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From the Head Teacher
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome to the last Knox News of session 2011-2012. The summer term has been very busy with a wide variety of activities taking place in and out of school.
Five teachers who have been with us for their probationary year will be leaving: Mr S Ferriman (Geography), Ms K Macready (Art), Mrs S Baird (RMPS), Ms S Moffat (History) and Ms C Crighton (PE). All are talented teachers and we wish them every success in their careers. Mr E Williamson (Mathematics) is leaving to take up a post at Inverkeithing High School and, two temporary members of staff are leaving us: Mr J Tennent (Computing) and Mrs D Ferguson (Business Education). Mrs L Anderson (Science Technician) is leaving after 22 years service. Mrs D Rae (auxiliary) is leaving to take up a post at Dunbar Primary school.
I am sure you join me in thanking all of the staff above and wishing them good luck for the future.
The following have been appointed to posts at Knox Academy, with effect from August: Mr A McSwan (Computing); Mr I Crawford (Chemistry), Mr A Redford (Modern Studies) and Mr A MacKinnon (PE).
On the 15th June we held the Leavers’ Ceremony to say farewell to pupils leaving from S4 and S5 and, of course, the whole of S6. We wish all our leavers health and happiness.
Many of our pupils will have a tense time in July and August waiting for the SQA results. The results should reach pupils by Tuesday 7 August; no information will be available from the school before 8 August.
This is my last Knox News article as I am retiring at the end of the session. I would need a whole year’s worth of editions of the Knox News to say how much I have enjoyed my 15 years as Head Teacher of Knox Academy. There have been many more highs than lows and, always, the pupils, staff and parents of the school have made my job a rewarding experience. Thank you.
A big thank you to all sections of the school community for another hectic, successful and enjoyable session and a reminder that the school closes at 12.05 pm on Friday 29 June, the autumn term for pupils starts at 8.44 am on Thursday 16 August.
Best wishes for a relaxing summer and the future.
JB Craig
Head Teacher
June 2012
Knox News
The News le t te r of Knox Academy
A huge “thank you” and “goodbye” to Ann Richardson and Eileen Morton for their long association with the group. I think they have served a total of 21 years between them. We have had a very successful year and among other things have bought four new team strips - 2 hockey and 2 basketball. We hope this means that the teams play well. The new Chairperson of KASG is Mrs Hiliary McSporran and the new Secretary is Mrs Fiona Gilmour. We are always looking for new members with new ideas so please contact the school on 823387 and speak to me. M Ball
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Knox Academy Support Group
Knox News
Parents as Partners
The Knox Academy PSP is more than just a parent council – we already work closely with the school to ensure that our children have the best possible educational experience, but things are changing for the better and you can be part of that change.
Gone are the days when a parent's involvement with the school began and ended with the Parents' Evening. We believe that all parents and carers of the pupils have something to offer to enrich their all round education and, over the coming year, we want to give you the opportunity to be more involved.
We hope to run an afternoon/ evening session for parents to tell young people about their careers, to give them advice and information. Or it may be that you are involved with charity work, or have hobbies and pursuits that might interest the young people and give them more of an all-round education.
Perhaps you have an hour to spare once a week to help with reading, or in some other way. Maybe you feel you could give help with interview technique, or cv writing.
Keep an eye on our website and the main school website for ways in which you can be involved. If you have not yet signed up for our newsletter emails, then details of how to do that are below.
In the meantime, if you have and concerns or worries about the school generally, or if you have any suggestions for us, then please contact us and we will do our best to help you. If you have specific issues concerning your individual child, then you should contact the school directly and ask to speak to their guidance teacher.
You can find our website by clicking on the Knox Parents logo on the Home page of the Knox website and there you will find instructions for signing up to our email newsletter. Alternatively, you can send a letter into school for the attention of Vicky Cole, PSP.
The PSP meets several times a year and these dates can be found on the school calendar. These are open meetings and all are welcome to attend. If you would like the opportunity to join the PSP, there are currently 2 spaces available on the committee. Information for those of you who are interested in joining will be posted on our website in the Autumn
V Cole
Chairperson, PSP.
Volume 1, Issue 1
If you think that you could give the school an hour a week for ten weeks to help pupils with reading and literacy skills, we want to hear from you.
All we need is a commitment to giving us that time—we can sort out when suits you.
Helping pupils with their literacy skills (reading, writing, listening and talking) will help them access the curriculum here at Knox and will then enable them to achieve their potential.
For an opportunity to discuss this further (there’s no obligation) either call or email the school and ask for myself.
S Ingham
Depute Head Teacher
Calling all parents and carers!
S3 go to Glasgow.
On Tuesday 24th April a group of 24 S3 History pupils attended a trip to the new Riverside Museum and the People’s Palace in Glasgow.
The first place we visited was the Riverside Transport Museum. This museum has only been open a few months. We thought it was a very interesting museum because it has lots of interactive activities and the displays were open so we could have a look inside the exhibits. We learned a lot about different aspects of transport which will help us in the Standard Grade exam and we took lots of great photos. We really enjoyed being given the freedom to look round with our friends and complete a quiz sheet where we had to find the answers hidden around the museum. The mock street really showed us what it was like 100 years ago.
We then went to the People’s Palace. We had lunch in the Winter Gardens. We really enjoyed looking round the Winter Gardens and it was lovely and warm despite the pouring rain and hailstones outside!
The People’s Palace was really interesting and we thought Billy Connolly’s banana boots were very cool. We also found out what prison was like and about other types of punishments for people who committed crimes, such as being shipped abroad. We liked the interactive exhibits, for example, going in the ‘steamie’ and the Anderson Shelter. The mock tenement house also brought something we had studied in class to life. The museum was laid out really well so it was quite exciting to look round and discover all the different aspects of life in Glasgow. We enjoyed watching old episodes of Rab C Nesbitt on the old fashioned TV set.
Miss McPhee’s S3 History class.
Page 3
On Thursday 14th June J. Gidney, 2L3, C. Neillans, 3T1, R. Swinton, 2G1 and C. Wright, 3T1, took part in the 20th annual Enterprising Maths Event at Meadowbank Stadium. Thirty-three teams from Edinburgh and the Lothians were involved and winning teams are invited to take part in the National Final. The pupils were scored in a number of challenges including Head-to-Head matches, a Speed Competition and a Relay Competition you really have to see to believe! Schools also had to design a poster before the event that detailed the mathematical achievements of any three Great British Mathematicians. Although the team did not qualify for the next stage the Knox Team did extremely well, were a real credit to the school and were considered a “thoughtful and supportive” group by their supervising teacher from Beeslack High School.
C Blair
Maths Department
Page 4
Enterprising Maths
Knox News
Morrison Construction Project
Morrison Construction is currently working on a co-located primary school, incorporating Haddington Infant School and nursery and St. Mary’s RC Primary School and nursery. The Design and Technology Department have been working with Morrison Construction to run a “School for the Future” project involving 14 students from S3 – S5. The project involved the students working as a team, using the actual Design Brief given to Morrison Construction, to design their own primary school.
The tasks involved in this project included:
Project management
Design proposals
3D CAD models
Exterior landscaping design proposals
Details of proposed materials
Completed cost plan
Study into sustainability and proposals
3D model of Final Proposals
Presentation to links from Industry
The pupils worked extremely hard throughout the week and produced a fantastic project that they presented to Billy Gray, a representative from Morrison Construction, on Friday morning. Mr Gray was impressed with the work produced, and five work experience placements have been awarded to the pupils taking part.
Well done to all involved – they really were fantastic!
A Leggatt
Design & Technology Department
Volume 1, Issue 1
Knox Academy could not provide such variety of experiences for our pupils without the generosity and assistance of others and we are fortunate to have such a vibrant and helpful local community. We are extremely grateful to those listed below for their contributions to the school this term:
A huge thank you to our two judges at the “Little and Large Cooking Competition”
Craig Hunter, proprietor and chef at The Avenue, and Lorraine Faulds, Area Catering Manager.
Both are always so willing to be involved and helpful with the pupils. They enjoyed the event as much as the children!
K Hossack, Home Economics Department
Thank you to Stuart Mills (S6) and his Dad - Douglas - for helping with the ducks at the Duck Derby. Their help was greatly appreciated.
KASG
'Thank You' to Frank McKeever and Kevin McKeever, from Global Science, and all the STEM Ambassadors for taking time out of their busy schedules for our Careers Event. Your assistance made the day such a great success.
Maths Department
Design and Technology would like to say a big thank you to Billy Gray and Alice Harley from Morrison Construction. Their assistance in putting together a fantastic construction challenge for our pupils was a huge success and a great experience for the pupils, and staff, involved. A fantastic prize of work experience placements is greatly appreciated.
A Leggatt
Many thanks to Jim Dickson, Chief Invigilator, for stepping in to replace Lesley Dickson, who was unable to invigilate this year. Your help was much appreciated.
Bev Skirrow
Thank you to the following for coming in to speak to the RME classes:
Wateraid
Scottish Prison service
RMPS Department
TheNicaraguaandHondurasExpeditionteamwouldliketosayhowgratefulweareforthesupportofthefollowing:
HaddingtonRotaryClubfortheirsupport
StMary'sChurchfordonating£200
Allparentsforhelpingorganisefundraising
Thankyouallverymuch;wecouldn’thavedoneitwithoutyou.
LWoolley
Thanks!
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We were beaten! This year, Preston Lodge and Prestonpans Primary won the trophy but our team was very close on their heels! Our super cooks to look out for in the future are Kirsty Stamper, who worked very hard with two Yester Primary Pupils, Sam Thomson and Lauren Aitchison to complete the task. They cooked a Mexican main course and a fruit topped pizza for dessert. The Little and Large cooking competition promotes links between secondary and primary schools in East Lothian, while raising awareness of healthy eating messages in a fun and friendly way. There is a high level buzz between children as the excitement builds up with the joy of cooking. The judges, Craig Hunter proprietor and chef at The Avenue, Haddington and Lorraine Faulds Area Catering Manager, are always impressed by the pupils’ commitment to achieving high standards and quality of food. Well done to all the pupils who participated in the Knox heats and helped organise the hospitality during the competition. Guests visiting the school were impressed and had nothing but very high praise for the pupils.
K Hossack
Home Economics Department
Page 6
Little and Large Cooking Competition
Knox News
Scottish Parliament: Political Voices Event
8 S6 pupils joined more than 200 teenagers from across Scotland at an event at the Scottish Parliament on the 17th of June called Political Voices. Pupils used a variety of art forms - from spray-painting an 8ft high wall in the Scottish Parliament garden with political ‘street art’ to designing a cartoon with award-winning animators - to illustrate their political hopes and aspirations for Holyrood over the next Parliamentary session. Well done to all involved!
K Bulloch
Modern Studies Department
Volume 1, Issue 1
You may remember the article in December’s edition of ‘Knox News’ describing the visit of Vincent Dukuzumuremyi and Hyacinthe Furaha to Knox Academy. Vincent and Hyacinthe teach at the Groupe Scolaire de Ruhanga – our partner schools in the north of Rwanda. We were visited at the end of April by two more Rwandan teachers and in May, it was the turn of Knox staff to make the return journey: Mrs Slowther (Biology Dept.), Miss Waters (PE Dept.) and me, along with Miss Smith from King’s Meadow Primary.
Rwanda is a country which has received a fair amount of negative press since the 1994 genocide. However, there was no evidence of this as we travelled around the country, except for signs outside every school and community building, declaring that such an atrocity should never be allowed to happen again. Education is vitally important in ensuring that this is the case.
The village of Ruhanga is a good hour and a half’s drive from the nearest main town, along a rough dirt track. The scenery is spectacular – steep mountains covered in lush green vegetation and cultivated fields, beautiful lakes, and a chain of volcanoes in the distance. The school itself has expanded since I last visited in 2009. Some old buildings have been demolished and new classrooms built in their place.
We received the warmest possible welcome on our arrival – a group of Primary pupils came out onto the road, dancing and singing at the top of their voices. We were then treated to a performance of more traditional dance from some of the Secondary pupils. One of their favourite tricks during the week was to impress us with their dancing, and then haul us up to join them…and then laugh at our feeble attempts!
Much of the week was spent observing lessons and talking to pupils and staff – they are working hard to improve their English, so they wanted to ask lots of questions about Scottish culture and our schools in Haddington. I think they found our ‘question and answer’ sessions entertaining if nothing else. Highlights included Mrs Slowther’s drawing of a Highland Cow on the blackboard, Miss Waters’ demonstration of a Military Two-Step (without music) and one class learning to sing ‘You cannae shove your Granny off a bus’.
As I mentioned, Hyacinthe Furaha was one of the Rwandan teachers who visited Knox in December. One of the loveliest experiences on our trip was going to Hyacinthe’s house for lunch. It was a chance to see real Rwandan culture and hospitality at its best, well away from the tourist trails and hotels. She welcomed us as friends and introduced us to her daughters, as well as cooking some delicious traditional food.
The week was over all too soon, and we left the school with more songs ringing in our ears. Our partnership with the Ruhanga schools is vitally important in sharing ideas about global citizenship and education. We also saw how important it is to our Rwandan colleagues to practise their English in order to deliver all their lessons in this language, which is still quite unfamiliar to many of them. We hope that in the future, it might be possible to take a group of senior pupils to Rwanda, so that they can visit the schools and share in some of these experiences. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Slowther, Miss Waters and Miss Smith for all their enthusiasm, commitment and hard work on this trip.
Miss E Orr
Music Department
Knox Staff visit Rwandan Partner School – May 2012
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Page 8
Term Dates: Session 2012‐13
Knox News
TERM 1
In-service Day 1 Monday 13 August 2012
In-service Day 2 Tuesday 14 August 2012
Extra In-service Day (1) for Secondary Staff only Wednesday 15 August 2012
Pupils Resume (Primary Schools only) Wednesday 15 August 2012
Pupils Resume (Secondary pupils) Thursday 16 August 2012
September Holiday (schools closed for staff & pu-pils)
Monday 17 September 2012
Primary Staff & Pupils Resume Tuesday 18 September 2012
Extra In-service Day (2) for Secondary staff only Tuesday 18 September 2012
Secondary Pupils Resume Wednesday 19 September 2012
All break (October break) Friday 12 October 2012
October break Monday – Friday 15-19 October 2012
In-service Day 3 Monday 22 October 2012
Pupils Resume Tuesday 23 October 2012
All break (Christmas) Thursday 20 December 2012
= 85 pupil days (primary) = 83 pupil days (secondary) = 88 Staff days
TERM 2
In-service Day 4 Monday 7 January 2013
Pupils Resume Tuesday 8 January 2013
All break Friday 8 February 2013
February break Monday – Friday 11 – 15 February 2013
All resume Monday 18 February 2013
All break (Easter) Friday 22 March 2013
Good Friday Easter Monday
Friday Monday
29 March 1 April
2013 2013
= 49 pupil days = 50 staff days
TERM 3
All resume Monday 8 April 2013
Spring holiday (Schools Closed) Monday 15 April 2013
May Day (Schools Closed) Monday 6 May 2013
All resume Tuesday 7 May 2013
Victoria Day (Schools Closed) Monday 20 May 2013
In-service Day 5 Tuesday 21 May 2013
Pupils Resume Wednesday 22 May 2013
Term ends Friday 28 June 2013
= 56 pupil days = 57 staff days
Volume 1, Issue 1
Saturday 2 June 2012
We opted this year to plan for a walking parade again and our chosen theme was “Olympics – London 2012”. We decided to wear black trousers and either red, white or blue t-shirts on top – some wore a combination of all three colours. Special mention to John who also sported a magnificent head of red, white and blue hair!! Several girls also had union jack face paint, nails and “tattoos”. It was a great effort by all concerned.
We made several props to enhance our theme, funded by the school and from individual departments. Each participant had to wear an Olympic medal and carry 2 items – a gold Olympic torch, Union Jack flag or gymnastic ribbon, all of which were made by pupils. The ribbons were in the five colours of the Olympic flag, so when combined they represented the five hoops on the flag – this looked very impressive. The biggest piece was a huge 3 metre long banner, beautifully designed and painted by the team, which headed our march.
On the day the team were awarded a “Well Done” rosette and were delighted to receive many cheers and applause from the crowds. Mr Flood and Mrs Ferguson accompanied the group and were delighted to see them so enthusiastic and proud to represent Knox Academy. Well done to all the participants and helpers:
Kirsty Friary, Abbie Kean, Erin Luke, John McFern, Nina McMullan, Morgan Mackie, Katie Ogilvie, Hannah Paxton, Kerrieann Smith, Victoria Smith, Andrew Wallace, Molly Young, Claire Thomson. D Ferguson Business Studies Department
Haddington Festival—Float and Fancy Dress Parade
Page 9
On Wednesday 13th June the school hosted its first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Careers Event. All S2/3 pupils were involved and had face-to-face chats with industry based experts who gave lots of information on career paths and routes into employment.
The Event was designed to broaden the pupils’ outlook regarding future employment possibilities and:
Expand pupils knowledge of career prospects involving STEM subjects Engage with people who are currently employed in a range of different jobs involving STEM
subjects Provide an opportunity to link current learning with future career options Have the opportunity to ask questions Engage positively with the 21st century ‘World of Work’
Pupils spent eight minutes at each station and saw twelve different professionals in total. Our Speakers came with a wide variety of experiences to share with pupils and included civil engineers, technicians, actuaries, a timber specialist, and construction and wind turbine specialists.
The day was a great success with positive feedback from both the pupils and Speakers. Now the planning begins for next year!
Knox Academy has a STEM Club which currently meets every Wednesday and takes part in various challenges inspired by the London 2012 Olympic Games. Over the past two years we have designed a wetsuit, planned a large scale sporting event, designed a website and a human-powered invention for creating a spark to light the Paralympic Flame. All these challenges cater for a range of abilities in the 11-14 age range. So, if this sounds appealing to you then look out for details in the new term!
C Blair
Page 10
STEM Careers Event
Knox News
Volume 1, Issue 1
Over the past year Active Schools Trampoline classes have been hard at work learning new moves, new routines and even trying the new discipline of Double Mini Trampolining (DMT). Coaches from City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club have continued to coach the sessions giving all the youngsters the training they need in order to move from recreational trampoline, to development class then onto Club classes. Active Schools Trampolinists have been invited to take part in a few events over the past year, giving them the opportunity to show of their skills and experience competitions and displays. The first event to take place was the East Lothian Trampoline Competition which was held at the end of March at Musselburgh Sports Centre. Over 100 children entered from the East Lothian area and everyone had a very enjoyable day - well done to everyone who took part. A Gold medal was won by Daniel Smith and sterling performances given by other representatives from Knox and the Haddington Cluster. One participant of the Knox Academy Secondary Class, Ashleigh Lawson, was invited to take part in a GMPD British Gala weekend (an opportunity to qualify for the 2012 GMPD British Championships held at the NIA in Birmingham). This was held in Dundee in May. Ashleigh did everyone very proud competing at such a big event and finishing in 6th Place. Well done! Nearing the end of May saw another competition, held in Fife, open to all Active Schools classes as a friendly competition for youngsters of all levels. 4 competitors form Active Schools Haddington attended and again performed very well, considering that for some it was their first time competing. Well done to Lucy Ellis, Heather McFarlane, Hannah Bagley & Leah Paterson. With Summer fast approaching, the children were working towards the annual East Lothian Gymnastics & Trampoline Showcase, which was held on Friday 22nd June at Musselburgh Sports Centre. This showcase allowed all gymnasts and trampolinists to come together and display what they had been learning.
Throughout the summer holidays, City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club offer a number of Summer Schools across East & Midlothian. If you are interested, please visit our website for further information - www.cityofedinburghtrampolineclub.co.uk L Jeffrey Geography Department
Trampolining
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Gifts and Crafts
Glue, paint, mess, peelings, vegetables, fruit, and breakfast of bacon rolls, bagels, pancakes, not a normal week at Knox! We had a very enjoyable, fun-packed week making and doing with the aim of producing easy to prepare gifts to give away. To start the day we had delicious breakfast treats and then set to decorating pots, painting little ceramic figures, making paper mache containers, and gift boxes. Everyone was very busy all the time! There was no time to waste. Once the containers were made we started to make Tomato and Onion Chutney, Lemon Curd, macaroons, shortbread, and the potato scones made another breakfast! Delicious! Not finished yet! A colourful line of flags made into bunting finished the week. Everyone went home with a bag full of goodies to share and give to friends and family. R Smith K Hossack Santa’s Sleigh for the Rotary Club
As part of Activities Week this year the Design and Technology Department spent the week with a group of 10 pupils redesigning and building the Haddington Rotary Club Santa Sleigh. This was a big undertaking as the sleigh is nearly 5m long! The pupils involved were fantastic, and worked extremely hard all week, sawing, building and painting. Although not yet quite finished, the sleigh is looking amazing, and as it is only June, we still have a bit of time to get this finished!
A Leggatt
S Moore
The Comedy Store plays Activities Week
As part of the S2/3 Packages youngsters had an opportunity of honing their comedic skills as well as learning from the best. Our budding comedians viewed Classic Comedy such as ‘Airplane’ and ‘Red Dwarf’ as well as more recent examples including ‘Family Guy’ and ‘Russell Howard’s Good News’. The youngsters also wrote, directed and starred in their own comedy sketch and put together their own News Report using stills and clips. Thanks to the youngsters; J Black, S Cullen and A McCormack; who were good humoured throughout the week and who all far surpassed Miss Anderson’s so-called skills in the Editing Suite!
K Anderson
Page 12
Activities’ Week 2012
Knox News
Volume 1, Issue 1
Amsterdam
Amsterdam was such a brilliant and fun experience, as well as seeing the city centre we visited all the big attractions such as the Anne Frank House, The Ajax Stadium, The Van Gogh Art Gallery, and Camp Vught Concentration Camp. We took an overnight ferry from Newcastle which was quite good as it was a good opportunity to get to know other people on the trip better and spend time with friends we were travelling with. The food and service on the ferry was super. Every day was something new to do and somewhere new to visit, not just in Amsterdam but also in the surrounding area. The highlight of the trip for me was going to the Corrie Ten Boom House; this was because it has such an interesting story behind it and the house is kept the same as when in was owned by the Ten Boom family. We also got quite a bit of time to go off in groups to go to shops and look around the city; a good place for this was Dam Square where we visited several times throughout the trip, it has some brilliant places to buy gifts and souvenirs. A big part of the trip was going to attractions related to Holland and World War Two, and that was amazing for me as I find that topic very interesting. Amsterdam Dungeons was a great way to end the trip; fair to say it was quite scary but also really fun at the same time. We had brilliant weather nearly every day, which was a big advantage as we were outside a lot. Amsterdam is such a nice city with so much history behind it and so much to do, I would go back any day and hope to do so in the future.
Donald Turvill
3T1
Italy 2012
Going to Italy during Activities Week was a great experience to be a part of. Not only did it help us to get to know others in our year better and build new and lasting friendships, it was a great chance to see what it was to live in another part of the world.
Our voyage of discovery started early on Friday morning driving through England, France, Switzerland before arriving in Italy late on Saturday afternoon. The scenery was spectacular and we got a chance to try out our French and the different foods available in the service areas.
However, the main reason for the trip was to give us a taste of Italy and we certainly was as good as we had hoped. From the top of Monte Balde which we reached by cable car, to cruising on Lake Garda visiting beautiful lakeside villages, to the San Siro where we were able to watch a penalty shoot out on the famous pitch before having a tour of the stadium and Museum, to Verona with it’s Roman Arena, Juliet’s balcony and designer shops, to the watery streets, gondolas and stunning buildings of Venice every day brought a new and awesome experience.
We watched in amazement as the Maestro created vases and horses from glass in Burano. It was not all sightseeing, as we spent amazing hours at a water park, the beach, and a Theme Parks. We also developed more of our personal skills like responsibility, independence, managing your own time and money and not getting lost! Some of us even experienced an earthquake.
Italy was the most amazing place to go. We had so much fun and all the memories, new knowledge and friends that will never be forgotten.
Lara Maccagnano-Lugton and Isla Macdonald
2T1 2L1
Activities’ Week 2012
Page 13
The Paris Aubigny trip 2012
For the first time in many years, five Fourth Years, whose SQA exams had finished and who had not been able to go last year, accompanied the 15 Third Year pupils on the trip to France with Mrs Cochrane, Mrs McInnes and Mr Hutchinson.
We spent the first two nights in Aubigny where we had a chance to walk round our beautiful twin town and to visit nearby Bourges with its magnificent Gothic cathedral on a very quiet public holiday (Pentecost). We were shown round by members of the Aubigny Town Twinning Committee who had also kindly offered us a copious packed lunch for our day trip. In the evening, despite the holiday, they had arranged for some of the pupils in the collège there who have been corresponding by letter with Knox pupils this session to meet our pupils for a meal of delicious local food. The pupils were very soon able to get to know each other and it was great to hear them communicating in both French and English. We are very grateful also to the Haddington Twinning Committee for the financial support they gave us for our accommodation in Aubigny.
We then went up to Paris for a hectic three days of intensive sightseeing, travelling on foot or by the Métro, which was aimed to give the pupils a flavour of one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The visits included Notre-Dame, the Centre Pompidou and Montmartre on the first day, followed by the Musée d’Orsay, a Bateau-mouche river cruise and the Eiffel Tower on the second. Because of lift repairs on the lower stages, the trip to the top of the tower involved using the 700+ steps on foot to the second floor, and was mercifully achieved without cardiac problems for the staff. As a matter of fact using the stairs meant less time spent queuing and the visit was faster than usual. Next came a rest day disguised as a visit to that epicentre of French culture, Disneyland Paris. It was interesting to hear some discerning pupils commenting that they would rather have spent the day in Paris! A late flight on the last day allowed us time to fight through the hordes of Asian tourists for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa as part of a rapid Da Vinci Code tour of the Louvre. This was followed by a retail experience at the Galeries Lafayette and the chance to gawp in amazement at the prices of the watches and trinkets in the Place Vendôme. A quick climb up the Arc de Triomphe for a view of the Champs-Élysées and the Grande Arche completed our Paris experience.
As ever the Knox pupils behaved impeccably and despite their exhaustion upon returning, the staff enjoyed the trip every bit as much as the pupils seem to have done. Here is a selection of the pupils’ comments:
“The Paris trip was for me the best time I had in Third Year” “The whole experience was amazing” “I’m extemely glad I chose to go to Paris” “I especially enjoyed meeting and chatting to my penpal … and had a lot of fun trying to explain things in French” “ I think talking to our penpals improved our French” “The trip up the Eiffel Tower was probably my favourite part” “I was surprised how much I enjoyed Notre-Dame and the Musée d’Orsay” “I have gained many happy memories from the trip and would recommend it to anyone else in the future”
P Hutchinson
Modern Languages Department
Page 14
Activities’ Week 2012
Knox News
Volume 1, Issue 1
Activities’ Week 2012: S1 Winner
Page 15
Page 16
Activities’ Week 2012: S2 Winner
Knox News
Volume 1, Issue 1
On Tuesday 12th June students from the NC Acting & Theatre Performance, NPA Musical Theatre, NPA Technical Theatre and S1-S5 drama classes performed their end of year Showcase. It was an evening of classic and contemporary theatre, contemporary dance and musical theatre Act One - The Bald Prima Donna is an absurdist play by Eugene Ionesco. It was performed by NC Acting & Theatre Performance students and was their final assessment. They were supported by the NPA Technical Theatre students. The Contemporary Dance piece ‘You found me’ by The Fray was choreographed by Standard Grade drama pupil Amie Cowan and Higher Drama student and Sarah Gellatly. It was a beautiful and expressive piece. Act Two – ‘Independence’ is a contemporary piece of theatre written by NC ATP student Neil Reynolds and Sarah Gellatly. It was very well received. For the big finale Knox Academy students took us on musical theatre journey through Broadway from Legally Blonde, Whistle down the Wind, Hairspray (with choreography by NPA MT student Jordanne Grant), Shrek and The Wiz. It was a fantastic way to finish a first class evening, with amazing singing, acting and dancing. Well done to all involved! The Drama and Music Departments
Academy productions presents: Showcase
Page 17
Ocean Youth Trust OYT Day 2 Day Day 1 - Monday
OYT was a great experience. It was a sunny day and we couldn’t wait to start. Once all of us got to the starting point in Newcastle we were greeted with pizza and told the tales of the sea. The first thing they got us to do was to choose to go north or south. We picked north towards Holy Island. However, the wind was against us and we learnt the hard way on the first night that sailing into the wind is very hard work! At least we had waterproofs to shield us from the wind and the rain that followed.
Day 2 – Tuesday
The crew woke up in Blyth port. We stayed there for a bit to enjoy our lunch and learn more about the boat itself. The idea soon hit us that this was the day we would make it to Holy Island. Guided by the staff, our team pulled up the sails and set off. Now, how would you entertain a lot of people trying to find their sea-legs? Test them with riddles of course! Singing and hot chocolate with biscuits soon followed. Not to mention how we all got a turn of steering. If that wouldn’t have worked for you then nature came into play and all of us spotted the dolphins who came to play at the front of the boat, or the baby puffins and when we reached the spectacular view of Holy Island, some lovable seals. Finally before bed, we had a nice indoor BBQ swapping scary stories (mostly told by the staff). That night we did an Anchor Watch where we took it in turns to look after the boat during the night to make sure that it didn’t drift into the rocks. We were also set the task to get to know our anchor watch partner by discussing the answers to some set questions about our lives and ambitions.
Day 3 – Wednesday
British weather greeted us when we woke up with fog so unfortunately we were stranded, fortunately at Holy Island. After Breakfast the team went to the village located near the coast to go back on dry land. We were about the only visitors there because the tide was in so no one else could get in. After hunting the teachers down in a coffee shop we headed back to “James Cook” to have some more training. Once there Calum found a pack of cards and the rest of the hours in the afternoon were filled with Switch and Whist. Passing more rope practice the first mate took us out to do rowing as well as get some more photos of ourselves on Holy Island. Thrills and spills later the smell of pasta wafted us back and we then called it a night. We did another anchor watch that night but this time we each had to continue writing a story which was started off by Grace the skipper. The story was then to be read out during breakfast the next morning. Miss McPhee got very carried away with tales of pirate seals, golden fudge and electrified guardrails!
Day 4 – Thursday
That morning we woke up in high spirits because it was the first day we had a lie in! Sadly though it was our last day properly sailing. Not that we didn’t have a bad time. When we had got our anchor up and were on our way back to Newcastle the rain started up again. Despite this, most of us were outside when we had our lunch in our waterproofs, joking about how much of a tan we expected at the start of the week and how much fun last night’s anchor watch was. We got split into teams: one outside looking and keeping course while the other chilled out below deck. Our bond was the best it had been and to show it the sun came out again as we got close to Newcastle, but then it changed its mind. No wildlife was spotted that trip but we didn’t need it. The night ended at port with one last game of Switch.
Page 18
Activities’ Week 2012
Knox News
Volume 1, Issue 1
Day 5 – Friday It was done. The staff gave us one last job to remember them by: Cleaning the entire vessel that was “James Cook”. At least afterwards they told us we had great attitudes for sailors. We were handed our RYA certificates that recognised us as “Competent Crew” and had time for one last group photo. After that we left with OYT hoodies on and with our new James Cook badges attached to them….
The End
Written (proudly) by Calum Baillie 3L2
Page 19
Scott Thomson 2L3 is beating all-comers at Judo. His mother writes, “ We have just returned from Holland where Scott took a Silver at the Venray International - according to Judo Scotland coaches this event is the biggest European competition that Scott can compete in at his age so to get any medal there was a fantastic achievement - to get to the final was outstanding. There were 38 participants in his category from all across Europe...... Scott has also won the Judo Scotland Grand Prix series for the 2nd year in a row. He is currently too young to be selected officially for Scotland at any events but was entered by Judo Scotland for the event in Holland so fought under the Scotland Banner. He is currently a member of the Judo Scotland Talent Development Programme and is at the highest level in this through selection into the Performance Squad. He will move up at start of the next Judo season in August to the next age band where he will fight within his weight range but against older players - he is looking forward to the challenge! Scott has also won the Judo Scotland Grand Prix series for the 2nd year in a row. 2011 Scottish Champion - U50kg 2011 British Champion - U50kg 2011 Granite City GP Championships - U50kg - GOLD 2012 Midlands Championships - U50kg - GOLD 2012 North West Championships - U50kg - GOLD 2012 Sportif International GP - U50kg - GOLD 2012 CHAS Open GP Championship - U55kg - GOLD 2012 Highland Open GP Championship - U55kg - GOLD 2011/2012 Judo Scotland Grand Prix Champion - U55kg 2012 Venray European International - Holland - SILVER U55kg.”
Neil Howie (2T1) has cerebral palsy affecting the left side of his body. Through his involvement in the Disability Activity Programme at primary school, Neil developed an interest in swimming although was unsure whether or not he was capable of swimming at club level. A move to high school, combined with his selection for the Scottish Disability Sport swimming squad gave Neil the confidence to also attend a swimming club, and he combines training for both with competing at disability events all over the country as well as against able bodied athletes at club level. Through this, Neil was quickly identified as an athlete of the quality required for East Lothian's Performance Athletes in School (PAiS) programme, and the intense workload of additional training is obviously paying off as Neil is setting new personal bests regularly in a multitude of swimming events, taking nearly 45 seconds off his personal best in the 100m breaststroke and 100m front crawl in just over a year.
Personal Bests
50m Breaststroke - 56.86s 50m Front Crawl - 40.81s 50m Backstroke - 51..81 100m Breaststroke - 1m 56.33s 100m Front Crawl - 1m 27.15s 100m Medley - 1m 46.12s 200m Medley - 3m 43.28s
Page 20
Sporting Successes
Knox News
Volume 1, Issue 1
Adam Linton-Main (2L1) has cerebral palsy affecting his left side. Adam has never let this stop him from doing anything, to the extent that many people are unaware that Adam even suffers from cerebral palsy. Since arriving at Knox Academy, Adam has represented the school in many events including badminton and orienteering. About the same time he moved up to Knox from primary, Adam began swimming and was quickly identified by Scottish Disability Sport as having the potential to compete at a high level. Since then his progress has been rapid, and he was setting new personal bests as recently as last week, when he competed in the British championships in the brand new Olympic pool in London. Adam has taken part in several events all over Britain, regularly picking up medals in his class. Adam was awarded a place in East Lothian's Performance Athletes in Schools (PAiS) programme last year meaning he combines his busy competition schedule with many additional hours of training and conditioning work every week. Through this combination of hard work and his positive attitude, I am sure Adam will continue his rapid progress and set new personal bests on his way to winning many more medals in the future.
Personal Bests
50m Front Crawl - 41.05s 50m Backstroke - 56.00s 100m Front Crawl - 2m 8.50s 100m Front Crawl - 6m 42.38s
Holly Ramage (5L2) won the Young Sports Person of the Year Award at East Lothian Council's Celebrating Sport 2011 Awards held on the 24th February 2012.
Holly beat a host of young talented athletes from around the county to secure the top individual prize for young athletes. Holly had an outstanding 2011, with her highlight being the silver medal she picked up at the Northern European Gymnastics competition in Sweden earlier in the year. Her performances in 2011 have seen her selected for the 2014 Commonwealth Games training squad, and Holly is definitely one to watch for the games in 2 years’ time.
It was an excellent night all round for Knox Academy and Haddington. Perennial contenders Hannah Laing and Megan Richardson were finalists in the Team of the Year category after another highly successful 2011 on the badminton circuit, and Neil Howie's performances for the Scottish Disability Swimming Squad earned him a place in the final of the Disabled Athlete of the Year Award.
Local coach with Haddington Athletic Raymond Daniel also picked up the Volunteer of the Year Award.
Congratulations to Holly, and all the other winners and finalists. A Lambert Sport and Physical Activities Coordinator
Sporting Successes
Page 21
S1 Merit Certificates
Kirsty Barr 1G1
Emily Bowen 1T3
James Dewar 1L2
Catriona Heawood 1T3
Finlay Logie 1T3
Alasdair MacFarlane 1T2
Nina McMullan 1T2
Miriam Mells 1L2
Hannah Paxton 1T1
Isaac Smith 1T1
Megan Taylor 1G1
Caitlin Thorburn 1L2
Molly Young 1G1
Page 22
Awards’ Ceremony
Knox News
S2 Merit Certificates
Ruairidh Bruce 2G3
Olivia Christie 2L2
Chloe Craig 2L2
Iona Freckleton 2G2
Jack Gidney 2L3
Harriet Lomholt‐Welch 2T1
Douglas Meikle 2T2
Holly Morton 2G2
Charlotte Smith 2T2
Rebecca Swinton 2G1
William Syme 2G1
Rachel Watson 2T2
Aimee Broomfield 3L3 Home Economics
Rachal Cooper 3G1 Administration
Katie Green 3G3 RMPS
Katie Holton 3G1 English
Annabel Jackson 3G3 Physical Education
Owen McHugh 3G1 Music Drama Latin
Claire Neillans 3T1 Geography
Chemistry
Mathematics
Angus Riddell 3G2 History
Graphic Communication
Naomi Rogers 3L2 French
Physics
Perry Stewart 3T3 Classical Studies
Business Management
Ellie Thomson 3T1 Art & Design
Megan Trotter 3L3 Computing
Fraser Watt 3T2 Craft & Design
Caitlin Wright 3T1 Modern Studies
S3 Subject Prizes
Volume 1, Issue 1
S4 Subject Prizes
Katie Archibald 4T3 History Chemistry Mathematics
Callum Baptie 4L2 Classical Studies
Amie Cowan 4T3 Drama
Abbey Ellis 4G1 Latin RMPS
Jemma Fairbairn 4G2 Home Economics
Rachel Fulton 4G2 Art & Design
Craig Greathead 4G1 Modern Studies
Dylan Noble 4T3 Biology
Lucie O'Donnell 4T1 Administration
Jaimee Pickard 4G3 Music
Adam Richmond 4T3 French Latin English Computing
Struan Stuart 4T1 Craft & Design
Kirsty Wallace 4G1 Geography
Scott Weir 4T1 Physics Physical Education Business Management
Awards’ Ceremony
Page 23
S5 Subject Prizes
6 Subject Prizes
Charlotte Algeo 5T1 French Chemistry
Kelvin Craig 5T1 Computing
Lauren Dickson 5L2 Drama Home Economics
Ernie Li 5T3 History
Calum Lyell 5L2 Geography
Ben Nisbet 5G1 Music
Louisa Paxton 5T1 Mathematics
Rebecca Ramage 5G2 Business Management
Niall Robertson 5T1 Physical Ed.
Robin Stewart 5G1 Modern Studies
Liska Cro s 5T2 Physics Latin English RMPS
Jessica Hickman 5G1 Art & Design
Jack Thomson 5G1 Biology
James Beaton 6L1 Classical Studies
Sarah Bruce 6T2 Modern Studies
Joanna Burgmans 6L2 Geography
Sophie Christman 6L1 English
Jordan Currie 6L2 Biology
Gillian Dodson 6G1 French
Michael Lemmon 6G1 Computing
Laura Lynas 6L2 RMPS
Evie McGregor 6L1 History
Scott McLoughlin 6G2 Physical Education
Neil Reynolds 6G2 Music Drama
Megan Rogers 6L1 Physics Chemistry Mathematics
Marion Sweetland 6L2
Business Management
Ka e Watson 6G1
Art & Design
Graphic Comm
Honours
Page 24
Awards’ Ceremony
Knox News
Senior Boys Best Gymnast & Games Player Paul Waugh 6T2
Senior Girls Best Gymnast & Games Player Holly Ramage 5L2
Wider Achievement Award Iain Baxter
Ashleigh Lawson
4T1
3G3 Personal Achievement Calum Baillie
Neil Howie
Ashleigh Lawson
Adam Linton‐Main
3L2
2T1
3G3
2L1
Young Coach of the Year Mitchell Simpson 6L2
Angela Woodward Prize for Excellence in Rebecca Ramage 5G2
Alice Burne Twinning Scholarship Sarah Muir 6L1
Kerry Jaworski Trophy for Hockey Katy Irving 2G1
Michael Godek Prize for Guitar Beth McCafferty 3L3
Art & Design Gillies Prize for Pain ng Ka e Watson 6G1
Alastair Barden Memorial Medal Abbie Lindsay 6T2
Kerr Macfarlane Memorial Prize Ka e Morris 6L2
Dux Liska Cro s 5T2
Service To The School
Finlay Baird 6L2
Julia Cockburn 6G2
David Edgar 6G2
Connor Forsyth 6G1
Colin Grannum 6G2
Abbie Lindsay 6T2
Katie Morris 6L2
Megan Richardson 6G1
Marion Sweetland 6L2
Rhiannon Underwood 6T2
Katie Watson 6G1
Alice Wheeler 6L2
Volume 1, Issue 1
Service To Tots ‘n Teens
Awards’ Ceremony
Page 25
Jonathan Algeo 3T1
Sally Birrell 3L1
Rowan Bland 3L3
Aimee Broomfield 3L3
Lucy Brown 3L2
Mhairi Cunningham 3L2
Kate Farmer 3L3
Charlie Halliday 3T1
Elizabeth Hargreaves 3L1
Bethany Harrison 3G3
Nicole Lamb 3T2
Keri Robertson 3L1
Eilha Rumbles 3L3
Cara‐Louise Slater 3G3
Kirsty Stamper 3L2
Kelly Watson 3T2
Chloe Wilson 3G2
Natasha Wright 3T3
Aylee Bunting 4L1
Emma Bald 5L3
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
KWN Prizewinners
Charlotte Algeo 5T1
Zoe Connell 5T1
Kathryn Couperwhite 5T1
Alex Cunningham 5T3
Rhiannon Durie 4T2
Craig Gunn 4G2
William MacIntosh‐Smith 5T2
Torquil MacLeod 5G1
Lewis Moncrieff 5L3
Beth Smith 5G1
Janina Calder‐Petrie 3T3
Rebecca Cole 3G2
Owen McHugh 3G1
Eilidh Munro 3G1
Rhona Taylor 3L3
Saimah Uddin 3G3
Andrew Waddell 3L1
Caitlin Wright 3T1
Following successful short leet interviews held on Friday 22nd June, we are pleased to inform you that Sarah Ingham, Depute Head Teacher at the school, has been offered and accepted the permanent post of Head Teacher of Knox Academy. Appropriate recruitment checks are currently being completed which will allow Sarah to take up the appointment with effect from the start of the new school session in August.
Stop Press
Knox Academy
Pencaitland Road
Haddington
EH41 4DT
01620 823387
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