Academy Newsletter

Summer 2019 Introduction

Dear Parent/Carer

Although the weather was certainly changeable over the holidays, I hope you all enjoyed this precious time with your children. The school is always very quiet when they are not in, so I was delighted to welcome them and the buzz they create last Wednesday. They all appear to have settled well and I am sure they will be enjoying getting to know their new teachers and making some new friends. We have enrolled a number of new pupils in our school and I would like to extend a warm welcome to them and their families.

Exam Results

Congratulations to all our senior pupils who received their exam results during the holidays. The examination picture across our entire senior phase was particularly strong. Our S4 pupils broke school records with 70% achieving 5 or more National 5 qualifications. Yet again, our statistics compare favourably with schools across the authority. There were some outstanding individual performances and these children should be commended. However, there are some pupils who may be feeling disappointed. Our message for them is to regroup, come and seek advice and work hard during this coming year to achieve all they possibly can. The excellent results across our senior phase is testament not only to the hard work of our pupils but also the dedication and commitment of our staff team. We are very fortunate that staff go above and beyond to ensure that our young people achieve all they are capable of.

Staffing

There has been a number of changes to our staffing to start the new academic session. In Primary we were delighted to hear that Miss Smail had secured a permanent post out with and but unfortunately that meant she could not join us to teach Primary 6. Miss Dalgliesh has joined the Primary team until the post is advertised. We were also pleased to welcome back Mrs O’Sullivan and Mrs James from their maternity leaves. Mrs Graham has taken up the Acting Depute Head Teacher role at Primary School. In Secondary, Miss McNaughton is now a permanent member of our English department and we also welcomed back Mrs Chambers from High School.

I look forward to working with all our young people and their families during the year ahead. I am sure that together we can make it another highly successful one for Moffat Academy.

Andrea Macfarlane

Acting Head Teacher Primary News

Nursery

Nursery enjoyed a fun sports day last term—thank you to parents, carers, friends and families who came along and to staff for arranging the event. There were lots of races including running, egg and spoon and even horse riding! Well done to the Nursery for learning fabulous songs to sing at the event too.

Primary 1 P1 had an exciting end to the school year in term 3 with lots of learning and fun. One highlight was our Young Engineers Workshop where we made our own cars with a little help from some parents, grandparents and friends. (Even Mrs Lemon needed a little help from some of the parents!) We all had a super afternoon and our cars looked great and worked really well.

As part of our topic work we also visited Drumlanrig Castle and had a super time. We especially loved the adventure playground. It was a great end to a fabulous year. Primary 1/2 P1/2 enjoyed an amazing day out at Moat Brae. Pupils were shown around the house by Wendy (yes, Wendy!), which was full of stunning rooms filled with Peter Pan memorabilia. There was a library complete with a giant crocodile making it's way through the wall and you could even try to catch Peter Pan's shadow that was flying across a room! We had a tour of the beautiful garden and the Jolly Roger, made up stories and decorated stones with Flora and bought things in the shop. Thank you to everyone at Moat Brae for a fantastic day.

Primary 2/3 Primary 2/3 visited Millbank Venison and the Barony Campus Robotic Dairy Unit as part of their topic on food and farming. The children really enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about the process of food from farm to fork and the journey of milk from cow to carton. One of the highlights was making our own venison sausages. The sun shone and a great day was had by all.

Primary 3/4

Pupils enjoyed a Brazilian festival last term. They created masks, danced, played music and made some Brazilian delicacies to eat. Thank you to parent Mrs Nunes (who was formerly a resident of Brazil) for all your help. Primary 4/5 P4/5 had a lot of fun using their maths and ICT skills to programme a car to travel along the road (without crashing off or bumping into hazards).

Primary 5

On Wednesday 8th May, P5 went on a trip to Holyrood Palace to round off their Mary Queen of Scots topic. A great day was had by all despite the weather!

On 21st-24th May, P5 went on an overnight residential to Carlingwark. The pupils took part in sailing, canoeing and kayaking activities led by the Outdoor Team.

Primary 6 Great summer weather towards the end of term meant that Primary 6 were able to get out and about in the local area. They enjoyed an active day in the forest and at the park. Fun and friendship were high on the agenda and PC Irons kindly came along and helped out with basketball and rounders.

Primary 6/7 The Royal British Legion invited some Primary pupils to attend a short service on Thursday 6th June at the War Memorial, to commemorate 75 years since the D-Day landings in Normandy. Six of our Primary 7 pupils represented Moffat Academy, bearing flags and remembering those who gave their lives. (Primary 7s - Kenzie, Hannah, Olivia, Hannah, Evie and Zena)

Primary 7 We really enjoyed going on the P7 Residential to Galloway Activity Centre, Loch Ken. We did lots of water activities including stand up paddle boarding, dragon boat racing and raft building. We enjoyed getting to know some of our new Secondary Teachers and spending time with our friends. My favourite part of the Residential was the 'leap of faith' where we had to climb up the ladder and jump off (with a harness attached) to try to get the large ball dangling in front of us! By Zena Hodgson, P7 (now S1) Rhet Tractor Tour

We were delighted when Moffat Primary was selected to host a visit from the RHET Tractor Tour of , as it’s only stop in Dumfries & Galloway before it headed into the Borders region. The Tour completed its journey when it arrived at the Royal Highland Show. In all, the tractors visited 12 regions in Scotland, visiting 1 school in each region and covering over 600 miles. RHET (Royal Highland Education Trust) is a charity that takes the class- room to the countryside and many pupils from Moffat Primary have benefit- ed from its input and volunteers. RHET is celebrating 20 years’ ser- vice to nurseries, primary and secondary schools throughout Scotland.

Primary 3 pupils have visited the Barony Campus, Parkgate and The Venison Deer Farm in Boreland, funded by RHET for a number of years. They have also recently been involved in soup making . Over the years we have invited farm speakers into our classrooms to deliver key messages about farming and food production. Nursery children have enjoyed a tractor and baby lamb visit organised by RHET at the beginning of this term.

During the tour visit there were a number of exciting activities which our children were invited to take part in, these activities were organised by RHET and include visiting machinery, a sheep station, deer and bee farm activities, Scottish food activities, butter making, colouring and name the tractor competition.

We asked all children to come to school dressed as a farmer for the day in return for a small donation to RHET.

We were also thrilled that Beattock Primary joined us on the day making it a cluster event for all to enjoy. Morning Nursery children were also welcome to come along with their parents to the event.

Health Week

Primary enjoyed a fantastic sunny Health Week Monday- Wednesday last term. There were so many activities for pupils to try, from cosmic yoga to water balls! Thank you to all staff involved, especially Miss Rae for all her hard work organising the events. Thank you to all our local members of the community who came to share their skills with us and, finally thank you to this year's Secondary photographers for amazing photos; Ewan and Harvey S2, Emily and Charlie S3.

Sports Day

Our Primary Sports Day was held last term and all the pupils enjoyed a fun 'superhero theme'. We almost managed to complete the races but were forced to cancel due to the weather. We finished the final races as soon as the weather permitted and the presentations were held at Church on the last day of term. Thank you to all parents who came along to support the day, to all the staff involved and to Miss Rae for arranging the event. Thank you also to the Parent Council for their refreshing pop-up café and Miss Gibbon and her Work Experience students Louis, Charlie and Luke for their photography.

We were a little late catching a photo of this year's Primary Sports Champions after they were awarded this morning, so as you can see they are decorated in good luck messages for progressing to secondary after the holidays!

Primary Sports Champions Ben 1st Billy 2nd Logan and Mason 3rd Lorna 1st Laura 2nd Rose 3rd

Congratulations to all! Interhouse Rugby

Thank you to Cammy Little and the team from Moffat Rugby Football Club for hosting our Primary Interhouse Rugby Tournament. Well done Dowding for winning the tournament!

P7 Graduation

P7 pupils said goodbye to Moffat Primary at the end of term. They entered the school by a Guard of Honour with all the Primary pupils cheering them along. Pupils met their parents in the Assembly Hall and shared a table with them before they went on stage and told pupils and parents what they will miss about Primary and what they are looking forward to in Secondary. It was a lovely afternoon.

Talent Show

Well done to all involved in last term's Primary Talent Show. Congratulations to Beth and Riley who won first place with their entertaining poem.

Opera

300 years ago the Jacobites battled the Hanoverians for the right to rule Scotland (with a little help from King Philip and the Spanish army) This week in Moffat the battle of Glenshiel was recreated in song and dance as Scottish Opera helped Primary 6,6/7 and 7 bring history to life. In period costume, after a short rehearsal, the young performers regaled an audience of families, pupils and community members with 1719 the opera and took their bows to a standing ovation and a chorus of ‘Bravos’! Moffat Academy Parent Council

Update from Moffat Academy Parent Council Please join us! As the new academic year kicks off your Parent Council is delighted to welcome all new and existing parents & guardians to join meetings, policy conversations and social and fundraising activities. And don’t worry if you can’t make the actual meetings; there is always plenty of chat at the school gate, at school events, on our Facebook page and on email & messenger. Please see below for future meeting dates and contact details. We need your ideas! We rely on you the parents and guardians, teachers and pupils for input into how we can best represent the parent forum in policy conversations and how to maximise fundraising on behalf of all pupils. Please share your input and ideas in person, online, by email or via the suggestions box, details all as below. Not sure what a parent council is? The provides the following guidance: Functions of the Parent Council 8. The Act sets out a range of functions for Parent Councils which fall broadly within the following four areas;  Supporting the school in its work with pupils  Representing the views of parents  Promoting contact between the school, parents, pupils, providers of nursery education and the community  Reporting to the Parent Forum. Last year we raised a total of £3,720.83 all of which went towards enhancing the pupils’ learning experiences in different ways and this year we hope to do even more. Please keep an eye out for notices on the school door, the outdoor school notice board (by the bike racks) and on the school/ parent council Facebook pages to stay up to date with meetings and activities. What’s Up Next Rookie Rockstars - Thurs 5th Sep 2019 Make sure you book your tickets ASAP and please come with loose change for our pop-up cafe which will be selling tea, coffee, biscuits and maybe homemade cakes if we have some volunteer bakers. Please get in touch if you can help!

Chocolate Bingo - Thurs 26th Sep 2019 We will be looking for volunteers to help on the night and of course the usual donations of chocolate will be needed. More details on posters and Facebook to follow.

Halloween Disco - Wed 30th Oct 2019 Future Meeting Dates Parent Council Meeting- Wed 11th Sep, 9am Parent Council Meeting - Wed 9th Oct, 9am Parent Council AGM - Wed 13th Nov, 6pm Parent Council Meeting - Wed 11th Dec, 9am Contact Details – How to Get in Touch with Us Email: [email protected] Facebook: Moffat Academy Parent Council In Person: At school events and fundraisers. (If you are not sure who to talk to there will usually be a parent council member manning the Pre-Loved Uniform Rail). The Written Word: Drop a note into our suggestions box which will live in the school office and will also be brought out alongside the Pre-Loved Uniform Rail at school events and fundraisers.

Keeping You Updated – How Can we Contact You?

We want to hit the right balance between bombarding parents with messages but also keeping you informed and updated. We plan to post information such as event posters, meeting notices, agendas and minutes on our Facebook page and on the out- door school notice board (by the bike racks) but if you would also like us to email you directly please let us know by emailing [email protected]. You can also request copies of meeting minutes from the school office.

We really look forward to sharing a productive and busy new academic year with you all.

Your Parent Council [email protected] Facebook: Moffat Academy Parent Council Secondary News

Senior Awards Ceremony

On Wednesday 24th April 2019 Moffat Academy staff, pupils, parents and many of the community partners celebrated the successes for session 2018 –19 with the senior phase pupils. The evening began with a Powerpoint display of the school's events from the past year, a welcome from Curriculum Depute Mr Williamson and a speech from our Head Teacher Mrs Macfarlane.

The Faculty awards were announced by faculty representatives Mr Armstrong, Miss Gaines, Miss McNaughton and Mr MacBeath. Mr Williamson presented the S4/5 Prize Winners followed by a Musical Interlude by the very talented senior pupil David MacDonald. The Special Awards & Wider Achievement awards were presented and Mr Jeff Brown presented his 'Jeff Brown Achievement and Enterprise Award'. Our guest speaker for the night was former Moffat Academy Emily Atkinson, now a successful professional singer/ songwriter.

The evening was rounded off with a display of the S5&6 leavers and their plans for the future. It was a night of great celebration for all and, for some, an emotional end to their years at Moffat Academy. Thank you everyone involved in the making of the event, to our guest award presenters and to Mr Williamson for arranging the evening. Thank you also to our sponsors Benmar Services and Mrs C Dignan. S1-S3 Awards The S1-S3 Award Ceremony was held on Thursday 20th June. Thank you to our guest speaker PC Irons for delivering a fantastic motivational speech. Special Award winners were:

Mark Walker Trophy - Boys Cross Country Champion - Dylan W.

S1 Girls Sports Champion - Honey S1 Boys Sports Champion - Arthur S2 Girls Sports Champion - Simone S2 Boys Sports Champion - Kit S3 Girls Sports Champion - Megan S3 Boys Sports Champion - Ciaran Senior Gymnastics Cup - Honey and Morgan Junior Gymnastics Cup - Amy S2 Chemistry Performance Award - Grace R S3 Chemistry Performance Award - Lucy J S1 Champion Reader Award - Thomas S1 Outstanding Reader Award - Matt S2 Champion Reader Award - Liam S S2 Outstanding Reader Award - Abbie M

Congratulations to all. Secondary Sports Day

Rain does not stop play. Moffat Academy held their annual athletics events on the school playing fields on a wet but warm day. Throughout the year pupils from all year groups have been honing the skills to qualify for this prestigious school event. All athletes demonstrated an excellent positive attitude and did not let the rain spoil the day. Although the conditions under foot were not ideal, the pupils still managed a high level of performance to break nine school records. Due to feedback from parents and pupils from previous years we arranged for some open events on the day that pupils did not need to qualify for which added extra excitement and more participants to the event. Our Facebook page will be flooded with photos taken by our fabulous photography group so anyone who would like to can have a look at our proud athletes on the field as soon as they are posted. The trophies were presented by Ms Gaines who has successfully taken up a post at another school in the region and will be leaving us at the end of term. Thank you to all staff and pupils who assisted with the organisation of this event and to all parents and spectators who came to support the competitors.

New records for 2019 (starting from 2011, in the new school) were as follows:

S1: Honey 400m (70 seconds) Alesha Shot Put (7.39m) S2: Dylan W. 400m (68 seconds) Kit long Jump (4.45m) Herbie High Jump (1.55m) S3: Erin T. Long Jump (3.65m) Nelija Discus (15.92m) Ethan Discus (22.50m) Simone T. Javelin (16.28m) Individual year group sports champions are: S1 Girls: Honey S1 Boys: Arthur S2 Girls: Simone M. S2 Boys: Kit S3 Girls: Megan S3 Boys: Ciaran S. Senior Girls: Catriona P. Senior Boys: Brodie.

The sports day total for Queensberry was 176 and for Hartfell 224 meaning the athletics shield was won by Hartfell. The house shield was won by Hartfell House scoring 460 points to Queensberry’s 394. Hartfell has now won the house shield five years in a row. Health Week S1 and S2 pupils at Moffat Academy have been enjoying Health and Wellbeing week. This has involved a huge range of activites in school, from yoga to rounders to gymnastics to volleyball. Additionally, the week has been very well supported from partners within the local community, with inputs from Moffat Gym, Beechgrove Tennis Club, Moffat Golf Club and Beechgrove Bowling Club showing pupils the variety of sporting opportunities available in the town. As well as sporting activities, Health and Wellbeing week has also provided pupils with opportunities to further their understanding of Mental Health, particularly focusing on healthy relationships with technology. Furthermore, sessions on healthy cooking have been led by the Home Economics department, helping to equip pupils with skills that are necessary in order to support a healthy lifestyle. Pupils have also enjoyed a range of trips throughout the week; some pupils undertook a forest walk, others visited Snowfactor in , a huge number visited Alton Towers and New Lanark, and pupils ended the week with a trip to the trampoline park and bowling alley in . Overall, the week has provided a great opportunity for pupils to enhance their health and wellbeing while building positive relationships across the school and community. Zoolab

Zoolab visited Moffat Academy on Wednesday 9th May. Pupils enjoyed having the chance to handle and learn about lots of different species.

Bang Goes DG

S1 and S3 pupils visited the Easterbrook hall to take part in the Bang goes DG event. This consisted of college /career stalls and pupils could ask questions/take part in interactive activities. S2 pupils visited last year and so this year it was the turn of the S1s and S3s.

Foodbank

Thank you all so much for your generous donations today for Foodbank; Izzy (S2) who planned the event is in the photo below with all the items. The winners of the raffle prizes were: P4/5, S2H, Luke P5, Poppy P1/2 and Liam H S2. A massive well done to Izzy!

Senior Induction Days

Senior pupils have been taking part in two Induction days yesterday and today. They engaged will lots of different team building activities as well as several talks including Interview Skills and CV Builders with Ms , Communication Skills with Mr Leyva and Mr Williamson, Survivial Cookery, rounders and Leadership Skills and many more. Football

U14 Cup Final Report by Mr Meola

On Tuesday 14th May 2019, Moffat Academy’s U14 Football Team travelled to a sunny Palmerston Stadium in Dumfries to play in the U14 Small School’s Cup final. Through to the final after a long, successful season and a very tight 4-3 win in the semi-final against , the boys were full of excitement and confidence. The game started and Moffat were instantly on the front foot with Kit (S2) playing the ball across goal for Cameron (S1) who narrowly missed. From that moment on, Moffat dominated in possession and attack. Before long they were 1-0 up thanks to a wonder goal by Dylan B (S2). Perfect technique and timing saw the ball nearly burst the net from 25 yards. Simply outstanding! Inspired by this opening goal, Moffat used this momentum to run into an early 4-0 lead before the 15 minute mark. Fantastic passing play by midfield maestros Dylan and Joel (S1) opened up the Langholm defence time and time again with shots raining down on the opposition goalkeeper. At halftime, Moffat Academy were 8-0 ahead. The game was now beyond Langholm but Moffat knew not to allow themselves to become complacent and began the 2nd half in the same fantastic form as they displayed in the first. A huge amount of credit should go to the young Langholm team who started the 2nd half sharply and created a few good chances. However, the strength of the Moffat defence, led by ‘Captain Fantastic’ Elliott (S2), proved too strong. Taylor (S1) was amazing in defence as he appeared hell-bent on preventing any ball from breaking the defensive line with an insatiable thirst for clearing his lines and regaining position. Protected by his staunch defence, Dylan W (S2) never looked troubled and assumed the role of a fifth defender in playing as a ‘sweeper keeper’, using his anticipation and pace when required. Yet another clean sheet for the ever-reliable young goalkeeper! Ruairidh (S2) and Callum (S1) ran their socks off all afternoon as full backs and were a nightmare for the opposition wingers with too much pace and desire to win every ball. They linked up excellently with Ewan (S1) and Cameron (S1) on the wings. Both wingers attacked relentlessly and found some brilliant passes and creative runs. Ewan scored a fantastic goal in the second half which was thoroughly deserved after a performance in which he barely put a foot wrong. Cameron continuously provided Kit with well-weighted passes and had a helping hand in many of the eventual 11 goals that Moffat scored.

A special mention must be given to Kit (S2), who scored an incredible 6 goals. His composure, poise, decision-making and pace combined perfectly on the day and was almost impossible to defend against. It was also a mark of the player and man that he is becoming that he could have had more goals had it not been for his admirable acts of sportsmanship in attempting to provide moments of glory for his teammates instead of taking goals himself.The other goals came from Dylan B (S2) (2), Ewan (S1) (2) and a very deserved goal also came from Joel (S1), who appears to find space in the very tightest of gaps.

Finlay (S2), Tobey (S2), Liam (S2), Ian (S2) and Baillie (S2) also had brilliant performances. Each rose to the occasion perfectly and enjoyed an afternoon of reliable, sharp and well-rounded performances, with Liam and Baillie filling in the defensive line in the 2nd half and frustrating the opposition strikers with strong defending right up until the final whistle. Finlay made some brilliant passing in the centre of midfield and gave 100% commitment from start to finish. Finally, no more could have been asked of Tobey and Ian who played very well and made a strong argument for breaking into the starting ‘11’ next year with solid passing, tackling and awareness of the highest quality in midfield. The game finished 11-0 to Moffat. Coaches, teachers and family members in attendance were truly treated to a performance of the highest quality. Not only was the football on show a spectacle to be proud of, the attitudes of each and every player in the team was equally as pleasing to watch. The manner in which the players conducted themselves throughout was exemplary and a true credit to themselves, the school, and the town. Moffat Academy have now won this trophy two years in a row, an unprecedented achievement. It is made all the more impressive given that five of the team are only in their first year of secondary school. The team appears to be in safe hands as the rest of the squad move into U15 competition next year, in which we wish them the best of luck.

From all staff and pupils at Moffat Academy, huge congratulations are due to all involved. Team: S1 pupils:Ewan, Joel, Callum, Cameron, Taylor, S2 Pupils: Dylan W, Elliott H(C), Kit, Dylan B, Baillie, Ruairidh, Tobey, Finlay, Ian and Liam. U15 and U14 Moffat Academy Teams Success! are top of the league again!

Season Report by Mr Sergio Meola

The Moffat Academy U15 Football team started the season as champions and full of confidence. A supremely well-rounded squad, Dylan W(S2) had a fantastic season in goals, conceding only 5 goals in all games. His confidence in his kicking game had really come on and was instrumental in preventing Moffat losing a 3 goal lead in an eventual 6-3 win over Langholm. The ever-imposing figure of Elliott (S2) had graduated from the U14 Team and became a force to be reckoned with in the centre of defence, putting fear into the most experienced of strikers. In his last season with the U15 Team, Keiron (S4) enjoyed a brilliant year thundering up and down both flanks with boundless energy and fantastic work ethic. The centre midfield duo of Ben J (S3) and Ethan (S3) once again proved their class with dazzling passing play and the ability to read the game. A real asset to the team, this pair could be the backbone of any squad. The performances of Dylan B (S2) and Bart (S3) on either side of midfield were exceptional also. Both players equally comfortable running with the ball as without, they seemed to have it attached to their boot. Dylan added a number of goals to his tally with his signature move of cutting in from the left of midfield and firing a curling shot past any goalkeeper. Bart’s effortless skill and composure on the ball turned defences inside-out and improved strength on the ball made it near impossible to tackle him. Up front, Kit (S2) benefitted fully from the quality of his midfield teammates and scored numerous goals in 10-2 and 11-0 wins over Dalbeattie and wins. Kit cut a more rounded, composed and mature figure in front of goal this year and his achievements made even more impressive given that he is a year younger than the vast majority of his counterparts. A hugely influential member of the squad, Scott (S3) accompanied Kit up front. Blistering pace and an innate ability to find space, Scott scored some very important goals and provided the team with an extra attacking option.

Lochlan (S3), Oliver (S3) and Tobey (S2) also had very impressive seasons, each developing their games and demonstrating new -found maturity, confidence and reliability. Lochlan had a fantastic end to the season, becoming near-impossible to beat in central defence whilst the tenacious defensive displays from Ollie had defenders wishing he would leave them alone. Tobey rose through the ranks from the U14 squad and featured on a number of occasions for the U15s cementing his starting place in the team for next season.

Finally, a special mention must be given to David (S4). The imperious captain of the team for the last two years, David has lead his team to back to back league titles. This is an incredible achievement and is thoroughly deserved. His attitude to the game is one of respect, hard work and determination and has been an exemplary figure in the squad for his younger team mates to look up to. David now moves up to captain the U16 squad for next season full of support and gratitude from the rest of his team.

The team would also like to thank Mr Jim Douglas for all of his hard work in training over the season, his knowledge of the game invaluable to the team.

On behalf of all staff and pupils at Moffat Academy, I would like to offer huge congratulations the U15 squad for retaining their league title this year. Such is the humble nature of the team; they could be forgiven for perhaps being unaware of the magnitude of their achievements. A credit to the school.

Mr S Meola

Team:

Dylan W, Elliot H, Keiron N, David J, Lochlan F, Ben J, Ethan N, Bart B, Kit A, Dylan B, Scott L, Oliver R, Tobey F Dine and Democracy

All S1 students participated in a Dine ‘n’ Democracy session yesterday morning. This provided them with a forum within which they could express their opinions on, and ideas about, the recent Secondary Health Week. In response to several prompts, they are asked to consider the structure of the week, the benefits of each activity, as well as being asked to discuss which activities they enjoyed, and other activities they would have liked to do. They were provided with breakfast pastries, fruit and fruit juice to further fuel the conversation. Students produced thought-provoking responses, which will be examined by their pupil council representatives, with a view to continuing to improve the opportunities we offer young people during Secondary Health Week.

Romeo and Juliet Ballet

Ten students from Moffat Academy attended the Live showing of the Romeo and Juliet Ballet on Tuesday the 11th June. The trip provided many students with their first experience of ballet, whilst also enabling them to develop their understanding of one William Shakespeare's myriad tragedies. Students commented on the intricacies of the footwork, and were impressed by the quality of the storytelling throughout the 135 minute-long performance. Overall. it was a trip enjoyed by all, and perhaps marks the first of many ballet trips to come!

Jupiter Artland

S3 Art pupils enjoyed a trip to Jupiter Artland on Thursday 6th June. Sarah took the pupils on a tour where they learned about lots of different artists who had created fantastic structures for the gardens and then the pupils had a chance to create their own from natural surroundings.

Senior Perth Trip

As part of their induction to senior school, pupils from S5 and S6 enjoyed two days at Dalgusie Adventure Centre in last week. This trip provided pupils with opportunities to enjoy a wide range of both team and individual activities, from hiking to abseil- ing. Fortunately, the weather was kind and pupils enjoyed the sun in beautiful surroundings. As the sun set, pupils gathered round the campfire before completing a quiz. As pupils embark on another challenging academic year, this trip helped to promote wellbeing whilst encouraging a positive, collective ethos among senior pu- pils. Scottish Disability Sport Athletics Championships

Five pupils took part in the Scottish Disability Sport Athletics Championships last week. Everyone performed exceptionally well and three pupils came back with medals. Shay was first in the 1500m and Abi was first in the club throw and wheelchair push. Well done to all the athletes.

Moffat Gets Muddy

Well done to the students who took part in the 5K Sponsored walk on Wednesday 5th June raising money for local cancer charities in Moffat. Thank you to Anne and Doreen from Macmillan Cancer Support who came along to help out and for providing us with t-shirts, pens, banners and balloons. The grand total after all donations was and amazing £515.88 which was split between Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research.

Short Tennis

A massive well done to our Moffat Academy junior Tennis team today, who competed at the National Short Tennis Challenge at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

Amy, Catie, Tess, Lewis, Brandon and Lochy were among over 120 pupils from across Scotland who competed in the event. Our team had to face up to far bigger schools with Moffat being the smallest in the competition by a long way.

Amazingly, we qualified for the Plate finals and came away as Runners Up. A fantastic achievement in our very first attempt at this competition.

Each of the pupils were a credit to the school and should be very proud of themselves, well done! Regional Athletics

Our Moffat Academy Athletics Squad braved some miserable weather at the annual Regional Athletics Competition held at the David Keswick Centre, Dumfries. Whilst the rain did its best to dampen spirits, our determined athletes gritted their teeth and each and every one of them performed and behaved superbly. Some fantastic results were witnessed with our team comfortably competing with the best at Regional level.

Our overall medal haul was 8 GOLDS, 1 SILVER AND 2 BRONZE.

A massive well done from all at Moffat Academy.

Notable results are as follows:

Elliot H - S2 - Shot Put - GOLD

Dylan W - S2 - 400m & 800m - GOLD&GOLD

Kit A - S2 - 75m Hurdles - GOLD

Herbie C - S2 - 75m Hurdles - BRONZE

Herbie C - S2 - High Jump - GOLD

Baillie J, Kit A, Elliot H, Dylan W - S2 - 4x100m relay - GOLD

Ethan N - S3 - Shot Put & Discus - GOLD & GOLD

Skye B - S1 Hurdles - SILVER

Rebecca V - S2 Long Jump - BRONZE New Lanark

S2 Pupils enjoyed a trip to New Lanark as part of Health Week.

STEM Day

On Tuesday 11th June a team from High Impact Consultants came to Moffat Academy to challenge the pupils; developing their team work and problem solving abilities. Activities were funded by the RAF in support of Women into Engineering Day, the 23rd of June. A Special Thank You

With regards to the recent successes of the school football teams at all levels, we would like to extend a special thank you to Mr Meola. Since starting at Moffat Academy the football teams have gone from strength to strength under his guidance. Mr Meola has an ethos of developing the student athlete and encourages all pupils who represent the school to ensure that they are continuing to meet standards and deadlines for all subjects, as well ensuring their behaviour and attitude is exemplary at all times. Due to this player pathway initiated by Mr Meola, many pupils now play the game at a very good level, both for the school team and at local football clubs. The football club has helped further raise the profile of school sport, which has had a positive impact on other extra-curricular sports, with numbers having increased in all extra-curricular sporting activities. Thanks to Mr Meola for his time, dedication and expertise in this area.

Successes

 Under 14's won the regional small schools cup two years in a row. The first time this has ever been achieved by Moffat Academy.

 Under 15's won the regional small schools league two years in a row. Once again, this is a first for Moffat.

 Under 16's regional small schools cup runners-up last year

 Under 18's won the regional small schools league last year and were runners up this year

 Increased numbers of pupils representing the school

The success of this is even more outstanding considering that Moffat Academy has the second smallest school roll out of sixteen schools in Dumfries and Galloway. Mr Scott

Contact us Moffat Academy, Jeff Brown Drive, Moffat, Dumfriesshire, DG10 9QF 01683 222000

[email protected] http://www.moffat.dumgal.sch.uk/