Redblack: issue 5 by St. Joseph's Academy

redblack// THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF ST. JOSEPHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ACADEMY, KILMARNOCK ISSUE 5// Christmas 2014

in this issue//

What makes an inspiring teacher? Character and values: what are they? Getting it Right in Tanzania John Muir Award partnership with Sri Lanka St. Joseph;s does Strictly Christmas Concert pictures Original writing and art S3 Comic design and much more/

on June 6th we planted our Tree of Hope for Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing //

Our First Advent Reflection, December 1st Yesterday we began the season of Advent. This period is dominated by feeling of anticipation and by the mad scramble to purchase: we want to give and get at Christmas. Last week we saw the extreme of this consumerism on Black Friday where £4bn worth of trading occurred on a single day and people broke limbs and hurt others in the rush for discounted goods. It is quite right that Advent should be about the anticipation of gifts, but these are not worldly goods, they are gifts of love and generosity towards others. Whilst our desire to ‘buy, buy, buy’ might mean that we end up showing generosity in the presents we give, it also means that we are not taking time out of our lives to stop and reflect and think carefully about what this season means for us. We do this by referring to the traits of good character that we have looked at in Home Room since August. Advent is about duty and service: imagine a season of giving to others, doing things for others. It is about fairness and justice: the figure of baby Jesus is humanity at its most vulnerable and helpless and we are reminded to place weak and marginalised at the centre of our thoughts at this time. It is also about having the courage and determination to ensure that the Christmas period is meaningful, not materialistic. Let us pray: Lord, give us the commitment to make Advent a month of giving to others, of putting others first and make it at time when we look back on the year and reflect on how we have grown and developed in your love. We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A Happy and Holy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to all.

contents// Pupil Opinions

Introductions

Getting it Right in Tanzania

This is Our Faith

Children in Need

Wellpark Brewery Trip

Christmas Parcels

Getting Ready for Christmas

Christmas Lights Switch-on

Connecting with Sri Lanka

Christmas Concert

St. Joseph’s does Strictly

On the Field:l sports and PE news

Character and Values feature

Gaming Club

Katie’s Kilmarnock: former pupil artwork

Essay: A Drift in Time by Lucie Dorrian

Fiction; The River and the Dog by Michael Merrick

Opinion: Should Alcohol be a classified drug? by Gabe Gunn

S2 personal essay extracts

Opinion: The Living Wage by Ross Watson

New Faces: our newest staff reflect on their first months

S3 comic design

S4 Cake Craft and Hospitality

Learning Community News

The magazine contains over 100 separate contributions from pupils, whether through their opinions, their writing or their artwork. The next issue will be published in March. If you would like to contribute please contact Mr. Davis.

PUPIL ARTWORK Cover (below): Tatenda Tapatapa, S6 p. 2: Nazire Calisir and Erin Murray, S2 (the school Christmas card for 2014) p. 39: Gabrielle Maberly, S2 p. 42: Holly Druce, S1 p. 46: Laura Jedrusiak, S1 p. 50 - 51: Katie Murray (FP) p. 53: Jennifer O’Rourke, S6 p. 55: Nadia King, S6 p. 59: Ciara Bertoncini-Gilmour, S2 p. 67: James Clark, S1 p. 69: Declan McCluskey, S6 p. 70: Jennifer O’Rourke, S6

She’s really encouraging.

She is one of the most selfless people you’ll ever meet. She has good ideas and is good at teaching.

She’s inspired me to start learning the piano.

He greets us at the start, has an orderly routine and clearly explains what we’ll be doing.

OPINIONS WHY DO YOUR TEACHERS

INSPIRE

YOU?

He does things we’ve never done before at school.

She strives to motivate us and really takes in our perspective.

They constantly push us in the right way.

She makes you feel confident and gives good advice.

She lets us say what we want to express ourselves.

He teaches us well and in a way that is enjoyable.

She makes every lesson full so that we get the most out of it.

He understands us as pupils and really seems to ‘get’ young people.

No matter how bad you’re feeling she makes it interesting and you want to learn.

She’s really good at explaining things and is generous with her time.

He has inspired me to want to be a tech teacher.

He makes me believe I can do anything.

She makes you try harder and that makes the work seem easier.

Her enthusiasm helps me to understand better.

He’s good at talking to the class, is very supportive and great at cheering us up.

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

Festive wishes from the Parent Council and a warm welcome to the Christmas edition of our fantastic school magazine redblack. With the end of the Christmas term approaching, some prelims finished, others pending, it’s a busy time as always here in St. Joseph’s. Reading through this magazine you will be amazed at all the activity going on in school and might very well be wondering how on earth staff and pupils find time amidst their classes to accomplish so much of what they do. However, this is Curriculum for Excellence in action, where our children get the chance to excel not only in their academic studies but in everyday school life with enriching experiences developing character, building confidence and contributing to their positive mental health and well-being. The Christmas concert this week is just one fine example of the true ethos of our school, with pupils, staff and parents/carers working together and enjoying a heart-warming and fun filled festive evening. The huge variety of exceptional talent was plain to see throughout the evening, from the enthusiastic youngsters of St. Andrew’s Primary to the numerous top quality performers right here in St. Joseph’s. Not forgetting of course, the ‘Macarena Movers’n’Shakers’ (Mr Davis & Staff) – video evidence is rumoured to exist! Moving swiftly on, the Parent Council would like to say a huge thank you to all who supported their annual Christmas raffle on the night, from the local businesses who donated, to all who bought tickets. We do hope you were lucky! We plan to continue our fundraising activities in the New Year and would love to hear your ideas and suggestions. Drop us an email at stjosephsacademyparentcouncil@hotmail.co.uk As ever we are delighted to work with you, the Parent Forum, to strengthen communication between parents/carers and school. We have enjoyed gathering your views at parents’ evenings and will continue to do so in the new term, so please come and chat with us at events as your opinions are very much valued by Mr Davis and the SMT. Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2015.

Noreen Dunnachie, Chair, Parent Council

introductions// A reflection on the year so far from our Head Boy and Head Girl.

As 2014 draws to a close we are forced to reflect on the months that have just passed. There's been exams, and referendums and baby princes to keep us all on our toes. For us, however, it's been the events in St Joseph's that have been the most impressive. Throughout the year there has been, again, an unbelievable amount of money raised by the pupils of this school. There has been countless sporting and personal achievements throughout 2014 for both past and present pupils of St Joseph's. It can be said, without a shadow of a doubt, that 2014 has been a great year for everybody involved in St Joseph's. In the new term, the aim of making bonds between the Senior and Junior school has been shared by the Pupil Leadership Team and the Senior Management Team. Home Room tracking with senior and junior pupils, and the Senior and Junior Pupil councils have allowed this to happen. We are all extremely pleased by the atmosphere in St. Joseph's - a community one. Events such as the Elf Auction wouldn't have been such a success without a bond between lower and upper school pupils. That is essentially what our overall aim is this year as we enter 2015. We don't have S1 pupils versus S6 pupils, or any other variation. We want a school of over 700 St Joseph's Pupils. We'd like to thank everybody in St. Joseph's for their unbelievable generosity this year. We, once again, have raised a great amount of money for various charities this year. So to everybody involved in St Joseph's does Strictly, The 5K Santa Dash, The Great Scottish Run, Youth for Lourdes, The Christmas Parcel Campaign, bake sales, The Elf Auction and many, many more - Thank you! To finish off, we would like to wish anybody in any way affiliated with St Joseph's a very Merry Christmas and an even happier New Year! See you in January!

Daniel Johnston, Head Boy Sarah Kelly, Head Girl

introductions// Merry Christmas! If thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one time of year that really is a test of character, then it must be the Yuletide season, so it is appropriate that we are exploring character and values in greater detail in this issue. We began a character education programme in August, so it seemed a good idea to ask the pupils to write about character traits and those who embody them. You can find these insightful, witty, honest and sometimes provocative pieces in a special section in this festive edition of our school magazine. It would be all too easy to limit our understanding of character and values to a handful of platitudes; a list of features we must all display if we are to proceed successfully through life. That is not what we mean at all when we talk about character education at St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. What we are striving for is an understanding in our young people of the very many diverse ways in which they can nurture and develop essential habits, skills, approaches to life in order to live in a fulfilling, meaningful way. It is no surprise then that the work we have undertaken on character is closely linked to our eight values and our Catholic faith and has been something we have considered carefully during Advent. You can see all of these features coming together throughout this Christmas edition of redblack. They are there in the extraordinary artwork and in the many examples of pupils leading, serving, giving, creating and performing. They are present in the works of fiction and journalism published here, written by pupils from S1 - S6. You can also find these features in the words of the new staff who reflect on their time in the school since August and in the comments of the Primary 7 pupils who talk about their transition activities with us. They are also present in the many sporting activities described within, regardless of whether or not our pupils were winners or losers. It is especially clear in the great generosity and sense of service shown by pupils in many activities described in this edition. However, it is especially pleasing to see a real resurgence of Christmas celebrations and performances this year with our pupils at the centre. Character development and the nurturing of our school values within each young person is not an added extra; it is built-in to every interaction, each lesson, every prayer or assembly, each extra-curricular opportunity taken. Furthermore, our staff seek to model these values in their work and in their relationships with one another and with pupils.

Enjoy reading about our wonderful school and please come and visit if you would like to know more. I wish you a very happy and Holy Christmas and would like to thank parents, carers and the local community for their support this year. I would also like to recognise the great dedication and commitment of our staff in 2014 and look forward to a happy, peaceful and successful 2015.

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher

getting it right in tanzania// Deputy Head Girl Sarah Kelly reveals the insights, challenges and lessons learned on her recent trip to Tanzania

In October I was given the opportunity to travel to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, for 2 weeks. The trip came about when my mum was visited from her friend Pat Naidoo, a man she met in University after he was exiled from South Africa after spending 6 months in solitary confinement during apartheid. Pat brought up the idea that my mum could visit Tanzania and work with his partner, Renuka Pillay, on her early education projects by introducing Scottish Government initiatives that my mum had worked on during her time on the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) project. When we arrived in Tanzania, we met with Renuka Pillay. It was her organisation, TZ21, that our trip was based around. TZ21 is an organisation, run by Renuka, that aims to bring Tanzanian education into the 21st century. The two week trip was set out for us to visit with government officials, schools on the Tanzanian mainland and on Zanzibar, and visiting a hospital in Dar Es Salaam. After being in Ecuador in 2013, I had anticipated the level of poverty I would witness, but this trip was entirely different. This trip wasn't particularly about meeting people and creating friendships and experiencing life in a developing country. This trip was entirely from the perspective of people sitting in an office. It was about studies; it was about the government; it was about charities; it was about the people living night and day trying to find the best way to make sure every single child in Tanzania can get an education and break the seemingly never-ending cycle of poverty. Our first visit was to the TZ21 office in Dar Es Salaam where my mum met with government officials to discuss Scottish education, health and wealth initiatives that could be the basis for more progressive Tanzanian legislation. It was in this

meeting that the true extent of inequality in Tanzania was brought to light. I mean, travelling into Dar Es Salaam was a good enough visual representation. You travelled past the modern, multi-story shopping centres and 20 metres down the road there's three children under the age of 7 who are severely malnourished sitting on the kerb trying to sell whatever they've managed to find that day. But to see it broken down into facts and figures was startling. What was more startling however, was people's reaction when the importance of reading to your child was highlighted. Or the importance of skin to skin contact. Some of the men had to stop themselves from laughing when the idea of massaging your child was presented. I think that was the moment that I realised how many challenges people like Renuka face.

Renuka is a well-travelled woman who has seen the benefits of these western theories of reading and skin-to-skin contact. But she's a woman working with men who have never left the city. She's a woman working with men who fought tooth and nail to stop her becoming CEO. She's a woman fighting cultural and societal norms. A losing battle, you might presume. Our next stop was to a school on the outskirts of the city that was funded by TZ21. The school was tiny and run down. The image that appears in your head when you hear "poor African school" is not far off. But it's vibrant, and there's a buzz in the classrooms. The kids are smiling and the teachers are welcoming. How the teachers aren't having breakdowns with 80 children in a classroom half the size of the ones I'm used to is completely beyond me. They make it work. They have to. The work TZ21 have done in schools like this is unbelievable. Yes, every single resource is handmade entirely by the teachers, but they work. The kids are learning, and reading, and they enjoy it. It was our next visit to the school that really made an impression on me, however. It was an inner-city school with a head mistress, who, in the words of Sally Ann Kelly, "just gets it".

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Some of the men had to stop themselves from laughing when the idea of massaging your child was presented ................................................................................. The first thing we saw when we entered the school (which was in a similar condition to the one we had visited previously) was a small library. It was recess, but children poured into this room desperate to read. The headmistress smiled and said "I do not care. I do not care whether they sit on the desk, on the chairs, on the floor, on the window, or on the roofs. I only care that they read. If they can read, they can do anything."

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It's woman like that Headmistress who make people like Renuka do their job. Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what society is comfortable with. It doesn't matter how you were educated. What matters is the kids sitting in a crowded, 40 degree classroom. These same kids who were left completely astounded when they found out some people where I'm from hate school. School isn't a chore for them. It's not a hindrance. It's a privilege. It gives them hope that they'll be able to do something more than that their parents have done. I don't say that to make you pity these kids. It's impossible to feel sad when you sit in a class of 7 year olds who are, for lack of a better phrase, ‘buzzing’. A few more days of government meetings, and visiting a few more schools and learning more of West African culture brought us to our Hospital visit in Dar Es Salaam. The hospital was small, and it was run down, but it was the only hospital in a city of over 5 million people that was accessible to almost all of those 5 million people. The hospital is funded by organisations to make it as accessible as possible. People who live in rural regions have their transport paid for them, for

example. However, it's overcrowded. It operates mainly on a first come, first served basis which isn't exactly ideal. But when you have little to no government funding and millions of people entering your doors every week, you don't have much of a choice.

During my stay, however, my perception of Africa as a whole changed. Although everything I have mentioned has highlighted high levels of poverty, my visit allowed me to see Africa as so much more than the sick, poverty-stricken country that we're lead to believe.

The most impressive aspect of the hospital for me was the Fistula ward. The hospital deals with hundreds of Fistula cases every year. Fistula is a condition which occurs after a traumatic or failed childbirth. Therefore the vast majority of the women in the fistula ward are not only dealing with an extremely painful disease, but the loss of their child.

There's poverty and there are major issues to be addressed, yes. There's also culture, and dance, and music and a vibe and atmosphere that I have never experienced anywhere else in my life. Africa is a special place, with special people, and somewhere I will definitely be returning in, hopefully, the not too distant future.

In addition to this, they're dealing with the fact fistula brings in allegations of "witchcraft" from their villages, leaving them completely isolated. The ward nurses the women back to health and tries to reintegrate them back into society the best they can. It's hard work and it's often without much experience that these young doctors are coming in with but they're doing the very best they can. They're paying for the transport for the patients and taking their care on the road to reach people who are the most vulnerable. And they do it for very little reward. It's remarkable to hear about and you can't help but gain an enormous amount of respect for those involved.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;?

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There's poverty ... there's also culture, and dance, and music and a vibe and atmosphere that I have never experienced anywhere else. ......................................................................... By looking at the photo of the hospital as it is currently, you wouldn't believe that there's a multimillion dollar project happening to develop it. The project is home to a Pat Naidoo's dream - a maternity ward! The first of its kind. My trip to Tanzania was eye-opening. I met Renuka Pillay, one of the most amazing women I have ever encountered, and I was given a rare insight into the core issues that affect a developing country.

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So yes, you may be forgiven for thinking people like Renuka are fighting a losing battle. But Renuka is an extraordinary woman, who is joined by other extraordinary people, who are collectively trying to make Tanzania into an even more extraordinary country. Yes, they're fighting a battle. But I think they're winning.

this is our faith// With contributions from pupils and staff we look at a handful of the ways in which pupils have explored and applied their Catholic faith this term.

On November 18

a number of our Caritas pupils

took part in a Diocesan Youth Forum at Queen Margaret Academy. This brought together around 100 pupils from the four Catholic secondary schools in the diocese. Our pupils teamed up with Saint Matthew’s, Queen Margaret Academy and Saint Joseph’s college. The pupils were given the opportunity to hear a range of talks and presentations based around Catholic vocation. This involved male and female religious life, family life and political life.

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it was interesting to hear an honest perspective on religion ......................................................................... The feedback we received from the pupils was very positive, many particularly enjoyed the talk on family life, commenting “it was interesting to hear an honest perspective on religion and family life and to speak to a couple who live their faith through their family”. Many other pupils commented; “I have a better understanding and respect for those who chose religious life, the Sisters made their reasons very clear and I could see why they made their decisions”. In all, the day was a success and gave the pupils from Saint Joseph’s an opportunity not only to meet others who are doing Caritas, but to learn a lot about vocation and what it means to people.

On Sunday, December 7

th,

write Rebekah Meiklem

and Eilidh Cuthbertson (S5) 24 pupils, staff and parents headed to George Square, Glasgow, at the very early hour of 8am! As if the early start wasn’t bad enough, it was absolutely freezing and there was the slight detail of the fact that we were all dressed as Santa! Nearly 6,000 Santas in total! We made it through the wind and rain to the warm-up area, where

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the obligatory Santa selfies began. Everyone was in the Christmas mood and Christmas spirit was high due to the festive music. Despite our ice cold hands and feet, we were all having a great time, especially when it started to snow, which made everyone feel Christmassy! Once we started running, the Santa suit was a nightmare – but we quickly found a solution – leaving the beards and the huge trousers along the way! At least our hands and feet were soon warm! The Santa Dash was a very enjoyable and fun experience, and it was a fantastic feeling to be running for such a great cause: the Martin Chambers Ecuador Trust. It brought the pupils and staff closer as we helped each other across the finish line to get our medal. We are heading out to Ecuador in October 2015, and are well on our way to raising money to help us get there, and also for the Sagrada Familia School. They are so grateful for everything we do for them – though the truth is, we feel we can never do enough. ¡Viva Ecuador! At the end of November three pupils represented St. Joseph’s at an inter-faith conference in the Conforti Institute in Coatbridge.

S3 pupils Keira Ovens, Karrigan Minskip and Sarah Stewart joined approximately 30 other students from around the country to discuss the importance of respecting the faith traditions of others and how working for greater understanding helps build a fairer and just society. The conference was part lecture, part workshop and finished with a planning and presentation activity in the afternoon. Students had to map out an activity that they were going to organise when they returned to their schools. The girls decided to create a display wall about the main faiths represented in Scotland. They organised their classmates to produce a bright and colourful display about Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. In addition they set up a display of artefacts from the religions in the school library that will be on display until the Christmas break.

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children in need// In November a team of pupils from S1 - S4 put on a charity entertainment show to raise funds for Children in Need.

Saint Joseph’s Academy This year, for the first time, the pupils of St Joseph’s Academy decided to hold a fundraiser for Children In Need, write Matthew Craigen and Conor Mcnamara (S4).

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This all started with our drama group, redblack Drama, and our drama tutor, the amazing Yvonne Kavanagh. We learned not only crucial drama skills but the event management skills needed to run our event. Like the start of any fundraiser there was a great deal of rather stressful planning behind it. Thankfully Mr Davis is great, and helped us with anything we needed. ...............................................................................

we overcame all obstacles and completed a successful event ....................................................................... We had several challenges we had to over come! From ruthlessly rehearsing sketches to requiring a massive pole to move lights!

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We had music and sketches all provided by pupils. The music was done by some outstanding performers including Mc2, Ronan Boituex, Natalie Smith, and many more. This article would not be complete without thanking our wonderful ‘Manly’ teachers who took mighty challenges to find St Joseph’s Strongest Man. Challenges such as… eating watermelon with no hands, arm wrestling and eating whole scotch bonnet chillis. So thank you Mr Howison, Mr Ritson, Mr Szmlakowski and Mr Boyle for being such great sports. Of course the technical teachers won, and Mr Boyle paid the price with a custardy punishment. We overcame all obstacles and completed what we consider to be a successful event with over 250 S1 -3 pupils scrambling into the assembly hall to watch. Special thanks to the Kirkwood family, to Billy for being our amazing and hilarious host and Mrs Kirkwood for being an all-round legend, and to you guys for coming. We managed to raise £320

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wellpark brewery trip// The NPA Bakery and Microbiology class is a popular interdisciplinary course in senior phase and part of our Business Enterprise project.

On Wednesday December 10

th,

the NPA Bakery

class went on a trip to Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow to take a tour of the factory, writes Jade Connell (S6). We started off by looking at the different grains used to make each beverage. We got to try some of the grains and in my opinion they did not taste very nice. We then got taken to the packaging floor, where we got to see each different drink and how they got packaged. Next stop was looking at how the drinks were put into kegs and then sent off to many bars and restaurants.

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we got to see cells multiply right in front of us ......................................................................... Last stop on the tour was the laboratory were we got to meet a Scientist who is in charge of multiplying the yeast which is used in the fermentation process. We got to see the cells multiply right in front of us via a computer screen that was linked to her microscope. Once we finished the tour, we got to find out more about all the diﬀerent products Wellpark Brewery produce in their factory and before we headed on the bus back home, we enjoyed a soft drink whilst watching all the Tennent’s adverts from years gone by.

christmas parcels// Saint Joseph’s Academy has succeeded in another year of generosity for the Christmas Parcel Campaign 2014. This has been led by a number of the S6 Caritas pupils, supported by Mr. Shepherd, and its success has been thanks to the people of Saint Joseph’s who have responded to the request for donations. Thanks to the kindness of our young people we have managed to gather enough food items to make an impressive 80 parcels. We have also been able to create 5 “family size” parcels. This is a tremendous achievement which highlights the ability of this school to come together as a community and to live out the gospel values which are the backdrop of all activities in the school. Well done and thank you to all those involved in any way.

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80 parcels 1/2 tonne of donated goods .........................................................................

getting ready for christmas// News and events from the school in the weeks leading up to Christmas

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We held our second annual Christmas Fair, with a variety of stalls and entertainments. The event was run by the S6 Personal Development class and made over ÂŁ900.

Senior pupils participated in the White Ribbon Campaign and pledge to end domestic violence; S6 pupils offered themselves as elves for a day. Each was bought by a consortium of junior pupils with all funds going to charity.

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Some of the many pupils and staff who took the time to spend all of morning interval tied together as part of the 16 Days of action for the White Ribbon Campaign to stop domestic violence.

kilmarnockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s christmas lights// We were delighted to be involved in the local Christmas lights switch-on.

Matthew Cowan and Matthew Dougan performed for the crowds.

Tatenda Tapatapa was one of two comperes from local schools at the event.

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sri lanka connections// An innovative learning experience for all S2 and S3 pupils will lead to them achieving the John Muir Discovery Award and linking with our British Council partner school in Sri Lanka. Here you can see some of the work presented by the pupils examining Scottish flora and fauna.

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christmas concert// What a night! Our Faculty of Art & Music put together an excellent programme that showcased the talents of pupils from P6 at St. Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to our very own S6 pupils. The audience verdict was unanimous: an excellent evening!

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strictly come dancing// In the last week of term we staged our first ever St. Joseph’s does Strictly. Seven couples, composed of staff and pupils, took to the floor to battle it out in front a panel of judges. The event was organised by Tatenda Tapatapa in S6 to raise money for Young Minds.

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So as you all know, we hosted our version of strictly on the 17th of December in aid of Young Minds Charity. The show kick-started with a massive group dance, and with Mr Ritson and Mrs McInally as our Tess and Bruce, it ran very smoothly. Dancing first were Mr Boyle and Mrs Kirk who dazzled the audience with their spectacular moves to ‘Poker Face’ by Lady Gaga (well mostly Mrs Kirk…I don’t know about Mr Boyle though). I don’t know if you know but Mr Boyle and PE teachers in general are very competitive individuals so throughout the whole event the competition was very fierce - mostly because everyone wanted to beat Mr Boyle (which we did - sorry sir, better luck next time). Our next couple after that was Zoe Graham and Ruaraidh Heron-Cunningham dancing the salsa, followed shortly after by Natasha Halliday and Aidan Toner, who of course had to one-up all of us and do a fusion of dances. Both couples were absolutely spectacular and I have to admit a little bit of jealousy was building up inside me watching them dance their way to my trophy. Emphasis on the MY trophy bit. Mr Howson and Mrs Parker took to the dance floor next scoring a solid 34 to the song ‘Run Away Baby’ by Bruno Mars, followed after by Tatenda Tapatapa (me) and Ramsay Heron-Cunningham who performed a Slow Waltz. And of course we mustn’t forget the favourites Iona Meehan and Jack Moran who had their routine nailed to a T. While our last couple Mr Davis and Miss Munro had the audience hooked to their dance moves. Let’s also not forget, that the highlight of that dance was Mr Davis wearing full school uniform including a blazer - looks like you do lead by example sir!

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As a whole, the event was a success with a massive turnout of pupils to witness of course; Natasha and Aidan take home the trophy. I would just like to take the opportunity to say thank you to Mr Boyle and the PE department for all the support, without them and our judges, dancers, professional photographer, Miss Woodword, Tess and Bruce as well as the many helpers recoding, taking tickets collecting money, and helping with the setup, this could not have worked. And to Matthew Craigen for all the behind the scenes lighting, music and working the sound desk- I owe you one! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Tatenda Tapatapa

Ruairidh & Zoe - perfect timing, perfect foot placement... a snappy salsa... full of sauce and bite... a tex-mex enchillada of a dance St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s does Strictly Champions 2014: Aidan Tonner and Natasha Halliday

028 Natasha & Aidan: this was a party dance spectacular... it was fast, fun and entertaining and had the audience involved from the off... a Marks and Spencer of a dance - full of magic and sparkle

Mr Howson & Mrs Parker: a slick practised polished performance from the gorgeous Parker and the would- like- to- be gorgeous Howson

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Mr Boyle & Mrs Kirk: she was dark, she was vampy, she was dangerous to know.... Mr Boyle would like to have been!

Iona & Jack: the dark horse and his filly ....a piece of smouldering story-telling.... they shimmied and shook those shoulders

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Alec and Margaret, our professional dancers, who patiently trained us all from the end of October and who were very forgiving judges.

Ramsay & Tatenda -Â a waltz of great musicality...Tatenda was a study in grace and elegance... Ramsay as ever held his frame well and was as magnanimous and generous in dance as he is in everything else

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Mr Davis and Miss Munro - well what can I say? A sambatastic spectacular... points off the head teacher for having better glasses than me!... this was a samba prepared like some people cook - you just chucked it all in and hoped for the best... overall though this was an exuberant dance full of hips and lips from the boss and his bubble-blowing bomba!

on the field// Reflections on the many sporting achievements in the school over the past term from PE teacher Mr. Howson

As we approach our festive break there is plenty to celebrate and be recognised in the Physical Education Department. 2014 has been a fantastic year for our young athletes with plenty of medals to hang from the tree. In a year when we promised to be even bigger and better than the last we have much to report on. VOLLEYBALL In our first season running a senior volleyball team, Mr Howson and Mr Boyle’s specially selected S5 & S6 boys truly delivered in classic underdog fashion. Stewarton Leisure Centre was to play host to East Ayrshires Volleyball tournament on the 25th of November and following a slight mix up with team regulations, our boys had to begin each match with a 4 point deficit. Not to be deterred the boys battled on to achieve success. The tournament included most local schools and in round 1 we were matched with Grange Academy, Auchinleck

one after another versus Auchinleck and Cumnock before winning our group. Successful wins positioned St Joseph’s in the semi final versus Stewarton AC. The match started much like others with our players showing belief and determination to bring themselves to level terms with their opposition, however, Stewarton were resilient and difficult to break down. With the match poised and 23-20 in favour of Stewarton, St Joseph’s displayed an ever present winning mentality that transcends all our teams, to miraculously win 24-23 from the final serve, played by Patrick Hamill. This sent the boys roaring into the final versus Loudoun AC. The final proved to be close, heated and exciting to watch, as St Josephs maintained a disciplined approach to overcome Loudoun. The opposition were difficult to beat, they presented strong returns and powerful spikes which had our boys working tirelessly all over the court. As the timer counted down the boys began opening up a lead with 3 minutes to play. The buzzer went and against all odds our team achieved in Stewarton, winning another sporting trophy, to be proudly displayed in school. As we approach our festive break there is plenty to celebrate and be recognised in the Physical Education Department. 2014 has been a fantastic year for our young athletes with plenty of medals to hang from the tree. In a year when we promised to be even bigger and better than the last we have much to report on. BASKETBALL

Academy and Cumnock Academy and competition was fierce. The contest kicked off against Grange and the 4 point deficit really hit hard, where in a close match our team lost out by a single point after working tirelessly to claw back point after point. However, easing into our stride, the team found a rhythm, played controlled passes, worked together and delivered crucial points

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From success on the volleyball court to success on the basketball court, St Joseph’s Under 15 squad have powered through all of their league matches this season, leaving the squad comfortable at the top of the table ahead of their second round of matches. In a squad full of passionate players who never miss a training session and display an exemplary attitude we have found a group of boys who will go from strength to strength.

Match one, away to Largs Academy; it was the player’s first competitive outing and one that blew us all away. In a game where impressive individual performances from John Tamayo and Jack Mackenzie went alongside an excellent whole team performance, saw the team return with a 54-12 victory. The players grew in confidence and with game two approaching the squad was rotated and extra players from S3 brought in. Each and every player showing their worth at different stages, in game two saw St Joseph’s winning the match in true blockbuster style; as Rhys McKenna stepped up, with 2 points down to score a magical 3 pointer to win the match 42-41 on the buzzer, versus Kyle Academy. Finally, game three of the league, our first at home, was played against Ardrossan Academy. Tremendous effort was demonstrated by the players to win the match 37-17 to take the team to the top of the table and leading by example. A truly talented group of players whose commitment and willingness to develop has saw them roar into prime position prior to the Christmas break. If we continue in the same vain hopefully more good news will follow…watch this space. FOOTBALL Perched high on the hill at Auchinleck Academy, the wind and rain whistled around the pitch, making conditions almost impossible to play in on Thursday 13th November. St Joseph’s senior squad knew from the off that a winning mentality was vital if they were to take anything from a match that would see their progression into round 3 of the Scottish Cup. The boys, as ever, did not disappoint as they lined up in their tried and tested 4-4-2 formation. Conor Shearer took his place in goals with a defence consisting of Jordan Doolan (Rb), Luke Shearer (Cb), Ryan Beveridge (Cb) and Kieran Kelly (Lb). A strong midfield played in front of them with Captain Aidan Julyan and Regan Ross playing defensive midfield with Stephen Campbell and Sean Sweeney playing left and right midfield respectively. Finally, up front, our regular pairing of Josh Rodgers and Conner McMillan led the line. St Joseph’s Academy exerted their dominance quickly in the match with plenty of passing moves and numerous lovely strikes from Regan Ross and Josh Rodgers, with the only thing keeping the score at 0-0 was some excellent goalkeeping from Auchinleck’s number 1. As the match progressed, it seemed as though it would only be a matter of time before we would take the lead. However, the true definition of ‘against the run of play’ transpired when a

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very costly defensive error from St Joseph’s saw Auchinleck’s lone striker take the ball from the right, cutting into our 18 yard box before slotting the ball into Conor Shearers near corner. 1-0 Auchinleck Academy with 20 minutes gone. Rallying cries came from Captain Aidan Julyan, Ryan Beveridge and Conor Shearer as the away team pushed for an equaliser. More sharp passing, particularly from St Joe’s midfielders kept Auchinleck on the move until a lofty ball, caught in the wind, found the feet of Aidan Julyan more than 30 yards from goal. Aidan unleashed, what can only be viewed as a stunning effort that left the Auchinleck Goalkeeper motionless as his strike continued to gather momentum as it rifled into the top corner of the net. It was a goal worthy of winning any game, however, much more was required to secure victory. This season St Joseph’s have discovered a more clinical touch in front of goal, much to the credit of Conner McMillan who did not disappoint, as shortly after, on the edge of the 18 yard box, he moved into space away from two defenders before generating power into his right footed strike that was too cleanly struck for the keeper to be able to do anything from preventing St Joseph’s taking a well deserved 2-1 lead. The halftime whistle blew and amidst the rain and gusts that had taken some of the quality away from the game, St Joseph’s were raring to go for the second half. With a mere 5 minutes passing, they extended their lead with prolific striker Josh Rodgers finding space wide on the left, cutting inside, to put Auchinleck on the back foot before scoring from a deflected strike. He had proven to be handful all game with his height and eye for goal putting pressure on the opposition and it wasn’t long before he doubled his tally. Despite his height, he moved extremely well in the box, finding space before scoring in the bottom corner with his weaker left foot. 4-1 and the game was fast running away from the opposition as St Joseph’s had one foot in the next round. The pressure continued to mount for the home team following midfield dominance from Sean Sweeney, Regan Ross, Aidan Julyan and Stephen Campbell. Conner McMillan again was at hand, 8 yards from goal, to put the game well and truly beyond Auchinleck with another composed right footed effort beyond Auchinleck’s keeper. The changes had been rung following half time with Ross Thomson, Dylan Bole, Dylon Murphy and Aidan Shearer all playing crucial roles in the remainder of the match. Finally, after a performance of composed passes and effective tactical play from Regan Ross, he too got a much deserved goal. Following a lifted cross from the left side, Regan anticipated the ball well, meeting the keeper at his 6 yard box before scoring to bring the match to 6-1 for St Joseph’s Academy. Round 3 here we come. The next round sees us matched against stern opposition in St Joseph’s College. The match is to be played at Palmerston Park, home of Queen of the South on Tuesday 16th December in a venue that holds up

to 8000 fans. Here is hoping for a win to make the journey worthwhile. The senior team still have their 100% winning record with 15 goals in 4 games. NETBALL Well what a way to start off the season. The girls were nervous leaving the school but very excited to play. Suited in the red and white team colours, water bottles filled and match balls in our bag we headed off to Ayr to play our very first game. The girls have only trained together in 3 sessions but it was enough for me to select the best players for their position.

chance to score again. Jenna (GS) had a good few attempts at the net, unfortunately none went in-we will blame that one on the tall GK! Gabrielle’s (GA) shooting was spot on and she managed to secure 5 goals in the first half. The defence worked extremely hard to get the ball back up the court to their shooters. Georgia (GK) was able to easily intercept the ball almost every time it was heading into the shooters circle. She was able to read the play and move quickly and intercept. Sophie (GD) was everywhere she needed to be and was an excellent linking player from the defence into the attack. She worked well with Aimee (WA) and had lots of good accurate passes that Aimee (WA) was able to catch and offer a quick attack for her team. Sophie (GD) was able to out jump her opposition and intercept the ball easily. Her quick hands and reach made sure she didn’t drop the ball and kept her team in possession. Sophie (GD) and Georgia (GK) made a great defensive team in the shooting circle. They were able to put pressure on the shooters while keeping at the safe (1m) distance and were also winning most of the rebounds. Katia (WD) added to this team and made it and excellent defensive trio. Katia (WD) always offered support at the top or the side of the shooting circle which always gave the GK and GD a passing option. Katia was effective at getting free from her marker by holding her space, indicating where she wanted the ball and then moved. Although quiet in the game she always uses hand gestures letting her team know where she wants the ball.

Before the game started a coin toss was made. Niamh (C) choose tails and lost out on the coin toss, but she got the first centre pass which she wanted anyway and the team ended up shooting in the baskets they wanted to. The centre passes were mostly successful with the pass either going to Gabrielle (GA) or to Aimee (WA). The girls were then able to play an effective pass back to Niamh (C) or they played a long pass in to the shooting circle to Jenna (GS). Aimee (WA) was able to move quickly to the top of the shooting circle and offered great support to the shooters if they needed her. Gabrielle was able to quickly move to the shooting circle to help Jenna. T The girls had it tough in the shooting circle as the opposing team’s GK was really tall-even taller than Jenna! The girls were able to work around her using pass backs to Niamh (C) or to Aimee (WA), who reacted quickly and were able to pass the ball back in to their shooters. Jenna(GS) had good movement in the shooting circle and could get away from her marker. She was also quick to react and was able to get a few loose balls, giving her the

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Katia(WD) worked will with Niamh (C) especially when she was looking for a pass and couldn’t see anyone, she knew Katia (WD) would get free. Katia (WD) was also able to throw the ball high and long and could easily get the ball to the shooters setting up for a quick attack. For the second half some substitutions were madeeveryone was playing great but Mrs Parker wanted to see how Eilidh (GS) and Beth (WA) would get on in their positions. Jenna and Aimee were substituted to let this happen. Eilidhi (GS) worked really well with Gabrielle (GA), they passed the ball to each other to get into a more favourable position to shoot. If they felt pressured by the tall GK they knew they were covered by Niamh (C) and Beth (WA) whom they could pass back to. Eilidh (GS) managed to secure 2 goals with Gabrielle (GA) scoring a further 3 goals. Excellent work from our shooters who didn’t let the pressure from the defence put them off. Beth (WA) worked well in her role; she marked her player effectively and was able to put pressure on them when they had the ball. She moved quickly over the court and was able to move into space to receive a pass. Beth (WA) took a tumble near the end as she was reaching out to get

the ball but got back up quickly, dusted herself down and quickly got back into the game.

skills to help them deliver football sessions for primary school children.

ACTIVITY LEADERS

The early touches course is the first step required in becoming a football coach and our leaders were exemplary during the course. Following this our leaders have been working with East Ayrshire Leisure development officers to learn nursery and primary games designed to develop motor skills in young children, keep them active and develop their ability in sport. It is fair to say, the leaders have been provided with fantastic opportunities and their learning has helped them deliver a primary Ceilidh, lead a multi-sport challenge and also help out in the East Ayrshire Disability games at the Ayrshire Athletics Arena.

Aside from teams and competition we want to ensure our learners have the opportunities to develop the life skills that will benefit them beyond school. We look at ways we can build their confidence and provide them with settings to allow their individual talents to flourish. A perfect setting for this is in our Senior Activity Leaders Programme. This year our young people have had ample opportunities to sample community coaching opportunities, gain professional governing body awards and liaise with various organisations to position them well prior to their assigned placements that will follow the Christmas break. The year kicked off with work from our very own Mr Boyle and Mr Wilson who taught the individuals the fundamentals of leading groups and planning sessions. The learners, shy and reserved at first, have certainly came out of their shell and are now more than capable of presenting lessons to a variety of young groups. They have experienced valuable coaching sessions led by professionals, for instance all are now SFA Level 1 certificated following 4 weeks of intense work with Ex professional footballer and Kilmarnock legend Garry Hay. Garry attended St Josephs to deliver the Early Touches course which equipped our leaders with the necessary

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Most recently, our leaders, sporting their new Activity Leaders hoodies were involved in the BBC active inspire day at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, one of the purpose built arenas for the summers Commonwealth Games. The group are proving to be role models to the rest of the school, enthusiastic and mature and following Christmas they will be proudly representing the school at their assigned placements. Fantastic work shown by all.

character and values//

A feature of Home Room, assemblies and other activities this year has been a focus on character education. Pupils have been asked to consider a number of different character traits and how they can develop these in all their work across the school. In S1 - S3 pupils begin projects and units of work by considering not only the knowledge they will gain, but also the skills and values they will develop. This is an attempt to help young people understand the relevance of their learning, but also to ensure that learning has a purpose beyond acquiring knowledge or passing tests. The character traits are expressed in our well-established eight values, displayed around the school and forming the basis of our recognition of wider achievement. In the pieces that follow the pupils from Home Rooms across the school, working individually or in groups provide their thoughts on the essential character traits about which they have learnt. These traits are: trust, courage, integrity, justice, duty, gratitude, respect, leadership, tolerance, honesty, commitment, patience, determination, responsibility, fairness, loyalty, resilience, care, compassion and love. You can see these traits in evidence in all the pupils’ work in this magazine. ......................................................................................

If we look back over the year so far, we see that – regardless of what year group we’re in or what subjects we’re studying – we are very different people now than we were in August. Not just in the sense

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that we have learned varying degrees of stuff, we have grown into new people. Through daily conversations with friends, through taking part within a classroom environment, and through all the difficulties we have faced, our experience have enabled us to develop our own unique characters. The characters that we see from day to day in St Joseph’s now are immensely diverse – no two are the same. Not one of is “bad”. We can do bad and stupid things… unfortunately we’re sometimes very talented at that. Doing bad things doesn’t make us bad people; doing good things doesn’t make us good people. As the author of The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis, said: “We are what we believe we are” That’s not the same thing as “you can be anything you want”. What it means is this: if we are charitable in the hope that we will be admired and praised for our actions, then we are ego-centric and selfish; if we say something hurtful to a friend without meaning to, we are tactless and clumsy in what we say. Only we ultimately know why we do what we do. Other people may judge for themselves. People see what they want to see… so why try to please them? Please people if that is what is in your heart; do not compromise on who you are and what you believe to be right in order to please people. Who we are is too precious to compromise on. Who we are has never existed before and will never exist again. Never compromise yourself – there is never a need to be anything other than you! Daniel Johnston, AH4 ......................................................................................

Since starting back in August, AH10 has achieved so much. Our goal is to do the best we can and support the people in our homeroom, through the choices they make. In our homeroom class we are very determined students. Some examples are our very own S4 pupils, John Tamayo and Povilas Vinciauskas were in the schools winning basketball team! Also our S6 pupil Declan Smith has won three games so far in the FIFA tournament, in one game even winning by 4-0! We interviewed Declan after his FIFA success and he told us “It was an exhilarating feeling”. He believes he can, with our support win the tournament, and we all believe he can! At the start of the year our Homeroom split into two teams and participated in the schools Family Fortunes challenge and took 2nd place only losing 1st place by 4 points. Our S5 brothers Aiden and Luke Shearer are raising money for the Youth for Lourdes group. They are doing a fantastic job! We make sure everyone is happy, settled and on task. At the start of the school year we welcomed three S1 pupils into our homeroom, Eilidh New, Olivia Pollock and Lauren Stokes. They have achieved so much since starting in August one of which just settling in very well! Our homeroom works very hard and puts our fullest efforts in to all tasks, when we have a homeroom task or challenge we go into our groups and use a wide ranging variety of skills. We as a Home Room encourage all our students to work to the best of their ability, and are delighted to see that Povilas Vinciauskas has achieved overall second in S4 for Mathematics. Well done, Povilas. AH10 is the best homeroom you will find by far! Lauren Stokes, AH10 ......................................................................................

Arryana O’Neil in S3 had a boating adventure on the high seas. “We needed to learn to be responsible for ourselves and for other people. Because we were living in an enclosed space we all had to treat each other fairly and get on. We had to take responsibility for cleaning, cooking, helping with the steering and parking the boat for the night!” Our new S1 class member Caleb Greig has put many important skills in his work with the Army Cadets including learning about safety skills and building stamina. Marcus Robertson in S2 was elected as the Junior Student Council Rep. “I had to go up against other pupils and make a speech saying why I thought I should represent the class. The Student Council meetings are very enthusiastic and we try hard to make everyone’s comments work.” This year, Jack Tognini, also in S2, put many of the school’s values into action. “I went on a journey to Lourdes with Father Martin and some friends from a local group I go to. I went to Lourdes by plane. The whole experience was really exciting.” Andrew House 5 ......................................................................................

Trust We have learned over the past year and a half that you really need to trust and be trusted by your friends and teachers or you cannot learn to your full capacity. Our teachers try their best to trust us and build relationships with us so that we are able to trust them. If something bad were to happen, like one of us got bullied, the teacher would have to trust us to tell the truth. Trust is a big part in our young lives. When you are trustworthy you can get a good job if you get the right qualifications. To be trusted by other people you really need to not gossip - always try to tell the truth.

The S1-S3 pupils of Andrew House 5 have been busy

Responsibility

getting involved in many extra-curricular activities. Ciara Bertoncini-Gilmour and Gabrielle Maberly in S2, “thoroughly enjoyed the musical “Wicked” at the Edinburgh Playhouse. It was an amazing opportunity and we enjoyed it so much we would love to go again!”

As members of St Joseph’s we have a lot of responsibility. When out on trips or representing the school we are expected to have good behaviour and respect to others. We also have the responsibility for other people as well as our self here at St Joseph’s we look out for each other when necessary. We have the

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responsibility as well to bring in jotters and stationary. We will also help each other if someone needs help, confidence or even as simple as being alone.

Martin Luther King

Ellie Moore, Zoe Brown and Daniel Mulhern, MH6 ......................................................................................

Was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice in America. At 35 years of age, the Georgia-born minister was the youngest person ever to receive the award.

During a recent reflection in Home Room we looked

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

at Alfred Nobel, the creator of the Nobel Prize. Below are our top five Nobel Peace prize winners and a quote from each of them. We feel that all of them display the kind of values and characteristics we, as pupils of St. Joseph’s Academy, should aim to develop. Mother Teresa With her helpers, she built homes for orphans, nursing homes for lepers and hospices for the terminally ill in Calcutta. Mother Teresa's organisation also engaged in aid work in other parts of the world. “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” Barack Obama Won it in 2009 for ‘extraordinary efforts in to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek”. Malala Yousafzai Won it in 2014 for bravery and is the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She was a Pakistan education campaigner who was shot in the head on a school bus. “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” Nelson Mandela Was awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for his work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

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Amelie Davidson, Emma Hoggard and Megan Morrison, MH7 ......................................................................................

How St Joseph’s Academy Pupils are seen in the Community and by us. It’s a cold, dreary day and St Joseph’s pupils are showing great commitment in wearing their blazers. Looking smart, they battle through the bitter cold to arrive in their warm school. The pupils of St Joseph’s have a responsibility to wear their uniform, though many wish to follow the model of other countries, and wear casual clothes to school. Wearing a uniform allows us to see that it’s important to maintain a positive reputation – everyone knows who we are and where we are from. The same goes for working in the community – whether we are going to other schools such as Willow Bank, going to college or delivering the parcels for the Christmas Parcel campaign, our uniform gives us - an at times itchy and uncomfortable - sense of belonging. ..................................................................................

St. Joseph’s is a major part of our lives. We are proud of our school ................................................................................. There are so many things going on in our school that at times we forget all of the things we accomplish throughout the year. Contrary to popular belief there is a clear divide within the awards system. There are many pupils in between who miss out on awards as they work hard in silence. These are the pupils who do not reap the rewards of their efforts. On the other hand, as a school we are amongst the highest achieving in East Ayrshire. This shows that St

“”

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Joseph’s pupils are dedicated to their exams and seeing their school thrive. As a school we have a reputation of excellence to uphold, with our pupils extending their knowledge and following admiral career paths.

Margaret House 8

Courage.

Margaret House 2

This is one of the most important qualities a person can have. If it’s the courage to stand up in front of hundreds of people to speak or the courage to come to school every day. Courage comes in many different shapes and sizes. This might not have been a 500 page masterpiece that will be adapted into a feature film but the message is still clear. Courage is important. A person who has courage can conquer all, even Higher English.

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Murray Fitzpatrick, AH8

This year in Home Room, our class has grown closer

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together as we have had the opportunity to participate in class activities which we can all work together on. This allowed pupils to get to know other pupils from different year groups.

We discussed what the character and values meant

St. Joseph’s is a major part of our lives. We are proud of our school, even if we do not always voice that opinion. We make our school what it is and we are proud to be here.

Being the class who won first place in the poster competition allowed us to share aspects of our character with pupils we did not know as well. We were able to acknowledge and appreciate different people’s characteristic traits which we didn’t know about previous to the task. We focused on a number of lessons which highlighted care, compassion and love for example, mental health week. We learned about how to help people who are affected by emotional difficulties and mental health issues. Apart from doing group tasks to learn about each other, we also have reflective time on Fridays and Mondays to know what we each do in the weekend, this gives us an insight into our hobbies and interests. We worked on the importance of trust, the oldest pupils in the class mentored younger people in the class. Inspirational Figure As a class we have chosen our inspirational figure to be someone who does a lot for our school. Our inspirational figure is Gary the Janitor because he does so much for our school. He cares about all the pupils and staff , he goes ‘beyond the call of duty’ as he takes part in all school events. He comes to all the charity events in the school and look after the place. He engages with the pupils as well as the teachers and always has a smile on his face. As a class MH08, we feel that Gary fits perfectly for our school’s inspirational figure.

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to us. Trust is… Trust your friends and people around you Courage is… Standing up for what is right, even when people say it’s wrong Integrity is… Standing by your own principles Justice is… Standing up for what is right Duty is… Doing what needs to be done and helping others Gratitude is… To be thankful of others Respect is… To treat everyone equally, no matter what race, religion etc. Leadership is… Taking command and looking out for others Tolerance is… Accepting of others and yourself Honesty is… Be truthful to the people close to you and everyone around you Commitment is… Sticking by something or someone, no matter how difficult it is Patience is… not getting annoyed, angry etc. if you are waiting for a long period of time or someone is not behaving well or being annoying and you need to stay calm and still show respect to others Determination is… Never giving up, determined to complete something Responsibility is… Taking care of things and people for example taking care of your little brother

Fairness is… When you are fair to someone Loyalty is… When you are loyal to someone Resilience is… Keeping at it, not matter how hard it is and you want to give up you have to keep going Care, Compassion and Love are… So important.

Supporting each other Trusting them like a brother Justice here for everyone Opportunities in homeroom can be fun Serving the school

Margaret House 3

Everyone here is pretty cool

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Patience is the key

As a group, we are each inspired by each other: we

Honest as can be

have individual qualities and character traits which combine to form our group.

St Joseph’s Academy is the best, towering over the rest

Nicole is patient when she controls group conflicts.

AH2 is our name

Nicole is honest in group discussions. She always shares her feelings.

Creating rhymes is our game

Mya is respectful as she listens to everyone. Mya is determined as she will strive to find something out no matter what it takes. Oscar is responsible when he contributes to group tasks. Oscar is resilient when he sorts out group conflicts. Amy is a leader when she volunteers to write when no one else will. Amy is caring when she asks us what is bothering us and makes us feel better. Paolo is tolerant when he puts up with Oscar and the rest of the homeroom group. Tiffiny is kind as she helps us with our homework. Tiffiny is trusting as you can tell her things. Nicole Brown, Amy Campbell, Tiffiny Candlish, Mya Keegan, Oscar Keegan & Paolo D’Agostino, AH2, Group 1 of 4 ......................................................................................

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Acing tests Dressing the best Everyone’s a mate Making our education great You know you’re never alone, because St Joseph’s is a place like home We created a poem outlining the key traits of Saint Joseph’s Academy and homeroom. In homeroom, we have come together in groups and gained new acquaintances from other years, outside out own social circles. Together we achieve the weekly homeroom tasks and accomplish many things. We believe that this poem displays both the sense of humour and creativity of our homeroom, displayed in the lines: “AH2 is our name / Creating rhymes is our game.”

Here in AH2, we all care for each other, hence the opening line “support each other.” Each day, we view the Home Room bulletin. Almost every day, a new opportunity is available and almost every time it is something great (“opportunities in homeroom are fun.”)

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We wear our blazers and full school uniform with pride. We earn our merits every week because of this (“dressing the best.”) In Home Room, we have a sense of community; we are all friends. On Wednesdays (the designated weekly homework day,) we support our peers and those in other years with their homework (Everyone’s a mate / Making our education great.”) Homeroom has developed us all into new people, changing our views on other years. We are more than a homeroom; we are friends. Caitlin Campbell, Danielle Connelly, Matthew Craigen, Caleb Greig & Chloe Armstrong, AH2, Group 2 of 4 ......................................................................................

Soldiers. People who sacrifice their life, their time and even sanity for the sake of a country, their country, to keep their people safe, and the resilience they contain to withstand. As said by Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator: “You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.” This is what soldiers fight for, their courage greater than some, their dedication, their sacrifice for the sake of a better place, a better world. Each and every soldier puts their life on the line each day for the benefit of their country. They live on minimum wage to serve for their country. They have to leave their family and friends behind at home. Some of the soldiers will not get a holiday over the Christmas period. They all show great determination and courage for the benefit of other people. Jamie Brolly, Dylan Bole, Katie O’Kane & Elleisha Campbell, AH2, Group 3 of 4 ......................................................................................

Nelson Mandela was the first black President of South Africa. He was born on the 18th of July 1918 in South Africa. He was in prison for 27 years because for trying to crush the pro-apartheid government. He was released in 1990.

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When he left prison he didn’t want revenge, he wanted to change South Africa, he wanted to stop racism. He had a great conflict against the bad government. Nelson Mandela is one of the greatest men who ever lived, he had determination, he didn’t stop believing, he had a strong heart. He changed South Africa, in the old days South Africa was controlled by white people, black people controlled by white people, black people were never to be trusted but now that’s the old South Africa. Nelson Mandela brought peace and happiness. He was a great leadership, he told his people “life is a course with endless obstacles to hurdle.” They believe in Mandela’s words, they had enough of the government corrupting their life. Nelson became a hero to people all over the world, he had courage and faith to bring people together to live in harmony together. Unfortunately for Nelson Mandela’s family, he passed away 3rd December 2013. He died at the age of 95. For our group, Nelson Mandela was an inspiration. He is well-known and will never be forgotten. Bryony Bole, Jasmine Bundalian, Kieran Joussef, Campbell Connor, Stephanie O’Dea & Denny Connelly, AH2, Group 4 of 4 ......................................................................................

In our Home Room group, we always have a laugh and a good chat- on anything and everything. From Clash of Clans to ribs and chicken, there’s never a dull moment. We all listen to each other are mostly loyal to each other (apart from the recent scare of Lewis, the “money-bag rat” refusing to put his hand in his furry little pocket to bid for Nicole in the Elf Auction – and this issue was peacefully resolved). Lewis always cheers us up and always has something fantastically random to say. Nicole, we agree, has amazing resilience, bouncing back from Lewis’s early rejection and forgiving him for hurting her deeply. Yet we would have to admit that she shares some of Lewis’s whiskery qualities for accidentally getting him into trouble all the time. We all have high tolerance levels when it comes to Logan! We don’t react to him or his frequently charming but cheeky comments; don’t get us wrong, though, he makes many valuable contributions to our discussions with his mischievous sense of humour.

Nicole we also think is caring and fair and has a weird laugh and fluffy hair. She is a good leader of our group (Ramsay would probably be our leader, if he showed up in Homeroom more often). Haseeb is the cutie pie of our group. He’s very smart and makes us laugh. We all get along (most of the time) and help each other to learn.

An understanding person Nice

Last but not least, Ramsay (when he appears) is a valuable member of our group and fills our Homeroom tasks with knowledge.

Kind Energetic [our S1-3 Pupil Council Rep] Annoying sometimes Great laugh An honest person Nice

He is genuine, caring and extremely fair (the world needs more lawyers like him) and settles our arguments for us. Our Homeroom group doesn’t work together well because it has to but because we actually want to.

Easy to get along with Responsible Intuitive Nice

We are all friends and help make Homeroom all the more bearable.

# as far as I am concerned, I would have to say I love my Homeroom class – we are far from perfect but know each other well and do our best to support our school’s ethos and values in the everyday ways that are meaningful to us {MRS GG}

Nicole, Ramsay, Haseeb, Lewis & Logan, AH1

Toni, Erin, Ryan and Keagan, AH1

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We are AH1 and we are an AWESOME Homeroom

There are a lot of character values. One of our

class. We all get on really well with each other and we’re funny too.

favourites is trust. It is a hard thing to gain now a days but when you do have trust you will know it. Loyalty is also a good trait to have because you know that that person will always help you and look up to you when they need help. Honesty is another of our favourite traits because that kind of person you know always tells the truth when you need it most and they will always tell you what they think. Patience is good because they will always give you time to think through and discuss things with you.

We think we have a fun class and as if that’s not enough, we happen to be nice people as well. We summed up our attributes on our class posters earlier this year and would have liked them back for this task. We work really well as a whole class but some people make more individual contributions that we appreciate. For example, Ramsay is our great Deputy Head Boy, Declan the Dude volunteers for loads of things (like saying a prayer at the St. Andrew House mass) and Morgan brought in loads of tins for the Christmas Parcels Campaign. Overall, we think our Homeroom class is the BEST Homeroom class in the school. Victoria, Declan, Natchaya, Ebony and Conor, AH1 ......................................................................................

Our Group in Andrew House 1 Tolerant Original Nice Interesting Respectful Yawns occasionally

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Calvin, Chloe, Emmie, Breagh, MH5 ......................................................................................

Calvin Johnston is very honest towards his classmates, he is also very friendly and made loads of friends as soon as he joined our Homeroom through his social nature, always cracking jokes and bringing smiles to our amazing Homeroom family! He works hard in all his classes, studying and reading during Homeroom and this inspires us to work to our abilities and expand on our knowledge. He is very grateful that we are writing this about him. There are many other people we could have chosen to write about but we chose Calvin because through this character work he is a clever, patient and inspiring

leader for his age (13yrs) and we are grateful to have him apart of our Homeroom family!

respect him. This is so important especially when he was team captain.

At St. Joseph’s we believe that if we give respect and

Ronaldo inspires and motivates people of all ages from all around the world. He shows commitment to the game of football, his fans and his team mates.

trust to others then we are more likely to enjoy the same from them. If we show determination and leadership we can help others to have the courage to take on the responsibility required to succeed by “aiming high”. A great deal of integrity is needed by all including the tolerance of each other’s weaknesses and faults in order to foster a positive ethos throughout the school, thereby promoting fairness and support. Justice and honesty are of vital importance to both staff and pupils at St Joseph’s Academy in order to feel respected, safe and appreciated. Loyalty towards each other brings us together as a community where everyone has a part to play in their role as a responsible pupil. From this, we all feel a duty to “take part” and “work together” in order to “make a difference” to our community. A community which is committed to ensuring each other’s well-being with the resilience to strive for excellence in all that we do. We are all grateful to be able to be part of such a caring and compassionate environment throughout our school careers. Margaret House 9 ...................................................................................... My inspiration is my dad (Stephen Forster). The reason I picked my dad is because he has been through so much and still has time to pick me up when I fall. He carries me no matter what life throws at him. He is someone who will not judge a book by its cover and I can tell him anything no matter how big or small. I am proud to call him not only my dad but someone that I can rely on, a friend. Cody Forster I have chosen Ronaldo, the footballer as my inspiration. I think he is inspiring because he is a good sportsman who is very fair on the pitch to other teams, the game and its rules. Ronaldo always shows trust and respect towards his team mates which makes the other players trust and

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Andrew Rorison Miss Woodward is my inspiration because she cares and is very, very trustworthy. When she teaches she has a lot of patience and knows what everyone wants and needs and takes that on board. She is totally amazing at art which inspires me to try harder. Rebecca Bunten I am inspired by Messi, the footballer. He is loyal and respectful to his fans but he is also loyal and respectful to his team mates. He is determined to win and succeed. He is also committed to his country, Argentina and his football team, Barca. He is a good sports man who always shakes the hand of the other team’s players at the end of the game even if he wins or looses. When Messi was younger he had a back problem but he was determined to become a footballer. This has inspired a lot of people to keep going and to never give up. Conor Smith ......................................................................................

Resilience is the ability to get back up after life knocks you down. It’s the ability to bounce back after failure, to learn from your mistakes and to never give up, no matter how difficult the struggle may be. If you’re resilient it means that you can balance your negative thoughts and emotions with positive ones, resulting in a more optimistic view of the world. If you’re one mark away from passing a test, then you should know that there’s something you can improve on to get the mark you want, rather than giving up. For many people giving up can seem like the easier option, because in all honesty it is. If you’re having a bad day, the last thing you’re going to want to do is pretend everything’s fine, put a smile on your face and

tell yourself that you can get through it. But sometimes, you have to. Becoming resilient is a challenge in itself, but it’s a worthwhile one. There are times when you just have to smile when you wake up in the morning – tell yourself that today will be a good day. More often than not, it will be a good day because your positive attitude has influenced your mood without you even noticing. And if it isn’t a good day, then it helps to remember that tomorrow is just around the corner. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” – Nelson Mandela Lucy Williamson ......................................................................................

To be respected, you have to respect others. To respect someone, you don’t have to applaud their every word, or admire them in any way. Asking everyone to worship each person they ever met would be completely unreasonable - personally, I know it’s

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impossible to get on with all types of people. Sometimes, respect is just a case of listening to someone when they have something to say, or acknowledging them when they’re talking to you. You might even value their opinion. In school, we learn to respect each other when we’re made to do team work. Nobody likes being separated from their friends, but it’s important we learn how to collaborate with different people, because out in the real world not everyone will work the same way you do. Instead of sighing and being moody because you ‘don’t like’ the people you are made to work with, be respectful and look at the opportunity to see things from someone else’s point of view. By doing this, you are making each other feel as though you’re worth something. You don’t automatically become best friends with your group members, as long as you are all working together, taking each other’s opinions into account and NOT knocking lumps out of each other, you have achieved something. As Albert Einstein said, “speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”

Natalie Smith

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Above: S2 pupils pose with Miss Woodward having completed their Day of the Dead display in Art and about to tuck into their Mexican cakes; Below: The Youth for Lourdes stall at the Christmas Fair raising funds to send eight pupils to Lourdes.

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gaming club//

Over the past few weeks S1 and S2 pupils have been given the opportunity to attend a Wednesday lunch time gaming club. The club, run by Mr Szumlakowski, has pupils work in groups to design, create and program their own video game on the computer. The software package Kodu teaches pupil about visual programming and has them considering the possibilities and options for potential future careers. Pupils have so far been learning basic visual programming and filling in their game log book. The more effort they put into planning their game, the more easily they can complete

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their final design and share their game with their friends online. As a result:

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Pupils are developing skills in the exploration of unfamiliar software and using skills they develop to solve issues or problems (TCH 3-03a)

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Pupils can use appropriate software to work either individually or by themselves to design and implement a game (TCH 3-09a)

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By learning the basic principles of a programming language, pupils can design a solution to a scenario, implement and evaluate its success.

katie’s kilmarnock// Former pupil Katie Murray is now in her second year studying Art at the University of Cumbria. We were thrilled that she had secured a four month-long show at the Dick Institute and are delighted to display her work

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My work looks at perspectives vs the reality of Kilmarnock: the positive and negative stereotypes given to it. I took happy memories from people that live in the town and superimposed onto a background of derelict landscapes based on sites in and around the town, to reflect what was actually perceived by local people and not what the media portrays. The work engages everyone not just those that inhabit Kilmarnock, it shows that every place you visit has its problems and its good qualities. I wanted to show the positive side of the town rather than the usual negative stereotypes placed on it, e.g. Through BBC's The Scheme. In my opinion Kilmarnock has a lot to be proud of and I wanted to get this message across in my work, as Rembrandt said "the place in which an artist is born offers more beauty and insight than can be painted in a lifetime.”

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essay: a drift in time// A consideration of the possibilities of time travel by Lucie Dorrian, S6.

Time travel has always fascinated me. The ability to run away from today’s problems and find myself back in a simpler time. I blame “Doctor Who” for the desire to step inside that blue police box. The box that is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, so everyone says. I can just see the orange glow, the strange sculptures holding up the ceiling and hear the alien humming sounds. To travel would be at my finger tips and all I would need to do is press a few buttons and listen to that familiar whirring noise as I tumble through time. Inside, the old man with the white hair is waiting for me, stooped over the central control panel. As I enter he looks up and he recognises me. “Come in, come in, my dear. I’ve been expecting your arrival.” Before I can blink, the figure blurs and changes to be replaced by a much younger figure with brown gelled up hair and a pinstriped suit. He seems confused for a moment before a conclusion is reached. “That’s weird. New teeth. Where was I? That’s right.” A cheeky grin spreads across his face. “Barcelona!” Opening the blue door to my life at the beginning of my primary days, what do I see? A little girl with bunches in her hair, that trail out behind as she runs past and across the play ground. Happy, carefree, naive. Everything is fantastic. Fantastic friends, fantastic family, fantastic personality, the list goes on. She has a child like imagination, where she can escape to a different dimension full of possibilities. This little girl can fight the monster she sees with word rather than a sonicscrewdriver. Unlike my present self, she doesn’t need a Tardis to run away because her monsters are not as daunting compared with mine. I remember she laughs a lot and that makes me smile, with a tinge of sadness, to think I was her once, but the bunches will disappear and laughing will become a rare event. Especially when the changes come.

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My introduction to secondary education was like a crashing sensation. Lights flashing and sirens screeching as the Tardis plummets into the alien world. Coughing and spluttering I emerge into this foreign planet and I am confronted by Cybermen like beings. Beings that believe they are perfect and upgrade themselves with Hollister and Apple products every so often to continue this ideal. At one point I could have been like them but one event changed everything. One event warped my reality forever. The death of my Uncle Gregory. It happened so fast yet so slow all at the same time. It was like being chased by a Darlek, I knew something bad was coming but it wasn’t until that final call of “exterminate” that I was certain it was the end. Greg had been a large piece of my life. Stopping his trip, his fall and his accident would stop the other bad events from happening. My Uncle Stephen, his brother’s death, only three years later. History repeating itself. It keeps coming back to haunt me. If I could stop that catastrophic event from happening, how might everything be better? I try to stay away from memories like this, because they’re just too tempting to change. So I return to my present, however, it’s only to observe. From the safety of the Tardis doors, I watch my current self struggle. Struggle to try and make new friends while working towards the life I desire, all at the same time. This sight scares me. Trembling, I retreat to the safety of the warm interior of the David Tennant Tardis I grew up with. It’s less complex in here, I'm not paranoid about other people. I am not confused by boys or if my answer is the right answer. I can’t hurt or be hurt. The present is not a constant but from where I'm standing it just seems easier to run away, like many of the Doctor’s companions, to more adventurous and desirable places. Places like the future. The future is an unknown yet attractive idea. Writers such as the almighty Steven Moffat and his predecessor Russell T Davis have tried to comprehend possible scenarios of individual’s futures. I see myself a bit like The Doctor’s companion Donna in the episode “Turn Left”. In this story line she dramatically changes her life when she chooses to turn right rather than left. A series of important events are altered due to Donna changing her past and in turn she creates a bleak and darker

world. It is not till the end of the episode when she returns to the original decision that she reinstates the more positive path. I too see the future as a series of positive possibilities. If I were to travel forwards in time to see my future, I would hope to see myself in the life I was working towards back in 2014. I hope to see myself as happy and carefree as the little girl from my past, with friends who agree and accept me for how I am, including my best friends from 2014. There is, however, a possible flaw in visiting my future. I would prefer to stay in the future rather than returning to my present, in turn creating a grandfather paradox. Visiting the future is definitely somewhere I would need to go in the Tardis, just to satisfy my curiosity but the effects of my action could cause an unknown amount of complications. However, the present is

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definitely a period in time I don’t want to return to and in that period I struggle to get by. At the moment the world just seems so scary. I would much rather hide in my past, skip ahead to the future or stay in the Tardis and continue to travel form place to place, doing nothing but watching time pass me by. But the familiar voice of the Doctor’s beloved Rose Tyler echoes in my ear. “You don’t just give up. You don’t just let things happen. You make a stand! You say no! You have the guts to do what’s right, even when everyone else just runs away.” She’s right. Although the events that have happened in my life have been a mixture of traumatic and stressful I can’t give up and forget about blissful ones. Maybe I should hang up my key and leave the time travelling to the experts. Instead I could pick up a pen and land the Tardis a final time in a small city known as Cardiff.

fiction: the river and the dog// Michael Merrick, S5, provides an fascinating first-person narrative.

Another sleepless night. An ignorant person might say it's because I had my light on, which might have been true, I can't say I believe that, however, it was the constant banging in my head. The persistent ache of reality. I know what you're thinking: “not another typical, depressed teenager” I want to stress that this is untrue, I am merely describing my thought processes. I don't hate the world or even the people in it- at least not any more- I think my anger and agitation just stemmed from my confusion to what was my place in this world was and why things were the way they were. And in my confused state, late at night usually, is when I ponder: for when I am confused, I am impartial and gather information on things I don't understand from square one, creating my own personal interpretation on life that isn't filtered or censored or adulterated. Everything seems my own. Everything seems new and fair. These are the times I find it best to go on a blissful walk, away from it all, away from all the confusion of this monotonous town. And when I come back I don't see things the same, be the walk good or bad. I am a changed man. The relentless banging in my head numbed me of all senses, the world around was faint and distant, I became detached from it. And without forethought, without consciousness, I readied myself for a walk – both mentally and physically- slowly traipsing out the door and into the world beyond. I regained consciousness when the artificial street lights blurred my vision, this angered me. They had polluted the sky and I could feel myself becoming polluted by the world's disingenuousness also. But, as usual, I remained passive and continued my walk, still with the artificial light in my peripheral vision. The streets were bleak and uninviting, I wanted to get away from them as quickly as possible. They didn't teach me, they didn't open any door for me. See, everything in life talks to you- your brain reacts to everything it sees, processing it, trying to understand it.

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When you're done you come away with new thoughts and feelings, however slight. It was that mental process that I craved. I wanted more than anything to go on a walk and come to an understanding that made me happy with where I was. These streets could not do that, for me at least. So I sought my usual refuge: a grassy knoll just behind an abandoned football pitch that over looked a river. I remember sitting there one night and looking up; I saw the stars. How truly enthralling they were, I must have stared for hours, I found them so enticing, and yet I felt such envy. How could they be up there and have that beauty and I be down here on this tedious planet? How I longed to have their disregard and their apathy. Ever since then, whenever I go a walk I always make time to look at the stars to see what they'll teach me. Before I knew it I found myself at the same clearing and with a warm feeling I sat down on the cold ground. I sat for hours that night on my thought pedestal, the sky turned from a deep darkness, angry in its sense of isolation from light to a pale red: beautiful but bittersweet, for the morning was near and so were unpleasant conversations with idiots I seemed forced to socialise with. Content with the fact I was no happier with the world than when I left, for it was common on my walks, I had long given up on expectation, it only leads to disappointment. I stood up, ready to leave, when I saw a dog over a long patch of grass blocking my view from the whole river. He walked slowly toward my kingdom of isolation. He looked scruffy and exhausted, his eyes were wide and adorable, and his mouth was panting, desperate for a drink. He bent his neck in a respectful motion, stared into his own reflection for a few seconds with a look of assurance and relief. He began to lap up the water like there was no tomorrow. The river provided. His thirst was quenched. This was so obvious but I never noticed it until now. The world provides for life and we do our best to keep on living. Everyone is equal. Life is fair. I can't believe I was so naïve, so ignorant to think myself above anyone. I put myself on a pedestal above the world and could no longer see its beauty. I jumped down from the hillock I was standing on and sat down next to the dog. My walk was complete, I felt content with the world around me. Content, but not happy. For there was still misery in this world, still insincerity and ignorance. That I suffered.

The river in front of me was calm and free flowing. The dog next to me was lapping up the water like life made sense in that moment. I decided to join him. I cupped the water `my hands and drank. It was foul. But why was this? I had just came to the blissful understanding that life was fair, why could the dog drink but not I? I looked down at my reflection in the water, my disheartened face staring back at me, and I understood that which changed my life to date. Life has its highs and its lows, its perfect imperfections.

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There will never be a life without solemnity, and one that is not worth living. Life is simple, unpredictable and beautiful. A man who expects life to fall in good favour is a fool, I was a fool. I thought life could possibly be just, could possibly be fair. However, I did not account for life's fickleness. But it is the cracks in the wall where the light will shine. And a man whose life is cracked and thirst unquenchable will drink from a free flowing river of mud with joy and fulfilment. We should not revolt against life's bitter moments, instead we should learn to embrace them. And then we shall know bliss.

essay: alcohol should be a classified drug// Gabe Gunn, S5, examines the thorny issue of drinking.

For hundreds of years, alcohol has existed as a drug which is deeply rooted in societies throughout the world. From the humble beginnings of a quiet glass of wine to the relentless nights of clubbing and pub-crawls, somewhere beneath the surface of our binging nation lie the horrors of addiction and pain. As alcohol problems increase within the UK, the government have failed to present any real solution and continue to waste £3 billion per year on an inconsistent and ineffective drug policy. This issue has been exposed by the 800% increase of 'legal high' deaths in the past 3 years and thus it cannot be denied that the government must reconsider their current policies. It is vital for the government to accept that alcohol, having accounted for over 60% of drug-related deaths in 2012, must be treated with the same trepidation as the current classified drugs, or it seems our nation will face a hangover with devastating effects. It has become evident through years of medical experience that alcohol abuse has immense detrimental effects on the human body. The fatal effects of alcohol abuse are the same, or often worse, than illegal recreation drugs. In the UK, it is irrefutable that alcohol abuse plays a leading role in the infamous poor health of our nation. The UK government are willing to see millions of pounds each year contributed to cancer research, whilst 1 in 10 cancers in men are caused by past or present alcohol abuse. Furthermore, the government are forced to spend around £6bn per year of taxpayer’s money on NHS bills as a result of alcohol abuse, whilst individuals create billions of pounds of revenue, at the expense of our nation’s health and resources. Alcohol abuse can directly affect the heart, liver and pancreas. Alcohol abusers will usually have a higher blood pressure, and are more likely to have strokes. Often, alcohol abuse leads to fatty liver, which is the build-up of excess fat in the liver. Another common symptom of alcohol abuse is when the liver stops functioning correctly.

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Finally, alcohol abuse can damage the immune system, which generally makes the body a bigger and much easier target for disease or illness. As a result of these devastating effects, it cannot be denied that alcohol should be treated with the same disquietude as any illegal drug. The addictive qualities and mental effects of alcohol abuse renders alcohol just as psychologically damaging as any other illegal drug. The abuse of alcohol alters the brain’s chemistry, meaning it can affects thoughts, feelings and actions. Alcohol is estimated to play a role in around 50% of murders globally, which is testament to the altered state of mind when under the influence of alcohol. The regular abuse of alcohol lowers the level of serotonin in the brain, meaning the brain struggles to regulate mood. Alcohol is a depressant, and, as a result of this, people in the UK are twice as likely to be subject to depression or anxiety if they abuse alcohol. Over a prolonged period, or as an isolated incident, drinking heavily can seriously damage relationships and can often impact on performance at work. These factors contribute to the already poor health of an alcohol abuser’s mind and can ultimately result in unemployment or homelessness. People with an alcohol dependency have a terrible affliction and our government have failed tremendously to support people with an alcohol addiction, and will continue to fail until alcohol is given the same classification as other drugs. It is important to realise that alcohol does not only impact on society but also future generations. Despite the evidence available, some people do not realise that drinking alcohol during a pregnancy can be extremely damaging to an unborn child’s health. The NHS recommends during pregnancy to avoid alcohol completely to minimise the risk of harming your child. However, without any legal enforcement whatsoever, this guideline carries no weight. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can ultimately result in a miscarriage, but drinking heavily throughout often causes the baby to develop a serious and permanent condition called foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The symptoms of FASD include; restricted growth, facial abnormalities and learning or behavioural disorders. It is appalling that the children

our future generations are being left to suffer, surely the government must act? Clear links have also been established between alcohol abuse and child maltreatment. In London alone, parental alcohol abuse was a concern in 52% of families on the childprotection register. Parents who are alcohol abusers are not equipped with the social or maternal skills to create adequate opportunities for their children, and so the offspring of abusers are caught in a similar cycle of pain, neglect and depression as their parents. The chaotic nature of a household tainted by addiction can seriously damage a child’s chance to grow and flourish as an individual, even those without FADS are affected by a parental alcohol abuser. The effects of alcoholism replicate the effects of any other drug addiction in a household, so why are the government ignoring those who suffer in silence? It seems that the classification of alcohol would safe-guard a large percentage of our nation, both present and future. There are countless aspects of alcohol abuse that are actually far more damaging to our society than the current illegal drugs. A study conducted by drug specialists revealed that, based on three primary features; the drug’s potential for abuse and/or dependency, physical harm to the user and the drug’s ill effects on society, alcohol was ranked the fourth most dangerous out of a list of twenty drugs, ultimately finishing above Cannabis, Amphetamine, Ketamine, LSD and Ecstasy. The constant availability of alcohol, the production of new alcoholic drinks and relentless advertising means that the scale of alcoholism will only increase throughout the decades. Unlike alcohol, so-called ‘party drugs’ like MDMA aren’t physically addictive thus there have been much fewer recorded deaths as a direct result. However, whenever a fatality occurs as a result of Ecstasy, we are bombarded by media coverage. This summarises the hypocritical nature of the current government and appears almost insulting to those who suffer alcoholism.

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To follow in the footsteps or countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan by prohibiting alcohol consumption would surely benefit our nation’s health. Another factor is that as a result of alcohol’s legality, it acts as the ultimate gateway drug into other substances, which acts as deadly cocktail. There are undoubtedly safer alternatives to alcohol, such as Cannabis with zero recorded overdoses. This is strictly not the case for alcohol, so why do government still condone alcohol consumption? It is no mystery that a drink to relieve the tension of a long, difficult week is a desirable prospect and that there are people who will drink responsibly throughout their lives. But surely the risk has become too great. People’s lives are on the line, future generations will be exposed to an even greater quantity of alcohol and its associated risks. The government’s feeble attempts to address the issue by raising the age-limit to purchase alcohol appears ineffective to say the least. Alcoholism is an epidemic, and for the UK in a time of financial struggle, we must overcome alcoholism and look to our government to at last give alcohol the legal classification it so obviously requires.

S2 personal essay extracts// Extracts from personal writing inspired by colours.

Niamh Murray

Yellow, a beautiful colour that brings happiness and peace. A colour that reminds me to just be myself and to stop trying to be somebody new. Yellow is the colour that has been my favourite for years, it just makes me happy and joyful. The beams of the bright sun, shining through my bedroom window, giving me a short, yet happy feeling and removing all of my worries and doubts. This makes me feel this way any day, no matter how I felt before. But then I realised that not only did it change my emotions, but it helped me concentrate, giving me ideas to understand the things I had never understood. I became someone new. Someone who tries to make people smile, and tries to put the bad stuff behind her and move on, being the happy, smiling person that everyone knows me as. I’ve been trying so hard to show the good in myself that I’ve not noticed the bad, which is a good thing, or is it? I was never aware that the sun could change somebody until I experienced it for myself. I suddenly found myself a whole lot happier after being in a horrible mood before. I then realised that it was when the sun came out from behind the fluffy clouds that I changed. So if you’re feeling low, open your curtains and let that ball of fire shine through. You will soon become someone new, just as I did. This feeling of happiness is a brilliant symbol for the colour yellow. It will always bring out the good in me, no matter what. Kudzai Tapatapa

Whenever I think of blue I imagine a dark, enclosed room. Where this perception came from I’ll never know. Blue is a sad colour to me, it makes me think of cold winter nights.

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In 2011, during the peak of winter, the boiler in my house decided to stop working and let us all freeze. I vaguely remember my whole family sitting in the lounge with multiple layers on, relying on a single electric heater to warm us all up. I looked outside and all I could see was what looked like an angry navy blue sky which was ready to ruin everyone’s day. Despite the horrible weather, I was oddly happy with the situation. This malfunction had something that rarely happened in my house. It had brought us all together. For once the whole family was in one room. No-one was trapped in their room communicating to people who were miles away. We were all there. Together. Amazingly we had somehow managed to bring out the best from a bad situation. Which made me think, everything isn’t as bad as it seems. The situation is only as bad as you make it. Thinking about it in a negative way will only make it worse than what it actually is. Isla Grant

Yellow is a colour that I feel that I can relate to.

I have always been that small girl, shy but smiling and yellow for me represents that happiness. When I think about it, many memories come back to me when I see this colour: the warm sun beating down on me on holiday, glistening crystals of sand rubbing against my toes, stage lights blinding me on an opening night of a performance, the soft glow from the fairy lights above my bed when I’m reading at night. These times, these memories are ones where I feel happiest, without a question or a doubt. Yellow makes me feel grateful and in control, and overlook previous thoughts of panic or anxiety, of fear or worry, like the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. Of course, there are times when that tunnel is longer than usual and these memories fade along the way, but this light, or yellow, will always be there to comfort that small girl, shy but smiling, and help me out the dark again.

Ciara Bertoncini-Gilmour

When I see the colour red, I automatically think of anger. I like to think I'm a calm person but truthfully more often than not I'm positively fizzing up with anger inside, like a volcano. I just don't show it very often. I get angry about the most childish things, such as not getting the wings of my eyeliner perfect, or scuffing a pair of shoes. I like things being done to the best of my ability, I'm a perfectionist if you like, so even the moments that are completely out of my control make my fists clench out of fury. There are ways to help me overcome my childish ways, such as watching funny YouTube videos, or listening to Ed Sheeran. So instead of being the red, angry volcano I'm working towards being the sunset, which calms me down with its warm colours that merge together to create a stunning spectacle. Katie Cameron

When I think of yellow, I think of happiness, of warmth, or the summer days spent lolling around on

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the beach or in the park. The heat of the sun as I lie on the grass, laughing at something stupid one of my friends said, that type of laugh when you're giggling so hard you can hardly breathe and tears trail down your face. But maybe yellow can be seen as a warning, that nothing can last forever and to prepare for the sad times, for the cold and the hurt and the anxiety. To prepare for the summer to be over and for autumn to take its place. However, recently I've realised that even though summer is over, and that sometimes people change, for better or for worse, including myself, I can still keep those happy yellow memories from forgotten times. I can remember the time you piggy-backed me into the sea because I was scared, but then you fell over and we both came tumbling down. I can look back at the time you jumped out behind me and I was so scared I threw my ice cream at you. I can reminisce over all these times, but I know that they are gone, and to you they are just halcyon days in the yellow sun.

essay: the living wage// Ross Watson, S3, looks at a very pertinent contemporary issue.

More than a fifth of the UK earns less than the living wage, which means more than a fifth of the UK is unable to stay on their own or live comfortably. Over one thousand employers have adopted the living wage but I hope by the end of this essay you will want that number to be higher. The living wage is what the average person needs to live comfortably which is currently £7.85 an hour. Although many companies use the living wage including some charities, there are many more businesses that pay the minimum wage. The living wage foundation has a motto, ”We believe that hard work should be the surest way out of poverty”. This must be taken into consideration by most companies but primarily the ones who pay minimum wage. The living wage has made the lives of 45,000 workers, at the very least, comfortable and has put roughly £210,000,000 into the pockets of some of Britain’s lowest paid workers but there are still so many who don’t benefit from the living wage. There are still five million workers that earn less than the living wage just because it’s not legally enforceable. I think that the government should look to cut the number of unpaid workers by one million by 2020. The living wage only covers basic living cost for one individual but in comparison to the minimum wage which barely covers the basics, this is a big change for those who were on minimum wage. In the town that I live in one in five people live in poverty, which means they are often hungry, imagine the impact of something as simple £7.85 an hour could have on these people, people who take on multiple low paying jobs to support their families when one job with the right pay would help the very much. On paper the difference between the minimum wage and the living wage doesn’t seem like much. The difference is £1.35, that might not seem like much but that is the difference between staying in a decent flat with food and clothes and not being able to afford to do that.

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While working for the minimum wage, if you stayed in a flat you would have someone else living with you to help with rent and bills, your clothes wouldn’t be as good and the food wouldn’t be either. So the living wage might not look much better on paper but in reality it is a big difference to a person’s everyday life and should be enforced. Those against the living wage have strong arguments and fair ones. Some people say that the living wage simply isn’t enough for say a small family and they would be correct since it is supposed to be for an individual so maybe a new system involving families is required. Others just say that the living wage would bankrupt companies and that the living wage system could be manipulated so others receive more money than others. There are lots of reasons why companies don’t use the living wage. Companies use the excuse that they cannot afford to pay the living wage. Yes, this is true for some of them, but international businesses pay their employees the bare minimum to increase their profits. To get around this argument, I think if the government does at some point enforce the living wage it should only apply to businesses that generate a certain amount of income to exclude small business owners who take on people desperate for a job and who themselves just get by. In this way it would be a huge step forward without penalising small businesses who perhaps could not afford it. In my personal opinion the living wage is a good and fair idea that can only benefit people and the country. I think the living wage should be enforced by the government. It could help bring people out of poverty and potentially solve a variety of social issues such as crime as when people have no money they could often turn to crime to allow them to live. This is why I think the living wage should be legally enforced.

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S3 pupils pose in front of some of the artwork they are creating for the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s war memorial. This work is being undertaken as part of an interdisciplinary project bringing together art and design with technical to create a trench, steel poppies, graphics, artefacts and also to trace the living relatives of those buried in the local cemetery in Commonwealth War Graves.

new faces// Ten new staff joined St. Joseph’s in August. Here nine of them reflect on their experiences so far.

Hello, my name is Suzanne McGeer and I am a

I started as Acting Principal Teacher of Pupil

Biology and Science teacher. I started in St.Joseph’s Academy in August and I am really enjoying my time here. When I first started, I remember thinking how smart the pupils looked in their uniforms and how welcome they made me feel. I have enjoyed getting to know lots of amazing pupils and learning about their brilliant talents and skills. There is a great sense of community within the school and the staff have really made me feel a part of this. Despite my many questions at the start of the year, staff were always so friendly and helpful and they helped me settle in to life at St.Joseph’s Academy quickly. I have made many great friends here!

Support in August 2014 after 25 years of teaching in another local secondary school. However, by the end of week one I felt as though I had been here for years. The staff were so friendly and welcoming I really felt like part of the team. I am also a parent of 2 former pupils and I have always had a very high regard for the staff of St Joseph’s so it has been interesting for me to see all that goes on behind the scenes.

Mrs. McGeer, Teacher of Science

I remember getting the phone call to say that I had got the job at Saint Joseph’s Academy. I screamed so loud with excitement that everyone in the corridor of my old school knew the verdict. Needless to say, by the time August arrived I was very excited to start working at this school. And those good feelings continued in to the term. Staff and pupils alike were very friendly and welcoming, pupils frequently greeting me in the corridor as I awkwardly waved back, not knowing who they were. It quickly became clear to me that this was a school where people looked out for each other. In fact, just the other day, as I struggled to teach S2 with a very sore throat, the class constantly asked if they could get me more water. It is this atmosphere which is why I really enjoy working here. That and having my own classroom to decorate with my geeky Gatsby posters! Miss Ramsay, Teacher of English

The last four half months have gone in so fast as we are all so busy in the faculty of health and wellbeing. During my time here at St Joseph's I have met some really lovely pupils and have had some memorable moments. All the staff in the school have made me feel very welcomed and my faculty are great and really supportive. The focus for the next three months will be the pupil's final assessments so I suspect my department will be, yet again, very busy. Time will just fly and the next thing I'll know is that it's the Easter holidays.

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Miss McErlean, Teacher of Home Economics

Every staff member is committed to getting the best out of each pupil, and this is apparent both in and out of the classroom. Although I have at times found myself in some very challenging situations with pupils I am happy to report that the vast majority are pleasant, cooperative and enthusiastic young people with great ideas, strong values and respect for each other. Karen Cassidy, Acting Principal Teacher of Pupil Support

My first four weeks at St Joseph's have gone by so quickly but I have enjoyed every minute! The staff and pupils have been so welcoming, full of energy and enthusiasm. I have never taught in a school which is so forward thinking and where the learning experience for all pupils is clearly more important than anything else. So much goes on behind the scenes to making our school develop and be the best it can be, catering for all pupils and ensuring that they can all reach their full potential. I feel very lucky to be a part of that. There is a strong sense of community and closeness within St Joseph's which makes it a really supportive and fulfilling place to work. I have been overwhelmed by the positive attitude of the staff and pupils; They are always looking for new experiences, where some people would see a difficulty, they see an opportunity. They are humble and proud at the same time with everything they have achieved. I am really looking forward to becoming more ingrained to St Joseph's life, helping the school to keep developing while encouraging and motivating our pupils. Miss Woodward, Teacher of Art & Design

It is hard to believe that I am sitting writing this less than 24 hours after a truly magnificent St Joseph’s Christmas Concert – where has the time gone! Last night truly summed up my experiences over the last four months here at St Joseph’s. We are incredibly lucky to work with a fantastic group of staff and pupils here and each day that I walk into the Art Department or the street I am reminded of how fortunate we are to learn and work in a building of this calibre. The past four months have been a true rollercoaster journey – I feel I have experienced every emotion possible but the main one has been that of pride. Each week our pupils continue to inspire me with their dedication to their art, their courage to try new things and their enthusiasm for learning. Looking back and reflecting on the first four months of term only serve to excite me about what the future may bring! My urge to the pupils of the school – get involved – school is about creating memories that will last a life time. Don’t let it pass without getting involved in the many opportunities that are available! Mr. Cowan, Principal Teacher of Art & Music

Since my appointment to Saint Joseph’s in August I have had a very positive experience within my department and the whole school. I find the pupils to be enthusiastic and well mannered. I feel well supported by the staff and feel that it is a welcoming and friendly environment. I have enjoyed being able to be a part of so much in a short space of time, for example, the children’s book club run by Mrs Kirkwood and the Ecuador project. Within my own department I have enjoyed contributing to new materials and particularly enjoyed creating the inter faith displays with my s3. I hope to continue to build on these positive experiences in the coming term! Miss Curran, Teacher of RE

I am a Teacher of Technical, IDL and Enterprise within St. Josephs Academy and have been working here from the start of the school year. As a former pupil of St. Joseph’s, I am pleased that I received the opportunity to give back to the school that provided me with the education and inspiration to go on and become a school teacher. I believe that within the 21st century education is always changing and learning needs to be enjoyed by all pupils.

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That is why I aim to make my lessons as engaging as possible through content and use of Technology, such as the laser cutter and 3-D printer located within the school. During the short time I have spent at St Joseph’s Academy I have noticed a dramatic difference from when I attended the school. The Catholic ethos is embedded within the school and the 3 circles of knowledge, skills and heart is a positive reflective task that engages teachers to evaluate themselves as educators. I have noticed that St. Joseph’s nurtures an environment where all pupils feel comfortable enough to express their individuality. For this reason and many others I hope I can spend more of my time at St. Joseph’s, getting to know the pupils and the staff and continue to build upon the positive ethos that is already represented within the school. Mr. Szumlakowski, Teacher of Design Technology

Hello, my name is Miss Kilgour and I teach French and Spanish. I came to St Joseph's in September and I have settled into the school very well. My first impressions were that this would be a very different school from what I am used to as my previous school had nearly 2000 students. I find St Joseph's has much more of a community feel about it and in my short time I have managed to get to know most of the staff and pupils, even those that I do not personally teach, quite well. The staff and pupils have been very warm and welcoming to me and I'm looking forward to see what next year holds. Miss Kilgour, Teacher of Modern Languages Sitting in front of my S3 today I realised how special and unique this school and its pupils really are. I had mentioned that I was at a loss for what to write for the redblack magazine and instantly I had a classful of hands up, and plenty too keen to bother with the hand up tradition, ready with suggestions from pupils who genuinely wanted to help. This has been completely in line with my experiences so far this year. From my very first day at St Joseph's I have been made to feel completely comfortable and at ease and this has been totally down to the fantastic staff and wonderful pupils. From watching pupils enthusiastically take part in home team challenges, to trips to the panto, to watching staff and pupils take on the mammoth task of competing in a Strictly Come Dancing competition, there hasn't been a dull moment and now I don't really want to imagine myself anywhere else. Mrs. McIntosh, Teacher of English

S3 comic design challenge// A class of S3 English pupils have been learning design, literacy and IT skills by designing their very own comics. They have been working with our librarian Mrs. Kirkwood and with experts at the Dick Institute.

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Comic Book – Pupil Feedback Mary Young – ‘I would love to make some more comics’ Declan Reilly – ‘ I found it challenging working by myself’ Kieran Cairns – ‘I found it fun to do but a bit difficult’ Justin Murphy – ‘Focusing on the task was difficult as we through ourselves in at the deep end from the start’ & ‘ I enjoyed working with new people’ Jade Gillingham – ‘It was interactive and different’

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Ryan Kerr – ‘It could be anything you wanted it to be and it wasn’t a theme that the teacher picked’ Billie Andrew – ‘It was diﬃcult getting done by the deadline’ Declan Wilson – ‘it allowed us to show what types of stories we like’ & ‘it gave us a good sense of achievement and the inspiration to write more stories’ Courtney McDowall – ‘it showed me that I could be more creative and I had fun at the same time’

cooking up a storm// In the last month the fourth years were undergoing the National 5 prelims for both Practical Cookery and Cake Craft, writes HE teacher Mrs. McErlean. Great results were presented from both. The Practical Cookery Class made a meal for 4 in 2 1/2 hours. This was a starter of Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup to complement a main course of Spicy Chicken with Flatbread and finished off with Berry Towers. The Cake Craft class started work on their prelim back in November and they created a Christmas Cake to their own design. The NPA Bakery class focused on Christmas Cookery, making a Christmas Cake and a Gingerbread House. Well done to everyone and their efforts.

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our learning community// Throughout this term pupils from our Learning Community primary schools have been coming to St. Joseph’s as part of their P7 transition. Here’s what the pupils from St. Patrick’s said.

St. Patrick’s Primary School: extracts from our Learning Logs…….. What I really enjoyed this week was going to St Joseph’s Academy for my Transition Day. First we had mass at St Matthew’s Church. Carla and Keelan did a Reading in front of all those people. By the time we got back to St Joseph’s it was the interval. We were in the hallway for the whole of interval and after that we went to Modern Studies. What surprised me most was when I bumped into my brother Michael and my sister Nyree they both talked to me, which I found very mysterious. Cristina Collins St Patrick’s Primary The most important thing I learned was that you don’t know if you are scared or frightened of something unless you try it. I was feeling scared to go to St Joseph’s but it turned out okay and that’s good. Fraser Stewart St Patrick’s Primary I enjoyed going to St Joseph’s. It was great and I loved the class where we had to find 24 languages around the room. I was the only one out of everyone to find them all and I won a pen! The most important thing I learned this week is that there are twenty four main languages spoken in Europe. What surprised me most is there are more than six thousand languages spoken in the world. I loved seeing all my S1 friends. Erin McLeod St Patrick’s Primary What I enjoyed most this week was going to St Joseph’s Academy because I enjoyed seeing my old friends. The teachers were really friendly and the activities we had to do for European Day were amazing. Shonagh McGhee St Patrick’s Primary The transition day at St Joseph’s was amazing because I spoke in a few new languages like Spanish, Scottish Gaelic, French, Polish, German, Chinese, Irish Gaelic and Russian. AJ McGinn St Patrick’s Primary I really enjoyed my experience at St Joseph’s because it was European Languages Day and we were learning different languages. I wore glasses with a mini sombrero and a moustache. It was really fun! I also enjoyed the Mass at St Joseph’s. Mass was said by Father Martin Chambers and I liked the hymns we sung. Michael McGinnigle St Patrick’s Primary I loved St Joseph’s Academy because we did Modern Languages and it was European Languages Day 2014. I liked getting the Spanish hat prop, not forgetting speaking to my friends in S1. Elio Baldassarra St Patrick’s Primary

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What I enjoyed most this week was going to St Joseph’s Academy because I enjoyed mass and modern languages. I think it’s cool that you get to go where you want at playtime and lunchtime and the canteen looks good! The thing I found most interesting was Gaelic because I’d never heard it spoken fluently before. What still puzzles me is how to find my way around St Joseph’s. It’s massive! Carla Duffy St Patrick’s Primary

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THIS IS SAINT JOSEPH’S.

Life is what you make it. take time.

All great achievements

Celebrate success - yours and other

people’s BE OPEN TO INSPIRATION love the things you learn.

love others unconditionally.

enjoy peace

and quiet, seek it out from time to time

THINK OF

OTHERS Accept yourself as you are. Everything you do is important. Presume the best in people MAKE A DIFFERENCE

If you want to feel good, do good. We

have diversity in common - embrace it. Everyone is welcome here

MAKE YOUR MARK Ability is nothing

without opportunity. Open your heart, mind and arms to new things. Seize opportunities.

You are

responsible for yourself BE CURIOUS Questions lead learning so ask good ones. No bird can soar on its wings alone. Remember that we can all change and grow INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM A good head and a good heart

are

always

formidable

combination.

Education is a conversation - so talk

AIM HIGH

change in attitude can save your life.

Enjoy what

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you

and

pass

your

passion

TAKE

Adventure is the very essence of life.

PART

Smile -

everyone looks better when they do. WORKING TOGETHER MAKES GREAT LEARNING

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT

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

FIDELIS

INSPIRE AND

TRANSFORM

JUSTUS PRUDENS

Saint Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Academy Grassyards Rd Kilmarnock KA3 7SL

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01563 526144 www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk @StJoAcad (Twitter) Acting Headteacher: Ben Davis ben.davis@east-ayrshire.gov.uk