STRATHAVEN ACADEMY NEWSLETTER

December 2014 www.strathaven.s-lanark.sch.uk Page 1

Headteacher’s Message

Welcome to our final newsletter of 2014, something of a ‘bumper’ edition! I wish to thank the pupils, staff, our many partners and supporters and, of course, our parents, who contribute to the diversity and richness of life in Strathaven Academy, as reflected in the following pages.

Our school community continues to grow, pupil numbers have increased and with that so have the opportunities we can offer, both in terms of courses and programmes of study and in terms of the wider life of the school. Our core purpose, that every young person who attends Strathaven Academy is entitled to the very best that we can provide, remains at the heart of what we do. Our expectation is that pupils, too, will give of their very best and I am always heartened and encouraged when visiting classes to see pupils and teachers working together with focus and shared purpose.

As we approach the end of term, we prepare for our festive events and celebrations. We look forward to our Christmas Carol Concert, to be held for the first time here in the Academy rather than the church - a result of the logistical challenges that our increasing numbers present. I wish to thank Rev Shaw Paterson for allowing us to use the Rankin Church over the past several years - a wonderful venue! I would also like to thank him for enduring the annual disruption we caused in our preparations and rehearsals! We have the exciting prospect of a performance from our Parent Council and PTA members this year – further demonstrating the fantastic support we get from our formal parent representative groups.

Our senior pupils are working hard to prepare for our third Christmas Community Lunch. This event has become something of a favourite with our young people - a wonderful opportunity for older and younger members of our community to come together and share in the sentiments of the season.

We are very proud of all of the achievements and contributions of our young people and the team who support them, and we look forward to 2015 in anticipation of successes and achievements yet to come.

On behalf of all at Strathaven Academy, I wish you a

Mr S Nicolson

Marion Irvine

Marion Irvine, who has worked in Strathaven Academy’s office for the last 19 years, will retire at Christmas. Mrs Irvine has been a wonderful colleague and friend to the school and will be sorely missed by us all. I’m sure you will all join us in wishing her good health and happiness for the future. Mrs M Pollock

My World of Work

Have you seen the new website, My World of Work for Parents?

It has all the information you need to support your schoolchild as they make decisions about their future. Whether they're making subject choices, getting exam results or leaving school, there's advice to help you both every step of the way.

Find out more at:

parents.myworldofwork.co.uk

STRATHAVEN ACADEMY NEWSLETTER

December 2014 www.strathaven.s-lanark.sch.uk Page 2

Rights Respecting Schools

The S1 Rights Respecting Morning this year took place on Wednesday, 12 November. Pupils in all classes worked together to create posters, wristbands, poems and charters with a powerful anti-bullying message. They also created a tower of strength, which contained a box from each group displaying their anti-bullying message. Pupils focused on cyber-bullying and how it can be prevented. Mr Gardner organised this event, which was well received and very successful. This event is part of the Rights Respecting Schools Award and helps to promote equality.

The school chaplaincy team, Reverend Shaw Paterson and Reverend Alan Telfer, attended and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Their input was invaluable as they explored types of bullying and how these can impact on our lives and society. They also took time to speak with every group and give them advice, support and encouragement throughout the day. Many other staff also gave their time to support the event, and this was greatly appreciated.

Well done to all involved!

Pictured above are S1 pupils hard at work.

Rights Respecting Schools

Parent Survey As part of our journey towards becoming a Rights Respecting School, we would like to ask your opinion on the attitude and behaviour of the children who attend Strathaven Academy. We would be really grateful if you could follow the link below to the Survey Monkey questionnaire and answer the questions as honestly as you can. There will be a follow-up questionnaire in a few months to measure the impact of RRS in our school. To take the survey, please follow the link below: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SW839XH The link to the questionnaire will also be available on the school website. For more information about the UN and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, please click on the link below. http://www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa

Many thanks Rights Respecting Team

E-cigarettes

Several enquiries about the use of e-cigarettes have been received by South Lanarkshire Council. The council position is as follows:

A decision has been taken that the use of e-cigarettes is not permitted within council premises.

This includes visitors and users of council facilities.

STRATHAVEN ACADEMY NEWSLETTER

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Comic Book Day

Our school library hosted its first Comic Book Day. Pupils came along to borrow the latest titles that our librarian Mr Doig had bought in, read some special edition comics, play DC Comics top trumps and eat Super Hero Cookies. DC Comics’ Martian Manhunter is a big fan of Oreos and so too were our comic fans, who devoured them quicker than the Flash! Pupils also voted for the greatest comic character and the winner, with 36% of the 94 votes cast, was Batman, who got more than all the Marvel Comic characters put together!

Pictured is Charlotte, S1 pupil.

Pictured above are Luke, Andrew, Louis and Scott.

PTA

Bag Pack

Strathaven Academy PTA held a bag-packing event at Sainsbury’s on Friday, 14 November. A number of pupils volunteered to participate in this event and over £600 was raised. The PTA would like to thank all pupils who helped.

Pictured above are Alan and Michael.

Christmas Raffle

Each year, the PTA holds a Christmas raffle in December. All pupils were issued with tickets in November, but there is still the opportunity to purchase tickets from the school office. The PTA were also selling tickets in Sainsbury’s on Friday, 12 December and Saturday, 13 December, from 3.30 to 5.30pm.

Tickets cost £1 each or £5 for the book, with the first prize a pair of full weekend passes to T in the Park 2015, including camping! The draw will take place on Tuesday, 16 December.

Spring Fayre

Strathaven Academy’s annual Spring Fayre will take place on Saturday, 7 March 2015, from 2 to 4pm. Pupils, parents and staff are welcome to book a table which will cost £15 and can be set up from 1pm. For further information or to book a table please contact Michele Osborne on 07929150914 or email micheleandjeremy@gmail.com.

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Sons and Daughters to Work

On Wednesday, 29 October, S2 pupils participated in a ‘Sons and Daughters to Work’ day. Pupils attended the workplace of a parent, carer or relative and the aim of the day was to familiarise them with the standards and expectations required in the workplace. This provided them with valuable insights into the skills used in the workplace and also an appreciation of the responsibilities undertaken by parents/carers on a daily basis.

The pupils who were unable to attend the workplace of a parent/carer or relative visited three local businesses, where they had the opportunity to experience these skills and responsibilities.

This was a valuable experience for all pupils involved.

Pictured above are Martin and Cameron.

Pictured above are pupils enjoying a demonstration Rissons Restaurant.

Work Experience

During their Work Experience week in December, 160 S4 pupils gained experience of the world of work. Pupils had the opportunity to try out a wide range of jobs in various sectors, including leisure, retail, administration, law, education, beauty and medicine. This is an important part of our pupils’ education and the school is grateful to all employers who participated in the scheme and helped provide our pupils with an insight into the world of work.

S5/6 PSE Morning - Careers Event

On Monday, 17 November, 240 senior pupils participated in a PSE morning which focused on careers. The army, four universities, three colleges and three local employers provided information for pupils. There were also mock interviews carried out by local Rotarians, and Skills Development Scotland and study skills sessions were provided for S5 pupils.

This was a worthwhile experience for all pupils and has enabled them to make informed choices about their future in further and higher education or employment.

Thanks to Ms Johnston for organising this event for the pupils.

S5/6 Geography

On Thursday, 25 September, the Higher and Advanced Higher Geography classes undertook a trip to Callander within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. This was a highly successful trip, with pupils collecting valuable data for their assignments and field studies. Those taking part in the trip had the chance to practise data-gathering techniques, examine glacial features and learn about the issues encountered within a National Park. The pupils conducted themselves excellently, working both independently and as part of a group.

STRATHAVEN ACADEMY NEWSLETTER

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Senior Art and Design & Photography Excursion

National Galleries of Modern Art 1&2

On Friday, 28 November, our class spent the day in Edinburgh at two art exhibitions; ‘Generation 25’ at the Modern 1 and the ‘Two Roberts’ at the Modern 2. We went to the ‘Two Roberts’ first and were welcomed with pleasant smiles. Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde weren’t just two successful artists but also two renowned Scottish artists that had actually worked together on paintings and even a ballet. The ‘Two Roberts’ exhibition was well laid-out and housed some fascinating paintings.

Next, we travelled to our second exhibition, which was close by - we only had to cross the road! Directly outside the building, we saw some beautiful land art, which set the scene nicely for us. In this exhibition, we were allowed to explore wherever we wanted, which enhanced the experience for me. For me, there were two artworks in particular that stood out: ‘Dirty Burning’ and ‘Psycho in 24 Hours’. The latter work was a very powerful video installation.

This was a great day. I only wish I had had more time to spend in the galleries!

Matthew S5

Senior Art and Design & Photography Excursion

Camera Obscura

My photography class went to the Camera Obscura building. The building has six floors with the Camera Obscura situated at the very top. It was fascinating to see this attraction because you can see all of the different parts of the city in magnified form. There is a panoramic view of Edinburgh and a stunning view of Edinburgh Castle, which is situated next to the building. Incredibly, the Camera Obscura has been in use since the 19th century. On the different floors there are different exhibitions that include Light Fantastic, the Magic Gallery, the World of Illusions and the Rooftop Experience.

I photographed many interesting things throughout the day, before meeting up with the other group to discuss the highlights, have lunch and head home.

Louise, S5

STRATHAVEN ACADEMY NEWSLETTER

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Belgium and France Trip

In November, a group of 61 students had the amazing opportunity to travel to Belgium and France on an educational trip. We sailed from Hull on an overnight ferry to Zeebrugge. After arriving in Belgium, we made our way to a chocolate factory and had a lot of fun learning about and sampling the chocolates! We had lunch in Brugge and spoke in mixed sentences of French and German because nobody knew the Flemish language. For us, the most memorable part of the whole excursion was Tyne Cot Cemetery – the biggest Commonwealth memorial graveyard. Twelve thousand white headstones stretched out in front of us. The cemetery was silent and deserted. It was an utterly overwhelming experience. Our next stop was Essex Farm where we saw medical bunkers and fortified sandbags. We then went to Ypres for dinner and then to the Menin Gate ceremony for the last post. It was a very emotional day. The next day we spent in France. The Christmas markets in Lille made everyone feel very festive and we practised our French by ordering market food. In the afternoon those who wished to focus on history travelled to the Somme. We visited Lochnagar Mine, the Newfoundland Memorial Park and the Thiepval War Memorial. The afternoon was again very moving. Those who stayed behind in Lille practised their French by speaking to the locals. For our final day, we went to the trenches of Sanctuary Wood. The trenches were very muddy and cold, and this showed us what trench life must have been like. Some of us decided to venture into the underground tunnels. We then visited Langemark Cemetery, which was a very different experience to the previous memorials. It was the most moving graveyard of all, as it has a mass grave for over 24,000 soldiers. Emotions ran high in the sombre atmosphere. We headed back to Brugge for some last minute Christmas shopping and then sailed home. It was an overwhelming experience and we hope to return in the future.

Dora and Beth (S6)

On Yer Bike

The sixth annual Get On Yer Bike for Saint Andrew’s Hospice will be held on Wednesday, 19 December. This is a sponsored cycle with a difference as it takes place on exercise bikes in the school. Each participant cycles for 30 minutes to raise sponsorship money.

The event is open to all pupils and staff and it is hoped that around 140 people will take part this year. This event raised over £1200 last year. This was donated to Saint Andrew’s Hospice.

Recycle Bikes to Africa

This year it is planned to add another dimension to our cycling-related fundraising efforts by appealing for any unwanted bikes, in reasonable condition, which can, with a little refurbishment, be sent to African countries to enable young people who do not have access to education to get to school.

“It is not uncommon for children to face a 20 mile round-trip to school, with many of the students who make it unable to concentrate, or falling asleep when they get there. With a bicycle, this journey time can be significantly reduced, and some people will attend school who would not otherwise have been able to do so. Students who cycle are also less tired and more able to focus on their studies.”

If you have a bike in a reasonable condition which could be donated, then we would be happy to accept it.

Bikes can be dropped at the school on Monday, 15 and Tuesday, 16 December, but if you would like us to collect the bike then please let us know. We will then arrange to collect the bike at a suitable time. All bikes donated will then be taken to a local depot before being shipped.

“Every bike shipped to Africa transforms lives, communities and generations – and at a surprisingly low cost.”

Further information can be found at:

http://www.re-cycle.org/need-for-bicycles-in-africa

CELEBRATING SUCCESS – PUPIL AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS

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Duke of Edinburgh

Leading youth charity, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, gives all young people aged 14 to 24 the chance to develop skills for life and work, fulfil their potential and have a brighter future. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in Strathaven Academy is always very successful with many pupils undertaking expeditions as well as volunteering, participating in physical activities and developing other skills.

Pupils interested in signing up for the Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award should speak to Mr Dunn to get a registration form. To be eligible, participants must ensure they have completed the award and that they meet the requirements stated in the letter issued after the expedition. Silver is limited to 28 participants and Gold is limited to 14 participants, priority will be given to participants who have uploaded evidence and entered into the true spirit of the award.

Thanks to Mr Dunn for organising and coordinating all Duke of Edinburgh activities.

Young Leaders

Emma Strachan, the Active Schools co-coordinator, has set up a Young Leaders Group focused around sports and physical activity at Strathaven Academy. The group is working towards the official Sports Leaders UK – Young Leaders Award. The Young Leaders Award is an introduction to leadership and aims to help learners develop leadership skills such as organisation, communication and teamwork, as well as helping to build confidence and self-esteem as they take on the responsibility of leading their peers and younger children. This is aimed at S3/S4 pupils who have an interest in sport and leadership and would benefit from this programme. It will incorporate a mix of the leadership award and a sport/physical activity and the programme will run until 25 March 2015.

Mini Tycoon Challenge

Over the past few weeks, the S3 DIY Elective has been working on a ‘Mini-Tycoon Challenge’. This is designed to try and teach young people about starting and maintaining a business and the challenge is to start with £1 and make as much money as possible. At the end of the thirteen-week elective, all money raised will be donated to the Christmas Hamper appeal.

“My group is called ‘Lewis’s Handy Parts’ and has eight members. We have been producing door wedges, candle holders, plant markers and plastic laser-cut reindeer. We currently have about £40 profit and £65 in orders!”

Aidan, S3

“The group of which I am part is called ‘Bargain Lads’, we are selling bespoke mirrors, and we are hoping to start a range of wooden tulips. We were given £1 at the start and we have raised around £40 since then. Throughout the elective, I have learned how to market products and keep an account of money. I have also learned how to work in a team and assign jobs to different people. All in all, it has been a fantastic experience and I am sure the skills I have developed will help me in later life.”

Ramzy, S3

Pictured above are the pupils from the S3 DIY Elective.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS – PUPIL AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS

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St Andrew’s Hospice

Once again, the first major fund-raising event for this session, for senior pupils and staff, was the St Andrew’s Hospice 6K Schools’ Challenge, on Sunday, 21 September. Over 1700 people turned up on a lovely morning with the principle aim of raising money for this worthwhile cause. Our team consisted of 37 pupils, 12 members of staff and 2 guests. Some of the team opted to wear school T-shirts while a large number turned up in a variety of superb fancy dress. Just after 10.30am, in unusually hot conditions for the time of year, everyone set off to run, jog, or walk round the loch. Special mention should be made of the real athletes in our team – Andrew Rowley (52nd overall), Jamie Kennedy, Cameron Angus, Mr Crombie and Mr MacPhee – who finished well inside the top 200 places, with a number of others close behind. In addition, Riva, who has taken part over a number of years alongside Ms McGinley, was the first dog home. The end result was that the efforts of all involved raised the wonderful sum of £1360.50. Thanks are due to all the parents and friends who offered support on the day and to everyone in the community who supported our team through sponsorship.

Pictured above are some of the pupils who participated in the event presenting the cheque to Lucy Mitchell from St Andrew’s Hospice.

STEM Challenge

Strathaven Academy’s STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics) team undertook a challenge to design and build an electric car. The car had to be remotely controlled and be capable of carrying eight table tennis balls securely around a set track. The team had to post a cumulative time over two separate laps, taking care to avoid the obstacles and penalty zones. The challenge also involved making a presentation to judges and explaining to them the process they went through from the initial design to finally building the electric car. As part of the day, the team got to meet Red Dwarf and Scrapheap Challenge actor/presenter Robert Llewellyn, who spoke to them about his passion for engineering and his exploits on his shows. The pupils had an excellent time on the challenge and capped this off with an impressive presentation and race which led to them being crowned champions on the day. The pupils would like to pass on their thanks to Freescale Semiconductor for the opportunity to take part in the challenge, Mr Connor and Mr Brown for helping with the challenge and also Strathaven Academy staff for their support.

Pictured above are John (S5), Henry (S5),

Mr Connor, Cameron (S5) and Fraser (S5).

CELEBRATING SUCCESS – PUPIL AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS

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Halloween Disco

The school held its annual Senior Halloween Disco on Wednesday, 29 October. The variety of pupil costumes was wonderful – although some were a bit disturbing! After the unexpectedly late arrival of the DJ, the pupils managed to get the party started in great form. As the night went on, there were party games and dance-offs and both pupils and teachers enjoyed themselves. It was great to see the pupils having a good time. Well done to all the pupils involved in organising the event!

S6 pupil, Luke, who helped organise the event, says:

‘Overall, the Halloween Disco went very well. Although at the start it was difficult to get people to buy a ticket, over 90 people turned up, which was excellent. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves, and they especially liked the games that were organised. The first game we played was limbo, which was very competitive! Everyone got involved and the eventual winner was Katelyn. After some more dancing to the great music played by the DJ, we were ready to play another game. This game consisted of people sprinting about looking for different objects, including phones, shoes, socks and even Ms Huq’s ID badge, before hurrying back to their seats – last person back was eliminated. This was thoroughly enjoyed and after a final round, Lauren and Ben came out on top.

‘Everyone was provided with crisps and juice to keep them going through the night and to fuel the energetic dance moves! The final game took us back to our Primary 7 days – ‘corners’! This was great fun and although some people were suspected of cheating, we did eventually have a winner!

‘The highlight of the night for me was the dance-off.

This was a boys versus girls competition with the boys coming out on top. Joe Ritchie was on fine form!’

Winners on the night:

S5 Best costume (girl): Abbie

S5 Best costume (boy): Cameron

S6 Best costume (boy): Scott

S6 Best costume (girl): Lauren

Below are a few photographs from the night:

Young Enterprise

The Young Enterprise Group is selling Festive Feet Christmas socks, the perfect gift this Christmas. At only £2 a pair, or three pairs for £5, they'll make a great "added extra" for those most dear to you at this time of year. These can be purchased from the Technical Education department in the school.

SPORTS SUPPLEMENT

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Sporting Success

Golf

On Tuesday, 23 September, Katie and Dionne were successful in the South Lanarkshire Schools Golf Championship which was held at Strathaven Golf Club. Katie was awarded the trophy for best scratch score and Dionne received the trophy for the best net score. Congratulations to both pupils.

Karting

Congratulations to Jack who has done extremely well this year since moving from cadet racing to junior racing. He has become the 2014 Cumbria Kart Club Junior Rotax Champion as well as the Northern Karting Federation Junior Rotax Champion. He competed in seven rounds at circuits in Lincoln, Cumbria, Scotland, Manchester, Liverpool and Yorkshire and will now go to Silverstone at the end of November for the prize presentation and awards ceremony. Jack is looking forward to racing in the winter championship in Lincoln from December to March and this will see him race with British and European champions.

Curling

Luke is skipping a curling team this season in the Asham U17 Slam which is run by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. The slam involves five events over the year for U17 teams from the whole of Scotland with points being awarded depending on placement in each

competition. At the beginning of November, Lanarkshire Ice Rink hosted the second event of the season, which was won by Luke's Team. On Sunday, 16 November Luke’s team competed in a one-day competition called the ‘Caledonia’ - this is open to all ages. For the second year running, the Caledonia Trophy was won by a team skipped by Luke. We wish Luke good luck for the remainder of the season. Luke is pictured below with his team receiving the trophy.

Life-Saving

Megan recently took part in the Scottish National Life-Saving competition. This is the first time she has competed, and after completing four different events with her partner, she was amazed when she found that they had won gold.

They then went on to compete at the British Nationals in Sheffield, where they had the opportunity to hold the flag for Scotland and parade around the pool with the other competitors. Although Megan and her partner did not place in the individual event, Team Scotland placed third overall. Megan said, “It was an amazing experience and we hope to compete again next year.”

SPORTS SUPPLEMENT

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U18 Football Report

The season so far………

The U18 football team has kicked off their season, playing two friendlies, two league matches and two Scottish Cup matches. They started with a convincing 15-0 friendly win away to Coatbridge High School, and the following week a 5-1 friendly victory over Trinity High School.

On Thursday, 25 September, the competitive action began with a home Scottish Cup tie against Stranraer Academy. This was a repeat of last year’s first round, and in a tight and tense first half, Stefan scored from a training ground corner kick routine to give Strathaven a 1-0 half time lead. The second half started in explosive fashion with Greg and Callum both scoring in the opening five minutes to give Strathaven a commanding 3-0 lead. Stranraer pulled a goal back but a second goal from Callum and Stefan, added to Bradley first goal for the school, saw Strathaven finish as 6-1 winners.

The reward for this was a second round home tie against Carluke High School on Thursday, 13 November. It was, once again, a move from the training ground that brought the opening goal with Jack’s corner forcing a Carluke player to head past his own goalkeeper after only two minutes. The score remained at 1-0 until the sixtieth minute when Callum put Strathaven 2-0 up. Carluke pulled a goal back with 15 minutes to go and although this made for a nervous finish, Strathaven held on to go through 2-1. The team now travel to play Kilwinning in the next round, once again a repeat of last year’s third round.

The league campaign kicked off at home to Calderglen on Wednesday, 8 October, with Stuart and Cameron scoring in the first half to give Strathaven a 2-0 lead. Strathaven dominated the match but lost their way in the second half. Calderglen found a way back into the match and equalised with ten minutes remaining. A shot from Sam found the top corner of the net and gave Strathaven a crucial three points.

On Wednesday, 22 October, we welcomed Duncanrig to the Hastie for our next league match. Duncanrig took an early lead but this was cancelled out within a minute as Stefan headed the ball home from another training ground corner kick routine. The next 20 minutes produced the best football of the season so far as Callum and Stefan put Strathaven 3-1 in

front. Stuart then scored two fantastic goals, the second of which was a chip over the goalkeeper from 30 yards that certainly entertained the large crowd at the Hastie. Strathaven held a commanding 5-1 lead at half time and in the second half both teams added a penalty each to the score-line, with Stefan completing his hat-trick from the spot for Strathaven, giving a final score of 6-2.

The team have important fixtures coming up in the league, Scottish Cup and Regional Cup, and we wish them every success in these games.

U18 Lanarkshire Select Football

Sam and Stefan have been representing the school as part of the U18 Lanarkshire Schools’ Football Team. They have played three Scottish Cup matches so far, recording a victory in all three. They are now looking forward to the Quarter Final of the competition and will play this match after the Christmas holidays. We wish them every success for their future matches.

All Lanarkshire Select matches are watched by the squad selectors for the U18 Scotland Schools Football Team and we are delighted to announce that both Stefan and Sam have successfully made it to the trial stage of the National Team. This is an outstanding achievement and they become the first

pupils in the school’s history to represent the school at the highest level of schools’ football. The boys are two of sixty-four players in the country to be selected for trials and these are chosen from pupils at 198 schools across the country. This is a phenomenal achievement. They are trialling to be part of the Scotland team that competes in a Home Nations tournament and took part in the first trial at Toryglen in Glasgow on Wednesday, 26 November. We look forward to hearing all about their experience.

SPORTS SUPPLEMENT

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Brewin Dolphin rugby

Having lost to Biggar High School in a closely-fought match, the U16 rugby team played their first game in the Brewin Dolphin Glasgow North Bowl competition on Thursday, 30 October. The team came out as victors, winning 46-0 against Chryston High School on a rain-soaked pitch which initially tested their handling skills. After some scrappy exchanges, Robbie opened the scoring with a try. This seemed to spur the team on, as further tries were scored by Ruaridh, Scott, the two Kyle’s, Lewis and Drew. The blustery conditions proved to be challenging for the kickers with Gordon kicking two conversions and Euan scoring one. A special mention should go to Garry, who played in his first ever competitive rugby match. Garry had a couple of fantastic runs and was chosen as Man of the Match.

Netball Strathaven Academy pupils have once again been successful in netball trials, with Kyra (S4) and Samantha (S5) involved with the Scottish Pathways Netball Development Squad for this year. Lucy (S5) and Niamh (S3) performed extremely well in the final selection process at the recent U17 South Lanarkshire trials and are now part of the U17 Scottish netball squad. This is a fantastic achievement for the pupils.

Young Ambassadors

Katie (S4) and Drew (S4), have been selected as our Young Ambassadors for 2014-15. Katie and Drew have been chosen due to the commitment, interest and enthusiasm they have shown when taking part in any sporting event. In their role, they will regularly plan and promote a variety of physical activity clubs and competitions, as well as being involved in fund-raising and charity events. We are sure their knowledge and enthusiasm will rub off on the younger pupils with whom they work. On this matter, Katie said, “I’m excited to have this opportunity and am especially looking forward to working with other schools”. Good luck for the year ahead!

Young Ambassadors’ Conference 2014

Drew was fortunate enough to attend the Young Ambassadors’ Conference 2014. Here he had the opportunity to meet with other Young Ambassadors, chat with elite athletes and even get his hands on Olympic and Commonwealth medals. This was certainly a very worthwhile and inspiring event. Drew said, “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet the other young Ambassadors”.

MUSICAL ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

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Musical Activities

Patrick Doyle Project

One of our S4 pupils, Sarah, has been selected to be a member of an orchestra performing original music by the famous film composer Patrick Doyle. Pupils across the whole of Lanarkshire auditioned for the orchestra, which features some of the finest musicians in the area. Mr Doyle was originally commissioned to write the score for the Syracuse International Film Festival in New York, to accompany the silent film classic ‘IT’, featuring Clara Bow. Mr Doyle, who is Scottish, and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, has composed music for over 50 films for Hollywood, including ‘Calendar Girls’, ‘Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire’ and ‘Brave’.

The music will be performed live, alongside the film at the Townhouse, Hamilton, in June 2015.

Sarah says:

“In October this year, I successfully auditioned to be part of a youth orchestra which will perform the score at a screening of this film next June. The orchestra consists of sixteen musicians from schools across Lanarkshire, and we were thrilled to meet Mr Doyle in person when he came from London to introduce the project to us. Under the instruction of Bernard Docherty and several other notable music coaches, we have been rehearsing regularly since then. Pamela McDaid, Quality Improvement Officer, has also been on hand to offer advice and encouragement as we work through the music. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience so far and I look forward to performing next June.”

Junior Choir Carol Singing

On Monday, 1 December, Strathaven Academy’s Junior Choir participated in Christmas Carol-singing in East Kilbride shopping centre. The purpose of this was to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow. This is a small, independent charity, which is reliant on the generosity of individuals and groups, whose donations and fundraising events help to raise a significant sum of money annually to cover the running costs. The House provides a home away from home for over 500 families from all over Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England each year, and all donations are greatly appreciated. Thanks to Mrs Blades, Miss Rae and the Junior Choir, and also to Taylor Payne, who did a marvellous job of accompanying the choir on guitar.

ABRSM, LCM and Trinity Exams

Over the last month, many pupils have been undertaking practical exams on a variety of instruments including piano, violin, saxophone and voice. They are examined by the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, London College of Music or Trinity College London. We look forward to hearing of their success in the New Year.

MUSICAL ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

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Musical Activities

Auchlochan

Twelve pupils recently visited Auchlochan Retirement Village to provide an evening of musical entertainment for the 400 residents. Auchlochan Garden Village is set within 50 acres of beautifully landscaped woodlands, mature gardens and lakes in the hills of South Lanarkshire. The Village provides bungalows and apartments as well as three residential care homes.

The residents were treated to a variety of musical items including saxophone, piano and vocal solos, as well as traditional Scottish ceilidh tunes and performances from the pop vocal group. Thanks to all the pupils for their participation and to Miss McEwan and Mr Mackay who provided piano accompaniments for the performances.

Pictured above are Jamie, Alanna, Morgan, Amy, Mia Jamieson, Iain, Katie, Cameron, Gillian, Jill, Nicole and Kirstie.

Forthcoming Musical Events

Christmas Concert

The school Christmas Concert is being held on Tuesday, 16 December, at 7.30pm in the school. The concert will feature a wide variety of music involving bands, choirs, soloists and groups. A proportion of the proceeds will be donated to Radio Clyde’s ‘Cash for Kids’.

Tickets are available from the school office and in the street area of the school at intervals, priced £5.00 for adults and £3.00 for concessions.

Strathaven Choral Society

Morga, Molly, Jamie and Alanna will be performing at Strathaven Choral Society’s Christmas Concert. This is being held on Saturday, 13 December, in the Rankin Church at 7.30pm.

Tree Lighting

As in previous years, Strathaven Academy pupils will be supporting the Tree Lighting with the junior choir singing some carols.

The schools liaison officer from St Andrew’s Hospice also attends and says a few words about their annual ‘Light up a Life’ campaign.

This year, the Tree Lighting will be combined with the Reindeer event, and this will take place on Sunday, 14 December, at 12.30pm, in the Common Green.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS AND DIARY DATES

December 2014 www.strathaven.s-lanark.sch.uk Page 15

School Events

8 January – S3 Choices Evening

13 January – S1 Consultation Evening

14 January – S2 Careers Event

21 January – S4 Careers Consultancy

23 January – S4 reports to parents

28 January – S4/5 Pre Options

29 January – H/AH Prelims 6 February 5 February – S4 Consultation Evening

13 February – S2 reports to parents

17 February – S2 Choices Evening

24 February – S2 Consultation Evening

2 March – Rotary Concert

6 March – S5/6 reports to parents

7 March – Spring Fayre

9 March – S4 Tree of Knowledge

17 March – Rotary Speechmaking

1 April – S6 Prom

2 April – Easter Service

Holiday and Inservice Dates

9-10 February – holiday

11 February - inservice

2 April – close at 2.30 pm

Newsletters by Email

If you would prefer to receive future newsletters via email, please let us know. Send an email to newsletter@strathaven.s-lanark.sch.uk providing the name and register class of your son(s)/daughter(s) and you will be added to a mailing list to receive future newsletters electronically.

Useful Links

http://www.sqa.org.uk/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education

http://scholar.hw.ac.uk/

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/

Study Skills Booklet

Homework Guide

English

http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poetry/tags/sqa-national-5-texts

http://www.scotlitangus.com/

http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning/teachers-librarians/teaching-resources-cpd/senior-phase

http://www.brightredpublishing.co.uk/Uploads/InsideCatalogueItems/N5%20English%201-5%2052-65.pdf

S3 Information Evening

The annual S3 parents’ information evening will be held on Thursday, 8 January 2015. This will be a valuable opportunity for parents to discuss progression to the senior phase and new qualifications.

S5/6 Prelims

Prelim exams for pupils in S5/6 will be held from Thursday, 29 January, to Friday, 6 February. All pupils should plan their studying over the coming months to ensure they are well prepared for these important exams. Study guidelines and study planners are available from the school or can be downloaded from the school website.

Supported Study

A range of supported study classes are being offered to pupils in preparation for Unit Assessments and Examinations. Pupils should see individual departments for forthcoming dates.