The Rector's Newsletter - October 2008

A Message from the Rector

The examination cycle in a secondary school is a bit like painting the Forth Bridge ie, no sooner have you finished, than you have to start again; so for S4, the prelim examinations are looming large. It is important that these students work and revise especially hard over the next few weeks so that they can realise their full potential.

All S4 pupils will be informed by their Register Teachers of the dates and times when their individual exams will be held. The prelim timetable will be placed on the school’s website.

We have also introduced an S5/6 formal assessment week (27-31 October) to provide early indications of progress (or otherwise) and to keep senior students on track. These tests will be held in class time and parents will be notified about the outcomes.

We ask you to reinforce the messages being delivered at school about the importance of these exams. These results determine estimates (the grades we predict the candidate should gain) to the SQA, influence appeals in August and, are used for selecting the prizewinners at our Celebration of Achievement ceremony in June.

Finally, if there are any issues surrounding the prelims or study, please contact Mrs Lewis.

Extra Curricular Clubs 2008-2009

All pupils should have received a booklet via schoolbag mail listing the comprehensive range of after school clubs. Please encourage your child to participate in at least one extra-curricular activity. Late bus passes are available and we stress the importance of your child informing you if they are staying late at school to take part. If you have not received a copy of the booklet, please contact the School Office.

School Show – ‘Oh What a Lovely War’

It’s 1914 and Europe is on the brink of war. Your King and country need you, so be a real man, enlist today! However, the propaganda promise of valour and victory is quickly revealed to be a fatal myth, as the donkeys in command send the lions on the front line to die with mind-blowing arrogance and incompetence. But throughout it all, they keep on singing!

‘Oh What A Lovely War’ is a moving, funny, lyrical evocation of the tragedy and pathos of the First World War; one of the most futile and ferocious conflicts in history. Armed with sketches, songs and stories, a cast of Pierrot clowns mix their sombre buffoonery with the tough humour of the squaddies on the front line to take you on an incredible journey across Europe: from the optimism of the British home front to the blood-soaked fields of Flanders. Along the way, the story is marked by a fantastic collection of songs from the Great War such as ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’, ‘Keep The Home Fires Burning’ and ‘It’s A Long Way To Tipperary’. ‘Oh What A Lovely War’ is a groundbreaking and stunning revelation of a conflict that wiped out a whole generation of young men throughout Europe.

Still as relevant today as when it was first seen in London in 1963, this brilliant satirical musical is one of the great landmarks of post-war British theatre. We are presenting this show on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 November from 7.30 pm each night. Tickets cost £6 for adults and £5 for children and will be available from the school.

Parental Forums

Sixteen families from each year group have been randomly selected from our computer database to join our Parental Forums (you may be one of the lucky ones!). There will be 3 meetings this session in October, February and May. If you have any issues pertaining to your child’s year group that you wish to raise through the Forums please contact:-

S1 (Mr S Cotter), S2 (Mr G Ferrie), S3 (Mrs S Bain), S4 (Mrs B Lewis), S5/6 (Mr G Herbert)

Any general issues should be raised with Mr Herbert at laonline@all.dumgal.org.uk, telephone 01576 202626/202189 or by writing to the school (for the attention of Mr Herbert), or make contact via ‘Absenceline’.

Emergency Closure Arrangements

At this time, it is pertinent to remind parents of these arrangements. If we need to send pupils home, the following points should be noted.

Parents should give clear instructions about the procedure to be followed if pupils are sent home unexpectedly. Pupils will not be sent home unless the school is aware that someone is at home to receive them or that alternative arrangements have been made. Parents should err on the side of caution when deciding whether to send pupils to school in bad weather. Pupils who are transported to school should be given firm advice about the length of time they should wait if transport does not arrive at the usual time.

Now that we have the ‘Groupcall’ facility, all registered parents would receive a ‘Groupcall’ message should the school have to close due to severe weather problems etc.

The Council website (www.dumgal.gov.uk) and BBC Radio Scotland (94.7 FM) local bulletins (6.54am and 7.50am) usually also give details of school closures.

School Improvement Plan 2008-11

A copy of the current School Improvement Plan is available from the office on request. Please contact Mrs Dougan if you wish to receive a copy.

Parentmail

119 families will receive this Bulletin and copies of our regular newspaper column electronically. If you have internet access, go to www.parentmail.co.uk, enter the school postcode DG11 2AL and enrol for free online. S1/2 pupils will receive a praise stamp if you subscribe.

‘Looking for Lockerbie’

Two Syracuse University Professors, (Lawrence Mason and Melissa Chessher) have written a book about Lockerbie to coincide with the 20th Anniversary of the Lockerbie Disaster. The book which contains many photographs and over 250 pages describes the Lockerbie ‘locals’ know but, perhaps the world doesn’t. Larry has made many visits to the town, especially on Gala days and Melissa and her daughter lived here for six months during the initial research. The project has taken several years to come to fruition with an initial print run of 3000 copies.

We plan to be the local distributors of the book, together with Carlisle and Dumfries book stores and Amazon etc. The price, as yet, is unknown, but any profits will be used to fund the Lockerbie/Syracuse Scholarships; a very generous gesture indeed from the authors.

If you wish to reserve an advance copy (hopefully signed), please contact Mrs Dougan in the School Office. Details, and online ordering will also appear on our website in due course. Our copies are sure to sell quickly, so reserve your book(s) now whilst stocks are still available.

Battlefields Trip 2008 (article by Kathryn Williamson, 4E)

This year I was one of the forty one pupils who went with the school to France and Belgium on the Battlefields trip. We visited memorials, cemeteries and museums focusing on the First World War.

The trip started very early on Tuesday morning when we departed from the school bus park. As soon as we crossed the Channel we started the Battlefields experience. We began with a visit to Vimy Ridge, land gifted to Canada where so many Canadians died. Here we got a tour of the tunnels and trenches. Katherine Black laid a wreath at a relative’s grave at Roclincourt Cemetery.

The following day we went to the grave of the youngest soldier to be shot by his own side - Britain. He was only fifteen years old. After that we visited the shooting post and cells at Poperinge. Disturbingly, from the holding cells, the prisoners could actually see the spot where they’d be shot. Also that day we made a visit to Essex Farm Cemetery where the poet John McCrae wrote the historic ‘In Flanders Fields’ which echoed the sentiments of the soldiers.

Thursday saw us travel to the Somme area of France starting with a visit to Lochnagar Crater which when combined with Taylor Edwards’ bagpipes playing sent everyone off, trying to imagine the scale of a war when a crater with a 300 ft. diameter killed so many. Also on Thursday, we visited Chris Morton’s relative’s grave at Sucrerie, as well as visits to Thiepval and Newfoundland Park. After that a fun night of 10-pin bowling followed.

We began Friday with a relaxed visit to the trenches and museum at Sanctuary Wood. However, the mood quickly changed when we reached Hooge Cemetery, where most of us experienced feelings of remorse. Our sombre emotions only heightened on arrival at Tyne Cot. Kate Jackson remembered a relative who is one of the 35,000 names of the missing. Taylor’s pipes once again only made the whole experience even more emotive. The time at Tyne Cot was obviously different for everyone, but I think we all experienced the enormity of it all and felt a little changed by seeing it first hand.

I felt extremely privileged to be asked to read ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ at the site of the first of the gas attacks at Vancouver Crossroads.

The pinnacle of the trip was attending the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate where Emma Scott, John Beardon, Nicole Lawrie and Thomas Illingworth laid wreaths and Taylor piped.

The whole experience was exceptionally moving and despite the very sad aspects, I am pleased that I had the opportunity to attend and feel that I have gained an insight into the impact of war on humanity.

S6 Charities (article by Craig Stoddart, Depute Head Boy)

For many years now, Lockerbie Academy has run a Charities programme. This year Mairi Aitken, Head Girl and Craig Stoddart, Depute Head Boy are responsible for overseeing the Charities Committee. We felt that it would be a good idea to publicise our chosen charities to a greater extent and to expand on the number of people who have an opportunity to get involved with the various events throughout the year. To this end, we are writing this article in the Bulletin in the hope of consolidating the awareness that we have tried to encourage through our three Charities assemblies so far where we have conveyed this information to your children.

Our first chosen charity is the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or SSPCA. The SSPCA caters for, and tries to re-home many types of often neglected or abandoned animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, otters and many kinds of bird. Through their many welfare centres and quick response helpline, they treat around 15,000 animals per year. As they have no government funding and are often overshadowed by other, bigger animal organisations such as the RSPCA and RSPB, our help is very important to them and will allow them to continue their high standard of work.

Our second chosen charity is SAMH, or the Scottish Association for Mental Health. There are around 80 centres based all over Scotland which help over 3000 people who are suffering from mental illnesses or some other form of social exclusion. They aim to remove, or at least reduce, the stigma associated with mental health. We have already forged a very strong and rewarding connection to this charity through one of its representatives who was invaluable during preparations for Mental Health Week Oct 6-10.

There are several events planned throughout the year including Christmas Ceilidhs, events at Halloween, a Car Wash, an auction/quiz night, a sponsored animal walk and more to come.

Dates for your Diary

Curriculum Information Evenings 2008/2009 (7.00-8.30pm)

Parents are requested to try to arrange family holidays during the school holiday dates. The school cannot grant permission for holidays taken during school time and all such absences will be marked as unauthorised.