Gryffe High School · Article - Mr A Findlay, ... Article - Miss V Hannigan, Modern Studies Department . aring • Learning • Achieving Page 5 Report Day. dedicated the lead design

Caring • Learning • Achieving www.gryffehigh.com

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Date: 3/05/17 Dear Parents/Carers/Relatives/Pupils I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter.

Gryffe is Sixth in the Herald School League Tables

The Glasgow Herald School League Tables, published in March, show Gryffe High School placed 6th within their Top 50 State Schools. As a school, we are proud of the attainment of our pupils, and equally of their many significant achievements, of which you can read about within this, and our other, monthly newsletters. We aim to enhance the Attainment and Achievements of each and every pupil and hold true to our focus on:

CARING - LEARNING – ACHIEVING.

Mackintosh win the House Cup ... page 24

Index Page

1 Gryffe High Attainment and Achievement

2,3 Awards Ceremony 2017; Jet of the Year Award

4 Pupil Council News; Scottish Youth Parliament Elections

5 Media Team report on Paisley 2021 for BBC News School Report

6 Alison enjoys Euroscola; Young Enterprise Update 7,8 Fairtrade Fortnight; Eco Update 9 Developing the Young Workforce; S2 Choices for Life

Presentation 10 Hands On - with Google Expeditions; STEM Event for

Girls 11 Maths and the Dewey System; Pi Day 12 Gryffe Valley Rotary Club Young Writers Competition

2017; World Book Day 13 Authors’ Visit 14 Multilingual Debate; DFID visit to Modern Studies and

Geography; Responsibility of All 15 A Shout Out from Support for Learning 16 S3 Apprentice Challenge; N4 Biology class visit

Thermo Fisher 17 Social Subjects enjoy a talk from James Aspey 18 Higher Geographers Fieldwork; S4 Pupil Alexandra

attends ‘Mad to be Normal’ Premiere; National 5 Cake Craft

19 Brass Workshop; Under 15 Boys in Scottish Schools National Trophy win; Duke of Edinburgh Award

20 Visit from former pupil Erin Armstrong 21 World Challenge Mongolia 2017 22 Spring Concert 23 PTA Tennis Tea 24 Mackintosh lift the House Cup Upcoming priorities/events

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

Follow us on Twitter @GryffeHighSch @Gryffe_Sports

Website

Gryffe High

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.gryffehigh.com/


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Awards Ceremony 2017

Almost 600 awards were presented in a wide range of categories, all reflecting and celebrating the endeavours of not just the pupils receiving awards, but of all Gryffe pupils. Several pupils spoke about their involvement in various rewarding activities within school – Fairtrade, YPI – the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative and the Buddy system. Awards were presented by former head pupils Rebecca Richardson and Angus Gane. Rebecca and Angus spoke of their journey since leaving Gryffe High and gave pupils an insight into their experience to date. Special Category awards were presented by Steven Quinn who is the Assistant Director of Education / Chief Education Officer for Childrens Services. Current Head Girl Jodie Costello and Head Boy Jamie Muir gave the vote of thanks to a packed Games Hall of pupils and their proud parents and carers, with pupils also providing wonderful music to add to the evening. Thank you to EVERYONE involved in the preparation and organisation leading to a most enjoyable event........with a special thanks to Mrs Willbond and the office staff. It was indeed a night of Caring, Learning and Achieving. You can view all of the Award Ceremony photographs here at

https://www.makewav.es/post/1036934/title/awardsceremony2017.

If you wish a full quality copy of your child's photo emailed to you, then please email the school (with subject FAO Mrs McGeough) at [email protected] Article - Mr C Johnson

https://www.makewav.es/post/1036934/title/awardsceremony2017


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Jet of the year award Very well done to S1 pupil Keir Gaffney, who has just been presented with the 'Jet of the Year' Shield from his cycling club 'Johnstone Jets'. As Keir is in Fleming House, he also gains some points for his House! Keir has very kindly explained what the award means. The Jet of the year shield is awarded to the rider in the club who the coaches think deserves it. It is not for winning the most races, it is for commitment and attendance, enthusiasm, fun, willingness to learn, club spirit, attitude, effort and all and all being a good Jet. Johnstone Jets is my cycling club. It is my local club, the senior section is called the Johnstone Wheelers. The coaches each have three nominations and the rider with the most nominations wins. I have won the 2016 season. Article - Keir Gaffney S1


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Pupil Council News On the afternoon of Tuesday 21 March, the Pupil Council gathered for their third meeting of the academic session. The meeting was split into the Junior Council (S1-3) during period 6 and the Senior Council (S4-6) during period 7. Both meetings were hosted by the S6 Pupil Council Committee and chaired by the Head Boy Jamie Muir and Head Girl Jodie Costello. Pupils from each of the year groups discussed the progress made by the council throughout the session. Successes include increased LGBT awareness, Pupil Council suggestion box, food taken outside the canteen and increased Vegetarian options in the canteen, to name a few. With the structure of the Pupil Council established, discussion also centred on a focus for next year and an evaluation of the Council’s progress this year. Further details on The Pupil Council can be found on the Pupil Council board outside Pupil Support Base 1. A big thank you to all those involved in the Pupil Council this year and we hope that it will grow from strength to strength in years to come. Article - Mr A Findlay, Principal Teacher Pupil Support Mackintosh House Photographs – Beth Holmes S6

Scottish Youth Parliament Elections

All pupils S1-S6 were given the opportunity to vote in school in the recent Scottish Youth Parliament elections (6 – 17 March). This is a valuable experience for our pupils as some of them will be engaging in a democratic process for the first time. The Scottish Youth Parliament is the democratically elected voice of Scotland's young people. It is a politically independent parliament, designed by young people, led by young people, for the benefit of young people. The MSYP's are elected by their peer group and serve a two year term. MSYP's attend three sittings of the Scottish Youth Parliament in each year, and can also sit as members or conveners of committee groups. In Renfrewshire, there are three elected representatives serving as MSYPs- one each from Paisley, Renfrewshire South and Renfrewshire North and West. Renfrewshire North and West is the constituency that Gryffe pupils vote in. It was a huge operation on the day, but we managed to get approx 625 pupils to vote on the day and approximately 380 pupils registered to vote! Article - Miss V Hannigan, Modern Studies Department


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Media Team report on Paisley 2021 for BBC News School Report The Media Team had the opportunity to meet up with the Paisley 2021 Tour Bus as it went round all of the secondary schools in Renfrewshire in a day. The team were able to find out a bit more about Paisley 2021 and research it as their main topic to report on the following day for BBC News School Report Day. The team had great fun being creative with the Paisley 2021 frame. They took over the library for the morning and Mrs Kerr had the big screen set up with the BBC feeds from across the country. Learning the importance of working to a tight schedule, the teams divided into groups and chose their topics to report on. They appointed Editors who had the final say in what was sent to be published. Mrs Kerr and I had a real job on our hands keeping up with their pace of work and uploading it to our dedicated website

https://www.makewav.es/GHSMedia As well as Paisley 2021, one team reported on Circular Runways and even managed to correspond with the lead design team on the project which is based at Netherlands Aerospace Centre. The Media team enjoyed their day of interviewing, researching, taking photographs and reporting………the library was buzzing with their activity and all to meet a very tight deadline as stipulated by the BBC. Well done to the whole team for a great effort! Article - Mrs P McGeough and Mrs C Kerr (on behalf of the Media Team)

https://www.makewav.es/GHSMedia


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Alison enjoys Euroscola ‘I recently had the opportunity to visit the European Parliament as part of the Euroscola programme. I was part of a group of 25 languages students from all over Scotland. In order to be selected, I had to write an essay on a current European theme, submit a CV and attend an interview conducted by a panel from the Gryffe Rotary Club. I chose to write an essay from a Scottish perspective about the importance of free movement of students across the EU. Throughout our time in Strasbourg, we were encouraged to use our French whenever possible: conducting street surveys, speaking to local people and addressing the European Parliament. The highlight of the trip for me was meeting so many new people from different cultures and exploring the city. One day, we had the chance to shoot, edit and narrate a video about Strasbourg. We had to learn how to use the trams (harder than you think!) and explore the beautiful city’s history, which was fantastic. Visiting and debating in the European Parliament was a once in a lifetime opportunity which helped improve my French. Overall, it was an incredible experience that I will never forget.’ Our grateful thanks to Kara Nisbet of Articulate Language Camps https://articulate-languagecamps.com/ for allowing us to use her photographs. Article - Alison Hedley S6

Young Enterprise Update - Exams, Reports and Presentations This term has been a busy one for CLA Scents with the focus being reporting on company performance. The team's initial challenge was to produce a business report outlining the performance of the company over the past 6 months. This included compiling a set of final accounts and declaring an interim dividend. Profit (after Tax) for the 6-month period amounted to £323.15 of which £270.00 was distributed to shareholders. This represented a Return on Equity of 250%. The team attended regional finals on 16 March at the Normandy Hotel, Renfrew. The day kicked off with the judging of the stall and was followed by the presentation. This was a nerve-wracking experience for the team, especially Euan Brown, Ross Laird and Ross McGlennon who had to present a summary of company activities within a 4 minute time limit. Interviews followed thereafter with Caroline Courtney and Grant Ewing being in the hot seat. Questions were fired, testing their knowledge of areas such as Operations, Marketing and HR, to name but a few. The day culminated in the awards ceremony where the team were the winners of the Marketing trophy. Well done, CLA Scents! We would like to thank all our customers and sponsors (Braehead Clan) for their support over the last year. We could not have done it without you! Photographs courtesy of Young Enterprise Scotland

https://articulate-languagecamps.com/

https://articulate-languagecamps.com/


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Fairtrade Fortnight We had yet another successful Fairtrade fortnight this year with a variety of events aimed at promoting the importance of Fairtrade and the wide range of products available. The Fortnight started with our sell out Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stall. We like to support this brand as Fairtrade is at the centre of what they do. Rather than having a few tokenistic Fairtrade items everything they produce is made from Fairtrade ingredients. We always aim to support local Fairtrade shop Rainbow Turtle during Fairtrade fortnight and this year hosted four stalls selling £327.40 of goods. Our favourite Fairtrade Fortnight tradition, the Great Gryffe Bake Off returned and was even more competitive. The cakes were judged by Lorna Kinloch and Anne Nisbet, two keen bakers and Fairtrade supporters from the local community. It took almost 3 hours to judge all the great baking based on appearance, taste and number of Fairtrade ingredients. The winners were Emily Robb (S2) and from S1: Orla Small, Jessica McKenzie, Rebecca Graham, Abbie Telford and Erin Black. Well done to everyone who entered. The judges were blown away by the high standard of entries! Ms Lynas from ABC was the winner of the staff bake off. This year we have formed a new Fairtrade partnership with Mary Russell School. Some of our pupils were invited to their Fairtrade café where pupils enjoyed some Fairtrade cake and juice served by the Mary Russell pupils. They were made to feel very welcome and Mrs Stark was lucky enough to win a Fairtrade hamper in the raffle.


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Eco Committee News March 25th was WWF Earth Hour 2017, which raises awareness of the issue of Global Warming by encouraging people to turn off their lights between the time of 8.30pm - 9.30pm. The Eco Committee supported this challenge. As well as organising an informative short presentation for all S1 to S3 classes, subjects were challenged to teach in the dark for a period. S2 can be seen here in the Maths Department engrossed in a maths related Treasure Hunt - working in the dark!

Remember to follow us on Twitter: @GryffeEco Article - Mr J Clark, on behalf of The Eco Committee

- Fairtrade continued – Seven of our pupils were also invited to meet Yannina a Fairtrade Producer from Peru at a learning event hosted by Rainbow Turtle. Pupils learnt more about the benefits of Fairtrade and were able to ask Yannina about her life in Peru and how Fairtrade has made a difference to her local community. We ended Fairtrade Fortnight by organising a community coffee morning in partnership with the ‘Bridge of Weir and Houston Fairtrade Group’ and Houston and Killellan Kirk. The event took place in the church halls and was well attended by a wide range of people from our local community. Over 11 pupils gave up their Saturday morning to sell raffle tickets, collect tickets, serve tea and coffee and run stalls. The event raised a fantastic total of £422 which was donated to Rainbow Turtle and Traidcraft. A huge thank you goes to the staff and pupils who made Fairtrade Fortnight possible. A special thanks goes to Catherine Abdallah, Jennifer Boyd, Ella Brawley, Alex Evans, Kirsty Donnachie, Amy Gaine, Eve Grant, Leah Feely, Sarah Fogarty, Keira Florence, Lola Greig, Sasha Kaloheris, Kerry MacAngus, Keiran Mackin, Julie McGinn, Connie Longwell, John Runcie, Altair Seel and Erica Smith. Comments from our pupils: ‘I really enjoyed Gryffe’s partnership with Mary Russell for Fairtrade Fortnight as it allowed us to interact with others in the community and learn about issues that can affect everyone worldwide.’ Alex Evans ‘It was exciting to learn what other schools are doing for Fairtrade fortnight and how we work in partnership.’ John Runcie Article - Miss H Rowan on behalf of the Citizenship Committee


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Developing the Young Workforce Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), is a Scottish Government initiative and a seven-year programme (2014-2021) that aims to better prepare children and young people from 3–18 for the world of work. Mrs Thomson, Mrs Crawford and eighteen S2 pupils attended this event to focus on the different sectors within the Hospitality Industry and to promote the career pathways which they may lead to. We all had a great day experiencing Practical Activities in the Industrial kitchen making a Salmon Flat Bread, experiencing Sensory Analysis with a variety of foods and drinks, learning about the history of the Drinks Industry and the appropriate training required and hearing about the work at Glasgow Airport. Jack McLean was awarded the ‘Rising Star Award’ and received a voucher for Lunch for 4 people at Weaver’s Restaurant, Paisley Campus and the School received a set of Professional Knives for the department. Well Done Jack. A great experience for all. Let’s hope that this is repeated next year. Article - Mrs S Crawford and Mrs R Thomson, Health, Food and Technology Department

S2 Choices for Life Presentation

All S2 pupils enjoyed a 'Choices for Life' presentation, delivered in conjunction with Police Scotland, providing them with the information required to make positive life choices in relation to substances. As part of the presentation, some willing volunteers also had to opportunity to try out ‘beer goggles’, simulating the effects of the influence of alcohol. Pupils then put their knowledge to the test during an interactive evaluation session, requiring them to respond to a variety of situations and then facing any subsequent consequences of their actions. Feedback from pupils was extremely positive, with 15 students now selected to attend a follow up session at Johnstone Town Hall on Monday 20 June. Thanks to our Safer Communities team at Police Scotland and our S6 Hearty Lives Peer Educators for supporting pupils in promoting their Health and Wellbeing! Article - Miss H Holmes, Project Leader Health and Wellbeing


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Hands On - with Google Expeditions The Great Wall of China. Mount Everest. Rio de Janeiro. The Great Barrier Reef. All in Gryffe?????? Listed are just a few of the fascinating places in the world observed ‘realistically’ by over 400 students from S1-6 on 27th March, when Google came to Gryffe! The experience was out of this world – literally! Google also took us to the moon, where students could look back at the earth’s atmosphere and discuss issues such as climate change and the depletion of the ozone layer. In order to allow students the chance to view sites of global, geographical, geopolitical, anthropological and environmental significance, they were equipped with Google Cardboard VR viewers. They then went on expeditions with their teacher acting as a guide, to lead groups of “explorers” through collections of 360° and 3D images while pointing out sights along the way. The students were fully engaged, pointing out interesting features to each other and the teachers. They were teaching each other and discovering things that they wanted to learn more about by themselves, while working through the virtual world they had entered. The visual aid certainly enhanced their learning experience. S1 Esme said: “I loved it! It is something that I have never done before, so I found that amazing. I loved seeing lots of places I had never been before.” Fellow S1 Dominic said: “I think it was a great way to learn about the world.” S2 Emma said: “It was so cool seeing different parts of the world from that perspective. It was really enlightening and I really enjoyed it.” Article - Miss A Iafrate, Geography Department

STEM Event for Girls

Pupils from S3 were invited along to West College Scotland to take part in the STEM event for women. Recent figures show that only 3% of people going into STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) careers are female. As a result of this, there is a national drive from the government and the STEM sector to encourage young women to get involved with STEM. A group of our S3 pupils have now been to two different workshops, allowing them to experience joinery, brick laying, tiling, painting & decorating amongst others. This is only a small area within STEM but it is opening doors and has motivated our learners. Pupils enjoyed learning from and talking to experienced trades people as well as students within the college. Article - Mrs J Malloch, Technical Department


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Maths and the Dewey System

The Dewey Decimal Classification System is the most widely used method for classifying books in a library. It is named after Melvil Dewey, an American Librarian who developed it in 1876. The Dewey System is a number system that divides books into 10 main divisions and then hundreds of sub divisions. The numbering system has the flexibility to cope with the changing subjects over the years. Librarian Mrs Kerr explained how the Dewey system works to S1 pupils and provided activities in the library to help their understanding. This was a great opportunity for pupils to learn about the system and also improve their maths skills. Article - Mrs C Kerr, School Librarian

Maths have Fun as they celebrate

Day Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world and the Maths department had the pupils making Pi chains and singing the Pi song. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Well done to class 1Mk, who earned House Points for Mackintosh by creating the longest Pi chain of the day. Article - Mrs A Mullan, Mathematics Department

‘Spectroscopy in a Suitcase’ visits AH Chemists Representatives of University of the West of Scotland’s Chemistry Department visited Gryffe High School with their ‘Spectroscopy in a Suitcase’ kit to support the 6th years with their Advanced Higher Chemistry projects. Pupils were given an opportunity to try out analytical techniques such as Infrared and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy that are used in science labs worldwide. Pupils were also given a short presentation on how these techniques work along with free goodies (periodic tables and glow in the dark pens!). Article - Mr A Henderson, Chemistry Department


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Gryffe Valley Rotary Club Young Writers Competition 2017 A range of pupils from across the year groups, entered into the Rotary's Young Writers Competition with a variety of exceptionally well written pieces based around the theme of 'Reflection'. In the Intermediate category Esme James (S2) was chosen as the winner and Rachael Jamieson (S1) was the runner up. In the Senior category, Rachael Bell (S2) was chosen as the winner and Mia Trolan (S3) as the runner up. Rachael Bell was also Overall Winner in her Age Category. Big congratulations to the successful entrants and indeed to everyone involved! Article - Miss J Higgins, English Department

World Book Day The English Department celebrated World Book Day last month with S1 – S3 pupils. S1 pupils designed creative bookmarks and post cards, while S2s created impressive posters. S3 pupils wrote letters to librarians, with some appreciative sentiments expressed to our own Mrs Kerr for all the hard work she puts into making the library a welcoming and accessible place for all pupils. Overall S1-S3 pupils were reminded of the value of reading for enjoyment and the department’s favourite examples from the day can be seen displayed in the English corridor. Waterstones Braehead also visited the school and pupils were given the opportunity to use a Book Token to select a book for nothing! Article - Mrs B Carter, English Department


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Authors’ Visits Recently the author Catherine McPhail came into the school and spoke to us about her new book and Tribes, the book we have been studying in class. She spoke about her inspirations for writing about each character and places that the book mentions and told us that she really likes that no matter where she goes people always think it is based where they live. She also spoke about another book, called Another Me, that has been adapted into a movie. It is about a girl who sees a copy of herself and begins to be afraid that the copy will take over her life. Catherine told us that this book was based on a recurring nightmare she had as a child. She even showed us the trailer which was really creepy! Overall it was really interesting to see the person who wrote the book we just read. Cameron Taylor (S1)

Catherine McPhail also spoke to a group of S3 pupils, who have been studying another of her books: Mosi’s War. She gave a very interesting presentation on the inspirations for her stories and gave some really good advice on how and where to find ideas for our own stories.

Renowned Scottish writer Alan Bissett visited the Advanced Higher English class. He provided a stimulating creative writing workshop to help students with their writing folios. He really pushed the students to come up with great ideas and also talked extensively about how to engage their readers effectively. A great experience for all involved! Article - Mrs K Anderson, Principal Teacher English


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Multilingual Debate

A group of senior pupils recently attended the Multilingual Debate at Heriot-Watt University. The debate centred around the role of sport in promoting integration in society and it was interesting to see how the audience members' views changed before and after the debate. Pupils listened to debates in a number of languages which were translated simultaneously by interpretation and translation students in their 4th year. The experience was a fantastic opportunity to see how languages can be applied in a professional setting. Afterwards we visited the Confucius Institute for a cultural experience where we tried traditional Chinese cuisine, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese costumes and Chinese string art. S5 pupils, Emily Gormley and Eilidh Duffy said, ‘Attending the debate gave us the opportunity to experience translation first-hand and in a realistic situation, as well as allowing us to practise our listening skills. We feel it was a really worthwhile experience as we were able to practise elements of our exam and develop a deeper understanding of what opportunities studying languages at university can provide.’ Article - Miss J Naismith Acting Faculty Head Modern Languages and Music

The week of 2nd-5th May is Responsibility of All Week at Gryffe High School.

S1-S3 pupils will be tracking and reflecting on their progress in using skills across the curriculum: literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing, and skills for learning, life and work.

Have a look in their Learning Diaries to see what they are getting up to!

DFID visit to Modern Studies and Geography

Higher Modern Studies and Geography classes were recently visited by speakers from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). They discussed the work of DFID around the world, but had a strong focus on the significant difficulties many South Sudanese citizens face during times of devastating famine and horrific conflict. This was a high impact talk and relevant to both the Modern Studies and Geography courses, giving pupils excellent examples to use in their exams, whilst also allowing them further insight into how international aid is used. The speakers also highlighted various career pathways in the Civil Service, such as apprenticeships, internships and opportunities to work abroad, and how they can be highly beneficial options for when they leave school. This was particularly illuminating for the classes, highlighting additional career paths of which many of the classes may not have been aware. Article - Keira Florence, S5


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A Shout Out from Support for Learning This month has been very busy within Support for Learning. With exams just around the corner Miss Brown, Mrs Skillen and Mr Taylor have been working hard to ensure all pupils receive the additional support that is required. Rooms are allocated and technology organised! Mrs Costello and a group of pupils who experience Dyslexia presented to over 30 members of staff at the beginning of the month. The pupils told their own story of Dyslexia, explained what Dyslexia is and how it can affect different individuals in different ways, then the teachers were taken through several activities to allow them to experience what Dyslexia can look and feel like. The feedback from the workshop was extremely positive and resulted in the pupils presenting again to all Principal Teachers of SfL within Renfrewshire. Michael Harker lead Psychologist for Renfrewshire attended and was put through his paces during an attention task. The simulation is designed to help the teachers understand that every pupil’s experience is unique; it provided a valuable insight into what it is like to have learning issues within a distracting environment. S6 ambassador, Rebecca Gale has also compiled the following report on ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) week. ‘As a result of successful fundraising from recent ADHD and Dyslexia months, SfL has been able to update the Departmental Tool Kits, to allow all pupils with additional support needs to access the help they need in each class. Tool kit aids include coloured jotters, anti-stress items and pencil grips, amongst others. Awareness has included a presentation to the pupil council and a re-initiation of the library stall with relevant leaflets and books about Autism. Like past awareness months, SfL Ambassadors have given assemblies to the senior years with key facts and figures relating to Autism. Available to everyone was an interesting and thought-provoking Autism film shown in the theatre after school. Furthermore, there have been several opportunities for the junior years to engage. The Art Department has helped to carry out an Autism logo competition where pupils can design a symbol for the condition and the winner’s logo will be permanently used at Gryffe’s SfL Department. The victor will also be awarded a goodie bag prize. On top of that, there has been a ‘Find the Facts’ challenge for students to identify and write down all 10 Autism facts located around the school with token opportunities for participants. For both pupils and staff, there was a competition to guess how many jigsaw pieces there were in the jar. Entrants paid a small fee for the chance to win yet another exciting goodie bag prize.’ – Rebecca Gale S6 On behalf of everyone at Support for Learning


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N4 Biology class visit Thermo Fisher

Pupils visited Thermo Fisher in Inchinnan to learn about the company and get involved in some hands on scientific experiments. Pupils extracted DNA from strawberries and learned about the importance of DNA in new medical advancements. They were then shown around the labs and learned how Thermo Fisher make culture flasks that have the nutrients in them to help grow cells. A fantastic opportunity for the pupils with many more future visits planned. Article - Mrs S Costello, Biology Department

S3 Apprentice Challenge S3 attended the launch of the "Apprentice Challenge" at the beginning of March - a project that enables pupils to work in groups to produce marketing materials in French and Spanish to promote a tourist destination. This year we chose Paisley in order to support the town's campaign to become City of Culture 2021. Representatives from Renfrewshire Council and the Paisley 2021 marketing team also attended this event. Article - Miss J Naismith, Faculty Head Music and Modern Languages Photographs – Rowan Seel, S3


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Social Subjects enjoy a talk from James Aspey

S3 Social Subjects pupils enjoyed an inspiring and informative talk from the world famous James Aspey. His talks to different groups across the world have been viewed 4.5 million times on Youtube. The talk gave detail on his life events, which inspired him to take a vow of silence for 365 days to raise awareness for voiceless animals. We gained an insight into the methods of activism he uses and how successful they have been. Pupils were given an opportunity to ask questions such as: Thea Raeburn- ‘Have you ever successfully saved animals?’ Matthew Cliff - ‘Was it difficult to take a vow of silence?’ Heather Jamieson ‘Because you are Vegan what other sources of protein other than meat do you recommend?’ Reply to Heather Jamieson: ‘As a vegan, I feel it is key to educate children from a young age where their food comes from and not only the environmental consequences of this, but also the moral and health implications that follow’. Other comments from S3 pupils: ‘He seemed a genuinely nice man who wants to do good for Individuals who do not have a voice’ ‘Was a good insight into different methods of activism’ ‘I had not given it much thought before but he opened my eyes into what it all actually means’ Article - Miss V Hannigan, Modern Studies Department


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Higher Geographers Fieldwork Early in the month, our Higher Geographers were involved in another very successful day of fieldwork at Green Water, a tributary of the River Gryfe in Kilmacolm. Our students were studying downstream changes along the river and during their trip were testing hypotheses based on the fluvial geomorphological theory that they have been studying in class. This underpins their preparation for the SQA assignment and has enabled them to develop important practice of fieldwork skills. It was also another valuable opportunity for students to get out into the ‘outside classroom’ and a great time was had by all. Article - Miss A Iafrate, Geography Department

National 5 Cake Craft Final Assessment Cakes

Well done to all of the pupils who put so much time and effort into these amazing looking cakes. Very creative and professional looking! Article - Mrs S Crawford Health, Food & Technology Department

S4 Pupil Alexandra attends ‘Mad to be Normal’ Premiere

Last year, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to play a part in the movie ‘Mad to Be Normal’. Written by Robert Mullan, it followed a small segment of the life of R.D Laing, a Glaswegian psychiatrist who shot to fame in the 1960’s after recommending that mental illness should be treated as much as possible without drugs. The lead role was filled by David Tennant and co-starred Elisabeth Moss, Gabriel Byrne and Michael Gambon. My role was to play Susie Laing, David Tennant’s daughter. I filmed for 4 days last February in Yorkshire. The whole experience was fantastic. I filmed 6 scenes in total, 5 with David Tennant and 3 of those made it into the final version of the film. It was amazing to meet David Tennant. He was exceptionally friendly and great to work with. I gained a lot from the experience on set. In addition to improving my acting, I learned about camera technicalities and working with sound and green screens. I hope to do more acting in the future. Article - Alexandra Finnie, S4


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Brass Workshop

Three pupils did Gryffe HS proud at a Renfrewshire organised Brass Music Workshops. Trumpet players Cate Meiklejohn, Beth Kinney and Keir Gaffney, all of S1 were among 16 brass musicians from Renfrewshire schools participating in an event hosted by Johnstone Brass Band. This included them preparing six pieces with members of the Johnstone Band on Saturday 4 February for a concert in Johnstone Town Hall on Saturday 11 February. They were also to create a melody to go along with a Burns poem for a piece composed by the bands conductor Leigh Baker. Cate’s melody stood out from the rest and it was used as a feature in the new piece, with Cate playing it as solo. Article - Mrs A Currie Faculty Head Music and Modern Languages

Under 15 Boys in Scottish Schools National Trophy win

Following a year long process from last May's initial trials for the under 15 Paisley & District squad, Alexander McCaw and Fraser Lee celebrated success with the team in winning the Scottish Schools National Trophy - the first Paisley win in 24 years.

This is a huge achievement for the boys in what is proving to be an outstanding season of school football for them. Article - Mr G O’Hare Faculty Head of Health and Wellbeing

S3 pupil Matthew Cliff is one of 67 pupils currently undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. He has selected ‘Media and Communication’ in the Skills Section as a skill that he wishes to develop. Matthew has provided a picture from his recent Day Walk and a brief report.

‘During the second week of the Easter holiday break the dedicated participants of the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award took part in an extra practice Day Walk on the Greenock cut. The walk was another chance to practise the skills and procedures that are required for our overnight camps in May. Training has included Food and Hydration, what to do in an Emergency, eDofe (this is online recording), Navigation, Kit and Tent Building. Again we were assisted by a number of volunteers and staff who gave up their holiday time. This was most enjoyable with great commitment from everyone. I am looking forward to the camps now that I have a better idea of what is involved.’ Article - Matthew Cliff, S3


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Visit from former pupil Erin Armstrong

Gryffe former pupil and star of BBC’s Shetland, Erin Armstrong, was recently invited to come talk to S2 pupils about her experiences as a professional actress. She impressed everyone with her stories of working with other professionals and what it is like to work on a production set. Erin shared her stories of auditioning for roles and her exciting experiences in L.A. and London. The highlight of her visit was getting to meet and talk to pupils at the end of the period and several pupils took photographs and ‘selfies’. We would like to extend a sincere ‘thank you’ to Erin for taking time out of her busy schedule to visit and wish her luck in her upcoming season of Shetland and her future career. Article - Mrs B Carter, English Department


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World Challenge Update

The countdown is on for our much awaited departure to Mongolia on the 14th June. March and April are a busy time for challengers who complete their final fitness test, as well as their course of Vaccinations required to travel. Applications for Visas are also vital and allow smooth entry to Mongolia. Challengers are also mindful of meeting their fundraising target with the aim of achieving the given amount in plenty of time before departure. All this before their focus switches to their SQA examinations for the month of May. School Leaders have a busy schedule in their preparation for departure as well. They complete the same fitness tests, Visa applications and Vaccinations as the pupils as well as undergoing their training. All school leaders attended the World Challenge Expedition Summit in Edinburgh, receiving vital information on the expedition ahead. Details on safety, itineraries, local information as well as medical updates are delivered by the World Challenge staff. It is essential for all leaders to hold an up to date two day Outdoor First Aid Certificate. Two Gryffe School Leaders attended a course across a weekend in April to ensure that they are fully qualified to travel. The final event before pupils stopped for examinations was the Parental Information Evening held by our World Challenge representative. This allowed World Challenge to discuss safety, travel, itineraries and other logistics with parents as well as allowing parents the option to ask questions. With departure only a couple of weeks after the end of the SQA examinations, the trip will soon be upon us. It is safe to say that all challengers and school leaders are very much looking forward to our expedition! Article - Mr A Findlay World Challenge Leader


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A Night to Remember – Spring Concert 2017

This year’s spring concert (21st March 2017) boasted a strong display of school talent as the audience were treated to a variety of performances; concert band, jazz band, choir, strings and soloists alike. It was an enjoyable night of pieces from throughout the ages, along with a helping hand from some audience members. As usual, the bar has been raised high and we eagerly await a new year of musical endeavours within Gryffe High School. Article - John Reader, S6


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PTA Tennis Tea Afternoon

On Sunday 23 April, the PTA joined in with Strathgryffe Tennis Club’s Free Tennis Afternoon, to host an afternoon tea, alongside a variety of games and activities. Those who managed to attend, were treated to a wonderful afternoon tea with an outstanding variety of cakes and treats on offer. Many thanks must go to those who contributed their time and efforts to making baking contributions for this event. Alongside the afternoon tea, a variety of games, activities and stalls selling giftware, bags, scarves and soaps, were taking place in the indoor courts. The PE department also hosted various activities such as human hungry hippos and relay noughts and crosses, which was great fun! Various other games were also on offer with some great prizes to be won. The winner of the Tennis Quiz with a fantastic prize of a Babolat tennis racquet, donated by Strathgryffe Tennis club, was Stuart McFadzean. And James Reid won the tin of sweets after correctly guessing how many there were inside. Well done to both! The 200 square game will be rolled over to our next event, with winners being announced before summer close. And a big “Thank You” to the Strathgryffe Tennis Club for all their help and support with this event. Please note, we are still selling raffle tickets for the PTA annual raffle, with the top prize of ‘Little Mix’ concert tickets to win, along with many other great prizes. Please buy tickets from the school office, or check the bottom of school bags for the booklet which was sent out to each child over the last two weeks. Tickets are priced at £2 each. We are closing in on our target of £40,000 to refurbish the theatre. Thus far, approximately £36,000 has been raised. We are now on our final push towards achieving our final fundraising goal. Therefore, your continued support is still very much needed and appreciated! Please visit our websites for updates on all our events and meetings, for both the PTA and PTC. You can also find us on Facebook.

http://gryffehighschoolcouncil.org/events/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/182401165463963 Please note that ‘easyfundraising’ opportunities are available on both the Facebook and Parent Council and PTA links. Just click on the relevant link to set up and help the school benefit from your online shopping.

http://gryffehighschoolcouncil.org/events/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/182401165463963


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Upcoming priorities/events MAY Mon 1 Holiday Tue 2 SQA leave starts for S4,S5,S6 pupils

Responsibility of All Assemblies Wed 3 Newsletter uploaded on to website Mon 8 MyMerit Week 4 Start of S3 Pastoral Interviews Thurs 11 S3 Profiling – MyMerit update Fri 12 World Fairtrade Day Thurs 18 S1,S2,S3 Reports issued to pupils Mon 22 Activities Week Tue 23 Activities Week Wed 24 Activities Week Thurs 25 In-Service Day Fri 26 Holiday Mon 29 Holiday Tue 30 New Timetable begins for new S2,S3,S4 S2/S3 Scottish Studies work begins JUNE Thurs 1 New S5 Induction Day Fri 2 New S5 start timetable New S6 Induction Day Mon 5 New S6 start timetable Parent Council AGM, 7:00 pm start Tue 6 Class of 2017 - S6 Prom Wed 7 Newsletter uploaded on to website Thurs 8 Winning House Day Out

Mr Colin Johnson Head Teacher

Mackintosh lift the House Cup After a hard fought year, the announcement that all of Mackintosh were waiting for- victory in the House Competition and therefore the winning of the House Cup. This is a fantastic achievement for all pupils and staff within Mackintosh. The House Captains, Ryan Ferguson and Ross Laird, had the privilege of accepting the victory and lifting the House Cup at the Award Ceremony, as shown on the front page. We look forward to the challenge of retaining the House Cup during the 2017/18 session Article - Mr A Findlay Principal Teacher Pupil Support Mackintosh House

Time to Say Farewell to S6 It is always mixed emotions at this time of year when it is time to say farewell to the S6 pupils..... Vikings at large!! Next stop is the Prom. This will be our final fling together! We are meeting at the school at 6:00pm that evening for a small reception and an opportunity for parents to take photographs – hopefully you will see them in the June newsletter. Article - Mrs A Brown DHT (with responsibility for S6 and S1)

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