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Dear Parent, Carer or Colleague Welcome to this first newsletter for session 2015-16, particularly the parents and carers of our new S1 pupils and the parents of current P7 pupils who will join us August 2016. This newsletter will share with you the huge variety of activities that pupils here at Kemnay Academy undertake throughout the year. We have always aimed to provide as many opportunities to achieve as possible. We have a very active pupil council that will keep you up to date through the newsletter as will the wide range of students who have leadership roles in sport, health, charities, house activities and other extra-curricular competitions and events. At the end of the summer break in August, last sessions’ S5 students were the first to receive their certificates for the new Higher National Qualifications. Each of them deserves congratulations for his or her successes. Their successes reflect the expectations, support and encouragement of parents, carers and others and the development efforts of teachers. Those partnerships are vital in helping our young people become successful learners. At the end of the summer term we saw the official opening of our new extension and the departure of Dr Hunter. Dr Hunter has planned a number of trips for his early retirement including a visit to Rwanda in early 2016.

Our implementation of Curriculum for Excellence continues. The main focus for the school is on the consolidation of National Qulaification courses. We will keep you up to date with progress and pupils in the Senior Phase will have additional assessment . Our Parent Council continues to support the Academy in its work and aims to promote more effective engagement by parents in the work of the Academy. The Parent Council met for the first time earlier this term and re-elected its chair, Mr Eric Marston. Reports on its work will be included in each newsletter and on our website. Next term usually brings with it the first episodes of adverse weather of the winter. It is vital that parents, carers and pupils have spoken together about arrangements and what to do in the event of disruption. It is very important that pupils travelling by bus only travel on the bus to which they are assigned and carry their passes. Please also discuss with your son/daughter how they will use Glow or other resources to maintain their studies in the event of not being able to get to the Academy and check that they have their log-in details at home.

SchoolClosureWebsite www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/closures/ Telephone Information Line: 0870 054 4999 PIN: 021070

Finally, I wish each of you, parent, student or colleague, a relaxing and safe October holiday.

Mrs L Paul, Rector

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Staffing Changes

A number of new colleagues having recently joined us: Mr Roddy Scott English Miss Stephanie White Biology Mrs Alieen Dickson Humanities Mr Ifty Ahmed Maths Mr Simon Maryan PSA Mrs Fiona Wood PSA Mrs Eunice Fergusons PSA Some vacancies have been successfully filled in the last few weeks. We are pleased to advise that Mrs Susan Taylor will join the Science faculty after the October holidays. We wish all the best to Jenna Hall who leaves us on Friday 9 October to take up a new post in the Portlethen Cluster as teacher of ASN. Brian Coyle leaves the Academy after the October holidays to take up a post with NEScollege lecturing English. We welcome Rev J Mikelson as school chaplain. Sarah Robertson will go on her maternity leave in November. Vhari Cairns will take her maternity leave after the October break. Thanks to all staff who have supported pupils and provided additional supply cover in the past few weeks. The school is delighted to have a healthy staffing compliment this session.

IN THIS ISSUE: Pg 1: Welcome from Rector Pg 2: Staffing Changes Pg 3: Annual Stansards and Quality Improvement Plan Senior Student Appointments Senior Phase Update Pg 4: Key Dates for S5/6 Science Snippets Pg 5: Christmas Fayre MacMillan Coffee Morning SQA Results 2015 Pg 6: Curriculum for Excellence Pg 7: UCAS Pg 8: Safe Drive Stay Alive Pg 9: Writers’ Group Writing Competition Adverse Weather Arrangements Pg 10: Read, Write , Gold 11 Costa Rica – Team One Pg 11: Costa Rica – Team Two Pg 14: Reading Bingo Pg 15: S4 Hospitality Catering Opportunity Guidance Department Pg 16: Hello from the Head Girl Pg 17: Active Schools Day of Dance Pg 18: Young Sports Ambassadors Sponsored Walk Sports Snippets Pg 20: Energise Your Future Calendar Dates

Artwork by IndyWatson S4

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Annual Standards and Quality Improvement Plan

Each year we prepare a report that outlines the progress we’ve made in implementing improvements throughout the previous year, that summarises how well we believe we’re doing across all aspects of our work and that details the actions we intend taking in the current year. This is now available on our website. https://www.kemnayacademy.aberdeenshire.sch.uk/ If you would like a hard copy of this document, please contact the Academy office.

Senior Student Appointments Following very high quality applications and interviews from senior students, a total of 36 prefects have been appointed and are undertaking a variety of duties around the Academy. Interviews for Head boy/girl were very competitive and all the students gave a strong account of themselves. As a result the school took the decision to extend the leadership team to reflect the quality of the candidates. The Senior leadership team students have spoken with S4/S5 pupils on the good revision tips for National Qualifaction courses based on their experiences.. The following students have been appointed to senior student positions: Senior Phase Updates Session 2015/16 is the third year that Kemnay Academy has presented the new National Qualifications at National 2, 3, 4 and 5 level and presentation at Higher and Advanced Higher level is now underway. Our recent SQA results would indicate that both staff and learners are confident in the demands and standards required for the new qualifications. The majority of our curricular areas opted to teach the New Higher (National 6 qualification) level courses last session and whilst a number of subject areas produced outstanding Higher level results there are still room for improvements and consolidation of standards to take place. This session will be the first session where the new qualifications will be undertaken for all levels and subject areas. Our levels of attainment at National 5 and Higher compare favourably within our local authority, virtual comparators and nationally and the work undertaken this session will ensure our learners build upon previous successes and progress towards positive pathways within the school and post school destinations. There is further information available for parents on the National Parent Forum Scotland within the Education Scotland Website. We are delighted with the progress that our S5 and S6 Learners are making at Kemnay Academy. All our young people in the senior school have been involved in on-going dialogue with curriculum staff, guidance staff and members of the Senior Leadership team. This will focus on aspirational subject specific target setting as well as learning conversations directed at direct target setting which includes the discussion of next steps in our learners progress. Guidance staff have spent a huge amount of time ensuring that our youngsters have breadth as well as added value progression across subject areas. Pupils should be sharing this information at home and interim target setting reports will be sent home at various points during the school year. Subject staff have shared expectations for each course with their classes, including assessment arrangements and this has been shared on Show My Homework to aid pupil preparation for internal assessment requirements. Our S5/6 mentoring programme has been developed and this will ensure our learners have a key adult to discuss progress and next steps with on a regular basis throughout the year. Parents will be made aware of the developments of our mentoring programme and the pupil experience in due course. Family mentoring clinics will be organised for the new year.

Head Boy: Matthew Palin

Head Girl: Kimberley Brodie

Depute: Grace Hepburn

Depute: Taylor Park

Depute: Ewan McLeod

Depute: Fatima Dawod

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Key Dates for S5/6 Pupils

• Full reports will be sent home on 16 December 2015; this will include pupil subjects and levels, current working grade and target grade as well as next steps in learning. Learning conversations will be taking place in all classes in the 2 weeks after the October holidays

• S5/6 parents evening will take place on 14 January 2016 and will include a workshop event for parents on supporting our young people and developing successful study techniques

• Summative Estimate Assessments will take place between 18 February and 1 March 2016

• Interim tracking report will be sent home on 23 March 2016 and will indicate summative assessment results as well as final levels for SQA presentation Miss Grant, Depute Headteacher – S5/6 Science Snippets STEM in the Pipeline 6 Advanced Higher Science and Maths pupils are undertaking the STEM in the Pipeline Challenge. A busy and useful day was spent at Aberdeen University finding out more about Geology, Economics, Drilling Engineering, Project Management and other aspects of the skills and knowledge they will need. The pupils are being mentored by Chevron and have to produce a plan to locate, extract and make a profit from an oil and gas well. The team will present their project at an event at BP Headquarters in December. Energy Challenge on the radio Pupils took part in the annual North Sound/Opito Schools Energy Challenge. A team comprising Calum Guild (S5), Niamh Bayliss (S5), Matthew Dailey (S4) and Kim Taylor (S3) travelled to Opito HQ in Portlethen for a recording of the half-hour radio show which is broadcast on Sunday afternoons. The team were beaten on the night by Robert Gordons College who were faster on the buzzer, but Kemnay demonstrated their knowledge of Science by winning that round! Other notable answers from Kemnay included knowing the colour of the soles of Buzz Lightyear’s shoes, the Danish flag, Taylor Swift’s music and Calum’s encyclopaedic knowledge of films. It was an interesting experience and the team are looking

forward to next year! Scottish Baccalaureate in Science Three Advanced Higher pupils are undertaking the Inter-disciplinary project at Baccalaureate level. Max MacKay is building on expertise and contacts made when he attended Space School in June and is investigating re-usable rockets. Fatima Dawod and Matthew Palin would like to pursue careers in Medicine. Fatima’s project will look at pain-management and Matthew is investigating the effects of fizzy drinks on the body.

Artwork By: Emma McPherson S4

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Kemnay Academy Chrsitmas Fayre The second Kemnay Academy Christmas Fayre will be held on Saturday 28th November from 10am – 2pm. After a very successful fayre last year raising around £1300 we are hoping to beat that this year. If you would like to have a stall this year, please contact the school office to book your table. £12 and raffle donation requested.

Macmillan Coffee Morning On Friday 2nd October a group of pupils from a number of year groups organised and ran the Kemnay Academy Macmillan Coffee Morning. The Coffee Morning was a huge success and raised over £300. We were also lucky that Stuart Donaldson MP was able to join us for the morning and brought some of his own home-bakes.

Thanks to Coco’s (formerly Haircraft) in Kemnay who kindly donated a raffle prize. Well done to Craig Needham, Brett McKenzie, Ronin Whyte, Kieran Mearns, Billy Duncan and Fraser Gray who’s hard work made the Coffee Morning such a success.

SQA Results 2015 Initial data for the SQA qualifications including the new National Qualifications:

N3 5+ level 3 92.86%

N4 5+ level 4 81.43%

N5 5+ level 5 35%

S5 1+ level 6 54.2%

3+ level 6 32.82%

5+ level 6 12.98%

S6 3+ level 6 37.78%

1+ level 7 14%

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Curriculum for Excellence – in the senior phase This session all the Highers being delivered will be the CFE Higher. In addition, we are continuing to develop opportunities for wider achievement. A number of staff have volunteered to lead pupils through the Duke of Edinburgh Award. S3 pupils have indicated an interest and will work with the staff to progress this. All are aiming at the Bronze award initially. Further information on the scheme is available on: http://www.dofe.org/ Information for parents from SQA on the nature of the new qualifications is available on: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/46161.html. The National Parent Forum of Scotland has been developing summary information on the new Higher qualifications similar to the information they produced last year as “Nationals in Nutshell”. The new “Highers in a Nutshell” are available on: www.parentforumscotland.org There will be opportunities for you to hear more about our specific plans for the curriculum at scheduled parents’ information evenings related to the key points of your

daughter/son’s journey. Additional information on all aspects of the curriculum and on Scottish education is accessible via the Parentzone website on: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/parentzone/index.asp. Links are also available on the Kemnay Academy website.

How have qualifications changed (S4-S6)? The following is a reminder adapted from “Curriculum for Excellence Factfile – Overview of Key Terms and Features”, LTS, 2011. Further information is accessible via the Parentzone website above. • National 4. It is assessed internally by teachers but is subject to verification by the Scottish

Qualifications Authority (SQA). Our first presentation was in session 2013-14. • National 5 involves a final external assessment; usually an exam plus other types of

assessment like coursework or performance. • National 3 replaced Access 3 and was first available in session 2013-14. • Higher (N6) and Advanced Higher (N7) qualifications are now being delivered to our current

S5/S6 pupils for presentation in 2016. All the new and refreshed qualifications continued to be quality assured by the Scottish

Qualifications Authority (SQA) to ensure standards and credibility are maintained.

Artwork by: Robyn Owen S5

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UCAS (University Colleges Application System) 2015 All pupils in S5/6 who have expressed an interest in studying at University have registered on www.UCAS.com website. Each pupil will has a user name, password and UCAS ID number. This information must be remembered for access to each pupil’s individual account. Pupil’s accounts are linked to their Guidance teacher’s account. This enables Guidance staff to keep track of their progress and to attach their reference. Guidance staff will then send the completed application to UCAS before the Christmas holidays. The deadline for applications are as follows – Medicine, Vet Medicine and Dentistry 10th October 2015 All other courses 5th December 2015 These dates are final and missing a deadline will result in the application being late and possibly rejected. Each applicant has 5 choices when applying. They can choose to apply to 5 different Universities or 5 courses in the same university or a combination of both. The online form has 7 sections which need to be completed and ‘marked as complete’ when finished. Once the form is complete it is sent to the applicant’s Guidance teacher who adds the reference and then sends this to UCAS. Once the application is with UCAS they will send the applications out to the Universities that the applicant has applied for. Offers of places at University will come directly from the University and will be one of the following for each choice applied for – Unconditional – offered a place based on grades already gained Conditional – offered a place based on grades to be gained in this academic year Rejection – not offered a place Funding for University – Student Award Agency Scotland(SAAS) The Student Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) is the organisation who are responsible for the teaching fees at all Scottish Universities. Pupils who require a student loan can also apply for this through www.SAAS.gov.uk. Applications for SAAS are done before June 30th 2015.

BBC Bitesize for National 4 and 5 Pupils and parents may find the support materials available on the BBC Bitesize website helpful. http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/levels/z6gw2hv Content has been created to support learners doing Scottish National 4 and National 5 qualifications. BBC revision sites for National 6 http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/levels/zkdqxnb

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The UCAS and SAAS website has lots of useful information for applicants and parents including video clips. I hope that this information had been helpful and has answered some of the questions you may have regarding university applications. If you have further questions please contact your son/daughters Guidance Teacher at the academy. Mrs Hepburn, PT Guidance

Safe Drive Stay Alive All S5 pupils have been invited to attend this event at the Beach Ballroom on the morning of Tuesday 3rd November 2015. The Academy has a strong tradition of providing high quality driver education and this event is part of this education. This is a hard hitting presentation by a number of speakers who have experienced road accidents and the aftermath of this – Doctors, Paramedics, Driving Instructors, Police and Fire Service. Guidance staff will be accompanying the pupils. Letter have been sent home and excursion forms must be returned by the end of term.

Additional Support for Learners (ASL) at Kemnay Academy The role of the ASL Department at Kemnay Academy can be a varied one. Our team consists of a number of specialist ASL Teaching staff, Pupil Support Assistants and our Pupil Support Worker. We are here to provide support for pupils who, for whatever reason, require additional support, long or short term, to help them make the most of their education. This support can take many different forms, including:

• In-class support.

• Assisting subject teachers with the differentiation of lessons.

• Co-operatively teaching lessons in partnership with subject teachers.

• Sharing strategies and tools with teaching staff to enable them to better meet the needs of learners.

• Providing additional assessment arrangements.

• Providing one-to-one or small group support for pupils.

• Liaising with other agencies (e.g. Educational Psychologist, North East Scotland College).

• Providing alternative curricular experiences for pupils.

• Diagnostic assessment of specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia). My job, as Principal Teacher (Additional Support for Learners) is to co-ordinate the staff within my department to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all learners at Kemnay Academy. The role of parents as partners in helping us to do this effectively cannot be understated. Please do not hesitate to contact me at the school if there is anything you wish to discuss regarding the role we play in supporting your son or daughter. I look forward to sharing more specific details of these roles in future newsletters and working with you in the future. Alan Millar Principal Teacher, Additional Support for Learners

Artwork By: Naomi Ord S5

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Art work by: Chloe Milne S4

Presenting: A short letter from the Writers’ Group After a while of struggling on how to start this small tice, I decided that the best way would be to do it like I’m swimming and dive right in. We’re the Writers’ Group, a small group of students who come together and discuss what we’re writing and take part in small group activities to do with such a thing. So far in this year we have been working on an anthology combining our pieces in a format people would like to read from fantasy short stories to horror poetry. In previous years, we have been on trips for inspiration to places like the Point of Origin and Castle Fraser. What we’re planning on doing is getting the anthology completed and possibly going to other places for inspiration. We’ve always got our doors open to new people and all are welcome! We meet on Tuesday lunchtimes in Room 102. Bring your lunch. Welcoming you with open arms, The Writers’ Group

Writing Competition – Your chance to become a published poet Challenge yourself this October – be creative and enter this year’s competition from Young Writers. Pupils are tasked with writing a poem in any style and on any theme. Through poetry, you are asked to: persuade us to feel a certain way with your writing; make us understand your point of view; and write passionately through verse. The top five poets will be invited to turn their poem into a video and have the chance to win an amazing Apple prize bundle! Kemnay Academy are proud to have previously featured in Young Writers publications, with several pupils, current and former, succeeding and seeing their name in print. The closing date is Friday, October 30th. For further details, see Miss Hall in Room 102 or visit https://www.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/poetrytrials/index.php.

Adverse Weather Arrangements Recently your son/daughter will have brought home a letter explaining our adverse weather arrangements that will be in place for this session. It contains details of how to access the Aberdeenshire school closure website and telephone line. It also emphasises the importance of planning so that pupils can continue with their studies even although they may not be able to come to the Academy. The letter asks for a response in respect of every pupil. We would be very grateful for your co-operation in making this important return so that we can ensure the safety of every pupil in the event of any emergency closure as a result of adverse weather. If you have not received this communication, please contact the Academy office on 01467 643535 as soon as possible and a further copy will be provided. Since the number of pupils from outside Kemnay village is growing larger every year, please be aware that the Academy is no longer able to provide storm addresses for pupils. It is therefore vital that parents make arrangements to ensure the safety of their son/daughter in the event of any emergency closure situation.

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Read Write Gold 11 As you may be aware, we are able to give a free copy of Read Write Gold 11 to any pupil who attends Kemnay Academy for home use. Having now completed a training for trainers and in order to allow our pupils to make the best of this incredibly useful tool and in order to allow as many interested parents as possible the opportunity to attend I plan on holding four training events for parents in the beginning of next term. These would take place in one of the school ICT suites and provide you with opportunities for hands on practical experience using some of the many tools provided by this software. These sessions are open to all – whether you already have a copy of the software at home or are keen to find out more about what it can offer. The dates of these sessions are as follows:-

• Thursday 29th October (7pm- 8pm) – following directly on from the end of the S1 Parent’s

Evening.

• Wednesday 4th November (6pm – 7pm)

• Tuesday 10th November (6pm – 7pm)

• Wednesday 18th November (7pm – 8pm) – following directly on from the end of S3 Parent’s

Evening.

Places are limited on each evening as I am keen that everyone has access to a computer. If you would like to book a place on one of these evenings or to request a copy of the software for use at home please e-mail me directly on alan.millar@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or call on 01467 643535

Costa Rica News – Team One Well, after almost two years of fundraising, training, and maturing, the trip of a lifetime was over. I could hardly believe it, stepping off the plane to arrive in Aberdeen on a dark and dreik July night. Even though I was extremely jetlagged, following a 36 (yes 36) hour journey from

San Jose, I couldn’t help but appreciate all our team had accomplished. We had all matured, developed, become better people, through the help of one another. Those three weeks spent with 11 of the best individuals I will ever meet made us all into better people, and I can honestly say I don’t have a single regret about going on this expedition. We had arrived in Costa Rica following a busy day of travelling; our passports had not only clocked up stamps from London and Newark, but now we had the stamp of Costa Rica, a place which although beautiful and diverse,

many never get the opportunity to go to. The team spent the first day in San Jose, the capital acclimatising and getting used to the time difference, before we headed off to our trek in the Osa Peninsula, an eight hour bus journey away. On arriving in Puerto Jimenez, our base before going on the trek, we were able to collect some more supplies and headed off the following day. The first day consisted of a short walk, roughly 5km through rainforest, before we reached our lodge and were able to relax in the afternoon. It was here that I was able to complete one of my life goals, swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and that is exactly what an expedition gives you the chance to do; do things you always wanted to but never really got the chance. We then set off on what was by far the most

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challenging day of expedition, 20km of walking across beach and forest in unimaginable heat, something which one would not imagine ever doing. But, we were all able to get through this day as one, and this great challenge was overcome though our teamwork, a skill greatly enhanced by this experience. Following our trek experience we got a chance to do some shopping and relaxing in San Jose before we headed off to our project. We arrived in the beach town of Cahuita, which, although only 80 miles away from Puerto Jimenez, could not have been more different. While Puerto Jimenez had all the hustle and bustle of a beach town, Cahuita was incredibly relaxed due to its Caribbean roots. After a day spent in Cahuita, we got on a bus and went to our project, where we would be working in an iguana sanctuary. The project itself was brutally hard work, which mostly consisted of digging mud so as to make rivers and better pathways, but it was nonetheless incredibly rewarding, and the hospitality of our guides Alex and Sebastian were incredible. We were rewarded for our work with a trip to a waterfall, which is easily one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Once our project was completed, we headed back home to San Jose for the final time. To cap off all our achievements, we spent a day white water rafting the Rio Pacuare, an experience I will never forget. Working as a team to beat the Class IV rapids was something which summed up our team, and although there were a few bumps and falls into the water, we made it through and I for one thoroughly enjoyed it. After one final meal we headed home, and despite an incredibly long journey and an emotional goodbye to our leader and new friend John, we made it back to Scotland. Our loved ones greeted us at the airport and off we went home, but not before one final team photo and hug. To all who get the opportunity to apply, my advice is go for it, for you will not regret it. I have learned skills and qualities that I would never have known had I not gone, and I have made friends for life. I could not recommend more strongly attending the upcoming meeting, and I will be incredibly jealous of whichever exotic location is chosen. Although our experiences may be drastically different, the outcome will be the same; you will become a more complete, well-rounded, and mature person, whilst seeing new cultures and experiencing a different way of life.

Matthew Palin 6MND

Costa Rica News – Team Two We spent two years planning for this adventure and, as it transpired, all our efforts were more than worth it. On our travels, we kept a blog as a way of communicating with those back home. We thought sharing these updates with the newsletter readers would offer a candid and entertaining insight to our expedition.

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Travels Posted on July 1 by costaricateamtwo We finally got here after a really long day of travelling! Arrived a bit later than expected but we were happy to check in to the hostel. HIGH POINTS • Massive pizzas in Newark Airport • Seeing the Empire State Building • The New York Skyline LOW POINTS • Long flights • Starving on the last flight • US Customs Orientation Posted on July 1 by costaricateamtwo After a well deserved sleep, we split into three groups of five this morning. One tackled the task of organising our food to take to our project phase, one looked at food and transport, and one checked our finances. We are all a bit jet lagged, but slightly less tired! HIGH POINTS • Scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast • Exploring San José • Becoming Colon millionaires LOW POINTS • Not getting lunch on time because we were food shopping • Being woken up early by train horns • Cold pool Project Work – Playa De Caletas Posted on July 9 by costaricateamtwo It’s been a while since we last posted but we’ve finally got Wi-Fi! We have just arrived in Liberia after camping on the beach at Playa de Caletas for the past seven days. Our project was to get the hatchery up to a good enough standard to put turtle eggs in. It was very hard work and a lot of sand in places we didn’t want it, but it was worth it to see the eggs being relocated into the hatchery. We got to spend lots of time on the beaches and dipping our feet into the sea. Everyone was lucky enough to see a turtle nesting at night during the patrols. This was an amazing experience and something we will probably never get a chance to see again. The most exciting day came when we took a trip into the mangroves. We saw many different animals such as Bullsharks and Hammerhead sharks. In the middle of the mangroves we stopped and had the best fruit we had ever tasted; oranges, watermelon and pineapple. During this trip we also got time to visit a beach nearby and go for a swim, which was nice as a change of scenery. We then got a night off from patrol so that we could get a good night’s sleep before travelling. The day after Eric picked us up at 11:30 and we travelled to Coyote. From Coyote we travelled to Jicaral, from Jicaral to Nicoya, and finally from Nicoya to Liberia. When we got to Liberia we

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got settled into our hostels and managed to get a good night’s sleep before buying our food for our trek and getting ready for the bus to Rinconcito Lodge. That’s us away on the bus now! Trek Phase – Rincón de la Vieja National Park Posted on July 12 by costaricateamtwo After a night spent in Liberia, we got up and did some shopping for our stay at Rinconcito Lodge. We got a bus to the National Park (which had air conditioning!!) and set up our camp for the night. We then went for a short walk to explore the area around the lodge, and then had tea. The following morning we met our guide, Walter, who took us through one of the many trails through the park, which encountered many things such as the Morpho Waterfall and the hot springs. The hot springs are said to have medicinal properties and many of the team members had face masks of the mud there. We then went back to the Santa Maria Ranger Station to collect our bags which had been dropped off there and we set up camp. This trail was a 9K walk. We got up at 5:30am the next morning in order to take down our camp and get our transport to the Las Pailas Ranger Station, which was very bumpy! We walked from Las Pailas to the Cangrejá Waterfall and most of the team went for a swim. This was exciting as the waterfall was the picture on our Facebook group! We trekked back to the station and had some lunch, as by this point we had already walked 10K. We also saw a coatimundi. We then walked all the way back to the Santa Maria Ranger station before heading back to the Rinconcito Lodge to set up our camp for the night. We had tea, and everyone was very tired as the trek had been predicted to be 19K, but due to bad signage we think we walked closer to 22K. Through this trek we saw things such as the fumaroles and bubbling mud pools. This morning we woke up in the rain at 6:30am and packed our stuff away quickly so that we could get the same air conditioned bus to Santa Elena to prepare for our next treks in the rainforest. We arrived at our hostel not long ago and our next job is to get food for our treks. Wish us luck! Trek Phase – Children´s Eternal Rainforest Trek Posted on July 16 by costaricateamtwo We arrived in Santa Elena safe and air conditioned. The views from the bus were spectacular, including vast areas of rainforest and various species of birds. We then went to the hostel called Mi Casa Tica. It was great and was really colourful. Once we had settled into the hostel we went in groups to the supermarket and souvenir shop where group members bought presents for family and friends. We went for a lovely dinner at Marisqueria Kuki´s which was very filling! Came back with full bellies and had a good night’s sleep. In the morning we had a hearty breakfast of beans, rice, eggs and orange juice. Then we were transported to the Children´s Eternal Rainforest where we then had to walk 4K to the San Gerardo Ranger Station in the middle of the rainforest. Here we were greeted with a mouth-watering lunch of chicken, rice, beans and watermelon. We then settled into our luxurious rooms and relaxed. Later on in the afternoon some members of the team were the first to venture into the rainforest for a light walk before tea. On their return they told us they heard a puma which scared the socks off them. They saw various other wildlife, like humming birds and a wild turkey. We had an early dinner in preparation for our night trek with our guides, Albert and Wendy; a delicious dinner of burritos, consisting of beans, chicken and cheese and a side of CHIPS! We then ventured out on our night tour at 7pm which lasted till 9pm. When we were out we split into two groups each with a guide and saw a purple transparent spider, glass frogs, rain frogs, a wild turkey, and a side striped palm pit viper – just a little baby! And many others. On our return to our rooms we were bombarded with moths – BIG moths! But it was closely followed by a great night’s sleep!

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We woke up to a good breakfast of beans, rice, eggs, plantain and toast which was very filling. After breakfast we ventured out into the rainforest for our three hour trek during which we saw various other wildlife. Lunch was curried chicken and potatoes, Spanish pancakes and rice. This was then followed by another trek which was two hours, before a dinner of spaghetti bolognese. Dinner was then followed by a quiz, but not just any old quiz … This quiz was to decide who would have their bags carried up the hill on our return to Santa Elena. 4K – UPHILL! We got up the next morning to pancakes, quesadillas and watermelon. We then arrived at the rainforest gift shop after our 4K trek uphill where team members bought some souvenirs. Preparations for our R´n´R phase begins in Santa Elena. Rest and Relaxation Posted on July 18 by costaricateamtwo On Wednesday the 15th we sadly said goodbye to San Gerado Ranger Station and our hosts to travel to the town of La Fortuna. Here we stayed at Gringo Pete’s just off the main strip of town. Within moments of arrival we witnessed one of nature’s miracles, a two toed sloth sleeping in a tree just across the road. That evening we dined at the hippest, most happening joint in town, a restaurant called the Lava Lounge. Here we enjoyed live music, a solid ambiance and a tasty meal. On Thursday the 16th we had our first whole day of R&R. We went on a walk to find a biodiversity park but our efforts were fruitless. However we did enjoy a pleasant, refreshing stroll under the shadow of the stunning Arenal volcano. Later in the day we splashed out on a trip to Paradise Hot Springs, a glamorous establishment which we all greatly needed. We enjoyed the hot water soothing our tired bodies after our challenging treks. We left the lovely town of La Fortuna to return to the capital, San José, on Friday the 17th. After two lengthy bus journeys we arrived at our destination, Costa Rica Backpackers where we had originally stayed when we first arrived in the country. We had some time to explore the city before heading out in the evening to a local Italian ran by a lovely chap and talented chef who goes by the name of Tony. Here we feasted like the kings and queens of old with a banquet of three courses. We personally recommend the Octopus salad; it was sublime. That’s all for now folks. Charlie A., Andrew, Ellis, Aliscia, Ryan, Georgia, Grace, Bradley, Cara, Ewan, Aaron, Taylor, Charlie R., Erynn, Iona, Mr Lawson & Miss Hall ☺☺☺☺

Reading Bingo CONGRATULATIONS go to Luca Fletcher 1D1, who is the winner of the 'Reading Bingo' competition for S1. Luca has read: Dangeki and Daisy

Northern Lights

The World of Norm

The Trenches

Adrian Mole: From Minor to Major The Last Leaves Falling

The Simpsons Guide

Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens.

We hope Luca's success inspires you to keep reading to fill up your bingo cards and win the other prizes!

Library & English Dept.

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S4 Hospitality/Health & Food Technology Catering Opportunity S4 Health and Food Technology and Hospitality pupils

prepared and served a selection of locally sourced buffet

foods under the watchful eye of our mentor chef from

Thainstone House Hotel.

The new Food Chain event a was held at SRUC

Craibstone, Dyce On Thursday 17th September 2015 , 4-

6pm.

The prepared buffet included gougeres filled with local

salmon , cream cheese and herbs, Mini ola oil oatcakes

topped with smoked duck and blueberry chutney, Barra

Berry tarts and fresh berry meringues. It was a busy day

for our pupils, going to the event and serving was

nerve racking but great for their communication

skills and confidence. I am very proud of their

achievements, all were worthy of a Merit card, well

done!

W.Macgregor , P.T Home Economics

Photographs of our buffet foods-

Bannocks, topped with local sour cream and smoked

salmon

A mouth-watering selection of sweets using Barra Berries.

Guidance Department The Guidance department is split into 4 houses – Bennachie, Don, Caskieben and Tuach. House Principal Teacher email address Bennachie house Ms Donaldson Deborah.donaldson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Don House Ms Murray-Smith Gillian.murray-smith@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Caskieben House Mrs Allan(Mon/Tue/Wed)/ fiona.allan@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Mrs Robertson(Thurs/Fri) s.robertson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Tuach House Mrs Hepburn jenny.hepburn@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Throughout the working day PTGs are dealing with phone calls, speaking with pupils, teaching classes, attending meetings, leading meetings, working with partners to name a few tasks. Pupils can contact the Guidance department throughout the day by dropping in to the Guidance Office or leaving a note on our desks. Parents can contact us by email/phone. We endeavour to get back to parents and pupils as soon as possible.

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Hello from the Head Girl Hello, my name is Kim Brodie and after a rigorous process of applications and interviews, I am honoured and humbled to have been appointed as head girl for the forthcoming academic year. Before I tell you a bit more about myself, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all of our senior prefects and members of the leadership team, deputes-Ewan McLeod, Grace Hepburn, Fatima Dawod, Taylor Park and also our new head boy Matthew Palin. I really do look forward to working alongside them all throughout this year. During my final year at Kemnay Academy I am studying Chemistry, English and Modern Studies all at higher level. I am also pursuing my studies of history this year, at advanced higher level. Over my time at the academy I have developed a love for the subject, and thanks to the support, enthusiasm and hard work of the social studies department staff at Kemnay-I have been given the opportunity to continue my studies of history to the highest of academic levels. I am an energetic character with a passion for football and sport. Currently signed with Forfar Farmington, I play in the Scottish Womens Second Divison. I have played football since the age of 9 and during my studies of higher PE last year, I was given the opportunity to earn my first SFA coaching qualification. This year I put this to use by taking on the responsibility of coaching the school's girls football team, a task of which I thoroughly enjoy and a wonderful group of girls who are a pleasure to work with. Currently I am applying to university to study physiotherapy and I hope that I can achieve my ambition to study the course at Robert Gordon’s University, with the hard work I have put into my studies and courses during my time at the academy and so far this year. Over the next year, in my role as head girl I have a number of ambitions. One of which is to build new relationships with pupils of the younger years and break down the senior-junior social barrier. As well as this I hope to help our younger pupils to understand the school values and how they can contribute to them. I hope to do this by running workshops with the prefect team for pupils. As well as workshops, I hope to create a number of committee opportunities for the junior pupil through my position as chair of the Charities and Ethos Committee. However, my main aim over the next 8 months is to ensure that my peers and pupils have an enjoyable 2015/16 session at the academy-and that I assist them in any way I possibly can to ensure this. I look forward to getting know all parents and people of the community, as well as building on my pupil and teacher relationships in school. I also look forward to facing the challenges I will face during my final year at Kemnay and making a positive and memorable impact on the school as I undertake my position as head girl.

Artwork by: Louisa Dunn S5

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Active Schools

It has been a busy start to the new school year, with lots of exciting opportunities and activities on offer to pupils! There are 14 extra-curricular sport and physical activity clubs on offer, run by PE Staff and/or senior pupils, which is a fantastic number and hopefully means there is something for everyone. It’s not too late to join these clubs, new members are always welcome!

Activity Open to Day Time

Strength & Conditioning S1-6 boys Mondays lunchtime Badminton* S1-6 Mondays lunchtime

Football S1/2 boys Mondays 3.30 – 4.30pm Image Hip Hop Group with MC

(£3 per session)

S1-6

Mondays (every 2nd week) Dates: 5/10, 26/10, 9/11,

23/11, 7/1

6.30 – 8.00pm

Basketball S1-6 girls Tuesdays lunchtime

Netball S1-6 Tuesdays 3.20 – 4.45pm Volleyball* S1-6 Wednesdays lunchtime Basketball S1-6 Wednesdays 3.30 – 4.30pm

Table Tennis* S1-6 Thursdays lunchtime Dance* S1/2 Thursdays lunchtime

Girls Fitness Club S1-6 girls Thursdays lunchtime

Rugby S1-6 Thursdays 3.30 – 4.30pm Football* S1-6 girls Thursdays 3.30 – 4.30pm Football* S4-6 boys Fridays 3.30 – 4.30pm

*indicates the session is led by senior pupils, under the indirect supervision of a member of staff.

Day of Dance On Tuesday 22nd September, YDance, the national organisation for young people in Scotland came to Kemnay Academy to deliver a Day of Dance workshop. Fourteen girls from S3-6 attended the workshop which covered a range of different dance actions, helped teach pupils to work independently and as part of a team, choreograph ideas and learn about different cultures through dance. At the end of the day the girls performed the dance they had been learning to an enthusiastic audience of S1 pupils and staff. The dance was fantastic and everyone, including the tutors, were very impressed with how well the girls had done! Four of the girls are going on to undertake the Sports Leaders UK Dance Leadership Award over the October Holidays, where they will develop the skills to prepare, plan and then lead dance sessions within the school or local community! Active Schools have also organised a Dance Leadership Award Level 2, for girls who have already attended the Level 1 in

previous years. So far five girls from Kemnay are already signed up for the course which runs 14th – 17th November at Kemnay Academy. There are still places available for pupils who have already achieved their Level 1 Award, please see Kerry in PE.

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Young Sports Ambassadors Kemnay Academy’s Young Sports Ambassadors will be starting their activities and campaigns very soon – starting with organising House Sports events! House Sports Competitions up until the Christmas holidays are:

• 8/9th October – Netball (to coincide with the European U21 Championships in Aberdeen)

• 29/30 October – Rugby (to coincide with the Rugby World Cup)

• 19/20 November – S1/2 Football

• 26/27 November – S3/4 Football

• 3/4 December – Girls/Senior Football

• 10/11 December – S1/2/3 Badminton

• 17/18 December – S4/Senior Badminton Two of our Young Sports Ambassadors, Erin Jones and Alice Aramoni, will be attending the Young Sports Ambassadors’ Conference in Aberdeen on Friday 2nd October Sponsored Walk On 18th September the whole school participated in a sponsored walk which covered 5 miles along the River Don, through Fetternear Estate and back along the Shakkin’ Briggee. The whole school, nearly 700 pupils, walked in houses with Bennachie in the lead followed by Caskieben, followed by Don and Tuach at the back. S1/2/3/4 registration groups were all assigned S6 pupils who helped to lead the younger ones through the trail. This was a great opportunity for the younger years to work and get to know the seniors. Overall the event was extremely successful as it not only benefited the pupils but also everyone who is involved with the school. A huge thank you to all parents, family and friends who have supported the sponsored walk through donations and sponsorship – our running total is £3600! Keep bringing in your sponsorships! North of Scotland Schools U15 Girls Squad Congratulations to Ruth Caney & Bayleigh Hutchison who have made it through to the next round of trials for the Under 15 Football Squad SASSA Multi-sport event On 17th September, approximately 50 pupils represented Kemnay Academy in the South

Aberdeenshire Schools Sports Association multi-sport competition. Pupils competed in athletics, basketball, netball, table tennis, girls and boys football. Here are some of their reports: Table Tennis – Matthew Dailey, Lewis MacDonald, Abigail Paterson and Sasha Ratnayeke were the four selected to compete in the table tennis SASSA event. Some of the other schools had particularly good players but our team showed determination and skill resulting in some great wins including Sasha’s 2-0 game victory! (Abigail Paterson) Boys football – The S2 boys football team played very well against tough opposition such as Banchory Academy and Westhill Academy. The boys managed a close 4th place finish through some impressive performances which contributed to the schools overall points for the event. (Ross Anderson) Athletics – We were invited to this competition which included 400m, long jump, shot putt and 100m sprint. It was a great experience to compete against people from different schools, make friends and try out the different events. We also took part in the 4 x 100m relay which we won! Our relay was successful enough to win the whole of the athletics competition and make it a very enjoyable day (Alix Still & Laurie Allardes) Netball – S2s to S4s were selected from the Kemnay Academy netball teams. The team played well but were up against tough competition – although we didn’t win too many games we worked with determination and showed good team work in an enjoyable event. (Eve Smillie)

Training opportunities Active Schools offer training throughout the year in a variety of sports and activities, from basic workshops for beginners, through to UK Coaching Certificate qualifications delivered by National Governing Bodies. Courses coming up include:

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Junior Jogscotland workshop: The course is running on Tuesday 6th October, 4.15 – 5.45pm, in the new games hall and is open to pupils who may be interested in delivering or assisting with running clubs at local primary schools. It will cover how to deliver all the games in the Junior Jogscotland resource pack, how to deal with primary aged children in groups and how to deliver sessions. There is no charge for the course. Volleyball: The Scottish Volleyball Association are running an Introductory Coaching Award course on Saturday 31st October at Meldrum Academy, 10am – 4pm. The course is open to pupils aged 16+. There is a charge for the course, which may be covered by Active Schools if you are willing to commit to further involvement with volleyball in school or the local community. SFA – Level 1 Youth Development Coaching Course: This practical leadership course is for pupils aged 16+ who would like to coach youth footballers aged 12 to 18 years. Pupils will be guided through the structure and process of being able to plan, organise and deliver football training sessions to other pupils. The course will be delivered by the Scottish FA Player and Coach Development Officer and is being held at Inverurie Academy on Monday 16th November (in-service day), 10am – 4pm. This coaching opportunity is free for pupils who are or will be willing to commit to further involvement with school or community football. If you are interested in attending any of these courses or would like more information, please see Kerry in the PE Dept. We are always looking for volunteers in both the Academy and local Primary Schools so if you are interested in volunteering in any capacity or would like to speak to me about anything relating to the Active Schools programme, please contact me on 07909875461 or email me on kerry.massie@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.

Clubs at school and local primary schools There are a high number of senior pupils assisting or delivering clubs within the academy, including table tennis, volleyball, football and dance. Without the support of these pupils, the clubs would not be able to go ahead. In addition to running academy clubs, there are a number of senior pupils who are out in the local primary schools delivering or supporting clubs for pupils. The clubs on offer include cheerleading at Alehousewells, netball, dance and basketball at Kemnay Primary, hip hop at Kintore & Kemnay Church Centre and dance at Kinellar. This amounts to over 200 primary pupils being able to take part in activities due to the work and commitment of our senior pupils, which is a fantastic achievement! Well done to all the senior pupils involved!

Kerry Massie,Active Schools Coordinator

Aberdeenshire School Football Cup’s The S1 football team won their first ever school football match with a convincing 8-2 victory over Inverurie Academy. It was a very good team performance and the team were well organized thanks to the hard work of their coaches. They are now through to the semi-finals of the Aberdeenshire School football cup. The senior team are also through to the quarter-finals of the cup with a hard fought, but well deserved 4-3 victory over Banchory. The S2 team unfortunately got knocked out to Banchory and the U-15 girls are yet to play their quarter-final match against Mintlaw.

Artwork By: Ruth Norrie S3

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Hello from the Head Boy Hello, my name is Matthew Palin, and I’ve been appointed Head Boy for the following academic session. However, I have a feeling some of you may be wondering exactly who I am, what I’ve done in the past, and what I hope to achieve over the following year. Well, to start with, I’m 17, and have lived in Kintore all my life. I have a great passion for science, especially maths and chemistry, and the school have really helped me improve and succeed in these areas in my last five years. As a result, I’m studying for an Advanced Higher in both subjects, and I’m also hoping to pick up a qualification in Higher Physics. Outside of my academic studies, I play golf at Kintore Golf Club, and was Junior Captain in 2014. I also went on last summer’s three week expedition to Costa Rica, which I loved every second of and it has really given me a new found enthusiasm for travelling the world. Expedition is something I highly recommend you or your children do, it truly was an incredible experience. I have experience of leadership already in that I was also one of the House Captains for Caskieben last year. As a team, we organised a Christmas Quiz, as well as our house Easter assembly, both of which went down very well. I’m also a prefect at the school, which works in nicely with my duties as Head Boy. In the coming year, I hope to build a successful relationship with the local community, by attending meetings and inviting community leaders to come into the school to talk with both myself and other members of the school. I would also be keen to build links with the current S5’s and P7’s, so they can have a good idea of who they can look up to in their first year at Kemnay Academy. Furthermore, I would like to help all members of the school by openly communicating to them regarding any issues, so if you have any problems that are relevant to me or the rest of the Pupil Leadership Team please just come and say. Thank you.

Energise Your Future On 11th September, Higher Physics and Chemistry pupils attended the Energise Your Future Event at Offshore Europe ’15. The day started with a welcome address from OPITO managing director John McDonald. He introduced two engineers who talked about their education and their careers to date, emphasising the ability to change direction and develop within the oil and gas sector. The pupils were then guided through the exhibition hall by OPITO apprentices to stands where the exhibitors had expressed an interest in talking to pupils. This gave the pupils an excellent opportunity to engage directly with employers to find out about the breadth of careers on offer and the different entry routes available. The Oil and Gas Skills Navigator’s Drone Zone game was also launched on the day and the pupils were encouraged to try it out with prizes being offered for the two highest scores on the day. The day ended with a quick lunch and a chance to reflect on what they had learned. The prize winners for the Drone Zone game were then announced and Kemnay Academy pupils had won both of the prizes which were provided by OPITO.

Artwork By: Rebecca Campbell S5

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Saltire Awards The school is looking to support young people with their volunteering work. The aim is to get all young people (S3- S6) who are volunteering recognised for their work. Some details are included below. Saltire Awards are the new Scottish awards designed to formally recognise the commitment and contribution of youth volunteering. Supported by the Scottish Government, the Saltire Awards enable young volunteers to record the skills, experience and learning gained through successful volunteering placements in school or provided by local and national voluntary agencies. The Awards are split in to four sections - The Challenge, The Approach, The Ascent and The Summit and achievement is recognised in the form of Saltire Award certificates and Young Scot reward points. Saltire Awards are designed to encourage and enable youth volunteering and dovetail neatly into the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence as participants will develop their abilities through volunteering to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. The Saltire Journal is the resource provided to facilitate recording of skills and learning achieved, in addition the participants will be required to complete a self-evaluation (Footprints), which directly links their responses to Curriculum for Excellence.

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Calendar for TERM 2 26 October Start of Term 2 29 October S1 Parents’ meeting 3 November S2 Tracking Reports

issued 16 November In-service Closure 17 November In-service Closure 18 November S3 Parents’ Meeting 8 December S2 Parents’ Meeting 16 December Christmas Concert 22 December End of Term 2

Calendar for the Remainder of Session 2015-16 TERM 3 6 January 2016 Start of Term 3 7 January S2 into S3 Parents’

Information Evening 14 January S5/6 Parents’ Meeting 25 January S1 Tracking Reports

issued 27 January S4 Parents’ Evening 10 February Senior Phase Information

Evening 12 February Occasional Holiday 15 February Mid-term Holiday 16 February In-service Closure 17 February In-service Closure 19 February Deadline for return of S2

into S3 Options 10 March Deadline for return of

S4/5/6 Senior Phase Options

10 March S3 Reports issued 23 March S4/5/6 Tracking Reports

issued 25 March Holiday 1 April End of Term 3

TERM 4 18 April Start of Term 4 2 May May Day Holiday 4 May Start of SQA Exams tbc 17 May S2 Reports issued 1 June S1 Reports issued 1-3 June S5 Induction 6 June Occasional Holiday 7 June S6 Induction 7 June Start of new Timetable

S2-S5 8 June Start of new Timetable S6 20 - 24 June Link Week 23 June P7 Parents’ Information

Evening 27 June S1 Achievement

Ceremony 28 June Summer Concert 29 June S2/ 3 Achievement

Ceremony 30 June Senior Achievement

Ceremony 1 July End of Session

Details of term dates until 2016 are available on Aberdeenshire Council’s website on: http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/schools/information/term_dates.asp.

Artwork by: Gudrun Atladottir S5