Highlights - Spring Term 2024

Highlights Spring Term 2024

e m tor o c e c R l e e h t W fr o m The Spring Term has been a particularly significant one for the High School as it marked the start of our 900th anniversary.

A number of commemorative and celebratory events have taken place: from planting 3,600 trees in just two days, to a rugby and hockey festival for current and former pupils and families, and a Gala Dinner at Kelvingrove Art Gallery, the year has got off to a flying start. There are many more plans to come and we would encourage you to get involved to mark this momentous milestone with us!

A number of performers have taken to the stage: J6 delighted audiences with a two-night run of ‘Superstan’, meanwhile, the Spring Platform Concert and the much-anticipated Young Musicians of the Year Competition showed just how accomplished our musicians and vocalists are.

On the sporting front, we have celebrated a number of successes from our cross country runners, swimmers and rugby and hockey players, among a number of other sporting achievements.

Innovation has been on display with START’s Pitch & Vision Evening at SWG3 in March and J6 delivering ‘The Apprentice’ style pitches to redesign an area of the Junior School playground.

Meanwhile, opportunities for further curricular enrichment have witnessed such events as an inspiring S6 Fraser Lecture delivered by Tom Fletcher CMG, J5’s first experience of a residential trip to York, J2 sharing their learning with their families and a trio of S4 Bridge players making history.

The variety, joy, commitment and talent displayed across these pages pays tribute not only to the ethos of the High School, but also reminds us that despite our age as a School, young people finding their voice continues to echo from those early Choir School days in Glasgow Cathedral.

I wish all members of our community a happy and restorative Easter break.

Sursum Semper John O’Neill Rector

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Contents School News

Pages 4-9

900th Anniversary Tree Planting

Pages 6-7

Young Musicians of the Year ‘24

Page 8

Updates from the Music Department

Page 9

J6 Musical Production

Page 10

Junior School News

Page 11

HSOG Sports Homecoming & Sporting Updates

Pages 12-17

900 Gala Homecoming Dinner

Pages 18-19

HSOG Community

Pages 20-21

START Pitch & Vision Evening

Pages 22-23

Giving Back Our Term in Pictures

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Page 24 Pages 25-28

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HSOG Pupils, Staff & Guests with Tom Fletcher CMG

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 Spring Term.

Annual Fraser Lecture

Artists in Residence

This year’s Fraser Lecture was delivered by Mr Tom Fletcher CMG, Principal of Hertford College, University of Oxford, former UK Ambassador to Lebanon and foreign policy advisor to three UK Prime Ministers - Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Impressive paintings created by Fifth Year pupils Evie B and Mia J were featured at London’s Caledonian Club during the Spring Term as part of their Scottish Schools’ Art Exhibition.

He is a published author, having written the book, Ten Survival Skills for a World In Flux in 2022, which seeks to highlight the key skills and capacities that individuals and communities need to foster, steward and develop for life now and in the future.

Tom Fletcher, who is also a visiting Professor at NYU, Chair of the International Board of the UK’s Creative Industries Federation and creator of the Foundation for Opportunity, delivered a fascinating lecture, speaking with Sixth Year pupils and invited guests on the topic of diplomacy and the skills required to thrive in the 21st century. An unforgettable day for all who attended!

Click here to read more

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Spring Term 2024

Alongside this, artwork from six further HSOG pupils - Jaimie W (S6), Harris G, Estella L (both S5), Jenni B, Rosie F and Molly G (all S4) - were displayed online as part of The Caledonian Club’s digital gallery, showcasing further outstanding work from the exhibition.

Well done to all of our fine young artists on their excellent work!

Artwork by Evie B

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J2 Sharing the Learning

Bridging the Gap

Junior 2 pupils had the honour of taking part in the first Junior School ‘Sharing the Learning’ event of 2024!

Fourth Year pupils made history during the Spring Term by becoming the youngest female bridge players to represent Scotland!

Pupils spent the morning as experts on their class topic of ‘Castles’, relishing the opportunity to share all that they have learnt with their parents.

J2 opened their event with a short but memorable presentation before guiding their families through a series of activities they had innovatively designed and created themselves.

In order to make sure our guests had been paying full attention, this fun morning finished off with a quiz for families, followed by a medieval banquet for the children - what a fantastic day!

Up next... Junior 4’s ‘Sharing the Learning’ event - The Sustainability Social on April 25th.

Isla J, Niamh R and Rachel Y, all members of the Senior School Bridge Club, finished in third position at the Peggy Bayer Bridge Tournament in Belfast.

They started playing bridge in 2020 under the guidance of Senior School Maths Teacher, Dr Danny Hamilton, who is also the non-playing Captain of Scotland’s U21 side.

The girls have also been part of a four-year international research study into the game of bridge led by The University of Stirling’s Faculty of Social Sciences, exploring how bridge teaches mathematical concepts in a fun and engaging manner.

Click here to read more

Scottish Bridge Players Rachel, Niamh & Isla Artwork by Mia J

J2 Sharing the Learning

J2 Sharing the Learning

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Tree-riffic!

Green-Fingered HSOG pupils far surpassed their goal of planting 900 trees as part of the School’s year of 900th anniversary celebrations.

Click here or on any of the images below to read more about a memorable couple of days at Cathkin Braes!

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Still to come in our 900th anniversary celebrations...

Thursday 18 April 2024 Civic Reception @ Glasgow City Chambers Friday 31 May 2024 Staff Homecoming Event @ Old Anniesland Saturday 1 June 2024 Picnic on the Pitches - HSOGFest @ Old Anniesland Tuesday 11 June 2024 Whole School Photograph Monday 17 June 2024 Whole School Gala Concert @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Wednesday 18 - Thursday 26 September 2024 900 Kilometre Cycle (in aid of the Bursary Fund) Thursday 26 September 2024 Annual Commemoration & Thanksgiving Service @ Glasgow Cathedral October 2024 Whole School Expressive Arts Exhibition @ Old Anniesland November 2024 900 Time Capsule Monday 16 December 2024 Nine Lessons and Carols @ Glasgow Cathedral

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Young Musicians of the Year ‘24 Our annual celebration showcasing the most outstanding talent from the Senior Music Department arrived a little earlier this year, acting as a fitting send-off to the Spring Term.

The much-anticipated Young Musicians of the Year Final saw the Senior School’s most talented instrumentalists and vocalists take their moment in the spotlight on Monday 25th March.

Our young musicians competed in a number of categories, with prizes on offer for the most outstanding vocal and instrumental ensembles and soloists. There was also performances on the evening from five S3 and S4 performers who have displayed the most outstanding potential.

A panel of external adjudicators presided over the evening in order to decide on the most outstanding performances in each category. Professor David Watkins, former Head of Strings, international cello soloist and current Director of Chamber Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, was adjudicator for the instrumentalists while the singers were judged by Mr Graham Dickie MBE, singer, pianist, conductor and former Artistic Director of Musical Theatre at Knightswood Dance School.

On an evening of exceptional musicianship, audience members would be forgiven for thinking they were attending a show at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, given the incredible levels of talent on show, each performer wholly in command of their instrument.

Following the performances, the adjudicators shared kind words with our finalists, as well as paying tribute to the teaching staff and tutors who have guided our talented young musicians throughout the session, before announcing the winners of the four prizes.

A huge congratulations to all musicians for an incredible evening of musical entertainment!

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Winners T he P e te r Do uglas A ward fo r T he Ins trume ntal Ens e mb le o f the Ye ar Violin Duo Catherine I (S3) & Elizabeth I (S1)

T he P e te r Do uglas A ward fo r T he Vo c al Ens e mb le o f the Ye ar Vocal Octet Anya C, Laura H, Kieran P (all S6), Erin A, Erin M, Francesca O (all S5), Alex M & Landi W (both S4)

T he Nad ine Livings to n A ward fo r T he Yo ung Singe r o f the Ye ar Erin M (S5)

T he Fras e r Mac A ulay A ward fo r T he Yo ung Ins trume ntalis t o f the Ye ar Maya M (S4)

A ward fo r O uts tand ing P o te ntial Vocal - Stella M, Maya M & Landi W (all S4) Instrumental - Philip M-B (piano) (S4) & Robbie L (bagpipes) (S3)

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Music News The Music Department continues to flourish, with impressive successes both within and outside of the school.

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Eight Senior School musicians achieved the impressive feat of securing Grade 8 in music exams earlier this year. Kieran P (S6), James C (S5) and Chenxi P (S4) achieved Distinctions in ABRSM Exams, while drummer Adam W (S3) secured a Distinction in his Trinity Rock & Pop Exam. Grade 8 Merits were secured by Adam W (S6) (Trinity Rock & Pop Exams), Sarah H, Callum P (both S6) (Trinity College Exams) and Rachel Y (ABRSM Exam).

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Transitus performed an ‘Opera in a Day’ in early February, led by professional singers from Scottish Opera. This annual performance proved to be another success, with parents visiting the Senior School to take in ‘Vikings: The Quest for the Dragon’s Treasure’ - bravo!

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The Spring Platform Concert on Monday 18th March showcased some of our younger musicians and smaller ensembles, including stellar performances from the Intermediate Wind Band, Intermediate String Orchestra, Percussion Ensembles and Chamber Music Groups.

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Four senior musicians have been chosen to represent the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland Development Orchestra (for musicians aged 11-18) this year. Congratulations to Jamie M (cello), Michael S (trombone) (both S3), Caitlin K (violin) (S2) and Lachlan T (bassoon) (S1) on their selection for this prestigious national music group.

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Fifth Year musician Sasha W performed at the Celtic Connections Festival with the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, playing alongside Carlos Núñez & Hannah Rarity at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in February.

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Finally, congratulations to Clarsach player, Maya M (S4), who won the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Junior Conservatoire Traditional Music Competition in early March.

The Pipe Band (pictured above), led by Pipe Major, Rory S (S5), won the Junior B section at the Scottish Schools’ Pipe Band Championships in March. Congratulations to our outstanding pipers and drummers - Erin A, Freya B, Mustafa F, Zayd K, Andrew K, Rory S, Sasha W (all S5), Tom A, Matthew M, Cammy W (all S4), Evelyn C, Finlay H, Robbie L, Oscar W (all S3), Jamie B, Calum B, Suleman F, Cairn M, Lewis M (all S2) and Myles M (S1).

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Superstan!

J6 Musical Production - Wednesday 6th & Thursday 7th March ‘24 Junior 6 performers wowed crowds over two nights in March, performing their superhero epic, ‘Superstan’!

Our young thespians told the story of Megaville’s Stanley Marvel, his shocking superhero secret and his attempts to stop super-villian, The Candy King, from conquering the world!

What an unforgettable way for Junior 6 pupils to head into their final term at Ledcameroch Road!

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Junior 5 Residential Trip to York Junior School pupils hit the road in March, taking part in the much-anticipated annual J5 residential trip to York.

Over the course of four memorable days, J5 pupils expanded their understanding of their ‘Vikings’ class topic by visiting the sites of York, including a fascinating dig at the Archaeological Centre and memorable trips to the iconic York Minster and Jorvik Viking Centre.

As ever, Junior 5 pupils relished the opportunity to become a Viking for the day, even having the chance to fight off an invasion of their village by the Saxons!

Pupils indulged their sweet tooth during a guided tour at York’s Chocolate Story before bringing an unforgettable few days in York to an end with a fun-filled disco.

What a magical time!

Boardroom Bairns!

Junior Six have been working in teams throughout the Spring Term in order to present their ideas to a panel of judges including the Rector and Caitlyn Payne a member of the School’s Parent Association.

Their well-researched pitches focused on the redesign of one of our Junior School playground areas, with pupils working to convince judges that their proposal should be the one to take forward.

After some tough deliberations, the winning design was chosen. Congratulations to C.A.L.M. - Adam A, Logan D, Camilla F and Maryam R whose multi-purpose sports court concept was chosen for the feasibility and effectiveness of their idea, as well as the confident and impressive manner in which it was communicated.

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HSOG 900 Sports Homecoming As part of ongoing celebrations to mark our 900th anniversary, many members of the School community took part in a super Saturday of touch rugby and 5-a-side hockey at Old Anniesland on Saturday 23rd March.

Parents, members of staff, former pupils and current pupils all gathered on the Senior School playing fields for a fun day that celebrated the rich sporting history of the School. With parents coming up against their children, and former pupils having it out with their former teachers, it certainly made for an interesting day of sporting action!

Click here to read more about a tremendous day of sporting action amongst our community.

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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 badminton, cross country, hockey and rugby, amongst others.

Cross Country Champs!

Senior School pupils competed brilliantly at the Scottish Schools’ Cross Country Championships, taking place at Hopetoun House in early March.

Fourth Year athlete James A ran well, finishing the day with a gold medal in the U17 Boys’ Individual Competition.

In overall team events, there was further medal success for HSOG athletes. Congratulations to the O17 Girls’ Team - Georgia R (Captain), Lara N, Grace N (all S6), Libby M & Orla P (both S5) - and the U17 Boys’ Team James C (S5) (Captain), James A (S4), Finlay G, Colin N, Michael S & Adam W (all S3) - who won team silver.

In addition to winning Scottish Schools’ gold, James A (pictured, left) has enjoyed another successful year in wider cross country events.

Just days after his victory at Hopetoun House, James ran for Scotland West in the combined British Inter Counties Cross Country and British Cross Challenge Final. Not only did he win the U17 Men’s title for both events, he even took home another gold medal for being part of the winning Inter Counties Team an excellent effort in a UK-wide competition!

This feat has seen James rise from sixth in the British Cross Challenge standings to finishing the season in third place overall in the UK for 2023-24.

Congratulations James!

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Props to our Rugby Stars!

Harry P, Captain of the School 1st XV Rugby Team, has recently enjoyed time in the national age grade setup.

He was selected for the U18 Scotland squad to train throughout February and March before being selected to represent Scotland at the U18 Six Nations Festival in Parma, Italy. On top of this, Harry scored tries in each leg and kicked 5 out of 8 conversions in the deciding match as Glasgow Warriors U18s won the 1872 Cup against Edinburgh Rugby earlier this year. Meanwhile, his younger brother Ben (S4) has also been representing Glasgow this term, appearing in three regional matches and scoring a memorable try in the process!

Many congratulations should also go to 1st XV Flyhalf / Inside Centre, Chris C (S6), who will join the Royals at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina this autumn to compete in Rugby East, one of the toughest college competitions in the US.

Success on the Slopes!

Junior School pupils took to the slopes of Bearsden Ski Club in late February to compete in the annual Junior School Ski Gala.

Whilst everybody competed impressively, it was Junior 6 skiers, Iris S and Harry G, who came out on top in the girls’ and boys’ competitions.

Adam W and Samuel B (both J4) finished in second and third position in the boys’ event, whilst Ellie G (J4) and Heather Y (J6) finished second and third in the girls’ competition.

Congratulations to the overall winning ship, Longhope!

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The 2nd XI Hockey Team (pictured, left) came through a tough afternoon in February with two sets of back to back fixtures, digging deep to go undefeated, without conceding a single goal all afternoon.

This saw them lift the 2nd XI West District trophy, retaining the title for a third year in a row!

Congratulations to Captain, Kate M (S6), and the rest of the 2nd XI team - Alanna H (Vice Captain), Anya C, Sarah H, Mhairi S (all S6), Alex C, Marissa M, Erin M (all S5), Emily B, Ellie B, Jenni B, Nicola D, Yasmin L and Anna M (all S4).

The 1st XI Girls’ Hockey side (pictured, right) finished their 23-24 hockey campaign as runners up in the BP Cup Final. Despite an incredible effort, they narrowly lost out to The Glasgow Academy in an enthralling final.

The 3rd Year Girls’ Team (below, right) were also runners up in the Scottish Hockey Junior Girls’ Plate Final at Glasgow National Hockey Centre, losing out to a last minute goal from opponents, Dollar Academy. They also finished as runners up at the West District Junior Tournament a few days later.

Elsewhere on the hockey pitches, the 3rd XI retained the Hutchesons’ Grammar School trophy in February and the Transitus Girls’ side were runners up in both The Glasgow Academy and Dollar Academy Tournaments. At the Hutchesons’ 5s event, the Boys’ Team won silver medals, while the Girls’ B Team won bronze medals.

On the national front, congratulations go to Fifth Year pupil, Orla P, who was selected to represent the Scotland Emerging Girls’ Hockey Team as they travel to Hradec Králové, Czech Republic during the Easter break. Orla and the team will come up against the hosts, as well as taking on their counterparts from Germany and the Netherlands.

Sporting Round-Up High School swimmers were amongst the medals at February’s Scottish Schools’ Championships in East Kilbride. Rhys F (Transitus) won gold in the 12 and under 50m Backstroke event, while Grace N (S6) won silver in the 17-19 years 100m Freestyle.

beginning of March - impressively, the boys made up half of the entire West of Scotland Boys’ U18 Team!

Congratulations to Eleanor C, Callum P (both S6), Findlay P (S5), Tristan M (S4) and Lucas N (S3).

Earlier in the month, swimmers from Junior 5, Junior 6 and Transitus gained a total of 28 individual and 6 team medals at the Glasgow Primary Schools Championships, including a total of 9 individual and 4 team gold medals. The J5, J6 and Transitus Boys’ and Girls’ Teams were also victorious in the Quadrangular Primary Gala in January. An impressive term in the pool for our young swimmers!

The S3 Rugby Sevens Team won the Hutchesons’ Grammar School Tournament at the end of February, defeating the hosts and Marr College in a round robin finals stage to take home the trophy. They were also runners up at our own HSOG Sevens Competition, losing out in the final to Strathallan School.

Five senior tennis players represented West of Scotland County Teams in the LTA 18U County Cup at the

Junior 5 - Senior 2 pupils competed in tough weather conditions at the Hamilton College Invitational Cross Country Competition at Hamilton Racecourse on the last

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In the Independent Schools’ U18 Plate Competition, the Senior Boys’ Football Team achieved an impressive quarter final victory over Hutchesons’ Grammar School courtesy of a spectacular free-kick winner from Harris M (S4). They reached the semi-final before losing out to the team from Strathallan School. Great effort, boys!

Han-Lin W (J6) (pictured, above) was crowned Glasgow Primary Schools Badminton champion in February, while Anshita J (S4) won the U17 Girls’ Singles title at the SBBU Open Championships.

The Senior Golf Team defeated Dollar Academy ‘B’ in a three man full handicap combined Stableford contest on the Arndean Course at Muckhart Golf Club, reaching the Area Final. Congratulations to Chris C (Captain), Harry P (both S6), Harris M & Ben P (both S4).

day of January, winning 7 individual and 6 team medals. Well done to the Transitus and J5 Girls’ Teams who achieved victory for their year groups.

In Basketball, our inaugural senior girls’ team had a great run in the Scottish Cup, finally losing out at the semi-final stage.

Finally, the Junior School Netball Club (pictured, right) enjoyed their first Netball Festival at Hamilton College in mid-March.

The J5 and J6 girls displayed the skills they have learned throughout the term - it was a tough competition but a fun afternoon was had by all!

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900 Gala Homecoming Dinner Celebrations to mark 900 years of the School began with a spectacular Gala Homecoming Dinner at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum on Saturday 20th January. 450 guests helped us start the festivities, raising upwards of £45,000 on the night for the School’s 900 Campaign.

Click here to read more about an unforgettable and incredibly successful night!

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900th Anniversary Celebrations With our 900 Campaign now well underway, we are incredibly grateful for the support we have already received from members of our global community.

As we mark our milestone 900th anniversary, our ambitious fundraising efforts are focused on three primary goals: to grow our Bursary Fund, to ensure our campuses offer a sustainable place of learning and to continue developing START, an innovative entrepreneurship and design-thinking initiative.

Together, we intend to keep the High School beacon burning brightly for all those who follow after and would welcome members of our community to join us in achieving this vision!

Find out more about our 900 Campaign, and how you can lend your support by visiting our HSOG Community website here - 900 Campaign - HSOG Community.

Reunions We love welcoming our former pupils back to the School for reunions, and with some landmark class year anniversaries this year, our diary is already filling up!

Class of 1984 40 Year Reunion

Class of 1994 30 Year Reunion

Class of 2012 12 Year Reunion

Saturday 8th June 2024 The Pavilion, Old Anniesland Starts from 7pm

Saturday 15th June 2024 The Pavilion, Old Anniesland Starts from 7pm

Saturday 5th October 2024 Details TBC

The evening will include a buffet and 1980’s ‘Old Skool Disco’!

There will also be a cash bar available throughout the night.

Tickets will include a buffet and some 90s classic hits! A cash bar will also be available throughout the night.

Ticket prices are unlikely to exceed £50pp and will be on sale soon.

Ticket sales will be on sale shortly and anticipated costs are a maximum of £50pp.

Pay your £10 deposit here -

Pay your £10 deposit here -

www.trybooking.com/uk/DDNR

www.trybooking.com/uk/DFEC

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Tickets will be on sale soon, so please keep an eye on our website for further details.

If you’re thinking of arranging your own class year reunion, please email community@hsog.co.uk to see how we can help.

We would be delighted to hear from you!

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FP Sporting News While our current pupils continue to achieve impressive feats in various sporting pursuits, former pupils and members of the wider School community have also been making their mark over the past few months!

While the Calcutta Cup rugby match between Scotland and England will have brought joy to many a member of the High School community, this was especially so of former Rector and former Scottish rugby player, Mr Colin Mair (pictured, right). On the eve of the game in February, he was awarded his Scotland cap for the match he played against Japan, nearly 50 years ago, in 1977!

Click here to read more Elsewhere, there has been sporting success for recent High School Leavers - congratulations to Ibrahim Faisal (Class of 2023) who represented Scotland at the U19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa in January, to Zara Kennedy (Class of 2022) who was selected for the Scotland Women’s Hockey Team for their three-match test series in Spain in February, and to Jessica Mitchell (Class of 2022), former Moore House Captain, who represented the Scotland Aspiring Hockey Team in matches against Canada and who will participate for the team at the 4 Nations Tournament in Germany over the Easter weekend.

Glasgow High School London Club Reunion

HSOG Lifelong Connections

On Friday 15th March, a group of former pupils reunited at The Caledonian Club in the heart of Belgravia for the annual London Club Reunion.

The High School of Glasgow is fortunate to have a wealth of knowledge and experience in many different professional fields and industries across our global school community.

Having celebrated the Centenary of The London Club last year, we were pleased to continue our celebrations this year as we mark our School’s 900th anniversary.

We believe in making lifelong connections, a task which can be daunting to school leavers and young alumni as they seek to enter an increasingly competitive job market, and tricky for those who left school years ago and have since lost touch with peers. With that in mind, we have created HSOG Lifelong Connections, a private online LinkedIn group.

During our anniversary year, Christine Ansell (Class of 1983) and Ian Welsh (Class of 1991) have kindly agreed to take on the role as CoPresidents of the London Club, following former President Tom Kerr’s (Class of 2006) successful tenure.

All in attendance had a wonderful evening and enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with friends old and new.

If you’d like to be kept up-to-date with the latest London Club events, please reach out to the External Relations Team at community@hsog.co.uk.

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This platform will be used as a networking and mentorship tool for the benefit of all members of our High School community. It will also be a place to reconnect and reminisce with other members of the School’s global network.

If you would like to make the most of networking, connecting and learning opportunities, either as someone seeking some support or guidance, or as someone who would like to offer their industry expertise and advice, then please request to join HSOG Lifelong Connections today by clicking here.

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START Pitch & Vision Evening START, a new interdisciplinary learning programme that replicates the experience of a startup incubator, reached its culmination in our Pitch & Vision Evening at SWG3 on Monday 11 March 2024, with five teams of S6 pupils delivering their ideas to an audience of parents and experts of the business world.

Click here to read all about this exciting entrepreneurial evening!

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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 £6,000 for life-changing charities and incredibly worthy causes.

House Fundraising Weeks Law and Clyde Houses helped raise over £5,000 for wonderful charities during the Spring Term.

Law House hosted the first fundraising week of 2024, as they put on a week of fun activities in February, including Mr Campbell attempting his sternest Anne Robinson impression as host of Law House’s version of ‘The Weakest Link’, raising more than £2,220 for Auditory Verbal.

Click here to read more about their week.

Clyde House brought Senior School fundraising to a memorable end for session 2023-24, with their Easter-themed week that helped to raise £3,056 for cancer care charity, Maggie’s Centres.

From a Clyde Carnival and Rap Battle House Show, to Easter egg hunts and the ever popular Cake & Candy stall, there really was something for everyone during this popular week, raising money for such a worthy cause.

Junior School pupils did ‘something funny for money’ in March as a combination of in-school efforts and a fundraising at the Out of School Care Club helped to raise more than £1,000 for BBC Comic Relief.

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

Junior 5 pupils visited the Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Glasgow, helping to add colour to their RME topic on Sikhism.

The children were invited by Junior School parent, Mrs Gursinder Khaira Bhandal, to learn about Sikhism during a memorable tour of the Gurdwara, and enjoy ‘Langar’, a communal meal shared by all visitors, provided for by members of the Gurdwara and prepared by members of the community.

Pupils at both the Junior and Senior School leaned into their love of reading on Thursday 7th March, picking up a book to celebrate World Book Day! Junior 1 pupils (pictured, right) enjoyed an unforgettable visit from author, Coo Clayton, reading her lovely picture book, ‘Maggie’s Monsters’. Thanks for coming!

The team of Alasdair B-W, Andrew M (both S4), Dhruv V (S2), Artem B, Adam K and Sahib S (all S1) took home the Trophy for Teamwork, as voted for

by General Electric, at the First Lego League Heat in February.

The Senior School’s Chinese New Year celebrations were featured on China’s CCTV-4 TV channel on a programme called ‘Legendary Chinese Festivals - Spring Festival’. The short clip followed our pupils writing Spring Couplets, making tasty Chinese dumplings and trying on traditional Chinese costumes - you can watch the clip by clicking here.

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Kate Stalin, current parent and Senior University Clinician at the University of Glasgow’s School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, spoke with Senior School pupils in March about her career as a vet.

The Junior School took part in Empathy Week at the end of February. This year’s theme, ´Home´, saw pupils hear stories exploring pertinent issues such as the refugee crisis and homelessness, as well as discussing themes of compassion, kindness and the power of empathy.

The Third Year Mandarin Class visited Chinatown in January to test their language skills and sample some of the traditional delicacies on offer in Chinatown’s restaurant and bakery. Yum!

The Junior School’s Kindness Club spread joy amongst the local community in Bearsden by giving out specially designed packets of sunflower seeds to our neighbours in early March. They loved seeing the sunflowers bloom in the Spring sunshine!

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Junior 2 pupils enjoyed a memorable day in March during the annual Bicycle Rodeo!

They expertly displayed their cycling ability and have been working hard to develop and consolidate fundamental cycling skills including agility, balance and coordination. Well done to our budding bikers!

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Three brothers won prizes at the Trades House of Glasgow Robert Burns Festival Competition in January. Eric M (S1) achieved first place in the S1-S6 Instrumental Section, Sandy M (J4) was first in the P4-P5 Instrumental Section and Basil M (Transitus) achieved second place in the P6-P7 group. Alongside this success, Ruby W (Transitus) was also placed first in the P6-P7 Instrumental Section. All four went on to perform in a prizegiving concert at Trades Hall the following month.

Books & Biscuits Club allows our Senior pupils to connect in the Library over their love of reading (and sweet treats!)

Our pupils loved getting their hands on the Empathy Lab UK #ReadForEmpathy 2024 collection in February!

Our youngest Senior School pupils enjoyed a memorable night in February at the Transitus Valentine’s Dance.

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Senior School pupils headed to Europe on a number of trips in February.

The Geography Department travelled north to Iceland to take in the natural beauty of ‘The Land of Fire and Ice’, while the History Department went east to Berlin, exploring poignant historical sights in and around the German capital. The Modern Languages trip to Madrid sought out the sunshine with pupils practising their language skills alongside a spot of virtual bullfighting in Madrid’s historic Las Ventas Bullring. Truly a trio of unforgettable excursions for our Senior School pupils.

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Former Chair of the Board of Governors, Mr Brian Adair, visited the Junior School in March in order to meet the Transitus pupils whose winning design was used to transform the Junior 6 ‘open area’ at Ledcameroch Road into a Collaborative Working Zone, in memory of Mrs Elaine Adair. Having moved on to the Senior School by the time of the grand opening, Team H.I.D.E. - Hailey G, David H, Ethan L and Ivara L - relished meeting with Mr Adair to discuss the space with him and explain the reasons behind their innovative design for the new space!

The final of the Young Speakers Scotland Competition in March saw Rebekah dG & Tanisha T (both S3) brilliantly represent the School with highly impressive speeches. Congratulations to Tanisha who was chosen as the overall winner of the competition!

Health and Wellbeing Week in February saw Junior and Senior School pupils take time to focus on their physical and mental wellbeing, including our younger pupils taking in the great outdoors and senior pupils loving the annual visit from Therapets!

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