November 2012

30 November 2012
Published: 30 November 2012

I hope that you are all having a good St Andrew’s Day.  We have had numerous pupils turning up in tartan and younger pupils are also celebrating by having a Reading Hour in English (as good an excuse as any!).

We have continued to receive plaudits for the Business Question Time that was held last week – people are still congratulating the pupils on the interesting questions that they posed to a panel of local business people, and on the catering that was supplied by pupils from Home Economics afterwards.

We are now “three for three” for the Outdoor Education Challenge (we might have to start letting another school win soon…).  Congratulations go to the S1 Team, not only on winning but being more suitably dressed for the weather than the S3 were.  Mr McSwan and Mr Crawford were welcome support and cheered the youngsters to victory over the other five secondary schools.

Peter Macaldowie and Bethany Whitaker represented the school at Preston Lodge High School last week.  They went along to talk to 180 of their peers about their experiences at Tots ‘n Teens as, having witnessed the success of ours, Preston Lodge are launching their own version.  It’s never easy talking to large groups but Bethany and Peter managed it with aplomb.

Mr Young, Mr Flood, Mr Illingworth and I have been taking lunchtime constitutionals down the High Street over the last couple of weeks.  We have been looking specifically at how the pupils are behaving and whether they are leaving litter about.  I have to say that we have been very proud of the pupils who we have encountered, witnessing them putting rubbish in bins and comporting themselves well.  We are delighted and wish to thank the pupils for showing the school in such a good light.  Keep it up!  John McFern and Shannon Cullen have also been recognised this week for their work at the Haddington Christmas Fair, doing their bit for the community.  Well done to them and all the other pupils who give of their time to support local organisations.

It’s going to be a very busy week next week, what with the S5/6 Parents’ Night (4th), Talking to Teens coaching for parents (5th – places still available, so call the School Office) and the Winter Dance (6th – Sold Out).  I think some of us are going to really need our weekend next week!  Please have a look at the information on the “How? What? And Why?” of school dances that was placed on the website yesterday.  There will also be House Assemblies next week where I will be talking to the pupils about how they are doing and the personal goals that they might want to set.  I will also be talking to them about the Dress Code Consultation results.  I will put together a letter for parents about this soon after and will also put it on the website.

I have to confess that Christmas is coming up on me faster than I realised and whilst I am panicking about buying presents, there was something else that took me by surprise – it’s only five working weeks to the S5/6 Prelim Exams!  So whilst it’s a lovely time of year, with lots of exciting things going on, seniors need to keep the momentum going with their work and ensure that they are doing what they need to do to be able to make a success of these exams. 

Have a good (if slightly chilly) weekend.
 

23 November 2012
Published: 23 November 2012

It has been a week of new experience for many pupils this week – the majority of the S4 managed to get out on their weeks’ work experience and I have been hearing good things.  It is no mean feat to get 160 pupils out to placements and thanks must go to the Guidance staff, Mrs Weir, the employers and parents who helped organise self-found placements.
In another first pupils were treated to a “debate-off” between Mr Illingworth and Mr Redford on the topic of Scottish Independence.  The Library was packed with pupils eager to hear the arguments and as Mr Swinney said, “The huge numbers showed the level of interest among young people for the issue, and the potential for intellectual curiosity among the pupils at Knox Academy.  A good day for democracy and a good day for Knox Academy!”

Last week we were treated to the S6 running “Children In Need” fundraising.  They raised a whopping £817.  Huge congratulations to them and all the other pupils who have been raising money for worthy causes so far this year through bake sales, gigs and competitions.

There are a number of events in the coming weeks that I would like to bring to your attention:

PSP Meeting on Wednesday 28th November (Please note that the PSP website is back up)
S5/6 Parents’ Consultation Evening on the 4th December
Christmas Dance on the 6th December

We are also holding a coaching session for parents called “Talking To Teens” – it is specifically aimed at how parents can take a “coaching” approach to helping their youngsters through exams without stressing themselves out!  We will be limiting the places on a first-come-first-served basis to 10, but if there is demand we will run the session again.  The session is only an hour long and will start at 6.30pm on the 5th December. Please telephone the school to book your place.

Remember to fill in the Dress Code Survey as it closes on the 26th November – please try and make your comments as helpful and constructive as you can – all ideas gratefully received!  (Click here to access the survey - survey now closed).

Have a good weekend.
 

16 November 2012
Published: 16 November 2012

In an update to last week’s post we now have some pupils who are part of the Accelerated Reader Millionaires Club.  Congratulations go to: Cian Woodsend  who has read 1,577828 words, closely followed by Benedict Elliott with 1,546,807 and hot on their heels  is George Green with 1,278,836 words read.  All of the youngsters in S1 and S2 should have books that they are reading as part of the Accelerated Reader scheme, so do ask them what they are reading at the moment and recommend some of your favourite reads to them, too.

The KWN Team from two years ago (“It Gets Better” accessed here) went to the Stonewall conference in Edinburgh last Friday accompanied by Mr Flood and Ms Adam.  They gave a presentation to the delegates about their work and participated in a question and answer session.  The organisers were extremely impressed with them and Mr Flood and Ms Adam were extremely proud of their advocacy and maturity.  The new KWN Team have just finished their training and are setting about picking a topic for their film – I look forward to telling you more about it in the near future.

The Higher RMPS class visited the Buddhist Temple in Eskdalemuir for an overnight trip last week.  They had an opportunity to tour the Temple, see daily prayers, walk in the peace garden, try some meditation as well as relaxing in the Tibetan tearooms.  It was an enjoyable and educational experience and all pupils were a credit to the school.   

On Wednesday night, three of our senior pupils took part in their first debating competition.  Liska Crofts, Iona Lee and Ailish Kelly were pipped at the post by pupils from Boroughmuir High School, but Iona was awarded the prize for “Best Individual Speaker”.  It takes a lot of nerve and preparation to compete at debating, so hearty congratulations to them and I echo Mrs Fairbairn’s sentiments from her  email to me, “I’m so proud of them!”

Last night Ms Whitfield and her team took 20 excited pupils to see “Iron” at the Traverse Theatre.  The pupils were excited to see how the cast would translate this modern thriller to the stage.  They were a credit to the school and I would like to extend my thanks to the parents who were waiting to pick up their children when they returned at 11.15pm!

You will have noticed that a questionnaire has gone out to pupils regarding the dress code consultation and thanks go to Finlay Munro and Mr McSwan for organising that.  I shall be posting questionnaires for parents and staff either later today or on Monday.  The surveys will be open until the 26th November, so please have your say.

The S6 have been adding to their fundraising efforts today by collecting for Children In Need.  The costumes that they wore were amazing and I am sure we’ll manage to post some photos soon, along with the grand total of money raised.

I am planning to be in school between 5pm and 7pm on Thursday 22nd November on a first-come-first-served basis for any parent or carer who wishes to come in and have a word.  Please pop in if there is anything that you wish to ask or comment upon – just take a seat on the green seating to the right of the main entrance.

Enjoy your weekend!
 

9 November 2012
Published: 09 November 2012

So, yet another triumph at the Outdoor Education Challenge –this time by and intrepid bunch of S3 pupils!  The temperature last Friday was freezing and yet the pupils worked hard and as a team and it paid off – although I think that it probably took them until Monday to thaw out!  Thanks to Mr Wands and Mr Crawford for supervising.

Also on Friday, an excited Miss Machen accompanied two lucky S6 pupils, Phoebe Roebuck and Claire Wilson to the sold-out J.K Rowling event at Lennoxlove Book Festival. They watched the live interview and patiently waited to have their copies of her new novel “The Casual Vacancy” signed by Rowling herself.  An enjoyable and memorable experience was had by all.

On Tuesday, 27 S2 pupils visited the Brunton Theatre to watch the film “War Horse”, courtesy of National Schools Film Week.  The trip was organised through the Communications Faculty after S2 classes read a war-themed play.  The pupils enjoyed the viewing and displayed excellent behaviour throughout the event.

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of signing 29 Accelerated Reader certificates for some of our S1 and 2 pupils.  It is brilliant that the pupils are reading so much and being rewarded.  They are going to have to go some to beat Ruaridh Bruce who, last year, read a total of 2,595, 287 words (counted by Accelerated Reader – not us!), but they are well on the way.  Congratulations to all.

We are observing a minutes’ silence in school at 11.11am today.  Classes will then watch a PowerPoint presentation put together by some of our pupils.  They have included two poems that they have written and it is very moving.  You can see the presentation and read the poems by following the news link at the top left of this homepage.

Knox Academy Support Group is one of our parent/carer organisations and does an enormous amount to fundraise for the school and raise its profile in the community.  They are planning a Burns’ Supper on 24th January 2013.  The Head Boy and Girl have already been roped in to do the respective addresses to the Lads and Lasses and I believe that Mr Edwards will give the “Immortal Memory”.  The post for the “Address to the Haggis” remains vacant…at the moment…  Please mark the date in your diaries and look out for further details on ticket prices etc.  Let’s make it an occasion to remember and be out in force to support our school.

Have a very good weekend.
 

2 November 2012
Published: 02 November 2012

It may be autumn and “all the leaves are brown”, but you can colour me delighted…
The trophy cabinet is getting fuller by the day – on Monday I was greeted by two of our S4 girls (Cara and Courtney) with the news that they had triumphed in the East Lothian Young Chef Competition.  With their ambitious menu of Trout, wrapped in Parma Ham, in a white wine sauce accompanied by turmeric rice, followed by “Tuille Surprise” they  beat off the competition from the other secondary schools.  They worked seamlessly as a team, filleting and de-boning the fish (for the first time ever) and producing tuilles that were see-through, and  finishing a good twenty minutes before the other teams.  I think that they would have put some Masterchef contestants to shame.  They literally left their mark on the Preston Lodge kitchens with their liberal use of turmeric but also with their good humour.  They go on to an awards’ dinner later on this year where their achievement will be lauded again.

Also on Monday I received an email from Mr McSwan (Computing) letting me know that the pupils who had helped out at the Computing and Schools Conference last weekend had been a real credit to us.  Some of the feedback was:
“Please say to your HT that I thought the students who helped out at #casscot12 were an absolute credit to the school.”
“Pupils were very helpful and a credit to their school. It was very good of them to give up their Saturday in this way.”
"I wish I had students like this".

On Thursday morning I popped down to the Gym Hall to witness some of the School of Rugby training.  A dedicated band of youngsters were to be found training under the supervision of Scott Marnoch and Kenny Harper – at the point I went in they were playing a game to practise dodging and the losers were forfeiting 10 press-ups!  Well done to all of them for their dedication that gets them to school for 7.45am to train.

If you are wondering what’s available for your youngster to get involved in here, please have a look at the extra-curricular and Sport timetables that are located under the Extra-Curricular tab at the top of the website.  There’s a lot going on, be it academic or otherwise.
The picture that accompanies this post is “Snapshots of Autumn and Hallowe’en” produced as Art homework by AM in 1G2 (Isn’t it marvellous? I Just had to share it with you).