Knox News December 2009

December 2009

nox
T h e N e w s l e t t e r o f K n o x

ews
A c a d e m y

Dear Parent/Carer, Welcome to the last Knox News of 2009. As usual, the term has been very busy and details of various events and successes can be found in this edition of the Knox News. Pupils in fourth year have just completed their prelim examinations and Work Experience placements. I am sure you will encourage all of them to build on their prelim performances to achieve the very best results possible in the summer. I know they will study hard and try their best. Fifth and sixth year pupils begin their prelim examinations at the end of January, I hope they find some time to study over the festive season. I am sure you join with me in wishing them all every success. A special thank you to S6 who have been very active as prefects, assisting with events, working hard on various committees and preparing for the now traditional panto amongst other things. They have displayed great leadership, commitment to their roles as prefects and the various fund-raising events organised by them have been very successful. At the end of term, the Business Manager, Mrs N Davidson, will be leaving Knox Academy to take up a post in the School of Divinity, Edinburgh University. Mrs Davidson has been at the school for just over 5 years and in that time has been a valued member of staff and the Senior Management Team and has provided strong leadership for the Support Staff in the school. During her time here, Mrs Davidson has been unstinting in her commitment to Knox and has worked „beyond the call of duty‟ in many areas of the school. She has been effective as a member of various groups, ranging from the Parent School Partnership to the S6 Leavers‟ Dance Committee, to Health and Safety to the Cadets Centenary Group. Mrs Davidson has supported all events held by the school, including dances, concerts and plays (indeed, she has just been „person in charge of the swords‟ for „The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe‟). More closely linked to her remit, Mrs Davidson has streamlined the financial and administrative procedures in the school, handled all personnel issues with tact and discretion and implemented initiatives (for example, „lockers for all‟ and the pupils‟ points system). On a personal level, I have enjoyed working with Mrs Davidson and her support and business acumen have been invaluable in moving the school forward. I am sure you join me in wishing Mrs Davidson success in her new post. The holiday spirit is alive and well at Knox and we plan to have an exciting, fun-packed and, of course, educational, last day of term. We finish the term on Tuesday 22 December at 4 pm and the new term for pupils begins at 8.44 am on Wednesday 6 January 2010. I wish everyone an enjoyable and relaxing holiday and a happy New Year. JB Craig Headteacher

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A B S E N C E L E T T E RS

BY

E M AI L

We are now accepting absence notes via email. If you wish to do this please email the address below, putting your child‟s name and tutor group in the subject line. We realise that this system might be open to abuse, but we will be storing the emails and parents and carers can still request absence print outs to check that they are up to date with absence notes. If absences remain unexplained by either letter or email for a month they will be changed to either “N” for “unreasonable excuse” or “T” for “truancy”. [email protected] S Ingham Depute Head Teacher

E N G L I S H D E PART ME NT N E WS : A U T H OR V I SI T
On Friday 13 November the English Department, in conjunction with the Library, hosted a visit from the renowned author and media figure, Alistair Moffat. The event took place in the Library in front of an audience of Higher and Advanced Higher pupils. Mr Moffat, who directed the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 1976 to 1981, and was Chairman of Scottish Television, gave a fascinating talk on his life in broadcasting and publishing. He bemoaned the decline of television, and spoke positively of what he sees as a renaissance of reading in Scotland. In school as a representative of the newly-founded Lennoxlove Book Festival, he engaged the pupils in a dialogue about their reading habits, and encouraged them to develop their interest in reading and writing. It is hoped that this visit will mark the start of a link between the school and the Lennoxlove Book Festival, a venture which looks set to grow and grow. D Swinney English Department

M O D E R N S T U DI E S N E WS
Modern Studies Educational Trust Congratulations to Ailsa Macaldowie 2L1 who won the National Modern Studies S1/2 Newspaper Front Cover Competition. She submitted a winning entry based on Human Rights and received a certificate and a cheque. Well done Ailsa! Advanced Higher Modern Studies Advanced Higher Modern Studies pupils have been conducting their interviews for their dissertations this month. They have received a visit from Iain Gray MSP and also Community Police Officer PC Black. The pupils have been conducting research on issues such as alcohol minimum pricing, youth crime, sectarianism and social exclusion. Thank you to both Mr Gray and PC Black for their help and well done to the pupils. K Bulloch Modern Studies Department

P A R E NT S C HO OL P ART NE RS HI P

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Our New Website! This term the Parent School Partnership (PSP) has working hard, looking at how we can make it easier for parents to communicate with each other and the school. Easy and effective communication is vital in order for us to: · · · · represent parents‟ views improve contact between the school, parents, pupils and the community keep parents informed about important issues within Knox Academy and beyond, and work with the school to continue to improve the teaching and learning of the pupils.

To this end, we have set up a new and improved parents‟ website which you can find at: http://edubuzz.org/blogs/knoxparents/ This website is part of the Edubuzz system which is used by many schools, parents, teachers and classes in East Lothian. Our new site will make it much easier for you make your views known and, importantly, read what other parents think! You can reply to items posted on the site and read other parents comments. You can also subscribe to receiving an e-mail update of any new item posted on the site. You will also find a link to our e-mail address on the site if you would prefer to contact us that way: [email protected] For those of you who have already signed up to the PSP e-mail list you should receive an invitation to subscribe to the e-mail update. To everyone else – please visit the site and sign up. This is your chance to improve communications with other parents and the school and make your voices heard – please use it! PS Please bear with us if we have any technical teething problems – we‟re all new to this and will try to fix any problems as soon as possible! Elections No, it‟s not the general election yet but the election to fill the vacancy on the Parent School Partnership. This is a call for nominations for the election which will take place in January. We need as many parent and carer votes as possible. To download a document which explains the arrangements for the election and a nomination form please visit our website. Budget cuts Knox Academy Parent School Partnership has submitted its response to the budget consultation process. It can be read by clicking: budgetconsultationresponsenov2009 Parent School Partnership

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C U R R I C ULUM

FOR

E XCE L L E NCE

Curriculum for Excellence Bringing learning to life and life to learning
Curriculum for Excellence is now being introduced across Scotland for all 3-18 year olds – wherever they learn. It aims to raise standards, prepare our children for a future they do not yet know and equip them for jobs of tomorrow in a fast changing world. Curriculum for Excellence enables professionals to teach subjects creatively, to work together across the school and with other schools, to share best practice and explore learning together. Glow, Scotland‟s unique, world-leading, online network supports learners and teachers in this and plans are already in place for parents across the country to have access to Glow. Teachers and practitioners will share information to plan a child‟s „learning journey‟ from 3-18, helping their progression from nursery to primary, primary to secondary and beyond, ensuring the change is smooth. They‟ll ensure children continue to work at a pace they can cope with and with challenge they can thrive on. Curriculum for Excellence balances the importance of knowledge and skills. Every child is entitled to a broad and deep general education, whatever their level and ability. Every single teacher and practitioner will be responsible for literacy and numeracy – the language and numbers skills that unlock other subjects and are vital to everyday life. It develops skills for learning, life and work to help young people go on to further study, secure work and navigate life. It brings real life into the classroom, making learning relevant and helps young people apply lessons to their life beyond the classroom. It links knowledge in one subject area to another helping children understand the world and make connections. It develops skills so that children can think for themselves, make sound judgements, challenge, enquire and find solutions. There will be new ways of assessing progress and ensuring children achieve their potential. There will be new qualifications for literacy and numeracy and from 2012/13, new National 4 and 5 qualifications from 2013/14. Our well regarded Access, Highers and Advanced Highers will be updated to take account of and support the new approaches to learning and teaching. There‟s personal support to help young people fulfil their potential and make the most of their opportunities with additional support wherever that‟s needed. There will be a new emphasis by all staff on looking after our children‟s health and wellbeing – to ensure that the school is a place where children feel safe and secure. Ultimately, Curriculum for Excellence aims is to improve our children‟s life chances, to nurture successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, and responsible citizens, building on Scotland‟s reputation for great education. D Ledingham Director of Education East Lothian Council

L A N D Y AC HT S

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The Design and Technology Department organised a Challenge for all S2 pupils that took place on Tuesday 27 th and Wednesday 28th October 2009 in the Assembly Hall. The year group was split into 4 and each group worked in the hall for half of one day. During the Challenge the pupils were required to work in teams, and they were given a technical problem to solve; to design and manufacture a wind powered vehicle that needed to travel the greatest possible distance. There were many original and clever designs and the event was thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils. A Leggatt Technology Department

IS

T HI S YO U ?

You have great ideas, you know your subjects well, you can talk about what you know, but somehow, when it comes to writing, you feel you let yourself down. Maybe you choose easy words when you write because you can‟t spell the hard ones. You might be slow at copying stuff from the board and so you miss bits. You like word-processing your work and you know the Word programme has fancy tools to help you type better and quicker, but you‟re not quite sure what buttons to press. You might even like to try a text-to-speech programme, but you‟re not sure how to go about that.

Help is at hand. The Learning Support Department is offering open sessions to give you a chance to talk over any issues. At these sessions you can find out how to help yourself and what the department can do for you. You can pick up any relevant information and go away and practise yourself or you can come to LS at breaks, lunchtimes or any free time to get a bit more help if you want it.

When and where Sessions will be held fortnightly on Wednesdays 1.30 – 1.55 in Room L2. Dates will be displayed in the LS area and on notice boards around the school.

A Hubbard Learning Support Department

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JOBS
The Education Department are currently looking to recruit Supply Additional Support Needs Auxiliaries and Supply Nursery Nurses. For further information please contact East Lothian Council HR Department, telephone number 01620 827625 for an application form.

T E AM B UI L DI NG — T H E B U SI N E S S E D U C AT I O N W AY
On Wednesday 2 December 2009 on a chilly evening, 51 pupils and 5 members of staff gathered outside the school in anticipation of what was to be an exciting teambuilding evening. The 51 pupils included members of the Higher and Intermediate 2 Administration and Business Management classes as well as selected guests from S5/6. It is Pantomime season again – and we were off to see “Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates” at the King‟s Theatre in Edinburgh. A fantastic evening was to follow. We saw Susan Boyle, the Churchill Dog, we travelled under the sea and the dinosaur didn‟t want to race – at least there is Weetabix! Plus, always remember to finish your apple before you sing, especially with the love of your life – Girl Friday! In addition, Robinson Crusoe had to be careful with his treasure map; we didn‟t want Black Heart „The Pirate‟ to get his hands on it! The sing-a-long „The Twelve Days of Christmas‟ was also a great laugh. Well done to all who behaved impeccably and made the evening a great success. Mr Dempster Business Education Department

F O R M UL A O N E

IN

S CH O OL

The Formula One in Schools Technology Challenge is a world wide competition which provides pupils with an ideal opportunity to experience the very latest developments in manufacturing and technology. For the first time the Technology Faculty at Knox Academy will be entering a team of five S1 students; Katie Scott, Lev Croft, Janina Calder-Petrie, Owen McHugh and Peter Gilmour. Using CAD (Computer Aided Design) software the team will design a Formula One car of the future, and will manufacture and test a scale model of their design. In addition to designing the car the pupils will be responsible for getting sponsorship to fund their team, design and make their own uniforms, make promotional material, and produce a folio of work to accompany their project. Each student will be given a role within the team; Team Manager; Resources Manager; Graphic Designer; and two Design Engineers. There are many tasks to be mastered in order to design, manufacture, develop, prepare and finally, enter their car for racing, and it will be vital that the team work together. The regional finals are not until October next year, so the team have a lot of work and fun ahead of them. Good luck to them! A Leggatt Technology Department

I S KC O N V I S I T

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Earlier in the term the third year Religious Studies Standard Grade class was lucky enough to have a visit from the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). The class have been studying Hinduism and Indian culture but no-one knew quite what to expect. However, everyone was very excited. When we arrived Miss Adam‟s room had been decorated in floral necklaces, colourful patterned blankets and the aroma of incense lingered in the air. A long table of Murtis (sacred statues) and other puja (worship) items had been laid out. We took our shoes off and sat on the patterned blankets on the floor. Sakya and his wife Poetry told us about the main gods and the demi gods, and then told us about meditation, the way Hindus, who Krishna is and why he is worshipped. When you think of Hinduism you may think of Krishna. He is often shown as a blue child with cows and playing the flute. He is famous for giving guidance, which is why a lot of people love him so much. After discussing several subjects within Hinduism, we meditated. One of us was taken away to get dressed while everyone had their eyes closed. First there was Brahma standing in front of us and then when we opened our eyes the second time there was the demi-god of wealth. The visit was a great success and everyone is thankful to ISKCON for taking the time to come and see us. Ben Nisbet (3G1) and Caitlin Raine (3T1)

A B R I G HT R E D D AY
In late November the school received a visit from Bright Red Publishing in Edinburgh, the company who hold the contract from SQA to publish all SQA Past Papers as well as several revision guides. The company had in turn awarded the printing contract for the thousands of books to Haddington-based company ScotPrint which is based in the old Mitsubishi factory at Gateside. As the local school to ScotPrint, Bright Red decided to present Knox Academy with a set of the past paper books that are held in the library and may be accessed by pupils. The photograph below shows l to r: Norrie Gray from ScotPrint, Alan Grierson from Bright Red Publishing, Alasdair Brown Head Boy, Neil MacGowan Head of Corporate Affairs at SQA, Alexandra Muir Head Girl, Mrs Craig Head Teacher Mr M Duddin Depute Head Teacher

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S TAN DAR D L I F E V I SI T
Business Education pupils were fortunate enough once again to receive a visit from some of the Standard Life Human Resources Team on Monday 9 November and Wednesday 11 November. The afternoon started with a talk about Job Applications; their importance, what to include and model examples. We were asked to get into groups and assess example/dummy application forms, based on what we had just learnt. This proved to be very productive; we not only had to choose what application forms were best, but had to explain our choices, re-enforcing our knowledge about them. After a very short break, we moved on to Interviews. We were given a talk on how interviews are run, the common questions you are likely to be asked, and how you should conduct an interview and told about what a perfect interviewee would do. From our groups we selected one person to participate in a role play interview with the Standard Life representatives being the interview panel. Each group representative was given a role to play; one being the „perfect‟ interviewee, another being an over enthusiastic interviewee and lastly someone who wasn‟t at all interested. It was amusing to watch and highlighted exactly how you should conduct yourself in an interview. We received very useful booklets about Job Applications and the Interview process, which proved to be a great aid when revising for our Human Resources test! Everyone had a fantastic time, and it was an extremely productive and interesting afternoon. Thank You Standard Life! Campbell Hastings 5G1

F O R M E R P UP I L S ‟ N E W S

Congratulations to Kathryn McKay who has graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a BA(Hons). Sofie Rogers who has graduated with a B.Sc (Hons) from the university of Glasgow. Rachel McKay has started training as a nurse at Manchester Metropolitan University, specialising in adult nursing. We wish all of them all the best in the future. S Ingham Depute Head Teacher

C ORRECTIONS
Unfortunately some of the results published in the last Knox News were inaccurate. inconvenience caused. SQA results: % of the relevant Sept S4 roll achieving: S4 English and Maths @ level 3 or better 5+ @ level 3 or better 5+ @ level 4 or better 5+ @ level 5 or better S5 1+ @level 6 or better 3+ @ level 6 or better 5+ @ level 6 or better 1+ @ level 7 Knox Academy East Lothian Scotland

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Apologies for any

06/07 07/08 08/09 06/07 07/08 08/09 06/07 07/08 08/09 95 94 86 47 52 38 18 21 99 96 82 42 49 36 18 27 98 96 83 45 46 28 13 25 94 93 79 38 43 26 11 16 94 94 81 39 41 25 10 16 95 95 84 37 44 26 12 15 92 91 76 33 39 22 10 12 92 91 76 34 39 22 10 13 92 91 77 35 40 23 10 13

S6

Please note that all 08/09 figures are pre-appeal. Level 3 = Access 3 and Standard Grade 5-6 Level 4 = Intermediate 1 A-C and Standard Grade 3-4 Level 5 = Intermediate 2 A-C and Standard Grade 1-2 Level 6 = Higher A-C Level 7 = Advanced Higher A-C

J B Craig Head Teacher

N AT I O NAL S CI E N C E A WA R DS
You will remember from last year that a team of students (Gabby Jackson, Conor McHugh, Gareth Evans, Kelvin Craig and Fraser Thomson) completed a fantastic project about energy and renewables and won the Young SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) Ambassadors Challenge. Following their success in this competition their project was entered into The National Science and Engineering Awards, which is a competition open to all 11-18 year olds across the UK. Once again they were successful, and have been asked to attend the final in Manchester. Here, they will have their own stand to show-off all their hard work to over 13,000 scientists, engineers, students, parents, employers, teachers and celebrities. They will present their work to a VIP panel in the competition finals. This is an amazing achievement for the team, who are all very excited about the finals. We know they will be fantastic, and wish them the best of luck! A Leggatt Technology Department

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T H E H E A RT S E X P E RI E N CE
Over nine Tuesdays in October and November, I was part of the “Hearts Onside” project. Before I went I felt a bit nervous because no one else was going from Knox and I didn‟t really know what we were going to do. The project took place at Tynecastle and the Hearts training centre at Riccarton. There were ten people in the group from different schools in East Lothian. When we arrived at Tynecastle we went to the changing rooms to get ready. I was a bit surprised that the kit was blue, not maroon. The good thing was that we got to keep all the kit and a pair of Puma V1 boots as well. Over the time we formed a band, played football, met Rubens Palzulos (and played football with him), they also took us to a Hearts game. I had a great time. Mark Lyon 3L2

A L I T E R ARY S TA R

IS

B OR N

Congratulations to Alice Mainstone in S6 who recently won a national writing competition organised by Evans publishing, in conjunction with World Book Day. Alice's short story will be published in an anthology and she will receive an individual and a school prize. Well done! K Fairbairn English Department

I N SP I R I N G W ORK E X P E RI E NCE
From Monday the 23rd of to November to Friday the 27th I was in the most fortunate position to be on work experience with Jason Southgate, an amazing costume and set designer. Jason‟s work is both nationally and internationally renowned. My placement was at “The Glasgow Citizens‟ Theatre” where final preparations were being made for their Christmas show, “Cinderella”. I was interested in working with Jason because I wanted to learn more about the design process. Last year in Art and Design Miss Christie gave us the opportunity to design and make our own lights. Having had this opportunity I was inspired to learn more. During my week in Glasgow I was involved in many aspects of theatre life; I made a decorative broach for one of the “ugly sisters‟” wigs, helped decorate the foyer, sewed mesh onto a costume and spray painted it. I also helped put the final touches to the animal puppets being used in the show. One of the most exciting things I was allowed to do was to sit in on technical performances and dress rehearsals. This allowed me to see how a design develops from just an idea to “the real thing”. I really enjoyed working with Jason and the other members of the Glasgow Citz. this unique and unforgettable experience has made me even more determined to study Design at Art College. Hannah Baxter 4G3 P.S The show looks amazing! Everyone should go and see it!

C H R I ST M A S C ON C E RT

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On Wednesday 16th December there were two showings of the Christmas Concert. In the afternoon pupils from our Cluster Primary Schools came for a visit and joined parents and grandparents for the first of the concerts and, in the evening the Hall was packed to capacity with pupils‟ relatives and friends of the school. We were treated to a diverse programme. As has become traditional, the Knox Academy Pipe Band raised the roof and got us off to a good start. It would be easy to mention all the pieces as highlights, but for me, some of the stand-out performances came from the Brass Band (The Toreador‟s Song from Bizet‟s Carmen), the Soul Band urging us to R-E-S-P-E-C-T and there wasn‟t a dry eye in the house after the Senior Choir‟s rendition of “Bring Him Home” from the musical “Les Misèrables”. All in all it was a splendid night showcasing some of the amazing talent that we have at Knox Academy. I should also add my sincere thanks to all the staff, but especially the Music Department and the Instructors, who were involved in making this evening possible. S Ingham Depute Head Teacher

S 6 P A NT O
The school awaits with baited breath the annual school pantomime. In a frenzy of dayglo and leg warmers the S6 are pulling together the Knox version of „Sleeping Beauty‟. High kicking in the corridors and vocal warm-ups in the canteen have been the order of the day. On Tuesday the 22nd of December there will be three performances of the show for pupils in their Houses. The S6 throw themselves into the panto with massive enthusiasm and it is generally one of the highlights of their year. Huge thanks must go to Mr Campbell and Miss Morgan for putting on one of the most popular events in the school calendar, especially in light of the blood, sweat and tears they have put in to the recent school shows. Thanks also to the staff who are helping out with the event and especially those who are brave enough to perform! S Illingworth Head of S6

S A M YE L I N G 2 00 9
On Thursday the 26th of November 15 Higher and Intermediate 2 pupils set out to Samye Ling, the Tibetan centre in Dumfries and Galloway. Our expectations beforehand were purely based on what we had learnt about Buddhism in class, but we were unsure of what to expect. When we arrived we couldn‟t see any of the surroundings due to it being dark so our guide Gendun, a resident Buddhist monk, to the dining hall for our vegetarian meal of lovely soup and sticky toffee pudding. With full stomachs we went with Gendun to the shrine room where we listened to his stories of the stories of His Holiness Karmapa (Head of the Samye Ling lineage) and how he found his faith. This discussion carried on into the Tibetan Tearoom where we enjoyed Fair Trade hot chocolate. Then we headed to bed as we all planned to be awake for early morning prayers. Unsurprisingly, we didn‟t quite make it, but at least we were on time for breakfast. We were then given free time to walk around the gardens where we could appreciate the beautiful statues and buildings in the daylight. This was a great photo opportunity. After this we went to the Temple, which was simply breathtaking and for a split second we forgot we were in Scotland. After witnessing a special prayer at the Rinpoche ceremony where we were even given special blessed cakes and biscuits, we tried some meditation in the Temple. This was a good chance to escape our thoughts as we focused on our breathing. As the meditation came to an end, so did the trip. Overall the trip was the best way to put our studies into practice and we would urge future pupils to take the opportunity to visit the largest Tibetan temple in Western Europe. Megan McCafferty and Aileen McKnight (5L1)

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“ O! T HEREBY

HA N G S A TAL E ”

Under the ever watchful eye of Mr McGeehan a class of fifth years went to see venerable Shakespeare‟s “Othello”, presented by the Icarus Theatre Company. After catching the somewhat less-than-venerable 44C to the Brunton Theatre we all awaited the arrival of Mr McGeehan, and more importantly, our tickets. For everyone who has missed out on Othello, it is not a happy story. Scene One begins with the honest Iago, who has succumbed to the one-eyed monster that is jealousy, plotting to destroy the Noble Moor, Othello. This continues into Scene Two, and then, in Scene Three, he eventually convinces Othello to kill his wife. In the final two scenes, Shakespeare manages to kill a respectable proportion of the cast, and one poor man‟s leg is cut off! The play was truly exceptional; the cast portrayed their respective characters flawlessly, with Brabantio adding an element of humour to the proceedings. Personally, however, I felt that Iago was particularly strong, transforming himself from the cunning genius that I had previously imagined, to the cruel manipulator that he truly is. The cast also managed to produce its own drama for the audience, with one actress losing a tooth and rather heroically continuing with her lines. Aside from providing a night of entertainment for the Higher Class, the play has helped us visualise the plot, and should mean that our next essay is a little easier to do. Gregor McMillan 5L2

WHOSE

L I F E I S I T A NY WAY ?

A group of Religious Studies Standard Grade pupils along with S6 Advanced Higher RMPS pupils took a trip into Edinburgh to see a play called “Whose Life is it Anyway?” at the Church Hill Theatre. The play dealt with the tragic case of Ken Harrison, a sculptor who has been so severely injured in a car crash that he is totally paralysed, only his brain functions normally. He is being kept alive by the miracle of modern medicine, but wishes to die. He could achieve this by discharging himself from the hospital, but being totally helpless, he has to gain authorities‟ consent. The play examines the moral and legal aspects of the situation, which was particularly useful for pupils studying both RS and RMPS as the issue of euthanasia is one of the moral issues studied. The pupils and staff involved in the trip thoroughly enjoyed the play and despite the serious subject matter, there were still funny moments. L Adam RMPS Department

T H E L I O N , T HE W I TC H

AND

T H E W A RD ROB E

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After a long audition process, rehearsals began in September. From the word go, Mr Campbell threw us into the deep end with only a few cast members having any drama experience. Each cast member gave up their Tuesdays after school to rehearse. However, it wasn‟t as horrible as it sounds as there were many laughs. Graeme, Neil, Alasdair, Chloe and Aileen gave up two Friday afternoons and every break time to master the art of stage sword fighting. We worked with professional fight consultant Joel Mason who really helped us understand what we were doing. It was really hard work but we all had so much fun doing it, as well as learning a new skill. When opening night grew close it became apparent that many cast members didn‟t know their lines. We soon began to believe we would never pull it off. As the old saying goes… the show must go on and it‟ll be alright on the night. As we took to the stage our hard work finally paid off, we had a fantastic time. The audience loved it and we got a huge round of applause after the sword fight and had to come back on for a second bow on the last night. We even had a standing ovation. It was hard work but we‟d like to thank all the staff involved but we‟d also like to thank Mr Campbell for pulling it all together and giving us the confidence to believe we could do it. If you came to see it… we hope you enjoyed it and we enjoyed doing it! Aileen McKnight (5L1) Chloe Taylor (5L1)

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S L E I G HI N G „ E M
As you will be aware the Drama Department put on a wonderful production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on the 9th and 10th December. If you went to see this production you would have seen the White Witch riding a fantastic silver sleigh, which was designed and buitd in the Design and Technology Department. The Design team was led by Connor Raine in S6, and the members of the team are all in the 3rd year Craft and Design class. Pictured here from left; James Waddell, Dylan De Vos, Steven Knox, Fraser Thomson, Connor Raine, Sam Turvill and David Spiden. All of the pupils worked extremely hard in the weeks running up to the show, which really shows as the completed sleigh was a brilliant success. In addition to the sleigh they also transformed an old cupboard into the magical wardrobe! A Leggatt Technology Department

N AT I O NAL T H E AT RE O F S C O T L AN D
Senior pupils studying Drama had a wonderful opportunity to work with professionals from the National Theatre of Scotland on their new production of „The House of Bernarda Alba‟. The pupils took part in a two hour workshop before going to see the production at The King‟s Theatre in Edinburgh. Alana Brady, Education Team NTS, said „We‟ll definitely be back to work with the pupils from Knox Academy, what a talented and creative bunch of young people. I was really impressed‟. The production was outstanding and gave the pupils an insight not only into the text but the workings of a professional production. J Campbell Drama Department

A M N E ST Y I NT E R NAT I O NAL : K NOX A C A DE M Y Y O U T H G ROUP
“Amnesty International works to defend everyone’s human rights and takes actions to protect people whenever and wherever fairness, truth, freedom and justice have been denied.” This year to celebrate “Protect the Human Week” the Knox Academy Amnesty Youth Group worked very hard to raise money and raise awareness of Amnesty International. Firstly, they held a series of assemblies to raise awareness of forced evictions in the Deep Sea Community of Kenya. They also wrote letters to the government of Kenya and letters of support to the community. Finally, they worked together to hold a party where they sold badges, balloons, pencils and other goodies. This raised £124.29 for an excellent cause. Well done to everyone involved. L Adam RMPS Department

I T ‟ S B US Y

UP I N

B U SI N E S S E D

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Stock Market Challenge This was Knox Academy‟s 4th year at Standard Life‟s Stock Market Challenge. Our team included Alex Cunningham (Investment Analyst), Fraser Thomson (Media Analyst), Sam Wyllie (Floor Trader - Buyer), Jack Martin (Floor Trader - Seller) and Graham Crowson (Finance Manager). We were given eight companies to put shares in with our starting money £13,400, and overall we made £61,000, which gave us 4th place (beating North Berwick). It was very enjoyable, exhilarating and a great experience. Thank you to Mrs Ferguson for accompanying us. Alex Cunningham 3T3 Celebdaq Celebdaq is an on-line celebrity stock exchange simulation. Instead of buying shares in companies you buy shares in celebrities. Players are given the opportunity to buy and sell shares in celebrities using £100,000 of virtual cash. As in real life the name of the game is the same, which is to buy and sell shares to make profit. Weekly dividends are paid on shares owned, based upon how much press coverage the celebrity has received from newspapers and magazines. The person with the highest weekly percentage is crowned Top Trader. Rebecca Ramage 3G2 S3 and S5 Make Your Mark Challenge 2009 On Monday the 16th of November, 6 groups of volunteer pupils from S3 took part in the Make Your Mark Challenge. This National Event is organised as part of Enterprise Week. We were given the challenge of coming up with an original idea in the form of either a product or a service. The only rule was that it had to be inspired by something in our local community. We were given about 5 hours to produce an ideas sheet, a competitors‟ outline and a money matters sheet. We then presented our ideas to the 3 judges, Mr. Wren, Miss Jeffery and Mr. Swinney. Our service was the Three Storey Fun bus which was a stationary bus that provided a place for all ages to chill out and have fun. We were fortunate enough to be chosen as the winning and our entry was forwarded to the Make Your Mark judges. We were very happy to hear that we had qualified for the Scottish Final and on Thursday the 26 th we went to the Glasgow Science Centre to present our idea. On the morning of Thursday 26h two groups assembled at Waverly Station to compete in the Scottish finals of Make Your Mark 2009, a team of third year girls and one of fifth year boys. Next stop, the Science Centre! We arrived at the Centre and carried out our final preparations. Our task: to create a product/service involving the local area, economically friendly of course. A number of other schools were represented at the event, all friendly and all scared, as we were, of the big door with the never-seen judges behind. After a long and tense wait, Knox performed their presentations; fifth years one-on-one to the panel of judges, third years to an entire audience as well. The judges were fittingly comprised of three expert entrepreneurs. Alas, Knox Academy were runners-up, but out of the ten schools in the final, that‟s not bad going! It was a unique and memorable experience that not one of us will be able to forget. Gabby Jackson 3G2, Sarah Hall 3G2, Laura Dick 3G2, Sian Thomas 3G1, Beth Smith 3G1, Joe Murray 5G2, Tom Hutcheon 5G2

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SPORTDAQ WHAT IS “SPORTDAQ”? Sportdaq is a sport exchange game that instead of investing shares in a company you invest in sport stars. To play you need to sign up. Once you're signed up they give you ten thousand pounds (that's Sportdaq pounds, not real cash!) THE AIM OF THE GAME To make as much profit as you can by buying and selling “shares” in listed sports stars. The person with the highest weekly percentage gain is crowned Top Trader. HOW DO YOU MAKE MONEY? 1) Dividends: Every day they count how much press coverage each celebrity gets. Then on Thursday the shares you own will pay out a dividend, depending on how much press coverage those sports stars received. The more press coverage a celebrity gets, the more money you make. To get the full pay-out you have to own the celebrity from Monday night to Thursday morning. 2) Capital Gains: Just like in the real world, share prices rise and fall as demand for them changes - so as well as receiving dividends, you can make money by day-trading and buying low (when demand for a specific celebrity is low) and selling high (as the celebrity gets more press coverage and the demand for them increases). Prices are updated every 20 minutes so you can make or lose money on a celebrity very quickly. 3) Win Bonuses: Every week they offer a selection of sporting events where you can win extra cash. LEAGUES With Sportdaq/celebdaq you can create your own leagues you can do it with your friends or as a class. Also if you check on the leader board it tells you your current position in Great Britain! Andrew Elliott 3T3, and Fraser Thomson 3T3 Student Investor Challenge The Student Investor Challenge is a simulated investment program to give experience and skills essential to trading in a stock market. The online, virtual program is run by the IFS School of Finance. The challenge is to invest in as many successful companies as possible on the FTSE 100, in a bid to make the most profit and enter to the regional finals. (The FTSE 100 is made up of the 100 biggest Public Limited Companies in the UK). During the course of trading on the virtual floor, complex financial information and statistics are given on each company as you invest. This includes recent trends in the company‟s financial success and opinions from expert analysts. Teams of four students are entered into this program, with a starting £100,000 in virtual money for investment in any company they wish. Over 7000 school teams take part in this across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The team that makes the most overall profit until the closing date on 26 th February 2010 are invited to the regional finals where they must take on head-to-head questions in an effort to win a trip to New York and £2000 for their school. So far, my team “Knox Poodles” have not been fairing well, but we are determined to continue and reach as high position as possible. www.studentinvestor.org Connor Forsyth 4G1

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Young Enterprise – TEAM RISE Team Rise are making great headway with our website, a directory of the shops in Haddington with everything ranging from detailed information on all of the products offered to photos of each angle of the store. We aim to promote the smaller businesses and better known ones in our town as well as creating a fantastic website for potential customers locally such as yourselves and further afar customers in Edinburgh. Currently the website is complete with the Christmas season‟s business‟ to have signed up so why not take a visit to a health and beauty salon you never knew existed, or browse through one of our gift stores for the perfect present? We have a great range of shops grouped together on one website and we hope that there is something for everyone, whether your passion is sport or clothes or bathrooms! Our website address is www.haddingtondirectory.com and is waiting to be explored. Emma Lynas, Tom Gates, Andrew Wright, Olivia Hansen, Lewis Wilkie, Phillippa Jackson and Bruce Halloran. (S6)

S P O N SO R SHI P

Over the last two years Knox Academy has managed to increase its participation numbers in a number of sports and activities and now has regular teams participating in badminton, basketball, football, hockey, rugby and trampolining. With the increase in participation it is important to provide competition to keep interest levels high and also provide pathways for our participants to reach their full potential. With this we have had an increased demand on kit and we are running low of quality uniforms for our pupils to wear and have now been using the same gear for the past five years. This has now become very tired and is losing its shape and size. We are looking for local community businesses to help us purchase new strips and uniforms for all our sports by providing sponsorship to help fund and ease the costs. In return your company will have their name displayed on the tops of the teams, be mentioned in our school newsletters and website and be advertised in the local press and Active Schools press. By sponsoring the school sports teams it will enhance the image of the company as a good corporate citizen of the community and generate increased awareness and appreciation of the business among the general public. If you are interested in providing sponsorship I would most like to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me on the school telephone number 01620 823387. Thank you Rory Couper Sport & physical Activity Coordinator

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S P ORT S N E WS
Badminton Knox Academy‟s Megan Richardson won the mixed doubles at the U17 East of Scotland Championships held at Meadowbank Stadium. She managed to reach the three semi-finals of all disciplines (singles, doubles and mixed doubles) and with her partner Hannah Laing in the doubles, was beaten by eventual winners and number 1 seeds. S2 Badminton Knox Academy only managed to field 5 players in the 8-man badminton team for the recent East Lothian competition however they performed admirably finishing third out of the six teams. Team: Kirsty Wallace, Alexander Metcalfe, Thomas Imrie, Cameron Paterson, Mathew Long Basketball Knox Academy hosted round 2 of the East Lothian basketball leagues with their under 15 girls team and senior boys team taking part. The girls had mixed fortunes beating Ross High 12-8 but then losing 17-10 to Preston lodge. The senior boys sadly lost 30-16 to Ross High but were missing influential forward Laurie Preston who coached the side on the day. Knox Academy‟s junior boy‟s basketball team recorded 2 wins from 2 at Ross High on Wednesday 18 th November, beating Ross High and Dunbar. Scottish Cup Knox Academy U15 basketball teams sadly crashed out of the Scottish Cup but now have the opportunity to play in the plate competition. The boy‟s team were beaten by Earlston and now play Newbattle on Thursday 10th December (result to follow). The girls were beaten by an experienced James Gillespies team 35-14. With Knox fielding a relatively young team (4 first years), they did really well to compete and show true team spirit all the way to the end. The Knox player of the match was Eilidh Munro who has been selected into the Scottish Talent Identification Programme joining fellow Eilidh, Eilidh McClure. The girls will now play Dunbar Grammar. Football Knox Academy hosted round 2 of the S2 and U15 boys Soccerone tournament. Both teams played two games and showed some great skills and potential to finish strongly in the league. The S2 team beat Preston lodge 7-1 but lost a late goal to Ross High to lose 1-0. The U15s beat Ross High 1-0 and drew 1-1 with Musselburgh. The senior team played their first games of the Soccerone tournament at Ross High on Wednesday 18th November, losing 2-0 to Ross and then drawing with Dunbar Grammar. S5/6 (U18) Boys‟ Football The boys played against Holyrood High School in the first round of the Scottish Cup. Despite a spirited performance, Knox lost 3-1. The goal scorer was Ally Brown. Well done to the defence in particular, with Mark Barlow, Declan Kane, Michael McFarlane and Laurie Preston being outstanding.

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Hockey Knox Academy hosted Ross High for their first game of the season on Saturday 10th October at the Aubigny Astro Turf. Two matches were played and two wins were achieved. The S1/2 match was very close in the first half but Knox applied an amazing amount of pressure in the second and managed to scrape the win with a goal from Angus Riddell 1G2. The S3/4 match witnessed Knox score 4 great goals from Catherine Crawford 3L1 (2), Kaylah Rutherford 3T3 and Catherine Dodson 2T3. On Saturday 14th November Knox hosted Preston Lodge for 4 hockey matches on a wet and windy morning. The S1s and S2s both lost 2-1 and 5-1 respectively. However there was something to smile about when Knox won the S3 match 2-1 with both goals from Kaylah Rutherford and then won the senior match 2-0. S1/2 Rugby A strong Knox Academy side thrashed local rivals Musselburgh 69-5 on a glorious late October morning. With the Knox side looking a little slow to react at the breakdown it was a surprise when Neil Black got a break-a-way try to put the home side ahead after 5 minutes. But, from then on in they never looked back scoring a further 10 tries to only a single reply from Musselburgh. Neil Black scored 5 tries in total, his brother Lorne in S1 picked up a brace along with Harvey Blake and Paul McClung and Max McAlpine scored 1 each. Paul McClung was on song with the boot, kicking 7 conversions (from the 8 that he took). Knox hosted a touring side from Scarborough College on Saturday 28th November and the boys were keen to make up for the loss that they had from the same school last year. With Knox fielding a very strong side they blew their opponents away scoring 15 tries to 2. It was a great game strongly contested and Knox will one day hope to repay the fixture. U18 Rugby Knox Academy took on a strong Musselburgh Grammar team in round 4 of the Brewin Dolphin Schools Rugby Cup on Wednesday 4th November at Pinkie playing fields. With a clash of strips, Musselburgh wore the change top of the East Lothian Falcons district team and it was them who played like the district side winning 61-0. However, this should not overshadow the grit and determination shown by the Knox side that battled to the end and showed some potential with a side fielding 6 non-rugby players. On Tuesday 18th November Knox Academy hosted Balfron High School in round 1 of the Brewin Dolphin plate competition. With a few forced changes to the squad Knox Academy showed true team spirit to fight it out to the end but sadly lost 36-7. Try of the day went to captain Euan Bowen, man of the match to Dylan Russell for his tackling and team player of the match Ali Brown who stepped in last minute to make sure that Knox fielded 15 players. Kyle Munro selected for Edinburgh U16 Integrated Squad Kyle Munro 5T2 has been included in the U16 Integrated Extended Squad for this year‟s inter district rugby championship. Due to his hard work, determination and gritted performances during the August Pathway Programme, Kyle has now been given the opportunity to represent himself, his club and school at district level. A few good performances and you never know he may even pull on the thistle one day. Horse Riding Congratulations to Emma Young (6T1) who recently became „Scottish Mountain & Moorland Champion‟ on her horse „Machno Showtime‟.

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Knox Academy Trampoline Club Knox Academy Trampoline Club resumed training at the start of September on Wednesday evenings from 4-5.30pm. The 22 strong squad have been working on new moves at the start of the new sessions and will begin learning their new routines for the 2009-2010 competition season soon. KATC have also been trying their hand at basic Synchro routines (when 2 performers do the same routines in mirror image on opposite trampolines), this is possible after the school acquired its second trampoline (donated by City Of Edinburgh Trampoline Club). City Of Edinburgh Trampoline Club are currently the largest competing Trampoline and DMT (Double-Mini Trampoline) Club in Scotland with a team of 10 fully qualified coaches. CETC offer recreational and competitive coaching at a variety of venues across Edinburgh & The Lothians and have strong links with Active Schools East Lothian and Knox Academy T.C. At present CETC are looking to recruit new members for classes at Lasswade High School Centre, Midlothian. No experience is necessary just contact the club secretary for more details: [email protected] National Trampoline Championships Knox Academy S2 Pupil Caitlin Russell represented City Of Edinburgh Trampoline Club at the 2009 Scottish National Trampoline Championships in Perth on Saturday 26th September. The competition took place and Bells Sports Centre, Perth. To qualify for this event you need to attain scores from throughout the years National Grading Assessments and only the top 20 in the country are selected from each level to compete for their National ranking. A very nearvous Caitlin, who qualified for this event after only attending one Scottish Gymnastics Grading assessment Day (an outstanding achievement in itself!), competed a beautiful set routine in a very tough group. During her voluntary routine she was overcome by nerves, but she managed a sterling performance. Caitlin‟s hard work in training and at the event paid off resulting in her being placed18th in the Club H Under 15 Competition. This means that Caitlin, having only competed twice on the Scottish Circuit, is now ranked 18 th in the Country. An amazing achievement that has made us all proud. S1 Outdoor Education Challenge On Friday 6th November, 11 brave first year pupils braved the weather conditions to take part in the S1 Outdoor Education Challenge at Pressmenann Woods. Two strong teams competed well in all seven challenges showing excellent team work, problem solving and orienteering skills. In the end Knox were the top school finishing first and third. Team: Mhairi Cunningham, Kaelyn Pritchard, Catherine Glass, Samiah Uddin, Jack Henderson, Calum McQuade, Innes Ogilvie, Rorie Taylor, Peter Gilmour, Angus Riddell, Annabel Jackson

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S3 Outdoor Education Challenge Knox Academy fielded 1 team of 6 competitors in this year‟s S3 Outdoor Education Challenge held in Innerwick on Friday 9th October. Knox again managed a second place in their outdoor pursuits 2 points behind eventual winner Preston Lodge. Team: Lauren Caldwell 3T3, Beth Revuelta 3T3, Jack Thomson 3G1, Hamish McNeil 3G2, Gareth Evans 3T1, James Waddell 3L2 S6 Outdoor Education Challenge Congratulations to the intrepid who did us proud by winning their challenge held on the 11th December. R Couper Sports and Physical Activities Co-ordinator

Knox Academy Sports Department is committed to optimising the enjoyment and playing conditions for our pupils during sporting activity. We have partnered up with an innovative new company called PlayerLayer, who are dedicated to bringing school PE kit into the 21st Century. They produce some of the best base layer garments on the market as used by international athletes across the world. They are manufacturing a Knox Academy branded PlayerLayer and, by dealing with the school directly we have the opportunity of purchasing the garments with an attractive discount. What is the PlayerLayer product? A PlayerLayer is an under layer garment that our pupils can wear underneath their current sports kit during games. The primary function being that it will keep our pupils warm in cold conditions increasing their sporting enjoyment and overall experience. The technology of the garment wicks moisture away from the skin and regulates the body temperature reducing the risk of injury. The base layer also protects the skin against the cold, helps improve performance and recovery and has an anti-bacterial coating to prevent odour. Please note that there is no obligation to purchase or wear one of these garments but we do know that many children (particular the seniors) do like to wear them and we think this is a premium quality garment that actually makes a difference! If you are interested in purchasing one (or more) of these garments then please go to our website page at the following address: www.playerlayer.com and search for Knox Academy You can order and pay for it securely online. There is also a definitive size guide on our page to ensure that you pick the right size for your son or daughter. The price of this premium quality base layer is just £20.00 for junior sizes and £23.00 for senior sizes. Yours sincerely Rory Couper Sport and Physical Activity Coordinator

T h e N e w s l e t t e r K n o x A c a d e m y

o f

W E‟ R E O N T H E W EB AT W W W. K A - N ET. O RG. U K

Pencaitland Road Haddington East Lothian EH41 4DT Phone: 01620 823387 Fax: 01620 823186 Email: [email protected]

Dates for the Diary: Wednesday 6 January Tuesday 12 January Wednesday 13 January Thursday 14 January Wednesday 20 January Monday 25 January Thursday 28 January Wednesday 3 February Wednesday 10 February Friday 12 February Tuesday 23 February Wednesday 24 February & Thursday 25 February Tuesday 2 March Tuesday 9 March Wednesday 10 March Thursday 11 March Friday 12 March Monday 15 March & Wednesday 17 March Friday 19 March Tuesday 23 March Thursday 25 March Friday 26 March Wednesday 31 March Thursday 1 April Tuesday 20 April Pupils Resume S6 Pantomime (7pm) S3 Progress Reports Issued S4 Live „n Learn Seminar S3 Parents‟ Consultation (5-7pm) S5/6 Prelims Begin S5/6 Study Leave Begins S3 Core Skills Event Parent School Partnership Meeting (6.15pm) S2 Orienteering All Break Pupils Resume Senior Play (7pm) S4/5 Information Evening (6.30pm) S4 Coursing Parent School Partnership Meeting (6.15pm) S4 Coursing S5 Full Reports Issued S5 Coursing S4 Course Choice Sheets Deadline S5/6 Winter Skills Weekend S6 Full Reports Issued HPV Injections (S2/4/5 Girls) S2 Information Evening (6.30pm) S5 Course Choice Sheets Deadline Spring Concert (7pm) All Break All Resume