The SQA exams are in full swing now with Maths today and English next week. Having spoken to a number of our senior pupils they feel the exams have been ‘very fair’ so far so I hope this bodes well for their results come August.
Our Leavers’ Day, last Wednesday, was great fun and we started the day with a quiz, with a number of questions pertaining to notable events from when the year groups started school in P1, S1 and left in 2019. This was followed by a lovely breakfast and I would like to extend a huge thank you to Tesco for their kind gesture. Our Head Pupils then led an awards ceremony through a light-hearted Kahoot Quiz and this was followed by a photo montage from across the six years. Finally, staff formed a line at the front door and pupils left the building with a good luck handshake from us all. It has been an absolute pleasure knowing these young people and everyone in the Knox Academy community would like to wish them all the best for the future. I hope, as FPs, they will keep in touch and let us know about their successes.
Staffing
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Library
We will now have a Librarian on a Monday and Wednesday after the holidays until our new Librarian starts full time on 20 May. Those pupils on study leave may access resources in their normal timetabled classes should they wish to do so.
Film Project
Some pupils from Knox Academy will take the lead in the production of a film exploring how they see living and working in their future local authority to be. Through film and media education pupils will plan, write and develop skills in media production to produce their piece for an authority premiere, which will be attended by parents, pupils and local officials, before being distributed more widely.
Our school librarian, working alongside another school’s librarian and pupils, will link with partners from Queen Margaret University, who will provide learners with the opportunity to engage in workshops where pupils will collaboratively decide the format of the work, produce a script and project manage the creation of their piece. The creative process will see pupils use their school libraries as film production offices and filming will be done within and outside of the normal school day.
The process will see pupils gain literacy skills through script and report writing, and they will also gain experience in creative and digital technologies which will impact on their life-long learning and provide skills for future workforce career pathways.
A huge thank to Bill Plain, our former Librarian, who put the bid forward for this project and made it a successful one for Knox Academy.
Drama
N5 and Higher learners in Drama are invited to three revision sessions before their exam on Thursday 23 May; Wednesday 8, Wednesday 15 and Wednesday 22 May 3.50-4.50pm.
The Junior Drama Club are carefully devising a drama piece that they are excited to show to parents during the Primary Transition evening next month. The club shall then present to P7 pupils who come to Knox for their transitional visit days. (by E Whitfield)
Broad General Education Ceremony (S3)
Our first BGE Ceremony for S3 pupils transitioning to Senior Phase will take place on Friday 31 May. We are very privileged to welcome Norman Drummond as our Guest Speaker. All S3 Parents/Carers are warmly invited to this ceremony and should book seats by completing the tear-off slip on the letter sent home and then return this to the school office ASAP (see website for original letter).
Monitoring/Tracking and Reporting and Parents’ Evenings/Prelims
Thank you to parents/carers who responded to say they would like to be part of the short life working group meeting to discuss this. This group meets next week and an update of progress will be provided in the near future.
Squash
Dylan Pearman in S2 took part in the Tyne District Squash & Racketball finals on Saturday. He played in the Open Handicap Racketball, Open Squash Handicap and the Open Squash (which are open to all members - Juniors & Adults). Dylan performed amazingly well and won all three finals.
In the history of Tyne Squash Club, Dylan is the youngest person to have won any of the titles and no one has ever been in all three open finals on the same day, never mind winning all of them. What a fabulous result!
During the Easter holidays Dylan also had the fantastic experience of playing the U13 World Champion and although he didn’t win he said the experience was one he will remember and gained a lot from it.
Emails
Emails will be our main method of communicating with parents/carers from June onwards. If you have still to update your email, or have changed it, please email Emma Maguire to make her aware of this so your records can be updated (please refer to letter sent a few weeks ago about this).
Activities Week (Wednesday 15 - Friday 17 May)
S1-S3 will all be involved in activities over these three days. S1 pupils are split into 2 groups (both will go to Blair Drummond for 1 day and both will go to Edinburgh for 1 day). The Edinburgh day trip includes Edinburgh Dungeon’s OR Camera Obscura and all will visit Edinburgh Castle. Both groups will go to Foxlake together on Friday.
S2/3 pupils are either away to PGL watersports trip to the South of France or Paris if they have opted for a residential trip. If not the choices are: Masterchef, Go SUP and More, Art Attack, Health & Beauty, Question of Sport, Explore Edinburgh & STEM Engineering.
Pupils who have not chosen any of the packages will be allocated a timetable to follow for these three day which will give them a variety of different classes to experience beyond that of their normal timetable.
Tesco Bags of Help Scheme to support Knox Academy's Activities Week.
Please vote for us! Voting will take place between Wednesday 1 May 2019 and Sunday 30 June 2019. As I am sure many of you know, Knox Academy Activities Week provides pupils with access to a whole range of different extra-curricular activities. The aim of the week is to allow pupils in S1-S3 to gain important skills that in turn allow them to become successful, valuable and responsible members of their community. Experiences in the past have included a huge variety of different activities such as cooking, mindfulness, mountain biking, sailing, build a band, cultural excursions and arts/crafts. Pupils are able to gain life skills, independence, resilience, accountability, all while having fun.
I cannot put into words the difference these experiences make to our pupils, the only issue is that for some of them it is no longer an option to take part due to financial restrictions, however, thanks to various funding opportunities from members of our local and wider community, Knox Academy is breaking down this barrier! (by H McBride)
Dates for your Diary:
Monday 6 May School holiday (all)
Tuesday 14 May Parent Council 6.15pm – Library
Monday 20 May Holiday for pupils and staff in-service day
(SQA candidates sitting exams on 20 May should attend)
Friday 31st May S3 BGE Graduation Ceremony (10.30am)
Monday 3 June Start of new timetable (all years)
Tuesday 11 June P7 Information/Transition Evening
Tuesday/Wednesday 18/19 June P7 Transition Days
Sue Cook
