redblack: issue 1

redblack// THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY, KILMARNOCK ISSUE 1// WINTER 2013

in this issue// My Best Lesson Art and Photographs from S1, S4 - S6 pupils Lessons from Auschwitz S4 essays on zoos and animal cruelty Ronan Boiteaux (S3) on confidence Former pupil Scott Bracki on enterprise Heather O’Rourke (S6) on Ecuador

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and much more/

Ellie Moore, S1

Mark Taylor, S1

Daniel Mulhern, S1

Isla Grant, S1

so what’s the best lesson you’ve learnt this year?

Jack Tognini, S1

Alistair McClung S1

Emma Barclay, S1

Ebony McKendrick, S1

“To manage a massive workload” (Ross, S5) “Make sure you take part in everything” (Erin, S1) “How to balance everything; Iʼm getting there” (Leigh, S5)

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Logan Bennett, S1

“How to control the ball in basketball.” (Blayne, S4)

“That I need to keep up with past papers and not leave it all to the weekend” (Monica, S5)

“Renewables in LifeSchool 360 and Science.” (Luke, S1) “Building a corner cabinet in Practical - I got best in class.” (Reece, S4)

“Ecuador made me think about my education and how Iʼd be an idiot to squander it.” (Paul, S5)

“How to use tone in Art.” (Niamh, S1)

“Building a shoe rack in Practical Craft.” (Kieran, S4)

“Understanding the market in business.”

(William, S4)

“To have confidence in myself. Iʼve got more now. If you donʼt fail youʼve got nothing to improve on and canʼt succeed.”

“Failure is good otherwise you donʼt learn from where youʼve gone wrong.” (Louise, S4)

(Christian, S4) “To be less aggressive when I lose.” (Declan, S1)

“Shots and dribbling in basketball.” (Daniel, S4)

“About great discussion in LifeSchool 360.” (Emma, S1)

“How to draw.” (Megan, S1)

“The impact of child labour.” (Lewis, S1)

“That school is a friendly place where everyone helps you.” (Dylan, S1)

“To love bunsen burners in Science.” (Lee, S1)

“How to use a scientific calculator.” (Jai, S1) “Electricity!” (Ramsay, S5)

“How to manage my time and break up studying.” (Callum, S5) “ To seize opportunity” (Kyle, S4) “How fossil fuels work.”

(Ollie, S1)

my best lesson//

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contents// My Best Lesson

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Introductions

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So far this year...

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News Round-up

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Lessons from Auschwitz - Jordan Platt & Danielle Ronald

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Charities

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Ecuador Reflection - Heather O’ Rourke

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Learner Journeys - S5 and S6 pupils describe their experiences

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Lourdes - Daniel Murray

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At the Zoo - five S4 pupils share their ideas

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Diocesan Youth Forum - Caitlin Mulhern & Denise Custodio

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Enspirex - Ronan Boiteaux

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LifeSchool 360

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Enterprise

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Mathematics - Gordon Stirling

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On the Field - sports and PE news

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Sri Lanka - Mrs. Fulton on her visit in July

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A Year in Numbers

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Learning Community - responses to transition from P7 pupils

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Picture Credits

Former Pupils - Scott Bracki on enterprise

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View from S1 - what is it like to be new around here?

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Cover: Declan McCluskey (S5) p5: Christian Kerr (S4)

Fantasy Football

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p9: Brogan Mason (S6) p13: Tatenda Tapatapa (S5) p20: Jordan Doolan (S4) & Nicole Rowney (S5) p24: Lucy McComb (S4) & Shannon Laird (S4) p29: Kaitlyn Barrie (S4) p31: Jason Murray (S4)

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p35: Laurie Rowan (S4) p47: Ariadna Sanchis (S4) P49: Lewis Mackenzie (S4) p51: Michael Docherty (S4)

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

Approximately four months ago we were awarded the posts of Head Boy and Head Girl. Since then we have been able to take part in many aspects of school life and organise many events for pupils. We have led and organised the prefects and raised funds for charity. One of our biggest projects is to organise the Prom and Yearbook and with two strong pupil committees we feel they are both coming along very well. For the remainder of the year we hope to live out the schoolʼs ʻtake partʼ value statement. Itʼs been a great year so far and weʼre delighted to welcome you to the first edition of redblack to celebrate it. Read on.

Blair Welsh, Head Boy, and Natalie Wallace, Head Girl

As we are nearing the end of the Christmas term, St. Joseph’s Academy Parent Council would like to say a huge thank you to all parents, carers, pupils and staff for their support over the past few months. Since the beginning of the new term the Parent Council has benefited from many new members, each bringing with them to the group their own views and interesting ideas. Our monthly meetings have brought about stimulating discussions, highlighted at times with good humour and some healthy debate.

Our views are always encouraged and positively welcomed by the Senior Management Team therefore it is important that we hear from you, the Parent Forum in order to truly represent your ideas and opinions. While selling our raffle tickets and providing refreshments at recent school events, we have thoroughly enjoyed your chat and are very keen to hear from you in the New Year with regards any feedback concerning day to day school matters. Speak to us at school events, drop us a note in school, email us at stjosephsacademyparentcouncil@hotmail.co.uk or better still, come and join us and get involved in school life.

We wish you all a very happy Christmas and look forward to hearing from you in 2014.

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Noreen Dunnachie, Chair, Parent Council

introductions// This term I have welcomed guests from around the world to the school and had my legs waxed. Only at St. Joseph始s could I be sure of such a diverse range of experiences and know that in both cases the driving force behind them was to ensure that all pupils have excellent experiences right across the curriculum.

I cannot speak highly enough of the staff of this school.

Faced with the real challenge of the new national qualifications they have worked with each other and many people beyond the school to provide a first class experience for our young people. I know that they are motivated by wanting the best for pupils and that, even when they stop for the holiday in a few days time, most will keep thinking about how to improve the quality of service we provide.

I have been struck this year by how much pupils have led initiatives and projects in school. We have focussed considerable efforts on placing pupil voice and opinion high on the agenda: over 200 pupils have influenced change and decision-making in the school through various activities. They have responded by showing they can lead from S1 right they way up to S6. The full range of their leadership achievements is hinted at in the list below.

Finally, as ever, I am, on behalf of the staff, very grateful for the support, encouragement and involvement of parents and carers at St. Joseph始s. This is exemplified by the superb efforts of the Parent Council to raise funds (拢575 so far) and their greatly increased presence in school life. Please be aware that you are always welcome at St. Joseph始s for whatever reason. We prize our contact and relationships with you very highly.

We have taken a slightly different tack with the Christmas newsletter this time. It has morphed into a monster and as such represents the work and input of a huge range of staff and pupils - more than ever before.

Please circulate it and enjoy reading it.

I wish you a peaceful and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2014.

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Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher This session pupils have shown leadership in the following activities: The Pupil Leadership Team Here2Talk - supporting S1 Caritas Christmas Parcels S3 IDL projects Community Sport Hub CSLA awards HeartStart MicroTyco Home Room Space Unlimited Alton Towers Prom Committee House Masses and Assemblies Primary school visits Remembrance activities Diocesan Youth Forum and many more Our pupils are serious about taking the lead.

so far this year// The last four months at St. Joseph’s in list form. Look at everything we’ve been up to. And there’s more...

Since August 16th just some of the experiences pupils have had include: 56 trips involving 1457 participants// Home Room consultation with Space Unlimited// Freshers’ Week// Outstanding exam results// Launch of senior tie// World Youth Netball Championships trip// Hansel Short Story competition success// Sri Lanka teacher visits St. Joseph’s// Senior Awards Ceremony// S1/2 Awards ceremony// Global Market visit// Cyber Security Challenge UK// Music for Ecuador Evening// Mass of Investiture for Pupil Leadership Team// Art Exhibition// Science Club// Edinburgh Zoo Trip// Craft Club// Community Sports Hub relaunch// European Day of Languages// Ocean Youth Trust trip// Young Sports Ambassadors Conference// Valencia Coaching Day// Great Scottish Run// Trip to Entrepreneurial Spark// Baking Club// MacMillan Cancer Coffee morning// Ecuador trip// International Day of Peace Writing Competition// Test of Faith// Prefects’ Mass// Launch of Cumnock Tryst// Science trips to GE Caledonian and BAE systems// Thales trip// No Knives, Better Lives// Talented Athletes Programme// Classroom Assistants honoured// S4 Enspire Study Skills day// Community Council involvement// HeartStart// Remembrance Day Service// Feast of All Saints// S5/6 Childcare class Halloween activity// STV referendum debate// S3 Science// Doon Academy Science Fair// S3 Enspirex Day// Space Unlimited School-to-Work transitions// Author visit// Bake-off// Sri Lanka// Cake-making Class// Charity// Micro-tyco// Christmas Parcels// Anti-bullying Week// History trip to Stirling// S4 prelims// Diocesan Youth Forum// St. Margaret’s Day & St. Andrew’s Day// Home Room adopt an animal// Christmas Fair// Staff-Pupil football match// GE Caledonian Trip// Lion King trip// S4 Parents’ Evening// P7 transition events & senior visits// Here to Talk// Christmas Concert// Football success// GFT trip// Panto trip// Rockerella, the school panto// and much more besides and much more to come…

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news round-up// A summary of the main happenings, achievements and events from the past week or so. Some of these will feature in more detail in the first January weekly newsletter Yipworld Art Exhibition Ten pupils who have been working with our partners Yipworld, led by artist Jan Laird, exhibited their work in the Drama Studio on December 12th.

The work ranged widely in style from graphics to expressive work. It captured the skills and talents of the young people as well as boosting their confidence and esteem.

Christmas Parcels We are proud to report that we sent out 125 parcels to the local elderly and infirm, just a small Christmas gift from the school to those in need at this time of year. As ever the campaign was coordinated by Mr. Shepherd.

Football success A sudden burst of success came our way this week with an 8-0 thrashing of Stewarton by the U-18 side to take the League trophy. Regan Ross scored 3 goals and Josh Rodgers five. The S1 team also beat Stewarton 8-2 with goals from Marcus Robertson (4) and Jason Wilson (4).

Rich Man, Poor Man Lunch Miss McDaid’s Home Room raised over £20 for charity by getting most of the staff to eat baked beans for lunch on Friday at the lunch to raise awareness of global poverty and inequality.

Leg Waxing Mr. Gillespie’s S5 Literacy and Leadership class got the chance to inflict pain and raise some cash for charity when they hosted a leg-waxing event.

Staff and pupils including Mr. Shepherd, Mr. Brogan,

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Mr. Howson and Mr. Davis all manfully took one for the team and donated a valuable strip of leg hair expertly ripped off

by S5 pupil Kaitlyn Forster. The event was MC’d by Andrew Barr.

Staff Lunch A senior Hospitality class put on an excellent staff lunch last week.

They cooked for over 20 staff and offered a wide range from vegetarian options to some toothsome desserts.

They also served the food beautifully and prepared menus and table-settings.

The whole thing was co-ordinated by Miss Northcote.

Tapas in Glasgow Mrs. McDaid treated the senior Spanish pupils to a slap-up lunch at La Tasca on the pretext of improving their understanding of Spanish culture and language. A great afternoon was had by all.

Young Composers’ Workshop The recent trip to the song-writing workshop in the Glasgow Fruit Market certainly inspired the small group of music pupils from S4 and S5 who attended, myself being one of them, writes Ruaraidh Quinn (S5). Louis Abbot (Admiral Fallow) and Findlay Napier (Back of the Moon) conducted the workshop with their laid-back yet informative musical style, performing a variety of songs. Whilst enjoying an up-close acoustic performance, we were taught many useful hints and techniques to write a perfect song; from lyrics and melody to rhythm and rhyme. As a song-writer myself, I found this workshop extremely useful as well as inspiring.

news round-up//

Above: leg-waxing survivors Above: the U-18s celebrate in Stewarton.

Left: the Christmas parcels get ready to go

Below: Mrs.Marshall gets beans in the Rich Man, Poor Man lunch

Below: The three winners of the Bake-Off. Niamh Murray (1st), Amelie Davidson (3rd) and Grant Mosson (2nd)

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auschwitz// S6 pupils Jordan Platt and Danielle Ronald participated in October in the Lessons from Auschwitz project, visiting the infamous concentration camp and committing to lead the education of other pupils about the Holocaust to ensure we all learn from history. Here they

Our bus left Krakow, our tired eyes in disbelief that we were in the presence of the largest death factory the world has seen. It was a strange feeling, a feeling of disarray.

Before our arrival at Auschwitz, we visited a local Jewish cemetery in Oswiecim containing the scattered gravestones of Jews from the town; men, women, children. The town which previously held 7000 Jews, now holds none.

The tomb of Shimshon Klueger, the last man to stay in Oswiecim after the Holocaust stood bold and proud, this man stayed after the Holocaust despite the attempted mass destruction of his community. Shimshon died on the 23rd of June, 2000 at the age of 72.

One of the first sights that presented itself to us was a solemn sign- white letters on a black background: Muzeum Auschwitz.

The brick buildings, constructed as army barracks in the Polish town of Oswiecim, were ringed with barbed wire strung from concrete posts, topped with electric wiring. No-one was meant to escape.

The gate to the camp was capped with a curved sign, "Arbeit Macht Frei"; “Work brings freedom”.

The camp's first big lie. There were others: ‘Leave your things on the platform; you'll pick them up later. First, you must take a shower.’

Auschwitz was established in 1940 for Polish political prisoners after German occupation. By 1942, Auschwitz became the centre for the mass extermination of European Jews. Most were killed in gas chambers on arrival. Told they were taking showers, they stripped naked. Doors locked behind them; gas poured from the ceiling. Twenty minutes later, their horrific death complete, their bodies

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were burned in incinerators, the ashes dumped in special ponds. Others died from forced labour, starvation, disease, execution or medical experimentation.

Exact numbers of the murdered are impossible to know. Estimates range between 1.1 million and 1.5 million, more than 90 per cent Jews. The largest number, 430,000, were from Hungary. Brick buildings housed items from the victims: thousands of pairs of eyeglasses, prayer shawls, crutches and prostheses, combs, hair brushes and kitchen utensils -- pots and pans to be used by Jews who never knew they were traveling, as part of Adolf Hitler's "Final Solution," to their final resting place.

On either side of a long hall, cases were filled with thousands of shoes. Sandals. Lace-ups. Boots.

Wooden shoes from Holland. One, a girl's shoe, black with a bow.

Next, a wall of suitcases, bearing names of travellers who expected to retrieve their belongings after their shower: Herman Pasternak, Irene Hahn, Jacob Greilsamer, Dr. Berah Israel Aronsohn, Klara and Sara Fochtmann.

A room of human hair. Two tons of it. A braided blonde ponytail lay lifeless behind the glass wall… did she survive? The hair was recovered from a German textile factory, shipped there to be woven into cloth. Nazis wasted nothing from their efficient killing machine.

We walked on the track to the location of "the selection." As far as the eye could see were barracks. To the left or right determined who lived a hellish life or died a depraved death. Some family members were spared. Others were gassed, their corpses burned, after being shorn of hair and stripped of gold teeth and jewellery. (cont/)

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L E S S ON S F R OM A U S C H W I TZ / / One used the bathroom when the SS guards said so. Twice a day, prisoners were herded into wooden latrines, a slab of concrete in the centre, holes on either side. No heat, plumbing, paper or soap. Only 10 seconds to drop one's clothes, relieve oneself, then dash to a trough to rinse one's hands, before the next group rushed in.

Filth, insects, rodents and disease abounded. Barracks built for 400 housed a thousand. At its peak, 90,000 occupied the camps, working 12-hour days of back breaking labour.

To those who say the Holocaust never happened, visit Birkenau. The conclusion is inescapable: the Nazis constructed a facility for warehousing human beings on a massive scale.

See the ash ponds next to the crematorium whose water, even today -- 62 years later -- is an eerie shade of grey. Grey from ash, the by-product when flesh is burned.

Travel to Auschwitz. See the suitcases, the shoes, the hair, the photographs of malnourished corpses in open graves, of twins who became Dr. Josef Mengele's guinea pigs.

See the spent canisters of Zyklon B: the cyanide capsules that gassed a million unsuspecting souls, and they doubt no more. To see it is to believe the unimaginable horror that was Auschwitz, that unspeakable acts of depravity took place there.

We left with an overwhelming sense of sadness. That people were plucked from their neighbourhoods, jobs and schools, never to return. That children were separated from parents, siblings from siblings, husbands from wives, never to see them again. That the point of a finger determined life or death. That so many died so needlessly. That one human being could be so unthinkably cruel toward another, whose only crime was to be born Jewish.

Sadness that this hellhole of a death factory could exist in a corner of Poland where unspeakable horrors took place, yet many claim they never happened.

That men and women of goodwill and decency, nations of strength and noble purpose, sat idle and let Auschwitz happen.

That we can do little to ease the painful memories, heal the broken bodies, or salve the bruised souls, of the survivors.

Sadness, ultimately, that we can do little more than honour the dead, apologize to the living, and vow: never again.

Jordan and Danielle are now leading a project within school to design a lasting memorial to victims of the Holocaust and to bring a survivor of the Holocaust to meet with pupils in January.

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charities// Since August we have been involved in unprecedented levels of charitable work and fundraising. Here’s how it adds up...

Non-uniform day Fun Run MacMillan Coffee Morning Great Scottish Run British Heart Foundation Prostate Cancer (Provost’s Charity) Hessilhead Wildlife Trust Phillippines Disaster Relief Wildhearts in Action Lessons from Auschwitz

GRAND TOTAL

£165.00 £897.00 £200.34 £3,667.05 £189.48 £215.00 £32.00 £699.00 £225.82 £106.00

£6, 396.39

And it doesn’t end there either...

The Ecuador group raised thousands to support their trip and the parish and school of Sagrada Familia in Guayaquil as well as taking suitcases full of items out to Ecuador in October.

Since August we have supported MacMillan Cancer Care, Young Minds, SAMH, British Heart Foundation, Yorkhill Hospital, Hessilhead Wildlife Trust, Phillipines Disaster Relief and several other charities, a great tribute to the care and generosity of our school community.

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ecuador// During October Week a group of S5/6 pupils, accompanied by two staff and school chaplain, Fr. Martin Chambers, visited our partner school and parish in Ecuador. Here, Heather O’ Rourke (S6) reflects on the visit and assesses its impact on her and those close to her.

Our

Ecuador project has been a moving

experience for everyone involved. We have gained so much and learned so much about the world and about ourselves. It is truly enriching every day that we have been involved just knowing what we are doing for our friends in Ecuador.

I wanted to be a part of the project that is so respected in our community and that our school finds great pride in. I had met the people who we were directly affected when the school organised for them to visit Scotland which was truly amazing for us and for them given that their circumstances may never allow them to do this again. It inspired me to go above and beyond for them as our link had become so strong. It was instinctive.

Being selected to actually visit Nueva Prosperina was such an honour. I felt like the past few months dedication had paid off and I was thankful my nerves and anticipation during the selection process had been positive after all. Our group began fundraising instantaneously. We first held an Irish Night with music, dancing, cakes and poetry.

We had two race nights, which were exceedingly successful, and so many other events such as: a 10-mile walk; local parish appeals and a concert given by Martin Aelred. Our fundraising required so much compassion and dedication from our community and us and it was so enjoyable.

When we got to Ecuador so many people who were going to become a huge part of our trip greeted us. They were so attentive and just wanted to welcome us. On the bus it was really nerve racking because I couldn’t speak much Spanish but when we got to the school we found that the sixth years had organised a party for us. It entailed dancing, music, food and singing.

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All throughout the trip our group had a particularly close relationship and it seemed like we were spending this trip with our brothers and sisters rather than classmates. I always felt happy and uplifted around any Ecuadorian we met. They were always positive and so excited to see us. I really liked sitting in the classrooms because it reminded me of any other school in Scotland. At the end of the day pupils have the same goals as in Scotland – to perhaps go to University. Those times were amongst those when they would spend a class simply singing along to Gabriele on his guitar.

On the first night we met Tito – he is one of the most inspirational people I met. He grew up in an orphanage and when he had to leave he was homeless and his life was intervened with drugs.

When he became involved with the church he got on the right track and became a drug counsellor.

He’s extremely strong despite still having problems with recurring cancer and his home being destroyed by weather conditions. He now has a beautiful wife and three daughters. When he told us his story I was looking at his family and it made me happy for him, to see how much better his situation is now and how far he has come.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day of Adela’s wedding.

The day was spent preparing the school ground for the party at night and it turned out beautifully.

When we were going to get ready there was a power cut and no water so we had to make the best of what he had. Obviously, the ceremony was dark and candlelit and it was a lovely atmosphere.

Their happiness made me realise that despite the conditions in Nueva Prosperina there is always something to rejoice about. The people and their loving nature make up for what Nueva Prosperina lacks in other areas. (cont/)

R E F L E C T I ON S ON E C U A D OR / / Having now returned from the trip I have learned a lot. As soon as I was in the car home from the airport I noticed how different the people who we met were different to my family. My dad and sister were squabbling and having a petty argument and I instantly missed the warmth of the Ecuadorians. It has made me so grateful for the immediate situation I was born into and the family I am a part of. I also now have an understanding of the conditions people in this advanced time are living in. It has made me passionate for change in such countries – nobody in 2013 should have to live in such poor conditions.

This is an experience we will never forget. We must be extremely grateful for our education and the opportunity it has offered us. We continue to fundraise and welcome pupils who may be the next group to visit our family in Ecuador.

GET INVOLVED// The Ecuador Trust send money to Sagrada Familia School so that families, who cannot afford to pay for education, can send their children to school. One thing they have learned over the years is that education is the only way out of poverty. This year they would like to make that system all the more personal. There are 30 children who are looking for you to sponsor their education for the coming academic year (April 2014 – February 2015). Find out more about sponsoring a child and the work of the Trust at www.ecuadortrust.org.uk

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Could this be a late Christmas present for this year? £2 per month sponsors a child’s education part-time. £5 per month sponsors a child in the Soup Kitchen. £10 per month sponsors a child’s education for a year. £20 per month sponsors a teacher for a year.

learner journeys// What is it like to be an S5/6 pupil at St. Joseph’s?

We asked some questions of them. Here is what they said.

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DANIEL JOHNSTON, S5

MADELEINE TOGNINI, S6

Most of the time I find it easy to think of 101 things I’d much prefer to do other than to study and I’m sure I’m no different from most people my age in this respect, so perhaps when I look back on this year and ask myself what the most important thing was that I learned, it will not be how I mastered the dark art of integral calculus in Mathematics, (sorry Mrs Wilson) or how to correctly use the conditional tense in French, (Je serais désolé, Madame Marshall) but rather it will be how I learned to discipline myself to getting on with my work.

I am very proud of becoming House Captain and achieving 96% in my Maths in S4. I also love leading the P7 book group in the Library.

Studying for 5 Highers has its ups and downs. There are times when it seems like a slog but sometimes I have to confess, there are times when I get a buzz out of it! Having struggled to master the finer points of textual analysis in English and to get a decent mark in a homework assignment leaves me with a sense of achievement so perhaps it’s just as much about the journey as it is about the final results.

However, enough of this navel-gazing – it’s time to get on with my Chemistry homework… and Physics, and . . .

RYAN BYRNE, S5

Now I’m in S6 I feel more grown-up and responsible, but I still feel young, if that makes sense. I’m really enjoying volunteering through the Caritas work I am doing.

I want to go on to do Maths at Strathclyde. It’s geeky but I love it.

Hopefully that will lead to teaching or accountancy.

I am most proud of cooking for Sir Peter Housden in S4 and working with the cook school. It also means a lot that I won the British U-16 weightlifting championships three years running.

School is much more enjoyable in S5.

With more responsibility I feel more trusted and respected so I can do more.

I am aiming to represent Britain at a future Commonwealth Games and, in the long run, become a fireman.

learner journeys// What is it like to be an S5/6 pupil at St. Joseph’s?

We asked some questions of them. Here is what they said.

ABBIE ROBB, S6

KIRSTEN STEWART, S6

I am very proud of becoming House Captain and organising the famous bouncy castle in November. Being a Sports Ambassador was also amazing as was winning football and netball matches and, out of school, completing my Tae Kwon Do qualifications.

Lower down the school I was a bit wild and didn’t have the right attitude. My S4 exams showed me that I could do well so I decided I wanted people to remember me for the right reasons; do my best.

I love S6! It’s pure Maths and Physics and some Geography. I love getting the chance to speak-up more, fundraise and voice opinions. The fundraising helps bring everyone together and make connections.

I want to study Aeronautical Engineering at Glasgow and be an engineer in the Navy. This would mean I had followed in the footsteps of my Papa who served, but did not have any qualifications. Everyone else in my family is a beautician or hairdresser which is totally not me. My Scottish Baccalaureate project is ‘Educating the Engineering Workforce - why it is worth it.’

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Becoming House Vice-Captain is still one of my most amazing achievements. I still haven’t got over it and brag about it all the time.

I love the responsibility of S6 and get a buzz off stress. When I was organising the cake sale I loved the stress, especially when it all went well. I like helping the S1 pupils and them looking up to me.

What will I do next? I’ll come back! I’m a bit stuck. Perhaps Social Sciences at college and then university. All I know is that I want to keep busy, learn to look after myself (I’m a bit mollycoddled and can’t even do ironing) and make my Dad proud.

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lourdes// In the summer S6 pupil Daniel Murray headed to Lourdes to assist the sick and infirm pilgrims. It was a formative experience.

When I was asked to go on the Galloway diocese pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2013 I didn’t even think about it, I immediately said yes. I was guaranteed an incredible experience.

Who would turn that down?

However, with a week to go I started to think that I would not enjoy myself because out of the fifty youth helpers that were going I only knew two of them. I was positive that I was going to dislike the entire trip. It would only take one gruelling thirty hour bus journey to change my mind.

It may sound unbearable but the journey was unusually enjoyable. It gave everyone the chance to get to know one another and by the time we got to Lourdes I had made fifty new friends.

As soon as we got off the bus it was straight to work and it would be nonstop for the next ten days. Everyday we would be awoken at 6:30 am by the delightful morning call. We were then given half and hour to get ready and 15 minutes for breakfast and then it was work, work, work until lunch at one.

Then more of the same until dinner and then we normally had some free time, although on a few occasions we were still on duty until 11 at night.

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Now, you might think that going on a pilgrimage is just going to Mass and praying. Well you’d be right, there is a lot of that, however there is so much more.

The Youth Group is responsible for making sure that the assisted pilgrims get to Mass on time, they clean the pilgrim’s rooms, take them shopping for souvenirs and on and on.

Doing all these tasks in normal conditions can be tough so you can imagine how much worse it is in a very formidable heat. However, if you speak to anyone from the Youth for Lourdes group they will tell you that all of this hard work is worth it.

Mind you, it is not all hard work. We were given free time in the evenings.

We also had one day off when we all went to the lake on the outskirts of town.

I really would recommend going on this trip to everyone because it is impossible to properly describe the pilgrimage without experiencing it yourself. You don’t have to be really religious to go, you just have to be ready work hard and help others.

I found that my faith was enhanced through the people I met and the experiences I had.

at the zoo// In September two S4 classes taught by Miss Meechan and Mrs. Greengrass visited Edinburgh Zoo to inspire their writing. As well as being a great day out it stimulated some excellent pieces of work that investigated the statement “Keeping animals in captivity is cruel and should be banned.”

Victoria Atkinson writes..........................................

Although a lot of zoos have improved or shut down in recent years there are still many zoos and safari parks in the world where animals are being badly treated. There are always two sides to every story and the keeping of animals in captivity is no different.

Some people feel very strongly about keeping beautiful creatures in cages and captivity. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) say that most zoo enclosures provide animals with hardly any chances to behave the way they would in the wild. Animals are often kept in one place and have no time or space to be alone or have “limited possibilities for mental stimulation or physical exercise.” Unwanted animals may be sold to dealers for example Buddy Jordan, a well known and unreliable animal dealer who is known to have sold animals on to hunters or people who breed unusual animals or poorly-run zoos.

One of the main problems in zoos according to critics is that the animals can suffer badly from the “habitats” they are kept in. However this doesn’t occur in all zoos but it still happens throughout the world. Amy Whiting in “What Zoos Do” says zoos often claim they are modern day “arks” saving animals from extinction, teaching people about and putting vital research onto the lives of the animals. However is this really true? Some zoos do not seem to care too much about the animals in their care.

But there are many zoos throughout the world that love and treat their animals with

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good care and respect. Zoos often breed animals to try and keep the animal from extinction. In “What Zoos Do” Amy Miller says zoos and safari parks are trying their best to save endangered animals across the world. Me and my classmates witnessed this first hand at one of our national zoos.

Edinburgh Zoo has really worked over many years to improve the habitats that the animals are being kept in. we saw the animals being carefully watched by zoo keepers and researchers to see how they live and act. They were trying different foods out on some of the monkeys. The girl who was in charge of our class zoo tour told us that if monkeys are brought up around humans they are more likely to stick by humans and act like humans but if the monkey is brought up around monkeys they act like monkeys. This is just a small bit of information to prove that zoos do look into the lives of animals and take care to prepare them for reintroduction into the wild.

Edinburgh Zoo has also recently opened a new chimpanzee enclosure called The Budongo Trail. Adam Forrest writing for the Big Issue says Edinburgh Zoo have created a “luxurious state-of-the-art, air-conditioned, 5.6 million luxury pad” for their chimps. Proof of the zoos care and investment.

Personally I feel very strongly about innocent beautiful animals in zoos or in circuses.

However I think it is a good thing if animals are being kept well and looked after well. We saw the animals at Edinburgh Zoo for example in the meerkat enclosure, they were acting just like they would in the wild. This is a strong sign to me that the animals are looked after as they should be and that is a good thing!

at the zoo// 2 Connor Hood writes..........................................

Cruelty to animals is still evident in some cases in zoos and we need it to stop. Some owners and trainers are hurting the animals they are supposed to be taking care of. We need to think again whether they should ban animals from zoos and circuses and we must think about both sides of the story.

For some people seeing animals in circuses is diabolical and plain wrong. The people in these workplace are supposed to love animals like family. However there have been variable facts over the years like in the Ringling Circus. The animals can be food deprived and owners have been filmed whipping the harmless creatures. Half to three quarters of the animals are used for entertainment for kids to enjoy but behind the scenes of the circuses they may be beaten starved or forced to do unnatural behaviours for that entertainment.

Some circuses don’t care whether a poor harmless creature is damaged or dying. They only care about using them to perform for our entertainment. But some zoos and circuses have changed now in our day from their introduction in the 1800s. Some have removed cages and put in habitats which are much nicer, have more space, are restful, cleaner and make the animal feel as if it’s almost back in the wild again. Others have never changed. Animals are still tortured by some humans and starved or worse.

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According to the Smithsonian National Zoo in “Wild Things” Don Moore (Head of Animal Care) says “they use unique ways to learn their animals’ biology, their physical movement and habits and make sure they keep the species alive”. Steve Monfort says that “we share the planet with the animals”.

Pandas are difficult to breed in the wild but better in zoos where they use artificial insemination and in vitro fertilisation. Also zoos can inspire children to care about nature. We saw this for ourselves at Edinburgh Zoo. Edinburgh Zoo is the best zoo in Scotland because there they love their animals like they love humans. Their animals as we saw, are well looked after, loved and cared for.

One of the workers dealing with our group told us how the penguins bring people into the zoo because most people think they are fun to watch. The money raised however can help less popular or well-known species survive too. The zoo includes an education programme for kids and adults to learn about all the animals there and let us see that not all zoos treat animals badly.

I think that animals in zoos or circuses is diabolical if they are mistreated there when they are supposed to be loved. Some circuses and zoos should be banned if they mistreat the animals in their care. I hate seeing humans beating up animals because they can’t co-operate or just for the sake of it.

They are as important as us.

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at the zoo// 3 Kieran Dickson writes..........................................

Recent arguments about animals in captivity have become overwhelming because the media have let the public see what really goes on behind the scenes. Some animals are ill-treated whether in circuses, zoos or other animal parks.

There is no excuse for keeping smart social animals in captivity for our own pleasure with no way of living their life to the full. It is not right in any way. The Animal aid Youth Group said that in 1999 the British Circus owner, Mary Chipperfield, was “ convicted on 12 counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an 18 month old chimpanzee called Trudy.”

She apparently beat the animal with a riding crop and forced her to spend 14 hours a day in a cage without toys or any other sort of entertainment or stimulation. Chipperfield was fined £7,500 but was, amazingly, not banned from keeping animals. How can such treatment ever be right?

There is also a catastrophic change in behaviour between animals in captivity and the same animals in the wild. It is horrific.

The organisation people for the Ethical Treatment of Animals even suggests that some animals suffer from “zoochosis”. They say this is when animals such as elephants bob their heads and sway from side to side.

This is because the animals have “few if any” chances to express their natural behaviour that they would do in the wild or in their own habitat.

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In stark contrast to that there are outstanding stories about the good things zoos have done to conserve endangered species. The Smithsonian National Zoo is one of the most noticed zoos in the world for animal conservation and for teaching people about saving animal habitats. The zoo has built an ‘O’ Line to get their orang utans around and feel more free. This lets everyone visiting the zoo see just how they would move in the wild.

The role of the zoo I think has changed a lot over the last century changing from places where people could see chimps drinking tea and parrots on tricycles to visitor attractions that actively promote conservation. At Edinburgh Zoo for example there is a huge range of animals and we learned there that around 60% of them are listed as “near threatened” or above on the IUCN Red List scale. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (the RZSS) which runs Edinburgh Zoo, we also learned on our visit, holds the highest number of stud books of all the European collections. This is a genetic history of captive animals, so that when it comes to finding suitable mates and dealing with animal transfers, the stud book holder can work to breed strong healthy animals.

This to me is the way to the future for zoos!

Overall then I think it is not right for animals to be kept in circuses for our entertainment – but it is a good thing for them to be kept in quality zoos like Edinburgh to maintain the species for years to come.

at the zoo// 4 Daniel Maitland writes..........................................

People have mixed feelings on zoos all based on the wellbeing of the animals whether or not they are helping them in the long run or if it is just a waste of time. I will be looking at whether animals should be in their own habit or if they are better kept in zoos.

One of the main reasons why people are against zoos is that there seems to be no point protecting the animals if they cannot be re-introduced to their own habitat because most habitats have been destroyed and are not there anymore. “What’s Wrong With Zoos?” by Amy Whiting states that “there are still difficulties with progress of reintroducing animals to the wild.” Captive bred animals often miss out on valuable lessons their wild parents would have taught them and therefore often do not have the instincts or knowledge to survive in the wild.

Another major negative point about zoos is the animal’s freedom and space. No matter how long and spacious enclosures are – they need freedom; if you take the animal out the wild, you take the wild out the animal.

Some particular animals walk for thousands of miles like the elephant. They hardly stop walking but when they are in an enclosure they won’t have that type of freedom.

Keeping animals in zoos sends messages that animals are ‘commodities’ and that humans are justified in locking them up. The conditions under which animals are kept in zoos changes their behaviour significantly.

Animals in zoos are merely shadows of their wild counterparts.

On the other hand, there are also positive things about zoos. Many people think that zoo workers only work with the zoo, this is not true. The zoos have lots of different types of workers, one being scientists who travel around the world looking for many

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different kinds of cures for different animals and they also try to breed animals.

“Sometimes zoos’ efforts take scientists around the world”. For example, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which is headquartered at the Bronx Zoo in New York City, is working with local officials in Malaysia to stop people from hunting exotic birds to sell their feathers. This shows that there is a lot more care outside the zoo than people are able to see.

Another fantastic positive point about zoos is that they are not only here so we can see the animals; they are also there to educate us on different species of animals around the world, for all kinds of ages. “The zoo has a full education programme including both formal and informal approaches, reaching everyone from nursery age upwards. This involves public talks, work-shops, animal encounters and signage around the zoos.”

They want to teach as well as help.

Also, an exquisite positive point about animals in zoos is that they spend loads of money, for example, “5.6 million” was spent on a chimpanzee enclosure in Edinburgh zoo so that they could replicate the habitat of the world in which the chimpanzees would normally live and meanwhile as they get on with everyday stuff, scientists can study the movement and the creativity for research on that animal. Adam Forrest says in his article: “Ricky and ten other chimps at the Edinburgh zoo have every reason to feel a little superior. They have just moved into a state of art, air conditioned, luxury pad.”

This offers Ricky and his friends a higher standard of living than most humans will ever enjoy.

at the zoo// 5 James Watson writes..........................................

Whether animals should or should not be in captivity has been debated for a while, with some people saying they should definitely be kept in zoos and others saying they should be in their own natural habitats in the wild. I will be looking into detail to make my mind up if I agree or disagree with animals being in captivity.

this will allow them to bring their numbers back up to a good standard. From the Edinburgh Zoo website “when it comes to finding suitable matches and dealing with animal transfers the studbook holder can make the best match”.

Surely this must be a good thing for the future of endangered species.

One of the reasons people do not see the point of zoos is that they save the animals but cannot always release them back into the wild. This is because some locals chop down trees so they can use the space for homes and schools for the next generation. In the article “What Zoos Do” by Amy Whiting she mentions “species threatened by habitat destruction will have no homes to be re-introduced to unless suitable areas for these species have been protected.”

In zoos they make it as best as they can for the animals so it feels like they are at home back in the wild. In Edinburgh Zoo they have finished the new enclosure for their chimps which cost £5.6 million which is “state of the art and has airconditioning”. This clearly shows how much they care about their animals.

Another reason people don’t see the point in zoos is that lots of animals spend long times travelling far distances in the wild which they don’t get to do in zoos. Elephants are one of these species - they walk all day long and can cover hundreds of miles. The ‘Stop Circus Suffering Campaign’ from the Animal Defenders says that they can also remember things that we could never and feel pain. So why should such a amazing animal live in such a small area compared to what they have in their natural habitats?

There is another side to this argument which is the positives for zoos. Many people think it is fantastic for animals to be in zoos for many reasons: so they do not die out in the wild and so we can learn more stuff about the amazing creatures we live along side in this world. Zoo keepers and scientists travel the world to see amazing animals and to educate others about them, whether it is from Falkland Islands to research Penguins (which I learned about at Edinburgh Zoo) or to Brazil to a sanctuary for exotic birds; they will do anything to save these animals from going extinct.

Another good thing about zoos is that if one zoo has an animal they can trade with other zoos which means each zoo can learn more about a new animal. This also means that they can match animals for the best chance of survival

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Overall there are more positive than negative points about zoos which has made me think that it is a good things for animals to be kept in zoos.

Not only do they save them from harm and extinction, they teach us about them too.

youth forum// The annual Diocesan Youth Forum is a well-established convention of S6 pupils from across Galloway who come together to discuss and act on their faith. The event is co-planned by pupils and staff. This year they were joined by Salesian Sisters. Here S6 pupils Caitlin Mulhern and Denise Custodio write about their perspective on a special day.

This year Saint Joseph’s Academy hosted the annual Diocese of Galloway Youth Forum. We hosted three other schools – Queen Margaret Academy, St Joseph’s College and St Matthew’s Academy – to participate in a day of activities under the theme “Be disciples of all Nations”.

Numerous hours of planning and organising went into making the day as enjoyable and meaningful as possible.

We started the day with Ice Breaker activities to make sure that we got to know everyone from the other schools. It was thoroughly enjoyable and almost instantly we were all laughing and feeling more comfortable around each other. We split into smaller groups and followed group leaders to each classroom where we participated in group activities, watched presentations and learnt and understood more about our team.

There were two presentations throughout the day, one of them consisted of the Ecuador group’s experience of when they visited Ecuador earlier this year. The presentation was interesting and gave us all an insight into what everyday life is like for the people of Ecuador. The second presentation was the Auschwitz experience, presented by four students who visited the Auschwitz camp earlier this year. Two of the students were Danielle Ronald and Jordan Platt. The presentation was an emotional experience both to the audience and those people presenting it.

There were also other workshops set up around the school that followed, more

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closely, the theme of being a disciple. There were different talks from the priests – Fr. Chambers and Fr. Stephen on how we could all become part of the church and the community. These talks were very inspirational and made everyone think about the way in which they act throughout their lives.

Sister Connie and Sister Bernadette led a workshop where they discussed superheroes, both fictional and in real life, and linked it to how we could all become heroes in real life. We all thought about the ways in which we could contribute to our society and community and become a follower of God. During lunch we stayed in our groups and participated in a general knowledge quiz which helped us all to communicate with each other and helped us to bond more.

The winner received a box of chocolates – everyone wanted to win.

To end the day we had a small Mass and meditation session at St. Matthew’s church.

This was a really beautiful way to end the day, after which we had an evaluation of the day.

To conclude, the day was an amazing experience for all who attended. The day was a chance to discuss and explore our faith with each other. It was a very fulfilling and worthwhile experience which we would highly recommend to anyone.

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enspirex// Back in June our first ever Enterprise class gave us the unforgettable festival of ideas, Enspire. So impressed were we that we borrowed their branding and their model for the days that each year group experiences on issues of health, wellbeing and citizenship. We also decided that these days should be organised and led by pupils for pupils.

Our first big success was with the S3 day which looked at confidence and resilience and starred S3 performers and former pupils as workshop leaders. However, the day began with a courageous address written by S3 pupil Ronan Boiteaux, at the end of which he paid dignified tribute to Jenna Moriarty, who died in June. The text of his speech is printed below.

I know myself that going through school is difficult and after everything our year group has been through it only seems to get harder. Going through each day is a struggle: for some it’s staying awake during classes and for others it’s just getting through the classes.

I’m not going to lie, one class I used to dread going to was English. Sorry, a class I still dread is English. Not because I don’t enjoy it, not because of my teacher, mainly because it’s such a big subject and to be fair I have always struggled with it. I never got good essay scores, apart from in solo talk.

My confidence rocketed - downwards in English. Day-after-day I told myself I couldn’t do it.

Recently I worked my backside off in an essay, told myself I could do it and it worked. The best mark I’ve ever got in an essay. Just shows it’s all in my head.

Our heads in many ways are our enemies. They make us very sad sometimes, most of the time for some of us. It’s difficult, but it will change.

We will start looking in the mirror and accepting who we are. It might not be soon, but it will happen.

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Looking to the future I hope that one day I will have a good job and a good family. I worry I won’t. Jobs scare me, knowing that when I leave school I’ll work for the rest of my life.

I have no clue what I really want to be: hopefully an engineer. I’m looking into it anyway and if it’s not for me I’ll move on. If you know what you want, try and do something about it now - it can only help.

“We will start looking in the mirror and accepting who we are.

It might not be soon, but it will happen” What I’m trying to say is that you’re not in school forever. We all know it’s a struggle, but it’s not impossible. Fourth year will be here before you know it and we can choose classes to really have a go at. I promise that if you work towards the future you’ll make life a whole lot easier.

Just to conclude: try to make the most of today. Listen to what people have to say and, towards the end of the day, we can all have a laugh.

Thanks for listening.

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lifeschool 360// LifeSchool 360 (LS360) is our unique interdisciplinary course for S1 and S2 through which pupils have the opportunity to apply their learning in new contexts. Principal Teacher Mr. Ritson writes here about the work being undertaken in classes.

It has been a very busy few months for all pupils in LifeSchool 360. Through September and October S1 pupils have been immersed in work which covered many hard-hitting topics from the abuse of power and child labour to the ongoing debate about renewable energy vs. fossil fuels.

S1 pupils have also been looking at the ethics and practices of global trade through learning experiences that explore fair trade and global market trading. They also learnt about microfinancing projects in the developing work through Kiva.

The S2 classes have been working through the Discovery unit for the past 8 weeks. They have discovered Willaim Speirs Bruce who was the unsung Scottish hero who first explored the Antarctic.

From here the pupils were asked to conceptualise their own land, whilst considering culture, belief systems, laws and many more social and moral issues. Many diverse creations were brought in by the pupils from physical 3D models to digitally created worlds.

They have since moved on to designing board game, creating a time capsule and examining the engineering

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and social implications of bridgebuilding.

One S2 class has opted to build bridges inspired by Nelson Mandela that explore conflict resolution.

enterprise// We’re never short of a word or two on the subject of Enterprise. There are all sorts of projects on at the moment and a few in the pipeline.

Six senior pupils, Sam Barbour, Megan Clannachan, Shaun McMinn, Bethany Dick and Jennifer O’Rourke attended the launch of a live design brief at Ayrshire College in Kilmarnock.

The pupils have been commissioned by the development team for the new Ayrshire College to design an integral interior space within the new College which will be used for students to study in. This is a very exciting and innovative project which will test their design skills to the max.

The S3 IDL Enterprise class has been working on Enspire - The Next Chapter.

The pupils are planning and organising a sequel to the very successful Enspire Festival in June of this year. They have had some very interesting ideas so far, so watch this space.

A group of S5 pupils worked with social enterprise Space Unlimited for four days at the beginning of December to create a plan of action which will create a more effective transition from school to long term employment and training.

The ideas generated by the pupils were discussed with employers and Dr Alasdair Allan, the Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages at a meeting in Irvine Royal Academy on December 11th.

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The Interaction 2 Design Project is set to be launched in the New Year. This is an exciting live project which our pupils will be given the opportunity to be involved in. It is organised by David Ross, of Keppie Design, who spoke at the Enspire Festival and is one of East Ayrshire’s Business Leaders.

Throughout the month of November the pupils from Home Room MH3 (St. Margaret House) raised £220 for the charity Wildhearts in Action by participating in Microtyco. They began with £1 in seed capital and had to use their entrepreneurial skills to turn this into a profit. They did so with style by setting up a break and lunch time hot chocolate business.

mathematics// Always keen to innovate the Maths department have pupils in S2 looking for inspiration to the great minds of the past. Here, S2 pupil Gordon Stirling tells us about that experience. Teacher Mr. Gibson has been busy building the department’s online profile using Moodle to benefit all pupils.

For our Famous Mathematicians project we delved into the intriguing lives, work and legacy of some of the world’s greatest mathematicians.

Some examples are Blaise Pascal and Fibonacci.

The work we undertook was split into various sections with planning, research and presenting making up the process we followed. We several of our ten skills such as creating, observing, collaborating and listening throughout the project.

by visiting www.sja.moodle.webanywhere.co.uk and entering their username and password.

Pupils can access materials that complement their work within the classroom including:

•

Homework exercises and worked solutions

•

Revision materials for class assessments, prelims and SQA exams

•

Video lessons which allow pupils to re-visit classroom lessons and study at their own pace. These are particularly useful when pupils are absent through illness or appointments.

•

Links to educational games and websites

•

An extensive catalogue of SQA past papers and solutions at no cost to pupils

I think that everyone found the task enjoyable because it strayed away from the regular routine in Maths, but still delivered the vital information required in a learning environment.

These unique tasks are beneficial to our learning as part of our experience of Curriculum for Excellence and are certainly something that would be favoured in the future by any class. ...............................................................

Moodle is a Virtual Learning Environment that offers support and guidance for our pupils outwith the school day.

Pupils and parents/carers can access Moodle on a PC, tablet or smartphone

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The virtual learning environment is evolving with more resources added and updated regularly. We hope that you find the website informative, easy to access and helpful. Please take the time to have a look with your child and we welcome your feedback allowing us to adapt or improve the service.

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on the field// PE teacher Mr. Howson writes about the teams, trophies, trials and tremendous achievements of young people in sport and in the PE and Health and Wellbeing faculty.

This

year our extra-curricular clubs have

continued to go from strength to strength. We now provide football teams, at various ages, for more than 85 pupils, as well as 30 pupils who attend badminton and basketball clubs.

There has been mixed success, for our football teams, so far, this year. The U16 team are leading, by example, at the top of their East Ayrshire league, winning all 3 league matches.

They have scored 14 goals and conceded only 3 and have been in exceptional form.

The U18 team can be considered both a “dream” and a “nightmare”, with their inconsistent play. They have 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat, so far, but are looking forward to playing for the first silverware of the season, in the delayed league cup final. The match, against Stewarton Academy, will be played on Monday 16th December, at Stewarton’s astrograss.

The U13 team have had success at the recent “No Knives, Better Lives” annual tournament and enjoyed a victory against the East Ayrshire primary select, which includes the best young football talent in the area. Our boys are now looking forward to their first league encounter,

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on Wednesday 18th December – a home game against Stewarton Academy. Let’s hope for an early Christmas present of 3 points!

The girls football team put in a sterling performance, in their first game of the season.

In an evenly contested match, against Carrick Academy, they lost by the only goal of the game, to a team who had scored 13 goals, in their previous 2 matches. With their spirit and enthusiastic determination, the girls are certain to be rewarded for their efforts.

All of our football teams have been a rousing success, in 2013, and the commitment and endeavour has been most pleasing. We hope there will be lots of further success (and silverware), to celebrate, in 2014.

We are proud of the excellent performance of Rachel Wallace and Michael Merrick in the recent East Ayrshire badminton championships, at Stewarton Games Complex.

Both faced stern competition from high calibre performers and yet; both managed to win 4 of their 5 matches. Rachel had the added bonus of finishing in the bronze medal position. The pupil’s efforts have ensured they progress to the Ayrshire Finals. (cont/)

on the field// We would also like to celebrate the achievements of Jack Moran, Aidan Tonner and Marc Ferguson who are now certified black belts in Tai Kwon Do. The trio successfully completed their theory and practical grading in Bristol, in October of this year.

The grading process involved Jack, Aidan and Marc completing various sparring sessions set by the examiner, set line work and a theory paper.

The boys efforts enabled them to achieve their 1st dan, and are now progressing to the prestigious 9th dan. The grading process is rigourous, therefore, the boys should be proud of their accomplishments. Watch this space!

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We continue to offer basketball, after school, to all year groups and to date, the uptake has been excellent. More than 20 pupils attend each Monday evening and show dedication and passion, in their pursuit of excellence. Each Tuesday, specialist coaches attend, after school, to lead badminton sessions. Numbers are increasing and there is the opportunity, for pupils and staff alike, to improve their badminton skills.

Please come along and participate!

Finally, we have our “Fitness Friday�, where there is an opportunity to squeeze in a little gentle exercise, before the excesses of weekend living.

Again, all are very welcome!

sri lanka// Over the past three years we have been developing a partnership with Holy Trinity School in Pusselawa, Sri Lanka.

The project has been led by Geography teacher Mrs. Fulton who writes here about her visit to Sri Lanka in July.

In

July of this year I was lucky

enough to visit our partner school, Holy Trinity College, in Gampola, Sri Lanka.

The visit was part of the ‘Connecting Classrooms’ project that we are taking part in through the British Council. The ultimate aim is to gain an International Schools Award.

This was further demonstrated in a concert that was presented to me and the two other visitors from Scotland.

This included excellent traditional song and dance routines as well as some interesting drama and speeches.

The main purpose of this partnership is to provide students with a deeper understanding and appreciation of other countries and cultures, their rights and responsibilities as global citizens, along with the skills needed to work in a global economy and build a fairer, more sustainable world.

During the time that I was not in school I was taken to visit places of interest in the area. Visits included the Temple of the Tooth (a Buddhist Temple), an elephant orphanage – I even managed to see them take their daily swim in the river, a very memorable occasion.

Sightseeing was incredible with stunning waterfalls, rainforest and a rich variety of wildlife.

During my time there I visited several schools in the area but I spent most of my time at Holy Trinity College. Here, I saw pupils taking part in a variety of lessons but I was especially impressed by the quality of the creativity and effort that went into pieces of work that were offered as a gift to take back to St Joseph’s. Also, every class I called in on performed a song for me, one of them was even in English – it was very impressive how enthusiastic and outgoing they were.

After calling in on the classes I was shown the ‘English Room’, this was a room that presented all of the work that St Joseph’s have sent to Sri Lanka

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over the past 2 years. There was hardly a blank space left on the wall!

The ‘Connecting Classrooms’ Project is an exciting opportunity for our pupils to discover different cultures and traditions, giving them a broad perspective on the world and their place within it. We look forward to continuing our international links with Sri Lanka.

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a year in numbers// “Lies, damn lies and statistics.” That’s what they say. But the numbers tell a good story at St. Joseph’s about attainment and positive destinations for our leavers.

The summer of 2013 saw St. Joseph’s enjoy its best set of results ever. These have only improved post-appeals.

2013

% change since 2010

2012 figure

5@3 by the end of S4

100%*

+16%

97%

5@4 by the end of S4

75%

+10%

77%

5@5 by the end of S4

41%

+9%

41%

1@6 by the end of S5

52%*

+10%

49%

3@6 by the end of S5

32%*

+14%

27%

5@6 by the end of S5

14.5%

+9.5%

11%

1@7 by the end of S6

20%*

+0%

19%

*highest in East Ayrshire All of the 2013 results above equal or exceed local or national averages.

Our Leaver Destinations for pupils who left in 2013 are as follows: 91.7% of pupils secured a positive destination, above the local and national average. In the list below the figure in brackets is the East Ayrshire average.

32% went into Higher Education (31.5)

13% went into Employment (16.8)

39% went into Further Education (37.6)

5.5% went into training (4.1)

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2.1% went into Activity Agreements (0.7)

learning community// Our Learning Community stretches across East Ayrshire. We run transition events all-year-round for pupils joining us from P7. Here some of those pupils describe their experience so far.

Abby Smallwood, Mount Carmel

Sky McGill, Mount Carmel

So far this year we all went to St. Joseph’s and there were a lot of people. We all got a little timetable to show us what we were going to do.

First I went to Art and our teacher talked about how last year’s 1st Years all did great at Art. When it was break the whole school come out of their classroom’s I thought that we got to go outside. Then it was French, our teacher’s name was Miss. Blacklock. In the afternoon we did PE. I did badminton. We did lots of Maths activities and I really liked my helper Ruth who was a 6th Year. I am not too keen on names but I met a really nice girl in my French class and she helped me at badminton. I have enjoyed my French class and seeing new parts of the school and learning new things.

I’ve felt very nervous, scared, but mostly excited all at the same time.

So far this year I have been able to go to St. Joseph’s twice. The first time going was especially scary. I had nerves in my tummy and I felt shyer than ever. Thankfully all the teachers, guides and other schools were kind and helpful. It was easy to talk to people (I was worrying about that).

I’m feeling confident and I can’t wait to do all the challenges that lies ahead of me. I’m really looking forward to going to the Art Club and the Christmas Shows. Come August I hope that I make lots of new friends and that I am successful at Art.

The classes I have taken part in were Science, PE, French, Homeroom and I listened at Mass. For Science my teacher was Mr. McStay. We did an experiment mixing two different chemicals together and added drop of water. It mixed together creating a purple smoke and fire. In PE I played dodgeball and it was great fun. For French I had Miss Marshall, she was very good at teaching. Also because it was Modern Language Day we had a fun test naming countries flags.

Unfortunately I never got to go to Homeroom. Mass was good and my friend read a bidding prayer.

Also I enjoyed doing the Maths Challenge in the morning with the Ceilidgh in the afternoon.

I am looking forward to August. I think I’ll be nervous at first but, after a week or so, I’m sure I’ll be fine.

Come August I hope to be confident about being in 1st Year.

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learning community// Our Learning Community stretches across East Ayrshire. We run transition events all-year-round for pupils joining us from P7. Here some of those pupils describe their experience so far.

Niamh Murphy and Rebecca Cook, St. Xavier’s On Thursday 26th September St.Xavier’s Primary 7 pupils visited St. Joseph’s Academy in Kilmarnock.

When we arrived the Head Teacher, Mr Davis, gave us a lovely warm welcome and showed us to the Assembly hall.

Firstly we were split into groups and were given 2 year sixes per group to look after us. We got a timetable to tell us about the spectacular day ahead.

This would be our first taster of a day at the Academy.

Our first period was in art and tech. In Art the art teacher told us lots of different ways to hold a pencil to create different effects. In Tech we learned how to make 3D shapes on the computer then he showed us how to make a necklace by scanning the shape through the laser scanner.

Our next period was home room. The two subjects we learned were RE and sign languages. In RE we learned the school prayer and in sign languages we learned how to say ‘I love you’. Then it was interval we sat in the Street and bonded with other schools everyone was outstandingly nice and pleasant.

After interval it was Mass. Some boys and girls in Primary7 did readings and

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some of the Academy boys and girls did readings in all different languages because it was international day of languages. The priest, Father Martin, did some readings too. It was a lovely service.

Then after that we went to modern languages. In modern languages we learned a French nursery rhyme - it was fun and we were up at the front dancing. We ate our lunch in the main assembly hall and then went outside.

Outside we played on the climbing frame- some of the older pupils looked after us it was mega fun I wish we had one of those at our school.

Our last period of the day was PE. In PE we were split into our groups again and did lots of different activities. I was in the Dodge ball group it was amazing.

Then it was time to go home. All of us had a spectacular day. I would definitely love to go there. about being in 1st Year.

learning community// Our Learning Community stretches across East Ayrshire. We run transition events all-year-round for pupils joining us from P7. Here some of those pupils describe their experience so far.

Oscar Jessop, St. Patrick’s At my first and only, so far, day at St Joseph’s Academy I enjoyed the events and periods that were fun and interactive.

One of my favourite periods was art. We listened to the teacher talk about breaking down items into shapes and therefore making it easier for the artist to sketch, draw or paint.

After Art we went to Modern Languages.

At the end of the periods we walked to the hall for mass. I enjoyed the pupils Spanish Prayers, despite the fact that I didn’t understand a word!

At the next Transition I’m sure I will be more confident with navigating myself around the school as well as being much more comfortable in the school.

Sian Lockhart, St.Patrick’s First of all when we were parking outside I started to feel a bit anxious because it looked so big. However, when we got inside I felt a lot better because I found out that one of the Senior Pupils was going to be our guide. I was really relieved as I thought we were going to have to find our way around.

The first class I went to was technology I found that really interesting. Our teacher showed us what amazing equipment there was. My favourite part of the lesson was seeing what pupils had made in the past.

After that our guide took us outside for an early break. We then went for a tour round the school. I really enjoyed seeing

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the school grounds. As we were at the staircase, it seemed like the whole school came down at once. It was like a stampede of elephants charging right at you.

I did a reading at mass and once I started I lost my nerves and was fine. I was really impressed with how some Senior Pupils read prayers in other languages for International Day of Languages.

I am really looking forward to future Transition Days as we only got to see about a quarter of the school.

Emmie Boyle, St. Patrick’s The subjects I did were Art, PE and Modern Languages. I really enjoyed Art. It was good fun and easy. PE was brilliant because I had never played Dodgeball Rounders before and I really enjoyed hitting the ball and trying not to get hit. Modern Languages was challenging. Although I do know a lot of French I didn’t know what some of the questions were.

Mass was interesting because most of it was in Spanish and I have never heard a mass in Spanish before. Some of our pupils were doing readings at mass and overall I really enjoyed it.

I missed the transitions in December because the weather was really bad and windy so it was too dangerous. I am really looking forward to the next Transition day. I’m a little bit worried in case I get lost, but other than that I think it will be fun.

former pupils// We caught up with Scott Bracki who left two years ago. Here he shares an amazing story about his design and enterprise work and the influence of a teacher and local business on him.

In September of 2012 I was in my last year at school and eager to find something that the enterprise group could work on. Under the guidance of Mr. Ritson, we reached out to local businesses in the hope that they would return with just as much enthusiasm as we had. Along came two people who presented us with a brief and who ran a successful local business. Drew and Marie Macklin were eager to give the youth of our community a chance to shine through. They commissioned us to design the vinyl decorations for the windows on a major development on John Finnie Street.

After a few false starts what I did benefit from was the feeling of the project being real: reality had sunk in.

There were offices being built, and these designs needed to be done, to a professional level. We got there eventually,and I went away with a list of things to work on before our first meeting with Drew and Marie.

The second set of ideas was finished, the windows were now to tell a story of the building’s history. The ideas were looking a lot better than before, but it was now time to show them at a meeting to get approval. This would be the first time I met Drew and Marie.

So was I nervous about the meeting?

Maybe a little, but I like to think at that moment, that was where my laid-back approach began to kick in: fair to say I gabbed for quite a while but we did

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well, so we were chuffed. Drew turned out to be a big softie (don’t tell him I said that). We also got an article in the local newspaper, don’t get me wrong, we were ecstatic with that, but suddenly the public knew about the project and the pressure dramatically increased!

Once again it was back to working on the ideas, exams were creeping up on me and I began to juggle my work like a maniac. In total I got the bus home about 6 times in my last year at school thanks to mentoring 1st to 3rd years on a Monday, staying back to study and work on the windows or just using the school gym. Each night I stayed back in order to stay ahead. However reality really kicked in when our enterprise team was hit by a personal tragedy.

Suddenly we felt alone and clueless, like we lacked guidance. However strangely I was overwhelmed with motivation and a drive to get this done.

Was I going to let this project collapse after everything he had done for me up to that point? Not a chance!

I was out to prove myself now. We got the list of things to do and with backing from our year head we started cracking through it. It was full speed ahead, from phoning up people to find out about property rights for music notes, working through the list of changes to be done for the windows, doing research at the local library about the building, reading up on old issues of the local newspaper to find out about key events about the buildings history in order to develop a timeline, the list

FORMER PUPILS/ continued We met with Drew and Marie going through the same routine, looking at what we had and how we could improve on it. I found myself getting closer to them, they gave credit where it was due and noticed all the work we had been doing.

About a month or two later we had a meeting with the Graphics team. By this point I had left school and managed to sweet talk Drew and Marie into giving me a summer job. All of a sudden the ideas were finalised, tweaked and sent away for manufacture.

Towards the end of the year when the building was finished, I had finished my summer job and started University studying 3D: Computer Animation.

So was I able to cope with the pressure of the project and my exams?

Yes, it wasn’t easy, but with the right organisation and priority management it can be done.

Would I change anything about the project as a whole?

Not really, I liked that it was difficult. Drew and Marie treated me like an adult, although I was in the deep end a lot of the time, I learnt to swim quickly! The only thing I would say is that the Enterprise Academy should continue to get recognition from the school along with all other subjects on an equal level, they’re all as important as each other.

Did I enjoy the experience?

Looking back, I loved every minute of it!

What has the project taught me that other subjects haven’t?

Well I’ve learnt to take the lead in a group; I’ve learnt how to cope with all the little things that people overlook, the emailing, the organisation, the pressure, the decisionmaking, the general management of my own work. As well as this it helped me mature very quickly and my confidence has grown.

Should these kind of projects be part of education for all?

Yes! It helps bridge the gap between school life and adult life. In my opinion every 6th year enterprise class should be given a project like

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this. More recognition being given to students for their work only makes them more enthusiastic. Along with this comes the attention from the public, for example a positive article in the newspaper can only make the public more aware of how successful the Enterprise Academy is.

Furthermore, you meet some amazing people.

Drew and Marie gave me credit when I deserved it, advice when I needed it, gave me opportunities to get involved in their future projects such as being a youth ambassador for The Halo Project and are like an aunt and uncle to me. To me this is one of the most important things to take away from my experience, meeting people that see the best in you and actually care.

Drew and Marie offered me a summer job working with their company, The Klin Group. I have gained more contacts and met more people who have offered me advice.

I went to University confident about how to travel to Glasgow, able to stand up and do a presentation, be more laid-back about what people think of me and I could tackle my Uni work differently from how others in my class could and I think this was a massive benefit. I had been taught about the process; the line of work you go through to get from problem to the solution.

What am I doing now?

Currently in second year studying 3D: Computer Animation at Glasgow Caledonian University.

You can see Scott’s work on the windows of the Opera House development on John Finnie Street.

view from S1// What does the school feel like for the newest arrivals? Read on to see what four S1 pupils have to say.

KUDZAI TAPATAPA Before I came to St. Joseph’s my biggest fear was that I did not know anyone as I didn’t come from a feeder school. Although I had heard many great stories about the school the fear still lingered. On my first official day as a St. Joseph’s pupil I was able to bond with the others through our shared love of football. Everyone welcomed me and made me feel comfortable among my peers.

Since I began at the school my social circles have grown massively. I now know musicians, dancers, martial artists, footballers, rugby players and other athletes.

At school I enjoy many subjects like P.E, Technology and art & design because I am a creative and sporty person. I also enjoy the after school clubs the school hosts.

Now that we are half way through the year I feel confident and excited about the rest of my school years at St. Joseph’s.

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LAUREN THOMSON Before I came to St. Joseph’s I thought it was going to be really terrifying but it turned out to be phenomenal.

Since I have come to St Joseph’s in August my friendships have grown massively and I have come closer to people I have known for years.

My favourite subjects are all of the other subjects I don’t think I hate any subjects. I like them all because the teachers are amazing and you get to have fun and learn at the same time.

There have been a few challenging times but I have overcome them with the help of teachers, friends and family.

It feels actually quite unbelievable that I am half way through 1st year it has been a remarkable half term and I am still enjoying it.

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view from S1// What does the school feel like for the newest arrivals? Read on to see what four S1 pupils have to say.

NIAMH MURRAY

ISLA GRANT

Before I came to St. Joseph’s I was a wee bit nervous but excited. I was worried that I wouldn’t know where to go, and that I would get lost and be late for class. But No! I was wrong, you come here and straight away you learn where everything is –and trust me it’s easy- so as soon as September came, I knew the daily routine and where everything was. Since I came to St Joseph’s I have met a lot of new friends from lots of different schools.

When I started S1 , I was absolutely TERRIFIED of everything! I didn’t know where anything was, didn’t know who any of the teachers were and hardly knew anyone in my classes. I wasn’t sure if anyone would like me and I really wanted to do well. Now, half way through my first year at Saint Joseph’s, I have sort of gotten used to the school and everyone in it.

My favourite subject at school is art, because when I am older I would like to be a famous artist/designer. I also really like my teacher, and now I know about different tones and shading. I also like tech and music because in tech I started doing textures and tones; and I like music because we play different instruments, and find out about different styles of music.

I like secondary school better than primary because every 50 minutes we go to different classes with different teachers. I also like secondary better because at primary the teachers have to know a bit of everything but secondary teachers just focus on the one subject. I am really enjoying St Joseph’s and I think it’s a very spectacular school. I can’t wait for the rest of the years to come.

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Before I even got here, I had kind of assumed that my favourite subjects would be Art, Music and English like they had been in primary, and they are because I love anything creative. But I never would have thought that I would enjoy Science and French because it was never something I used to do a lot of in Mount Carmel.

I have made new friends, even though I still spend most of my time outside of classes with my older friends. Also, I have gotten to know the people in my classes and with a lot of them I feel like I have known them forever.

Half way through first year, I am feeling a lot better about school and feel like I have now settled in. I still get quite panicked about things, but I’m getting there.

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fantasy football// Teacher of Design and Technology, Mr. Docherty, has been running the league this year. This is his report.

Fantasy Football has became a popular, challenging and competitive way of following football all over the UK. I have previously been involved in it outwith the school and thought that many of the skills involved in process of selecting your team, monitoring and adjusting it throughout the course of the season would help develop young people in several different areas.

Numeracy, Literacy, ICT and Health and Well Being are all areas which pupils can develop while playing Fantasy Football and as the games run throughout the full year it means the pupils are continually improving these skills.

More importantly everyone involved enjoys playing and it means watching the games on a Saturday means that little bit more to participants.

There are 45 people in total in ‘St Josephs Premier League’; a mixture of pupils and staff

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which promotes positive relationships between both.

If this season continues to be a success then I plan to open the invitation to pupils, staff and parents. It has been very competitive up until this point with the leader board changing drastically each week therefore the bragging rights are with a different manager each week.

It is healthy competition and good banter as well as promoting dialogue and interest in sport, keeping fit and healthy eating.

The current Top 10 is as below. We are currently sitting 210th in the national standing that is a respectable position considering there are over 1000 schools, colleges and educational services involved. So keep up the good work everyone, we are doing very well!

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was invested as House Vice-Captain and, inspired by the example of Christ, St. Andrew and St. Joseph, promised before pupils, teachers, clergy and parents to live out our shared Gospel values, lead and serve others, demonstrate in all things our high standards and expectations and work for the greater good of the school and its community on this day the TWENTY-SEVENTH of SEPTEMBER in the year 2012.

Ben Davis Acting Headteacher

Claire McInally Depute Headteacher

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FIDELIS

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UU

INSPIRE AND

TRANSFORM

JUSTUS PRUDENS

Saint Joseph’s Academy Grassyards Rd Kilmarnock KA3 7SL 01563 526144 www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk @StJoAcad (Twitter)

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