Autumn Newsletter - October 2016
FROM THE HEADTEACHER
I write to you today not believing that we have been back at school for eight weeks and so much has happened in
our busy school.
We came back to school in August following the publication of our recent exam results. We are absolutely delighted
with our results with just over fifty percent of our S4 gaining five or more National 5 awards. Our full examination
results will be published later in the year in line with other Aberdeenshire schools later in the session. Well done to
all our youngsters and thank you also to all the staff for their diligence in preparing the students for the exams and
to all you parents for the support you give during the run up to and during the examinations etc. It is also great to
hear of the successes of S5 and S6 and how so many of them are heading off to University or College to progress
their learning. I extend our best wishes to them all on behalf of all our learning community.
At the start of the new session we had a number of new staff joining us, Mr Scott Cameron (PT Health and Leisure),
Mrs Beverley Lee (Business Education), Miss Michelle Watt (Biology) and Miss Claire Docherty in Art and Design. We
welcome them to Mearns Academy and hope they enjoy working here with the young people at Mearns Academy.
Mrs Pauline Logue has recently been appointed to the substantive post as Depute Head Teacher here at Mearns and
we extend our congratulations to her.
It is pleasing to see how well S1 have settled in so well into the school and how confident they are as they go about
their business. I was able to speak to quite a few S1 parents at the open morning and the parents evening and I am
delighted with all the positive comments I received about how much their youngsters are enjoying Mearns Academy.
We had a really great day in early September with our sponsored walk with 618 young people taking part and enjoying a great day in the big outdoors. A big thank you for all the help from teaching and non-teaching staff at the
various marshalling points, covering first aid etc. We are still collecting sponsor money and we will let you know of
the final total when we have that finalised but thank you for all your support to date with this event!
On the subject of money, Mearns Academy Parent Council have kindly donated up to four thousand pounds to a
Dragons Den event for projects that young people are wanting to get involved in or some extra funding for an existing project. There is a blank canvas for proposals but they must not be for personal gain and must be linked to the
school or a community project that the school is involved with. Young people supported by staff (where appropriate)
will pitch to the Dragons for money and after deliberations money will be allocated. Parents and carers are invited to
the evening event to watch the proceedings. More details will follow after the holidays.
As a Senior leadership team we have been having conversations with teaching staff about “looking outside the window” in terms of trying to build local links or experiences into their lessons to ensure that our curriculum not only
matches national criteria but also has a real local theme running through it. To achieve this we need to develop our
partnerships even further and I ask that if any of our parents have any specialism, knowledge, facility etc that you
feel might have potential to be developed into a strong link to the school and could really enhance our curriculum
that you get in touch either with myself or one of the Deputes so that we can begin to explore your ideas.
In addition to “looking outside the window” we are also looking to boost our young people’s employability Skills
linked to the Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce initiative. On Monday 3 rd of October we had a very successful
business breakfast where we invited a number of local businesses to meet with us and discuss employability skills. A
number of companies and organisations were unable to join us for a variety of reasons but I extend the invitation to
anyone who feels they may be able to support us in developing employability skills to get in touch and again we can
explore your ideas.
Finally can I take the opportunity to wish you all the very best for the Autumn break and hope that you get some
great family time.
David Martindale
Rector
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M.A.P.C.
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M.A.P.C. cont..
PUPIL ACHIEVEMENTS
Catherine Wotherspoon
Catherine took part in the Scottish Gymnastics Association Women's 12 + Artistic Level 6 Competition 25/9/16 in Perth. She came joint 5th on the Beam and 2nd on the Floor, coming 6th overall.
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S3 ART / RME TRIP
19 S3 pupils took the opportunity to visit Glasgow as
part of their Broad General Education. We went to the
Sikh Temple or Gurdwara where we were given a tour
and a lovely veggie curry lunch at their Langar or community canteen. In the afternoon we visited Tramway
Art where we explored a pitch dark gallery with torches
- an immersive art experience, and then made our own
artwork using clear film and projection techniques.
"The best bit of the day was the food at the Langar"
"I liked using the torches"
"It was interesting to find out about the Gurdwara
building"
"It was fun to draw on the acetate"
"The bus journey was hilarious."
"I'm glad I went on the trip, I did things I've never
done before."
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HIGHER RMPS VISIT KAYYU SAMYE LING—BUDDHIST MONASTERY
The second year of our visit to Samye
Ling was another excellent experience. The pupils had a tour of the
buildings and gardens, watched some
worship and had a go at meditating.
Thank you to our lovely guide Peter
and Ani Sunam who helped him - a
Buddhist nun from Hazelhead.
The pupils said:
"The monastery was much
bigger than I thought."
"I did not realise so many
people just visit to volunteer
their time in the gardens or
kitchens."
"It was very peaceful."
A lovely and educational day out.
Thank you to parents for
their support.
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EXPRESSIVE ARTS
Art & Design
Progression Routes in Art and Design – 30th September 2016
“Progression Routes in Art and Design” allowed senior pupils the opportunity to consider what a
future in Art and Design might look like. The day consisted of pupils being shown around different departments and studios at Dundee colleges Gardyne campus.
These tours were topped off by fantastic
course displays and examples of students
work. The pupils also had the opportunity to
hear from a speaker representing Duncan of
Jordanstone college of Art and Design and to
see some examples of entry portfolios for the
university.
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EXPRESSIVE ARTS
Drama
The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black, Black Oil by John McGrath
This term the S4 and S5 Drama students attended Dundee Rep’s production of “The Cheviot,
The Stag and the Black, Black Oil”. Dundee Rep have revived this
ground breaking play from the original 7.84 touring production of
the 1970s and have added contemporary material making the play
relevant to the present day.
The play portrays Scotland from the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion and the Highland Clearances through to the discovery of North
Sea Oil by imaginative use of music, drama and audience participation. Although the production has a serious message, the cast engage with the audience through humour and songs with each actor
playing a variety of musical instruments.
Higher Drama students are now required to evaluate a live production as part of the SQA exam
and the visit to Dundee Rep was an integral part of the course as well as being an enjoyable
experience.
Music
Uke Group
The Uke group is a group that is run by Mrs Hay and fellow students.
The group involves all year groups and even teachers. The group is
held in Mrs Hay’s room (N1.07) on Wednesday lunchtimes.
The group is held for fun but introduces new skills to learn and new people to meet. The group
covers many types of music and are always open to suggestions and welcome new players too.
All levels are welcome and Ukulele’s are available to borrow – some teachers have even bought
their own so they can practice at home!
Ross Calderwood (5J1)
Rock Challenge
With rehearsals well under way for Rock Challenge 2017 comes fundraising! The
2017 team were keen to get started this session and organised a bake sale over
a few intervals and lunchtimes at the end of August. Pupils and staff were keen
to sample the tasty delights on offer and over £200 was raised. This money will
hopefully go towards producing a bigger and better set for this year’s production. Well Done girls – a great start!
We have also recently set up a twitter account for all the latest news and info on
our 2017 Rock Challenge journey.
Twitter: @mearns_rock
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GLOW
EXPRESSIVE ARTS
What’s On in Expressive Arts
Day
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Group
String Group
Photography Club
Music Catch Up
Ukulele Group
Senior Vocal Group
Junior Vocal Group
Rock Challenge
Time
1.15pm
1.15pm
1.15pm
1.15pm
1.15pm
1.15pm
3.30pm
Place
Music Dept (N1.07)
Art Dept
Music Dept (N1.09)
Music Dept (N1.07)
Music Dept (N1.07)
Music Dept (N1.07)
Dance Studio
Who
Mrs Kalitski
Miss Docherty
Mrs Birse
Mrs Hay
Mrs Hay
Mrs Hay
Mrs Birse/
Miss Wight
Dates for your Diary:
Young Musician 2017:
Rock Challenge 2017:
Wednesday 29th March 2017
Saturday 25th March 2017
Dance
YDance
We were delighted to learn earlier in the term that we would be able to continue our long
standing partnership with YDance as we secured the opportunity to take part in the YDance
Active Girls Programme again this school year.
The programme which is funded by Sportscotland is designed to achieve greater recognition in
the power of girls to motivate and inspire their peers, increase opportunities for girls and
young women to participate, increase the capacity of workforces to deliver quality physical activity for girls in schools and access opportunities for leadership roles in schools.
In a change to previous years, with only four day of dance workshops taking place in Aberdeenshire, ten S3 – S6 pupils travelled to Portlethen Academy on Monday 12 th September to
take part in the day long workshop. The girls hard work and commitment was evident when
they finished the workshop by showcasing their dancing skills in front of teachers and school
staff, leaving everyone present very impressed with the standard of their performance. One
of our girls, Eva Snedden, now has the opportunity to attend an intensive week long Dance
Leaders Level 1 Course at Westhill Academy during the October Holidays. After completing
the course Eva will be in a position to return to Mearns in Term 2 and empower her peers,
with the support of fellow dance enthusiasts, to take part in curricular and extra-curricular
dance opportunities.
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ECO CLUB
The Eco School were delighted to learn that Mearns Academy have
once again been successful in renewing their Eco Schools Green
Flag award status. Eco Schools which is part of the Keep Scotland
Beautiful charity and sent the school a glowing report on the work
that we do. Below are some extracts from the report:
‘The whole campus commitment to education for sustainable development is evident. It was wonderful to read about the many
examples of inter-disciplinary learning enriching the curriculum’.
‘You have advantageously continued your strong community links
and it is wonderful to read about the outdoor learning opportunities your place based learning in Denlethen woods has provided’
‘We must pay tribute to the work of the Eco-Schools coordinators and committee in increasing the school community ‘sustainability’ momentum since your previous Green Flag renewal’
‘The empowerment of the pupils is a credit to the subtle support of the dedicated staff. The
commitment of the SMT to ‘Learning for Sustainability’ is evident. There is a whole school approach to sustainable development education - through the curriculum, the way the buildings
and grounds are run and through the leadership, culture and ethos of the school. You have
successfully interwoven culture, curriculum and community, on your new campus, into successful ‘Learning for Sustainability’ and a robust environmental management system. The
preparatory work of the eco-committee and SMT for your new building was a strong element
of your previous application and has been a great success.’
The Eco Club are delighted with this success and look forward to celebrating our achievement
soon. We also look forward to starting the new Eco Schools system where our special focus
will be on ‘ learning for sustainability’.
Eco Club could not have achieved this award without the great efforts of the whole school
and community and we would like to thank everyone for getting involved in making our
Green Flag award a reality once again.
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ACTIVE
SCHOOLS
EXPRESSIVE
ARTS - YOUNG MUSICIAN 2016
School Sports Committee:
After our 2015 / 2016 Young Ambassadors laid solid
foundations by securing the ‘Silver’ School Sports
Award last school year it has been a very hectic start
to the term. With ‘silver’ in the bag and a comprehensive Development Plan in place the Sports Committee
have met on a regular basis in their quest to imbed
the committee as a key stakeholder in the health and
wellbeing of our pupils.
We learned during the completion of our self-assessment questionnaire that we need to focus
our attention on improving our performance in two key sections of the Award; “Recognition
and Awards” and “Career Long Professional Learning.” Frequent visits to assemblies, updated
noticeboards, committee biographies and joint working with Interhouse sports activities are all
underway with exciting times ahead for the Sports Committee as the School year progresses.
The following pupils are currently on the Committee: Aimee McPherson, Chloe Harding, Emily
Grundy, Robert MacEachern, Anthony Hay, Jane Lawson, Eva Snedden and Innes Kelly.
Extra-Curricular Clubs:
With an inspirational summer of sport behind us, pupils at
Mearns Academy have voted with their feet and turned out in
their droves at our extra-curricular clubs so far this school
year. With ten after school clubs on offer there is something for
everyone:
Monday = Hockey, Basketball and Netball
Tuesday = Rugby, Table Tennis and Archery
Wednesday = Cross Country, Badminton and Boxing Fitness
Thursday = Football
Friday = Lunchtime Netball
Most of the clubs are running close to maximum numbers, but if
anyone is interested in attending any of the above named activities please ask for an application form at the PE department and
return it before you attend you chosen activity. If you have any
questions or queries about the extra-curricular sports timetable
please do hesitate to contact
[email protected]
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GLOW
FOOTBALL TEAMS
Football training began immediately at the start of term and we are pleased to report that the
boys have lost none of their enthusiasm, passion and interest in the sport.
S1 pupils were the first year group to play games this term. After a really tough job of selecting a squad from the thirty boys who attended training, the team made their debut in the Angus Soccer One League in a home match against Montrose Academy. Trailing 3-1 at half time,
the boys bravely battled back to secure a 4-4 draw. Unfortunately in the Aberdeen City Cup
we lost 2-1 to Ellon, but the future remains bright for this particular year group.
Elsewhere, the S2 and S3 teams warmed up for a long season by drawing 3-3 in a friendly
match against Montrose Academy. This draw will put them in
good stead for their upcoming
matches: the S2s play Kincorth
Academy in a cup match on
Thursday 6th October, while the
S3s have a match against Banff
Academy after the October
holidays.
The senior team also have two
upcoming matches, with away
games against The Gordon
Schools and Turriff Academy to
be played in October.
TREE OF KNOWLEDGE
This term the S4-S6 pupils were motivated and inspired by some
excellent presentations from the TREE OF KNOWLEDGE company.
TREE OF KNOWLEDGE are a company which specialise in speaking to both groups of students
and groups in the corporate sector about mindset. They have been seen on Dragons Den and
are supported by Peter Jones who is quoted as saying " I've been involved in trying to make a
difference in education. You're probably the best that I've seen."
The focus of the S4 session was maximising their attainment and achieving their very best. S5
pupils were questioned as to their motivation for staying on for a 5th year and how would they
achieve their goals - did they have the right mind set to grab the opportunities. S6 students
again focused on mindset but with a view to the future and a life after school. Each session
was delivered in the unique fun style that TREE OF KNOWLEDGE bring but with serious educational and motivational messages at the heart. As Mearns Academy moves forward and encourages the growth mind set these sessions were key to getting our young people to look at
how they can improve, grow and be the very best they can.
The company will be back in school to deliver a staff session in November with again the key
focus being growth mindset.
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Sponsored Walk 2016
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Sponsored Walk 2016
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HOUSE NEWS
1st
2nd
3rd
McMILLAN COFFEE MORNING
We would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who supported our Macmillan Coffee Morning
on Friday 30th September.
Thank you for your donations for the raffle, for
baking and donating cakes, for helping out on the
day and for coming along to support our fundraising event in any way.
We raised just over £258.
2016-17 KEY DATES
Term 1 ends
7th October
Term 3 ends
31st March
Term 2 begins
24th October
Term 4 begins
Tues 18th April
In service days
14th & 15th November
Term 4 ends
30th June
Term 2 ends
Wed 21st December
In service / Occasional days
9th -15th Feb
Term 3 begins
Thurs 5th January 2017
Further dates are available on the website.
CONTACT DETAILS
Mearns Academy
Aberdeen Road
LAURENCEKIRK
AB30 1ZJ
Email:
[email protected]
Web address:
www.mearns.aberdeenshire.sch.uk
Tel: 01561 378817
Fax: 01561 378252
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