Staffing
The acting DHT vacancy at Meadowpark closes this Sunday. Interviews will take place next Thursday.
A huge thank you to Nick Ball (Pupil Support Assistant) for all the support he has given to young people at Knox Academy during his time here. He leaves us on 28 February to take up a post Harmeny.
A warm welcome to Judy Skinner who started as the Business Support Assistant at Meadowpark this week.
S3 Parents’ Evening
Thank you to all parents/carers who came along to last night’s consultation. I spoke to many parents/carers and young people who found the discussions with staff very useful in helping confirm subject choices for S4 and also their next steps in terms of progress. It was also good to pilot a QR code for signing in and ask a question as part of this to help support our school’s self-evaluation.
If you were unable to attend for any reason and wish to discuss your young person’s progress, please contact the House Team. Thank you.
Skills Development Scotland
Parents and carers are key influencers over young people’s career ambitions and choices.
SDS work in close partnership with this school to support our young people to make informed career choices and they would value feedback from parents and carers on their services. You can do this by taking part in a short survey.
All responses are confidential and anonymous, and the results will be used to inform SDS services.
The survey should only take about 10 minutes to complete.
Knox Academy’s Diversity Evening – Thursday 6 March 2025 (5-9.30pm)
This is a really exciting event for our school and community and it will be the second time we have run it. The evening will feature Workshops, an International Marketplace, Food Court and a Diversity Show.
Our Diversity Show will start at 7pm (seated by 6.50pm). Acts will include the Chinese Lions (and drums) – celebrating Chinese New Year and Year of the Snake. Other acts will include our very own dancers, singers, orchestra, Jazz Band, Haddington Pipe Band and a number of other acts with diverse themes. There will also be acts from each of our associated primary schools. Our guest speaker for the evening will be Stephen Clegg, a Paralympian who won Gold Medals in swimming. Tickets for the evening show will go on sale on Thursday 27 February and parents/carers, friends and members of the local community will be able to purchase these from the School Office, at a cost of £5 (£3 concessions/school pupils). If you wish tickets put aside for collection please phone the school and we can do this for you too (Tel: 01620 823387).
Our Workshops will run at 5-5.45pm and 6-6.45pm (these had to be pre-booked via a link sent to parents/carers/pupils and staff prior to the February break). Some of the workshops running on the evening are Chinese Calligraphy, Samba Drumming, Pasta Making and Zumba. There are still spaces available in most of these but ones with most spaces are Meditation and the Ceilidh. If you do book on one, please ensure you can be there or let us know if you cannot make it so we can offer the space to someone else - thanks. Families that came along last time had so much fun attending these together.
Our International Market Place and Food Court (open to all – 5-6.45pm)
Prior to the start of the evening show there will be an opportunity to visit our International Market Place. Many of our local businesses will support this venture and on the evening we will be serving curries, various pizzas and our famous Scottish dish of haggis, neeps and tatties. Love Ice Cream will also be present for those with a sweet tooth! This will allow everyone to taste a variety of foods from countries around the world and also to come and enjoy your evening meal. There will also be an opportunity to buy products from some of the stalls (jewellery, nature oils, crafts and produce grown or developed locally etc.), take part in games and purchase raffle tickets to win fantastic prizes. A number of charities will also be present to talk about their work, such as Water Aid and Guide Dogs for the Blind (and chance to meet some of the puppies and dogs who are being trained/are trained for this role).
It will be cash only on the evening (please also bring some loose change) for any purchases at the various stalls and/or if you wish to purchase your dinner. Any money we do raise will go towards a variety of charitable causes and the school’s inclusion fund. Thank you for your support in making our Diversity Evening a great success and celebrating the diversity that we have in our local and wider community. It will be great to have as many of you along as possible to the whole evening or to any aspect of it – it is going to be a memorable evening!
Pupils’ Successes
Scottish Schools Athletic Championships and Indoor Combined Events/Pentathlon
Morven Kenny (S3) represented the school at the Scottish Schools Indoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday 5 February. She competed in the 300m and won a bronze medal!
Morven’s success continued into the February break when she competed in the National Indoor Combined Events / Pentathlon at the Emirates Stadium in Glasgow. She earned another bronze medal there against some fierce competition. If competing in athletic wasn’t enough, she then hopped on a plane to attend an intense swimming camp in Torremolinos for the week. Brilliant performances all round Morven!
Work Experience
Rebecca Cecil, S5, spent her February break on work experience at the Sheriff Courts in Edinburgh. During her busy week Rebecca got the chance to shadow members of the court administration office and attend court, where she was able to observe the different cases being heard. Rebecca was also given an early morning tour of the cells! She had a fantastic and very interesting time and it was a great way to spend her holiday.
Dates for your diary:
6 March – Diversity Evening (workshops, market place and food court – 5-7pm; show 7-9pm)
20 March – Parent Council 6.30-8pm – School Library – all welcome
Our school calendar is updated regularly and should be used to access all information throughout the year and allows you to plan ahead too.
Sue Cook
Quick Links:
Remote learning resources, course choices, supported study and careers news. Clicking on these headings takes you straight to these pages. E-Sgoil also has some great resources.
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