Our Ref: Your Ref: ES/MM Bell Baxter High School 29 th March, 2018 Dear Parents/Carers, As you know, I took up the post as Acting Rector six weeks ago and in that time I have been getting to know our learners, staff and the wider community. I want to thank you for your warm welcome and for your invaluable support over the last few weeks. This has been a very busy term and staff and learners have been working hard both in the classroom and beyond. I have been very impressed by the incredible talents of our young people and wanted to share with you just a flavour of the range of successes they have achieved this term: Ruaridh Newton Sutherland has been named Young Carer of the Year. He will be rewarded with a flying lesson which he is really excited about. Anna McAllister (S3) gained a place at Engineering the Future for Girls at the University of Strathclyde from 18 th to 23 rd June. Kathryn (Katie) Steele (S5) gained a place at the Scottish Space School at the University of Strathclyde from 26 th to 30 th June. National 4 and 5 and Higher Drama pupils have recently performed shows for parents and friends. National 4 and 5 and Higher Music pupils have completed their practical exams and the examiner commented on the high standard and excellent organisation. Higher Media pupils have recently made examination films. Higher Modern Studies students visited the Scottish Parliament, observed Ministers Questions and met with and questioned our local MSPs, Murdo Fraser, Willie Rennie and Mark Ruskell. Forty S3 and S4 pupils took part in the annual UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge, a UK wide Maths competition. Certificates are awarded to those pupils who perform particularly well. Thomas Cruickshank, Cameron Brown and Orla Crane all received Gold certificates. Cameron Anderson, Marko Bjelogrlic, David Reay and James Painter received Silver. Bronze certificates were awarded to Tom Lonergan, Ruan van Rensburg, Sophie Gent, Kate Adamson and Beth Norton. Cameron Brown and Orla Crane were also invited to take part in the follow-on rounds.
2 Murdo McAllister in S1 (1.12) won the Junior award for South East Scotland in the Royal Society of Arts, Schools Art Award. A team of four (from S2-S4) competed in the Royal Society of Chemistry Top of the Bench national Chemistry quiz. We got through into the regional final (Fife, Angus, Tayside & Perth) beating Dunfermline High School and Perth Academy on the way. On stage in front of an audience at the final at St. Andrews University the team competed against Madras, Webster's (Kirriemuir) and High School of Dundee. After a very tense competition Bell Baxter came second, only a single point behind Madras. Pupils from Kilmaron School have enthusiastically joined us once a week in the Science Department to learn about food: Where our food comes from; What seeds need to grow?; The energy food gives us and testing different foods for sugar and starch. This week Bell Baxter hosted the Centenary Music Competition with competitors from Waid, Madras and Bell Baxter competing for the Centenary Trophy. Lucy Campbell (Voice) secured 2 nd place and Ewan Dowie (Accordion) was 3 rd. We had real success in the Fife Schools Burns Competition: o Esme Finnie S6 (1 st - S5/S6 Singing). o Bryony Baxter S6 (2 nd - S5/S6 Instrumental). o Catherine Reid S6 (3 rd - S5/S6 Instrumental). o Rebecca Reid S1 (3 rd - S1/S2 Instrumental). And in the Cupar Schools Burns Competition: o Cameron McLaren (1 st - Secondary Instrumental). o Catherine Reid (2 nd - Secondary Instrumental). o Bryony Baxter (3 rd - Secondary Instrumental). o Daniel Staal (1 st - Secondary Piping). o Hannah Staal (2 nd - Secondary Piping). o Helen Black (1 st - Secondary Singing). Duke of Edinburgh continues to be a strength in the school. The following learners recently completed awards: o Erin Sinclair (Bronze award). o Finlay MacDonald (Bronze award). o Megan Easson (Bronze award). o Niamh Shotts (Bronze award). o Lewis Robertson (Bronze award). One of our pupils on the Foundation Apprenticeships, Kacper Rosiak, is about to complete a week s work placement at ATL Turbines and Aerospace. This is the first placement of the Foundation Apprenticeships and is a great opportunity for Kacper to build engineering skills in an exciting and fast moving company. In the North East Fife Sports Awards Holly Roberts was nominated for Youth Volunteer of the Year for volunteering in many football sessions within Cupar and surrounding primary schools. Oliver Carter won an award for Athlete with a Disability. This award is designed to mark the sporting achievement of a disabled athlete which Oliver received for his achievements within swimming. Congratulations to talented writer Zoe Mitchell (S5). Zoe recently won 3 rd prize in the Scottish Association of Writers, Young Adult Fiction Competition. This is a prestigious competition, with entries of outstanding standard. Zoe s entry, entitled Intertwined, is indeed worthy of praise.
3 Once again S1 pupils have risen to the challenge and produced some truly Excellent Projects. The care, thought and creativity is evident in the quality of the written work and the wonderful models, cakes and posters which are now on display. The English Faculty warmly thanks parents and carers for their support in collaborating in their child s project and helping to support independence, responsibility and enjoyment for reading and learning together. A number of S1 pupils entered the Radio 2 500 words creative writing competition in February. Our Department of Additional Support pupils have been out at a variety of different sporting activities this term, with the following results. Football: Our pupils joined forces with Madras to compete in the Disability Fife Football League. Our junior team were 4th overall. Our senior team with Billy Soutar playing a major part won overall! Sports Hall Athletics: Arran Howe and Sophie Coughlin were selected for Fife to take part in the Scottish Sports Hall Athletics Championships at Grangemouth. Arran was part of the winning Fife A team, Sophie part of the Fife B team who came 4th. X-Country Running: Our pupils have enjoyed attending the East District X-Country series held at Peffermill, Edinburgh and Beveridge Park Kirkcaldy, as both runners and supporters. Medallists were Arran Howe, Sophie Coughlin, Jack Hanley and Aaliyah Black. Last week at the Scottish Championships held in Glasgow three of our pupils were selected to compete: o Jack Hanley 10 th S1 boy (and first time running 1K). o Arran Howe - 4 th S5 boy 1K. o Sophie Coughlin, S2 ran a courageous race to retain her title of Scottish Champion over 1K!! For the first time ever, students (James Painter and Shane Franks both S3) were entered in the Royal Society of Biology Biology Challenge which they completed this week. Abigail Law (S6 violinist) auditioned for and was successful in gaining a place in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland's Senior Orchestra. The ILC Faculty has hosted exchange students from France and Germany to enhance the learning experience for our young people. They recently had a Japanese Language Conference for S3 and took part in St. Andrews and Dundee University activities to encourage more learners into studying languages in school and beyond. The ILC Faculty are supporting senior EAL learners in the school who are all achieving S.Q.A. qualifications which will allow them to apply for college and university places in the same manner as their Scottish peers. The ILC Faculty are completing ICT projects in French, Spanish and German on intercultural topics showing our learners the similarities and differences of other cultures which supports our focus on anti-racism education in the Faculty.
4 Two groups of S1 pupils were involved in a cookery project where they planned, shopped and cooked. They managed to squeeze in some Literacy, Numeracy and delicious baking! Football: o U18 football squad are in the semi-finals of the Fife Cup to be played the first week back after the Easter holidays against Auchmuty H.S. o Jay Bridgeford (S5) is playing for the Fife squad. o U16 football squad have reached the Fife Cup Final. Final to be played on 20 th April. o Ben Swinton has been selected and is training with Cowdenbeath U20s. o Owen Andrew has been selected and is training with Dunfermline U20s. o Our girls football squad have reached the semi-finals of the Fife League Cup. Golf: Christian Barbour and Cameron Akers were representing Scotland at the Home Nations competition in Portugal. Trampolining: Olivia Stevenson has recently qualified for the Scotland team. Cheerleading: Emma O Connor has been selected to represent Scotland at the worlds which will take place in Florida. Dance: Alexandra Yap successfully led an extra-curricular club and performed with her team at the Fife 6, 7, 8 festival. Netball: Elise Anderson and Hannah Braidwood were selected to play for Fife District squad. Cammie Gilchrist Brown and Emma Webster have been selected to play for the Fife Performance squad. Judo: Finlay Allan (S5) was runner up in East Fife Sports Council award, sandwiched between two ex-pupils Nicola Howat (1 st ) and Louis Appere (3 rd ). Multiple achievements in Judo (British level). Swimming: Ollie Carter (S5) was winner of East Fife Sports Council Disability award. Gymnastics: School gymnastics team qualified for National Level 4 team event after successful performance at regional event. I m sure you will agree with me that we have much to be proud of in this school community! Achievements are regularly added to the school website. When we return to school on 16 th April, we will enter another busy and very important term. The S.Q.A. exams begin on Monday 30 th April and separate information will come out to parents about arrangements for exams and the study support which is available.
5 I m looking forward to our Colours Ceremony in April and towards the end of term our Junior and Senior Awards Ceremonies. I have been visiting all of our primaries to get to know the new S1 and will go back out next term with their Bell Baxter High School ties which are a gift from the Parent Council. We have P7 transition days next term and, of course, Activities Week. The start of a new term is always a good time to reiterate our expectations as a school community and I would ask for your continued support in encouraging your child to maintain a high standard of uniform. If ties have been lost this session, new ones can be purchased in school. We have an active Parent Council in Bell Baxter and I am looking forward to working in partnership with them. The next meeting is Tuesday 24 th April. New members are always welcome. Let s hope we have some good weather during this Spring Break and we all come back after the holidays refreshed and ready for the challenges ahead. Many thanks for your continued support, E. Smart, Rector (Acting).