March Newsletter 2013

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Bannerman Update
BANNERMAN HIGH SCHOOL
March 2013

Bannerman at River City

Senior Bannerman High pupils had a valuable opportunity to get involved with the BBC in January, when they took part in the BBC Lab River City Project. The pupils worked alongside writer Martin McCardie and actor Keira Lucchesi (who plays Stella), as well as director Jaqui McAlpine and the crew during two full day workshops in the school. The "acting" team developed characters and completed acting exercises in preparation for their scene, the "writing" team worked to develop a storyline and learned how screenplays are written and the "technical" team filmed a "behind the scenes" documentary, learning how to use the equipment. Everyone then spent a day at the BBC River City set in Dumbarton filming the scene on location and actual River City sets! The scene was premiered at the BBC studios at Pacific Quay, Glasgow, where the whole team were praised for their efforts by the BBC Lab staff, and the senior producer of River City. The group even had their own double page spread in the Evening Times. This great opportunity allowed the pupils to learn how TV drama is made and the film, as well as the "behind the scenes" documentary, are viewable online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ p014vls3 Mr Gemmell Inside This Issue: Mock Bar Trials, Dancing Success, Bronze Merit Awards, Such Is the Kingdom, Burns Breakfast, China Week, Holyrood Visit, S2 Health Day, Rugby Six Nations: Scotland V Italy, Morocco Preparation, Cross Country, Scottish Schools’ Athletics, Leadership Award, Dancers Do London, Auschwitz, CSLA Football, Aye Write, Comic Relief, Rights Respecting School Award, Mad About Movies

National Bar Mock Bar Trials

! ! “Court all rise.” That was it, pressure mounting with every long, drawn out footstep seeming to echo off the surrounding walls, to ring in our ears. This was it, the result of several weeks slaving over case notes and rehearsing the questions to death. But this was no time for nerves; we had a jury to win over!

From a glance we seemed completely cool: panic over notes, questions, court procedure (being heavily monitored) and giving our best icy glare to the witness. Upon reflection, the dramatic walk to the podium was the least of our worries, the stubborn competitiveness of the witnesses and lawyers were just a catalyst to force us into our own. The process for the National Bar Mock Trials had started what seemed an age ago, in September. With the fantastic guidance of Mr Tony Lenehan, our team of relatively inexperienced pupils evolved into a crack team of lawyers. Four lawyers attended this mock trial from Bannerman, two prosecutors and two defence council members, and after two defence trials, we had returned a close loss. With hope riding on the first prosecution case of the day, it was tense. But all went better than expected, and we returned a guilty verdict (the only one of the full day, and an unanimous one to further seal the deal), propelling us up the table, narrowly missing out on the final, and the chance to head south to compete at the Old Bailey! The day was certainly enjoyable, with an added insight into the workings behind Scots Law. As we were all intending on pursuing Law as a career, this helped to further cement it into our mind, with the added finale of a tour around the High court. Cameron Kane, S6

Dancing Success

On Friday 15th February all four of Bannerman’s Dance Teams were involved in the finals of the Glasgow Schools Dance Competition. They secured their places three weeks earlier at the semi finals and secured more places in the finals than any of the other schools involved. The competition was held at the prestigious City Halls in Glasgow’s Merchant City and was hosted by radio presenter Adrian McCall. There were a total of 18 performances (4 of which were from Bannerman) and the level of talent was phenomenal. There were also guest performances from professional dancers, Chuck from Got to Dance and the A Team. Our dance teams all performed exceptionally well showing great confidence and performance skills. They were an excellent representation for Bannerman and were praised for their talent and showmanship. The senior team made up of a diverse range of dancers including three male performers this year won the Hip Hop category! They worked so hard towards the competition and were very committed giving up lunchtimes and attending after school rehearsals. The boys and girls were ecstatic and have a lovely big trophy to show their success. The trophy will be on display in the trophy cabinet soon. Miss Ahmad

Bronze Merit Awards
Pupils who achieved at least 20 Merits, in S1 to S4 and 15 Merits in S5 and S6 were presented with their Bronze Awards at a special assembly at the end of last term. Watch out for more Bronze Awards and some Silver Awards soon! 1B1: Kaitlyn Connolly, Rachel Crone, Kieran Dickson, Jack Dunlop, Jack Elliott, Megan Follen, Heather Young 1B2: Katie Donaldson, Amy Fleming, Meghan Murdoch 1L1: Fatima Abid,, Beth Atkinson, Craig Barclay, Lucy Bremner, Rachael Lister 1L2: Carys Alston, Fatima Bari, Amy McNally, Althea Quitilen, Gavin Cale, 1M1: Alicia Harvey, Megan Harvey, Heather Hyslop, Mark Lee, Jodie Muldoon 1M2: Erin Greenshields, Toni Lawrence, Jordan Moore 1N1: Kieran Keenan, Scott Kerr, Angel Lau 1T1: Demi Martin, Katelyn Murray, Harry Reid 1T2: Holly MacDonald, Rachel Mathieson, Emily McKibbin, Benjamin Meighan, Ellie Street 1W1: Sean Porter, Suzanne Stewart, Robyn Taylor, Lauren Wright 2B1: Sarah Armstrong, Candice Brydon, William Parsons 2B2: Heather Brough, Emily Bryars, Jason Carlton, Abbie Ryan 2L1: Chloe Arbuckle, Kieran Branks, Nicola Bronsky, Cameron Clocherty, Ross Davie, Lucy Dockrell, Rachel Dougan, Steven Duncan, Emmeline Durrant, Michael Gardiner 2L2: Raveena Bhopal, Stephanie Fraser, Calum Glasgow, Iona Gracie Chloe Graham, Duncan Grant, Christopher Holt, Meg Liu 2M1: Paula Innes, Alana Jackson, Chloe Johnstone, Scott Kavanagh, Robyn Kelly 2M2: Amy Kernweiss 2N1: Jennifer Cullen, Rachael Lewis, Kerri Lorraine, Taylor Jade McAdam, Gillian McAllister, Nichola McArthur, Jennifer McCartney, Olivia McCosh, Emma McCuaig 2N2: Fiona Kane, Jane Maxwell, Chloe McDonald, Olivia McGregor, Kennice McKay, Emily McKechnie, Ryan Moran, Jonathan Mullen, Fraser Murray, Callum Ogden 2T1: Lyndsay McMath, Megan McMichael, Laura Murray, Cara Park, Lewis Plant, Lewis Robinson 2T2: Leigh Packer, Amy Parker, Sarah Plant, Eloise Rae, Harriet Rae, Linsey Reid, Nikki Reid 2W2: Chloe Sutherland, Caitlin Thomson, Jack Wallace, Olivia Walls, Olivia Wilkinson, Findlay Woodburn 3B1: Ronaren Reyes 3B2: Ross Elliott, Abby Feeny 3L1: Jamie Ashfield, Ross Braidie 3L2: Nina Barrett, Rosie Bratton, Cameron Carey 3M1: Hannah Fulton, Sean Hughes 3N1: Tiegan Kilcullen, Chloe Lawrence, Keera MacDonald, Adam MacKenzie, Haris Malik, Laura McDines 3N2: Kai Man 3T1: Ryan McNair, Caryl Morrison 3T2: Calum Quay, Eloise Reinhardt, Olivia Robinson, Gary Russell, Adam Scott 3W1: Debbie Stirling, Madeleine Taylor, Amy Thomson 3W2: Lauren Warnock, Rebecca Wyman, Katie Yule 4B1: Fiona Kirkpatrick 4B3: Abigail Duff 4L1: Ellys Feather, Lucy Ferguson 4M1: Rebecca Hyslop, Toby Jackson, Heather Jeffrey 4M2: Kenzie Kelly, Christopher Kerr, Kirstyn Lawson 4N1: Gillian McArthur 4N2: Lauren McGarvey, Fraser McKie 4T2: Rachel Plant 4W1: Megan Robertson 4W3: She Kei Wan, Daniel Wilhare 5B1: Molly Tedeschi, Jodie Lace Todd, Abbey Tweedie 5B2: Danielle Hillhouse, Claire MacIntyre, Hayley Robertson, Nicole Tsang, Christopher White 5L2: Emily Aw, Holly Campling, Jatinder Singh 5M2: Kirsty Hay 5N2: Ruth Edwards, Reece Fallan 5T1: Jon McFarlane, Amy Moore, Dale Paterson, Mason Paterson 5T2: Darren Reid 5W1: Mairead Stevenson 5W2: Jemma MacDonald, Cameron Quinn, Cameron Strachan 6B: Jenny Crichton 6N1: Amanda Kean 6T: Heather Morrison

Burns House

Livingstone House

Mackintosh House

Napier House

Telford House

Wallace House

Such Is the Kingdom

A few months ago while everyone was wrapped up warm indoors, I was trudging through the snow to arrive at rehearsals for “Such is the Kingdom” a choral drama composed by Matthew Todd, that I signed up for along with other drama students from Bannerman. My character, Abra, a girl living in France in1212, was supposed to be wearing a beautiful flowing medieval dress which was great, but a bit impractical in the cold temperatures. The huge furry snood and gloves that I wore did keep me nice and warm and were absolute necessities. Despite the freezing conditions, the cast, crew and musicians had a great time acting, singing and participating in enthusiastic sword fighting that would put Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp to shame. Primary 7 pupils from our local Primaries acted alongside pupils from Bannerman sometimes displaying and behaving with more maturity. It was a great opportunity for them to meet new people and make new friends with pupils from other Primaries before coming to Bannerman in August to join S1. We were lucky enough to rehearse in Glasgow Cathedral in the weeks leading up to the performance and the acoustics definitely made a real difference to our singing and made everything seem more authentic and realistic. Plenty of parents and tourists visiting the cathedral were treated to an impromptu performance throughout the day and acted as our unofficial paparazzi. The rehearsals may have been long and exhausting but the results were worth it. The performance nights were filled with parents, friends, Bannerman graduates and visitors from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Everyone braved the freezing conditions outside and inside the Cathedral to watch us perform “Such is the Kingdom” making it an extremely successful and enjoyable experience. Eilidh Colquhoun S4

Burns Breakfast

Since Burns’ day is one of the most well-known Scottish festivals, our tutor class decided to get together and come up with ideas to make the Bannerman Burns’ Breakfast 2013 memorable and fun. So, the tension was high. There was literally blood, sweat and tears put into coming up with ideas which would make the Burns’ Breakfast one of the most exciting activities for the first year audience to take part in. Our tutor class came up with the idea to recite the poem “Tam o’Shanter” as it is one of Burns’ most famous poems. Little did I know, a group in my class developed the idea that I would get up and act the poem out! They later approached me and asked if I would do it and being the “performance addict” I am, I accepted. On the day of the Burns’ Breakfast (Burns’ Birthday) I was wearing a big inflatable donkey which gave the illusion that I was riding it. I nicknamed the donkey Meg, after the horse in the poem. Once the breakfast began, the audience witnessed insightful performances like: the bagpipes being played, highland dancing, poem recitals and a quiz my tutor class came up with. Finally it came to my performance. Trotting up to face the audience in my inflatable horse, I looked out to see faces of confusion. When the poem began I started to perform as if I was actually riding a horse. I honestly didn’t know many movements which went with the poem, so I compromised with exaggerated facial expressions which caused bursts of sniggers. Finally, it was time to toast the haggis and this was done by the Rev Cuthbertson, Burns chaplain, then the legendary Mr Swann who read aloud the “Address to a haggis” whilst he brandished his knife like a true Scottish warrior in battle. We all then raised our Irn Bru in celebration. Happy Birtday Burns! Kyle Paton S6

新年快乐!Happy Chinese New Year!
2013 is the Year of the Snake and it arrived on February 4, 2013. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means your family will not starve. So the Year of the Snake is considered as a very good year to Chinese people. To raise the awareness of Chinese culture and celebrations in the run up to Chinese New Year 2013, we had a very successful China in the curriculum week for S3. Some of our pupils had an opportunity to experience Chinese paper cutting, Chinese New Year workshops and even learnt a little bit Mandarin. All S3 pupils from the English department attended a ‘palm of the hand stories’ lecture and then produced their own mini creative writing in this well known Chinese story style. Furthermore, pupils from Art classes produced different styles of gorgeous paper necklace models based on a Chinese water lily theme. We were also fortunate to have a Chinese New Year performance from S3 pupils for our S1 pupils. This featured drama from Tomb Sweeping Day, Chinese Ribbon Dance and Chinese drumming. Allana Reyes also delivered her impressive speech in Mandarin about the only female emperor in Chinese history – Wu Ze Tian, after only 4 months of learning Mandarin. We are so proud of her! Andrew McRoberts explained how he made a Chinese board came in Practical Craft Many thanks to everyone who was involved for an exciting week! Ms Chang

Holyrood Visit

On the 21st of February I attended the Modern Studies department's visit to The Scottish Parliament to get a sense of democracy and decision making in action. The visit expanded our knowledge linked to the work of an MSP and the functions of the Parliament. It was really interesting and exciting to get first hand experience from MSPs on the issues facing the people of Scotland. We had the chance to see debates and discussions relating to the devolved matters we have studied in class. We started with an education workshop. Here we were quizzed on our knowledge of the links between the Westminster and Holyrood. The quiz took place in groups where voting was done on electronic devices. We voted on Bills and were asked what we would do if in government. A question and answer session followed with SNP MSP John Mason and Patrick Harvie from the Scottish Greens. It was interesting to hear how they both became involved in politics. Patrick Harvie spoke of being taken in a pram as a baby by his mother protesting of the disarmament of nuclear warheads in the Scotland. This early beginning created interest in politics and determination to stand for what he believed in which led to his joining of the Green Party. John Mason explained how he had worked previously as an accountant then moved into a political career as a local councillor. Pupils asked questions such as: "What kind of benefits could you both see in an Independent Scotland?" John Mason explained: "I firmly believe in disarmament of Nuclear Warheads and think the money saved from them could be going to things of public interest such as Schools, Hospitals and Transport." Patrick Harvie argued: "I believe an independent Scotland would be able to invest far more on the renewable energy industry and combating social inequalities." In the final part of the visit we got the opportunity to watch a live debate within the main chamber where the SNP government were defending their record in improving waiting lengths in the NHS. The Scottish Labour Party however disagreed strongly and provided evidence to claim the problem was getting worse. The trip overall was really informative and let us experience our knowledge of “Living In a Democracy” unit of our course. Bradlee Wetherill, S4.

S2 Health Day

The Health and Wellbeing of our Bannerman community is so important and this doesn't simply mean doing PE and eating healthy foods! Health and Wellbeing includes emotional, physical and social health and this is exactly what our S2 pupils investigated during their Health day in Friday 1st March. Pupils rotated around the following stations on the day and took part in interactive sessions delivered by various exhibitors. Behaviour, input and participation on the day was outstanding. Visitors to the school commented on how impressed they were and all offered to come back again in the future - superb! Stations included: • • • • • • • • • • • Heart Start Beauty from boots Smoothie making supported by Tesco Express, Baillieston Fire safety Smoking Alcohol Dental hygiene Emotional literacy De-stress Judo Karate

Mrs Cook

Scotland V Italy

Sitting in the grounds of Murrayfield stadium, I think I speak for all Scotland fans in saying that we assumed it to be a repeat of the last few years in Scottish rugby. The team would walk on, feathers on display, bold as brass, and after the first thirty seconds would be as effective as fending off a rabid mongoose with garden furniture. As it transpires, I was wrong. The Italian side strolled on in the full confidence of a quick and decisive victory but were dumbfounded when the Scottish determination rolled in and put a brutal end to the Italian hubris. The lethargic and ill managed nature of the team was not present as when Italy took the lead during the first ten minutes Scotland doubled their efforts to force Italy to fight a long hard slog for every inch of ground they trod, in a desperate bid for success. Though both teams were well orchestrated and had similarly suffered in the previous week’s skirmishes Scotland maintained the upper hand, running blazing rings around the Italian invaders, though the Italians were frantic in the confusion, holding the Scots at bay for a time at least. At 15 minutes remaining, the innate responses to a poorly co-ordinated Italian damage control gave way to the intervention of Sean Lamont who gained possession amidst the cacophony of battle and landed himself the final Scottish try, paving the way for Laidlaw’s final conversion. A short and bloody rebellion gnawed away at Scotland, providing one last converted try for the Italians and yellow card sending off a Scotsman during the game’s closing moments, though these occurrences mattered little. By then the Fratellis were booming around Murrayfield, the day’s fighting was over, and the battle won. This being the first live rugby experience I had ever seen, I doubt many will be so lucky as to see such a comeback internationally for any country, and on their own doorstep. Inclined to reserve all judgements, allow me to say the new management has done well for the Scotland team and improvements made are bywords for ambition and spirit. Cameron Smith S5

Morocco Preparation
Expedition Training Day in Comrie The Morocco Team of Daniel Brady, Megan Reid, Alan Bothwell, Craig R Smith, Megan Reid, Cameron Smith, Sarah Milligan, Robert Fleming, Andrew Barclay, Amy Peters, Kirsty Hay, Sarah Watson, Lisa Buchannan, Rebecca Brodie and Andrew Johnston (all S5) took part in a training weekend, from Friday 8 March until Sunday 10 March, just by Comrie in Perth. The weather that weekend was not in our favour, however it could have been a lot worse. With rain, snow and temperatures between 3 ºC and -5ºC the group were up against harsh conditions for a weekend camping. As it was a first camping experience in the wild for some of the pupils this really was a daunting challenge. The group were challenged to create a menu using a small budget which will feed the group a large calorific diet, needing a lot of energy to trek up and down the hills fully laden with their 80 litre packs. The menu had to be suitable for all members of the group and carried around with them. Part of the challenge that weekend was general camp craft (not least just trying to sleep while Mr Boyle snored several metres away). Pitching and taking down a tent was a first for some but is a must when we travel to Morocco. This was another weight to their packs as we had to carry our tents with us while we trekked around the hills. They had to cook all their meals for the entire weekend using the trangia, a small camping stove equipment, using only the food and water they were carrying. The success of this ranged between beautifully cooked tuna and tomato pasta and not so beautiful cement like porridge. Part of the challenge that weekend was general camp craft . Pitching and taking down a tent was a first for some but is a must when we travel to Morocco. This was another weight to our packs as we had to carry our tents with us while we trekked around the hills. Everyone in the team should be very proud of what they achieved during the weekend and of how much they are bringing to the group. If the weekend in “warm sunny” Scotland is anything to go by then our expedition to Morocco will be everything we hope it will be. Mr Boyle

Cross Country

On Friday 22 February, Bannerman pupils took part in the Glasgow Cross Country Championships at Netherpollok Country Park. The weather on the day was dry but a little chilly - perfect running conditions.. However, as normal the course was soaked to ensure there were puddles and mud a plenty to make it more realistic! Mud didn't hold back the S1-S6 runners with all performing very well indeed. Cross country races have approximately 200 runners in each race therefore anything within the top 25 is an exceptional result. Here are some special mentions: Callum Drummond (S6) 8th Lewis Raeburn (S1) 11th Kirsty McIntyre (S1) 24th Zoe McGurn (S1) 31st Clare Wallace (S3) 29th Well Done to all athletes!! Scottish Schools Athletics Champion – Callum Drummond Our track superstar Callum Drummond has succeeded once again! Callum won silver in the 800m making him the second fastest boy in whole country at this event. Could we see Callum at the Commonwealth Games in 2014?? Congratulations and Good Luck to him indeed.

Leadership Award

In addition to qualifications, today’s employers look for many of the softer skills associated with employment. Leadership skills contribute to improving time management, problem solving, thinking critically and creatively and having the skills to manage or be managed by others. Bannerman High School has for the first time this year offered 6th year pupils the opportunity of enrolling in a Leadership Award that challenges them to develop their potential for leadership by taking a leading role in an activity and to explore the relationship that exists between leadership and teamwork. This award aims to build their self-confidence and self esteem in the hope that they are better prepared for whatever future aspirations they might have. The programme also looks to enhance their knowledge of leadership styles, skills and qualities by finding out about different leaders and being able to apply that knowledge in practise! Joanna Duncan, Ross Finlay, JJ Hewitt, Lori Johnstone, Fiona Jordan, Amanda Kean, Gillian Kennedy, Lisa Maxwell, Christine Nicol, Laura Paterson, Nicole Robertson, Michelle Simpson, Amy Ward and Carmen Watt are Bannerman’s first group of Leadership candidates. These S6 pupils, have been working alongside a group of students from the University of Strathclyde’s Business Leadership Programme. They planned and organised a half day workshop for a number of S2 pupils on March 1. By conducting a quick and methodical survey earlier in February, they were able to highlight a group of 30 S2 pupils who perhaps needed some encouragement and little extra support with their future pathways for S3. The afternoon of activities included a farm animal ice-breaker, a sit-down and stand-up game, an on-line treasure hunt and a worry tree. The S2 pupils really engaged in the activities and the winners were rewarded with some early Easter chocolate. By conducting surveys at the start and end of the session, there was evidence to suggest it was a worthwhile experience particularly for the S2 pupils but also for Bannerman’s first group of Leadership candidates. Well Done! Mr Anderson

Dancers Do London

On Friday 8th March thirty eight Bannerman pupils descended upon London in search of dance development, experience and inspiration. The trip started with a workshop at the famous Pineapple Dance Studios led by the cast of London’s West end hit Billy Elliot! Before the workshop had even begun the pupils spotted none other than Wayne Sleep chilling in the Pineapple café. The excitement began as they posed for pictures with the star! The workshops were a great success with the pupils experiencing a musical theatre based routine and the cast explained to the pupils that the routine they learned would be the finale routine they would see on stage tomorrow night. On the first evening we had dinner at the O2 arena American Sports Bar and Grill before the final night performance of the Justin Beiber tour. The girls were so excited and many had their Beiber tshirts on. The concert was excellent and there was a great atmosphere. Many of the higher students were inspired by the costumes and media used to enhance the performance and this has given them some great ideas for their own choreography. On the Saturday we attended the Move it Dance Conference at London’s Olympia. For many this was the highlight of the weekend with performances, workshops, interviews & shops all under the one roof. The third years attended the afro jazz workshop by choreographer Sean Cheeseman, dancer for Michael Jackson and the seniors attended the boadaceia workshop, choreographers of Step Up the Movie. There was also a lot of celebrity spotting on this day with many professional dancers from Got to Dance performing and signing autographs.

Finally on the Saturday night we went to Hard Rock Café for dinner and went to see Billy Elliot the Musical. It was a great way to end the weekend with the pupils seeing the choreography they had learned the day before on the big stage! The performance was out of this world with many talented dancers and actors and our pupils left inspired wanting to recreate many of the scenes for our dance show. So now it’s back to school and the pupils have returned enthused and excited to start creating some new choreography! Miss Ahmad

My Journey in Auschwitz
The holocaust.  Many people recognise this title to be one of the most well known periods of time ever to enter the never ending book of history.  However, is the Holocaust really something to remember in anger or should we take a more valuable lesson from the events in order to improve our future and make sure nothing like this ever happens again? Recently, Katherine Mills and I were both given the chance to participate in the LFA project's trip to Auschwitz.  LFA have set up this project in order to educate students from all over Scotland about the events of the Holocaust.  However, the "Lessons From Auschwitz" programme has a specific aim to "re-humanise" the Holocaust in order to concentrate on the experiences of individuals rather than the group as a whole.  This technique proves to be extremely effective as it made us realise the experiences of separate people and families from Auschwitz. The LFA project was broken down into three different parts:  The orientation seminar; the trip to Auschwitz and the follow up meeting.  During the first seminar, we had the privilege of meeting a Holocaust survivor, Ziggy.  Ziggy told us about his traumatic experience within Auschwitz Birkenau and also about how he managed to survive.  Throughout his speech he told us about how he felt "dehumanised" from society and exiled.  He told us about how seeing people die on a day to day basis became ordinary to him and that death began to have a very little affect on him.  Personally, the hardest hitting part of Ziggy’s speech was when he said: “After a while, I began to wish that people would die so that I could have a bit more room in the cattle wagon to Auschwitz”.   By listening to Ziggy, we were able to understand the true experiences of one person in particular.  This was extremely helpful as it made us connect more to the survivor rather than trying to think of the millions who were there. Before we reached our primary destination to Auschwitz Birkenau, we were taken to the town of Auschwitz in order to see a Jewish graveyard which dated back to just after World War two.  At first, I did not understand the exact point in going to see a graveyard which didn't look like it had much of a story to tell.  Nevertheless, as we began to examine the decrepit and rotted stones more thoroughly, we realised that the graveyard had been refurbished after it had been destroyed during World War II.  The graves still stood uneven and in some cases knocked over through the decay of time.  By realising this, my group began to wonder why a World War II remembrance grave was so neglected until we were told the rather haunting fact that not one Jewish person lives in Auschwitz any more.

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The second part of our journey consisted of travelling to Auschwitz I (The concentration camp) to see the remaining items which had survived throughout time.  For many people, this was the hardest part of our trip.  We were each taken through rooms in groups in order to look at the possessions and other items of the prisoners who had died.  This mainly consisted of Dolls, prosthetics, glasses, cooking equipment, shoes and even hair.  For many of the other ambassadors there, this was extremely hard to take in as by seeing the remaining possessions in front of you puts the amount of people who suffered into perspective.  However, for some reason I did not feel as emotionally affected as I felt I should have been.  In reflection to my time in Auschwitz I, I believe that this is mainly because of the fact that there was such a vast amount of things to take in which caused my brain to simply block out the things I was seeing.  I literally could not believe the vast entity in front of my eyes. As we approached the gate of Auschwitz- Birkenau we could immediately see that it was a completely different set up from Auschwitz I.  There was flat land with crumbling cabins for miles across flat land, separated by one singular train track stretching through the centre of everything.  As we walked through our tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau I began to complain about how tired I was and how little sleep I had.  It didn't occur to me how obtuse I sounded until we began to walk down the train tracks which continued through the centre of the camp to the very end.  As I walked onto the platform of the train tracks I was hit with emotions that I have never felt before.  Looking back on this memory, I can remember every detail from the snaps and breaks in the wooden slabs on the track to the crumbled chimneys of the cabins but I cannot describe the emotion which I felt.  I realised that I was complaining about being tired in the very place where hundreds of people stepped out of overcrowded cattle wagons to be either sentenced to their death or sent to work in the horrible conditions of the camp itself. I did not talk for an entire hour after I realised that. When going to Auschwitz Birkenau, our main objective was to focus on one specific family or person in order to "re-humanise" the Holocaust itself.  By doing this we were able to understand what life must have been like for the people who went through the gates of Birkenau.  At the end of our tour, our amazing guide showed us an entire wall with different family stories and photos pinned up on them.  By picking one family and reading their story, I was able to understand what happened in Auschwitz to a greater extent.  The main message from LFA and indeed Ziggy was not to hate what had happened in Auschwitz but to learn from it.  What I have taken from my life changing experience is not that we should hate the fact that this happened, but we should remember the past in order for it not to be repeated.  After being to Auschwitz, my perception of the Holocaust has changed dramatically.  I have learned that the best way in order to push society on from the past is to educate them about the lessons I learned from Auschwitz.

Adam Carruthers S6

CSLA Football

On Friday March 1, primary six pupils from Sandaig and Caledonia arrived at Bannerman for a champions’ league football competition. Organised by Bannerman's community sports leaders, the competition involved all pupils being brought together for a festival of football. The pupils were divided into even teams and their managers were the pupils from the sports leaders course. The pupils were deliberately mixed up into random teams so that they would meet new friends and learn how to communicate and work in teams. All teams played five matches in the group stage with top four making the semi finals. What was evident was the great atmosphere that existed between our own senior pupils and these youngsters who were hanging on their every word. When it came to the final the two teams were watched by a very enthusiastic crowd comprising teachers, pupils and parents. The game was tight and we ended up with a penalty shoot out between Anthony Whitelaw's Manchester United and Jamie Hutton's Juventus. Manchester United were to be the overall winners, however the pupils of all teams were the true winners as they had played for 90 minutes in glorious sunshine. At the end pupils received a certificate congratulating them on having played in Bannerman High School’s first primary champions’ league competition. Parents and teachers were quick to praise the senior pupils for creating a competition that brought pupils from two different schools together for a morning of action packed fun.

Mr Pattison

Aye Write Book Festival
On Monday 11 March a group of S2 pupils went to the Mitchell Library to take part in a graphic novel workshop as part of the annual Aye Write! Book Festival. The workshop was hosted by Metaphrog who are the creators of the Louis series of books. Metaphrog are John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs and they have been writing and illustrating comics and graphic novels since 1996. Metaphrog introduced the pupils to their books and explained what they go through to create their storylines and characters. The pupils were then given a chance to create their very own characters while learning about the whole process of creating a graphic novel. The workshop was a great success. On Thursday 14 March the S1 members of the Bannerman Book Club were taken to see the author Barry Hutchison in the Mitchell Library Theatre. Barry is the creator of the Invisible Fiends series and was very proud to tell the pupils that one of his books is so scary that it is banned in Germany! This immediately made every pupil want a copy. Barry was extremely funny and the visit was enjoyed by all. Miss McGlinn

Comic Relief

We raised almost £1500 for Comic Relief. Well done to everyone and a special mention to our PSAs Mrs HAy and Mrs McKechnie who skated and raised almost £500.

BHS Red Nose Day
S3 xl Presents... Doing Something Funny... For No Money
party games face painting

"Let's do a party on Red Nose Day for the..."

food fun

new friends


Balloons :-((
Action Plan- Survey Monkey- allergies- dietary requirementsassigning roles & responsibilities- favourite games-budget... 'Doing'- collaboration- team work-compromise-encouragementadaptability-empathy-enthusiasm- leadership- I can- we can Review- on- going... WE ARE A TEAM



Rights Respecting School Award
Bannerman High School has registered on the Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA). This initiative will be introduced and developed by a steering group comprising of the school House Captains, pupil representatives from each House and staff.

The RRSA recognises achievement in putting the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies, practice and ethos. As the school implements the RRSA standards, it will continue to develop a ‘pupil voice’ within the school and enable young people to make informed decisions and grow into confident, active and responsible citizens. Indeed the main areas of impact which may be experienced as the school embarks on the RRSA journey are: Ø Improved self-esteem and well-being Ø Improved understanding of the relationship between rights and responsibilities Ø Improved relationships and behaviour Ø Improved engagement in learning Ø Positive attitudes towards diversity in society and the reduction of prejudice Ø Children and young people’s support for global justice Ø Children and young people’s enhanced moral understanding Ø Children and young people become more involved in decision-making in schools The House Captains successfully devised and delivered a presentation to all S1 and S2 classes within their House. The presentation aimed to introduce pupils in the lower school to the aims and objectives of the RRSA initiative and promote some of the key ‘rights and responsibilities’ that the House Captains want to see embedded in the life and work of the school. There was also the opportunity for a question and answer session to engage all young people. The House Captains hope to make similar presentations over the coming weeks to S3 and S4 !

Mr Reynolds

Performing Arts News
Torque S1 and S2 workshop Paragon Music and the University of Glasgow offered a multidisciplinary science/music workshop. This was designed for S1/S2, pupils and was fully funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Creative Scotland. The pupils explored energy and the principles behind energy generation from renewable resources in a fun and creative way with a team of engineers, musicians and dancers. The workshop took place in Bannerman on Wednesday the 6th March. There was also an Interactive Event at Platform Theatre on Thursday 14th March, where some of our pupils were involved in a presentation of their work Glasgow Schools’ Music Group Spring Concert City Halls Glasgow 18th and 19th March 2013 We have a growing number of pupils involved in the music classes at City Halls each year. The course consists of a number of Saturday and Sunday rehearsals, residential weeks and concerts. This musical experience is free and open to all pupils in Glasgow. If anyone is interested in joining please see Mrs Black or Miss Tucker for more information. This term culminated in a Spring Concert where all the classes came together to share their work with parents. Pupils involved: Concert Band. Eilidh Colquhoun, Emma Hastings, Jake Hansen, Stephen Duncan, Jonathan McDonald, Darren White & Toni McVey String Training Orchestra. Lewis Reid, Nikki Reid, Linsey Reid & Robyn Kelly Glasgow School Symphony Orchestra Eilidh Colquhoun, Ben Jackson, Louise McGeachy, Nicola McNeil, Jack Stevenson, Lauren Sinclair, Madeline Taylor, Alren Reyes and Ronaren Reyes Glasgow School String orchestra Eilidh Colquhoun, Ben Jackson, Louise McGeachy, Lauren Sinclair, Madeline Taylor, Alren Reyes and Ronaren Reyes Voice Factory Eloise Reinhardt Well done to all Mrs Borland

London Trip

We left the school at half past four in the morning but you would never have known because we were really excited. The journey went in quickly as everyone was chatting about the weekend ahead. On arrival, we had a few hours in the hotel to relax and get ready for the first show. Before though, we went to Planet Hollywood for pasta or burgers, we had pasta to steer clear of the horsemeat. Afterwards, we went to see ‘Rock of Ages.’ It was set in the 1980s and featured music was from that time; it was about a boy and girl who fall in love and dream of being stars in the music industry. The Musical was an enjoyable show with uplifting humour and songs. On Saturday morning, it was an early start to Covent Garden for shopping. We went to the TinTin Shop which had amusing memorabilia and a variety of unusual shops, not available in Glasgow. We then went to a play in the National Theatre called ‘Port’. It was a story of a young girl who we saw growing up and aspiring to lead a better life. The play’s theatre arts and staging were very impressive. That night we went for dinner at Fire and Stone and had amazing pizzas. Our final show was the Musical ‘Matilda’ which was a brilliant adaptation of the book and was a wonderful experience. It followed Matilda, a girl neglected by her parents but with a passion for reading. She befriends her teacher Miss Honey then realising she possesses magical powers she and her teacher defeat the evil headmistress Miss Trunchbull. The songs written for the show were funny and at times touching. Our final day was a nostalgic and interesting experience at the Harry Potter Studios. We saw the sets of the movie including the Great Hall. Also we saw the costumes worn by the cast and learned about the props used. We had Butterbeers and spent pretty much all of our money in the utterly amazing and overly priced gift shop. We left mid-afternoon and the journey home flew by as we talked about what a fun weekend we had. Holly Munro and Lucy Stewart S5

Performing Arts: Future Events
Bannerman Easter concert Tuesday 26th March 2013 This years Easter concert takes place in the Workshop Theatre on Tuesday 26th March at 7pm . It is promising to be a fantastic evening with Tickets priced at £3.00. Tickets are available from the music base. Don’t miss it! !

Nicola Benedetti Concert The following pupils have been invited to participate in a concert with the famous Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti. Ms Benedetti is a huge supporter of music education in Scotland and this will be a fantastic experience for our pupils. It is a huge honour for our pupils to be selected to participate in this concert. The pupils and staff are all really excited about it. The pupils involved are: Eilidh Colquhoun, Louise McGeachy, Nicola Mc Neil, Alren Reyes. S5/6 Workshop and Trip to “Black Watch” by National Theatre of Scotland A few of our senior pupils are visiting the SECC on the evening of Thursday 28th March to see the award winning production of Black Watch. Our Advanced Higher Drama pupils also had the opportunity to take part in a workshop with the National Theatre of Scotland in school prior to the performance. Behind the Noise is a programme that a group of ten S5 and S6 students have been taking part in for the last 6 months. It is about how to become a success in the music industry. Through this, we have all gained a greater insight into various aspects in the industry, and useful advice on beginning a career in music, along with how others got into the industry successfully. We have also been to the gig venue to see how lighting, sound, and the back-stage area of stage looks, and how everything is co-ordinated. To finish off the programme, we have formed a group. Our band name, after much debate, is Twinkle Twinkle Ringo Star. We are playing a gig, with seven other schools, at the Classic Grand on the 17 April. Tickets only cost £3, just email [email protected] for any information or to buy tickets. We hope to see a few friendly faces at the gig, come along and you will enjoy a night with a huge variety of music.

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Ben Jackson S6

! S3 pupils were given the chance to try their hand at Media Studies as part of the A class of “Mad About Movie” project. This project was completed in association with the Glasgow Media Access Centre, and funded through Cashback for Communities, which uses the proceeds of crime to provide opportunities for young people in a range of Creative Arts. 12 schools, nurseries and youth groups covering ages 3-25 were involved, with Bannerman being the only mainstream Secondary participating. For the project, pupils had to script, film, edit and score a 2 minute film. The pupils ambitiously chose to make not one but 4 films in a range of genres: a horror film, ‘The Follower’; a parody, ‘The Ryan In Black’; a trailer for a spy TV series, ‘Spy High’; and a silent comedy, ‘The Entertainer’. Pupils had to learn about camerawork and lighting; sound and composing their own music using the Sibellius software package; how to use a range of editing techniques in Movie Maker not just to put together their film but to add titles and effects; and also look at the legal documents that filmmakers have to use, getting permission and location forms signed by the authorities! The pupils produced four excellent pieces; as primary pupils from the local youth group Fuse said, “The ones from Bannerman were the best!” Mr de Smith

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Contacts
Principal Teachers of Pastoral Care Burns: Mrs L Peoples Depute Headteachers S1: S2: S3: S4: S5: S6: Mrs King Miss Smalls Mrs van de Gevel Mrs Belford Ms Black Mrs King Livingstone: Miss Ramsey (acting) Mackintosh: Ms L Morton Napier: Telford: Wallace: Mr C Gardiner Mr J McGillivray Mrs R Guile

Parent Contact
If you want to make contact by email please use this address: [email protected]. sch.uk

Bannerman High School Glasgow Road G69 7NS 0141 582 0020

www.bannermanhigh.glasgow.sch. uk

Please check our website for current information. The weekly bulletin is in ‘News & Events’- this will allow you to see forthcoming clubs and activities which you can encourage your child to join.

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