Highlights Autumn 2023 (Community)

Highlights Autumn Term 2023

e m tor o c e c R l e e h t W fr o m Welcome to the Autumn Term edition of Highlights. Across the pages you will see a fantastic array of activities, both academic and extracurricular, which our pupils have been excelling in.

This term heralded the official opening of the Junior School’s newest area, the Collaborative Working Zone, in memory of Mrs Elaine Adair, wife of former Chair of the Board of Governors, Mr Brian Adair. It is a wonderful space for Junior 6 pupils to learn in together and in a unique twist, it was designed by our pupils, for our pupils. Elsewhere in the Junior School, a number of year groups hosted successful ‘Sharing the Learning’ events, where they displayed to their families everything they’ve learnt on a topic, nurturing communication, organisation and leadership skills. A much-loved date in the calendar is the Junior 1 Nativity - they delivered a beautiful retelling of the well-known story of the birth of baby Jesus to an enraptured audience.

Speaking of enraptured audiences, at the Senior School, pupils took many opportunities to tread the boards and perform to their peers and loved ones. With a hilarious, piratical pantomime based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic, ‘Treasure Island’; the Junior Choir carolling in the community; a Christmas concert hosted in the breath-taking Glasgow Cathedral; and, of course, the annual Carol Service, many children have flexed their performance muscles already this session.

This will stand them in excellent stead across our 900th anniversary year which commences in January, marking 900 continuous years of our School. You should have received an email with our plans, but you will find further details within the Community section of Highlights, and I look forward to seeing some of you at our 900th Anniversary Gala Homecoming Dinner at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum on Saturday 20th January.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you take the opportunity to relax and enjoy quality time with your loved ones across the festive break.

Sursum Semper John O’Neill Rector

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Contents School News

Pages 4-9

Christmas at HSOG

Pages 10-11

Sporting Success

Pages 12-15

Thanksgiving and Commemoration

Pages 16-17

Giving Back

Pages 18-19

HSOG Community

Pages 20-22

Our Term in Pictures

Pages 23-28

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Mr Brian Adair & Junior 6 pupils

School News High School pupils have excelled across a number of academic and extra-curricular disciplines during the past few months, with the following stories acting as just a snapshot of many impressive achievements throughout the Autumn Term.

J6 Flexible Learning Area

National Physics Award

A £25,000 donation in memory of beloved member of the HSOG community, Mrs Elaine Adair, the wife of former Chair of the Board of Governors, Mr Brian Adair, helped to transform an area of the Junior School into a brand new Collaborative Working Zone during the Autumn Term.

Rory of Fifth Year received the Institute of Physics Award last month in recognition of him gaining the joint highest mark in the country for National 5 Physics in the 2023 exam diet.

In an innovative twist, our Junior 6 pupils were tasked with coming up with the design for the space in an Apprentice-style challenge set as part of their Enterprise Topic. Teams of pupils were handed a budget and a deadline, before being challenged to brainstorm, plan and design the space, as well as pitching their ideas to a prestigious panel that included the Rector, Mr O’Neill, Head Teacher of the Junior School, Miss Fuller, Senior School Deputy Head, Mr Leighton, and Senior School Librarian, Dr Fairweather.

Attending the Science and the Parliament Event at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, Rory, accompanied by his parents and Head of Physics, Dr Went, was presented with his award by Professor Julie Fitzpatrick OBE, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Scottish Government.

Congratulations to Rory - what a fantastic achievement!

Click here to read more

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Sharing the Learning Junior School pupils have relished sharing their learning with families throughout the Autumn Term!

Junior 6 hosted a hugely ambitious World War II Museum in early November, with parents and guests treated to fascinating workshops, performances and a special World War II news reel filmed during Junior School Drama lessons.

Truly unforgettable!

Junior 5’s ‘Sharing the Learning’ event touched upon challenging themes as they looked at refugees and the impact of water scarcity and flooding. This topic included J5 pupils having the chance to visit the Refuweegee charity to find out more about the individuals they help to support.

Well done to Junior 5 on tackling such a weighty subject with impressive maturity.

Junior 3 children led parents on a journey through their curriculum, showing off their mathematical and verbal skills, as well as sharing their learning in social studies by comparing life in the rainforest to their own. Parents left with a skip in their step after sampling the sweet treats from J3’s Fairtrade Cafe - delicious!

HSOG Receives WFA Teaching Award We were delighted to be recognised by the Western Front Association early in the Autumn Term as the very first recipient of the charity’s newly introduced Quality Mark.

The Western Front Association is a charity whose objective is to educate the public in the history of The Great War, with schools acting as vital partners in achieving this objective. The Quality Mark was introduced to recognise excellence in teaching and learning about the First World War. To be awarded the Quality Mark, the School had to undergo a rigorous audit of the curriculum, and teaching and learning in history under the leadership of Principal Teacher of History, Mr Mackay.

Click here to read more

Principal Teacher of History, Mr Mackay

J6 WWII Sharing the Learning

Rory & Head of Physics, Dr Went

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Updates from the Music Department High School musicians have been showing off their skills over the past few months, both in school and out in the wider world.

Kieran (S6) toured Europe during the summer as one of the youngest members of the National Youth Choir of Scotland’s Touring Choir, conducted by Christopher Bell, having been invited to perform with this ensemble whilst still school-age - a truly remarkable achievement! He enjoyed the chance to take in Edinburgh, Paris and Amsterdam, as well as performing a variety of repertoire in a number of extraordinary churches throughout Europe.

Kieran has also been selected, as a member of the RSNO Youth Chorus, to sing the prestigious solo from ‘The Snowman’ with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra as his accompaniment on Saturday 23rd December at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

Three pipers (above, right) were selected for the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland Programme in early October - Sasha (S5) was offered a place in the NYPBS Development Band, the highest level that a school-age piper can perform at, while Rory (S5) and Robbie (S3) were offered places in the NYPBS Junior Band.

Ruby of Transitus (right) had a memorable time at the Festival of Solo Piping in Saltcoats on Saturday 21st October. Not only did she win both of the sections she competed in, she was also named the overall chanter champion - a brilliant achievement. Well done Ruby!

Cellist, Jamie, and violinist, Leo (both S3), performed with the West of Scotland Schools String Orchestra in a concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall New Auditorium under director, David O’Connell. They performed pieces by Fauré and Britten, with Jamie leading the cello section.

High School musicians brought the term to an end with a number of them sitting Trinity College Music exams in December. Of the 18 entries, 9 pupils received distinctions, with 9 gaining merits. Particular congratulations go to flautist, Sarah, and trombonist, Callum (both S6), who impressively gained Grade 8 merits.

Junior School Receive Fairtrade Award The Junior School received the FairAware Award from the Fairtrade Foundation in September, recognising the School’s commitment to supporting Fairtrade.

We are delighted to be a part of such an important global movement, where young people learn that whatever their age, they have the power to make a difference in the world!

Click here to read more

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SQA Examination Results Senior School pupils have achieved an excellent set of SQA exam results for 2023, with strong academic performances at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level. Read on below and click here to visit our website for a full round-up of HSOG’s 2023 SQA exam results.

2023 SQA Exam Highlights

4.7 Average number of Highers passed by each pupil

• 1,573 exams sat across National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels • Overall pass rates: • 94.7% - Higher • 98.3% - National 5 • 93.6% - Advanced Higher • Grade ‘A’ pass percentages of 83.2% at National 5 and 72.7% at Higher level • 5 or 6 grade A passes achieved by 49 pupils in Higher examinations • 8 or more grade A passes in all exams achieved by 59 pupils at National 5 level

98.3% National 5 pass percentage achieved at grades A-C

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40 Pupils who gained 3+ Grade A passes in Advanced Higher Exams

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Senior Drama Production ‘Treasure Island’ - Wednesday 29th November - Friday 1st December

All Aboard the Good Ship HSOG! Audiences enjoyed an unforgettable three-night run of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, ‘Treasure Island’.

A riotous nautical adventure from start to finish, this energetic and hilarious show was the perfect, piratical pantomime, a hearty tale that entertained crowds in the run-up to Christmas!

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Master Chef!

Isla, a budding Fourth Year chef, was victorious in the Glasgow local heat of the Future Chef Competition in November.

Alongside fellow Third Year contestant, Rebekah, the pair headed to the City of Glasgow College to compete in the competition’s regional heat.

They were challenged to create a main course dish of their choice, with Isla cooking salmon tagliatelle with homemade pasta and a mushroom and white wine sauce, and Rebekah rustling up Italian tarts with homemade pesto and puff pastry, served with a Greek salad.

The judges were highly impressed with the level of skill of the competitors and after some deliberation, crowned Isla as the overall winner of the Glasgow local heat.

She now moves on to represent Glasgow at the Scottish Regional Final in February, with the exciting opportunity to work with a mentor chef in preparation for the big day.

BookFest ‘24 Senior School pupils explored the power of reading during our annual literary celebration in October.

Bookworms from Transitus all the way through to S6 enjoyed hearing from authors, participating in mindexpanding workshops and taking part in a number of book-related activities throughout the week, all organised by the Senior School Library and English Department.

Click here to read more

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Christmas at HSOG! Junior and Senior pupils have had great fun recently with festive cheer on display in the run-up to Christmas!

From cracking Christmas concerts, jaw-dropping festive feasts and the sight of colourful and imaginative Christmas jumpers, to fun-filled Christmas parties for each of our Junior School year groups and a heart-warming Junior 1 Nativity, December has been a month to remember at HSOG! We brought 2023 to an end with our annual Christmas Carol Service in the Senior School Assembly Hall, welcoming the School community for an unforgettable Autumn Term finale.

What a way to head into the ho-ho-ho-lidays!

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Sporting Success High School pupils continue to excel in the sporting arena with successes this term across a number of sports including cricket, hockey, tennis, cross country and swimming.

Forty Club School of the Year The High School 1st XI Cricket Team was selected as the Forty Club (Scotland District) School of the Year for 2023 - a notable achievement for our cricketing stars.

Former pupils, Ibrahim (1st XI Cricket Captain 2022-23) and Ritvik (School Captain 2022-23) were in attendance for the Annual Dinner at Lords on Friday 17th November, where they gratefully received the award.

They are pictured (right) with Forty Club Chairman, Colin Neil ahead of the dinner in the Long Room.

BP Cup Finalists The 1st XI Hockey Team has made it to this year’s BP Cup Final!

Having achieved comprehensive victories over St Aloysius’ College (3-0), Jordanhill School (6-1) and Hutchesons’ Grammar School (2-0), the 1st XI topped their group section, setting up a semi-final against Kelvinside Academy.

In an impressive performance, the girls were able to come away with a fantastic 5-0 victory. Therefore, they will go on to play The Glasgow Academy in the BP Cup Final early next year.

We wish them all the best!

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Serving up Success!

The Autumn Term has been a productive time on the tennis courts for High School pupils.

Third Year pupils, Luisa and Lucas, competed at Wimbledon during the summer as part of the LTA ‘Play Your Way to Wimbledon’ National Finals.

Securing their spots courtesy of winning their area finals. Lucas made it all the way to the final before unfortunately losing out to a fellow Scot.

However, that was not the end of Lucas’ on-court adventures - he want on to compete for the Scotland U14 Tennis Team at the Junior Four Nations Championships, impressively winning all of his singles matches, helping the team achieve success in the U14 category as Scotland were crowned Junior Four Nations Champions.

Not content with helping his nation to victory, Lucas also went on to win the U14 LTA Lexus Indoor National Championships Singles title in Nottingham at the end of October, capping off an unforgettable few months!

Road Race Medalists High School runners won team and individual medals at the Scottish Schools’ Road Race in Dunfermline on Wednesday 4th October.

Amy (S5) was the star of the day, winning an individual gold medal in the S5/S6 race.

This individual success also helped the S5/S6 Girls’ Team of Sarah, Lara, Grace (all S6), Libby (S5) and Amy to team bronze in the S5/S6 Girls’ Race, while the S2 Boys’ Team of Jamie, Harry, Rory, Finlay and Lucan matched this achievement, competing brilliantly to also win team bronze.

Congratulations to all of our national schools’ medalists on their success.

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Sporting Round-Up Amy (S5) competed for Scotland in the 3,000m events at both the Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad & Tobago and at a meeting in Cardiff during the summer break, picking up a bronze medal in the latter. Amy has also been selected to represent Scotland at U20 level in upcoming events that are run in conjunction with the British Cross Challenge series.

James (S4) finished in 4th place in the British Cross Challenge event in Liverpool on Saturday 25th November, before going on to win the West District Cross Country Championships the following week. As a result James was selected to run for Scotland (and Scotland West) at the upcoming Inter-District Championships in January.

Rory (S5) competed in the U16 ‘Race the Worlds’ Event in early August, part of the 2023 UCI World Cycling Championships in Glasgow. The event took place on a one mile criterium course on the finishing circuit of the Elite Road Races. Despite crashing on the start line, Rory was cheered round the course by an enormous crowd who were soaking up the World Championships atmosphere in the centre of Glasgow, fighting back to finish in the top 10!

Fifth Year cricketer, Shlok, was selected for Scotland at U15 level in the Celtic Cup during the summer, while Squash player, Kaartik (Transitus), currently ranked 9th in Scotland at U13 level, was selected for the West of Scotland U13 squad.

Aania (S4) (above right) represented the Scottish U15 Netball side at the National Academies Tournament in Wolverhampton, receiving the coaches award for player of the tournament. More recently, Aania was also selected as part of the Scottish U17 Netball Team, while Jeanne (S4) was chosen to play for the Glasgow U15 Performance Wildcats District Team this term.

In the Scottish Netball Cup Competition, the Senior and S2 teams won the Glasgow section of their regional leagues, progressing to the knock-out rounds of the Scottish Cup. With over 120 teams entering in each competition, reaching the last 16 is a tremendous achievement - we wish them all the best in their knockout matches next term.

early next term. The 1st XI also won silver medals at the West District Senior Tournament.

Elsewhere on the hockey pitches, Hazel and Orla (both S5) have been selected in the assessment phase for the Emerging National Squad; Andrew, Libby, Kirsty, Craig (all S5), Beth and Olivia (both S4) were chosen to be a part of the Brave Aspiring Academy Squad; and Emily, Alasdair, Ellie, Corbin (all S4), Luisa, Chloe, Freya and Rosie (all S3) were all selected for the Brave Emerging Academy Squad.

High School swimmers (below) collected a formidable haul of 13 individual and 10 team medals at the Glasgow Schools’ Championships at Whitehill Pool in November.

Particular congratulations go to our gold medalists: •

Grace (S6) (O16 100m Freestyle, winning the Founders Cup)

•

Matthew (S1) (U13 50m Butterfly)

•

The U13 Girls’ Relay Team - Daisy, Elizabeth, Grace & Jessica (all S1)

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The U13 Boys’ Relay Team - Hugo, Ethan, Matthew & Jacob (all S1)

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The U14 Girls’ Relay Team - Claudia, Amber, Emily & Viktoria (all S2)

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The U16 Girls’ Lifesaving Team - Christina (S4) & Chloe (S3) (winning the Late Robert Cowper Esq Shield)

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The U16 Boys’ Lifesaving Team - Ruaraidh (S4) & Peter (S3)

High School sides have had great success so far this season on the rugby pitches. The School jointly won the Conference Championship alongside Marr College, with the 1st XV going unbeaten over the course of the season as they won their individual league. Well done to every player who has played for the School so far this year, all helping contribute towards this impressive success!

The Senior Girls’ Basketball Team reached the semi-finals of the Regional Cup, courtesy of a fine 33-14 win over Eastwood High School, while the 1st XI and U15 Hockey teams have also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup Plate Competition, where they will face Fettes College and Hutchesons’ Grammar School respectively,

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Amsterdam Hockey Tour Our Senior Hockey Team enjoyed an unforgettable time in Amsterdam over the October break.

They relished having the opportunity to train and compete against their Dutch counterparts in a number of well-matched encounters.

It wasn’t all work though! The girls also enjoyed the hospitality of their hosts, took in the beautiful canals of Amsterdam, sampled a large amount of pancakes and visited the WONDR Experience immersive playground.

Junior and Senior skiing teams raced well at the SSSA Autumn Dual Slalom Event at Bearsden Ski School in October.

Well done to the Senior Open Team (four of whom are pictured, right) - Peter, Theo (both S3), LJ, Elodie and Jacob (all S1) - and Primary J4-Transitus Team (above right) Ellie, Charlie (both Transitus), Harry (J6) and Niamh (J5) - on winning silver medals.

Well done, too, to the Senior Team (above) - Magnus (S6), Andrew (S5), Alasdair (S4) and Ben (S3) - on winning team bronze.

All three teams qualified for the finals in November, where they competed well.

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Thanksgiving & Commemoration The High School community returned to Glasgow Cathedral on Thursday 21st September, gathering for the annual Commemoration and Thanksgiving Service. This poignant ceremony was the perfect way to celebrate the School’s illustrious history and give thanks, as well as acting as a memorable way to bring the first few weeks of term to a close prior to the September weekend break.

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Giving Back We are proud to be able to give back to the community in which we live. This term, across our Junior and Senior Schools, fundraising activities have helped to raise more than £12,000 for life-changing charities and incredibly worthy causes.

House Fundraising Weeks Bannerman and Moore Houses got the ball rolling on fundraising for 2023-24, with each hosting unforgettable fundraising weeks during the Autumn Term.

Bannerman House were up first, hosting a week filled with fun activities including a spooky Hallowe’en Haunted House in the Pavilion and their House Show, ‘Bannerman’s Got Talent’, which helped to raise more than £3,500 for Butterfly Trust.

Click here to read more about their week.

Moore House followed at the start of December, with their festive fundraising week efforts in aid of Team Jak, a charity supporting children and young people with cancer. From the chance to wax a member of the 1st XV, to Moore’s own ‘Carpool Karaoke’, there truly was something for everyone!

Read more about the week by clicking here.

Teddy of Junior 5 raised a huge amount of money for charity this term.

Following time receiving treatment at Glasgow Children’s Hospital, Teddy decided to give back, taking part in a sponsored 10km walk in September, raising an incredible £2,895 for the charity in September.

What an incredible effort!

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Junior School pupils donated a record-breaking 753 items to local charities as part of this year’s Harvest Week in early October.

The items were donated to Focal Point Day Centre in Drumchapel, a service that aims to promote social stimulation and prevent isolation in older people, East Dunbartonshire Foodbank and The Salvation Army’s William Hunter House, which provides short term supported accommodation for adults experiencing homelessness in Glasgow.

Junior 1 Teacher Mrs Lambie took a bite out of The Big Apple in November!

She travelled across the Atlantic to run the New York Marathon in aid of The Beatson Cancer Charity.

Junior 1 pupils made sure to give her a memorable send off before she headed Stateside.

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T h e J u n i o r Cho ir pe rf o rme d Ch r istm as Car ols at G ar tn avel H osp ital a n d Br a e h e a d Sho pping Ce nt re , raisin g m on ey for Qu ar r ier s ch ar ity - we l l d on e!

Christmas Fair The Senior School hosted a Christmas Fair fundraiser for local charities on Saturday 9th December.

Organised by the S6 Charities Committee, the fun-filled day helped to raise over £1,300 for Glasgow-based charities HomeStart and Social Bite who work together within the local community to tackle homelessness and poverty.

Click here to read more about this and all the festivities at HSOG!

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HSOG Community Former Pupil Reunions Throughout the Autumn Term we welcomed various year groups back to the Senior School to celebrate their respective milestone anniversaries.

The Class of 1993 (right) hosted their 30-year reunion in the Pavilion on Saturday 26th August, where they were joined by some of their former teachers including former Rector, Mr Colin Mair, and teachers, Mr Peter Douglas and Mr Paul Toner.

On weekends throughout September we were delighted to welcome back the Classes of 1973 (above right), 2008 (below right) and 2013 (bottom right) as they marked their 50, 15 and 10-year respective anniversaries. The Class of 1973 were joined on Saturday 30th September by former Elmbank Street teacher, Mr Bob Byiers.

All year groups thoroughly enjoyed their walk down memory lane as they reunited over celebratory drinks and delightful meals prepared by our caterers, Compass.

We always enjoy welcoming former pupils back to the School, so if you are ever considering arranging a gettogether for your own year group, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach out to the External Relations Team via email at community@hsog.co.uk to see how they can help.

Ex-Masters Golf Lunch We were delighted to host the annual Ex Masters’ Golf Lunch in the Jimmie Ireland Stand on Thursday 5th October.

Joining us for the afternoon were seven former members of staff from Elmbank Street. Senior School Deputy Head, Mr Iain Leighton, also joined the group for the annual get-together.

Those in attendance were Mr Alastair Grant, Mr Bill Hamilton, Mr Roddy Hood, Mr Derek Mathieson, Mr David Moyes, Mr Tom Rodger and Mr Robert Wright.

Having enjoyed a delicious two-course lunch, the group took the time to catch up and reminisce on their time spent teaching at the former boys’ school.

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President’s Lunch Former pupils came together in London for the annual President’s Lunch on Friday 6th October.

The Caledonian Club were again the kind hosts of this yearly gathering, with alumni from a range of class years reuniting over a three-course lunch. The group were joined by Rector, Mr John O’Neill, Director of External Relations, Mrs Karen McDonald and President of the London Club, Mr Tom Kerr (Class of 2006).

After another fantastic event, we are already very much looking forward to the 2024 Lunch!

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The High School of Glasgow at 900 The High School of Glasgow celebrates 900 continuous years as a school in 2024.

Traditionally taking 1124 as our foundation date as the Sang School of Glasgow Cathedral, we have evolved many times over the centuries to become a modern and vibrant place of learning.

No other school in Scotland can lay claim to 900 years of existence and we have been hard at work planning how we can make 2024 a year to remember.

2024 is a year of opportunity, bringing together past and present members of the High School community through a series of events celebrating the illustrious story of the School and pointing, with ambition, to the future.

It will be a year of stories, learning, fun, personal catchups, pride in achievements and a time to encourage our community to think of the School and its future. A year of celebration and a year of giving.

The High School has a long history of philanthropy, notably demonstrated by the determination and generosity of former pupils and friends who played a pivotal role in rescuing the School in 1976 when it was faced with the prospect of closure.

Across our 900th anniversary, it is our goal to both continue and broaden this culture of philanthropy through ongoing investment in both our infrastructure and outreach.

On Monday 22nd January 2024, we will formally launch the 900 Campaign and we are delighted that former Rector, Colin Mair, has agreed to head up our fundraising campaign as Campaign Chair, supported by Governor, Neil Watson as Deputy Campaign Chair.

Colin Mair said:

“This is a hugely significant year for The High School of Glasgow and I am honoured to be able to give something back to the School that means so much to me. Working alongside Neil Watson, Deputy Campaign Chair, Karen McDonald, Director of External Relations and her team, as well as volunteers within the School community, it is our aim to create an enduring legacy for the High School for generations to come.”

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900th Anniversary Events S a t u rd ay 2 0 J a nu a r y 2 0 2 4

Monday 17 June 2024

900th Anniversar y Gala Homecoming Dinner @ Kelvingrove Ar t Galler y & Museum - SOLD OUT

Whole School Gala Concert @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

February 2024 Planting 900 Trees

We d n e s d a y 1 8 - T h u r s d a y 2 6 September 2024 900 Kilometre Cycle (in aid of the Bursary Fund)

Saturday 23 March 2024 Old Anniesland Sporting Showcase @ Old Anniesland

Thursday 26 September 2024 Annual Commemoration & Thanksgiving Service @ Glasgow Cathedral

Thursday 18 April 2024 Civic Reception @ Glasgow City Chambers

October 2024

Friday 31 May 2024

Whole School Expressive Arts Exhibition @ Old Anniesland

Staff Homecoming Event @ Old Anniesland November 2024 M ay / J u n e 2 0 2 4

900 Time Capsule

Picnic on the Pitches @ Old Anniesland Tuesday 4 June 2024 Whole School Photograph

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Monday 16 December 2024 Nine Lessons and Carols @ Glasgow Cathedral

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Our Term in Pictures An unforgettable and fun-filled Autumn Term at Old Anniesland and Ledcameroch Road.

The Modern Languages Department ran a week-long celebration of Languages to mark the Day of European Languages, held on Tuesday 26 September.

Click here to read more about a fun week of events at the Senior School!

Junior 1 started their time at School by exploring the Secret Garden early in the Autumn Term, searching for all kinds of creatures in the woodlands.

Advanced Higher Biology and Higher Environmental Studies pupils visited Millport in September to carry out fieldwork on land before heading out into the Firth of Clyde to study sea creatures from the depths of the ocean.

Junior 5 visited Dumfries House in October to discover more about their class topic on ‘Water’. From learning about how water affects our environment, the growing of food and seasonal eating, to a spot of ‘pond dipping’ to test the quality of the water, Junior 5 enjoyed a truly memorable day out!

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Junior School pupils grew pumpkins from seed, harvested them and then carved and painted them at the end of October, just in time for Hallowe’en!

Junior 5 visited the Refuweegee charity as part of their class topic in October. They learned about what the charity does, took part in sorting donations and helped to create welcome packs.

The Senior Physics Club took full advantage of a very sunny spell in September. They ventured outdoors, using their home-made contraption to catch a glimpse of a sunspot.

Our Junior School Road Safety Officers were out and about on Ledcameroch Road in early November. They patrolled the area around our Junior School in order to ensure safe parking was being practiced, providing an important contribution to national Road Safety Week.

The Pipe Band welcomed pupils to Old Anniesland on the morning of St Andrew’s Day in late November, providing an inspiring and patriotic start to the day for all pupils and staff at the Senior School!

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Junior 1 pupils relished the opportunity to meet their Junior 6 buddies for the first time in August. The buddy system at our Junior School acts as a great way for our youngest pupils to get settled in whilst allowing J6 children to experience the importance of looking out for their peers.

Transitus classes each took their turn to host our famous Cake and Candy sales, helping to raise upwards of £1,000 for our friends at East Park Glasgow.

Third and Fourth Year mathematicians finished as runners up in the national Enterprising Maths Competition at Glasgow Science Centre in late November.

Congratulations to the team of Landi, Rachel (both S4), Jesse and Claire (both S3) on this significant achievement on a national level.

We have very much enjoyed the return of monthly music concerts within our Pavilion building - a regular display of the incredible musical talent amongst our Senior School pupils!

Senior School pupils got out the chess board at lunchtimes throughout the Autumn Term, enjoying some competitive matches over a bite to eat.

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Our Junior 1 superheroes assembled to show off their super power of learning during the Autumn Term! They had great fun dressing up as part of their ‘Superheroes’ topic.

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We welcomed Professor Sir John Curtice, ‘The man who gets elections right’, to speak with Sixth Year pupils as part of our S6 Lecture Series. On a highly informative afternoon in mid-November, Professor Curtice spoke about a number of fascinating topics, including the ongoing impact of the Brexit vote on the UK’s political landscape.

Junior 2 wrapped up for a stroll to Bearsden Cross as they visited No.40, a locally sourced, community-focused shop and café, as part of their ‘Enterprise’ topic.

Four S6 pupils, including our School Captains, alongside Mr Mackay and Miss Sutherland from the Senior School History Department, represented the School at the Western Front Association Commemoration Event at the Cenotaph in London on Saturday 11th November.

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15 Fourth and Fifth Year pupils visited Glasgow University in November to compete in the regional phase of the UK Space Design Competition.

They were tasked with designing a maintenance settlement for mining robots on the moon in order to compete for a construction contract for this lunar project - well done to all who took part.

Our Junior and Senior pupils came together at the end of November as our S6 Captains’ Committee spent some time with J1 Values Captains, Thomas and Reeva, as well as enjoying the chance to get to know some of our youngest pupils at Ledcameroch Road.

What a fun day for both our youngest and most senior pupils!

The Classics Department organised an unforgettable trip to Greece during the October break, with pupils getting the chance to take in Athens’ famous Acropolis, tour ancient sites including the Theatre of Dionysus and Roman Theatre, visit the mountainous region of Delphi and enjoy beautiful sunrises in the coastal town of Tolo over the course of a sun-kissed week.

A group of Sixth Year pupils attended Scottish Edge’s Edge22 Live Final, in late November. This is Scotland’s biggest business funding competition, offering grants and loans from £10,000 - £100,000 to help grow start-ups, social enterprises or charities, opening them up to a world of opportunity!

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The Captains’ Committee for session 2023-24 were welcomed back in August.

The Committee consists of School Captains, Anya and Thom, Bannerman House Captains, Emma and Paddy, Clyde House Captains, Coryn and Leo, Law House Captains, Alanna and Zu-An, and Moore House Captains, Kate and Tom.

To celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival in October, the Modern Languages Department invited professionals from the Confucius Institute at the University of Glasgow to deliver workshops on Chinese Arts and Crafts to First and Second Year pupils.

Elsewhere, the Senior School Cookery Club continued the MidAutumn Festival celebrations by creating delicious and highly colourful mooncakes. Delicious!

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