Newsletter (Autumn 2015)

7/23/2019 Newsletter (Autumn 2015)

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Grangemouth High

Newsletter

Inside:Future Chef - Great Grangemouth Bake Off - Blitz and Glitz

And Much More

Issue 3 Autumn 2015

Dear Parent/CarerAs we begin session 2015/16 I am pleasedto report that last year we continued tomake progress across a wide range ofdevelopments. At the end of the month I willsend out the School Quality andImprovement Report to all parents to give afull review of last session.

Once again the major educational thrust of

last session was to embed the new national qualifications atNational 4, National 5 and Higher. This has seen a considerableamount of hard work from our pupils and staff, however, we areconfident that we will continue to see attainment levels rise overthe forthcoming academic year.

Last session we kept our pledge to get GHS pupils out andabout to experience as wide a range of learning opportunitiesas possible with well in excess of 50 pupil excursions beingundertaken. One really pleasing aspect of school trips has beenthe feedback from many agencies and organisations regardingthe conduct and attitude of our pupils. They really haveimpressed and have been a real credit to you and the school.

Again we have had our efforts recognised with successes at theLearning to Achieve, Celebrating Success, Young Enterpriseand Active Schools Awards.

Grangemouth High School is a caring and inclusive learningcommunity. We must take every measure to ensure that we getthe message to everyone that we are a confident school whichdelivers opportunities for our pupils to attain and achieve. Thestrides we have made in improving the standard of our schooluniform have without doubt contributed to the positive ethos that

permeates throughout our school. These improvementscontinue to be really positively received by so many parents andI genuinely appreciate your support. Again I cannot stressenough that it is not my intention to cause any financialpressure upon a parent or carer. Should anyone wish to discusshow the school can support them in getting full school uniformthey should not hesitate to contact me.

I really hope you enjoy a flick through this newsletter, it does notnearly cover everything but gives just a flavour of what we havebeen doing so in far in 2015.

Paul Dunn (Headteacher): September 2015

A Message from the Headteacher

Meghann McShaneHi, Im Meghann McShane and I am one ofGrangemouth Highs new School Captains.

What does it mean to be a Captain? Well becoming aCaptain is a great privilege and one which gives me theopportunity to represent the school along with my fellowcaptains, Emma, Louise and Kyle. Over the years atGHS I have gained skills which I will use forever andcreated amazing memories with amazing people. Beinga Captain will give me the chance to give back to theschool and help makesure other pupils havethe same opportunitiesand experiences that Ihave had. The schoolhas given not onlymyself but the rest of6th year so much totake away from ourschool careers and Icannot wait to getstarted in giving myappreciation back andmaking our last year atGHS a memorable one.(Meghann McShane School Captain)

FutureChef 2015 Aimee Duncanmakes the National FinalFourth year Aimee Duncan (15)represented Grangemouth High Schoolat the regional finals of this year'sFutureChef at the City of GlasgowCollege. She and 11 other finalists hada budget of 10 and 90 minutes to cooka main course and a dessert for twopeople.

Thanking her mum and Home Economics teacher, Mr Ian Elliott, for theirsupport Aimee said: The judges were really happy with my dishes. Theysaid the only change they would make in my main course was to add

more seasoning, but they said my dessert was perfect.The description of Aimees main course alone is enough to start mouthswatering - oven roast Supreme of Cod with a smoked paprika crust,slither of smoked salmon resting on Orkney cheddar, with Arran mustardmash, steamed blueshell mussells embraced in lemongrass cream.

And for dessert - rhubarb, stem ginger and vanilla Clafoutis with aramekin of creme fraiche.

Aimee learned a lot. She said: I like the idea of being a chef. My twouncles are actually head chefs. It would be a really good job and I feellike its something Im going to be doing in the future.

I might not eat what I make myself, but I enjoy making things for otherpeople. I like to know what they think, if they liked it. (Story from FalkirkHerald)http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/community/aimee-s-top-notch-posh-nosh-fish-dish-1-3702617


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Mr WoodBeing appointed to the post of DHT atGrangemouth High School isundoubtedly the most exciting

challenge in my career to date and ais a fantastic opportunity to continueserving the school community. After 3years working in the school as aPrincipal Teacher of Humanities, it is aprivilege to be able to continue in theschool in this new role. I havethoroughly enjoyed my time inGrangemouth High School and thereremains no better reward in educationthan seeing children succeed in their learning and develop theirindividual gifts and talents. While I will miss working as closelywith pupils in the classroom and with my colleagues in theexcellent Humanities team, I am now looking forward to beingpart of a dynamic and forward thinking Senior Leadership Team.

While it is sad to give up my Avon House loyalties (especially asAvon have just been crowned House Champions 14-15!) I amkeen to get going with my new Carron team of teachers andpupils..and I am certain we can steal Avons crown at the endof this session!

A large part of my new responsibilities will be the leadership ofthe S1-3 curriculum. I believe we have made some verypositive and significant progress in S1-3 over the last 3 yearsand understanding of the importance of the Junior Phase isincreasing across our school community. Nevertheless, we willcontinue to strive for improvement to ensure that our youngpeople get the best preparation possible for meeting thechallenges that will lie ahead in the Senior Phase. To this end, Ilook forward to building positive partnerships with parents/carersto support our young people as they progress through S1-3.

My experience thus far at Grangemouth High School has beena genuine high point in my career. I look forward to playing afull part alongside my colleagues in the Senior Leadership Teamand the wider school to support our excellent pupils on theireducational journey.

GHS Music DepartmentAs you probably can tell, the GHS Music Department is always very busy andwe are so grateful that we get asked to participate in the amount of events thatwe do. This year so far we have performed at 6 events. At the start of the yearwe took part in our schools Burns Supper which is always an enjoyable event.We have also participated in an over 50s event with our musical theatre class,the senior vocal group, the junior vocal group andsolo performances from our senior and juniorpupils. We also performed at the annual Rotary

Dinner. One of our higher music classes also tookpart in a song writing workshop where the pupilshad to write a song about the Falkirk Pot. Luckily,our song was chosen to appear on the BBC Newsand appear on the CD. We also performed in theFalkirk Pot Music Festival, which was a veryenjoyable night.

Kyle RamsayI have worked very hard toensure that I have reached myfull potential at school andhave always aimed that oneday, I would be SchoolCaptain. It goes to show that,if you work hard a somethingand set yourself goals, you willachieve. This is one of theaims that the school is

passionate about and in doingthis, have me made become adedicated hardworkingindividual. As an individual, Iam involved with many extra-curricular groups that the school offers. The variety ofextra-curricular groups that the school offers is trulytremendous. I honestly think that the school gives us, aspupils, a great amount of choice when it comes to thegroups and also, subject choice.

It makes me extremely proud to be a School Captain atGrangemouth High School and knowing that I represent aschool which has made a significant name for itself and iswell known in not only our community but surrounding

communities for having such an exceptional standard. Iam so grateful for the amount of opportunities the schoolhas given me which will lead to me being able to preparemyself for the future. It has booked my confidence in somany ways and coming to Grangemouth High School willbe a memory that I will never forget. (Kyle Ramsay, SchoolCaptain)

GHS Dress Down DayFundraiserLast session Grangemouth High School held a dressdown day in aid of Buskit.

Buskit is a local charity who provide humanitarian aidfor the victims of the 1986 Chernobyl Disaster in the

USSR. Every year members of the Buskit group travelto Belarus bringing with them things such as clothes,toiletries and even hospital beds. At the same timethe Buskiteers provide a programme of entertainmentfor the children and their families. They visitorphanages and childrens hospitals which are usuallyvery dull places but the Buskiteers brighten them upby decorating the walls with scenes of colourfulcartoons, flowers and cars. Every year pupils fromGrangemouth High School organise events to raisemoney to help fund this trip.

The dress down day event was organised by AaronScott and Zeeshan Gohar, with the help of Mr Dunn.This event raised 350 which is a magnificentcontribution. Zeeshan and Aaron would like to saythank you to everybody who contributed.


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Louise LyonIm Louise Lyon and I couldnt be happier to introducemyself and one of your School Captains for 2015/2016.

Ive always said, that to me, a School Captain is someonewho is proud of their school and the people in it, and I stillstand by that. Personally, I can say that I am immenselyproud of our school and the talent that lies within, bothacademically and extra-curricular.

Grangemouth High has anamazing sense ofcommunity and we prideourselves on the reputationand impact that we have onthe wider community.

As a School Captain, myaim is to maintain the

reputation that formerCaptains have sent and alsobuild stronger bonds withthe seniors and juniors ofthe school. (Louise Lyon School Captain)

Professor Geoff Palmer to speak to

S2 History Pupils on the Slave TradeGeoff Palmer (left), Professor Emeritus in the School of LifeSciences, was knighted in in 2014 for services to human rights,science and charity.

He is a Heriot-Watt graduate and an expert in cereals who worked inthe International Centre for Brewing and Distilling until his retirement.

In retirement, Geoff continued to serve the University as a member ofCourt Committees and outside the university he undertakescharitable work with ex-offenders and is a prominent anti-racismcampaigner.

Professor Palmer visited Grangemouth High School last session aspart of the schools Africa Week celebrations andspoke to Advanced Higher History pupils onslavery, which formed part of their coursework onthe American Civil War.

He returns to Grangemouth High School on May8th and 9th to speak to pupils in S2 Historyclasses about Scotlands role in the slave trade.He will also take questions from the pupils on thistopic which they are currently learning about inclass.

Blitz N Glitz sparkle their

way to success at the YES

Forth Valley FinalsWith a trophy for Best Use of IT, second place in the BestCompany Report category and third place in Best Trade Stand

and Best Presentation, Young Enterprise Company Blitz N Glitzcertainly gave a glittering performance at the Young EnterpriseScotland, Forth Valley Finals in the Albert Halls in Stirling.

The senior pupils, Georgia Allan, Jenna Arnott, Joe Burt, KatrinaDawson, Robyn Gibb, Caitlin Greenaway, Adam Kemp, EmilyMarshall, Trudie Quinn and Olivia Stevenson have been busyall year customising phone cases and compact mirrors withvarious colours and styles of glitter.

Chairperson Georgia said We came up with the idea of glitterphone cases and compact mirrors because we wanted to makeour products unique and handmade. This also suited ourgroups personality. Eventually we came up with our name BlitzN Glitz as it fitted in well with our products and what we wantedto achieve within the company.

Finance Director Caitlin said We would like to give a specialthanks to Grangemouth Rotary Club who very generouslydonated our 100 registration fee. This meant that our startingcapital could be used to buy initial stock and start production

The pupils have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and thehighs and lows that have come with it. Katrina said Fromtaking on this experience in Young Enterprise Ive been able to

gain more confidence and learn valuable skills to take forwardwhen working with other people to set up a successfulbusiness. Emily also said By helping out at events and sellingon the stalls I feel like my confidence has increased and Ivelearned a lot about teamwork.

Everyone in school is very proud of the achievements of Blitz NGlitz and were sure that the members can put the skills andexperiences gained through Young Enterprise to very good use

no matter what career path awaits. Best of luck and keepsparkling!

Great Grangemouth Bake OffWe were delighted with the results of our pupils in our first year presenting the new N5 Creative Cakes course.

Congratulations to Mrs Duncan and the pupils for all their efforts this year in making the course such a success.


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Grangemouth HighSchool pupils markedHolocaust MemorialDay in January with anassembly for S5 and S6pupils. There were anumber keycontributions in the

assembly. The firstcame from AnnaODonnell and Rachel

Muirhead who shared their experience of being part of theLessons from Auschwitz Project run by the HolocaustEducational Trust. Both girls visited Auschwitz in October aspart of the project and shared the powerful impact it has had onthem. Anna used colour coded cards to help her peers in theassembly appreciate the scale of the loss of life in theHolocaust.

The other key address came from Maria Chamberlain, ourguest speaker. She shared the experience of her mother andfather who both survived the Holocaust, although their stories ofincredible physical and emotional strength and good fortune

made their story a powerful focus for the pupils. Maria wentonto share how the Nazis had developed a culture of anti-semitism that even included board games for children thatinvolved catching Jews to dehumanise Jewish people in theeyes of Germanys youth at the time. Marias contribution wasincredibly moving and she went onto share her experience andfamily story further with our S3 History classes in the afternoon.Maria also shared with the pupils what she hoped we would alllearn from finding out about the Holocaust and mentioned "TheGolden Rule" - namely to treat others as you wish to be treatedyourself.

The assembly was also memorable for a beautifully performedextract from In Holland Stands A House by a number of MrsBrowns Drama pupils, namely Emma King, Nikki Marie Scott,Louise Brown, Samantha Niven, Jessica Connell, Kirsty Mather.

Grangemouth High School pupils also played a major part inFalkirk Councils HMD event, with Anna ODonnell and RachelMuirhead again sharing their experiences of their visit toAuschwitz together with S6 pupils from St Mungos HighSchool. Their collective input was mentioned by a number ofattendees in their evaluations as a highlight of the event, andwe highly commend both girls for their contribution.

In addition to the assembly, a slideshow explaining why wehave HMD was shared with all form classes and S1 Formclasses in particular were given an information about anindividual who died in one of the genocides since the Holocaust.The information on each individual was researched andprepared by three of our Ann Frank Ambassadors - RyanMather, Charlotte Marshall and Lauren White, to whom we arevery grateful for their efforts in helping us "Keep The MemoryAlive."

Parent CouncilUpdate 2015-16Parent Council meetings last session were reallyproductive and our events helped us raise funds to helpsupport initiatives in the school which might not otherwisehave got off the ground.

Meetings take place about once every 6 weeks, and theyare very informal. If you have not yet been to one of ourmeetings please feel free to come along - it really is a

great way to keep informed and get involved in yourchilds education. A Groupcall message is sent out to allparents in advance of all meetings.

We have set ourselves the aim of significantly increasingthe funds raised by our Monthly Prize Draw. In thisnewsletter there are details on the draw and a tear-offform which anyone can complete and return to the schooloffice. A cash prize is awarded every month butremember - Youve got to be in it to win it!

What are the aims of the Parent Council? To help to support teachers and liaise with them for

the benefit of GHS pupils.

To offer support to Grangemouth High School andgive opinions on school progress and policy making.

Support the community through initiatives in andoutwith the school.

Encouraging parents to be involved in their childseducation.

To raise and resolve general issues that GHS parentsmay have.

Raise funds for worthwhile causes.

What is the role of the Parent Council? Parent communication a link from school to parents.

To inform, advise and guide the school from theperspective of parents/carers.

A voice of liaison between parents/pupils andteachers.

Fundraise to support pupils and activities.

How can the Parent Council support our communityof learners? Support through facilitating activities at different

levels.

By offering a diverse opportunity such as linking tolocal businesses and giving an insight into industry orlocal hospices etc.

Bring our experience/expertise into school to supportpupils.

By providing added value to what the school currentlyprovides.

Making sure the school continues to provide a fair andequal opportunity to all pupils regardless ofcircumstance, ability to pay etc

By airing views of pupils and the views of parentsthrough a direct link to school leadership.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2015

Anna O'Donnell and Rachel Muirhead receive their certificate of thanks for

their contribution to Falkirk Council's Holocaust Memorial Day event.


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Cluster Swimming Programme

Over an intense four week block, all P5-7 learners inthe Grangemouth Cluster worked with PE staff at theHigh School to improve their swimming capabilities.

Learners were organised into swimming tanks basedon their current capabilities and supported by staff tocomplete a number of tasks and challenges relevantto their ability.

After winning a grant to support the programme, PEstaff invested in new swimming equipment to engageall learners with the tasks and an inflatable obstaclecourse to enhance the celebration event at the endof the programme.

Senior Life Guard ProgrammeFor the second year running, a number of senior

pupils were given the opportunity to undergo a weeklong intense course to qualify them as a Life Guard.This programme has been immensely successfuland has supported a number of learners moving intoemployment within the Sport and Leisure Industry.

The school contributes not only to the delivery of thecourse, but also the financial side and as a result, alllife guards have supported the PE departmentthroughout the Cluster Swimming Programme. Theircommitment to signing up to shifts, supervisionduties and cleaning duties has been outstanding andwithout their support, the Cluster Swimming

Programme would not have been as successful.

Grangemouth TriathlonFor the third year running, Grangemouth High Schoolhosted a Triathlon for the Falkirk area. However, thisyear we also welcomed learners from Fife bringingthe final total to 954 learners. The event wassupported by British Triathlon and Triathlon Scotlandand was a huge success. The exemplar behaviour ofall learners was testament to the interest andcommitment to performing within a mini triathlon.

The day was largely successful due to the huge

contributions made by our Young Leaders and YoungAmbassadors who were not only exemplar rolemodels for the day, they were motivators andsupporters to all learners.

Due to the success of the event, further information

will be going out to the Grangemouth Cluster PrimarySchools about the opportunity to be part of our firstSchool of Triathlon.

S1 Outdoor Learning ProgrammeIn conjunction with Falkirk Community TrustOutdoors, Grangemouth High School PhysicalEducation Department have coordinated an amazingprogramme of 20 outdoor learning days for S1pupils. Although this was optional to all learners,more than 120 learners signed up for the opportunityto participate in activities ranging from Blo Karting,Coasteering and Canoeing. The behaviour andenthusiasm of all learners was exceptional andcommented on by Falkirk Outdoor LearningInstructors.

Sports Update

Emma ToalHello, my name is Emma Toal and I am one out offour School Captains this year at GrangemouthHigh School. To me, being School Captain is awonderful role to be granted and to fulfil in my finalyear here. The role itself allows me to represent theschool at a number of events and to the widercommunity, while also allowing me give back atoken of my appreciation for all the support, effortand time the school has given me over my pastyears here.

I am delighted to be working with Mr Dunn and theother captains this yearas Grangemouth HighSchool continues tostrive towards success.Being a SchoolCaptain means tome an excitingopportunity to giveback to a place thathas given me not onlyacademic qualifications

for my future, butparticular skills,qualities andfriendships that will lastme a lifetime.


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Portait of Mr Tierney Erin Reid, Advanced Higher Art


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Grangemouth High School Parent Council

Monthly FundraisingDraw 2015- 2016The parent council monthly prize draw assists the fund-raisingefforts which are currently undertaken. All proceeds generatedfrom this will be used to support activities within the school,allowing pupils the opportunity to participate in various events.

Parents and staff (over 18 years of age) are eligible to take part

in our monthly fundraising draw. 50% of entry money will bepaid out as a prize over the year so the more entries that aremade the more money there is to be won each month.

Participation is quick and easy, simply fill out the form below andreturn with the relevant one-off payment or completed standingorder for the year to the school office. For this payment yourallocated number(s) will be entered into each monthly draw. Ifyou use the Standing Order option you will continue to beentered in subsequent years if payment is received.

The draw will take place on the last school day of each month

between September & June. Winners will be notified by postwith cheque enclosed in payment; this will also be published onthe school website.

Grangemouth High School Parent CouncilMonthly Fundraising Draw 2015 2016

If you would like to take part in the Grangemouth High School Parent Council Monthly Fundraising Draw, please complete the entryform below and return it to the school office with the appropriate one-off payment.

5 1 number entered into each monthly fundraising draw

10 2 numbers entered into each monthly fundraising draw



Name:___________________________________________________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number:________________Pupil Name:________________________ FormClass/House:______________

Please write below how many numbers you wish to be entered into the monthly draw and the amount enclosed. I paywith cash or complete the standing order form overleaf

How many numbers - Payment - _________________________

YOUR BANK DETAILS:

TO: ______________________________ SORT CODE: ______________ ACCOUNT NO: _______________________

ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________________________________

Please pay the undernoted standing order from the above account to:Royal Bank of Scotland Sort Code: 832239 Account No: 00294009

La Porte Precinct, Grangemouth Account Name: Grangemouth High School Parent Council

Your Name: _________________________________

Please pay the following amount (in multiples of 5)

Payment Details

Amount: __________________ In words: _____________________

Frequency: Annually

Commencing: _________________________ Reference (your name): _________________________

Signed: _______________________________________________ Date: _______________________

Newsletter (Autumn 2015)

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