01

redblack//THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY, KILMARNOCK

ISSUE 6// Easter 2015

in this issue//

EuroscolaTalk About it

Inspirational artInterdisciplinary learning

St. Joseph’s Day 2015

Easter Showcase and Concert

and much more/

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Our Curriculum

Interested in our curriculum for next year? Read all about our courses and the design of our learning experiences for 2015 - 16

online at: http://issuu.com/home/statistics/publications/curriculum_booklet

In this booklet you will find a detailed explanation of the plan for our curriculum and its rationale. You can also view options forms and read more about individual subject choices.

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contents//Pupil Opinions 4

Introductions 6

Euroscola 9

Talk About It 12

My Nan and Me 14

Fiction: Duty to the Dead 16

Caritas: Extraordinary Force 18

Fiction: Genesis 20

St. Joseph’s Day 2015 22

Opinion: The Best Things in Life are Not Things 24

Caritas: Making A Difference 26

My Inspirational Dad 28

Opinion: Should We Celebrate or Slate the Brits? 31

Caritas: Love Grows through Love 34

The Real Me 35

Connecting Art and Biology 36

Interdisciplinary Learning 37

Spring Showcase and Concert 40

Around the school this spring 42

Scothot Exhibition 45

Society of St. Vincent de Paul 46

On and off the Field 47

PUPIL ARTWORK

Cover (below): Nadia King, S6p. 15: Jennifer O’Rourke, S6p. 29: Tatenda Tapatapa, S6p. 30: Tatenda Tapatapa, S6p. 33: Declan McCluskey, S6p. 38: Mae Stirling, S1

The magazine contains dozens of separate contributions from pupils, whether through their opinions, their writing or their artwork.

The next issue will be published in June. If you would like to contribute please contact Mr. Davis.

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He understands how to talk to us and he’s not too serious.

You feel that he really wants you to do well for you.

He always encourages you to do your best all the time.

He’s honest and tells you what you need to do to improve.

He pushes you to do your best and really takes on new ideas.

WHY DO

YOUR TEACHERS

INSPIRE

YOU?

OPINIONS

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I love PE and she’s taught me so many new things.

He does so much and does it so calmly.

I just like the way that she teaches.

He always keeps on at you to do you best.

She’s so easy to talk to.

If I try and fail he always encourages me to try and succeed.

It doesn’t matter what it is - she will help!

In Home Room he always has a very positive mindset.

She inspires me by teaching me different things.

She is such a nice and genuine person.

I can talk to him, he explains well and he’s fun.

He inspired me to work harder and I passed.

She has inspired me to do more sport.

He’s fun and never boring - learning is always fun.

He pushes me to do things that I never thought I was capable of.

06

introductions//Three ‘welcomes’ for price of one: from parents, teachers and pupils.

The Parent Council welcomes you to the Spring edition of our contemporary school magazine, redblack. Always a fab read, highlighting as usual the vast array of activity that goes on daily within St. Joseph’s.Over the past few months the Parent Council has been rather busy, welcoming various guests to our monthly meetings. February saw two S6 Higher Personal Development pupils come to talk to us about one of their current projects - an educational trip for the English Department’s S1 pupils to go to the Titanic Museum in Belfast. Such a great opportunity for our youngsters to experience and so, following a convincing sales pitch from the two HPD students, the Parent Council agreed to donate £560 (money raised from our Christmas raffle) towards the total cost, resulting in a £10 reduction for each child going on the trip. In our meeting last month we were very impressed with four S4 pupils from the Health and Well-being Committee, who came to tell us about their pupil led initiative on the importance of positive mental health. Their knowledge, comprehension and perception was inspiring and through engaging us in some mini workshops, they provided us with an insight into how they plan to develop their ideas within the school.In addition, our recent activities have included some of the PC taking part in the recruitment process for our new Head Teacher, which involves our participation in the short leeting process as well as the actual interviews. We now hope to invite the successful candidate, Mr Daniel Cardle, along to one of our PC meetings (mainly to find out if his dance moves can match those of Mr Davis!).

These past few weeks have seen PC members attending the P7 parents’ evenings at each of our learning community primaries, where we met and chatted with some of our prospective S1 pupils and their families. And once again, we have teamed up with Ayrshire Schoolwear to run our popular ‘Blazer Raffle’ which offers the chance to win a brand new St. Joseph’s blazer for only £1.

As ever, we have enjoyed talking to you over a cup of tea at our own parents’ evenings, gathering your views and suggestions on the night. Probably the most important role of our PC, as it allows us to truly represent our Parent Forum and aptly feedback to Mr Davis and members of the SMT. Please continue to chat to us at school events and share your views, together with any suggestions you have to promote our work and strengthen links between parents/carers and school. Alternatively, you can drop us an email at stjosephsacademyparentcouncil@hotmail.co.uk Also, we will soon have a few spaces on our Parent Council therefore please let us know if you are keen to join, even if you just want to help with some fundraising activities – we are always grateful for any help.

Finally, we hope you will join us in wishing our senior pupils the very best of luck in their exams. Thank you for your continued support.

Noreen Dunnachie, Chair, Parent Council

07

introductions//A reflection on the year so far from our Head Boy and Head Girl.

Here it is – the very last newsletter of 2014-2015! As this school

year draws to a close we are forced to reflect on the year that has passed. This year has brought us a combination of new challenges and exciting opportunities as Head Boy and Head Girl. We have met new people, explored new ideas and taken ourselves out of our comfort zone. The planning of prom and the establishment of the senior and junior pupil council have been some of the most rewarding things we have been involved in this year. The pupil council has particularly opened our eyes to the challenges that people of all ages around the school. Through this set up we have been able to narrow the gap between the lower school and the senior school and create bonds with people we never previously would have. For us, this year has been unforgettable!

However, this school year has been unforgettable for every student and teacher for a variety of reasons. The pupils in this school have raised thousands of money for charity through bake sales, charity runs, quizzes, Christmas fares and many, many more. This school has seen people succeed both inside and outside of school. This school year has been filled with initiative from all students who have been a credit to our school community.

Finally, we would like to thank every single individual who has helped and supported us throughout this school year. We’d like to thank Senior Management for keeping us on our toes; the office staff for helping us with prom and yearbook money; the other members of the Pupil Leadership Team for dealing with our meetings and every pupil who has participated in our pupil council and various fundraisers!

Daniel Johnston, Head BoySarah Kelly, Head Girl

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introductions//I am not often lost for words, but I have found myself in

precisely that predicament on more than one occasion this term. What was it that silenced me? The burden of new qualifications development work? The terrifying quantity of seagulls that amass over the school each day? Yet more bizarre and dangerous driver behaviour on Grassyards Road before 9 am? No. Simply, it is the commitment of our young people to our school, even in the face of obstacles that many an adult would find overwhelming. But not just that. Also, the kindness, patience and generosity of teachers and staff; the commitment and passion of our many partners; the support and loyalty of parents and carers. This has been a term for reflecting with gratitude on the powerful ethos of our school community - one that Father McGrattan on page 22 exhorts us to nurture and protect. As we look forward to the Easter break we should also look further to next session and the opportunity to celebrate the school’s Diamond Jubilee. This will be as much a celebration of the community that people create as it will the institution of the school, now in its second incarnation on Grassyards Rd. Elsewhere in this edition of our school magazine you can read about the transformational power of art in pieces by Tatenda Tapatapa (p.28) and Jennifer O’Rourke (p.14). These reflections remind us of the deeply personal and profound learning that goes on, unseen in classrooms across the land - school changes lives. A group of S4 pupils also feature in this edition, writing with conviction about their mental health initiative and placing pupil leadership at the heart of the school’s operations (p.12). Later in the magazine you can hear from one pupil who talks about the challenges of controlling her impulses and dealing with the judgments of others (p.35). The longer I spend in education the more I am convinced of the value of interdisciplinary learning; we need more of it. It is essential, not just for the relatively narrow aim of preparing pupils for the workplace, but also in service of fostering a love of learning and an appreciation of the connections that life throws our way. In this issue several pupils provide a powerful testimony to this type of learning by sharing their work (pp.36 - 39). Caritas features again, withe several pieces by some of the thirty or so S6 pupils undertaking the award and putting Gospel values into action. Our first spring concert also receives some coverage, demonstrating not only the talents of the pupils, but their desire to use them in the service of others (pp.40-41). All-in-all, this magazine is another showcase of learning and the power of young people to lead and serve. Easter demands some quiet reflection of all us, so perhaps, like me, you might be prepared to be silenced by the achievements of our young people at St. Joseph’s. As ever, I wish you all a very happy, Holy and peaceful Easter and thank you for your continued support.

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher

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euroscola //Head Boy Daniel Johnston reflects on a transformational experience at the European parliament in March as East Ayrshire’s Euroscola representative.

An ungodly hour on a Monday morning; 27

pupils (most of whom were complete strangers to one another) gathered in Edinburgh airport, ready to board a plane to travel to Basel and then a bus to Strasbourg…

That feels like a lifetime ago now.

To give you a little background information: Euroscola is a programme run by the European Parliament (for sixteen to eighteen year olds) intended to raise awareness and interest in the European Union and the key political issues within Europe.

For the Scottish pupils going, it was completely free – paid for by local Rotary clubs. I was the only candidate from St Joseph’s put forward for the selection process, and I ended up as – after a rigorous process (essay on a “European theme”; then a CV application; then an interview; then a recommendation to the national board) – the candidate for East Ayrshire. Evidently I was successful in this respect; then I had to face to more daunting task of getting my French back up to a more sufficient standard. I was advised that most pupils who were going would be studying Advanced Higher French… I wasn’t. So I made it my task to get myself closer to the standard of speaking and fluency that I thought they would be at. I received a huge amount of help in this from the Modern Languages department in school (so “thank you” to them again).

Now, to describing the indescribable…

I didn’t know anybody else – including staff – who would be going. So when we met at 5 am on Monday (the 2nd of March) morning, I felt more than a little phased. Although, after five minutes, I had realised: “hang on, they don’t know me – I have nothing to lose!” So I found myself perfectly

comfortable with everyone before we had even made it to the arrivals lounge in Basel! Soon after we arrived at the hostel in Strasbourg we started the first activity: drama workshops… woohoo, my favourite. I felt my expectations take a violent nose-dive.

But, here’s the thing that I had never even considered: people are amazing; or at least, those ones were. I have never felt so comfortable with a group of people as I did with those 26 others. In that environment, it was okay – actually encouraged – to go a bit mental and over-compensate for lack of a love for drama and to just be completely yourself.

..................................................................................

Euroscola was a chance for us to make a real, solid impact on European politics and how the EU is seen to act around the world.

.................................................................................

Just the following day we were told that we were going out to do street-surveys in Strasbourg – entirely in French – no English allowed! So, we were put in random pairs and allocated an area to cover. It was quite overwhelming initially – native French-speakers telling us their own opinions – that’s when we actually appreciated the vast chasm between real French and textbook French.

After confidence started to leave terra firma (around the third or fourth person we asked) we actually began to enjoy ourselves and started to ad-lib slightly: changing the wording of a few of the questions; and making a little small-talk. It felt

“”

010

011

great. The realisation, mid-conversation, of “hang on, I’m actually talking French to French people… and they understand” was an incredible buzz.

.................................................................................

What I have gained from Euroscola is incredible. It has seen my self-confidence soar and my inhibitions plummet.

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The highlight of the trip was, without doubt, the Thursday spent at the European Parliament. We listened to presentations from officials of the Parliament and represented the UK with our own presentation alongside people (of similar ages to us) from 23 other countries within the EU. During the break for lunch we invited some of the group representing France to come over and have lunch with us.

To my surprise, we didn’t just sit in an awkward silence – afraid to start a conversation that we might not be able to hold in French. We ended up

inviting them to join us, that night, for a ceilidh at the hostel we were staying in!

That last idea pretty much sums up the whole purpose of the experience… On that trip, we all lost vast levels of inhibition about communication. More than that though: the propositions that the 540 pupils from the 24 countries wrote-up and approved by vote in the Parliament’s hemicycle will be brought forward to the European Parliament again, but this time, they will be voted on by actual MEPs. Euroscola was a chance for us to make a real, solid impact on European politics and how the EU is seen to act around the world.

What I have gained from Euroscola is incredible. It has seen my self-confidence soar and my inhibitions plummet. I’m embarrassed counting the number of times that I’ve watched the same slideshow of pictures of those few days with those people or the number of times that I’ve sighed “I want to go back”.

Euroscola is the best experience that I have ever had - educationally and socially – and I am grateful to have had the opportunity.

“”

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talk about it//

As a school we understand the importance of having good mental health, which is why a few months ago a small group of pupils decided to start our school’s Mental Health and Wellbeing committee.

We know that there are people all around us who need to be supported by their family, friends, and everyone in their school community; we want to make sure everyone in our school knows they are loved. Our aim is to raise awareness of mental health issues and to encourage our peers to be open about their own mental health and wellbeing.

At first it was very slow; we had lots of ideas but we didn’t know how to turn the words on our paper into actions to improve the school. We knew that we wanted our peers to understand what mental health is so that the stigma within the school would be reduced, but it was very difficult to decide how we would go forward with this.

After lots of discussion we have plans in place that we shall continue to work on over the next few months, in the hope that this will make our school a happier and more positive environment.

Our first idea for getting pupils more involved was to set up mental health Twitter and Tumblr accounts under the username ‘SJAtalkaboutit’. We chose the short phrase ‘TalkAboutIt’ because we feel it tells people exactly what we mean – we want our peers to know that they can talk about mental health openly without being judged.

We’re using the media to get the attention of different mental health charities such as ‘SAMH’ and ‘SeeMeScotland’, as well as celebrities who have expressed concern for the wellbeing of today’s young people, such as Taylor Swift.

Some of the ideas we have include things like a ‘positive messages board’ in the street, and hosting a

short ‘home-team challenge’ with the primary sevens on their induction days. The positive messages board will be in the street but also online; we will allow pupils to upload short happy messages in order to give their peers a bit of a boost. For the home-team challenge we plan on telling the pupils a bit about mental health and then we will split them into teams of between 10 and 15 people, and ask them ask them to create a poster about what they’ve learned.

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there are people all around us who need to be supported by their family, friends, and everyone in their school community; we want to make sure everyone in our school knows they are loved.........................................................................

We plan on talking to pupils from each year and asking what they would like to happen in the school as well as getting their opinions on the things we’ve already started in the school. We will also be present at events in the near future, where we will be handing out leaflets and answering any questions that people have or just telling them about what we’re doing. We want to get our message across the school community, but also we want as many people as possible to know what we’re doing, so that everyone knows they are loved and supported.

“”

This term four S4 pupils have got to grips with the challenge of leading the school’s work on promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. Here Lucy Williamson writes about their aims.

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‘TalkAboutIt’ is a new Mental Health and Wellbeing committee set up in the school by a group of 4th year pupils. Our aim is to raise awareness of mental health issues and to encourage our peers to be open about their own mental health.

We want our school to be a happy and positive environment where people feel comfortable and safe, and don’t feel as though they’ll be judged; we want to eradicate the stigma of mental health in our school community.

We’re going to do this in different ways, including things like placing a positive messages board in the street for pupils to write happy notes on, as well as running our accounts on Twitter and the blogging platform Tumblr. We also plan on introducing the mental health to younger school years, particularly the new first years on their induction days, so that pupils are more aware of mental health from the beginning of their academic journey in Saint Joseph’s.

All of our work is in the hope that we improve the mental health and wellbeing of the pupils at Saint Joseph’s.If you want to find out more about what we’re doing, have a look in the spring 2015 edition of the school magazine Redblack or you can follow us on Twitter and Tumblr: @SJAtalkaboutit

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my nan and me//

The passion I have for vintage was something I wanted to capture within my art work in a way which almost thanked my Nan for being such an inspirational person in my life. I researched the history of our family, delving into the past and bringing it into the future through my art. Before I became interested in vintage I felt like I had nothing which defined me outside of art. Almost, I was a blank canvas. I found myself in vintage and it has also allowed me to progress as an individual and artist.

I was keen to show a progression in media, varying my technique particularly within my paintings as I was eager to expand my skill base. I love trying new things like painting with tea and diluting juice to working on top of fabric which my Nan brought to the UK from my Great Grandmother. I also use fabric, which gives a vintage style running throughout my work and to the more traditional based materials. The relationship I have with my Nan I'd say is somewhat special. She and I bring out the best in each other and this is something I was very keen to show within my work. Capturing expressions in the most insignificant of backgrounds making our relationship be obvious for anyone to see.

I love making my art work accessible to everyone; finding common grounds within such a personal subject matter. The clothes are all vintage connecting to either my Mum or Nan. This gave it a very sentimental value, pushing me to do them justice in my reproduction. I love the story behind individual pieces of art; interacting with what you see through its past. I experiment with collages and finding new ways to develop my thoughts. Changing my colour pallette through different pieces gives my art variety. There is meaning, value, variety and unique responses, like showing the story of our lives within a book of sayings which my Nan has used throughout my life and which have ever since been imprinted into my brain.

Imprinting the writing onto our faces was to symbolize our connection and how the small things matter so much.

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I love making my art work accessible to everyone; finding common grounds within such a personal subject matter..................................................................................

The most fulfilling part of my year within advanced art has been the opportunity to not be afraid of telling people who I am as a person. Finding self satisfaction within my work. Having the natural ability for the first time to feel real emotion towards something I've poured my heart and soul into. Such a reaction of which I feel couldn't have been produced without the passion for my theme. It's the type of painting which could lift my spirits even on the brightest of days. I remember the very moment this feeling hit me. I was mid-flow into my mock interview for university when I got asked what my thoughts were on a particular painting of me and my Nan.

I looked at it, and then thought to myself for a moment. What did I think of this painting? It was such a simple question with such a simple answer but tears of overwhelming appreciation for my Nan flooded my entire thought pattern. I couldn't quite put into verbal words what it really meant to me, but now I can. It was like the feeling you get when someone gives you a massive hug when you are down, the kind that sweeps round and covers you like a blanket. The safe nestle of a nest or the warm embrace of a hot fire on a winter's night. It is something that can put a smile on your face no matter what obstacles you've underwent through the day. The kind that's always there for you and will never disappear.

My Nan gave all of this to me by just being her. I only have the opportunity to visit my Nan two times a year and this folio has helped me feel even closer to her making me realise how good friends we really are. This folio will forever be close to my heart and hopefully grasp a few others along the way

“”

Advanced Higher Art pupil Jennifer O’ Rourke reflects on the impact of her grandmother on her art and on the importance of a single piece.

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“ Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." This quote from Thomas Merton reflects how art has moulded me throughout my life. It is where I not only find happiness but also discovery within myself.

My primary inspiration was my Nan. This was due to her fascinating background in South Africa and the journey she undertook to come to the UK. She is such a strong character; built from her unsteady start in life and has highly influenced me to be the person I am today. She and my Grandad started a new life in England, with no help but their own self determination. They were hard workers and grafted for their family. They inspired me to be a hard worker in everything I set out to do and without them I just simply wouldn't be me.

My Nan is such a selfless, caring women, who makes me smile from the small or funny gestures to the riveting recall of tonight's news. Her style is something I've adored from when I was small. The elegant black and white photos from her boat journey to England right down to the handmade dresses she made in the 70s of which I'm ever so lucky to own now. She has always taken pride in her appearance right up to this very day.

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fiction: duty to the dead//

“I can’t picture myself skulking around graveyards,

Mum.” Emile had his share of bad jobs, and he didn’t feel like adding another to the list, but he knew she wouldn’t budge on the matter: she hadn’t in the past. “Ye need a job or yer thinkpan’ll rot and your wallet will shrivel ‘n’ die!” Emile sighed, and looked at his mother; a diminutive woman of 85, all wrinkles and scowls. He knew that there was no arguing out of this, he couldn’t avoid applying for any of the other terrible jobs he had in the past, like the sewer taste tester, for example: a job that in hindsight seemed both redundant and highly disturbing.

He turned his attention to the newspaper article once more. It was woefully short. “Graveyard guard needed. Must not ask questions.” He could feel his mother’s aged eyes staring into him from their rocking chair, so he sighed and said, “I’ll do it.”

Emile ducked under the archway of the entrance, a structure left a tad too small by an oversight of the graveyard’s management, or maybe inept builders. As he trudged towards the dull building he assumed was the correct one, he noted that this graveyard felt… different. It felt crowded and noisy, though he knew the only sounds were his own breathing and footsteps. These feelings combined with the eerie glow of the moon to give Emile a sense of dread. He realised that he had no idea what he was going to say during this interview.

He didn’t have long to ponder on the subject, however, as in his lack of attention he had walked directly into a large man, equal parts fat, muscle and cigars. The man was the first to break the silence, asking in a gruff voice if he was here for the job. “Uh, yes,” Emile replied. The man briefly appraised Emile, then spoke once more. “You’re hired.” With that short response, a lantern was thrust into Emile’s hands, and the large man turned to a nearby grave and uttered, “Come”.

Emile was ordered to hold the light steady while the man “maintained this grave”. The man plunged the gleaming head of the shovel into the earth and pulled up, throwing the dirt to the right, creating a large pile.

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Eventually the casket’s top gave way, revealing the corpse of a man who clearly hadn’t been dead long..................................................................................

Emile had countless questions: why did he get the job so quickly? How long has this man been working here? What is his name? What kind of maintenance was this? The normal soft sounds of digging were replaced by a hard thump. The man shot the casket an angry frown, and stabbed at it harder and harder with his shovel. Eventually the casket’s top gave way, revealing the corpse of a man who clearly hadn’t been dead long: his body, though grey and lifeless, free of decomposition. The man reached into the grave and tampered with the body: his impressive width blocked Emile’s view, but when the man held his prize aloft to analyse it in the moonlight, the realisation of what he’d just done hit Emile like a blow to the head.

“Did we just… rob a grave?” He stammered on the sentence like it was threatening to choke him. “Yes,” was the man’s blunt reply. He slipped the ring into one of his pockets and turned to face Emile. “One of the few perks of the job. The other is that you don’t do anything.”

This confused Emile greatly: the local graveyard had a reputation as a “hangout for hooligans” as his mother would have put it. Graffiti seemed to reappear on the inner walls no matter how much it was washed off, and there always seemed to be an abandoned can or discarded wrapper lying around, so when Emile heard that the guard of the place was doing nothing about that, concerns were raised.

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Connor Steven, S5, offers us a tense short story

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“So… Not only do you disrespect the dead, you let littering and vandalism run rampant too?” The man didn’t even look at Emile to give him a reply. “There’s no disrespectin’ goin’ on here, kid,” he said as he began to tamper with another grave.

“Anyway, if you feel so strongly ‘bout it, just take the job and replace me. I’m getting too old for the-” He stopped. Emile raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “Look, just guard the place. I’ll give you the rundown and get outta your hair.”

The guard stayed true to his word: he gave a (rather brief) description of the procedures and surrounding buildings, then promptly left with a small list of instructions: Don’t forget to lock the doors. Don’t use the phone for calls not related to work. Don’t give anyone your name. Don’t respond to any whispers.

Emile tried to inquire about the last two rules, but the guard wouldn’t speak to him, just walked towards the entrance and ducked under the arch, leaving without a word. Emile resolved to be a better guard than his precursor; no shirking responsibilities or defiling resting places. “I’ll be the guard this place needs,” he said with uncharacteristic confidence.

“So glad to hear it,” responded an almost inaudible voice.

Emile whipped his head around and saw nothing. Was that one of the whispers the old guard had mentioned? He turned his head slowly back to face forward, and stifled a scream when he saw a figure kneeling by a grave. Translucent.

A brave person may have attempted to converse with the spirit. A wise person may have attempted a subtle escape. Emile was neither brave nor wise, and so he promptly exclaimed, “Nope” at the top of his lungs and made a mad dash for his office. As he shut the door behind him, he noticed the spirit had turned to watch his antics, but did not give chase. Emile locked the door (not that it would do much good against a ghost) peered out from behind the blinds, and analysed the ghost from the tacky interior. It was a woman, he thought, but he couldn’t quite place the age.

Maybe it was the fact that she was blue and transparent, or because he was dealing with his perceptions of reality being crushed by the sudden realisation of ghosts being real, but he couldn’t decipher her features. Still, from the

way her chest heaved, it appeared she was crying. No – inconsolable sobbing. The kind of sobbing someone experiences when they’ve had everything taken from them.

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A brave person may have attempted to converse with the spirit. A wise person may have attempted a subtle escape..................................................................................

Emile opened the door and ventured a few steps outside, but decided not to bother the ghost, out of respect, and maybe a little cowardice. Mostly cowardice. If he was going to be working here, he’d get the time to work up the courage to talk to her, anyway. He left the grieving ghoul alone to wander around the grounds and see if any other apparitions lurked in the graveyard. Sure enough, he spotted someone – a squat man of stark red colouration, viciously tackling graffiti with unnecessary aggression. The red wraith mumbled and growled as he picked up the (surprisingly corporeal) hose and moved onto the next patch of graffiti. Emile, being the courageous soul he is, once again sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him to the perceived safety of his office, where he stayed until morning.

Over time, Emile grew attached to his job. The pay was alright, and much like the grave digger had said, he didn’t have to do much. He found the source of the litter and graffiti – ghosts. Troubled terrors trapped in limbo, unable to move on, unable to leave the stone confines of the graveyard.

Emile felt a sense of duty in aiding the ghosts in alleviating their woes, and strangely, found that the ghosts had indirectly cured his woes: he now had a stable job with enjoyable work… and excellent company.

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caritas: extraordinary force//

Throughout my Caritas journey I fully believe I have

grown and developed as an individual. My interpretation of what it means to love and be loved has changed dramatically, and I now look at people and their actions in an entirely different light.

When I began my Caritas journey I was under the impression that love was an emotion shared between family and friends. I held the view that love was confined within our own personal bubble, and we could not love anybody we did not know in depth. I have learned that this is not the case.

Love is an action; love is a mind-set; love is a state of being. When we choose to support charities, we are displaying love. When we choose to forgive, we are displaying love. When we choose to act positively, we are displaying love. Love is simply something that enriches the environment around us.

Much like The Good Samaritan, I have begun to reach out to people in need and help them in any way I can, regardless of how many other people have turned a blind eye. The Caritas journey has opened my eyes to the fact “anyone who needs me, and whom I can help is my neighbour.”

In my local area there is a food bank that I have donated to on several occasions. This gesture is very simple, but it is something I would not have considered until I began working towards my Caritas award. Previously I did not have the belief that those who rely on the food bank were undeserving of a donation; it simply was not on my radar to pay it any attention. I, or anybody I know, do not depend on a food bank, and therefore the food bank was not my ‘problem’.

Caritas opened my eyes to the way in which simple gestures can help a community. It has allowed me to

look at the world around me and ask how I can help. Caritas has taught me the invaluable lesson that all of our contributions to this world are of great importance.

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Love is an action; love is a mind-set; love is a state of being..................................................................................

Throughout school I have worked very closely with the school’s Ecuador project. I attend weekly meetings, help with fundraising events and promote the group to the wider community. The aim of the group is to raise awareness and funds for our partner school in the shanty town of Nueva Prosperina, Guayaquil. The Ecuador Project has allowed me to see what life is like for other people around the world. It has given me the opportunity to talk to people on a personal level about the day to day struggles they may face.

This message of understanding, compassion and charity is at the very heart of the Caritas Award. Being able to talk to a person and understand their struggle and dedicating your time to helping in any way possible is spreading love. That is what the Caritas Award encourages me to do. As I have progressed with my Caritas journey, I am a lot more open minded and aware of the difficulties other people face. Because of this I act with compassions, and care, and respect for other people.

If more people were to act with love, care, compassion and understanding the world would be a much more peaceful and fruitful place to live. When you act with love, you will receive love in return.

When I visited the schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and brought the children books, pencil cases and pocket games I received an incredible amount of gratitude and love in return. I received love from people, but also love and appreciation for the world around me.

Pope Benedict XVI says “being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice for a lofty idea, but the

“”

S6 pupil Sarah Kelly writes about the transformational impact of the Caritas Award.

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encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction”. This was particularly true for when I had visited Ecuador and Tanzania. The people I met lived in the poorest parts of mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. They had very little in terms of material items or financial support. The only thing they had was each other, and the unconditional support they received from each other.

When I began my Caritas journey I believed material items and stable finances should be a top priority for people. I thought that without these things people would never be content, or comfortable or even remotely happy.

Since visiting places like Ecuador and Tanzania and completing my Caritas Award my perspective has changed entirely. What makes people happy is feeling loved, and being allowed to give love back and feeling wanted and appreciated. Without basic human nurture and care it is impossible for someone to be truly happy. The people I have met over the last few months have shown me what it means to be happy, and to be a good Christian. They have inspired me to do more work for people less fortunate than myself, and live my life as selflessly as possible.

The most valuable lesson I have taken from Caritas is quite simply my understanding of love. Now, I see love as far more than an emotion. It is a way in which we choose to think and act. Love is something that there can never be too much in our world. By raising money for SCIAF I have demonstrated love. By booking meals for the HCPT Fundraiser I have demonstrated love for the people I do not know. By forgiving my friends for

something they have said, or helping someone with their college application or simply being there for somebody when they needed to talk, I have demonstrated love for the people around me. When you act with kindness, when you act with compassion, when you act with forgiveness, and respect and dignity then you are acting with love.

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Without basic human nurture and care it is impossible for someone to be truly happy. The people I have met over the last few months have shown me what it means to be happy..................................................................................

The whole message of Caritas is to act with love in any and all ways that you can. When we act with love we enrich ourselves, our local community and our international community. It does not matter if someone is black, white or Hispanic, Christian, Muslim or nothing at all, we can all carry out the message of Caritas by following the idea that love conquers all.

Love has the ability to break down barriers and strengthen communities. This is what my Caritas journey has taught me. The only way to enrich our community is to act with kindness, respect and tolerance; act with dignity and compassion – act with love. As the Pope reminds us, “love is an extraordinary force”.

“”

020

fiction: genesis//

Everyone has their own routines. Whether they like

them or not, they have them. Some derive them from education. Others from work. Over time they become monotonous: something you once loved is now a chore and, if you’re me, a chore doesn’t go anywhere. It just sits there mutating into a tumour. Sadly, not a benign one. There are routines that leave you in a Sisyphean cycle. I may rent out my pile of chores for people to roll their boulder up. It’ll take them a while. They can pay by the hour.

I wanted a world of adventures, a world far, far away from the wearying routine of reality. Books. Video Games. TV. They all help. Apparently it’s called escapism: totally immersing yourself in fiction. But these made-up tales rarely continue in the manner you want. Your favourite character can be killed. All it takes is for the writer to lose the plot and the character trips up, leaving them with their boulder at the bottom of the hill. Or, in this case, they get flattened into protagonist pancake, with a side order of over-dramatization.

But I want to be God of the fantasy world.

And so, once upon a time, I picked up my laptop and took control of my own little world. No books or short stories. Hell, no. I possess a distinct lack of ability in writing about how “the pretty little lilacs blew sombrely with their heads bowed in the breeze.” I’d probably be better at playing chess sans voir. I preferred scripts. Why not? I already had a character: Tom Smith. Ok, I admit it; the name’s a bit generic. I was ten. Gimme a rest for crying out loud.

I wasn’t half as bad as I came to expect. Things happened…but only when I made them. I gave Tom a personality; sort of a “Super Me”. Marc with added extras; charm and charisma being the most prominent. For once I felt I was being productive. And I wasn’t going to stop.

My friends found out after some time; took them long enough, but they found out. The hand of God in my world would click its fingers and something not too different from the Pixar Studios Tour would happen. They’d glimpse the characters: their flaws, misconceptions, personalities, stories and – for me most importantly – assortments of Michael Bay-esque scenes. Try car chases through cities with explosions and fatuous camera pans in slow motion at 32.7° offset as the laws of physics were broken around it. Ok, granted I go off on a tangent when explosions are involved. I’m a teenage boy, it’s kinda in our catalogue description.

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car chases through cities with explosions and fatuous camera pans in slow motion at 32.7° offset as the laws of physics were broken around it..................................................................................

The First Edition of my script was printed out to give to one of my friends. It was a quarter finished, cliché-reliant draft. But I was proud of it. Sort of like when a four year old shows a drawing to their parents. It’s not good or even close to it, but it’s theirs. My printer whirred and droned as the new New Testament came “alive”. A physical, tangible copy of a four year old’s Mona Lisa. da Vinci must’ve been euphoric. I understood that for the first time… and it’s entirely possible I danced around. Just a little bit. Imagine a gnat. Yeah, that’s how tiny.

So he got the script, said he’d read it. That was a good eighteen months ago now. He still hasn’t lifted the front page. I’ll bring it up on occasion and he’ll just joke about it. It’s not the fact he didn’t read it that peeved me, however; I used really good quality paper for it. The proper professional paper you get at the “bargain” price when it would be more economical buying a paper mill and making your own. Actually, I live near one. I might just do that. But yeah, it was that

“”

Marc Ferguson, S5, with a short story about the lure of fiction and escapism offered by online worlds.

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type of paper. Lesson learned. Digital only from now on. And, Hallelujah to that, the next person I sent it to hasn’t read it either. The moral high ground was mine though. No paper waste this time.

Since then I’ve sent out so many copies I’ve considered calling myself Amazon Prime. Sounds appropriate. Michael Bay directed the Transformers films after all. With every finished scene my checker would receive a copy. I say “checker”; that’s being rather optimistic. If I were honest, it was one of my friends who actually bothered to give it a read. “Not as good as Harry Potter”, but, overall, she loved it. (I don’t see the fun behind a land of Quidditch and Expeliarmus sticks.)

The first on the conveyor belt of my Gospels took me well over a year whereas a professional could probably do it in a week. So, I’m not excessively far off then.

Shorts. No, not the clothes, but the theatrical kind. Small ten to twenty minute scripts. I thought. My checker, who by now was nothing less than a co-writer, needed a burst of pure elation, and who doesn’t love a ten minute, pun-piled bout of cheesy drama.

“Give me to midday,” I said. That was stupid. It would be impossible to use my powers to finish ten minutes worth of platinum level thriller scenes in one morning. Writing “Fade out” on the end of the script wasn’t even the biggest accomplishment. I had discovered a genre previously unknown to myself.

Romance.

What was this? I started seeking suspense but found myself with a five foot teddy bear. I stopped being the God in this world. Columbus? Yeah, that’s who I was. A brave pioneer, sailing towards unknown evils. Heck, I even failed like he did: shoot for somewhere and end up nowhere near. It didn’t halt me. I gave her my word I’d have a surprise. So I moved on, through stormy writer’s block, avoiding the rocks that were saccharine clichés. In reality I was probably in Bermuda. I felt like it

would swallow me whole; I felt like I’d lose my ideas for good; I felt like I’d shipwreck my characters.

But I didn’t. My inner self gave the call “Land-ho!” as the final words were written. Wringing out my coat, the explorer transformed back to God and looked down at what he had made. And the God saw that it was good.

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I’ve sent out so many copies I’ve considered calling myself Amazon Prime..................................................................................

In retrospect, I suppose my claim to scr...screenplay writing (gotta sound like a pro) is irrefutably ironic. English isn’t my most enjoyed subject, there’s not really a sufficient saturation of numbers... or explosions. I can appreciate Shakespeare and poets. Conversely, studying it “kills me, it really does”. Intermittently, I drift into a whirlpool where I consider just running off to a cabin in the woods with someone who’s eccentric enough to marry me. Here’s hoping she can hear. Now for the interim where I wait for a big-shot Hollywood Director to whisk me off to champagne and parties.

How clichéd. Big Surprise.

I’m content with what I’ve written and reminiscing that the stories I’ve placed on the blank canvas of my world have made my friends laugh, intrigued them and even cry (while fanning their hands around yelling, “That’s so cute!”). Who knows, perhaps I’ll get the Hollywood lifestyle I so desperately desire.

...Now, time to check if anyone’s read my debut yet.

“”

022

st. joseph’s day 2015//

In the Gospel we heard that “Joseph did what the

angel of the Lord had told him to do” and took Mary as his wife. These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the protector, first of all of Mary and Jesus, and then his protection extends to the whole Church because, just as he was dedicated to Jesus’ upbringing, so he watches over and protects the Body of Christ which is the Church.

Pope Francis spoke of St Joseph as protector on the day of his installation as Pope on St Joseph’s Day, 2013 and I share some of his reflections with you today. The Pope described described how Joseph carried out his role as protector: discreet, humbly, silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter faithfulness, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus. Joseph, Mary and Jesus were a real family!

Joseph is a protector because he is able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. Just as Joseph protected Jesus, we must protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others.

Many groups need protection: children, the elderly, those in need, families, friendships. Perhaps as we celebrate the feast day of the school’s patron saint we can reflect on what needs protection in our school

community. There will be many things – let’s focus on three:

Protect the Catholic ethos and values of the school. Good values are a check for our feelings. Sometimes our feelings and desires betray us and our values draw us back to make the right choice. The values at the heart of our school community are the values of Jesus and the Gospel. You will protect these values when you truly “love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself, forgiving and letting people start again”. And remember, by protecting our school ethos, that ethos protects us!

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Protect the Catholic ethos and values of the school. Good values are a check for our feelings. Protect learning. Protect tenderness...................................................................................Protect learning. Schools are marvellous places because the knowledge and experience of so many is shared. Not only the pupils learn at school though! Everyone in a school community can open their minds to learn every day. Value every opportunity to learn more from others – both in terms of knowledge and of virtue. Encourage those who deserve to be honoured for good teaching and learning, even if they do not wish to be honoured.

Finally, protect tenderness. Caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

Saint Joseph, protect our school community, and may we always learn in this place to open our arms to protect and dignify all of God’s people, especially those most in need.

“”

Our annual celebration of the school’s patron Saint was just as special this year.

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On March 19th we celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph. All pupils from S1 - S3 attended Mass said by Fr. Latham at St. Joseph’s Church in Kilmarnock. In the afternoon younger pupils took part in various activities led by senior pupils as a way of marking this special day.

In the evening we held a Mass at St. Matthew’s Church for parents, carers, parishioners and friends of St. Joseph’s. After Mass we held a reception in St. Matthew’s Church hall for all those in attendance with catering provided by Mrs. McErlean. It is always a pleasure to welcome to these events former pupils who can share their memories of the school’s history and that night was no exception.

The evening Mass was said by Fr. McGrattan - his homily is printed here. It focuses on the school’s values and ethos, on the character of St. Joseph and on our duty to care for others.

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writing: the best things in life are not things//

The smooth tip of my finger glided across its

spinning, glassy surface, eagerly awaiting each new bump, groove and indent until the tilted sphere came to a halt. I opened my clenched eyes to see where I had landed on my Grandmother’s beautiful, globe – a majestic ball of inky black, enveloped in white and silver veins. Again and again I would lift my finger to find a new destination engraved in shining capital letters. Bolivia. Nepal. Zambia. Guam. With an overwhelming sense of longing, I reassure myself that, one day, it will not be my finger landing on these corners of the earth, but an aeroplane, depositing me with nothing more than a bursting backpack and an open mind.

However, for now, I must deal with the question that manages to escape the lips of every adult, and slither its way into every conversation: “So, what do you want to do when you grow up?” With a dismissive shrug of the shoulders, shake of the head and wave of the hand, I simply reply with, “Oh, I don’t know”. But this is far from the truth.

I want to travel. I want to see this watercolour world we live in. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been homesick for countries I’ve never seen, and longed to be where I couldn’t be. You see, most people are never present in the now, because they believe that the next moment must be bigger, better and more important than this one. They spend their full lives waiting for a wake-up call, believing they will live a good life eventually. But you know what? Life waits for no one. It has no time for people’s dreams and desires to be put on hold, in a hope that they’ll be fulfilled one day when they’re old, believing it ‘will all be worth it in the end’. Eventually is not okay. Why tomorrow when there is today?

I want to live life in the present; to be here in the now and fully experience the moment. I want to be free from any weight of the past or any fear of the future. Just free. Free to realise that only I can control how I feel. Free to see things for what they are and free to invest my time and effort into what matters to me. I want to meet people who share my passion. I want to skip the colourless conversations and question of ‘what do you do for a living?’ That doesn’t interest me. I want to know what you ache for. Where your heart longs to go. What leaves you in awe. I want to talk, learn and engage with others – friends and strangers and strangers who become friends. I want to set out on a journey that never really ends.

I want to live, not just survive.

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I want to live life in the present; to be here in the now and fully experience the moment. I want to be free from any weight of the past or any fear of the future..................................................................................

I am a strong believer that it is never too early to be who you want to be. Imagination is the beginning of creation and adrenaline pumps hardest in unfamiliar territories. You are only a miniscule grain of sand in the sandstorm that is our world, but the world is not necessarily the way we like to think it is. I don’t think it is one solid world, but rather thousands upon thousands of them. Because each person perceives the world in their own way – each lives in their own world. You are what you take from your experiences. You are a collective of every journey you go through in life. You are every single day, every single moment. You are a living library of knowledge and existence, so let the colours of the world fill your mind and run through your veins like ichor.

For as long as I’ve been creative, I’ve been fearful. Fearful of rejection, fearful of failure, fearful of unhappiness. The idea of not succeeding and letting down my parents and friends and family absolutely terrifies me. I’m terrified of living an ordinary, mundane

“”

S5 pupil Hannah Dougan on what really matters and her desire to travel and experience life to the full - a piece that will resonate with many adults.

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life. Whether life ends with a dot or a dash, I want to find joy in what life really is – living. We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at the living part. Adventure is risk. The world was designed to challenge us, but getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they love the taste of air.

Our world is made of sugar – it can crumble so easily, but we cannot be afraid to reach out and let the sweetness grace our tongues with its goodness. Because before you know it, you’re 80 years old and can’t remember what it feels like to have the mind of a 20 year old or the heart of a 10 year old. I don’t want to look back on my years, only to regret the life I wasn’t living, the places I wasn’t seeing, and the people I wasn’t meeting. I don’t want to live a life full of could haves, would haves or almosts. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and realise I only lived the length of it – I want to have lived the width of it as well. I have chosen the life of uncertainty. I want to do that thing that is just left of centre that no one really understands, but me. I will let my mind wander and let myself become the person I’ve secretly always wanted to be. I have chosen to follow my heart, to let my soul be as free as the crashing ocean and for my days to be ruled by the sun and the moon.

We cannot let the hindering darkness stop us from witnessing the best sunset of our lives.Travelling changes you, but in all the good ways. It leaves you craving more, an addiction that can never quite be sated. Every place, every trip, every person is a new adventure; pulling you deeper into the love of wanderlust. Travel is the adventure of being alive, and travel is in my soul. To me, travel is the make-shift beds and the same t-shirt again tomorrow. It’s the realisation that there are too many skyscrapers and not enough sky in the world. It’s the extraordinary conversations with the ordinary people. It’s burning your skin under your first hot shower in a week, only to cool off by submerging

yourself under the rejuvenating force of an icy waterfall. It’s the simple smile that leads to a broken string of words in two languages that make no sense, but continues nonetheless. It’s the 6am sunrises and the 6pm sunsets. It’s the unfamiliar food, culture and music that changes with every overnight train journey you take. Travel is realising that you have not come home whole, but left a piece of your heart in every place you’ve been...................................................................................

I don’t want to look back on my years, only to regret the life I wasn’t living, the places I wasn’t seeing, and the people I wasn’t meeting. I don’t want to live a life full of could haves, would haves or almosts. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and realise I only lived the length of it – I want to have lived the width of it as well...................................................................................

I want to experience everything the world has to offer – from the blistering afternoon heat of the endless Arizona desert, to the biting cold night under the Norwegian stars. I want my mind to be in constant awe of life on earth. I want to see things through new eyes. I want to look at a map and be able to remember how I was transformed by the places I’ve been to, the people I’ve met, and the things I’ve seen. I want to die with memories, not dreams. I think that we should concern ourselves not so much with the pursuit of happiness, but rather the happiness of pursuit, and I believe that I’m on the path to becoming someone I’m equally terrified of and completely obsessed with – my true self.

“”

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caritas: making a difference//

In my Caritas year I have been given the opportunity

to reflect on the teachings of Pope Benedict and have a deeper understanding of how I can put them into practice. They are no longer words to me, they mean more as I now know how to act on them. When I stopped to think about who my neighbour is I began to appreciate that nobody is perfect and charity is something everybody will always need. I now have a deeper understanding of the true meaning of love and how showing love to others can have a lasting impact as it offers them support and long term security.

Through reflecting and learning about scripture and the Pope’s teachings I have come to realise that my faith is not only a personal thing which should just be kept for myself, it is something that I must share and experience with others. I can do this through charity and showing care and love to others. I have also realised through my own experience and listening to the experience of the various people I met through Caritas that God is present at all times.

One quote from scripture that will stay with me throughout my life is; “You promised me Lord that if I followed you, you would walk with me always but I have noticed that during the most trying period of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand, why? When I needed you most have you not been there for me… when you have seen only one set of footprints my child is when I carried you”.

Before Caritas, I used to have quite have an immature understanding of God and felt that my faith was strongest when my life was going well, if it wasn’t I lost faith in him easily. I now realise through reflecting on scripture in more detail that this is not the case and that God is with all of us particularly in our hardest trials. I have also come to realise, more than ever, the value of the Christian teaching on charity.

The quote “There will never be a time where the charity of each individual Christian is unnecessary” is one that I could not agree with more. I have been deeply impacted by my experience of working in the care home and I feel this quote makes a lot of sense to me.

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Before Caritas, I used to have quite have an immature understanding of God and felt that my faith was strongest when my life was going well..................................................................................

The people I visited in the care home needed someone to open up to, someone to keep them company. Before doing Caritas I would not have considered simply giving up my time and listening to others as “charity” however, I now know that charity is an expression of love and this comes in many forms. Therefore, my attendance at the care home was necessary. All charity, whichever form it comes in, is needed. I now realise that this word is much more than giving your money or physical items to someone, it extends further than that.

I feel I have changed as a person throughout my Caritas journey. My twenty hours in school gave me the opportunity to become more involved than I have ever been in the whole school life. I feel that as a result I have made myself more approachable and become a role model for younger pupils. This is something I feel I would not have been given the opportunity to say had it not been for the award. I now appreciate my school and those in it more.

If I did not do this award, I would not have realised the work that goes on in my school and it has given me a sense of pride to be a part of a school who live out the values of the gospel that I have learned more and more about throughout my year. Furthermore, I feel my experience of working in the care home has had a lasting effect on me.

“”

S6 pupil Regan Ross writes about the transformational impact of the Caritas Award.

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I have a totally different perception of older generations and feel like I have become wiser through my conversations and interactions with them. I would say that I am less inclined to judge people than before as I now fully understand that humans are equal. My work in the care home is what really reinforced this for me. I will be ever thankful of the opportunities to grow emotionally and spiritually that the Caritas award put in front of me.

Before starting the Caritas award, admittedly I had very limited knowledge of what it means to have a faith and didn’t appreciate the teachings of Christianity. My perception of those who had a faith involved people going to mass every Sunday, praying all day and not having a social life. However, this has all changed through taking part in the Caritas award. I would say my faith has been strengthened and renewed.

I now realise that to believe in God and live out a life of faith, does not involve simply praying at all times it is about showing that Christ is alive by responding to others through charity and love. I now know the best way to show that I believe in God is to interact with others and seek out opportunities, through my fellow neighbours, to bring the teaching of Christianity to life. I feel that I now view my faith as a very practical thing.

Ultimately, I feel that I have made a difference to the lives of others and also my own life. I now view the award as something other than simply an academic achievement, but something that is a way of life.

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I now realise that to believe in God and live out a life of faith, does not involve simply praying at all times it is about showing that Christ is alive by responding to others through charity and love..................................................................................

Doing something as simple as spending a little time with someone had such a lasting impact. I formed a personal bond with someone in the care home who was of a different generation and I feel that Caritas gave me the opportunity to interact with others in many different situations which are not typical to my everyday life. I feel my journey through Caritas has allowed me to mature as a person and hopefully given me the strength to encourage many others to take part in this worthwhile award.

“”

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my inspirational dad//

I was inspired by the work my mum and dad do for

our family charity (Orphanaid) that I focused my art folio on them, but more so on my dad. My dad is a big inspiration in my life. His story of how he became who is is the reason why I felt so strongly about concentrating my subject on his journey through life. For me to actually start talking about my work I need to tell you a bit more about my dad.

My dad never had everything as nice as we have it over here in Scotland. He was living a fairly moderate life in Zimbabwe until his mum died due to birth complications when he was about 9 years old. Because they lived in a rural area the bus journey to the hospital was too long and she did not make it. She had just 3 more miles to go. This would not have happened if they lived close to a hospital.

Because of this tragedy my granddad had to quit his job so he could look after his 5 children, with the youngest of them being under 1 years of age. This was a tough time for them. All the pain and suffering came due to the fact that there was only one parent looking after 5 children all no older than 9 years, my dad being the oldest. Income became reduced therefore my dad could not go to school as my granddad could not afford school fees anymore.

It wasn't until someone in the UK (still unknown) paid for my dad's education that he was able to attend school. Because of this person, when my dad had completed education (now a staff nurse in the UK) that he decided to start his own charity called Orphanaid to help orphaned children in Zimbabwe pay for their school fees, uniforms, shoes, books and stationary.

This kind hearted person who we still don't know who they are today has been the big driving force in my dad's life and therefore has also inspired me to help out more. This person has shown love towards my

dad which is why both my parents are driven to go out their way in order to help kids in Africa who are less fortunate that we are. My dad knows how much it hurts because he has been through it himself. This has made me realise how much I take the simple things like education (or even pencils or shoes) for granted. Here in Scotland we are given all this for free, we don't even know how lucky we are. This is also the reason for my theme.

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My dad knows how much it hurts because he has been through it himself. This has made me realise how much I take the simple things like education (or even pencils or shoes) for granted..................................................................................

Because my theme this year my focus is on black skin. I have to say my style of painting has also changed drastically. I have gained a lot more confidence with using colours especially when painting black people (Miss Woodward - I owe you a lot). To really portray the journey my dad has been through I thought I could start off by using paint straight from the tubs (no mixing) to show his personality and experiences in a different way.

The block colours also helped me to see colours on black skin that I didn't know existed instead of painting with just browns and blacks (colours which I thought were the real skin colour tones for black people). In actual fact, Black skin has a lot of deep purples, blues, reds oranges and yellows. Paying attention to these colours has made my paintings a bit more realistic and less 2D.

Feet are an important part of our body that enable us to move from place to place and without them, we cannot physically go anywhere - excluding a wheelchair of course - which is why, along with my dad's face, feet are my subject choice. By using feet I can really emphasise the journey he has been through

“”

S6 pupil Tatenda Tapatapa shares the link between her father’s charity work and the art she has produced for Advanced Higher.

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and the poverty of the orphaned kids suffering in Zimbabwe.

The maps in the background portray a journey and the feet painted on top shows all the accomplishments that my dad has achieved through this road/ journey that he has walked through metaphorically. I also chose to paint a lot of African women to really put across the African culture and flavour into my work. I have been living in Scotland almost all my life but my culture is still a massive part of my life and I am proud of it because it

makes me who I am. This is also another reason for my art folio to be mainly African orientated.

Advanced art has really made me a more confident individual just because there is so much to experiment with. This year I have used chalk on maps, used maps to make up the contours of a face (who knew you could do that), painted with black people with pure blues and yellows and got my hands on a lot more interesting tools and materials like a butter knife (ordinary object but unusual to paint with). The butter knife was brilliant for texture- I loved it!

031

should we celebrate or slate the Brit Awards?//

With the annual Brit Awards on course to take place

on the February the 25th it seems that each year more and more artists speak out against this patriotic propaganda parade. I’ve always watched the Brit Awards hoping for my favourite artists to win and be acknowledged for their inspiring success but each year I develop more and more concern about the validity of the recipients of these awards. It appears to be a hierarchy of perceived popularity of meaningless songs with catchy jingles and materialistic ‘singers’.

Yet, I must give credit to the entertainment factor, without fail I will watch these awards each year- and why? Well because I want to, I want to see who wins, who performs and who hosts. It’s an event that we in Britain take great pride in. America have bettered us with the Grammys almost every year and it’s became apparent recently that we cheeky Brits are invading their soil, our artists are dominating their events whilst also supplementing our own ceremonies.

However, despite the entertainment this event is after all about awarding those hard working musicians that have dreamed about it since they were using pencils as drumsticks. It’s important we realise how much work and effort our pride and joy put into their music. First of all they need to learn to sing or play whichever instrument they are accustomed to, they then need to create an astounding piece of music that will get them noticed by a record label, they then need to be good enough to be signed by that label, they need to be able to sell out arenas and stadiums, they need to be popular and they need to be liked. Oh, sorry, no they don’t.

How many artists nowadays have actually approached producer after producer making CD after CD posting them through post box after post box. No longer does the artist seek out the label, it is now the labels

seeking out the ‘artists’. They’re not artists, they’re just aesthetics. Take a look at the charts, airbrushed cheeks, sparkling eyes, toned tummys and flawless hair – yes that’s both the men and the women. Where’s the raw untamed bad boys? The rough unpolished lead girls? Why is it you need to be good-looking to be an artist these days?

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I want to see who wins, who performs and who hosts. It’s an event that we in Britain take great pride in..................................................................................

Morrissey - a truly pronounced public figure of vital importance in the British music scene – besmirched the Brits by commenting "In the guise of serving the public, the Brit Awards have hi-jacked modern music in order to kill off the heritage that produced so many interesting people.”

Whilst Morrissey has always been an outspoken character, his disagreements usually have texture and weight behind them. And this one is no different. Recurring absences of artists from opposing genres to pop at the Brits has been a heinous omission towards the more diverse taste of citizens of Britain. We don’t all listen to Taylor Swift whilst pretending to drive our convertibles down a mainstream country road with our large sunglasses blinding us from what we’re actually hearing.

I wouldn’t consider myself, or many others in this country, a jazzy person; It’s just not to my taste. However, that does not mean I can’t appreciate that it is good music, it does appeal to many people, the artist’s do put all their time and money into the labouring process of creating the music. The soul of the jazz singer physically touches you, it consoles you- if you let it. How many jazz musicians get awarded or even invited to the Brits? How many heavy metal bands, how many classical artists get awarded for keeping a dying tradition alive. The United

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Nathan Dorrans (S5) asks some searching questions of a long established music instituion?

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Kingdom; people appreciating each-other no matter how different they are, we are a beacon to the globe for diversity and togetherness. Why isn’t it like that with music?

Another musical giant (Noel Gallagher) has backed comments issued by currently one of Britain’s greatest groups - Kasabian- who advocated that the Brit Awards are “rigged”. After hearing word that they would receive no nominations at this year’s Brits, Kasabian’s guitarist Serge Pizzorno lambasted the awards and said "They're trying to shut rock n' roll out of [the Brits]. What sort of message does that send to working class rock 'n' roll bands which the industry is in dire need of?” Noel Gallagher added "If Kasabian don't fulfil the criteria for one of the best groups, what is that saying?”.

Kasabian achieved great success with the release of their album 48:13 last year. It even lead them to headlining Glastonbury and being chosen to open this year’s BAFTAs. From this you would expect that they would be remunerated for their efforts. Maybe Kasabian are right. Rock is loud, rock is outrageous, rock is anti-establishment, rock is rebellious, rock is controversial but most of all rock just isn’t current anymore. Record labels stopped funding rock ‘n’ roll because it was unpredictable, the popularity light switch couldn’t be controlled by the men in suits and they despised that. They want to control the fame, the popularity, the public image; but you just can’t do that with rock ‘n’ roll.

You never see Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran getting arrested for punching a photographer or speaking out against the royal family. The angelic images of modern music must remain spotless in order to force out young working class bands from ever breaking through into fame. And it’s downright outrageous to think that Morrissey, Kasabian and Noel Gallagher will not receive any nominations at this year’s Brits. There are one or two major label rock artists amongst the nominations like Royal Blood and Damon Albarn. But when rock and alternative bands seem to still have some sort of domination in British chart success it’s astounding to think that every song nominated for ‘Best British Single’ is electronically created. Set to harnessed vocals producing the words of a talentless writer who is lost in the abyss of the industry I suppose he’s marked down as just another string on the guitar.

The music being celebrated at this year’s awards all sounds the same, my gran described it best. Watching last year’s awards when watching Katy Perry she said “I really like her, but didn’t she do this last year?” No, she didn’t. But you couldn’t be blamed for believing that. If one of her songs doesn’t sound like one she’s already released then it sounds like a single that someone else has released.

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Rock is loud, rock is outrageous, rock is anti-establishment, rock is rebellious, rock is controversial but most of all rock just isn’t current anymore..................................................................................

Ant and Dec are presenting the awards this year. Yes the two beacons of the British music scene are ‘getting ready to rumble’. I can’t help but think these awards should be hosted by a musical icon. Yes Ant and Dec can certainly present and entertain but what are they to British music?

Well I certainly will be watching this year, so will many of us around the country, and yes it will be quite a spectacle. However ask yourself if the artists that win this year actually deserve it, is it just because of their looks? The catchy song they chanted? Do their songs scream emotion? Or do they scream déjà vu? Think about how many classic quartets of vocals, electric guitar, bass and drums you see. Are all these spiralling loops repeated over and over again, every song, every album, every artist, every award ceremony, every year. Morrissey added this to what he said earlier - "The larger truth may be that any singer or band of any dignity would not join the fantasy pudgery of the Brit Awards... not having accepted a Brit Award indicates classical value for any artist who takes their music seriously.” Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.

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caritas: love grows through love//

In my Caritas During my final year at school, I have

embarked on achieving the Caritas Award. Through this, I have been able to learn not only about my faith and the meanings of the Pope’s teachings but a lot about myself as a human being or as I can now say with an understanding, as a product of God’s creation.

Within this journey to achieve my award I have learnt the meanings of the Pope’s teachings and about my faith. I will admit, at the beginning of this journey, the term “my neighbour” meant very little to me, not because I did not care but purely because I had no knowledge of its importance within my faith. I am now able to show ways in which I love my neighbour. This does not mean I publicly show signs of affection with a kiss or a hug or by telling everyone I love them, it simply means I take part in voluntary tasks which show my support to the less fortunate and display the respect I have for them.

These tasks involved me helping out at a foodbank where I effortlessly packed bags with food for the poor, I packed bags at my local supermarket to raise money for the sick, and I took part in many fundraisers within my school in order to raise money for different charities across the world. I had to complete 40 hours of this voluntary work and I have to admit, nearing the end of my journey it became less of me having to do it and more of me wanting to do it.

I cannot stress enough how amazing the feeling is when you see a smile on someone’s face and you know that it is there because of you. That really was something that I noticed within my Caritas journey, it didn’t have to be an expensive gift to make these people happy but a simple sign that you care.

Showing this love to your neighbour “is a path that leads to the encounter with God.” Somewhere in the Pope’s teachings it is said that there will “never be a time where the charity of each individual Christian is unnecessary” and I cannot agree with that more. How is it possible to pack TOO many bags at the Foodbanks? How is it

possible to raise TOO much money for the sick? How will it ever be possible to put TOO many smiles on someone’s face? Those are questions which simply cannot be answered because there is no possibility in any of them.

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Not only will I continue to do volunteer work, I now will share with other Christians my views on this Caritas journey and will attempt to open their eyes..................................................................................

To sum up my Caritas journey would be to mention how worthwhile an experience it was for me. Gaining insights to my faith and being able to take part in the work done to show “divine” love to my neighbour was a massive experience that I feel lucky to have been apart of. I can guarantee that I am going to continue to volunteer at places like the foodbank and continue to help raise money for the people in this world that need it most and continue to and hopefully begin to play a bigger role within my parish.

Not only will I continue to do volunteer work, I now will share with other Christians my views on this Caritas journey and will attempt to open their eyes to the amazing work that can be achieved with a simple sign of care. I am no longer naïve to the needs of others and I know I can make a difference.

As the Pope’s teachings state that “love grows though love”, it is in fact very true. The love I show to my neighbours when helping them form a bond between us within our faith and within that, love is grown. Not only do I feel lucky to have been a part of such an incredible award but I am extremely happy that I chose to go through with this despite the mountains of work I have been given over the last year.

As daunting as 40 hours sounds, the results of my work within that time were so satisfying that it made schoolwork so much more endurable. Who could have thought I would be saying that more work was helpful? It truly shows the roaring success that came from my Caritas journey.

S6 pupil Patrick Hammill writes about the transformational impact of the Caritas Award.

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My self-portrait is about the way I see myself in school. I have tried to show a struggle between the emotions that I hold within myself. I want to do really well in school and behave well but sometimes I find it really difficult. I don’t always know why I find it so hard.

In my portrait I’ve used a rose which is normally used as a romantic symbol but I painted the lines in black and drew in tiny droplets of blood to demonstrate that things are not always what they seem. I used the same concept for the ballet shoes, which are usually pink and soft and are regarded as graceful and gentle. However, I painted them in jet black and red to suggest a degree of danger and insecurity. My eye has a yin and yang symbol with broken glass for eye lashes to represent calm, but tragedy at the same time.

I wanted to show people my struggle and that what is on the surface is not always who I really am. This project really helped me come to that realisation.

the real me//An S2 pupil expresses her true self through art and finds it revealing and therapeutic.

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This term I have combined my art work and IDL together. I began to explore the link between different subjects and in this case I combined design and biology.

I looked at plant cells for my inspiration in particular, examining their shapes, form and colours. I thought to look at their structure as they are very impressive and beautiful to look at.

I started to break down the shapes and try to recreate them with art materials. I used paper straws and moulded them together to create the cell wall. Then I painted them with a metallic green paint. Using a glue gun I tried to create the soft translucent texture and appearance of the cell vacuum. Then I manipulated femo in lots of different colours to create the detailed areas of the cell. I joined the paper straws together to make a structure which could go over a head and be worn like a necklace.

I took this idea further and explored how I could make a full textile piece which could be worn as a dress. After making the initial dress template, I used the same materials to add decoration to the dress, still using cells as my inspiration. So I have so far made a necklace and a dress and now I am starting to work on producing a printed fabric piece.

From working on this project, I’ve come to understand how different subjects can link. For me now, two very diverse subjects can be used side-by-side. I’m looking forward to exploring how far I can take this idea.

cconnecting art and biology//Sandra Wicik in S3 has been undertaking some exciting and inspiring interdisciplinary learning this year. Here she describes the process and her learning.

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STEM in S1: Spirit Aero SystemsConrad Jones from Spirit Aero systems visited the school during April to talk to all S1 pupils about the possibilities of a career in Engineering. Conrad from Spirit Aero systems brought along the amazing custom built “Tot Rod”. The Tot Rod is a custom built mini hotrod which is battery powered and can reach a speed of 30 mph.

Conrad spoke to pupils about his journey from school to university and now working for Spirit Aero systems in the future materials & manufacture department. He explained how the Tot Rod was designed and manufactured using simple engineering and expensive composite materials.

The highlight for one lucky pupil (Billy Gilheaney) was the chance to tear up the school playground with the custom machine. Billy can be seen in the photograph (left) putting pedal to metal. It has to be said Billy was not very keen to use brakes.

[cont//]

cinterdisciplinary learning//St. Joseph’s Academy is a shining example of excellent interdisciplinary learning. Here are a few examples from S1 and S2, courtesy of Mr. Ritson.

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LifeSchool 360

This month pupils have been discussing and exploring some very technical and hard hitting issues in Lifeschool 360.

S1 pupils have been debating the relevance and effectiveness of Fairtrade, and the atrocities of child soldiers on the African Continent. Pupils have been considering the contrast of these two topics and asking some big questions such as:

Why is this still allowed to happen?

Why do these issues exist mainly in developing countries?

What are conflict diamonds and how do they shape an entire nations future so much?

On the facing page are some examples of incredible pastel work by May Stirling depicting two child soldiers.

S2 pupils have been studying the engineering principals of bridge design and construction. The pupils researched a multitude of bridge designs before designing and building their own scale bridges. They were given a simple brief

K’nex Challenge

Mr Szumlakowski was asked to judge the recent K’nex challenge which was hosted in St Joseph’s Academy. The challenge saw teams from all of the learning partnership schools compete to be crowned champions for 2015. The eventual winners on the day were St Sophia’s with St Andrews primary closely behind in 2nd place.

Here are some pictures of the creative and mechanically amazing vehicles the pupils created.

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cspring showcase & concert//In what promises to be an annual event pupils studying music, art and drama came together to perform for the school community on April 1st.

Our first Spring Showcase was a delight. An audience of around 100 parens and members of the school community were treated to a variety of performances from pupils from S1 - S6.

These performances included solos on piano and pipes from Daniel Johnston, piano work from Ruari Heron-Cunningham, drama from Leigh Dunnachie and Rachel McClelland and a sole bass piece from Donald Jessop. In addition, groups of musical performers including Gemma McIvor and Morven Campbell and the four girls pictured on the left brought a collaborative note to the evening.

The hall was set up to display a range of high quality artwork from all year groups, including some 3-D work. The Parent Council were on hand to offer refreshments as well.

Mr. Cowan, who co-ordinated the evening with the Art & Music Department staff, was delighted with the event, particularly with the many positive comments on the intimate and informal nature of the showcase. He commented: ‘This has been a great success and I am very grateful to all who gave of their time to make it happen and to come along as members of the audience. I am sure that this will continue the successful development of the new faculty and we are planning more events of a similar nature.’

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caround the school this spring//

The last two weeks of term were chock full of events and opportunities for learning. On this page you can see two ‘lasts’: the retirement of Andrea Nutt, school secretary, and Daniel Johnston’s farewell East Ayrshire Gala Concert.

Below left are three S1s with their booty from the charity swapping event held in the library on March 27th.

Opposite are pictures from day of the S6 Karkinos Project, an enterprise event examining ways in which pupils can use their skills to address the challenges of cancer. This included a presentation to S2 classes from Iona of the Teenage Cancer Trust and also involved business input from Todd of the Avenue Coffee Roasting Co. and Craig from Giglets publishing.

On page 44 you can see P7 pupils who had successfully completed the sponsored read and some SJA pupils with representatives from the Scottish Youth Parliament who visited the school on March 17th for the national hustings and ballot. All pupils were involved in this.

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cScothot exhibition//

Some of the practical cookery pupils who are interested in a career in catering attended the ScotHot exhibition on Wednesday 4th March 2015. The exhibition is only hosted in Glasgow, at the SECC, every 2 years. All of the attendees said that this was a great experience for them. The intense level of competitiveness was evident at some of the competitions which we saw for example “The Sustainable Fish Dish”, “The Scottish Colleges Culinary Challenge” and the “Gresham Duck Challenge” with Ayrshire College being among the competitors. Seeing part of the UK Barista championship competition was an eye-opener as we witnessed what a great deal was required from each competitor.

When we arrived the cake decorating and confectionery competition was being marked. Some of us thought that designs of the cakes (and indeed the lard sculpture) were inspiring.

We also got the opportunity to hear speakers on topics specific to the catering industry. Abigail Barr and Iona Smyth Nimmo remembered listening to the speaker on Scottish Terroir. He spoke of how the soil and climate of Scotland created an individual flavour for foods (an example given was Ayrshire Dunlop Cheese which looks set to be granted protected food status by the EU). They also remember that these foods with their countries flavours are being imported and help tourists when they go back home to remember their visit to Scotland.

Many of those attending reported that they learned that the hospitality industry can take you in many different ways. Dillon Murray states that he “gained confidence” in how the industry works and that it “gave me an idea if I want to continue on with this industry in the future as I believe that this industry would suit me best” for a job in the future. Lachlan Shirkie also stated that attendance at the exhibition has helped him to “gain confidence” in knowledge of the hospitality sector.

Ebony McDonald and Erin Cameron both used the exhibition as a means to find out more about hospitality working and enquired about the army catering corps along with other catering sector career choices.

As well as all the above experiences a little bonus of the exhibition was being able to taste new foods that companies were putting on the market. All attendees shared this perk, with ice-cream being a particular favourite.

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csociety of st. vincent de paul//S3 pupil Sarah Stewart writes about the experience of developing the SSVP at St. Joseph’s Academy and describes a retreat attended by a number of pupils.

Our S3 Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP) trip to the Conforti Institute in Coatbridge helped to inform us more about ‘global problems’ throughout the world. For most of the visit, we focused on money, inequality and the major differences between different social classes, ranging from the very poor to wealthy celebrities.

We explored the issue of worldwide trading with supplies like sugar, rice, medicine and cotton and how unfair the trading ‘game’ is for the poorer countries in the world. We also learned the difference between the minimum wage and the living wage, after which we played a game about managing money. The game was harder than we expected because of our lack of knowledge regarding how much money it takes to keep yourself and your family fed, heated, clothed and still have enough money left for a social life.

We then learned about our rights and how Human Rights came to be. We discovered that Human Rights are not law everywhere, meaning than some people in the world attempt to take away other’s rights.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Conforti Institute and would recommend a visit to anyone who would like to learn more about these issues. As a result of our trip, the school now has a SSVP group and we hope that, with the school’s support, we can make this a success.

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con and off the field//A round-up of the news and achievements from the PE department, written by Mr. Howson.

We believe that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as it can be an essential part of making learning memorable. Therefore, we endeavour to provide opportunities for our young people to display their talents, nurture their interests and sharing their learning with others.

Displaying talents through Parkour

Learning can take place almost anywhere, be it in a class, outside, in a gymnasium or in this case, for a handpicked selection of S1 – S3 boys their learning took place across the very the streets of our local community in Kilmarnock. We were privileged to receive expert training from Scott Houston of Parkour Glasgow (@glasgowparkour). Scott worked with a dedicated group of young boys from St Joseph’s every Tuesday and Wednesday for 10 fulfilling weeks to help hone in on their athletic ability and trained them in the art of Parkour. Parkour, also referred to as free running, is a non-competitive activity that aims to build confidence, self-discipline and self-expression among its participants. Each week our young people would take part in sessions that would incorporate gymnastics equipment the learners were familiar with but were to be used in an unfamiliar way.

Scott worked with the boys to teach them how to move freely over and through any terrain using only the abilities of the body, principally through running, jumping and climbing. In practice the focus was on developing the fundamental attributes required for such movement, which include functional strength and fitness, balance, spatial awareness, agility, coordination, precision, control and creative vision.

This unique piece of learning acted as a journey to an incredible end project. After weeks of ‘heart in mouth moments’ of running up and down walls, leaping fearlessly over boxes, benches, sometimes even their

classmates and anything else the boys could get their hands on, they were tasked with creating and performing a parkour sequence that started from St Joseph’s Academy, that would then meander through our local Kay Park, down our nearby streets until we reached the Palace Theatre making use of any walls, benches or even chutes that the group could run, climb or leap from.

This admirable sequence was professionally filmed and displayed in the Palace Theatre on March 17th where 500 spectators watched in awe as the boys’ journey was brought to life on the big screen. As the video neared its climax, the boys shocked the audience by bursting on to the stage with their ever present exuberant energy to perform a LIVE performance displaying their learning on a platform truly reflective and deserving of their hard work and dedication.

Nurturing pupils’ interests

On Saturday 14th March a bus load of eager learners packed their kit bags and headed south of the border to Burnley FC to experience football on a grander scale. To put learning in a real life experience and allow learners to better understand the benefits of viewing model performers, 45 boys and girls with a keen interest in football were provided with the opportunity to sit front row to watch Burnley FC take on current premiership Champions and one of the world’s most star studded football teams Manchester City battle it out in a LIVE premiership clash.

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The match provided and electric atmosphere as the group cheered on Burnley to victory. This experience acted as the perfect end to a much valued experience as prior to taking our front row seats the group took part in a two hour training session led by professional Burnley FC coaches. The group arrived at the Prairie Sports Village in Burnley and were then organised into age groups and took part in 4 different training sessions that focused on skill development, game related movement and tactical positioning. Always looking to go bigger and better we have moved on from last years match day experience of Everton v Arsenal, to bigger experience for the learners this time around, therefore, hopefully, next year we will again offer a platform for our young people to nurture their interests.

East Ayrshire Heptathlon

May is the month when the sun, sometimes, comes out and allows us in the PE department to throw away the waterproof coats and enjoy some teaching

outside in the sun and for our learners it sees the beginning of our highly anticipated Athletics unit. Athletics is a fantastic unit for all concerned and one in which many of our young people foster a keen interest and for some recently we had the opportunity to compete in the much enjoyed East Ayrshire ‘Giant Heptathlon’ at Ayrshire’s Athletic Arena.

The competition is made up of 10 schools and for St Joseph’s our young people involved truly excelled by claiming 3rd spot.

Sharing learning through leadership

2014-2015 has seen the introduction of our new Activity Leaders programme in the PE department. Providing opportunities for our young people to lead is crucial for their development and as such we wanted to provide a course designed to help our learners. The course enhances their communication skills, their organisational skills and helps to promote a sense of responsibility among the learners. This was reaffirmed following discussions with our Activity Leaders who citied common phrases such as ‘this course has made me feel so much more confident’; ‘I have really came out of my shell’; ‘I can’t believe I was able to lead groups of pupils’ and ‘This was my favourite part of the week, I always enjoyed challenging myself’.

In a course where pupils firmly developed a range of life skills has proven to be huge hit. For a double period each Monday a group of S5 and S6 pupils were involved in learning how to lead younger pupils, this involved theory lessons focussing on what makes a good coach, different ways to communicate as well as ways to structure lessons. In practical, the learners took part in an array of activities, some led by external professionals who would provide our youngsters with National Governing Body Awards that can go alongside their academic achievements.

Above all else, all this learning was put into a real life context as

the learners had the opportunity to become coaches. With a whistles in one hand and a lesson plan in the other, the coaches stepped in to the games hall with over 100 bright, smiley and some mischievous faces staring down on them ready run, scream, moan and in a lot of cases cry. The leaders put all their learning into practice and truly stepped up to the mark and delivered lessons of the highest standard.

Each week they flourished more and more and have achieved in one year something many of them probably would have thought was not even possible. A fantastic effort from every single St Joseph’s Academy Activity Leader, they have set the bar very high for our next intake in 2015/2016.

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Life is what you make it. All great achievements

take time. Celebrate success - yours and other

people’s BE OPEN TO INSPIRATION love the things you

learn. love others unconditionally. enjoy peace

and quiet, seek it out from time to time THINK OF

OTHERS Accept yourself as you are. Everything you

do is important. Presume the best in people MAKE A

DIFFERENCE If you want to feel good, do good. We

have diversity in common - embrace it. Everyone is

welcome here MAKE YOUR MARK Ability is nothing

without opportunity. Open your heart, mind and

arms to new things. Seize opportunities. You are

responsible for yourself BE CURIOUS Questions lead

learning so ask good ones. No bird can soar on its

wings alone. Remember that we can all change and

grow INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM A good head and a good

heart are always a formidable combination.

Education is a conversation - so talk AIM HIGH A

change in attitude can save your life. Enjoy what

you do and pass on your passion TAKE PART

Adventure is the very essence of life. Smile -

e v e r y o n e l o o k s b e t t e r w h e n t h e y d o .

THIS IS SAINT JOSEPH’S.

W O R K I N G T O G E T H E R M A K E S G R E A T L E A R N I N G

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Saint Joseph’s AcademyTHIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT

Y Z

was invested as

House Vice-Captain

and, inspired by the example of Christ, St. Andrew and St. Joseph,promised before pupils, teachers, clergy and parents

to live out our shared Gospel values,

lead and serve others, demonstrate in all things our high standards and expectations

and work for the greater good of the school and its community

on this day the TWENTY-SEVENTH of SEPTEMBER in the year 2012.

Ben DavisActing Headteacher

Claire McInallyDepute Headteacher

FIDELIS JUSTUS PRUDENS

UU UUINSPIRE AND TRANSFORM

Saint Joseph’s AcademyGrassyards Rd

KilmarnockKA3 7SL

01563 526144

www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk@StJoAcad (Twitter)

Acting Headteacher: Ben Davisben.davis@east-ayrshire.gov.uk