Once again, the Drama Department has had a busy and successful week. A group of third year pupils has spent the past few months working on a short documentary film called ‘It Gets Better’. The film focuses on homophobic bullying in schools and gives hope to young people that ‘It Gets Better’. The pupils were part of the Panasonic Kid Witness News project, a global contest that asks young people to create an engaging short film on a subject of global importance. At the awards ceremony in Derby on May 4, the Knox Academy team received the ‘Best Global Citizenship’ National Award. Of the fifteen schools involved in the UK, the Knox Academy team was the only group from Scotland. Gill Brigg, Education Director for KWN, said ‘The Knox film was very thought provoking and deals with a challenging and controversial issue that affects our young people in schools. They dealt with this with maturity and passion and they have been a privilege to work with’. Congratulations to the team and thanks to Mr Campbell and Ms Duff for supporting the group and accompanying them to Derby.

Continuing on a dramatic theme, Standard Grade Drama pupils in third and fourth year have been accepted to take part in activities to celebrate the National Theatre of Scotland’s fifth birthday. They will be creating 5 pieces of five minutes theatre. A total of 235 productions will be broadcast online over 24hrs from 5pm on Tuesday 21 June. Entries were received from all over the world, with 37 successful entries coming from Edinburgh and the Lothians. Proposals from the five groups at Knox Academy, include a TV cookery show with a twist; tourists marooned on an island; a one to one confessional; a site-specific, physical theatre piece and a couple’s date. The school is planning a day of theatre on 21 June, to celebrate the Five Minute Theatre programme.

Yesterday, the school hosted a visit from careers advisers and teachers, from all over Norway. The feedback from them has been fantastic, they were especially impressed with the enthusiasm of the staff and pupils they met during the visit, the only complaint was that they would have liked to spend more time with them. Photographs and information about the visit will be on the IPN (International Partnership Network) website, www.iebpn.net, many thanks to the staff and pupils involved, and a special thank you to Mr Duddin for organising the visit.

So, another very busy week for Knox Academy: all pupils in S4/5/6 have received letters regarding the arrangements for the examinations and study leave. For S4 pupils, the SQA examinations and Study Leave began on Tuesday. So far things have gone fairly smoothly and (most of) the candidates are still smiling. I am sure the whole school community join me in wishing all the pupils every success in their examinations.

Best wishes.

JB Craig