Issuu

2025 — 2026

albynschool.org

ALBYN REVIEW

HELLO This year saw Albyn School celebrate 100 years on Queen’s Road with special events such as our QR100 show at the Tivoli and the Colour Run to mark the occasion. Our School is so busy and filled with opportunities that it is impossible to include everything that goes on in these pages but we hope that you get a flavour of how vibrant and welcoming the Albyn Community is As well as this magazine which highlights some of the many achievements and happenings of this academic year, we have pulled together a video montage of each term for you to enjoy. We are thrilled to share our selected memories of 2025 - 2026, a look back at a brilliant and eventful year. Anna S and Sophie P - S6 Magazine & Video Club Captains

Click on an image to watch.

E N J OY !

ALBYN SCHOOL

Contents Awards

Queen’s Road 100

Nursery & Lower School

Our Faculties

ASFL

Library

100

Activities Week

106

Albyn Alumni

120

Albyn School Parents Association 124

ALBYN SCHOOL I NWA A T RRODDSU C T I O N

2025 — 2026

AWA R D S & A C C R E D I TAT I O N S

By honouring accomplishments we encourage pupils to strive for their personal best and inspire others to do the same. Here we celebrate the hard work, dedication and talents of our pupils. 4

01. P5 THOMSON AWARDS FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Ryan F, Isla H , Findlay S, Alexander A, Seeley B, Oreoluwa O 02. P5 SCHOOL VALUES AWARDS

06. P7 SCHOOL VALUES AWARDS

Murray D, Jerome J, Harper L, Jessica S, Magnus F, Philomene L, Scarlett M, Harry M 07. ZENA COOPER CUP FOR ART

Jessica D 08. LOWER SCHOOL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

03. P6 THOMSON AWARDS FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

09. MACLEAN CUP FOR MUSIC

Guy C, Ayooluwa O, Jasmin T, Kimberly C, Fraser M, Miranda S,Aurelien D, Jerome J, Harper L 04. P6 SCHOOL VALUES AWARDS

Yasmin C, Rosa H, Rebecca H, Emily S, Emilie A, Harrison O, Lottie P, Abigail T 05. P7 THOMSON AWARDS FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Jack F, Felix L, Sai P, Aurelien D, Riaan D, Kim-Claire M

Harper L Miranda S 10. PRESLY PRIZE FOR PERSEVERANCE IN MUSIC

Harry M 11. LOWER 7 MATHEMATICAL CHALLENGE CUP

Jessica D 12. SANDRA WISELY SCOT’S POETRY RECITAL PRIZE P4/5

Bella L 13. SANDRA WISELY SCOT’S POETRY RECITAL PRIZE P6/7

Jack M 15. GRAHAM CUP FOR POETRY IN LOWER 6

Yasmin C 16. GRAHAM CUP FOR POETRY IN LOWER 7

Alie F 17. JOHNSTONE CITIZENSHIP AWARD (FOR P7)

Alex G 18. THORP CUP FOR ENDEAVOUR (FOR P7)

Alice F

I N T R O DAUWA C T RI ODNS

Jessica A, Olivia B, Islay Esteba W Andre A, Dasha B, Tabitha H, Daniel H

14. GRAHAM CUP FOR POETRY IN LOWER 6

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LOWER SCHOOL

19. CHARLIE TODD AWARD

Charlie F

20. PROXIME ACCESSIT

Jessica D

21. LOWER SCHOOL DUX

Charlie F

Sai P

UPPER SCHOOL

01. S1 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Raegan B, Emily C, Daniel F, Millie G, Molly G, Mila R 02. S1 SCHOOL VALUES AWARDS

Emily C, Daniel F, Emily C, Daniel F , Nordi O, Laura S , Molly J, Damisi O 03. S2 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Shraddha A, Vicky A, Sophia A, Nastya B, Leonardo F, Imogen H, Marion-May M Jonathan M, Niamh O’, Zuzia S, An T, Isaiah T, Noah V

04. S2 SCHOOL VALUES AWARDS

Imogen H, An T, Leo F, MarionMay M, Katy H, Edgar J, Vicky A, Noah V 05. S3 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Ini A, Seun A, John B, Sophie B, Conor D, Eilidh E, Leo G, Beatrix L, Zoe S, Sanjay S 06. S3 SCHOOL VALUES AWARDS

Reni D, Leo G, Ini A, Sophie B, Beatrix L, Zoe S, Seun A, Nyah I 07. S4 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

M, Joel O, Leya O, Amelia R, Markus S, Michas S, Ethan T 08. S4 SCHOOL VALUES AWARDS

Lily B, Oliver M, Dilinna A, Kitty D, Joy O, Samuel S, Sadie B, Euan M 09. BURNSIDE CUP FOR DEBATING

Mikayeel C, Anna C 10. CCF RECRUIT OF THE YEAR SALVER

Laayla R

Erin A, Semi A, Lily B, Sadie B, Yasmine B, Emma-Grace D, Charlotte F, Euan M, Finlay 5

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UPPER SCHOOL

11. CCF FORTITUDINE VINCIMUS TROPHY CADET OF THE YEAR

I NWA A T RRODDSU C T I O N

This award is given to the cadet who

Ben A

demonstrated leadership and significant commitment throughout the year. Fortitudine Vincimus (By Endurance We Conquer), was explorer Ernest Shackleton’s family motto. The cup was donated by Mr Peter Macklin, whose grandfather was with Shackleton on the Endurance and Quest expeditions.

24. EARNSHAW CUP FOR HIGHER ENGINEERING

Kitty D

26. GERMAN CONSULATE PRIZE FOR GERMAN

12. UPPER SCHOOL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

Anna C 13. THE MARSHALL CUP FOR CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC

Matthew B 14. SIXTH FORM PUBLIC SPEAKING CUP

Jonathan T 15. ENDEAVOUR CUP FOR ACADEMIC RECORD IN S4

Lily C 16. HIGHER ART & DESIGN QUAICH

Hannah C 17. HIGHER ECONOMICS CUP

Felix K 18. HIGHER ACCOUNTS CUP

Daniel C 19. TORRANCE TROPHY FOR HIGHER HUMAN BIOLOGY

Felix K 20. CRAIG GROUP CUP FOR HIGHER BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Supreme N 21. TANNOCK CUP FOR ENTERPRISE LIVINGSTON

Lucy M 22. LIVINGSTON CUP FOR HIGHER MODERN STUDIES

Gemma W 6

23. HIGHER COMPUTING CUP

Jonathan T 25. THE SHAND CUP FOR HIGHER FRENCH

Serena S

Lilia W 27. HAY CUP FOR HIGHER GEOGRAPHY

Jennifer-Kate E 28. THE HARDING CUP FOR HIGHER GERMAN

Jennifer-Kate E 29. THAY ROSE BOWL FOR HIGHER LATIN

Sabina B 30. HOWAT CUP FOR MUSIC AND PE

Callum P 31. NORAH GLENNIE SALVER FOR HIGHER MATHS

Ben A 32. EILIDH WHYTE CUP FOR MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

Brooke B 33. HIGHER DRAMA CUP

Harriet J 34. HIGHER PE CUP

Kirsty B 35. THE DEBATER TROPHY

Brinitta T Rosanna S 36. HIGHER PHILOSOPHY SALVER

Jonathan T 37. HIGHER SPANISH SALVER

Anton A

38. 1921 ALBYN DRAMATICAL SOCIETY CUP

Georgia C 39. MOSH SHORT STORY COMPETITION PRIZE

Olivia O 40. WALKER PRIZE FOR MODRN LANGUAGES

Laura F 41. MACFARLANE CUP FOR HIGHER HISTORY

Aveline S 42. LUMSDEN POETRY COMPETITION PRIZE

Libby G 43. HIGHER SOCIOLOGY PRIZE

India P 44. THE ROBSON CUP FOR ACADEMIC RECORD IN S5

Felix K 45. ADVANCED HIGHER BIOLOGY PRIZE

Alvin J 46. ADVANCED HIGHER BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PRIZE

Aiden N 47. ADVANCED HIGHER ECONOMICS PRIZE

Ore A 48. ADVANCED HIGHER MODERN STUDIES PRIZE

Kirsty B 49. ADVANCED HIGHER ENGLISH PRIZE

Anna S 50. HIGHER CHEMISTRY SALVER

Archie L 51. HIGHER PHYSICS SALVER

Jonathan T

Hop N 53. BUCHAN PRIZE FOR ADVANCED HIGHER FRENCH

Fiona F 54. CONLON CUP FOR SPORTS EXCELLENCE

Ellie O Madison C 56. THE DEBATING CUP

Fiona F Bennet T 57. THE MUIR ROSE BOWL AND PRIZE FOR PRACTICAL SCIENCES

Sofia P 58. F24 PUPIL OF THE SEASON

Brooke B 59. KATHERINE TAYLOR TROPHY FOR ORCHESTRAL PLAYING

Callum P 60. ADVANCED HIGHER ENGINEERING PRIZE

Cameron L 61. FORMER PUPILS’ AWARD

Georgia C 62. ADVANCED HIGHER CHEMISTRY PRIZE

Alvin J 63. HOPPER AWARD FOR COMPUTING SCIENCE

Isaiah T 64. TURING AWARD FOR COMPUTING SCIENCE

Aaminah O 65. ADVANCED HIGHER HISTORY PRIZE

Anna S

Kirsty B 67. MACKLIN CUP FOR SPORT

Sophie W 68. JANE MURRAY SALVER FOR HIGHER MUSIC AND MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

Callum P 69. EILIDH WHYTE TROPHY FOR SINGING

Brooke B 70. TISCHUK CUP

The Tischuk Cup is awarded to a

pupil who has contributed to the life of the school in multiple significant ways, notably making an excellent effort to show respect and kindness towards others. The Tischuk family had four daughters in the school between 1987 and 2010. They donated the cup in 2010.

Callum P 71. HILDA BROWN AWARD FOR ADVANCED HIGHER GERMAN

Laura F 72. SCOTTISH SAMURAI AWARD T he Scottish Samurai Award was donated to the school by Mr Ronnie Watt OBE ORS, the founder of the National Karate Institute of Scotland. Ronnie has a long and happy association with Albyn School. It is awarded to a pupil who has demonstrated the qualities of a Samurai, namely: justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, honesty, honour, loyalty and self-control. It is one of the School’s highest awards.

75. ASHLEY VAN GRONDELLE MEMORIAL PRIZE

This award is one of the highest awards

the School gives. Ashley was an Albyn pupil in the 1980s who sadly died of cancer in 1998. Her husband donated this prize to inspire all Albyn pupils to face the challenges of life as Ashley did - with strength, grace, courage and tenacity.

Brooke B 76. SCHOOL VICE-CAPTAIN PRIZE

Aiden N Ore A Fiona F 77. SCHOOL CAPTAIN PRIZE

I N T R O DAUWA C T RI ODNS

55. ADVANCED HIGHER PE PRIZE

66. ALL ROUND SIXTH FORM CUP

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52. GORDON EDWARDS PRIZE FOR ADVANCED HIGHER MATHS

Kirsty B 78. SPORTS CITIZENSHIP CUP

Cameron D 79. SHIRREFF’S CUP FOR KEYBOARD PLAYING

Angus D 80. PROXIME ACCESSIT

Alvin J 81. ADVANCED HIGHER MECHANICS PRIZE

Aiden N 82. ADVANCED HIGHER PHYSICS PRIZE

Kate P 83. ADVANCED HIGHER STATISTICS PRIZE

Aiden N 84. DUX OF THE SCHOOL

Aiden N

Georgia C 73. ADVANCED HIGHER ART & DESIGN PRIZE

Millie T 74. ADVANCED HIGHER COMPUTING PRIZE

Cameron L

Q U E E N ’ S R O A D 100

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Q U E E N ’ S R O A D 100

Queen’s Road 100

ALBYN SCHOOL Q U E E N ’ S R O A D 100

A Century at the Heart of Aberdeen This year, Albyn School celebrated an extraordinary milestone - 100 years at its Queen’s Road home. More than a centenary of education, this was also a celebration of people, place and community. For a century, Albyn has stood as a landmark in Aberdeen’s West End, shaping generations of pupils while contributing to the cultural and civic life of the city.

Family Fun Day

Thousands of families, staff and alumni share a connection to the school, making this anniversary not just an Albyn moment, but an Aberdeen one. To honour this rich history, Albyn School hosted a yearlong programme of events bringing together past and present, tradition and innovation.

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Founders Day

Q U E E N ’ S R O A D 100

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Civic Reception

FP Reunion

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Hamper Ceilidh

Q U E E N ’ S R O A D 100

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100 Years on Queen’s Road - Tivoli Theatre

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Q U E E N ’ S R O A D 100

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QR100 Finale Colour Run

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Q U E E N ’ S R O A D 100

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Nursery and Lower School

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Nursery It has been a busy year as we have welcomed lots of new friends into our class. We have enjoyed a variety of activities linked to our learning interests and engaged in lots of fun opportunities.

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“How do flowers grow?”

NURSERY & LOWER SCHOOL

“Wow you did, good job.”

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A Year of Discovery in Primary One & Two Classes

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Primary 3 Dinosaurs P3 enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Aberdeen University Zoology Building where they took part in a workshop to explore how dinosaurs became extinct, investigated the similarities and differences between dinosaurs and birds and even examined fossilised dinosaur poo! Afterwards the children had the chance to touch and closely observe a range of skeletons, shells and taxidermy animals in Aberdeen’s very own (mini) natural history museum.

Aberdeen Tour We had a fabulous time visiting the Maritime Museum, discovering lots of interesting facts about fishing, oil and gas, and Aberdeen’s connections to the sea. We walked around Footdee, collecting data about the bothies and discussing their history. We then ended the trip with a walking tour of Old Aberdeen. A great day out in the sunshine!

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What’s on the menu? NURSERY & LOWER SCHOOL

This year the children learned about healthy balanced diets and exploring the different sections of the food plate and they worked together to design a healthy sandwich lunch that included elements from each food group. They planned and researched the ingredients, comparing prices and calculating costs to consolidate their learning about money in Maths. Finally, the class prepared their own healthy lunches for a classroom picnic restaurant to enjoy their delicious creations together. The children also had a chance to open their own restaurant where they served home made soup and bread to their hungry parents! We are so proud of their teamwork, independence, and enthusiasm throughout this exciting learning experience!

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Primary 4

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Primary 5 - Alltnacriche

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Primary 6 - Alltnacriche

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Primary 7 - Normandy

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The ACE Programme ACE (Albyn Curriculum Enrichment) offers our pupils a range of opportunities throughout the year giving them the chance to explore new interests, discover hidden talents and challenge themselves in exciting ways. Through activities ranging from sport, coding and engineering to creative arts, community projects and environmental learning, pupils have demonstrated our core values of curiosity, resilience, endeavour, confidence, empathy and teamwork. Whether building friendships across generations, solving complex challenges, performing on stage or creating innovative designs, every ACE experience has encouraged pupils to learn beyond the classroom and grow as individuals.

Here’s a sample of what was on offer this year ... Golf – Intergenerational Sparks – Lego Club – Present Like a Pro – Puzzle Masters – Speed Cubing and Mystery

To celebrate and reflect on their achievements, pupils created their own ACE Passports, recording their experiences, personal successes and the values they developed throughout the year. These passports provide a wonderful snapshot of each child’s unique learning journey and highlight the enthusiasm, creativity and ambition that have made this year’s ACE programme such a success.

Puzzles – Tremendous Track Builders –1867 History Club – Accelerated Reader Club – Chess – Cultural Club – Kids Kata – Nature Explorers – Origami Club –.Play Explorers – RotaKids – The Style Studio – Coding Club – Our Weird Brains – Case Crackers – Run Club – Dance Club – Arty Adventures – Football World Cup – Chess and Board Games Club – Comic Creator – Lego Challenge Club – Mini Theatre Club

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42 U PUPREFA O R SCCUHLT OIOE LS

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Our Faculties

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UPPER SCHOOL

English

ALBYN SCHOOL EUNP G P EL RI S SHC H O O L

English Lumsden Poetry Writing Prize Write 3 original poems on any topic S4-6

LUMSDEN P O E T RY PRIZE WINNER 2026

Red Under Studio Lights

The Jar

Pain has become the subject movie producers ravenously market, (but their soft lives don’t dare cut) Dramatic, messy & loud (and yet always wiped clean after) showcasing cracks & cuts like accessories blood packets bursting obediently beneath lights

Libby G I am filled to the brim S5 Full And it seeps through my pores, my many cracks, invisible I want to shout till I break, Leak until I am drained I am on the verge of sense Hanging off Unsure whether to climb is gain Or to fall is more. But it won’t be understood And I’ll look for understanding in every place to be grieved, I am fluent Bilingual in my own language I haven’t fully grasped yet The mosaic of everything I am, have been and will be Admired only by the reflections, I spill And nothing empties..

But when the rolling credits have flickered to a stop when the glycerine tears are all drying when the powdered bruises are wiped off It leaves no soundtrack, No contract papers thick enough to pack a wound And poems are never written in the moment, they are constructed during reflection Afterwards, the damage is admired, fussed over, praised tragedies made bigger & sweeter or smaller & bitter (Depends what’s tasteful) But all that blood was never beautiful It was just red.

Offering What part of me still refuses your shape? Name it, love. I would remove it, if you’ll only place the knife in my hand, I would carve the skin from my bones to keep you warm.

All Lumsden Poetry Prize Entries - click here All Mosh Creative Entries - click here 46

November 14th 1990

The ink flows better than my legs do this morning. I have always have so many ideas, but my hands just ain’t quick enough to grasp all the notes anymore, so I still devote the slow mornings to putting down the bulk of it. I thought the habit of writing down everything stopped at 30, but God forbid a young man die hard in his habits!

BEST SH ORT STORY

ALBYN SCHOOL

The Soul in Solomon Franklin

MOSH C R E AT I V E WRITING PRIZE WINNER 2026

Olivia O S5

Ruby says I’ve been sleeping longer, but I tell her a man needs his rest if he’s going to keep time for the whole neighborhood. My ears so good, I can hear the city waking up. A low hum of tires on asphalt, the syncopated rhythm of the bus brakes at the stop on the corner. Yes, this is home.

I feel like a lucky man. I’ve got my strings, I’ve got my girls, and the setlist for today is looking real sharp. I just need to remember where I put my lucky polished shoes. Everything is right where it should be. • • •

U P P E R ESNCGHLOI O S HL

Folks think jazz is just noise, but it’s the architecture of the air. It’s the way Mr. Chen’s grandson, the little roughneck, practices his scales next door, or the way the little Mexican kids on the porch three houses down tune their guitars. I taught them that. Their parents used to give me the strange look they all give to black men before realising I'm just a man with a ridiculous ear for music. I told these boys: “Don’t play the note you think you should play. Play the note the street is asking for.”

Polish the song Buy Ruby red roses

Finish Evangeline’s song

I lightly finished the list and dropped the pen and my small notebook, laying the tattered thing slowly on our nightstand. The New Orleans sunlight hit the duvet in a sharp, golden rectangle. My heart was a steady 4/4 beat, unburdened by the hitch and stutter of a tired chest. I turned my head and saw her. She was radiant. Ruby’s dark hair was fanned out across the pillow like spilled ink. She must have forgotten to put her bonnet on last night. This was the beautiful girl I’d met at the pier, the one who stood in the front row of every set I played at The Delta, her eyes never leaving the hole of my guitar. "Morning, Rubes," I whispered, reaching out to brush a stray lock from her forehead. She stirred, and for a split second, she was young. The classy girl that was way too good for the likes of myself. Her daddy had a fit when he saw the preacher's son, whose only aspiration was the flow of soul music, want to take her home. We ran around like two little puppies, dancing in the rain, and exploring everything our city had to offer. She loved my strings, the sweet melodies I made for her years ago. She still loves to hear ‘em now. She smiled that sweet, sunshine beam at me, and I smiled even wider. As precious as the day we first met. Though her eyes held a heavy, protective sadness I didn't remember her having last night. "Solomon? You’re up early," she said. Her voice was gravelly, etched with a strange, careful vibration. "Got a session," I said, swinging my legs off the bed. I felt a sharp pinch in my lower back. My knucklehead had developed a stubborn knot back in the day that I couldn't quite shake, probably from all that damn sitting down playing around with my guitar, nowhere near enough exercise. "The boys are meeting at the bar. We need to tighten up the bridge on ‘Evangeline’ before the brunch set. People are coming from all over the city to hear that soul, Ruby. I can't let 'em down." Ruby turned, fully facing me in the bed. "You're always worried about letting 'em down, Solo," Ruby said, her voice trailing off as she watched me stand. She reached out, her fingers grazing my wrist. "The music is the only thing that keeps the sidewalk level, Rubes," I chuckled, turning to the closet. "Now, where are my wingtips? The polished ones. A man can’t play a ballad in his stocking feet." I kneeled, rummaging through the floor of the closet, humming the melody of ‘Evangeline’. I knew the song was gonna be a hit. I loved the name. Finally, I found the pair of shoes. I pulled them out. They were blue checkered slippers, the kind with the fleece lining that Ruby bought me for Christmas... When was that? Last year? I tossed them aside. I finally found a black shoe. Just the ones I needed. I tucked them under my arm like a prized trophy. Before walking out the room, I suddenly remembered. "Hey, Rubes... is the baby still out? Our little bug?" I 47

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leaned closer, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial hum. "Three years old and she’s already got a better ear for the blues than Benny. I wanted to show her that new bridge, she loves the way the low E vibrates. That cute little button nose of hers is going to be right up against the strings the second she smells the wood of the guitar." My Ruby’s smile didn't fade, but it tightened at the edges, a fragile bridge over a rising tide. She reached out and took my hand, her thumb tracing the callouses on my fingers. "She’s still asleep, Solo," Ruby whispered. Her voice was thick, "You know how she is. She played hard yesterday. She’s tucked in tight, dreaming of all those songs you taught her. Don't wake her just yet. Let her have her rest." "Yeah," I breathed, a warmth spreading through my chest. "Let the little bug sleep. I'll play it for her when the sun gets higher."

EUNP G P EL RI S SHC H O O L

"Solomon," Ruby called from the bed. She hadn't moved, but was sitting up now, the sunlight catching the curls in her hair. It looked like tinsel, shimmering in a way that made my chest tight. "The boys probably ain't at the bar yet. Why don't you have some coffee first?” I beamed, “The day waits for no love, I'll see you later on! Be there for the brunch performance.” Ruby opened her mouth, then closed it. “You know I will, dear.”  I stepped out onto the sidewalk, the metronome in my head already clicking into a comfortable groove. My first stop was the corner market. The shop with the green awning was a riot of color, but my eyes went straight to the red roses. They were deep, velvety, and smelled of Sunday mornings. "Fresh from the garden, Solo." the vendor said, nodding at me. I smiled as I imagined the adorable look Ruby would have on her face the second she saw this bunch, I could even give one to my little bug. I handed over a crinkled ten-dollar bill, holding the thorns carefully so they wouldn't prick the fingers I needed for the strings. I gently tucked them into my box, the crimson petals peeking out from the aged leather like a secret. A gift for my girl. Everything was on track. On the way, I passed Mr. Chen’s place. I heard the scales—Do, Re, Mi—stumbling and sharp. "Keep it steady, kid!" I shouted toward the window. "Don't rush the rest!" I saw the young boy peer up at me and smile. I swear he hadn't had those 2 front teeth when I saw him last, “Thank you, Mr. Frankin!” Three houses down, the Mexican kids were on the porch. Darn, am I getting old? They’ve sprouted like trees! They looked grown, thick-shouldered and built, working on a motorcycle. They looked up as I passed. They gave me a look of soft, quiet recognition. "Morning, Mr. Franklin," one of them called out. His voice was deep, a baritone rumble. "Going for a stroll?" he hummed, "Going to work, Jose!" I called back, waving my box. "The soul doesn't wait for the sun!" They traded a look. That quick, darting glance people give when they think you aren't looking. I ignored it. People have been looking at jazzmen like we’re crazy since the dawn of time. We invest our souls in the trade, but not that many cents come from it. It's more a paved path of love for those foolish enough to fall for it. I remember the old restaurant that used to be beside this shop. I picked my notebook out of my pocket and flipped the pages a few back. I wrote everything down, my memory ain’t as great these days, so I write everything down in my book. I remember most things, but damn did I get a good slap from Ruby for forgetting our wedding anniversary just a few months back, so I'm a wise man to write down every detail, regardless of how confident I am that I’ll remember it. February 18th 1982 Me and the boys gots an evening set today. I feel like we’ve really made it. I’m grinning like a Cheshire cat! We tried last week to perform downtown, this nice restaurant. I’m tellin’ you– they had people worth more money there than all of us combined had seen in our lives. Shorty warned me, tellin’ me to be careful round these people, they still ain’t quite sure ‘bout people like us. I know that– but I also know a good opportunity. I had prayed that they would see us for us. Music has no skin afterall. We had gone through all the signing up the weeks following up to it, but as soon as we got to the door, these 48

Me and the boys were down for days. Shorty said he had expected it, but Benny took it the hardest. The mans lives and breathes music, and I knew he just wanted the chance to show what he could do. That’s why I'm so happy we got a more local set today. Benny been bouncing off the walls, wailing that his Mama would be proud.

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men looked at us like we was crazy. They asked which of us was ‘Solo Franklin’, I answered, “Me sir.” That man looked at me like I had told him to lick the bottom of my shoe. Never knew ‘Solo’ sounded like the name of a white man.

I know Ruby will be proud, I can’t wait to tell her about it when I get home. I took the boys out for a meal before we gets on the big stage. This new place down on the nine next to the florist with the bright green awning does the best oxtail I think I’ve ever had in my life! Mama wouldn’t be happy to hear this, but this plantain and stew is the sweetest. Shorty been stuffing his mouth like an animal and has his head in his hands now. I did tell him to put down the drink, he gon’ be sleeping like he in the hands of Abraham himself. Benny’s still eating, and flirtin’, that fool. I grinned as I relived the memory as if it were right in front of me, not even noticing I was at the front door of the delta already, poking the glass with my box. It was my old friend, my longest friend. My old wooden box covered with aged leather—a sturdy wooden box my pops had given me. As the preacher boy, I lived and breathed melody in the church. There wasn't a moment when the presence of music was absent, and soon, the guitar became my accomplice. I had tried many instruments: I tried the horn for a while, and then the keys, but my hands always made their way back to these light strings. They felt right in my hand. Light, but heavy with the promise of music. I regret that I didn't bother with a coat; the sun looked warm enough through the window, though when I stepped onto the porch, the air bit at my skin like a dog.

U P P E R ESNCGHLOI O S HL

Wes gonna be good, I can feel it.

One, two, three, four. The metronome sang in my head. I stared down once again at my small notebook firm in hand, flipping the pages forwards to continue revising the lyrics in Evangeline. One little change and it was perfect. I felt content, ticking off everything in my list. • • •

Polish the song Buy Ruby red roses

Finish Evangeline’s song

I pushed open the heavy oak door of The Delta, the air inside was thick with the scent of roasted malt and the ghost of many men like me, just the way it was supposed to be. The spotlight was already cutting a jagged hole through the dimness, centered on my empty stool.I looked at the bandstand. Empty. "Benny? Shorty?" I called out, my voice bouncing off the brass rail of the bar. Those two knuckleheads were always cutting it close. I remembered the day I met Benny like no other. It was 1968, in the middle of a monsoon rain. He was sitting on an overturned bucket in an alleyway, drumsticks made of snapped broom handles, playing a rhythm so complex it made the falling rain sound out of tune. I’d handed him a cigarette and told him if he could play like that on a real kit, I’d make him a king. Then there was little Shorty Joe in ‘70. That lightskin, selfish doer. I’d seen him chatting to my girl when we were in Memphis. I clocked that fool, and we both got kicked out the bar. We both looked at each other silly after bruising and bleeding, not even being able to like a finger out of pain. After being forced to talk, I found he hadn't eaten in three days, but that hushed singing voice he let out captivated me, so I invited the boy out of kindness to the jazz. He sang his little heart out, and has been with me since. The audience in front of me was starting to mutter. I saw a sea of faces: young, old, Black, Brown, and white all leaning in, waiting for the soul of Solomon Franklin to speak. I couldn't let 'em sit in the silence. I took my seat, adjusting the Gibson in my lap. The wood felt strange, square and a bit rough around the waist of the guitar, but I figured it was just the humidity and the buzzing anticipation in my soul. "The boys are running a bit behind," I told the bustling crowd with a wink. "Traffic’s a bear on Canal Street. I’ll give you a little something to hold you over.” With that, I struck the first chord of Evangeline. The sound didn't just come from the strings; it came from the floorboards. It was a deep, resonant frequency that seemed to vibrate the very glass in the windows. I played a sequence I’d learned from a street performer in Veracruz, then 49

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.slid into a minor key I’d heard a Cantor singing in a synagogue in New York. As I played, I watched the audience change. A young man in the front row closed his eyes, his hands moving as if he were feeling the pulse of a distant heart. An older woman nodded in a perfect 4/4 time with my tune, her face softening as if the music were washing away the dust of a long day. That's the thing about music, it spanned years and generations, transcending time as we knew it. I could see them all now, not just the folks in the booths, but the ghosts of the ones who came before. I saw a line of weary travelers from a hundred years ago leaning against the bar, their heavy burdens falling away as I hit a high, clear note. I saw the children of the future, kids not yet born, dancing to the echo of my rhythm. I saw them, vibrant and alive, a tapestry of the world stitched together by a single blue note. I saw Mexican couples in traditional charro outfits, their heels clicking against the clouds in a sharp, defiant Zapateado. Beside them, the air shimmered with the flash of colorful silk Hanboks and the graceful, flowing snap of Korean fan dancers, their movements as fluid as a saxophone solo. I looked towards the taps and into the haze and caught sight of the heavy, rhythmic stomp of my ancestors in the cotton fields, their work-songs rising like incense to meet the frantic, joyful bounce of hiphop in the feet of kids with neon trainers. I saw the spirit of the old country in the sweat and whirl of an Italian Tarantella, hands clapping in a feverish time that felt just like the swing of my own heart. I saw the intricate, storytelling hands of a Bharatnatyam dancer from the East, her fingers plucking melodies from the air that I hadn't even played yet. I saw the quiet dignity of Chinese elders practicing Tai Chi in a park that existed outside of time, their slow, deliberate breaths providing the bassline for a Caribbean steel drum band. I saw white lace weddings and black lace funerals; I saw the joy of the first cry and the peace of the last breath. Music didn't see out of the eyes of normal people, didn't discriminate against men by the color of their skin or the year on a calendar, it saw the raw, naked soul. For those few minutes, I wasn't a foolish man, and they weren't strangers. For those few minutes, we were a single, thundering heartbeat, a united front against the silence of the universe. I smiled at my bandmates as I watched them climb and join me on the stage, they moved with me in a way, making me feel we were all the same being. I smiled at Shorty, his voice serenading the entire building whilst Benny bashed in the background, tying it all together. At that moment, I was reaching back into the cornrowed hair of my mother and into the same head of a little girl 100 years after me, stitching it all together with six strings and a prayer. I played for the button-nose of my baby girl. I played with the memory of the yellow ribbon I remember on the day of me and Ruby’s wedding. I played until the air itself felt dense with the overwhelming presence of a thousand generations, all breathing in time with me. It was the best I've ever played, and the most electrified I had ever felt in my life. The final note hung in the air, a long, shimmering vibration that refused to die. I waited for the applause. I waited for Benny to crash the cymbals and Shorty to thump the wood. But there was only silence. A heavy, suffocating quiet. I looked around, my heart beginning to stutter. Where was Ruby? She was always there, leaning against the pillar by the taps. Where was my baby girl? "Ruby?" I called out. My voice sounded thin, like a reed about to snap. I felt a sudden, cold draft. I looked toward the door, expecting to see my band finally rushing in with their gear. Instead, the door creaked open and a woman burst through the door, holding the hand of a man I didn't recognize and a small shielded thing in a blanket. She wore a long violet dress, it matched her eyes. When she saw me on the stage, her face filled with bitter panic. "Oh, daddy..." The woman's sob was a sharp contrast with the quietness of the building. I turned my head slowly. She was so beautiful, the spitting image of my Ruby. She was maybe twenty, maybe forty, I couldn't tell anymore. She had the same eyes I saw in the mirror every morning. She had that button nose. She stepped toward the table, her face wet with tears and rain. "Oh, daddy, we’ve been looking everywhere for you.” I looked at the woman, this grown, weeping stranger with my own eyes. I tried to stand, to reach for the Gibson that wasn't there, but my knees buckled. The man beside her, a tall fellow with an afro but a kind, yet harried face, fumbled forwards. He caught my elbow, his grip firm as he guided me down from the empty coffee table I’d mistaken for a stage, decorating the floor with the napkins that previously resided there. I looked down at my hands. They weren't the hands of a young man. They were gray, mapped with thick, blue veins and deep, leathery wrinkles. The callouses were there, but the fingers were hooked with age. I looked at my feet. One polished wingtip. One blue checkered slipper, soaked and muddy. I looked at the guitar that had

"Easy now, Solomon," he muttered, his voice a low frequency I didn't recognize. "We've got you."

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once lay in my lap. It wasn't a Gibson. It was a wooden bread container, the lid hanging open to reveal a few dry crusts of rye. The reality hit me like a physical blow. The bar, the neon, the 1990s, it all dissolved into the bright, clinical light of a modern cafe. The audience wasn't a jazz crowd, they were confused children and occupied adults with laptops, staring at me with a mixture of awe and terror. "Where’s my string?" I rasped, my voice sounding like dry husks of corn. "Where’s the band? Shorty and Benny— was just... they was just right there." I reached into my pocket, fumbling around for my notebook, "And the roses..." I shuttered, looking at my empty, liver-spotted hands. "I went to the market. I saw the red ones, Ruby’s favorite. The man at the stall told me they were fresh from the garden..." I looked down at my notebook and flipped through it. The early pages contained the notes I knew I had left. Clear. Concise. As I continued flipping through the pages, the notes got less and less legible, until I turned to today's pages, a page of unexplainable scribbles and lines I had mistaken for words.

discarded napkin and the wooden bread box lying face-down on the floor. "Daddy, please," my Evangeline sobbed. She wasn't five. She was a woman in the autumn of her life, and in her arms, she cradled a small bundle wrapped in a yellow blanket. A baby. A real, breathing baby with that same button nose, blinking up at a world I no longer understood.

U P P E R ESNCGHLOI O S HL

I remembered it then, or I thought I did. A shop with a green awning, the scent of damp earth and petals. I remembered handing over a crinkled five-dollar bill and holding the thorns carefully so they wouldn't prick my hands. But as I looked around the clinical white tile of the cafe, there were no roses. There was only a

"I need Ruby," I said, a sudden, sharp panic piercing my chest. I didn’t know where I was, or who I really was. I started to cry then, the heavy, ugly tears of a man who had looked to the sun and found it gone. My voice wavered as my knees began to buckle again. I clutched at my clothes. "She’s waiting for the brunch set! She’s at the house, she told me she’d be here! Ruby! RUBY!" My voice echoed off the sterile glass walls, scaring the girl with the laptop in the corner. I turned to Evangeline, grabbing her shoulders with my hooked, trembling fingers. "Where is she, 'Geline? Why didn't she come to the bar?" Evangeline let out a broken, jagged breath. She stepped closer, letting me see the baby, letting me feel the warmth of a generation I had only just seen in my mind's eye. She reached up and cupped my cheek, her hand shaking as much as mine. “Daddy,” she whispered, her voice a soft, mournful vibrato. "Mama isn't at the house. She hasn't been there for a long time." "She’s at the market?" I asked, hopeful. "Picking up the lace for your dress?" Evangeline shook her head, a single tear falling onto the yellow blanket of the child in her arms. "Daddy... Momma has been gone for ten years now. We laid her to rest in the spring. Don't you remember the song you played? You played our song' until the trumpet couldn't scream no more." The world went silent. Not the silence of an audience waiting for a note, but the silence of a deep, dark well. I looked down at my hands again. One shoe. One slipper. A bread box. "Ten years?" I whispered. "Ten years," she confirmed, pulling me into her shoulder. I looked at the baby in her arms. The little peanut reached out a tiny, unlined hand and brushed my wrinkled nose. For a second, just a second, I felt the 4/4 beat return. It wasn't my heart anymore. It was theirs. The fog of the coffee shop returned, blurring the faces and the years into a single, white haze. I didn't have my strings, and I didn't have my Ruby, but I had this, a new heartbeat against my chest, a new rhythm to follow. I listened to the coos of my grandbaby, mixed with the grateful sobs of my daughter. A single tear rolled down my cheek as I embraced my daughter. Beneath my trembling hand, I felt the hard, familiar curve of the guitar case she carried. It felt a lot like mine. It was that same weight of a legacy, a weight I was no longer strong enough to hold alone. Although the set was over and the house lights were up, I felt at peace. I remember it now, I’m a lot older than I thought I was. I know I'm forgetful, but there's one thing I'll always remember. The Soul in Solomon Franklin wasn't made to be a solo act, or one solely confined to my time. It was made to span generations before me, and those coming after me. It was just one verse in a much larger song, one that would follow me for more time than my memory could. 51

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Maths

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Mathematics The Maths department continues to encourage pupils to look beyond the curriculum, offering lots of opportunities to extend learning.

U PAT M P EHRS S C H O O L

Albyn Primary Maths Challenge

As has now become an annual tradition, the Maths department hosted our Albyn Primary Maths Challenge in November. This is the fourth year we have run this event, and this year we had to increase our capacity again, with a number of new schools joining us. We hosted 72 enthusiastic P6 and P7 pupils from 11 local primary schools, as well as from our own Lower School. Pupils were placed in teams of six, working with pupils from other schools. Whilst there was an element of competition, the emphasis of the morning was on working together and having fun with maths. There were several rounds, including some group tasks, a number game, and a relay race. The winning team consisted of P6 and P7 pupils from both Milltimber and Albyn. Here is an example of one of the questions the pupils were challenged to answer: If you write down all the numbers from 100 to 150, how many times would you write the number 1? The winning team consisted of P6 and P7 pupils from both Ferryhill and Albyn.

UPPER SM C HAT OO H SL

Albyn pupils have shown great team work in Maths this year, with success in both the Senior and Junior Team Maths Challenges. In November, our team of S5/6 pupils (Bennet T, Hop N, Aiden N and Alvin J) won a very competitive regional heat in Glasgow for the Senior Team Maths Challenge, gaining a place at the National final. The group travelled down to Manchester to compete across teams from across the UK. . In February, we attended the National Final of the Senior Team Maths Challenge in Manchester. We qualified for the National Finals by winning the regional heats in Glasgow earlier in the school year in October. We were up early for a flight down to Manchester where we then arrived at the venue, The Kimpton, along with the other 49 schools that were taking part. The first round was a poster round on a topic that we had been given that we were to research and prepare information about for us to produce a poster in the given time where this year’s topic was Voronoi Diagrams. The other rounds were a set of 10 problems to be solved by our group in 40-45 minutes, a crossnumber where one pair had the down clues and the other had the across clues, and the final round was a shuttle round. In the end we did quite well, placing a very solid 29th which we are all proud of. Overall the event was fascinating to see other people who had qualified from their respective regional heats, and it was very impressive to see the level of competition that was present. Aiden (S6)

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Team Maths Challenges

Problem Solving Club A“You meet a stranger at a fork in the road. They are either a Knight (who always speaks the truth) or a Knave (who always lies). You can only ask one question to find out which road leads to safety. What do you ask?” (Answer at the bottom of the text!) This is a simplified version of a logic problem we might attempt on Wednesday lunchtimes at our Maths Problem Solving Club! Our club is a welcoming space where students come together each week to crack complex codes, explore strategy games and collaborate on puzzles–both numerical and worded. This year, we’ve worked hard whilst also having fun attempting shuttle problems, UKMT and Transum activities, to name a few. No matter your current maths level, we’ve found that there is something engaging for everyone to try, and our sessions are all about building problem-solving skills and confidence in both individual and teamwork situations. (Scarlett M, S5) Answer to above question: “Which road would a person of the opposite character tell me to take?”

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Mathematics UKMT Individual Success

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As well as working well as a team, our pupils have had lots of individual success through the UKMT Maths Challenges and Scottish Maths Challenge this year. Here are some statistics Particularly impressive was Tahlil K (S3) who qualified for the Hamilton Olympiad and received a bronze medal. This puts her in the top 100 pupils in her age group (S3/Year 10) across the UK, and Tahlil was invited to attend the UKMT summer training camp in Cambridge this year - well done Tahlil!

Early Maths Explorers It’s never too early to ignite a love of maths and our Primary 1 enjoyed their maths learning outdoors!

UPPER SM C HAT OO H SL

This was an event for our S3 pupils, where they took part in a project which uses Maths in the Energy Industry. : Recently, Leo and I took part in a Maths Energy Mix day, where we explored different types of energy and how they contribute to the overall energy supply. We were put into teams with people we hadn’t previously known from a different school. Throughout the day, we analysed data, calculated how different energy sources generate energy and the efficiency of them with the team. Our team name was team Drake. Then we had to decide the energy mix used to power this fictional village (Fogie Loadstone) and how we could convince the people. At the end of the day we presented our chosen energy mix, and how we could convince the villagers to everyone who had come to the event, and we won the competition. (Me and Leo were in the same team with 2 other people) The energy generation we focused on was renewable energies. Specifically, solar, wind and hydroelectric. And how maths can be used to understand energy production. Overall, the experience helped us understand how maths is used in real-world decisions about energy and sustainability, and it was a very interesting and enjoyable day, and gave us an understanding of how engineers tend to work. It was really nice to meet new people as well . Ahyan S (S3)

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Maths into the Energy Mix

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Modern Languages

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Modern Languages At Albyn School we are committed to fostering a love for language learning, nurturing each pupil’s confidence, and promoting a sense of belonging within a global community. Learning languages not only equips pupils with essential communication skills; it unlocks new perspectives, builds empathy, and enhances cultural understanding. At Albyn School, we remain committed to inspiring a lifelong love of language learning, nurturing each pupil’s confidence and fostering a strong sense of belonging within an increasingly interconnected world. Learning languages equips young people with invaluable communication skills while broadening their perspectives, deepening their cultural awareness and developing empathy for others. Throughout this year, our pupils have continued to impress us with their enthusiasm, resilience, and dedication to language learning. We have celebrated a wide range of achievements and milestones, and we are immensely proud of the progress made by our talented young linguists, both inside and beyond the classroom. .

European Day of Languages 26 September celebrates European Day of Languages marked throughout Europe as a way of celebrating the different languages we speak in our world. At Albyn, we are proud of our polyglot and plurilingual pupils who remind us every day that learning languages is more than just vocabulary and grammar — it’s about connection, culture, and community. From French to Mandarin, Spanish to Azerbaijani, German to Russian (and many more) our pupils embrace the power of languages to build friendships across cultures, spark curiosity and creativity and open doors to new opportunities around the world. This year, we marked EDL through a series of challenges including a language detective challenge and an escape room challenge where pupils worked together to unlock codes and crack the mystery!

P5 French Café In January our Primary 5s welcomed their parents into 60

school to enjoy their very own French café. In class they learned all about foods and how to order in a restaurant. They very much enjoyed putting their learning into practice building their confidence and communication skills when taking orders. They even put on entertainment singing a song in French for everyone to enjoy.

This year the UK Linguistic Olympiad was attended by both Secondary and Primary school pupils. Great success was achieved by Aurelien Desindes, Riaan Dumpa, Charlie Forsyth and Jack Fowlie from P7, all regular members of Language Detectives. They attained a Silver Certificate in the Breakthrough category and Bronze Certificate in the Foundation category. They faced 5 problems: Lithuanian, an Indo-European language and, as such, distantly related to English, Naijá, also called Nigerian Pidgin, a tonal language like Mandarin, Hangul, an alphabet from the 15th century used to write Korean, Finnish, native to around 5 million people around the world and Romanian, the main language of Romania and Moldova.

In October we once again welcomed pupils from Lycée Jean Jaurès in Reims, France to spend a day in Albyn school shadowing our Higher and Advanced Higher pupils. This visit gives our pupils the chance to use their French in reallife situations, make new friends and build cultural awareness. A highlight of their annual visit is Mr Lamont’s ceilidh in the Hall

Trips .The greatest achievement of learning a language comes when you visit a country where it is spoken. This year has been filled with fantastic trips. In February pupils from P6 to S5 tested out their French in the Alps on the Albyn ski trip and in June our P7s had a fabulous week in Normandy and really impressed their teachers with their level of French out and about at the market and in the cafés and shops.

M O D E RUNP PLEARN G S CUHAOGO E SL

Bonjour!

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UK Linguistic Olympiad

We also have a long-standing German exchange programme with the Bildungszentrum in the Lake Constance area of southwest Germany. This year, it was the turn of the Germans to visit Aberdeen following our pupils’ successful visit to Germany last July. The Scottish pupils were excited to welcome their partners to Aberdeen and accompany them on a trip to Royal Deeside where they did the Cairns Walk and Prince Albert’s Pyramid Walk followed by a stay in the Ballater Youth Hostel. Meanwhile, Latin continues to thrive, with increasing numbers of pupils wishing to study for N5, Higher and Advanced Higher. We have been moving over to the new Fifth Edition of the Cambridge Latin Course, which has more opportunities for young people to learn about the relationships between the Greeks and Romans and other cultures and people groups in the ancient world. In the Senior Phase, pupils have the opportunity to engage with authentic Roman literature, encountering love poetry, law-court speeches and epic adventures.. 61

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Duolingo The Duolingo App is a great way to keep up language learning out of class and we have a highly competitive Duolingo leaderboard in Albyn School. Well done to the following pupils for showing commitment, consistency, and enthusiasm for developing your language skills. Lower School pupils P7: Jessica S, Tabitha S, Harper L, Magnus F, Elijah M, Jack F, Felix L, Cameron G, Riaan D, Sai P, Callum S, Kenenna A P5: Bella L

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Our Lower School Duolingo winner of Duo the owl with the highest XP this year is Emilia G. Upper School pupils Daniel F, Edoardo S, Rosanna S, Joe B, Rowan O, Bea L, Mila R, Emily C, Denzel O, Ross A Our 2026 Duolingo champion of 2026 and winner of Duo the owl is Oliver B (S3) with an impressive 40000 XP!

Anthea-Bell Translation Competition

Once again, Albyn School pupils excelled in this annual competition run by Oxford University. Named after Anthea-Bell OBE, translator of children’s books and most famously the French Asterix comics, the competition attracted 25,000 participants this year. In German, Scarlett M (P7) achieved a commendation as runner up for Scotland for her level 1 German translation. In French, Victoria A was awarded runner up for her level 2 French translation. Winning the Area winner prize for Scotland for her translation of a Russian fairy tale into English is Mila W. Congratulations to you all!

German Level 1: Competition Task 2026 The below is from a short piece of descriptive writing called ‘Barbara’ (1940) by Margarete Steffin (1908-1941). Barbara – zehn Jahre alt – ist dünn wie ein Spatz im März. Sie hat ein kleines Gesicht mit lustigen blauen Augen. Sie ist ein merkwürdiges Geschöpf, wild wie ein kleiner Hurrikan und zart wie eine Brüsseler Spitze. Sie quält einen bis aufs Blut mit ihren Fragen und ist äußerst freigiebig mit ihren Meinungen. Sie ist brennend interessiert an allem, was sie etwas angeht, und ebenso brennend an allem, was sie nichts angeht. Sie ist kein stilles Kind und hat absolut keine Hemmungen. […] Sie ist ein Emigrantenkind, und da wohnt man mal da, mal dort, trifft in immer neuen Ländern immer neue Leute, ganz verschiedene. Im allgemeinen sind die Leute freundlich zu ihr. Aber sie hat doch schon eine ganze Menge Widerwärtigkeit gesehen. Barbara- 10 years old- is as thin as a sparrow in March. She has a small face with merry blue eyes. She is a particular creature, wild as a hurricane and delicate as a Brussels lace. She torments you to the point of exhaustion with her questions and is exceedingly generous with her opinions. She is passionately interested in everything that concerns her-and just as passionate about everything that does not. She is not a quiet child and has absolutely no inhibitions. She is a child of emigrants, and that means living here one day and there the next, meeting new people in evernew countries, all sorts of different ones. Generally, people are friendly to her. But she has already seen quite a great deal of unpleasantness.

French Level 2: Competition Task 2026 Olympe de Gouges was the pseudonym of Marie Gouze (1748–93), a French writer and advocate for women’s rights. The below has been taken from her ‘Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne’ (1791), a pamphlet that was published following the Assemblée Nationale’s uptake of the ‘Déclaration des droits de l’Homme et du citoyen’ in 1789. 62

Homme, es-tu capable d’être juste ? C’est une femme qui t’en fait la question ; tu ne lui ôteras pas du moins ce droit. Dis moi ? Qui t’a donné le souverain empire d’opprimer mon sexe ? ta force ? tes talents ? Observe le Créateur dans sa sagesse ; parcours la nature dans toute sa grandeur, dont tu sembles vouloir te rapprocher, et donne-moi, si tu l’oses, l’exemple de cet empire tyrannique.

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‘Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne’ by Olympe de Gouges (1791)

Remonte aux animaux, consulte les éléments, étudie les végétaux, jette enfin un coup d’œil sur toutes les modifications de la matière organisée ; et rends-toi à l’évidence quand je t’en offre les moyens ; cherche, fouille et distingue, si tu le peux, les sexes dans l’administration de la nature. Partout tu les trouveras confondus, partout ils coopèrent avec un ensemble harmonieux à ce chef d’œuvre immortel.

Tell me? By what usurped authority do you debase my sex? Is it by your force? Is it by your talents? Look to the creator, in his wisdom; travel through nature in all of its majesty, which you claim to resemble and find for me, if you can, any trace of this despotic supremacy. Observe the animals, question the elements and scrutinise the plants, then finally, reflect upon the diverse shapes of life and yield to the evidence before you: Search, probe and identify- I challenge you- any division of the sexes in the governance of nature.

M O D E RUNP PLEARN G S CUHAOGO E SL

Men, are you capable of being fair? It’s a woman who asks you this question; at least you will not deny her of this right.

Everywhere you will find them intertwined, everywhere they contribute in harmony to this enduring work of creation.

Russian ab initio Competition Text Below is a fairy tale told by Leo Tolstoy. Can you make this story sound like a fairy tale in English? What words or phrases might remind the reader of their childhood? A man dropped an axe in the river; because of his sadness he sat on the shore and started to cry. -Your axe? The man said: -No not mine. The water spirit took out a different one, silver axe, the man said again -No not mine When the water spirit took out a real axe, the man says -That is mine! The water spirit gifted the man all three of the axes because of his truthfulness. At home the man showed the axes to his friends and he told them what happened One of the men thought to do the same: he went to the river, on purpose threw his axe into the river, sat on the shore and started to cry. The water spirit took out a golden axe and asked: - is it yours? The man rejoiced and screamed -Mine! Mine! The water spirit did not give him the gold axe, and his own axe because of his untruthfulness.

62 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Science & Technology

ALBYN SCHOOL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The Science and Technology faculty have had a busy year, with success in both academic competitions and through our cocurricular activities.

Crest Awards

Royal Institute Youth Summit

We were delighted that 32 Primary 4/5 pupils achieved their Crest Superstar Awards this year. This was completed during the lunchtime Science club. The pupils undertook a minimum of eight hands on, problem solving STEM challenges, working both individually and collaboratively. They made and tested their own toothpaste, created bird nests with peg beaks and turned themselves into human washing machines. A huge variety of fun activities to nurture their natural curiosity.

Four of our S5 pupils represented Albyn at the Royal Institute Youth Summit. This was the first summit held in Scotland and the pupils contributed to discussions which featured in the Royal Institute Christmas lectures. Leading Scientist Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock introduced the topic by video before Professor Martin Henry, Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology at the University of Glasgow led discussions and an interactive workshop.

Problem Solving Workshop with Cambridge University

Science Week - Curiosity, What is your question?

On Thursday 25 September, all of our S3 pupils along with 25 pupils from Northfield and Hazlehead Academies, took part in ‘The Circle of the Sphinx’, a scientific adventure presented by Dr Paul Elliott from Homerton College at the University of Cambridge. Solving the puzzles allowed them to unlock boxes and collect cards which were in turn exchanged for clues to solve a murder mystery. Different ways of thinking were a real asset for this event so everyone had something to contribute to their group. The pupils really enjoyed themselves and it was great to see them growing in confidence as they worked with others.

This year we went big to celebrate British Science Week, as the theme matched one of the School’s qualities, Curiosity. Every pupil from Pre-school Nursery to S6 had the opportunity to take part in a Science activity. Highlights included the preschool children creating wormeries, which are still thriving, teaching them about habitats and what we need to survive. The Primary 4/5 forensics workshop was a great success with pupils working together to solve a mystery, using their best investigative skills and knowledge of chemical reactions.

Biology Cambridge Biology Challenge

Cambridge Biology Challenge is a national competition run by Homerton College, Cambridge. It is open to pupils in S3-S6 and teams of between 1 and 5 pupils. The college releases questions, such as they ask at interview, and asks pupils to discuss these and present their findings. Responses can be in the form of posters, podcasts, essays, videos or anything else they choose.

UK Biology Olympiad The Biology department also had a high turnout of keen pupils looking to challenge themselves in biology questions beyond the curriculum. Open to S5 and S6 pupils, 25 students competed in the two online papers set by the Royal Society of Biology. In S2 and S3, we had 34 pupils competing and 25 pupils achieved commended or above. Megan F, Tahlil K and Thaanya C all achieved a Gold Award. Excellent work by all.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

All S2 pupils took part in an out of curriculum STEM workshop, to encourage their curiosity and scientific thought. They rotated around three different activities, each which showcased a prominent Scientist. For Biology, they look at luminescence investigating the effect of temperature and concentration on the intensity of glow produced. Using everyday chemicals such as tonic water and highlighter solution, they were able to link this to biological uses such as predation and mating. As their Chemistry input, they made cheese! This was met with a lot of screams as they squeezed the whey from the curds by hand. Pupils investigated if acidity had an impact on the mass of cheese formed. Our last activity was Ferrofluids, where pupils looked at different magnetic fluids and how temperature and the shape of magnet affected their behaviour. Huge thanks to our S5/6 STEM helpers, who encouraged and guided the pupils whilst demonstrating excellent leadership skills.

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S2 STEM Workshop

Environmental Science S3 Field Trip At the start of October our Environmental Science pupils took a field trip to Duthie Park. They met with rangers and learned about how the environmental conditions were altered from greenhouse to greenhouse to give habitats for the different types of plants found in each. They then further investigated by taking their own measurements across a range of abiotic factors and discussed how the plants were adapted to each. In the afternoon they carried out their own research by looking at the distribution of epiphytes covering different tree trunks when facing different compass directions. All the pupils worked very well and showed great curiosity - having lots of questions to ask the rangers at the park!

ALBYN SCHOOL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Chemistry

ORSC Chemistry Olympiad Success We are delighted that our pupils achieved some outstanding results in this national competition. This competition is aimed at S6 pupils but pupils from S4 and S5 were offered the opportunity to enter. Overall, 21 pupils sat the exam, with 14 of them achieving awards. In S4, Aaminah Ogunbadejo achieved a Bronze Award, this is an outstanding achievement for her age and we are delighted for her. Eight of our pupils achieved Silver Awards and Alvin Joseph is S6 achieved the coveted Gold Award. Well done to everyone who participated.

Cambridge Challenge The S5 Chemistry pupils had the opportunity to enter the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. This competition aims to stretch and challenge pupils, taking them beyond the syllabus and encourage them to think about science in the way they would at university. Results will be released in summer.

Bronze for the top 40%. 39 Albyn pupils entered and we had two pupils Ethan B and Oluwaseun A achieve Gold with 78% and 89% respectively. Seven pupils achieved Silver Awards and 8 achieved Bronze Awards. Well done to all.

Physics Institute of Physics - Girls into Physics and Engineering Event Seven of our S1 pupils attended this event which was geared towards encouraging more girls into the fields of Physics and Engineering organised by the Institute of Physics. It was a great event where demonstrations and experiments were interactive in nature and our pupils could speak with professionals in the field. Activities included spectroscopy, where pupils looked at how light from various objects can be analysed and displayed and this was related to various fields within Physics.

British Physics Olympiad (BPhO)

National Scientific Thinking Challenge All S3 pupils had the opportunity to enter the National Scientific Thinking Challenge through the University of Warwick. This is a 50 minute online assessment that is not knowledge based, instead it challenges the pupils problem solving skills. The pupils have to look at data, graphs and text to make deductions, identify trends and spot anomalous results. Excellent transferable skills needed for all Sciences. 16,174 pupils from 255 schools took part, with a Gold Award achieved for being in the top 10%, Silver for the top 25% and 68

The BPhO aims to encourage the study of physics and to recognise excellence in young physicists through annual physics competitions which are largely about physics ideas, but also encouraging some wider reading and interest in the subject. It is an opportunity for students to take part in a national physics competition and to develop their confidence in the subject.

Albyn School join the British Esports League

Ada Scott Festival

iDEA Digital Enterprise Awards S1-3 pupils have been working towards the iDEA Digital Enterprise award. The programme gives pupils the opportunity to develop a wide range of digital and enterprise skills, from online safety and coding to communication and entrepreneurship.

Albyn students have been busy demonstrating their computational thinking and cyber security skills. Over 30 students from S3-S6 participated in the Ada Scot Festival ENUSEC Capture the Flag cyber security challenge between 7th and 9th October, with teams from Higher and Advanced Higher classes achieving a hugely impressive 100% success rate. Students worked individually or in teams of up to four, tackling challenges using ethical hacking tools and techniques both during class time and at home.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Albyn School has entered the British Esports League, with six S3 students becoming the first in the school’s history to represent the school at Rocket League in this national competition for secondary and further education students. Competing against teams from across Scotland, England and Wales over six weeks, the group gained their first taste of high-level Esports competition - and are already preparing to come back stronger in September 2026.

solving and logical thinking. It was fantastic to see so many learners across the school engage with coding in a meaningful way. Eight pupils achieved the Gold award across the two year groups, placing them in the top 10% of entries nationally, which we look forward to celebrating soon!

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Computing

Students have thrown themselves into the programme with real commitment, and it has been wonderful to see so much engagement across the school. 52 students have earned their Bronze award, while an impressive 9 have gone on to achieve their Silver award - a fantastic accomplishment that reflects the dedication and hard work they have put in. With many more students continuing to make great progress, we can’t wait to see what they achieve next!

Raspberry Pi Coding Challenge This year students across seven classes rose to the occasion in the 2026 Raspberry Pi Foundation Coding Challenge, achieving results that were truly impressive. Open only to schools that had previously participated in the Bebras Challenge, the 45 minute supervised competition gave pupils the opportunity to tackle computational thinking problems through either block-based or text-based programming languages. Our S1 and S2 students embraced the challenge enthusiastically, developing key skills from basic programming concepts to more advanced problem

ENUSEC Cyber Security Competition Teams from Albyn School delivered an outstanding performance at the annual ENUSEC Capture the Flag Cyber Security Competition, held in October 2025 as part of Ada Lovelace Week. The event challenged participants to solve a wide range of cyber security problems, with each completed challenge revealing a unique phrase that could be exchanged for points contributing to the team’s overall score. Albyn School teams secured six of the top ten positions, including an exceptional 1st and 3rd place finish. Both teams achieved a perfect 100% score, with final rankings determined solely by completion time. 69

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Creative Arts

What a year in the Creative Arts Faculty have had! As well as hard work in the classrooms, there were so many events and performances full of creative flair and enjoyment.

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Creative Arts

presents

“A Hundred Years on Queen’s Road” Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 March at XXpm at The Tivoli Theatre Tickets Adult £X | Concession £X Let us take you on an anecdotal journey through the last one hundred years, featuring well known songs from musicals such as Hairspray, Wicked, Matilda and much more

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A Hundred Years on Queen’s Road The success of this year’s musical written for Queen’s Road 100 celebrations, is something that should be celebrated for the next 100 years! It is not every school that manages to pull together 100 years of history and put it on stage with such vigour and talent. What was even more special, was the fact that we had pupils from P5 - S6 who were joined by the most amazing team of former pupils. The memories and connections made were truly beautiful to watch.

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Music This year’s certificate Music Technology classes have worked extremely hard on their coursework. At National 5 level, pupils have been producing two creative projects from a range of options, including Film Foley, E-Books, Radio Broadcasts and Music for Games. These projects have allowed them to develop practical skills in recording, editing, sound design and production. Our Higher Music Technology pupils, both of whom took on the subject as a crash Higher, completed one extended project incorporating elements from the National 5 options, alongside a multi-track recording. This gave them the exciting opportunity to work in our state-of-the-art Recording Studio. A huge thank you goes to Miss Addison’s Jazz Ensemble for generously giving up their time to be recorded and helping bring the project to life. Congratulations everyone!

Elphinstone Concert

In November we were lucky enough to be able to return to Elphinstone Hall to host our Autumn Music Concert. The stunning venue in terms of history, architecture and acoustics, was the perfect place to showcase our pupils. A fresh and current programme of music was performed by our Orchestra, Lower School Choir, Jazz Ensemble, Ukulele group, Recorder group, Senior Choir, Vocal Ensemble and Covers Band. Huge congratulations to Mr Somerville, Miss Addison and Mr Cowling for all the hard work to put together a performance that was enjoyed by hundreds of parents, friends and our wider Albyn Community. To our pupils, of which there were 125 performing, huge congratulations goes to you all. Your work enthusiasm and endeavour to pull together and put on such a magnificent show was wonderful. I am extremely proud of you all. From Primary 3 - Senior 6, you put on a marvellous performance.

The Civic Hall Reception

The Lord and Lady Provost welcomed Albyn School to the Town House to celebrate our celebratory year of being on Queen’s Road for 100 years. Ms Addison’s pupil, Jonny was there to welcome guests to this special event. From former pupils, former Head Masters and former parents, Jonny’s musical repertoire was the perfect entertainment for their arrival. To play at this high profile event in front of our Lord and Lady Provost and guests was testament to your unbelievable talent. 74

Our Vocal Ensemble took to the stage to represent Albyn and bring some Christmas cheer to the P&J Live. The pupils involved performed two pieces, one of them being performed acapella, showcasing the talent that they have. At the same time as the Vocal Ensemble headed to the P&J Live, our very own LS Choir as well as Emmi and Miranda, entertained our Albyn Community at the annual Albyn Christmas Fair.

Charlie House Concert

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Excited from all the performing throughout December, our Vocal Ensemble and our US Choir also performed at the Charlie House Concert at Fountainhall Church at the Cross which raised over £4000 for the charity. Charlie House now supports more than 120 families throughout the North-East by arranging fun and inclusive activities for everyone in the family to enjoy so they can live life to the full and make precious memories to treasure. The children and family support team also provide emotional and practical support for the whole family, making the transition from hospital to home as easy as it can be, and giving vital pre and post bereavement support when a child passes away. Albyn’s contribution to the event helped support this worthy cause, making it possible for there to be support for local families in and around Aberdeen. Well done to all involved!

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P&J LiveEvening Express Christmas Concert & Albyn Christmas Fair

Cowdray Hall Lunchtime Recital

Mr Somerville and Miss Addison were delighted to once again take part in The Cowdray Hall Lunchtime Recitals which host a vast and varied programme of musical delight. The pupils involved in the Lunchtime Recital were Albyn’s Jazz Ensemble, Miranda (P6), Aurelien (P7) and Angus (S2). Audiences were amazed at the talent of our pupils.

CLAN Bookbench Auction

Welcoming guests upon arrival to CLAN’s Bookbench auction at The Chester Hotel was our very own Harper, who is taught by Mr Graham Brown in School. Piping for over half an hour on the steps of the Chester showed not only how talented Harper is for such a young age, but also his confidence to stand alone playing at such a high profile event. Harper was delighted to be part of such a good cause, not to mention getting to see all the bookbenches in the Chester before the guests arrived.

Albyn Christmas Concert

Different from our years at St Marks, Albyn welcomed our families and community to our Christmas Concerts here in our FP Centenary Hall. Filled with joy, stunning vocals, instrumental ensemble performances and SNOW, our School Hall was alive with Christmas cheer. What a fitting way it was to start the Christmas holidays.

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The Giant’s Harp

This year we were extremely excited to be able to invite the Scottish Opera to Albyn to work with our Primary 3&4 pupils. Enthralled by an immersive story of travel, culture, music and dance, our pupils were beautifully entertained by the talented Scottish Opera performers. The puppetry was cute, comical, endearing and executed excellently and the pupils really enjoyed it. The live harp was truly magical. Most of our pupils have never heard a harp being played live, and walking into the space to the preshow harpist playing was a musical wonder. Thank you to the Scottish Opera for creating such an engaging and immersive show, opening our pupils’ eyes to the world of opera, the sound of the harp and musical culture from around the world. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

The Dragon of the Western Seas

We welcomed parents of P4-7 on two separate occasions to watch the pupils’ performance of The Scottish Opera’s The Dragon of the Western Seas. Each performance was filled with energy and confidence as the pupils worked with the team members from The Scottish Opera and our Music Team. The choreography, the singing and the acting were all brought together to culminate in a superb performance by all.

Music Recitals

A selection of our pupils who receive instrumental lessons here at Albyn came together in early December to showcase some of what they have been getting up to in their lessons. From the very youngest to our senior pupils, the Wood Theatre was filled with music and joy as cellos, toots and doods, vocalists and more performed to a captive audience. Finishing off our music recitals this year in style, our pupils receiving instrumental lessons in school performed to parents and family in The Wood Theatre in June. Thank you to our amazing Visiting Music Instructors and Mr Cowling for organising the programme of recitals this year. They have been a fantastic platform for the informal sharing of our pupils’ progress in their lessons and an excellent opportunity for them to perform in front of an audience.

Shirreff’s Cup Trophy

Congratulations to our Lower School Finalists: Miranda (P6), Aurelien (P7), Harper (P7) and Sai (P7) Taking the trophy this year was Harper (P7) on pipes. Harper has grown tremendously this year showing a huge amount of dedication and perseverance.

Competing for the Shirreff’s Cup Trophy 2026 were: Angus (S2), Anton (S5), Matthew (S3) and Zoe (S3), who all performed marvellously. Winner of this year’s Shirreff’s Cup was Angus, thus completing his achievement of being last year’s US Musician of the Year and this year’s Shirreff’s Cup winner. Well done Angus, you are an inspiration!

Congratulations also goes to our Upper School Musician of the Year, Anna C (S3) who not only won the Albyn Upper School Musician of the Year, she also represented Albyn at the Scottish Young Musician Independent School Competition

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Musician of the Year

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Ensemble of the Year

Led by Miss Addison, our Jazz Ensemble took part in the Scottish Young Musician National Final at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. Competing with bands across Scotland, our Jazz Ensemble impressed judges with their fantastic musicianship and vigour. We are so proud of the talent and commitment to each other! Here’s to the next!

Burns Federation of Scotland

Representing Albyn, Anna C (S3) competed in this year’s Burns Federation National Final placing second in her category. Congratulations Anna on another huge achievement.

NYOS and NYCOS Spring Session

Anna C (S3) Matthew B (S3) and Niamh (S3) performed in the Spring workshops and performances with National Youth Orchestra Scotland and National Youth Choir of Scotland. This is a huge achievement and experience for our pupils; getting to socialise with other budding musicians from around Scotland, but also, to be taught and led by some amazing professional musicians in the industry! As part of NYOS’s Development programme, Anna C will also work with the development orchestra this summer. 77

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Art

We successfully submitted all National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers to Qualifications Scotland for marking. Pupils created a range of expressive portfolios ranging from still life, portraiture, architecture and even some lino printing. We also had a wonderful range of design outcomes, with pupils creating posters, album covers, corsets, headpieces and lighting. Our advanced highers expressive portfolios focused on portraiture but with two very different perspectives: one capturing the party and social aspects of life; the other encapsulating family, both using unique colour and painting techniques. The pupils did an excellent job at pulling together both their expressive and design portfolios together to ensure they met all the requirements. We have some truly outstanding pieces of work that we are extremely proud of and excited to share with everyone once marking is completed next academic year.

Art Workshops

In Art and Design we’ve been running some fun Art workshops for the Primary 1-3 classes. Everyone loved getting messy with a workshop on creating marks using paint and different equipment. We then cut those papers up and created collages to display across the school. The Primary 1’s created some Pop Art inspired hearts, the Primary 2’s created some 3D hanging birds and the Primary 3’s created some abstract and colourful landscapes. Photos here

S1 Animation Project

From April - June, all S1 pupils have been working on a short animation project. Inspired by emotions, the pupils devised and scripted a short play to include an animated feature character that would be woven into the piece. In Drama, the piece was devised and rehearsed, in Art, the animated character was created, developed and storyboarded into numerous frames, to be inserted into the piece of drama. In Music, pupils worked on a musical score to accompany the animated scene. Last week, some pupils worked with industry professional Film Maker, Kieran, to film their piece of drama, whilst other pupils filmed independently ‘on location’ throughout the school. Bringing it all together, their pieces were edited by the pupils to make their short film. Thanks goes to Kieran, who patiently worked with a very excited S1 yeargroup in our extremely busy school setting. See you for the next project Kieran!

Art Trip Dundee

Mrs Macaskill and Ms Panyova took a group of S2–S3 pupils to visit the Duncan of Jordanstone Degree Show and the Victoria and Albert Museum. We started the day with a curated tour of the Degree Show, where pupils explored outstanding work in animation, illustration, fashion, architecture and many other creative disciplines. We also had the opportunity to speak with some of the artists and designers, giving pupils a real insight into the wide range of specialisms and career pathways within Art and Design. We then enjoyed a walk along to the Victoria and Albert Museum in glorious sunshine, where we were treated to a guided tour of the exhibition Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show. Here, we learned about the many different roles involved in creating fashion catwalks, as well as the history and evolution of these iconic events. Overall, it was a fantastic day out, during which we all gained a greater appreciation of the exciting and growing opportunities within the creative industries.

Art Trip Grays

Mrs Macaskill and Ms Panyova organised a visit for all pupils studying Art and Design at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher to the Aberdeen Art Gallery and the Gray’s School of Art Degree Show. We began the day with a guided tour of Aberdeen Art Gallery, where pupils explored a variety of artistic styles, techniques and approaches to expose them to a broad range of creative practices to support and inspire the development of their own portfolios. We then visited the 2026 Gray’s School of Art Degree Show, where staff had arranged tailored workshops for each year group. Pupils had the opportunity to speak with current students about their creative practice, view their sketchbooks and learn more about the different pathways available after art school. It was another fantastic and inspiring day out. Pupils finished the day feeling motivated and with a clearer understanding of how to develop and refine their own portfolio themes.

We are so excited to announce that Constance in S3 was one of the winners of the Great Tapestry of Scotland’s Railway poster design competition. She created a lovely digital poster design and was selected to have it reproduced and displayed across 10 Scottish Border Railway stations by Scotrail. Constance and another competitor travelled down to Edinburgh for the grand gallery opening.

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We are beyond excited to announce that Tahil S3 has been selected to have their work on the Royal Academy of Arts Online exhibition this summer. It opens on 14 July on their website. Tahil created a stunning oil painting called ‘My teenage life’. A massive well done to all those who submitted work for this competition, you all did an amazing job and should be very proud of yourselves.

Great Tapestry of Scotland: Borders Railway Poster

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Competition winners Royal Academy of Arts Young Artist Summer Show

My Teenage Life A moody, blue-toned self-portrait captures me working late at my desk, surrounded by glowing screens. Cool light from laptops and devices highlights my focused expression and cluttered workspace. Headphones, a game console, phone, and favourite snacks and drinks reflect my everyday routine, revealing pressure, comfort, and modern teenage life. Tahil S3 79

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Drama Our February production of The Great Gatsby was a real highlight this session: an ambitious and impactful reimagining of the classic text by F Scott Fitzgerald.

After a busy period of rehearsals, our N5, Higher and Advanced Higher pupils had their Performance Exams during the first week of Summer term. At N5 level, we presented candidates in acting, costume design, props and hair and make up design, covering a range of texts including Rona Munro’s James Plays and Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge. From historical research to learning a new accent, learning about the type of buttons used on dresses in the 1500s to creating 1950s fashion magazines from scratch, pupils showed great initiative and personalisation in their learning. At Higher level, our actors each performed two contrasting interactive pieces from plays such as Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and Ena Lamont Stewart’s Men Should Weep, demonstrating their skills in voice, movement and characterisation. Our Advanced Higher pupils enjoyed the additional challenge of performing a monologue in addition to their interactive piece, with Jessica choosing an extract from Shirley Valentine, Georgia from People Places and Things and Evie from The Astronaut’s Chair. Well done to everyone. These exams really showcase what can be achieved through creative collaboration and dedication.

Acting Ensemble Showcases

We had the first of our Acting Ensemble Showcases led by Ms Williams in Autumn Term. The evening performances were absolutely fantastic and were a display of talent, great teamwork and love of the arts. Their Showcase Programme was made up of the following performances: Aveline and Ireoluwa - Pygmalion; Emily and Mila - The Odd Couple; Eilidh and Mirabella - Blue Stockings; Emma Grace and Harriet - Blithe Spirit ; Mila, Amber, Lucy, Vivian, Evie - Little Women; Tabitha and Annabelle - Ballet Shoes; Evie - The Astronaut’s Last Chair In Summer term, our Acting Ensemble performed a modern adaptation of Chekhov’s classic ‘Vanya’ in The Wood Theatre. Each member of the ensemble performed a solo section of the play, portraying multiple roles within each section. This was a valuable opportunity for the Ensemble to work together, building their characterisation skills through close observation and attention to detail, as well as exploring the pace and timing which were fundamental to the tragi-comic nature of the piece. The talent in the Acting Ensemble is fantastic and the 82

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pupils have developed so much this year. Special thanks goes to our wonderful Drama Captain Evie who has been a real champion for developing the skills and confidence within the group. We welcome Aveline and Harriet as our joint Captains for next year. Congratulations to you all for your confidence and dedication to the Acting Ensemble. Here’s to your next performance!

The Glass Menagerie - Dundee Rep

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Ms Williams and Mrs Sinclair took the Drama certificate classes to Dundee to enjoy a day of culture. We immersed ourselves in The McManus Art Gallery enjoying old and current pop up installations. Pupils also soaked up some excellent literature in book stores before we made our way to The Dundee Rep Theatre. The performance was stunning. It was subtly played, yet powerfully provoking. A dark and sombre set and atmosphere drew you in closer to see deep into the characters’ emotional status. All in all, it was a fantastic day, immersing the pupils in the world of professional theatre close to home. We even managed to spot the lead actor after the performance and Harriet S5 did us proud and got his attention for a photograph. These experiences are so important to help our pupils see the various careers in the arts first hand. It was a fantastic day out.

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PE & SPORTS

PE & Sport

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What an unbelievable year of sport we’ve had at Albyn School! I am incredibly proud of everything our pupils have achieved. The enthusiasm across all of our co-curricular sports clubs this year has been inspiring. To every pupil who stepped onto a court, pitch or track: your hard work and passion have shone through in every single session and match.

PE & SPORTS

Of course, none of this would be possible without our phenomenal PE staff and coaches. They have worked round the clock to deliver a top-tier sports program, instilling values of perseverance and camaraderie that go way beyond the scoreboard. We’ve shared so many memorable victories and milestones this year, creating a sports culture we can all be proud of. Let’s keep this momentum going into the next academic year! I challenge you all to keep striving for excellence next year—whether that means mastering your current sport or trying something brand new. Thank you for your incredible support this year. Mr. Lamont, Head of PE and Sport

P3 Football

P4 Football

P5 Football

P6 Football

This has been an outstanding year for the Lower School football, netball, skiing and cricket teams at Albyn School. Our young athletes have shown remarkable enthusiasm, skill development, and sportsmanship throughout the season, making it a year to remember.

Football

P5/6 Teams Being in the P5/P6 football team was like being on a rollercoaster ride with good and bad times. Unfortunately, at the start of the season, Hugo, our star keeper left to go to France. A lot of people improved throughout the season. P5/P6 joined the P7s in training - at Milltimber, Harlaw and ASV. Our matches and festivals were at Cormack Park, Milltimber and Harlaw. Sadly, we went on a huge losing streak when we weren’t playing as a team. However, we all trained and played hard. That’s a chapter closed and a new chapter to begin next year. Fraser M P6 P7Team This year the primary 7 football team consisted

P7 Football

P PE E&&S SP POOR RT TS

P3/4 Teams What a brilliant year of progress for our P3-P4 footballers! For many, this was their very first taste of structured football, and they tackled it with massive enthusiasm. By focusing on fundamental skills, teamwork, and having fun, these young players have grown immensely. Seeing their confidence build week after week at training has been an absolute highlight of the season.

of 13 different players Felix, Alex, Callum, Connor, Magnus,Jerome, Harper, Johnny, Sai, Max Scott, Max Fletcher, Harris and Findlay. At the start of the year we trained on a Tuesday evening after school at Milltimber from about 4:00 to 5:30 pm. However every year when it gets later on we move our training to the Aberdeen Sports Village because of the weather. We were trained by Mr Davidson as our head coach and Callum P helping him as an assistant coach. We would start the session with warmups and drills and then we would normally move into a mixed game with the P5s and P6s. Then on Saturdays we played our matches against other schools that were also in the A league and our coach was Steven Louis. The results varied with tight games like when we beat Kinellar 6-5 but there were also some tough games like when we just got beat 3-2 by Cults. Although there were some good and bad games, it was a very successful season with everyone in the team improving but most importantly we all had lots of fun. Felix L P7

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Lower School

Netball P4/5 Teams The P3–P4 netball teams began their netball journey with tremendous enthusiasm and a real eagerness to learn. For many of the players, this was their first experience of the sport, making the season an exciting introduction to netball. The focus throughout the year was on developing fundamental skills, learning the rules of the game, and nurturing a genuine enjoyment of playing. As the season progressed, the players made excellent strides in their passing, catching, and shooting abilities. Friendly fixtures against RGC and Mile End provided valuable match experience and opportunities to put their developing skills into practice. It was particularly rewarding to watch their confidence grow with each game, creating a strong platform for their continued development in the years ahead. Bella L P4 P6/7 Teams. The P7 netball team had an outstanding year, showcasing their maturity and skill level. The highlight of their season was their participation in the prestigious Aberdeen Rose Bowl tournament, where they finished 5th in the gold section. This achievement is a testament to their hard work, teamwork, and determination. 87

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Competing against some of the best teams in the region, the P7 players held their own, demonstrating excellent technique and game sense. Their performance in the tournament was a proud moment for the school, reflecting the high standards they have set for themselves.

P4 Netball

P5 Netball

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P7 Netball

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P5-7 Cricket

Upper School Girls Football This year our girls football team has had many ups and downs, many wins and losses, we have improved as a team and overall really became closer as a team. At the start of the season we had many players who played together last season and some new players who were just joining the team. At our weekly training sessions we worked on technical skills and mostly the basics of football like passing and dribbling to help the new players coming into the team. A memorable moment for the team would be winning our first ever match we played. The match was a friendly against Gordonstoun school with a 9-5 win. In this game we really showed great teamwork supporting each other throughout the game and it really helped us get closer as a team and helped the newer players understand the game. This season the team had a chance to compete in the Scottish Cup. Unfortunately our first

game in the cup didn’t go our way but it was a great introduction to competitive football for most of our players who have never played competitive matches before. Even though we have lost some matches we have shown resilience and reflected on how we can do better to improve as a team. We have played lots of matches this year and had lots of training and it was great to see everyone gain confidence by being supported and helped by others in the team. Now that the season has ended everyone should be proud of everything they have achieved as an individual and as a team, we have made many memories that won’t be forgotten and we are all excited for next season. Everyone’s dedication and hard work has really shown during both training and matches and has helped us grow in confidence and improve our skills. Thank you to all the coaches who have helped us throughout this season.

Girls Football

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12 wins, four draws, and only two defeats. The team scored an impressive 45 goals while conceding just 13, showing a huge improvement at both ends of the pitch. Looking back over the past season one of the team’s greatest strengths was the contribution from across the squad. seven different players erned the MVP award during the season, while eight different players contributed to the goals scored throughout the year. Where Milly was found at the top of the scoring chart with 12 goals.

S2 Football

No Albyn Hockey season would be complete without the famous fines. Eleven members of the squad accumulated fines, with a total of 34 “doggies” collected, for a variety of reasons, one of the more memorable ones being when I forgot my playing kit for the final at the end of the season. Thankfully Mr Martin always keeps spares but I did pay the price of an additional fine. Individual recognition was also handed out at the end of season awards. Charlotte Fowlie was deservedly named most improved player after an excellent season of development and commitment. Most importantly, this was a season defined by teamwork on and off the pitch. Every player contributed to lifting the trophy at the end of the season and will be remembered for years to come as a landmark year for Albyn Hockey.

U13 and U14 Hockey Our hockey teams, from Under 13s (P5–P7) to Under 14s (S1–S2), have enjoyed an amazing season filled with hard work, teamwork, great performances and fantastic opportunities on the pitch. By TGFU, the players have worked on their strategies from offence to defence through drills and matches. U15 Football

1st XI Hockey The 2025/26 season will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable years in Albyn Hockey. After a challenging previous season, the team produced a remarkable turnaround. The contrast between this season and last could not have been greater. In the previous year, the squad recorded just three wins, four draws, and eight losses, scoring 14 goals and conceding 25. Fast forward to 2025/26, and we enjoyed an outstanding record of 90

1st X1 Hockey

PE & SPORT

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S1 Football

One of the highlights of the season has been the strong sense of teamwork across all age groups. The teams have shown that teamwork, communication, and positive relationships are key benefits to the sport. Another highlight has been just how engaging, enthusiastic and supportive our coaches have been this season.

We look forward to seeing our hockey players continue to develop their skills and represent the school with pride in the months ahead. Well done to all our Under 13 and Under 14 hockey players on a fantastic season!

PE & SPORTS

The Under 14 team has continued to improve throughout showing their determination and maturity on the pitch. Competing against strong opposition, the players have worked together effectively, displaying excellent communication, resilience, and teamwork. Their dedication at training sessions has been reflected in their performances, with many players stepping up and showing their full potential in training sessions and matches. Though we haven’t had the best win streak we have powered through and learned from mistakes and have continued to improve and grow. With encouragement from Esther she has pushed many players to attend extra training sessions with GCW which has been both enjoyable and extremely beneficial.

A huge thank you goes to the coaches, staff, and families whose support has made the season possible. Their encouragement and commitment have helped create a positive environment where players can learn, improve, and most importantly, enjoy the game.

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The Under 13 squad has shown tremendous enthusiasm and commitment throughout the year. Players have developed their skills, confidence, and understanding of the game while supporting one another every step of the way. The team has demonstrated great sportsmanship and a positive attitude in every match and have had great results and thanks to their amazing coach Emma Fowlie.

U16 Boys Hockey

S1 Netball

The progress made by all players has been outstanding. Whether scoring goals, making crucial tackles, passing skills or encouraging teammates from the sidelines, every member of the squad has contributed to the success of the teams.

Our netball team trains on a Tuesday after school from 3:35pm until 5pm and our teachers/coaches who run the netball after school are Mrs Pratt and Miss Riddell. They are amazing teachers and help us improve our skills for netball in general and also for matches that we have during the year. Our matches are usually friendly matches against schools such as St. Margarets and Robert Gordons. In training we practice drills such as passing, catching, shooting, marking and defending. We also play games such as golden child that helps us

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practice our skills in a fun and entertaining way. It is a great co-curricular and I definitely recommend joining whether you have already played netball and would like to keep going or have never tried netball and would like to try it and see if you enjoy it. Vivien R

PE & SPORTS

S2 Netball This netball season our S2 netball team has had many ups and downs, we’ve had many wins and losses, built resilience, improved our skills and confidence and overall really became closer as a team. We started off this season with many returning players from last year and many new players who had never played before. At our Tuesday afternoon training sessions we worked on skills, game play and tactics that really helped us improve on the court. We had many wins and losses this year in the league and the Scottish cup, for the scottish cup we travelled up to Inverness to play 3 teams, we played Thurso where we won 15-6, Fortrose where we won 19-4 and Wick who we lost to 13-30. This was definitely one of the highlights of our season as it was such a fun day with 2 amazing wins this trip also helped the team become much closer as on the bus journeys it was great to talk strategy, what we did well and what we could improve for next time. We played many matches this season with many well deserved players of the match and it was great to see everyone become more confident in their game performances. Even though we have had some losses this season it has really helped the team build resilience and helped us reflect on what we can do as a group to improve. As the season has come to an end, everyone should be proud of how much we have achieved and improved both individually and as a team. The hard work, determination and commitment shown at training sessions and matches throughout the year

have helped us grow in confidence and develop our skills. We have created great memories together and built strong friendships and we are excited to continue improving and taking on new challenges next season. Thank you to all the coaches, staff and supporters who have helped and encouraged us throughout the year. We have all worked so hard this year and look forward to progressing even more next year. Anaya K

S3 Netball

S3 Netball This year the S3 netball team has competed against many schools, all round Aberdeen. We showcased our technical skills and good sportsmanship/ teamwork. Despite a slow start to the season, with a few losses, the team was improving basic skills and experimenting with different combinations. As the season progressed, we showed how well we work under pressure, in several close games against well respected teams. In the latter part of the season, the team really started to work well together, and display all our learnings in competitive match play. We were really proud of our performance in a match against RGC B, where we played excellently. The season ended at the Junior A tournament, where we beat Mackie and closely lost to Lathallan - to take an overall 4th. In conclusion, the S3 team this year have shown excellent grit and determination and great teamwork. Olivia M

Senior Netball This year has been a successful and enjoyable season for Albyn Netball, with all three senior teams achieving a number of impressive results.

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Some of our Senior A highlights were our win against Grammar and our impressive win against Ellon with a final score of 46-8. While the team faced some tough opposition throughout the season, they produced

Beyond the results, Albyn Netball has continued to be a welcoming and enjoyable environment for everyone involved. This year saw a change in the team structure. Previously, league teams were selected by year group and cup teams by ability, but this season the teams were the same for league and cup following competitive trials at the start of the year. This allowed players to work alongside teammates from different year groups, creating a more competitive training environment and encouraging everyone to develop their game. By arranging our teams in this way, this allowed new leadership opportunities for players who might otherwise not have gotten the chance and allowed the coaches to tailor training sessions more effectively to each team’s needs. I would like to thank all the players for their commitment to netball this year as well as a massive thank you to Ms Riddell and Mrs Pratt for being supportive on and off court and of course always adding their opinion in to our gossip, Albyn netball would not have been the same without them as our coaches. We wish all current and future Albyn netball players the very best and look forward to seeing Albyn netball continue to thrive in the years ahead. Sofia D G

Senior Netball

This year marked an important milestone with the first season for the S1-S2 basketball team. Although we entered the season with inexperience as a squad, everyone was excited to represent the school and help establish a strong foundation for the coming years. The squad showed commitment at training and worked hard to improve our skills and teamwork. This effort was reflected in our performances through the year. The highlights of the season included the matches with other schools including RGU, AGS and St Machar. Our team consistently improved and we walked away with the win on most occasions. A particular strength of this year’s team was the way players supported one another on and off the court. Everyone working hard and encouraging our teammates contributed greatly to our success. Several younger players also stepped up when needed, gaining valuable experience for the future.

PE & SPORTS

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Senior B also enjoyed a successful season, finishing 3rd in the Senior B Tournament and 2nd overall in the Senior B League. Notable results included wins against Banchory and an impressive win against Hazelhead with a final score of 26-5. Senior C have also had a great season, one of the highlights being their win against St Machar with a final score of 12-6.

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strong performances against RGC 1sts and narrowly lost to Lathallan by just one goal, finishing 28–29. We are also incredibly proud of the girls who represented Aberdeen District this year, making the girls at Albyn netball very proud.

We would like to thank our coaches for their support. This season has laid strong foundations for the future. We are proud to have been part of the team’s inception and look forward to seeing basketball continue to grow in Albyn and achieve greater success in the coming years. Jane McE .

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US Golf Team PE & SPORT

PE & SPORTS

U14 Basketball

Golf The Albyn Golf Team have had a great season this year becoming the first team in the schools history winning the Aberdeen Schools Golf league. There were some tough matches along the way losing 3-0 in our opening game against an experienced Oldmacher side. However the following week we bounced back and beat RGC 2-1 on the Hazelhead Mackenzie Course. We went onto face the tough challenge of taking on the Bridge of Don Academy team, we rose to that challenge and the team came out of top with a 2-1 victory, which put us joint top of the league with Cults.

P5-S6 Golf Championship Participants

The fixture against Cults was lined up to be a winner takes all game with 2 rounds left. After a strong start against we went onto win this game 2-1.

More Albyn Teams

We then faced last years winners Aberdeen Grammar School. A competitive game saw the albyn team win 3-0 and take the league title.

Here’s a selection of some of our other teams and amazingly talented athletes.

Every year Albyn Pupils train hard and try out new and different sports to find their passion.

We then had the pleasure of playing both Castle Stuart and Meldrum House in back to back days to round off a fantastic season of golf. We would like to thank the JEllie foundation for their continued support throughout the golf season, their commitment has been very appreciated. Callum P, Golf Captain .

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Ski Team

S1-3 Cricket

Tennis

Laser Run

P5-S6 Athletics Day Champions

Albyn School XC team and individual winners

Scottish School Athletics & Road Race Winners

PE & SPORTS

Climbing

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FUOP RP ELRE AS R CN H IONOGL ALBYN SCHOOL

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Additional Support for Learning

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STEPS The STEPS (Strategies for Tackling Exam Pressure and Stress) intervention programme is a researched and proven set of six sessions based on cognitivebehavioural principles designed to support students to manage exam/test anxiety. It was developed in 201112 by Professor David Putwain, an expert in education and psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, and his colleagues specifically to help adolescent pupils learn tools to manage their anxiety around high-stakes exams, such as National 5s. It is delivered by a trained teacher in small groups or one-to-one and is officially recognised by organisations such as the British Psychological Society.

Celebrating Neurodiversity Week: A Community Effort Neurodiversity Week: Staff in the ASL faculty spent time in every Lower School class during this year’s Neurodiversity Week celebrations in March reading a selection of books around the topic with the aim of enhancing understanding, empathy and acceptance around the school. Here are some of the books that were read aloud and discussed .

Within the ASL faculty, the course has been run with pupils in small groups over the last four years where anxiety has been identified as impacting their performance in assessments, with marked success. The course covers six topics: identifying and tracking triggers, both physical and emotional; challenging negative thoughts; applying relaxation and visualisation techniques; enhancing preparation and organising - such as revision timetables. Pupils fill in questionnaires about how they feel about exams at the beginning and end of the course to help them see what progress they have made, and they are encouraged to take the ideas and adapt them to suit their own particular circumstances thus making it more meaningful and easier to maintain. The course can also benefit the pupils with building skills they can carry through beyond school. Pupils have found working with this programme has given them more confidence in the lead-up to exams, helping them to pass courses that they were finding very challenging and the feedback has been positive. Pupil quote: “Coming along to the STEPs programme with Mrs Marshall has really helped me understand and manage my anxiety around exams. I feel much more confident and relaxed about them now, it has made a huge difference to me.”

Reading Group Mrs MacDonald has been running a lunchtime reading group in the Additional Support for Learning base every week to help develop a love of reading in our pupils. This session, pupils have come together to read Enid Blyton’s ‘Enchanted Wood’. The group have benefited from reading aloud to each other, discussing the characters and expanding their vocabulary through these sessions. They co-created a tree display to record their ideas and show their love of reading. . 98

Throughout the year I have got support from Ms Burnett who has played a big part in my exams and my learning. Because of this it has boosted my confidence and my motivation throughout the year to keep on pushing through to try to achieve the best I can for my National 5 exams. Without help like this I don’t think I would’ve achieved where I’m at now and throughout the year I would have struggled. . > S 4 Pupil

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Library It’s been a busy year in both the Mackie and Warwick Libraries as our pupils use the spaces to grow their love of books and reading. We have made some changes to the layout of the Warrack library, making it more open and brighter for our youngest borrowers, with lots more picture books now displayed. We have had a lot of fun looking at our new books and all our Accelerated Readers have been powering through their books, and improving their reading and comprehension all the way. A special mention to P4 for taking almost 500 quizzes this year- well done!

The Power of Books Did you know 2026 is the National Year of Reading? Now is the perfect time to get into the habit of reading. We know reading gives us lots of positives: it helps you relax and switch off, helps to develop empathy and understanding of the world around you, reduces stress, and can expand your vocabulary. This year in the Warrack library we encouraged our fabulous readers to do just that: look for new words in their reading. Every week one of our readers’ suggestions is displayed as the Word of the Week, with its meaning. A great way to build up your vocabulary. Here are are a few fabulous words they have learned: Camaraderie…discombobulated…haggle... fundametally…meddlesome….…whimpered

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In January all S1 English pupils were set a task, to choose a new novel, then create a poster to promote its author and their work. There were many imaginative entries, Mrs Macaskill kindly judged and selected 2 which answered the brief and were original in their design. Congratulations and well done to Molly G P and Lukas S.

Fun Facts Research Lower school pupils have been researching Fun Facts in our non-fiction books each week. It’s a good reminder that books contain fantastic information, we don’t have to reach for a tablet or device. LIBRARY

Particularly for children, books are succinct, written specifically for them and laid out in a coherent, clear way. In fact, the opposite of some online content. Can you tell I love books? Here are some Fun Facts our curious pupils discovered:

We had our first session with Scottish Book Trust’s Story Decks. This generated a lot of interesting discussion and definitely animated our pupils. Watch this space, next year promises more Story Deck sessions.

Norway covers the tips of their wind turbines and it saves over 50,000 birds a year.

If you’re not sure what to read next, we now have a reading wall in the Mackie library. Pupils note down a few sentences on a post-it about why they enjoyed their recent read. If you are looking for inspiration, take a look at their suggestions. Enjoy the rest of our National Year of Reading!

The Atlantic giant squid has the largest eyes in the world. Each eyeball measures 40 centimetres across. The rainforest covers 6% of the earth and at least half of the world’s animals live there. Keep fact finding!

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For WBD pupils got fully involved, designing some stunning posters celebrating their favourite books. Our younger readers went on a Bear Hunt, tracking down lots of fictional bears hidden in the library. There was even more detective work going on in the Mackie library, as part of our World Book Day celebrations. Our S1s had to solve a number of crime-fiction puzzles, including an escape room, cracking codes hidden in invisible ink, and hunting down the missing detective’s kit.

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World Book Day

There were some special storytellers spreading their magic around early in March. Our guest readers made this World Book Day unforgettable, each visiting a primary class and sharing a story, a fabulous way to show our young readers that everyone enjoys a good read. Huge thanks are due to all our readers, the children loved it.

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Activities Week

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Barcelona

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Croatia ACTIVITIES WEEK

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Kayaking in Croatia We walked down to the bay and started to practice how to float with our life jackets. We then got into the kayaks and learnt how to steer them in both single and double kayaks. We started by following the rock line to a sheltered beach where we stopped to have lunch and could use the snorkels. I then went in a double and realised they were much harder to steer and to make them go in a straight line. We continued to try and get to a cave but we ran out of time. We returned back to the bay we started from and overall it was great fun. Ross A

Our military tour of Vis Island was really well organised, very informative, and incredibly interesting. The places we visited were absolutely fascinating and gave us a great insight into the island’s military history. We really enjoyed seeing the coastal bunker and the weapons used. Our tour guide was excellent and made the experience really enjoyable and was very passionate about the history. Overall, we had a great time on the trip and would highly recommend it. Brinitta & Teresa 111

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Local Active

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Local Creative

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Lochgoilhead

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A hardy group of S1 pupils spent Activities Week in Lochgoilhead on the West Coast of Scotland at the Scout Centre there. Led by the local Scout leaders they challenged themselves to try new things and overcome fears, building resilience and communication skills essential to strong teamwork. One of everyone’s favourite activities was canoeing. Cameron said it was good fun and everyone had to communicate, but it was also fun capsizing! Aaron really enjoyed the walk up the burn and splashing in puddy muddles, and going under waterfalls. Everyone did a great job at the end with trust falls into one of the deeper pools. The week ended with mountain biking and mega SUPs. While we would like to request better weather next year no one could argue with the beautiful scenery and time shared together.

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Surf School

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London

A Creative Arts residential was back in the calendar! We were delighted to take pupils to London to delve into London’s creative vibe. From performances of ‘Beetlejuice’, Agatha Christie’s ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ and The Globe’s ‘Mother Courage’ to workshops in song and dance, script writing and a movement workshop from Complicite, the whole week was a blast! Our Creative Arts workshops that formed part of the local activity week programme of events were equally exciting. Pupils enjoyed workshops at Aberdeen Art Gallery and Cafe Osmans. In School they will took part in the following workshops: filmmaking- learning how to create their own short film, crochet, clay sculpting, cyanotype printing, creating their own printed tote bag, drawing and collage. We had an exciting range of working artists and creators leading these workshops and sharing their skills and knowledge with the pupils; it was a very exciting week. Mrs Sinclair Our trip to London was a truly unforgettable five-day experience. We flew from Aberdeen on a red-eye flight and, after landing at London Heathrow Airport, took a bus to our hotel to drop off our bags before beginning our packed programme of activities. On our first day, we took part in a musical theatre workshop inspired by *Mamma Mia!* and later attended a performance of *Beetlejuice* in the West End. It was a long but exciting day, and we returned to the hotel at around 11 p.m. 116

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The next day, we visited some of London’s most iconic sights, including the Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben. We then enjoyed a cruise along the River Thames before attending a guided tour and evening performance at Shakespeare’s Globe, where we watched *Mother Courage*. On Wednesday, we participated in an all-day Complicité workshop. In the evening, we had some free time to explore Covent Garden and experience its lively atmosphere.

On the final day, we split into two groups based on the activities we had chosen. One group visited Tate Modern and then had free time to explore the city, while the other group visited the Royal College of Music and attended a performance. On the journey back, they also saw famous landmarks such as the Princess Diana Memorial, Hyde Park, and Buckingham Palace before everyone made their way to London Heathrow Airport to catch the flight back to Aberdeen.

ACTIVITIES WEEK

The following day, we took part in our third and final workshop. That evening, we attended an immersive production of Agatha Christie’s *Witness for the Prosecution*, which was a memorable experience.

Each day offered a mixture of organised activities, performances, and opportunities to discover the city for ourselves. One of the highlights of the trip was how much of London we explored on foot. Walking everywhere allowed us to experience the atmosphere of the city and see many of its famous landmarks up close. The combination of theatre, music, art, and sightseeing made the trip both educational and enjoyable, giving us memories that will stay with us long after returning home. Eva R The London trip this year was amazing. We saw 3 shows (my favourite being ‘Witness of the Prosecution’ which was performed in a real courtroom). Along with that, we did workshops at a studio where we explored physical theatre and script work. Most days we got free time to explore London and go to shops- I really enjoyed this as it gave me a lot of freedom as to what I wanted to do. I loved this trip and if it becomes available again I would definitely go! Emily C 117

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Switzerland

Despite a chaotic, near miss connecting flight that left us sprinting through the terminal, we arrived in a warm, 27 degree Geneva to experience an unforgettable Swiss vacation. Over five action packed days, we explored the city’s stunning historic architecture with a local guide, braved a hilarious inflatable water course on the crystal clear Lake Geneva, and visited the History of Science Museum. Our itinerary covered all of the wonderful aspects that Switzerland is famous for including making our own chocolate bars at Maison Cailler, a chocolate factory high in the mountains. We toured a cheese factory in Grueyere, complete with a tasting of 12 month matured cheese. We had an inspiring visit to the Olympic Museum and the Patek Philippe watch museum. After rounding out the trip with a lazy afternoon swimming in the lake, wandering cobbled old town streets, and taking in the rooftop views from the cathedral, we flew home exhausted but deeply happy, already reminiscing the memories made along the way. ! 118

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120 SCIENCE ALBYN ALUMNI & TECHNOLOGY

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Albyn Alumni

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IWe were excited to welcome so many of our Former Pupil community to our September reunion weekend, a special one as we celebrated 100 years on Queen’s Road. A sold out drinks event at Malmaison on the evening of Friday 26 September was followed by a packed afternoon tea in school on Saturday. It was fabulous to see so many of our FPs reconnect and share memories as they toured the school and enjoyed the memorabilia on display.

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Events and Reunions

Please get in touch with us at formerpupils@albynschool.org or call the school on 01224 322408. 122

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Our ‘At Home’ afternoon tea in May was also a roaring success and helped to round off our QR 100 celebrations.

Albyn School: A Century at Queen’s Road This wonderful book celebrates the last century of Albyn, containing stories about school life, beginnings and first days, extracurricular events, celebrations and recollections, pranks and exams shared with us by our former pupils over the years.

ALUMNI

Included is material from our archives about the move to Queen’s Road in 1925 right through to the present day and a full colour photo of all our pupils in the shape of 100 as well as the full school roll including staff. If you didn’t manage to get your copy, get in touch!

formerpupils@albynschool.org or call the school on 01224 322408. !

Friday 25 Sep 2026 7-10pm

Drinks Reception for all FPs and former staff at The Chester

Saturday 26 Sep 2026 10am - 2pm

Reunion and refreshments at Albyn for all FPs and former staff

Friday 14 May 2027 1:30-3:30pm

‘At Home’ afternoon tea at Albyn for all FPs and former staff

Save the Date

If you want to go ahead and book your place for any or all of these right now, you can do that at: albynalumni.org/events

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Albyn School Parent Association

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Albyn School Parent Association A YEAR IN FOCUS

ASPA

It’s been another busy year for ASPA whose volunteers have been working hard to support our school community. ASPA was delighted to support QR100 Family Fun Day. Fun activities both in the playground and in the school, with parent helpers supporting a number of stalls, along with perfect weather conditions ensured a fantastic occasion celebrating people, place and community as intended. The return of Warrack the Elf, the introduction of ‘Elf School’ and a number of novelty characters at the ASPA Christmas Fair added a real highlight to the festive calendar. Thank you Gingerbread, Christmas Tree and the Grinch for joining us - you really added to the festive cheer at our event! A fantastic range of raffle prizes donated by our generous community along with our traditional Christmas Fair stalls helped raise over £6000. Early in 2026, ASPA hosted a Neon Disco which was a massive hit with all who attended. Then in June, ASPA hosted a coffee morning in conjunction with the new pupil transition day. This was a wonderful opportunity for current Albyn families to welcome new families to our Albyn community sharing tips, advice and experiences of their time at Albyn School. The success of the Lost Property and Pre-Loved Uniform initiatives has also provided valuable support to families. ASPA have helped develop a process for lost property that not only facilitates a quicker return of named items back to the child, but also promotes more sustainable solutions for the unnamed items If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Just drop us an email at: ASPA@albynschool.org 126

that are not reclaimed after 3 months, through the initiation of a pop up shop for uniform items (often run by Albyn senior school pupils), and donations to charity for laundered non uniform items. A huge thank you to all the parents for your continued support – we couldn’t do it without you.

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