PL

Insidethis issue:

Interview with Mr Clark

Have YOUR Say

Film and Music Reviews

Issue 01 - December 2009

Celebrity GossipCreative Writing

and much more...Front Cover by Jennifer Galbraith

With thanks to the following people (in no particular order): Lauren Anderson, Christie Sinclair, Ellen Whillans, Kirsty McLeod, Jenny McCraw, Robbie Gordon, Johnny Burns, Miss Henderson, Pablo Nicol, Michael Simpson, Abi Cowan, Amy Kerr, Ashton Ritchie, Stephanie Caldwell, Murray Berg, Erin Stewart, Bronwyn O’Neill, Neil Goodman, Arif Hussein, Jack Helmn, Jennifer Galbraith, Alexandra Singh, Rebecca Mitchell, Emma Smith, Ms Donaldson, Mrs Dalrymple, Ms Cowan, Ms Fulford, Ms McGeachie, Mr Cramb, Mr Bishop, Ms Angus, Mr Cruickshank, Ms Proudfoot, The English Department, Holly Tait, Jenna Tait, Mr Clark, Mr Stewart and everyone else who has contributed in any way - your help is much appreciated!!! We’re always looking for new contributors so, if you have any bright ideas, we’d love to hear from you!

The PL Magazine Team

ContentsInterview with Mr Clark 3

Short Stories 5

Music Reviews 10

Poetry 13

Film 14

Teacher Questionnaires 15

“Have Your Say!” 19

Celebrity Gossip 21

Guess the Teacher 22

PL Gallery 23

Enjoy!

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Interview with Mr Clark

SCHOOL...1. What were you like as a pupil?I was probably quite shy to begin with at school. I gained in confidence as I went through secondary school because I got more familiar with how the school was and how I could be in it. I then did reasonably well at school and had a good time.

2. What inspired you to be a teacher?The honest answer is, when I left university I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I did all sorts of different jobs and then at the age of twenty five I decided to be a teacher. The main reason was because my friend Bob had trained to be a teacher and I thought, if he can do it, I can do it too. My mum was a teacher and my dad was a lecturer so that probably influenced me too.

3. Can you give us a brief history of your career before you came to PL?I’ve had many jobs – around thirty in all. The first job I had was as a school cleaner in forth year. I’ve also worked as a gardener, a wire packer, an office worker, a tea packer… My worst job was a half day I worked in an Australian abattoir. I was a vegetarian for three years after that! I’ve also worked as a conference organiser and have travelled a fair bit.

4. What were your first impressions of PL?Very positive. My first impression was how friendly students and staff were. I had high hopes for the school. Since then, I’ve discovered that pupils and staff don’t just seem great, but are great.

5. So far, what have you enjoyed most in your time at PL?That’s a really difficult question. There are probably two things: I’ve really enjoyed going round classrooms and seeing students work really hard and teachers doing a good job of teaching them. The other thing is

working with the sixth year. For example, we had a really moving remembrance service. Many of the details of this event were suggested by sixth years themselves and they carried themselves fantastically well. And this interview of course, that’s my third most enjoyable moment!

6. What have you enjoyed the least?The students don’t have anywhere proper to go at lunch and break time and they should have somewhere to go where they can enjoy a high quality environment. Having to squeeze pupils into small spaces isn’t fair, especially as the weather is getting worse and there is less and less space to put them.

7. What are the biggest changes you have made since you started at PL and why did you choose to make these changes?The biggest change has been the introduction of prefects. It’s good that we’re able to advertise for fifth year prefects too. The prefects this year have made a big difference and they needed support from staff to begin with but have proved they are more than capable of running the school themselves. It is important that pupils take responsibility for themselves.

8. Do you plan to make any more significant changes in the near future? If so, what will these changes be and for what reasons will you be making them? There will be some quite big changes coming. We are moving towards ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ which means the timetable and ways of teaching will change. We are also heading into difficult times financially so

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may be forced into changes we don’t want to make. In the future, we are going to give students more responsibility to lead the school themselves. I will also be expecting more of staff who apply to work in this building as it’s a privilege to work here.

9. What do you think are the key factors in a successful school?High expectations, lots of good support, hard work, respect and a desire for everyone to have fun. Doing this interview is enjoyable and that is how life should be.

10. What do you think are the key factors required to be a successful headmaster?Key factors would be to be willing to do interviews (!) and to be hard-working. Errr… The main thing is be able to speak to all sorts of different people in a respectful and enthusiastic manner. I also think a headmaster should be out and about in the school, meeting pupils and teachers on a regular basis.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE…1. How would the people who know you best describe your personality?They would probably say I’m a bit nippy and over-organised, but I enjoy having a laugh. Plus, I’m rubbish at football!

2. What do you do to relax in your spare time?Before my six month old son was born, I enjoyed reading and running. Now, I just try to eat everything in sight and keep the washing machine moving.

3. What is the quality you most admire in others?I admire toleration and flexibility - people who’re not certain about things… I’m often suspicious of politicians who are certain of the right thing to do. How can they be so sure?

4. What is the trait you most deplore?Dishonesty

5. Do you have a motto and, if so, what is it?I carry a piece of paper in my wallet that says: “I am kind to myself and others.”

Interviewed byKirsty McLeod, Christie Sinclair and El-

len Whillans S5

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‘Pushed to the Limits’ - A short storyPenny was 22 and studying at university. She grew up at boarding school and during this time she learned martial arts and many languages. She had never really spent time with her parents and so when she was told that her father had been shot and killed, she had been very puzzled as to how it had happened. All she really knew about him was that he worked for the government signing boring old papers.

Now that her mother was grieving and had taken to bed, she had been thinking about how she hardly knew anything about him and so she had a look through his personal belongings. She had really just been looking for photos but instead found documents, emails and some letters, mostly related to his work. Some of these letters were marked ‘Confidential’; others marked ‘Top Secret’. There was one envelope he’d meant to send away but had never got the chance. It read:

‘VERY IMPORTANT!! TOP SECRET!! ONLY TO BE READ BY THE RECEIVER’.

Her curiosity got the better of her and so she opened the envelope and read on. It was all about a secret operation at a psychiatric ward owned by Françoise DeBeurre and located on his private estate. It was then that she decided to conceal her real identity and become a spy. She would work alone, as this was a

personal matter. She would get to the bottom of her father’s death and find out what this plot meant for the future of society. Her mission was to behave as if she was mentally ill at Françoise’s estate to gain access into the hospital and become a patient. From then on, it was up to her to uncover the truth. To help her accomplish this she had a number of clever gadgets that she had found in her father’s drawer.

Penny took a laser pen, a compact that could clip onto trousers and inside there was a grappling hook. She also had a mobile phone with a device in it that could decode any locks or passwords. These would hopefully help her out in any tricky situations that might occur during her mission. She was determined to bring down the people that killed her father!

She arrived at a tall gate, rising up to almost the height of the mansion that stood before her. Barbed wire coiled around the top of the fences surrounding it. This was the psychiatric hospital her father wrote about in his top secret document. He had found out about a sinister plot at Françoise’s estate which would endanger millions of lives. He hadn’t uncovered the exact details but what he did know for sure, was that there was something going on. Her mission was to find out what this operation was and who was in charge of it. Trees ascended far above the ground and plants sprawled out as if hiding

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secret doors and underground passageways. Maybe, someone was trying to hide something. Whatever it was, it was dark and evil. So sinister that attempting to enter this hidden place would be extremely intricate. It might have been a prison or where people were tortured. It could have even been used to store viruses or atomic bombs. The ice cold breeze, rain and hailstones made it even creepier. It was as if it was cursed. The hailstones were pounding down off the ground and bouncing off the hospital roof. Everything they touched turned to ice.

Penny walked silently around the estate, examining the surroundings. She listened to birds whistling and watched the trees as they swayed in the wind but there was an unusual atmosphere that made her body shiver. Her breathing became louder, her heart was gradually beating faster and faster and faster. It seemed as if something was lurking just out of sight and reach. Something... something evil. Penny saw a wall just beyond were the fence and trees stopped. It was covered with branches and leaves. There was just a faint image of a building and as she approached the building she knew it must have been Françoise’s house. His mansion was patrolled by guards and watched all day and all night by cameras. Perfect, this could be her opportunity to get what she was looking for. If there was something going on, Françoise must be part of it because he owned the psychiatric hospital. If she could just get at least ten minutes in his house then she might be able to find out exactly what was going on.

Penny quickly and silently got her compact out and aimed at the window on the top floor. Guards were patrolling the area so she had to be fast, otherwise she’d get caught. Also, the security cameras were timed and had about five different places to survey. They were timed to study one area for twenty seconds before moving onto the next spot. She would need to be careful because if one of the guards caught her she would be shot down, dead! She hauled herself up the side of Françoise’s mansion, checking constantly for guards, cameras, cars and anything else that could get her caught. The window on the top floor was open so when she got to the top she scrambled through the gap. There was complete

silence. She crept over to the door and checked very cautiously that no-one was near. Then, she slipped through the gap between the door and tip toed along the hall to a room with a sign on it saying, ‘PRIVATE OFFICE. DO NOT ENTER’. She tried to open the door but it was locked. She got her mobile phone out and stuck it on the door. She waited until the code had been verified and the door opened.

Penny searched all the drawers but couldn’t find anything about any top secret operations. That was, until she noticed a picture on the wall which was hanging slightly off centre. It was as if there was something underneath it making it squint. Penny went over and pulled the painting back gently. There was a safe and she used her mobile again to decode it.

Eventually it opened and she hunted for anything mentioning a secret plot. At the very bottom she found a confidential file with a top secret label on it. She opened it up to find herself looking at an underground tunnel leading from the psychiatric ward to Françoise’s house. There was a second piece of

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paper underneath the previous one. She had found it! The operation that was about to take place. She stared at it making sure she read every word and didn’t make any mistakes. Then she looked over it again and again until she knew for sure what the extremely villainous plan was.

Françoise was planning on taking everyone in the psychiatric hospital and implanting a chip into their brain. This chip could instruct the person to do anything that Françoise told them to do. There was also a compartment in the chip that had a bomb in it so that Françoise could blow them up. He might be trying to kill someone that he had a relationship with or they had been enemies and he wanted to finish it off for good. Maybe he was going to use these chips for suicide missions. Why would he hurt his men if he could use someone else he doesn’t know or even care about? He wanted his workers for his needs. Penny swiftly and inaudibly went back through the gap between the door but just before she could run across to the window to escape a fist flew out from behind the door.

Françoise’s assistant, Henry, was waiting. She spun round. Their eyes met and he lashed out again, slamming her against the desk behind. She fell to the ground but before he struck again she swept her

leg along the floor tripping him up. He flew across the room and crashed into the door. Penny jumped up and marched towards Henry to finish him off when suddenly he bounced up and pounced on her sending her tumbling down with a thud as she landed. She felt as if the room was spinning. Her vision was blurred and all she could hear was a muffled giggle. She tried to stand up but before she got the chance

Henry pushed her down. She squirmed but it wasn’t enough. With one punch at the side of her head, all went black. Her head throbbed as she sat in the light of day with a bump on her head and hardly any memory of what happened. It went so fast it was like a blur. She saw an outline of a man standing over her tall and sniggering. The glare from his bald, polished head shone in her eyes. It was Françoise! He looked at her with sheer hatred and she saw, just by looking into his eyes, how much he longed to kill her.

Françoise was a tall, slim man with a moustache that curled all the way up to his ears. His nose and chin were pointed like they’d been chiselled and sharp like daggers. His small, round, beady eyes surveyed the area like radar and as they passed, a sudden glower washed over his face. His thin lips were poised in an angry and discontented grimace.

She looked around and saw rocky cliffs and swirling oceans. No houses in sight. It was out in the middle of nowhere, totally abandoned. She tried to stand up but she couldn’t. Weights had been attached to her hands and feet and she was sitting tied up to a wooden chair. She looked over to where the sides of the cliffs were. There were no rails or barriers. It was just water and rocks way down below. Penny could hear the water crashing against the rocks and the water rebounding upwards into the air. The mist and salty remains travelled through the air.

Henry scrambled over and pushed her chair effortlessly to the edge of the cliff. He peered over the edge and then looked at Penny with a smug grin. She could hear her heart race as Francoise drew closer and closer. The soles of his shoes were tapping off the ground. When he finally reached her, she took a deep breath in and held it. She was waiting for the dreadful news of what was going to happen to her. She could see his brain ticking away inside his skull. The menacing thoughts were rushing through his mind. He stared at her and then he opened his mouth and laughed.

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“Hahaha! How could you ever think that you could out-smart me? You’re just so young and foolish.” His voice was sharp. “I bet you didn’t even think twice about coming here. Was it for the patients in my psychiatric ward or was it for your poor old dad?” he cackled. Penny was puzzled. How did he know anything about who she was? She scowled at him but didn’t say anything. Françoise signalled his assistant and he whispered something to him. Henry paused and then ran over to where she was sitting. Françoise spoke again.

“Well, your time has come. You shouldn’t have gone against me. I am just too powerful and clever for the likes of you. I would say that you shouldn’t mess with me again in the future but this is the end for you. You have no future. Hahaha!!” He turned to walk away but Penny shouted for him to stop.

“What’s going to happen to me?” she asked. “Well, you, my dear, are going to plunge to your death off the side of that cliff. I will always remember you. You will be crowned my most memorable murder! Bye bye....Penny! Hahaha!!” Françoise took one last glance of her. His grin followed his moustache all the way up to his ears. Then, he turned his back and walked away.

Henry took one last look at her. With one huge push, she felt herself floating through the air. Then, she plummeted into the freezing, ice cold water.

She felt as if her body was shutting down. Her arms and legs were numb and her body was in agony from the fall. It was like hitting a huge block of ice. She saw her laser pen drift out of her pocket and it started to sink, but Penny managed to steer herself towards it. She grabbed it and turned it on. It was pointed towards the ropes strapping her down to the chair. She was sinking rapidly, so she would have to be quick otherwise she would drown and no one would find out about what was going on. She was the patients’ only hope.

She struggled to hold the laser and started to get uneasy. She hardly had any breath left in her but she was nearly there; the laser was cutting through the

rope. Her hands were now untied and she was able to undo the rope wrapped around her legs. She was free from the chair but there was still a problem remaining. She still had weights attached to her arms and legs. Her laser pen slipped out of her hand and she tried to go after it but she was tired and had no time to waste. She needed all her energy and time was running out, fast! She couldn’t swim up to the surface as the weights were too heavy but she had nothing else to detach the weights from her. Then she remembered!

When Henry had pushed her in something fell out of his pocket. Oh, it was the key to unlock the weights! But where was it now? She frantically looked around her and there was something shiny just a couple of metres away. She reached out for it but she couldn’t get it. Penny stretched further and snatched it up. Yes, she could finally get out of these heavy chains and weights. But the fourth lock wouldn’t turn! She wiggled the key around in the lock. Left, right. Up, down. Nothing would work. It was jammed. She saw a rock nearby and banged it off that. This was her last chance to set herself free. She twisted the key in the lock and......it worked!

With her last breath, her head reached the surface. She had survived! She took a moment to get air back into her lungs and then set off for the faint outline of steps set into the rock. She climbed up them and looked back at where she had been. All of her thoughts and feelings were flashing before her. She knew these memories would stay with her. She could no longer go back to her normal life; this was her life now. Her next mission would be to catch Françoise and Henry, his assistant. For one last time she looked over her shoulder. She would never return here again…

by Amy Kerr S3

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I turned on the TV hoping something good would be on but the news was on every channel, telling us about the life-changing earthquake that was going to approach us on the 2nd December; that was only a day away. As soon as the news came belting out, the streets became bright and noisy with fires burning and screams of children waiting for their mothers to bring warmth. I knew I had to run.

I got out to the streets in my warmest clothes and went to the train station. My frosty footsteps echoed down, down and down. People stared at me as I walked past. Their eyes were blank and they were all wrapped up in shawls and sleeping bags.

The layers of my clothes were weighing me down so I had to sit down. There was a family with nothing. I noticed a young child was freezing so I stripped off my first and second layer of clothing to hand over. They thanked me well enough and welcomed me to sit with them.

As the dark appeared, everyone was worried. People were shaking so much that even the floor seemed to vibrate. The wind grew louder and the streets quieter, as everyone huddled together. Everyone knew it was time to say ‘goodbye’. The waves swished against the buildings, engulfing them – no building seemed too high. Houses and flats were swept away like shells on a shore. Everyone listened to the frightening sounds. The rain poured and the water got deeper.

The water grew steadily higher in the railway and we found it hard to breathe. WE had to swim if we hoped to survive. Young children panicked in their mums’ and dads’ arms. I reached the surface of the water before anyone else. Before me, a wave as high as Mount Everest approached . The wind swirled anxiously close to my ears and they started to freeze. As I took my last breath, the wave collapsed on top of me and hit me hard. I fell unconscious and was left at the bottom of the city, waiting to die…

“The End of the World”

by Abi Cowan S1

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Nickelback suck.

This is an indisputable fact, the origins of which can be traced back thousands of years, almost to the start of human civilisation. Throughout the ages, mankind has feared the coming of a sound so menacing, so horrific, it is known to peel and disintegrate the skin from almost all known fruits, and erode the brain of those brave enough to listen to it through headphones, causing it to spill out through the nostrils and eye sockets. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, prehistoric cave drawings, all tell of the horrors of the coming musical plague. And in 1995, the prophecies of these ancient people began to come true, when four of Satan’s closest allies banded together to begin the musical apocalypse. Together they unleashed a sound so horrifying it is suggested by some experts to be the single cause behind the worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic, as well as every major international conflict of the last 15 years. They called this monstrosity “Nickelback”. Perhaps the defining feature of Nickelback’s sound is the noodle-haired lead vocalist, Chad Kroeger. For those of you unfamiliar with the unmistakable Nickelback sound, Kroeger’s voice could easily be mistaken for an obese biker with a skin condition being molested by a grizzly bear whilst passing a basketball, inflated according to NBA regulations, through his digestive system. Add this to swirling mess of over dubbed guitars and some of the most boring chord progressions to reach the ears of the record buying public, and you have a sound that experts say “causes partial blindness and mild constipation”. Unfortunately many people have chosen to fund the cause of the Four Horsemen of the Musical Apocalypse and Nickelcrack… sorry… Nickelback, have amassed worldwide sales of over thirty million records, thanks largely to their huge following in the deaf community. This commercial success has allowed them to bribe the owners of every music channel and radio station on this planet to play their latest musical

monstrosities, in particular their best known single, “Rockstar”, released in 2006(!) and unavoidable ever since. Aside from the heinously boring chord pattern and cheesy promotional video (featuring such “celebrities” as redneck racing driver Dale Earnhardt

Jr, whose job consists of driving in circles for hours on end, and musical abomination, and fellow Legion of Doom member, Kid Rock) perhaps the most offensive aspect of this song is Kroeger’s shocking lyrical prowess. As the perfect platform to showcase his primary 3 grasp of the English language, Kroeger proceeds to rhyme the words “Cribs” with the word “in”, and just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, busts out the rhyming couplet “tassels” with “****oles”. If musical reviewing conventions would allow the awarding of negative amounts of stars, there is no limit to how far down the number scale we could go in order to give a full impression of just how truly horrific this band is. They symbolise everything that is wrong with the world today, from their caveman-esque riffs to their ridiculous hair cuts and some of the worst goatee action to ever hit the world of facial hair, their gurning live performance to their rash-like domination of the radio and TV airwaves.

“We’d rather have our Nickelback...”

music review

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Perhaps respected musical publication, Rolling Stone magazine put it best when they said, “if you’re looking for originality, you might want a full refund instead of a Nickelback.” Although we are unable to reverse the opinions of the millions of brainwashed zombies who enjoy listening to this ridiculous drivel, if we are able to open the eyes of only a few people, then Nickelback’s path to world domination could be slowed down, and we could have a few more days to listen to music that is actually worth listening to. Nickelback are the worst band in our world, and countless parallel universes, and we take no hesitation in awarding them 0 out of 10.

By Robbie Gordon and Johnny Burns S5

Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” was released on the 17th of March 1973 and ever since the start was named for glory. At the time various artists made up Pink Floyd although the most important were David Gilmour, Roger Waters and Nick Mason. The “Dark Side of the Moon” was noted for its peculiar ‘trippy’ music which at the time was nearly unheard of. Many of the songs have a hidden message in the songs and talk of political situations (“Money”), the relativity of craziness (“Brain Damage”) and even growing older and how it catches up with us (“Time”). All the songs were recorded in Abbey Road Productions in London, England. Although the

original album title was “Dark Side of the Moon” they were about to change it to “Eclipse: A Piece for Assorted Lunatics” because they learnt that a band called Medicine Heads had released an album with the name “Dark Side of the Moon” a year before in 1972 but with nearly no recognition.

PINK FLOYD “DARK SIDE OF THE MOON”

INTERESTING FACT:

Many people say that if you listen to the album and at the same time watch the cartoon version of “The Wizard of Oz” then you can note particular similarities between the sound and the vision. You should try it some time!!

TRACK LIST1. Speak to me2. Breathe3. On the run4. Time5. The great gig in the sky6. Money7. Us and them8. Any colour you like9. Brain damage10. Eclipse

By Pablo Nicol S5

music review

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PoetryNot Just a GameHe was just a young boy when he went to the war.‘Young David’ they called him, I don’t know what for.Out of the blue, he decided to go fighting.“Inspiration came,” he told her, “like a bolt of lightning!”

His mother was crying, tears streamed down her face.His father was proud, but left with haste.David had been chosen; he’d trained so hard!He was going to war, in a land so far.

If someone had told him what war was like,

Young David wouldn’t have got such a fright.The people dying, the terror and the pain,It wasn’t like that on his video games.

In games you just shoot them. You don’t see results!You mess with guns, and it’s all your faultThat you go to war with games in mind.

You leave the ‘virtual’ part behind.

For real war is different, it’s not fun and games.

It’s not about racing, or reaching your aims.

People shoot hard as you hide in your trench.

Trying to keep calm midst the gore and the stench.

Somehow he coped, right through it all.But he went home feeling beaten and small.And the first thing he did when he walked back in,Was put his X-box in the bin.

By Ashton Ritchie S2

Lonesome StreetI’m walking on such a lonesome street,Lonely and tired.Is there anyone out there that I can meet?I just need a way to be inspired.There’s too much mist in sightAnd I don’t know if I can keep on my feet.Not a soul out tonightCos it’s a lonesome street.

Shiny cobbles are my leadMy footsteps are not even leaving a mark.I hope to soon succeed,But my sleepy soul is refusing to wake up in the dark.

In my mind, it keeps playing the question - why?I can feel a sudden pain upon my eyes.You didn’t even have the nerve to say goodbye;Instead, you just told me lies,

Which is why I’m walking aloneSo I can find myself a home.I try and hide my face from youBut sometimes I just don’t know why I do.

The raindrops remind me of a fake tearThat you made when you wanted me out.Then I couldn’t stand you being thereSo I decided to see what the world was all about.

Shadows have become my only friendAnd the pain in my heart you gave is from a knife.Isn’t there a heart out there they could lendTo rescue my life?

It’s such an empty street tonightAnd these lamp posts only show my deepest feelingsBut now, I need a home, instead of a lightWith no one about, I don’t know where to begin.

Stephanie Caldwell S5

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Film

Plot Aliens arrive on Earth, landing in South Africa, in the 1980s. Twenty years later they’ve been forced in to ghettos on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Humans want to keep them here in order to find out about their advanced technology and weapons, while they secretly try to get back to their home planet.The movie begins with documentary style interviews reflecting back to what happened to the main character Wikus Van De Merwe during an operation in District 9. Wikus is given charge of the entire evacuation of District 9 in to new, prisoner of war camp based settlements, even further away from civilisation. During an inspection of an alien’s home he finds an unknown liquid that he comes into contact with. He becomes very sick and collects the device as evidence. A rapid transformation begins to occur, and shortly after exposure to the liquid, Wikus’s left arm mutates into a claw exactly like that of an alien. After collapsing at a surprise party in his house, and a doctor at a local hospital discovers his alien left arm, Wikus is taken into custody and a series of tests and experiments are performed on him; these reveal that his alien DNA allows him to operate alien weapons. The scientists discover that his DNA is currently “in balance” with the alien DNA, which is gradually taking over. They decide to harvest his body for biological material at this critical point, to have the greatest chance of replicating his ability to use alien technology in other humans later. Wikus is able to escape before he can be operated on and goes in to hiding in district 9. He has to try and find out how to get cured so returns to where he found the device. There he meets an alien called Christopher Johnson who he makes a deal with, he will get a cure if Wikus helps get them home.

“District 9” -Review

Good PointsThe director has come up with a very original idea, it has been designed to make you think that this could be a possible outcome if we ever do come in to contact with another planet. It has loads of action and uses great special effects, the story is pretty solid throughout and the script has been mixed with some emotional, serious and humorous dialogue that works really well and brings the movie together.

Bad PointsSome of the ideas have been a bit over thought and the movie becomes confusing at times. It’s probably more suited to fans of the sci-fi genre or people with a vast imagination. The ending is disappointing as it comes to no real climax which spoils the movie as overall it is quite enjoyable to watch and has been directed brilliantly.

Rating 8/10

Directed by Neill BlomkampProduced by Peter JacksonStarring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and some more unknown actors.Genre: Sci-fi

by Michael Simpson S5

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Q: Did you always imagine you’d be a teacher? If not, what else would you like to do?Teaching was a life long dream. Every year my parents would give me chalk for both birthday and Christmas. What a treat!

Q: If you won a million pounds, what you spend it on?I would start my own organisation to ban the wearing of hats indoors, particularly in restaurants. It is an outdoor garment!!!!

Q: What is the most embarrassing thing you have done or experienced in your time as a teacher?Going into an exam with a pupil and playing the wrong piece of music. It was Westlife instead of Take That. What a faux pas.

Q: What is your favourite smell?Raspberry vanilla hand cream from The Bath and Bodyworks shop (USA)

Q: If you were a biscuit what biscuit would you choose to be?A Garibaldi

Q: Name something that winds you up.People wearing hats in restaurants and pretentious haircuts.

Q: Obviously, as a teacher, you’re already superhuman. However, if you could have any other super power, which would you choose?The power of mind control. People will never wear hats indoors ever again.

Mr Bishop

TEACHERWe thought you might like to know a bit more about the people who teach you every day: read on to find out more... !

QUESTIONNAIRES

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“Have Your Say!”The School Magazine Team thinks it is important that everyone in Preston Lodge has a say about school life. Therefore we asked you to let us know what you think. Here are some of your comments which Mr. Stewart has taken the time to answer:

YOU: I think the toilets should be open at all times, not just break and lunchtimes. Sometimes pupils genuinely need to go to the toilet during class but, because the toilets are locked, we are forced to use the disabled toilets which are being overused. The handle on one of the disabled toilets is broken, probably because of this overuse. Would it not be possible to put CCTV in the toilets to prevent vandalism? Then the toilets could be kept open.

Mr. S: It is true that “sometimes pupils genuinely need to go to the toilet during class”. Unfortunately, it is also true that sometimes, some pupils claim to need the toilet when this claim is not genuine. We are aware that school toilets are an area vulnerable to damage by vandals. Vandalism is much more likely to take place when there are fewer witnesses in the toilets; consequently, they are kept locked apart from break and lunchtime. I do not believe that CCTV would discourage vandals in the toilets as the camera coverage could never be complete and the damage would be done in areas off-camera. We do provide access to the disabled toilet during class time; these toilets are less vulnerable as they are easier to supervise. I would be delighted if the toilets could be kept undamaged, clean and open. We need to stop the vandals and make them accountable for their damage.

YOU: I believe that there is a lack of available drinking water in the school for both pupils and teachers. For pupils, the only places we can get water are PE and at the office but these places are always short of cups for

the water. I think that there should be more drinking facilities around the school as it is a basic human need to have access to fresh drinking water.

Mr S: We will shortly have 4 or 5 mains water chiller units installed in various locations around the school. Once these are installed the existing bottled chiller units will be removed. The new units will chill and filter mains water so they will not run dry. They will have a small supply of cups but for environmental reasons we should try to limit the number of plastic cups we use. You will be able to refill your own water bottles at these units and this would be the most environmentally friendly way to use them.

YOU: In my opinion, we need to add colour to our uniform or, even better, have no uniform at all. If there was no uniform, everyone could wear what they wanted. The point has been made that a lack of uniform would cause squabbles between pupils, as people might get jealous of or be rude about other people’s clothes. But HOW do we know that would happen if we haven’t tried it? When we have

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the rare ‘Charity Dress-Down Day’, no-one has got into fights about the clothes other people wear. To conclude, I think the uniform is bland and, if we have to keep it, it needs some colour. A better option would be to get rid of it completely.

Mr S: I will try to answer this question in two parts, as it contains two separate issues.

Should we have a uniform? In recent years both the parent and pupil council have supported the continuation of a school uniform. In any discussion on the merits or otherwise of a uniform/ dress code you will hear a selection of views for and against. These are largely individual opinion with little evidence provided to support either position. There is some evidence from international studies that a dress code does reduce the level of bullying associated with how people dress. I think that on an occasional dress-down day there is less pressure for pupils to be wearing the “right gear” than there would be if they had to wear the “right gear” every day. If “everyone could wear what they want”, would anything they wear be acceptable? I am sure that most people would agree that even without uniform, not everything is acceptable in a school. Having no dress code would result in staff acting as ‘clothes police’ – ruling upon whether a top was too revealing, a t-shirt logo too offensive or a pair of shoes too dangerous. I personally am not convinced by many of the arguments used in relation to school uniform. I suspect that many people develop an opinion on dress code first and a rationale for this opinion second. I personally do not think that the purpose of a school uniform should be to ensure that everyone is ‘uniform’, but that everyone is dressed in a way that does not cause distress, embarrassment or victimization.

As for the second issue about having some colour in the dress code: I don’t see why not.

YOU: I think it is unfair that teachers can wear what they want and pupils can’t.

Mr S: All working people need to have conditions of employment, which are set by their employers. Teachers do not have wearing a uniform as a condition

of employment. Some other branches of the council do have a uniform policy but not teachers. That said, it is not true “that teachers can wear what they want”. All teachers are expected to attend their work dressed in a manner that is appropriate for the job they do; this is different from just wearing anything they please. Just like pupils, they are expected to wear clothing that does not cause offence, embarrassment or safety concerns. Most teachers dress differently at their work than they do at leisure, as do most working people. Why should it be any different for pupils?

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Celebrity Gossip

by Lauren Anderson S5

NOIRIN GETS MERRY(GOLD)Now that Katie and Peter are well and truly over, could Noirin Kelly and Aston Merrygold be the new TV couple? Aston is the Cinderella story of the X-factor. After failing to win the show with his band JLS, will he finally succeed in love? He has been linked previously to many lucky girls such as the X-factor’s very own Essex girl, Stacey Solomon. He was spotted in Dublin chatting closely to Big Brother’s man-eater Noirin recently so watch this space…

BRAND PUTS A BAND ON PERRYIf recent newspaper reports are to be believed then the couple Katy Perry and Russell Brand are to be hearing the sound of wedding bells soon, despite the fact that they have only been together for less than six months. After meeting with Katy’s parents (who are strict Christians) Russell was told that if he was to put a ring on their daughter’s finger, he was to ‘find the light’. With a past background in drugs and alcohol abuse will he be able to convert? Only time will tell.

JOG ON, JEDWARD! As much as it pains me to say this, Saturday nights just aren’t the same without Jedward. I really hate those high-haired twins but there’s just something about them that makes me laugh. Whether it was the fact that they were oblivious to the fact they can sing or dance in time, if at all! Or the fact that they were Simon Cowell’s latest chew toy, taking criticism and slagging left, right and centre. I don’t know, but what ever it was, it was brilliant and we want it back! So Jedward come back on TV – ‘I ‘m a Celeb’ perhaps? Maybe they could give Ant and Dec a run for their money? TAIO STILL CRUZ-ING THE CHARTS After writing hits for the likes of Cheryl Cole, Tinchy Stryder and JLS, not to mention his very own chart topper, ‘Break Your Heart’, Taio Cruz is in high demand. Even the likes of superstar Kylie is reportedly asking to work with the new R&B genius. Well, we will all be looking forward to hearing that one. A number 1, surely. We only hope that he’s not so busy in the studio writing for other people that he forgets to release one of his own songs!!

EMINEM → X-RATED FACTOR?Cowell, Cole, Minogue, Walsh and Eminem!?! Hold on a minute, that doesn’t seem right. But Simon Cowell thinks that adding the rap mogul to the X-factor judging line up would be a great asset to the show. On a US chat show he said, ‘I think I would make a great judge on a reality show - I would be a lot tougher than the current line-up’. Simon heard this and thinks that he would be a great guest judge and that if he wanted it the job is his. This new addition could cause sparks to fly on Saturday nights as he is known for being outspoken and vocal in his opinions - does that remind you of anyone, Mr Cowell?

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PL Gallery

by Alexandra Singh

by Rebecca Mitchell

by Jack Helmn

by Emma Smith

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