As we're gearing towards the Christmas Dances please see the link below to allow you to request songs - please note, that you can only put your requests in once! Please do this before Monday 5th December (Juniors) and Monday 12th December (Seniors).
Google Form Link:
The Tuesday Group is a support group for unpaid carers working for the council. It meets by Teams at lunchtime on the first Tuesday of every month and gives carers the chance to come together for a bit of peer support and get expert input about support that can make a positive difference to their caring role.
Gemma Twells-Davison from Carers of East Lothian (COEL) will be on hand at the December meeting to talk about volunteering opportunities, COEL’s befriending programme, their Carers' Panel, and their programme of events for carers over the festive period.
So, if you’re a carer, why not drop into Tuesday Group on 6 December 2022 from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm.
The results of our Black Out Monday are in! Thanks to staff and students making an effort to keep lights and devices off as much as possible, we saved electricity! We saved roughly 86-100 kwh in the day compared to an average day at Knox. If we were to maintain this on a daily basis, we could save 400-500 kwh in a week! This shows that when we all do our part, we can make a difference! Moving forward, let's all continue the effort to turn lights, projectors, and computers off!
We are looking for volunteers to become committee members from the following year groups S1, S3, S4 and S5. Committee members will make decisions on who or what qualifies for an Achievement Ties award. This is a great opportunity and is something you can add to your experiences and will be useful in applying for other positions or jobs in the future. Taking part will demonstrate communication skills as you will share your opinions with others; it will also demonstrate you go above and beyond by contributing to the wider school community. The role will be quite straight forward and mainly involves you making and sharing your decisions on individual applications (these are redacted before you see them).
If you can participate please come and see Mr Clark in Room M8 by Wednesday of this week (30th November). If you are unable to attend then please email: aclark1@edubuzz.org(link sends e-mail) or drop in at lunchtime.
The latest vacancies are now available from East Lothian Works.
East Lothian Works 25 November 2022
Speak to Mr Flood for more information.
The My World of Work website is used by pupils, staff and parents to support pupils with planning their career. We are looking to re-start our MWOW Pupil Ambassadors Group, who support careers events and pupils, staff and parents.
We are also looking to start a SCQF Ambassadors Group. The SCQF School Ambassador programme offers schools the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of the SCQF and the wider ways in which it supports learners such as recognising wider achievement, developing Senior Phase learning pathways in line with the Developing the Young Workforce strategy and giving equality between vocational and academic qualifications.
The plan is for both groups to run together. We are looking for 4 pupils from each of S3, S4, S5 and S6 to be part of the group. If you are interested, please give your name to Mr Flood or Mr Russell.
This Christmas registration teachers will be encouraging all pupils to bring in an item for the food bank collection this year.
Please bring in non-perishable food, toiletries or even a cash donation which will be passed on to local food banks including the Lammermuir Larder in Haddington.
Thanks so much for your generosity. :-)
Mrs Montgomery and Mrs McDonald
Did you misplace a blue plastic lunchbox at some point last week (w/c 14 November 2022)? Still sitting unclaimed in Business Education M.12. This will be taken to the school office within the next couple of days.
Thanks
Mr D
Can anyone who attends girls football come to a short meeting at breaktime today (Tuesday 22 November 2022).
Miss Stobie
Congratulations to the S6 pupils who have been selected to represent their house as house captains for 2022-2023. They will help to run and organise house events throughout the year.
Lammerlaw
Garleton
Traprain
Please get in touch if you have any suggestions!
A reminder that girls football is not on tonight due to the match yesterday and it will not be on next Thursday (24 November 2022).
Miss Stobie
The Eco-Committee will be meeting on Monday 21 November at lunch time in Ms. Laudi's room. It is important that as many members attend as possible because Sarah from Lil (the plastic-free refill shop in Haddington) will be coming to discuss ideas with us. Bring your lunch and come join the discussion!
There will be an LGBT+ ALLIES meeting in M.9 (Miss Stobie's room) @ 1:25 today (16 November 2022). Everyone is welcome and bring along your lunch!
Miss Stobie and Miss Fletcher
Can all girls who have been picked for the game against North Berwick come to a meeting today (15 November 2022) in Miss Stobie's classroom at break time. There will be no training for the next two weeks due to games and parents evening. Training will be on 1 December 2022.
Miss Stobie
As part of the Eco-Committee's effort to renew our Eco-Schools Green Flag, we would like to carry out some community litter picks in the near future. If anyone in the Knox community has litter pickers they no longer need, we will happily accept them as donations. If you do have spare litter pickers, please bring them to the school office addressed to Ms. Laudi. Thank you!
GoSEStran is a new app designed as a one-stop-shop to make travel around East Lothian simpler.
Go ahead and download it off Google Play and Apple App Store now to give it a go!
The app allows you to plan your door-to-door journey around East Lothian (and beyond!) and gives you the various sustainable travel choices available, showing how long each one takes, the likely cost, and even the predicted CO2 emissions. The project is aiming to contribute to the research and knowledge about how to improve the integration and reliability of transport, especially in rural areas.
This week is Anti-Bullying week. The LGBT+ Allies Group have put together some Google Slides with Youtube links and points of discussion for registration groups. Our aim is to understand what counts as bullying, to promote empathy at Knox Academy and to encourage pupils to reach out when they do encounter this sort of behaviour.
There is going to be a dress down day on Friday 18th November for Children in Need.
There is going to be fun activities at break time in the social area and quad like pieing teachers and also a bake sale so make sure you are there!
With the cost of living crisis and Christmas coming, this year is more important than ever to raise funds for this who need them most so please bring in a donation to dress down and for the break time activities if possible!!
We are excited about welcoming author Victoria Williamson to the school to speak to you about her latest book on Tuesday 15 November 2022 during:
Go to your normal class for the beginning of the period, and your teacher will bring you to the Assembly Hall. Please remember to bring £8.99 in cash if you would like to buy a signed book from the author. (There are full details on the school website.) War of the Wind and other books by Victoria Williamson are available to borrow from the library.
Reminder: National and Higher pupils that are taking part in the PE verification netball game (Monday 14 November 2022), please come to PE during break time to change, and be ready.
Well done to all the teams who presented at the YPI final on Wednesday 9 November 2022. The standard of presentations was very high and the judges complemented all the teams. Congratulations to the team representing the Wave Project, who won £3,000 for their chosen charity.
Students in S1/S2 and S5 were issued with their photograph proofs this morning. Most students should have 2 photographs: one close up and one at a distance.
Instructions are available on the proof sheets with details on how to order the photographs direct from Tempest Photography.
There will be an opportunity for absentees to have their photograph taken alongside S3/S4 and Meadowpark on a date TBC.
Did you lose a hairbrush at the Tempest Photoshoot on Wednesday 9 November 2022?
Wide black brush, quite short bristles.
It is available at the office to collect.
The latest vacancies are now available from East Lothian Works.
East Lothian Works 4 November 2022
Speak to Mr Flood for more information.
The U-15 Girls have their first match of the season tomorrow (Thursday 10 Noveber 2022) at the 3G from 4:30-5:30 vs Newbattle. Come down and support them!
Miss Stobie
Individual Photographs (and the S6 Photograph) will be taken and later available to order via Tempest School Photography. These photographs will also update our School Records.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances outwith our control S3, S4 and Meadowpark students will have their photographs taken on a differnet day, which will be notified in due course.
Please attend the library at the allocated time in full uniform.
This year's YPI (Youth and Philanthropy Initiative) Final takes place on Wednesday 9 November 2022, Periods 4 and 5. Six S5 teams will be delivering presentations supporting a local charity and hoping to win £3,000 for their charity. All S4 and S5 pupils will be attending the Final. Pupils will register with their Period 4 class and their teacher will then accompany them to the Hall.
UPDATE: Due to circumstances outwith our control, unfortunately S3, S4 and Meadowpark students will now have their photographs taken on a different date. Registration teachers have an updated outline for the day. Apologies for this.
On Wednesday 9 November 2022 we welcome Tempest Photography to the school to take individual formal school photographs which will be available to order by parents/carers. Since School Photographs haven't been taken for several years, this year the whole school will have their individual photographs taken. This is also an opportunity for us to update school records with a recent photograph.
As always, full uniform is expected on the day.
Registration teachers will notify students on exact timings at the beginning of the week. All members of staff have a record of when these photographs will be taken and will release registration classes at the appropriate times.
All individual photographs will be taken in the School Library.
S6 should report to the social area immediately after registration for their individual photograph, which will then be followed by the S6 group photograph.
In the lead up to our Carbon Day of Action on Monday 14 November 2022, the Eco-Committee would like registration groups to watch and discuss the videos/links below. You can choose one or two videos/links to explore each morning.
Calculate your carbon footprint with these calculators
Thank you to all the S6 pupils who collected for Poppyscotland in Tesco over the past 2 weekends. You were a credit to the school. Well done!
Remember - S6 pupils will be round classes this morning (Monday 7 November 2022) - don't forget to make a donation to Poppyscotland.
Thank you to the talented Callum Donohoe in S6 who played his bagpipes in Haddington town centre on Saturday to raise funds for Poppyscotland. He raised an amazing £416.33. Well done, Callum!
The Prelim Examination Timetable, running from 25 November 2022 – 12 December 2022, is now available. If a Prelim Exam is in a classroom, pupils will be made aware of the exact classroom nearer the time, as in some cases the exam will not be in the usual classroom for that subject.
Pupils are asked to study this timetable carefully and highlight their exam times. If there are any clashes (there is a very small number for some pupils, where the combination of subjects is less common) please speak to the teacher concerned and they will support adaptations.
Poppyscotland provide support for current and former members of the Armed Forces as well as their families. This support, in recognition of their sacrifices and service, is holistic and bespoke. We are proud to be the local area organisers for Poppyscotland in the Haddington area. S6 pupils will be round classes on Friday 4 November 2022 and Monday 7 November 2022 collecting donations. Please remember to bring a donation to support Poppyscotland. We now have a card machine so can accept payments by card as well as cash donations.
Upcoming open days for SRUC.
Edinburgh open day at the Kings Buildings on 9 November 2022 at 2-4pm.
Two open days at our Oatridge campus. One specifically for vet nursing and animal care on 3 November 2022, with the remaining Oatridge subjects being presented on 4 November 2022.
Please see Mr Flood or the SRUC website to sign up or for more information.
The latest vacancies are now available from East Lothian Works.
East Lothian Works 21 October 2022
East Lothian Works 28 October 2022
Speak to Mr Flood for more information.
Since 2019 Knox Academy has recognised achievement in school based extra-curricular and non-school based wider achievements through the award of Achievement Ties. The Achievement Ties committee meets twice yearly to discuss nominations and allocation of Achievement Ties. There are two categories of Achievement Tie that can be awarded 'half colours' and 'full colours'. There will be a presentation to all pupils on Tuesday the 8th November during registration which outlines how pupils may achieve these awards.
Nominations are now open and can be completed through a Google Form.
For information on eligibility for the awards please see the Achievement Ties 2022 document. There will be a virtual assembly for pupils during registration from two S6 members of the Achievement Ties Committee on Tuesday 8 November 2022 informing pupils about the awards and how they might achieve them.
The deadline for the first of two nomination periods this academic year will be Friday 25 November 2022. Any applications received after this date will role on to the next meeting of the committee in May 2023.
