ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMYWeekly Newsletter

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher

Grassyards RdKilmarnock KA3 7SL

01563 526144

www.saintjosephsacademy.co.ukTwitter: @StJoAcad

ISSUE 3.3

SEPTEMBER 12TH2014

FOR PARENTS, CARERS, FAMILIES & PARISHES

INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM:

NURTURING FAITH-FILLED WORLD CLASS LEARNING

RECOGNISING ACHIEVEMENTS & CELEBRATING SUCCESS

Inside this issue

//St. Columba House take on the ice-buckets

//Focus on RE events

//Outstanding pupil work

//Home Room focus on literacy and Suicide Prevention

//much more . . .

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On this page: the first photos of our amazing Senior Phase Awards evening that took place on Thursday, September 11th. Our guest speaker was former pupil

and Scotland rugby international Mark Bennett. A full report will appear in the next issue of school magazine redblack in October

WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY

SUICIDE IS PREVENTABLE

World Suicide Prevention Day, which first started in 2003, is held annually on 10th September each year. WHO co-sponsors this event.

World Suicide Prevention Day aims to: ■Raise awareness that suicide is preventable. ■Improve education about suicide. ■Spread information about suicide awareness. ■Decrease stigmatization regarding suicide.

Today we are encouraged to CHOOSE LIFE and to think about the ways we can prevent suicide.

Suicide results in the death of two people per day in Scotland. It is a rare event, but every life lost to suicide is a tragedy- whatever the person’s age. One suicide represents lost life, lost talent, a lost mother or father, brother or sister, and a wound that does not easily heal in those who are left behind.

People attempt suicide for a wide range of reasons. Some things, like a major life change, a loss or bereavement can trigger suicidal feelings. Long term factors such as abuse or illness can also lead to suicidal feelings. People at risk of suicide may not always say or show that they feel this way, so the best way to identify the possibility of suicide is to ask the person directly.

Openly discussing someone’s thoughts of suicide and allowing them to talk about how they feel can be a source of relief for them, and can be key to preventing the immediate danger of suicide. It is important that if you are faced with a situation like this that you also receive support, and there are numerous organisations that can help with this, such as Breathing Space and the Samaritans.

In SJA we have spent a great deal of time discussing mental health and well-being and ensuring that the issue of mental ill-health in young people is something which is our top priority and which is openly discussed with the aim of reducing the stigma attached to this.

An event directly dealing with this issue is planned for S5&6 on 9th October.

We issued a leaflet to all pupils on mental health in June. This is available online and from the office.

Remember:

You are not alone and do not have to suffer in silence. There are people you can talk to in school and in the local community.

There is a clear link between physical activity and good mental health. Evidence suggests that physical activity makes people feel better, through improvements in mood and positive changes in self image. These psychological benefits are a great reason to take part in regular physical activity, and they can help with long term motivation too.

Pupil Support staff and all adults in the school not only offer their time, they offer shoulders to cry on and ears to listen.

They can also can provide details of agencies who can offer further support with mental health issues.

The PE department offers a whole range of exercise options that pupils can benefit from. Please refer to information advertised in the Home Room bulletin.

Pupils have focussed on two important areas of interest and concern: the International Day of Literacy and Suicide Prevention Week.

LITERACY

Literacy is a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy. Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy.

A good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning; literate parents are more likely to send their children to school; literate people are better able to access continuing educational opportunities; and literate societies are better geared to meet pressing development.

Every year the number of adults who can’t read or write declines. Thanks to greater access to education, young adults are much more likely to be literate than their parents. Even so, millions of children are still out of school and millions more leave primary school without basic literacy skills. In short, these children of the 21st century, most of whom are girls, are destined to live on the social and economic margins of our world.

We often take literacy and communication for granted in our day to day lives.

Consider how easily you can communicate with your friends, family, and wider community.

How would it feel if you were unable to do this?

What kinds of emotions do you think you would feel?

Pupils discussed and considered these questions as well as the broader theme of literacy. They also watched two videos that raised awareness of the challenges faced by people for whom literacy is difficult. These videos featured Musharraf from Educating Yorkshire and the Scottish rugby captain Kelly Brown.

Literacy is the responsibility of every teacher and adult in the school. This year we are focussing on the development of talking and presenting skills across the curriculum so that young people understand better what makes a high quality presentation and how to improve their public speaking skills and confidence.

THIS WEEK IN HOME ROOM...

For more information on Suicide or to talk to someone please contact: Breathing Space http://www.breathingspacescotland.co.uk 0800 83 85 87

Samaritans www.samaritans.org.uk 08457 90 90 90 (Lines open 24hours)

Choose Life http://www.chooselife.net

This week we are focussing on work-in-progress by

talented S5 Higher Art and Design pupil Christian Kerr.

Top: S6 pupils with Mark Booker of

SCIAFMiddle: pupils at the Ecuador bake-

sale stallBottom: pupils with Fr. Jim Hayes

Youth to Lourdes

Pupils in S4 to S6 have been given the opportunity to sign up as helpers for the next Galloway Diocese pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2015.

Fr. Jim Hayes, who leads up the Youth to Lourdes team, visited the school on Thursday and spoke to all the senior pupils about this fantastic opportunity.Pupils who get involved will travel to Lourdes to help ‘assisted pilgrims’ get the most from their visit to the Marian shrine.

St. Joseph’s pupils have been involved with the pilgrimage for a number of years now and two former pupils Suzy Hollywood and Lynsey Hefron have gone on to become Pilgrimage President and Team Leader, respectively.

At the end of the presentation several pupils expressed an interest and took registration forms away with them. Anyone who did not manage to get a form on Thursday can pick one up from the R.E. Department.

Talented Fundraisers

S6 pupils in St. Joseph’s are going to be using their many talents to raise cash for SCIAF in a brand new initiative for schools.

Called ‘Talented Fundraisers’ the initiative is based on the parable of the talents modelled on a scheme already used by SCIAF in places like Ethiopia, to help people out of poverty.Schools are given £50 by SCIAF and like the servants in the parable have to go out and make more money using their God-given talents. The project will raise fund to help support similar projects in the developing world but will also give our students the chance to use their enterprising abilities to make a real chance for the good of others.

St. Joseph’s is one of only seven schools piloting the scheme across Scotland and the project will run until just before Christmas. By then we hope to hand back to SCIAF considerably more than the £50 start-up fund we have been given.

Details of the new project were given to the S6 pupils by SCIAF’s schools officer, Mark Booker who visited the school on Friday. During that meeting pupils came up with several ideas to help turn a profit.We’re sure they will!

Ecuador Bake Sale & Race Night

The pupils of the schools Ecuador group held their monthly bake sale on Friday and raised over £70 towards their project.

These pupils will hopefully be travelling to Ecuador in just over a year’s time but all the money they raise in the school with the support of their fellow pupils goes directly to the pupils of Sagrada Familia de Nazaret.

Fundraising to help pay for the cost of the trip takes place outside of the school.

Their next big fundraiser is a Race Night to be held in St. Matthew’s parish Hall, Kilmarnock at 7.00pm on Friday 26th September.

If you would like to support the Race Night and the young people in their efforts to get to Ecuador you can do so in a number of ways.

You can come along to the Race Night. Tickets are £5 and this includes a buffet supper. These can be purchased by contacting either Mr. Sikora or Miss McDaid at the school.Or you could buy a horse with the chance to win a bottle of whisky if it wins its race. Again the cost is £5.

Or you could help support the raffle by donating a prize of some kind.

Neo-Catechumenate visitors

We were delighted to welcome a group of Neo-Catechumenate visitors who came to the school on 28th September.

They came from Italy and Spain and were visiting schools to put the Pope’s request of bringing faith to people into action.They were visiting Scotland for 10 days. Here they spoke to 3 S4 classes, sharing their personal stories and trying to communicate something of what their faith means to them.

Young Ambassadors

Robert Murray and Toni Barr, both 5AH, will be out of school on Tuesday 23rd September. Both pupils are Young Ambassadors for the school and are attending a YA conference at Hampden Park on this date.

Strictly Come Dancing

St. Joseph’s is hosting its own version of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ on the 17th of December during 5th and 6th periods and we are looking for as many S5 & 6 volunteers as possible who are willing to give up their precious time for charity.

Competitors will have 6 weeks to practice real dances (such as the Fox trot, Charleston, Salsa, Samba, Quickstep) taught by a professional dance teacherso that by the end of their training they will be able to put their own creative twist on your chosen dance style. Dancers will need to attend after-school lessons once every week for 6 weeks. The training begins on Tuesdays after school, starting on 28th October.

Anyone interested should please contact Tatenda Tapatapa (S6) during homeroom or either at break or lunch to sign up. All volunteers must already have partners. If not, don’t worry, you can still attend the after school dance lessons that will be taking place and hopefully we will be able to get you paired up!

Our version of the BBC show will feature some fearsome guest judges and will take place to raise money for the charity Young Minds.

S6 Settling-in Night: Tuesday, September 16th

All parents and carers of pupils currently studying in S6 will already have received a letter inviting them to a short evening event dedicated to Making the Most of S6.

On this evening we will be discussing how to maximise the potential of the S6 year so that pupils go on to leave school fully prepare for work or further study.

Amongst the matters that will be covered on the eveing are: UCAS statements and the university applications procedure; interdisciplinary learning; developing good and effective study habits; leadership and service to community; EMA and liaising with the school to support your child.

We hope that all parents and carers will be able to attend this essential evening.

STAFF FROM ST. COLUMBA HOUSE TAKE ON

Mrs. Burnett Mr. Ward

Mr. Howson Mrs. Shaw

THE INFAMOUS ICE-BUCKET CHALLENGE. . . . . . .FROZEN!Home Room teachers from St. Columba House took on the

world famous internet-based icebucket challenge to raise money for Cancer Research.

Organised by Principal Teacher of Pupil Support and Head of

House Mrs. Burnett the soaking took place on Friday during Home Room and was witnessed by all St. Columba House

pupils.

As you can see they did more than watch. The pupils were only too happy to do the dunking and throw multiple buckets

of chilly Ayrshire water over their teachers.

The noisiest member of staff was undoubtedly Mrs. Parker whose screams could be heard in the Kay Park, whilst the

award for bravery in the face of freezing H2O must surely go to Mr. Brown who eschewed a full set of clothes in favour of

swimming trunks.

Mrs. Pyott opted for sneaky tactics by attempting to simultaneously dowse herself and S5 pupil Tomas Holly with

water. Meanwhile at the other side of the line-up many of us were shocked to see PE teacher Mr. Howson sacrifice his

hairdo - we all thought that he rivalled the Fonz.

Mrs. Parker Mrs. Kirk

Mrs. Pyott

Two pieces of work from S1 and S2 music showing pupils research and visual presentation skills. The

main image is a piece on The Wizard of Oz by Amelie Davidson (S2) and the inset is a piece on

punk music by S1 May Stirling.

S1 in the Library

As part of their English curriculum all S1 pupils enjoy

periods in the Library for personal reading and to develop research skills. Here is what the learning looks like.

BULLETIN BOARD

Great Scottish RunAll pupils who are taking part in the Junior Great Scottish Run should have their forms and £6 fee in to Miss Blacklock by Friday 12th September. All those doing the 10k must be registered by the 5th.

Senior AwardsThe Senior School Awards ceremony takes place on Thursday, September 11th at 7.00 pm. Awards winners have been notified. Please make sure parents and pupils attend.

Science ClubThe S1 Science club is restarting led this time by Mrs McGeer. Pupils should go to her lab at 1.20 pm every Tuesday.

Drama clubThe redblack productions drama group is running again every Tuesday and Thursday in the Drama Studio from 3.30 pm.

KAOS AuditionsKilmarnock Amateur Operatic Society is looking for secondary age pupils to audition for the musical Hairspray on October 2nd in the Grand Hall at 7.30 pm.

Musical opportunitiesAny pupils wishing to audition to learn woodwind instruments should see Mrs. Todd. Singing groups run on Tuesdays (S1/2) and Fridays (S3 - 6) in Music at 1.20 pm.

S6 LockersS6 pupils have been issued with a letter inviting them to rent a locker at £10 for a year.

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEINGThis week pupils from S5 and S6 attended inspirational sessions at Ayrshire College for the Inside Out project. They contributed ideas and experiences to the development of a theatrical production about mental health. Later this year this will be performed at St. Joseph’s.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Ayrshire College is working in partnership with the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, ʻsee meʼ Scotland, Community Health Partnerships, Choose Life, Addiction Services and the Ayrshire Anti‐Stigma Group etc to run a drama production known as ʻInside Out ʻ.

This is devised annually by students and is based on peopleʼs real‐ life experiences in relation to mental health related problems and its associated stigma.

WEEKLY HOME ROOM REFLECTION: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LITERACYCan you imagine being unable to communicate, read, present or write? For most of us in developed countries literacy is something we take for granted, even when we ourselves find reading, writing and talking challenging we usually have a range of people to support us in our learning. For people living in developing countries it is often a different matter: one of life and death.

Take Thandi, for instance, a Ugandan woman whose ill daughter suffered a fatal reaction to out-of-date medicine that given to her by her mother. This tragic error occurred simply because Thandi could not read the medicine packet. Being literate means being able to be self-sufficient, being able to participate in the social life of the country (such as registering to vote or speaking at meetings) and means being able to work and live effectively. Whilst engineering may fix problems with the water supply or medicine may offer safety from disease, it only by having a relatively high level of literacy that people can take charge of their own lives and flourish. Literacy is a basis for lifelong learning and plays a crucial role in the creation of sustainable, prosperous and peaceful societies.

This year’s International Literacy Day will be celebrated worldwide. A main global celebration will take place in Dhaka, where the Government of Bangladesh in cooperation with UNESCO will organize the International Conference on “Girls’ and women’s literacy and education. So we have two responsibilities. The first is to ensure that we take every opportunity to develop our own literacy. The second is that we then use those skills within our own communities and further afield, to make life better and fairer for all.

Let us pray: Lord, we give thanks for the teachers who work with us to develop our skills, particularly those in reading, writing, talking and listening. We pray that people across the world will enjoy full access to learning that helps them to grow and live fulfilling lives. We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

PARISH MASS TIMES St. Matthewʼs: 9.30 am, Fr. Chambers ! ! ! St. Josephʼs: 6.00 pm (vigil), 11.00 am Fr. LathamSt. Michaelʼs: 4.30 pm (vigil) ! ! ! ! Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 9.30 am, Fr. McGheeSt. Paulʼs: 11.30 am, Fr. Chambers! ! ! Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Patrick: 6.00 pm (vigil), Fr. McGrattanSt. Sophiaʼs: 6.00 pm (vigil) Fr. Chambers !! ! St. Thomas the Apostle: 9.00 am, Fr. McGrattanSt. Francis Xavier, Patna: 5.00 pm (vigil)! ! ! St. John the Evangelist: 10.45 am, Fr. McGrattan

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Pupil Leadership Team Investiture Mass

Monday, September 15th, 7.00 pm

S4 Art Trip

Tuesday, September 16th, all day

S6 Settling-In Night

Tuesday, September 16th, 7.00 pm

September Weekend

School closes for pupils on

Wednesday, September 17th at

3.30 pm & reopens Tuesday 23rd at 9.00

S1 Outward Bound Day Trips

23rd - 25th September

1A1 Retreat

30th September