A Word from Miss Cook, Head Teacher

HEAD TEACHER'S UPDATE: 24 JANUARY 2020

The DHTs have run a series of assemblies this week on our new school vision, “Always to choose kindness and create a respectful environment where staff and pupils can inspire each other to achieve their goals and become life-long learners.” They also talked about how our vision links to our school values of Ambition, Respect and Community (ARC) and about the importance resilience plays in our ability to deal with adversity both in the small and large challenges we encounter in our daily lives.  They also spoke about how having resilience helps us be successful and how ‘adversity’ and things that happen to us in life do not have to define us but how we can use these ‘knocks’ to help us move forward.  The Parent Council will be looking at ‘resilience’ next week at their meeting and exploring how the school and parents/carers can work together to support young people in continuing to develop their resilience. It would be good to see as many parents/carers there to discuss this and the many other items on the agenda. I will also be giving more detailed feedback on our HMIe Inspection at this Parent Council meeting.

Staffing
Judy Hadden, one of our Learning Assistants at Meadowpark leaves us today to take up a post with the NHS.

Emma Maguire, Business Support Administrator, leaves Knox Academy today, after 8 years, to take up a role in the private sector.

We wish them both well for the future

Recruitment
We currently have the following vacancies:

Pupil News
Youth and Philanthropy Initiative
Just before the Christmas holidays we held our annual school Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) Final. The process involves pupils researching local social issues and the charities that tackle them. The pupils use their research and experience with the charity to create presentations to compete to win a £3000 grant from YPI for the winning charity. This year we had a variety of charities represented in the final; Bliss; SNAC; Our Community Kitchen; New Horizons and East Lothian Young Carers. All the pupils presenting did an incredible job of taking the audience through their experience with their charities and the work they had done with the charities as well as making very passionate and compelling cases to win the £3000. After much deliberation, the judges concluded that the group representing East Lothian Young Carers were to be the winners and presented the winning group with the £3000 cheque for their chosen charity. Congratulations to the winning group who did an incredible job in representing an incredibly worthy charity that benefits many youngsters in our school and wider community. A huge well done also to all the finalists who represented the many fantastic charities that have such a positive impact on the people in our local community. (by Alex Redford, Social Subjects)

Swimming
Congratulations to all Knox Academy's swimmers who were competing at the weekend in the 3rd round of East Districts. The weekend saw the swimmers competing over the 200m distances with all swimmers making finals!

The following swimmers represented Haddington and District Amateur Swimming Club:

Aidan Ballantyne, Lucia Bivar Segurado, Lauren Clark, Helen Stoddart, Louisa Stoddart and Owen Williamson.  All swimmers did a fantastic job, racing against some of the country’s best up and coming athletes. Results included Aidan Ballantyne 1st (200 FREE); 3rd (200 FLY). Well done to Lucia who secured her first district final spots in the 200 FLY, 200 BACK and 200 FREE and to Helen Stoddart, dropping a massive 24 seconds on her 200 FLY entry time! The next competition for many of the Knox Academy's swimmers is next month, where they will race over the shorter distances of 100m at the Royal Commonwealth Pool.  (by Lana Borwick, PE)

Hockey
Charlie Gates (S5) has been selected for the Scottish Under 18 Development Squad. This gives him a fantastic opportunity to work towards selection for the National Squad and potentially selection for the European Championships in St Petersburg this summer.

Parents/Carers Information
Medicine – S4 Pupils

If you young person is interested in following a career in medicine there is an opportunity for them to apply for a place on the Medic Insight Day on 21st March in Edinburgh.  This day gives an opportunity for them to find out what life is like as a medical student and doctor.  Applications are now open online but close in the next week.

School Uniform
~As the cold weather hits please can I ask parents/carers to continue to support your young person wearing school uniform. The Knox Academy community is very proud of our uniform and as well as pupils looking very smart in it, it helps promote equity at the school, as well as linking in to our school values – particularly the value of buying in to our school ‘community’. Please can I remind parents/carers that hooded tops are not part of the school uniform and should not be worn in school.  Thank you for your support.

Dates for your diary (please also refer to the CALENDAR on the school website for all events across the year):

  • 28 January – Parent Council – Library – 6.15-8pm
  • 3 February – Careers Evening – all pupils/parents welcome – 6-8pm (Main Hall)
  • 4 February – S2 Parents’ Evening
  • 7 February – school closes for mid-term at 12.15pm  
  • 17 February – staff in-service day
  • 20 February – S2-S5 Learner Pathways Information Evening – 6.30pm

Sue Cook

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