Spring 2015 Ayrshire’s only Independent School Founded 1836

the turretWELLINGTON SCHOOL

NEWSLETTER

During the October holidays a group of eight students from Wellington School, together with a further eight pupils from Wellington’s partner school St Dominique, in France, travelled to India on an exchange visit to St Edmund’s school in Jaipur. Three members of staff accompanied the group. Ross Hastings, one of the senior boys on the trip, wrote the following account:We were filled with feelings of both excitement and anticipation because we had no idea what to expect, especially since we were staying with host families. The long journey that would take almost 20 hours in total began at Glasgow Airport. At Heathrow we met with the French group and thereafter flew to Delhi from where we took a bus to Jaipur.Due to the fact that we were living the same way as our Indian hosts, we had the opportunity to experience many different aspects of their way of life, from things as simple as their daily routine, to the wonderfully extravagant Diwali Celebrations.

Wellington Wade - a Freezing February Dip

for ‘Meningitis Now’

continued on back

A group of intrepid pupils (and one teacher) took the plunge for charity on a cold, still day in early February. Cheered on by a large group of pupils and staff, the group ran into the icy waters for a lunchtime dip. There were a few chattering teeth afterwards, which were soon brought under control by the hot chocolate and dry towels on offer, and over £600 was added to the Sixth Year charity for this session, Meningitis Now.

Formed in 2013, Meningitis Now exists to save lives and rebuild futures by funding research, raising awareness and providing support. It was the powerful image of the impact on families of the devastation that can be left when a loved one is struck down with meningitis that won the hearts of the S6 year group in deciding which good cause to support.With no central Government funding, Meningitis Now is dependent on voluntary donations to continue its work.

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PupilExchange to Jaipur

Well done to all the Wellington School performers from Primary 1 to Primary 3 who acted in this year`s original Nativity play, ‘Bethlehem’s got Talent’, in December. There was great acting, singing, dancing, humour and timing from all the young participants, providing a lot of fun for all the family! Mr Haggerty wrote the music, Mr Sheils supervised the lighting, Mrs Rimmer was in charge of the costumes, and Primary 1 teacher Mrs MacKenzie wrote the wonderful script and lyrics. Simon, Amanda and David were played by Ellis Porter, Charlotte Hardy and Callum Frater. Oonagh Clark was Mary and Monty Saunders played Joseph.The hall was packed for two performances to cater for all the mums, dads, grannies, granddads and friends who turned up to support the children.Both the Primary and Nursery plays were videoed as a record for parents and friends.

Bethlehem’s Got TalentMonty and Oonagh

Lemoni The full cast take a bow

Colourful costumes

Alf-Kirk and Flynn

Simon, Amanda and David voice their opinions

On the same day in December, children from the Nursery performed their Nativity play ‘Angel Express’ to an enthusiastic audience.The show was a great success with star performances from the youngest pupils at the school. With stunning costumes, catchy tunes and plenty of action, this was a very enjoyable production. Mary and Joseph were played by Macey Corrigan and Lewis Flynn. Jasper Thomas was the Angel Paper Boy who kept everyone updated with what was going on, and Hamish Reid played the part of the Angel Choir Conductor.Special thanks to Mrs Aileen Hamilton and Mrs Linda Fleming for directing the show, and to Mr Dennis Haggerty, the Musical Director.

Angel ExpressMacey and Lewis

Zak and CallumAmara, Zak and Chloe Isla

Hamish, Lewis, Macey and Jasper

The angel choir

The Taj Mahal

A warm welcome from St Edmund’s School

Our first four days in India were largely taken up by our visits to St Edmund’s School to see the way their classes were taught. As a result of India’s recent success of their satellite mission to Mars, the Physics Department at St Edmund’s was very proud to show us their detailed and interesting representation of how the mission panned out. The afternoons at school were spent being taught a traditional dance known as Dandiya which is a type of dance where participants use bamboo sticks to keep rhythm. We were surprised to find out that we would be expected to dress up in colourful and intricately decorated clothes and perform the dance at a specially hosted Dandiya evening. The French students had a chance to show off their musical talents with a performance of Imagine by John Lennon which the Indians enjoyed, and Wellington’s Matthew Taylor treated us to some Tchaikovsky. During our second week at the school, we took part in their Inter-House Day which was extremely different to ones we were used to. The main spectacle was without a doubt the dance competition. Each of the four houses was allowed to put forward two acts in the hope of winning the best scores

from the honorary judges, the visiting teachers Mrs Coontz, Madame Norris and Madame Lambré. Being eager to get involved in the activities, we volunteered to play basketball and represent Wellington which sadly didn’t go as well as it could have as we lost 23 points to 19; however, Cameron Reece did win Man of the Match.

It was easy to agree that the trips and excursions were our favourite part of the whole exchange as we got to see how the majority of Indians lived just by looking out the bus window. Even though the bus to the Taj Mahal took four hours, there was always something to watch, however nothing could compare to the building itself. As you enter the forecourt, the Taj

Pupil Exchange to JaipurMahal is hidden from view by a large red sandstone gatehouse; this later becomes a frame for the Taj Mahal as you enter into the main gardens.There was no better way to leave Jaipur than to stay up most of the night setting off fireworks and other pyrotechnics as the nation celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Deafening bangs and blinding flashes aside, the sights of whole streets lit up like Christmas trees and buildings draped in vibrant colours seemed like the perfect end to an unfortunately short trip to India. However we keep in contact with our exchange partners and their families who send us photos of our time there on an almost daily basis. Though it’s a long way away and it may seem daunting to go to such a culturally different place, the exchange to India is definitely an opportunity not to be missed and I would recommend it to anyone interested in going abroad with the school without a doubt. The next visit to India will take place in December 2015. This is a tour of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur for pupils in S5 and S6. The trip will include a day at St Edmund’s School.

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Diwali decorationElephant ride

During the October break, a group of 18 pupils set off to New York to participate in Music, Theatre and Dance workshops off Broadway. The theme of the workshops was centred around “The Lion King”, which the group saw on the Saturday evening. Pupils learned songs and dances from the show, led by actors from the production, and gained invaluable insight into life behind the scenes in a theatre. It was most exciting being able to identify with the scenes that they knew and spotting their tutors on stage! The group also participated in acting and drama workshops, learning how to develop a character and a scene. In free time, there were non-stop activities including a sight-seeing tour, shopping trips and visits to famous sites. The group was awed by Radio City Music Hall, as well as taking in the breathtaking view from the top of the Empire State Building. They had the opportunity to glimpse the Statue of Liberty, appreciate the bright lights of Times Square, as well as having a relaxing lunch break in Central Park.

This was a most valuable experience for all pupils involved, where they had a fantastic opportunity to develop their confidence in their performance skills. Many of the pupils who took part will be starring in the upcoming production of “Crazy for You”, which made this experience all the more worthwhile.

The pupils expressed their thanks to the teachers for giving up their time to accompany them on the New York trip. Mrs Docherty, Miss Dunn and Mr McPherson agreed that it had been a pleasure to accompany such a great group of pupils.

Dance workshop

Sightseeing in the Big Apple

Expressive Arts trip to New YorkLion King

As part of their Vikings topic, pupils in P1 enjoyed a stimulating trip to Vikingar in Largs where they sat in a long house, helped grind wheat into flour and talked about the Viking lifestyle with Thora the Red. After dressing up as warriors, rich merchants and farmers, they progressed into the Hall of the Gods, where they learned about Odin, Thor, Freyja and Njord. After seeing a film about the Battle of Largs (the Scots won), they played with interactive games and artefacts. The inspirational day finished with a bracing walk down the prom to see the statue of Magnus the Viking.

Primary 1 Pupils Visit Vikingar

Glasgow Science Centre

The Outdoor Nursery was blessed with very little damage after the December storms this year and the children have been coping admirably with the winter weather. The Oak Woods group have been investigating the topic of fire. We have looked at the origins of fire, its causes, and how we can combat fire both indoors and outdoors. We have looked at the benefits and risks of fire and we have learned how to build a fire in the woods. We have been thinking about our senses and how we can use all five of them to appreciate fire. We have enjoyed eating a variety of foods cooked on the fire such as toast, soup

Children in the Outdoor Nursery take Winter in their Stride

and pancakes. The children offered some wonderful suggestions of food to cook over the fire such as a combination of cheese and jelly!The Chestnut Woods group have been investigating the topic of birds. We have been looking to see which birds visit our woods, finding out what birds like to eat and why we need to feed them throughout the winter. We have also been thinking about where birds live and have put up some bird boxes which we added some of our special designs and decorations to. We have even made a bird kitchen for our little visitors to enjoy.

Home baking in the Outdoor Nursery

Pupils from P5 had the opportunity to see the stars and learn about the planets in the mobile planetarium operated by Dalmellington’s Dark Sky Observatory which was set up in Carleton Turrets Hall for the afternoon. The 6 metre diameter planetarium offered a comfortable environment for pupils to enjoy a projection of the night sky that is close to being outside on a clear night in a true dark site. The astronomer gave an informative session, showing pupils how to recognise some of the constellations visible with the naked eye, and explaining how many of their names come from Greek mythology. He also talked about light pollution and how we can try to minimise that to allow people to enjoy the beauty of the stars. The aim of the planetarium, as with the observatory, is to stimulate an interest in astronomy and science.

Primary 5 Pupils Seeing Stars

During the week of 10 November 2014, P7, S1, S2 and S3 pupils, in the Computing Science Department, took part in the 2014 UK Bebras Challenge. P7 pupils completed the Junior Challenge, S1 and S2 pupils the Intermediate Challenge and S3 pupils the Senior Challenge.The Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge is an international competition which involves solving problems using computational thinking skills.All participants received a Certificate of Participation with the top 25% in school achieving a Certificate with Distinction.Mr Parlour presented Best in School certificates to the following pupils:Toby Hendrikse and Jack Napier for the Junior ChallengeEmily Henry for the Intermediate ChallengeCallum Duffy for the Senior Challenge.

UK Bebras Challenge

As part of their National 5 course, S3 and S4 pupils study Mary Queen of Scots and the Scottish Reformation. Mary was arguably one of the most enigmatic figures in Scottish history. Her story was surrounded by conspiracy theories and often entertaining 16th century scandal. During the Autumn Term, pupils had the opportunity to explore Holyrood Palace, Mary’s main place of residence during her reign. This was highly relevant to their National 5 course. With the aid of an expert guided tour, pupils visited Mary’s personal chamber and the very spot where David Riccio, her Italian secretary, was stabbed 56 times. His blood stains still supposedly remain to this day! These opportunities serve to extend the pupils’ knowledge and awareness of the period and hopefully this will be reflected in their exam performances. Pupils were accompanied on the trip by Mrs Malloch and Ms Hyslop.

Holyrood for Nat 5 History

OSBORNE LICKS HIS STAMPS EARLY by Rhiannon GriffithAll eyes on the 2015 election and the middle ground.George Osborne gave a restrained but practical Autumn Statement today targeting the votes of middle income families by next May.Stamp duty has been made fairer for first time buyers and especially for those traditionally scared off by the £250K duty threshold.With little room for manoeuvre, he nonetheless found more money for GP surgeries while £2bn extra for A&E departments will ease tension in the NHS.We can certainly bet our stamp duty savings that fuel duty will remain untouched until 2016.Let’s just hope Amazon don’t raise their Christmas price-tags given the 25% ‘Google tax’ hit on corporation profits invested oversees.The Office of Budget Responsibility calculates public sector spending (excluding health and schools) at £1300 per UK resident. However, that’s a stunning 57% less than 2009/10 estimates. The question is will this worsen as the Chancellor strives to get the budget deficit to zero.We’re not in it together as we know that lower tax receipts from public sector wage freeze and low wage growth is the real reason for the deficit reduction shortfall.Not quite the Sheriff of Nottingham, so he might not cancel Christmas yet.

Rhiannon Griffith, a Higher Modern Studies pupil in S5, has won a prestigious award for budding young journalists. Rhiannon recently participated in a competition set by The News Academy, an organisation linked to News International newspapers, to promote journalism among students aged 16-18 at schools and FE colleges. The competition required a 200 word opinion piece about the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and entrants had just a few hours from the time George Osborne delivered his statement to draft their article, which had a deadline of midnight the same day!

Rhiannon triumphed with her submission entitled “Osborne licks his stamps early”. The article played on the changes to stamp duty and the realpolitik of the impending General Election. It is believed that Rhiannon competed with close to 5,000 entrants across the UK for this award and so this is a truly remarkable achievement. The winning prize was an all expenses paid trip to London to shadow an MP for the day. Rhiannon spent the day with Simon Hughes MP in January and was able to access all areas in the Palace of Westminster under his guidance. See Rhiannon’s winning article below:

Rhiannon wins Competition

Rhiannon Griffith with Simon Hughes MP

During December, S3 Modern Studies pupils were given the opportunity to meet Sandra Osborne, the local MP for the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock constituency. Mrs Osborne began by giving a talk about the main roles and duties of an MP. She also gave an account of her own specific duties as a key member of the Panel of Chairs and the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Pupils then had the chance to ask questions of Mrs Osborne. The questions were very thoughtful and penetrating, and Mrs Osborne was impressed with the standard

of question being posed, featuring such topics as the independence referendum, the discrimination women face in Westminster and voting rights for 16-17 year olds. The S3 pupils found this to be a most useful and interesting experience, and much of the information gathered from the visit will contribute towards the research to be undertaken for their National 5 Assignment. This will be attempted in S4. The Modern Studies department is very grateful to Mrs Osborne for giving her time so generously.

MP visits Modern Studies Sandra Osborne MP, with Modern Studies Dept.

For the second year running, Wellington celebrated STEM Week in the Junior School, with Jon Davies of ‘thinkScience’ mesmerising the pupils with some spectacular experiments. Pupils were involved in a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) projects in their classes and Senior School teachers were on hand to

work with children throughout the Nursery and Junior School. One of the aims of STEM Week is to encourage more young people to become engaged with science in school and the fascination was clear to see on the faces of the children as Jon worked his magic.As with all the new and exciting projects in the school, the enthusiasm the children demonstrated was overwhelming. Lab

coats and safety goggles could be spotted everywhere in the school as children got into the spirit of the week. Asked what they thought of the event, children in Primary 2 said: “STEM Week was STEMtastic!” and “I love this investigating lark.”Working across age groups allowed pupils from the Nursery and Primary 1 to take part in the activities and experiments together.

Constructing kites, windmills, pan pipes and electric fishing rods were just some of the things on offer for the youngest children.Mr Cox said: “We are continually striving to find ways to challenge the children - creating inquisitive minds through new and exciting opportunities. STEM Week is one way in which we achieve this.” Ben, Primary 5, said: “The whole week was awesome!”

STEM Week in Junior School

For the second year running, Wellington celebrated STEM Week in the Junior School, with Jon Davies of ‘thinkScience’ mesmerising the pupils with some spectacular experiments. Pupils were involved in a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) projects in their classes and Senior School teachers were on hand to

work with children throughout the Nursery and Junior School. One of the aims of STEM Week is to encourage more young people to become engaged with science in school and the fascination was clear to see on the faces of the children as Jon worked his magic.As with all the new and exciting projects in the school, the enthusiasm the children demonstrated was overwhelming. Lab

coats and safety goggles could be spotted everywhere in the school as children got into the spirit of the week. Asked what they thought of the event, children in Primary 2 said: “STEM Week was STEMtastic!” and “I love this investigating lark.”Working across age groups allowed pupils from the Nursery and Primary 1 to take part in the activities and experiments together.

Constructing kites, windmills, pan pipes and electric fishing rods were just some of the things on offer for the youngest children.Mr Cox said: “We are continually striving to find ways to challenge the children - creating inquisitive minds through new and exciting opportunities. STEM Week is one way in which we achieve this.” Ben, Primary 5, said: “The whole week was awesome!”

STEM Week in Junior School

To supplement the Advanced Higher Geography course, earlier in the session Craig Morley enjoyed a residential field course at Kindrogan Field Study Centre, Perthshire. Logistically and academically the trip was a great success. Craig was able to join other Advanced Higher Geography students and learn practical skills. He had the opportunity to add to his repertoire of field skills by collecting data on vegetation succession, carrying out a soil study and investigating stream hydrology, whilst learning about and using GIS (Global Information Systems) which enabled him to put ‘theory into action’ when planning his own Geographical Study ‘A comparison of the Sauchrie Burn to Bradshaw’s river model’. Craig carried out his data collection in October and has been busy analysing the variables that change with distance from the source. He has been using statistical analysis to prove that relationships between variables exist and are significant. This is worth 40% of the overall mark and combined with the Geographical Issues Essay, completes his Folio - worth 70% of his overall mark. Craig thoroughly enjoyed the experience, particularly meeting other students and the collegiate atmosphere that the centre fosters.

Focus on the

Geography Department

Footpath erosion and management strategies

N5 group Evidence of footpath management with erosion

While Craig was off to Kindrogan, in August our National 5 students visited Drymen and Balmaha, Loch Lomond National Park, for one day of field work. ‘If it’s not raining it isn’t training!’ Our S4s endured a Friday that was miserable but both Mrs Shaw and I commented that they hadn’t let the weather ‘dampen’ their spirits! From a staff perspective we very much enjoyed their company. Our S4 students were investigating the impact of tourism on an upland glaciated environment. Before the field trip they

were taught how to plan a geographical study from conception to realisation looking at different gathering techniques, presentation methods and methods of analysis. This enabled them to gather their own data and to start their own Controlled Assessment Investigations based on the hypothesis that they chose to study. A full day was spent gathering their own primary data (which included measuring footpath erosion, trample zones, vegetation cover, carrying out environmental quality surveys, traffic surveys, tax disc surveys,

Management strategy - cross drainage

Measuring footpath erosion

by Ms Johnston, Head of Geography Department

New

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f ESU Debating Congratulations to Meera Mohankrishnan, Abby Bowmar, Amy Barbour and Eilidh Thomson who took part in the second round of the ESU Debating Competition. Although both teams performed exceptionally well against tough opposition of Craigholme, the High School of Glasgow, Uddingston Grammar and St Joseph’s College, Amy and Eilidh triumphed and won a place in the third round. Their performance was described by the judges as ‘awesome’.

Spanish Club With Spanish on the curriculum this year, and an exchange programme with a school in southern Spain coming up, the Spanish Club is seeing increasing numbers of pupils taking up this opportunity.

Successful Ski TripA group of 42 pupils and 5 members of staff enjoyed a ski trip to Folgaria in Italy over the February break.

Connecting ClassroomsOur latest application for Connecting Classrooms has been successful and Wellington School has been awarded a grant for the fourth consecutive year to support international project work with St Edmund’s School, Jaipur. The funding has to be spent on reciprocal staff visits. This year, the main focus of our joint work will be healthy lifestyles.

Former Pupils Strike Gold!Congratulations to former pupils Andrew Hunter, Angus Leslie, Grace Mackie and Gregor Stevenson who recently completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.

Thistle Coffee MorningThe Nursery held a very enjoyable Thistle Coffee Morning in February in aid of Breast Cancer Care and raised £527.94.

Youth ConferenceElli MacDonough and Christopher Large attended the South Ayrshire Youth Conference recently, at which there were many workshops featuring Internet safety and social media. Chris and Elli were part of the team who, in the ‘Get Creative’ workshop, made a video warning young people about the dangers of social media (people may not be who you think they are). They played a significant role in the idea behind their video ‘One lie can become many’ and this has been chosen to be used as a resource to promote the importance of Internet safety throughout various youth provisions in Scotland.

EQI’s in Drymen

pedestrian counts and questionnaires) before returning to school to commence their write up. Last year, the National 5 cohort enjoyed Geography results well above the SQA published national average. In particular our Assessment Assignment marks were superb; this is worth 25% of the overall mark at National 5. Thank you for your on-going support of field work and ‘learning outside of the classroom’. On Wednesday 3rd December those taking National 5 and Higher Geography enjoyed a day ‘in the field’ experiencing the urban Geography of Glasgow. This was the first year that the trip was offered to S4 students and it was a great success. This topic area has moved from Higher to National 5 and so with the development of the New Higher in August may cease for the S5 next year. The New Higher will offer more field work opportunities as pupils complete an Assessment Assignment worth 33%. Ably assisted by Mrs Shaw, Mrs Malloch and Ms Griepenburg, pupils were taken to the original site of Glasgow, where they could appreciate for themselves the original physical and human location factors of the site and situation of Glasgow at the cathedral built on a drumlin on a dry site in the twelfth century. From here, a walk down High Street passed the oldest house in Glasgow (1471AD) and students

made notes on the buildings, land use, street pattern and traffic in this area. Throughout the day, students noted differences between the Central Business District and Inner City and are now able to reference named examples for their case study: Glasgow. Industrial decline led to a scarred landscape along the River Clyde; through a walk from the CBD through the Broomielaw out towards the new Transport Museum, students were able to see first-hand the redevelopment of this area which of course now includes the new BBC and STV buildings and the Finniestoun Bridge.Part of this study also had to consider the advantages of out of town shopping areas. A brief stop at Silverburn enabled the students to learn about the benefits of an ‘all weather’ shopping facility with free parking and good communication links. They also discussed the impact that out of town shopping centres like Silverburn had on shops in the CBD. At National 5 pupils compare this to the urban environment found in a developing world city: Mumbai, India. Particular thanks to Mrs Shaw for organising the field notes booklet and for her very informative and up-to-date narrative on Glasgow and current changes. Thank you to all staff who gave up their free time to support these fantastic and very worthwhile opportunities.

Higher pupils in Glasgow

New Erasmus Project: Art Nouveau-Art Renouveau - - 2014 to 2017Wellington School has been awarded a grant by the European Commission towards a new Erasmus project to run over the next three years. The project’s title is Art Nouveau – Art Renouveau.

Project Synopsis for Scottish PupilsYear 1 Here at Wellington pupils are going to look at Art Nouveau in Scotland and share their research with the partner schools - who will in turn send Wellington their own results to study. Pupils here will study the organic forms of Art Nouveau and then explore the outside world for inspiration for their own work. Year 2 Pupils will prepare a Town Trail of important places in Glasgow. They will examine the works of contemporary artists and designers who use the organic in their own design. Pupils will design small objects for sale at the Christmas Fair and look at some literary texts written during the Art Nouveau period. They will then prepare a storyboard for a film which will be produced in collaboration with film students in Paris.Year 3 In Year 3, pupils will make a film in France, edit it and add subtitles or dubbing. An e-book will be produced to showcase the work over the three-year project and at the same time an exhibit of the work will be shown at an exhibition which will travel to the partner schools.

Project Involvement Anyone in the Senior School may take part in the project, although to travel to one of the partner schools, pupils must be in S3 or above at the time of the mobility.The grant from the European Commission will cover the travel costs to our partner schools.In most cases, pupils will stay with families when on the mobilities.

Initial stagesThe Erasmus pupil group meets on Thursday lunchtimes. Pupils are currently doing research into Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style. They have chosen to concentrate on Furniture, Advertising, Architecture and The Glasgow Rose. Their results will be displayed on Mood Boards which will be sent to our partner schools. After Easter, we will receive information from our partners about Art Nouveau in their local areas.

First Pupil MobilityIn June, Wellington School will host the first pupil mobility of our new Erasmus project. 50 pupils and 15 staff from our will visit from our partner schools and we would welcome offers of accommodation for the visiting students. Information will be sent out to parents and posted on the website in March.

Second Pupil MobilityTen Wellington pupils will travel to Romania in September to continue our collaborative work. During this mobility they will design objects for an Art Renouveau house and goods to sell at craft fairs using natural and recycled materials. The week in Romania will give our pupils the opportunity to explore a new culture and country.

Ballistic engineering experiments Graphic art workshops War poetry classes with Mrs Sheils

Wellington International Conferences and Projects

Winning logo designed by Colegiul National Constantin Cantacuzino, Romania

Timetable for Transnational Learning Activities:

14-20 June 2015 Scotland (Wellington will host 50 pupils from our partner schools)6 -12 September 2015 Romania17- 23 January 2016 Slovenia10 -16 April 2016 Bulgaria25 Sept - 1 Oct 2016 France2- 8 April 2017 Germany

Project partnersInstitut Saint-Dominique, France www.saint-dominique-mortefontaine-60.frMallinckrodt-Gymnasium, Germany www.mallinckrodt-gymnasium.deSt Stanislav’s Institution, Slovenia www.stanislav.siColegiul National Constantin Cantacuzino, Romaniawww.cantacuzino.valahia.roSOU Emilyan Stanev, Bulgaria www.em.stanev.org

Staff at the 1st Transnational Project meeting

Conference introduction at Gailes Hotel

New Erasmus Project: Art Nouveau-Art Renouveau - - 2014 to 2017 Wellington Commemorates WW1 with UCAPE conference

Pupils at Wellington School had the exciting opportunity to be involved in an international conference from 10-13 November as part of the School’s commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of the 1914-18 War. Young people from four schools in Europe joined Wellington pupils for the 4-day event held at the Gailes Hotel in Irvine: the overseas participants came from the Lycée Sainte-Agnès, Angers, and the Lycée Sainte-Marie, Cholet, in France; and from the Mallinckrodt-Gymnasium, Dortmund, and the Evangelisches Gymnasium, Nordhorn in Germany. This conference, hosted by Wellington School, and coordinated by International Co-ordinator Mrs Coontz with a lot of help from staff across the school, was supported by a generous grant from UCAPE (Union for Cultural and Professional Advancement in Europe) and contributes to a five-year programme of activities being coordinated by the Lycée Sainte-Marie. The outcomes of the conference will be shared with their international project and Wellington pupils will have the opportunity to participate in a visit to the Somme later in the programme. The conference aim was not only to commemorate the events of a hundred years ago but also to celebrate the fact that we are now allies and friends and to strengthen ties between our schools and countries.To help in the building of friendships, a wide variety of cross-curricular activities took place over the four-day period. The young people worked together through the week in a series of workshops on various aspects of the First World War ranging from history, literature, graphic art and song to ballistic engineering for the Western Front and the role of the Nobel Prize-winning Fritz Haber in the development of explosives. They also considered First World War propaganda and the tradition of commemoration in Scotland. Outside speakers including SAFFA, the Armed

The first transnational Project Meeting took place at Wellington School in November 2014. It was attended by teachers from all project teams from Scotland, Germany, France, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria. Part of the report from the Romanian team follows:The main purpose of the first meeting was to get to know our partners, establishing the means of communication and collaboration throughout the project period, 2014-2017. Each team made a presentation of the school and of the community they represented. We discussed the project objectives and the guidelines for the transnational mobility, taking into account what is specific in the activity of each country. We clarified important aspects of project documentation and project products, interim or final. Students’ involvement was negotiated so that their creativity and inventiveness could be facilitated. That is how a fundamental objective of the project - developing cultural competence through visual arts – will be achieved.The meeting allowed the teachers from the six partner schools, four private and two public, to share their professional experience and best practices. We acknowledged the seriousness with which the preliminary meeting was organized, the preparation of all the materials necessary for a good start and the attention given to every detail. We defined several ways to promote our research of the art nouveau style: the blog of the project, Prezi presentations, Pinterest and virtual exhibitions of buildings in each country representative of this architectural style. We also analyzed aspects concerning materials and documents to be used in the communication between the stakeholders of the six schools and the way of reporting to the National Agency. We agreed upon the types of eligible expenditures and objects / materials that could be acquired through the project funds in order to optimise our activity.All in all, it was a very fruitful meeting with profitable exchange of experience.

Forces Charity, were invited to talk to the participants. Although the language of this event was English, the pupils used German, French and English in all combinations to get their points across in their discussions. As Mrs Coontz, said to them on the first evening: “The most important thing is to communicate. Don’t keep quiet because you don’t know the correct word in English - use any language that you are happy with.” As the first evening’s workshops progressed, the increasingly lively buzz from around the tables provided evidence of the success of this advice.At the end of the week the young participants combined their language skills to write a multilingual report. This report has now been published on the UCAPE website, a real reward for all those involved as they see their own activities described online. www.ucape.eu/pdf/actes_nov_2014.pdfThe last UCAPE conference hosted by Wellington was in 2011, when the topic was Water, the conference language was French, and the participants came from France, Germany, Slovenia and Scotland. Wellington prepares pupils for the UCAPE European Diploma, a prestigious award requiring a cultural exchange of not less than 2 weeks to a European country where a student will practice a second language in an immersion setting.For the visiting pupils, many of whom had not visited Scotland before, the week was not all work and no play! Everyone enjoyed the all-day excursion to Edinburgh to the National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile with free time for shopping and sight-seeing. Early in the week the evening entertainment included a ceilidh with a group from Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra providing live music, which undoubtedly helped people get to know each other better. Other leisure activities included a visit to LA Bowl bowling and Lazerquest, and plenty of opportunities to sample traditional Scottish food.

Wellington International Conferences and Projects

Andrew Ratcliffe was appointed Artist in Residence at the end of last term, providing a wonderful experience for both pupils and staff in the art department.It was as part of our ongoing endeavour to build on existing skills and approach art from a different perspective that we decided to have an Artist in Residence. Andrew Ratcliffe was a very easy choice for us to make as he has a very good reputation as well as very positive ways of passing his skills onto creative young people. We tried to let a number of year groups benefit from his visit and therefore to allow for flexibility and accessibility we ran some workshops on a Friday and Saturday in December. Altogether, between the two days, around 64 pupils dropped in to workshops and hopefully benefited from some background information on Andrew as well as some practical activity in developing their painting skills. Mrs Gabriel said: “It will definitely be something that we will do again to enrich the learning and teaching in the art department. We would like to express our

Andrew Ratcliffe - Artist in Residencethanks for the support that we received from Mr Parlour and Mr McColgan in organising this event, as well as from the staff and pupils who made it a very positive experience for all.”Pupil comments included the following: ‘I like the anecdotal stories that he told about his work as he came round the room’‘I liked the techniques and styles as well as the demonstrations’‘I liked seeing him draw someone from life’‘I liked the way that he showed me a new way of using water with acrylic paint to start my work’‘I liked how we focused on colour mixing as a starting point’‘It was interesting to look more at the varying colours and shades of objects’I learned that it’s ok to make mistakes’ !!!!‘He showed us new techniques (how to judge the tone of a mixed colour) and not to work on a completely white surface’‘He gave me more confidence in the way that I paint and use colour.’

This is the 4th year of the Junior Rugby Exchange and Saint-Dominique players are now giving their Scottish counterparts real competition on the field. 18 junior rugby players arrived on a November evening from the Institut Saint-Dominique, Mortefontaine, Wellington’s partner school north of Paris, for the Scotland leg of the Rugby Exchange. They played a match at Doonside in cold wintry conditions on the Friday afternoon and in a closely-contested game the French boys were narrowly beaten in the end to give the home team the win. On the return leg in February, the Wellington boys didn’t have long to warm up before the match in France. Putting a

team together from different year groups was a challenge and the boys certainly had to find second gear quickly after St Dominique had taken an early lead. The French ran strongly using their big midfield runners. Poor tackling by the Wellington boys put us under pressure. After a few positional changes the school team quickly began to exert pressure and managed to level the score. The match was a tightly contested affair with St Dominique always in the lead and Wellington playing catch up. In the final third, strong running by Daniel White, Bradley Bennett and William Novak lead to the winning score. The difference in the score was just one conversion.

Rugby Exchange 2015

I am Faris Al-Nakkas and I’m in Primary 5D. I have an exciting hobby which takes me all over the country and hopefully next year, abroad.My hobby is karting and it started when I was in Kuwait when my dad took me to a kart track. We watched for a while and then my dad noticed that they had little karts for kids called Bambino. He asked if I would like to try and since that day I have been in love with it.We moved back to the U.K. and on my sixth birthday I got my very own Bambino! I played about in it for a while until we found someone who could teach me all about racing, since then I have tried to get on the track as much as I can, but sometimes it’s difficult as the tracks I use are in England.

Pre-match at Doonside

Faris on track for Competition SuccessMy favourite track is called Whilton Mill and is near Northampton. This is where I normally practise in my new cadet kart. There’s a lot of travelling and you need to be committed. I recently sat an exam and got my licence to race in competitions. I once met Paul Diresta, a Formula One driver at our local track in Larkhall. I was also the youngest person to drive round Silverstone in a simulator at the age of five, racing at speeds over one hundred miles per hour and I didn’t crash!

Swimming GoldAt the Ayrshire Schools Swimming Gala held at the Citadel in the autumn, Wellington won one gold medal, four silver medals and three bronze medals. Patrick Smith won a gold medal in the 200m backstroke & a silver medal in the 400m freestyle. Callum Crossley won a silver medal in the 100m freestyle & a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke. Jacqui Gibson won a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly. Isla Crossley won a silver medal in the 50m breaststroke and Isla Crossley, Amy Grassom, Laura Hampson and Tori Laird won silver medals in the relay. Callum Byers, Toby Hendrikse, Rory McCluskie and William Sheils won bronze medals in the relay.

WELLINGTON SCHOOL Carleton Turrets Craigweil Road Ayr KA7 2XHPhone: 01292 269321 Fax: 01292 272161

Email: info@wellingtonschool.orgwww.wellingtonschool.org

Dates for your Diary 25th-27th March School Show27th March School closes for EasterWed 15th April Staff return to schoolThurs 16th April Pupils return to school30th April S4 Study Leave Begins4th - 8th May S1/S2 Examinations4th - 13th May S3 Examinations22nd-25th May Mid Term Holiday1st June New timetable begins

New Library encourages Reading in Junior SchoolA new Junior School library was officially opened this term. The library, which is situated on the top floor of Drumley House, is intended for use by all pupils from Nursery to Primary 6. With help from the WSA the library has been designed as a peaceful area with rugs and bean bags to encourage quiet reading. Children throughout the Junior School

designed bookmarks to mark the opening of the new library and the winners were announced at assembly. The Library Club runs on a Tuesday after school encouraging reading for pleasure and dialogue about books. Our new librarians are helping run the library and have lots of ideas about how to develop it and ways in which pupils can be inspired to read more widely.

Office Bearers 2014/2015Senior School: Head Boy Martin McHard Head Girl Rosalyn Thomson Deputies John McLaren Alexandra Brown Junior School: Head Boy Harris Laraway Head Girl Leigh Timothy

Once again the Governors, staff and pupils were treated to an excellent evening’s entertainment to celebrate 256 years since our local hero’s birth. The ‘Heaven Sent Ploughman’ was remembered in style by Rosalyn Thomson and Eva Richardson of S6. Alexandra Brown of S6 delivered her final Address to the Haggis and the haggis itself was piped in by Cameron Reece of S4. The Toast to the Lasses was delivered by dynamic duo John McLaren and Martin McHard and Yasmin Habib delivered a very witty reply.

A range of solo singers provided some fine examples of the work of the bard. The food was excellent and was ably served by pupils from S1.

Annual Senior Burns Supper

The Sixth Year would like to thank all parents and friends of the school for their continued support of all charity events. They are well on their way to achieving their target of £20,000 for Meningitis Now, but are still in need of everyone’s help if they are to reach that mark.Look out for details of further fund raising initiatives in the coming weeks, including the second annual Wellington School Charity Golf Day in May.

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Meningitis Now