Trinity Academy Parent Council Newsletter Issue 26 March 2014 Trinity Academy Tel: 478 5050 Email:[email protected] Another busy start to the year Rector’s Report 1. Staffing I have been unable to recruit a teacher of FCT. As a result, it has been necessary to suspend the teaching of FCT to classes in S1/S2. These pupils are currently following a recently developed Business Education course which is used in other city schools. The post has been re-advertised. Our part-time Design Technology technician, Bob Scott retired in February. His replacement will be in place during March. It’s the first newsletter of 2014 and it is our usual bumper edition of news looking back over the last few months at Trinity Academy. 2. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education A team from HMIe visited the school during the week commencing 9th December 2013. They visited over 60 classes and had a wide range of meetings with staff, pupils, parents and partners. A summary letter was made available to all parents early in February. This is published on the school website under “Latest News”. A detailed “Record of Inspection Findings” has been produced for the school which highlights strengths and areas for development. The school is currently working with the District Inspector and the local authority to draw up an action plan which will be incorporated into our current and future School Improvement Plans. The Parent Council will be consulted about the action plan. Highlights in this edition are reports on: The School’s Inspection Report including key points and next steps What happened with the funds raised at the Family Quiz Night Find out the part played made by former Trinity pupils in WWI The fantastic sporting achievements of some of our pupils Latest Debating Society successes and the Euroscola conference Useful links to websites with resources and support for parents and pupils And finally.......... a plea for another fish tank! Sheena Booth, editor 4. Curriculum Structure Page 1 I explained the proposed changes to our curriculum at the last Parent Council. We held an information evening for S1-S4 parents on 14th January which was very well attended. A number of questions were raised which prompted a full discussion of the proposals. My impression was that the majority of parents were prepared to support our plans. A number of parents remained uncertain/unconvinced and I offered to meet with them individually for further discussions. I had 5 such meetings with parents during January. The Parent Council endorsed our proposals on 28th January. S4/5 into S5/6 Information Evening Teacher Consultations Course Choice Form Return Date 7pm 26th February 5-7pm 6th March S4: 14th March S5: 28th March 7. Ministerial Visit The Education Minister, Mike Russell, visited Bangholm on 22nd January to launch an information leaflet about the diagnosis and treatment of concussion in sport. The main aim is to increase awareness among players and coaches. The publication of the leaflet was prompted by the tragic death of a young rugby player in Northern Ireland. Mr Russell met the parents of the boy last year and gave an assurance that he would take action to ensure the dangers of concussion were fully understood by all those involved in sport, especially those coaching school and youth teams. The Minister observed our “School of Rugby” pupils during a training session and spoke to them afterwards about the reason for his visit. 4. Implementation of New Highers New Highers are being introduced in session 2014/15 following on from the implementation of National Qualifications for the current S4. However, it has been agreed at national level to adopt a flexible approach; a delay in implementation for one year is possible where Head Teachers, Curriculum Leaders and teachers can provide a sound rationale for additional flexibility. 5. Budget Proposals The City of Edinburgh agreed a range of savings for 2014/15 at the February Council Meeting. There will be an impact on school budgets and I will be in a position to provide more specific details at the next Parent Council Meeting. 8. Individual Sporting Achievements We have had a wide range of individual sporting achievements over the past year. Here are a few highlights: 6. Coursing for 2014/15 All pupils in S2, S3, S4 and S5 will make coursing decisions in March/April this year. Past and future dates are as follows: S2 into S3: Information Evening 13th March Teacher Consultations 5-7pm 20th March Course Choice Form Return Date: 24th March S3 into S4 Information Evening 7pm 25th March Teacher Consultations 5-7pm 2nd April Course Choice Form Return Date: 4th April India Dodd Joe Lynch Chloe Thomson Lewis Smith Page 2 Edinburgh Schools Swimming Champion (100m backstroke and 400m freestyle) Scotland U17 Judo Champion Scottish U18 Triple Bowls Champion British Sailing Squad Nadine Yewdale East District U18 Hockey Megan Metcalfe Scotland U16 Hockey & Football Development Squads Eartha Cumings & Jamie-lee Smith Jamie Dishington Mark Watt Council, and we would like all parents to help the school in achieving these improvements. At the risk of preaching to the converted, some of the simple ways in which you can help achieve this are: ensuring that your children arrive at school on time every day (PC and school believe we can improve on this) with the correct school uniform, with their homework completed, ready for the day ahead and by attending the relevant Parents’ Evenings to show an interest in how your child is achieving-parents would be surprised at the turnout for some parents’ evenings. Help to challenge and support your children to do their best and achieve their potential. Staff cannot achieve all the improvement by themselves. Parents and pupils are part of the same team, and everyone needs to up their game to achieve the consistent success of which Trinity Academy and all of its pupils are capable. Scotland U16 Football Scotland U19 Football Scotland U19 Cricket Alec Morris, Rector HMIe Inspection Report As parents will be aware, Trinity Academy was inspected by HMIe during December 2013, and the inspection report was published last month – please see links to the school website http://www.hswd.co.uk/trinity/downloads/2 38.pdf and http://www.hswd.co.uk/trinity/downloads/2 39.pdf. Within those documents are links to further information on the HMIe website. There are both strengths and areas requiring improvement in the inspection report. Wider achievement, both in international and UK opportunities for pupils to develop are highlighted within the report: you will see in this newsletter, for example, some of the great sporting successes, both within and outwith the school, which Trinity pupils have achieved. Many congratulations to all involved. There are also some areas for improvement within the report, particularly in improvements in performance (which many will think of as attainment or success in exams). Alec Morris Unfortunately the Rector, Alec Morris, has suffered severe back pain and is currently signed off work for the next couple of weeks. The Parent Council has sent best wishes on behalf of all parents for a swift recovery. In the meantime, Lewis Paterson is acting Rector until Mr Morris’ return to work, and any enquiries which you would normally have sent to Mr Morris should be sent to Mr Paterson at [email protected]. Mr Paterson will be working with the rest of the senior management team, Carol Graham, Irene Davidson and all staff to ensure the smooth running of the school during Mr Morris’ absence. The school has been working hard with the Parent Council to focus on the areas for improvement, and an initial action plan has already been developed with the help of curriculum leaders, consultation with all staff at the school and Edinburgh Council’s Children and Families Department. This is an important area for the school and the Parent Page 3 Parent Council Award Every year at Prize Giving the Parent Council presents an award to a pupil or group of pupils; this year our award will be given to recognise wider achievement with the aim of recognising ‘creativity or resourcefulness’. This could range from producing a piece of art, music or poetry to organising an event, taking part in a charity initiative at school or representing the school. Staff and pupils can nominate a pupil or group of pupils and pupils can also nominate themselves. This year, in addition to the award we have given in previous years, we will also present 2 certificates for ‘highly commended’ runnersup. Please encourage your children to think about things they or their classmates have done that might fall into these categories and ask them to get nominating! eating well. You can also download free of charge past SQA papers to help with their revision. There is also information on the Curriculum for Excellence and other resources and support that parents might need. For example, some new materials have just been added for parents and carers on ‘Supporting numeracy at home’ - These latest materials are on ‘time’ and ‘information handling’ and supplement existing material on measurement, money, numbers and mental calculation. SCHOLAR Another useful online resource but this time aimed at teachers and pupils, is the SCHOLAR programme developed by Herriot Watt University (scholar.hw.ac.uk). It offers homework, revision material and online assessments across subjects which provide a route into careers in science, engineering, business and modern languages. According to their website, ‘SCHOLAR provides an integrated set of materials and services which meet the needs of both students and their teachers. These resources include: comprehensive online interactive learning materials, activities, assessments and revision packs. access to online communities, resources, monitoring information and information tools. study guides which contain key reference materials and learning activities. tutor notes with valuable curriculum and planning information.’ Parents can log onto the website and access the online tools using the following parents account details: Username: schparents2014 Password: unit44sand The account expires at the end of June 2014. Trinity Academy and Parent Council websites The school is currently reviewing their website with a view to launching an updated version after the summer; we are also looking to improve the Parent Council website early next school year. We are very keen that both websites reflect the sort of information that you, as parents, would expect to see so if you have any views on the content of either website, we would be happy to hear from you. Please email [email protected] and the Parent Council email address with any feedback you have - we may not be able to make all the changes you would like to see but we will consider anything you raise. Parentzone If you haven’t come across it already, here is a reminder about all the useful information that is included on the Parentzone of the Education Scotland website. www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/l earningathome/helpingprepareforexams/use fulwebsites.asp The content includes guidance on helping children organise their time and plan their study to tips on getting plenty of sleep and Andrew Macmillan, Parent Council Chair Page 4 Our visit to the European Parliament was described by our accompanying teachers as a wonderful and great experience and it certainly was. However it was also a very long day, with very unsatisfying food - we were there from 8am until just after six o’clock… It was difficult having to listen to people debate and talk about issues when you are trapped in a room with no natural light, uncomfortable chairs and a translator with a very monotone voice! Fun fundraising family quiz night Once again the Family Quiz night proved to be a great success with 9 teams competing against each other. ‘The theme was ‘The Commonwealth’ for Glasgow 2014. The winning team was called “We Ate all the Pies” - as it was national Pi day! We raised £457.00 on the night and a lot of laughs were had especially during the ‘Citizenship Test’. A big thank you goes to the community around Trinity for their support and the fantastic raffle prizes that were donated. Well Done!’ Rajni Punn, Parent Council We were given the opportunity to ask various questions about any issue to a panel of four people – they were not MEP’s but tried to give us detailed answers. Various topics were discussed, for example, Scottish Independence. The morning was tolerable but I feel as though they could have made it more interesting for all, but perhaps that is politics! In the afternoon we were given some freedom to pick and choose what topical groups we would like to be a part of. We were given stickers and were taken to separate rooms to meet with other students who would be discussing the same subject. In the rooms we were told to work as a “working party” and had to come up with a few conclusions about our issue which would then be presented back to the rest of the groups in the chamber. Quiz Money donated to the Maths Department And the fantastic news is that the Parent Council has already donated £250 from the Quiz Night to Mrs Cameron in the Maths department. She intends to use the money to fund some maths games to help to stimulate and maintain interest, particularly for the transitioning P7s into S1. Euroscola 2013 On the 13th of December 2013, a small group of representatives from Trinity Academy took part in a Euroscola event in Strasbourg, France. Our group represented the United Kingdom as we were the only school in the UK participating. We were given the great opportunity to spend one day in the shoes of a Member of the European Parliament. The day was full of exciting and interesting activities with over five hundred participating students. Back in the chamber each group presented their conclusions. After this the floor was ours, we could ask questions about their policies, either tear them down or we could agree with them. Afterwards a vote was held. We could agree with their proposals, disagree or abstain. These presentations went on for a good hour and of course by the end everyone was a bit tired looking. Obviously most students had given their all and enjoyed their day but everyone was itching to leave. After a closing speech we were dismissed. The day Page 5 was very tiring but informative for everyone. Euroscola is a great thing to participate in. Now to the most exciting part of our trip to Strasbourg, the Christmas market. It was beautiful although if you wanted to buy anything other than mulled wine or baubles you were out of luck. The atmosphere around it however was great, everyone was cheerful and happy. A live DJ was playing in the centre of the town and the music was carried through the streets, putting a smile on everyone’s faces. Even though it was freezing cold, it was still lovely. Strasbourg has a real Christmas spirit. We would like to say thank you to Ms Brain and Ms Cassels for taking us to Strasbourg and allowing us have a great time. Carly Fox, S6 With the help of pupils in S1, I have managed to put together some research on the 73 names on the memorial. My plan was to find out about every person listed. Unfortunately, details for some of the entries have been hard to find. However, we have managed to find out about the vast majority of the people on the memorial. On the 1st May 1920, an appeal was launched for funds for the Trinity Academy War Memorial. A sum of £150 was targeted. The appeal was obviously a success as the unveiling of the War Memorial Tablet took place on 5th November 1921. The names of 71 pupils and two teachers were recorded. Lance Corporal Audrey Chapman and Private James Sugden both served in the 16th Battalion Royal Scots, more commonly known as McCrae’s Battalion. The 16th Royal Scots included 16 members of Heart of Midlothian FC, arguably the leading club in the country when war broke out. The Trinity boys were both killed in action on the 1st July 1916 during the first day of the Battle of The Somme. Trinity Academy WW1 Roll of Honour Outside the school’s main hall is a memorial to the pupils and staff of Trinity Academy who lost their lives while engaged on active service during the First World War. Most people are aware of its existence but although we walk past it every day, how often do we actually look at it and what do we know of the names inscribed upon it? My initial response to this question was “probably very little”. Even though we hold a Remembrance service each November, I felt it was important to highlight the existence of the memorial. Given that this year is the centenary of the start of World War One, I felt the need was especially important. There is one female name on the memorial. Elizabeth Thomson, aged 36, of 19 Page 6 Summerside Street, joined the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service in 1918. Her own medical record records a latent heart murmur and her short service was interrupted by periods of illness. She died in Croydon War Hospital on 26/10/1918 and is buried in Rosebank Cemetery on Pilrig Street. Elizabeth Thomson’s neighbours, Albert and Wedderburn Gardner were brothers, both serving as 2nd Lieutenants in the 8th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders. The family lived at 18 Summerside Street and their father and uncles were proprietors of the Leith Burgh’s Pilot, one of three local newspapers of the time. In another life, perhaps their future lay in journalism? They were killed in action within four months of each other in 1917 fighting in France. The memorial contains many other similar stories, of lives cut short by conflict and of young men who were present at momentous events in history, not as key players but as victims of circumstance. The majority of those commemorated served on the Western Front while a handful served in the Navy and a couple of people fought against the Ottoman Empire in modern day Syria and Iraq. Our aim is to turn the information found into a searchable website with details of each person listed on the memorial. You can view a photo of the memorial on the school website and please feel free to get in touch if you can provide any further details for any of the names contained on the memorial. Adam Caldwell Debating Society – Competition Crazy At the start of this session the Trinity Academy Debating Society set itself the challenge of trying to enter a number of the school debating and public speaking competitions to gain experience and practise our skills. Private William Ritchie stands out from the majority of entries on the memorial. At 42 years of age he is one of the oldest of all the people on the memorial. William Ritchie joined the staff at Trinity Academy in 1896 and remained here until 1908 when he left to take up a position at Lorne Street School. He became Second Master at Links Place in 1912 before joining the 5th Royal Scots when war broke out. Along with 5 other Trinity men he died during action at Gallipoli. Not everyone who appears on the memorial died in action. 2nd Lieutenant Charles Law was only 18 years old. He lived at 40 East Trinity Road and upon leaving school worked in the British Linen Bank on George Street. He joined the Royal Flying Corps but was killed in an accident in February 1918 in Norfolk. And that’s just what we’ve been doing. Before Christmas two S6 students Jamie Williamson and Alex Macintosh made their debut in a debate using the British Parliamentary format organised by the Law Society. Both spoke confidently and responded well to challenges by the opposing teams. Our team didn’t progress to the next round but we were more Page 7 successful in the English Speaking Union’s Junior Competition. The Trinity team of Morgan Ritch S3 and Jack Liddall S2 are now through to round 3. They’ve debated the pros and cons of congestion charging and China’s one child policy and in the next round will be proposing that “This House would go Nuclear.” This will take place at Portobello High School on the evening of Tuesday 29 April. We hope to take a crowd of supporters along. Ms A McCrae The School Sporting Colour Awards The PE department at Trinity Academy have reinvigorated the colours system for sporting achievement in school. Senior athletes who have represented their country/district within their specialist sport will be awarded Full Colours (Gold tie) and athletes who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to school sport will receive half colours (black tie with gold pin stripe). We were also delighted to be part of a whole day of debating on Friday 14 March. Craigmount High School Debating Society hosts an inter-school competition organised by senior pupils and we sent along 2 teams. Sophia Veart S1, Morven Stead S2 and Kirsty Mackenzie and Tom Chaney of S3 threw themselves into preparing for and participating in three debates in the course of the day with welcome pauses for lunch and tea. It was also their first experience of using the parliamentary style where the giving and taking of points of information is crucial to success. On Saturday 22 March two Trinity Academy pupils have entered the ESU public speaking competition. Mirren Mackay S3 and Morven Stead S2 will be presenting 5 minute speeches on the theme of “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” Below is a list of the pupils who have gained these awards over the last 2 years: 2012-13 Full Colours Sian Hopkins – Hockey, 1st XI Vice Captain Kirsty Dinwoodie – Hockey, U18 East District Indoor and Outdoor Sarah Mitchell – Hockey, 1st XI Captain Nadine Yewdale – Hockey, U18 East District Gold Medallist Mark Watt – Cricket, Scotland U19 Callum Jones – Athletics, Gold in Triple jump and Silver in Long jump at Scottish schools. Jamie Dishington – Football, Representing U18 Scottish Schools. Dylan Tait – Football, Commitment and services to the school senior football team. Fraser Allan – Judo, Silver medal at U16 Scottish Championship. Callum Ramm – Rugby, Scottish school boys U17 Callum Garvey – Rugby, Captain of the 1st XV And finally we are looking forward to being part of the Edinburgh Procurator Fiscal’s event for public speaking scheduled for early next term. It was in this competition last year that we had our first go at competing and we will relish a chance to show what we’ve learned after a year of crazy competing. Half Colours Rebecca Boyle – Hockey Sarah White – Hockey David Roulston – Rugby Page 8 Scott Inglis – Rugby Steven Collins – Rugby On Tuesday 18th March we welcomed the Blood Donation team for the first time. In the past we have had presentations from the team to our senior pupils. This year as a result of pupils’ requests to donate, we arranged for the team to deliver a donation session here. We had no shortage of volunteers from staff and pupils, with the priority being given to seniors who were over 17 years. We easily filled our 62 slots with names on the reserve list. For virtually all seniors and some staff, it was their first time – the first of many we hope. The GP room was transformed into a donation centre, complete with beds, screens, computer, equipment and the mandatory juice and choccy biscuits. We also had Adam Begbie, former pupil and his parents Anne and Alan who came along to donate. Adam had joined us for the presentation in March where he gave a personal perspective on how important donating blood is. We were delighted by the number of seniors who wanted to donate and we hope that this will be the first of an annual donation session at Trinity Academy. The “blood team” were very impressed by the number of volunteers, their behaviour and attitude. They collected 41 pints – enough to save 100 lives, according to the feedback we have received. A huge thank you to all donors. 2013-14 Full Colours Beccy Wilson – Hockey, Captain of the 1st XI Megan Metcalfe – Hockey, East District U16 and selected for U16 Scotland Training Squad. Selected for National Goalkeeper Academy. Richie Tait – Rugby, Captain of the 1st XV India Dodd – Swimming, 2 Gold medals in 400 and 800 freestyle in the East District Championships and Bronze in 400 freestyle at Scottish Schools, Lewis Smith – Sailing, Selected for GB U16 training squad. Chloe Sutherland – Bowling, U18 Scottish Triples Champion and U18 Scottish Indoor Triples runner up. Half Colours Caitlin Wallace – Hockey Maisie Rogers – Hockey Mrs Graham Blood donations at Trinity Academy News In brief South Africa 2016 Page 9 Following the very successful visit to British Columbia and Washington State last summer, the senior hockey and rugby teams have begun planning their next tour. Following in the footsteps of the class of 2010, they are heading to South Africa in July 2016. About 90 girls and boys have signed up for the trip which will last 2 weeks during which time they will travel from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Each team will play at least 4 matches and they will also visit Robben Island, Stellenbosch and go on a game drive. Fundraising will begin after the exams and so be prepared. Hunt For Fish Tanks! Do you have an old fish tank that is not in use and gathering dust? The Biology department are in need of a new fish tank after one of our tanks sprang a very large and unfixable leak. We would be very grateful of any donations as our fish are not enjoying their temporary accommodation. We still have the pump and filter and any size of tank will do. Please do let us know if you can help by emailing [email protected]. Jane Liggat P7 Problem Solving A number of S3 pupils had the chance to help out at the P7 Problem solving event. The S3’s were divided into groups and each group was allocated a date when they would help. The pupils came from Wardie, Trinity and Victoria primary schools. When they arrived the pupils were split into different tables at which they participated in a variety of maths challenges. These consisted of written problems and maths based games. Overall, it was an enjoyable event for everybody who took part. S3, Anna White, said “I found the day very interesting and I hope to take part in the future”. We look forward to next year when a new group of P7’s get to experience this great opportunity. Martha Creasy and Sammi Bowers The S1/2 UKMT University Visit On Wednesday 13th March, 4 pupils (2 from S1 and 2 from S2) visited Edinburgh University for a day of Maths puzzles. I admit it sounds less than thrilling but it was surprisingly enjoyable. The puzzles were suitably challenging, the staff friendly but most importantly, there were free biscuits! Definitely worth it. Though not for everyone, I think the pupils who went enjoyed their day. A big thank you to Miss Flanagan for taking us. Try your hand at some of the puzzles and see how you would have got on! 1. Five consecutive whole numbers add up to 162 after the middle one has doubled. Find the smallest of the 5 numbers. 2. When I add the squares of 2 positive consecutive whole numbers the answer is 145. What is the total of the 2 positive consecutive numbers? Arran McLean S2 50/50 Club The Parent Council Lottery is looking for more people to join up to this worthwhile fundraising cause. The 50/50 Club is a Page 10 monthly lottery where 50% of the income goes to the winning member and the other 50% goes to the school to help buy equipment or finance activities for pupils. Fundraising for Trinity Academy We are currently looking for parents to help with fundraising activities for the school. You don’t have to join the Parent Council itself but if you were interested in being part of (or even helping run the Fund Raising group), we would welcome any volunteers. Most years we run 2 or 3 events (Family Quiz, Car Boot Sales, and raffles at school events) and the money raised goes to the school to help with much-needed supplies from art material to instruments to books and PE equipment; all things which are fundamental to our children’s education. It is open to any parent or member of staff over 18, and the draw is made at each Parent Council meeting. It costs £1 per number per month, but most members have more than one number, and you must join for a minimum of 12 months. Further details and forms are available to download from the Parent Council website. We are always looking for bright new ideas of other ways to fundraise so if you have experience of organising events or suggestions on other simple ways to help raise money, please contact the Parent Council at the email address below. Recent Winners November Draw: Charlie Morrish December Draw: Joan Orr January Draw: Keith Miller Great news about a former Trinity Student The school was recently contacted by a former pupil letting them know what happened to her after she left Trinity. ‘I'm Angelica Banks, I was a former student at Trinity (S1) I have great news to share. I've been selected to go to the United States Naval Academy's Summer Seminar in June. It's a huge honour. I've attached their press release - take a look. For more info you can go to http://www.gofundme.com/AngelicaBanks’ Parent Council Meeting The next meeting is at 7pm on Thursday 24th April and as always everyone is welcome to come along - you don’t need to be a member of the PC, you can just come along as an interested parent. The final PC meeting of this school year will be held on Thursday 5th June. Get in touch If you are interested in helping with fundraising or any other aspect of the Parent Council please contact us by email at: [email protected] If you have any feedback about this newsletter or how we communicate with you, please let us know. The Parent Council and the school always welcomes feedback. Page 11 Page 12
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