Holyrood News December 09

Tahir Aslam, Anna MacKin-non, Sean Rodgers & Christopher Sweeney

School Dux 2009/10

This edition shares with our school com-munity and others the many successes of our young people over the past few months. These achievements range from outstanding academic attainment to successes in a wide range of other

activities. The content amply demonstrates how the pupils of Holyrood are overtaking the key ambitions of the new Scottish Curriculum for Excellence which defines success for young people as becoming :

• Successfullearners

• ConfidentIndividuals

• ResponsibleCitizens

• EffectiveContributors

The 2009 SQA exam diet once again brought outstanding success for our young people whichIamdelightedtosharewithyou.

TheseniorprizegivinginNovembercelebratedthe major achievements of our young people in the SQA examinations subject performance, contribution to the school and our community. The guest speaker was Tom Harris MP who alsopresentedaspecialawardforcitizenship.Mr Alan Johnston also provided a new award for excellence in Mathematics in memory of his late wife Rosaleen a former pupil.

Attainment in SQA examinationsThe tables below show the performance of Holyrood’s young people in comparison to The average performance in Glasgow schools

The performance in 20 other schools which have been identified as similar to Holyrood in terms of the socio-economic characteristics of their school populationThe average performance across all Scottish schools

Performance of pupils in S4Awards Holyrood Glasgow Similar Scotland5 or more at SCQF level 3 92% 86% 89% 90%5 or more at SCQF level 4 73% 65% 71% 75%5 or more at SCQF level 5 34% 23% 27% 34%

level 3 = Foundation or Access level.level4=GeneralorIntermediate1levellevel5=CreditorIntermediate2level.

Performance of pupils in S5Awards Holyrood Glasgow Similar Scotland

1 or more at SCQF level 6 42% 29% 33% 39%3 or more at

SCQF level 6 22% 13% 16% 22%5 or more at

SCQF level 6 11% 5% 6% 10%

level 6 = Higher GradeThe data in this table refers to a % of the group when they were in S4

Performance of pupils in S6Awards Holyrood Glasgow Similar Scotland

5 or more Highers 24% 13% 16% 20%

1 or more Adv Highers

15% 7% 9% 13%

The data in this table refers to a % of the group when they were in S4

The above data illustrates that Holyrood is one of Glasgow’s highest performing schools, comfortably outperforms similar schools and matches or exceeds the national performance in all but one indicator.

Positive DestinationsThe recently released statistics show a very positive trend in ensuring that our school leavers88% found a positive destination in education, employment or training. A very impressive 65% (278 pupils!) have been accepted into college or university.Itisalsoverygratifyingthat4havegoneontostudyMedicineand 1 into Dentistry.

John J & Margaret McKee Memorial PrizeforServiceto

Holyrood Secondary School: ClareBrady

Mairead MacRae

Mark Dugan & Rachael Hendry an extract from

“Tally’s Blood”

As part of their ‘IntroductiontoGeography’course,100ofourS.1pupilsboardedClydeMarine’s RV Cruiser for a trip ‘doon the watter’ at the end of September. Their ‘Classroom on the Clyde’ experience was a great opportunity to take learning out of the classroom. Pupils engaged with the Four Capacities of the Curriculum for Excellence in the following ways:

Successful Learners• : Working in teams with a 6th year ‘mentor’, students gathered evidence using a commentary, picture clues and a fact finding sheet.

Confident Individuals: • A display of knowledge of their choice involved students creating presentations both visually and verbally.

Responsible Citizens: • The participating students became more aware of the changes and improvements that are taking place in their home city, along the waterfront area.

Effective Contributors:• Students presented their findings to group members when they returned to class and helped them achieve their main objective of producing promotional materials for Clyde Waterfront, the company responsible for the regeneration of the Clyde.

This experience was a great success, making the news headlines in the local and national press as Holyrood was the first school to participate in this innovative approach as part of Scotland’s Learning Festival, 2009.

S.2 pupils visited the Dynamic Earth Experience in Edinburgh. The pupils were taken on unforgettable journey through our planet’s past, present and future. Everyone enjoyed the impressive exhibits and technology with the many exciting hands-on activities.

Successful Learners

Erin McGinley winner of the John T McGuire MemorialPrize

S6

PupilswhoachievedEight1satStandardGradeorAatIntermediate2:DanielAitken,Leonie Bole, Ciaran Brady, Brooke Gillan, Max Graham, Sarah Harrison, Jennifer McCabe, Sarah McDaid, Jemma McMonagle, Michael Mullaney, Lauren O’Donnell, Lucas O’Donnell, Francessca Paccitti

Studentswhoachieved5bandAatHigher:FrancesBancewicz,JosephineCampbell, Meghan Glancey, Kay Hasting, Andrew Hughes, Ross Kernohan, Michael McFadden, Tahir Aslam, Anna MacKinnon, Sean Rodgers & Christopher Sweeney.

AMIDSUMMERNIGHT’SDREAMInOctober,MissBeltonsetherSecondYearEnglish class a tremendous challenge. She is happy to report that her pupils rose to that challenge with great success ! William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’sDream,hadbeenthemainfocusoftheclass’s work since the start of the session. The romantic comedy, set in ancient Greece, had been read, discussed and evaluated. When the pupils completed a display of their work in the class,theymayhavethoughtthattheir2ndYearShakespearean studies were over, but not so! “When we were told that we had to PERFORM the play in front of everyone in SecondYear,”recallsJackDempsey–O’Donnell,“there were gasps all around the room!”Miss Belton wrote a script for the class, based on the plot of the play and with some twenty-first century jokes and allusions. Then followed an intense period of active learning and rehearsal, when sometimes it seemed as if English room 3 had been transformed into the Globe theatre itself! Everyone had a part to play and team work was essential. “ Working with others gave me confidence,” said Mairi Maclean,” because we all helped each other with lines and cues.”Those who learned their parts and got into character more quickly led the way in discussions about how the

actionshouldbeplayed.Invitations–intheformofscrolls-weresent out, the programmes prepared . When Performance Day arrived, some members of the class wondered “Can we do this ?” Everyoneagreed“Yes,wecan!“WiththestageresemblingthatofShakespeare’s time and the cast kitted out in colourful and authentic GreekandElizabethancostumes,Holyrood’sShakespeareansgaveanengagingpresentationofAMidsummerNight’sDreamtoanappreciativeaudienceofSecondYearpupils.DeclanNolan,asMasterWillShakespeare,introducedtheperformance, ably assisted by Kathleen Buchanan and Sarah McGonagle,theNarrators,withAaronChengasMasterofCeremonies. The roles of Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta, whose wedding was celebrated in the drama, were played by Michael Diver , his superb understudy, Claire Martin and Evie Barbour. Christopher Havelin, in a truly frightening beard, was convincing as the villain, Egeus, whilst Sarah McCluskey and Eilidh Terras highlighted the romance of the plot as Hermia and Helena. The boys’ parts of Lysander and Demetrius posed no problems for

“ Working with others gave me confidence”

Monica Sgouros and Maria Slaven and the audience really enjoyed the slapstick comedy and witty repartee of the six Athenianworkmen:MaddyCampbell,NiallMcGinley,JackFrame,AlexandraMurdoch,ShaunReillyandJackDempseyO’DonnellasNickBottom.JoeHarrisonwascaptivatingaspuck,LiamMacphersonwasOberonandMhariMacleanplayedthefairyQueen.NoweveryoneinSecondYearknowsthestoryoftheplayandhaslearnedthatShakespeare can be fun!Itwasatrulyrichlearningexperience–asCurriculumforExcellencerequires.AsSarahMcCluskeyreflectedafterwards: “Looking back over everything that’s happened and all that we have done…it’s just like a dream !”Overall this experience provided young people with ample opportunities to become successful learners, confident individuals,effectivecontributersandresponsiblecitizens.

GIRL’SFOOTBALL

The Holyrood Girl’s teams have performed very well in recent years. They have con-tinued this fine tradition by reaching the RegionalFinalsoftheUnder16sScottishCup. This will take place after Christmas. The Holyrood ‘A’ team are also currently top of the Glasgow 7 a side league.

Holyrood Fair Trade GroupOur group has been working hard to raise awareness of Fair Trade within the school and the wider community for the past seven years. We are now applying for Fair Trade School Status, in recognition of our work. Over the years we have provided Fair Trade snacks at discos, Parent’s Evenings and school events. Our School Business Manager now uses Fair Tradetea,coffeeandbiscuitsatschoolmeet-ings.SchoolstaffandpupilscanalsoorderFairTrade items from us throughout the year. We are currently running a competition to design the Holyrood Fair Trade Group logo.

We also have plans to work with the local pri-mary schools to organise a Fair Trade Extrava-ganzainJune2010.PleasehelpusinsupportingFairTrade!Togetherwecanmakeadifference.

Eco schools and Garden GroupThis term the Holyrood Eco Group pupils have been busy preparing assembly presentations on litter and recycling for all year groups. They have also been involved in an energy efficiency exercisewherebylabelstoremindustoswitchofflightsweredesigned and placed in every room in the school.Sixth year pupils have been organising litter picks for First year pupils. The pupils have joined forces with the Fair Trade group to share ideas and intend to apply for the Green Flag early in 2010.

With advice and encouragement from Mrs Agnew (ASL Department) pupils on the Eco Committee have learned how to produce proper minutes of the weekly Eco group meetings. InAugusttheGardenGroupharvestedagoodcropofpotatoeswhich was then cooked by the pupils with the help of Miss Divers in Home Economics.They managed to produce potato salad, leek and potato soup and sausage and potato stew in one lunch time.

Over Seventy Standard Grade Modern Studies pupils recently par-ticipated in Scottish Parliament Outreach Service Workshops, here

in Holyrood, before visiting the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Pupils finished their day in the capital by surviving the Edinburgh Dungeons!

Congratulations to Chloe Burns of S1 who competed in the Dance championships in Pershore in Eng-land.

ResponsibleCitizens

S5 PUPIL VOICE

TheS5IndiegrouphavereceivedanawardforCitizenshipatourrecentprizegiving.The award was donated and presented by our MP Tom Harris and this group are the first recipients.S2 INDIEOur S2 pupils have recently completed a joint 10 week programme with Shawlands Academy working at Celtic Learning Centre.They have produced fabulous websites giving fullinformationaboutallIndieprojectsandwith personal information in a number of foreign languages.

The link is http://www.fawndoo.com/indie/