Lasswade high school autumn newsletter 2015

Lasswade High School Autumn Newsletter October 2015

DREAM, BELIEVE, ACHIEVE @ LASSWADE

Message from the Headmaster, Mr A Williamson Welcome to the first Newsletter of academic session 2015/16.

A particularly warm welcome to our new S1 parents. It was great to meet many of you again at the recent successful Family Learning Evening. I hope and trust that your son/daughter is making a positive start to their school career at Lasswade High School.

It has been another whirlwind and highly successful start to a new session at Lasswade High School. We began the new school year with over 1,500 students in the school and well over 100 teaching staff. There are also increasing numbers of placing requests into Lasswade High School which demonstrates the ongoing success of the school and its appeal within and beyond the catchment area. Whilst the school is busy, our Pastoral Care House Systems ensures that students are cared for, nurtured and closely monitored by their Tutors, Senior School Buddies and Pastoral Guidance Teachers.

The summer brought more exam success to Lasswade High School. Our S4 exam results broadly maintained the high standards of the previous two years with over 40% of our students in S4 gaining 5 or more awards at the top level. Over the course of the past five years, Lasswade High School’s improvement has been between 6% and 10% at the top level of S4 exam results. In the Senior School, the news is even better! Over the past two years, nearly 60% of our S5 students have achieved one or more Higher with close to 40% achieving 3 or more Highers at S5 in SQA 2015. An incredible 20% of students achieved 5 or more Highers. These figures are based on S4 roll and obviously are even better if taken as a percentage of the actual year group. The results improve again at S6 across all levels and 20% (of the S6 year group) achieved one or more Advanced Higher.

The summer was particularly busy for students and staff involved in a trip to Beijing and Tianjin. The student group recently presented to the Parent Council and we are hoping to have a link to an incredible DVD that captures the success of this trip on the school website soon. Students and staff involved also gained an SQA award in Mandarin.

I have outlined the school achievements in far more detail in the school’s annual ‘Standard & Quality Report’ which is shared publicly with the Parent Council and a summary is on the school website.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Hopefully, over the next few weeks and months, you will see an improvement in the school website and I would also encourage you to download our new App from the App Centre which is available for iPads, iPhones and Android devices. Communication is always a challenge in such a large organisation and I would encourage you to ensure that the school office has the most up to date mobile telephone details in order that you receive Group Call Text Messages and/or Push Notifications from our App. I am delighted to report that the CONABOR Award has been an incredible success. The Newsletter contains more information on the awards and I was delighted to present iPads to the winners of the Gold Awards and Certificates of Achievements to other prize winners at the end of last session. The Parent Council continue to fund this motivational award scheme which promotes and encourages the school’s DREAM values.

As a school we value the importance of wider achievement and extracurricular activity. I would encourage you to look at the range of options available for your child in terms of extra-curricular activity on the school website. The newsletter highlights the positive impact of wider achievement through articles such as the John Muir Award, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and ‘Learning Beyond the Classroom’ through trips such as the recent Social Studies trip to London. In the October holidays we have a group of students heading to Hong Kong to complete the gruelling endurance test of the Raleigh Wilson Trail Challenge. Before Christmas a large group of students and staff are heading to the land of fire and ice on a geography fieldtrip to Iceland. We look forward to reading about this in the Christmas Newsletter.

One of the most important ways of supporting your child and learning more about the workings of the school, and your child’s curriculum, is to attend Parent Council meetings. We have a very positive, supportive and welcoming Parent Council and I would strongly encourage you to link up with them.

Details of forthcoming meetings, time and venue are in the newsletter.

As a school, we always welcome feedback on how we can deliver a quality service for your child. Please bear in mind that communication is two-way and if you have any queries or questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

I look forward to a fantastic session ahead. Please read on…

Mr A Williamson, Headmaster Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Exam Success

Congratulations to Cameron Watt, James Wilson, Hamish Misselbrook, Kerr Forrest, Lauren Finlayson, Emma Wilson, Zsofia Blair, Jayne Murdock, Rachel Lamb and Lynsey Corney

In August, towards the end of the summer holidays, all of our senior students received their SQA results.

This year the exam success across all subjects and levels was of a very high standard and all students should be extremely proud of themselves. The current S6 class did exceptionally well - Cameron Watt, James Wilson, Hamish Misselbrook, Kerr Forrest, Lauren Finlayson, Emma Wilson, Zsofia Blair, Rachel Lamb and Lynsey Corney all picked up five band 1 A Highers.

While, Jayne Murdock from the school achieved an incredible six A Highers.

All of our S6 have embarked on a very busy year of study, many at Advanced Higher level, taking part in student committees, volunteering, perfecting, Sliver Dukes of Edinburgh’s Award and senior head team. Students will also be working on their UCAS applications to gain entry into their chosen universities and courses.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Eilidh Selfridge: 100% in National 5 Maths Well done to Eilidh Selfridge who achieved 100% in this year’s National 5 Mathematics exam in May. This is an amazing result; all her hard work and determination in S4 has clearly paid off.

We wish Eilidh all the best as she studies for her Higher courses this year.

Mr Williamson presented Eilidh with a copy of Mathematics in Life by Ian Stewart in recognition of her hard work and achievement.

CONABOR Gold Award winners Lasswade’s CONABOR scheme recognises positive behaviour in school everyday.

Focusing on the school’s DREAM values students receive merits when they display determination, respect, effort, ambition and motivation in the classroom and around the school.

There are three levels of the CONABOR Award; bronze, silver and gold. To receive the gold award students needed to gain 100 merits over two terms.

At the end of the summer term pastoral care teachers organised special events which celebrated student successes. These were reported on in the Summer Newsletter.

Gold Awards were presented to three students; Nicholas Rietvelt, Neve Clark and Ciara Young. In recognition of their constant hard work and effort Nicholas, Neve and Ciara were each presented with an iPad mini at S2 assembly on 1 September.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Mandarin Immersion Course July 2015 Article by Hannah Darling, S6 During the summer myself and seven other sixth year students, accompanied by Miss Lyon (RMPS Teacher) travelled to Beijing and Tianjin in China to take part in a Mandarin immersion course. We were representing the Midlothian Confucius hub. The course was primarily funded

by The Confucius Institute for Scottish Schools (CISS). During the trip we took part in Mandarin classes and cultural activities and also got the chance to visit some of China’s most amazing and historic sites.

We travelled with over 100 students and staff from the other 13 Confucius hubs from across Scotland. Our first destination was Beijing. Our first official day began with a trip to The Great Wall of China which we walked a short distance of but it seemed a lot longer in 42° C heat. The views here were outstanding and we got an opportunity to meet many Chinese people who were curious about our trip and desperate to have their picture taken with us! The visit to the Great Wall was definitely one of the highlights of the overall China excursion and an experience that none of us will ever forget. We then travelled to the tranquil and beautiful Summer Palace. That night we walked to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Stadium, otherwise known as the ‘Birds Nest’. On day two we visited the HanBan headquarters (this is the head office for the Confucius Institute) and were able to develop our knowledge of Chinese history and culture. We then got the chance to visit a Buddhist temple, visited Beijing Zoo where we got to see the infamous giant pandas and then saw a Kung Fu show in the evening.

On the Wednesday we travelled to the city of Tianjin where we would spend the next 10/11 days in Tianjin Foreign Studies University. During our time in Tianjin we took part in a variety of cultural activities such as: kung Fu, peking opera mask painting, calligraphy, traditional costume trying, knot tying, paper art, round fan making, bronze ware making and paper cutting. As well as taking part in these cultural activities we also visited some well known sites in Tianjin for example the Tianjin Museum, the Ancient Culture street and Italian Street. In addition to this each hub was paired with a school in Tianjin. The Midlothian Hub was paired with Tianjin No.25 Middle School. Here we got to interact with the students and find out more about their school life. In small groups we were teamed up with a student from Tianjin No.25 School and travelled back to that students house or went on an outing with that student. This allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and enabled us get to know the students better overall.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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For our final day in Tianjin we took part in a closing ceremony where each Mandarin class performed or displayed something that we had made over the course of the 10 days. We performed a dance with tradition Chinese fans. Our head boy, Blair, was chosen to present the closing ceremony. The ceremony ended with everyone on stage singing Auld Lang Syne both in Chinese and English.

The final leg of the trip took us back to Beijing. We took a ride on a rickshaw through the hutongs of Beijing then travelled to The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We finished the day with a second closing ceremony where we got the privilege to meet Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who was on her first visit to China!

On our very last day we had the chance to explore the Temple of Heaven. This was very beautiful and is the sacred place where emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty held the Heaven Worship Ceremony. Our final excursion was to the Silk Market where we bought gifts for family members and friends as well as a few for ourselves! We then travelled to the airport and headed home to Edinburgh.

Our trip to China this summer was one that myself, the other seven students and Miss Lyon, will never forget. We gained an amazing insight into the Chinese culture along with learning Mandarin which we can develop upon and use in the future. We made some fantastic friends, met amazing people, ate some questionable food and created unbelievable memories.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Mandarin trip to Strathclyde University Article by Lewis Hanley On Friday 25 September S3 and S4 students, including myself, went to Strathclyde University in Glasgow in order to take part in a day of Chinese themed activities. A lesson of Mandarin along with Chinese cooking, calligraphy and knot making lasting one hour each filled up the day nicely. The Confucius Institute for Scotland's School (CISS) hosted the day and invited Lasswade HS, Kingussie HS, Stirling HS and Sandwick JHS along.

Each of the four invited schools went to the sessions at different times. In the first session we were given a lesson in the art of Chinese calligraphy where we all discussed and explored different aspects of a Chinese celebration called Moon Festival which was celebrated at the weekend just past. During that lesson I and my classmates practiced how to draw different Chinese characters using a special brush specifically designed for Chinese calligraphy.

The second session for our group was a master class in knot making which started off with learning a simple knot in order to create a 'pineapple man' which consisted of 5 reef knots and a few beads to create a person like figure. We all really enjoyed the experience of creating the figure.

At lunch time students from all schools were brought together to have some Chinese style dishes such as duck, spring rolls and other oriental foods. It gave us time to speak to the students from the other schools, some who had come from as far as Shetland to be part of the event and had travelled through the night to be there. continues on next page

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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The next lesson was held in the Curran Building, the Home Economics department of the university where we were shown how to prepare and cook spring rolls.

In the lesson we were also shown different Chinese cooking ingredients and equipment.

The final session gave us time to learn the Mandarin for all of the animals in the Chinese zodiac and create an origami animal. As we left we were given a bag of China themed gifts such as an oriental cookbook and chopsticks.

All of us found the day to be a very positive experience, we had not expected the event to go so well and we are very glad that we could be part of the experience. I personally feel that the event taught me lots of important things about Chinese culture and I would definitely like to be part of the event next time it is on.

Chinese teachers visit Lasswade Lasswade High School was visited by four teachers from China led by the depute director of Heping District Education Bureau in Tianjin. The group had attended a training course in Edinburgh that morning. The director and the teachers were interested in visiting a Confucius Classroom hub near Edinburgh because they are going to have their own Confucius Classroom hub in Tianjin setting up a partnership with North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire. They received a tour of the school, led by head boy Blair Jones and depute head boy James Wilson. Ping Ma, Confucius Institute of Scottish Schools Chinese Director who coordinated the visit said "Our school visit last week was so successful that our Tianjin colleagues were very excited and they were talking about it all the way when we were coming to Glasgow. What they have seen left a deep impression. They appreciated very much you and the two students’ company all afternoon�

Our distinguished visitors included: Mr. CHEN Zhihong, Depute Director, Heping district education bureau, Ms. LI Chaonan and Ms ZHANG Hong, both principal teachers, No. 20 High School in Tianjin, Ms. WU Na, principal teacher, Nankai No. 2 High School in Tianjin and Mr. ZHANG Shiqi, principal teacher, Anshandao primary school in Tianjin.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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S6 Charities Committee The S6 Charities Committee have a busy programme of activities in the lead up to the Christmas break with three planned events and projects: Movember, Children in Need and supporting the local British Red Cross at the Lasswade Christmas Fayre.

Movember After the October holidays the Charities Committee will be looking to all male staff and senior male students to support Movember by growing a moustache.

The Movember Foundation is a global charity committed to men living happier, healthier, longer lives. Since 2003, millions have joined the men’s health movement, raising £402 million and funding over 1,000 programmes focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health and physical inactivity.

Lasswade have set up a Movember team which participants can sign up to. We have set a target to raise £250 and we hope all the boys will get together to support us. As well as Lasswade staff and students dads, uncles, grandads and brothers can join our team here: https://uk.movember.com/mospace

To keep Movember interesting we have planned weekly ‘Whose Moustache?’ on the school bulletin and an end of Movember Big Shave Off! Children in Need The theme for Children in Need 2015 is HEREOS. To celebrate this global fundraising day the Charities Committee are organising a Hero Fashion Show on Friday 13th November.

This fashion show will take place in the Assembly Hall at interval and will feature many Lasswade teachers dressed up as their favourite heroes. Students (and staff not brave enough to take part) can make a silver donation at the door to watch this entertaining spectacle.

Rumour has it Mr Williamson is going to make a special appearance. But who will he be dressed as?

British Red Cross in Midlothian The Charities Committee will be fundraising on behalf of local British Red Cross projects at this year’s Lasswade Christmas Fair on Thursday 19th November.

There will be a raffle, quiz sheets and festive fun for families including ‘Pin the Nose on Rudolf’. Staff from British Red Cross will also be there to tell visitors more about local projects and how they support vulnerable people in Midlothian.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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South Africa Committee After the success of the committee’s work last year, an enthusiastic and committed group of Lasswade S6 students have undertaken to bring a group of students from Umlazi township to attend Lasswade High School again in February. The Journey for Change initiative last year had a positive and lasting impact on the whole of the school, as students and staff enjoyed the energy, vibrance and resourcefulness of the students from Umlazi. An important principle of the Committee is that their work benefits both the South African students and students from Lasswade in equal measure, as we both learn vital life lessons from each other. This year’s Committee is made up of nine sixth year students who are eager to continue the great work of last year. In order for the South Africans to come over the Committee have been tasked with raising the funds themselves and have come up with a range of fundraising ideas. The Lasswade Committee will work alongside a group of students from Selkirk High School who are also working on the project. When the time comes for the South Africans to head over to Scotland they will be welcomed by host families and attend Lasswade High School for two weeks. A highlight of the South African students’ trip will involve them working alongside the students of Lasswade to produce and perform in a conference that will take place within the school. This conference, which will involve drama and music, and will be attended by senior students from across Scotland, will highlight important issues that affect young people both in Scotland and South Africa and will demonstrate how working together can effect important change. This life changing experience would not be possible without the support of Lasswade students, staff and parents which we fully appreciate. We are extremely proud to be leading this project and grateful for the support of staff and students at the school. We would like to extend our thanks to Stuart Holley and Samantha Chazan from 1SL1. Stuart and Samantha held a very successful bake sale which raised over £50 for the project. Thanks also to Cleo Hamilton and Rebecca Stewart from 1SL1, and Lewis Hanley from 3SA3, who have raised over £100 through sponsored events. Keep an eye on the school bulletin for future events.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Bronze Award August saw the commencement of Lasswade High School’s third Bronze programme with participants taking part in an outdoor induction day at Dalkeith Country park followed by a practice expedition in the Pentland Hills over the last weekend of September.

During these sessions, participants learned and practiced many of the skills they’ll need to pass their qualifying expedition next summer, including navigation, cooking and setting up their tents. Participants quickly found out why the DofE is the worlds leading achievement award for young people, with many of them finding the skills to be tricky, not to mention the endurance involved being demanding!

Everyone enjoyed their first real taste of expeditions though and are looking forward to consolidating the outdoor skills they’ve learnt over the coming months, ready to face the challenge of their qualifying expedition late in the summer term.

Participants are also commencing the other requirements of their award, namely volunteering, physical and skill, in the next few weeks.

Sliver Expedition Group

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Silver Award – Owls, Fowls and Trowels This year sees the first ever Lasswade High School group to complete their Silver DofE award, with seven S6 students due to give presentations on all of the aspects of their award programme later in the Autumn Term.

After a practice expedition last academic session, participants completed their silver qualifying expedition during the first weekend in October, travelling from Lauder in the Borders to near Stenton in East Lothian over three days. Silver expeditions represent a real step-up from bronze expeditions due to the extra day of walking and extra night camping (not to mention all of the extra food and equipment that needs to be carried!). Another difference from Bronze award is the remoteness of the areas walked through meaning that participants camp in wild countryside as opposed to the comparative luxury of a campsite (and proper toilets) during their Bronze expedition!

All of the participants rose to the challenge, however, and enjoyed some beautiful weather in which to enjoy the changing scenery as they travelled north from Riever country towards the arable landscape of East Lothian (although frost on the outside of the tents on the second night gave a clue as to how cold the nights were!). As well as observing changing land use and historical sites along the way, participants encountered some new friends, including some noisy guineafowl at the farm used for camping on day 1 along with a magnificent eagle owl and a particularly inquisitive horse which livened up their first night of camping!

As part of the expedition, participants are required to complete a project during their expedition and our group aimed to record their moods and emotions throughout the three days, relating these to how far they’d walked, how much they had ascended, the food and snacks they’d eaten and so on. All of the participants were positive and enthusiastic throughout and the DofE assessor remarked how strongly they had all finished on the last day.

We look forward to giving out participants’ Silver Award certificates on completion of their programme in the next few weeks, making them the first ever group from Lasswade High School to complete Silver award.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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John Muir Award The John Muir Award club started on Tuesday 29th September and will be running every Tuesday from 3.30-4.30pm until the end of May 2016. The club focuses on the conservation of 'wild places' which is something that John Muir promoted and achieved recognition for when the first National Parks were created in the USA. Our first meeting was focused on discovering our 'wild place' which will be the area of woodland and playground to the west of the main school building and involved the students creating an alphabet of items that they found either in the school or the school grounds. This was most enjoyable especially as it was a beautifully sunny day with not a cloud in the sky!

We then moved into an ICT room and began to investigate who John Muir was and why he is so famous in the USA and Scotland. With the information the students have researched they will be creating and filming a short news report about John Muir using the iPads.

The weekly programme of activities for this club is below and we also plan to organise a day trip to the John Muir House in Dunbar and walk a short section along the John Muir Way towards the John Muir Country Park.

If you would like more information about the John Muir Award then please visit http://www.johnmuirtrust.org/john-muir-award

John Muir Award: Weekly Activities Date Tuesday 13th Oct. Tuesday 20th Oct. (Explore) Tuesday 27th Oct. (Explore) Tuesday 3rd Nov. (Conserve) Tuesday 10th Nov. (Conserve)

Tuesday 17th Nov. (Conserve) Tuesday 24th Nov. (Conserve) Tuesday 1st Dec. (Conserve)

Tuesday 8th Dec.

Tuesday 15th Dec.

Activities HOLIDAY Tree bingo Vegetation art x 2 Digimaps for Schools Orienteering Litter picking Bin location analysis Present to eco-group Weeding and clearing the footpath through the wild tree area.

Photographs of possible areas for wildlife habitats.

CDT-designing and making bird boxes, ladybug homes....

CDT-designing and making bird boxes, ladybug homes....

CDT-designing and making bird boxes, ladybug homes....

Locating wildlife habitats.

Sound analysis around the school-recording ID wildlife sounds Upcycling

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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South East Scotland Academies Partnership Four hundred students from 50 schools across Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders gathered at Queen Margaret University to kick start their learning on the pioneering South East Scotland Academies Partnership programme.

This year’s new students are the fourth group to join the Academies programme, a project led by Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University and local authorities. The programme gives young people the opportunity to study at college and university, undertake work experience and learn about industry while still at school, highlighting career options and improving employability.

In 2012, the Academies started off by providing educational opportunities for young people in three East Lothian schools. It now offers outstanding learning and career opportunities to 15 – 18 year old school students in East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders. Recently, the project expanded into West Lothian, bringing nine new schools on board.

The initiative, which was conceived by three senior staff at Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University, and East Lothian Council, is hailed as one that is delivering real results for Scotland’s young people. Three years ago, the project started off with the Hospitality and Tourism Academy which aimed to smooth the transition between school, college, university and work, as well as raising standards within the industry.

The South East Scotland Academies Partnership now offers four academies in Hospitality and Tourism; Creative Industries, Food Science and Nutrition; and Health and Social Care. The academies provide young people with a real insight into key growth industries and improve their employability by developing specialist skills and knowledge.

All 400 academy students gathered for a photograph in the grounds of Queen Margaret University’s campus in Musselburgh where they will study part of their academy programme. Learning for all four academies also involves the students taking classes with academics and industry experts at the University.

Students will also study at Edinburgh College, Borders College or West Lothian College depending on where their schools are located, as well as gaining work experience in industry.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Music Department News The Concert Band were privileged to play at The Borders Railway Golden Ticket event on Saturday 5 September at Edinburgh College, Eskbank. The band were honoured to be playing at this prestigious event and were cheered on by a large audience in the sunshine. The band played numerous pieces for 45 minutes and were a credit to the school as always.

The Jazz Band was one of only a handful of school groups invited to play at MidFest in Dalkeith Country Park on Sunday 13th September. They performed on the main stage and entertained the crowd with a variety of hits including Rock Around the Clock, Hawaii 5-0, Tuxedo Junction and Tequila! This was the Jazz Band's first public performance, which certainly brightened up the cloudy day! They excelled themselves in front of a hugely appreciative audience, and the organisers have already enquired about their availability for next year!

Both the Concert Band and Jazz Band played at the Ladies Night held on Thursday 10th September in the school atrium. They played throughout the night as shoppers perused the stalls.

Music also came from the Ceilidh Band, Megan Carlisle and Nancy Stewart. The students were, of course, the stars of the night and highlighted how many talented young musicians we have here at Lasswade. The Ladies Night raised an amazing total of ÂŁ1289.58 for the Concert and Jazz Band trip to Belgium. A huge thanks goes to all the parents who helped organise and run the event as well as to everyone who came along on the night to make it such a success!

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Next chance to see the school bands...

The Concert Band and Jazz Band will be performing in the school Atrium at the Christmas Fair on Thursday 19th November and the Expressive Arts Evening on Thursday 3rd December.

The Concert Band will be performing Christmas Carols at Tesco in Dalkeith on Tuesday 15th December to raise money for equipment and their trip to Belgium in June.

Lasswade Cookery Club This year the Home Economics department have relaunched cookery club but with our new exciting Bake Off theme!

The club is extremely popular and so far it has been really good fun. Since the club started back up again we have made items such as traybakes, scones, cookies and pastry.

In upcoming weeks we have also planned to do a huge show stopper, along with Halloween and Christmas activities as well. When we start back after the New Year we are then going to change our theme from Bake Off to Masterchef, which we are all really looking forward to!

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Megan Fourie: Tyne & Esk Young Writer Winner Tyne and Esk Writers are the foremost writing group in Mid and East Lothian.

These writers know their stuff!

As such it comes as no surprise that they recognised, and decided to reward, the writing talent of Lasswade High School’s very own author in the making, Megan Fourie. Megan is one of the winners of the ‘Young Writer of the Year Award 2015’. This success is all the more impressive when we consider that this prestigious award attracts many hundreds of entries every year; with only the very best selected for awards. Well done Megan, keep reading, keep writing.

The theme of this years competition was ‘The Commonwealth’. Megan’s entry is entitled ‘Through the Sunset’.

‘Through the Sunset’ by Megan Fourie I woke up and saw the clock, 2.00pm, the sun filtered through the window. I went outside, it was sunrise but as I’d never seen it before. It was brighter, it was clearer, it was nearer. It was as if I could touch the clear light. I walked towards it until I found I was right in front of it.

Then suddenly I felt a whoosh of air, I wasn't on the ground anymore. I had fallen right through the sunset!

The scenery around me had changed, I wasn't in Scotland anymore that was for sure. It was hotter, the ground was softer and I could hear voices but I couldn't make them out...I was in Africa! It was quite busy, it seemed I was standing in a marketplace. Sellers were shouting, the people were moving quickly and I was in the middle of it all. I tried to look for a safe place but I eventually got stuck between people, I was hopelessly lost! An hour later I was still lost but the crowd had died down so I moved out of the marketplace looking for a map, or at least someone who spoke my language. A few minutes later I found myself at the start of a row of houses. I thought maybe, just maybe, someone would let me stay. It was nearing 6.00pm and I was on my last house, I knocked...there was no answer but the door was open so I stepped inside. It was a cosy, small house with a couple of chairs and a low table, there was also a fireplace but no firewood. The floorboards were creaky and I’m pretty sure I saw something scurry past. I made my way to what looked like the kitchen to find something to eat. I was starving so I raided the cupboards and drawers but all I found was a crumb. Suddenly I heard the door, I ran upstairs, watching closely to see who it was...A tall, slim man walked through the door, he hung up his coat and closed the door but it just creaked back open. He sat down with a large sigh then got up and walked to the fireplace, he bent down I assume to check for wood but seeing there wasn’t sat back down. He seemed depressed and lonely for reasons I couldn’t tell.

He just sat there in his dusty chair not saying a word. Suddenly I felt a tickle in my nose—I was going to sneeze—OH NO! I was going to sneeze! I tried to hold it in but the dust got up my nose, I let out a big “ACHOO”, he looked around but then just stayed put. I thought maybe I could sneak out, so I went for it, trying not to sneeze again. I had made it down the stairs and was now behind his chair. I was expecting a CRREEEAAK of the floorboards but nothing. Before I knew it I found myself out the door. I saw the man though the ajar door. I knocked, wanting to talk to him.

Continues on the next page

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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I heard him get up, he opened the door and greeted me with an annoyed grunt. I told him what had happened and he just stayed blank. He walked to his chair with a sigh and signalled me to come in. He talked to me in a glum tone and said he wouldn't help me, he said he’s never helped anyone since the day there was no sunset. That day he changed, and he believed the light in the world had gone. I thought to myself about it, there must be something I can do to help, he’s so...unfortunate, I didn’t know how to help someone who had lost their faith in the world. Then I got it, I remembered seeing the windows blocked with wood, so I ran over and stripped off the wood. He turned his head and slowly went outside. “There’s still hope” I heard him mumble. I didn’t want to be rude but I asked him if he could help now, he rubbed his chin in thought and suddenly came up with the most logical solution “well if you came here through the sunset, maybe you can go back through the sunset”. I thanked him and then he said “just promise me this, can you please, always, always, watch the sunset” “I will” I replied and went back through. As the first time I felt a whoosh of air and I was back on the ground, I went back to sleep thinking about all that had happened and as for the tall, slim man, I kept my promise.

Mr Williamson interview On Thursday 24th September Miss McLeod’s S2 English class used their library time to interview the Headmaster, Mr Williamson, about all things books, English, libraries and reading.

Students worked together in a group to come up with lots of questions before we welcomed Mr Williamson into the hot seat.

A few students took notes of answers given and the whole interview was filmed on iPad. The class thoroughly enjoyed what was a very revealing interview. We were able to learn more about Mr Williamson’s personality and home life by hearing about his reading habits, favourite books and characters.

Here are some of the favourite facts we found out about Mr Williamson:          

His favourite word is ’inquisitive’ - which teachers often called him at school He likes to read sitting on a comfy chair in his study He can speak Russian and many of his favourite books and authors are Russian, he travelled to Russia with his school in 1984 Anna Karenina and Crime and Punishment are two of his most favourite books ever. They are both Russian He is currently reading ‘Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt He loves crime novels, especially crime novels set in Scandinavia He reads a lot of education documents and educational theory books When we was a teenager he loved reading novels by Iain Banks, in particular ’The Wasp Factory’ and ’The Crow Road’ As a child the books that got him into reading were ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ series, especially ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ Mr Williamson likes to read books about characters that have flaws - it reminds him that not everyone is perfect and mistakes are sometimes good!

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 18

S1 Family Learning Event On Thursday 24th September we welcomed S1 students and their families into the school for the S1 Family Learning Event.

Held between 6 and 8pm this evening is an opportunity for families to see and hear all about life as an S1 student in Lasswade. There were presentations from teachers about whole school activities such as music, drama and sports clubs.

In the Atrium departments set up stands about S1 learning in their subject. Each of these stands included examples of S1 work completed so far and staff were available to chat about course content, progress and opportunities in their subject.

The evening was very well attended, with many S1 students bringing parents, grandparents and siblings to see their school and meet their teachers.

Ashley Gabayoyo: New school tie designer Before the summer holidays S1 students were asked to put forward design ideas for a new junior school tie.

The senior managers in school created a shortlist of 7 designs which students were then asked to vote on. Two ties were very popular so the decision was made to amalgamate the designs ideas.

The final tie combines the stripes designed by Anna Brotherston and the Eagle design created by Ashleigh Gabayoyo.

Ashley’s bird design has become a distinctive feature of the new school tie. Pictured is Ashley being presented with a new tie at the start of the year. Ashley told us a little bit about her design inspiration: “I was looking for a yellow image to include and I liked the bird on the school badge. I was surprised that my design was chosen. I think it looks pretty cool - especially with the stripes added in.�

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 19

Senior UK Maths Challenge 120 Senior students from Lasswade High School will compete in the UK Senior Maths Challenge on Thursday 5th Nov. On this day students from secondary schools all over the UK will be competing in this challenge organised by Leeds University. Good luck to all those taking part.

Scottish Enterprising Mathematics Final The Lasswade team – Ben Shanks, Zainab Hussain, Holly Smith & Jack Ramage – are heading to the Scottish final of Enterprising Maths.

On 17th November they will compete against teams from all over Scotland at The Science Centre in Glasgow.

Summer Reading Challenge The Summer Reading Challenge is a national initiative which takes place in libraries every summer.

The theme this year was ‘Record Breakers’.

Lasswade Library was a hive of activity this summer with children from across Midlothian taking part in the summer reading challenge; to read 6 books over the summer holidays. Many current S1 and S2 Lasswade students took part.

124 children signed up for the challenge at the start of the summer and 101 of those participating managed to read all 6 books (in some cases even more than 6!).

To celebrate all of these great readers Lasswade Library organised an afternoon of record breaking entertainment on Friday 28 August, which included a real life magician!

Summer Reading Challenge is also a great volunteering opportunity and the library was lucky enough to have four Lasswade students volunteering this year. Kia Lothian, Erin Inglis, Caitlin Gillis and Gemma Dewar all volunteered over the summer helping children to sign up to the challenge, track their progress and complete tasks, crafts and activities. They all did a fantastic job!

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 20

Prince’s Trust Community Projects Working with the elderly. This group included Holly Brennan, Aiden Quinn, Chantelle Turnbull and Melissa Russell. Article written by Aiden Quinn.

As part of our Prince’s Trust community project we visited Springfield Care Home where we held a small coffee morning. Before attending this event we had to prepare what we were going to do, who would be involved and the amount of people to cater for. We also had to call the care home to confirm the date and time of the event. Also, we had to get access to money to buy food and drink for the event. We also had to ask for authorisation to leave school. After we completed the necessary work, we attended this. When we arrived we set up, said hello and introduced ourselves. After we served tea, coffee, biscuits and cakes. After that we began to tidy up and said thank you for letting us hold our event there. We believe this project went very well and taught us very good skills like communicating with the community, whether it be the elderly, children or any other group.

Working with the nursery. This group included Emma Dent, Caitlin Soutar and Grace Angus. Article written Emma Dent.

As part of the Prince’s Trust course me and two classmates had to choose a project to do within the community. We chose to work with the children from the nursery. We had to plan who was in charge of what, for example clothing, equipment etc. As a group we had to separate responsibilities and different roles.

I had to organise equipment and do a risk assessment on the science garden that we chose to take the nursery children to. Grace also helped with the risk assessment and equipment. Caitlin wrote a letter to the parents of the nursery children informing them about the project. On the 4th of September we took the children out to the garden to look for bugs and flowers. We really enjoyed the day and so did the children.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 21

Prince’s Trust Community Projects Bike maintenance. This group included Evan Davidson, Connoll Scott and Alex MacKenzie. Article written by the group.

Periods 3 and 4 on a Monday we decided to participate in the community project involving bike maintenance with Mr Gallacher. During the community project we worked in the bike shed in which we - built bikes, built bike stands, repaired tyres and punctures, learnt what specific tools did from the toolbox and learnt basic cycling skills. From the skills learned in the future we could advance on them and use them to fix our own, and other peoples, bikes. We could also use the skills and knowledge learned to help other people develop their own bike skills.

Working with the nursery. This group included Erin Youngs, Rachel Wood, Lucy Cosgrove, Sam Neil and Olivia McLaughlan. Article written by the group.

As a group we all took part in a community project which was to take the nursey children to the science garden. At first we met the children and were greeted by about 12 of them—then we took them from the nursery on a short walk to the garden. While in the science garden the kids had a good time and were eager to explore. A highlight of the community project was getting to know the kids and getting to teach them about wildlife.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 22

Midlothian Spell Masters 2015 Teams of S2 students from each of the Midlothian secondary schools competed in this years Midlothian Spell Masters competition which took place in the Lasswade High School Assembly Hall on 23rd September.

The Lasswade team were Aliki Kavoussanaki, Teoni Halliday, Toni Jenkinson and Jami-Ul Amin.

The competition was fierce as the teams battled in two rounds of extreme spelling. The score boards at the end were so close with 3 teams finishes on 32 (including Lasswade), 2 teams finishing on 33 points and the winners, Dalkieth High School, finishing on a grand 39 points. Very well done!

Edinburgh International Book Festival Lasswade took full advantage of the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year. The School Librarian organised three trips; each of them very different.

Our first trip was to see authors Andrew Smith and Brian Conaghan and was an event for senior students. Both authors spoke about the theme of ‘coming of age’ in their novels, When Mr Dog Bites (Brian Conaghan) and Grasshopper Jungle (Andrew Smith). The author event for junior students was with award winning British author Matt Whyman who spoke about ‘alternative realities’ in his recent series The Savages. We also attended a slightly more unusual event; a performance by Edinburgh based Hip Hop group Stanley Odd. This was a particular highlight!

These trips were brilliant fun and everyone who came along reported having a great time - as well getting the chance to see the events we all loved going to the book shop, eating lunch in a very sunny Charlotte Square and getting the chance to meet the authors afterwards for book signing.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 22

Art Showcase Congratulations to Grace Owen, from Ms Hannah's S3 class, whose artwork was selected for the upcoming showcase. S2 students voted for their favourite drawing and Grace's stood out. Jack Cameron's and Lauren Hood's work was also popular.

Their work, along with many others from S1-S6, will be on display on the 3rd December at the showcase. The showcase will include work from CDT and Fashion & Textiles. There will be prizes for outstanding work and it looks like its going to be a fantastic night. Please show your support by coming along.

Felting Workshops 6 students who had shown determination and effort in Art & Design throughout the year were given the morning out of class to join a local textile artist on a felt making workshop. They all used a method of hand felting to produce a picture which was framed and they could take it home. We were very proud of the students and the results they achieved! The artist Jo Lee will hopefully work with us again this year.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 23

Science lunchtime club Some of our S1 scientists have been enjoying an extra opportunity to get some hands-on learning done at Science club on a Wednesday lunchtime.

So far we have had an explosive time learning about reactions that give off heat in the form of screaming jelly babies and burning magnesium! On the chillier side of science, we were looking at reactions which are cold, this included 'fishing for ice cubes' as shown in the pictures as well as finding out how dry ice is made.

Balloon racers gave our scientists the opportunity to get a little competitive and think about forces and friction! Coming up soon we will be making DNA keyrings and getting to meet some special scaly friends with a guest speaker 'The Reptile Guy' along with many, many more wacky and weird activities planned throughout the year.

There are still spaces available so if you are interested please just ask anyone in the science department for more details.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 23

Higher photography trip to Roslyn Glen The Art and Design department had another successful higher photography trip.

Many thanks go to Kevin Marr for mini bus driving and for joining in enthusiastically with the photography. The class were accompanied by Art Teacher, Ms Gatherer.

Students from the higher photography class visited Roslyn Glen to develop their skills using a DSLR camera. They explored long exposures, making the water on the river look like it was moving and using a tripod to keep the camera still. They also looked at short exposures to still all movement and explored altering the ISO settings and the aperture size.

This was a fantastic trip and the students were all extremely committed to trying out new techniques and exploring the possibilities that a DSLR camera offers.

Discussions about composition, including the rule of thirds and leading lines, were all really productive and the students should be proud of the work they produced.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 24

Modern Foreign Languages Department News European Day of Languages On Monday 28 September the Modern Languages department celebrated European Day of Languages which involved a S1 flags & hello quiz whereby students researched the 28 countries of the European Union, their flags and the word to say “hello” in each country’s language. All around the school, there are 28 classrooms with the flags and the words displayed for the students to work out which country is on which classroom door! One way of getting to know the countries of the EU and learn 28 language phrases in one day…And get to know your way around the school! Prizes were won and motivation merits for participation were awarded.

Здравей

Bok

Tere

Γεια σου

Bunǎ ziua

S3 French An S3 French class got a taste of how it felt to be the teacher when they had to teach French language points to their peers. Verbs were the topic and tenses were the task at hand! There were a few natural “Profs de français” who took straight to using the boards and pens to help the class get to grips with their “present, perfect and imperfect” tenses.

Well done to all “profs”!

S3 French meets Health & Wellbeing & Art The class were dishing out advice on how to lead a healthy life with their posters on the dos and don'ts of La Bonne Santé!

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 25

Modern Foreign Languages Department News S4 French The class were using their French skills to write poems and scripts on the topic of family relationships! The poems were about someone in the family who influenced them or something that had an important place in their lives. The scripts were used to act out 1 minute theatre pieces whereby each student had a role as either the narrator or with a starring role as a parent or child! This was real cross-curricular active learning at its best. We saw budding poets, scriptwriters, actors and actresses come out of their shell. Performances were filmed and Oscars were given at the end ranging from the usual Best Actor/ Actress awards, and in addition more unusual awards were given to Best Prop Used and Strictest Dad! Poem by Zainab Hussein: The final speaking exams next year will be a “wrap” if these performances were anything to go by!

Je m’entends très bien avec ma mère, parce qu’elle n’est jamais autoritaire.

Elle n’est jamais ennuyeuse mais vraiment généreuse.

Elle est intelligente et assez amusante.

Midlothian Teachers Mandarin Immersion Course Laswade Modern Languages Teacher, Mr Poots, and Loanhead Primary teacher, Mrs Cooney, were among several dozen Scottish teachers who attended a two week Mandarin immersion course at Beijing Language and Culture University. This was organised by the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools. Participants learnt Mandarin in the mornings and enjoyed cultural activities such as calligraphy and painting in the afternoons. There was even a chance to take part in Chinese tea-ceremony, samples including a ‘slimming’ tea (which neither Mrs Cooney or Mr Poots needed, despite the many banquets to which they were invited.) Their Chinese hosts also laid on excursions to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the neighbouring city of Tianjn (where they met the Lasswade students who were visiting fror their own Mandarin Immersion course) and part of the Great Wall at Badaling. Mr Poots particularly enjoyed a visit to the Beijing Opera, while for Mrs Cooney the highlight of the trip was trying fried scorpion on a stick, a popular street-food snack in China. Both teachers had great fun making new friends and they are looking forward to passing on their new language skills to their students.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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History/Geography trip to London On Monday 14th September 21 S5/S6 students and 3 staff (Miss Conlan, Mrs Crawford and Mr Shanks) left Edinburgh Waverly Station for an exciting four day trip to London which would focus on different aspects of the Geography and History National qualifications. Having arrived at St Paul's YHA we continued on to the South Bank and the London Eye. During the 30 minute rotation we saw wonderful views across all parts of London from the Shard to Wembley Stadium and Buckingham Palace. The students learned about the Thames and the change in its location over the centuries, the history of the Houses of Parliament and associated buildings and the impact of WW2 on the East End which gave rise to the variety of old and new buildings.

Afterwards we all embarked on a Hidden Horrors Ghost Tour around the area of St Paul's (which was made even spookier as dusk fell) by stories of the burials of the plague victims and the execution of Sir William Wallace.

On Tuesday we spent the day at Bletchley Park where we were transported back to WW2 and the impact the Codebreakers had on the war effort and the importance and uniqueness of the Enigma machine. We also had the opportunity to see an exhibition of the film The Imitation Game which included actual props and costumes from the film in the rooms of The Mansion where the film was set.

After dinner at Nando’s we went to the New London Theatre to see the amazing show War Horse. This was an exceptional experience as the actor Tony McGeever, who played a main character, is a previous Lasswade High School student, ensured that each of us had a show programme on arrival and met us afterwards for a Q & A session about life in the West End - what a night!

Although Wednesday was the day with all the rain we had a really interesting educational tour of the Houses of Parliament in the morning that started with a 360 degree film which focused on the history of both politics and the different buildings. As it was also the day of Prime Minister's Questions we also had the privilege of seeing the Speaker of the House of Commons enter with his Clerks and the Royal Mace! At the end of our tour we met with Midlothian's MP Owen Thompson who took part in an interesting Q & A session about life as an MP and his experiences of politics both as a Councillor and now an MP.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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In the afternoon we met our tour guide in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and ventured into the Aquatic Centre which we toured and continued on around the 506 acre park where we learned about the past and future regeneration of the area and rebranding of the Olympic stadiums in order to leave a legacy after the 2012 Olympic Games. Students also found it interesting to learn that the original buildings were recycled to create new structures in the Olympic Park.

After dinner we had a competitive evening of ten-pin bowling where the students bet the staff on more than one occasion and many strikes were made throughout the two games!

On our last day we visited University College London to investigate the undergraduate Geography courses and have a campus tour. The tour started around the different buildings of UCL and then onto the Geography department where students were invited into the laboratories to experience a small part of what is on offer as part of the BSc Geography course. Students were asked to analyse samples of fresh water and identify fresh water invertebrates which are indicators of the impacts of Crayfish in the UK's river systems. Students also had the exciting experience of picking up different species of live Crayfish and learning from a current PhD student about their impacts on river ecosystems. From the students reactions during this hands-on experience they all had a great time!

Throughout the whole trip the students were exceptionally behaved and were a credit to the school. This was especially shown when a member of the public on the train home commented to staff how great the students were and how funny they are too!

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Breakfast club Over the last few weeks we have had a real mix of characters attending, which has been great. Special mention to young John Ross who has been in just about every morning, doing the cups of tea, which Mr Paris has latched onto! John has also been emptying the dish washer and making toast. All the students who have been attending seem to get a great start to their day with either a hot piece of toast or a bowl of cereal accompanied with a nice cup of char. With a warm welcome and good crack why not rock along to ‘Taitso's Bistro’.

A huge thank you to Mrs Anstruther for the use of her room in the morning.

Amnesty International Article by Becky Shanks and Nancy Stewart Lasswade’s Amnesty International Group has recently re-established.

There was recently a petition on Amnesty’s website calling on people to support the Human Rights Act. This increased the interest of a number of students within Lasswade who eagerly approached the leader of the former Amnesty Group, Ms Simpson, and told her there was an appetite for an Amnesty Group to be re-established. As a result, we now have an active Amnesty International Group within Lasswade High School who will promote Human Rights across the school.

Our first campaign involved creating posters and materials in support of the Syrian Refugee Crisis. We placed posters all across the school in support of the refugees across Syria and Europe. The group’s next campaign will be a call for Britain to stop trading in torture equipment. We hope to raise awareness by holding assemblies and holding an information stall, which will provide information and resources on our campaign against torture equipment. We have also created a petition which students will have a chance to sign which we intend to send to the responsible Secretary of State at Westminster. Towards the end of October we will also hold a bake sale in order to raise funds for Amnesty International.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Senior Head Team Canoe Expedition This September our newly appointed S6 Senior Student Team embarked on the inaugural S6 Senior Student Expedition.

Our 6 students successfully navigated their open canoes along the iconic Union canals towards Edinburgh. Our students paddled a super 40k from Falkirk Wheel finishing at Ratho after an overnight stop.

The students developed strong leadership and organisational skills as well as engaging in team building activities to help them in their special roles.

Head Boy Blair Jones commented: “It's a fantastic experience and we have really bonded as a group.�

Thanks to Mr & Mrs Mitchell for their input, Mr Marr the ice cream provider and the Outdoor Learning team at Midlothian.

The team were accompanied by Mr Murray and Mr Dinwoodie.

This amazing photograph was taken by Hamish Misselbrook, it has since been entered into a photography competition

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Lasswade Football News S1 Boys Football The S1 football team have had an excellent start to the season, with convincing wins against Newbattle and Preston Lodge and unfortunately losing out to Ross High in a very tight game. The boys have been an excellent representation of Lasswade High School, implementing the DREAM values in every game and training session.

It was a very tough process to select the squad as 50 students turned up to the trials. Mr Dewar and Mr English would like to thank all the boys who participated in the trials. In the weeks that the team do not have a match, we have an open training session where all S1 students are invited to come along.

Lasswade Rugby News The 2015/16 rugby season is fully underway with 5 teams playing in the new SRU schools conference. The opening weekend showed the strength of Lasswade for this coming season with all teams winning from S1-U18’s against Musselburgh.

Highlights so far have included an U15’s win against Trinity Academy, very strong performances from S1-3 away to Melrose and a win for the U16’s against Loretto.

The S1’s are currently undefeated in their conference league. The growth of Lasswade rugby can be seen in the current S1 squad with over 38 boys playing. This has allowed us to field an additional S1/2 development team. Curricular rugby is well underway with the S1 and 2 school of rugby students working extremely hard at training. The S3’s have begun their sports performance course and the S4 national rugby class is in full swing. Fixtures to look forward to in the coming weeks include Dunbar and Linlithgow. Thank you to all the players, coaches and supporters for all for their hard work so far this season. For regular updates with scores, fixtures and training times please follow @LHSrugby14 on twitter.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Students and teachers race to Hong Kong Nathan Avinou, Fraser Clark, John Harrison and Max Roarty have a very exciting and eventful October break to look forward to.

Along with students from Morrison’s Academy in Crieff and St Ninian’s High School in Giffnock the four boys are taking part in the Raleigh Wilson Trail Challenge.; a 78km trail run from Hong Kong Island to The New Territories. They will be accompanied

by Lasswade running legends; Mr Chisholm and Mr Tennet.

As part of the trip the students have also been raising money for this year's nominated charity which is Capability Scotland. Fund raising included a memorable Bingo tea event in the British Legion Club in Crieff.

There is also a JustGiving link here if you wish to contribute: www.justgiving.com/HKSECteam2015/

Extra Curricular Timetable: Study, Sports & Clubs The school is proud of the incredible amount of extra-curricular clubs and study support that it offers students during the academic year.

All departments run lunchtime or after school study support, with extra times added in the lead up to national qualifications.

There is an impressive variety of extra-curricular clubs available in Lasswade; from chess and crafts to books and baking we hope there will be something for everyone.

I hope that all parents/carers will encourage their children to become involved in the sporting, musical, cultural and academic programmes on offer from our highly committed and professional staff.

On the school website you can access information about all of our current clubs, sports teams and study support. lasswadehsc.mgfl.net/extra-curricular-activities/ New clubs are added each term. Students should keep an eye on the daily bulletin for information about new clubs and meeting times.

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Parent Council Update We have had a really busy start to the 2015/16 session with two Parent Council meetings attended by a number of new parents. Everyone is welcome to come along and contribute to the discussions. The agenda is put on the website as are previous minutes if you are interested in seeing what’s going on but aren’t able to attend. If you would like to raise an issue in advance of a meeting or make contact with the Chair then her contact details are at the foot of this report. We also post on the school Facebook page so make sure you “like” the page to keep up to date.

So far this term representatives of the PC have met with various student groups to see how we can work closely together. We had really productive discussions with the Head Team, the events and charities teams and a group of S1 students. We were keen to find out about the transition experience for students and parents and so we fed back from our meeting with the students to Mr Chisholm who is responsible for this year group. With help from two new parents on the PC, we worked with Mr Chisholm and Ms McLay on a survey which was rolled out on the school iPads at the 1st year curriculum evening on 24th September. There were over 90 responders to the survey so it will be really interesting to review the comments. This will be on the agenda at the next PC meeting.

As you may be aware from local media coverage, all the school mountain bikes were recently stolen. This is the second time there has been such a theft. The PC has a real concern about security at the rear of the school and as a result a letter was written to the Chief Executive of Midlothian Council to voice those concerns and a meeting will follow to discuss the issues.

We had our AGM on 22 September and the reports from the Chair, Treasurer, Fundraising team and Headmaster are all on the website. The committee members are listed at the foot of this report. Importantly the Treasurer reported that the current balance of the PC account is £5209.99. Donations amounting to £2382 were made to the School. Major donations were made to support the CONABOR scheme, the School App and the South Africa Committee. Smaller donations were made to other departments including a visualiser for the Art Department and music stands for the Music Department. Such donations would not be possible without the generous donations made at school events by parents attending to support their children. The Christmas fair and the Bingo night were also major events and will be run again this year.

Finally a big thank you to all those parents who give up their time to share ideas at the meetings and help run events.

CONTACTS Lindsey McGregor – Chair lindseymmcgregor@aol.com John French – Vice Chair durinsbaneuk@gmail.com Anna Traquair -Treasurer annatraquair@gmail.com

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Parent Council: Meetings and Dates DATES FOR THE DIARY Fundraising Events PC Christmas Fair – 19 November – Atrium Creative Arts exhibition – 3 December – Atrium PC Meetings Tuesday 27 October Thursday 26 November PC meetings take place in the Conference Room of the Lasswade Centre.

Meetings start at 7pm and usually last 90 minutes.

Parent Council: Christmas Fair Lasswade High School’s Christmas Fair Thursday 19 November 2015 6pm - 8.30pm Join us for an evening of Christmas Shopping with over 15 pop up trading tables, incl jewellery, Christmas gifts/decorations, arts and crafts, beauty goods, home baking, tombola and many more.

Entertainment from the School Band & Choir

Tickets £3.00 for Adults!

(Incl mince pie & mulled wine/tea or coffee)

Tickets available from the School Office or by contacting the Parent Council Child Ticket £1.00 and will include a drink of juice and a biscuit Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

pg 36

Parent Information Important Dates for Next Session Staff and students resume after the October holidays on Monday 19th October.

The last day of term before the Christmas break is Friday 18th December.

 

 

S1: S2: S3: S4: S5/S6:

Tuesday 10 May 2016 Thursday 4 February 2016 Tuesday 8 March 2016 Wednesday 4 November 2015 Monday 23 November 2015

We are delighted to invite current Primary 7 students, and their families, to our Open Evening...

Lasswade High School



Primary 7 Open Evening

Parents’ Evenings for Next Session

Thursday 12th November 2015 @ 6 pm - 8 Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Lasswade High School App Our mobile App is now live on both Apple and Google Play stores.

By downloading the Lasswade High School app you can stay in touch with our events, news and receive free push notifications from us.

To download scan with a QR reader or visit the Apple or Google App Stores .

Lasswade High School Newsletter, October 2015

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Lasswade High School Autumn Newsletter 2015 The end!