Knox News - June 2010

Knox NewsPencaitland Road, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 4DT Tel: Fax: 01620 823387 01620 823186 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ka-net.org.uk

June 2010

Dear Parents/Carers, Welcome to the last Knox News of session 2009-2010. The summer term has been very busy with a wide variety of activities taking place in and out of school. At the end of term we say farewell to the following members of staff: Two long-serving members of staff are retiring this summer. Mr B Dillin (Principal Teacher of Computing) has been at Knox Academy for 35 years, 24 of these as Principal Teacher. During his time here, Mr Dillin has witnessed many changes and has led the department through a bewildering number of moves of accommodation. A valued member of staff, Mr Dillins commitment to the school, his hard work and sense of humour will be missed. Mr Dillins contribution to the schools Curriculum Development Group has been pivotal to the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence in the school. He has contributed to the wider life of the school by being part of extra-curricular activities, most notably as a stalwart of the Italy trip. I know staff will miss his support, good humour, wise counsel and organisation of the annual staff golf competition. Mrs E Elliott (Modern Languages) is retiring after 18 years as a permanent member of staff, before that, for several years, she was a temporary member of the Languages Department. As well as her contribution to the Modern Languages Department as a loyal and hardworking teacher, Mrs Elliott has contributed to the wider life of the school. She has been a valued member of various committees; in particular, staff will miss her endeavours with the Staff Social Committee. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Elliott for her many years of work with the Haddington Twinning Association, liaising with and arranging visits for the respective Twinning Associations in the two towns, organising school visits to Aubigny, arranging for Twinning Scholars' work placements and making correspondence links between pupils. Her expertise in this area will be missed greatly. Best wishes to both members of staff for happy and healthy retirements. Ms H Dowle (English) has resigned from her post, as she is re-locating down south. Ms Dowle has been with us for nearly 6 years, including her probationary year. During this time she has been a very successful teacher, committed to the well-being and success of all her pupils. She has made a very valuable contribution to the English Department as well as contributing to the wider life of the school by being part of extra-curricular activities and theatre trips. I am sure you join me in wishing her continued success at her new school. Ms K Johnston (Art) and Mrs K Fairbairn (English) begin their maternity leaves in August and Ms R Smith (Technology) is on maternity leave already. Very best wishes to all the families. continued...

The four teachers who have been with us for their probationary year will be leaving: Ms S Auchinleck (Art), Ms H Harpur (Mathematics), Ms C Morgan (Drama) and Ms C Sayers (Geography). All are talented teachers and we wish them every success in their careers. Some temporary staff have left the school this term already: Mr J Greig (Computing), MrMHughes (RMPS), Ms M Stuart (Pupil Support Base), Mr A Lambert and Mr J Stirling (both PE). I am sure you join me in thanking all of the staff above and wishing them good luck for the future. This means there will be many staff changes after the summer. Full details of staffing for next session will be issued in the August Pack sent to all parents and carers. On the 18th June we held the Leavers Ceremony to say farewell to pupils leaving from S4 and S5 and, of course, the whole of S6. We wish all our leavers health and happiness. Many of our pupils will have a tense time in July and August waiting for the SQA results. The results should reach pupils by email on Wednesday 4 August and in the post on Thursday 5August; no information will be available from the school before 5 August. A big thank you to all sections of the school community for another hectic, successful and enjoyable session. School closes at 4 pm on Thursday 1 July, the autumn term for pupils starts at 8.44 am on Thursday 19 August. Best wishes for a relaxing summer.

JB Craig Head Teacher

Keeping in Contact ...In order to communicate effectively with parents/carers it is important that we hold the correct contact details. If anything changes eg your email address, mobile telephone number or if you move house, please get in touch so that we can update our records. Remember that you can also subscribe to news updates on the school website.

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: TrampoliningOn Monday 10 May, Knox Activities Week 2010 began. One activity choice was trampolining, which was to be run by Miss Jeffrey, along with Kayleigh and Kirsty, two coaches from the City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club. 14 pupils signed up for the activity, which would involve four full-days of trampolining at Knox Academy, Musselburgh Sports Centre and Lasswade High School. Thisgave the group the opportunity to try trampolining and learn new moves, routines and synchro! Over the week, tasks were set and challenges met. The spirit of the group was great and this allowed the coaches to really push the pupils on, with many learning front somersaults and even some learning back somersaults. This was a great achievement for a weeks work. On Day 3 at Musselburgh Grammar, the group was faced with two full-sized trampolines for the first time. This created a real buzz as they were much bouncier than the ones used at the school. Again, the pupils worked really hard, learning new moves and working in pairs to complete synchro routines (simultaneous trampolining in mirror image). On the final day the group travelled to Lasswade High School Centre, the main training venue of the City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club. Here the group had 4 full-size trampolines resulting in even more time on the trampolines and a chance to attempt some quadruple person synchro! The group were given time to practice their routines as there was a mini competition after their lunch break, where they could show of their new skills and be awarded with medals. They competed in Beginners, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced Levels, with 3 youngsters managing to complete routines with more than one somersault in it! The results are as follows: Level 1: 1st - Emma Innes, Level 2: 1st - Gareth Evans, Level 3: 1st - Connel Erskine, Level 4: 1st - Lloyd Connell, 2nd - Graham Jones, 2nd - Niall Robertson, 2nd - Samantha McClymont, 2nd - Sam Turvill, 3rd - Daniel Smith 3rd - Eilidh Johnston 3rd - Jordanne Grant 3rd - Finlay Shearer

Synchro Champions: Sam Turvill and Gareth Evans Swivel Hips Challenge Winner: Lloyd Connell This was great fun and all performed really well, trying their best in each event. Well Done! The whole week proved to be a great success and the pupils really worked hard. They were rewarded with an Achievement Certificate from CETC. I was really impressed with how enthusiastic the Knox pupils were throughout the whole week and it was a pleasure to work with them. It would be great if they all kept up their trampolining, we hope to see them at some of our Summer programmes this summer holiday! Kayleigh Jeffrey City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club www.cityofedinburghtrampolineclub.co.ukKnox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: Health and BeautyThis year for Activities Week I took part in the Health and Beauty activity. This was run by Miss Dowle, Miss Adam and Miss Machen. The Pupils that took part were Carla Dunn (3L1), Emma Bald (3L3), Megan Wilson (3L1), Lejla Kilic (3T3), Azra Konjevic (3L1), Jade Watson (3G1), Shelby Leckie (3L2), Jodie Hoy (3L1), Katie-Ellen Wigginton (3T2), Angela Barrie (3T2), Stephanie Hay (3T2), Shannon Wilson (2L2) and Beth Watters (3T3). During the week we had various people coming in to do our hair, nails, and make-up. On Monday we were shown different methods of street dancing. We went to the swimming pool and gym in Dunbar on Wednesday, and staff from The Bead Shop came in to show us how to make bracelets and necklaces. Cheer-leaders from the Red Flame Dance group worked with us on Thursday which was great fun. We all enjoyed the week and would recommend it for next year. Azra Konjevic 3L1

History/Geography Trip - 22 March 2010The History and Geography Departments decided to run a joint trip for third year pupils to three museums in Glasgow which were relevant to the Standard Grade course in both subjects. First stop was the Glasgow Museum of Transport. The pupils were given a guided tour of a replica 1938 street. They were then shown round the various trams, buses and cars housed in the museum giving an insight into how road transport has developed over the last 150 years. The pupils were particularly impressed by the vintage cars! Next stop was the Peoples Palace to see artefacts relating to Glasgows social history. Having studied a unit on housing, the pupils were fascinated by the single end. They also enjoyed the Steamie exhibit where they pretended to be characters from Tony Ropers classic drama which we had watched in class.

Finally it was off to Clydebuilt. This museum depicts the rise and fall of the shipbuilding industry in Glasgow. Although they dont usually give secondary school groups guided tours they made an exception for us and the pupils were treated to the excellent knowledge of a guide who not only has an active interest in the History of the River Clyde but who also has the skills and technical knowledge of one who has sailed in the Merchant Navy. After a tour of the museum we were taken outside to the pontoons for a look along the river where many shipyards have been. We even saw a Royal Navy Destroyer which is now undergoing sea trials having been built on the Clyde. The pupils were a credit to themselves and Knox Academy by displaying impeccable behaviour. The staff in the museums made a point of complementing the pupils on their enthusiasm. This was a very enjoyable day and I know that the pupils will put this knowledge to good use in the SQA exams. S McPhee History DepartmentKnox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Haddington Success at Trampoline Competition16 pupils from Haddington travelled to Lasswade High School Centre on 8 May for the annual City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club Schools Championships. This competition was open to youngsters from the Borders, East Lothian, Midlothian and South Lanarkshire and over 100 individuals took part. East Lothian was well represented with 7 pupils from Knox Academy, one from Haddington Infants School, 6 from Kings Meadow, one from Yester Nursery and one from Gullane Primary. The Knox Academy team were strong and came home with 2 medals in the Intermediate Secondary Junior Boys category: 1st Place - Keeley Robertson (1G2) and 2nd Place - Ewan Cunningham (1G3). The girls performed well in a tough group of Novice Secondary Junior Girls with Sian Thomas (3G1) and Kaelyn Pritchard (1G1) coming 6th=, Jordanne Grant (3L3) finishing 8th and Anna Heawood (1T3) in 9th Place. The winning school team this year was Liberton High School, Edinburgh. Well Done to all involved. L Jeffrey Geography Department

Sean Noon Scottish CyclistSean Noon (2G2) is a top class sportsman following in the footsteps, or should I say tyre marks of Scotlands most acclaimed cyclist Sir Chris Hoy. Sean is a top road cycler and currently sits top of the Scottish Youth Road Series. This year Sean has taken part in many national events such as the Scottish National Time Trials in Fort William, the British Championships and the British National Cyclo-Cross in Birmingham where he came 19th out of the 36 competitors. Once a month Sean is part of the Regional School of Racing and competes in the National School of Racing twice a year. He is very committed to his sport and hopefully will go on to be a top road and track cyclist. R Couper Sports Coordinator


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Activities Week 2010: Aubigny and ParisAt 8 am on Sunday 9 May, 31 pupils and 4 teachers, Mr Hutchinson, Mrs Elliott, Mrs Cochrane and Mr Johnston left for Glasgow airport. After a couple of hours of checking-in and shopping, we were off. For some it was their first time flying and for others the first time going abroad without parents. We arrived in Charles de Gaulle about 4 pm local time and set off for a two hour bus journey to Haddingtons twin town, Aubigny. When we arrived we were greeted by some of the local pupils and the Deputy Mayor.

Next day we were given a tour of the town and school where we had lunch. In the afternoon we visited the nearby town of Bourges where we were given a tour of the cathedral, a visit to the crypt and climbed 365 steps to the top of the tower. Then we had time for shopping. That day was the best weather we had, as we had lots of rain and cold. There was no need for sunglasses, shorts or suncream! In Aubigny that evening the Twinning Association kindly hosted a lovely meal for us. Afterwards there was time to get to know our new French friends. After saying our goodbyes, we went back to the hostel to pack for the rest of our trip. The bus took us back to Paris and we found the hotel in heavy rain, then had our first trip on the metro. After a quick lunch, we visited a perfume museum which was interesting and some of us purchased some gifts. We had time for shopping before going back to the hotel to unpack. After dinner, we went to Montmartre using the funicular railway. We could see the whole of Paris and it was beautiful except for the weather. After having a crepe, it was back on the metro to the hotel. The following day we went up the Eiffel Tower which was amazing, visited Notre Dame before having lunch and going to the Louvre. We caught a glimpse of Mona Lisa and other things. Then we went to the Champs Elysees for some shopping and visited the Arc de Triomphe. After dinner we went on a river cruise down the Seine which was lovely. After another crepe at the Eiffel Tower, we could watch the tower illuminated. Next day was an early start for Disney which was a lot of fun. Before we knew it we were back on the plane returning home. Although its nice to be back, we had an amazing time in France and we all want to return. Despite the bad weather, we all managed to enjoy ourselves, even the teachers! Sarah Hall, Louise Boyd and Beth Revuelta S3 Pupils


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AbsencesThank you to all the parents/carers who contact Knox before the school day to inform us if their youngster is going to be absent. Sometimes the telephone lines are very busy and your patience is appreciated. We also appreciate the letters sent in with pupils when they return to school. Following a telephone call, pupils are recorded as having a verbal explanation for absence, however a letter from their parent/carer is required before the reason for absence is confirmed. If absences remain unexplained they will be changed to N for unreasonable excuse or T for truancy. For pupils in receipt of an Educational Maintenance Allowance, absences can affect the payments they receive. Please help us by: Continuing to contact the school before the school day if your son/daughter is going to be absent (the office is open from 8 am). Sending notes regarding appointments in to school at least one day before the appointment (including child's name and registration class). Sending notes when your child returns to school (including child's name, registration class, dates of absence and reason for absence). The school now accepts absence notes via email. If you wish to do this please email [email protected] with your childs name and registration class in the subject line.

Your help is most appreciated. The Admin Team

Knox Academy Support GroupOver the past year KASG has provided the Technical Department and the Science Department with specialised equipment. They have also funded a training session which assisted with the dramatical production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Your support is always appreciated. Recent fundraising events have included The Duck Derby raising 800. Results: 1st place - Mary Watson (50); 2nd place - Beth Elliott (15) and 3rd place - Anne Sturgeon (15). Ts in the Park raised 700. Could Anne Sturgeon please contact the school office at Knox Academy. The next confirmed event is the whole school Christmas Dance on Thursday 2 December. M Ball KASG


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Dress CodeA reminder to parents/carers that pupils are expected to wear the School Dress Code at all times. Please could you ensure that your youngster has the appropriate clothing for the school day: Years 1 to 6 inclusive: White collared shirt (boys shirts should be tucked in) School tie (to be worn at the neck) V neck sweater or fleece (plain navy or black). (no other colours allowed) Smart black trousers from waist to toe. (no jeans/cargo or hipster trousers) Smart black skirt Black shoes (no trainers) Shorts may not be worn other than PE in classes Headwear may only be worn in school for religious or health reasons Jewellery should be kept to a minimum and be discreet Accessories should be in dress code colours only eg bags, scarves and hats Belts should be black or navy only.

Years 5 and 6: All pupils are expected to wear the dress code as described above and a navy blazer with the school crest. Christmas leavers are not required to wear a blazer but may do so if they wish. Prefects: Prefects are expected to wear blazers with the school crest and braiding at all times. Outdoor Garments: Outdoor garments may not be worn in class. Extremes of Fashion: In general terms, we would expect all our young people to maintain a sense of decorum. By way of example, we would not expect to see bare skin/midriffs or shoulders. As in previous years, we will continue to tackle areas of concern with sensitivity and on an individual basis. If pupils do not wear Dress Code they lose points from their Pupil Points total and subsequently lose points for their House. Parents/carers will be informed in writing if their youngster is regularly infringing the School Dress Code rules and we do ask for your support in ensuring that the pupils of Knox Academy look smart and business-like. The following items are examples of non-compliance with school dress code: hooded tops strappy/vest tops hipster trousers skirts worn over trousers or footless tights big belts that are not black or navy large beads/pieces of jewellery shorts of any kind (long or short) Senior Management Team


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Activities Week 2010: Northern AdventureOur journey to Shetland began on Sunday 9 May at 10 am, when we set off from Knox by minibus bound for Aberdeen. It took us about three to four hours to get to the ferry in Aberdeen. The journey from Aberdeen to Lerwick, via Kirkwall in Orkney, took us fourteen hours, but the ferry provided enough entertainment to satisfy everyone. This included a cinema, a bar area, restaurants, an arcade and a deck that gets very windy! Once in Lerwick we had a short wander in the fresh air. Strangely enough the weather was constantly shifting but we still got to see some seals. Before we headed to our hostel, we went to the Shetland Museum that contained exhibits about the history of Shetland and its inhabitants. After spending some time in the museum, we headed to our hostel. The accommodation was moderately comfortable with plenty of space to muck about in. For the rest of the day, we tried to play rounders on the beach but the tide was too high so we skipped stones on the water for a while. On Tuesday we went to the shopping area of Lerwick to purchase souvenirs. The shops there were decent and had a colourful variety of products to buy. In the afternoon we went to see Puffins at Sumburgh Head followed by a visit to an 18th Century Croft House and Watermill. The lichens growing on the walls around Sumburgh Head were not yellow and powdery as in Haddington, but light green and bushy. Before heading back to the hostel, we had a quick game of rounders and cricket on the beach. If I hadnt known where I was, I would have said that the beach was in a tropical region. On Wednesday we headed for Unst, the most northerly inhabited island in the United Kingdom. This involved two short ferry crossings from the mainland of Shetland. Once there, we walked through the Hermaness nature reserve to see Muckle Flugga and its stack. This really is as far north as the United Kingdom goes. Whilst on the nature reserve we saw Bonxies or Great Skuas huge brown birds that swoop and shriek at visitors. On the final day we went to another museum in Lerwick and to do some last minute shopping before setting off home. The journey on the ferry was only twelve hours as it went straight from Lerwick to Aberdeen. Arriving in Aberdeen at 7 am we set off for Haddington. An enjoyable trip was had by all. William MacIntosh-Smith 2T2 and Mr Jappy

F1 in Schools: Sponsorship OpportunityYou may already be aware of our participation in this challenge to design, build and race miniature gas powered balsa wood F1 cars. Our team, XL, would like to invite you to join us in this venture by becoming a sponsor. As with real F1 cars your, or your companys name, will be displayed on our vehicle, uniforms and publicity material. You will be invited to meet the team and be kept up-to-date with progress. Any contribution, corporate or individual, big or small, would be greatly appreciated. To find out more please contact Ms Leggatt in the CDT Department. You will find the website www.f1inschools.co.uk useful we are competing in the Bloodhound Category. D Ferguson and A Leggatt Business Education and Technical DepartmentsKnox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Knox Has Got TalentOn the Thursday 1 April, Knox once again showed the school is full of talent. With 6 acts signed up for the show - including a very special staff act - it was a very busy lunchtime. Knoxs Head Boy, Ally Brown, decided to start the show and set the bar to high standard. He was closely followed by Simon Simpson who showed his talented impressions of Gok Wan, Brian Blessed, Joker from Batman and Alexander from Compare the Meerkat. All three judges, Mrs Craig, Mrs Ingham and Mr Illingworth, enjoyed these performances. The next two acts were both singing acts, one a very memorable performance by Mr Dempster and Miss Morgan which the audience thoroughly enjoyed and will be remembered for some time. The next singing act was Sophie Lawrence and Rowan Bland (both 1L3) who sang Dont Stop Believin and again all 3 judges highly commended their performance. The final singing act of the afternoon was Kaelyn Pritchard (1G1) and Rebecca Cole (1G2) who sang Pixie Lotts song Mamma Do which the audience loved and all 3 judges thought was the best performance so far. It would be a tough act to follow. Eilidh McSporran (2G3) on the piano was the final act and her performance was again of ahigh standard, but who did the judges feel was the best? Mrs Ingham announced the winners: The judges first of all highly commended all the performances but they were unanimous in their decision and the winners were Kaelyn Pritchard and Rebecca Cole. The event raised a total of 171.40 with all the proceeds going to Radio Forths Cash 4 Kids appeal. Roddy Coull S6 on behalf of the S6 Charities Committee

Activities Week 2010: AnimationActivities Week started with a comic strip. Ms Auchinlek and Miss Morgan took us, and gave each small group a starting point. The starting idea was that we were trapped in the school, alone. Many ideas erupted from this, including Super Rosie! and The Tie Appreciation Society. By the second day we had started with our actual animation projects which were to be finished by Thursday. They used stop-motion animation (i.e. take a picture, move the object, take a picture, move the object, take a picture etc, then you run them together). The story of Orville and Anka (by Iona and Liska) used an enchanting music-box piece which proved quite difficult to find. By Thursday we had pretty much finished our projects and we were off to see How To Train Your Dragon. The film was good and we ended up being the only ones in the cinema. We took the public bus there and back and it was a bus journey to remember there was plenty of laughter! By Friday our projects were finished and we watched them over what a week! Simone Samuel 3T2Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Young Enterprise: Lothian Board AwardsOn the 25 March 2010, the five members of Team Rise attended the end of year presentation of all the Young Enterprise businesses in the Lothians. We were all pretty nervous of the unexpected during the journey and even more so as we pulled up to the Stuarts Melville College Performing Arts Centre in Edinburgh. There were 23 other businesses there from around Edinburgh and the Lothians. We would not only be performing our presentation on the stage surrounded by all of them, but also the judges and many other adults involved. As the evening went on however, we gained some confidence as we first won a silver plate for the Best Human Resources Director', followed by third place for Best Marketing Director, a second place for Best Production assisted by the Managing Director and a second place for Best Sales Director. We were the 15th presentation and as we saw more teams it seemed all the more daunting to have to do it ourselves, however there was then a break to present more awards and to our absolute shock we were awarded a further two awards: a cup for Best IT Director' and a trophy for Best Business Idea! The company awarded the 'Best Company Award' would go onto the British final. Here we managed to receive a third overall, which we were all very pleased with after our previous awards. Altogether, the night was a huge shock in terms of our success for us all, and we therefore had a much better evening than any of us had imagined. The Young Enterprise experience is something we have all benefited hugely from and we would recommend it to all S5 pupils next year looking for a definite challenge, and even to earn some extra cash! Team Rise: Emma Lynas (Managing Director); Tom Gates (Finance Director); Phillippa Jackson (Human Resources Director); Lewis Wilkie (Sales and Marketing Director); Andrew Wright (ITDirector); Link Teacher: Colin Dempster; Business Advisor: Finlay Marshall

Emma Lynas S6 Managing Director - Rise

Activities Week 2010: PGLAs usual the PGL bus set off at the unearthly hour of 5 am on Friday 7 June. For some it was the first time theyd ever seen that time on a clock, for others it would be the last. We set off with high hopes of sun, sand and excitement, as had been the story in previous years. We didnt believe the weather forecast, why should we, theyre not usually right. Day one is usually a relaxed affair with the emphasis on getting to know your boat and your fellow paddler. Most people did a good job of getting to know their fellow paddler, butKnox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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some chose to totally ignore their partner in the boat and try and do exactly the opposite to what was expected. As you can imagine this made for some interesting turns, pirouettes and going backwards down the river. Day two was a black day, forever burned into my mind. It was raining when we got up, and it continued to rain until we got off the river. Hard as we paddled we struggled to keep warm as we made our way down the Mighty Mighty Ardeche river.

My day was brightened up by two staff managing to make a spectacular exit from their boat on one of the rapids. They somehow managed to jam their boat against a rock in the middle of the river, causing a mass pile up. They tried to blame this on the PGL instructor, and then proceeded to try and rescue all the pupils who then fell in because of them. The self proclaimed Heroes of the River successfully finished the day without further incident. All pupils should be commended for their efforts that day as they battled through the rain and cold to paddle 14 km to the pick up point. The rain that followed us down the river let up for a little while but returned with a vengeance later on. The camp was flooded, thunder and lightning kept us on our toes and we were thankful of our raised cabins. Day three was beautiful, but the previous nights rain had increased the height of the river by 7 metres which made it too dangerous to go on. As we set off for the sunshine of the Mediterranean coast we were waved goodbye by another thunderous downpour. The Med proved to be drier and sunnier and we got on with sailing, snorkelling, sea kayaking, catamaran sailing, and some climbing and abseiling to make up for the cancelled windsurfing(another storm). The pupils were also offered the chance to experience some French cuisine in the form of lescargot (snails cooked in garlic). Im not quite sure if everyone tried it, but the expression on the faces of the faces that did was priceless. Apart from a few errant teenagers, the trip delivered everything we hoped. The pupils experienced activities theyd not done before, and a lot of them were pushed outside their comfort zone, and actually enjoyed the experience. Roll on 2011! K MacDonald PE Department


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Home EconomicsWe are delighted to mention some of our extra curricular success stories for 2009-2010. The year started with Abbie Lindsay (4T2) and Andrew Lund (4L2) winning the East Lothian Chef Competition in September. They had to cook a two-course meal for judges. The pupils were praised for their high level of ability and the knowledge of the techniques required. Presentation skills were highly commended, as was their choice of dishes to meet the brief. Our most recent accomplishment last week was the Little and Large Cooking Competition where a senior pupil, Ben Nisbet, had to lead a team of two Kings Meadow primary pupils, through the preparation and cooking of a foreign dish of their choice and a dessert. In a close fought competition Ben and his team were victorious and were praised for their outstanding flavour in the dish, and their presentation. This challenge requires good communication skills, being able to work as a team to make choices but able to work independently to achieve results. The competitors also required to be aware of safety and hygiene in a kitchen environment. These budding starlets might one day follow in the footsteps of a former pupil, Claire Lund, who has attended college and has now successfully secured a contract to work and train further at the Luxury 5 star Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. K Hossack Home Economics Department

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Activities Week 2010: Creative CookeryDuring Activities week I was privileged to be involved in the Creative Cookery package. The pupils and teachers (MsSmith, Miss Hossack and Mrs Harpur) were a joy to work with and I personally learned a lot. We made cup-cakes which we decorated, baked and decorated a large cake, made various sweets plus a box in which to hold them. On the Wednesday morning we baked lots of goodies to take to the Haddington Day Centre. Meringues, empire biscuits, chocolate clairs, pancakes, scones, fruit loaf and some sweets were duly made and transported to the Day Centre. In the afternoon we served the clients tea and cakes and enjoyed a chat with them. Everyone got to take a plate of goodies home which were greatly received. We received a lovely thank you letter from the Day Centre expressing how much they had enjoyed our visit. Well done to all the pupils involved. I know that all the staff had a wonderful four days. L McInnes Head of Mathematics

S3 Theatre Trip Sweeney ToddLeaving school at 12 pm fifty-four S3 pupils made their way on a coach to Dundee to see a theatre company perform Stephen Sondheims masterpiece Sweeney Todd. The Production was part of the Dundee Reparatory Season and Director, James Binning, had modernised the piece setting it in the 1980s. Sweeney Todd tells the tale of Benjamin Barber as he returns to London to seek his revenge on Judge Turpin for what he did to him and his family. With Mrs Lovett in desperate need to keep her pie shop open and Mr Barber (who is actually Sweeney Todd) killing so many people the obvious answer is to hide the bodies in the meat pies after all she does have the worst pies in London, but not for long! Louise Boyd (3G2), S3 Drama Pupil, said I think Sweeney Todd was really good and I enjoyed it more because it wasnt as gory as I thought it was going to be. Greg Russell (3T2), another S3 Drama pupil, added The special effects were outstanding and I loved how the stage was on the thrust. Mr Campbell said This was a fantastic production that really enabled pupils to see how theatre arts can enhance a piece of theatre. The pupils were fantastic too and it was a great first trip for the Standard Grade Drama Class. J Naples-Campbell Drama DepartmentKnox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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The Big Bang ScotlandA team of six made up of Caitlin Brock (2L2), Erin Craig (2L2), Molly Ferguson (2T2), Holly Merritt (2T2), Rebecca Friary (2G2) and Struan Stuart (2T1) (Team Reknoxable) have been working on a project since November. The project was about recycling and we chose to focus on a bike station which was for members of the public and pupils, where they could take their bikes and get them fixed or donate them so that we could take them apart and use the spare parts to help fix other bikes. On 14 May, the team travelled to Edinburgh University to take part in a competition called Young SET Ambassadors Challenge, which is run in conjunction with Edinburgh University, but sadly we did not win. After getting feedback on our project from the judges the team went back to Knox and made changes to make the project even better.

On the 7 June the team travelled to Dundee to Abertay University to take part in The Big Bang Scotland competition with other schools from across Scotland. The team got extremely good feedback from the judges but didnt win any prizes; however we did get a silver crest award at the end. This is a very good achievement for these second year pupils and we have enjoyed the experience very much. Caitlin Brock, Erin Craig, Molly Ferguson, Holly Merritt, Rebecca Friary and Struan Stuart S2 Pupils

Ethos QuaichAidan Lindsay (S6) was awarded second place in a county-wide competition to honour pupils who are or who have made a difference in their schools. The "Ethos Quaich" is awarded annually by Anti Bullying East Lothian. Aidan was nominated because of his work with junior pupils as both a Buddy and House Captain. Aidan is also involved in running the Hockey Club and has helped run ACE Friday mornings for our S1 pupils. Outside of school Aidan is kept busy through his commitment to the Scouting Movement among numerous other things. Aidan has always been ready to assist pupils and staff at the drop of a hat and has carried out his duties as both House Captain and Prefect with generosity and good cheer. We wish Aidan well in his future endeavors and we shall miss him here at Knox Academy. S Ingham Depute Head TeacherKnox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: ItalyAfter a busy day in school 51 pupils set out on a 30-hour bus journey to Italia via Scotland, England, France and Switzerland. We went with Mrs Barber, Mrs Ball, Mrs Slowther, Mr Dempster, MrWren and Mr Stirling. On our first day we visited the very fashionable city of Milan with a coach tour of the city in the morning and a tour of the San Siro, the home stadium of AC Milan and Inter Milan, and its Museum in the afternoon. We were shown around the stands and got to see inside the AC Milan changing room, Inter Milan was playing the next day so we couldnt see theirs. Many of us had pictures taken in famous players seats. We also went to the San Siro museum and saw past footballers shoes, footballs and paintings etc. On Sunday we got on the coach again for a spectacular drive to Riva del Garda. In the morning we visited the Cascata Varone, a waterfall where apart from the cascading water we were able to admire all the plants of the area. This was also our first opportunity to do some shopping. In the afternoon we went for a trip on Lake Garda stopping at Limone. Working in groups we carried out a tourist survey trying out our Italian and then had some free time to wander about. On Monday we packed for the second hotel and left for Gardaland. Gardaland is a famous and the biggest theme park in Italy. We all went on various rides in groups roller coasters, water rides etc. After Gardaland we travelled to our second hotel in Lido de Jesolo. We didnt have the bus drivers on Tuesday as they had a day off, so we explored around the hotel area and performed our plays on Romeo and Juliet with a modern twist for the Golden Gondola Award. Later on, the teachers treated us to an ice cream of our choice, they were all different but nice. Although it wasnt wall-to-wall sunshine we hit the beach where a few brave people went into the water while the others played rounders. That night we had our disco in a local club called Splash. On Wednesday we visited the beautiful city of Verona. The arena was impressive because it had been around for so long and is still being used for entertainment. A short walk past some very expensive shops took us to Guliettas balcony for some photo opportunities and we then had some free time to wander through the market in the Piazza del Erbe. Instead of dinner at the hotel that night we went to Andiamo and had a pizza made to our choice, they were very big and tasty. Thursday was our final day in Italy and we had a walking tour of Venice and two other small islands near it; Murano, where we watched the Maestro blow some of the famous glass and Burano which we nicknamed Balamory because of all the brightly coloured houses. We had free time on this day, and it was good to look around.


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On Friday 14 May it was Ciao Italia and we left for another long journey. Every night, either before or after dinner we had Mr Wrens quiz, which over all had 6 rounds and lasted the entire excursion. Mr Stirling and Mrs Slowther also prepared activities for us including the Fashion Show and Knox Has Got Italian Talent. At night when we werent doing activities we had free time to explore or speak to people in other rooms. The majority of us thought the second hotel was better as it was near the beach with more freedom to shop in the evening! Throughout the trip the rain was off and on, but we had quite a lot of sunny spells too. On one night thunder and lightning came but it didnt affect us as our activities werent weather dependent. Everyone who went on this trip all extremely enjoyed it and many of us made new friends who they hadnt talked to in school before. We saw the teachers in a different environment which made them less strict but we still depended on them. They made everyday fun and we all bonded with them. We are all so grateful for them taking us and putting up with us. It was an experience we will all never forget. Aylee Bunting, Ailsa Macaldowie, Matthew Moore, Emma Paterson, Emma Scott S2 Pupils

Former Pupil NewsEleanor Cairns, who is now studying French at Glasgow University, was the winner of Knoxs Aubigny Twinning Scholarship two years ago. She has now been awarded a Stevenson French Exchange Scholarship to support her in a year studying at Grenoble Stendhal University. Her award is part of an initiative designed to create and maintain links between Scotland and France. Upon her return she will have to present a report about her experiences. During her time in France she also plans to go back to Aubigny to stay with the family who hosted her two years ago. Some of the friends she made there are now at universities across France and this will give her the opportunity to visit them and experience life in other French cities. It promises to be a very rewarding opportunity for her.


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Knox Academy Awards: Session 2009-2010S1 MERIT CERTIFICATES Caitlin Baptie 1L1 Rachel Barr 1G3 Peter Gilmour 1G1 Katie Holton 1G1 Lachlan King 1L2 Bethan McGregor 1L2 Owen McHugh 1G1 Claire Neillans 1T1 Angus Riddell 1G2 Naomi Rogers 1L2 Katie Scott 1L3 Rhona Taylor 1L3 Ellie Thomson 1T1 Susan Woods 1T2 Caitlin Wright 1T1 S2 MERIT CERTIFICATES Katie Archibald 2T3 Callum Baptie 2L2 Aimie Cowan 2T3 Maura Drew 2T1 Abbey Ellis 2G1 Roisin Kennelly 2G1 Ailsa Macaldowie 2L1 Finlay Munro 2G1 Sean Noon 2G2 Jaimee Pickard 2G3 Adam Richmond 2T3 Gemma Sandie 2G3 Kirsty Steven 2T3 Struan Stuart 2T1 Eve Swinton 2G1 Kirsty Wallace 2G1

S3 SUBJECT PRIZES Charlotte Algeo 3T1 Charlotte Algeo 3T1 Charlotte Algeo 3T1 Caitlin Bruce 3L3 Zoe Connell 3T1 Kathryn Couperwhite 3T1 Liska Crofts 3T2 Connor Davies 3G1 Laura Dick 3G2 Heather Dickson 3L1 Sarah Hall 3G2 Louis Harrodine 3G1 Ailish Kelly 3L1 Euan King 3L2 Euan King 3L2 Steven Knox 3L1 Torquil MacLeod 3G1 Gavin McManus 3T2 Ben Nisbet 3G1 Beth Revuelta 3T3 Simone Samuel 3T2 The Isobel Inglis Prize for Biology Business Management The Isobel Inglis Prize for Chemistry French History Physical Education English Classical Studies Modern Studies Administration Latin Computing Graphic Communications The Kirby Prize for Mathematics The Isobel Inglis Prize for Physics Craft & Design The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography Drama Music Religious and Moral Education Art & Design


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S4 SUBJECT PRIZES Sarah Bruce 4T2 Julia Cockburn 4G3 Connor Forsyth 4G1 Connor Forsyth 4G1 Alastair Hastings 4G2 Katie Hogg 4T2 Abbie Lindsay 4T2 Evie MacGregor 4L2 Evie McGregor 4L2 Scott McLaughlin 4G3 Nicola McQueen 4L1 Graeme McWilliams 4L1 Hannah Mitchell 4T2 Sarah Muir 4L2 Sarah Muir 4L2 Douglas Pate 4T2 Megan Rogers 4L2 Megan Rogers 4L2 Megan Rogers 4L2 Katie Watson 4G1 Katie Watson 4G1 Katie Watson 4G1 Modern Studies Latin Business Management Computing Graphic Communication Administration Home Economics The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography McGregor Prize for Chemistry Physical Education History Craft & Design Drama Classical Studies English McGregor Prize for Physics McGregor Prize for Biology The Kirby Prize for Mathematics Italian Art & Design French Music

S5/6 SUBJECT PRIZES Holly Betts 5T2 Holly Betts 5T2 Andrew Gilmour 5G2 Andrew Gilmour 5G2 Andrew Gilmour 5G2 Campbell Hastings 5G1 Campbell Hastings 5G1 Campbell Hastings 5G1 Anna Mackay 5T2 Megan McCafferty 5L1 Aileen McKnight 5L1 Gregor McMillan 5L2 Gregor McMillan 5L2 Gregor McMillan 5L2 Gregor McMillan 5L2 Peter Martin 6G1 Rosie Noon 5T1 Haley Pollard 6L2 David Ryan 5T1 Neil Stewart 6L1 Kirsty Young 5L2 McGregor Prize for Biology The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography McGregor Prize for Chemistry Graphic Communications McGregor Prize for Physics Business Management Modern Studies Physical Education English RME Drama French History Latin Mathematics Computing Art & Design Drama Music Information Systems Italian


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FRASER & ISOBEL SPOWAGE PRIZES FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN ADVANCED HIGHER Kathryn Barlow 6T1 Biology Kathryn Barlow 6T1 Chemistry Mark Barlow 6T1 Mathematics Tom Gates 6G1 Computing Graeme Gibb 6T2 Modern Studies Zoe Green 6T2 RME Aidan Lindsay 6T1 Administration Emma Lynas 6L2 English Emma Lynas 6L2 French Peter Martin 6G1 Geography Stuart McInnes 6L1 Physics Alexzandra Moncrieff 6L2 Art & Design Gillis Prize for Painting Stuart Rodger 6L2 Music Robyn Tinch 6G1 Art & Design

CADET MEDALS Gregor McMillan 5L2 Kelsie Hamilton 5L1 PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT Simon Simpson 5L2 JOHN LOCKHART AWARD Roddy Coull 6T1 BEST GYMNAST & GAMES PLAYER Fiona Cleat 5L2 Girls Bruce Halloran 6L1 Boys KERRY JAWORSKI TROPHY FOR HOCKEY Catherine Dodson 2T3 YOUNG COACH OF THE YEAR Gemma Herkes 5T2 Awarded jointly Johann Cow 5T2 Awarded jointly Rachael Weir 5T2 Awarded jointly ALICE BURNETT TWINNING SCHOLARSHIP Emma Lynas 6L2 S2 AUBIGNY TWINNING PRIZE Abby Ellis 2G1 MICHAEL GODEK PRIZE FOR GUITAR David Ryan 5T1

NATIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING AWARD 2010 - Highly Commended Kelvin Craig 3T1 Gareth Evans 3T1 Gabrielle Jackson 3G2 Conor McHugh 3G2 Fraser Thomson 3T3 ENTERPRISE AWARD Tom Gates 6G1 ANGELA WOODWARD PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS EDUCATION Campbell Hastings 5G1 PLATINUM CERTIFICATES Katie Scott 1L3 Rhona Taylor 1L3 Eve Swinton 2G1 Kirsty Wallace 2G1 KERR MACFARLANE PRIZE Roddy Coull 6T1 Awarded jointly Aidan Lindsay 6T1 Awarded jointly ALASDAIR BARDEN MEDAL Alex Muir 6L1


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SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL Mark Barlow 6T1 Debbie Blair 6G1 Ally Brown 6L1 Roddy Coull 6T1 Robert Edgar 6T2 Jessica Gillon 6G1 Aidan Lindsay 6T1 Peter Martin 6G1 Stuart McInnes 6L1 Alex Muir 6L1 Connor Raine 6T2 Neil Stewart 6L1 Robyn Tinch 6G1 Callum Watson 6L2 Natasha Wishart 6T1

GEORGE ALEXANDER DUX MEDAL Gregor McMillan 5L2

Sports DaySports Day at Knox Academy was once again very successful. Pupils were given the opportunity to compete in various activities including: Welly Wang; Giant Skittles; Beat the Goalie; Bean Bag Throw; Golf Putt and Relays. The winners of the Athletics and Sports championships are listed below. involved. Athletic Champions S1 Boys - Peter Gilmour 1G1 S2 Boys - Harvey Blake 2L1 S3 Boys - Nick Stewart 3L1 Senior Boys - Tom Hutcheon 5G2 Sports Championships 1st Garleton 2nd Lammerlaw 3rd Traprain R Couper Sports Coordinator S1 Girls - Bethan McGregor 1L2 S2 Girls - Emily Baxter 2T3 S3 Girls - Gabby Jackson 3G2 Senior Girls - Fiona Cleat 5L2 Well done to all


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EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL Department of Education & Childrens Services School Session Dates 2010/2011* Revised School Session Dates with extra in-service day for staff on Wednesday 18 August 2010

Staff TERM 1 Staff Resume Monday 16 August 2010 Tuesday 17 August 2010 Wednesday 18 August 2010* Thursday 19 August 2010 Staff Break Autumn Holiday Staff Resume Staff Break Staff Resume Friday 17 September 2010 Monday 20 September 2010 Tuesday 21 September 2010 Friday 15 October 2010 Monday 25 October 2010 Tuesday 26 October 2010

Pupils

(In-service day 1) (In-service day 2)Extra in-service Day for Curriculum for Excellence

Pupils Resume Pupils Break Pupils Resume Pupils Break

(In-service day 3)Extra in-service Day for Curriculum for Excellence (TBC)

Wednesday 27 October 2010 Staff Break = 88 days TERM 2 Staff Resume Staff Break Staff Resume Staff Break = 60 days Spring Holiday Good Friday Easter Monday Monday 18 April 2011 Friday 22 April 2011 Monday 25 April 2011 TERM 3 Staff Resume Staff Resume Victoria Day Staff Resume Tuesday 26 April 2011 Tuesday 3 May 2011 Monday 23 May 2011 Tuesday 24 May 2011 Wednesday 25 May 2011 Thursday 26 May 2011 Staff Break = 47 days Total 195 days Friday 1 July 2011 Monday 10 January 2011 Tuesday 11 January 2011 Friday 11 February 2011 Monday 21 February 2011 Friday 8 April 2011 Thursday 23 December 2010

Pupils Resume Pupils break = 84 days

(TBC)

(End of Term 1)

(In-service day 4) Pupils Resume Pupils Break Pupils Resume Pupils Break = 59 days (End of Term 2)

Pupils Resume May Day Holiday Pupils Resume Victoria Day Schools Closed (In-service Day 5) (In-service Day 6) Pupils Resume Pupils Break = 45 days Total 188 days (End of Term 3) Schools Closed

May Day Holiday Monday 2 May 2011


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Activities Week 2010: Jewellery MakingThis year there were a lot of different in-school activities during Activities Week. Stephanie King (3L1), Corrie Paton (3L2), Hannah Herriot (3L3), Heather Dickson (3L1), Lauren Dickson (3L2), Heather Barr (3T3), Catherine Crawford (3L1) and Becky Gunn (3L2) all took part in the jewellery making course with Dr Wilson. On the first day we had an introduction to jewellery making and made basic pieces of jewellery like bracelets and ! necklaces. We then went to the Bead Shop in Haddington to buy beads to make our own unique pieces. The next day we did a workshop at the Bead Shop where we were taught some new bead looping techniques and made eye-catching coloured wire beads. We then progressed to making beaded rings and earrings. ! On the Wednesday we went to Ceramic Experience in Leith to make glass pendants out of different coloured pieces of glass. These were put in the kiln and fired and we got the finished pieces back in school the next week. On the final day we finished off our pieces of jewellery and took lots of photographs of the pieces we made. We all really enjoyed jewellery making and improved our skills - we would recommend it to anyone that stays at school during Activities Week! Heather Dickson 3L1

Please complete and return the survey on the last page


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Active Schools Raise 190.90 for Sports ReliefOver fifty pupils from S1 and the cluster P7s took part in a fun afternoon of sports to raise money for Sports Relief. The event organised by Rory Couper and Suzanne Laing (Active Schools Haddington Cluster) brought together a group of pupils who took part in Basketball, Table Tennis, Trampolining, Dance and Dodgeball. The group of participants also donated 2 each and completed a mile run in a relay format. Active Schools use this event as a Transition experience for the primary pupils who will be attending Knox Academy next year. It allows them to meet the current first years and make new friends, meet some of the school sports club coaches and see the facilities that they will be using next year. This is the second time the event has fallen on Sports Relief and is a great way to raise money and awareness for the charity. Early in the day teachers and S6 pupils guessed 'who could keep it up the longest' and raised 90 to add to the total. R Couper Sports Coordinator

Knox News DeliveryKnox Academy is interested in your opinion on the method that you would find most appropriate for delivery of your copy of the Knox News. We are aware that a number of our copies of Knox News do not make it home successfully via pupil post. Copies of Knox News are produced at the end of each term: October; Christmas; Easter and Summer. Please can you return this tear-off slip to the school office or alternatively email your opinion to [email protected]. ............................................................................................................................................................................ It would be my preference to receive Knox News: as it currently distributed via pupil post with the ability to read online as well I am happy to be notified when the Knox News is published online and read online without receiving a paper copy

Pupil Name: Signature:

______________________________ ______________________________

Class: _______________


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Knox News - June 2010

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Transcript of Knox News - June 2010