December 2011 Newsletter |
| Posted by Rachael (office) on Dec 06 2011 |
Dingwall Academy
December 2011 Newsletter
Christmas Events
Tuesday 13th December – Christmas Concert 7.30pm tickets £5 available from the school office.
Monday 19th December – S1 & S2 Social
Tuesday 20th December – S3 & S4 Social
Wednesday 21st December – S5 & S6 Social
Christmas Assemblies for all year groups will take place during the school day on Thursday 22nd December.
School will close at 2pm on Thursday 22nd December and re-open on Monday 9th January
S5/6 Prelims
Senior prelims start on Monday 16th January.
Travel Information
Severe weather information has now been issued to all pupils. Parents are also asked to not drop pupils off on the main road but to use the drop off points provided outside the main building and in the sports centre car park.
Children in Need
With S4 prelims already underway we had to have a quiet Children in Need day –face painting and baking were available at lunchtime and pupils were asked to donate any loose change at the end of the school day – a total of £200 was raised. Congratulations to those pupils involved in ‘Rock Challenge’ who organised the events.
National Film Festival Week
On 2nd November, forty five pupils and three staff from the Languages Department attended the screening of ‘Outside the Law’ (Hors La Loi), as part of National Film Festival Week.
Outside the Law is a touching French film by Rachid Bouchareb which follows the paths of three brothers caught up in the turmoil of the French-Algerian War of Independence. This was a brutal conflict which tore a nation apart, creating an emotional story-line.
Despite its serious subject matter, the film was very well received by all.
Senior Parliament Trip
Twenty-four Higher Modern Studies and History students visited Edinburgh accompanied by Miss Fulton, Mrs Sinclair and Mr Lyall.
It’s safe to say that this year’s trip to Edinburgh was a roaring success! I am certain I speak for every single person when I say that the entire trip was exciting at all times - honestly. Following our lovely bus trip down, we visited the newly refurbished Museum, which for Modern Studies and History pupils alike was just fab. We might have had a little too much fun with the children’s interactive materials but you can’t fault the class for their enthusiasm.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from ‘Sister Act’, being your typical anti-musical male, however I was pleasantly surprised at its upbeat comedy.
I’ll be honest when I say that there were a number of us who weren’t really sure what to expect from the Parliament visit but watching First Minister’s Question Time was a real eye opener when we got to talk to the MSPs after. It really got us thinking about current events that appear on the headlines that we normally ignore! When I put it like that, it doesn’t sound as wonderful as the rest of the trip but I can honestly say it was pretty ‘epic’.
Everyone agreed that Mr Lyall, Miss Fulton and Mrs Sinclair were all great and we can’t thank them enough, as well as the bus driver and everyone else who made our trip possible. So, yeah...thanks!
By Cailean Welsh S5
Dance
For three weeks in November we have had the pleasure of having the Dance Company Plan B working in P.E with third year pupils. They have taken part in expressive, hip-hop and street dancing, based on the theme of 56 languages which is the number of languages now spoken in the highlands. The workshops have proved a great success and they plan to carry on after school workshops into the New Year open to any pupil.
Congratulations also to Claire Fowler S4 who came 1st in a National Dance competition in Blackpool. Strictly Come Dancing watch out ..…
Hockey
This year has been a successful one for all the hockey teams. The 1st year, 2nd year and seniors all won the Ross-Shire league with the third years coming second. The teams also took part in the ross-shire tournament, two held at Tain and two hosted by Dingwall and once again the girls brought it home winning all four of the tournaments.
Four third year girls have also made it into the highland team - Amy Connelly, Phoebe Lipp, Eden Forbes and Laura Maclean.
Feis Ross
Last month a group of Dingwall Academy pupils had the experience of a lifetime when they performed at the Royal Albert Hall. The pupils were Megan Dale, Mollie Nolan, Ruaraidh White, Innes White, Isabella MacLeod, Bruce Foster and Lois Moyes, and former pupil Nicola MacKinnon.
On Tuesday 8th November, a group of young musicians from across Scotland had the honour of performing at this year’s Schools’ prom at the Royal Albert hall in London. Dingwall Academy was well represented, with seven pupils and one former pupil taking part.
There was a slight lack of rehearsal time in the lead up to the event, so on the train down, many decided to “practise” on the train – a great way to pass the time on an eight hour journey. The next day was hectic in the run up to the performance, with sound checks and rehearsals to do until finally, it was “show time!”
The Schools’ Prom has been organised annually by Music for Youth. Around three thousand school pupils from across Britain perform over three nights, in groups ranging from orchestras and choirs to steel drum bands and jazz bands. Our group, performing under the name of Ceòlraidh – were the first Scottish act ever to take part. All of the groups were of an incredibly high standard, having played together for years, and entertained each member of the seven thousand strong audience.
All in all, the group enjoyed their trip very much – not one person came off the stage without the cheesiest grin ever! A massive thank you has to go to Fiona Dalgetty of Fèis Rois for organising the trip, and of course for coming up with the idea in the first place!
If you would like to see the performance, a DVD of the whole night is available on the Music for Youth website, or you can search for Ceòlraidh Proms on YouTube for a rough recording. By Innes White S5
Smokewatch at Dingwall Academy
Dingwall Academy is a health promoting school in which the care and welfare of all staff and pupils is paramount. All parents, guardians, pupils and staff are reminded that the Highland Council smoking policy strictly forbids smoking in and around Highland Council premises. The Dingwall Academy ‘Smokewatch’ initiative has been developed to help maintain a healthy and safe working environment for the school community. The ‘Smokewatch’ programme has been constructed with a number of agencies including the Northern Constabulary. The intention is not to confront smokers but to support and educate those who wish to give up. The issue is not whether a pupil smokes but where and when he or she smokes. Pupils caught smoking will be put on a register of smokers and a disciplinary process will be followed. We would greatly appreciate your full cooperation and support with the implementation of our ‘Smokewatch’ initiative.
Rotary Club Interviews
The Rotary Club, a group of local business men and women, gave sixth year pupils the opportunity to attend a mock interview. These mock interviews were held in the school’s meeting room on Monday 21 November to Thursday 24 November by a panel of three Rotary Club members. In these interviews each individual was marked upon the presentation of their application form, their appearance and how they performed in general. Feedback was then given to pupils along with hints and tips about how to make an interview successful.
Although these interviews were nerve racking and challenging, they were worth the time as it has given many pupils the opportunity to sit through, for some, their first interview. Overall the interviews were deemed a great success and an enjoyable experience for the sixth years involved.
By Nicole Allan S6
Anti-bullying Kickboxing
Over the past four weeks all of S1 have been learning about how to keep yourself safe when you are out and about. Instead of this being in the classroom it was in the sports hall with a world class kick boxer.
We are doing this because it links in with our topic Anti – bullying and keeping ourselves safe which we were doing in the classroom before we started the course.
In week one we were learning to be confident in ourselves and being self-aware on what is happening around you because if you walk looking at the floor and not paying attention to what is going on there is more chance of getting attacked, than if you look confident and aware of what’s around you.
In week two we then moved onto how to walk away from a confrontation. We were also taught some moves to keep us safe if we were attacked.
Week three was learning how to avoid being attacked because if you are walking about with your iPod in your ears and texting on your phone the attacker will see them and try and steal them so put all that away before you go out walking so you are in less danger.
Finally in week four we looked at the fact that we can be aware and have good self-confidence and if anyone says or does anything hurtful we will have the confidence to shrug it off and walk away.
By Fin Graham S1
Last changed: Dec 07 2011 at 9:58 AM
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