Lasswade High School Spring Newsletter March 2017
Welcome from Mr Hornell, Head Teacher
Can you spot Mr Hornell in this photo from Red Nose Day?
Midlothian Business Breakfast Lasswade High School hosted Midlothian’s inaugural Business Breakfast on the morning of February the 13th. This event brought together Midlothian’s Education professionals and local employers with a view to establishing more effective partnerships in order to enhance future career prospects and prepare young people for the world of work. The Business Breakfast formed part of the authority's commitment to the Scotland wide education priority ‘Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce’ which is working to reduce youth unemployment by 40% by 2021. Our Head Girl, Sarah Judge and Head Boy, Thomas Rietvelt, proved excellent comperes for the morning, taking the opportunity to share their experiences of entering employment for the first time. Other senior students, giving up a day of their February holiday, also contributed to the activities. A key priority of the event was to provide a platform to facilitate discussion between schools and employers. A number of exciting opportunities were identified where employers and schools plan to work together to enhance learning experiences of young people across Midlothian and ensure that our learners leave school with the skills required by employers.
This March a group of enthusiastic and determined S1 students worked with a team from the BBC to develop their digital media literacy. The students learned about and developed skills in video production, scriptwriting, animation, interviewing and editing. They were creating video and written reports on topical issues for this year’s BBC News School Report Day. The video reports are on the themes of ‘Health Eating’ and ‘Body Shaming’. Our Lasswade correspondents: Zoe Adams Carmela Allan Beata Andriekute Duncan Brodie Rosie Brown Heather Crabbe Grace Harris
Elliot Jones Natalie Jones Euan Maguire Jamie Napier Eilidh Mitchell Erin Wilson
Above: S1 reporter Grace Harris, interviewing James Kelly, a Midlothian Family Counsellor for the report ‘Dealing with Body Shaming’.
You can watch both of our BBC Schools Report videos on the school website http://lasswadehsc.mgfl.net/2017/02/20/bbcnews-school-report/
As well as contributing to the videos Elliot James and Jamie Napier also produced this written report on house building in Midlothian. Their report was also included in the Midlothian Advertiser this week.
Growing concern amongst local residents about the town that won’t stop growing 5 years of heavy construction traffic, noise and chaos. That is what the residents of Baird’s Way and Gladstone’s Gate fear is their future.
green spaces is a development too far. Around 500 children live in the estate behind the HS10 site and the issue of construction traffic going through the 30 years ago, Bonnyrigg streets has been weighing was a small mining town built down heavily on the mind of up mainly of local council hous- many parents. This traffic is ing. Then there came a large due to last for about 5 years. period of private housing develThe subject of children opment. This has resulted in does not end there, as there is local areas like Hawthornden, also the fact that many of the Polton and Cockpen being local primary schools are at swallowed up by the quickly bursting point. The local docgrowing Bonnyrigg. tor’s surgery and health centre This has allowed are both also struggling to faciliBonnyrigg to grow into a well tate all of the local people. thought of town with good So, this raises the quesschools, good health centres tion of whether there should be and good supermarkets now any new schools or health cenwith a population of 15,000, tres built to accommodate the enough to fill most premier new residents. league stadiums. Local resident Steve Sprat None of this had caused has been one of the main peoany real concern until recently ple opposing the development when it was announced that and campaigning against it, the Walker Homes would be build- name of his campaign group is ing a new development on the Walker Homes Action opposing HS10 site behind the Bonnyrigg Hs10 Development. health centre. There is now “It’s going to get worse concern that this development before it gets better” those are on one of the last remaining the words said by local coun-
sellor Marnie Crawford when interviewed about HS10 development. Marnie had been kind enough to share more details on the subject such as saying that “the majority of council are unanimous that the houses should be held off being built or not be built at all” it is most likely that a bridge will be built to help traffic because the roads planned to contain the traffic are too small and weren’t meant to hold so many cars. It was said that some of the money would go to schools to extend them for the upcoming population growth that will sweep the town off its feet. In conclusion, the house development will cause many problems for the town people living nearby but it will open up many opportunities for the town to expand and grow to a sizable extent but are the people willing to give up one of their last areas of green space that many people enjoy to replace it with a brand-new chapter in the history of Bonnyrigg?
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to John Smith, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Dance Show
The annual dance show took place on Thursday 9th March showcasing some of the amazing exam pieces and student choreographies from the last eight months. The audience were treated to styles from hip-hop to highland, contemporary to jazz and musical theatre to commercial. The show opened with a crowd-pleasing performance from the after school dance group and built from there. Some of the school’s Higher Dance students took the opportunity to stage their own choreography pieces which will be used in their exams with themes such as dementia, 9/11, homelessness and tsunamis on display and there were some wonderful solos from senior students including those S6 leaving us this year. In a poignant moment at the end of the night two of these students, Bryony Walker and Amy Wright, were recognised for Excellence and Outstanding Achievement in Dance respectively. Before the night was over we were also treated to a special guest performance from Lindsey Young, last year’s award winner who has gone on to study Dance at Edinburgh College. Five more Lasswade students have auditioned for the college course this year and all have been accepted so it was a fitting end to another excellent night on the High School stage.
DREAM Sculpture Project
Article by Leia Ainscough
The new DREAM bench sculpture outside the Lasswade Centre has been a long time coming, with a lot of planning and hard work. At the start of the 2015-16 session, a small group of students who are passionate about art were brought together to begin planning an exciting new project for the school. The project was to be a piece of art of any kind that represents Lasswade's qualities and values. We would be working with professional sculptor, Susheila Jamieson. A brainstorming session brought many ideas to the table such as metal divider with cutouts, a bench, totem poles and many more. It was decided as a group that having a sculpture and a bench combined for functionality was a great idea, and the project was set underway. We began by thinking about what the DREAM (Determination, Respect, Effort, Ambition, Motivation) qualities really mean to students. We then began to think of shapes and images to represent such words, and the feathers, stripes and spots were extracted from this and carefully fitted together to make the pattern you see on the sculpture today. It was decided that wood would be the best material to work with as there could be student involvement in the construction. Students from all years of the school were chosen to help chisel out the beginnings of the poles. The chiseling took many hours from dozens of students. Eventually, everyone decided they were happy with the engraving and the totem poles were sent away to be coloured. Blue and yellow were the colours chosen as they are still earthy colours but would still stand out against its surroundings. The totem poles and bench were complete, and where it would be placed had to be considered, the front of the school was the hope. Senior students wrote a letter to MSPs and councillors in the area asking for their support for planning permission. Now, over a year later, the bench has been placed beautifully at the front of the school - as not just an emblem for the school's values and hard work but as a symbol for the community to enjoy and appreciate alongside Lasswade staff and students.
New York, New York During the February break a group of 20 S5/6 students and staff hit the Big Apple to experience the culture and atmosphere of New York. After a long flight it was a quick bus ride to the hotel, unpack and then exploration around the famous streets of New York. We toured the area surrounding the hotel taking in the Flat Iron Building, the Maths Museum and Macy’s. After a short stop walk to find delicious cakes at Cake Boss we watch the skaters at Rockafella Plaza and then walk back to the hotel via Times Square. On Wednesday it was an early start and then the first experience for many of the group on the New York City subway. We headed to Grand Central Station and then walked to the United Nations for a tour. We toured all areas of the UN , finding out about what happens in the building and the work they do. Then it was back up to Grand Central to get the subway down to catch the Staten Island Ferry. We braved the cold and the wind for the magnificent view of Lady Liberty as we heading past her on our way Staten Island.
Then it was back on the subway to visit the New York Fire Museum where we had a great time with our guide Wally – a retired Firemaster from Brooklyn. He shared his experiences from his early days right to the present including his experiences of 9-11. A great time was had by all at the Fire Museum. Next we headed back to Grand Central Station to eat in the massive underground dinning hall and discover the Whispering Gallery and the movie spots in the station. Last stop of the day was an evening visit to the Empire State Building to be dazzled by the views of Manhattan. Thursday saw another early rise and back on the subway to Brooklyn. We walked the Brooklyn Bridge back over to Manhattan – this year the sun came out to join us on our walk over the bridge. Next stop was down to Battery Park for the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty. After a tour of Lady Liberty it was back o the ferry to visit Ellis Island – the first stop for many hoping for new life in America in the early days. After lunch and the tour of Ellis Island it was back on the ferry to Manhattan. The evening was spent at Hard Rock Cafe and investigating the delights of Times Square. Then it was back to the hotel ready for Friday’s adventures.
Friday started in downtown where we visited Wall Street and the famous Downtown Bull. Then it was back on the subway to explore 5th Avenue – hitting some of the famous stores such as Tiffany’s and Bloomingdale’s. To round off our 5th Avenue adventure we took the Aerial Tram to Roosevelt Island – enjoying the great experience travelling in the air across the East River. After lunch it was time to hit Central Park. With maps in hand we followed the trail set by staff – taking pictures at the various check points and then ending up at Strawberry Fields. Everyone managed to make it back to the end point. Then it was back on the subway up to Harlem and a visit to Grant’s Tomb. Then the short walk to Columbia University for a tour and then in the evening watching basketball games – Columbia v Harvard. The Lasswade students provided a fan tunnel for the start of the game. It was an amazing evening of basketball & pizza. After the game it was a back on the subway to the hotel to pack ready for journey home the next evening. Saturday was our last day in the Big Apple. We started the day with our usual trip on the subway, this time we were heading downtown to the 9-11 Memorial Gardens & Museum. After a few hours in the museum and reflecting in the gardens it was time to head back uptown to the hotel. Last minute packing sorted it was then time to get on the coach to the airport for the evening flight home. A great time was had by all in the Big Apple.
Look out for the advert in the Bulletin for New York 2018.
Journey to Change 2017 Article written by the S6 committee Lasswade High School South Africa Committee recently hosted seven young people from Umlazi township in Durban. This is the third year S6 students from Lasswade have hosted young people from South Africa. The project was initiated three years ago by the first Lasswade High School South Africa Committee who named the project ‘Journey to Change’. The aim of the project is to enable young people with very different backgrounds to share their experiences and work together to create positive change in their communities. The Committee have spent the last six months fundraising and preparing for the trip. Our guests were Lindelwa, Nokulunga, Minenhle, Nsika, Thulani, Sphelele, Nhlakanipho and their inspirational teacher, Sihle. Our first day was spent in Edinburgh City Centre, with a guided tour and a very windy walk up Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill. After a brisk walk on Portobello Beach we visited the Scottish Parliament where we were treated to a fantastic rendition of the South African National Anthem in the Debating Chamber by our guests. This was a once in a lifetime performance and one that will live with all who were there forever.
After this we heading to Lasswade for the first time and our guests were given a warm and enthusiastic welcome by the rest of the South Africa Committee. On our first tour of the school it became clear that our school was very different to theirs, with many, many more resources. We ended our first day with a mammoth game of dodge ball in which Nsika managed to pull off a miraculous double catch to give his team victory!
“It has taught me that long lasting friendships can be formed in a short space of time when the philosophy of Ubuntu is applied. Ubuntu is a South African philosophy that speaks of the essence of humanity and how doing good things spread wider amongst others.” “It has taught me not to be scared of challenges and always give 100%. It also taught me not to take things in life for granted because our visitors were less fortunate than us but they always had a smile on their faces.”
On the Wednesday evening we organised a joint performance to raise funds for a drama and music project in Umlazi. To start the event Bethany and Lindelwa welcomed the community and the Scottish choir opened with an emotional song before the South African group sang a song written by them especially for the performance. We enjoyed a variety of songs ranging from a beautiful aria to a deeply moving duet of “You raise me up”. We were also treated to drama and dance from both Scotland and South Africa. The pride and love of our visitors to their country was clear and was a great way for the audience to learn more about South Africa and its traditions. One of many special moments was when Sphelele performed a stunning solo dance. The whole assembly hall cheered him on.
“What we do in a short period of time can have a long-lasting effect that reaches out to others.”
Members of the South Africa Committee and our visitors then expressed what the experience meant to them. The night ended with everyone on their feet dancing with our African visitors. This concert certainly helped bring us together and also raised over £500 to help provide opportunities for young people in Umlazi. What a success! During the week our guests joined their hosts and friends in a day of classes at Lasswade. They felt really welcome in classes and said how different it was to classes at home, where there are often over 50 students in a class with very little resources. The group spoke of how lucky Scottish students are to have the resources that they do and how they should value their education. A note from Ms Simpson An important part of the project is that the young people involved discover that although they have very different experiences and opportunities, they enjoy many of the same things. In recognition of the fact that the young people from Umlazi have considerably less resources and opportunities, this year’s committee organised the evening show which was a brilliant success. All the proceeds raised at this event are funding an Arts and Leadership Programme in Umlazi which aims to bring young people from Umlazi together to share their music, drama and dance. Furthermore, our guests this year have become Journey to Change Ambassadors and will now play a key role in their communities in driving forward social change and supporting young people in their community. The success of the project depends on the support of students, parents, teachers, the parent council and the wider community who work together to ensure the project is a success. We would like to extend a special thank you to our parent hosts who made our visitors feel so welcome and cared for.
“I have learned about the impact we have when we work together. Having the South African visitors has had a huge impact on our school and hopefully has given them something to share with their own school and communities in Umlazi.” “It has made me more grateful for my education and I have learned not to take what I have for granted. Also, it has allowed me to form friendships that would never have been possible without Journey to Change.”
‘Should we give aid?’ Students in S3 Geography have been working on a ‘Worlds Apart’ topic which compares and contrasts levels of development between developed and developing countries. Students end of topic assessment was a report entitled ‘Should we give aid?’. We have included two outstanding pieces of work.
Should We Give Aid? Lauren McDermid Introduction Today, the world is becoming even more connected. Trade has increased and the movement of people between countries is greater than ever. However, lots of people still live in poverty, the majority of the time this is in developing countries such as Malawi, Indonesia and Zimbabwe. The margin between rich and poor is increasing dramatically, especially in the past few years. In this report I will explain what aid is, the different types of aid, arguments of why we should give aid, then move on to the reasons why aid is bad and should be stopped. Finally, I will go over the main points I covered and my opinion of aid. What is aid? Aid may be given by individuals, private organizations, or governments. The types of transfers considered "aid" differ from country to country. The most widely used measure of aid is "Official Development Assistance" (ODA). This is a term used by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to measure aid. The DAC first used the term in 1969. It is widely used as an indicator of international aid flow. It includes some loans. There are many different types of aid:
Short-term: this is given during times of extreme need like when there has been a natural disaster like an earthquake or tsunami. Long-term: this is given to a country to help the country develop - this could involve money for schools, hospitals and roads. This is normally given through international organisations like the World Bank rather than a specific country. Conditional or tied aid: when one country donates money or resources to another, but with conditions attached. These conditions will often be in the MEDC's favour. An example of this is the controversial Pergau Dam project in Malaysia, where Britain took advantage of tied aid to secure trade deals with Malaysia. Charitable aid: funded by donations from the public through organisations such as Oxfam.
Arguments for aid The arguments for giving aid are usually split into three main factors; social, economical and political. Social Factors: Countries may give aid to reduce the suffering experienced by those in the receiving country. They may want to improve the living standard of the people in the developing country by, for example, increasing the literacy rate or by improving healthcare. Economical Factors: Countries may give aid in order to benefit financially as a result of the aid being repaid as a loan. The donor country may get a better price for the produce it imports from the recipient country, for example better terms of trade regarding coffee or tea. Political Factors: A donor country will look closely at the political system of the developing country before deciding whether or not to give aid. An example of this is that the country looking to give aid may decide not to send anything to a country which is not a democracy. The donor country may want to become allies with the developing country. This may be useful in future conflicts or a war. Giving aid to a developing country may give the donor country status within the international community.
Example An example of when aid has helped developing countries was when several large organisations such as Oxfam, UNICEF and The United Nations donated supplies and funded other projects in the country like schools and improved education in Mali and Niger, two of Africa’s most deprived countries. There had recently been severe droughts and this led to an increased number of people suffering from hunger and thirst. There was also a decreasing life expectancy and an increase in infant mortality. The UK government alone donated £3 million to help develop the countries. Some of the aid given included: tablets that purify water, food for 600,000 people for a month, 170,000 meals for extremely malnourished children and 300 groups for women to promote their rights and improvement in education for all women. Overall, the aid the countries received was a success. The infant mortality rate sufficiently decreased, more women were given a proper education, there is less famine, and life expectancy also increased.
Arguments against aid Although the majority of people agree that aid is a good thing, there are others that see it as a problem and should be stopped. Arguments against foreign aid include: The dependent relationship created between the receiving country and donor. This can lead to the country receiving aid becoming less independent therefore developing at an even slower rate. Another downside is the difficulty in ensuring that the aid is given to those most in need. This is especially true when the aid is given directly to the government as they could use it towards improving the military or big organizations. A country may also feel forced to accept aid in the form of a loan, rather than an immediate solution to a critical problem, even though the loan will be very difficult to repay. Example Although aid may seem like it’s helping developing countries, in some cases it is actually stopping the country from growing. Zambia is a very good example of this. As shown in this graph, the more aid that developed countries and charities give, the less the country is able grow on their own, and therefore they are becoming less independent.
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Conclusion In conclusion, I have covered what aid is, some examples of it, and arguments for and against aid; with a case study for both. I believe that aid is a good idea but could be improved. I think that all money given to the government in developing countries should be stopped as it is too easy for them to abuse it and use the money to fund war related projects or give it to the citizens who don’t need it. A prime example of this is when Paul Bremer was given money to help re-build Iraq after the recent war, but instead was given away to American firms, thus leaving Iraq with even less than before. As an alternative, you should give any money you would give directly to the country, to a charity as this will ensure it goes to help those who really need it.
Should We Give Aid? Jamie McKinney Introduction Giving aid to poorer countries is a complex and controversial topic. In this report I will discuss the different types of aid, different types of aid agencies and will provide examples of aid that is effective. I will then offer some arguments for and against aid and will conclude by suggesting that rich countries such as the UK and the USA could be more generous in the aid they provide. Types of aid There are two different types of aid. The first is short-term aid. This aid helps to solve immediate problems such as natural disasters and war. It brings help quickly to the people affected. For example these may be people who have lost their homes and farmland. Short-term aid can include giving food, medical supplies, tents, clothes, money and blankets. Short-term aid saves lives and provides emergency relief to people in peril but it doesn't solve long term problems. The second type of aid is long-term aid. The purpose of this is to improve the overall quality of life and improve the level of development the country has. This can include building hospitals and houses, educating people, providing contraception and education around sexual health. This type of aid provides individuals and communities with the skills to improve their own situations. Local, National, International aid There are many different kinds of aid agencies. Some of these are international, some are smaller charities based in richer countries such as Britain and some are small organisations based communities in developing countries. NGOs (non governmental organisations) such as Oxfam International and UNICEF are international charities. Many governments have their own organisations for giving aid. Department for International Development is the United Kingdom’s organisation for giving international aid. Arguments for and against aid There are many reasons we should give aid to poorer countries. Short-term aid after natural disasters can save thousands of lives. Aid for agriculture can help increase the production of food and improve the quality and quantity of food available. Aid can support countriesretrieve their natural resources and develop industry. Industry creates skilled jobs and helps build the economy of the developing country. The evidence suggests that international and national charities are most effective when they work in partnership with local organisations. This is because local organisations understand the culture in that community and they know how to influence people.
Following the Haiti earthquake for example, Christian Aid’s partner organization Aprosifa paid existing groups of cooks to set up small community kitchens, providing food in a way which was locally acceptable and supported small business.’ (Carnwath 2013, New Internationalist Blog). There also some arguments against giving aid in some situations. Sometimes aid isn’t always a gift but a loan and poorer countries might struggle to repay. ‘Aid can increase the dependency of LEDCs on donor countries.’ (BBC bitesize, 2014) Sometimes simply giving tools to local communities may not be effective because people don’t have the skills to operate them, or the ability or money to maintain the equipment. In some cases, where there is corruption in government, aid is stolen or wasted and does not reach the people who need it most. Many people in this country also think that we should solve our own problems first instead of giving aid overseas. For example, they argue that we should improve healthcare, schools and deal with the homeless and unemployed before spending millions of pounds on other countries. Conclusion I believe that we should give aid to poorer countries. We are one of the richest countries in the world so we should spend some of our excess money on the countries that really need it. In terms of the overall amount of money given overseas the US gives most ($31.08 billion) and Britain second ($18.70 billion). However in terms of the amount of aid we give as a percentage of our national income, Britain is sixth in the world. We give 0.71% of our income as overseas aid. The USA is twentieth in the world, giving only 0.17% of its income. Sweden is the most generous country in the world in terms of the percentage of its overall income, at 1.40%. I think that we should be more generous and raise the percentage that we give, but we need to do this in a ways that are most effective for the people who need it.
Emergency Relief after Earthquake in Haiti, 2010. Example of short-term aid, giving tents to people whose homes have been destroyed.
S1 Social Subjects
Abbie Dixon
S1 students have been studying the plague in social subjects and as part of their studies were given a difficult task - find a cure for the London 1665 outbreak! Pictured are three great examples of students finished work.
David Rusev Savannah Minto
GO4SET Article by Aliha Butt, Caitlin Fourie, Olivia Muirhead and Ryan Wooton Over a period of 10 weeks we took part in a STEM Challenge called Go4SET where we chose a project about electronics. To help us with our project we went on a company visit to Maxim Integrated where we learnt about circuit boards and chips (the computer kind) that they make. While we were there we decided on three possible ideas: an education based tablet, using biometrics for our lunch accounts or improving the touch screen of smart boards. We all agreed on the smart boards because they are the most problematic in our school, and they are used every day in our learning. During class they need calibrated and the pens don't always work because the resistive touch isn't reliable. We designed a new improved smart board by using a less flexible material to mimic the smart board screen. Also, in each corner of the board there are strain gauge sensors that will help the accuracy, brightness and speed of this will improve the accuracy of the smart boards. During the project we researched smart board technology from the past, present and how we can improve it for the future. We interviewed the head teacher, IT staff and surveyed students and teachers on how they use technology. We made our report, a display and a model to show what we have been working on. On the 15th March we went to a Celebration and Assessment Day at Heriot Watt University. We presented our project to judges who were assessing all of the schools to decide on the overall winner. We also got to see other schools' projects and contributed towards a student's choice winner. Ryan also ate as many free biscuits as he could! Left to right: our mentor Tenko, Olivia, Ryan, Aliha, Caitlin, Miss McGurk
The feedback the assessor gave us was mostly positive: the report was clear, our presentation was well thought out and natural (after we shook off our nerves!) and they really liked our display and model. They commented on how our idea was realistic and had the potential to solve a real-life problem. We also won the science quiz! Despite not winning an award, we gained a lot of skills such as time management, and most importantly teamwork. We shared responsibility for tasks during the project, came up with ideas together and helped each other when things got tough. We lost two team members during the project, which increased our workload. However we pulled through and completed the project. If we were to do this project all over again, we would start the model earlier so that we had more time to develop it (e.g. do some programming on it) and test it before the CAD. Overall we think we did great, and would recommend this experience to others.
Harry Potter Book Night In February we celebrated our third Harry Potter Book Night with a day of Potter based fun and challenges. To fit with this year’s theme ‘The Professor of Hogwarts’ publisher Bloomsbury UK organised a national schools competition where students needed to design and name a new Hogwarts professor. Unfortunately, we didn’t win the national competition but Kat chose her top 3 Lasswade entries.
Emma Wilson’s Professor Brannigan Mildriff
Michael Summer’s Professor Cyrus Ashton
Neve Wringe’s Professor BlossomBerry III
The lunchtime Harry Potter quiz ‘You’re a Quizzard, Harry’ is always an extremely popular, and fiercely contented, event. Over 50 students made up 9 teams. After four rounds of super tricky questions two teams finished joint first, each getting 23 out of 24 points. Staff members joined in on the quiz and didn’t do half as well! Throughout the day the Sorting Hat encouraged students to sign up for their Hogwarts House - with Gryffindor winning the Lasswade House Cup with over 80 signatures. Pictured is Kat signing up to her chosen house, Hufflepuff. Our third Harry Potter Book Night ended with a special screening of the third film, ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’, in the library. The most exciting thing about Harry Potter Book Night was the number of people who were inspired to read Harry Potter for the first time - are you a Harry Potter fan yet?
Edinburgh Castle Project
On 15th February, two staff members from Edinburgh Castle visited Lasswade High and met our S3 Mandarin class. They introduced topics that students can do research on including animal, weapon, stonework, statue and hidden gem. The whole class was divided into 6 groups and each group picked a topic they were interested in. On 22th February, 12 S3 students made their first visit to Edinburgh Castle accompanied by deputy head teacher, Mr Mitchell and Miss Yan. During the visit, four guides took us on a tour around the castle and shared information of different buildings in the castle. Students were then divided into different groups based on their own topics. On the 1st March, Mrs Jiang and Miss Yan took other 18 S3 students to make a second visit to Edinburgh Castle. Students keep looking for the information or pictures they need. At the end of the project, students need to summarize some questions and answers related to their topics based on the resources they got. With the help of Mandarin teachers, they are going to translate them into mandarin, making them as the choice questions and put the questions into Global Treasure Apps, so the visitors can read during their tour on Edinburgh Castle.
Bonjour!
Article written by Phoebe Housley-Smith and Adam Steedman
In Modern Languages we have been offered an amazing opportunity to correspond with students from schools in Belgium and France. This is an enjoyable and unique experience, which allows students to become engaged with different cultures through the perspective of a young French speaking citizen. Students each received a letter from their designated pen-pal introducing basic information about themselves. Each person in our class has now written a similar letter in response. We are now waiting for their reply. Overall, we believe that this exchange will enhance our learning of French and will also be an enjoyable way to learn the language. I'm thrilled to report that over 60 S1-S3 students have taken up the opportunity to be part of this project, and we've had great fun reading the first letters we have been sent and writing our replies. Credit to Jonathan Nicolson (S3) who came up with the whole idea! Miss Scott-Larsen
We have French speaking pen pals in Brussels, Douzy and Arreau
Lasswade students feedback "It's great that I can use my French to actually talk to someone, rather than my work just sitting in my jotter." Nathan Hunt, S3 “I’ve got lots in common with my pen pal, so it’s going to be really fun getting to know them” Lyle Jones, S2 “I can’t wait for a reply...it’s so exciting” Jack Buchanan, S1
Our French pen pals opening their letters from Lasswade students
Word Wizard Competition On Friday 17th of March Murray Muir, Rachael Doig and Fraser Phaup, three students from the S3 German class, went to Glasgow to take part in the Word Wizard Competition Semi-Final. This is a spelling competition, where students have to spell as many German words from a fixed word list of 150 words as they can in one minute. The group spent weeks in class and extra hours during lunchtimes to prepare for this event. Murray and Rachael took part in the Intermediate stage and competed against several other schools around the area. They did really well and enjoyed the trip and experience despite being nervous. It was definitely a good opportunity represent the school in a National Competition. We will find out whether one or both of them made it to the Final at the end of March. Fingers crossed (or as we say in German: thumps pressed together!) and again well done!
Languages Live Students from Lasswade High school represented the school, the Midlothian Confucius Hub and SCEN (Scotland China Education Network) at Languages Live 2017. The 2-day exhibition, held at the SECC in Glasgow, is a must-attend event for anyone with a passion for languages. The two days were packed with free educational seminars, language classes, live forums and cultural performances in an incredible celebration of languages. The Lasswade student representatives were Anna Blair, Lewis Hanley, Maia Hollins-Kirk, Emily Hutchison, Abi Scotland and Liam Wringe. Languages Live brings together thousands of language teachers, learners, linguists, translators, interpreters, job seekers, the latest language products from over 70 leading industry suppliers.
Chinese New Year Concert On the evening of January 25th, a packed audience gathered in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall for the 2017 Edinburgh Chinese New Year Concert. Mr. Pan Xinchun, Chinese Consul -general and Dr. Alasdair Allan MSP, Minister for International Development and Europe both give a speech at the concert. Over 1,500 friends from across Scotland, overseas Chinese and foreign students attended the concert including the Directors of Confucius Institute for Scotland’s schools. In the evening students from Lasswade and local Chinese students performed the dragon dance and lion dance. Their show attracted the eyes of many people. And then on stage students from Lasswade High school gave a wonderful performance of Taichi fan. It shows traditional Wushu culture is broad and deep. The students involved took two months to prepare for this performance. After their show, the whole hall resounded with applause. The students were encouraged to continue their Mandarin learning and said they look forward to learning more about Chinese culture.
拉斯维德中学中国新年音乐会展示活动纪实 1月25日晚，值2017年新春佳节来临之际，在爱丁堡久负盛名的音乐厅Usher hall举办了爱丁堡华人新 年音乐会。中国驻爱丁堡总领事馆总领事潘新春，苏格兰国际事务部长爱伦,等出席并致辞,包括苏格兰 中小学孔子学院中外方院长在内的苏格兰各界友人，华侨华人及留学生等1500人出席晚会。 当晚拉斯维德中学孔子课堂的学生们和当地留学生表演的中国传统舞龙舞狮表演拉开了庆祝活动的 序幕，吸引了无数路人驻足观看。并且在这次音乐会上来自拉斯维德中学的学生还进行了精彩的才艺表 演太极扇 节目，展示了中国武术的博大精深。对他们中文老师进行采访时,老师们表示学生们为了这次 演出,提前两个月就进行了认真的准备. 表演结束后，会场想起热烈掌声，大家都对学生们的表演给予 肯定。同学们纷纷表示很受鼓舞，今后一定要更加认真学习中文，体验更多的中国文化。 翻译: 汉办教师— 江薇
Visitors from Tianjin In January we were delighted to host a group of students and teachers from Tianjin No. 25 Middle School, China. This exchange is part of a long partnership between our two schools. A small group of Lasswade students visited China in October last year. During their visit the group lived with Lasswade host families and enjoyed a week of in-school activities and trips to local attractions. Our guests were given a warm and memorable welcome into LHS when Sam Fleming piped them through the school to meet Mr Hornell. Many special events were arranged in school including a demonstration of Scottish County Dancing from Bryony Walker and lessons in Scots language and 3D printing. Throughout the week the visiting students got a taste of Scottish history and culture through trips to Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Scotland, the Kelpies, the Old College of University of Edinburgh and the Scottish Parliament. The tour around Holyrood included a visit to the debating chamber and a meeting with Colin Beattie MSP. At the end of the week a celebratory ceilidh was held for all visitors and their host families. This was a fantastic event and a perfect celebration of the ongoing partnership between Lasswade and friends and colleagues in China.
Business and Accounting Competition BASE is the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’s National Business and Accounting competition for students in school or college aged 16-19. This is an experience where students are able to engage in a business challenge that enables them to develop key employability skills and understand what it is like to be a chartered accountant. As part of a group of Lasswade students (Rosie Hermiston, Rebecca Fisher, Daniel Crabbe, Reece Campbell, Regan Brock and Niamh Roarty), we went to Murrayfield in December, where we were given timed tasks to complete in order to experience what it is like to be an accountant. We gave a presentation in front of the other school groups and judges. The presentation gave our recommendations for the best course of action for media organization. During our time there, we were able to interact with several different companies who informed us about various career paths such as apprenticeships and future job opportunities within accountancy. This was an invaluable experience, as it raised our awareness of future career opportunities within the tertiary sector. We were very appreciative of the ICAEW offering one of the national heats in the Edinburgh area. We would also like to thank all the staff and volunteers on the day for their support and advice.
Students step up for FairTrade Article by Eilish Johnston, S4 A group of Lasswade high school students have been devoting their Thursday lunch time to help make an impact of the importance of Fairtrade to the community and to others in the school. Ryan wootten(S2), Marco Galeotti(S2),Taine Loon(S2),Sam Whittaker(S2),Richard Simpson(S2) Jack Leslie(S2), Alex Pearson(S2) Eilish Johnston(S4) and Miss Steele, this small but mighty group of 9 have already achieve the first fair trade award with only weeks of collaborating together as a hard working team. Fairtrade is a very important topic of discussion as Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers alike to ensure they are not taking advantage of by large companies who want to buy there products such as footballs or bananas. The Fairaware Award was the first award granted by these students which consisted of 2 audits, the teachings audit and the learner audit. This enabled the students to spread the message of Fairtrade around the school with many more exciting fairtrade events to follow organised by these students and Miss Steele.
Google Expeditions Lasswade students visit Rome, China and Outer Space: all in one day! I know what you are thinking. The genius brains within Lasswade High School have mastered time travel! Unfortunately not. In reality, around three hundred S1-3 students were invited to participate in the Google Expeditions programme on the 21 st February. Through the use of virtual reality headsets, these students were transported to lands afar past and present, including; War zones, Coral Reefs, and The Seven Wonders of the World. We were even transported to the inside of a human body! The experience was hugely enjoyable, and comments from the students included “I learnt loads!” “It was hugely factual” and “an easy way to learn facts.”
We are predicting a huge surge in Google Expedition app downloads and requests for headsets (and that’s just from the teachers!)
Kevock Choir
This year, the Edinburgh Kevock Choir celebrates 50 years of singing and is conducted by Graham Lovett and accompanied by George Wilson on piano and organ. The choir was founded in 1967 by Alex Elrick MBE who created a choir for students from Lasswade High School. With over 350 performances under their belt they are a mixed-voice choir which sings a wide variety of music, ranging from Scottish, folk, religious, classical and popular music. The membership is much wider now, with members coming from all over Edinburgh, the Lothians and further afield. The choir meets in the school for its weekly practice every Tuesday and still has an original member and some former students. On Saturday 13 May 2017, the choir held its 50th Anniversary Concert at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh which was a huge success. If students, staff, parents or friends would like to find out more and perhaps join the choir, you are welcome to come along to any of the practices on Tuesday evenings (term-time) from 7.15 – 9.15pm where you will be made most welcome.
You can also find out more about the choir on their website www.kevockchoir.org.uk/
Parent Council Update from Lindsey McGregor, Parent Council Chair
Yet another busy term of fundraising and discussion! We ran a very successful Bingo night in February which has started to refill the coffers after we had paid the second instalment due for the new website and provided prizes and mounts for the recent Art Exhibition. We now have a balance of about £450 in our account and in order to keep supporting the School and the departments as we have done over the last two years, we do need to increase our fundraising. Plans are in place to launch a 200 Club in the summer term which will hopefully sell out and provide a steady income. We are also looking for local businesses who would like to sponsor an event so if you are interested please contact the Chair (details at foot). Dalkeith Ford and LS Productions sponsored the Christmas Fair. We are also looking at a Business Directory so if you would be interested in buying advertising space please do let us know. Finally can you help or do you have any fundraising ideas? We would love to hear from you. As well as fundraising we have been involved in shaping the School’s Behaviour Management Policy and have also been working on improving parental engagement with school. Once the new website is up and running minutes and agendas will be more accessible for all to see. If you would like more information about our meetings or just want to receive the minutes and agendas please contact Ruth in the School Office so you can join our mailing list. The next meeting is scheduled for 18 April but that is set to change so please watch out for the Group Call. To hear more from the Parent Council please follow the School Facebook page as we post regularly. Lindsey McGregor Chair LHS Parent Council Lindseymmcgregor@aol.com
The end. Have a great holiday!