Staffing
As the school year draws to a close, it’s time to say goodbye to a number of staff who are leaving Knox Academy. Those who are retiring have been here for many years and they are certainly going to be missed: Mrs McInnes and Mr Barclay in maths, and Mr Johnston in music. Between them, they have taught thousands of young people over the years and they have had a big impact on people’s lives. I’m sure parents will join me in thanking them most sincerely for all the dedication and commitment they have shown to the school, and we wish them a very happy retirement. 

Other members of staff are moving on to posts in other schools, or to new challenges in their lives: Mrs MacLeod, who has been our acting depute this session; Ms Orr in music; Ms McPhee in history; Mrs Rankine in English; Mrs Walker in biology. We are hugely grateful to them all. They leave knowing that their contribution has made the school a richer place, both within and beyond their classrooms. We thank them all and wish them well for the future. 

Celebrations and Awards
The month of June has seen a number of celebrations here at Knox Academy. At the beginning of the month, both the School of Rugby and the School of Hockey held their award ceremonies, recognising the achievements and progress of our pupils in these sports. Last week, all sports and wider activities at Knox were recognised at our Sport Awards Ceremony. It was a super night, with an inspirational speech from Sarah Jamieson, a Scotland internationalist in hockey, and a demonstration of boxing from former pupil Iain Trotter and his team-mates. The highlight of the night was the award of Sports Personality of the Year, which went to Morven Wrinn, a very worthy winner indeed. The last big event of the session was our Awards Ceremony. It was a huge pleasure for me to present the awards to so many of our young people, recognising their achievements, commitment and service to the community. It really was a lovely way to close the 2017-2018 session at Knox Academy.

A Personal Thank You
From my very first day at Knox Academy last August, I have felt a warmth of welcome from all members of the school community. It has been a genuine pleasure for me to lead the school this session and that is because of the people in it. I have valued the support, dedication and professionalism of the staff and I know that I have made some lasting friendships with colleagues. The pupils have given me many moments of joy – as well as the occasional moment of frustration! – and I have loved hearing of their pride in the school and their love of learning. The parents, too, have been a great support this year, particularly the members of the Parent Council and the PTA. The partnership between parents and school is a strong one, and that has certainly been of benefit to me personally this year. When I return to my substantive post in August, I know that I will have left a bit of my heart at Knox Academy.  

I wish the pupils, staff and parents of Knox Academy a very happy, relaxing summer break when it comes. I will certainly keep in touch and I look forward to following the school’s journey over the coming years. 

Lauren Rodger
Head Teacher