Gryffe High School€¦ · Masterclass 7 Mission Discovery 2016 8 Scottish Robotic Games 9 Advanced Higher English trip to London 10 Reader of the Month 11,12 Worldwise Geography

Caring • Learning • Achieving www.gryffehigh.com

Page 1

Gryffe High School

Old Bridge of Weir Road, Houston, PA6 7EB Tel: 01505 690633 Fax: 01505 690888

e-mail: [email protected]

web address: www.gryffehigh.com

Head Teacher: Mr Colin H Johnson BSc

Date: 29/06/16 Dear Parents/Carers/Relatives/Pupils I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter.

Website

Gryffe awarded Renfrewshire Secondary Schools Fairtrade Trophy

Gryffe High School have been awarded the

Renfrewshire Secondary Schools Trophy for Fairtrade for the second year in a row. The school were chosen as the best in Renfrewshire due to their outstanding work both within school and in the wider local community.

.... more detail on pages 2 & 3 Please remember FULL UNIFORM when we start back on Monday 15 August, prompt 8:50 am start

Index Page

1-3 Gryffe awarded Fairtrade Trophy

4 PTA Theatre Improvement Update

5 Holly enjoys Space school 2016; Italiano!

6 Girls into Engineering – STEM Event;

University of Glasgow – Particle Physics

Masterclass

7 Mission Discovery 2016

8 Scottish Robotic Games

9 Advanced Higher English trip to London

10 Reader of the Month

11,12 Worldwise Geography Quiz Final

13 Film Club News

14 Primary 7 Induction – Dragon’s Den

15,16 I Can Do Anything Day

17 Choir sing at Paisley Abbey

18,19 Vertical Learning Day

20,21 Farewell to S6 – Prom Night 2016

22 Charities Committee News;

Unicef Day for Change 2016

23 House Cup Winners - Wallace House

24 Staff v Pupils Golf – June 2016

Upcoming priorities/events

Follow us on Twitter @GryffeHighSch @Gryffe_Sports

mailto:[email protected]


Page 2

Gryffe High awarded the Renfrewshire Secondary Schools Fairtrade Trophy We are very proud to announce that we have been presented with the Renfrewshire Secondary Schools Fairtrade Trophy for the second year running. This is a reflection on the level of continuous commitment to promoting Fairtrade within the school. Here is the full press release from Renfrewshire Council – http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/4100/Conscientious-Gryffe-High-pupils-retain-top-Fairtrade-award ‘Gryffe High School have been awarded the Renfrewshire Secondary Schools Trophy for Fair Trade for the second year in a row. The school were chosen as the best in Renfrewshire due to their outstanding work both within school and in the wider local community. Gryffe completed a number of activities throughout the year which engaged pupils on the issue including a Fairtrade curry night, meeting a producer from Swaziland, undertaking a survey of the local community on fair trade and also hosting the Renfrewshire Fairtrade Steering Group meeting within the school. The school also embraced Fairtrade Fortnight and held a rich person v poor person breakfast- where pupils recognised the differences in everyday life for those in poorer countries-, held a bake off where all cakes had to use Fairtrade ingredients wherever possible, invited the local community to a coffee morning and held stalls from local fair trade organisation Rainbow Turtle which raised £568.06. The Renfrewshire Fairtrade Steering Group awards the trophy with the aim of encouraging secondary schools to incorporate fair trade into pupil learning- something Gryffe have excelled in- while supporting schools to achieve Fairtrade status as awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation. The school which displays the drive and ambition to make fair trade a part of everyday school life while encouraging pupils to practice this outside of school hours is chosen as Renfrewshire's best. Councillor Jim Sharkey, Chair of the Renfrewshire Fairtrade Steering Group, said: "I'm delighted to award this trophy to Gryffe for the second year in a row and they fully deserve it for the outstanding work they have completed this year.I admire the level of commitment their pupils have for fair trade and their citizenship committee have really engaged the whole school with the wider message of fair trade.” "I hope this award motivates the other secondary schools in Renfrewshire to try and take Gryffe's crown next year- with the most important point being that our pupils recognise the importance of fair trade and the part it will play in our future." Colin Johnson, Gryffe High School Head Teacher, said: "We are delighted to have won the secondary school trophy for the second year running. It is a fantastic way of recognising our pupil's commitment to fair trade.Over the past year we have promoted fair trade in a number of new ways including hosting a Fairtrade curry night and a community coffee morning. We would like to thank the local community and parents of Gryffe for supporting us in this endeavour."

http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/4100/Conscientious-Gryffe-High-pupils-retain-top-Fairtrade-award

http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/4100/Conscientious-Gryffe-High-pupils-retain-top-Fairtrade-award


Page 3

Renfrewshire's schools are encouraged to move towards Fairtrade school status by undertaking the Fairtrade Schools Award, which looks to develop the knowledge of fair trade of children, at primary or secondary level. The 3 stages of the award aim to: teach children how to be involved in changing the world around them encouraging children to know that they can make a difference

and support and promote fair trade in your school to help empower farmers and workers in

marginalised countries. If you are interested in fair trade, the Renfrewshire Fairtrade Steering Group is always looking for new members. For more information visit: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/fairtrade or email [email protected].

http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/fairtrade

mailto:[email protected]


Page 4

PTA Theatre Improvement Update

As most of you will be aware, the PTA and Theatre Improvement Group have been active in raising awareness of the drive to improve the school theatre. There have been stalls set up at the Houston Fair and the P7 transition evening, with the aim of informing as many local people as possible about the plans. The PTA replaced their annual raffle with a draw, with all proceeds going to the theatre improvement fund. One feature of the draw was, in return for a donation of £40, the chance to have a name added to the ‘Roll of Honour’ which will be displayed permanently in the school. We are very grateful to the 47 families who took up this offer, but a wee bit disappointed we did not have a few more. Mrs S Stewart won the first prize of a family meal at the Fox & Hounds. The opportunity to contribute is open and ongoing, and it means that approximately another 153 people still have the chance to be on the Roll of Honour! By adding a contribution of £4000 to the £3000 raised in the draw, the PTA have helped the Theatre Improvement Group to accrue almost 25% of their target figure. Please keep a look out for updated news on the project through the website and school newsletter. Hopefully, with your support, we will have a new-look theatre for you and your children to enjoy for years to come.


Page 5

Italiano! Over the past few months, we have had fun in Italian Club with Mrs Bell, where we have learned basic vocabulary i.e. describing yourself, family, numbers etc. and more complex Italian Vocabulary, where we read and answered questions on a passage in Italian, as well as watching an interesting BBC Italian television programme entitled “La Mappa Misteriosa.” Pupils have come to Italian for their Skills section of Duke of Edinburgh or for enjoyment. Come along and bring your friends to Italian Club – Friday’s at lunch in ML 2 (after the holidays)! We highly recommend that you come to the Italian Club, especially if you love languages, or are looking to learn a new skill for Bronze Duke of Edinburgh. Article - Shaun Sweeney and Jennifer McDonald (new S4)

Holly enjoys Space school 2016 ‘I was one of the 100 pupils out of over 400 people to sign up that were selected to attend Scottish Space School 2016. The week was spent at the University of Strathclyde where we were put into groups with a mentor. Throughout the week we engaged in in team work with our group, completing a variety of tasks. These tasks included making rockets and launching them at Bellahouston Park, meeting people that work at NASA, such as Tom Marshburn and Richard Hieb who are both astronauts, Mason Markee who is a Robotics engineer, Sue Lederer who is a planetary scientist and Lee Graham, a research engineer. We also designed a space frame, took part in a Mars Rover Challenge and also had a Big Project we had to complete throughout the week to present on the last day. We had many talks throughout, such as health and exercise in space and the Scottish Space Industry. On the last night, we had a ceilidh at which I had the privilege of dancing with astronaut Tom Marshburn and Lee Graham. The week was exhausting but fantastic, I met so many new people and made a lot of new friends. It was most definitely one of the most memorable and amazing experiences!’ Article - Holly Cunningham (new) S6 (Holly is on the right in our picture.)


Page 6

Girls into Engineering – STEM Event

On Thursday 2nd of June, six new S2 female students from Gryffe High School attended a STEM event, at the University of the West of Scotland. The event was designed to inspire females to choose STEM (Science, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics) Careers. We started off the day by hearing lectures from two businesswomen. One had their own online booking and management company and the other was a computer scientist. We then took part in three practical workshops. The first one was called "Battle of the Blades", and included designing our own wind turbine. The second one was called "Cooking up a Code," and was about computer programming. The final activity was the "Egg Drop Challenge," and we successfully designed containers that protected eggs that were dropped from a height. All in all - it was awesome!! Article - Esme James, Rachel Hopkins, Rachel Swordy, Kayleigh Shaw, Neve Watt and Holly Kyle - All S2

University of Glasgow – Particle Physics Masterclass Mr Whyte accompanied 9 of the Advanced Higher Physics pupils to an enjoyable and informative day at University of Glasgow. Here is what Ryan Ferguson (new) S6 had to say about his day: ‘When we arrived at Glasgow University, we were treated to a day of fun Physics! With members of the University lecturers, we were given an enthusiastic insight into the world of Particle Physics, from both Professors and Doctors. The organised experiments included analysing data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Using a miniature particle accelerator (Cathode Ray Tube) the charge to mass ratio of an electron could be calculated. Overall, everyone was shown, by some of the most enthusiastic people ever, the amazing work that goes on in Particle Physics and some of the many careers available.’ Article - Ryan Ferguson S6


Page 7

Mission Discovery 2016

Eight (new) S4 pupils achieved selection for Mission Discovery Renfrewshire which ran for a week at University West of Scotland. Frazer Scott was in the winning team and their experiment was chosen to be carried out on the International Space Station. Katy Bogan (who has just left S6) was part of a previous Mission Discovery winning team and her experiment (involving conjunctivitis) was carried out by Tim Kopla (and Tim Peake) on the ISS. Here is what 2 of the pupils who took part had to say about their experience. ‘It was a fun and educational experience that I will never forget. During the course of the week I worked in a group with eight other pupils, from different high schools in the local area, to build up our team work and cooperation skills through a variety of activities. These activities led to the experiment that we had to create and present to the other groups at the end of the week. We all used our individual skills and qualities to come together to make an experiment we hoped would one day make it to the International Space Station. To create this experiment we had to come up with an idea that has never been tested in space. The biggest challenge was designing the experiment due to the strict limitations and safety precautions. Unfortunately, my groups experiment did not win, meaning it will not be carried out on the International Space Station but due to the large amount of factual information and skills I have learned from this experience I would recommend Mission Discovery to younger pupils. Frazer Scott, from Gryffe High School was in the winning team and is extremely excited to be sending his experiment to space to be tested within the next year. Overall, I gained many new skills and made lots of new friends during the course of the Mission Discovery programme and my experience has opened new doors for me in the future.’ Craig Newlands

‘The week at Mission Discovery was both exciting and awe-expiring. We got to work in teams to create our own experiment whilst getting tips from the experts. My favourite part about Mission Discovery was getting to meet former NASA astronaut Mike Foale, who has been into space six times. He told us everything that is involved in being an astronaut, from the training to what they do in their spare time whilst on the ISS. Over the week, I developed my presentation skills and gained confidence in working as part of a group, it was a fantastic opportunity and I really enjoyed it.’ Jenny Hall Article - Mrs P McGeough, Physics Department Photo courtesy of Jessica Dradge, Renfrewshire Council


Page 8

Gryffe Engineering Club takes part in Scottish Robotic Games

We signed up for the engineering club back in August last year and began the task of designing and building a robot to take part in the Rampaging Chariots Scottish Robotic Games 2016 in Edinburgh. We were provided with a kit containing the basic components of the robot, but there is then scope to add to and alter the design to gain the best advantage over our competitors, who come from schools and other organisations all over Scotland. We worked usually on Wednesdays after school in the Technical department. The assembly began with the chassis which we cut to shape by hand out of MDF. We then had to manufacture metal brackets to hold the MDF sections together. Great care had to be taken to ensure everything was manufactured as strongly as possible as this would be vital if we were to achieve success at the games. With the chassis assembled we could then start to build the internal workings of the robot. We disassembled two electric drills to use the motors to drive it. Rubber wheels were used to provide good grip. Two circuit boards then had to be assembled to control the robot. This was probably the most difficult part of the operation as there were lots of tiny components which had to be carefully soldered into the correct position on the circuit board. The electronics allow the robot to be radio controlled. As the competition grew nearer we had to put in some extra nights to get it finished on time. We had a choice of events we could take part in, and we chose football, the assault course and sumo wrestling. We had to design our robot appropriately to take part in all of these events. We came up with a colourful design based on the school colours, and added a school badge at the front as a finishing touch. The event was on Sat 11th June and we had to make an early start, leaving for Edinburgh at 7.30am. There was a great atmosphere at the games which were held at the Leonardo UK, who make radar equipment. We were given a tour which was highly informative about the work the company do. There were also science exhibits and activities to take part in while we were waiting on our turn in the competition. We performed well in all three games, reaching the semi finals in the football. Unfortunately we did not win any prizes but we have gained a lot of experience and ideas for next year. We have already started planning how we can improve our robot for the next competition. Ideas include upgraded batteries, four wheel drive and an upgraded chassis design. We are confident we will achieve well in the 2017 Robotic Games. We will also be able to support the new S1 engineers who will be building their own robot for entry in the games next year. Article - Gryffe Engineering Club


Page 9

Advanced Higher English trip to London

A number of pupils in the Advanced Higher English class enjoyed a whirlwind visit to London. With only a single night’s stay we still managed to cover an impressive amount of ground. From our (ridiculously) early arrival at the airport at 5:30am to our return at 11:15pm the next evening, we were constantly on the go. Although we left behind the glorious Scottish sunshine and swapped it for the grey skies of London, we all still enjoyed a walking tour of some of the city’s main attractions. This began with a lovely breakfast in Covent Garden to set us up for our ‘big walk’ which took in many sights including Trafalgar Square, The Mall, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben and the Tower of London. And that was only Day 1! On Day 2 we viewed the city from the heights of the London Eye, took a stroll along the South Bank and took in some interesting – and strange – modern art at the Tate Modern.

On each of the days we also squeezed in a theatre visit, firstly the West End show Wicked! and then a matinee performance of Shakespeare’s summer comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at the world-famous Globe Theatre. Both shows were hugely entertaining, funny and moving in equal measure.

All-in-all this was a great experience for pupils and staff alike...as can be seen from the photographs!

Article - Mrs K Anderson, Principal Teacher of English


Page 10

The English Department has been working with the pupils across the BGE to promote personal reading through a range of reading programmes in 2015/16. The programmes have been tailored by our Librarian Mrs Kerr to engage and inspire our pupils to immerse themselves in a range of literature genres. Each month the English Department will nominate a Star Reader of The Month. This prestigious award is not just for pupils who can read the most difficult texts but those who persist with their reading when the going gets a little bit tough! This month’s winners are: S2 – Miss Baker and Mrs Shaw’s class - Marc Rennie Miss Higgins class - Alexandra Christie S3 - Miss Baker and Mrs Shaw’s class - Lily Carruth Mr Anderson’s class - Matthew Hill

Matthew Hill


Page 11

Gryffe Hosts Worldwise Geography Quiz Final

The Scottish Final of the Annual Worldwise Geography quiz was held here in Gryffe High School 7th June. 50 pupils and staff from twelve schools who had topped the regional heats met to challenge for the top prize to be crowned Scottish Champions. There were schools from all across the country in attendance from as far north as Gordonstoun in Elgin to as far south as Peebles. Each school had a team consisting of three pupils, one each from S2, S3 and S4. The team from Gryffe were: Adam Stevenson (S4), Beth Brown (S3) and Jack Young (S2). Rounds 1 – 6 included: The Olympic Games – we were asked to identify the locations of previous and future host cities. Jack was our expert in this area, helping us to achieve full marks in this round. Next up was the Capes and Peninsulas round, were we had to identify several capes and peninsulas in Scotland, Europe and then the wider world just by looking at the shape of the map – without any clues. This was a difficult round for many of the teachers too! We then had the Music round, Beth was our expert in this round. We were played part of a song and had to identify the place name in the song titles. Some of those included were: Budapest by George Ezra, Pompeii by Bastille, Waterloo by Abba and Chelsea Dagger by the Fratellis. Other rounds included: O.S Mapping Mystery, Rivers and Geography in the news. From the 13 teams who started after six gruelling rounds, it was now down to the final 4 who would proceed to the final stage – last year’s winners Woodfarm , Dunbar Grammar, Stewart’s Melville and Gryffe. The scores from the previous round were wiped and everyone started at zero. Four further challenges were put our way – this time to make it even trickier in some rounds we were unable to answer as a team, each individual was asked a question. The atmosphere was tense and the anticipation rose throughout each round. The four final challenges that faced us were: the Geography of Mexico, a video observation round, identify the city round and a one minute round on Weather and Climate. Adam was our expert in this round – as a result of his lightening speed reactions in the regional heats a few months prior in this round, he did not disappoint and again scored highly. In the end, after 10 rounds here were two teams out in the lead by a large margin, Gryffe and Stewart’s Melville. Unfortunately however it was not the fairytale ending we had hoped for, we finished with 28 points, and just one short of 1st place. Congratulations to Stewart’s Melville.


Page 12

As much as we were disappointed not to win, the team have made a lot of progress since last year when they came 2nd in the regional final. To have finished 2nd in Scotland one year on - we are still proud of that achievement. We are very much looking forward to trying to surpass this result and aiming to claim top prize next session. Test your own knowledge! ....................... answers on page 20

Article - Emily Randtoul (new S4) and Miss A Iafrate, Geography Department


Page 13

Gryffe Film Club News The Gryffe Film Club in association with IntoFilm has now been running for five months and membership is only growing! The club, comprised of S1-S3, pupils meet every Thursday with Mr Anderson in English to watch a selection of films covering a range of different genres. Pupils are encouraged to develop an interest in film as well as engage in conversation around the different themes which the movies explore. Pupils have voted for a range of films so far from the animation ‘Shrek’ to the inspiring ‘Les Miserables’. All pupils are invited to bring their lunch, meet new friends and enjoy a free cinematic experience all from the comfort of the classroom.

Film Review of The Month by Niamh Heywood (new) S4

TWILIGHT - 1 ½ Stars

Twilight will suck the life right out of you. It will only take five minutes for you to realise what a boring and cliché film this is. The male lead is a soulless demon and the female is a miserable human with serious attachment problems. As Bella, the lead female and narrator (with a monotone voice even when she should be portraying emotion) drones on about how much she loves this monster, who is apparently so much more than a lifeless bloodsucker, you reach the conclusion that you are in for a long night. Set in the modern day in rainy, depressing Forks, Bella Swan is staying with her father and settling in to her new and very different life she chose rather than living with her mum on the road. On her first day at a new school she encounters Edward, a pale, dreamy and mysterious figure who keeps himself to himself and his adopted family. They form a romantic and caring relationship with each other despite Edward being a blood thirsty vampire with a deep desire for Bella’s blood. The good thing is Edward and his family only feed on animal blood and never humans. All is well and Bella quickly realises she wants nothing more than to join him as an immortal vampire and live forever with him. It seems that all would have went perfectly for the new couple if there wasn’t the minor issue of Bella smelling so delicious to every other vampire causing her to be in grave danger.... Both Kirsten Stewart (Bella) and Robert Pattinson (Edward) failed to convey emotion or use facial expressions throughout the film. It really was wooden acting at its finest. Stewart scoffs and makes little noises throughout the dialogue and unfortunately they become more interesting than her actual acting by the end of the film. Pattinson is supposed to play a vampire who differs from his kind so I would have at least expected him to be slightly different from the stereotypical cold, expressionless immortal. On a positive note, I did enjoy the film’s soundtrack and think the composer effectively used the music to set the gothic tone of the film. It was certainly more engaging than the characters and the acting. With the mixture of awkward dialogue and poor plotlines it is difficult to find many good points about the production however what is clear is that the cinematographer used colour filters well to set the landscapes for the terrible narrative to take place. However the lighting may only be down to the Edward in the background because apparently vampires sparkle now.... I think the writers have tried to create a message that says you can fall in love with anyone however they have bitterly failed in this endeavour. The only message that really comes through is that bad things will happen if you must rely on stronger people to protect you all the time. The film significantly sets woman back into past stereotypical roles with the way that Bella must rely on Edward to basically do everything for her. The film is rated a 12, which may explain why it seems quite childish. I would recommend the movie to slightly younger views if any viewers at all. Some may really enjoy it, but ‘Twilight’ only succeeded in draining the life out of me.


Page 14

Primary 7 Induction – Dragon’s Den

Gryffe welcomed 180 Primary 7 pupils from various primary schools for a week during June. Part of this transition program was an Orienteering and Teambuilding event in the morning, followed by a Dragon’s Den style event in the afternoon with a focus on life skills. The pupils arrived in the morning and the atmosphere was buzzing with excited chatter and anticipation for the day ahead. After a quick introduction to staff, the pupils were split in half. Half the Group went to the Games Hall were staff had set up a range of games that required pupils to be creative and work as a team to achieve success. Pupils were tested to their very edge of their mental capability with games such as ‘Cross the Swamp’ and ‘Gutterball’. While this is going on, the other half of the year group were in a race against time and peers to answer as many questions as possible. These questions were not straight forward and required them to navigate themselves around the school and find the answers on certain walls. With pupils dashing around the school, tensions were high as the mini groups competed with each other. This was meant to be without the help of supervising staff, however calls of foul play by certain teachers were common. The aim of this task was to help the pupils get to know the school, staff and S6 helpers. Pupils gained points for correct answers. The best teams won tokens and prizes. For the Dragon’s Den section of the day, pupils were split into register classes, divided into groups and challenged to come up with a money making business. Each group was given the basic equipment needed to start producing cars. The better quality product and better sales pitch meant the more money they accumulated. More money meant better resources and it did not take long for the entrepreneurial spark to ignite. Negotiations and deals were taking place all over the Modern Languages department and staff and S6 helpers or ‘Dragons’ were caught up in the fun as much as the pupils. The main focus of the day had been skills development and ROA which was capped off in the last section of the day. Pupils completed an evaluation and identified the skills they had developed and the future careers they might use them in: this included boxer, doctor, and experimental physicist! The very last part of the day was recognising achievement and giving out some prizes! This also served to kick off the House Competition amongst the new S1. Interestingly the winning house for the day was Fleming…watch out Wallace! The NQT’s would like to say a massive thank you to all the staff, active schools coordinators, Modern Languages, S6 helpers and Mrs Brown who supported the day and made it a success. After this Introductory Day, the Primary 7 pupils had 2 days following their timetable before taking part in the ‘I Can Do Anything’ day on the Friday. Article - Miss M Liddell, Miss N Still, Miss C Maguire, Miss A Kerr, Mr W Insch, Mr R Tangney


Page 15

‘I Can Do Anything Day’ – Friday 17 June

EVERY Pupil from P7 to S6 Fantastic Friday! The ‘I Can Do Anything Day’ (ICDAD) Committee have been preparing for this day since last August. The meticulous organisation paid off as EVERY pupil in the school, Primary 7 pupils and the many visiting Presenters moved around the school (knowing where to go!). P7 and (new) S2 – Careers Fair P7 and (new) S2 pupils enjoyed rotating around informative presentations from a diverse range of careers. All of the workshops were run by people who were working at these jobs themselves, giving pupils first hand advice. Personnel involved included – Armed Forces, RAF, Photographer, Dance, Day Surgery, Physiotherapist, Dentist, Vet, Charity Sector, Theatre Manager, Psychologist, P.E. Teacher, Primary Teacher, Science Teacher, Computer Programmer, Submariner, Banking, Solicitor, Video Journalist, Music School, Recycling, Renewable Energy, Paramedic, Police, Dog Sitter, Football and World of Work. Our thanks go to every visitor who took time out of their own busy work schedule to share their experience with our younger pupils. S3 and S4 – Heartstart and Teambuilding An amazing achievement today! ALL 306 S3 and S4 pupils were Heartstart trained and received a certificate confirming that they had been trained in Emergency Life Support skills. Heartstart is an initiative coordinated by the British Heart Foundation to teach members of the public what to do in a life-threatening emergency. This followed on from 20 teachers being trained as Heartstart Trainers in May. Pupils learned many skills including the Recovery Position, Heimlich Manouevre (including how to deal with babies) and CPR. They also watched a defibrillator demonstration. Simple skills save lives. Well done to everyone involved. Pupils alternated Heartstart training with Teambuilding skills. Pupils were given objectives that could only be achieved by relying on Team Skills. You can see some of the Predicaments that pupils had to get themselves out of in our photographs.


Page 16

S5 – Employability Day S5 enjoyed a change of venue today with this event taking place in Houston and Killellan church halls. A good mix of individual displays and discussion provided the S5 pupils with workshops about various companies with a particular focus on Employability skills. Main keynote speaker was Trev Gregory from Carishea who gave an inspirational talk on the extraordinary story of how his company came about and how it is helping people across the world. The day was summarised by NLP counsellor Brian Costello who again gave the S5 pupils some life advice. Our thanks again go to the many visitors who provided support to the pupils to make this event a success. S6 – Event Organisation and Hospitality S6 pupils had a list for everything and they seemed to be managing these very well! Looking smart in their blazers, S6 provided a warm welcome for the visitors and gave them individual support throughout their stay in the school, ensuring that they had everything that they required. The day provided a great opportunity for S6 pupils to value the importance of working as a team and ensure that every aspect of Event Organisation was covered. A team of S6 pupils, supported by Health, Food and Technology staff created an absolutely magnificent lunch for the visitors. It was perfectly presented and received many compliments. This was a delicious spread from true professionals. S6 - World Challenge Hospitality A team of S6 pupils who are raising money for their World Challenge trip to Mongolia in 2017 provided lunch for staff. They made a lovely lunch consisting of tasty filled sub-roll, fantastic home-baked cakes and crisps all for only £4. EVERYONE – I Can Do Anything! Depute Head Teacher Mrs Brown had overall responsibility for the day and she was delighted with how everyone across the school worked together. ‘I Can Do Anything Day’ was a day for EVERYONE to learn from each other. A huge thank you to all staff, pupils and visitors for such an enjoyable day!


Page 17

Gryffe Choir sing at

Paisley Abbey Gryffe High School choir were delighted to sing at Paisley Abbey for the Armed Forces Day service. The Call' and 'Caledonia' were sung beautifully by our group of young people who all proudly represented their school at such a worthy event. The Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, Guy Clark, the Provost of Renfrewshire, Anne Hall, and the Depute Provost of Inverclyde, David Wilson were present to recognise the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces, both past and present.


Page 18

Vertical Learning Day

What is Vertical Learning? All pupils in Gryffe were randomly mixed into 30 groups. Each group is made up from S2, S3, S4, S5 and S6 pupils Pupils rotated round 6 topics throughout the day:

Literacy – Learning Outcome – To learn some approaches to reading that will support learning.

Numeracy – A numeracy relay - problem solve in teams – move on to next question once answer is correct.

Health and Wellbeing – Resilience Neuroanatomy, neuroplasticity and the importance of developing a growth mindset.

Rights Respecting Schools - Childrens’ Rights Explore the difficulties and obstacles refugee children face.

Political Literacy – Political literacy is about helping people become politically aware and effective. This will also help you in expressing an opinion.

Digital Literacy – You will enhance your ability to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information.

Some of the opportunities this event will provide for pupils –

Promote whole school ethos

Responsibility and leadership skills

Communication skills – Confident Individuals

The pupil voice – school decision-making process

Improved relationships

Article - Mrs A Brown, Depute Head Teacher

VER

TICA

L LEAR

NIN

G


Page 19


Page 20

Farewell to S6 – Prom Night 2016

As promised last month, here is our gallery of photographs from a fantastic S6 Prom. The evening started with a welcome reception in the school. The concourse was transformed into a lovely reception area for refreshments. 129 pupils and 34 staff, all impressively dressed for the occasion, then went on to have a fantastic time at the S6 Prom in the Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow. The smooth organisation of the event was the result of many months of hard work by a Committee of S6 pupils dedicated to the Prom. Every detail was well planned and meant that everyone could sit back, relax and enjoy. Enjoy the photographs (taken by Mr. Blue). Article - Mrs A Brown, DHT S1 and S6


Page 21


Page 22

Unicef Day for Change 2016 Bake Sale

In order to support the Unicef ‘Day for Change’ we held a bake sale on Thursday 16th June. Lots of people made yummy treats such as cookies, brownies, mars bar crispy cake, chocolate fudge cake and sponge cakes. Pupils and staff alike, firmly supported the event and we raised a total of £152.65! This will be match-funded by the government so over £300 will be given to Unicef to support children facing crisis. The theme this year for ‘Day for Change’ is the war in Syria - the conflict has now raged for over five years, placing over 8 million children in terrible danger. It is the largest humanitarian crisis since World War Two. Children's worlds have been turned upside down by this brutal conflict and so many have lost family, friends and schools, and have been forced to flee their homes. Unicef works to ensure that all children, regardless of situation, receive all of the Rights they are entitled to as young people, such as the Right to an education, healthcare and a safe place to live. Our donations will help the children of Syria get access to medicines and supplies to keep them safe this summer. Thank you everyone for helping to support this worthwhile event. Article - Mrs J Davey, RMPS Department

Gryffe High School Charities Committee News

As always, the generosity and hard work of the pupils, staff and the wider community of Gryffe High School has resulted in a fantastic contribution to our chosen Charities for the session 2015-16. The Gryffe High School Charities committee has overseen the organisation, collection of money and distribution of funds from a number of the events across the session. Through discussion, the agreed charity focus for the session was split between Teenage Cancer Trust and Epilepsy Scotland. A number of other charities benefit from events run within departments and committees throughout the school. A special mention must be made to the Citizenship committee which runs a number of initiatives throughout the year, raising awareness and money for a number of great causes. The collection of 129 shoe boxes for the Shoe Box Appeal as well as the school’s Renfrewshire Foodbank contribution is testament to the effort of the committee. They have a continuous link with Rainbow Turtle and run a Fairtrade coffee morning for staff on a monthly basis. The coffee morning, along with a variety of events across the year, has helped raise £1132 in Fairtrade goods. Through initiatives within PSE and PDA classes, charities benefitted from the skills, hard work and entrepreneurship of our pupils. In June 2015, S5 pupils tackled the “£1 Challenge” and raised a fantastic £1341.42 for the Brightest Star charity. This year’s S4 pupils competed against each other as part of the YPI initiative, funded by the Wood Foundation, with the group representing Lisa’s Gift winning £3000 for their chosen charity. The new S5 pupils are the next group to accept the “£1 Challenge”, currently raising money within PSE classes for their YPI Charities. In total during the 2015/16 session, Gryffe High School has raised in excess of £8000 for charitable causes. This is a fantastic achievement and one that the Charity committee and the school as a whole will look to beat next session. Mr A Findlay – On behalf of the Charities Committee


Page 23

House Cup Winners - Wallace House enjoy a Day Out Many congratulations to Wallace House for winning the House Cup for the second year running! Wallace pupils, as a reward for winning the cup, attended a day out of school - 200 pupils played bowling, crazy golf and watched a movie to thank them for engaging in our House system. A great day was had by all! .................Will Wallace win again? The points were very close this year so here's to next year's competition - may the best House win! Article - Miss Z Inglis, PT Pupil Support Wallace House


Page 24

Enjoy the Summer!

New S6 pupils made an excellent job of decorating their Social Area for our Summer Themed non-uniform day on Friday 24 June. A sea of colour, complete with sharks, turtles, deep-sea divers and ducks!

Upcoming priorities/events AUGUST Tues 9 SQA Examinations Results Wed 10 New S5,S6 Timetable negotiation Thurs 11 Staff In-Service Day 1 Fri 12 Staff In-Service Day 2 Mon 15 Session begins – Pupils return Full uniform, prompt 8:50 am start Wed 17 Activ8, session 1 Mon 22 Photographs – S1,S3,S5,S6 Responsibility of All Week 1

Launch of Activities Week S1-3 Residential PTA AGM 6:30pm start

Wed 24 Activ8, session 2 Mon 29 Parent Council Meeting,

7:00 pm start Wed 31 Activ8, session 3

Mr Colin Johnson Head Teacher

Staff v Pupils Golf – June 2016 The staff went into this year’s annual staff v pupils Golf tie with an overall 7-5 lead and favourites to retain the trophy. An extremely close competition this year saw the tie come down to the last few holes. With a score of 2-2 in the club house and only two ties remaining, things were all square with games on the 18th and 17th tees. Pressure mounted further as game 5 finished all square to take the score to 2 ½ - 2 ½ and all down to the final game. A monumental effort from the staff team saw them winning the all important last two holes and take the tie 3 ½ - 2 ½ and stretch the overall championships total to . . .

Better luck next year . . .

Documents

Gryffe High School€¦ · Masterclass 7 Mission Discovery 2016 8 Scottish Robotic Games 9 Advanced Higher English trip to London 10 Reader of the Month 11,12 Worldwise Geography