November 4th parent news 2013

ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY Weekly Newsletter

ISSUE 8.2

INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM: ECUADOR 2013

NOVEMBER 4TH

2013 FOR PARENTS, CARERS, FAMILIES & PARISHES

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher Grassyards Rd Kilmarnock KA3 7SL 01563 526144 www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk Twitter: @StJoAcad

ECUADOR 2013 During the October Week holiday nine pupils and two teachers accompanied Father Martin Chambers on a life-changing trip to the shanty town of Nueva Prosperina, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In the first of several features over the coming weeks the pupils reflect on their experiences. Here S5 pupils Jade Connell, Sarah Kelly and Dannielle McCloskey reveal their experiences.

We have always been told how welcoming the people in Ecuador are, but this did not stop us all being overcome with nerves and anticipation as the trip came closer.

There is always the element of “How will they react to our coming over and being center of attention for ten days?”

At the end of the day, the peoples’ lives we were about to be immersing ourselves in were teenagers as well.

However, when we walked out of Arrivals at Guayaquil Airport, exhausted after a 12 hour flight, it was absolutely surreal. A mass of people, mainly teenagers, stood with banners and balloons, welcoming us to their country, their home. It’s all a blur, trying to remember what happened; there was lots of hugging, lots of smiles, lots of talking.

Everyone kisses you on the cheek – I can’t imagine that happening every time you see someone in Scotland!

That short twenty minutes at the airport gave us all a flavour for life in Ecuador. All thoughts and fears quickly disintegrated.

All of the 10 days we were there, we were never left with nothing to do! We were always surrounded by children and young people during the school day, then even when we went out visiting families or walking to a church, still some of the older pupils would follow along with us. Being in the school made us think how lucky we are, to have the simple things such as sturdy desks and chairs.

We were in the school every morning from 7am until 1pm.

Then we would have lunch, and later on we would go out into the shanty town to visit families from the school, and also parishioners. We heard so many personal stories.

To say their stories were inspirational was not enough – for many of us, they changed the way we think about life.

Going out into the shanty town opened our eyes to a totally different way of living. Most of the houses had a very thin sheet of metal as a roof; the houses had been built bit-by-bit, when they had the money, just out of bricks. When inside we saw just how little they had, but the generosity every single person offered us was so heart-warming. Every person that we met or just saw always had a smile on their face and didn’t seem to be very bothered by not having much. They were always giving - whether it was food, juice, just a conversation, they gave everything they had.

To say Ecuador was amazing is an understatement. It changed all of our lives in unimaginable ways. Not only did we make some mejores amigos por la vida (best friends for life), but family. We have come home knowing the true meaning of the phrase ‘mi casa es tu casa’.

ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY PARENT COUNCIL Thank you to all who attended the Parent Forum/Parent Council EGM on Monday 7th October. The purpose of this newsletter is to introduce to you the members of your St. Joseph’s Academy Parent Council, let you know how you can contact us and briefly outline our roles.

We are delighted to welcome a good few new faces and wish to say a big thank you to our former Chair – Colin McInnes and former Treasurer – Margaret McGrath for all their hard work over many years as School Board and subsequently Parent Council Members.

Contacting the Parent Council

(Please note: The Parent Council cannot become involved in any The Parent Council can be contacted individual or confidential matter). in a number of ways: One of our main aims is that we hope to E-mail – establish a separate Fund Raising saintjosephsacademyparentcouncil@ Committee/Group within the school and hotmail.co.uk would like to encourage parents and carers to become involved. At present You can also complete and submit the Parent Council provide tea/coffee the form on the school’s website – etc. (for a small donation) at school www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk events, sell the St. Joseph’s Academy (under the heading ‘Parents’ then Trolley Token (a must have for only £1!) sub-heading ‘Parent Council’.) and hold occasional raffles.

Funds raised are utilised in ways as such to Through the school by leaving us a benefit pupils and as current funds are note addressed to The Parent running low, we would welcome any Council. help with ideas and activities so please In the school – we hope to have get in touch…we need your help!

Parent Council members present at school events such as Parent Christmas Raffle afternoons/evenings, Christmas Building on the success of last year’s concerts, Award ceremonies etc.

Christmas Raffle and our Summer Role of the Parent Council The main role of the Parent Council is to promote good links/communication between all parents/carers and the school. Our objectives are outlined within the Parent Council Constitution (copies available from the school).

We want to hear your views on all aspects of school life and would welcome any ideas/suggestions you may have. In addition we will pursue where possible any areas of interest or concern expressed to us.

‘Blazer’ Raffle, the Parent Council will be holding a raffle again in December.

We would very much appreciate any donations (a wee festive bottle or a box of chocs!) from parents/carers or indeed any local businesses to help with raffle prizes. Any donations will be gratefully received in the school at any time, thank you. On that note, the Parent Council would like to thank both Mr Ricardo Varani (The Forum Café) and Mr Mark Tognini (Ayrshire Schoolwear) for their generous support in the past.

PARENT COUNCIL MEMBERS Natalie Ainsworth Jim Campbell Anne Dorrian Noreen Dunnachie (Chair) Geraldine Gallacher (Treasurer) Sharon Jessop Louise Johnston Rob Moore Agnes O’Neill Morag Orr Louise Preston David Rowan (Vice Chair) Douglas Thomson Janet Williamson (Secretary) PARENT COUNCIL MEETINGS These take place at 7 pm and are usually on Monday evenings at the school. The next meetings are: November 11th December 9th January 13th

Get involved Please remember that the Parent Council is there to benefit you the parents and carers. We have regular meetings in school and therefore please do not hesitate to contact any parent member if you have any ideas, suggestions or issues for discussion. Minutes of all meetings are available on request from the school. Thank you for your support.

Noreen Dunnachie (Chair), St. Joseph’s Parent Council TRAFFIC SAFETY ALERT The Parent Council have been asked to highlight an important concern regarding the traffic flow system in the car park within the school grounds.

When exiting the main car park there are two choices - to either go straight ahead into the second car park, in which case the left hand lane is used or to turn right into the exit lanes from the school, in which case the right hand lane only must be used.

It has been observed on numerous occasions recently that some vehicles are using both lanes to turn right, causing some congestion and confusion to all drivers/pedestrians and resulting in some ‘near misses’. Thank you for your support in resolving this matter.

ECUADOR PHOTOS To accompany the article by the gilrs on page one here are a few more images of the pupils, clockwise from below: Fr. Chambers and Mr. Sikora with Freddie; Blair Welsh and Dannielle McCloskey at the school; a group shot beside the Pacific Ocean.

STANDING UP FOR KILMARNOCK In response to very negative press coverage of Kilmarnock Mr. Davis has written to Scotland on Sunday.

The letter is co-signed by two local secondary headteachers. Please read and share the letter here.

WEEKLY HOMEROOM REFLECTION: Remember, remember. . .

On the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the throne passed to the son of her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots. King James VI (the sixth) of Scotland became King James I of England. Uniting the two thrones would eventually lead to the joining of Scotland, England and Wales to form “Great Britain”.

King James enforced some harsh anti-Catholic laws. A small group of Catholics conspired together in what is now known as the “Gunpowder Plot”. They placed 36 barrels of gunpowder in cellars underneath the House of Lords in the British Parliament. Guy Fawkes was to be the one who would light the fuse.

It was intended that the explosion would kill the king and members of the Lords and Commons as they gathered for the State Opening of Parliament. One of the conspirators leaked details of the Plot, and Guy Fawkes was discovered in the cellars. He was arrested, tortured and executed, along with the other conspirators. Parliament decreed that, from then on, bonfires should be lit each year on the 5th of November to celebrate the deliverance from the “Gunpowder Plot”.

Nowadays a “guy” is often still burnt as a reminder of Guy Fawkes. In our own times, on the night before the State Opening of Parliament, there is a symbolic searching of the cellars of Parliament by the ceremonial ‘Yeomen of the Guard’, bearing lanterns.

Let us pray: God our Father, open our eyes to whatever may not be just and right in our own surroundings and in our society. Enable us to be of good influence and work in a non-violent way to promote understanding and better relationships that will lead to justice and peace. Amen.