Highlights JUNE

Transcription

1 Highlights JUNE

2 Welcome from the Rector As another school year draws to a close, I am delighted to share with you an abundant range of highlights from over the summer term from both the Junior and Senior School. Despite mixed weather, the demands of examinations at the Senior School, and an already busy school year, our young people have once more demonstrated their great verve for life and making the most of their opportunities. From UK and Scottish national achievements to varied trips, competitions, performances and charitable activity, the summer term has been one of vibrancy and success for many. I am extremely grateful to all our young people for all they have given to the School this session and to my colleagues for their valued contributions and commitment. You all help by your endeavour to make this school a special place. Thank you. It only remains for me to wish all families, pupils and staff a very happy, relaxing and enjoyable summer holiday. Please note that given print deadlines - some of the final highlights of the summer term will be recorded in future publications.

3 Cookery Queens! It has been a special year for two particular High School cooks. Having won through to the final eight finalists out of an original field of 5,000 competitors, Tabitha Steven of 2nd Year won the Great Britain and Ireland Rotary Club Young Chef of the Year title in Lincoln on Saturday 20th May. Her winning dishes, a starter of new season asparagus soup, followed by a main of seared sea bass with courgetti, served in a tomato and basil sauce and a dessert of vanilla panna cotta served with summer berries and a baked crumb, impressed all the judges and led Tabitha to become the youngest ever recipient of this prestigious award. Meanwhile, in the UK National Final of the Springboard FutureChef competition in London in late March, Isabella Harten of S4 came fourth out of twelve finalists, from the original 9,150 competitors who started the competition. Her menu, a main course of seared sea bass with vegetable hotch potch and sun-dried tomatoes and a dessert of mandarin tart, chocolate sorbet and textures of raspberry, suitably impressed the judging panel. Our deepest congratulations go to both girls on their incredible achievements. We also offer sincere thanks to their School mentor Mrs Jen Sellar of the Health and Food Technology department. (Image of Tabitha courtesy of Alice Boucher Photography) Tabitha Steven Transitus Bake Off The Transitus Bake Off Final in early June saw 13 finalists battle it out for the title of Bake Off Champion 2017! This year's final was judged by owner of Cookie Catering, Jenny Provan and recently crowned Rotary UK Young Chef of the Year 2017, Tabitha Steven (S2), along with S6 Advanced Higher Health and Food Technology pupil and owner of online cake company BakeHeart, Chloe Trott. The judges were very impressed with the overall standard of baking but eventually decided to award the overall title for 2017 to Christina Brincat for her Lime and Blueberry Drizzle Cake. Isabella Harten and Jav Aziz PAGE 3

4 Competition Participation and Success The talent of High School pupils has again shone through in the run up to summer, with successes in an eclectic range of sporting and academic competitions. Commonwealth Youth Games Hamish Stewart (S6) and Anna Fleming (S5) have been selected to represent Team Scotland in their respective sports of tennis and swimming at this summer's Commonwealth Youth Games. They will head to Nassau, Bahamas, in July as part of a 41-person squad to compete in a six day competition against the cream of the Commonwealth crop. Having proven themselves to be amongst the elite of Scottish youth sport with various national successes throughout the year, these selections are testament to Hamish and Anna's hard work and impressive dedication to their chosen sports. We wish them every success in July. Word Wizard Spelling Bee Doaa, Lujine, Mariam and Charlie Chess Competition Hamish Stewart Anna Fleming Four pupils excelled in the Word Wizard Spelling Bee Final at The Scottish Parliament in May. Lujine Ibrahim, Doaa Shabbir (both S3), Charlie Campbell and Mariam Ibrahim (both S2) competed against S1-S3 pupils from schools throughout Scotland in a competition that saw participants having to learn 225 words in a foreign language and be able to translate and spell more words in a minute than their fellow competitors. Congratulations to Doaa who gained a first place finish in the Intermediate Spanish competition and Lujine who gained first in the Intermediate German competition. Well done also to Charlie who was second in the Intermediate Spanish competition, and Mariam who finished second in the Intermediate French competition. Ritvik Maheshwari (Trans) was invited by Chess Scotland to compete in the Primary Schools Individual Championships in Ayrshire in early June, securing third place in the event. Ritvik has also been selected for the Scottish Junior Team that will participate in the Glorney-Gilbert International Tournament in Cardiff later this summer. He will compete in matches against teams from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France over the three day competition. PAGE 4

5 Gilbert Murray Essay Competition For the second year running, Mira Mansfield (S6) was a prize winner in the Gilbert Murray National Classics Essay Competition. Her prizewinning entry, a philosophical dialogue on ancient democracy, was especially commended as the "outstanding submission this year. However, the awards did not end there. We were delighted that S3 pupil Ben Willett was a prize winner, while Kimberley Wong of S6 gained a certificate of merit. Ben, Mira and Kimberley Mathematics Competitions In February, 60 pupils took part in the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge, with a total of 7 Gold, 21 Silver and 19 Bronze awards won. Gold Awards went to Aditya Mahesh (S2), who was also awarded 'Best in School'; Jay Tyagi (S4), who was also awarded 'Best in Year'; Daniel Bogomolnyi- Moulin (S3), who was also awarded 'Best in Year', along with Lucy Ashton, Reuben Gilson-Barnett, Rohan McMillan and Ben Willett (all S3). Aditya, Daniel and Lucy all achieved Certificates of Merit in the Intermediate Olympiad follow-on round. In the Maths Association Primary Maths Challenge, Transitus pupils received 7 Gold, 12 Silver and 20 Bronze awards, with Gold awards won by Fergus Currie, Ibrahim Faisal, Akshat Gupta, Charlie Horn, Rory Paterson, Polly Quaile and Zixuan Yao. Ibrahim Faisal achieved a particularly high score and qualified for the Primary Maths Challenge follow-on round where he impressively won a Silver medal. The UKMT Junior Challenge saw S1 and S2 pupils winning an impressive 20 Gold, 22 Silver and 13 Bronze awards. Gold awards went to Ralph Hemsley, who was also awarded 'Best in School', Alice Basu, John Greene, Adam Insall, Cameron James, Catriona Mackenzie, Aditya Mahesh, Millie Marriott-Laurie, James Miles, Kai Morgan, Luca Pacitti, Ailun Peng, Adam Sefcik, Marni Robertson (all S2), Annabel Davies, who was also awarded 'Best in S1', Aarya Gambhir, Amirah Khatoon, Tanvi Mantry, Kenny McClymont and Matthew Provan (all S1). Ibrahim Faisal Many pupils were invited to take part in the challenging and prestigious follow-on rounds - Ralph Hemsley and Aditya Mahesh will take part in the Junior Olympiad round while Alice Basu, John Greene, James Miles, Luca Pacitti, Ailun Peng, Adam Sefcik, Annabel Davies and Aarya Gambhir will all compete in the Junior Kangaroo competition. PAGE 5

6 Trips and Events Our hockey and rugby stars enjoyed a five day trip to Lisbon during the Easter break while 95 S3 and S4 pupils headed to Belgium and France to visit the Battlefields of Word War I. Duke of Edinburgh's Award pupils ventured out on various expeditions throughout the term whilst Geographers headed to Lanark and Loch Lomond to carry out fieldwork in May. 15 S2 pupils had the chance to attend the filming of an episode of BBC's 'Robot Wars' in mid-may, while Transitus-S3 pupils enjoyed the 2017 Activities Week over a scorching hot few days later in the month. In June, the return leg of the S3 French Exchange saw pupils spend a week in Lyon, S5 pupils enjoyed a teambuilding day at Loch Lomond, S3 Biology pupils headed to Lunderston Bay to carry out fieldwork and S6 pupils took part in various fun activities as part of their Leavers' Course. Hockey & Rugby Portugal Tour PAGE 6

7 S3/S4 Battlefields Trip PAGE 7

8 Activities Week 2017 PAGE 8

9 Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme S1 Geography Farm Fieldtrip S3 Geography Rivers Fieldtrip S3 French Exchange S5 Team Building Day S2 Trip to Filming of Robot Wars PAGE 9

10 Raasay Outdoor Education Trip S1 pupils enjoyed their annual outdoor education trip to the beautiful island of Raasay in May. Come rain or shine, the children enthusiastically participated in days packed full of action, adventure and learning which saw them abseiling, rock climbing, kayaking and even venturing out to sea! PAGE 10

11 Lord of the Flies Junior Drama Production This year's Junior Drama Production saw S1 and S2 pupils take part in a re-enactment of 'Lord of the Flies' over two nights in early June, with the cast relishing the chance to do justice to the savagery and mayhem of William Golding's classic novel. 'Lord of the Flies' follows a group of school children who survive a plane crash and end up stranded on a desert island. Ralph, played by Michael Alba (S2), becomes the leader and his friend, Piggy, brought to life by James Sibbald (S2), acts as the supportive voice of reason. While Piggy encourages everyone to follow the rules, Jack, portrayed by Gregor Howie (S2), is too keen on hunting and throwing spears to listen. The children become divided and more savage as time goes on, leading to an unforgettable climax! Audiences witnessed a passionate performance from the entire cast, which also included Amy Gilson-Barnett, Ralph Hemsley, Christina Miller, Emily Provan, Ivan Wainwright (all S2), Finlay Davison, Catriona Gallagher, Libby Morgan, Danny Petrie and Findlay Rayner (all S1). They were treated to thoroughly enjoyable performances, punctuated by chaotic dances and raucous chanting, as well as some more sombre and emotive moments from our talented young cast. PAGE 11

12 Sport A round up of Summer term sporting successes The summer term saw a number of wide-ranging and impressive sporting successes! Pupils came together to achieve national team successes in skiing, swimming and tennis and excelled individually with individual European and national victories in athletics, badminton, karting, rowing and skating. Many also had the opportunity to represent Scotland at age group level, with notable recognition of our pupils' talents in chess, football, hockey, rugby and triathlon. Athletics At the Scottish Schools' Athletics Championships in Grangemouth on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th June, Alice Baxendale (S4) won Gold and became Scottish Schools' champion in U17 Discus. Meanwhile, James Stewart (S6) won Silver in O17 High Jump and Lily Paterson (S2) won Bronze in both U14 Discus and Shot. In the Glasgow Schools' Athletics Finals at Scotstoun in early June, S1-S6 High School pupils won an impressive total of 44 individual and 6 team relay medals. Congratulations to Gold medallists: Oli Crawford (Javelin), Stuart Ferguson (Javelin) (both S6), Jessica Mendonca-Gray (200m) (S5), Angus Barrett (100m Hurdles), Alice Baxendale (Discus), Lorn Webster (800m) (all S4), the S3 Boys Relay team (Luke Armstrong, Connor Garrett, Michael Kourouklis, Graeme Macdonald) Luke Armstrong (Discus), Lucy Gardner (Discus), Connor Garrett (100m & Long Jump), Panos Kourouklis (1500m), Joe McDonagh (80m Hurdles) (all S3), Michael Alba (Long Jump), Sam Haldane (Discus), Christina Miller (Javelin), Lily Paterson (Shot Put) (all S2), Annabel Davies (Javelin) and Maxwell Wang (Shot) (both S1). The S3 Boys' team, captained by Connor Garrett, were overall team winners, with the Senior Boys' Senior Girls', S3 Girls' and S2 Boys' teams all finishing second and the S1 Girls' team finishing third. A full list of medal winners can be found on the School website. The S3 and S2 Boys' teams, captained by Connor Garrett and Ryan Street respectively, were victorious at the S1-S3 League Finals at Hutchesons' Grammar School in June. Angus Moulsdale - Karting Transitus and J6 athletes excelled in the Glasgow Primary Schools' Heats at Scotstoun on Monday 5th June. The girls team finished first overall with the boys team coming second. Pupils also took home a total of 16 individual and relay medals, with every competitor achieving a top six finish and therefore qualifying for the Glasgow Primary Schools Finals on Wednesday 14th June. Well done to Gold medallists on the day: Transitus - Fergus Currie (600m), Ibrahim Faisal (Cricket Ball Throw), Emily Makridis (Standing Long Jump), Eva Shepherd (Cricket Ball Throw) and Kirsty Wicklow (600m); J6 - Georgia Rose (Cricket Ball Throw) and Robbie Walsh (Cricket Ball Throw). The Transitus, J6 and J5 Boys' team were victorious at The Glasgow Academy Henderson Shield Competition in mid-may. PAGE 12

13 Boys' U13 Football Sevens Team SSSA Skiing Gold Medalists Aquathlon Competitors Hockey Lucy Williamson (S4) and Georgia Crooks (S3) were selected to represent Scotland U16 for their match against Ulster U17's in Belfast in mid-june, while Charlotte Simmers (S3) was selected to represent the Scotland U16 Development squad against Ulster U16's. Meanwhile, seven High School girls competed in the U14 Inter-District Tournament at Edinburgh's National Hockey Academy in May. Alex Jones, Anna Smith (both S2), Zara Kennedy and Jessica Mitchell (both S1) were part of the victorious West District side that narrowly defeated the South District 1-0 in the final. Ellie Murphy (S2) and Lucy Sillars (S1) also competed for the East/West/Midlands Combined side while Maia Gillespie (S2) was part of the South West District side. SSFA Caps - Mhairi and Georgia Crooks Swimming The team of Fergus Currie, Jamie Ritchie (both Trans) Milo Harris and David McCallum (both J6) became Scottish champions in both the 12 and Under Boys' Freestyle and Medley Relay competitions at the Scottish Schools' Team Relay Championships on Wednesday 7th June in Edinburgh. They won the Daily Record trophy for their Freestyle success. Badminton Rachel Sugden (S4) won the Scottish U17 Girls' Singles title at the National Junior Championships in Motherwell prior to the Easter break. She justified her number one seeding in the event by netting the Girls' Singles title, while also reaching the semi final of the U17 Girls' Doubles and the quarter final of the U17 Mixed Doubles competitions. Rachel also went further afield during the Easter break when she competed at the European Junior and European Junior Team Championships in Mulhouse, France. Her singles' success led the Scottish side to a victory over Portugal in the group stage of the Team Championships, whilst Rachel individually reached the last 32 of the Junior Championships. Akshat Gupta (Trans) and Zu-An Chen (J6) won team Gold in the Boys' Doubles competition at the Scottish Primary Schools' Championships in early May, with Akshat also securing Bronze in the Boys' Singles competition. Alice Baxendale - Athletics Skating Juliana Sweeney-Baird (S2) was invited to be part of the honoured guest programme at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Graz, Austria in mid-march where she met former Olympic and World Ice Dancing champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. PAGE 13

14 Henderson Shield Athletics Competition Boys Team Winners District Hockey Winners Glasgow Primary Schools' Girls Athletics Team Winners During the Easter break, Juliana competed over four days at the British Inclusive Skating Championships in Glasgow, placing first in all of her events in the Advanced Novice age category. She won Gold in Level 5 Compulsory Elements, Level 5 Free Skating, Level 3 Free Dance and Level 2 Synchro with her team 'Iskate Stars'. In individual competition, Juliana was also victorious in the British Solo Dance, British Inclusive Skating and British Inclusive Skating for Genes Championships, an impressive total of seven successes in all over the course of the Championships! Football The U13 Boys' team performed well in the SFA Cashback Sevens Tournament at Bearsden Academy just before the Easter break. The team of Shaun McNulty (Captain), Jude Bannatyne, Fraser Barr, Mackenzie Bruce, Dan Lilley, Matthew Provan (all S1), Archie MacFadyen, Liam McColl, Kwesi O'Hare and Ben Taylor (all Trans) were undefeated in their section, winning two and drawing one. The boys then lost narrowly to Rosshall Academy in their semi-final. As three teams qualified for the next stage, their third place playoff was a very important game - step forward Captain Shaun McNulty, who not only finished the tournament as top goalscorer with six goals, but also scored with the final kick of the playoff game to seal a deserved victory over Jordanhill School and qualification for the next round. The U15 Girls' team competed well to finish in joint third position at the Scottish Schools' Finals on Tuesday 6th June. The only independent school to reach the Scottish Finals, the girls won three and lost two matches on the day, narrowly missing out on top spot in their group and the chance to play in the final. Mhairi and Georgia Crooks (both S3) were presented with SSFA U15 caps during a ceremony at Hampden Stadium in April. The girls also represented Scotland at the Bob Docherty Cup competition in Dublin during the Easter break where they were able to get one over on the Auld Enemy, beating England 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time. Mhairi was also invited to participate with the SFA West Region at their U16 National Performance Camp at Tulliallan in mid-june. Tennis The Senior Boys' team of Euan Gibson-Smith, Hamish Stewart (both S6), Matthew Gibson-Smith, Mark Ward and Thomas Whitelaw (all S4) recorded comfortable 6-0 victories over Linlithgow Academy in the quarter final and Mackie Academy in the semi final of the Scottish Schools' Team Championships. They are to face the Tennis Academy, Merchiston Castle School, in the final. Skiing The Primary Team of Fergus Currie, Kirsty Wicklow (both Trans) and Max Clark (J6) won overall team Gold at the SSSA Primary Indoor Green Mountain Competition in late April, with Fergus also winning Gold in the Boys' Individual competition. PAGE 14

15 Oban Duncan - Powerboating Scotland U17s Rugby - Stuart Ferguson and Murray Godsman Rowing At the Scottish Schools' Championships in June, Natalie Smart (S5) won Gold in the J18 Eights, while Ciara Rogers (S3) won Silver in the J14 Singles and Quads and Bronze in the J14 Doubles. Triathlon Representing Fusion Triathlon Club, Transitus pupil Fergus Currie competed successfully at the Strathclyde Park Triathlon Festival in late May to win the Tristar 2 race by a single second! Fergus will now go forward to represent Scotland in the Inter-Regional Championships at Mallory Park, Leicestershire in August. Powerboating Oban Duncan (Trans) regained her Scottish Junior powerboat title after winning the Scottish RYA Honda Championships. She will compete at the UK P1 Offshore Powerboat Championships in Greenock later in June Karting Angus Moulsdale was victorious in the second round of the X30 Junior European Series Kart Prix competition in Salbris, France in May. After two races, Angus currently sits second in the overall standings. With races still to come in Wackersdorf, Germany in July and Castelletto, Italy in September. There is still plenty to play for! Cricket Sir Garfield Sobers Cricketing legend Sir Garfield Sobers visited the Senior School to take part in a question and answer session in early June. He was kind enough to also come and talk with the 1st XI the Scottish Swimming Champions next morning as they took on MCC at Old Anniesland. The 1st XI also faced The Forty Club in a competitive fixture the following week. Meanwhile, the 1st VI were runners up at The Glasgow Academy Sixes, losing narrowly to George Watson's College in the final. Aquathlon Anya MacLean (S1) won Bronze in the S1/S2 Girls' race at the Scottish Schools' Championships at Stirling University in late April. Zara Kennedy (S1) also competed strongly in the 300 metre swim and two kilometre run. Rugby Stuart Ferguson (S6) and Murray Godsman (S5) represented Scotland U17s as they took on an England U17 side in a tough fixture in Newcastle at the end of April. Sailing Gordon Sivarajan (S3) continued to impress on the open water as he represented the GBR team at the Laser 4.7 European Championships in Murcia, Spain during the Easter break. PAGE 15

16 Music Summer term music news On the evening of Friday 2nd June, the High School Percussion Ensemble, led by Mr Lachie Birch, performed alongside an ensemble from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Junior Department in 'The Rhythm of Life' percussion concert. Taking place at New Kilpatrick Parish Church in Bearsden, our pupils contributed to an exciting evening of music. Over 1,400 was raised on the night, in support of Christian Aid. On the national stage, Christopher O'Leary (S6) was invited, along with nine other members of the National Youth Choir of Scotland at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, to sing with the popular group Public Service Broadcasting in a sold out concert as part of the International Science Festival. The NYCoS choir sang all the singles from their album 'The Race for Space' on a very memorable occasion. A delighted audience were treated to an entertaining evening of hits from the Swing era and beyond at 'Swing and More at Oran Mor' on Monday 12th June. Over 30 pupils performed as part of the School Jazz Band, directed by Mr Raymond McKeown, and the newly formed Bluenotes Quintet, featuring Henry Lafferty, Adam Stanley (both S6), Jack Bestow, Oscar Wainwright and William Xu (all S5). Solo singers thrilled the audience with their mature performances of hits including 'New York, New York' and 'Chattanooga Choo Choo'. The singers were Beth Cairns (S6), Millie Haldane, Pippa Newbery, Kai Ross and Jai Tyagi (all S4). Swing and More at Oran Mor PAGE 16

17 Christopher O'Leary Advanced Higher Music Excursion Percussion Ensemble Concert PAGE 17

18 SingFest The Final of SingFest 2017 took place at the Senior School on Friday 21st April, with Mr Jamie MacDougall adjudicating over an exciting evening of singing which displayed the impressive vocal talent that the High School has to offer. After competitive first and second rounds prior to the summer term, the 2017 SingFest Final saw pupils participate in Classical Solo, Theatrical Solo and Vocal Ensemble competitions, with Mr Jamie MacDougall, the nation's voice of classical music on BBC Radio Scotland, acting as adjudicator for the evening. Jamie has worked with some of the world s top orchestras, including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and frequently presents and sings at the BBC Proms in the Park from Glasgow. He was given the challenging task of choosing the performers who displayed the most outstanding musicianship, whilst also identifying younger performers who displayed outstanding potential. On the evening the following awards were made: Outstanding Potential - Rebecca McInnes (S5) and Scott Hornell (S4) The Iain Paterson Award for Outstanding Musicianship in Classical Solo Singing - Mira Mansfield (S6) The Nadine Livingston Award for Outstanding Musicianship in Theatrical Solo Singing - Millie Haldane (S4) The Peter Douglas Award for Outstanding Musicianship in Ensemble Singing - S6 Ensemble (Beth Cairns, Calum Esler, Duncan Fraser, Heather Kelly, Michael Macnaughton, Victoria Maguire, Mira Mansfield, Tiffany Nelson, Christopher O'Leary and Ruairidh Wallace) PAGE 18

19 MusicFest The 2017 MusicFest final witnessed outstanding solo and ensemble performances at the Senior School on Thursday 8th June. The School had the honour of welcoming the Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, as adjudicator for the evening. The final of MusicFest 2017 saw pupils from Transitus-S6, selected from two preliminary rounds of auditions, perform in a memorable night of music. The adjudicator for the evening was Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Professor Jeffrey Sharkey. Professor Sharkey is a prominent American pianist and composer who has previously worked in a number of prestigious institutes, including serving as Director of Johns Hopkins University s Peabody Institute, Dean of the Cleveland Institute of Music and Director of Music at the Purcell School in London. Professor Sharkey enjoyed an evening of outstanding musical performances and after careful consideration, made the following awards: The Peter Douglas Award for Outstanding Musicianship in Ensemble Performance - The Jazz Funk Group: Henry Lafferty, Christopher O'Leary, Adam Stanley, James Stewart, Ruairidh Wallace (all S6), Andrew Cross and Aiden White (both S5) The Fraser MacAuley Award for Outstanding Musicianship in Solo Performance (Junior Section) - Amelia Neilson (S2) The Barnaby Archer Award for Outstanding Musicianship in Solo Performance (Intermediate Section) - Ella Fraser (S4) The Marianne Rawles Award for Outstanding Musicianship in Solo Performance (Senior Section) - Samrat Majumder (S6) PAGE 19

20 Junior School Update from Ledcameroch Road We would like to send our best wishes to Mrs Isabel McNeill who will be retiring as Art Teacher at the Junior School after 28 years. She will be greatly missed and we hope she enjoys her well deserved retirement. Also leaving us at the end of this term is Mr Ross Baillie who will be taking up a new teaching post abroad. Mr Iain Hallahan, who has worked at the school for six years, will also be moving on to pastures new. We wish them both success in their new ventures. Mrs Ali Dougherty is also leaving us temporarily in June as she is expecting her first baby in July! Best wishes to her and her husband. We had the privilege of hosting three visitors from Poitiers, France. They visited with Rev. Graeme Wilson and Mrs Margaret Young from Bearsden Cross Church, as they embark on setting up a partnership between their respective churches. The visitors thoroughly enjoyed time with J5 in their French class, before touring the school. This term, the Health Committee spoke to pupils at assembly about how to stay safe in the sun. They came to school dressed in summer clothing and explained how to protect yourself from the dangers of the sun. As part of Red Nose Day, we had a Zumba session at assembly with Mrs Reid. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed dancing to an eclectic mix of Zumba songs! Mrs Selina Hales from the charity Rufuweegee also spoke with pupils at assembly about the super work they do for refugees in Glasgow. It was great to learn Road Safety Week 'Boxercise' for Health Day about how the money raised at the school was being used to help others. 'Sharing the Learning' assemblies have once again been very enjoyable and have informed pupils about the fabulous learning happening throughout the school. Road Safety Week was launched on Monday 24th April. J6 Road Safety Officers Emma Rossetter and Harriet Reid organised activities to help promote road safety across the school. All classes were asked to design a poster on how to travel to school safely and create a road safety mascot in Art. Emma and Harriet spoke at assembly on how to stay safe when crossing the road and organised a question and answer session with Mr Pat Quinn, the school lollipop man. The girls also worked closely with Mrs Caroline Hay from East Dunbartonshire Council to create a parking charter which was rolled out across the school. This gave reminders to parents on how to park sensibly and safely. The girls, along with a number of volunteers, patrolled the street during this week to ensure all parents were adhering to the rules! To mark the end of a successful week, pupils came to school wearing something bright, in line with the Be Bright, Be Seen theme. J6 took part in the Bikeability Scotland training scheme this term. Pupils learned a number of things including how to carry out a thorough bike check, how to start off safely, how to do an emergency stop and how to come to a stop in traffic whilst using the right arm signal to show their intention. They also learned the importance of the 'LIFESAVER' - to look over their right shoulder, how to make a left turn at an uncontrolled junction - one without lights or signs to control the traffic flow, how to make a right turn at a controlled junction and how to make a right turn from a major road to a side road. Pupils continued to practise good control whilst cycling slowly and making signals. Pupils donned their 'Keep Scotland Tidy' yellow tabards to take part in a Spring clean-up in early May. Members of the Eco Committee, armed with litter pickers, brooms and bin bags, cleared up litter around the school grounds and surrounding area. They also helped weed the school PAGE 20

21 gardens, topped up beds with compost and planted new flowers for the summer. Plants were specially selected for the environment, attracting insects, butterflies and bees. Spring clean-ups are supported by the 'Keep Scotland Beautiful' charity, as part of its Eco Schools programme. A very successful 'Health Day' took place on Thursday 25th May. This year's theme was 'boxercise'. The whole school started the day by doing a routine with Mrs McConnechy in the playground before being joined by 'boxers' in the form of Mr Baillie and Mr Hallahan, with Mr Nisbet dressing up as a monkey to join in the fun! Throughout the day there was a wide variety of activities, many led by parents and outside visitors, including parkour, pilates, mindfulness, judo, hockey, circus skills, orienteering. Pupils were able to enjoy the sun with an outdoor picnic. Thank you to everyone who supported this super healthy day! Mr Pat Quinn Bikeability Training Kindergarten Kindergarten have had a fantastic time this term exploring different artistic techniques, learning all about pattern, form, shape, colour and photography. The children visited the Gallery of Modern Art and Kelvingrove Art Gallery, using everything they learned to create their very own art gallery and putting on a 'Sharing the Learning' Art Show. Kindergarten pupils loved showing their parents just how much they had learned! Junior 1 On Friday 12th May, Junior 1 enjoyed a trip to the Museum of Rural Life as part of their topic of The Farm. Pupils had the opportunity to meet some farm animals and explored the museum, comparing the differences between farming now and in the past. There was a lot of excitement when the tractor collected the children to go and visit the animals! J1 pupils also thoroughly enjoyed a visit to Tesco, where they took part in a Farm to Fork workshop. They learned where the produce they eat on a daily basis comes from and were able to sample some of the food too! In class, pupils have been learning about farm produce and machinery, as well as the various ways land is used in farming. They had the opportunity to buy and sell items in a farm shop, set up in their classrooms, using a range of coins up to 10p. Junior 2 Junior 2 thoroughly enjoyed their Three Pigs topic covering 'Materials'. Peter, Percy and Patrick wrote to us and requested our help in making their homes 'big bad wolf-proof'! The children even carried out waterproofing tests on their roofs. Pupils investigated 'Minibeasts', compiling fact-files whilst working in their research lab. Generation Science visited to teach J2 about bees, with pupils pretending they were bees, transferring pollen on their feet and sucking up nectar from the flowers. Caterpillars arrived and J2 pupils have potted them and started their diaries. J2 have also been weighing using scales and measuring using their hands, feet, straws and cubes - Lots of marvellous maths! PAGE 21

22 Junior 3 Junior 3 have been learning about the 'Romans' this term. Pupils have enjoyed learning about the past, showing particular interest in the more gruesome aspects of Roman life! They became reporters for the day and enthusiastically recorded news reports describing the events in Pompeii when Vesuvius erupted, even sharing one of their completed videos at assembly. Later in the term, they thoroughly enjoyed a special Roman Day, filled with Roman activities and a special Roman feast. Rousing songs were learnt and sung on a march around the school so that everyone could see their magnificent Roman costumes. Learning about the Roman army was a particular highlight, as was a trip to the Roman baths in Bearsden. A trip to Rome was even suggested by the children! Junior 5 Generation Science visited Junior 5 to run a Lego Mindstorm Challenge, a hands-on, interactive workshop which allowed pupils to programme their own robots! The class explored what a robot is and why they are useful, what the term 'programming' means and how robots work. Following an introduction to the specialist programming software, pupils worked in small groups to programme their robot. They used their new programming knowledge and problem solving skills to make their robot complete a number of challenges, each more complicated than the last. J5 children rose to the challenge and had great fun! Junior 4 As part of their 'Light and Colour' topic, Junior 4 hosted a very successful pop-up museum. In preparation for the event, both classes carried out a series of experiments and investigations in order to develop their own skills and understanding. The Museum provided an opportunity for the children to share their learning. They took charge in planning the event, from writing light bulb invitations to running a variety of exciting exhibits. All the guests participated enthusiastically in the activities the children had planned, such as the Marvellous Mirrors task, which proved a challenge for all! Junior 6 The Junior 6 visit to Newlands Adventure Centre in the Lake District is always a highlight for pupils at the Junior School. This year was no exception and, with sparkling sunshine throughout their stay, pupils could not have had a better time! All successfully achieved the aims of the trip - to learn new skills, to challenge themselves, to learn to work as a team and, most importantly of all, to have fun! Ghyll scrambling, kayaking, the high ropes course, climbing and the Newlands Challenge were some of the daytime activities tackled, while games and Mini Olympics ran off their energy in the evening. The disco on the final evening was also very popular. Pupils returned to Bearsden exhausted but with memories that will last throughout their school life. PAGE 22

23 Physical Education and Sport J5 and J6 combined with Senior School Transitus pupils at the annual Henderson Shield athletics match at The Glasgow Academy. The boys team competed strongly to finish 1st overall, while the girls managed to finish 3rd, a fantastic effort by all involved. J6 pupils also competed at the Hutchesons Grammar School athletics match, with the girls team victorious in both the J6 and Transitus competitions. Junior School athletes performed well at Scotstoun for the Glasgow Primary Schools Athletic Championships, with all qualifying for the Finals. Well done to everyone involved in athletics squads this year - a super effort! This year's Tennis Cup was won by Ferdinand Harten (J6) in the boys competition and Evie Bulloch (J5) in the girls competition. J4 tennis players Freya Easson, Mae Fraser, Robbie Livingston and Jude McEwan performed brilliantly to win the West Regional Primary Schools Finals at Scotstoun. J6 boys have produced some fine cricket this term in fixtures against George Watson's College and Dollar Academy, showing off their potential in the victory over Dollar. A J6 boys and girls select team also competed in the ScotRail West of Scotland Primary Schools' Tournament at Clydesdale Cricket Club. The team played well, finishing 3rd in their group. Well done to all involved with cricket this term. Drama Towards the end of last term, J3 pupils took to the stage to perform their production based on Dr Seuss s 'The Lorax'. The children worked incredibly hard to make up the dialogue for their six mini plays featuring characters such as the Brown Bar-Ba- Loots, Great Yertules, Swomee Swans, Wickershams, Humming Fish, Once-ler and the Lorax himself. Music We celebrated the wealth of musical talent on display at the Junior School by holding a day of mini concerts in June. Any pupil who learns an instrument in or outside the school instrumental system was given the opportunity to perform solo in front of family and friends. Seventeen different instruments were represented and a 126 pupils were involved from Junior 3 through to Junior 6, with Deeya Jani, a Junior 2 violinist, also taking part this year. A number of music specialists from the Senior School visited throughout this term to talk with pupils about the instruments they play as well as entertaining the children by playing some lovely music for them. Art The following pupils won awards at the Glasgow Museums Schools Art Competition: Best in Show (in their age group) - Tessa Quaile (J6), Annabel Kooner (J5), Philip Moulin-Bogomolnyi (J4), Isla Smith (J3), Tong Tong Peng (J2) Poppy Campbell (J6) was also commended, while Grace Lumsden (J1) was highly commended. Miss Fuller and all the staff at the Junior School would like to wish everyone a wonderful summer holiday. PAGE 23

24 Charity Fundraising efforts throughout the summer term The Junior School participated in Red Nose Day just prior to Easter. Pupils and staff came to school dressed in red and took part in lots of fun activities, raising an excellent total of Law House were able to hand over a cheque for 4, to the Scottish Huntington's Association following their successful Fundraising Week last term, while the raised during Christian Aid week in May went towards buying sports and play equipment for the school in Uganda that HSOG will partner with on this summer's community service trip. Many Senior School pupils and staff were more than willing to 'give an arm' as they donated blood during the penultimate week of the summer term. A book sale at the Junior School saw a fabulous total of 708 donated to Maggie's Centre, a charity which offers support to cancer sufferers. You can find out more at J1 pupils organised and planned the first ever Share the Learning Day (with a little help from their teachers!) and showcased all that they had learned in their Law House Fundraising Cheque interdisciplinary topic of The Park by acting as photographers, greeters, ticket and donation collectors, before a trip to Thorn Park in Bearsden for games and a teddy bears picnic. Pupils raised an impressive 420 for the East African Playgrounds charity, as chosen by J1 pupils. For more about this cause visit Transitus pupils joined 500 children from 27 schools throughout Glasgow and East Renfrewshire at The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice 15th annual Go Yellow 5k walk on Wednesday 31st May. They donned the famous yellow caps on the walk before taking part in a number of fun-filled activities afterwards. For more on the charity and their new hospice fundraising appeal visit 'Go Yellow' 5k Walk PAGE 24 Team Uganda

25 Charity Golf Day Milngavie Golf Course - Friday 9th June The second annual High School of Glasgow Charity Golf Day took place on Friday 9th June at Milngavie Golf Course. Organised by the Development Office, this year saw 88 golfers come together as part of 22 teams competing to take home the Claret Jug, all the while raising money for the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and the Schools' own Health and Wellbeing Centre. Competitors enjoyed a fun-filled day, with prizes on offer not only for the overall winners, but in various competitions on individual holes throughout the course. After a successful afternoon on the course, golfers enjoyed a dinner, raffle and charity auction, with a variety of generously donated prizes on offer including a matchday experience for an Arsenal football game at the Emirates Stadium and a number of rounds of golf throughout the country, as well as flags from the recent Open Championships at Royal Troon and St Andrews, signed by Darren Clarke, Gary Player and Tom Watson! The overall winning team was Ellmoll 2, captained by current parent Andrew Black, with teammates Niall Fraser, Jamie McCormack and Jamie Scott. They took home the trophy with an overall net score of The day was a great success, with over 6,000 raised. PAGE 25

26 Annual Fund The Final Push to Reach our Target If you have been around the School recently you will have noticed the one way system in operation as work has commenced on our Health and Wellbeing Centre. The work is progressing well and we hope to have the building open in early Autumn. The Health and Wellbeing Centre provides a much needed upgrade in facilities for the School Nurse. As well as providing extra space to deal with multiple needs, it will afford pupils a proper degree of privacy should they need to consult with the Nurse. However, the Health and Wellbeing Centre is also much more than that - It will provide a base for House Staff to administer pastoral care and can also be used by those seeking a quiet respite from the hurly-burly of school life. There are many pressures on young people from the expansion of digital technology and the ever present social media and there are times when some individuals may need support dealing with these pressures. Several studies have shown that pupils in a safe and supportive environment are more able to tackle the rigours of academic life. The High School has always had a nurturing supportive ethos and this project will play an important role in the delivery of that. A significant contribution towards this building has come from the Annual Appeal. To date, 177 donors have given 173,500. We are delighted with this sum and are very grateful to all those who have given. Some of their names are on the Donor Tree at the Senior School Reception and a few will have rooms dedicated to them in the Health and Wellbeing Centre. However, we think we can do more, and are hoping to reach 200,000 before the Appeal closes in July. We realise that some may feel their potential donation makes little difference but every donation helps secure a facility that will benefit both current and future generations of pupils. In the same way that the current facilities enjoyed by pupils are the legacy of past generations, we are looking for the current generation to leave their legacy for the future. Before you depart for the summer break please consider being part of that legacy. Through the power of cumulative giving, if only half of the High School families donated 60 to the Annual Fund Appeal before the end of term, the School would reach its target of 200,000. If you would like to make a contribution to the Annual Fund Appeal (at any level), you can do so by visiting: You can download a donation form and send it to the Development Office at the Senior School, or alternatively, you can make a donation online. PAGE 26

27 Celebration Ball A message from the organising committee for the Celebration Ball As the organising committee for the Celebration Ball, we are reaching out to you to ask for your support for this special event. Our committee consists of Scott Adair, Kerr Docherty, Claire Miller and Neil Watson - we are all current parents and former pupils of the High School. On Saturday 30 September, 450 members of the High School community will come together in the stunning setting of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to celebrate the long and illustrious history of the High School, the 40th Anniversary of the buildings at Old Anniesland and look forward to the next chapter. This special Black Tie event will be raising funds for the High School of Glasgow Bursary Fund. Commemorative Brochure Sponsorship To celebrate the 40th Anniversary, there will be a commemorative A4 brochure produced for the evening. There are opportunities for a full page advert on the back cover, inside front and inside back covers or an internal full page advert. Please get in touch to discuss the advertising rates. Live Auction, Silent Auction and Raffle Prizes The Celebration Ball will be raising funds to support the High School of Glasgow Bursary Fund and in order to enable us to maximise our fundraising potential, we would be delighted to accept any high-end prizes for our live auction along with raffle and/or silent auction prizes. Other Opportunities We would also be delighted to hear from you if you would be interested in providing or sponsoring the following: Pre-Dinner Drinks Reception, Table Decorations, Design & Print, Photography, Light & Sound You can contact the School Development Office by to discuss any of the above, alternatively, should you wish to contact us directly, our personal addresses are below. Contact Details Scott Adair: SAdair@adairssolicitors.com Kerr Docherty: Kerr.Docherty@bmwfin.com Claire Miller: cmiller@hsog.co.uk Neil Watson: neil@cairnhillstructures.co.uk Development Office: development@hsog.co.uk Dying To See You Former pupils of the High School will be involved at this year's Edinburgh International Festival with their play "Dying to Meet You" taking place at Lauriston Halls over ten days in August. The show, produced by Murray Webster and Alex Houghton (both Class of 2016) and starring a number of other former High School pupils, sees two halves of a long-dead acting duo meet again for a sarcastic and witty reunion. You will be left laughing and crying in equal measure before the curtains close on this true tragic comedy. The play was originally written by Alex for his Advanced Higher English Writing folio, winning last year's Creativity Prize. Tickets priced 5 ( 4 for concessions) can be purchased online at or by contacting the venue directly on Shows take place from 7th-12th and 14th-17th August. PAGE 27

28 Dates A full list of events can be found on the school website - Beginning of Term for Pupils Tuesday 22 August Junior School: 8:50am Senior School: All Transitus, new 1st Year pupils and all other new Senior School pupils - 9:00am All other pupils - 9:15 for 9:30am New Parents' Reception Thursday 31 August This event, organised by the Parent Association, is for parents of pupils who will be joining the High School next term and for existing High School parents whose children are joining Transitus or Kindergarten. You should already have received an invitation to attend if you belong to one of these categories and a reminder will be sent out in August. Higher Education Fair Tuesday 19 September All 5th and 6th Year pupils will have the opportunity to attend this event. Annual Commemoration and Thanksgiving Service Thursday 21 September - 2:30pm - Glasgow Cathedral We hope that many of you will be able to join us, as this is the one occasion in the session when the whole school gathers together, with the exception of the younger children in the Junior School. September Holiday Friday 22 and Monday 25 September Art Exhibition Friday 29 September Celebration Ball Saturday 30 September October Holiday Friday 13 - Friday 20 October (Staff in-service day - 13 October) Parent Association Fireworks Night Friday 3 November Annual Remembrance Service Friday 10 November - 10:30am Senior School Carol Service Wednesday 20 December - 11:30am (Term ends after the service) REGISTERED SCOTTISH CHARITY, NO. SC014768