St Margaret's Academy Autumn Newsletter 2014

Autumn 2014

St Margaret’s Academy

Autumn Newsletter

www.stmargaretsacademy.org.uk

Newsletter written, designed and published by S6 pupils; Morgan Cameron, Jennifer Ricci,

Emma Turner, Amie Morrow, Shaun McKnight, Shannon Whyte, Anna Heseltine, Jessica

D’alton, Catherine Cooper, Heloise Buchannan, Claire Hynd, Aaron Johnstone, Daniel Steele,

Chloe Harte & Hayley Arnott.

SPORTATHON 2014

Congratulations to all our

participants of the

2014 Sportathon.

We would like to say well done to everyone who took part in the 12 hour Sportathon on Thurs-

day the 9th of October. It was very successful and raised a lot of money. Miss Stryke said

‘everything was really well done

and everyone put in a lot of effort.

We’re really happy with how it

turned out, so far £1,400 has been

raised’.

There was a variety of 22

different sports all of which were

very successful and everyone

enjoyed them all.

In this issue…

Sportathon

European

Languages

Week

School Trips

School

Captains

S1 Welcome

Sports News

Senior Awards

Welcome to the first edition of our new style newsletter produced

and written by our Senior Editorial Team, and what a wonderful

job they have done! The first few months of session 2014-15 have

flown by and we have packed in a lot of learning! Our newsletter

gives a snapshot of what has been happening and hopefully will

encourage all of our young people to get involved in the life of the school.

Have a great October holiday and rest!

Mrs McGarty

For all the latest news visit


Head Teacher’s Message

The St. Margaret’s

Academy staff of

1994. Can you guess

who’s who? We’ll

give you a clue…

Mrs Rafferty is some-

where in the back row!

21st Anniversary of St. Margaret’s Academy!

Look at Mrs Laing then and now! What a difference 21 years makes!

Follow us on twitter

@StMargaretsAcad

Meet your

Thomas McKeon

Captain of Columba

Michael Keenan

Captain of Aidan

Vanessa Anucha

Captain of Teresa

Jessica D’alton

Captain of Sinclair

What made you apply for House Captain?

I applied for House Captain as I wanted

to play a more essential role in school

management to improve and build on

the ethos which the school already has. I

want to help the school continue to

strive for success both academically and

in its day to day running.

Discuss your roles within the House

My role as Captain is made up of different tasks and

goals which I must maintain to a high standard. I

must ensure that all students’ voices can be heard

and that their views can be passed on to senior staff.

I must be approachable and willing to talk to every-

body in the school (pupils and teachers alike). I must

arrange meetings with other House Captains and

make sure targets are met especially when it comes

to charity contributions and attendance. Overall, my

role is to be the best Captain that I can be with the

time I have left at St Margaret’s.

How do you feel about getting the position?

I feel that I got the position because I am a

very strong and confident individual when

speaking and that is needed for a House

Captain, I am also easy to approach. To the

House, I think I can bring a great sense of

positivity and bring the House closer together

encouraging everyone to do the best they can

in everything they do within and outside of

school.

What do you think you could bring to the

House?

I think I can bring new innovative ideas to

the house. I would like to try and keep the

pupils informed of the opportunities and

events within the school, therefore try and

improve the schools communication. I

would like to improve the connections with-

in the Houses, and try to distinguish each

house more clearly. This would allow the

pupils to be proud of the houses they are in.



Obi Johnson

Head Boy

Eireann Valentine

Head Girl

To begin with I was unsure

and anxious about applying for Head

Girl, but once speaking to my peers and

teachers I was encouraged to apply.

I was delighted to find out that I had

been offered the position and was

excited for the year to come.

I think I got Head Girl because I am

confident and willing to express my

opinions.

So far I have been attending various

events on behalf of the school and

talking at several different assemblies

within and outwith school hours.

Obi (Head Boy) and I have been

involved in a lot of the planning and

organising of events, such as the S1

Buddy Disco. We have been listening to

a lot of concerns and we are always free

to help anyone who needs it.

St. Margaret’s Academy has been such a

big part of my life and I felt like I

needed to give something back, and the

role of Head Boy was therefore the

option to make changes for other peo-

ple.

I think I can bring a different type of

energy to the school and a lot more of

the pupils concerns to light, hopefully

resulting in change. I will also never

limit myself to just one group or year

and I will listen to everyone’s problems.

I have been involved in a lot of events

outside of school. For example I went

to the 50th anniversary of St. Pauls

Primary School, where the Archbishop

was the main celebrant. I also went to

the World War 1 Memorial Day in

Linlithgow with the Head Teacher. We

want this to be a great year for

everyone.

School Captains

Sports Roundup

Find us on Facebook St Margarets A, Livingston

Rugby Update

The school rugby team recently participated in a West Lothian tournament held at The

James Young High School. I spoke to Paul Hutchison who told me his favourite thing

about rugby is that he enjoys the fast pace you play at. The team get along very well

and are making new friends through playing the sport together. The team won a few

games and next time they are aiming to win every single match. Advice recommended

to anyone who is interested in rugby is go for it and don’t be afraid.

Silver Success in Swimming

Congratulations to the St.Margaret’s swim

team who secured second place at the

West Lothian schools swimming

championships. Team Captains, Sarah

Donnelly (S4) and Megan King (S4)

organised and encouraged the swimmers

at this busy gala “The best moment was

when the primary and secondary schools

were all together as it was such a packed

and energetic environment. There were

lots of medals and personal bests, now we have to see if our times will give us quali-

fying swims at the Scottish schools”.

The swim team had been inspired by Kathryn

Johnstone, Commonwealth games swimmer who

visited the school as part of the Champions in School

programme. Kathryn spoke to the pupils about goal

setting, always being positive and eating a healthy diet.

She is a hard-working well organised sports woman

who also finds time for her studies at University.

Kathryn praised the swim team for their work ethic.

Well Done to all the swimmers.

Charity group

On the 2nd of October both staff and sixth

year pupils flooded the café, with tickets in

hand, eagerly awaiting this year’s Macmillan

Coffee Morning.

The Macmillan Coffee Morning is a popular

event and the S6 Charity Committee were privileged to participate and raise money

for such a worthy cause.

Green and white balloons and an array of

decorations adorned the café, which was

overflowing with cakes and biscuits made

by staff and students themselves as well as

teas and coffees to finish off the “all you can

eat” feast.

Mrs Casey and the Charity Committee’s

efforts definitely paid off as St Margaret’s

Academy raised a total of £405.62 for

Macmillan Cancer Support, although some

of the teachers were heard saying they had

gained a few pounds themselves!



Dusk Till Dawn Sportathon

Sportathon 2014 was held on Thursday 9th

through to Friday 10th October. The event

was attended by over 100 pupils and staff

with the aim of raising money for Charity, PE

dept and school funds. Fuelled by Juice and

Energy snacks the pupils and staff made it

through the dark hours until midday on the

Friday. Buoyed by a bacon buttie breakfast

they had a very enjoyable experience. Here a few highlights from the Sportathon.

This was a very fierce atmosphere and

everyone put in their very best and had

great fun. Even at 4:30 am everyone was

still full of energy. Luke McIlhone said

that he chose rugby because ‘I enjoyed

playing it again, although it started to be

quite tiring.’

SPORTATHON

RUGBY


@StMargaretsAcad



The music created a fun and friendly environment and everyone was happy and

having a good time. Swimming was amongst the most popular activities during the

night. We spoke to some pupils while they were taking part. Erin Turner said that

‘She chose to do swimming first because she loves the sport and she loves being

able to jump off the diving boards.’

Badminton took place in the games hall which

was very full. Everyone showed a competitive

streak when competing to move up the ladder.

Ryan McMillan said that he ‘loves playing bad-

minton because he likes passing the shuttle and

moving up the ladder.’

Everyone gathered in the games hall at the end of the Sportathon.

Everything was a lot quieter ,very different from the start of the night.

A lot of pupils struggled to keep

awake as they waited for the bell to

ring to go home.

Miss Weir said ‘This was a great

success. Mr Locke and Miss Stryke

did a really good job organising the

event and it all ran really smoothly

as everyone knew what they were

doing. A big thanks to 6th years

helping out as well’.

2014

BADMINTON

SWIMMING

EUROPEAN LANGUAGES

The 26th of September was the European Day of Languages and our teacher, Madame Wallace asked the class for some volunteers to talk to Monsieur Quinn in French. It was hard talking to a teacher in French and having to ask him questions. Madame Wallace gave us a sheet of paper with questions to ask Monsieur Quinn. I was the one asking Monsieur Quinn the questions and Aidan was writing down the replies. I asked Monsieur Quinn a series of questions such as “How many people were in his family?” When we came back we had to feedback to the class about Monsieur Quinn’s responses. Monsieur Quinn came with us and the class got a big surprise about who it was we were interviewing. I hope this gives you an idea about what our class has been doing to

celebrate European Languages.

Elizabeth Abeyson S1, Teresa.




WEEK 2014

Over one week we have been learning about why languages are important. Therefore we participated in a competition to design an attractive poster which advertised learning languages; the winning posters received a prize. Other activities during Euro-pean Language week included building an Eiffel Tower or a Sagrada Familia using straws. The best builders won prizes. Some students interviewed a member of staff or a senior pupil in French or in Spanish. These interviews were filmed. Students said that they enjoyed these activities. Language skills, team work, general knowledge and confidence were improved. We have also been learning about the number of people in the world who speak English compared to other modern languages.

During European languages week the school lunch menus changed to traditional dishes that are famous in each European country. Every day there was a new dish representing each European country. The dinner ladies were enthusiastic about taking part.

On top of all of this each day there was a prayer translated into a different European language for example, one of days the prayer was in German and another day it was in Dutch.

Many other subjects contributed to European Languages week such as Social Subjects where classes were mapping places of the world.

Did you know?

Over 6,500 languages are spoken in the world!

In London more than 300 languages are spoken at home!

6% of the world speaks English as their first language!

Travelling is much easier when you can speak a different language!

75% of the world speak NO English

By Caitlin Drummond and Taylor-Marie Leek S1

Email us at [email protected]

We interviewed a few of the first years to get

an idea of how they thought their first few

months of high school was.

Are you enjoying high school so far and

why?

“I am enjoying it because I’m meeting a lot of

more friends and get to take new classes that I

couldn’t take in primary school and it’s a new

experience.” – Liam McKeon

“I like high school because there are a lot more

opportunities and a lot more clubs to join.”

Jamie Douglas

What were you most nervous about

coming to high school?

“I was most nervous about being in an environment where I was no longer one of the ‘older ones’”- Ciara Wilkie

“I was nervous but I quickly found out that everyone was friendly, I was also scared about losing my friends in a big

building”- Katie Seath

Is high school what you expected and why?

“No because I expected it to be scarier, like the older pupils picking on us, but they are all really nice and helpful”-

Aliza Iqbal

“It is what I expected; there are a lot of nice people in the school. There are cool new classes and I like the fact I

can walk to each class”. – Daniel Milne

What has been your best memory of high school so far?

“I think my best memory is when I was in Social Subjects and a spider appeared, everyone jumped out of their seats

and screamed” - Reilly Taylor

“Winning the penalty shootout against Inveralmond” – Patrick Hope

Do you miss primary school and what do you miss?

“I miss my other friends who went to different high schools, but I have made lots of new friends here so it’s not too

bad.” – Emily Waugh

“I do miss primary because I was so used to the classes and teachers, but I’m getting used to high school now” –

Abigail Johnston

What is your favourite subject and why?

“My favourite subject is probably English because I love books and I want to be an author.” – Ciara Wilkie

“I like Health and Food Technology because I love cooking”– Charise Cochrane

S1 Welcome

Phone us at

(01506) 497104

The Auschwitz Trip Even though I listened to all the warnings about

the emotional impact the trip to Auschwitz could

have on me, I didn’t really believe them – now,

having been there, I can’t quite put into words just

how much the experience affected me. The

atmosphere of the camps, the victims’ photos,

their possessions in unimaginable numbers; it was,

and still is, too much to grasp. As part of a

generation accustomed to violent pictures and

stories in the media, it’s not the numbers of

Holocaust victims that shocked me, but the individual lives to which I could connect as a human

being. The trip made me appreciate the small things and it was an extremely eye-opening lifelong

lesson, but if I received another opportunity, I could not go back there.

By Kasia Kolomycew, S6

School Trips

Hamlet

When I first walked into the theatre I knew this would be no ordinary performance. In fact it

was incredible; the actors fitted into their roles so well, their costume and make up was able

to reflect their mood perfectly and acting skills were beyond exemplary.

Hamlet is a very interesting play and since it is written by the famous William Shakespeare

it is of course very popular as well. This was a modern adaptation of Hamlet. The underlying

plot was exactly the same though. An exciting play about revenge sparked in Hamlet by the

ghost of his deceased father. Hamlet's need for

revenge against the new King after he kills

Hamlet's father eventually drives him mad. Of

course, this being a Shakespeare play,

Hamlet's madness results in many character

deaths including, Hamlet's mother, Ophelia,

Ophelia's father and brother, two of Hamlet's

old friends and Hamlet himself. Although being

rather gruesome it was still remarkable.

By Sarah Lovett, S5


Battlefields Trip In early September a group of pupils (S1-S6) took

part in the Battlefields trip. We went to

commemorate and remember World War 1 on its

100th anniversary. Many pupils thought it was a

once in a lifetime experience. We visited such

monuments as the Menin Gate and two of our

pupils, Joanna Cameron (S6) and Zac Wilkinson

(S2) laid a wreath representing our remembrance

for the soldiers who fought and died in World

War 1. We visited several museums, one of which

was the Flanders Field Museum. All the pupils

thoroughly enjoyed it and showed a real interest in everything they saw. The battlefields trip

required a great deal of respect and maturity and every pupil was conscientious and represented

the school excellently. Several strangers even commented on the manners and overall kindness

the pupils showed towards everyone they met and spoke with. Overall the battlefields trip helped

the pupils develop relationships and was something that all the pupils will remember and cherish

forever. Lastly a huge thanks to Mrs Gill, Mrs Wright, Miss McAdam, Mrs Sedgewick and Mr

Grant for arranging everything and making it such an enjoyable and unforgettable experience.

By Emma Sutherland and Joanna Cameron, S6

School Trips

Barcelona Trip

Finally, after a year of planning, at 4pm on the 21st

September we were off to Barcelona. After a short

flight from Glasgow Airport, we arrived at our

hotel – the Loret De Mar, and settled into our

rooms. We unpacked and then we spent the after-

noon familiarising ourselves with the local town,

beach and places to eat. We visited several exotic

locations including a Boqueria market, the Sagrada

Familia Cathedral, Las Ramblas and the Nou Camp

stadium. We also visited the Torras Chocolate

Factory and Papabubble Sweet manufacturer which

were unbelievable! Our final day was spent in Portaventura, which was definitely the warmest

and most fun day of the week! Overall the trip was brilliant, so interesting and of course

Barcelona was beautiful. Huge thanks to Mrs Cameron for organising the trip, as well as Miss

Keenan, Mr Bennet and Mrs Millar - we hope the school runs this trip again next year, we can’t

wait to go again!

By Niamh Lynch and Emma Douglas, S4



In other news...

Getting it right for every child Every year teachers, administration and support

staff undergo training in Child Protection

matters. This term two sessions have been

completed covering aspects including how to

deal with a disclosure to information on helping

colleagues to recognise when a pupil is suffering

from neglect. This annual training helps us to

make sure we are...

Getting It Right For Every Child.

Hands Up Survey

In September, every session, the school takes part in a National survey to explore the ways in

which young people are transported to and from school. Data from this survey is used by the

Scottish Government to inform their strategic planning. The full survey results were shared at the

October Parent Council meeting. The St. Margaret’s results show little change over the last three

years with the majority of our pupils travelling on school buses every day.

Thank you to all parents who facilitate the safe exit of our buses at the end of the school day.

Please remember if you are driving to collect your child to use the turning circle at PE and park in

the layby at the front stairs. Parents are asked to observe the road markings and signage at all

times as the safety of our students is our first priority. The travel to school booklet was issued to

all bus pupils in September. Copies are available from the office on request.

Fun and games as parents experience the BGE

It was more than hands on when S1-S3 parents experienced the Broad General Education at the

recent Junior Phase Curriculum Evening. The focus was on parts of the Curriculum that are the

responsibility of all teachers i.e. Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Well-being. The workshops

explored each area and the ways that parents can support their child’s learning in the BGE.

Laughter echoed in the Atrium too as parents tried some team activities. Thank you to everyone

who entered into the spirit of things.

SSVP “Voice of the Poor” Conference

A group of nine students, who are members of the SSVP group meeting weekly in our school,

went to an SSVP “Voice of the Poor” day conference event held at St Peter’s Parish. We learned

about the history, ethos and vision of the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul. We also learned about

human rights and why they are important. Overall, it was a great and enjoyable experience as we

got to meet other members who are a part of the SSVP.

Natasha McCormack S6

Other news...

“Shades of Your Favourite Colour”

Congratulations to Uswa Ali, Sanaa Elahi and

Khadijah Mohammed on their fabulous floral

displays which were entered from St Margaret’s

Academy in the Livingston South Community

Church Flower Festival on 27th September.

Uswa and Sanaa used Fairtrade roses in school

colours to form a bouquet tied with a school tie.

Khadijahs basket of red, orange and yellow

blooms were “Highly Commended”. Well done

girls. The flower festival raised over £400 for the

Macmillan Cancer appeal.


@StMargaretsAcad

James Joins GB

Congratulations to James Melville (S4) on his selection for the Great

Britain under 16 water polo team which took part in International

competition in Hungary. James is captain of the Scotland water polo

under 16 team and has also been selected to play for Scotland under

18’s who compete for the North Sea cup in November. James

represents St Margaret’s at swimming and water polo and was

Captain of the junior water polo team who won silver medals at the

Scottish School championship.

.

Senior Awards

The Senior Awards Ceremony took place on Monday 6th October. A variety of awards were presented to fifth and sixth year pupils. It was a great turnout and the pupils were delighted with their awards.

St Margaret’s Association

Award

Service to the Community Grant Kirkwood

Raymond Birrell Award Music Joanna Cameron, Michael

Paxton

LDC Services to music Music Lewis Russell, Nadia Dale,

Chloe Greening

Tony Gavin Award Excellence in Music Daviel Steele, Rachel Rafferty

Russell Sports Trophy PE Kara Robertson

Ethicon Award Science Laura Pilkington

Coraza Systems Ltd Science Aidan McGonigle

TSB Sports Trophy Sport Audrey Shanks - Rubinos

Eric Kelly Memorial Award Football David MacKay

Maureen Byrne Award English Kasia Kolomycew

Keegan Walker Award Junior Attainment Sarah Lovett

Mitsubishi Award Senior Attainment Laura Pilkington

Award Winners 2014

Mid-term - Friday 17 October

Pupils resume –Wed 29 October

S5/6 reports to parents - 31st October

WW1 memorial –11th November

Stellar awards - 13th November

S5/6 Consultation evening/careers fair - 13th November

Feast Day Mass - 18th November

Prom Fashion Show - 18th November

S3 Consultation Evening - 27th November

21st Anniversary Celebration Exhibition - 28th November

P7 Information Evening - 2nd December

S4 reports to parents - 19th December

Christmas Concert - 22nd December

Term ends—Tuesday 23 December

Back to school - 8th January

Caitlyn McLeod

Caitlyn (S3) travelled to Slovenia to compete in International Championships as a

member of the Scotland under 16 karate squad. Caitlyn has been training with local

clubs for over 7 years and has been working towards her black belt.

Congratulations Caitlyn!

Jack Meldrum

Jack has been selected to play basketball for Scotland. Congratulations to Jack, a

great achievement which reflects many hours of training and a real commitment to his

sport. Jack is a member of the Excellence In School Sports Programme supported by

West Lothian Council. We wish Jack (S2) every success as shooting guard in the

national squad.

Congratulations Jack!

Scotland selection for St Margaret’s students

Dates for the diary...

Documents

St Margaret's Academy Autumn Newsletter 2014