We have had a bumper week of activities here at Knox.
The week started with one of the S6 Young Enterprise Groups speaking at assemblies. They were talking about how they developed and marketed their app “Valu£ It” (which enables customers to compare prices at supermarkets to ensure savvy shopping). It has been good to let younger year groups know about Young Enterprise and what it involves, and has also served as a rehearsal for the Young Enterprise Awards’ Ceremony that is happening in Edinburgh on the 25th March. The Young Sports’ Ambassadors and pupils from the Sports’ Council have also been talking to pupils about “Sport Your Trainers” Day that is on Monday 10th March. In a show of solidarity for the Glasgow 2014 Games, all pupils are invited to wear their trainers to school (a 50p donation is requested, which goes to charity). I have also stuck my tuppence-worth in at assemblies this week talking about litter around the school.
We have had some real successes around the school this week. Two Fifth Year pupils have had great news: one that they are moving on into the second round of applications for support from the Sutton Trust to go and study at an Ivy League University; another has won a place at the Scottish Space School being held at Strathclyde University during the summer holidays. Another S6 pupil – Jaimee Pickard, was playing in the Glasgow Music Festival this week in the Woodwind Solos Open Class. She won! Jaimee played “Carnival of Venice” by A Giampieri. If you want to hear Jaimee in person, she is playing at the Haddington Pipe Band Concert that is being held here, at Knox, tonight at 7.30pm (there will be tickets available at the door).
In the sporting sphere the rugby teams have been playing well and are training up a storm. I popped down to see how the pupils were doing at an early morning training session yesterday, and they are working hard. We also had pupils representing us at the East Lothian Cross Country Championships yesterday. I have yet to hear how they did, but they get my total respect for giving it a go and representing the school.
The S4 are working hard towards their exams and I was delighted to hear from Ms Orr in the Music Department that the Practical Music Exams had gone well. All the Music teachers were generally very pleased with how the pupils did and it’s good to know that they have banked a good percentage of their final mark in advance.
The S6 organised a fantastic debate on Wednesday in aid of the Bridges Project (a local charity that helps young people prepare for the next steps in their careers). The motion was “Should Scotland be an independent country?” It was a good-humoured, but well-argued debate and the pupils were assisted by Councillors Dave Berry and John McMillan, and the event was chaired by the Provost, Councillor Broun-Lindsay. Councillor Berry has written about it on his blog here (well worth a read).
Next week looks like being similarly busy, ending up on Friday with a charity football match between “Knox Academy Select” and the “Forth One Allstars”. Given that the Forth One team are advertising a "special guest" (whom I can only assume might be quite a good player) I think we might have to stretcher off some of the more "mature" members of the Knox team – so please come down to the 3G at 6.30pm to support. We are having a Dress Down Day that day in school in the hopes of raising more money for good causes.
Phew! I’m off for a lie down!
Have a very good weekend.
S Ingham
