Summer Newsletter

Attainment

A group of pupils and staff from the India Team at Monifieth High School held a

Race Night recently to raise money for their trip to South East India on the18th June

this year. The group are going with Signpost International, a Dundee-based

development charity and during their time in India they will be working with rural

communities to build houses, teach English and plant trees. The Race Night was

held at Ballumbie Golf Club on the 14th of March. The event was a great success

and was enjoyed by all who attended and the team raised £1100 for their trip.

The pupils are now safely in India and working very hard with the young people to

enhance their educational and living conditions. The pupils and staff are giving of

their time to allow the pupils opportunities they would not receive. All the party are

overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit they have been shown and the difficult

conditions these young people endure every day of their lives. Away on the trip are:-

Miss Smith, Miss Grundy, Mya Bollan, Natalie Cavellini, Rebecca Creamer, Thomas

Doig, Rachel George, Annie Hosie, Dayna Irvine, Louise King, Rebekah Robertson,

Sarah Spence, Kaya Vesely.

In the Easter holidays, a group of 15 senior pupils and 3 staff took part in a

geography field trip to the South West Coast of America. The group departed on

the 8th April, flying from Glasgow to Newark then on to Las Vegas, accompanied by

Mr A Gall, Mrs R Whitfield and Mrs K Ritchie. The first stop on the trip was the famous

Hoover Dam with the massive Lake Mead behind. This phenomenal structure was

built to provide electricity and water for desert cities such as Las Vegas. It is with this

supply that Las Vegas is able to support 2 million people. During their visit the group

also visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, taking in the amazing views and

walking along the rim. The group learned that the Grand Canyon was formed by

the Colorado River over millions of years. After that they visited Bryce Canyon

National park where they looked at the hoodoo formations of rock which were

formed by freeze thaw weathering. They also visited Zion National Park where the

young geographers walked up a narrow canyon and visited a 'weeping' wall where

water drips from the rocks. Finally, on their last evening the group took part in a

walking tour of the Las Vegas Strip, visiting some of the hotels such as Caesar's

Palace and The Cosmopolitan. There was a lot of travelling on the bus with bus

driver Jose but the trip was thoroughly enjoyed by all involved and the group saw

some spectacular scenery.

In the early hours of the morning of Thursday 27th March twenty senior pupils

accompanied by Mr Hood and Mrs Whitfield embarked on a history visit to New

York. The Higher history and Intermediate 2 course covers aspects of American

History including immigration and civil rights. The trip enabled pupils to gain a first-

hand experience of this exciting city. The group stayed at the Chelsea Star Hotel,

which is located in Mid-Town Manhattan.

Over the six days the pupils and staff visited numerous places including the Ellis Island

Immigration centre where millions of immigrants to the US landed. Spectacular

views of the city were to be seen from two famous New York landmarks, the Empire

State Building and Top of the Rock.

The group visited the “Ground Zero” memorial for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist

attack on the World Trade Centre and read the many names which are inscribed on

the pools then they walked across the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

The bridge is historically significant as it was built by immigrants during the late 19th

century. The group then visited Chinatown and Little Italy where they had some

shopping time and got flavour of the diverse cultures which enliven New York.

New York is also home to world famous museums and the young people thoroughly

enjoyed their visits to the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of

Natural History, which was followed by a walk in Central Park and lunch in Grand

Central Station, which is a famous film location.

Being in the one of the shopping capitals of the world, the group visited iconic

shopping districts such as Soho, Fifth Avenue and Times Square. The group walked

for miles and also used the city‟s great subway network to get around. The

experience of eating out at traditional American diners as well as themed

restaurants such as Ellen‟s Stardust diner where the waiters sing and dance and

Bubba Gump‟s the Forest Gump inspired restaurant was thoroughly enjoyed.

Sunday was probably the highlight of the stay as the group attended a gospel

church service at Canaan Baptist Church in Harlem. They were encouraged to take

part and sing along and were welcomed into the church by the congregation. The

pupils commented that they really enjoyed listening to the wonderful gospel choir it

is an experience that they won‟t ever forget! After the service, the group took part

in a Civil Rights tour of Harlem, which allowed them to gain a better understanding

of the Civil Rights Movement and how figures such as Martin Luther King and

Malcolm X impacted on the African American community.

Overall the trip was a great success and as a result the pupils have a much greater

understanding of American history.

On Monday 9th June, pupils and staff from Monifieth High School gathered at the

Caird Hall in Dundee to celebrate the annual Prizegiving Ceremony.

The huge numbers of young people receiving prizes for their achievements and the

huge number of adults and siblings supporting the prize winners was indicative of the

wealth of talent, skill and knowledge amongst the pupils in Monifieth High School.

The evening began with piper Callum Hill piping in the stage party. The Head

Teacher, Senior Management Team, Principal Teachers and School Captains took

their places on stage, along with guest speaker, Louise Ritchie and Chairperson of

the Parent Council, Mr David Hamilton. Next, after an introduction and welcome by

Mr Hamilton, a DVD was shown to reflect on and highlight some of the achievements

and activities that took place at Monifieth High School throughout academic session

2013/14, consisting of images from various school trips, sporting and team building

events, school activities and much more. Head Teacher, Mrs McInally, then

addressed the audience with her inspiring and motivating speech, she shared the

historical events that are remembered in 2014, the implementation of Curriculum for

Excellence and the Nationals, and talked about the fact, it takes a whole village to

help raise a child, as well as congratulating pupils and staff for their hard work,

resilience and determination to succeed in what has been a challenging year, and

above all for the support that they have given the pupils to allow them to achieve

their best. Guest speaker, artist Louise Ritchie then addressed the audience and

reminded them that success comes in a variety of different forms and that to

succeed requires determination, resilience and self-belief.

Depute Head and head of Dalhousie, Mrs Ritchie then announced the Junior Awards

as follows:

S1 Achievers:

Gold Award, Academic Excellence & Merit – Kirstin Mitchelson.

Gold Award & Merit - Ruth Hamilton, Eilidh Robertson, Niamh Robertson, Jack

Smith and Kane Stone.

Academic Excellence & Merit - Sophie Crowe, Ryan Docherty, Freya Jackson,

Stephanie Kydd, Eve McIntosh, Emily McLean, Erin Miller, Darren Mitchell, Anna Rae,

Ben Ramsay, Thomas Ridge, Ruth Scanlan, Tyler Sinclair, Christie Stenson and Andrew

Tasker.

Cross Country School Champion - Aiden McKindley and Niamh Robertson.

Swimming School Champion - Darren Mitchell and Emily McLean.

Citizenship - Ben Ramsay and Kerys Watson, both for volunteering.

Service to School - Zara Amer Naveed

S2 Achievers:

Gold Award, Academic Excellence & Merit - Jordan Ednie, Max Kelly and

Maddie Owen.

Gold Award & Merit - Duncan Fulton, Danielle MacDermid, Katie McGregor

and Lauren Middleton.

Academic Excellence & Merit - Niamh Anderson, Elisabeth Appleton, Saskia

Birch, Anthea Cheung, Natalie Gallant, Nathan Hannan-McCulloch, Emily Harle,

Carly Smith, Jack Smith and Emily Wilson.

Cross Country Champion - Duncan Fulton and Maddie Owen.

Swimming Champion - Jessica Hewitt

Service to School - Jordan Ednie

S3 Achievers:

Gold Award, Academic Excellence & Merit - Martin George, Isla Mitchelson,

Cameron Scott and Lucy Wales.

Gold Award & Merit - Andrew Lannon and Jennifer Speid.

Academic Excellence & Merit - Emily Blane, Keryn Fyall, Su-Ning Liang, Jenna

McComskie, Caitlin Pohler, Sophie Rosenzweig, Shannon Ryan, Iona Stewart, Carly

Stewart-Macleod, Daniel Tee and Petr Vesley.

Gold Award - Callum Rooney.

Cross Country School Champion - David Robbie & Isla Cameron.

Swimming School Champion - Erica Mappin.

Citizenship - Lucy Wales for fundraising.

Service to School - Calum Findleton, Jamie MacGregor, Callum Letham and

Martin George.

The presentation of the Junior Awards was followed by a breath-taking solo by S2

pupil and young musician of the year, Max Kelly. The Caird Hall was silenced at his

amazing performance of „The Hungry Years‟ by Neil Sedaka, with perfect diction and

control throughout, despite the large venue and crowd. Max was accompanied on

the piano by music teacher, Mr Brand.

Next, the Senior Awards were announced by Depute Head Teacher and head of

Balmossie, Mr Morris.

S4 Achievers:

Gold Award - Lauren Doughty, Hannah Grubb, Karen Hamilton, Erin Harris,

Heather Ingram, Keira Johnstone, Ross McCleary, Kirsty Melville, Alex Russell and

Lauren Smith.

Gold Award & Duke of Edinburgh‟s Award (Bronze) - Andrea Goodman, Verity

Marshall, Amy Robertson and Cara Rooney.

Duke of Edinburgh‟s Award (Bronze) & Citizenship - Amy Parr and Ross

Urquhart.

Duke of Edinburgh‟s Award (Bronze) - Daniel Barclay, Caitlyn Davis, Rebecca

Ellis, Jessica Knox, Craig McGechaen, Laura Petrie, Liam Ritch and Katrina Ross.

Citizenship - Rebeka Campbell (for coaching), Megan Queen and Chloe

Shaw (for volunteering).

Cross Country School Champion - Andrea Goodman.

Swimming School Champion - Amy Robertson.

S4 Subject Prizes:

Biology, English, French and Geography – Rebecca Coakley.

Computing Science, Geography and Physics - Callum Donnan.

History and Maths – Julia Zhao.

Art – Cara Rooney.

Business Management – Chloe Brown.

Chemistry – Caleb Owen.

Fashion and Textiles – Verity Marshall.

German – Kirsty Melville.

Graphic Communication – Matthew Peasnall.

Hospitality – Amy Sinclair.

Music – Daniel Morton.

Physical Education – Lauren Doughty and Keira Johnstone.

Spanish – Erin Harris.

S5/6 Awards:

Gold Award - Laura Blakeman, Cameron Clemson, Thomas Doig, Liam Grimes,

Murray Irvine, Alan McKay, Duncan McLullich, Ryan Middleton and Matthew Smith.

Citizenship - Jodie Rutherford, Nicole Johnston, Christopher Pohler, Amy

Younger, Anna Brown and Andrew McCleary (for volunteering), Ross McAinsh (for

fundraising) and Peter Sayers (for coaching).

School Service - Andrew McCleary, Freya Marshall, Heather Campbell, Sarah

Robertson, Megan Varney, Hannah Matthew, Kathryn Liddell, Georgia McAllister,

Shavez Majid, Hannah Mitchell and Jodie Rutherford.

Duke of Edinburgh‟s Award (Silver) - Daniel Blake, Lauren Hutton, Lauren Kerr,

Lauren McIntosh, Andrew Miller, Elli Stewart-MacLeod and Paige Watson.

Cross Country School Champion - Calum MacDonald.

Swimming School Champion - Scott Mitchell.

S5/6 Subject Prizes:

Biology, Computing, English, Maths and Physics – Anna Brown.

Geography and Spanish – Sarah Allan.

Chemistry and History – Rebecca Creamer.

Art – Molly McCammon.

Business Management – Scott Walker.

Early Education and Childcare – Sophie Richardson.

English – Regan Pattie.

French – Louise Marshall.

Graphic Communication – Melissa Green.

Health and Food Technology – Hannah Symon.

Information Systems – Elli Stewart-Macleod.

Music – Francesca Smith.

Photography – Cameron Malcolm.

Physical Education – Lewis Swan.

Product Design – Megan McKay.

Spanish – Lillie Poon.

This section was followed by a performance from the Senior Young Musician of the

Year Caleb Owen. His performance of „Gallop‟ by Fernando Sor on guitar was

excellent and it was refreshing to hear a classical guitar solo by such a talented

young person.

The presentation of the Special Awards then took place, announced by Depute

Head and head of Panmure, Miss Smith.

International Ties were presented to Ross McCleary, Kane Stone, Keira

Johnstone, Karen Hamilton, Jack Smith, Alex Russell, Ruth Hamilton and Kirstin

Mitchelson. This award was presented by Kevin Scott of the Saltire Karate Club.

Creative Spaces prizewinners - Elisabeth Appleton, Saskia Birch, Abbie Kelly

and Rachael Davies. This award was presented by architect Iain Cram.

Young Musician of the Year (Junior) - Max Kelly.

Young Musician of the Year (Senior) - Caleb Owen

2014 Giant Heptathlon Scottish Champions - Jacob Donaghey, Kaitlin

Doward, Katharine Leonard, Danielle MacDermid, Lauren Middleton, Jack Nelms,

Maddie Owen, Lewis Pickett and David Simpson.

Arbroath Musical Festival Instrumental Ensemble winners - Daniel Morton,

Rhona Scragg and Kaja Vesley.

J G Taylor Trophy for Sport (Boys) - Alan McKay and Calum MacDonald.

The Rotary Club of Monifieth and District School Essay Prize - Sarah Coakley.

Lord George Thompson Prize for Modern Languages - Lillie Poon.

Goethe Institute Prize for Advanced German Studies - Kirsty Melville.

Sir John Leng Trust Prize (Science) - Anna Brown.

EQ Prize (Business Education) - Scott Walker.

John Kerr Buchanan Memorial Prize (Art & Design) - Chloe MacDougall and

Amy Robertson.

David Goodfellow Memorial Trophy - Rebecca Rice.

Monifieth further Education association Shield and Prize for School Service -

Kirsty Melville

Outgoing School Captains - Hannah Cooper, Thomas Doig, Christie Guthrie,

Christopher Harris, Freya Marshall and Andrew McCleary.

New School Captains -Louise Marshall, Scott Mitchell, Anna Brown, Louise King,

Lewis Swan and Scott Walker.

Young Achiever of the Year - Maddie Owen.

Each year, the two most prestigious prizes are awarded based on academic merit to

S5 pupils. Head Teacher, Mrs McInally, presented the following awards:

PROXIME ACCESSIT, EQ Medal and Prize and Edinburgh Angus Club Prize -

Rebecca Creamer.

DUX, EQ Medal and Prize, and Edinburgh Angus Club Prize - Anna Brown.

The annual Prizegiving ceremony does not only serve to reward pupils for their

achievements from throughout the year; it is also where the winners of the two highly

coveted House Trophies are announced. There is a lot of competition between both

the pupils and indeed the Heads of House for these trophies and points are collected

throughout the year from various events such as academic and sporting events,

quizzes and competitions, academic successes and from achievements outside

school. Pupils are regularly reminded to share their success stories with form tutors,

PC&S teachers and the house team so that points can be allocated to their relevant

houses. Mr Hamilton had the pleasure of announcing the winners, and, after some

tense moments, Balmossie was again crowned winner of both the Junior House

Trophy and the overall House Trophy. The Trophies can now be returned to Mr Morris,

Head of Balmossie for safekeeping where they will take pride of place in his office for

the second year running.

The ceremony was closed by a Vote of Thanks, given by outgoing School Captains

Hannah Cooper and Thomas Doig. They took the opportunity to thank all staff and

the Head Teacher for the support that has been given to all pupils during the year to

allow them to shine and achieve their best. A big thank you was also extended to

School Business Manager Carol Taylor and her team for organising such an excellent

and successful evening at the Caird Hall.

The stage party then exited to the skirl of the pipes, again expertly played by Callum

Hill, and a professional photographer was available after the ceremony to capture

special moments. Details of how to access these photographs will be announced in

the next school newsletter.

Overall, the Annual Prizegiving Ceremony was a huge success and all pupils can be

very proud of their achievements. Thanks are extended to everyone who attended

and helped make the evening special.

The problems with bullying are endless for many young people across the world. To

raise awareness of this, all S1 pupils at Monifieth High School have been shown a well

preformed drama, entitled „Hope‟. It is the leading Anti-Bullying Production in the UK

which has been performed and perfected by the Take Away Theatre Company.

The play was expertly delivered, was entertaining and most importantly was thought

provoking. „Hope‟ was a drama that outlined the issues of bullying and what it

caused. This includes the emotional distress it can cause someone and the effects it

can have on their health. The story focused on a victim of bullying who became a

famous and successful pop star. It highlighted the courage and self-empowerment

felt by the victim as the now pop star meets her past bully by an ill-fated chance.

And throughout the play, it taught the audience the value of respect, equality,

fairness and how to respond to peer pressure. Overall the S1s found it deeply

enjoyable and a worthwhile interactive experience.

The annual Young Musician of the Year was held on Thursday 3rd April and was a

fantastic evening. There were a large number of pupils auditioned to become a

finalists; the music teachers had the difficult job of selecting the seven finalists.

Pupils who performed in the Junior category were: Jordan Ednie (Bagpipes), Max

Kelly (Voice) and Jacob Donaghey (Drumkit).

Pupils who performed in the Senior category were: Hannah Grubb (Trombone),

Caleb Owen (Guitar) Amy Baigrie (Voice) and Matthew Herd (Drumkit). All pupils

from both categories performed to a very high standard and showcased true

musicianship skills.

The night was such a success and included the 2013 Junior and Senior Winners who

agreed to perform their winning performances to open each category. Many

parents, grandparents, siblings and friends came along to support the young

people. Throughout the evening there was musical entertainment from the Brass

Quintet and the Woodwind Quartet (fresh from winning their category at the

Arbroath Music Festival). The school choir „Sing Out!‟ and „Boys Vocal Group‟ also

performed their successful Arbroath Music Festival pieces.

The judges had the difficult job of deciding on the finalists for 2014. The judges were

Christine Jackson, PT Expressive Arts at Brechin High School and Karen Ling, PT

Expressive Arts, Webster‟s High School.

The winners were:

Junior Young Musician of the Year 2014, Max Kelly – Max captivated the audience

with his performance of „The Hungry Years‟ by Neil Sedaka. Judges Feedback ‘Max

gave a fabulous and very mature performance. He really connected with the

audience’.

Senior Young Musician of the Year 2014, Caleb Owen – Caleb performed beautifully

to the audience with his performance of „Valse‟. Judges Feedback ‘Beautiful tone,

a very musical performance, fantastic articulation and accomplished player’.

Monifieth High School are the winners of the 2014 Creative Spaces competition. For

the first time in the 11 year history of the Architectural Competition, which is

organised by the Institute of Dundee Architects and sponsored by the local

authorities of Dundee, Fife, Angus and Perth and Kinross, an Angus school has

triumphed. The winning team consisted of four second year girls: Saskia Birch,

Elisabeth Appleton, Abbie Kellie and Rachael Davies took on the challenge to

design a temporary theatre which was to be sited at the back of the well-known

Dundee concert and events venue, the Caird Hall. The girls used a temporary

mock-up of the Royal Arch as the focal point of their design and with inspiration for

the structure of the roof taken from the sails of the historic ship „Discovery‟ berthed

adjacent, presented their impressive design and model to a panel of judges. The

School received a trophy and a cheque for £600 with girls each receiving £60 and

theatre tickets. Well done to all involved.

Community

Last weekend, many S3 pupils who are taking part in the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh

Award at Monifieth High School took part in their final expedition. The young and

enthusiastic pupils arrived at school with heavy rucksacks containing all the

equipment and food that they need to survive for 2 days in the hills. After a short bus

journey, the individual groups set off on their expeditions, supervised by staff

members Mr and Mrs Cain, Mr Julien, Mr Anderson, Mr Callaghan, Mr Dunn, Mrs

Barclay, Mr Beattie and Miss Low. The assessed expeditions took place in Glen Esk,

with the groups camping at Tarfside. During the assessed expeditions the youngsters

were on their own, with adults supervising remotely and meeting them at some

places on the way. Whilst on their expedition, the young participants have to follow

a designated route using the skills and knowledge that they had gained throughout

the year, deal with minor injuries and incidents themselves, and have to work as a

team to get their navigation right. The weather remained mostly sunny and dry

throughout, which was considerably better than during the practice expeditions last

month where pupils encountered wind, rain and hailstones. The Bronze practice

expedition took the youngsters along a section of the Cateran Trail between Glen

Isla and Enochdu, camping in Glen Shee. There, the group camped at Glenshee

Lodge, a campsite which is near the river giving a constant background of bird

sounds. Pupils noted that bird song is perhaps one of the most memorable things

about both Bronze expeditions. Four birds in particular seem to turn up everywhere:

oyster catchers, plovers, curlews, and cuckoos. In Glen Shee the groups also heard

ducks and geese, the occasional snipe, and owls at night. This year‟s three groups

did very well and were confident and competent throughout. Morale was good

and the young people learnt a lot throughout the whole process. Many pupils still

need to finish some sections of their Award and are encouraged to do so. Also,

pupils need to ensure that they complete the eDofE records to achieve their

awards.

Well done to all pupils involved.

For the first time, Monifieth High School has offered pupils the opportunity to study

Early Education and Childcare. The class, which was run by PC&S teacher Mrs

Margaret Ford, proved to be a popular choice with the young people and this year

they have learned about the development of children from birth right through to

school age. In order to do this, the group worked with 2 children as case studies.

On Wednesday 28th May, a group of 15 pupils from Monifieth High School took part

in a community tree planting event, organised by Alex Graham of Monifieth Eco

Force and supported by teachers Mrs Reid and Miss Sturrock. The aim of the project

was to look at ways of improving the local environment.

The young people arrived at school in the morning ready with their green fingers

and lots of energy, which was needed as the group had 130 trees to plant near the

Dighty Burn! In addition to this huge task, the young people also filled 40 hanging

baskets which will be used to keep Monifieth looking its best during the summer

months.

This project was a great success and was enjoyed by all involved.

On Tuesday 20th May, some S2 pupils from Monifieth High School were lucky enough

attend a talk by well-known author Matt Whyman.

As part of the Angus Book awards, three different authors visited the secondary

schools in Angus to talk about their novels, and some S2 pupils from Monifieth High

School were lucky enough to hear the talk given by Matt Whyman. He proved to be

very popular with the young people and kept them engaged and interested

throughout his visit. Matt talked to the group of S2 pupils about his novel entitled

“Savages”, which was one of the three novels shortlisted for the Angus Book Awards.

As part of the S2 course, many pupils and staff from throughout Angus have been

reading the chosen novels and have done a range of work related to the books

they have read. In addition to taking about his latest novel, which is about a middle

class family of cannibals, Matt went on to talk to pupils about how to go about

planning a novel and how to find and organise ideas. He introduced the pupils to a

twelve stage process that needs to be followed when writing a book, a film and

even creating a video game. The pupils enjoyed the talk and asked many questions

about the writing process and what it is like to be an author. This worthwhile event

was enjoyed by all involved and it was a worthwhile learning experience for the

young people.

Last Monday, we said goodbye to all the senior pupils who are leaving Monifieth

High School this year. The day went smoothly, and the highlight was the S6 / Staff

lunchtime barbeque, which gave staff the opportunity to chat with many pupils and

hear about their future plans. We would like to wish all the senior pupils the best of

luck with their exams and future plans.

On Thursday the 20th of March, a group of pupils and teachers from the Expressive

Arts department along with our head boy and girl went „uptown‟ to the Manhattan

styled Edinburgh Playhouse to see Leonard Bernstein‟s West Side Story. This is a

touring production directed by Broadway director Joey McKneely

Our group of 50 sat transfixed in the circle as the story of the Sharks and the Jets

played out. The cast were superb and many of our pupils were seen singing along

to songs such as „Tonight‟ and „I feel pretty.‟ The ice cream at the interval went

down well and many had 2 tubs! Did Bernardo stop Maria from seeing Tony? Where

was Officer Krupke when all the action was taking place? If you want to know get

yourself along to one of the venues on the tour to find out.

It was another great opportunity for the young people to experience the value of

musical theatre and see first-hand a professional production.

We had a fantastic three night sell out show. From Wednesday 18th to Friday 20th

June the pupils of Monifieth High School performed the hit Queen and Ben Elton

Musical We Will Rock You. The show played to packed houses over the 3 nights. The

lead roles were performed by Amy Baigrie and Harrison Whyte of S5. The supporting

roles were played by Lucy Flight, Kieran Bole, Francesca Smith, Gregor Reid and

David Goodfellow. These principals were part of a cast of approximately 50 singers,

dancers and actors who had rehearsed regularly since August 2013 to complete

such a high level performance. Such positive feedback was given each night from

parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and family to the cast themselves and the

staff of Monifieth High School. The cast performed a confident, witty, professional

and hilarious show each night, all pupils involved should be very proud of their

performances.

Health

On-line behaviour is an ever-growing area of concern for all schools and

parents. Monifieth High School, along with our cluster primary schools, felt that we

should address and support this concern and organised a very successful „Stay Safe

Online‟ information evening. Over 160 parents attended the event and

presentations were delivered by S3 pupils, staff, Alex Colquhoun – Angus Council

EDS, PC Steve Wilson - Police Scotland and DS Ray Birnie from the Public Protection

Unit, Police Scotland. The evening provided parents with advice and support on

keeping their children safe online. We are hoping to organise other cluster events in

the near future.

Monifieth High School‟s cricket team have been practising hard under the

instruction of maths teacher Mr Shanks. The young people, who train weekly, have

had a very successful year, and last week their skills were on show again at the

qualifying tournament for the Scottish Schools Cricket final.

The talented young players won the regional qualifying tournament against

McLaren High School (Stirling) and Arbroath High School (Angus). The game against

McLaren High School was tight with Sam MacKenzie and Lewis Pickett winning it for

Monifieth with 20 runs from the last over.

The team are now entered into the Scottish Schools final on the 19th of June at

Doo'cot Park in Perth.

The U14 boys football team were crowned Dundee League Champions this year

after beating Grove in a league decider 3-1. The boys, having already secured the

Dundee Schools Cup, added the league title to their trophy haul ending a very

successful season which also saw them tour France. The U14 team travelled to Euro

Disney to participate in a football tournament against opposition from various

European Countries. The boys are delighted with their achievements and hope to

build on them next season by hopefully putting together a good run in the Scottish

Cup.

Following the highly successful Monifieth High „World Cup‟ and „Eurofieth‟ events in

recent years, a similar cross curricular event has taken place this year during the

summer term. The aim of this well established event is to create links between

various curricular groups and subject knowledge, thus enabling pupils to view the

relevance of learning and experience how different subjects actually interlink.

Eurofieth involves all pupils in S1 and takes place during late May and early

June. Every pupil in S1 is part of a team, representing a country. They compete in

their teams throughout PE lessons and in the latter stages, over lunchtimes. In some

other departments the work undertaken has links to either the World Cup or to

Europe in general. For example, writing match reports, looking at the diet of

footballers, researching teams and players, completing statistics, performance

charts, tables, and enquiring/investigative work as well as many other interesting

activities across the school.

The event started with an opening ceremony in which all pupils watched a

presentation about what activities they will be taking part in across the school. They

also took the Eurofieth Oath in both English and French, where all pupils committed

to doing their best across the whole event. After the knockout stages and semi-

finals, the Grand Final took place over an extended lunchtime on Wednesday 14th

June. Pupils and staff alike were keen to see the final which was fought out

between France and Switzerland with many staff and pupils out on the field

watching the games. They were also treated to a surprise performance by French

teacher Mr Julien who sang the French National Anthem. After a fantastic, closely

fought match, France edged into the lead winning 2-1. Man of the Match was

awarded to Jude Hughes. Throughout the tournament the top goal scorers were

Marc McKinley and Neve Simpson. The event was also supported by senior pupils

who not only worked as referees but also provided some entertaining commentary.

A strawberry tea was laid on by the Hospitality class, which proved very popular,

and all parents and staff attending spoke very highly of the cakes and strawberry

tarts provided.

Well done to all involved in this successful and enjoyable venture.

With S4+ hockey finally receiving an upgrade this year, the Monifieth S4+ senior team

reaped the rewards of more hockey by coming 2nd in the Dundee schools league.

The team, coached by former Scotland international and current Monifieth High

School art teacher, Ms Kleppang, gained the point they needed with a 1-1 draw

against St Pauls to secure joint 2nd place with the latter. Over the season they had

gained some impressive results against difficult opposition, highlights including a 1-0

victory against St Pauls in the 1st round and a 3-2 victory against Harris Academy in

the 2nd. Having drawn with local rivals Grove Academy on 3 previous occasions, Kris

Ashton scored the goal securing Monifieth‟s first one against their rivals. This year

being the last for many in the team they will look forward to the S4+ knockout cup to

be held after the holidays on the 24th April with the hope that more silverware is on

the way.

The Dundee Bakers‟ Trade, Dundee and Angus College and the Dundee Flower and

Food Festival were looking for talented young bakers and opened a competition

called „the David Goodfellow Memorial Trophy‟ to all S5 or S6 pupils from local

secondary schools in Dundee, Angus and East Fife.

In order to select the best entrants for the competition, the Home Economics

department at Monifieth High School held a competition in school where each pupil

had to make a St Clementine Bakewelll Tart. Head Teacher, Mrs McInally was our

school Judge. The standard was very high; however Rebecca Rice and Nicole

Grieve were selected as the school finalists and took part in the local competition.

Both pupils represented the school in the final of the competition and Rebecca Rice

successfully came 1st out of 10 young people. Rebecca won £50 and will be given

the chance to meet the celebrity chef at this year‟s flower and food festival.

At 5pm on Monday 23rd June, 2014 54 pupils and 6 staff embarked upon Sportathon

2014! A 12 hour marathon of sport! Throughout the evening pupils and staff

participated in activities including ultimate Frisbee, softball, dodge ball, non-stop

cricket, tug of war and even had a pool party at 2am! Throughout the night a

number of other staff visited to help out and participate also. It was a fantastic night

and by the time breakfast was served just before 5am everyone was exhausted. All

our efforts were rewarded though and we have managed to raise £3,200. Well

done to everyone who participated!