St. Joseph's Academy Weekly Newsletter Issue 22.3

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher Grassyards Rd Kilmarnock KA3 7SL

ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY Weekly Newsletter

01563 526144

ISSUE 22.3

www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk Twitter: @StJoAcad

MAY 22ND 2015

INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM: NURTURING FAITH-FILLED WORLD CLASS LEARNING

FOR PARENTS, CARERS, FAMILIES & PARISHES

Works in Progress Two fascinating pieces of work from S3. Pupils have been working in a variety of media on images on inspirational people. The image on the left really is composed from pencil sharpenings!

Visit by Mrs. Passi from Delhi, India

S2 Rugby Workshop with Mark Bennett

Throughout this week we have hosted Mrs. Sarika Passi, a

It was great to welcome back to the school Scottish rugby

teacher from Bal Bharati Public School in Noida, near Delhi.

international and former pupil Mark Bennett for an afternoon of rugby

This has been undertaken as part of an exchange programme,

skills workshops with S2. Mark’s career has been watched with great

Connecting Classrooms, run by the British Council.

interest by pupils and staff alike and he was last in the school to give

Mrs. Passi

has attended classes throughout the school, working with young people and getting to know staff. She has also visited St. Andrew’s Primary School and Early Childhood Centre, St. Patrick’s Primary School, the Dean Castle as a guest of Provost Todd and travelled to Loch Lomond, Arran and

an address at the Senior School Awards ceremony last September.

This time he was not short of a word or two of advice for pupils as they worked on tackling skills, running and passing.

S1 Investigate the Great War As part of our programme of activities to mark the 100th anniversary of World War 1, pupils from across S1 came together to

Edinburgh. Whilst here she has been keen to impart her

investigate the conflict through art, history and modern languages. In

thoughts on mental health and wellbeing, faith and the

a series of challenges posed by three different teachers, and initiated

differences and similarities between our educational systems.

through Home Room, the pupils explored some unusual perspectives

In addition, she has provided a number of contributions for the

on the conflict and found out a wide range of facts that they then

seventh edition of redblack which will be published at the end

applied to the creation of various pieces. Another great example of

of June. Mrs. Passi left us on Wednesday after having

interdisciplinary learning in action.

described her time at St. Joseph’s as ‘wonderful’ and ‘lifechanging’. She even threatened to stay and work for free. Her final assembly, in the Oratory, saw her teaching basic Hindi and offering pupils advice on starting the day with positivity.

Study Leave Activities

Boswell Book Festival Mrs. Kirkwood led a group of keen bibliophiles to the world;s only dedicated festival of biography last week. They experienced a wide range of activities exploring the written work and meeting authors all in the splendid setting of Dumfries House.

Artist begins anniversary commission

Pupils in S4 and S5 have been following a special programme

Just before Easter we commissioned local artist Gemma Coyle

of study leave activities over the past few weeks. This has

to develop a series of public artworks to be displayed around

involved a range of work experience opportunities, work on

the schools. These works will commemorate the school’s 60th

CVs and employability skills with Yipworld and a trip to the

anniversary which begins this August. Prior to its move to

Outward Bound centre in Loch Eil. This exciting opportunity Miss Woodward and S6 pupils

Grassyards Rd the school was known as St. Joseph’s High

raising money with that a bake sale saw the pupils undertaking an overnight expedition tested

School and was located on Elmbank Drive in buildings that

this week. skills as well as the pupils’ team working and communication

become St. Columba’s Primary School. Our founding

boosting their resilience and commitment. Pupils have also

headteacher was James Breen, OBE (1907 - 1999). Gemma’s

enjoyed inputs from various guest speakers including from the

work will incorporate old photos, images and stories of the

Army and RAF.

school and will be co-created with pupils. We are keen to hear

New Appointments

from any former pupils of the school and those who have

We are delighted to report that three new appointments have

been associated with the school so that we can make our

been made to the staff. The first is Mrs. Donna Shearer who

Diamond Jubilee a truly special time.

after a period as Acting Depute Headteacher has been

S1 Visit Belfast

appointed as permanent DHT. Also securing a permanent

Led by three S6 Higher Personal Development pupils and

position as Principal Teacher of Pupil Support is Mrs. Maria

accompanied by a number of staff, over 50 pupils from S1

Denheen. In addition, we have appointed a further Principal

visited the Titanic museum in Belfast last Friday. They

Teacher of Pupil Support, Mrs. Jacqueline Glencorse who will

travelled over by ferry and enjoyed a fun-packed day, including

join us in August from Boclair Academy in Bearsden. We are

a thought-provoking workshop that examined the reasons

thrilled with the new appointments and congratulate all.

behind the sinking of the famous ship.

Pictures from around the school this week Above: Mrs. Sarika Passi visits Loch Lomond on a typically changeable Scottish day. Below: S1 pupils enjoy the interactive exhibits at the Titanic Museum in Belfast.

Below left: our keen golfers on week five of their programme at Loudoun Golf Club practice their putting technique. Left: pupils from S1 and S2 with Mark Bennett after their afternoon workshop. Above left: S1 pupils at the Titanic museum work on one of the collaborative challenges.

SQA Exam Timetable 2015 Friday May 22nd

French National 5 French Higher

Monday May 25th

Product Design H & AH Design & Manufacture N5

Wednesday May 27th

Modern Studies N5 Modern Studies H

Thursday May 28th

Chemistry N5 Chemistry Higher

Friday May 29th

Spanish N5/ H Art & Design N5/H

Monday June 1st

Physical Education H

Tuesday June 2nd

Psychology N5/H

SQA Results 2015 Pupils will receive their results from the SQA on August 4th by first class mail. MySQA is a web service that offers you secure and unique access to your results. You can choose to have your results sent by e-mail or text on Tuesday 4 August. You’ll need to sign up to MySQA by 5pm on Monday 13 July, and then activate your account by 5pm on Wednesday 15 July. s for you.

Activate your account at www.mysqa.info

IMPORTANT DATES…………………………………………………

June 4th P7 Parents’ Mass and Induction

May 26th Planned change of timetable

Evening

June 3rd & 4th P7 Induction

June 5th Senior School Induction

June 3rd Caritas Awards Ceremony

June 8th S6 Leavers’ Day event & Mass

WEEKLY HOME ROOM REFLECTION: Giving not receiving In Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London, visitors can climb stairs so as to walk around the inside of the great dome, which is 60 metres (200 feet) across. This ledge (or balcony) is called the Whispering Gallery because the sound from someone’s whisper bounces back from the smooth walls of the dome. Even someone whispering on the other side of the dome can be heard if people listen close to the wall. It was whilst on this Whispering Gallery just over a hundred years ago that a poor shoemaker whispered to his girlfriend that he didn’t have enough money to buy leather to make shoes, and so didn’t have enough money for them to get married. On the other side of the dome someone heard the whispering of the couple and decided he would help them. He followed the shoemaker from a distance to find out where he lived, and then he paid for some leather and arranged for it to be sent anonymously to the shoemaker’s shop. Everything went well because the shoemaker was then able to make enough money from his shop, and so the couple were able to marry. It was a few years later that they found out who it was who had helped them. It was the Prime Minister, William Gladstone, and today was the day of his death in 1898.

Let us pray: Lord, most of us will not become well-known or be written about because of great achievements, but we will be known and loved for our character and the smaller ordinary things that we do that make our part of the world a better place. Inspire us, Lord, each day, to find joy in giving as well as in receiving, and lead us to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.

PARISH MASS TIMES St. Matthew’s: 9.30 am, Fr. Chambers St. Joseph’s: 6.00 pm (vigil), 11.00 am Fr. Latham St. Francis Xavier, Patna: 5.00 pm (vigil) St. John the Evangelist: 10.45 am, Fr. McGrattan Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 9.30 am, Fr. McGhee St. Michael’s: 4.30 pm (vigil) St. Paul’s: 11.30 am, Fr. Chambers Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Patrick: 6.00 pm (vigil), Fr. McGrattan St. Sophia’s: 6.00 pm (vigil) Fr. Chambers St. Thomas the Apostle: 9.00 am, Fr. McGrattan