Through these events, ourSports Ambassadors have seen first-hand the level of organisation that ittakes to lead such sessions. Thanksto our PE staff and pupil volunteersacross the activities, who helpeddeliver such a fun experience forour younger pupils to furtherdevelop their love for sport.

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■ Following the successful introduction of ourIntergenerational Learning Programme in our Nursery, ourJ6 class have been visiting Abbeydale Care Home inHamilton. Pupils spent a delightful afternoon with the residents,chatting about their day, asking if they had any children,what kinds of jobs they did, and in turn the residents

enjoyed hearing all about the children's school life andhobbies. J6 pupil Mary played a beautiful piece on thepiano which was a very welcome addition to theafternoon. The connections made were very obvious andspecial. The pupils also invited the residents to join them forthis term’s Grandparents' and Special Friends Day. Someof the residents were able to join J6 for the day and werewelcomed to visit the J6 classroom, view pupils’ work andenjoy the concert which showcased the considerabletalents of our Nursery and Junior School pupils.

■ A group of 23 S3- S6 girlsrecently completed aNetball Leaders’ Award,during training sessionsdelivered byCommonwealth GamesNetballer Niamh McCall. The Award aims toprepare Senior pupils tolead organised, safe,enjoyable and purposefulpractices to develop JuniorSchool children. Niamh was the first player born in the 2000s toreceive a senior cap in Netball, playing againstNorthern Ireland in the 2016 Celtic Clash. She was alsopart of the World Youth Cup team that took 8th placein Botswana in 2017. Niamh made her Commonwealth Games debut atthe Gold Coast as the youngest member of the Netball

team. With wins over Wales and Barbados, Scotlandachieved a 9th place finish. It was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to workwith Niamh. The girls were really inspired and enjoyedthe course immensely. Well done to all of our newAward holders and a huge thank you to Niamh forjoining us at Hamilton College.

J1 OUTDOORCLASSROOMDAY

■ For Outdoor Classroom Day, and as part of their topic onPercy the Park Keeper, our J1 pupils learned about the lifecycle of an oak tree. The pupils enjoyed planting acorns in our garden andlearning about what they need to help them grow.

NETBALL LEADERS’ AWARD

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INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING EXTENDED

■ We are delighted to have started rehearsals for nextsummer’s production of Mary Poppins Jr. The musical is being staged as part of our transitionprocess, so will feature pupils from J6 and J7 as well as S1 andS2. The production will contain all of the well-known songsfrom the original musical as well as some fresh material. Casting was far from easy as we are fortunate enough tohave an abundance of talent at Hamilton College and thepupils in J6 -S2 are no exception. There were some amazinglystrong auditions and some wonderful dancers! Pictured aretwo of the show’s main characters Emma (playing Mary) andStevie (playing Bert). Three of our S6 pupils, Esha, Davina and Olivia are helpingto co-produce the show along with Mrs Murray and MrHenderson from our Music Department. The pupils’ freshapproach and expertise in singing and choreography is alreadyproving to be invaluable. Given the popularity of the story, the songs and theenthusiasm and ability of the cast, this promises to be a tourde force and an experience not to be missed. Be sure to savethe dates and watch out for tickets going on sale. Performanceswill be on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 June 2020.

COMING SOONMARY POPPINS JR

SENIOR SCHOOL HOUSE CAPTAINSWe have a dedicated team of Senior School HouseCaptains, with Julia as this year’s House Co-ordinator,Emma as Lewis House Captain, Brodie as Harris HouseCaptain and Rosie as Skye House Captain. The teamhave worked hard to drive the House System forward,developing more opportunities for friendly competition.House Captains also work alongside our SportsAmbassadors to support the running of sportstournaments and the organisation of events includingthe Senior School Christmas Dance. Already this year, pupils have competed in interhouse Charades, Netball, Hockey, staff Badminton and adesign a Christmas card competition. For each event,points are allocated to houses and totalled across theyear. The House with the highest score will receive anend of year reward. Regular House Assemblies are held where HouseCaptains update pupils on house points totals. Pupilsalso take part in team activities to develop confidenceand friendships within their house. Future planned activities include quizzes, creativechallenges, reading challenges, public speaking andmany more. We aim to recognise achievement acrossall areas by arranging a variety of different types ofactivities to ensure that there is something for everyoneto be a part of. This has been an exciting session so farfor the development of our House System and we lookforward to more exciting developments to come.

JUNIOR SCHOOL HOUSE CAPTAINSThis year’s Junior School House Captains are Ibrahim andEloise for Harris, Zara and Aaron for Lewis and Romana andHavanah for Skye. In our Junior School we promote positive behaviourthrough our House Points System. When children begintheir Hamilton College journey, they are allocated aspecific House and remain within this House throughouttheir time here. Each year in June we begin a rigorousapplication process for House Captaincy with our J6 pupilswho will go into J7 that August. Our Junior LeadershipTeam and Senior School Prefects are involved in theapplication process, with a view to selecting two HouseCaptains for each House. The criteria are that they mustuphold the Hamilton College ethos and be seen asexcellent role models to all of our pupils. Our Junior School House Captains have a range ofduties throughout the year which can involve anythingfrom collating points at the end of every week toorganising House Events within the Junior School. HousePoints are awarded by all members of staff as children arepraised for being Ready, Respectful and Safe and for goingover and above in their day-to-day activities. Being part ofa team gives the pupils a sense of belonging and pride,and there is great anticipation and excitement as HousesPoints are announced at our weekly assemblies!

■ Last term saw the launch of 'Happy Tots at HamiltonCollege', a free, weekly parent and toddler group,based in our Nursery. Happy Tots offers parents and their childrenaged 0-3 to have fun learning and playing while theymeet with other families in a safe and stimulatingNursery environment, where our Nursery Manager can

share and extend the children’s early learningexperiences. Our Nursery provides a fun and relaxedenvironment for parents to socialise in with otherfamilies, as they enjoy with their children the wide-range of activities, toys and books available. TheNursery garden and outdoor facilities are also provingvery popular with the youngest visitors to HamiltonCollege. Nursery Manager Ms Wallace said “The Grouphas gone from strength to strength in the short timethat it has been running. The families who attendappreciate the fact that they can spend time chattingto other parents while spending time in a child friendlyenvironment”.

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HAPPY TOTS LAUNCH

GRANDPARENTS’ AND SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY■ Our Nursery and Junior Schoolpupils warmly welcomed theirguests to this year’s Grandparents'and Special Friends Day. After an impressive concertshowcasing the talents of theNursery and Junior Schoolchildren through music, song,speech and dance, our visitorsenjoyed a delightful morning teaserved by Senior School Prefects.The rest of the time was spentjoining in lessons, meetingteachers, having pictures taken inthe photo booth and perusing thebook fair. The pupils were excited toshare part of their school day withthose who are special to them.Thank you to everyone who wasable to come, we appreciate allthat you do for our pupils.

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WHY HAVE A HOUSE SYSTEM?

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Julia -House Co-ordinator

Rosie -Skye House

Brodie -Harris House

Emma -Lewis HouseHappy Tots at Hamilton College runs

on Monday mornings from 0915-1030. We look forward to seeing you there!

■ At Hamilton College we encourage our children, young people and staff to support, interact and have fun not onlywith their peers but with others across the whole School. The rationale behind our School House System, where pupilsfoster a healthy attitude towards competition, exemplifies this. Pupils regularly come together to take part in eventsthroughout the year including Sports Day. Pupils display school spirit and house pride as they work together to achievea common goal. Being a 3-18 school also allows older pupils to assist younger ones. When a pupil joins Hamilton College, they also join one of our three School Houses; Lewis, Harris or Skye. For thefirst time this year, all staff are also assigned to a House, furthering enhancing the wonderful sense of whole schoolcamaraderie our House System brings.

■ Over 70 Hamilton College S4-S6 pupils and staff tookpart in the Big Sleepout, to raise funds for the BethanyChristian Trust. The event aims to raise awareness and funds for thework of the Trust, which supports over 7,000 peopleacross Scotland. Bethany Christian Trust focuses onpreventing homelessness as well as alleviating thesuffering of the homeless. By spending a tough night sleeping outdoors, pupilsgain a better understanding of some of the practicalimplications of homelessness, particularly for those whofind themselves living on the streets of our towns andcities. We were pleased to be joined during the evening byAngela Crawley MP, who represents Lanark and HamiltonEast constituency, and by one of our School Chaplains,Jonathan Davie. Angela said "Great to join the pupils and staff atHamilton College School for their ‘Big Sleep Out’. I wasvery impressed by the pupils’ dedication and fundraisingefforts, braving the rain and cold to raise funds forBethany Christian Trust. It is brilliant to see the wholeschool community fundraising to raise awareness of theTrust’s work with vulnerable and homeless familiesacross Scotland.” Our Head Boy Rahul, who also participated in theSleepout said of the evening, “It was a hard and eye-opening experience. It has shown me how fortunate I amand has given me an opportunity to reflect on all theopportunities I've been given.” Head of Art, Mr Wilson, spent some of the eveningsketching a series of drawings, which he continuedworking on after the event, drawing from memory andgenerally engaging in the theme. The images have beenshared on our social media channels. Well done to everyone who braved the elements forthis worthwhile cause and many thanks to everyone whodonated to help us raise over £3,400. Thanks also to

Sainsbury’s Hamilton and Morrison’s Hamilton whokindly supported us with refreshments for the event. The Big Sleepout funds were added to those raisedfrom other events over the past year and a cheque for anincredible £6,674.62 was presented to Mairead fromBethany Christian Trust by Assistant Principal and Headof Religious and Moral Education Mr Ross, who co-ordinated the fundraising campaign and our Head BoyRahul. Mr Ross said “We are delighted to be involvedwith Bethany Christian Trust and are rightly very proudof the Hamilton College family for energeticallysupporting our fundraising events and donating sogenerously. Thiseffort is just anotherexample of how ourpupils and theirfamilies embrace theelements of grace,compassion andreflection from ourschool ethos. Thankyou to all who wereinvolved.”

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S1 AND S6‘BUDDY LUNCHES’■ This session has seen the introductionof regular S1/S6 Buddy Lunches.

During Buddy Lunches, S6 pupils jointheir S1 buddy in the Dining Hall forlunch. The aim of the programme is tohelp S1 pupils to build confidence andgive them a friendly face in the SeniorSchool who has shared a similar journeyin S1, to look up to and ask for guidancealong the way.

S1 pupils also have weekly meetings withtheir S6 buddy, to catch up and chatabout how their week is going and helpthem to stay connected with their buddyuntil the next lunch.

THE BIG SLEEPOUTTHIS TERM THI

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■ S5 pupil Aaron decided to organise a 'TinTuesday' charity collection on behalf ofHamilton Churches Drop-In Centre. TheCentre provides hot meals 365 days a yearfor those who are homeless, struggling tomake ends meet or vulnerable. Aaron wanted to do something afterlearning of the urgent appeal through StJohn's Church. Aaron took a strong interestin this as he believes no one should gohungry, especially at Christmas. Aaron asked his fellow pupils and staffto bring in a few cans of food on Tuesday29 October to support this worthy cause. Thank you to everyone who contributedto ‘Tin Tuesday’ for your generosity andconsideration and well done to Aaron fortaking this initiative to help others in need.

TIN TUESDAY HELPS THE HOMELESS

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■ Seventeen of our Senior School pupils will onceagain travel to Tanzania in the Summer to volunteerwith The Vine Trust. The Vine Trust is an internationaldevelopment charity, based in Scotland, whichenables volunteers to provide medical, home-buildingand care support to some of the world’s poorestcommunities, with the ultimate aim of empoweringthese communities. Teams of pupils and staff have been volunteeringwith the Vine Trust since 2014. During their two-weektrip to Tanzania, the groups undertake basic buildingwork and labouring, working alongside localvolunteers and Fundis (builders) to construct houses

for local families in need. Extra essential items suchas mattresses, solar lighting systems and fabric arealso donated by the Hamilton College groups. Visits tolocal projects like orphanages also make up part ofthe trip and give pupils a rewarding opportunity tospend time with the staff and children and organiseactivities. Some groups have also been able to visithomes completed on previous trips and meet thefamilies living in them, to help them to understandthe ongoing impact of the work they themselves aredoing on their trip. Emphasising the mutual benefits of the tripsHamilton College pupils and staff make to Tanzania,Former Principal Mr McPhail said “While there is nodoubt that the trips are physically and mentallychallenging for our pupils and staff, the benefits arenot limited to the local community. Pupils and staffalike have a truly memorable experience which seesthem make a real difference to the daily lives ofTanzanian families in dire need of support. Ourvolunteers also make new friends, learn about adifferent culture, have the opportunity to reflect onhow fortunate they are and on the part that they haveplayed in supporting the Tanzanian people they meet.” Pupils are responsible for fundraising to covertravel, accommodation, labour and building materialscosts. The 2020 team have already held manysuccessful fundraising activities which continued witha Car Boot Sale, held in the School car park. Thankyou to everyone who came along to support theircontinued fundraising efforts.

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TANZANIA CAR BOOT SALE

■ In keeping with our school ethos andthe theme of compassion, our JuniorSchool pupils have been sponsoringIremaharinde (Eric) from Rwanda throughCompassion UK, for the past two and halfyears.Pupils regularly bring money from homethat they have earned by doing jobsaround the house to help Eric's familysupport him. They regularly sendpackages to Eric that might containbirthday cards, photos and some art workfrom school.The pupils love seeing the amount groweach week; it is heartening to see theawareness and compassion for othersdeveloping, even in our youngest pupils.

THIS TERM FRIENDS OF HAMILTON COLLEGE

■ The Friends of Hamilton College is our associationof parents, staff and friends who have a sharedinterest in the active support of Hamilton College. There are 4 whole-school Friends meetings eachyear. In addition, there are monthly meetingsbetween the Principal and Friends Conveners. Thesemonthly meetings give families the opportunity todiscuss matters with the Principal in between whole-school meetings. If you would like to join the Friends of HamiltonCollege or have any matters you would like to raiseat a forthcoming meeting, please email these tofriends@hamiltoncollege.co.uk.

■ Our S1 Innov8 classes have been competingagainst each other to design the most economicalvirtual truss bridge using the West Point BridgeDesigner app. The pupils had to use theirknowledge of force, stress and materials propertiesto produce the most efficient and cost effectivesolution. The competition was fierce and all pupilsworked hard to try to reach the top spot and beatpersonal bests to win the 3D printed trophy. Withthe competition still running, the top 5 designswere all within $5,000 of each other, making it avery close-fought competition.

INNOV8 BRIDGE DESIGNERS

NEXT FRIENDS OF HAMILTONCOLLEGE MEETING

Our next, whole-school Friends ofHamilton College meeting is on

Monday 3 February at 1900 in the Junior School Assembly Hall.

All Nursery, Junior and Senior School

families are welcome and we look

forward to seeing you there.

■ In an S4 assembly this term, one of the challengesthe pupils gave others was to consider the differencebetween cost and value. Pupils discussed the fact thatsometimes things are thrown away because there is anew model or updated version of the item availableand we become unsatisfied with what we have.S4 wanted to challenge people to consider what theydo with things that they no longer need and one oftheir suggestions was to donate them to a charity.S4A made an appeal for unwanted winter coats orjackets, blankets, hats, scarfs and gloves that were nolonger needed or used. These were donated to localprojects, including one run by the Salvation Army inEasterhouse to help those in need at Christmas.Pictured with the start of the collection are S4 pupilsFraser T, Luke, Fraser M and Calum. Well done boysand thank you to everyone who donated sogenerously.

WINTER CLOTHING COLLECTION

TERM 1 TERM 1

SPONSORING A CHILD IN RWANDA

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■ Well done to our S4 pupils who received their Duke of EdinburghBronze Awards last term and our S5 pupils who received their Duke ofEdinburgh Silver Awards. The pupils took part in a wide range of sporting, creative andvolunteering activities along with their qualifying expedition, to completeall of the requirements to achieve their Bronze or Silver Awards.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH

■ A big well done to all of our swimming starswho represented the School at the SouthLanarkshire Schools Swimming Gala. Hamilton College picked up a total of 20placed finishes at the event, including eight1st places, seven 2nd places and five 3rdplaces! James (S4) achieved a personal best whenhe won both the 100m and 200m boys 14-15backstroke. Megan (S5) won two races andcame 2nd in another, Mia (S3) was second intwo of her races and came third in another,brothers Lewis (S6) and Blair (S3) placed in sixraces between them with Blair winning the14-15 200m freestyle and Blair K (S4) camesecond in both his races. Representing ourJunior School was our youngest swimmerEuan (J7) who won all three of his races (50mbutterfly, breaststroke and freestyle).

■ Congratulations to Euan (J7)who competed in the WestDistrict swimming competitionat Tollcross, Glasgow. Euanentered 6 races and won 4gold medals and 1 silver. Well done on youramazing achievement!

DISTRICT SWIMMING MEDALLIST

■ Thomas, David, Samuel and Cara, from S3 andS4, represented the school at the EnterprisingMaths competition held in Glasgow. Once again,Hamilton College did themselves proud in thisdemanding competition, pitting theirMathematical ability against other independentschools from across the country.

ENTERPRISINGMATHEMATICSCOMPETITION

■ Hamilton College finished in second place of the national ‘NinjaChallenge’ Maths competition in the Small Schools category. The impressive finish followed a mammoth effort by pupils overthe closing weekend of this year’s Maths Week Scotland, which sawHamilton College overtake another school and finish in secondposition. Well done to all pupils involved in the competition and hugecongratulations to our top 10 pupils, who were awarded their NinjaChallenge certificates and medals. Special mention to Elijah (J7, pictured front row, left) who wasplaced sixth in Scotland. An impressive achievement Elijah, well done!

NATIONAL MATHS NINJAS

■ Congratulations to Isabella (J1), whowon the Institute of Mathematics & itsApplications (IMA) Best CommentaryAward in the Maths Inside PhotoCompetition, which ran as part of MathsWeek Scotland. Isabella’s winning photo was of acow with numbers on its ear tag, toshow the importance numbers have inall areas of life. Isabella also received acommendation in the Wild category, forher photo of two donkeys with crosseson their backs, showing symmetry.

MATHS PHOTOCOMPETITION WINNER

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS

SWIMMING GALA TRIUMPH

■ Congratulations to Murray, Jenna, James and Adeeb, ourteam of Chemists who finished an impressive 5th equal out of20 schools in the West of Scotland Heat of the Top of theBench competition, held at the University of Glasgow.

'TOP OF THE BENCH’ CHEMISTRY COMPETITION

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SENIOR SCHOOLMicaila (S1) Distinction in Grade 5 Speech & DramaKatie and Kirstin (both S2) Bronze Medal in Public Speaking AwardEmma (S4) Distinction in Grade 6 Reading AloudCatherine and Jodie (both S5) Gold Medal in Reading Aloud

JUNIOR SCHOOLReuben (J2) Introductory C SpeechLuca (J2) Introductory C SpeechRebecca (J3) Introductory D SpeechHarris (J3) Introductory D SpeechShannon (J3) Introductory D SpeechAva (J4) Grade I SpeechDavid (J4) Grade I SpeechLily (J4) Grade I SpeechAarush (J4) Grade I SpeechMartha (J4) Grade I SpeechWill (J4) Grade I SpeechAlison (J5) Grade 3 SpeechMorven (J5) Grade 3 SpeechKatie (J6) Grade 4 Reading Aloud

Each and every one of these Junior School pupils achieved a pass with Distinction. Congratulations!

SPEECH AND DRAMA AWARDS

■ Well done to Dario from our Nursery on completing thisyear’s Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run Toddler Dash toraise funds for Wishaw General NICU in memory of a familyfriend's baby. Dario also completed his first Taekwondo assessment lastterm and was promoted from orange belt to orange stripe.Keep up the hard work Dario, you will be a black belt in notime!

NURSERY SPORTS STAR

■ Well done to S2 pupil Stevie, who completed his five-hour Taekwondo black belt grading to receive hiscertificate and belt. Congratulations, we know you haveworked hard for the past seven years towards this.

TAEKWONDO BLACK BELT

■ Well done to S3pupil Lewis, whorepresented Scotlandat the ICO WorldTaekwondoChampionships andwon the silver medalin the Black Belt-Korean Patterns - age14-17 category.

SILVER TAEKWONDO CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL WIN

■ Congratulations to S2 pupil and European KarateChampion Tom, who won gold at The 47th EuropeanWado Cup in Monor, Hungary.

EUROPEAN KARATE CHAMPION

■ Congratulations to Jay (S4) who is the newScottish Novice Boxing Champion at 75kg. Jay, who boxes with Priestfield Boxing inBlantyre, competed at Ravenscraig during thequarter and semi final stage where he wonthe first contest unanimously and defeatedhis semi-final opponent by a first roundstoppage. Jay competed in the final atTynecastle and won a unanimous decisionagainst his opponent.

SCOTTISH BOXING CHAMPION

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS

■ Many congratulations to our Headgirl Hannah (S6) for achieving her thirdDiploma with Honours, in PublicSpeaking, who now has the honour ofusing an impressive set of letters afterher name - FVCM (Hons), LVCM (Hons),AVCM (Hons). Well done on awonderful achievement! Well done to all of the other pupilswho were also successful in recentSpeech and Drama exams.

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■ Well done to Nyah (J6) who won her Level 5Club Championship last term. Nyah competesfor Hamilton gymnastics and trains anextraordinary 16 hours per week. It is great tosee your hard work and dedication pay off Nyah.

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■ Well done to Skye (S3), who was invited to jointhe North Lanarkshire U15 Netball team, followingher success at the district trials.

NORTH LANARKSHIRE NETBALL TEAM SELECTION

■ Three of our Senior School pupils Jenni (S2), Olivia (S2)and Zara (S1) travelled to Disneyland Paris to compete in TheInternational Festival of Dance and Performing Arts.This was the first time the girls had competed and they didexceptionally well, achieving:

■ Best Musicality in the Lion King (All three girls as part of a group of four)

■ Second place in Hip Hop (All three girls as part of a group of four)

■ Best Musical Interpretation in the Senior Duo Disney category (Jenni and Olivia)

■ Best overall winner in the Senior Duo Disney category (Jenni and Olivia)

■ Best Musicality in the Senior Group Disney category (Jenni and Olivia)

■ Second place in the Senior Street/Hip Hop Group dance category (Jenni and Olivia)

Congratulations on your success girls!

INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL SUCCESS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS

■ Congratulations to S4 pupil and Tennis player Luke, who has achieved considerable success recently:

Winner of U16s Boys Singles in BurnleyRunner Up in Grade 5 Men's Open SinglesRunner up in Prestwick Open for U16 Boys SinglesRunner up in Prestwick Open in Men's DoublesU18 Boys Singles Winner in Uddingston Club ChampionshipsMen’s Doubles Runner Up in Uddingston Club ChampionshipsAdult Mixed Doubles Runner Up in Uddingston Club ChampionshipsU18 Boys Singles Winner in David Lloyd Club ChampionshipsU18 Boys Singles Runner Up Whitecraigs Club Championships

Well done Luke, it is great to see your hard work and dedication paying off.

TENNIS SUCCESS

ARCHERY GOLDMEDALLIST■ Congratulations to Emily(S5) who won a Goldmedal at the Scottish FieldArchery Championship2019 held in Inverness.The win made Emily theScottish Champion for thesecond year in a row, anunbelievable achievement.Emily also recently won abronze medal in the IFFAWORLD mail matchplacing her third in theworld for her shootingcategory. Well done Emily.

SCOTTISH SHOWJUMPING CHAMPION

■ Congratulations to Hannah (S3) who was part of theLanarkshire Team competing at the British ShowjumpingScottish Academy Championships, where her team tookfirst place in their class. In addition to her showjumping achievements, Hannahis a regular competitor at Clydesdale Horse shows in theYoung Handler Competitions. This includes competing atthe Royal Highland Show where she has already qualifiedagain for the 2020 competitions.

CHESS TOURNAMENTMEDAL WINNER

■ Congratulations toAarush (J4) who wona medal at theHamilton JuniorChess Club 'HamiltonJunior Congress'tournament. Aarush is an avid player andhas been a member ofthe Hamilton CollegeChess Club since hewas in Junior 1.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS

■ The weekend in Poland was full of interestingactivities. After a day full of travel and a well-deservedrest, we woke up ready to begin activities on Friday.This turned out to be a very sombre day for us all, as wemainly spent our time learning about Nazis and Poland.We visited Auschwitz, Birkenau and Schindler’s Factory.Despite being shocked at the events that unfoldedduring this time period, the whole group deeplyappreciated the chance to learn and reflect. Saturday involved a lot more walking, with a tourweaving us in and out of the most beautiful andhistoric parts of Krakow. The tour started with thecastle, with its very own fire breathing dragon andinside showed the elegance of the royals that used tolive there with fine tapestries and expensive furniture.Then we moved past the castle into the streets, wherewe saw some of the stunning cathedrals as well as theoldest university in Poland. After this we soon arrived inthe market square where we could hear and see thefamous trumpeter who plays every hour. On Sunday we got to spend our morning in themarket, which had some really great stalls and cosycafes. The latter part of the day was spent in the famoussalt mines where guides explained the intricate historyof this ancient site. After being worn out from the lastwalk in the salt mine, everyone was very glad to sleepon the bus on the way to the airport for the flight home.

■ This year’s Sports Tour left for Holland at 7am, with S2 andS3 pupils starting their journey to Newcastle. After roughly 3hours, the S2/3 Netball girls stopped at Cramlington HighSchool to play their first fixture of the tour. The A teamstarted the game determined to do well, with a good range ofpasses and excellent control of the game resulting in animpressive 18-4 victory. The B team also played a greatgame and demonstrated their ability to gel as a new teamwith an 8-6 win. Both teams were cheered on by the boysand everyone showed great team spirit. The rest of the journey from Newcastle was cheery andfilled with excitement. The overnight ferry to Hollandresulted in new friendships and a different closeness withexisting friends. The journey was long but this did notdampen our spirits as pupils took advantage of the on-boardcinema and games complex. After docking we boarded the bus and drove intoAmsterdam. Although the weather was gloomy this did notdeter us from sightseeing along the canal waterfront. Wegrabbed a bite to eat and explored a shopping centre beforereturning to the bus to travel to play our Hockey and Footballmatches. The Hockey girls played head to head with HC Mierlo.The game was tough and despite the team playing to thebest of their ability, the result was an unfortunate 2-0 loss.The Football boys dominated their match against RKVVDommelen, scoring their first goal within the first twominutes. Two goals followed in quick succession and by theten-minute mark, they were winning 3-0. At half time theboys were 9-0 up and the teams were switched to make itfairer for both sides. Afterwards the bus took the Hockey andFootball players to see the hotel for the first time. When wearrived at the Hup Hotel in Mierlo we were instantly amazedwith the facilities available, which included a bowling alley,sports pitches, ball pit and even a slide. After being shown toour sports themed rooms, we enjoyed the buffet dinner andfree time before bed.

A much-deserved fun day followed at the Efteling themepark. We were given the freedom to roam the theme park insmall groups and most of us chose to go straight to the hugerides. Even the teachers enjoyed the fun! Later we returnedto the hotel to enjoy some bowling after dinner. The third day of the tour started with a change of plan,due to the weather and we ended up going to a zoo. Afterlunch we returned to the bus for a long journey to the Rugbyfixture. The match against Haarlem Rugby Club was special asit was the first match with the new club house and facilities.From the starting whistle the game was a hard one, with astrong start from Haarlem, our boys fell behind. However, ahalf time team talk motivated our boys to keep pushingwhich resulted in a strong start for Hamilton College in thesecond half. Despite an exciting comeback, the match endedwith a close win for Haarlem. The last morning at the hotel started with plannedactivities which included 5-a-side football, swimming andmini golf. After the rooms were packed and checked therewas pizza for lunch. The bus was loaded and we saidgoodbye to the hotel. After arriving at Amsterdam port, thebus boarded the ferry. The trip concluded with the busjourney back to Hamilton College and pupils were glad to beback to their own beds. We are all really appreciative of the experience and funopportunity to be part of the Sports Tour and would like tothank Mrs Clark-Hewitt, Mr Forrest, Miss Galloway, Mr Lawrieand Mr McGinness for such an excellent trip.

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WRITTEN BY EMMA AND LUCY (S3)

■ Last term was a busy one with educational visits for the SocialSubjects Department. Our S4 students visited SummerleeHeritage Park where they rode the tram, went down the mineand experienced a WW1 handling session. Many aspects of theN5 History course were covered during this activity. S3 Modern Studies pupils visited the Scottish Parliament fora tour organised by one of our local MSPs, Margaret Mitchell.Pupils had the privilege of viewing First Ministers Questions andMrs Mitchell also kindly took part in a question and answersession with pupils. Our S4 Geography pupils travelled to Glasgow to undertakesome urban fieldwork in the city. They enjoyed a bus tour of thecity and research at the waterfront area. This day will help themcomplete their N5 Geography assignment. Our youngerGeographers travelled to Our Dynamic Earth where all S2enjoyed sessions in the Show Dome and with Education Team.The activities all helped to bring to life pupils' S2 ChangingLandscapes topic.

SOCIAL SUBJECTS VISITS

WRITTEN BY KAITLYN (S6)

HOLLANDSPORTS TOUR

S5/6 VISIT POLAND

■ Following the successful introduction of the J5residential last year, this year’s J5 pupils had anincredible, activity packed, 3 day visit to theAbernethy Ardeonaig Christian outdoor activitycentre at Loch Tay. The pupils, Mrs Ogilvie, Miss Scotland and MrsCadzow learned all sorts of new skills like highropes, crate climbing, archery, low ropes andbush craft! The children worked collaborativelyto light fires, build the tallest crate towers andbelay for one another on high ropes challenges.They also discovered that they could live withouttelevision and electronics for 3 days anddeveloped a love of adventure and the outdoors.

J5 STAY AT ARDEONAIG

■ Our J6 pupils spent an action packed four days in the Scottish bordersat Whithaugh Park. Pupils tried their hand at a whole host of activitiesincluding abseiling, raft building, bushcraft and zip wiring. They even hadto make up their own beds and do the washing up - which they found tobe the most adventurous tasks of them all!

"As soon as I got to Whithaugh I knew it was a wonderful place. My favourite activities were zip line, raft building, high ropes and lowropes. The food there was so good too!"

Bree (J6)

"Whithaugh was a great week away and the activities were great fun!"Alfie (J6)

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■ As part of their Social Studiestopic our J6 pupils visited OurDynamic Earth in Edinburgh. Whilstthere, they had an interactive tourof the Earth Exhibit which includeda Rainforest complete withrainshowers and moving 'animals'.After lunch the childrenparticipated in teams in a workshoplearning all about the products thatoriginate from the Rainforest andtalking about what we can do toprotect them from deforestation.

J6 VISIT OUR DYNAMIC EARTH

■ Last term all of our Junior School residentials moved to the start of the session to help our pupils create firm bondswith each other and teachers, build teamwork, and start the new session off on the best foot. The action packed visitincluded learning map reading skills to catch a spy, a school day experience – 1940s style and a ration day breakfast.Pupils also prepared for and enjoyed a fantastic VE Day celebration party with the paper hats, chains, sandwichesand cakes they had made. As well as the WW2 related activities and experiences, pupils also had time to squeeze in visits to Harry PotterWorld, Funworld and an afternoon at a farm park.

J7 LINCOLNSFIELD RESIDENTIAL

■ Over the summer I was lucky enough to spend fourand a half weeks in Germany as part of a programme runby the UK-German Connection and PädagogischerAustauschdienst. With a group of people from countriessuch as Chile, Palestine and of course Germany, I spenttime in Bonn, Munich and Berlin, seeing the sights andlearning more about the culture. We visited all of the main tourist attractions, as wellas getting a deeper insight into the cities from locals andfriends of our group leaders. We also spent two weeksin Ravensburg, in the south of Germany, staying with ahost family and attending a German school. It wasfascinating to see the differences, not only between theUK and Germany, but also between different parts ofGermany itself. As everything was in German, it was the first realopportunity I have had to speak and to practise the

language, and I have definitely seen a huge improvementsince coming back. I would, however, also say that theexperience has changed me beyond my language skills.It has given me a unique perspective on the world andits many cultures, and for that I am so grateful. I have notonly learned more about Germany and its traditions, butalso those of the other nations present. Now I am farmore confident and open to trying new things,particularly when stepping outside my comfort zone as Idid this summer. I am confident that the friendships Ihave made over the month will last a long time, and thememories will stay with me forever.

UK-GERMAN CONNECTION SUMMER PLACEMENTWRITTEN BY LUCY (S6)

■ Our J5 class enjoyed a fantastic visit toone of Scotland's iconic landmarks,Stirling Castle. During the visit, pupilsshared their knowledge and learnedabout castle life in medieval times. J5were fascinated by the tales they heardand relished the opportunity to dress upand see their learning come alive.

J5 TURN MEDIEVAL AT STIRLING CASTLE

J6 WHITHAUGH PARK RESIDENTIAL

■ Our Religious and MoralEducation (RME) lessons wereenhanced by visits from a selectionof thought-provoking guests.Having a variety of guests spendtime in classes helps to furtherdevelop pupils’ understanding in avariety of areas of the curriculumand deepens their learning. Our Higher RMPS pupils metthe Rev. Ross Blackman from theOld Parish Church in Hamilton totackle a theologically difficultaspect of the course, Heaven andHell. Rev. Blackman conducted auniversity style tutorial givingpupils great insight on this area ofthe Higher curriculum. There was also a visit from EricSneddon of Gideons UK, whoexplained the work of Gideons. Healso delivered a presentation to S1pupils and explained why the Bibleis important to so many peoplearound the world, building on the

topic pupils had been learningabout in RME. Our newest School ChaplainIrene Campbell visited theDepartment to share her life storyand reflect on ‘Faith In Action’, arelevant topic in S2 RME, National4 and Higher RMPS. Irene spenttime with pupils, challenging themto think about how to put faith inaction. Dr. Alastair Noble joined HigherRME pupils to enrich theirunderstanding of the origins of theuniverse and the origins of life. Dr. Noble’s expertise gave pupils ininvaluable insight into thisinteresting debate. As well as being joined in classby guests, Higher pupils attendedthe Higher RMPS Conference inGlasgow, led by Philosopher Dr.Peter Vardy who lectured on Ethics,Origins and Morality in line withthe Higher RMPS course.

ENRICHING LEARNING IN RME

■ Our Business and Technologies Department welcomed Clare, astudent in her final year of studying International Business atStrathclyde University. Clare provided valuable advice on preparing for University andshared her experiences of working with major companies such asMorgan Stanley and Barclays and the opportunities she was given by studying a semester at the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Clare also spent time with the Higher class, giving researchadvice to help with assignment preparation.

BUSINESS PUPILS GET UNIVERSITY PREPARATION ADVICE

■ Our Junior 7 pupils had the honour of welcomingIan Forsyth, a World War 2 veteran, into school toshare his experiences. Mr Forsyth told the pupils about his life as asoldier and his duties on reconnaissance missions.He was very keen to get across the message topupils that there are no winners in war. The pupils learned so much from him and usedthe stories of his first hand experiences to helpthem with their WW2 topic.

J7 MEET WW2VETERAN

■ Our J6 – S2 pupils were delighted to spend anafternoon with award-winning children’s authorEoin Colfer. Eoin is most famous for writing the ArtemisFowl books which are soon to be made into a film.The pupils heard him speak about how his familyhas influenced his writing and were told lots offunny stories about how his two sons inspired hislatest book: The Fowl Twins. After the presentation, pupils were given theopportunity to buy copies of the book and havethem singed by the author.

AN AFTERNOON WITH AUTHOR EION COLFER

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■ Our Rugby squads had an extra special training session with avisit from Glasgow Warriors. Thanks to the School’s partnership with Hamilton RugbyClub, PE Teacher Mr Lawrie was able to coordinate the visit togive our Rugby players a fantastic opportunity to learn from theprofessionals. Pupils spent an afternoon training and playing touch Rugbywith the Warriors players. Although initially a bit in awe of theirsize and skill it did not take long for pupils to get fully involved,demonstrate and develop their own skills to the professionals. The visit ended with an opportunity for pupils to ask theWarriors questions, have autographs signed and take someselfies. Our thanks to Steven, Development Officer for HamiltonRugby Club and the Glasgow Warriors players for giving ourbudding Rugby stars a training session to remember. We hope tocontinue to offer pupils inspirational visits like this in the future.

AN AFTERNOON WITHGLASGOW WARRIORS

■ Our Nursery and Junior School children werevisited by the author of Lucy’s Blue Day ChrisDuke. Lucy’s Blue Day is a children’s book aboutmental health, focussing on the fact that we allhave different emotions and sometimes ‘it’s okaynot to be okay’. The pupils listened to the story with itspowerful message and asked Chris some thought-provoking questions. He shared with the childrenhis four goals of being a Dad, an author, a radio DJand a wrestler. The boys and girls were amazed tohear that he achieved all of his goals throughdetermination and perseverance. At the end of the session, the pupils made apromise to share with others when they arehaving a ‘blue hair day’ and to ‘feed theirbutterfly’ which means that we should think abouthappy thoughts when we are having a sad day.

CHRIS DUKE AUTHOR VISIT

■ In an age when the Christian religion is under pressure from the weight of an increasinglysecular society, Hamilton College is taking positive steps to enhance the Christian elementin its day-to-day activities. During the last academic year, we welcomed David Graham and Jonathan Davie asSchool Chaplains. The Chaplaincy team further expanded at the start of this session withthe appointment of our newest Chaplain, Irene Campbell. Our Chaplains are very much a part of the school community and in addition to the carealready provided by School staff, this initiative will providepupils with alternative guidance and support. The ChaplaincyTeam have been engaging with pupils in the classroom, atassemblies, school events and through roaming Chaplaincy inthe playground. This ties in with our School ethos which iscentred around Grace, Confidence, Wisdom, Innovation,Compassion and Reflection. During their first assembly, David and Jonathan summed uptheir role as School Chaplains as “caring for, buildingrelationships with and being available to support the wholeschool community.” We very much look forward to ongoing,regular visits from the Chaplaincy Team as they spend time inSchool, working with our children and young people.

■ Hamilton College had the honour of hosting a once-in-a-lifetime art exhibition, showcasing unseen religious artwork fromworld famous Scottish artists last term. Curated by our Head of Art Mr Wilson, the exclusive Miracles and Parables exhibition featured breath-taking art byrenowned Scottish artists including Jolomo and Peter Howson. The surrealist work of Mr Wilson’s fourth year art class, whohad been exploring the theme of ‘the miraculous’ added some exciting pictures to the theme. Speaking after the exhibition, Mr Wilson said “I was so pleased with the turn out and the engagement of the crowd.People were genuinely looking at and discussing spiritual art that was the expression of faith: the pictures were all born outof the personal conviction of each of the six artists in the show.” It was Mr Wilson’s friend of many years, Peter Howson who sowed the seed for the exhibition about ten years ago whenhe said “I’d love to revive Christian art”. The artist kindly produced six pictures, solely for Miracles and Parables. However, this was not the only significant work being seen for the first time. Jolomo had never exhibited his religiouspictures before, so we were truly privileged that he gave us three powerful paintings that are testimony to his own faith. The other artists exhibiting were not to be overshadowed and Iain Campbell who is known for his Last Supper paintingwhere he used homeless people he knew for models had two exceptional compositions in the show. Rebecca Fraser’simaginative triptych of prints entitled Three Days is an unusual take on the Easter death and resurrection narrative of thegospels, with three images basedon her visit to a mortuary.Teacher of Art Mrs Roy’spaintings of Mary and Marthaadded an impressive touch ofimpressionism to the show withher confident, gesturalbrushwork and assured mark-making. Last to mention but notleast, Mr Wilson’s own threepictures which interpreted theProdigal Son parable in acontemporary way. In his vote of thanks, MrWilson said “I really am thankfulfor all who came and theirpositive feedback, but especially I am grateful to the kindness ofthe six artists who chose aschool venue rather and agallery to exhibit their work.”

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■ It was a pleasure and privilege for our English department towelcome Abir Mukerjee, Times Best Selling Author and former pupil,back to Hamilton College. Abir shared his experiences of being at the school himself, hisinspiration to write and the fascinating history that is the backdrop tohis novels. He spoke about what motivates him to write and thecreative process itself giving our pupils much food for thought - not tomention plenty of ideas. Abir was with the department throughout the day and in theafternoon S1/2 pupils enjoyed his 'How to write a crime thriller'workshops which produced many ideas from the downright gruesometo the utterly fantastical. Abir was great fun and an inspiration to all.

FORMER PUPIL AND AUTHOR BACK IN SCHOOL

MIRACLES AND PARABLES ART EXHIBITION LAUNCH OF CATERING INSTRAGRAM ACCOUNT

THIS TERM

GROWING THE CHAPLAINCY TEAM

■ At the start of this session we launched the newCatering Instagram account, with daily menus and photosof the food being served. The launch is to coincide withthis session’s changes and additions to the catering weoffer our pupils, introduced in response to feedback fromour pupils and their families. For our Junior School children, the Catering Team willcontinue to promote healthy eating and to encouragechildren to try different options. To help pupils to trysomething a bit different, they will now be automaticallyserved side dishes along with their main dish, which willtypically include a selection of vegetables, salads, rice orpotatoes.

These new introductions are, of course, in addition to theusual main meal offering, sandwiches/wraps and soup. Our menus continue to rotate every three weeks andare available for the whole session from the schoolwebsite or daily, from the new Catering Instagram account. As always, any comments or suggestions are welcomeand can be sent to our Catering Manager Mr Brown. Pleasealso contact Mr Brown to discuss any specific dietaryrequirements (email sbrown@hamiltoncollege.co.uk orcall 01698 282700).

NEW TO 2019/20 MENUS

■ Toppers Table Pupils can ‘top up’ plain menu items by adding various toppers. These include burger toppers, pizza toppers and extra wrap fillings.■ Salad Bowls For pupils’ ease, small pre-bowled salad portions will be available to go along side their main meal. The full salad bar will also be available.■ Extra Protein Alongside main meals we will have a plain meat option available daily. This can be taken as an extra with a meal e.g. chicken that can be added to a pasta dish.■ Protein pots Small bowls of chicken, tuna and boiled eggs will be available alongside a main meal or to top a salad.■ Double helpings After pupils in the second sitting have been served, pupils are welcome to choose a second helping.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT■ This year’s Christmas Concert was ajoyful evening of music which showcasedthe considerable musical talents of ouryoung people. The Concert included performers fromacross the School, in a programme thatfeatured traditional Christmas carols andmusic along with one or two special

additions with our young soloists,ensembles, choirs and orchestra on top form. Thank you to Mr Henderson and MrsMurray for putting together such a specialprogramme and of course our pupils whoworked so hard with their teachers andmusic tutors, perfecting their pieces.

■ Our Nursery and J1-3 pupils thrilledtheir audience with a fabulousperformance of The Wriggly Nativity. Everysingle character used their burstingenergy to wriggle their way through thisfun-filled musical, which told theChristmas story through songs, actions,movement and dance. Well doneeveryone – you were all fantastic!

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CAROL SINGINGIN PRINCESSQUARE■ The Christmas shoppers inside a packedPrinces Square shopping centre weretreated to a variety of traditional carolsand Christmas songs performed by ourSenior Choir at the beginning of thefestive season.The choir sang beautifully and weredelighted to help raise money for HanselAyrshire.

CHRISTMASCHRIST

MAS

■ The Hamilton College Christmas Season beganwith our Christmas Fete, hosted by the Friends ofHamilton College.

This fun, festive family day out was held to raisefunds to benefit the School. As well as a greatselection of stalls, including an S5/6 pupilsTanzania Volunteer Fundraising Stall, there wasan ‘everyone’s a winner’ tombola, Junior SchoolChristmas Market selling items pupils had madein class, performances by pupils across theschool and of course, a visit from Santa himself! Our School owes much to the strength of itscommunity so thank you to those who playedtheir part in making the event a huge success andeveryone who joined us for the Fete.

CHRISTMAS FETE

CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS

■ Staff, children and young people from our Nursery,Junior and Senior School got into the festive spirit bydonning their best Christmas jumpers, to raisemoney for Chris's House, a centre for help, responseand intervention surrounding suicide and the first 24hour non-medical crisis centre in Scotland. Christmas Jumper Day also meant it was time fora school Christmas Lunch, so a huge thank you to MrBrown and the Catering Team for the deliciousChristmas meal they prepared for everyone.

CHRISTMAS LUNCH

NATIVITY 2019

Congratulations to Harlow (J1) who created the winning Nativity drawing, which was used on the programme for this year’s Nativity.

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SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS■ Our annual service of Lessons and Carols was once againheld at Bothwell Parish Church. The Service is always a very special event in the HamiltonCollege calendar and is a wonderful opportunity for theschool and local community to come together, to enjoy anevening of festive readings, carols and music. Thank you toeveryone who joined us for this year’s Service and well doneto our young musicians, singers and those who gave readingsfor such a marvellous evening.

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■ We are delighted to announce an extension to our already extensive, out of school care and activityprogramme.

We already offer:

• Free, before school supervision from 8am on school days• Library open until 5pm daily for Senior School pupils• Aftercare from 3.15pm - 6pm for Junior School pupils at competitive rates• Range of wider curricular activities and clubs before school, at lunchtimes and after school• Activities and sport camps during certain school holidays with SJB Sports & Fitness Ltd, for ages 3-18

We are now able to announce:

• SJB Camps during all school holidays, including Inset Days (only excluding 2 weeks at Christmas and New Year and public holidays)

The SJB camps provide a flexible childcare solution with daily or weekly sessions available to book asrequired. SJB’s fully PVG certified and qualified staff offer a wealth of activities that guarantee your childwill stay active, occupied and enthused. SJB have access to all Hamilton College facilities, meaning thatyour child will be having fun in a safe and familiar environment with their school friends.

The camp sessions are designed to suit all age groups and abilities focusing on skills development, fun,fitness, games, challenges, conditioning, and overall confidence building. Your child will enjoy activitiesincluding Gymnastics, Swimming, Basketball, Netball, Football, Racket Sports, team games and much more.

To book your child on one of SJB’s out-of-school camps, please visit www.sjbsports.co.uk

EXTENDED OUT OF SCHOOL ACTIVITY PROGRAMME

HamiltonCollegeScotland

HamiltonCollegeScotland

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HCJuniorSchool, HCSeniorSchool

HamiltonCollegeScotland

www.hamiltoncollege.co.uk