Summer Newsletter Madras College Newsletter July 2017 Rector’s Kiel Exchange Message Diamond Jubilee Dear Parent/Carer 60 Years of Partnership and Friendship The 4th term of the session is almost over and everyone is looking forward to the summer break. During the Easter holidays the school stayed open to pupils for Easter School and received in excess of 100 pupils each day. This has become a popular event and one which the pupils use comprehensively. Following Easter School we went almost immediately into study leave for the senior school pupils, a time which again was well used by many to come into school to support their studies throughout the SQA exam diet. Continued on page 2 Inside Musical Notes .................... 2 Madras College Pipe Band play on a sunny Saturday evening to welcome guests to the German Kiel Exchange 60th Anniversary Ceilidh Drama News ............................... 3 Paris Trip . 4 What an achievement! We believe that our German exchange with the Kieler - - - The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative .. 4 Gelehrtenschule in Kiel, Schleswig Holstein is the oldest unbroken school to school exchange between the two countries. To celebrate this amazing milestone Cathedral Trip ....................................... 5 in the history of the exchange, a number of special activities took place during the 60th exchange visit. Transition Programme .......... 5 Mathematical Challenges ........................ 6 Thirty-one German pupils, to St Andrews Castle and St Andrews accompanied by Herr Schoeneich, the Cathedral as well as day trips to Computing Science .. ... 6 headteacher of the KGS, Frau Sendler Stirling (the Wallace Monument and -Steer, the German exchange leader Art Department S6 Folio Success .. .. 7 Stirling Castle) and Edinburgh and Herr Krause, enjoyed the warm (Edinburgh Castle and the National Dates for Your Diary . 7 hospitality of their Scottish host Museum of Scotland). There was also families for 10 days. The weather was time for a visit to the Golf Driving Design and Technology . 8 kind, blue sky and sunshine for most Range in St Andrews and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme .. 8 of the visit, which allowed the Fisheries Museum in Anstruther. German group to see Scotland at its Sports News . 9 best. The German group enjoyed visits Continued on page 3 1 Continued from page 1 While all this was going on our S1 - Musical S3 pupils continued to work on their studies and engage in the rewards and trips which were on offer. During this time the new timetable was built and Notes was successfully implemented in June (with a few minor tweaks for some individual pupils). The changes we will face in the new Play DayPlay Day session are linked to (yet more) In May the Music Department hosted another Play Day. Sixty primary changes in the SQA exam instrumentalists came along to Madras and spent the day playing in the Wind arrangements at National 5 (with Band, the Junior String Orchestra and Chanter Group along with some of the National 4, Higher and Advanced Kilrymont pupils. Every pupil also participated in a percussion workshop taken by Higher changes waiting in the wings George Gibson from Infectious Grooves. The day was rounded off by a final for future sessions). As well as this performance from each group to an appreciative audience of staff, parents/carers there will be a new set of Scottish and pupils. National Standardised Assessments for our S3 pupils next year, the detail of which we will find out after August. These Assessments are for Government statistics and to inform Music Exam Success school baseline internal information. Well done to all pupils who sat instrumental exams this term. Trinity Results so They do not form any accreditation far: portfolio for the pupils. S1 • Rioghnach MacFarlance was awarded a Distinction for her Grade 1 Our main priorities next session will Clarsach exam be linked to changes in the curriculum, health and wellbeing, the S2 • Fin McGhie was awarded a Distinction for his Grade 5 Piano exam school image (Attainment, Uniform, Behaviour, Respect), self-evaluation • Michael Snodgrass was awarded a Distinction for his Grade 1 Guitar exam and of course working towards the proposed Madras New Build. In S3 • Joseph Mackie was awarded a Distinction for his Grade 6 Clarinet exam regard to the new build, there has now been some consultation with groups of Thanks to Miss Russell, Mrs Gibson, Mr Higgins and Mr Milton for all their hard teaching staff and we look forward to work. further and wider consultation on this very important project. Our drive on uniform and pride in our Summer Concert school remains a top priority and I would remind all parents/carers and Congratulations to all the pupils who performed at the concert on Tuesday pupils of our standards of dress and 20th June. The audience was entertained with a variety of group and solo items - presentation. It is the same for all the school Wind Band, Junior and Senior String Orchestra, Junior Choir, Mixed pupils S1 - S6 and is: school blazer, Choir, Senior Girls’ Choir, Staff choir, Folk Group, Pipe Band and Clarsach white (or pale blue) shirt/blouse, Group. Soloists included Eugene Ritchie S4 on Piano, Shona Zhang S6 on school tie, black trousers/skirt, dark Clarsach and Micah Scott S6 on Tuba. Canongate Primary School Glee Choir also shoes and school jumper (or black/ performed two songs and a special thank you to the pupils, parents/carers and staff dark blue jumper/cardigan). Designer who came along. Well done to all the talented pupils who took part and gave us all labels, denim or other such garments such an enjoyable evening. are not acceptable. I would finally like to say thank you to all staff and parents/carers for all Lunchtime Recital your support in this current session. As ever, it has been a challenging but The music department was delighted to welcome back Hannah Craib, a former very successful session. Madras pupil on Tuesday 27th June. Hannah and her performing partner Vyara Mldenova from Sophia in Bulgaria are founder members of “Glas Duo” and Thank you have performed in Scotland, Bulgaria and regularly in and around Bremen in Germany where both are based. The pupils were thrilled to hear the recital and they were impressed with the different styles of music the duo played on the Violin and Viola. 2 Continued from page 1 Drama ‘Alumni’ from both the German and Scottish sides of the exchange joined the 60th exchange group on a number of occasions during the week. Two News members of the Madras 1957 exchange group, Irene Bennett and Anne Morris, and former Madras The Drama Department have had a exchange leader, Donald Macgregor, very busy two terms. joined pupils of the current exchange for a ‘Question Time’ session. Fife • In the run up to the Easter Holidays Council held a Civic Reception in the Special thanks go to the head teachers all the National classes sat their South Street Assembly Hall in of both schools for their enthusiasm practical exams and the Advanced recognition of the durability and and support of the exchange. Thanks Higher class also sat theirs. This longevity of our unique partnership. also to everybody who has supported was especially positive as the Madras pupils and their Kiel partners our fundraising in the course of the Advanced Higher class had been attended assemblies in both buildings, year and to those who have used by SQA to set the National giving a presentation about the history contributed to the anniversary Standard for the practical aspect of of the exchange. Pupils from both programme. We are also very grateful the exam. This meant that on schools also visited two of our local to the UK-German Connection for 14th February, at The Byre Theatre, primary schools while other partners funding the Diamond Jubilee more than twenty SQA examiners visited the Rotary Club of St Andrews Anniversary Project. The support of from all over Scotland came to to highlight within the local local businesses and organisations – watch our pupils perform! I am community the role which the Kiel Fisher and Donaldson’s, Morrisons, pleased to say that those involved Exchange has played over the past six Marks and Spencers and the did themselves proud presenting a decades. Kilrymont Rotary Club is much variety of interactive pieces appreciated. including extracts from ‘W hen We Dead Awaken’ by Henrik Ibsen, The durability and longevity of the ‘Waiting For Godot’ by Samuel Madras-Kiel Exchange has surely Beckett and ‘Mrs Warren’s exceeded the expectations of its Profession’ by George Bernard creators, Dr John Thompson, former Shaw. The pupils also had to Rector of Madras College and prepare a monologue to present – Professor Karl Dietrich Erdmann of again the range was exciting and Kiel University. diverse. • The pupils were provided with feedback from this day and hopefully they took this on board The highlight for many of the before performing again for their participants was the Anniversary actual exam on 8th March. We wish Ceilidh (KIELidh). The Germans have them well as they leave us and been captivated by the Madras prepare for their next step in life. College Pipe Band. The band played on the lawn in front of the South • The Higher classes were taken to Street building to welcome many see the Olivier Award Winning former exchange participants to the production of ‘The Curious Incident ceilidh as we handed out flyers (about of the Dog in the Nighttime’ at The the history of the exchange) to passers Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. This -by and tourists. ‘The Diamond’ was was a fantastic stage adaptation of unveiled at the ceilidh. For many the book of the same name and months the Kiel pupils had been should have provided our Higher working on creating a ‘Diamond’ pupils with plenty to write about in mobile, its sides depicting milestones their exam.