winter edition february 2017 newsletter - strathaven … newsletter feb 17 web... · sixth year...

February 2017 Strathaven Academy Newsletter 1

S2 Choices EveningS6 Burns SupperS2 Consultation EveningS3 STEM DayRotary ConcertSpring FayreS4 Tree of KnowledgeRotary SpeechmakingCreative & Aesthetic ShowcaseS3 Numeracy WeekPromHolidayS3 ExamsS6 Leavers AssemblyHolidaySQA Exams StartS1 Camp MeetingInset DayS1 STEM DayNew Timetable Starts

21 Feb 22 Feb

28 Feb3 Mar

6 Mar11 Mar 13 Mar21 Mar22 Mar

27-31 Mar30 Mar

1-17 Apr18-24 Apr

28 Apr1 May2 May3 May4 May5 May8 May

NewsletterWinter Edition

February 2017

SCHOOL DIARY

Sixth year pupils Leah H and Calum S recently organised a static protest outside the US Consulate in Edinburgh as part of the worldwide ‘Women’s March’ movement which campaigns against the sexism, racism and homophobia that young people may face in today’s society. The pair liaised with Edinburgh Council and the police to obtain a permit and ensure safety for those attending, putting together a programme of speakers from across a wide range of political parties, countries, and causes to rally the crowd, including university lecturers and columnist Vonny Moyes from The National. When organising the event, Leah had expected only around 30 friends to turn up; however, almost 3000 people took part on the day itself. The protest was attended by people from as far away as America, attracting celebrities - including Outlander’s Catriona Balfe - to the streets to show their support. Leah also appeared on national news programmes due to her efforts.Leah said, “I had heard about the women’s march in Washington and realised that I would have to travel to London to take part in the global protest.” So she decided to organise a demonstration for the first time, prompted by the thought that Scotland deserved its own “shout out” in the Women’s March movement. Calum said equality is of “huge importance” to Leah and him, and this is what prompted them to organise the event. The two students’ efforts are even more admirable considering that they are currently in the middle of their prelims!

S6 Pupils Coordinate Protest A phenomenal 3000 attend pupil organised demonstration in Edinburgh

Christmas ConcertAs always at Strathaven Academy, this year’s Christmas Concert was a huge success. Staff and pupils alike pulled together to produce a show full of diverse yet festive acts, which left the audience swelling with pride and in good spirits for the festive season. The PTA once again outdid themselves and provided plenty of delicious refreshments for hungry performers and viewers! Ms Huq and the school and house captains were also very useful in making sure everything ran smoothly, and may well have helped deliver one of the most successful concerts the audience have ever had the pleasure of seeing. This school year is the first to feature our group of Music Ambassadors, and the extra pairs of hands were certainly of great help. (continues on page 3)


Welcome to the February edition of our newsletter – my last as Head Teacher of Strathaven Academy. As of the 20th of February, I will take up a post within the Education Management Team at South Lanarkshire Council. Liz Barr will serve as Acting Head Teacher in the interim while the recruitment exercise to appoint my successor takes place. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as Head Teacher of Strathaven Academy these past five years. In that time, the school has gone from strength to strength through the significant changes affecting Scottish education. Our last cohort to leave were the first through Curriculum for Excellence, and I reported on their achievements to the Parent Council in November. I attach a summary for information, entitled “Impact 2017”. In the face of the challenges to come, I have every confidence that Strathaven Academy will continue to thrive: we have a fantastic staff team, fantastic pupils and parents and we have the support of a

fantastic community. In order to ensure that the work of the school continues to reflect the views of parents, a link to a parental survey will be available on the school website for completion until the 28th February. In the meantime, I do hope you enjoy this latest update on the ongoing work of the school and the remarkable achievements of our young people. I wish them all every success for the future. Labor Omnia Vincit.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Ben MNEWSLETTER EDITORS Ben M, Cara BFEATURES EDITOR Calum SWEBSITE EDITORS Blair C, George B, Mark M, Zac CSENIOR REPORTER Robbie MREPORTERS Bronja M, Kris J, Owen A

LAYOUT Ben M, Cara B, Mr Wellcoat PHOTOGRAPHERS Cara B, Bronja M

Bowling Green Road, Strathaven

Phone (01357) 524040 Fax (01357) 524041

If you have any achievements to report, please send an email to

[email protected] providing the name and register class of your son(s)/daughter(s) with information

of their achievement/success and a photograph if possible.

If you would prefer to receive future newsletters via email, please let us know via the email address above. Provide the name and register class of your son(s)/daughter(s) and you will be added to a

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SCHOOL INFO

PUPIL EDITORIAL STAFF

In this issueSchool celebrates Chinese New Year

1 COVER STORY - EDINBURGH PROTEST S6 pupils organise march

2 HEAD TEACHER’S MESSAGE Mr Nicolson’s introduction Chinese New Year photos

3 CHRISTMAS CONCERT (CONTINUED) Photos from Christmas Concert

4 ACTIVE GIRLS’ DAY Successful S3 event

5 HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL Pupil performs at South Lanarkshire

Event

6 CAREER PATHWAY OPPORTUNITIES Developing our Young Workforce

7 SPOTLIGHT ON MODERN LANGUAGES Pupil shares her views on languages

8 EXCELLENCE IN SPORT Back page sporting achievements

Head Teacher’s Message

See full story on page 5


(Continued from page 1) Despite the stress-inducing technical rehearsal, everyone did very well and managed to keep their cool on the night. The performances were fantastic, and it was lovely to see just how many there were! And, of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without Miss Jackson and Mrs Blades, our brilliant music teachers who, I’m sure, will continue to enthuse and encourage the young talent at our school.

Photos by Sarah T, S6


Active Girls’ DayAll third year girls were invited to participate in different sports ses-sions to raise awareness of these different activities. The day high-lighted the importance of regular physical activity and the benefits it brings to mental health. Profes-sional instructors for each activ-ity came to the school to set up games and hold sessions on yoga, dance and netball. Everyone thor-oughly enjoyed their day and thanks go to our sports ambassa-dors Chloe B and Kyle D and Mrs Wellcoat for organising the event.

Spreading the Festive CheerThe festive period is a busy time for us all. However, in keeping with Strathaven Academy’s an-nual traditions, the school cap-tains and prefects dedicated their own time to benefit the school and local community. The Senior Citizens’ Christmas lunch was a significant organi-sational task, as the prefects welcomed over 70 guests for an afternoon of food and entertain-ment. This is a great opportu-nity for elderly members of the community to socialise and visit Strathaven Academy. We also want to thank Mrs Ireland and her National 5 Hospitality class for organising and cooking the food for the event. The guests greatly

enjoyed their meal, with many who had attended the lunch in previous years commenting that this year was the best one yet.As if the lunch wasn’t enough, the prefects organised Christmas hampers for vulnerable members of the community. We would like to thank all those who donated items for the hampers and we can assure you that they all went to a worthy home within the Strathav-en community. Food hampers and Christmas presents were delivered to families in Strathaven for the first time this year. We are particu-larly proud that the prefects were able to support them at this time of year, and hope this new initia-tive will continue in years to come.

Strathaven Academy PTA will be holding the school’s annual spring fayre on Saturday, 11th March, from 2pm to 4pm. We will have a wide range of stalls with a fantastic range of items, and we hope that you will come along and support us. All the money raised from the fayre will go back into the school. So far this year, we have supported S1 camp, the S6 prom as well as individual departments. We always welcome new members. If you would like to join us, please contact us via the school office or our facebook page. We would love to hear from you.

PTA Spring Fayre


On the 18th of January, I was given the privilege of performing at the 2017 South Lanarkshire Holocaust Memorial, which took place at Holy Cross High School. Although, I had been given an amazing opportunity to perform at this event, I was aware of my responsibilty to do justice to the occasion. I felt as though no piece in my repertoire would have been able to encapsulate my emotions for the event, I decided to improvise. I was called onto the stage, and in a surprisingly relaxed state, began to play. I was delighted with my performance and humbled by the comments I received. It was an honour to have played a role on such an important and emotional night. The other performances were excellent and I would like to thank everyone involved, including Mrs Blades and Mr McNair. Erfan A, S6

Music in Remembrance

‘Debating Matters’ CompetitionSixth year pupils Eve M, Jamie A, Mia J and Calum S of the debating society recently travelled to Glasgow University to participate in a day of heated debate. The competition, organised by ‘Debating Matters’, saw various schools compete on a wide range of scientific topics.They debated whether “all vehicles should be autonomous”, and opposed a motion that “technology will solve society’s environmental problems”. Despite losing out on a place in the final, it was great to meet some like-minded people, witness some powerful debating and explore a previously unknown subject. A special mention must go to Mia, for whom this was the first ever debate. The day made us reconsider our own perceptions of what it is to be an engineer, and opened our eyes to the fact that debating is not the sole realm of the social sciences.

(See photos on page 2) The Strathaven Academy dinner ladies recently hosted a Chinese lunch as part of a South Lanarkshire Council-wide competition. The menu was very popular and the food sold out fast. Not only did the dinner ladies get involved in the Chinese New Year celebrations, Art pupils also produced some fantastic Chinese lanterns which decorated the Street to add to the festivities. The House Captains also organised a chopstick challenge and pupils of all year groups were able to get involved. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for pupils and staff to get a taste of Chinese food and traditions.

On Monday 14th November, the Blood Transfusion Service visited Strathaven Academy. This was organised by the S6 health and well-being elective. The day was a huge success and gave both teachers and senior students the opportunity to donate blood. The nurses collected 46 pints of blood, 26 of which came from first-time donors. A huge thank you to everyone who participated! The team that organised this fantastic event has also been carrying out fundraising activities, including the recent ‘Christmas Jumper Day’, to raise money for a school defibrillator.

Transfusion Service Blood Drive

Our 6th year St Andrew’s Hospice elective recently hosted the latest “On Yer Bike” challenge in memory of Mr Ritchie. Pupils and teachers throughout the school took time out of their day to pay donations to the hospice and take part in a half-hour cycle. Some enthusiasts even stayed for longer! Keen cyclists from different year groups helped to oversee the event, giving out tips and riding their own bikes for the majority of the day. Shona L, part of the elective in charge of the event, said the day was a huge success and that “it was great to involve so many people from around the school.” Shona also told us that “all of us in the elective really enjoyed getting the chance to run an event that’s so well known within Strathaven Academy.” Hundreds of pounds were raised during the day, and we look forward to another “On Yer Bike” in June of this year.

‘On Yer Bike’ For St Andrews Hospice

Chinese New Year

Parent Council is seeking 6 new members to replace members whose children are due to leave school. The main objective of the 12 parent members is to represent the views of parents on the education provided and on matters affecting the education and welfare of pupils. PC also provides support and feedback on the work of the school. It would be ideal to have representation from each year group, S1-S6. If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please contact the school in the first instance.

Parent Council Vacancies


On Friday, the 2nd of December, we visited the Camera Obscura in Edinburgh. Two Higher Photography classes and an NPGA Photography class went on the trip. The bus left us at Edinburgh Castle and, once inside the Camera Obscura building (situated at the top of the Royal Mile), we split into two groups. Our group was the first one to visit the actual Camera Obscura. We learned about the history and mechanics of this fascinating contraption. It is amazing to think that something so impressive has existed for well over 100 years. We were able to see a panoramic view of Edinburgh and learned a little about the city of Edinburgh at the same time. We were then able to ‘splat’ people and make bridges for them to walk across (don’t ask!).After the Camera Obscura, we were able to visit the other floors in the building. Some highlights

included a 3D tunnel that seemed to go on forever and a wall of mirrors. We also enjoyed using the remote control cameras that allowed us to zoom really close to unsuspecting people outside Edinburgh Castle. We could zoom so close as to see someone’s password for their mobile phone! The Vortex Tunnel was probably the highlight of the whole day. We tried to walk backwards with our hands crossed while looking up! Afterwards, we were able to go for lunch and still have time for a photo shoot. All in all, we had a great day and would highly recommend the trip to future photography classes. Chloe B and Craig F, S5

Staff and photography pupils (pictured above) at Edinburgh Castle in December.

S5 pupil Hannah J is the ‘Young Landscape Photographer of the Year 2016’. The winning photograph was taken on the Art and Design department trip to Glasgow in June last year. This UK award is an amazing achievement and will serve as a prestigious start to her Higher Photography course. The article featured in the Glasgow Herald features Hannah’s shot along with former photography student Henry M‘s winning submission for the youth class category. Well done to our talented photographers!

The headline aim of DYW is to reduce youth unemployment in Scotland. To achieve this, we need to produce work-ready and motivated young people with the relevant skills. Education needs to work in close partnership with employers to prepare young people for the world of work. We have been developing our young workforce through a variety of different strategies:

Developing our Young Workforce

STEM Event

Edinburgh Camera Obscura

(Right) Hannah’s winning photograph - ‘Mirror Bar’

The Strathaven Academy STEM Club - Ross F, Samuel B, Grant T, Fergus Y, Stuart D and Mackenzie B - recently represented the school in the First Lego League Robotics Competition. They had to design, build and programme a robot made out of Lego, research and present their findings about animal and human interaction and, finally, compete head-to-head in a robot missions game. They competed in three missions and placed seventh out of 19

teams! They adopted the slogan “As a team”. They answered particularly well in the gruelling round about the details of costing and reasoning behind their research and supported each other, and other teams, with gracious professionalism. Thanks to all the parents and siblings who came to support the team. Their most popular question was “Are you doing this again next year?” They may have enjoyed the experience as much as the pupils themselves!

• S4 careers convention• S2 careers morning • regular updates on the school website advertising new oppor-tunities for pupils• preparing pupils for interviews• mock interviews for all pupils leaving school• wider achievement awards • careers education in PSE and in the wider curriculum • extensive involvement with Skills Development Scotland• working to develop partner-ships with local businesses• S1-3 Spotlight on Skills initia-tiveThe school has enhanced its IT provision and allowed pupils more opportunities to research and explore different career pathways. The addition of 30 new chrome books has aided the delivery of career education. For more information on Developing Our Young Work Force, see the school website or contact Mrs Neil in Pupil Support.


‘Impromptu’, made up of S6 pupils, are taking part in the ‘Lanarkshire Schools - Battle of the Bands’. They haven’t been together for long and formed for the competition but feel that they have the potential and confidence to win! The event is at Hamilton Town House on Thursday 16 February and audience support would be greatly appreciated. For tickets call 01698 452299.

It’s no secret that hearing a foreign language being spoken makes you feel a certain type of wonder and desire to be able to communicate with others without barriers. Even if your pronunciation and word choice are not completely correct, the faces of the people to whom you’re speaking are overcome with respect and joy as they recognise your desire not just to speak to them, but to understand them. With this, I find in myself a sense of pride and motivation to keep developing my understanding and thus broaden my horizons. Modern languages are more useful and important now than ever before in this increasingly globalised world. Speaking the language of the person with whom you wish to do business can make a tremendous first impression. As the late Nelson Mandela told us, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” In this, Mandela captured the central ability language has to express identity, and identity is only strengthened by a love of language. Heather B, S6

Spotlight on Modern Languages

Strathaven Academy held its annual Careers Convention on Wednesday, 25th January. S4 pupils were given the opportunity to choose up to five different consultants with whom to have appointments. The pupils were allocated ten minutes with the consultants of their choice to engage in discussion and ask questions about their job, career, working environment etc. During PSE, pupils had researched the careers prior to the evening, so they had a general understanding of what each job entailed. Some pupils also prepared questions to ask the consultants during the evening. Over 70 consultants from a wide range of careers participated in the event and 120 S4 pupils made appointments. Although the actual appointments were only for S4 pupils, pupils from S3 upwards were also invited to come and participate. Pupils and parents were able to gather information regarding the numerous career pathways now available to our young people, such as Foundation and Modern Apprenticeships. Several universities and colleges were also represented at the event, allowing people to gather information about the many options out there. Our Skills Development Scotland careers advisor was also present at the event and her knowledge was invaluable. The event was a fantastic success, due to the meticulous organisation of Mr Bruce, along with some help from some staff and parents. The S6 prefects were extremely helpful on the night, showing parents where to go and helping the event run to schedule. A massive thank you to everyone involved, but in particular to the consultants for giving up their time, the parent helpers and to Mr Bruce for his hard work in the lead-up to the event and on the night itself.

S4 Careers Convention

Advanced Higher pupil shares her views on the benefits of studying languages.

‘Impromptu!’


Excellence In Sport

Andrew L (S2) took part in the British Judo Championships on Sunday, the 4th of December and achieved a bronze medal. Another outstanding achievement to add to his list of medals!

Judo

Dance Competition In December, senior pupils Katy C, Jade T and Carla D organised a dance competition for all year groups as part of their Higher Leadership events task. The girls planned the full event, from advertising the show to organising judges, and sold tickets in their own free time. The competition was a huge success, with gymnasts,

soloists and dance groups taking to the stage and battling it out to win the competition. The judges made their decision and the winners were 3rd and 4th year group The Dancing Dolls, led and taught by S6 pupil Sam B. Well done, girls!

(Below) The winning team - “The Dancing Dolls’ with lead dancer Sam B (centre)

My name is Ellie and my favourite hobby outside of school life is Irish dancing. The name of the Irish dancing association with which I am involved is “An Coimisiun”. I dance in the under-11 age group and I train with the Caroline Green School in Glasgow four times a week. On top of this, I also do strength and speed training at home most days to improve my performance. I am also part of an under-16 ceilidh team and we are currently training to compete in the Irish Dancing World Championships in April 2017. Our under-13 team came seventh in the world in March 2016, and I am delighted to have a world medal at the age of 11. Ellie R, S1

Cross Country

Boccia Battle

American football continues to thrive under the watchful eyes of Elliott S, Scott J, Gregor M, Joe C and Harrison E. Plenty of pupils come to training once a week and students of all years are encouraged to come along and try something new. Gregor says, “It’s been great fun, helping out at American football, and it has also got me more interested in the sport in general. I follow it outside of school now.” If any pupil is looking for a new sport or club to try out at school, American football is for you!

American Football

Andrew R won a team bronze medal for his club Giffnock North AAC at the Scottish National Short Course Cross Country Championships at Renfrew on the 5th of November. He finished 18th overall out of 102 competitors in the U15 Boys 2km race. His two club teammates finished 1st and 24th, giving them overall bronze medal for their team. It was a high-quality field of athletes from all over Scotland. Last week Andrew was through to the final 800m at the Scottish Indoor athletics and ran a personal best time. He also ran a personal best in the 1500m. Hannah A also ran in the 800m final and finished in second place.

Irish DancingRobbie M recently organised a very successful boccia tournament for the 6th year students in Strathaven Academy. Lots of students were involved in the knockout-style game. David M eventually emerged victorious, after a thrilling final against George B. Congratulations, David!

I recently took part in the South Lanarkshire schools golf competition at Lesmahagow Golf Course. My playing partner and I were very close throughout the whole game. On the 17th he managed to bring it back to level with an excellent 20ft putt. As we moved on to the 18th, I hit a good drive down the middle of the fairway, then a terrible chip from 100 yards, which went rolling off the back of the green. A low chip followed by my final putt won the competition. Adam M, S4

Golf Trophy

winter edition february 2017 newsletter - strathaven … newsletter feb 17 web... · sixth year...

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