Highlights December 2013.Indd
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
End of Term December 2013 Dear Parent, topic of “Renewables” to Sixth Year pupils and guests. I am delighted to bring you news about this term’s Annual Fund At our Annual Remembrance Service, the incoming numerous activities and the achievements of our Junior President, Mr Eric Hugh, and the boy School Captain, We would like to thank all of our parents who have and Senior School pupils. Ross Duncan, laid wreaths at the War Memorials on already given to the recently launched Annual Fund As you will read, highlights this term have included behalf of the FP Club and the School respectively. Then Appeal. We have been heartened by the support pupil successes in Art, Rotary Club Public Speaking, the Home & School Association provided another very which we have received. the National Mod and Music exams; aquathlon, bad- well-organised and successful Fireworks’ Display on The Annual Fund will play an important part in the minton, swimming and hockey, with the 1st XI winning Friday, 8th November. At the end of the month, senior provision of additional income for bursaries and the BP Cup for the third successive year. The Chamber pupils enjoyed their St Andrew’s Night celebration. will help to fund short term projects within the Choir, BBC “Songs of Praise” Senior School Choir of School which are not possible within the annual As usual, pupils from Kindergarten to S6 and staff have the Year 2013, has been in demand with appearances expenditure budget. shown concern for others, supporting a wide range on BBC TV, in Troon and at the Merchants House, and of charities and good causes. Bannerman and Clyde The 2013/14 Appeal will run until the end of June further invitations for next term. Audiences enjoyed four Houses have raised funds for Build Africa and the Maher 2014 when we will publish our annual report. All highly entertaining performances of “Me and My Girl” Project respectively; S6 pupils have participated in donations, at any level, will be very gratefully in November, and the musical talent in younger age community service and delivered nearly 200 Christmas received and extremely welcome. groups was evident in the Junior Christmas Concert in parcels to senior citizens locally; and school families If you would like further information on ways to December. have again contributed generously to East Park. donate, please contact the Development Office. The term began with senior pupils gaining impres- At the AGM of the Board of Governors in December, Email : [email protected] sive results in their SQA exams. Fifth Year pupils the Chairman paid tribute to the excellent service by Tel. : 0141 435 5707 averaged 4.9 Higher passes each, the best figure Mr James Miller, on his retirement from the Board after nationally. In September, we were privileged that the Alternatively, you can donate online at: twelve years, although he will remain as Chairman of current Moderator of the General Assembly of the www.glasgowhigh.com/AnnualFund the High School of Glasgow Educational Trust. Church of Scotland, the Right Rev. Lorna Hood, kindly Once again, many thanks to those who have agreed to deliver an inspiring address at our Annual Finally, I wish you and your family a very peaceful and already contributed - your gifts are very much Commemoration and Thanksgiving Service at Glasgow enjoyable Christmas and a happy and successful New appreciated. Year. Cathedral. Karen McDonald November was a very busy month. Professor Sir Jim Development Director McDonald, Principal of Strathclyde University, delivered a most interesting and informative Fraser Lecture on the www.glasgowhigh.com Junior School At the beginning of the session, we welcomed two new In a topic about Toys Old and New, the children visited staff members to Kindergarten, Mrs Gillian Reid and Scotland Street School for special workshops and Mrs Mrs Laura Cowan. Mrs Kiyani returned from mater- Jean White and Mrs Dorothy Ross brought a selection nity leave and we thanked Mrs MacKay for her hard of old toys into school and gave a super talk to the work in Kindergarten during the summer term. Due classes. The children then organised, publicised and to the expansion of our Out of School Care Club, ran a very successful Toy Fayre for Junior 1, 2 and 3 Miss Lauren Barbour joined us as Deputy Manager. for Yorkhill Hospital. Congratulations to Out of School Care staff members J3 have had a wonderful term exploring the topic of the Mrs Sally Simpson and Mrs Gillian Ballingall who both Rainforest. Animal Magic visited the classroom with gained a BA degree. In November, we said farewell and small creatures and lots of information about survival thank you for all her hard work to Mrs Caroline Purvis, in the forest. member of the OSC team, who left to take up another The children made a visit to Amazonia to experience a position. Mrs Lambie left to begin her maternity leave simulation of the rainforest. They have displayed their and the family celebrated the arrival of baby Emma knowledge in talks, in presentations and by making in December. tribal masks, and then created beautiful silk scarves, Class information evenings at the beginning of term the sale of which provided donations to the World provided parents with the opportunity to visit class- Wildlife Fund. In November, the children took part in rooms to meet teachers and to hear about curriculum a Badminton Carnival at the Emirates Arena. The chil- developments and programmes of work for the com- dren enjoyed a visit to The Scottish Mask and Puppet ing year. Centre in Kelvindale where they learned how to make The Eco Committee continued to meet on the first puppets and saw a professional puppet show. They will Tuesday of each month. They carried out an annual use their own puppets in Drama lessons. environmental review to decide where their main J4 classes studied the Vikings and a visit to Vikingar at focus would be this year. The Committee presented an Largs gave an insight into the reality of life in a Viking Assembly to highlight the year’s development targets settlement. Mr Bruce Jamieson, historian and former and enhanced the Eco Code, displayed throughout the teacher, gave a very interesting talk to bring the topic school, with a new slogan - ‘Keep Calm and take up a alive. Suitably dressed, the classes enjoyed a wonderful new sport’. The Committee has also worked closely feast and games at Christmas. with the new Gardening Club to find ways to improve The J5 topic about plants took the classes to the the school environment through planting and keeping Botanic Gardens where they heard about propagation the ground litter free. and seeds. The playground activities in the Dragonfly Junior Road Safety Officers, Bailey Mulvey and Max Den and classroom experiments which followed Munro, have kept everyone safe and well informed included stem experiments, seed examination and this term with their colourful notice board and at an dissection of flowers. Use of the internet added to the autumn Assembly talk, reflective vests were distributed children’s knowledge. In Art class they painted glori- to new pupils. ous flower paintings, looking at the work of Georgia The Gymnastics Cup and Gold medal was won by O’Keefe for inspiration and made sculptured flowers Abigail Buxton, Anna Smith won Silver and Angus using coiled wire and mesh. ACTIVITIES Moulsdale gained Bronze. The classes enjoyed Roald Dahl Day and dressed as Congratulations to Helena Downie who has gained The children in Kindergarten have settled quickly and characters from his stories. a place, playing violin in the National Children's have been involved in making choices about their play- The classes visited the Falkirk Wheel in connection with Orchestra of Great Britain for 2014. A fantastic room themes. Activities and experiences for the children their Scotland and Bridges topics and on a day visit achievement. Congratulations to Cathal Callan who have been developed following each child’s particular to Edinburgh explored the wonders of the planet at interests. A rather cold and windy, but nevertheless won two Gold medals at the Mod in Paisley in the cat- Dynamic Earth. enjoyable, visit to Mugdock for an autumn walk was very egories, Telling an Ancient Folktale (9-10 years) and successful and all enjoyed the glorious colours on show. A visit from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Solo Singing (9-10 years). Congratulations also to A tour from the Park Ranger provided the children with brought bridge building to the small hall as a 7 metre Lana Wallace and Tabitha Steven who won the Scottish some interesting information about the animals found span cable-stayed bridge was built by the budding Club Championship with the Clydebank Synchronised within the grounds. engineers. We invited classes from Baljaffray Primary Swimming Team. Congratulations are also due to a to take part in this initiative. number of other Junior School pupils, mentioned in Welcome visitors, Mr Mair and the school captains, monthly newsletters, who have won medals in a wide Ross Duncan and Morven McNab, enjoyed their visit The Junior 6 classes enjoyed several visits out of school variety of activities such as Sailing, Tennis, Taekwondo after Assembly one day. Thank you to Ms Hazel Irvine, in connection with their class topics. and Rugby. who talked to the children about the Winter Olympics At Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum the children in Russia next year and brought an Olympic torch to followed a World War II trail and visited Scotland In September, Juniors 4, 5 and 6 attended the Annual show them. Thanks also to Mrs Stalin who shared some Street School for a glimpse of school life in the war Commemoration Service in Glasgow Cathedral of her experiences as a vet with the Kindergarten chil- years.