The 18^th anniversary of the opening of the ‘new school’ by Councillor Val MacIver – At assembly pupils and staff were reminded by Mr Hulme that this anniversary would take place on Sunday 30^th September.  Glasses were raised on the day!

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Two more pupils have received their Bronze Award at assembly.  Well done to Caitlin Johnston (S5) and Innis Taylor (S4).

Staff Departure – Mairi Beeson leaves Gairloch High School after three and a half years. Mairi has worked with the High School and associated Primary Schools as Children’s Service Worker.  Although part time, Mairi has had an enormous impact on early intervention and helping to promote the smooth transition for Primary 7 pupils to High School.  She has forged excellent relationships with parents and pupils alike.  At recent interviews with S1 pupils, many pupils commented on the Resilient Kids programme they have been involved with in PSHE. This was set up by Mairi and has helped to promote emotional literacy in S1. We will all miss her service, her professional manner and her determination to get things done.

Work Experience – All S4 pupils have now completed their week of work experience.  We must thank Mrs Flora MacKenzie as without her sterling efforts this would not happen.  She works tirelessly for weeks beforehand making sure the proper paper work is in place thereby allowing the Council to allow the placements.

MacMillan Coffee Morning – £450 was raised on Friday 28^th September by girls in S5 and S6 for the Cancer Charity.  Organized by Sophie Davies in S5 the group provided a coffee morning for members of the community and then a cake sale for staff and pupils throughout the day.  Well-done girls!  Click on the photo to see more images from the day.

Jeans for Genes Day – This annual event took place on Friday 28^th September. Jeans for Genes is a charity that aims to improve the lives of children with genetic disorders, care for their families and invest in research. Pupils (and staff) had the opportunity to wear their jeans to school in return for a contribution towards this worthwhile cause. A total of £220 was raised and a cheque has been sent off.

Golf Competition – This inter-house competition on Thursday 27^th September was the fourth annual golf event. The number of pupils putting their names forward for the event has increased each year. This year the number was capped at 36 (four starters at each hole for a shotgun start).

The pupils play to a Stableford Scoring system. All of the pupils managed to play the nine holes.  The winning house this year was Tollaidh,  Maree came second with Kerry in third place. Highest score and winner of the trophy, which will be presented at the annual prizegiving, was Joseph Smith, S3. Runner-up was Callum Vickerstaff, S6.  Adam Blyth, S5, made his mark with a hole-in-one at the 7^th hole.

Gairloch Golf Club kindly give us the exclusive use of the course for the afternoon and donated the trophy awarded to the player with the highest score.  John Beck, Treasurer of Gairloch Golf Club and also the Junior Convenor, makes all the arrangements at the Club and works out the results from the scorecards. The Club arranges the loan of clubs for those pupils who do not have their own.  All of this accumulates into a great gesture of support from the Golf Club to the development of golf in the school. The Golf Club also offers tuition courses to youngsters following on from the First Club Golf which John Shearer, Active Schools Co-ordinator, delivers to all P5 pupils in early spring.  Many thanks to John Shearer and John beck for the time taken to organise this event and others.

Wild about Gairloch  – As part of this festival, the Hospitality pupils played host to a number of visitors.  Husband and wife team, Catriona and John from Food Business Development, along with Pete More (SNH) and Margaret Wiseman, delivered a relevant ‘wild food from Gairloch’ experience.  Children learned food preparation skills and how to plan menus and recipes using seasonal, local produce. The pupils prepared langoustines, sampling venison burgers and steaks, wild rabbit pate, preparing crab to plate and finally a blackberry and apple cranachan dessert.    Click on the photo to see more images from the day.

Catriona – The enthusiasm and engagement of the pupils made our job easy and enjoyable. We came away with positive responses from all who were involved. Thank you for making us so welcome. The school would like to thank all involved and in particular Scottish Natural Heritage, the organizers and funders of this event.

Culture Club & Higher English trip to Eden Court – On Tuesday 2^nd October a group from the school travelled to Inverness to see a production by Aberdeen Performing Arts of  “The Cone Gatherers”.

This play, adapted by Peter Arnott from the Robin Jenkins novel set on a Highland estate during the Second World War, was an unexpected mix of music, song, visual effects and dance.  The group who went consisted of the current Higher English class, who have studied the novel in some depth, but also included six S3 pupils, who have attended most of Ms Gulliver’s Culture Club events over the past year.  The design was striking, the production lively, fast moving and the performances by the cast very convincing. Some characterisation, however, was significantly, even controversially, different from the original and so provided the Higher class with much food for thought and discussion, focusing their minds on important details of the text in preparation for exam work.  Altogether a worthwhile and memorable trip!  Thanks to Miss Mackison for organizing this visit to the Theatre.

Blythswood Christmas Shoebox appeal – The school will be supporting this Christmas Charity event again.  Leaflets for the Blythswood Christmas Shoebox appeal have been distributed.  We invite all staff, pupils and members of the community to fill a shoebox with various sundries, wrap it up and deliver it to school for export to children less fortunate than ourselves.  Further information available from the school or the Blythswood website.  Deadline for collection from the school is Monday 5^th November.

Study Club – Study Club for the S4 Prelims will run after school 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in weeks beginning October 29^th, November 5^th & 12^th.  S4 Pupils will be issued with a timetable for these after-school events on their return to school next week.

Important Dates –Available here on the website.

A mailing has been sent home first class to all parents and carers.  The covering letter from the Headteacher gives the detail of the content.

There is also a letter from Mr Milner inviting parents to come along to a meeting on the evening of Nov 19th.  The subject of the evening is the use of electronic devices for Social Networking and Cyberbullying.  We will have Louise Jones of Highland Council along to support discussions.

The mailing also contains a summary of the latest Standard and Quality report published this month.

If you wish to view this mailing online it is available here in our Schoolbag feature page.  This page will let you see the items sent home but lost forever at the bottom of your child’s schoolbag!  (You can also find a link to this page on the right hand side bar of this page.)

The full Standard & Quality Report 2012 is available here as part of our prospectus.  You may also request a paper copy from the school office.

S4 Prelims 2012 – S4 pupils have already received a copy of their exam timetables.  Due to closure of the Community Hall these exams will take place in the school although strict exam conditions will still apply.  These exams are extremely important in preparing pupils for the exams in May and June next year.  Study Club is available to provide support beyond that given in class already.  Exams begin on Monday 21^st November and end on the 3^rd December.

Young Ambassador Programme – Two pupils in S5 – Chris Young and Isla Mackenzie – were chosen to attend the Young Ambassadors conference in September, which was run by the Youth Sport Trust in partnership with sportscotland.  This training qualified them as Young Sports Ambassadors for Gairloch High School, working with the PE department and Active Schools, when possible.  They take on responsibility as role models to young people, leading and supporting them while promoting Olympic and Paralympic values.

Isla wrote a bit about the day.  On the 25^th Sept Chris & I travelled to Nairn for the Young Ambassadors conference.  Whilst there, we met Gold Paralympian David Smith, three times world Curling champion Ewan MacDonald and Gold medal Gymnast Steve Frew.  The day helped us make lots of new and exciting plans.  We shall be hopefully doing lots of new activities during the next year.  As Young Ambassadors we shall be doing the best we can to promote sports and awareness of Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth games and other important sporting events.

Religious & Moral Education event – Just before the holidays, the ‘Big Questions’ event was held.  All of S5 and S6 took part in this whole day event that started off with pupils being asked to consider what influences the choices they make on moral issues.  The rest of the day was spent in lively discussion on these issues, with pupils encouraged to think about and express their views, as well as listen to the views of others.  Thanks go to Mrs MacRae and Susan Maclean who organised the event, and to Jeremy Ross, Alastair Macleod and Donnie MacRae for helping to facilitate the discussions.  Feedback from the pupils was very positive and we hope to repeat this event next year.

Electrolabs at Gairloch High School – S2 pupils at Gairloch High School were treated, during the last week of term, to a wonderful musical experience.  Dave Martin and Steve Gasgarth of Electrolabs brought up to date electronic music into the classroom.  Pupils in Gairloch are already used to exploring the magical world of Apple Mac music making, using software packages such as Garageband and Logic.  Dave and Steve provided the opportunity for pupils to work with the latest, industry-standard software and Mac Pro laptops.

During Monday to Thursday, pupils created, from scratch, 13 brand new pieces of music.  These can be heard on www.soundcloud.com/electrolabs/sets and include the use of live instruments and synthesized keyboard sounds.  On National Poetry Day (Thursday), pupils used an original poem by local poet Dr. Ian Blake of Aultgrishan called “Sitting In” as the basis of one piece.  Dr. Blake wrote the poem whilst “sitting in” Miss Hunter’s music class one day, listening to a clarsach player practising.

In addition, on the final day, electronic music was combined with the school’s traditional players from the band C for Craic to produce an innovative sound, which the band really enjoyed.

With the new Music Courses including Music Technology as a separate exam, such experiences as this one provide pupils with the possibility of studying Sound Technology in more depth.  Miss Hunter, said, “What an amazing week we have had; it would be fantastic to have the Electrolabs crew back here again.”  Click on the photo above to see more images.

Comments from pupils: “It was a great insight into sound engineering and the music industry”, “Great fun!”, “The music we created was amazing!”, “I really enjoyed the experience of it all”, “Can we do it again?”, “Making our own music…….  It is so cool!”

Many thanks must go to Norman Bolton and the Highland Council for giving our pupils this unique opportunity.

Basketball results – The S1 basketball players had their first competitive outing, playing Alness Academy yesterday. While losing 60-30, they worked hard and have a good idea of what they need to concentrate on.  The senior boys’ team played a very good Alness team in the first game of the National Schools’ Cup. (Alness were finalists last year). The boys lost 48-34 but everyone there felt that they played one of their best games ever.

Congratulations to Sara Johnston and Gregor Vickerstaff, who have been selected for the national basketball “Future Starz” development programme. They will get regular coaching from national coaches and have the opportunity to attend trials for the Scotland U13 teams in March.

Archaeolgical Dig – On Thursday 25^th October Mr Port and five pupils (Annie Maclennan, Maia MacKenzie, Lewis Brady, Roddy MacRae and Donald Mackenzie) helped at the roundhouse dig above Achtercairn.  Although wet and windy for part of the morning the pupils assisted with excavation and mapping.  During the short time we were there the pupils were involved in uncovering two potentially important finds!  Thanks to Mrs MacRae for her help in organising this, Anna Welti, Jim Buchanan, Jeremy Fenton and others present for making us feel so welcome.  We look forward to reading any conclusions from the excavation.  Click on the photo below to see more images.

Boys’ football  – On Wednesday 3^rd October a group of S2/S3 boys made up an A and B team from Gairloch High School. They travelled to Ullapool for the annual Small Schools football competition. The previous fortnight they had played in the first leg in Dornoch and confirmed their place in either the top or bottom 4.

In Ullapool, Gairloch B team played in the top 4. They did exceedingly well winning all but one of their matches. This won them a well-deserved place at the semi finals.

The A team also did well but played in the bottom 4. They won two games and drew one making them overall winners of their group as well.  Sadly they did not qualify for the semi-finals because they were in the bottom 4.

We’d all like to give a huge thank you to Mr Gorman, Mr Cumming and Mr Bowker – Louie O’Brien

Interview Skills – S5 and S6 pupils have been given the information they need to submit an application for a mock interview.  Deadline for application is 5^th November.   Thereafter applicants will be given a time for interview.  We invite members of the community with suitable experience and members of Dingwall Rotary to interview the pupils and provide personal feedback on the same day.  The interviewees receive the pupil applications prior to visiting the school in preparation for the interview.  This opportunity has previously only been for S6, however we now wish to make this valuable experience available to S5 pupils as well.

Staff success – Before the October holiday Mrs Carol Bulmer successfully achieved the Summer Mountain Leader qualification.   This adds to the number of staff that can support pupils in outdoor activities.

Pupil Success – Sofie Banister won the Show Pony class in her last show of the season and went on to take the Show Pony Champion title.  She also won the BSPS Scotland Summer Points Challenge in the 148cm Open Show Pony Section and was also Reserve Champion.  In addition she also won the Highland Trophy for the highest number of points.  Well-done Sofie!

Former Pupil Success – Ellie Richardson has given us an update on her progress to represent Scotland as a track cyclist at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

I have just completed three days of racing in the British National Track Championships with the aim of finishing in the top 10 in the UK and ideally the fastest Scottish rider.  I surpassed my expectations, finishing 6^th in the sprint and 7^th in the 500m time trial beating professional full time athletes in the process and proving myself to be the fastest amateur.  Last night was the highlight of the championships when I took silver in the Team Sprint. I was the fastest Scot of the championships in all my races and my opening lap time in the team sprint was the fastest in the finals.  Well-done Ellie.  We have high hopes for success in 2014 if all goes to plan.  Ellie will be riding next in the newly opened Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome!

Malawi Trip – During the holidays Dr Caley made a personal trip to our partner school in Malawi.  She carried letters from pupils and staff and began arrangements for our planned visit with pupils next October.

Last week we received very positive feedback from the Global Schools Partnership:  This is clearly an enthusiastic partnership, which has helped to develop a global dimension within both schools and their communities. The projects and visits appear to have gone well with students and staff richly benefiting from their exchanges. It is pleasing to read that the coordinators intend to further drive the partnership forward and that the benefits of teaching global education has been realised within many subject areas. 

Art Exhibition in the GALE Centre – From Saturday 10^th November till Tuesday 20^th November 2012 there will be an exhibition of Advanced Higher and Higher Art work on display at the GALE Centre.  This provides an excellent opportunity for pupils, parents and the local community to enjoy the artwork of our senior pupils.

Standard & Quality report – This annual report has been published and distributed to parents. The full report was presented to the Parent Council last Monday evening and is available on the website here.  Paper copies are available for the school office on request.

Important Dates – The website is updated regularly.  Click here for more dates.

30^th October – S4 Study Club began, 3 nights a week for 3 weeks (Tue, Wed, Thur).
5^th November – S2 monitoring reports issued.
21^st November – S4 prelim exams begin.

Our Janitor is no ordinary Janitor – On Thursday 8^th November, at The Highland Quality Award ceremony held in the Town House, Inverness, Andy Bowker was one of three final nominations for Highland Council Employee of the Year. While he didn’t win, he was certainly in with a good chance. His help with so many aspects of school life made him an excellent candidate and we thank him, especially, for all the extras that he does about the school.  Read about the event in the Ross-shire Journal by clicking here.

Click on the photo of Andy to see other photos of the event and read the official press release.

Pupil Badminton Success – Congratulations to Mark McLean and Louie O’Brien who played in the Highland Schools Badminton Tournament recently. Despite strong opposition from around the Highlands and Islands, both played well with Louie reaching the semi-final of one competition and, playing as a doubles’ team, both reaching the quarter-finals. This was a highly creditable performance and deserving of our congratulations.

Basketball Coaching – On Thursday 8^th November, we had a visit from John Kerray, Highland Regional Development Officer and National team coach. Throughout a very busy day John worked with all our basketball teams and some PE classes. All players had a good workout and learnt some new skills and drills to improve their games. Staff involved with basketball in the school also picked up some new coaching ideas from John. The Intermediate 1 Sport and Recreation class spent a lesson observing one of the basketball sessions. This was to help them pick up some top tips on how to be a good coach, in preparation for a unit of their course. Three GHS teams are playing in the National Schools ‘Cup competition this session. Fixtures this term include the Open Boys team against Fortrose on 15^th November and against Glenurquhart on 6^th December; S1 Boys versus the Nicolson Institute on 28^th November and both S1 Girls and S1 Boys will play Charleston Academy on 18^th December. Good luck to all the players and their coaches.

S5/6 Sleepover – On the night of Wednesday 7^th November, 30 pupils from S5 and S6 spent the night in school to raise money for Blythswood.  Pupils were required to contribute a minimum of £5 in order to take part.  Throughout the evening, pupils took part in different activities, including games in the hall and a late-night quiz.  Many thanks to Heather Widdows, Susan Maclean, Mrs Somers, Mrs Fraser, Mrs Whall, Ms Velt, Dr Caley and Mr Milner who made this possible. Rachel Mackenzie organized this event, and full credit goes to Rachel for her determination to make this work. Despite little sleep, the staff were very impressed with the behaviour of all those who slept in the corridors, prefect room, multi-purpose hall and the PE social area. Reveille at 6:30am was not appreciated by most, but beautifully played by Nessie Gearing.

Road Safety – We ask those driving into the school grounds to adopt the following safe practice, particularly on wet days when visibility is reduced.

1. Consider the safety of pedestrians and youngsters, at all times. Do not exceed 20 mph and consider a lower speed at the start and end of the day.
2. At busy times, give way to pedestrians attempting to cross, again particularly when youngsters are present.
3. Never park on any pavement. This restricts movement of pedestrians and poses a danger if they need to walk on the road or if the vehicle moves off.

S4 Prelims- These begin on Wednesday, 21^st November. As intimated in the last issue, the Community Hall is being renovated so these exams will be held in the school. This may mean some disruption for other classes though this will be kept to a minimum. Many pupils have been taking advantage of the Study Club sessions being run after school by teachers. All pupils have been given revision materials and they should be using there spare time to revise for these important exams. Pupils have been made aware of on-line support, such as Bitesize or past papers on the SQA website; these should be used to further their preparation for the exams. Should pupils have a query or problem related to the work for these exams, they should make a special point of asking their teachers for help.

Culture Club Trip to Eden Court – On Thursday 8^th November, a group of 11 pupils from S1-S6, travelled to Eden Court to see Scottish Opera’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.  The set design and stage effects were really impressive and reflected images from all kinds of sources, from freemasonry to movies. We especially admired the powerful performance by Mori Moriya of the well-known Queen of the Night Aria.  Everyone’s favourite, however, was Papageno, played by Richard Burkhard, because we could all relate to his situation, of having no one to love, yet making it funny.  As well as the music, we enjoyed the dialogue in the production, which had been adapted to suit a modern audience, with witty lines, occasionally improvised by Papageno, who, along with the burly Scottish Prince, found his love and had a happy ending!  A big thank you to Ms Gulliver and Ms Hunter for making this trip possible for us! [Nessie Gearing (S5) and Bethan Townsend (S4)]

Advanced Higher and Higher Art Exhibition – The opening night of the High School Art Department’s Exhibition was held for the first time in the GALE Centre on Friday 9^th November. The Exhibition runs from Saturday 10^th to Tuesday 20^th November and features work from Ruairdhri Wright’s Advanced Higher folio and the Higher Design and Expressive work by Josie Ogle and Shannon Stewart. The standard of work is very high and all received excellent SQA results this year. It was also nice to see Ruairdhri there, taking time out from his studies at Gray’s School of Art to attend the exhibition with his family. The Art Department was thrilled to have Ms Gulliver open the exhibition, as she was responsible for teaching the senior pupils throughout their SQA coursework.

Click on Josie’s portrait to see more images from the evening.

S3 Hospitality pupils, taught by Kirsty Thistlethwaite, prepared and served excellent food for the evening. The pupils were covering the ‘Event Planning’ unit of work, as part of their Intermediate 1 SQA coursework and were marked on their performance on the evening. The pupils were very professional and fulfilled their individual tasks with great enthusiasm. They also worked very well as a team to ensure everything ran smoothly.

Miss Hunter and Isla MacKenzie played the harp throughout the evening, showing their talent and expertise to provide some beautiful music. This helped create the perfect atmosphere. This cross-curricular event was a great success, very well attended by guests including Richard Greene, Local Councillor, parents, pupils, teachers and members of the local community.

A huge thank you to Mrs Browne our new art teacher for organising the event and those who others who took part to make the opening evening a success: Kirsty Thistlethwaite and her hospitality pupils, Beth Hunter, Isla MacKenzie and Pat Gulliver. Thanks also to Janet Miles and the GALE Centre for making this perfect venue available.

Football Champions – On 16/11/12 the S2/S3 football team travelled to Glenurquhart for the semi-final of the Highland small schools tournament against Kilchuimen Academy from Fort Augustus. The match was tense but we won 2-1 with goals from myself and Jordan Gorman. The final was against Ullapool, again a tight game but Jordan scored before half time. Ullapool equalised but Calum Nelson finished the game by putting the ball in the back of the net.  Mark Warren 

All the pupils in the football team are a credit to the school. All their hard work, determination, effort and teamwork paid off and it was a pleasure to be with them watching some excellent football and sportsmanship.  Mr Gorman

Basketball – While playing for the Highland U16 team I was selected to trial for the U15 Scotland team. I was one of 40 U15 players and 14 were to be selected. I was pleased with my performance at the coaching sessions and hoped I would be selected. I had to wait for a few days for the result and was delighted to find out I had been picked as part of the Scotland team. I will now get the opportunity to go to Spain as well as training weekends and playing in other International friendlies. I feel very privileged to be selected for the National team. Jordan Gorman

Film G Project  -  Beginning: This year our Gaelic class took part in FilmG, a short film competition. At the start we thought of lots of ideas for our film before choosing the best one.  Then we began to work on the plot.  Rowan MacKenzie

Acting and Filming: On the 15^th of November Angus Macleod and Debbie MacKay came to the school to help with the filming of our film “Run Callum Run”. We had the chance to use the camera. The filming took up the whole day and we filmed in lots of places in Gairloch. Everyone really enjoyed the day.  Calum Nelson

Editing: The next day we did the editing with Angus. To edit a film, you take the best bits out of all that you have filmed and put it together in the right order. It was hard going but I think we did quite well. When we had finished it, we watched it and, in my opinion, it was a good film, but we will wait for the judge’s decision!  Alfie Gudgeon

Pròiseact Film G – An Toiseach: Am-bliadhna ghabh an clas Gàidhlig againn pàirt ann am FilmG, co-fharpais filmichean goirid. An toiseach, smaoinich sinn mu dheidhinn a h-uile beachd a bh’ againn airson film agus thagh sinn am fear as fheàrr.  An uair sin dh’obraich sinn air a’ phlot.  Rowan MacKenzie

Cleasachd agus Filmeadh: Air an 15mh den t-Samhain thainig Aonghas MacLeòid is Debbie NicAoidh bho FilmG airson am film againn “Ruith a Chaluim Ruith” fhilmeadh. Fhuair sinn uile cothrom an camara a chleachdadh. Thug am filmeadh fad an latha is chaidh sinn gu diofar aiteachan mun cuairt Gearrloch. Chord an latha ris a h-uile duine.  Calum Nelson

Geàrradh: Rinn sinn geàrradh an ath-latha le Aonghas. Bha sinn a’ toirt na pìosan as fheàrr is gan cur còmhla anns an òrdugh cheart. Bha e doirbh a h-uile pios fhaighinn ceart, ach tha mi a’ smaointinn gun do rinn sinn ceart gu leòr. Nuair a choimhead sinn air an fhilm aig deireadh an latha, bha e math nam bheachd, ach bidh sinn ga fhagail aig na britheamhan airson am beachd mu dheireadh  Alfie Gudgeon

Interview Skills Day - Mr Milner would like to thank the following locals for their support in interviewing S5 and S6 pupils – Jane Rowe, Pauline Butler, Peter Wimpenny, Marylynn Burbridge and Chris Hildrey. All kindly volunteered their services for the day.  Seven members of Dingwall Rotary Club made up the rest of the interviewers. This year it was decided to offer S5 pupils the same opportunity as S6 and 13 pupils took up the offer. All 37 had their applications in by the deadline of November 5th. Applications were then posted out to the interviewers. On 15th November, all pupils were present in school and went through the interview process with 2 interviewers. Each interview lasted up to half an hour. In the afternoon, each pupil went back for feedback from their interviewers. Peter Wimpenny said, “It was good to come along and do this.  I would like to say how impressed I was with the young people who came along for the interviews.  Whilst they were all individuals, collectively, they came across as very mature and insightful.  It is heartening to think that there are such young people in our community.” Chris Hildrey said, “I had a really enjoyable day and I’m glad I was able to be part of it.  I was hugely impressed with the quality and maturity of our 6 candidates.

Children in Need – On Friday 16^th November, pupils were given the opportunity to wear their pyjamas to school in order to raise money for Children in Need. In addition to this, cakes were sold at interval and lunchtime by a group of senior pupils. A total sum of £320 was raised for Children in Need.  Thanks to all those who made this possible by wearing pyjamas and donating cakes.

Louise Jones – Curriculum Liaison Manager (ICT) visited  the school on Monday 19^th November to give a presentation  at a  staff meeting  about the current plans for taking ICT forward in Highland. Louise also gave a presentation to over 60 pupils, parents and carers in the evening on social networking and cyberbullying.The advice Louise gave was interesting and useful in clarifying issues on cyberbullying and the protection of personal information. The following advice and links were handed out.

Be Safe & Keep Others Safe!

*Treat your passwords like your toothbrush! Never share and change them often. 

*Think about what the internet says about you! This identity will stay with you as you get older, this is your ‘digital footprint’. 

*Make sure you know who people are before adding them as ‘friends’ on networks that you share personal information. Social Media sites will connect you with people you don’t know. 

*Know how to ‘block’ people, but be aware this many not deter people or guarantee them not being able to access your information. 

*Don’t post your personal information – full date of birth, email addresses, phone numbers and location on your profile, an update or tweet. Think identity theft! 

*Know who to tell things to that concern you, talk to your parent, carer, teacher or youth worker OR use the CEOP Report Abuse Button.

*NEVER meet up with anyone offline without your parent/carer or trusted adult. 

*Don’t rely on ‘privacy’ settings to safeguard your personal information on your profile or posts – be a good digital citizen, promote good behaviour. 

*Think before you post whether it’s a picture, video clip or comment about yourself or others….it IS going to be out of your control! 

*Make sure you ‘log off’ when you are finished.   

For more safety advice go to:-

Cyber Mentors: http://www.cybermentors.org.uk/

Internet Watch Foundation: http://www.iwf.org.uk/

Think You Know: http:www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Block’em: http://www.blockem.co.uk

You can also download this information by clicking here:  Internet safety and security

Advanced Higher English Creative Writing Course, Moniack Mhor, 12th – 17th November ’12 – Rhyming couplets, dramatic monologues and fairy tales with a contemporary twist provide just a taste of the writing activities which we tackled during the Advanced Higher English Creative Writing Course at Moniack Mhor Writing Centre.  Fourteen pupils from various Highland schools attended the residential course led by poets Francesca Beard and John Hegley.  While we worked intensively and learned plenty in the week, the overall atmosphere was relaxed and holiday like.  A welcoming log fire, comfortable sofas and a bountiful supply of delicious food added to our enjoyment- and there were books everywhere, making me feel quite at home.  Despite the rain, we spent plenty of time out of doors – I was glad that I had packed my wellies!  The best aspect of the course was undoubtedly the company.  We laughed a lot, played games, exchanged ideas for writing and waxed enthusiastically about our favourite books.   At the end of the week, we left, each with an extended circle of friends, individual copies of the writing anthology we had complied and our minds buzzing with ideas for future writing projects.  I am really glad to have had the opportunity to go to Moniack and would thoroughly recommend the experience!  Mairi Wyatt S6

Recent Basketball Results – The S1 boys’ team played two full games  against Millburn Academy and The Nicolson Institute (Stornoway). Both of these schools have about a thousand pupils and had team squads of between 10 and 12 players – we had 7! Our team played hard but lost both 53-32 against Millburn and 46-28 against The Nicolson. Each game lasted about an hour. The boys can be very pleased with their performance and things look good for the future.

Technology Department – Brian MacDonald, Curriculum Area Development Officer (Technologies), said “I had a great day in Gairloch High School.  The pupils I engaged with whilst I was there are a credit to your school; they were polite, well behaved, enjoying their work and were all engaged and motivated to do well.  I left with the impression that it must be a great school to work in.”

Visit by Former Pupil - Interested pupils from S3-6 had the opportunity to attend a talk by Robert Marshall who left GHS in 2006 and who is now working as a Subsea Engineer with Shell.  Robert gave the pupils a quick outline of some of the things he has done so far, what his current job involves and where he would like his career to go in the future.  He also explained how much of a difference involvement with programmes such as The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme can make when it comes to making their CV stand out from all the others, and recommended that they gain experience of working in industry during summer holidays as this can enable them to make useful contacts and start to get themselves known, increasing their chances of finding full-time employment.  Thank you very much to Robert for making the time to do this.

School Calendars – Despite retiring earlier this year, Pat Gulliver has compiled our calendar for 2013. Letters went home with pupils last week; if you did not receive a copy or would like to order a calendar, please telephone the School office (01445 712275).

Computing Department – We extend our thanks to Doug Lapsley, web developer of Zondle.com, for working with our S3 pupils over a number of days. Zondle is used by over 100,000 teachers and pupils worldwide and is completely free!

The pupils used pre-written questions about computer viruses and entered them into the Zondle learning environment, creating a game-setting for their questions. They had a lot of fun creating the animations with many pupils continuing this at home! On the final day they were treated to a multiplayer Christmas quiz on Zondle. Many of the pupils have posted blogs on GLOW.  Photographs are available here on the school website.

Weather Guidelines – Last month, pupils were issued with Highland Council’s ‘Travelling to School during Adverse Weather’ letter for parents. The telephone information number and School’s PIN number were attached. If for any reason you did not receive a copy, please telephone the School office.  The information is available from the links on the right hand column of this website or here.

Malawi Partnership - Dr Caley visited our partner school in the October holiday, taking almost 200 letters from pupils and staff in the High School and Primaries to our friends there and bringing back replies. Another batch of letters has just been mailed out to Malawi, this time on the subject of how our schools work to protect the environment. This is linked to a joint project on exploring and conserving our environment which was started while Dr Caley was in Malawi. The brainchild of Mrs Johnston, following her visit in June, pupils in Malawi will be carrying out explorations of their local environment and carrying out some practical work similar to that done by our S1 pupils as part of their SMART course. We hope that this will lead to a John Muir Discovery Award for our Malawian partners, as it does for our S1 pupils. Whilst there, she also discussed the possibility of a group of staff and senior pupils visiting Malawi next October. This idea was greeted enthusiastically by our Malawian partners who are very keen for the partnership to continue even though our previous sources of grant funding have dried up. The idea has also been received well in Gairloch High School and we are in the early stages of planning this exciting trip. Our friends in Malawi, especially those who have visited Gairloch, send their greetings to everyone in our community.  Read more about our Malawi link by clicking here.

S5/6 Prelims- Pupils in S5/6 have been working with their teachers preparing and planning for their exams which start on 21st January. They have been given appropriate materials for their subjects and advised about the steps they need to take to achieve their best grades. The booklet ‘Information and Study Advice for Pupils and Parents’ was issued prior to Prelims in S4 and remains relevant to these exams. It is also available on the school website. Study Club sessions will be available in January. We would ask that parents support pupils in preparation for these important exams.

Piano & Violin Results – These will follow in the next edition of the High School news.

School Closure- School will close at 13:30 on Thursday, 20th December and open on Monday, 7th January 2013.  View important school dates by clicking here.

We wish all associated with the High School a pleasant break over the Festive Season.

We have received an information sheet on Legal Highs for parents, teachers and carers.   It is hoped that this will contribute to reducing harmful behaviour.  This leaflet has been distributed by Cath King, Health Improvement Policy Manager, The Highland Council, Health and Social Care Service.

The LEGAL HIGHS, PARTY DRUGS AND ALCOHOL FACTSHEET PDF can be downloaded by clicking here.  It is also available from the Health and Wellbeing Links on the left hand side bar of this website.

You are now able pay online for meals in Gairloch High School.

Go to the Highland Council website – www.highland.gov.uk – and select the ‘PAY’ icon on the top left of the home page. Proceed to On-line payments, and, to pay for school meals, select ‘All Other Payments’, then ‘Education’, then ‘School meals’.

Complete the form with all information requested – all major credit and debit cards are accepted, except American Express and Diners.

Note

• You will need to have the nine-digit Scottish Candidate Number (SCN) for each pupil to hand.
• Allow 24 hours for the payment to reach the pupil’s account – please note, payments made between 4.30pm Friday and 9am Monday will not appear in the pupil’s account until the Tuesday
• A separate payment must be made for each pupil
• All credit card transactions will incur a bank administration charge of 2%
• You are still able to pay by cash or cheque at the school if you prefer.

Staff News – Congratulations and Best Wishes go to Mr & Mrs Whall on the safe arrival of Erin, a sister for Sofia.

Cristie Moore has been appointed Children’s Services Worker for the Associated School Group. We look forward to working closely with Cristie in this vital role.

5/6 Prelims – These exams run from Monday 21st January to Wednesday 30th January and pupils have received copies of the timetable on their return to school. These exams are extremely important in preparing pupils for their final exams in May and June. To assist with revision, study club is available during the first two weeks of term to provide support beyond that already given in class.

Christmas Quiz – The annual whole school quiz was held on the Wednesday before the Christmas holiday. The top five winning teams were from Maree which took first place overall. Kerry came second with Tollaidh third.

Krypton Factor - The school ran its annual Krypton Factor competition on the last day of the Christmas term. Pupils stayed in their quiz teams and completed a series of mental and physical challenges, involving observation, mental arithmetic, computer games, sports (football, climbing and basketball) skills and the infamous “Superstars” style gym tests. This was a worthwhile way to spend the half day and thanks go to the staff who helped organise and run it. At the end, when all the scores had been collated, Tollaidh won (very narrowly), Maree second and Kerry third.

Annual School Dance – The pipers got us off to a good start for a well-attended dance with The Roya Maclean band. The pupils all looked the part for the ceilidh in their evening wear, where there was non-stop dancing for the first half.  Our own musicians entertained us at our supper and then it was back for more dancing with a bit of a break when Evan McPhail surprised us all with his ‘Gangnam Style ‘dancing during a dance off – fantastic!  Thanks are due to many for the success of the night and include MacKenzie & MacLennan for providing transport to and from the dance, Andy Bowker and John Shearer for minibus driving; Mrs Fraser, Mrs Leitch and Mrs MacKenzie for preparing and serving the usual splendid banquet along with many other staff. It was a great night of dancing which finished around 11pm.

S6 pupils with their register teachers at the dance – click on the photo for more images of the event

Future Chef Competition – Yesterday, Ann Maclean from S4 represented Gairloch High School in the Future Chef Competition. Also taking part in the event were pupils from Ullapool and Plockton. We have been involved with this event over many years but this is the first time we have been hosts. As you might be aware former pupil, Rosie Smith, was a runner up in the final of this event and is now training with Michel Roux Jnr in London. You will have to wait for the next edition to see how Ann got on.

2013 GHS Calendar - A few copies of the school calendar (displaying pupils’ art work) are still available from the school office and some local shops. Cost £6 and all proceeds go to school funds.

Course Choices for S3/4 – Although there are four months before the timetable changes and S2 pupils embark on new courses, now is the time to begin thinking about this. Pupils have been introduced to the process of making their choices and the courses available in the coming weeks. Along with parents, they are to make their selection of courses that they wish to pursue in S3. By way of introduction to this process, S2 parents/carers were invited to a special Parents’ Evening on Tuesday, 15^th January at which they were given information about courses and the coming years for their son or daughter in school. Below are the key dates in the process for pupils and parents.

Wednesday, 16^th January – Departments inform S2 pupils about subjects.
Thursday, 17^th January – S2 talk on options at which time the course choice list and option booklet issued.
Friday, 25^th January – Pupils return completed ‘Preferences’ list (these last two dates are earlier than those in the letter issued). Work starts on compiling and consulting on the option form. February – Consultation on option form based on pupils’ preferences and staffing and timetable needs.
Week beginning 11^th March – Interview with Pupil Support Teacher.
Monday, 18^th March – Reports issued along with option form and appointment letter for Parents’ Evening.
Wednesday, 20^th March – Appointment letter returned to school.
Thursday, 21^st March – Parents’ Evening with subject teachers.
Monday, 25^th March –  Option form to be returned to Depute Headteacher.

Should S2 parents have any queries about this, please contact the school.

Legal Highs, Party Drugs and Alcohol Factsheet - We have received an information sheet for parents, teachers and carers.   It is hoped that this will contribute to reducing harmful behaviour in young people by helping adults understand the issues and the signs of potential abuse.  The leaflet has been distributed by Cath King, Health Improvement Policy Manager, The Highland Council, Health and Social Care Service.  The Legal Highs, Party Drugs and Alcohol factsheet PDF can be downloaded from the school website or you can ask for a paper copy from the school office.

Modern Studies Department - The third year Modern Studies pupils have been studying “Crime and the Law” and they were very lucky to gain first-hand knowledge of the topic recently. Sheriff Muir Russell kindly accepted our invitation to visit our school and talk about his extensive experience as QC. The pupils were very appreciative of the entertaining and also fascinating insights which Sheriff Russell offered into the Scottish justice system. We extend our thanks to Sheriff Russell for taking the time and effort to contribute to our Modern Studies curriculum.

Holiday and In-Service Closures for Staff Training – School will be closed to pupils from Monday 11^th February – Friday 15th February, inclusive.

Date for your diary (advance warning) – The S1 Bring and Buy Sale is on Saturday 9^th March.  Pupils are asking if family and friends would please check to see if they have any suitable items for their Sale. If you are having a tidy up, and want to bring anything in, that’s fine – we’ll try to find some storage space! Also, if you need anything picked up, please contact the school (01445 712275) and our Janitor will arrange collection.

Future Chef Competition – Springboard Scotland held its West Highland local heat for the Future Chef competition at Gairloch High School last week, for children aged 12 to 16 years. The competitors were Ann Maclean from Gairloch High, Kayleigh Urquhart from Ullapool High and Ruby Howard from Plockton Academy. The standard of cooking was exceptionally high and gave the judges, Rohaise Rose-Bristow from The Torridon and Noreen MacKenzie from Myrtle Bank Hotel the very difficult task of picking a winner. After a great deal of deliberation they decided that Ruby Howard from Plockton just had the edge on her competitors. Graeme Strachan, the Springboard Youth Programmes Manager for North Scotland said that the facilities and hospitality provided to everyone from Gairloch High School was excellent and he would like to convey his thanks to all. It is his intention to make this an annual location for the schools that enter from the West Coast. Well done to Ann for her impressive performance on the day, she really worked to a high standard and did herself and the school proud. Her focus, skill and determination were really evident and I hope that she is as proud of herself as we all are of her! Thanks must also go to Kirsty Thistlethwaite who is employed by West Highland College and delivers the Hospitality  course at Gairloch High School.

Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships – On Sunday 20th January, Sara and Eilidh Johnston and Siobhan Vickerstaff travelled to Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh to participate in the 2013 Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships. All three girls rowed personal best distances in their respective races. Siobhan competed in the tough J15, 5 minute race: she rowed 1158m which placed her 22nd out of 33. Eilidh had to row for 4 minutes in the J14 age group: 944m placed her 9^th out of 23 girls. Sara’s distance of 493m in 2 minutes put her in 1st place, 11m ahead of the competition. This earned her a gold medal and the title of J12 Scottish Champion. GHS was the only Scottish Local Authority school represented at the event. All the other competitors were from large private schools and Scottish rowing clubs. Congratulations to all three girls for their effort and determination.

Sara receiving her Gold medal as J12 Champion of Scotland

New Comenius Project for the High School – It is hoped, during 2013-15, that the school will participate in its second Comenius Project.  In order to start preparing for this, Miss Hunter spent 3 days in Turkey at the beginning of January, meeting with colleagues and helping to complete the complicated application for funding. Despite 4 foot snow drifts, she was able to visit a Turkish school, and spend some time with staff and pupils there.  If all the interested countries are successful in their applications, we will be developing links with schools in Latvia, Turkey, Greece, Poland, Spain, Portugal and Finland.  Watch this space!

Pròiseact FilmG / FilmG Project – Tha am film againn (‘Ruith a Chaluim Ruith’) a-nis ri fhaicinn air-loidhne. Tha sinn an dòchas gun cord e ribh gu mòr. http://www.filmg.co.uk/gd/films/663/

Our film (‘Run Calum Run’) can now be viewed online. We hope that you enjoy it.  http://www.filmg.co.uk/gd/films/663/

Malawi Partnership – Plans for our trip to Malawi by a group of staff and senior pupils are taking shape. Pupils who expressed an interest in this trip enjoyed a Malawian lunch in school just before the Christmas holidays, expertly prepared by Mr Hulme and his daughter Anna, who came back to school especially to cook for us. Pupils have submitted written applications to be considered for the trip and the final stage of the selection process is an interview with staff which will have taken place by the time you read this.

Following the selection process, pupils and staff will be involved in fund-raising, to supplement funds already secured and contributions made by participants, and in team building activities, prior to the trip in October. The team will visit our partner school for around 10 days, where they will collaborate on projects with Malawian pupils and teachers, and will also spend a few days visiting other places of interest in that part of Malawi.

Volunteer Driver – Our grateful thanks go to Allan Jones for driving the minibus to Poolewe/Aultbea for the last year so that pupils could take part in after-school activity clubs.

S1 Grand Bring and Buy Sale – Saturday 9^th March at 10:00am in the Community Hall. Stalls, Competitions and the BIG Raffle! We welcome any or all of the following donations: baking, books, DVDs & CDs, bric-a-brac, plants, electrical items in good working order, toys, clothes in good condition, jewellery, bottles and raffle prizes. We can auction anything within reason (antiques a specialty)!

Items for sale can be:

* Handed to any member of the school.

* Delivered direct to the Community Hall on Friday 8^th March between 3:30 and 6pm.

* Collected by us – call the school office on 712275 and leave your details.

S1 GRAND BRING AND BUY SALE

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Saturday 9^th March – 10am in the Community Hall

Stalls, Competitions and the BIG Raffle!

We welcome any or all of the following donations: baking, books, DVDs & CDs, bric-a-brac, plants, electrical items in good working order, toys, clothes in good condition, jewellery, bottles and raffle prizes.  We can auction anything within reason (antiques a speciality!)

Items for the sale can be:

• Handed to any member of the school
• Delivered direct to the Community Hall on Friday 23^rd March between 3.30 and 6pm
• Collected by us – call the school office on 712275 and leave your details.

It’s that time again – Grand annual fundraiser for S1 Nethybridge and selected charities.

INSET Days – On Wednesday 13^th, Thursday 14^th and Friday 15^th February, school staff took part in In-Service Training Days.  Over the three days staff were involved in meetings in Inverness and locally in the High School.  These meetings allowed staff to discuss and deveop aspects of Curriculum for Excellence.  Various meetings allowed staff to work with colleagues from other schools across Highland to discuss changes to courses that are replacing the current Standard Grade and Intermediate exams currently taught to pupils in S4 and S5/6.

Meetings also took place with Primary colleagues to further develop links that will assist children progress smoothly between Primary and Secondary.

School Website – Remember the school website is full of stories and photographs of events and successes.  It is regularly being updated and we think it is well worth a visit! Just type ‘Gairloch High’ into you search engine or go to http://www.gairlochhigh.highland.sch.uk/

Former Pupil News – Crispin Struthers, a former Dux, has been nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Editor for his work with Jay Cassidy in David O Russell’s movie Silver Linings Playbook.  Read more here on the former pupil part of the website

Gairloch High School Drama Club was created this term and the first performance for International Women’s Day will take place in the Library (check the Library news for more information). The girls from S1 have been working really hard and Drama Club, run voluntarily by Helen Peat and Kirsty Thistlethwaite,  takes place on Wednesday lunch-times, and considering the small amount of time we have, they are making great progress!

WithScotland Resources for Online Safety - Here is an opportunity to remind everyone in the school (not just pupils!) of the importance of being safe online. WithScotland are a national resource for the benefit of everyone in Scotland involved in protecting children and young people. The Multi-Agency Resource Service (MARS) and the Scottish Child Care and Protection Network (SCCPN) joined forces and are developing stronger connections between child, adult and public protection. To support Safer Internet Day which took place on the 5th February 2013 they published some useful information and articles on their website which aim to help children and young people keep themselves safe in a digital world. Link here – http://withscotland.org/messages/internet-safety-day

Some of the key agencies have launched some new resources to mark the day, CEOP in particular have launched two new videos. You can view them here on their excellent education website www.thinkuknow.co.uk by logging in or you can hop over to their YouTube channel. Whilst it’s a great opportunity to raise the profile of the work going on to promote safer online worlds for children and young people, it’s important to recognise that this work and approach needs to take place throughout the year and across the curriculum in schools and at home. It’s a great way to continually reinforce messages such as not sharing passwords and thinking about the content you place online and how everyone has a part to play in creating safer online spaces.

Sports Leadership - The following pupils took part in a Sports Leadership day certificate:  Ross Wotherspoon, Chris Young, Ryan MacLean, Rory Nash, James Conniff, Cameron Moys, Sandy Garrioch, Ross Brogan and Innis Taylor.  They learned how to organise and run sports sessions.  They will now go on to help our Active Schools Co-ordinator and Young Ambassadors organise and deliver activities within our school.  They each received a certificate and pin badge at Assembly – well done boys!

Ross-shire Schools Cross Country Championships – On a cold, wintry morning, a team of 11 runners set off from the school for the annual cross country championships in Alness. The sun was shining when we arrived, but it was cold and the runners had to cope with very slippery conditions. The younger competitors had to complete a 2.4km course: all managed this with Leonie Baptist placing highest in the girls’ race in 18th and Chris Adam for the boys in 34th. The senior girls’ course was 4km and Sofie Banister crossed the line in 14th place. Jordan Gorman took part in the senior boys’ 5km event and despite a bad slip on the ice, came in 8th place. All our runners have been training during PE classes and put in great effort on the day. Thanks to Andy Bowker for driving the minibus and helping to look after pupils at the event. Photos from the day are on the school website. You can see the pupils in action by clicking on the photo below.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - Three S4 pupils were awarded their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at assembly recently. Congratulations to Ceitidh Alice Hulme, Catherine Wyatt and Craig Whyte on their effort and success in achieving the award.

Gairloch/Malawi Partnership – In the October holidays this year, a group of ten  pupils and four teachers are hoping to travel to Mlozi School in Malawi. The purpose of this trip is to strengthen ties with our link school and develop joint projects with the pupils. The visit will increase our awareness and understanding of life in a developing country. We will experience school and village life and work collaboratively with Malawian pupils on joint projects and share aspects of Scottish culture. We hope to bring back knowledge and experiences which we can share with other pupils in the school and therefore share what we have learnt. We also hope to share with the community here.

In preparation for the trip the group will take part in a number of team building exercises and also fund raising events. We are organising events between now and October to try and raise money to enable this partnership between our two schools to continue. We hope that friends and family in the community will support this project that has, in recent years, become an important part of our education in Gairloch High School.

On the 6^th of April we are holding a fund raising evening at Ocean View in Laide.  More details of this and other fund raising initiatives will be in the next issue of the Gairloch and District times.  Gemma McLean, S5.

Travelling to Malawi are – Gemma McLean, Ainslie MacKenzie, Eilidh MacLennan, Sofie Banister, Beth Townsend, Nessie Gearing, Chris Young, Luke Gorman, Lyle Walker and Kalvin Fraser. They will be accompanied by Mr Port, Dr Caley, Ms Velt and Mrs Johnston.  We will be updating our Malawi section of the website here >>

Fun Day for Comic Relief – This was held at Gairloch Community Hall on Saturday raised a total of £769.38. It couldn’t have been done without the sterling help of the 5^th and 6^th years. The fifth years ran various competitions and sold raffle and bingo tickets, and raised a total of £280.72. Some of the 6^th years took charge of the catering, cooking red nose mini-pizzas and red nose cheese on toasts very competently, as well as the more usual hot drinks and cakes, while others ran a chocolate fountain stall, selling fruit and marshmallow skewers for dipping. The kitchen raised £123.20 and the choc fountains £74.47, making a combined total for the 6^th years of £197.67. There were many compliments on how well and professionally the young people had taken responsibility and carried out their duties. Both Nicky and Comic Relief would like to thank them. Dr Nicky Hayes

Basketball – Gregor Vickerstaff and Sara Johnston took part in the Highland Bears Under-13 Basketball Tour of Ireland in the February holiday week. Basketball is a huge community sport in Ireland. They played some really good teams and enjoyed great Irish hospitality. Some of the games were desperately close! Here is Sara’s account of what happened follows.

Ireland Basketball Tour by Sara Johnston – In the February half term I travelled to Ireland with the Highland Bears Basketball Club. On Friday the 14^th we played our first game against Templelogue, a very strong team in Dublin. It was a very close game all the way through however at the end we lost by 1 point. We started off with 7 players (2 subs) however near the start 1 member of the team sprained her ankle, we were down to 1 sub. The next day we played 2 games, the 1^st game was against Killester Kubs. It was a very physical game however we won. The next game was against the Ulster Elks, a team from Belfast; unlike the game we had played on the first day we won by 1 point. Our last day we played Dublin City University Saints. We were all very tired and unfortunately we lost the game. We got up early on the Monday travelled back to Scotland. Gregor Vickerstaff was also on the trip playing for the boys. They won 3 out of 4 of their games. I really enjoyed the tour and hopefully we will get to go again.

Inverness Music Festival – Alasdair MacDonald, S2, took part in two accordion competitions on Saturday 23^rd February 2013. He went on to win both competitions and, due to his winning mark in the 2nd competition, he has been put forward to take part in the Curtis Craig Competition, which will take place at Eden Court Theatre, on the 6^th March at 7pm.

Dance Workshop – On Friday 1st March, Heather Cooney from Eden Court delivered a three hour dance workshop to a group of 30 girls. Following a warm session, the group explored a variety of dance styles. Heather taught them all a routine, then in small groups they personalised the dance with some of their own choreography. They then tried their dance to a number of different pieces of music. At the end of the session, each group performed their version of the dance to the rest of the girls. The girls really enjoyed themselves and would like to do more dancing!

Upcoming Important Dates for School events – Click here for the school calendar.

S1 GRAND BRING AND BUY SALE

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Saturday 9^th March – 10am

in Gairloch Community Hall

Stalls, Competitions and the BIG Raffle!

We welcome any or all of the following donations: baking, books, DVDs & CDs, bric-a-brac, plants, electrical items in good working order, toys, clothes in good condition, jewellery, bottles and raffle prizes.  We can auction anything within reason (antiques a speciality!)

Items for the sale can be:

• Handed to any member of the school
• Delivered direct to the Community Hall on Friday 8^th March between 3:30 and 6pm
• Collected by us – call the school office on 712275 and leave your details.

It’s that time again! Grand annual fundraiser for

S1 Nethybridge and selected charities.

Malawi Partnership – Gairloch High School’s partnership with Malawi has now been in existence for almost 5 years. In that time, we have been fortunate to gain two significant grants from the British Council which have enabled some staff to visit Malawi, and, memorably, for Malawian teachers to visit Gairloch. The second grant we received was supposed to last for 3 years but unfortunately the programme was terminated after our first year. Such funding is no longer available.

Towards the end of last year, our two schools agreed that we wanted our partnership to continue as planned despite the more difficult circumstances. This will entail more fund-raising than has been necessary in the past and we are actively seeking to raise some of this outside the local area. We hope the local community will support our efforts and also enjoy the events we are planning!  Click here for details.

S1 Bring &Buy – Gregor Vickerstaff  & Max Conway wrote the following: On 9^th March, S1 held their annual raffle and sale. Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who attended, helped out, and especially those who donated raffle prizes and other things. For those who don’t know, the S1 B&B Sale is held to raise money for the S1 trip to Nethybridge in May and a charity of our choice. We hope to have a great time at Nethy and thanks to you; we can, because of all the money raised. In the end we raised £2200, which will help us have fun at Nethybridge.  We received support (in no particular order) from the following people and local businesses for our raffle:

The Millcroft Hotel
Pot Luck
Gairloch Pharmacy
Treasure Chest
GALE
Wildwoodz
Landmark
Argocat
Aird Hill B&B
The Myrtle Bank Hotel
The Ocean View Hotel
Laide Post Office
Mark Appleton photography
Rex Long (Computers)
The Sheiling
Loch Ewe distillery
Sealife Glass-bottomed boat
Ewe Canoe
The Perfume Studio
Beautopia
Eoghain MacLean photography
Whistlestop Cafe
Kenneth Morrison Butchers
Go Further
Loch Ewe Smokehouse
The Poolewe Hotel
916 Guiding
Button Bothy
Poolewe Swimming Pool
The Fundraising Shop
The Mountain Coffee Co & Hillbillies Bookshop
Inverness Harbour Pilot Boat
Duncan MacKenzie, Sean MacDonald & Graham MacLennan.  (Our apologies if we have missed anyone out)

S1 pupils on the baking stall – click on photo for more

Inter-house Orienteering – In recent weeks, the S4 Sport and Recreation class have been getting to grips with event organisation as part of their course. Their task was to organise and run an orienteering competition for the S2s. In the planning stages, they spent an afternoon at Flowerdale assessing the area for suitable control points. They had to draw the controls onto a map, write descriptions and gather together all the equipment. They also had to learn how to complete a risk assessment form and write a safety briefing based on this. With everything in place, the S2 pupils were let loose in Flowerdale on Tuesday afternoon. Beth and Carla delivered the safety briefing at the start, making sure that the competitors knew that they must stay with their partner at all times and that they must return to the base at the correct time. Forty-five minutes later… they were all back – and Mrs Johnston breathed a sigh of relief! There were, however, reports from the marshals around the course that some pairs had split up, despite clear instructions not to. The S4 pupils decided that those pairs should be disqualified – a difficult, but mature decision, sending the message that ‘cheating’ doesn’t pay. The rest of the year group showed great competitive spirit and enjoyed the event. The winners with 135pts were Andrea Wood and Annie Maclennan for Tollaidh, closely followed by Mark Mclean and Laura Russell of Kerry with 130pts. There was a tie for 3^rd place between the Maree pair of Eilidh Johnston and Lucas Jackson and Louie O’Brien and Alexander Maclean of Tollaidh, each scoring 120pts. Congratulations to them all.  Well done to S4 pupils Jake, Jerome, Carla, Beth, Craig and Paul for running this event.

S2 orienteering in Flowerdale – Click photo for more

Art Department – Pupils in S1 have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Karen Rann, the Heritage Museum’s Artist in Residence.  Karen is working with a variety of local groups of different ages and backgrounds and intends to exhibit this work towards the end of April. Karen has been working on a theme relating to the sea and in particular the traditional fishing industry.  She has been using objects associated with the sea and getting the pupils to draw in a range of scale.  In the first session, the pupils drew on a larger scale using sand, making individual and group drawings, using large pieces of sail canvas as paper. The children responded particularly well, enjoying the freedom and creativity of working with a less controlled medium. The drawings were soon disarranged scooping the sand into the middle of the sail fabric, demonstrating the ephemeral nature of the work. The pupils shared individual stories and poems relating to the sea with the group, meanwhile Karen recorded these individual, sometimes very personal and interesting stories.  The pupils then transferred their drawings on to acetate, which Karen projected up on to an overhead projector to make light drawings.  Pupils added other objects, such as nets, feathers, seaweed and liquids to get some interesting effects and compositions. Overall, this was a very worthwhile experience, giving the pupils an opportunity to work with an experienced artist in the community.   The pupils’ work can be seen on the school website and further work showing Karen’s Residency can be found at PictishFish.wordpress.com. There will be an exhibition of the work created with Karen and various community groups at Wester Ross Woodwork, formerly MacRae Gairloch Fish Processing Building, on Friday 26^th April.  Our pupils will certainly be going along to see the exhibition.

S1 pupils working with Museum Artist in Residence – Click on photo for more

Overcoming Theatre Visit – On Wednesday 6^th March, S1 pupils were intrigued to be sent to the hall, without explanation.  They were then treated to a performance of  – at first – a bizarre 2-person drama performance entitled “Being”.  This young educational theatre company is putting on 100 performances in 50 days, in venues all across the UK.  Each performance lasts ½-hour, and explores the way that man has used communication from the beginning of time.  This includes a depiction of homo sapiens learning to use touch, an excerpt from “Julius Caesar”, a scene in a gents’ clothes shop and text messaging in the present day!  There was much room for thought after the performance, as well as a few laughs.  The 2 young men who performed for us talked about their brand of “Physical Theatre” and its connection to dance.  They also made a plea for everyone – boys and girls – to get involved in as much drama as they can.  Many of our S1s are, in fact, part of Flumgummerie, and were pleased to let them know that, although not on the school curriculum, drama is alive and well in Gairloch.  The young men left to head off to Fort William for the next performance, complete with their broken tent, which blew away in the strong winds of Wednesday morning!

World Book Day Celebrations - The library was quiet yet animated for the recent World Book Day (7^th March) celebrations.  To mark the occasion everyone was invited for a game of Book Charades. Game host Mike Webber explained the rules and gave little tips to the performers when needed.  Books were hidden in big blue boxes on tables behind a performer who opened one and then proceeded to explain the book’s title without speaking, using mime and gestures only. The first person to guess correctly became the next performer. The following titles were included, have a go at book charades yourself!  Guardian Angel, The Gladiator, Dizzy, Burned.

Click on the photo to see more images of the event

Comic Relief – Red Nose Day – Pupils and staff dressed in red and collected money for this successful national charity event.  Events were organised by S6 Prefects and pupils donated £220 to take part including tug o’war at lunchtime on the all weather pitch.  Well done to all involved.

Important Dates – Available here on the school website.

SQA Exams & Study Club – During the week beginning 1^st April study club around 50 pupils took part in three days of Study Club.  All pupils in S4, S5 and S6 get the chance for some extra tuition from teachers over the holiday specifically to help with the national exams that begin in May.

S4-S6 pupils have also been issued with information relating to their exams. Pupils should be using their action plans and revision materials for each subject to help in their preparation for these. The school timetable, detailing exact times and locations of exams, is being finalised and will be issued at the beginning of next term.

Higher Modern Studies Pupil Conference – On Saturday the 23^rd of March, our Higher Modern Studies pupils and Ms Velt traveled to Culloden Academy to attend a Higher Pupil conference. Our pupils attended various lecture on exam topics. They also received expert advice from exam markers and from the principal assessor who is in charge of administering the exams. The main aim of the conference was to help the pupils gain confidence in their essay writing skills and raise achievement. Despite the fact that this Higher qualification is seen as very challenging, the uptake of the subject and the attainment levels have risen remarkably in recent years throughout Highland region. Our pupils should be commended for giving up their Saturday and showing such impressive commitment to their studies.

Pupil Success – Jasmine Easby, S6, graduated from the University of Stirling Pre-Nursing Scholarship Program recently.  The course started last summer with a residential week and has been on-going part-time since then.

The program is intended to inspire future nurses whilst developing employability core skills for work in the Health Sector. It is an Intermediate 2 course, run by the University of Stirling.  Jasmine was 1 of 12 people out of the highlands to be chosen for this program.  Well-done Jasmine!

Mother Courage – The Library was packed out for the moving, impressive and utterly believable performance of Mother Courage by the GHS drama group on International Women’s Day (Fri 8^th March).  The cast was dealing with mature themes, exploring and celebrating relationships between mothers and daughters for this occasion. The audience of around fifty (including 2 or 3 men) seemed spellbound and you could see a tear in many eyes as they experienced the drama. Members of Flumgummery Youth Theatre also showed their skills with a pre-play poetry recital. The event raised £73 for ROSA a UK based charity championing women’s rights and opportunities. Thanks to Helen Peat and Kirsty Thistlethwaite and the group of performers for their commitment and the time they put into this play. Five-star front of the house input came from GHS Hospitality pupils under Kirsty’s guidance. The pupils’ baking was complemented all around as was their professional appearance. Thanks again to all involved. See the school website for more photographs.

Swimming Gala – Sixty-one pupils took part in the annual school swimming gala on Tuesday 26^th March. There were impressive performances from our swimmers, and some very close races. Everyone who entered a race earned points for their house, and double points were on offer for those making it through to the finals. Maree had more participants on the day and with dominance in all the relay races, they won comfortably with 271 points. Tollaidh and Kerry battled it out for 2^nd and 3^rd place and there were only a couple of points in it all morning. Eventually, Tollaidh took second place with 167 points and Kerry were in 3^rd with 164. Well done to all who took part and thank you to the staff who helped with the judging, scoring and crowd control duties.

Visit by former pupil – Seonaid Nimmo is now a product design engineer and works for a company called eCow.  Ashleigh Eder S3 Design and Manufacture pupil wrote the following:

Seonaid kindly agreed to come into school to talk to my class S3 Design and Manufacture class and other pupils who are interested in design and engineering. She gave a detailed talk and PowerPoint about her current work. She designs products that make dairy cows produce more milk. The product monitors the stomachs of cows for acidity and this helps keep them in good health, As part of the visit we held a design competition to see who could create the tallest tower to hold a hard-boiled egg. It was very enjoyable and I would like to say thank you to Seonaid for coming to make her presentation.

You can read Seonaid’s work profile by clicking on the link and scrolling down the page.

Basketball – Congratulations to the boys’ basketball team, who came back from a ten point deficit in the second quarter to win 71-49 at Inverness Royal Academy on Tuesday 26thMarch.  The boys involved were Nick Stein, Sandy Garrioch, Callum & Gregor Vickerstaff, Peter Banks, Ross Wotherspoon, Luke & Jordan Gorman, Jake MacDonald, Innis Taylor and Joe Smith.

On the last day of term, over fifty pupils formed seven basketball teams and played in a tournament that lasted the length of the day. It was great to see S1-S6 all playing together. Results will follow in the next issue.  Well done Callum Vickerstaff for organising the tournament and Rachel and Ainslie for timekeeping and scoring.

Quiz Night in aid of our Malawi Trip – This was the first of our fundraising events and we thank everyone who came along and made the evening a success. We raised a total of £532.90 which will go towards the Gairloch/Malawi Partnership. We invite everyone to the Karaoke and entertainment night and/or our Coffee Morning during the holidays.  Details below. (Luke Gorman)

Important Dates – Saturday 6^th April at 7.30pm. Karaoke & Entertainment at Ocean View Hotel, Laide Tickets £4 in advance (Laide shop or Ocean View) or  £5 on the door. Food included!

Thursday 11^th April Coffee Morning and Sale in Gairloch Community Hall 11am – 1pm

School re-opens for all on Monday 15^th April.

Assembly – The following certificates were presented at Assembly:

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to Siobhan Vickerstaff;

British Safety Council for Workplace Hazard Awareness to Charlie Mays;

Food Hygiene to Gemma Urquhart; Emergency First Aid to Danielle Bulmer & Caitlin Johnston.

West Highland College courses completed in school.  Certificates presented by Susan MacLean to: Chloe Allengame, Leonie Baptist, Kiera Clark, Ashleigh Elder, Courtney Jackson, Ann MacLean, Nikki MacLennan, Caitlin Mitchell, Connor Moore, Sydney Tippett and staff members Carol Bulmer, Donna Hildrey and Graham Milner.

Congratulations to everyone who received an award.

Malawi Partnership – During the Easter holidays, we held two successful fund-raising events:

Karaoke Night On Saturday the 6^th April, the Malawi group held a karaoke night at the Ocean View in Laide. Our hosts, the Banks’, were very encouraging to all of the paying customers to get up and sing. Many of the younger folk that attended were very happy to get up and sing. On the night we made almost £500 which we thought reflected just how generous the local people can be when you organise a good night. We did manage to attract a few tourists from the local caravan site in Laide. All in all we had a fun night and would like to thank both our hosts at the Ocean View and everyone that came along for their generosity.  Lyle Walker S5

Coffee Morning & Sale Our coffee morning and sale on Thursday 11^th April was also a great success, raising around £400. We would like to thank those who donated baking and everyone who came along and tried the range of different cakes. Gemma McLean S5

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig – Air Dimàirt 16mh den Ghiblean, thàinig Lisa Moyes à Sabhal Mòr Ostaig airson bruidhinn ri sgoilearan mu dheidhinn na colaiste. Fhuair sinn tòrr fiosrachaidh mu dheidhinn na cholaiste agus na cursaichean aca agus bha cothrom againn ceist sam bith fhaighneachd. Tha mi an dòchas gum bi mi fhèin a’ dol ann am-bliadhna agus, mar sin, bho shealladh pearsanta, ‘s e cothrom math a bha ann.

On Tuesday 16^th of April, Lisa Moyes from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig came to speak to pupils about the college. We received lots of information about both the college and the courses and had an opportunity to ask any questions. I am hoping to go to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig this year, so from a personal point of view, this was a good opportunity.

Raonaid NicCoinnich / Rachel MacKenzie S6

Còig Latha / Five Days – le Max Conway, S1 - Ann ann Saor-làithean na Càisg, bha mi aig ‘Còig Latha’ agus, mur a h-eil fios agad dè tha ann, ‘s e cuairt còig latha a tha ann gu Carlabhagh ann an Leòdhas. Bha a’ chuairt seo uabhasach math airson a’ Ghàidhlig agam.  Dimàirt, rinn sinn obair air a’ chroit agus ceòl. Chunnaic sinn ciamar a tha daoine a’ dèanamh a’ Chlò Hearrach agus a’ gearradh a’ mhòine, agus chluich sinn beagan ciùil Diciadain. Diardaoin, bha sinn a’ dèanamh ceòl airson a’ chèilidh an oidhche sin. Dihaoine, an latha mu dheireadh againn ann an Leòdhas, chaidh sinn a-mach gu Eilean Furach, eilean beag, agus rinn sinn beagan iasgaich. Bha a’ chuairt seo sgoinneil agus tha mi an dòchas gum bi barrachd dhaoine à Gearrloch a’ dol ann an ath bhliadhna.

In the Easter Holidays I was at ‘Còig-Latha’ and, if you don’t know what it is, it is a five-day trip to Carloway in Lewis. The trip was very good for my Gaelic. On Tuesday, we did croft work and music. We saw how Harris Tweed is made, how peat is cut and played some music on the Wednesday. On Thursday we did music and that night we had a ceilidh. On Friday, the last day in Lewis, we went to a small island called Eilean Furach and did some fishing. The trip was amazing and I hope that more people from Gairloch will go next year.

Joint Art/Modern Studies Trip to Edinburgh – On Wednesday 17^th April a group of S3, S4 and S5 year pupils took part in a trip to Edinburgh for 2 days and one night.  The group consisted of pupils taking Higher and Standard Grade Art and third year Modern Studies.  We made an early start on the Wednesday morning to give us plenty of time to settle into the hotel and drop off our luggage.  On the Thursday we set off early once again, with our luggage, to the National Gallery of Modern Art – we discovered a really nice cupcake shop on route!!  At the Gallery we were given a guided tour of the current exhibition of S J Peploe’s work.  Peploe is one of the Scottish Colourist painters, along with Cadell, Hunter and Fergusson.  This worked in well as there were lots of still life paintings on show, much in the style of those that we have been researching for our Higher written exam.   After the gallery visit we had a couple of hours free time to shop on Princes Street and buy our packed lunch for the return journey.  Despite a delay with our train at Waverley train station and arriving back in Gairloch at 2am, we all had a great time.  The trip was a lot of fun and turned out to be very beneficial to our Higher Art course. Emma Morrison S5

As part of their National 4/5 course, the third year Modern Studies pupils went to visit the Scottish Parliament to watch First Ministers Question Time, they also got to meet four of our MSPs; Rob Gibson, Mike MacKenzie, Jean Urquhart and Jamie MacGrigor. Our pupils reflected on what they had learned from the trip on return to school. Ashleigh Elder wrote: “When we went to First Ministers Question time I was shocked at how big it was inside, I also noticed that the parties were very mean to each other. They can get angry and it can get very heated in there. Alex Salmond did quite well with coping with the questions but there was once or twice he got caught out. “

Aaron Lyon wrote: “When I was talking to the MSPs I learned that they cared about our problems and our ideas. I also learned that anyone can become an MSP e.g. Mike MacKenzie used to be a builder.”

Wind Turbine – The wind turbine has undergone extensive repairs and appears to be fully functioning and much quieter!  The turbine should now be available to generate electricity all the time and we look forward to reporting details in the future.

S1 Beach Clean – Our annual beach clean took place on Thursday 25th April.  The pupils suffered inclement weather but worked over two hours to clear rubbish and debris from the beach front.  Thanks to Miss Dean for organizing this and other staff for helping.  Thanks also to the Council Services that once again supplied bags, protective gloves and later picked up the collected rubbish.

Staff News – After a lengthy period of recovery from medical treatment Mr Port, Headteacher, is back full-time.  “I’d like to thank everyone who has wished me well and enquired after my health throughout the months of my absence.  I very much appreciate the kindness and concern offered to my family and on-going support for the school.  I am now looking forward to getting back to normal!”   

National SQA Exams now in full swing for our S4 to S6. Pupils in S6, who will leave after their exams, held a farewell dinner in The Shieling followed by a trip to Inverness Rollerbowl on Friday 3^rd May.  We have been using this successful format now for over 5 years.  This is intended to encourage all our pupils to feel they are leaving school as respected and successful young adults (rather than under a cloud created by a few immature acts quaintly referred to as ‘muck-up’ perpetrated by one or two boys in the past!)  As in society, generally young people are often damned for the actions of a few but we should all be very proud of our youngsters in Gairloch.  We wish the S6 well as they move into jobs, careers and future study.  Many are going off to colleges and universities across Scotland to study a wide range of subjects this coming year including child-care, law, neuroscience and aeronautical engineering.

Click on the photo to see more images from Rollerbowl 2013

On Wednesday 8^th May former pupil, Helen Munday visited to talk to pupils interested in becoming a vet.  Helen now works in Kirriemuir as part of a large practice serving the Angus Glens and surrounding farming area.  We really appreciate that she found the time to come back and help support our pupils in their ambitions.  Helen met with some interested pupils and explained what her job involved and how she achieved her current professional position.   Last month we reported on a similar visit by former pupil and now product designer, Seonaid Nimmo.

Curriculum for Excellence – Pupils involved in this new national initiative are now completing their third year.  Older pupils in S4, S5 & S6 are currently sitting Standard Grade, Intermediate, Higher and Advanced Higher exams.  For S3 pupils next year the exams will have different names and formats.  We are moving to National 4 and National 5 exams followed by Higher and Advanced Higher exams.  For the next couple of years these exams will have to run in tandem as the ‘old’ exams work out of the system.  Staff in school are under a lot of pressure just now to develop suitable courses prior to the new exam structure while continuing to deliver the current courses.

National 4 exams will be internally assessed and this also brings on a great deal of additional work including verification of standards. At the moment staff are currently trying to get to grips with the new assessment and examination models being introduced.

For those pupils in S1 to S3 several changes have already taken place in the curriculum to assist delivery of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).  This week S3 pupils have been taking part in a series of Masterclass events.  On Monday and Tuesday all were involved in a version of “The Apprentice”.  From Wednesday to Friday pupils took part in other whole-day events including Emergency First Aid training, Art, cookery, ICT and Technology.  These activities provided by both staff and visitors meet the expectations of CfE as part of what is now referred to as the “broad general education” of the pupils.  Although now part of CfE, pupils attending Gairloch High School have been receiving such experiences for many years.

S1 at Nethybridge – S1 pupils have been at Nethybridge this week as part of their teambuilding activity week.  We should be able to report more fully in the next issue however during the week pupils will have had the opportunity to develop skills learned in school out into the Cairngorms.  Supervised by staff pupils will take part in hillwalking, mountain biking, orienteering and rock climbing.  In the evenings they take part in games, quizzes and beach barbecues as well as spending the day at Landmark on Thursday.  Have a look at some of the photos here both past and present.

S3 Prefects – Several S3 pupils have been temporarily promoted to prefect status to shoulder the responsibilities of senior pupils while the seniors concentrate on their exams.  These pupils are expected to operate to a higher standard of maturity in this role and learn to shoulder more responsibility.

Russian Arctic Convoy Memorial Service and Arctic Medal Presentation Ceremony – Several pupils were involved as members of the ATC.  Seven of the newly appointed S3 prefects also attended representing all members of the Gairloch High School community.  Our pupils reported that they found the events interesting and moving as they witnessed the emotions of the veterans and others.  Click on the photo below to access many more photos of the day, including veterans receiving their Arctic Star medal.

Earlier in the week Mr Jak Mallmann Showell visited our S2 in History class.  S2 have just finished studying the Second World War with their teacher, Mrs Somers, and Mr Showell talked to them about German U-boats and the Battle of the Atlantic.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Ciaran Alexander has achieved his Bronze DofE and will be awarded at assembly after return from exam leave.  Callum Vickerstaff has completed his Gold and will be invited to Holyrood Palace to receive his award in due course.  Well done to both boys!  Their names will be added to the school notice boards.

Neil Gunn Writing Competition – Pupils were encouraged to enter this national competition by Ms Mackison as part of their study of English.  We are very pleased to be informed by the competition organisers that Alfie Gudgeon, S3, has been awarded a commendation for his entry “The Only Thing”.  The competition was open to pupils in the S3-S6 age group.  Three prizes were available and only three further commendations have been made so we are particularly pleased that Alfie has achieved this although one of the youngest entrants.  Alfie will be presented with his certificate of commendation at a ceremony in Dingwall in June.

Introduction to Futsal Course – Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced small-sided football game that is widely played across the world and is officially recognised by both UEFA and FIFA.  On Thursday 2^nd May, Mr Gorman, Mrs Johnston, Luke, Ross B, Chris, Donnie and Kenny joined coaches from Wester Ross Youth FC and Leisure Centre staff for an introductory course on Futsal delivered by Peter Budge, SFA Development Officer. Peter showed us some drills to develop the skills needed to play the game and then the course participants tried out the game. All agreed it was more fun and more skills focussed than regular 5-a-side football and we look forward to integrating Futsal into our inter-house sports competitions next session. The boys who attended the course will lead training sessions to introduce other pupils to Futsal. Mrs Johnston will also be using Futsal in primary PE sessions to reinforce the work being done by Kenny Nelson at the Saturday morning football sessions. Thanks to Kenny for organising the course.

Nethybridge 2013 – Breah and Eilidh wrote this report for the Gairloch Times on return from Nethy – “When we got there on Monday we started the week with orienteering. There were loads of different checkpoints around Glenmore forest. The winners were David and Gregor with 220 points. After dinner, Susan organized some games for us to play. The teachers joined in, they were very good and we found out that Dr. Caley cheated – but she wouldn’t admit it! For supper we had hot chocolate and doughnuts.

During the week we:  Mountain biked, rock climbed, walked low and high, went to Landmark, played water sports on Loch Morlich, had a BBQ, played football, took part in a quiz and a dorm inspection, went swimming and visited the park in Dingwall, played pool and basketball as well as orienteering in Glenmore Forest.

The food was all really good and thanks to Mrs Fraser and Ms Leitch.  Thank you to Dr Caley and all of the other members of staff who made this week possible.  The week was really good and we really enjoyed it [although it was really tiring] and our favourite parts were: All of it!!!!!”

S1 at Nethy.  There are many more photos on the website!

The Travelling Gallery – featuring the ‘Turquoise Heid’ Exhibition, visited Gairloch High School on Monday 20^th May, having previously been in Thurso.

Former pupil, Alison Chisholm, the Curator of the Travelling Gallery, presented the work to all pupils from S1-S3.  She talked them through the individual pieces, encouraging the pupils to discuss and comment on the work. Younger pupils from the Primary School also benefited from this experience, visiting the bus in the afternoon.

The Exhibition showcased the work of 9 contemporary artists and consisted of a wide range of artwork in various media from photography, animation, sculpture, drawing and film.  One of the artists whose work was on show is one of the most up-and-coming artists the Travelling Gallery has been associated with to date.  David Shrigley is one of the short listed artists nominated for this year’s Turner Prize.

All in all this was a most beneficial experience for all concerned and we hope that the Travelling Gallery will visit Gairloch again next year with their next Exhibition.  Thanks to Mrs. Browne for organizing this visit.  Click on the photo above to see more images.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Former pupil Calum Milner has completed his Gold Award.  He has been invited along with his family to attend a presentation on July 4^th 2013 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.  Well done to Calum for achieving this top level of the Award.  His name will be added to the school list of those who gained Gold.

Calum (right in the photo above) was one of our pupils invited to meet HRH Prince Edward back in April 2008 at Tain Royal Golf Course.  This event was arranged to showcase Highland Pupils who were involved in the DofE Award.  Click on the photo to see more images from that event or here to see images from other DofE adventures at Gairloch.

Further success for former pupils – Ellie Richardson has been pursuing a career in cycling.  She recently took part in the British University Track Cycling Championships and won 3 gold medals.  Events were the Sprint, the Team Sprint and the 500m time trial.

Ellie also broke the long-standing University 500m time trial record set by Victoria Pendleton of 36.85secs.  She rode 36.17 secs – not only a new record but also a personal best.  We think this is a new Scottish National record but Ellie is waiting conformation of this further success.  Ellie has also been invited to her first international event taking place in Belgium this month.  Good luck in that Ellie!

P7 Transition – Last week Primary 7 pupils came up to secondary for the first part of their transition.  Staff have been sharing information and planning for several weeks about the upcoming move of pupils in August.  Normally at this time of the year we invite the P7’s into High School for an Icebreaker Day (Thu 24^th May) where we cover some issues of emotional intelligence and spend time in Science.  On Friday 25^th May) primary pupils took part in our Expressive Arts event where they work in Music, PE and Art.

On Thursday 6^th June P7 pupils will return to follow a normal timetable for two days.  This will give them a taster of what life in school will be like after the summer holiday.  P7 parents were invited to school on the evening of 30th May.

Maths Challenge Success – A UK wide event consisting of 25 demanding non-calculator multiple-choice problem solving questions that require to be completed within an hour under test conditions.  The questions get harder as the paper progresses.  A gold certificate is only awarded to approximately the top 6% of all participators, silver to the next 13% and bronze to the next 21%.  The following pupils received their certificates at Assembly.  Well done to all!

S1 Eilidh MacDonald – Best Junior in year, Bronze.  Also Hannah Wood & Ian Nelson Bronze.  In S2 Mark McLean – Best Junior in School, best in year and Silver.

S3 Alfie Gudgeon – Best Intermediate in School, best in year and Silver (Alfie received a Gold at Junior Level in S1).  Also Rosie MacKenzie & Joseph Smith Bronze.

In S4 Justin Claydon – Best Intermediate in year, Silver.  Also Siobhan Vickerstaff Silver, Catherine Wyatt & Sofie Bannister Bronze.

S5 Luke Gorman – Best Senior in year, Bronze.  Also Eilidh MacLennan Bronze.

In S6 Ian Paul – Best Senior in School, best in year, Silver  Also Fraser Hinchliff  Silver.

John Muir Award certificates – There are four sections to the Award: Discover a wild place; Explore it; do something to Conserve it; and Share what you have done. All of S1 has followed a programme of activities to fulfil these objectives including forest school at Inverewe Estate, a beach clean, designing and making bird boxes and activities during the Nethybridge week. They have also carried out research into John Muir, illustrated some of his famous quotes and completed individual record books. To finish the Award, groups gave presentations to the P7 pupils on Friday 7^th June.  Pupils successfully achieving the Award will receive their certificates at Prizegiving on Wednesday 26^th June.

First Aid Certificates – S3 pupils were awarded Emergency First Aid Certificates at assembly after completing a one-day course in school at the end of last month.  Last week all the other pupils in the school were also involved in a half day refresh of first-aid procedures.

DofE news ­ – Two Silver training expeditions are taking place before the end of term.  One will be in the Loch Mullardoch area and the other will cross Fisherfield and Letterewe.  We also have three Bronze groups taking part in Assessment Expeditions setting out on Monday 17^th June.

Freya Baptist, Deborah Connop & Charlie Bulmer in S3 have provided two short reports for readers on their Bronze Practice Expedition which followed an initial overnight camp at Slattadale last month:  Poca Buidhe was a lot better than our Slattadale Expedition. We had a sunny start but there was plenty of rain so we couldn’t even cross the river to get to Poca Buidhe.  We ended up camping a few kilometres before the end. Unlike last time, we were more prepared to keep warm but a lot less prepared with food, the matches got wet and we ran out of fuel and had nearly no food for the second day. Despite our awful cooking and having to walk a lot further than expected we enjoyed ourselves and have learnt a lot for the qualifier on the 17^th June!

On the 27^th and 28^th of May another group of S3s took part in their Bronze Practice Expedition to Loch a’ Bhealaich. Our group walked 11km to Loch a’Bhealaich and camped near the edge of it…on heather. The walk was quite good if you were looking for a good view, but we didn’t take notice, as we were tired and hungry. We fed ourselves a wide selection: sausages.  The walk back was nice and on the whole it was fun but very tiring. Our qualifying expedition is also on the 17th and 18th of June.

Providing this number of pupils the opportunity to achieve Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions involves a great of commitment from staff as well as pupils.  The majority of this work is done on a voluntary basis by staff and could not take place without much goodwill.  As always we have several photographs taken on expeditions available on the school website.

Malawi Partnership – We were very grateful to receive a donation of £750 from Julia Alexander and the Fundraising shop. This is an extraordinary gift based on the generous and unstinting work that Julie puts into keeping the charity shop open.  We have also received a very generous donation from members of Mrs. Johnston’s family. We extend our warmest thanks to them all and to everyone who supports the shop. Such support is a great encouragement in our own efforts and makes our vision of a return visit by pupils and teachers from Malawi that little bit more realistic.

Whilst pupils have been concentrating on their exams, staff have been continuing with preparations for our visit to Malawi in October. With exams now over, training for the visit will commence with 2 days of activities and planning at Kinlocheil on 14^th and 15^th June. We will also be continuing with fund-raising activities over the summer.  Read more about the partnership here.

Basketball success – Jordan Gorman (S3) recently got the award for most improved player for the Highland Bears this year. He is part of the U15 Scotland team. He has already taken part in a tournament in Spain this year and will be playing in an international fixture against Luxembourg in June. Gregor Vickerstaff and Sara Johnston  (both S1) represented their club (Highland Bears) at the U14 National Championships in Dundee last weekend. The girls played six games and did especially well, beating or coming ahead of long established teams such as Glasgow Rocks, Edinburgh Polonia Phoenix and Stirling Knights to finish third out of ten.

Further pupil success – Sofie Banister has qualified for the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead this year with her Show Pony. 

Results from Ayr Show – 1^st and Show Pony Champion (Qual RIHS),
Reserve Supreme Champion  Riding Ponies
an 1^st, Champion and Reserve Supreme Champion Arabs and Part Bred under Saddle (Qual RIHS)

At the Area 2b Championship Show (Lancashire)
Sofie came 1^st and got Show Pony Champion.

SQA National Exams – Pupils have finished their national exams again for another year.  Thanks to all our invigilators for their help supervising this year’s exams particularly Chief Invigilator Nikki Hayes.  Pupils receive their results is August.

Important Dates - Prizegiving will take place on Wednesday 26^th June from 1.30pm in the High School.  Parents and family are welcome to join us for this annual ceremony celebrating the success of the pupils throughout the session.  A copy of the letter sent home last week is available here.

Head Prefects – Isla MacKenzie and Luke Gorman have been appointed Head Girl and Boy respectively for the coming session.  Gemma McLean and Donald MacKenzie will assist as Deputies.  We all wish them luck in these challenging roles!

Pupil Success in Highland Dance – Eilidh Owens has become a Premier Dancer.  On 1^st June she passed, Highly Commended, the British Association of Teachers of Dance Blue Riband exam in Highland Dance.  She received a Highly Commended in the Sailors Hornpipe as well and is on her way to qualifying as a teacher of Highland Dance.  Well done!

Pupil Success in Gaelic Speaking Competition  – Four of our pupils have done very well in an annual Gaelic speaking competition. The competition organised by the Gaelic Society of London involves pupils from all over Scotland.  Ceitidh Alice Hulme won the Senior Fluent Speakers’ competition with Ainslie Mackenzie receiving a merit. Rachel Mackenzie was the joint winner of the Senior Learners’ competition. Margaret Matheson gained a merit.

Pupil Success in Open University Course – Mairi Wyatt, S6 has passed her OU Introduction to Law in Contemporary Scotland course.  She has also completed, as part of her S6 studies, a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification.   In addition she trained as an adviser with Citizen’s Advice Bureau and has spent time with the Alness based CAB Housing Project where she has an opportunity for further work experience.  Mairi is planning to start studying Law after the summer at Edinburgh University.

Sports Day  – Inter house competition is always a good-natured affair but throughout the day many pupils were quietly counting up the points and some competitive staff not so quietly counting.  Everyone that took part showed great sportsmanship. The three houses were all well represented and we were pleased to see many pupils trying their best and enjoying themselves.  The results were counted and verified.  Final results were – Kerry 3^rd place, 2^nd Maree  and Tollaidh first.  The sports champions and runners up are:

Junior Champions – Iain Nelson & Hannah Wood

Junior Runners Up – Connor Forbes & Sara Johnston

Intermediate Champions – Jordan Gorman & Laura Russell

Intermediate Runners Up – Mark Warren & Andrea Wood

Senior Champions – Innis Taylor & Ceitidh Alice Hulme

Senior Runners Up – Ross Wotherspoon, Sofie Banister & Siobhan Vickerstaff.    Well done all! Click on the photo below to see more of the day.

Ross-Sutherland Athletics Championships  – A team of twenty pupils travelled with Mr. Bowker and Mrs. Johnston to the Ross-Sutherland Athletics Championships in Inverness on Wednesday 19^th June. Our athletes faced tough opposition from the other schools, but they all tried hard. The best results of the day were 1^st place for Connor Forbes in long jump with an impressive distance of 4.13m, and 2^nd places for Joe Smith in hurdles and javelin, Hannah Wood in hurdles, Roddy Macrae in high jump and Lewis Campbell in discus. Connor Moore was 3^rd in his shot putt competition; Iain Nelson was 3^rd in the 100m.   The junior boys relay team also finished third in a very close finish. Well done to all who competed!

Staff Success – Congratulations to Andy Bowker for passing his Summer Mountain Leader Award.

Hospitality Visit – On Friday 7^th June fourteen pupils from S2 and S3 Hospitality Skills for Work had a visit to the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve and The Torridon Hotel.

The trip, organised by Douglas Gibson was a great chance for pupils to experience employment opportunities in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

The pupils got a tour of the Deer Larder and poly tunnel at the Nature Reserve and talked with both Pete Crichton and Eoighan Maclean about the type of work that is carried out on the reserve.  The boys enjoyed looking at (and sitting on) the farm machinery stored on site. Sydney Tippett (S3) said, ” It was great to see the farming machinery, it made me think more about a career in that field of work!”  We were welcomed at The Torridon by Rohaise Rose-Bristow who talked to the pupils about life running the hotel and the various positions and opportunities offered at the beautiful 4-star establishment.

The pupils enjoyed a delicious lunch and had an extensive tour of the hotel and grounds and had a fantastic experience. Ashleigh Elder of S3 said “It was amazing to see people in the Hospitality industry at their best and they all made us feel really welcome”.

A big thank you goes to all of the staff at the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve and The Torridon for being so welcoming and sharing their knowledge with us.  Thanks also to Douglas Gibson for organizing the trip and accompanying staff, Anne Leitch and Andy Bowker.  (Kirsty Thistlethwaite)

Malawi Partnership – Bethan Townsend, S4, reports, “On Friday 14^th June nine Gairloch High School pupils went to Kinlocheil for a team building activity. We stayed for one night before returning home late Saturday afternoon. As soon as we got to Fort William our first task was to go to Morrisons and get everything we needed for 13 people for two days. Our budget was £65 and after scaling the shop for the best offers and ‘Morrison’s Own’ products we totalled at just over £51.

We got to the bunkhouse and the first thing we did was talk about the profiles we are sending over to Malawi this summer. We hope our hosts will enjoy reading about us before we arrive in October.  After comparing and sharing ideas we went out for a walk at Glennfinnan and found a geo-cache.  We made our dinner, cooking spaghetti bolognese with quorn mince as we have a vegetarian in our group!

We were up at half seven on Saturday morning to have breakfast and talk about the projects we wanted to do while we are in Malawi.  These include music,  dance, John Muir Award, David Livingstone and craft-making.  Click on the photo of Sofie to see more of the weekend.

We still have a lot of work to do but this weekend away helped greatly in starting the projects, arranging kit lists, and learning about the cultural differences we will experience. We also learned some Chichewa greetings. Thank you again to all the teachers who working with us. A giant thank you again to anyone who has donated to help fund our partnership”

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Duke of Edinburgh’s Expeditions  – Congratulations to S3 pupils for surviving the midges at Achneigie on Monday17^th June and arriving safely at Eilean Daroch the following day.  We hope many of them will complete the rest of their Bronze award in the very near future.  Thanks to Mr. Bob Widdows for assessing the group.

Staff Changes – After the holiday Mrs. Whall will return from maternity leave.  Dr. Miller is taking up a teaching post in Lochgilphead. Dr. Miller has become much respected in the time he has been with us and will be missed by all.  We wish him all the best for the future!

Prizegiving – Individual Trophies & Prizes 2013

The annual celebration of the success and achievement of all pupils took place on Wednesday 26^th June.

Dux of School 2013 – Eilidh Maclennan

Elizabeth Matthew Memorial Trophy – Sarah MacKenzie

Lauder Memorial Trophy – Ian Paul

Harry Valentine Memorial Trophy – Rachel MacKenzie

Neil Wilkie Memorial Trophy – Sarah MacKenzie

Junior School Trophy for Service & Achievement

- Jordan Gorman

John MacGillivray Gaelic Trophy – Rachel MacKenzie

June Davis Miller Award for Art – Emma Morrison

MacLean Trophy for Library Endeavour – Christie Wilson

MacKenzie Targe for Creative Writing – Isla MacKenzie

Two Lochs Community Radio Trophy – Ciaran Alexander

Doctor Hunter Cup for Piping – Fraser Wotherspoon

Lauder prize for Music – Rebecca Griggs

Sheona MacDonald Memorial Quaich – Ann MacLean

Clan MacKenzie Golf Trophy – Joseph Smith

Football Player of the Year – Calum Nelson

Basketball Players of the Year – Sara Johnston & Jordan Gorman

Widdows Shield for Swimming – Peter Banks

Martin Blackley Memorial Cup – Innis Taylor

House Shield went to Maree once again!  The Trophy for gaining most credits in the school was presented to Leonie Baptist.

Certificates of Perfect Attendance were awarded to Charlotte Kelman, Caitlin Johnston and Donald MacKenzie.

The Sports Champions were announced in full in last issue.  All results are available on the school website.  A number of pupils throughout S1 to S4 received Certificates of Personal Achievement for consistent effort and care in all of their work throughout the school over the whole of last session.  All S1 pupils received John Muir Discovery Awards.

Thanks to the Parent Council and the Hospitality staff and pupils for providing refreshments at the end of Prizegiving.  Also thanks to Mrs Brown and Kirsty Thistlethwaite for the flower arrangements in the Hall.  Special thanks to Dr Caley without whose meticulous organisation this event would not run so smoothly.  More photos of the prizegiving ceremony can be viewed by clicking here.

‘S math a rinn thu, Anndra!- Congratulations to Andrew Mackenzie who recently came third in an annual writing competition for Gaelic learners. Andrew’s prize was a £20 token.  This news arrived after Prizegiving so Andrew was awarded at school assembly on the last day of term.

House Prefects 2013/2014 – Senior pupils have now been appointed to lead the three houses.

Kerry House – Girls House Captain for this year is Laura Ridehalgh. She will be assisted by Gemma McLean. The Boys House Captain for this year will be Peter Banks and Cameron Moys will assist him.

Maree House – Girls House Captain for this year will be Isla MacKenzie who will be assisted by Dannie Bulmer. The Boys House Captain will be Donald MacKenzie and Donnie MacLennan will assist him.

Tollaidh House – Girls House Captain for this year is Caitlin Johnston who will be assisted by Beth Townsend. The Tollaidh Boys House Captain for this year is Luke Gorman and Ross Wotherspoon will assist him.

Silver Duke of Edinburgh Expedition – Catherine Wyatt reports: Our recent practice expedition for our silver Duke of Edinburgh award proved to us that the Duke of Edinburgh Experience simply gets better and better. This time, we travelled further, climbed higher and learned more about navigation, map – reading and teamwork.

After driving to Beauly, an 8 km walk brought us to our base camp by the shores of Loch Mullardoch. The following day, we climbed what was for me my first Munro – I completed the ridge on my hands and knees! The third day we returned home, having thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, but more than ready to appreciate the comforts of home.

Our supervisors greatly contributed to our enjoyment of the expedition, keeping us entertained with impressive artwork and musical talent, while motivating us by their obvious enjoyment of the outdoors.

Some memorable moments from our trip included Mr Johnston’s touching appreciation of our freshly cooked cheese sauce and Mrs Bulmer’s tactful assurances that, despite its delicious appearance, she simply could not manage another mouthful. An invasion of ants and the strange phenomenon of the sleepwalking ski poles added their own touches of drama.

Innis, Ciaran, Sofie, Siobhan and I enjoyed our three days in the wild. We found that the expedition was a very sociable experience. It was also challenging, but, above all, great fun.

First Aid training – As stated in an earlier edition of this paper, pupils in S1, S2, S4 and S5 were given training in June. The school would like to put on record its thanks to Heart Start Aultbea for providing the trainers for these sessions. Instructors came from as far afield as Skye to help with this invaluable training; it was especially pleasing to see former pupils Bobby Mitchell, the group’s coordinator, and Rebecca Beaton back in school working with our pupils. We hope that this can become an annual event to support pupils’ broader education and, if the need arises, possibly save a life.

Former Pupil Success – We have heard of the following graduations taking place.  Very well done to our former pupils!

Laura Fothergill – Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) starting work as a doctor in Ninewells hospital at the end of July.

Camilla Hill – BA Hons (2:1) in Marketing at The University of Strathclyde 2:1

Cameron Jones – First Class BSc Honours in Mathematical Physics from the Univ. of Edinburgh

Catriona Leyland – BA Hons (First Class) Philosophy, Univ. of Stirling.  Catriona was also awarded the Murray MacBeath Prize for the best First Class Honours performance in the department.

Peter McDonald – Motorsport Design Engineering BEng Hons (First Class) Univ. of the West of Scotland

Amy Macleod – BSc Hons (2:1) Physiology & Sports Science, Univ. of Glasgow

Morag MacIver – BA Hons (2:1) Accounting and Finance, Robert Gordon Univ. Aberdeen

Jennifer Port – BSc Hons (2:1) Genetics, Univ. of Glasgow

Emily Ross – Post Grad. Dip. Primary Education, Univ. of Aberdeen

Roisin Somers – MA Hons (2:1) Classical Studies, Univ. of Edinburgh

Jake Threadgould – MA Hons (2:1) in French and Anthropology, Univ of St Andrews

Highland Music Success – After taking part in arduous and testing auditions the following pupils have been offered placed in various Highland Orchestras and Bands.  Well done all!

Highland Youth Regional Orchestra – Becky Griggs & Freya Baptist

Highland Youth String Orchestra – Hannah Wood & Leonie Baptist.

‘snas – Becky Griggs & Luke Gorman

Wind Band – Nessie Gearing

Big Band – Oscar Howard

End of Term Football – Girls’ and boys’ competitions took place on the last day of term in wet weather. Despite this, the event proved successful. In the end, Barcelona won the boys’ competition

with Celtic winning the girls competition.

You can see more photos here.  Thanks to all the staff who helped run the event.

The School news will return at the end of August.