The Rector's Newsletter - April 2008

A Message from the Rector

This term heralds the examination season for Senior students. A letter has been issued detailing study leave arrangements and subject workshops. We wish all our students every success in the forthcoming exams.

This Bulletin is also being issued to all P7 pupils in our associated primary schools to give them and their families a flavour of their new school. We look forward to meeting our new intake during the induction week in June.

Staffing

We are pleased to welcome Miss A Galligan to the Business Studies Department, and both Miss K MacNiven and Miss D Clark to the Science Department.

S3 Exams – Wednesday 23 April

Prior to sitting prelims in S4, we feel it is extremely important for S3 students to experience a formal exam setting. This year, exams will be given in most subjects. Some will operate in the same way as an SQA examination in that they will take place with formal seating in the Games Hall. Other exams will be timetabled using classrooms. These will finish on Wednesday 30 April. You will receive your child’s report on Friday 23 May, prior to the parents’ evening on Wednesday 28 May.

Celebration of Achievement Ceremony – 11 June 2008

Our seventh Celebration of Achievement ceremony will take place at 7.30pm on 11 June. This event goes from strength to strength, thanks to our sponsors and the staff who plan and organise it. Sponsors this year have already been very generous but there is always room for more. If you wish to give a donation to the event, either individually or through your business, please contact the Rector. Trophies and prizes, in the form of book tokens, are awarded to S4 to S6 students for academic achievement and endeavour. The guest of honour this year is Border Television presenter, Fiona Armstrong.

Parental Forums – Meeting 2

The second meeting of the Parental Forums was held on Monday 25 February, where there was a good attendance of parents representing each year group. The meeting, held in the staff room was devoted to updating forum members on the progress of the new Lockerbie Campus and also on the ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ initiative.

New Lockerbie Campus – Progress Report

Any parents who have visited the Academy or driven past on the Glasgow Road will have noticed that work has begun in earnest on the new Campus.

At the time of writing, concrete is being poured for the foundations and much groundwork and landscaping has already been achieved.

A Campus Communications Group has been set up to keep everyone informed of the latest developments.

The Academy has a notice board displaying plans, plus ‘photo of the week’ and ‘days to go’ countdown (24 June 2010) to keep pupils and staff up-to-date and involved in the process.

The Contractors (H & J Martin) were happy to be involved in the recent Science rocket project using their sophisticated measuring equipment to calculate how far each rocket travelled.

Battlefields Trip – September 2008

The Last Post Society in Ypres has agreed that Lockerbie Academy pupils visiting the Battlefields this year can lay wreaths as part of the official ceremony at the Menin Gate on 19 September 2008. They have also agreed to allow the school to provide a piper to play the lament. This is a huge honour and a great recognition for the school.

S3 Monitors 2008

Monitors will be appointed in May. Please encourage your child to apply for this responsible position. Information will be given at an Assembly in the near future.

Dougie Maclean Concert

Tickets are selling fast for the Dougie Maclean Concert on Tuesday 27 May 2008, priced at £15 (£13 to Scotland Supporters Club members). If you wish to buy tickets, please phone the ticket hotline on 01576 202189 or e-mail dmaclean@all.dumgal.org.uk. This is an evening that the local community should not miss.

‘Gaun up tae the Big Schule’

Copies of the history of Lockerbie Academy (author, Isabelle Gow) are still on sale. If you wish a copy, please call at the school office to purchase a book (price £10). Alternatively, telephone 01576 202189 or e-mail dougank@all.dumgal.org.uk.

Lockerbie Academy Bulb campaign

In September 2008, Lockerbie Academy will be giving people the opportunity to buy top quality spring bulbs. This will be the third time that the school has linked up with “The Bulb Man” to raise funds for the school. Pupils will bring home coloured brochures at the end of August/September with the orders arriving in school directly from the growers on 2 November onwards.

Pupils will distribute their orders within a few days of their arrival, a procedure that ‘The Sunday Herald’ of 14.8.05 recommends, as this means that “these bulbs do not spend time on hot dry shelves of the shops!”

The previous two campaigns have made a profit of £1,195.48 which was used to improve the outdoor environment for pupils. Moreover, our top selling pupils were given cash prizes for their efforts. Our September fundraiser will be used to buy more outdoor seating/planters for our pupils to use, before re-location to our new school.

We hope that you will support us in this ‘bulb project’.

Tesco Computers for Schools Vouchers

Once again this year we are collecting Tesco Computers for Schools vouchers. On average, we collect about 6,000 tokens per year. This represents £60,000 worth of shopping at Tesco each year – no small amount. Normally, the tokens are ‘banked’ for two or three years while we gather enough to send in a decent order. Please continue to collect and send in the vouchers because, as they say at Tesco, “every little helps”.

Thoughts on being in S1

Your first day is very nerve-racking, because you’ll be scared about getting lost but it’s really nothing to worry about, every first year gets lost a few times. If you are lost ask somebody where to go. I know I was very scared about finding my way around the school but you do remember a lot from the induction days, so don’t worry you’ll be fine when you get there.

Another thing that might worry you is settling in, so use the induction days as a chance to make new friends. You’ll find more friends as you go through first year. I only made a few friends in the induction days but now I’ve made more. Just make sure you’re being yourself and you’ll settle in fine.

When you come to Lockerbie Academy, you might come across new subjects that you never had a chance to do in primary, but that’s the fun about it. You get to try things you’ve never done before. You’ll also get a lot of different teachers which is nice because if you have a problem you have more people to talk to.

The work is a lot more challenging at Lockerbie Academy, but if you have any problems with the work ask for help then your teacher can see what you can and can’t do.

You will have a lot more opportunities at the Academy. You can go into competitions and win house points, you can join clubs and you can be a class rep and much more. There are so many opportunities here, just take them.

I know the school seems massive but it’s not. It just looks it when you first get there. Don’t worry you soon get used to it.

At lunch, you can buy it at the canteen, or you can bring a packed lunch. If you want your lunch in the canteen, make sure you bring your Young Scot card. To top up your card, you put it in a machine and you put your money in and the money goes on your card. I have really enjoyed my first year at Lockerbie Academy.

Tarryn Kempson-Hopkins, 1CK

From the primary to the academy it’s a bit frightening at first, but if you find and make friends then they will help you even if they are S3. In induction week you have an assembly which explains everything you need to know. It’s a bit nerve-wracking because you don’t know most people, and you’ve got to think ahead and think about targets. In induction week you get shown around by your S6 buddies, who are friendly and helpful.

You get to know your teachers and your way around pretty quickly. If you ever get worried about finding classrooms ask a teacher or your friends. Most people only get lost once or never.

You will get to know how the classroom numbers and letter codes work, that’s how most people get to classrooms if your class has been moved to a different classroom because of tests, and exams that kind of thing. All teachers are nice and friendly, and you will get on with them well if you obey the classroom code, as well as any other teachers rules, if they have any.

There are lots of different jobs like class reps and eco school committee. This gives you a chance to change the school for the better. In classes you make and do lots of different things like in Home Economics you make apple crumble, in Social Subjects you learn about Scotland’s history and in Technical you make models and work with wood, saws and drills.

You will enjoy working and learning in Lockerbie Academy.

Connor McLaughlin, 1GK

Dates for your diary

Dates for Parents’ Evenings 2008 (7.00-9.00 pm)

Dates for Curriculum Information Evenings 2008 (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.