The Chronicle 2008 - 2009 by The Glasgow Academy

The Glasgow Academy Chronicle 2008-2009

The Glasgow Academy is an educational charity registered in Scotland. Charity Number SCO 15638.

The Glasgow Academy

2008-2009

The Glasgow Academy

2008-2009 Autumn 2009 Number 329

Editors: R.G. Schwarting and N.J. Millar with Alan Whyte and Alison Campbell

Printed in Glasgow by J. Thomson Colour Printers Ltd.

From the Rector W

hat a fine year! It was good to see Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education recognise our pupils’ ‘high attainment and achievement across a wide range of activities’, ‘the high level of commitment of staff to working together to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment’ and ‘outstanding opportunities for young people at S6’. These opportunities include us being the first independent school in Scotland to have pupils qualifying in signing, taught by a deaf tutor. We also significantly expanded the opportunities for pupils to help each other by S6 mentoring in the Prep School. Our children’s eagerness to learn is clear in more than half our 2008 S5 Higher presentations scoring A grades: 20 pupils gained 5, 6 or 7 A grades. Congratulations to Haixi Yan on being the SQA Academic Excellence Award runner- up. We also achieved our highest-ever Standard Grade Credit pass rate. Contrary to national and international trends, our S4 boys outperformed our girls - though the hot-offthe-press news is that the girls re-established what they regard as the natural order in S5 by achieving the same Higher pass rate. But the boys were still just ahead on top grades: well done, all! Our new Art syllabuses have excited pupils and teachers alike, producing an even more creative Art Exhibition and inventive parade of fashion.

Championships and National Championships: Emily Colley’s successes should encourage younger pupils to follow her path - those 7.30 am starts on the ergos do the trick. We also had our largest number of rowing medals so far at the Scottish Championships. New Championship (and school) athletics records were set at Glasgow Schools’ Championship, and the eight new school records divided equally between girls and boys. Our cricket future is bright, with a very young 1st XI enjoying an S3 hat-trick against George Heriot’s 1st XI. Our P7 A team have never been defeated in their time at the school. With over five hundred music lessons a week, a figure climbing relentlessly, the school has grown musically richer than ever before. We enjoyed a series of wonderful shows this year: ‘Guys and Dolls’, the Prep School Show, ‘The M Factor’, the Talent Show… We now have a great deal of singing and performing talent in the school and ‘Les Miserables’ is eagerly awaited. We look forward to our new Drama Department enabling even more opportunities for children to perform. Amongst our many successful trips, our musicians’ Italy tour was so enjoyed that the New York tour was oversubscribed. Our East Greenland Expedition spent four weeks exploring the remote peninsula of Gåseland at 71 degrees north. The group of twelve pupils and four instructors made successful ascents of three mountains which are all expected to be first ascents. That permits the pupils to name the mountains, which will be Mount Glasgow, Tiraluin and Academy Peak. We have a strong history of mountaineering and exploration, with the list of Academicals including Sir James Wordie, who was a member of Shackleton’s epic Antarctic Expedition, and WH (Bill) Murray, the acclaimed Scottish Mountaineer and Writer. Our CCF were the first in Scotland to be invited to represent the cadets of the United Kingdom by parading at the Cenotaph in Whitehall: an honour particularly appreciated due to our war memorial traditions. Creativity thrives, with our Chemistry department giving all S1 an exciting and swine-flutimely day diagnosing patients’ infections. All S2 engaged in a Forensic Investigation day, evaluating evidence to find out who murdered the Deputy Rector - children even asked to stay in at lunchtime, such was their engagement by the purpose behind the experiments they were doing. It is good to see science such fun.

Debating grows in popularity and strength, as evident from our winning the Law Society of Scotland Donald Dewar Debating Competition in the Scottish Parliament debating chamber. Allen Farrington and Cosmo Grant certainly know how to argue with charm. Our S4 pupils were top in Scotland in the national Mathématiques sans Frontières competition - which requires ability at modern languages and teamworking, as well as Maths. Two have been invited to the UK Mathematics Trust Olympiad Training Camp or summer school. We were also the highest-placed Scottish school in the UK final of the Royal Society of Chemistry quiz.

We wish retiring Deputy Rector Iain MacLeod and all other leavers great happiness in pastures new, with warm thanks for sterling service and multifarious talents.

Our ten internationalists covered seven sports. Rowing enjoyed its most successful season to date, with medals at the Belgian Junior Championships, British

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Excellence Meet our Internationalists Cross-Country, Rowing Rugby U14 British CrossEmily Colley S4 Robert McAlpine S6 Country, U14 British Independent U18 U18 Mini-Marathon Rugby Rowing Schools’ Football Jamie Swanson S5 Max Aitchison S2 Ruth Cranston S6 Andrew McLay S5 U14 U17 U18 U18

Squash James Wilson S1 U13

Cross-Country Rhian Dawes S5 U18

Hard sums Out of over 240,000 children taking part in their age group, Alice Ahn and Jason Long came within the top 50 in the UK Mathematical Olympiad. Jason was invited to the summer school and Alice to the training camp at The Queen’s College, Oxford.

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Scottish Dressage Team Megan Kilmurry S2

Cricket Lyle Hill S2 U15

The right stuff At the Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland Annual Technology Challenge, our pupils presented to the judges, answered their questions, won the prize (which included £500 for their Chemistry Club) and met NASA astronauts.

Excellence Scottish Debating Champions

Allen Farrington (S5) and Cosmo Grant (S6) won the Law Society of Scotland Donald Dewar Memorial Debating tournament, the final of which was held in the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament. The Academy team came first out of over 130 schools taking part, debating the motion ‘This House believes that the babies of 1999 are reaping the benefits of devolution’. Former Academy pupil Donald Dewar, debating at The Academy in 1954, argued that the old school tie should be burnt, but he might have enjoyed the school tie connection on this occasion.

Scottish Qualification Authority Academic Excellence Haixi Yan was the Scottish Qualification Authority’s Academic Excellence Award runner-up, having scored 7 A grades at Higher. The Award recognises outstanding achievement at Higher and Advanced Higher. Haixi won a place to read Medicine at Downing College, Cambridge.

Top Scots in Royal Society of Chemistry Quiz The Glasgow Academy was the top-performing Scottish school in the Royal Society of Chemistry Inter-Schools Quiz: the team was Simon Jones (S4), Lily Mortimer (S3), William Watt (S3) and Connel Allison (S1).

Mathématiques sans frontières

Howzat! The Primary 7 A Cricket team - never defeated in their time in the school.

Team skills and mathematical and linguistic ability made these S4 mathematicians top in the country in the Mathématiques sans frontières competition.

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Charities and community involvement Our S5 and S6 pupils were involved in supporting St Margaret’s Hospice at a variety of events: these included bag packing at supermarket checkouts and door-to-door collections in full-size animal costumes, but perhaps the most successful was a four-hour session one Friday evening just before Christmas at Braehead shopping centre when they collected £2148. Enterprise activities at Dairsie took place throughout the year and involved all the children in organising and participating in a variety of activities, from “Dairsie Daft Day” to running a Healthy Snack Shop. Children in Need received £2375 from the P3 Enterprise “Jog in the Park”. Book Aid International, Shelter Family Project and the Glasgow Lodging Mission were also supported. In total Dairsie donated £1733 to Children 1st, one of Scotland’s leading child welfare charities. Everyone at Atholl was just as active, with gifts being donated in support of Operation Christmas Child and Glasgow City Mission. The foreign currency collected as part of Money Week was donated to UNICEF. £1351 was donated to CHAS (Children’s Hospice Association of Scotland) through a variety of activities. £999 was raised through a Readathon, which involves sponsoring the children to read books, for two children’s charities: CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children and The Roald Dahl Foundation. The P4 “Rainforest Café” raised £40 for the World Wildlife Fund for Nature. At Kelvinbridge “Kilts for Kids”, the Christmas Show and a Bring and Buy sale raised £2623 for Children 1st, with a further £100 raised by Mrs Gilmour’s horticultural activities. Activities in aid of the British Heart Foundation’s “Red for Heart, Saving Lives in Glasgow Appeal” during national Heart month, raised £1227. Donations at the Nativity Play raised £651 for the Samaritans, the sale of Christmas cards £135 for CHAS, and Nursery/Kindergarten’s “Toddle Waddle” £138 for the Meningitis Trust. The P4 shop donated £50 to Erskine, which provides nursing and medical care for former members of our Armed Forces. The recent non-uniform “smart” dress day, which was also organised to support Erskine, raised £528. Our musicians have also been busy: a concert raised £200 for Erskine, the Senior School Theatre Choir raised £370 for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, entertaining Christmas shoppers in Buchanan Galleries, and the Music Department Concert at St Michael & All Angels Church, Helensburgh raised £1,200 in aid of church restoration funds.

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At the end of February the English Department challenged first year pupils to a Readathon and their collective efforts amounted to a fantastic total of £2528. The Senior School non-uniform day coincided with Red Nose Day and the amount raised, £2885, was divided equally between Flexicare, a local charity which provides a service for adults and children with learning disabilities, and Comic Relief. This year’s 24 Hour Sports event and other tutor group activities raised £1206 for Revive MS Support, a charity dedicated to helping everyone affected by Multiple Sclerosis. The Slave Auction raised £1424, which was donated to The National AIDS Trust, which aims to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS, both in the UK and internationally. In March, Morrison House raised £357 by organising the “M Factor”, a spoof on the television show, “X Factor”. On the night both staff and pupils performed and the money raised will sponsor a child in a developing country through World Vision. The newly-formed Eco-Committee raised £50 from a Fair Trade tuck shop for VETAID, a Scottish charity, which works with agricultural communities in east Africa who depend on animals for their survival. Mrs Graham’s tutor group raised £96 for Asthma UK by selling cakes at morning break. Mr Wood was sponsored to shave his head and raised £318 for Children In Need. The retiring collection from the Christmas service, £217, was donated to Aberlour Child Care Trust. MacMillan Coffee Mornings on our different sites raised £175. At the annual Art Exhibition original works which are included in The Academy calendar 2010 were auctioned, along with vintage school desks from the classroom of our retiring Head of Classics. The auction raised around £1372 to be donated to Yorkhill Children’s Hospital. The Young Enterprise Company had a very successful year buying and selling a variety of things and was able to donate £400 to the SSPCA. On a regular basis, After School Care donate “grown out of” clothes to Glasgow Women’s Aid. Collecting and recycling printer cartridges and laser toner cartridges in aid of CHAS also continues throughout the year. The grand total of charitable donations this session was £27,404.

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Chairman’s Report Looking back over last twelve months, I think many of us would see this recent period as one of the most challenging in living memory. The stock market has crashed, the banking system has seemed close to melt-down, and the construction industry has been nearly at a standstill. Every major organisation has announced redundancies and many well known high street stores have ceased trading. Confidence in the financial system has been at a very low ebb. We might have expected that our pupil numbers could be at risk at a time of recession, but fortunately the proportion of pupils accepting our offer of a place at The Academy has been significantly higher than in previous years. I believe there are three main reasons for this. Firstly and most obviously, our new Preparatory School building at Kelvinbridge, which opened over a year ago now, has greatly impressed everyone who has been shown around. Our facilities on view are state-of-the-art and second to none, and prospective parents and their children are very keen to come to The Academy at the conclusion of the tour. Secondly, last November, The Academy became the first independent school to be inspected by HMIE (Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education) Scotland under their new inspection system. The result was a report we can be proud of. The Inspectors identified as our strengths: • Confident articulate children who are eager to learn • Commendably high attainment and achievement of children across a wide range of activities • Enriched learning experiences within and beyond the school, and outstanding opportunities for young people at Senior 6 • High level of staff commitment to provide a stimulating and nurturing learning environment • The impact of the Rector’s vision and values, and the effectiveness of senior staff, on improving children’s experiences The only recommendation they came up with was to continue doing more of the same in building on existing good practice and continuing to develop the curriculum. Our inspection result is warmly welcomed in that it independently confirms all the good things we ourselves would claim about the school. The third reason for our higher acceptance rate this year is less tangible. A large number of people have commented this year during the admissions cycle about the special atmosphere at The Glasgow Academy, the attention to detail, the customer care. Much of this comment reflects credit on our External Relations Department, responsible for admissions, which is well organised and very professional. However that’s only half the story. We are also told that prospective parents are convinced by the teachers they meet, who welcome them and seem so at ease with the pupils, and by the reactions of the pupils themselves who seem to be happy in their learning environment. I am well aware that the reason we get these reactions from prospective parents, which position the school so well at a time of recession, is down to The Academy’s teaching and administration staff. We are indeed fortunate to have such an enthusiastic and hard working team under the leadership of an outstanding Rector and I salute them all for the great work they do for the school and all our children. After three years of major construction works, our plans for summer 2009 and into 2010 are much more modest. Our summer works programme sees us attending to a long list of minor repairs and improvements, but the biggest project is the refurbishment of the English Department in House 10 to the same standard as the other Colebrooke Terrace properties which we refurbished last year. Last year I reported that we were in the process of acquiring the two blocks of flats opposite to the entrance to the school car park. I am delighted to report that we have completed the acquisition of all these properties this summer, after a period of just over two years. When you consider that it took us around 80 years to acquire all the properties in Colebrooke Terrace, we are well pleased with our most recent acquisition! The acquisition of these new properties will allow us the space to improve our Senior School facilities in line with our 2020 Vision in due course. We will need to wait for a few years until we have repaid most of our borrowings for the construction of the new Preparatory School building, before proceeding with further building work. However we have already started planning a new long term vision for the school campus at Kelvinbridge, and we hope to be able to put some ideas out for consultation to planners and to members of our community, including parents, during the next twelve months. Despite the challenging times in which we live, The Glasgow Academy is in good shape and we face the future with confidence. The Board of Governors greatly values the huge support we receive from all the various components of The Academy community – particularly our present customers, former pupils and of course our staff – and we thank you for your interest, participation and loyalty. J Gordon Jack

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Senior School

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Gold Duke of Edinburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award Expedition O

ur Gold Duke of Edinburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award assessment expedition began at Laggan Locks with us surrounded by midges. This did not seem to alter until we arrived in Knoydart four days later. However, the midges were not the only notable addition to our 80km trek. Each campsite gave us a different experience from the last: the first was riddled with midges; the second was marshy from rain; and the third possessed a working toilet and tap. Small saviours such as this made everything seem worthwhile. The walking itself was tough and our feet suffered. Despite this, we kept going through the stunning scenery, highlighted by sunny weather (for the most part!). The days often felt endless and the evenings were never quite long enough. Nevertheless, we ended the expedition having shared much laughter and unforgettable experiences. It is these aspects which shall stand the test of time in our memories. Sophie Franklin

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Kayaking

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Winter Mountaineering

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The Glasgow Academy East Greenland Expedition 2009

s we stood outside the school eagerly awaiting our departure we couldn’t believe this moment had finally come. We had endured gruelling running sessions, weekly 8 am meetings, weekends away in the far north hiking through the marshes of Knoydart, and all this before we’d even got on the plane. As the parent paparazzi saw us off, we could not have imagined the challenges that awaited us: exhausting load carries, wading through knee-deep snow, balancing across narrow ridges, and living off dehydrated rations for a month. Getting to our expedition destination, the remote peninsula of Gåseland, involved a four-hour minibus journey to Manchester, a flight to Reykjavik, and another flight to Constablepynt in East Greenland before the most relaxed flight of all in a Twin Otter. Over the background hum of the Otter’s engine, we got our first glimpse of our home for a month and its breathtaking beauty.

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While watching the plane fade away into the ever-lit sky, it hit many of the group that, for the first time, we were alone. We were completely isolated from any form of civilisation. It was scary; it was amazing. We set about exploring our environment: up hills, down valleys. Unfavourable weather forced us into less glamorous mountaineering feats than we had hoped for: initially struggling to move base camp up the valley, through mist and rain, was a personal low. However, with the foundations laid, a mere ‘wander’ on day ten resulted in a first ascent, Mount Glasgow, at 1820 metres. The glory of our achievement, the toil of leading to it and the magnificent panorama we encountered combined to make a truly unforgettable moment. This most incredible day put a spark back into the group. The sun just carried on shining as we lounged around camp resting the following day. The leaders were hopeful of a further ascent further up the valley. Tents were abandoned along with any other unnecessary equipment and we trudged up the valley. That night did not provide much sleep: the mosquitoes were awful and the ground unbearably uncomfortable. With next to no

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sleep and a 2 am rise, we found it difficult to motivate ourselves. However, a second, first ascent was looking promising as we scrambled up the steep, boulder-strewn slopes. The pupils led the way until confronted by a treacherous looking, narrow ridge, the sides of which plummeted hundreds of metres to the glaciers below. After carefully negotiating this section we summitted with feelings of completeness and appreciation of this beautiful land. The second peak was named Tiraluin which, in Gaelic, means ‘beautiful land'. The views cannot be put into words satisfactorily and the thought of retreating to a mosquitoridden bivvy site was far from appealing. The third mountain conquered on the expedition was Academy Peak near base camp and had spectacular views up Scoresbysund, the largest fjord system in the world, littered with thousands of majestic icebergs. As we approached its summit, the team linked arms and walked in a horizontal line onto the top, which was a tribute to how close the group had become. Due to the unexplored nature of the mountains of Gåseland, we had not given much consideration to goals

on the expedition, but our achievements outshone anything we could have hoped for. We know that it would not have been possible without tremendous teamwork and the efforts put in by the leader team of Al Halewood, Sally Ozanne, Nigel Williams and Neal Gwynne. A welcome rest was had during our last days on Gåseland, a football match was organised against the locals in Ittoqqortoomiit, and a luxurious visit to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon rounded off our expedition. The four weeks pushed us close to our mental and physical limits; however, the rewards made this a wonderful experience that we guarantee the memories of will be cherished forever. The Glasgow Academy East Greenland Expedition 2009 is grateful for the support of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; The Glasgow Academy Governors; The Gino Watkins Fund at the Scott Polar Research Institute; Mr Gordon Henry; The Mountaineering Council of Scotland; The Scottish Mountaineering Trust, The Cray Trust; and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Allen Farrington, Olivia Mason, Jane Rutherford and Rachel Turner

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were completely isolated from any form of civilisation. It was scary; it was amazing.â&#x20AC;?

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Rock-climbing on the Costa Blanca â&#x20AC;?The wind howled around the rock face and our hands and feet started to go numbâ&#x20AC;&#x153;

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”My arms were protesting under my full weight as they struggled to grip any harder“

Rockclimbing Hanging on with the tips of my fingers, I felt myself slowly slipping. My arms were protesting under my full weight as they struggled to grip any harder. I knew I could give up now and be safely lowered to the ground, but I was determined not to take the easy option. Just holding on was arduous; the pain was bearable, but only just. The Spanish limestone was razorsharp against my skin, but I persevered. I had to reach the top. Emily Dow Mountaineering The heat was intense. We made it up to the first peak of the sharp arête, parched, but happy. We began our traverse of the Bernia ridge in trepidation of the vast open ether stretching away on either side of us. After a gentle beginning of some scrambling, we became rapidly more confident. We soon reached our first abseil. We were exhilaratingly lowered down a steep face of another peak to the continuing ridge below, where we proceeded to navigate gullies and some terrifyingly narrow ledges. We returned to the base of the mountains via some breathtaking natural caves through the mountains. We had all tremendously enjoyed the heady heights of the day’s mountaineering. Ronan Murphy Via Ferrata is similar to climbing, but allows you to get to less accessible places. There are metal rungs attached to the rock, and a wire is bolted alongside it onto which you are clipped. After the first bulge, it seemed like there was nothing below us until the base of the mountain. We could see for miles out to the skyscrapers of Benidorm – our number one favourite place – and beyond. The wind howled around the rock face and our hands and feet started to go numb, but overall it was a really exciting experience we would all love to repeat. Once we had reached the top after several hours, we had to walk across the top to the beginning of our 60 metre abseil back down to earth. Julia Sillito

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The highlight of the year was the music tour to Italy in October. It was a bit of a rush to get all the music ready, but we did it and had an amazing time. We visited Pisa, Florence, Sienna and Lucca. We soaked up the fantastic architecture and, of course, the ice cream, pasta and pizza. Our first day involved games and lunch on the beach at Viareggio. We also had a very educational tour of the marble quarries. We visited Sienna on our third day. Florence was wonderful: we climbed to the top of the cathedral dome and visited the famous bridge. Thursday was Lucca and Pistoia. We spent Friday in Pisa visiting the famous cathedral and tower. Of the four concerts that we put on, two were outside (an experience new to us) and we were lucky enough to have good audiences at both of these events. Our trip was exciting, educational and truly inspiring: a fantastic time was had by all. M B Marshall

Music Tour to Italy

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Theatre Choir Trip to London Over the September weekend members of the Theatre Choir experienced the delights of London’s West End stage, seeing Wicked and Les Miserables. On Friday, the excitable group of pupils, and even more enthusiastic teachers, went to Wicked at the Apollo VictoriaTheatre.The set was stunning, especially the enormous mechanical dragon situated directly above the audience. We sang the whole way through the production; it truly was an enjoyable experience for all! On Saturday, we travelled by tube to Abercrombie and Fitch (a vital part of any girl’s London shopping experience) where we were lucky enough to see some of London’s top male model talent. Later, we went to the restaurant Sticky Fingers, owned by Bill Wyman from the Rolling Stones, for steaks, ribs and chicken wings. On Sunday we participated in a dramatic workshop on the famous battle scene in Les Miserables. After some rehearsal time, we performed it so well that some members of staff were reduced to tears. The matinee production of Les Miserables was certainly emotional and left us all shellshocked at the bravery of the French students. Overall, it was a fantastic weekend of both culinary and musical delights. A J MacLeod

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USA Trip T

he Ski Trip 2009 took us to a new destination: Killington, Vermont, USA and the bonus was a day in New York too.

After a very long journey via Amsterdam, the 47 pupils and 6 staff began a week of varied but very enjoyable skiing. The weather and snow conditions were typical of the lateness of the season, but the instructors were great and treated the groups to varied and challenging routes, including skiing through trees! (not for the faint-hearted) Evenings were spent at the bowling alley, shopping mall and a favourite for the boys: launching oneself into the hotel pool in increasingly ridiculous poses! There were even revision sessions in the breakfast room for those with imminent exams - the teachers were very impressed. The journey to New York was broken by a stop at an outlet mall, giving us the chance to prop up the American economy somewhat, then it was on to the “Big Apple”; we could even see the Manhattan skyline from the hotel. The final day was action packed: a drive past “ground zero” took us to the quay for our boat tour of the Hudson River and Manhattan Island, including all the details of the plane that landed there recently. A brisk walk brought us to Grand Central Station and the luxurious food court, then on to the Rockefeller Centre. From the “Top of the Rock” we were treated to panoramic views of Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. Another couple of hours shopping and bumping into movie stars and we were ready for home. The pupils were a credit to the school; we only had to give instructions once for things to be done and the ski instructors in particular were impressed with their determination and attitude. K R Graham

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The pupils were a credit to the school; we only had to give instructions once for things to be doneâ&#x20AC;?

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Madrid

During the October holiday, a group of boys from S2 and S3 participated in a very enjoyable football development tour to Madrid. They received excellent coaching at Las Rozas, the training camp of the Spanish national team, under the direction of former Real Madrid player Rafael Garcia who played in the 1981 European Cup final. The highlight of the football year was undoubtedly the selection of our Senior team captain, Andrew McLay, to play for the Scottish Independent Schools team in the annual fixture against England in April. Andrew played with distinction, but unfortunately we were unable to prevail. Andrew had earlier participated in five SISFA trial matches, scoring a notable hat-trick in the 5-3 win over a Glasgow University U19 team. This session has probably been one of the most interesting for those involved with football at the Academy. In September a number of SSFA Shield matches were arranged for teams ranging from U13 to U18. The Senior team competed once again in the Scottish Independent Schools Cup; they were ably led by Kenneth Robertson and Andrew McLay and gave a good account of themselves in matches against Hutchesonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Grammar, Jordanhill College, St Aloysiusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; College, Hamilton College and the High School. It was, however, most pleasing to end the season on a winning note with a well-deserved 8-2 victory over Kelvinside Academy. As this is my final year at the Academy, I would like to express my appreciation of all the boys who have played with distinction in school teams over the last twenty years against opposition ranging from as far away as Oban, Campbeltown and Stranraer to closer rivals such as Hillhead and Woodside. In particular, I would like to pay tribute to the many team captains who helped greatly with organizing the squads and encouraging their players to give of their best; names such as Stephen Wright, Douglas Lockhart and Jonathan Mills come to mind. I have many happy memories of running football at the Academy over the last thirty years and I would like to wish all staff and players connected with football much enjoyment and success in the future. R Latimer

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Paris I was standing 300 metres in the air on a 100-year-old iron tower; not the safest place you’d expect. But this wasn’t just any tower, it was the Eiffel Tower. I could clearly see for miles, spotting many landmarks from the top of the world-famous tower. It was only the second day of our Paris trip, but we had already been to Notre Dame, the Arc deTriomphe and the Champs-Élysées. We had also been on a sightseeing boat ride on the Seine. Yet there was still even more to come. On the fourth day, we went to Sacré-Cœur Basilica, and went to the Louvre. Even after this, we still had one of the best places to go: Euro Disney! After all this, we grudgingly had to go back to rainy old Scotland after one of the best school trips ever. The Paris trip was easily the best school trip I have ever been on, and was a brilliant experience. It was also the first time I had been in France in my life. I had a great time visiting all the different monuments, especially the Eiffel Tower, and I really enjoyed Euro Disney. The food was good, as was the hotel, and I found that the time passed very quickly during the trip. I learned a lot about French culture, and how there is more to Paris than just tourist traps and street traders. The memories of this trip will stay with me for a long time. I would also like to thank all the members of staff that came on the trip to supervise and look after us all. Au revoir Joshua Thomson

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Lakeside

Lakeside was a truly beneficial experience for all the members of 6th year who attended; we were all amazed at how much we gained from the activities. Three days of learning, team-building and fun really brought people together. A good time was had by all, even those like myself who are not the biggest fans of the outdoors. I thoroughly recommend that those currently in 5th Year attend Lakeside as it is the perfect opportunity to start 6th Year on a high.

Hamish Duda

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Iceland Rugged coastlines, immense volcanoes, and crashing waterfalls were only a few of the many extraordinary natural phenomena we experienced in our few days in Iceland. We met many remarkable people, enjoyed some stunning scenery, and experienced mountains of fascinating geology such as the explosive hot springs at Geyser.The many highlights of the tremendous trip included a morning at the Gullfoss waterfall with its magnificent cascades, the unusual yet particularly enjoyable geothermal Blue Lagoon, and watching seals swim in amongst the icebergs in the Jรถkulsรกrlรณn ice lagoon. The final night was spent in the capital Reykjavik, which capped off an extraordinary and unforgettable trip. A big thank you to Mr Robertson and Ms Calder. Ronan Murphy

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The Danish Exchange In September, Sarah Bannerman and I travelled to Denmark to participate in an exchange with two pupils from the prestigious Herlufsholm Boarding School just outside Copenhagen. Over the weekend, we stayed with one of the girls who lived on a smallholding, which was one hour away from the school. We were served prime Danish pork and discussed our cultural differences over dinner. Our host took us to the famous Tivoli Amusement Park where we ate candy floss and experienced the famous rides, some of which were over fifty years old. On Sunday evening we travelled to Copenhagen and took the bus with our next host to the boarding school. Upon arrival we were shown to our new home, the boarding house Lessegarden. We settled into our new class and started learning through the International Baccalaureate course. We made many new friends and spent our free time going in to the local town with them. On the return trip to Scotland we took the opportunity to visit as many sites as we could. The highlight was a visit to Edinburgh Castle and a walk down the High Street, where Mr Evans made us spit on the Heart of Midlothian: a local custom, apparently! Overall, the Danish exchange is a fantastic experience which I would encourage anyone to go on as it is such a different way to meet people. Julia McVean

â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Danish exchange is a fantastic experienceâ&#x20AC;? 24

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Auschwitz Since 1999, nearly 5,000 students have taken part in the Holocaust Educational Trust’s groundbreaking Lessons from Auschwitz Project. The LFA Project aims to increase knowledge and understanding for young people and to clearly highlight what can happen if prejudice and racism become acceptable. During the October break, Hazel Blair, Callum Lawson and Miss Calder took part in this project. The actual trip to Auschwitz involved visiting the town of Oświęcim in order to reflect on the life of a typical Jewish community before and after the war. We then proceeded to Auschwitz I, where we passed through the gates with the infamous 'Arbeit Macht Frei' slogan, and visited the various museums which contained the few remains of human life: shoes, hair, brushes, artificial limbs, spectacles, suitcases… Eventually, we made our way to Birkenau, where we visited the watch-tower, prisoner barracks and toilet blocks. We then made our way along the infamous railway tracks, treading the same path as those who were marched to their deaths. Finally, we took part in a candle-lit service at Crematoria II, where we were again able to reflect on all that we had discovered that day.

A week after the trip, we attended a follow-up seminar where we discussed some of the key lessons we had learned and considered how we might share these with our community. The project culminated with us hosting a 'Lessons from Auschwitz Evening' on December 1st. The event was attended by around 80 pupils, parents, staff and even the local MP, Ann McKechin. This was our chance to explain what we had experienced and why we feel that it is so important to remember what happened during the Holocaust. We concluded the night with the following thoughts: 'Fascism does not always come wrapped in a swastika banner - think for yourself!'.

Hazel Blair, Callum Lawson and F C Calder

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Comrie September saw S2 partaking in their annual residential, which has become a firm favourite with staff and pupils alike. Due to the renovation and redevelopment of Raasay House, the experience this year took place led by staff from Raasay Outdoor Centre at Comrie Croft in Perthshire. Pupils encountered a wide range of outdoor activities, including kayaking, rock climbing, abseiling and archery, alongside the newly-established mountain biking. The whole adventure culminated in a Team Challenge. Working as part of a group helped pupils to develop their independent and interpersonal skills; perhaps most important of all, however, was the tremendous fun experienced by everyone involved. P A Richmond

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Pipes and Drums The Pipes and Drums have had a busy time providing music for a wide range of occasions, from stage shows to the official opening of the new Prep School. Our services have been requested by various charities and we have performed at a huge wedding at Mar Hall. The Pipes and Drums also played at a very prestigious event at the Thistle Hotel. We also had the honour of playing the ‘Beating of the Retreat’ on the Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle and at Holyrood Palace, special occasions indeed. The Pipes and Drums also made an excellent contribution to the Music Department’s tour of Tuscany, proving to be a very colourful and popular attraction! This session saw the recruitment of our new drumming tutor, David Henderson, who is a member of the famous, and highly respected, Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band. The drummers are now reaping the benefit of Mr. Henderson’s enthusiasm, broad knowledge of percussion and experience of teaching, writing scores, and creating good musical ensemble. The end of this term sees the departure of 6th Year students: pipers Sandy Watson and Iona Brodie and Tenor Drummer Hamish Duda. Our grateful thanks to all for the years of service and commitment. In addition to the students who are currently learning pipes and drums, the future strength of the Pipes and Drums has been enhanced by a presentation at the Prep School which resulted in a significant number of new learners coming forward. We are looking forward with great excitement to the challenges of 2009/10, which includes preparation for the forthcoming music tour of New York. James Wark

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Guys and Dolls I

think I speak for everyone when I say that Guys and Dolls was the best production The Glasgow Academy has put on in recent years. Interestingly enough, we worked with a slightly smaller cast this year than Academy productions usually generate, but I think this was paramount in the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success as it gave everybody the opportunity to act, sing, dance and, most importantly, to have a good time. I still believe there is a wealth of undiscovered talent within this school, and I hope from the four nights of performances that we gave, we inspired a younger generation to follow in our footsteps. At the very least, I hope we encouraged that nervous newcomer to get up there for the first time. You never know, it could be the start of a great career. Hamish Wyllie

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still believe there is a wealth of undiscovered talent within this schoolâ&#x20AC;?

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Talent Show Chronicle

Did you have the M-Factor?

In March this year, the Houses went head-to-head in a charity fund-raiser in the Cargill Hall to help Morrison House raise money to sponsor a child in a developing country. This was a fabulous singing extravaganza with each House putting forward a male and female soloist and a group act. There was staunch competition between the Houses, with an eclectic choice of music. Each House also put forward a mentor to act as judge. The judges, Mr Hadcroft, Mrs Macdonald, Mr Shields and Mrs Harvie, gave Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne a run for their money. Mrs Harvie was disappointed that her limousine did not arrive on time (or at all)! In true X-Factor style, audience participation was key and the winning act was decided by a vote. Anjlee Patel of Temple ended up with the M-Factor on the night and won a £50 Apple store voucher for her efforts. We raised over £400 to help Morrison sponsor a child’s education in a developing country. Thanks to all the staff and pupils who helped create this very worthwhile and enjoyable event. J D Fulton

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Creative Arts

Gregor Stark, S3

Joseph Latimer, S5, Oils

Mhairi McNorrin, S1

Nina Petric Gray, S3

Karin Belch, S3

Megan Grierson, S4

P7, Visual Element Cubes

Andrew Halliday, P7, Mixed Media

Alasdair Dickson, S5, Welded Sculpture

S3 Anumita Dhulipala S2 Ceramic Portraits

Jason Long, S4

Eilidh Murdoch Aitchison, S2

Robyn Kennedy, S5, Mixed Media

George Elliot, S2

Gayle Pike, S5, Mixed Media

Iona Gordon

‘At the Window’ P7 Project

Joseph Latimer, S5, Mixed Media

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Creative Arts

Rachel Gill, S4, Acrylic

Bridget Fleming, S4, Mixed Media

Katherine Hedivan, S5, Mixed Media/Collage

Jenna Watson, S5, Mixed Media

Alice Goldie, S5, Mixed Media Screen Print

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Zara Reid, S5, Inks and Oil Bar

Claire Hutchison, S4, Lino cut hand-coloured

Katherine Rigg, S6, Oil Bar/Oil Painting

Alasdair Dickson, S5, Sculpture Mixed Media

Chloe Milligan, S5 , Mixed Media Print

Chloe Milligan, S5 , Mixed Media

Creative Arts

Shannon Kerr, S6 Acrylic

Alexandra Prior, S6, Screenprint

Ailie Hutcheson, S6, Oil Painting

Abigail Crowther, S6, Mixed Media and Wood

Ailie Hutcheson, S6, Oil Painting

Shannon Kerr, S6, Pastel Drawing

Annie Fenton, S6, Aluminium, Wood, Acrylic

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Creative Arts Calum McCormick, S3, Desk Tidy

Jennifer Merley, S4, Sculpture/Mixed Media

James Kirk, S4, Bottle Holder Rachel Gill, S4, Wall Clock

Robbie Halliday, S2, Phone Holder

Alexandra Jacob, S3

Hector Barbour, S4, Wall Clock

Emily Smith, S2

Fergus Watson, S4, Mirror

Finlay Clark, S2, Desk Tidy

Katherine Allan, S2, Desk Tidy

Jessica Scott, S5, Oil Bar Robert Primrose, S2, Desk Tidy

Peter Ritchie, S2

Megan Grierson, S4, Sculpture/ Mixed Media

Nicholas Kennowin, S4

Jamie Twohig, S6, CD Rack

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Annie Fenton, S6

Sandy Watson, S6

Creative Arts

Work Decus et tutamen. Branded on my shoulder like a steer, I have been given the face of a queen. A coat of arms sits proudly upon my back, Round, gold and gleaming like crystal in the sun. Ready to be of service and earn my keep. I am pushed across a marble counter, And imprisoned in a cage of leather. Light dazzles me as I am released From the dark leather prison. My captor squeezes me into a shopping trolley, And pushes it through double doors. I lie cold, forgotten and alone in the trolley, Until a bored boy spots me. Clasping me tightly like a warm embrace, He skips to a shop and places me on the counter. A bag of sweets, is that all I am worth? Resting in a till moving back and forth as if at sea. Plucked out by the shopkeeper, Dressed in yellow kit with whistle round neck. He runs out onto the pitch and flicks me High into the air, making me dizzy. The crowd roars with anticipation. I land, glimpse the blue sky and the fall under foot. Caked in mud, I wait, As the stadium falls quiet. The groundsman gently picks me up, Rubbing me with gnarled calloused fingers, He slips me into his pocket. When will my work stop?

Christina Wilson

A Day's Work Bang…Bang…Bang… Heavy steel-toe-capped boots march along the dusty workroom floor. I feel the charge of cool air as I am swept up from my resting place. My peaceful canvas surround no longer provides comfort as I am hoisted from my slumber. Out into the cool morning air, I shiver and shake and jostle for my position in the busy, bustling tool bag. I ripple and glint as the weak sunlight reflects on my shiny, silver body. I sharpen my teeth in anticipation of the day ahead; I am now primed for work! We arrive and I smell the fresh forest oak. I am eager to start my job, but hold back awaiting the command. My workmates assist, then finally it is my turn. I cautiously approach the wood particles; I grow stronger and build momentum. The smell of freshly sawn wood makes me tingle and I am truly happy at my work. At the end of the day, a soft gentle cloth cleans away the dust and grime from my labour and I happily nestle back into my canvas home. I can relax now, safe in the knowledge that I am valued and respected for the craft and precision work I do.

Decus et tutamen, An ornament and a safeguard.

A hard day's work: well done!

Calum Sloan

Adam Gillespie

Chronicle

Creative Arts The Crowd I had always loved the feeling of being swept along by a crowd of people in the city centre at night; especially in the pouring rain. The darkness in town isn’t like the darkness in other places. Darkness outside the city is all encompassing, a blanket of stillness. Some people find it peaceful, I find it unnerving; I need some sign of life, like a perpetual night-light. The town is full of signposts that people are there: neon shop signs, rosy windows of late-night coffee shops and taxi headlights shine through. ‘It’s OK’, they seem to say. ‘You’re not alone’. Why I was in town this particular evening doesn’t matter now, though at that moment seemed all-important. I do remember it was a beginning, not an end. I was doing nothing as mundane as going home. I had a purpose as I floated. Just like all the other drifters. I was driftwood on a sea of people. I let it carry me as it flooded around the corner of a department store only to be washed up at the door of an underground station then lifted again into the throng by a fresh surge of people through the station barriers. I was alone, but never deserted completely. I loved the namelessness of playing to the eddies and currents of the people I would most likely never know. It was only when the crowed slowed to a halt at a red light that I saw the woman. She was racked with the sobs of someone who has stopped trying to conceal her desperation. I could tell she had spent a great deal of time painstakingly arranging her dyed ‘Warm Chestnut’ hair into neat ringlets; but the downpour was quickly dissolving the tidy style into rats’ tails. Her elegant purple top was turning indigo as it got drenched. Her knee-length skirt clung to her legs in warped twists. Her meticulously applied mascara was running down her prettily powdered cheeks. She clasped a little girl’s arm in the way someone who has not yet learned to swim clutches a foam float. The crowd had respectfully parted to leave room for someone much larger than her where she was standing. There was a sense of mass pity towards this woman, but no one stopped. In fact people seemed to shy away from this woman’s misery. I hated them for avoiding her, but of course I didn’t do anything different. What could I do? I didn’t know what was wrong: whatever the problem, it was obviously serious. I loathed myself as I passed her; her desolate sobs followed me down the street. ‘Callum,’ she tried to call. It came out more as a tearful question. So that was it. She had lost a little boy. I had been lost as a child. I still remember it, though I can’t have been five yet when it happened, and I was gone so short a time my family barely had time to register my absence. I was on a family holiday to a tiny Scottish island. I remembered my mother’s lectures on staying together and not missing the last boat home, or we would be stranded. Of course we didn’t stay together. I stopped to examine a snail shell or dropped hair bobble or some other treasure on the side of the road. I could have only left my Grandpa’s side for a couple of minutes but when I stood up I was alone. I fell to pieces; with the crystal certainty of a young child I knew that my family would be forced to get on the boat without me and I would be left forever. I can only have been wailing for thirty seconds when I caught a glimpse of a pink bump over a dull rock that became a tiny figure in a bright pink cagoule with blue edging, dragging an even tinier toddler in an identical cagoule onto the rock beside her. I have never been more grateful for our mother's awful habit of dressing us in matching outfits, marking us as her own tribe. I remembered the horror and I had been separated from my family under a minute. By now I had been wandering away from the distraught woman for over ten minutes. I wondered about the kind of terror the little boy was feeling. My contentment at the anonymity of the crowd was gone as I passed a large music shop. The dance music and hordes of identically dressed teenagers my own age made me shy. I had never been into the ‘trendy’ music or worn the right clothes. It didn’t usually bother me but by now I was in such a foul mood I felt inadequate and lowered my head. My view of the pavement meant I only saw a parade of fashionable shoes. Boots, heels, Nikes. Boots, heels, Nikes. Boots, heels... a pair of tiny, shuffling neat black shoes. I looked up, shocked. A boy, small for his age. He had a pixie cut and elfin features. I half expected pointed ears. He looked magical, as if his delicate frame didn’t belong in this harsh world. His eyes were tearful. ‘Mummy?’ he almost whispered. ‘Callum?’ I loaded the word with hope. Somehow this boy’s separation from his mother had become linked with my own faith in people that evening. I wanted nothing more than to reunite the woman and her changeling child. ‘Yes,’ he looked up, eyes watery. ‘I know where your mum is. She’s looking for you.’ Suddenly the illusion dissolved. The boy dissolved into tears and he could have been any other little boy who was scared and alone and wanted his mother. I went to take his hand but somehow it seemed impolite. The boy was unfamiliar. I was just another part of his ordeal; he didn’t want my comfort. I carefully guided him by the shoulder through the streets. The walk passed in oddly formal silence. It also went much, much quicker now I had a reason to wish it to. We saw the woman again in what seemed like less than five minutes. She wasn’t crying any more, but was quiet in a way that seemed even worse. She had her arms wrapped around herself, as if holding herself together. She couldn’t let go or she might crumble right here in the middle of Glasgow. The boy was running now and I had to run to catch him before he bolted across the road. In no time at all the woman had seen him and was crying again, but with relief I knew I could barely imagine. She swept the boy up in her arms and told him repeatedly how he must never do that again! She thanked me tearfully before telling the boy how much she loved him and how he had scared her. I knew I no longer belonged in the moment so mumbled something and left as politely as I could. Walking away from the family an older woman stopped me. ‘Excuse me, did you find that lady’s wee boy? We’ve been helping her look.’ Somehow this made me much happier than any watery thanks from the mother. Someone on a busy street had stopped to help someone who needed it. People did care about each other; you were never just one of a crowd. I was filled to brimming with a sky blue happiness. I knew it couldn’t last forever. I would see someone else in terrible sadness that I couldn’t just fix. But I let myself savour the complete and uninterrupted joy. I rejoined the crowd, but this time trying hard to remember that every person who buffeted or propelled me, shoved past or slowed me down, had their own people that they loved; they could affect another person’s life for better or worse. I knew that no matter how big the crowd, I was never nameless.

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School Clubs Chess Club This year has seen a sharp rise in the popularity of the chess club, due in part to the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, which has focused the interests of many potential players. We were able to form a strong team, comprising Jason Long, Cosmo Grant, Haixi Yan and Martin Learmont, to participate in the various inter-school leagues and competitions. Disappointingly, this year we have failed to convert this strength into silverware, coming 2nd to St. Aloysiusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as the defending champions of the PB Anderson. We have also played several tense matches in the Glasgow and District Senior League. In the UK Land Chess Challenge, a competition played in schools across Britain, we have four qualifiers for the Mega final: congratulations are due to Jason Long, David Auld, Phillip Clarke and Connel Allison. These continued successes are, as ever, owed to the unremitting support of Mr McGranaghan, the head of the chess club, who has been active and supportive to all of our members. Thanks are also due to Dr Phillip Thomas who has provided much-needed tutorage and support to several of our strongest players. We all hope for further successes in the chess club, and are grateful to those who have allowed it to flourish. Jason Long

Computing Club We meet on Monday at 4:00. On the computers we can make music with Sibelius 4, a musicmaking programme, that allows you to choose your rhythm and listen to it at the end. We also have the wonderful thing called the Internet. This allows people to play games, search for various things and even chat to people through emails. You can also design your own computer desktop screens. A popular thing to do at Computing Club is to play on the program called Game Maker which allows you to create your own computer games. We welcome all pupils from S1 to S3 to come along and have some fun. Lewis Kennovin and Alan Baxter

Curling Ten pupils took to the ice for their Wednesday Games options at the curling arena in Braehead. During the first term, the pupils benefited from some excellent coaching; their technique and understanding of game tactics increased as did their confidence. The House points competition was held at the end of the first term with the final results being Arthur 4, Fraser 3, Temple 2 and Morrison 0. The overall individual winner was Jessica Bell (S6, Arthur). Over the Spring term, two rinks were entered in the Glasgow Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Curling League and although no trophies were won, everyone gave of their best against very strong opposition. In the final bonspiel of the League, Hamish Duda (S6) was in the winning mixed schools rink. In March the traditional Accies v Pupils match took place at Braehead. This match was more of a social event with the teams swapping members after three ends; congratulations to the Accies who won the match overall! As most of the curlers leave this year, I wish them every success in their future. My thanks go to the Games department for their continued support for this minority sport; the parents who came along to support their children in the match against the Accies and finally to all the pupils who were, as always, great ambassadors for the school and for curling. J Andrews

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Pi Club Despite its name, Pi club really has nothing to do with Pi at all. Think of it instead as all about playing lots of fun and interesting games. We meet in Room F at 1:15 on Fridays; all are welcome to join. One of the games we play is called Blockus. In the game, you must fill the board with coloured shapes while blocking your opponents in an attempt to be the sole survivor. Another game is Time Shock, a fastpaced game where lots of different shapes have to be placed into their correct holes under the pressure of time. Traffic is a challenging game where you have to guide rescue vehicles through varying levels of traffic jams. Other than the ones described here, there are many other games and puzzles for your to enjoy. So why not come along and cure your boredom? Thomas Connor

Debating Society Although it is becoming a cliché, this truly has been a busy year for the Debating Society. Never strangers to controversy, the society has voted in favour of smoking, against aid to Africa and decided to replace all teachers with computers. Still, despite these lapses in morality, the society continues to be well attended, buoyed especially by our new high-capacity haunt in the relocated history department. Aside from controversy, the Debating Society, this year led by Caitlin Dunbar and Seamus McGuigan, has enjoyed several memorable moments. One such success was our Presidential Debate, in which Alfie Lloyd and Sam Reilly (who honourably volunteered to play the part of the Republican) passionately fielded questions, without prepared notes from our sharp-minded audience. The House Debating Competition, which was, as always, the highlight of the debating year, ended in a close run final between Temple and Morrison with the motion, “This House Believes Ignorance is Bliss,” with Temple, represented by the inimitable Cosmo Grant and the quick-witted Sam Reilly, narrowly achieving victory. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. V.W. Hadcroft, who, during and prior to my limited tenure at the Debating Society, has always provided fair and unbiased judging at the house competition. Despite his threats to return to judge next year’s competition, he will be sorely missed. Finally, one last ‘thank you’ for Ms. Fulton, who, although she could be doing much more important things (coffee springs to mind), chooses to spend her lunch break keeping our volatile minds under control: without her I would not have lived to tell the tale. Seamus McGuigan

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The Gavel Club When Mr Hadcroft was asked to oversee The Gavel Club, he was, understandably, a little reluctant: to give up two hours after school on a Friday is no small commitment. However, he agreed to oversee it temporarily; that was twenty-four years ago. Since then he has heard countless speeches on every imaginable topic. This year, Miss Jillian Scott alone covered mercury, credit cards, shaving legs, reading minds, weatherpredicting toasters and hugging—all in just one of her weird and wonderful speeches. He has heard criticisms ranging from the kindest to the most savage (newcomers Miss Madeleine Airlie and Miss Lily Mortimer both managed the near-impossible with their original, constructive and humorous criticisms). In the topics session, he has heard speakers extemporize with aplomb in response to serious issues and light-hearted questions; this year, the topic ‘your memories of school trips’ generated hilarious stories, but brought back a painful memory for me involving Irn-Bru, deodorant and a boy named Simon—don’t ask. In short, Mr Hadcroft has encountered and encouraged over a quarter-century all those pupils who dared venture into the club. From all those at Gavel: thank you and good luck in your retirement. Cosmo Grant

Your Turn We went on a three-day course to improve our leadership skills. On the first day, we went to the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living and learned about the jobs which they did there. We learned skills such as teamwork. We made up a business and learnt to invest our money. This felt like a productive day. On the second day, we went to Glasgow University. We took part in a debate over youth curfews and looked at the separate points of view of those involved in youth ‘pleasure’. On the final day, we met at the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue department. We discussed what improvements could be made to our school; the way in which it is run and how we could break the barrier between public and private school children. By the end of the three days, we became comfortable in expressing our ideas and views. We had many opportunities to show our leadership skills. Lily Mortimer, Karin Belch, Euan Dowers and Danae Constantine Hajivassiliou

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The Eco-Committee The Eco-Committee has certainly come a long way in the last year with membership of the group widened to include pupils from all year groups in the Senior School. The eco-committee is a pupil-led group that aims to make the school a more sustainable organisation in fun and interesting ways. Together we chose four targets to focus on for in the 2008-9 session: recycling; energy; Fairtrade and communications. With each target having its own designated group it allowed pupils to really lead the initiative within the school, giving every member of the group responsibility for achieving our aims. At the start of the year the recycling group were confronted with the task of, not only introducing a sustainable paper recycling scheme, but also the problem of where to store the collected paper. After checking the capacity of all the bins in the Senior School and consulting with Dr. Kerr and the janitorial staff, we managed to acquire a new Recycling dumpster to hold the collected paper. This was a huge achievement for the Eco-Committee and doubled the school’s capacity to recycle paper, plastic bottles and tin cans. We also, with the support of staff, began implementing a paper recycling scheme across the Senior School which ought to be sustainable for years to come. However, the Eco-Committee did not stop there! We also signed up for the ‘Recycool’ initiative, which consists of the school collecting old mobile phones, ink cartridges and PDAs to be recycled and the school is rewarded with funding for future recycling projects. Although we have made considerable progress in recycling, there remains much work to be done. The Fairtrade group worked hard throughout the year to prepare for The Glasgow Academy’s Fairtrade week. We organised a number of action-packed activities, including a raffle in the Prep School, a staff coffee morning and a pupil-led tuck-shop (with a Fairtrade chocolate fountain and Fairtrade products). The week was rounded off nicely with an inter-house ‘Banana Sports Day’. Each house volunteered a team to compete in three highly entertaining events: “peel the banana without your hands”, “chuck a banana” and “the banana relay”. We also welcomed Benjamin Williams from Traidcraft to our Monday assembly to speak about the purpose and aims of the Fairtrade movement as well as having the opportunity to learn more about trade and social justice through house and tutor discussions. The monies raised were given to the worthwhile organisation, Vet Aid, who provide Vets for African animals. The week was a huge success and the pupils worked hard to make it happen. We are branching out this year and are working towards becoming a Fairtrade school - which should involve even more interestingly themed events! Our third group, energy, has started to make some real progress but it was more difficult to begin with. Energy efficiency is our number one priority in 2009/10 and we are in the final stages of establishing The Glasgow Academy’s carbon footprint, which is the first step in making us more eco-friendly. In order to better understand the impact we have as a school, three pupils attended a conference at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh entitled “Climate Change: Are You in The Dark?”.This was educational and interesting, as we learnt about tackling Climate Change at home and abroad and heard from several motivational speakers. It gave us plenty of ideas for the 2009/10 year, and we hope to report great improvements next year. Finally, the communications group made sure students were kept up to date with any happenings in the other groups. We were regular contributors to morning assemblies and could often be found updating our notice board (which is next to the nurse’s office). As a result of this hard work the Senior School achieved a Bronze Award from Eco-schools Scotland and all this would not have been possible without the help and support of our fellow pupils, the Rector, the Senior Leadership Team and all of the staff who have supported our efforts. Special thanks in particular go to Mr Etherington for all his words of wisdom and guidance throughout the year. Let us hope the next year will be equally, if not more, successful. Nina Morrison and Sarah Hochfield

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FashionShow In September, 2008, the Art, Craft and Design department initiated an S3-S6 lunch-time club to cater for pupils interested in textile and fashion design. Soon after formation, the club decided to base their first project on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Metro Challengeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, an annual UK competition, involving Art school students producing garments from newspapers and every day recyclable materials. 69 newspapers, 15 rolls of sticky tape, 29 Pritt sticks and 42 packs of staples later, the Art club have folded, woven, stapled and glued with impressive enthusiasm and ingenuity. The results are fantastic, and are testament to the talent we have here at The Glasgow Academy. H Wellcoat

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CCF RN Section Another reasonably busy year for the Royal Navy Section began in September with a healthy number of cadets. Although there is still an alarming imbalance in favour of the fairer sex, this is not unique to the Academy but is mirrored on a national basis.

The Section attended the launch of HMS Dragon in November and acted as chaperones to Mrs David’s P3 class who were also guests. The emotion felt in Glasgow as a new ship takes the water for the first time is an incredible feeling difficult to describe yet very real.

Recruit training was held at the Garelochhead Training Camp on the first weekend of October and although atrocious weather meant that the programme was continually the subject of change, it proved a valuable get-together in particular for the staff who had to think on their feet, work as a team and gave a good example of what the end product of the CCF should be: leadership, adaptability and a sense of humour. Whereas we had no vessel on this occasion, the RN DID make an appearance when some of our cadets enjoyed a flight in a search and rescue Sea King from HMS Gannet. Although not booked by us, the aforementioned teamwork - especially with the ATC from Coatbridge - enabled us to do some beneficial bargaining!

In December eight cadets formed part of the national Mine-Counter Measures Experience in its now permanent home of HMS Neptune. They spent a day at sea on board HMS Bangor, undergoing a typical day in the life of an RN ship at sea. The following day they enjoyed a varied programme which included shooting, sea training with the Royal Marines, an introduction to naval diving and bomb disposal and leadership training. This is now developing into an excellent opportunity to get up close and personal with front line units of the RN and RM.

The October field day was also a casualty of the weather when even our friendly fleet tender refused to go to sea!

Easter, as ever, was spent with a week’s training cruise on board the RMAS Oronsay, cadets undergoing training in coastal navigation, buoyage recognition, boat handling and ship’s husbandry as well as visiting a wide variety of ports in the Firth of Clyde.

Remembrance at the Academy is always a red-letter occasion - more so this year when the CCF was invited to take part in the National Remembrance Parade in Whitehall. This was a tremendously moving experience and the pride felt by the cadets and myself as we marched past the Cenotaph was palpable. Lt Doug Wylie RN, previously CPO Doug Wylie, a past AI and friend of the Academy was also on duty and, at a later date, commented favourably on our marching skills and presentation. Thank you, Mr Duff!!

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The Royal Marines visited the Academy in January and instructed the cadets in hand to hand combat and self-defence techniques.

We experimented with the Summer Field Days, journeying to the Scout/RN Cadet Force Sailing Centre in Southport, Lancashire. In glorious weather, the cadets sailed Picos, built rafts, tried windsurfing and generally had a wonderful time. Finance permitting we will go again.

As ever Summer Camp was on board HMS Bristol and, again, four cadets won scholarships to sail the Challenger Fleet, visiting Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, Belfast and Falmouth. There are many people I have to thank: the cadets themselves for continuing to support the Section’s activities, our AI CPO Derik Nordon and Lt Alison Smith from Dollar Academy for helping with our sailing. However, there are three people who will be sadly missed in the future S/Lt Fallone, who has now relinquished her duties with the CCF due to work commitments, and my two senior cadets, Sheona Shankland and Iona Brodie, who have been hardworking, supportive, critical when needed and showed the CCF and the Academy in their best life - always. All three ladies will be sadly missed.

Rob Williams Lt Cdr (CCF) RNR

CCF Army Section After venturing over the border to Warcop for the Annual Army Camp in 2008, this year we decided to return to the more familiar regime at Barrybuddon, on the east coast, just north of Dundee. 36 cadets from S3 to S6 attended this year where they enjoyed a week full of both adventurous and army training of the highest standard. The first two days were spent at Ballater, where we stayed in the famous Victoria Barracks, normally used only by the Queen’s Guard when she and her family are in residence at Balmoral. This is an excellent adventurous training area and for two warm and sunny days everyone enjoyed abseiling off a 200ft high cliff, command tasks, kayaking at Aboyne Loch and walking in the beautiful mountains of Glenshee and Lochnagar.

The weather followed us to Barrybuddon, where wetsuits and walking gear were exchanged for army uniforms. The June Field Days had this year been mainly given over to learning about and passing a weapons handling test on the new updated cadet GP rifle and all the hard work now paid dividends. The week continued with shooting on the excellent range complex, section attacks, ambushes and camping in a forest for the night - although no tents were provided; the cadets had to work in small groups to construct a watertight shelter for the night using minimal equipment between the trees! They also had to cook their own food and here many discovered the delights of army ration packs for the first time!

As you can see from the photographs “a good time was had by all” and many have already asked to reserve their place for next year. All of this could not have happened without the dedication and commitment given by staff and I am indebted to Lieutenant Mathewson, Capt McCallum, WO2 Duff and U/O Whyte for their support. Thanks must also be given to Miss Brackenridge for coming to Barrybuddon to see what Army Camp was all about. I do hope that she will come back next year…

EA Gilmour

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CCF RAF Section A visit to the “Secret Bunker” in Fife was the venue of our Field day in the first term. This gave a fascinating insight into the Cold War period and how Scotland would have been governed, had there been a Nuclear attack. During the first week of the summer holidays 15 cadets travelled to RAF Cranwell for our annual camp. Unfortunately, due to the shrinking size of the RAF and its present active role overseas places were limited.

RAF Cranwell is the home of officer recruitment and initial training, so there was plenty of opportunity to fly. All cadets flew in the Grob (Tutor), which they usually fly on visits to Glasgow airport for their air experience flights. There was then the opportunity for a flight in a King Air, which is used for Aircrew initial training or a Dominie, which is used for training pilots of multi-engine aircraft. There were the usual section visits,

but three were memorable. A visit to a rehearsal of the RAF Regiment Band demonstrated that even professional musicians don’t get it right! At the training facility for engineer officers Sgt. James Robertson sat in the back seat of a Jaguar as the trainees learned how to taxi the aircraft and manoeuvre it on the ground. A guided tour of the RAF College introduced many cadets to famous characters in RAF history for the first time. Our first day was spent at Duxford Air Museum and set the tone for the camp. In a week of blistering heat an afternoon of water sports was welcome relief and a visit to Lincoln on our last evening rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable week.

A L Evans

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Bisley 2009 This year’s trip to NRA Bisley was a very worthwhile and enjoyable experience for the shooting team. Twelve shooters, including five “first-timers”, were accompanied by Capt Gilmour and WO2 Duff to the prestigious School’s Week where they took part in many competitions during the first three days before Ashburton Day, the highlight of the year for cadet full-bore shooters. The team shot very successfully, achieving scores considerably higher than in recent years and frequently making their way onto the leader boards of several competitions. Particular mention should here go to the younger shooters who on several occasions outperformed the shooting team veterans! On the Tuesday evening the team experienced the alternative discipline of Clay Pigeon Shooting. This provided an enjoyable respite from the regular fullbore target shooting upon which the week was based. Emily Dow achieved an impressive result of nine clays out of ten. On the Wednesday evening we also left the camp altogether to go to the premiere of the new Harry Potter movie in Woking, a gesture which was not lost on any of us!

While everybody in the team exceeded expectations in their shooting, particular credit should go to three cadets. Catherine Reid achieved the highest single score in the team of the week, attaining 34 with 2 V-bulls and Scott Gilmour achieved the highest aggregate score over the whole week. Iona Brodie was selected to shoot the Spenser Mellish. This is the final competition of the week and one in which the shooter has to fire without help from any outside coach – not an easy task at the best of times and far harder when everyone is watching you. Well done to Iona for scoring 44 out of a possible 50 and including 2 V-bulls too! During Ashburton Day the team of eight were second in the London Scottish Challenge, each winning a bronze medal, while the team of four were third in the Open Four, each winning an engraved spoon. Several engraved spoons were earned in competitions throughout the week. Badges were awarded to 5 who achieved Marksman level, and a further 6 who achieved either skilled Shot or rilfeman – all in all a very fine result.

All this could not have happened without the dedication and expertise of our coach, Allan Mabon, whose direction throughout the whole of the full-bore season made all of this possible We were delighted to welcome the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr Gordon Jack, who gave up his valuable time to support us on Ashburton Day and also to attend the annual Bisley Dinner. This year the London Branch of the Aademicals took us out for the evening to the Surrey Club, one of the famous Bisley Shooting clubs and we are indebted to them for this treat which we all look forward to on the last evening before the long journey home. A grand farewell should be said to the retiring captain, James Robertson, and the retiring vice captain, Iona Brodie who both proved themselves more than capable of handling the responsibility this year and who will be missed by all in the team. The captain for the year 2009-2010 will be Scott Gilmour and the vice captains will be Catherine Reid and Scott Smylie. I am sure that all three will take their duties in their stride – whilst also enjoying their time on the ranges. E A Gilmour

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Senior School Rugby

1st XV A

fter the South African tour the team had started to gel and the boys were looking forward to a promising season with all the experience they had gained from the home of the World Champions. The front row consisted of several players who each got a chance to prove their worth to the school’s team. Alessio Marchetti set his mark for the season following his last two years of experience in the 1st XV with great counter-rucking and aggressive tackling. Crawford Leslie had a more difficult start as he moved from prop to hooker, where he finally made his place known with fine lineout throwing. Alfie Lloyd’s good athletic ability allowed him to get around the park with ease and steal ball for the team, keeping Crawford hot on his heels for his position. Steven Dickson saw his first year in the 1st XV as a regular due to his infamous attitude and reputation on the pitch, bullying the opposition where he saw fit. Tom Primrose showed that even as a young 4th year, he could stand his own at 1st XV level in the front row, proving to be a worthy asset to the team. Adil Shafi made his way from the 3rd XV to the 1st XV as he demonstrated on tour that he had something to offer to the team, his jumping skills were key for the middle and back of the lineout. Jamie Swanson added bulk to the pack and proved himself worthy of gaining entry to Scotland U17s squad this year despite struggling with several injuries throughout the season; his powerful running and inspirational hits in defence helped motivate the team when times were low. Rory Stewart and Graeme Wallace were often found in the thick of things, whatever

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the case, making themselves heard in the heat of the match. Alistair Harvie’s exceptional work rate was crucial for the forwards to gain momentum. Kenny Beattie and Elliot Connell came into the squad in the latter half of the season demonstrating their skill and will no doubt be an important part of next year’s team.

Robert McAlpine and Jamie Twohig captained and vicecaptained the squad this year as they both entered their 3rd season of school 1st XV rugby; Robert trained in Spain with the Scotland U17 squad during the summer and passed his expertise to the rest of the team, leading by example. He was then selected for the Scotland U18 team and travelled to Parma, Italy for the 5 Nations Festival. Jamie Twohig had to captain the latter half of the season, being one of the team’s most versatile backs, playing at scrum-half, centre and full-back on occasion. His footwork saw him slice the defence several times in most games. Stand-off was contested for all season by Michael Macbeth and Andrew McLay. Michael’s

quick thinking helped move the back line with good variation and creativity; Andrew on the other hand preferred to work with his boot and keep the score board ticking. Charlie Brooke and Quintin Liao provided a perfect combination in the midfield of skill, pace and power. Charlie, despite being plagued with injuries throughout the season, still managed to have an impressive inter district championship with Glasgow U17s. Quintin managed to score some crucial tries through the centre and wing. The surprise of the year was Cameron McCall making his entrance to the 1st XV in the second game of the season against High School of Glasgow where he produced an admirable performance, playing in all matches thereafter. Colin Gemmill’s dazzling speed and jinky runs allowed him to power through on the wing while Robert Stevenson’s superb defensive skills and gritty determination saw him make appearances in the centre. Ross Ferguson played scrum-half and full-back for the team; his impressive box kicks helped move the team into good tactical positions off lineout. Michael Wiggins grew into the full-back shirt nicely, making fantastic try-saving tackles into touch and launching the ball up field when he could.

The season started well, following the tour of South Africa with a fine win against George Heriot’s. After last year’s feat the nerves were high going into kick off. The first half saw Ross Fitzpatrick race over the whitewash to score a wonderful try in the corner. Unfortunately this high was short lived as Ross broke his collar bone so badly that he could not rejoin the team all season. However, the win was slightly bittersweet as five of the original starting line-up had fallen to injury going into the High School of Glasgow derby; it was here that the young 4th year Cameron McCall showed his worth on the wing, moving from 2nd team scrum-half. Despite the greatest of efforts the game was lost and the boys lost the brilliant morale and team spirit that had been dug up over the tour and the previous win. It took a hard-fought game against St. Aloysius’ to find the spirit again. It took Ross Ferguson and Robert McAlpine to keep us neck and neck with St Aloysius’: however, St Aloysius’ superior kicking kept them one point ahead as Quintin Liao scored on full time. Despite the loss it was an inspirational performance for the team. This misfortune to lose by one point fell in our favour against former Scottish Schools Cup winners Bell Baxter where the boys pulled it together and held their nerves to keep the lead.

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Overall, the season was hard: we learnt a lot about ourselves and each other. Playing in the school’s 1st XV made us better people by learning to deal with the challenges that faced us. A special thank you goes out to the coaching staff. Mr Campbell made a huge effort to come out and train with us on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Thanks also go to his assistants Mr McAslan, Mr Kirby and Mr Gillies. We wish the boys all the best for next season. Robert McAlpine and Jamie Twohig

Rugby results 2008-2009 Points for

Points Against

209

236

219

159

119

316

4 XI

3 yr. A

366

255

3rd yr. B

459

219

2 yr. A

418

238

2nd yr. B

112

235

1st yr. A

173

156

1 yr. B

186

1st yr. C

P7 A

163

P7 B

131

P7 C

P6 A

P6 B

143

P6 C

Played

Won

Lost

1st XI

2 XI

3rd XI

th rd

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Drawn

2nd XV T

he 2nd XV started the season as they wished to go on: an astounding triumph over George Heriot’s was a great morale booster for the team and with 14 wins and 6 losses they certainly proved themselves.

However, it was a hard and demanding season. The 2nd XV was plagued by injuries and many players were called up to the 1st XV. That being said, they strove on. The injuries brought fresh new fourth year talent with the like of Alastair Spike, who received the award for try of the season with his gallant run past most of the Merchiston team to score five points under the posts. Bravo, Alastair! The commitment the team put in this year was outstanding and the passion they had for the sport was clear for all to see. However, without the efforts of our coach Mr John Kirby this season’s wins would not have been achievable and for that we thank him. Rugby although being a team sport has its stars, and the talent of some players could not go without mention. Andrew McLay’s left boot was a beacon of hope as it positioned us well on the park and gained us many drop goals and conversions.

Our player of the season, Iain McCallum, made ground wherever he went and his ball handling skills allowed for quick off-loads and many tries. A real play maker! A special mention has to go to the front five: Tom Primrose, Alfie Lloyd, Iain Parry, Kenneth Beattie and Jonny McLellan. These forwards set a solid platform from which Robert Beattie, our scrum half, could form the offensive.

in the front row who often proved too much for opposing scrums as this was an area in which we were fairly strong. Penetrating runs were made from the back row as well through the likes of Lewis Henry and Ali Spike. When we needed the ball passed out we had a more than capable back line to utilise. The boot of Craig McLay was used effectively, as was the strong running of Lawrence Russo in the centre and the raw pace of Kenny Scott on the wing was a great asset to the team. Alasdair Dickson also did a terrific job at full back, often relieving the pressure on the rest of the team by making some surging runs.

Finally, I would like to say a fond farewell to our senior leavers, Findlay, Philip and Fergus, who have been key to the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. Their talents will be sorely missed. Iain Parry

3rd XV T

he 3rd XV had a very mixed season this year. We started off quite slowly but managed to rack up victories against the likes of Dundee High School. A revenge win against The High School of Glasgow at the end of the season was definitely a highlight of the season.

When on the back foot, we put up a staunch defensive line and with great tacklers like Andrew Murdoch we did well to hold off the best of attacks. I would like to pass on my thanks on behalf of the team to Mr. Furnish for being a terrific coach throughout all my years at the Academy. I would also like to thank all the boys for their effort and enthusiasm this season and wish them luck for next season. Bruce Peat

The forward pack was particularly strong throughout the year, with Jordan Sproule, Cameron Perry and Jamie Dickson providing a solid base

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3rd Year ‘A’ T

his season we have come through some good spells with help from the forwards, George Finlay and Alex Bartlett making the first hits and setting the tone, along with the front row which had many changes, Jack Wiggins being consistent. Our new additions to the team were Harry Walker punching up through the centre and Kevin Bellini bringing his passion over from LA to the second row. The team as a whole has faced many surprising changes and adapted well, the back line especially when challenged with injuries. We had an exciting run through the cup competition, starting from the very beginning against Tobermory, to the last 16 which we disappointingly and narrowly lost against an equally strong North Berwick side. The Saturday matches were both pleasing and disappointing - starting the season off with a good confident performance against George Heriot’s, we won about one more than we lost but enjoyed it all the way. Max Brown helped us in deep with players moving up like Scott Henderson putting in a tough defence at the back with Chris Coutts and Laurence Prior joining him, making a strong back 3. We also had our consistently strong players like Brodie Clark, Kris Boyle and Robby Brown in attack. Other players that joined us were Suhaib Siddiqui and Chris Scade in the forwards, both making an impact. At the beginning of the season was the Kelvinside sevens tournament, for which we did not have a lot of preparation. We got through to the semis losing only one match by a point to Galashiels. We faced a strong Hutchie side where we came out on top and then faced High School in the final. It was an exciting and tense match with lots of tries and, in the end, we won the cup. As a team it has been our best season so far. We have improved a lot and for this, grateful thanks must go to Mr Weston. Fraser Webster

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3rd Year ‘B’ A

fter a great and successful season in 2nd year, the team went into this rugby season with high hopes of beating top teams. Hard fought, yet decisive wins early in the season against teams such as George Watson’s boosted our confidence. So did our match against Hutchie; under hard rain and hail stones, we defended excellently to hold Hutchie out, only to concede late on and draw. Great wins against Edinburgh Academy and Stewart’s Melville, along with a tight 12-10 victory against Dollar, proved the quality of the team. An injury prone A team gave many B team players the opportunity to break into the A team. Our new American asset Kevin Bellini grabbed this opportunity and cemented his place. Great performances from every player led to yet another successful season. Connor Sproule

2nd Year ‘A’ T

his season started well with a very strong away win against George Heriot’s. The following weekend another close encounter occurred with a rapidly improving High School team where we came out the victors with a close winning margin of two points. Our forwards performed excellently, showing great aggression at the breakdown and also out-powering a very strong High School pack. In the next few games more victories were recorded against slightly weaker sides but nonetheless they were solid results. All these wins showed fantastic ability from our forwards, including some fine individual tries.

The next few weeks before the Christmas break were disappointing for the team in many ways as we lost to all of the Edinburgh sides, with many injuries being inflicted on a rapidly shortening list of players. Our team lacked self-belief, which was a huge contributor to the losses we suffered. After Christmas things did not brighten with more defeats to sides that we should have beaten, but it provided great lessons in maturity for many of the players. However, we had an uplifting victory against Marr in awful conditions which yet again proved the skill and handling of our improving backline. A significant number of tries were scored from our backs who had pace to spare on the outside. As the rugby season came to a close we think all of the players will be happy with their efforts over the

season but will know what they have to improve on for another year of intense rugby. Another thing that was quite pleasing to see was that a selection of our players were chosen for the Glasgow rugby regional squads, with Lyle Hill and Max Aitchison making the final team. We would like to thank our coach Mr McCaskey for his support and Mr Weston for his Thursday sessions. Max Aitchison, Lyle Hill and Andrew MacLachlan

2nd Year ‘B’ T

his season has had its ups and downs, but to take this team’s performance only on results would undermine the highs and not show the character of this team. There were many highs, like putting up a fight against a strong Watson’s team and a big Edinburgh Academy team. These results were close in tight matches, with the scores 5 tries to 3 and 4 tries to 2 respectively. Our team was chopped and changed throughout the season. Our front row was changed over the season but we eventually finished with Jack Lang at hooker and Rob Primrose and Ross Jones. They were strong in attack and defence. Second row was nearly always our weak spot, with William Brooke playing well throughout the season and Cameron Murdoch tackling well. The back row was powerful, with Paul Branford fast in attack and good in defence and with Fraser Wright and Calum Sloan at flanker, both playing well. Scrum half changed over the season, with Nico Genasi starting the season, but being overshadowed by Alastair McDonald who stopped a certain try against Edinburgh Academy. At 10 was Matthew Gray who played well through the season. At centre was Finlay Johnstone and Wenrui Sun, with Jack Sleight being moved up to the A team during the season. At full back was Greg Blackburn, who identified the attacking threats from our opposing teams and addressed these effectively. If this season was all about winning we would have failed but for enthusiasm we would have passed with flying colours. Matthew Gray

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1st Year T

his year’s rugby season was a fantastic success for the whole team. Unfortunately, however, we have had countless injuries and very rarely got out a full team in the first half of the year. Our season started off well with an end-to-end victory over George Heriot’s. Up until Christmas the wins and losses were inconsistent with five wins and a total of four defeats. In the second half of the season we had a full team out for almost every game. Convincing successes over Edinburgh Academy and Bell Baxter boosted team morale. The team also defeated Dollar by one conversion in a tense and hard-fought match. Overall, the season was extremely successful with the help of our experienced coaches, Mr Bull and Mr Kirby. Throughout the season the matches contained very high scores with Jamie Robinson, our junior Usain Bolt, on the wing scoring a plentiful number of tries. Pack leader Christopher Haughey proved very powerful at number eight. Ross

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Swanson, Taylor Sime and Callum Tilston provided the bulk up front. Adam Gillespie and Ali Gibson contributed to a strong second row and Fraser Cannon supplied brilliant ball to the ever-changing back line. Throughout the season the backs held a strong defence and showed flair in attack. Kerr Moir, Innes Hopkins, Connell Allison and Robert Sandford consistently provided speed and power. Angus Neilson and Zuhayr Siddiqui changed between positions throughout the season, proving to be agile and showing tenacity wherever they played. Overall, the season was a huge success and the team should feel particularly proud of themselves for the year’s achievements. James Wilson

Senior School Hockey

1st XI W

e began the season with very few players remaining from the previous year, but all the new players settled in and adapted to playing in the 1st XI. We all got on extremely well and this was definitely the most enjoyable year of hockey. I will miss the Saturday morning banter and our weekly inspirational quote from Zara Reid that always got us pumped for the match. Our first game against Kelvinside, which we won 1-0, was a vast confidence boost for us. After the first few matches, we were able to identify our weaknesses and improve hugely. Possession was key to making our Saturday morning fixtures more successful, so we worked on it a great deal. Jenny Sinclair was a very influential and strong player in central midfield, always supporting the defence, but still pushing the play forward for attack. Rhian Dawes showed how much of an adaptive player she was by starting the session

in defence and gradually making her way to attack. Lesley Smart has certainly made a great impression on the whole team: she steadily gained confidence in her goalkeeping skills and her encouraging comments made their way through the midfield and onward to the strikers. Anna Smrckova is a strong and loud player who always supports and offers for a pass. Amy Davis is a fantastic player who never gives up and consistently plays her heart out. Lynsey Scott was a late arrival to the 1st XI, but she fitted in straight away and performed superbly for every match.

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The BP Plate final was a very exciting moment for the whole team. Everyone put 100% effort into the match and even though it was full of wonderful goals, unfortunately, we lost 5-3. Our strengths were definitely the high levels of fitness which a majority of the team possessed. This was extremely useful in our sevens tournaments in which we performed well, especially in the High School tournament where we made it to the semi-final. This year has been very eventful and I will miss the team a great deal. I would like to thank Mrs Crawford, Miss Dobbie and Miss Allen for their coaching, support and encouragement this year. I wish next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team every success. Abigail Crowther

Hockey Results 2008-2009 Played

Won

Lost

Drawn

Goals For

Goals Against

1st XI

Boys' 1st XI

2nd XI

Boys' 2nd 9 XI

3rd XI

4th XI

3rd yr. A

3rd yr. B

2nd yr. A

2nd yr. B

1st yr. A

1st yr. B

1st yr. C

P7 A

P7 B

P7 C

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2nd XI T

his year was another good year for the 2nd XI. The team welcomed a lot of new players, which gave us all the opportunity to get to know girls from other year groups. The Fourth Years adapted very well to senior hockey and were all key elements in the team; players from older years also helped them in their transition by encouraging them and getting to know them early on. Our season started off slowly with a few draws in the first matches; however, we soon saw this change to more wins and this soon raised our confidence. Attending fitness sessions on Monday or Thursday lunchtimes saw the team’s fitness improve and this was noticeable during our Saturday matches. One of the best games was played against St. Aloysius’. The score was 3-1, with a fabulous goal being scored by Fabia Duncan which went straight to the top right corner. Not progressing to the second stage of the West District Tournament was disappointing, but the team did not let this hinder their efforts for the final few matches of the season. It seems to be a tradition now that the last match of the season is played against Kelvinside. This year it was slightly different as, although we were playing Kelvinside, it was their 1st XI team. This caused some uncertainty amongst us, but as usual, we worked hard and played our best making it an enjoyable experience. The squad had many strengths: these included a hard-working attitude and willingness to take on board and apply tips from coaches. On behalf of myself and the other sixth years, Katrina Wallace, Susannah Duncan, Shannon Kerr, Sarah Bannerman, we will definitely miss playing in the 2nd XI. On behalf of the team, I would like to thank the parents who can always be heard at the side of the pitch, and of course Mrs Crawford, Miss Dobbie and Miss Allan who all helped us to improve as a team. Jillian Scott

3rd XI T

his year we had to deal with many changes to our team, but as the season progressed the team became much stronger and more determined.

Lucy McPhail was outstanding in the goal, only letting in a total of twelve goals. Our defence have been a major strength with their ability to tackle, dribble and to clear balls out of defence. I was extremely impressed with Kirsty Hall, who played some games for the 3rd XI before moving up to the 2nd XI. Unfortunately, due to bad weather we played fewer games than scheduled; however, we still managed to play a total of ten games with very good results. The forwards and midfielders all worked hard this year scoring many goals between them. Anna Petrie, in particular, worked hard with penalty corners and this was one of our strengths. As the only 6th Year on the team after Sheona Shankland, one of our strong defenders, suffered a knee injury, I felt I had the responsibility to motivate the team and overall I really enjoyed being a captain in my last year at The Glasgow Academy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the players for their help and support throughout the year. Ailie Hutcheson

4th XI A

lthough we have scored a number of goals this season, it has been a little bit disappointing in terms of winning our matches. The team started off slowly, but we soon developed strong bonds and friendships. This created a powerful team spirit throughout the team which we transferred onto the pitch. This new team spirit began to show in one of our first matches against Heriot’s where we faced tough opposition. After a hard-fought match, we narrowly missed out on a win by a single goal. With the help of our coach, Miss McSween, we developed well as a team and our play on the pitch improved throughout the season. The team’s enthusiasm grew as we developed our skills and became more focused in our games. Our strong defence consisting of Eilidh Crawford, Fiona McDonald, Jennie Speedie, Rachel Porteous and Joanne McIntyre created a virtual barrier for our consistent goalie,Caitlin Thompson. At the other end of the pitch, the

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strikers, Alice Horne, Anna Ross, Anna Clarke and Katherine Raison performed beautifully, resulting in some excellent goals. The midfielders Alex Campbell, Eve McQuarrie, Jennifer Sinclair, Shona McVicar and Jenna Watson helped pass the ball towards the strikers and supported our defence. Overall, it was an enjoyable first season as captain and I hope the skills we have learned will be carried through to next year.

challenging. Throughout the turmoil, centre midfielder Karin Belch proved to be our ‘rock’ and her ability to distribute the ball perfectly was second to none. Karin narrowly missed West District selection this year, but I hope with a little more experience she will achieve this level in the months and years ahead. The ‘B’ team was captained by Pamela Sandford, who was a steady force throughout the season. Defender Charlotte Alford, who was selected for several ‘A’ team games, was an extremely solid and dependable influence at the back. The team started strongly with three credible wins and the season was peppered with a number of victories.

Jenna Watson

Sevens T

he sevens season brought mixed results for the 1st VII. TheTournament at Hutchesons’ was the first of the 7s, the girls were drawn in a tough pool, losing to St Aloysius’ and Hutchesons’ and drawing with Craigholme. This was the first of four tournaments and was always going to be hard as the girls adapted from eleven a side to the 7s style of play. West District Tournament was next in line and the girls held Hutchesons’ to a draw in their opening game. This was an excellent team performance as Hutchesons’ went on to win the tournament. Glasgow High School 7s was the highlight: the girls won their section with three consecutive wins, facing St George’s in the semi-final. The girls fought to the final whistle in what was a great game. It resulted in penalty strokes where St George’s came out on top for their place in the final. The final 7s tournament of the season was away at Heriot’s. The girls again built on their previous encouraging performances and narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot, losing a goal to Scottish champions, George Watson’s College, in the dying seconds of the game. The team put in a tremendous effort throughout the sevens season and made excellent progress. L Allan

3rd Year T

his particular year group arrived with plenty of natural talent and ability. The season began positively with the ‘A’ team winning against both Kelvinside and Craigholme and the ‘B’ team recording a particularly pleasing 6-0 victory against Dollar.

The ‘A’ team, captained by Elspeth Couper, struggled on occasion to achieve the success of which her team was capable. Poor attendance at training sessions and a lack of concentration and focus often proved

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Both goalkeepers, Shaunagh Hendry and Catriona Murray, improved dramatically throughout the season; they should be commended for their efforts and determination. The District Tournament in March tested our resilience and tenacity to the full. The section was extremely tight and the result rested on the final game. We were unfortunate and disappointed not to make the semifinal stages. The step up to Senior Hockey will be a welcome one as the girls will compete against older, stronger and more experienced players to gain team places. This will require constant hard work and dedication. N L Bannerman

2nd Year I

am absolutely delighted with the progress that all Second Year girls have made with their hockey this season. Not only were there some fantastic results from both teams, but there was also a real sense of determination and a commitment to hard work. Although the ‘A’ team did not get off to the best of starts, this was soon rectified the following week with an excellent 6-2 win over Craigholme School; for me, this was the best game of the season. The ‘A’ team continued to work hard throughout the rest of the year and as we entered the annual Hutchesons’ Grammar Second Year Tournament we all felt confident in our ability. In our section we had good victories against Hutchesons’ and Jordanhill and a draw against St Aloysius’; we qualified for the semi-finals against Kelvinside Academy. At full-time, the teams were tied and therefore running penalties would have to decide the winner. Unfortunately, we did not make it through to the final, but the feeling from all the girls was that they had thoroughly enjoyed their hockey season. The ‘B’ team also had an excellent season either winning or drawing most of their games. Apart from the results there have been many funny moments that the team still talk about: we had someone arrive with two right footed shoes, someone

lost their stick during a half time team talk and we even had a ball smashed to pieces when taking a shot at goal. I would like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to my two captains, Abigail Stevenson and Catriona Ritchie, for all their hard work throughout the season and the support they have given me. The Second Year girls are a very talented group and I wish them all the every best for their hockey in the future. J Barr

1st Year T

he progression of this session’s First Year group bodes very well for the future of hockey at The Glasgow Academy. Miss Davis and I were greeted by a very focused, dedicated and talented group with seemingly endless enthusiasm and a noticeable drive to win. Throughout the season, places in the teams were competitive and it is testament to the girls’ commitment to hockey that the selection of places for the tour to Holland in the Easter break was such a lengthy process deliberated over for a number of weeks. The ‘A’ team, captained by the ever-optimistic Eve Dunlop, had a very successful run of results, highlighted by their progression to the semi-finals of the West District tournament, which they were especially unlucky to lose. One of the best things about this team is the apparent bond there is throughout the group; the girls even took it upon themselves to assign a different person each weekend to team cake-baking duty; something which Sandra and I certainly hope carries on next year! The ‘B’ team, captained by Molly Cunningham whose goalkeeping prowess often saved the day in tight fixtures, also had a successful season. They recorded great victories against difficult teams both home and away, sometimes despite awful weather conditions. So for that girls, well done. A huge well done to all the girls in First Year as you all worked particularly hard and kept a positive attitude and the drive to succeed – this work ethic will stand you in good stead as you move on to bigger and better things. Congratulations on a great season! K Anderson

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Holland T

his was a smaller touring party than usual with only sixteen S1 girls travelling to Holland with Miss Bannerman, Miss Barr and Miss Brackenridge. After a long coach and ferry trip, we arrived at our base in Noordwijk, a beautiful coastal village. Our fortunes were mixed (won 1, lost 2) but friendships were forged and memories and experience gained. No hockey tour to Holland would be complete without a trip to Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Eftling theme park and once again, this did not disappoint! The girls were a delight to take abroad and they thoroughly enjoyed their first taste of Academy touring. N L Bannerman

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Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 1st & 2nd XI

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Captains’ Comments

1st XI - Abigail Crowther:

2nd XI - Jillian Scott:

3rd XI - Ailie Hutcheson:

4th XI - Jenna Watson:

‘I was overjoyed when I was asked to be the 1st XI hockey captain, but a little apprehensive. Although I felt confident about my hockey abilities, I was very nervous at the thought of having to lead and motivate the team. Luckily for me, my team-mates are a great bunch of girls. I am pleased to say that we have bonded well and approach each game with great enthusiasm. As a result of my experience of being captain, I am now more self-assured and organised. I would like to thank all the girls as well as Mrs Crawford and Miss Dobbie for their support.’

‘Being captain has been great experience. Not only have I got to know people from different years, I have also learnt a lot about responsibility and teamwork. It has definitely been one of the highlights of my final year of school.’

‘Being captain has given me a huge confidence boost and has definitely prepared me for taking responsibility later in life. The 3rd XI has always had a great laugh and our aims were to have fun as well as be successful. Thanks everyone for working so well this season; it has been great fun!’

‘Captaining the 4th XI has been a really enjoyable and fulfilling experience. The team has bonded throughout the season and worked really well together. I think everyone in the team learned some crucial skills and had a lot of fun.’

3A - Elspeth Couper:

3B - Pamela Sandford:

2A - Abigail Stevenson:

2B - Catriona Ritchie:

‘I was very pleased to be captain this year. I enjoyed being a part of the team and it is a shame that this is the last year that we will all play together. I think the team enjoyed this year’s hockey and so did I.’

‘I really enjoyed motivating and encouraging the team this year. The whole team got on really well together and produced some really good results. Overall, it was a great experience.’

‘Being captain of the 2nd year A team meant a lot to me. It made me more confident within the team. As the team leader, I made perseverance the key value; I really enjoyed the responsibility of having this role.’

‘When I saw that I had been named captain, I was amazed and so proud to have responsibility for such a great team. I learned the values of leadership, co-operation, commitment and, above all, teamwork!’

1A - Eve Dunlop:

1B - Molly Cunningham:

Boys’ 1st XI - Jamie Gillies:

Boys’ 2nd XI - JAK Muir:

‘During my time as captain, I have learned many things about leadership and the game of hockey. This has been a great season. We worked hard on our fitness and it dramatically increased our standard of play. We also gained confidence and learned to trust in our teammates.’

‘It is both a pleasure and a privilege being captain. I have learned how to listen to and communicate with all my team players. I have enjoyed the celebrations when we won and helped to keep the team’s spirits up when the games were difficult.’

‘Being captain of the boys’ 1st XI has been a great experience. It has developed my leadership skills and improved my teamwork. Although it is a challenging role, it is a thoroughly enjoyable task.’

‘The experience of being Captain was one that I found both valuable and enjoyable. The responsibilities involved in the position will be very beneficial in later life. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and the team got on very well together.’

Chronicle

Senior School Cricket Young talent

1st XI W

hile last year we had two emerging leg spinners doing well, this year the find of the season was our two young quick bowlers, Lyle Hill and Haris Chaudhry, who both led from the front and ensured that we had a good season. Lyle Hill, a second year pupil, went on to play for Scotland under 15s. The first match played on a wet pitch against Stewart’s Melville was a well contested match which we narrowly lost. In the second match, with accurate bowling from Charlie Brooke, Euan Crawford, Lyle Hill and Haris Chaudhry, we bowled out Kelvinside for 31 runs and beat them by 8 wickets. We followed this with another excellent performance against The XL Club, who we beat by 8 wickets! Iain McCallum, Alasdair Spike and Arthur Johnson bowled well to restrict the XL Club to 84. Arthur Johnson with 5 wickets for 15 runs was the outstanding bowler of the match. Lyle Hill, Alfie Lloyd and Crawford Leslie batted well to score the required runs. The match against a strong MCC was played on a damp pitch where MCC declared at 163 for 5 wickets. Our boys bowled and fielded well as a team and this was well appreciated by everyone present. In turn, when our score was 57 for 4 wickets the rains came in and we ended with a creditable draw. In the match against the High School, we missed a couple of our regular players due to exams. Although we bowled well, our batting collapsed against some good High School bowling and we subsequently lost the match.

We went to Goldenacres, won the toss and invited George Heriot’s to bat first. Heriot’s started well, scoring 28 runs off 10 overs without losing a wicket. Haris Chaudhry bowled the 11th over and took a wicket off his 5th ball. Lyle Hill came on to bowl the 12th over and took 3 wickets in the over. Thereafter in the next 5.3 overs both Haris and Lyle demolished the Heriot’s batting by bowling them out for 47 runs. Haris Chaudhry took 6 wickets for 6 runs and this included a hat-trick! Lyle Hill took 4 wickets for 7 runs. With Alfie Lloyd opening our batting along with Lyle Hill, we scored the required runs easily and won by 10 wickets. TGA sixes tournament was next and provided good entertainment. Charlie Brooke entertained the small crowd with a couple of huge sixes - one going over the clubhouse into the High School and the other damaging the clubhouse roof by smashing a few tiles. While we beat Wellington and Hutchie in the initial rounds, we lost narrowly to the High School in the finals. In conclusion, I must say that we have some good young cricketers who are developing well and the future looks bright for our school cricket. My thanks go to Mr. Weston, our new Master in charge of Cricket, and other coaches who helped us throughout the season. My thanks also to Crawford Leslie who not only captained the side well but also showed good leadership qualities. Vedam Hariharan

Chronicle

2nd XI I

t was a short , bu t enjoyab le season fo r the 2nd XI in which we only man ag ed to p lay 3 fixtures. In all these games, however, the b o ys p layed with determin ation and put a lot of effort into all aspects o f the games. We started against Stewart’s Melville, who are, traditionally, our hardest opponents during the cricket season. This proved to be the case once again. We were put in to bat and faced some fast, accurate bowling. Despite the odd flourish, the only batsman who reached double figures was Stuart McLean, who notched up 12 runs. We were bowled out for only 34 runs, with 7 of the wickets catches! Our opening bowlers, Ian Cuthill and Oscar Lee, then bowled very accurately, and Calum Faith chipped in with 2 for 5, but Stewart’s reached their total with 3 wickets down, although it did take them 12 overs to do so! Our next match saw Wellington School 1st XI come to Accies. On a hot, dry day, we elected to bat and things started brightly, with Alasdair Spike smashing the ball for a respectable 20. Ian Cuthill was then controversially run out, when it was clear he was in, and our batting collapsed. We managed to limp through with 65 for 8. It gave us a target to bowl at and we started out well. Alasdair Spike, Ian Cuthill and Calum Faith then bowled 12 overs, giving away just one extra, and things looked promising. Wellington weren’t losing wickets, but weren’t scoring fast enough. However, they upped their run-rate and scraped home, with 6 balls to spare and 4 wickets down. Our luck had to change, and did so in our final match away at Heriot’s. The match was stopped on 3 occasions due to rain, but we played through to the end, and to our first, and only, win of the season. Playing a 25 overs game, Heriot’s batted and scored 104 all out. All the bowlers bowled well, the pick being Rory Kerr’s 2 for 17 and Oscar Lee’s 2 for 14, and wicket-keeper Colin Gemmill took 3 catches. It was a very reachable target and we batted positively from the start. Sam Reilly scored 31 and Adam Watson 36, as we smashed the bowling all round the ground. Stuart McLean (15 not out) and Colin Gemmill (5 not out) saw us home, for a well-deserved win. My thanks to all who played this short season and, in particular, to Colin Gemmill, ably assisted by Sam Reilly, for captaining and organising the team. It was most enjoyable cricket and, despite losing 2 matches out of 3, really was a successful season, in terms of experience. Good luck to all those who will be playing for the rest of the summer. T Menzies

Chronicle

3rd Year W

hat started off in rain and wind ended in heat and sunscreen. This season provided a new experience for all of us as it was the inauguration of the Scottish Schools under-15 Cup competition. The boys certainly took their collective eye off the ball (literally and metaphorically) in being knocked out in the fir st round by Belmont House School, but we passed into the Plate competition. This meant that the core of the Third year team played many more games than normal, with midweek commitments against Shawlands Academy, Lomond School, and Airdrie Academy in the final.

n this game, despite being bowled out for a modest 57, the boys put in a fantastic bowling and fielding display in dismissing the opposition for a miserly 25.

The unusual nature of this year’s season was also emphasised by the fact that two of our boys, Arthur Johnson and Haris Chaudhry, played in the School 1st XI on Saturdays. We did, however, have their services at under-15 level as well as Lyle Hill and Michael Robertson of Second Year. In fact Haris ended up with the 1st XI bowling prize and Lyle the batting equivalent. That said, the remaining boys still boasted a host of batting and bowling talent. Chris Coutts, George Stewart, and captain Suhaib Siddiqui all made excellent contributions, but Chris edged the batting prize with a big-hitting (on an even bigger boundary!) 75 not out against Heriot’s. The boys’ commendable record of played 8 won 5 lost 2 with 1 abandoned was, however, achieved through our strength in bowling: of the two defeats, one was by one run to the High School, with our only heavy loss coming to the perennially strong Merchiston Castle School. Suhaib, Neil Cuthill, and Alasdair Ferguson were extremely effective first-up bowlers, while Chris Coutts and Tim McAlpine-Scott provided excellent back up. In the end, Neil just edged the bowling prize, but it was almost a three-way split!

2nd Year 2

009 has been another successful season for the Second Year A team with victories against Wellington and on our Belfast tour. In the match against Wellington Lyle Hill batted very well, making 75 runs, with the rest of the team supporting well. We then went on to bowl well with Lyle, William Brooke, Michael Robertson and Ben Mazzucco all taking wickets and Nico Genasi bowling very well keeping runs down. On our tour to Belfast, we played two games. The first of the two was against Wallace High School. Everyone batted and bowled well in this match, but sadly we lost. The second match was against Friends’ School. We batted first and scored our highest team score of the season with 124 runs, with Dawood Sher and Jake Graham batting very well, scoring 23 and 25 respectively. Michael Robertson also batted well, hitting a big six over square leg. We then bowled Friends’ out for 98 with Danial Khan and Lyle Hill bowling well. Matthew Gray also bowled well. William Brooke, Ben Mazzucco and Cameron Turner batted and bowled consistently well throughout the season. Greg Blackburn also bowled well, which added to his good fielding. Dawood Sher bowled well throughout the season and Jake Graham was a consistently good wicket keeper. Finlay Johnston and Oliver Mennie also played well throughout the season. Overall, this season has been a good one and everybody in the team should be proud of their achievements and should take all that they have learnt onto next season. William Brooke

In total 16 boys played in the ‘A’ XI this year and, without exception, they contributed to what was a successful and thoroughly enjoyable season. I hope that all of these boys continue to add to the strength of Academy cricket in the Senior School. A J McCaskey

Chronicle

1st Year T

his year was successful. A lot of talent was sou g h t out in this part icu lar season , which led to vict o ries against Kelvinside, Welling ton an d Friends ’ Schoo l. We started off with a “thrashing” against Stewart’s Melville, allowing them to score 193 runs. But then we came back with a vengeance against Kelvinside, achieving their total of 94 in 16 overs. Robert Sandford stayed in and hit 23, and Kerr Moir made 21. The next match against Wellington was an easy victory, as they gave us 40 extras. Our defeat against George Heriot’s was unlucky, as we managed to achieve 109 runs, but they achieved this total in 16 overs. Kerr Moir again was a leading batsman, retiring at 32, and Innes Hopkins batted beautifully and retired at 33. Our match against Hutchesons’ Grammar School was very disappointing as our batting performance was not up to normal standards. Alan Baxter and David Coutts were the only batsmen who stayed in for a while, making 13 and 18 respectively. On our tour to Ireland, we won against Friends’ School, making 115 and bowling them out for 35. Both Cameron Burt and Innes Hopkins took 3 wickets each, Cameron doing so in an over. Umar Majid and Cameron Burt made 17 and 16. We unfortunately lost to Wallace High School, but Zuhayr Siddiqui made 44 runs, and Cameron Burt took 2 wickets and 2 catches. As you can see, this year was a bumpy start to Senior School cricket. Hopefully next year we will win more matches: we have a very good cricket team which deserves to win more. Zuhayr Siddiqui

Chronicle

Cricket League Table 2008-2009 Name

Matches

1st Xl Batting average Innings Highest Not Out

Total

Average

L.Hill

30 n.o

C.Leslie

18 n.o

A.Lloyd

28 n.o

A.Johnson

20 n.o

C.Brooke

1st Xl Bowling average Name

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wickets

Average

Strike rate

L.Hill

31.3

4.8

14.5

H.Chaudhry 37

121

6.4

11.7

C.Brooke

8.9

20.3

Golf T

Next up was Fettes College again at Pollok where last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s captain Scott Perry returned this time to face The Academy. On very fast greens, Scott brought his annoyingly hot putter back with him and led his Fettes team to a 5-1 victory. James Wilson was again the outstanding performer and was comfortably under par in winning his match 6&5.

he golf season started in September when we were drawn against The High School of Glasgow in the British Independent Schools Championship. The threeman team of Jonathan Calder, JAK Muir and Findlay Hyde travelled to a wet Milngavie GC to face a strong High School team. Although all of the matches were tight, the High School edged out as eventual winners 2-1. After a long break through the winter, we then welcomed the High School to Pollok GC for the return match. This time the original three-man team was joined by Craig McLay, Ewan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill and S1 pupil James Wilson. The Academy gained revenge by winning the match 4-2 after Jonathan Calder and Craig McLay came through tight matches to win by one hole. However, the best performances of the day came from JAK Muir and James Wilson who both comprehensively defeated their opponents by scores of 5&4 and 6&5 respectively.

Twelve boys then travelled to Glasgow GC to contest the school stroke play championship. In tough conditions, local member Sandy Watson ran away with the tournament and won the MacDonald Cup with a score of 74, including an impressive front nine of 33.

For the second time, we entered a team in the Glasgow Schools Championship. This was played at Milngavie GC and The Academy came second in both the team and individual championships with scores of 71 from Jonathan Calder, 78 from JAK Muir and 80 from Findlay Hyde. As a result, JAK and Jonathan were selected to represent Glasgow in the Scottish Schools championship at Carnoustie where we finished in sixth position.

We then returned to Killermont for the final match of the season against the Academicals. Some very good golf was played on the day by both sides; however, wins from Jonathan Calder, JAK Muir, Oliver Watson and Sandy Watson ensured that The Academy retained the Keith Deighton Quaich by 4 matches to 2.

Tennis Played

Won

Drawn

Senior Girls

Senior Boys

S3 Girls

S1 Girls

Prep Girls

Windyedge was often a hive of activity on a Saturday morning and sometimes nearly all of our 21 courts were in use. The fact that tennis continues to be such a popular sport at The Academy is extremely encouraging. The highlight of this year's season was winning, for the fourth consecutive year, The High School of Glasgow Girls' Tennis Tournament. Zara Reid & Lucy Aitchison (Over 15), Georgina Sellyn & Nina Petric-Gray (Under 15) and Bethany Gallagher & Molly Cunningham (Under 13)

Jonathan Calder, S6

Lost

S2 Girls

his has been another enjoyable and successful tennis season but unfortunately we suffered three cancellations which impacts greatly on our calendar. Both our first and final fixtures were cancelled due to wet weather and our boys' match against High School was 'pulled' as our opposition was unable to field a team. Our inter-school friendly fixtures involved girls from Prep 6 upwards and boys in Seniors 4-6 with all matches taking the format of doubles play. Success was mixed although the S2 Girls in particular performed extremely well - beating Jordanhill, Dollar, Hutchie and High School. Well done, girls!

Overall, we enjoyed a successful season and, with a lot of the boys who played being young and having Category 1 handicaps, this trend should continue. Finally, I would like to thank John Watson for supplying golf balls for our matches and Mr McNaught for all of his work in organising matches.

scored 99 points - nine more than our closest rivals - and beat not only the hosts, but Hutchie, Craigholme, Wellington, Jordanhill, St Columba's and Lomond. This is very much a team event but particular congratulations must be given to Georgina and Nina for their contribution of 50 points! This really was an outstanding performance. This year's House Tennis Championships were the most successful to date and I am delighted to announce both the House and Individual results: 1st = Fraser & Morrison 3rd = Temple 4th = Arthur

No Academy tennis season would be complete without the annual Staff & Pupils Tennis Tournament. Once again, the sun shone and the play was 'spectacular'. Mr Weston and Anna Smrckova beat Mrs McKenzie and Robert Stevenson in the final. On a final note, best wishes are extended to Georgina Sellyn who will be leaving us in June to take up a place at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Georgina and her tennis abilities will be hugely missed by The Academy but we understand this is an opportunity she must grab with both hands! Good luck, Georgie. N L Bannerman

Junior Girls' Singles Georgina Sellyn beat Abigail Stevenson 6-0, 6-0 Junior Boys' Singles Ben Mazzucco beat Cameron Burt 6-3, 6-1 Senior Girls' Singles Lauren Hudson beat Gabrielle Clark 6-4, 6-2 Senior Boys' Singles Iain McCallum beat Gordon Belch 6-2, 6-4

Chronicle

Rowing

We started the rowing year with a new intake of rowing enthusiasts who quickly entered into the training regime of the club, and at its peak forty-six people were taking part in the sport. The school continued with the success of the previous year, winning three Scottish Indoor medals, six Scottish Championship medals and a silver medal at the National Championships of Great Britain. In addition we had a Scottish cap for the second year running. We had participation from every year group at after school sessions on a Monday and Friday and for the hardy early risers, Tuesday and Thursday morning before school. During winter, the Senior School rowed on a Wednesday afternoon, with the Junior school joining in onTuesday after the Easter break. There were also sessions on a Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. At the Scottish Indoors in February we improved on the colour of medals achieved in the previous year, with Emily Colley and Chloe Wilson winning Gold medals, and India Somerside achieving Silver in their respective age group categories. During the winter session, Emily Colley and Ruth Cranston rowed in a number of long distance races to help prepare for the summer race season - winning on one occasion.The first main season competition was Strathclyde park Regatta with Emily Colley, Chloe Wilson and Alison Beattie winning six events between them. Castle Semple regatta gave all our new crews an opportunity to race with some good performances and a win for Emily Colley.

At Clydesdale regatta Alison Beattie and Kimberley Somerside won JU14 double sculls. Emily Colley competed at the National Schools Regatta in Nottingham, making the final of Championship eights and quads, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. These were good results in two of the premier events at the Regatta. The Scottish Championships was the main season focus for most school rowers with hopes of building on the success of previous years. Emily Colley won four Scottish Championship medals, making her the most successful Scottish Junior woman at the Championships. Alison Beattie defended her sculling championship, winning the J13 title, and combined with Chloe Wilson to retain the J13 double sculls title. There were also second places for the Women’s Junior 13 quad, beating crews from Aberdeen and George Watson’s, and for the boys’ J13 Quad. There was also a third place for the senior boys in the Wylie Cup and a second place for the senior mixed crew. Overall, it was a very successful Championship and it was great to have the support of so many parents

coming to watch racing and enjoying the refreshments at the club BBQ. Emily Colley had a very successful first season in her quest to represent Great Britain at next year’s World Rowing Championships. She moved up the rankings during the year and took part in final trials for the GB JU16 event but missed out on selection. She did, however, get selected in two boats for the Scottish team racing at the Home International event and won a Silver medal at the National Championships of Great Britain. It takes an enormous commitment to perform at the highest level in GB junior rowing. Over the next year as well as training up to ten times a week she is likely to row more than four-thousand kilometres in a boat and on rowing machines: all that to race twohundred-and-forty-five strokes. The club grew in strength and depth this year: not only in numbers but also in performance and this augurs well for the future. I Somerside

Emily Colley and Ruth Cranston

1st

Nov 2x

Clydesdale Head

Emily Colley

1st

J16

Scottish Indoor Championships

Chloe Wilson

1st

J14

Scottish indoor Championships

India Somerside

2nd

J11

Scottish indoor Championships

E.Colley

1st

J16 1x, J18 4x, J16 2x, WR2 8

Strathclyde park Regatta

A.Beattie

1st

J13 1x

Strathclyde Park Regatta

A.Beattie and C. Wilson

1st

J13 2x

Strathclyde Park Regatta

E. Colley

1st

J16 2x

Castle Semple Regatta

A. Beattie and K. Somerside

1st

J14 2x

Clydesdale Regatta

E.Colley

1st

J16 1x, J18 4x, J16 2x, J18 2x

Scottish Championships

A.Beattie and C. Wilson

1st

J13 2x

Scottish Championships

A.Beattie

1st

J13 1x

Scottish Championships

A.Beattie, C. Wilson, L. Harrison, K. Somerside and I. Somerside

2nd

J13 4x

Scottish Championships

R.Murphy, H. Yan, C. Gemmill, R.Greig and K.Somerside

3rd

Wylie Cup

Scottish Schools Championships

C Hutchison, A Lamb, A Ahn, S Jones and R Nicolson

2nd

Schools 4-6 Quads

Scottish Championships

R Swanson, T Sime, A Neilson, D Elder and C Haughey

2nd

Schools 1-3 Quads

Scottish Championships

E.Colley

2nd

WJ18 Quads

GB National Championships

Chronicle

Senior Music

It is absolutely fantastic that we have over 400 pupils learning musical instruments. However, there is always room for more so if anyone is interested in starting lessons, then please speak to us. We have seen an increase in the number of pupils taking music at Standard Grade, Higher and Advanced Higher, as well as an increase in the number of Associated Board Examinations: 67 pupils took these in April, and all of them passed: well done! Concerts this year have included one at Christmas, one in March and one in Helensburgh in February. The Christmas concert gave us a chance to show off some of the music played during our time in Italy. We were also joined by the P7 choir, who have been quite exceptional this year. Solos were performed by Branko Sarafilovic and Lewis McGonigle (guitar duet), Melissa Fleming (voice), David Zhou (piano) and Claire Hutchison. The evening finished with some Christmas tunes. Our music was thoroughly enjoyed by the large audience in Helensburgh and the standard of music at this event was exceptional. Performances were given by the Concert Band, the Girls’ Ensemble, the Boys’ Ensemble, the Senior choir, the Percussion Ensemble, the Brass Ensemble, and the Pipes and Drums. The same ensembles, with the addition of the Theatre Choir, performed during the March music evening. Again, another evening of music played to a high standard and thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. From these two concerts it is evident that the standard of music in the Academy is improving all the time. The solo performances at these two concerts were truly exceptional. At Helensburgh the following pupils sang: Hamish Wyllie, Claire Hutchison, Andrew Scade and Scott Gilmour. For the music evening Sam Reilly and Scott Gilmour played piano; Simon Jones played a drum kit solo; and Kelsey Griffin sang. Also in this concert we had a clarinet quartet played by Charlotte Jones, Julia McVean, Zara Reid and Jennifer Sinclair. Again, another exceptional performance. During September we took the S4 music pupils to see a concert given by the RSNO. The pupils were pleased to see some of their tutors performing in the orchestra. House singing this year was even more competitive than before and again, the standard is moving upwards. The pupils are beginning to realise what an enjoyable experience this is and taking it much more seriously. We have had our usual rounds of exams, competitions, auditions, WOSIS music weekends and performances at services, such as Remembrance. On all these occasions, our pupils perform to the best of their ability and always present themselves well. The Concert Band have managed to get through a large amount of music this session. They have performed during the open morning and evening, various concerts and for Remembrance. Pupil numbers are up in this group, which means that even more doughnuts have been consumed! We are fortunate to have experienced players in all sections of the band as well as some younger pupils. The Senior Choir has had another busy session with several public performances. The standard of singing in the school has increased this year with about 35 pupils having individual tuition. Most of these pupils are joining us for the next music tour to New York and this has meant that we are learning some fairly challenging music, such as Parry’s ‘I was Glad’. This group always copes well with the music they learn and are making a really excellent sound. All these groups are open to any pupils who would like to take part in them. The only group that is open to adults is the TGA Choral Society. This group has had a very successful year, with a Christmas performance at Balmanno House, and a performance of songs old and new in the spring term. This was well supported by the audience and the music was of a high standard. There is still the opportunity to become a member of this group; all you need to do is turn up on a Monday evening at 7pm in the performance room of the Turner building: see you there! One group that has particularly moved from strength to strength is the Brass Ensemble. Once the P7 brass musicians move up to S1 we will have 10 trumpet players in this group: this is an Academy first! We will also have eight pupils and staff playing the lower pitched instruments. We have never had such a large group of this type in the school and all credit is due to the brass teachers, Mr Kevin Price and Mr Fergus Kerr. Finally, my thanks to all of the music staff for an excellent year. Everyone works desperately hard to produce all the events that we take part in; their efforts are much appreciated. M B Marshall

Chronicle

Theatre Choir The Theatre Choir have had another great year of fun, weekly rehearsals and great performances for charity. The Theatre Choir sang a selection of traditional and popular Christmas carols and songs for RNID in the Buchanan Galleries; this was their first appearance in the centre and they had a great time raising lots of money and getting into the Christmas spirit. The Choir have also enjoyed performing at both the Christmas and Senior Music Evening. This year the Choir sang ‘Run’ originally by Snow Patrol and the Amy Winehouse classic ‘Valerie’. The Theatre Choir have enjoyed successful trips to see the show Fame in Glasgow and a fantastic trip to London. A J MacLeod

Rock Band The Rock Club is now in its second year and meets every Friday at lunchtime. It is open to guitarists, bass players, singers and drummers who all share a passion for performing rock music. This year, two of the pupils who have regularly attended, performed on the Italy Tour and in the Christmas Concert. Pupils who write their own music or simply want to join in the music-making are all welcome to attend. A McColl

Boys’ Group Once again the Senior boys have continued their excellent singing. We have many new members this year and they are quickly proving their value to the group. I am delighted with the dedication shown by all the boys; it is great to hear the fantastic sound that they make when in full voice. We look forward to many more chances to perform and to creating that special sound that only a group of young men can make. M B Marshall

Girls’ Group The girls’ group only started this year and has already shown itself to be a group of highly talented and committed young singers. It is lovely to hear the female voices blending to make a beautiful sound. They have already performed in concerts both in school and in Helensburgh; audience reaction was very complimentary. An excellent start. M B Marshall

Chronicle

Music Competitions 2009 Instrumental The standard of instrumental music in the Academy has rocketed and we were treated to some really good performances on the night of the instrumental competitions (10th June). Our adjudicator this year was Mr Rory Boyle, who is an instrumental examiner and teaches composition at the RSAMD. He had a very difficult job this year, but gave a very good and encouraging adjudication. Both competitions were very close, so we ended up with joint winners in each one. The winners of the Elizabeth V MacKay Award (S1-3) were Fiona Dalling (Xylophone) and Zuhayr Siddiqui (piano). Winners of the Sinclair Memorial Salver were Sam Reilly (Piano) and Laura Frater (Violin). Highly commended in the senior competition were Jennifer Sinclair (Clarinet) and Lauren Hudson (Violin). Congratulations to everyone who took part. M B Marshall

Vocal The Adjudicator for this year’s vocal competitions was Elaine Trower. She is the Director of Music at St Andrew’s and St Bride’s school in East Kilbride, a choral director and a singer. What a difficult job she had! All the pupils taking part gave superb performances. The winner of the Director of Music’s award for singing (S1-2) was Eilidh Murdoch-Aitchison and highly commended was Hattie Greig. The Seona Cameron Cup (S36) was won by Claire Hutchison and highly commended was Andrew Scade. We are delighted that singing at the Academy is really taking off and more and more pupils are starting tuition. Numbers in all the choirs are on the increase. Many congratulations to all our vocalists! M B Marshall

Chronicle

Senior School Houses Arthur

WO IN A ROW! In a fantastic and almost unprecedented (for us!) development, Arthur have retained the House Championship. This is testimony to the continued participation of all Arthurians in the many and varied activities that now attract House points. This tells of a very healthy situation whereby all members of Arthur House are taking advantage of those many clubs, sports, and competitions available to them to our mutual benefit.

Highlights this year included an outstanding second place in the House Singing Competition (many thanks to Mrs Young and her Tutor Group for their tireless support) and our winning the Swimming Gala: this was a truly fantastic achievement by a full-strength team. Special mention, however, goes to our Swimming Captain, Kris Small, who signed off six years of loyal representation and several points at the Gala with a fitting win in the individual Championship. Other selected highlights were our boys winning the soccer in S1, S3 and S4/5/6, and an excellent mixed effort from our S3 boys and girls in the basketball. Many thanks to ALL of our pupils: your contribution, in whatever it is that you did for Arthur, has helped us set a very high standard for future years. What chance a three-peat? A J McCaskey P M Ruddock

Chronicle

Fraser

nce again, Fraser have performed very well in the House Competition. We got off to a wonderful start, when, true to form, we finished fourth in the House Singing Competition! Thankfully, the efforts of our Chess team allowed us to bounce back, when we retained 1st place in the House Chess Competition.

S1 through to S6. Towards the end of the term, we were thrilled to hold on to our title in the Skiing Competition: Philip Gillies was placed 1st for the whole competition.

The spring term saw us finishing 3rd in both the Swimming Gala and the Cross-Country. Special note must be made of Max Aitchison’s amazing performance in the Cross-Country, finishing 1st out of nearly 200 pupils from

Fraser House have nothing to be ashamed of: everyone has played their part in some small (or big!) way, whether it be through lunchtime activities, co-curricular clubs or in the major House events this year. We would like to thank our House Captains, Alessio Marchetti and Julia McVean, for their encouragement and all-round performance in leading the House this session. We look forward to competing for the title again next year, when hopefully it might just be ours! F C Calder P A Richmond

In the final term’s Tennis Competition, Fraser repeated last year’s performance, coming out on top. Congratulations and praise go to Iain McCallum, the winner of the Senior Boys’ competition. In the final stages of the year, there was Sports Day. On a rather wet and windy day, Fraser managed a number of great performances. Alas, we were unable to retain our winning run at Sports Day, handing the trophy over this year to the worthy winners, Morrison.

House Debating Competition

Morrison

his year Morrison House, captained by Gregor Gordon and Clarissa Doig, managed to come second in the final result, by succeeding both academically and in sporting events. In the summer term, we dominated in the sporting competitions, winning rowing, tennis and the most sought after title of Sports Day Champions. Our first major sporting success of the session was our victory in the Cross Country. As well as sporting achievements, we came close to obtaining the debating title with Zara Reid and Oscar Lee narrowly missing out in the final.

After winning the singing competition two years running, Morrison’s spectacular rendition of You’re the One that I Want did not manage a hat-trick of wins. Thank you to all pupils who participated. In addition to the traditional events, Morrison pupils brought it upon themselves to organise a charity event, in the hope that as a house we could sponsor children from Africa. After a lot of hard work and contribution from all Morrisonians, The M Factor was held and we raised over £400 for the charity ‘World Vision’. Our success this year would not have been possible without the cooperation between all the pupils and the encouragement of Ms Fulton and Mr Campbell. Thank you to everyone who helped us throughout the year and hopefully next year will be our year! Anna Ross and Megan Dunbar

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Temple We started the year with success in the House Singing Competition: ‘Breaking Free’ from ‘High School Musical’ proved a great choice. Praise is well-deserved for the soloists Chloe Mechan and Hamish Wyllie and musicians Simon Jones, Michael Jones, Sam Reilly and David Zhou. The House Debating competition was also a success: Cosmo Grant and Sam Reilly won the final. Many congratulations Cosmo, for all your achievements and for being a great House Captain this year.

the House Cross-country competition, Calum Hamilton came second in the Seniors, Scott Henderson second in S3 and Jamie Robinson first in the S1 competition. Calum and Jamie’s athletics successes continued; at Sports Day, Calum once again won at 100m and 200m; Jamie receives the Sports prize for S1 this year. Lucy Richens continued to dominate in the Swimming Gala, winning the senior girls’ competition. In the House tennis competition, Ben Mazzucco (S2) beat Cameron Burt (S1) in an all-Temple Junior boys’ final and Gordon Belch (S5) lost to Iain McCallum in the Senior boys’ final. Temple House pupils contribute significantly to school music ensembles, bands, orchestras and the Pipe Band. Anjlee Patel (S3) won the charity M-Factor event and Fiona Dalling (S2) won the Elizabeth V Mackay Award. The many Temple performers at the Talent show included Finlay Clarke, Hamish Wyllie, Simon Jones and Michael Jones, who won with a mesmerising guitar solo.

S2 boys and girls won the basketball competition, with the Senior team also victorious. In

House Singing Competition

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K R Graham

House Sports Day 2009 A

fter what we would describe as a good summer, the rain came to Glasgow for our two Sports Days! On the Tuesday between our Prep and Senior Sports Days Anniesland was looking its very best, but the weather warnings were accurate and we were badly affected by the rain. With an increasing sense of awareness of safety, sadly, all of the field events were cancelled because of the risk of slips and falls. So our 142nd Sports Day was a cut down version involving track events only, but at least the event finished bathed in sunshine. We were grateful to Mrs. C. Farrington for presenting our prizes. The competition for the London Branch Trophy was won by Morrison, who have not seen this trophy since 1988. Finally, my thanks to the staff and coaches who made the afternoon work smoothly, and of course, the extremely able ground staff, led by Mr. Cheape. S W McAslan

London Branch Trophy 2009 Activity

Arthur

Fraser

Morrison

Temple

Girls S1

Girls S2

Girls S3

Girls Senior

3.5

Boys S1

Boys S2

Boys S3

1.5

20.5

19.5

Boys Senior Totals

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Senior Girls

100m 200m 400m 800m 1500m 4 x 100m Relay

Jennifer Speedie Lara Davidson Rhian Dawes Rhian Dawes Amy Davis Fraser

S3 Girls

1100m Jillian Hamilton 200m Karin Belch 400m Georgina Sellyn 800m Georgina Sellyn 1500m Karin Belch 4 x 100m Relay Morrison

S2 Girls

100m 200m 400m 800m 1500m 4 x 100m Relay

S1 Girls

100m 200m 400m 800m 1500m 4 x 100m Relay

S3 Boys

100m 200m 400m 800m 1500m Henderson 4 x 100m Relay

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Pat Johnston Trophy

Moira Thomas Trophy for Sprints Lorna A Murray Trophy

Kirsty Wilson Eilidh Murdoch-Atchison Catriona McKimmie Clemmie Mitchell Clemmie Mitchell Morrison

Chloe Mechan Lucy McCall Linnea Hay Lucy McCall Catriona Graves Arthur

Senior Boys

100m 200m 400m 800m 1500m 4 x 100m Relay 4 x 200m Relay

Upper Vth Trophy

Calum Hamilton Calum Hamilton Allen Farrington Ross Fitzpatrick Allen Farrington Fraser Fraser

Brodie Clark Laurence Prior Brodie Clark Maxwell Brown Scott Temple

Laird Cup Mackay Shield Fraser Bowl Walker Quaich Campbell Cup Laird and Gentles Cup Kenburn Cup

S2 Boys

100m 200m 400m 800m 1500m 4 x 100m Relay

S1 Boys

100m 200m 400m 800m 1500m 4 x 100m Relay

Andrew MacLachlan Andrew MacLachlan William Mann Max Aitchison Max Aitchison Fraser

Alexander Hunt Zuhayr Siddiqui Zack Birnie Jamie Robinson Zuhayr Siddiqui Morrison

Senior School Swimming Gala House Results Arthur

Fraser

Morrison

Temple

S1 Girls

S1 Boys

S2 Girls

S2 Boys

S3 Girls

S3 Boys

1.5

Championship Girls

15.5

2.5

Championship Boys

11.5

6.5

3.5

Senior Girls

Senior Boys

Total

20.5

Place

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

was second and joint third position went to Rory Kerr and Alessio Marchetti. New records on the night came from Zuhayr Siddiqui in the 1st Year Boys back crawl; Cameron Small in the 2ndYear Boys breast stroke; Katie Archibald in the 3rd Year Girls breast stroke; Gabrielle Clark in the Girls Senior freestyle and the 1st Year mixed relay went to Arthur. Kris Small received the Inter House Swimming trophy from Dr McAlpine to make a successful evening for the Arthur swimmers. S W McAslan

he 110th Senior Swimming Gala was held on Monday, March 9th at Whitehill Pool. We were delighted that the Dr McAlpine was available to present the prizes this year. As ever, competition was very keen, not only amongst the pupils, but also between the house staff. The Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Championship was a very exciting affair with Lucy Richens winning all three or her races to retain the title, whilst Stephanie Berger and Gayle Pike were second and third, respectively. In the Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Championship Kris Small moved up the leader board from last year to take the title this time round. Nick McAlpine

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Senior Prize-giving PRIZE LIST 2009 SENIOR 1 Zoe BOOTHBY Amy DAVIDSON Alasdair GIBSON Hattie GREIG Taylor HENRY Lucy McCALL Mhairi McMORRIN James MORTIMER Lindsay PARKINSON Jamie ROBINSON Anastasia RUSSELL DALTON Zuhayr SIDDIQUI Taylor SIME Yue WU

English, Latin, Mathematics, Science Art and Design English Endeavour History Physical Education Endeavour General Knowledge Music Physical Education French Computing, Science, The Elizabeth V MacKay Salver for Instrumental Music Speaking with Style French, Geography, Mathematics, Modern Studies, Science SENIOR 2 Max AITCHISON William BROOKE Mary CHAN Fiona DALLING Natasha DUDA Maia GENTLE Iona GORDON Kate JACKSON Guanlan MAO Catriona McKIMMIE Christina MACPHERSON Clementine MITCHELL Eilidh MURDOCH-ATCHISON Wenrui SUN

SENIOR 3 Madeleine AIRLIE Karin BELCH Kevin BELLINI Brodie CLARK Louise GALLACHER Jillian HAMILTON Scott HENDERSON Alexandra JACOB Ben JONES Roland LI Andrew MORRIS Lily MORTIMER Robyn PHILLIPS Pamela SANDFORD Georgina SELLYN Suhaib SIDDIQUI Christopher SIMPSON

English, French Art and Design Speaking with Style Physical Education History Art and Design, Geography Biology Craft and Design Music Accounting and Finance General Knowledge French, Chemistry, English, Latin, Mathematics, Modern Studies Computing Studies French, Spanish Physical Education Biology, French Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics SENIOR 4 Alice AHN David AULD Stephanie BERGER Claire DALLING Amy DAVIS Calum FAITH Megan GRIERSON Gavin HAMILTON Lauren HUDSON Claire HUTCHISON Simon JONES James KIRK Felicity LI Jason LONG Tom MASTERS Ronan MURPHY Katherine RAISON Jordan SPROULE

Modern Studies, Physical Education, Speaking with Style Music English The Elizabeth V MacKay Salver for Instrumental Music Craft and Design French Geography, History Spanish Mathematics English, Geography Art and Design English, French, Latin, Physical Education, Physics The Director of Musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award for Singing Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Mathematics

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Chemistry, Mathematics, Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad Medal Chemistry, The Russell Prize for Mathematics History English Physical Education Physical Education Art and Design French English, French, Modern Studies Art and Design, The Seona Cameron Cup for Singing Biology, Greek, Music, Speaking with Style Physics Accounting and Finance Latin, Mathematics, Physics, Intermediate Mathematical, Olympiad Medal Biology, Computing Studies Spanish, Physics, The Canada Prize for Geography Geography Craft and Design

Senior Prize-giving SENIOR 5 Lucy AITCHISON Hazel BLAIR Phillip CLARKE Rhian DAWES Alasdair DICKSON Stephen DICKSON Amy DOUGLAS Eloise FENTON Ross FITZPATRICK Emma GALLACHER Scott GILMOUR Katherine HEDIVAN Sarah HOCHFIELD Oscar LEE Kirsty McLAUGHLIN Robyn MOIR Doori OH Zara REID Sam REILLY Jennifer SINCLAIR Anna SMRCKOVA Kelsey THOMSON Rachel TURNER Douglas WRIGHT

SENIOR 6 Sarah BANNERMAN Jessica BELL Laura FRATER Fiona HALL Julia McVEAN Kimberley MILNE Jonathan MUNN Sandy WATSON

Chemistry, English, French, History, Mathematics Latin Physics The Westbourne Cup for the Best All-Round Sportswoman Product Design Physical Education The Rose Henderson Essay Prize Geography, Mathematics Accounting Computing Biology, Chemistry The Da Costa Cup for Art Computing, Modern Studies English, French, Spanish, The Gentles Prize for History Music Biology Mathematics, The Thomson Stuart Prize for Accounting History English, Modern Studies, The Sinclair Memorial Salver for Instrumental Music Physical Education Art and Design Biology, Physics Geography Economics, The Remploy Prize for Citizenship

Economics English The Sinclair Memorial Salver for Instrumental Music Biology Music The Thomson Stuart Prize for Business Management Physical Education Design and Make

ADVANCED HIGHER PRIZES and SPECIAL PRIZES Jonathan CALDER Physics Ruth CRANSTON Geography The Rector's Special Prize for Achievement in Rowing Abigail CROWTHER Art and Design, Physical Education Annie FENTON The McNaught Rose Bowl for Art and Design Sophie FRANKLIN The London Academical Prize for History The David Hope Taylor Prize for English Mark GAMMIE Computing Laura HENRY Geography, Mathematics Ailie HUTCHESON Art and Design Findlay HYDE Chemistry, Physics Charlotte JONES The Ian Jeffery Travel Scholarship Michael JONES Greek Crawford LESLIE The Scougall Cup for the Best All-Round Sportsman The Stevenson Prize for Services to the CCF Alessio MARCHETTI Modern Studies (Higher Grade) The Blair Bowl for Modern Languages Michael WIGGINS Chemistry Susannah DUNCAN Modern Studies The Attrill Cup, The Henderson Prize for Services to the School, The Indian Trophy Robert McALPINE The Rectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Special Prize for Achievement in Rugby, The Fraser Cup, The Henderson Prize for Services to the School, The Indian Trophy Iona BRODIE Accounting (Higher Grade), French, Mathematics, The Mowat Scholarship Cosmo GRANT The James W Jope Trophy for Public Speaking, General Knowledge, Latin, Mathematics, The Temple Scholarship Haixi YAN Chemistry The Ian Jeffery Memorial Prize for Biology The War Memorial Scholarship The Dux Medal and MacLaurin Cup

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Senior School Appointments Head Boy

Robert McAlpine

Head Girl

Susannah Duncan

Deputy Head Boys Cosmo Grant Michael Wiggins Deputy Head Girls Iona Brodie Charlotte Jones

House Captains Arthur

Craig Henry Jillian Scott

Fraser Morrison

Julia McVean Alessio Marcheti

Temple

Anna Clark Cosmo Grant

Clarissa Doig Gregor Gordon

Captains of Games RUGBY Captain: Vice Captain:

Robert McAlpine Jamie Twohig

BOYS’ HOCKEY Captain:

Jamie Gillies

GIRLS’ HOCKEY Captain:

Abigail Crowther

ATHLETICS Boys’ Captain: Girls’ Captain:

Allen Farrington Rhian Dawes

CRICKET Captain:

Crawford Leslie

TENNIS Girls’ Captain: Katrina Wallace Boys’ Captains: Ross Fergusson/ Robert Stevenson SHOOTING Captain: Vice Captain:

James Robertson Iona Brodie

SWIMMING Captain:

Kris Small

ROWING Captain:

Ruth Cranston

GOLF Captain:

James Calder

Colours Cricket Charlie Brooke Haris Chaudhry Euan Crawford Lyle Hill Arthur Johnson Crawford Leslie Alfie Lloyd Ross McColl

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Services to Cricket Colin Gemmill Iain McCallum Alistair Spike Debating Caitlin Dunbar Drama Craig McDowall

Public Speaking Cosmo Grant

Football Andrew McLay

Rowing Emily Colley Ruth Cranston Colin Gemmill Craig Henry Melanie Macdonald

Golf Jonathan Calder Boys’ Hockey Jonathan Barbour Jonathan Calder Euan Crawford Simon Fisher Jamie Gillies Calum Hamilton Ross McColl Euan O’Neill Robbie Scott-Larsen Fraser Stark Adam Watson Oliver Watson Douglas Wright Girls’ Hockey Abigail Crowther Lara Davidson Amy Davis Rhian Dawes Clarissa Doig Emily Dow Laura Henry Julia McVean Alex Prior Zara Reid Jessica Scott Jennifer Sinclair Lesley Smart Anna Smrckova Services to Girls’ Hockey Ailie Hutchison Jillian Scott Music Iona Brodie Euan Crawford Alasdair Dickson Hamish Duda Laura Frater Scott Gilmour Charlotte Jones Michael Jones Kirsty McLaughlin Julia McVean Nina Morrison Aurora Moxon Alex Prior Zara Reid Aislinn Robbie Andrew Scade Sheona Shankland Jennifer Sinclair Amy Smith Anna Smrckova Fraser Stark Sandy Watson Ben Wykes

Rugby Charlie Brooke Colin Gemmill Stephen Dickson Ross Fergusson Alastair Harvie Crawford Leslie Quintin Liao Robert McAlpine Michael Macbeth Cameron McCall Andrew McLay Alessio Marchetti Adil Shafi Rory Stewart Jamie Swanson Jamie Twohig Graeme Wallace Michael Wiggins Services to Rugby Findlay Hyde Shooting Iona Brodie Scott Gilmour Catherine Reid Scott Smylie Sound and Lighting Oliver Watson Tennis Lucy Aitchison Ross Fergusson Lauren Hudson Zara Reid Robert Stevenson Katrina Wallace Services to Tennis Gordon Belch Andrew Merry Georgina Sellyn

Staff Tributes Val Thomson Val Thomson was a wonderful person; her passing will leave a tremendous hole in the fabric of The Glasgow Academy. Val was head of the department of Home Economics at The Glasgow Academy for the last fourteen years. Previous to this, she had taught at Laurel Bank School since 1979 and was an integral part of this community, which remained beloved to her for the rest of her life. She taught pupils of all ages, from the wee ones right on up. All were welcomed into her warm kitchen and even warmer heart. Her gift was the love of preparing food and the joy of togetherness. She fed the body, the mind and the spirit. Her generosity was legendary. One of her favourite words was yes, because as she always said - yes opens doors. Yes is the world of possibility that leads to wonderful new experiences that enrich lives and create memories. Yes makes new friends and helps old ones. She truly believed that when people broke bread together, all things were possible. She willingly gave her time, often quietly behind the scenes, making costumes, supporting staff at rehearsals, attending events and always, always making delightful food that brought people together to share. It was because she freely gave of her time that she was beloved by so many. Val was the very embodiment of generosity. Val also had all of the ingredients for a rich and fulfilling life. She had a loving husband and family; she delighted in her grandchildren. Her love of new experience and possibility also led her into myriad activities. She travelled extensively. She entertained effortlessly. She was a lover of all the arts, a voracious reader, a native Gaelic speaker from Islay and a “stalwart of Gaelic” who supported her husband, Kenneth, in his role as choir conductor of the Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association for the last 26 years. She was a wonderfully common sense person who easily managed to balance the many interests in her life. In short, she was an inspiration. Everything Val did radiated warmth and kindness. She even looked like a warm-hearted person should: eyes that twinkled, a smile of welcome, an infectious laugh, a kind word and always time for a chat; she loved a wee chat. She was approachable and instantly likable: often, the first person to make any new member of staff feel welcome. Pupils of all ages also loved and respected her. She had the grandmother’s gift to get the best out of pupils. They wanted to please Val because she liked them; she was warm and kind and they knew it just by looking at her. She allowed pupils, no matter what their gifts or abilities, to create, succeed and then enjoy and share the fruits of their labour. She was a master teacher. She will be missed terribly, but her legacy will certainly live on.

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Iain Macleod Iain joined The Academy in 1984 as Head of the English Department, having previously taught at Aylesbury Grammar School and Windsor Boys’ School. A graduate of Worcester College, Oxford, Iain brought a great deal of erudition as well as organisational flair to the Department, leading it in a way that encouraged individuality, yet guiding it in a positive, dynamic fashion to cope with the new-fangled Standard Grade that was then the latest innovation to torment the minds of hard-pressed subject teachers. At the time of the merger with Westbourne he became Assistant Rector, with particular responsibility for First and Second years, before becoming Deputy Rector in 1997. Iain’s time with us greatly enriched The Academy. All concerned, pupils and staff, knew exactly where they stood with him; his standards of expected behaviour and commitment were second to none, and he expected all to meet them - or else! Many a recalcitrant pupil has been reduced to a quivering bundle of remorse by a mere look, possibly accompanied by a sigh of disappointment; few repeated the misdemeanour. He took a full part in the co-curricular activities of the school, directing several plays and accompanying pupils on trips abroad to places as diverse as Japan, Dubai and South Africa. He was instrumental in establishing the popular S1 trip to Raasay, encouraging pupils to share his enthusiasm for the countryside. A keen supporter of Cricket in particular, Iain was often to be seen at Anniesland, appreciating the efforts of pupils (including his own sons) - and staff. A paragon of organisational ability, he was able to juggle the myriad demands of staff in conjuring up that most elusive of creatures: a viable timetable. In meeting the needs of all concerned in times of changing subject allocations and combinations, he managed to produce a structure that not only worked, but revealed his underlying (and characteristic) sense that what matters most at The Academy is people, rather than paper: many members of staff have cause to be grateful for his sympathetic timetabling in trying to “spread the load” of teaching over the week. Such a concern for his fellows was echoed in the plethora of “please takes” he had to juggle each week: it is typical of the man that he took on himself much more than his fair share of “cover” classes. His gift for organisation (and, of course, his affection for the craft itself) made him a valued Chair of the Trust that owns the paddle steamer PS “Waverley”. In later years, Iain meshed smoothly into the world of Classics, helping the inestimable Vic Hadcroft in enthusing the younger generation. Such work was in keeping with his considerable abilities as a “natural” teacher. His intellectual ability was evident to all who knew him; his magnum opus is undoubtedly his book, The Academy: 150 Years, which is an account that not only informs, but entertains - a very hard combination to achieve when dealing with a “history of the school”. The Academy has lost a rock of consistency and dedication. Staff will miss a man who was primus inter pares - and a good friend; pupils have always appreciated the guiding hand of one who set them the highest standards, motivating by his example of warmth, interest, fairness and generosity of spirit. We wish Iain and Hilary a very long and happy retirement in the Malvern Hills.

Vic Hadcroft In September 1976 Vic Hadcroft came north to join The Academy as Head of Classics. Thirty-three years later, in May 2009, an Academicals’ dinner with a difference was held at New Anniesland where former pupils from four decades gathered to pay tribute to Vic and to thank him as his retirement approached. Vic has the great gift of being able to enthuse others with his own passion for the two languages which he has kept alive at The Academy through an era of great change. Every child entering S1 at The Academy has continued to learn at least the rudiments of Latin. Every year boys and girls have decided to keep their Latin going, through Standard Grade and Higher and on to Advanced Higher. Every year boys and girls who have wanted to learn classical Greek have been able to do so, though officially there was often room on the timetable only for Latin. Vic’s classroom was like no other in the school. Not only did it remain home to thirty desks of a design with which his earliest pupils would have been entirely familiar: within its walls boys and girls acquired names wholly of Vic’s devising. It was a room in which classical languages, literature and culture came alive for the generations of young people who learned about them there and whose intellects were challenged there in ways no other subjects could match. Vic’s influence extended far beyond that top corridor room. He organised regular holidays to Mediterranean lands where Academy youngsters could relax and immerse themselves for a while in the classical world about which they had learned back in Glasgow. At New Anniesland - and beyond - Vic encouraged Academy boys to learn about cricket and to share his love of it, as part of school routine or in the evenings, at weekends and in the holidays with Accies. Vic is a much respected umpire whose expertise on the field of play and as an instructor has been recognised not only by Cricket Scotland but by the International Cricket Council. And every other Friday evening after school in the winter terms, Vic has been presiding spirit of the Gavel Club. He has not organised it the pupils themselves have done that - but he has encouraged it to flourish, a special activity which has been far more than just a forum for public speaking. The Gavel Club has its own distinctive ethos of mutual support and criticism, its role in developing self-confidence enduringly significant for many. Generations of pupils have much for which to thank Vic Hadcroft - and so too do colleagues who will long remember his friendship and support, in good times and in bad. Vic has been intensely loyal to his beloved languages and to those around him. As an era at The Academy comes to an end, we wish him well.

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Raymond Latimer At an evening in the Piper’s Tryst, we celebrated the many years that Raymond Latimer dedicated to The Glasgow Academy. Raymond started at the Academy in 1978. When Raymond started here, it was a boys’ school and very much chalk and talk. The latest technology was the Banda machine. Things have moved on a bit since then and now we have wikis, blogs,vokis, interactive whiteboards and e1, no less! Raymond Latimer graduated in French and Russian. After a year’s residency in France and two years teaching English in Madrid, he started teaching in Edinburgh. He is also qualified to teach Spanish and during his time in Spain met his wife, Linda. He moved to The Academy and, I quote, ” It was so good, I decided to stay”. For 25 years, Raymond did games on a Wednesday afternoon and has been running the after-school football club for a long time. Start a conversation with Raymond on football and you will never get away! He also oversaw the Young Enterprise scheme. He was part of the Careers team and took part in several Modern Language exchanges to Tarbes, and more recently Paris, and football trips to Valencia and Madrid. Raymond is an excellent linguist and always rises to the challenge of any grammatical discussion. He will be missed for both his professionalism and friendship. His good sense and experience have contributed greatly to the Modern Languages department of The Glasgow Academy. En conclusion, il me reste tout simplement, cher Raymond, de te souhaiter une bonne retraite pleine de santé, bonheur et le temps de faire ces choses que tu as encore à faire dans la vie. We wish him a long and happy retirement.

Adrienne Tolley Adrienne has taught at Dairsie and subsequently The Academy since 1980. Before that she taught at Calderwood Lodge. She has, until recently, job shared in P2 and has a wealth of experience teaching this stage. Two years ago she moved to P4 when she took on full-time teaching. She has worked tirelessly with her classes over the years and has often had the pleasure of meeting former pupils, now grown up, who still remember her with affection. Over the years, she has witnessed huge changes at Dairsie, not least being the merger with The Glasgow Academy. She has also been part of the huge educational changes over the years, including the 5 to 14 Curriculum Framework and now, of course, the Curriculum for Excellence. When she retires at the end of this session, we will be losing not only a colleague, but also a friend. She is a reliable colleague and always willing to give of her time to help out at all the various school functions. We will miss her, but she leaves Dairsie with our love and very best wishes for her future retirement in Israel.

Liz Semple It was a pleasure to celebrate Liz Semple’s dedication to The Glasgow Academy at an evening in the Piper’s Tryst. When Liz started here in 1988, it was a boys’ school and very much chalk and talk. Liz taught at the High School of Dundee before moving west to Allen Glen’s. She taught part-time in Bellahouston, Bearsden Academy and The High School of Glasgow when her children were young. As well as doing detention, Liz organised Community Service for those pupils who did not want to be in the CCF. This was not an enjoyable task and involved a lot of cajoling and arm-twisting. Suddenly many a gran benefited from having shopping done or being visited more regularly. Prize-giving was also one of Liz’s strengths. Liz is an excellent linguist and always rises to the challenge of any grammatical discussion. We have been together a long time and her professionalism and friendship will be greatly missed. Her good sense and experience have contributed greatly to the Modern Languages department of The Glasgow Academy. Alors, chère Liz, bonne chance pour l’avenir. Nous espérons que ton mari et toi vivront une retraite heureuse à la campagne. We wish her a long and happy retirement.

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Edward Watson Just how bad can the working conditions be at the Academy that, during the Credit Crunch, a schoolmaster decides to give up his career and cycle to China? He looked at me in astonishment when I suggested he could travel by aeroplane! It says so much about Ed: he is adventurous and driven by curiosity and full of wonderment and excitement about our planet. He is also very realistic and extremely practical. As with other adventures from his past, Svalbard and Iceland, he is very well-placed to succeed in this venture. In his short time at the Academy, Ed has had a huge impact: not just in the care and enthusiasm he expresses in the classroom, especially in Higher Geology; but also on the games field, and particularly through his diligent planning and patience in the running of the popular Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We wish him all the very best for a comfortable ride into the future, and I know he’ll be taking a very large puncture repair kit!

Ian McClure Ian joined the Academy in August 2007 after completing his probationary year. A teacher of Spanish and French, he has worked endlessly to bring the Modern Languages Department up-to-date with wikis , blogs and recording of pupil presentations on to mp3 players. Through his IT skills, Ian has contributed greatly to our audio programme by updating Listening files using Audacity. He has been an effective contributor to our department and has worked hard to extend the pupils in his care. We wish Ian and his wife, Tinneka, well as they set off on the next stage of their life in Holland.

Maria Arenas Delgado Maria arrived in April 2008 to cover a maternity leave and extended her stay until the end of session 2009. She fitted in immediately and has contributed wholeheartedly to the Modern Languages Department with her vibrant personality and her concern for the pupils in her care. We wish her well as she sets off on her travels to China. Hasta la vista, Maria!

Lynsey Allan Lynsey joined The Academy in December 2008 as a temporary replacement for Sheila Crawford; it would be fair to say that her arrival was like a whirlwind! A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Lynsey is a hard-working, ambitious and enthusiastic teacher who has very high expectations of attainment and behaviour from her pupils. Having taught at both St George’s School in Edinburgh and St Leonard’s in St Andrews, she arrived with outstanding credentials and reputation. From Prep 1 upwards, our pupils quite clearly enjoyed contact with Lynsey and the relaxed, but structured atmosphere in her classes. Respect for Lynsey is a two-way process and there is no doubt her pupils held her in the highest regard. Lynsey is a keen sportswoman and, to date, has five caps for the Scottish Women’s Hockey Team. The knowledge and experience she has gained from both international and club hockey was particularly valuable when coaching our senior squads; I am sure that our pupils benefited from Lynsey’s expertise. Throughout the hockey season, Lynsey developed strong relationships with our girls and this enthusiasm and dedication filtered through when she led the girls’ Athletics programme. Lynsey’s witty comments and fantastic sense of humour have had a real impact on The Academy; she will be sorely missed. We wish her all the very best as she embarks on a new stage in her life at Dollar Academy. As she would say, ‘Waaaaay!’

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New Staff Clare Blair I am delighted to be part of the "new look" Modern Language Department in Glasgow Academy. I have travelled around for my languages - I studied French, German and Spanish at Glasgow, Stirling and Dundee Universities and have extensive experience teaching to pupils of all ages. I am passionate about promoting language skills in the "global village", which all our pupils will be part of. I am also enthusiastic about encouraging clubs and activities which increase awareness of other cultures. Every summer for many years, my family and I have travelled throughout France and Spain. Beware, I will also be roaming about taking photos for the school magazine this year! Laura Burdon I am returning to work after three years of being a full time mum. I spent last year volunteering at Kelvinside Academy as a Teaching Assistant and am in the process of completing an ASCT/EDI Teaching Assistant Certificate Course. I am delighted to be joining the staff of The Glasgow Academy as a Classroom Assistant. Jillian Cuthbert I am very excited about teaching here at the Glasgow Academy as a French and Spanish teacher. I am equally looking forward to teaching Games and starting up a basketball club. I have previously taught English at a university in France and have also taught in Spain, both of which were wonderful experiences. My university years were spent at the University of Strathclyde where I studied International Business with Modern Languages before studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Education. Cathy Dolan I am the new teacher of Home Economics working 2 days a week. I hail from Cheshire. I trained at Manchester University, gaining a BSc and PGCE in Food Technology. I spent twelve years teaching in London before re-locating to Glasgow. I am continuing to teach a day a week at Hyndland Secondary. I am a mum of three children Finlay is in P2 and Tilly in P1, at The Glasgow Academy, and Ramsay is 19 months old. I am a passionate cook and enjoy entertaining friends and family. I am an avid member of my book group and try to keep fit in my local gym when I get time! I am enjoying getting to know Glasgow and the surrounding area. Brendan Farrelly I am the new Assistant Rector responsible for learning, teaching and attainment. The main function of my role is to help every pupil to realise their full potential and to be their best. I will be teaching Modern Studies and PSE in the school. I studied at the University of Glasgow, reading Politics and Sociology, although I spent my Third year at the University of California Los Angeles on a student exchange. I enjoy most sports, especially football, and I own a young horse. I enjoy music, film and literature and seeing as much of our planet as I can.

Daniel Ford I have joined the Geography Department as a teacher of Geography. I graduated from University College London in 2001. In 2004 I obtained my PGCE from the Institute of Education also in London. For four years I worked at The John Fisher School in Croydon before moving to Glasgow a year ago. I am a keen footballer and a Crystal Palace fan. I will be coaching football at Glasgow Academy. Dora Hegedus I joined the Academy in April 2008. As Database Coordinator and part of the admin team, I really enjoy working in a varied role. I completed my BA degree in Economics & Business Studies and my MA degree in HR. I was born in Budapest, the city that has gained impressive titles throughout its history, such as “the little Paris”, “the Central European capital”, “the city of spas” and “the pearl of the Danube”. I love travelling, getting to know other cultures, singing, dancing, and relaxing with my family. Gavin Horgan I am the Deputy Rector, with responsibility for the day to day running of the school and special responsibility for pupils in S1 and S2. I teach some PSE although I am originally an English Teacher and I studied Classics at Oxford University. I am very pleased to be joining The Academy and I look forward to promoting ever greater engagement in learning. I believe in the importance of pupil voice, motivation and real hard work - everyone can improve! Chrisna Jones I am Chrisna Jones and have recently joined The Glasgow Academy Team. I am originally from South Africa and have been married to a past scholar of the school for almost 4 years. I recently completed my HNC Early Education and Childcare at Anniesland College and, as part of the course, was placed in Nightingales Nursery and Jordanhill School respectively. I have joined Atholl Prep School and I have the responsibilities of running breakfast club, afterschool care and being a classroom assistant during the day. I enjoy playing squash as well as swimming and am a keen follower of sport such as rugby, cricket and football. Joanna Lennox I joined the External Relations Department as Alumni and Development Manager in April 2009. Previous to this I was the Marketing and Communications Manager for the National Youth Choir of Scotland. I was educated at Lanark Grammar School and graduated from The University of Stirling with a degree in Marketing and Film and Media. I am a keen runner and a member of Bellahouston Road Runners. I am very much looking forward to working with everyone at The Academy.

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New Staff Arlene McCracken I qualified as a nursery nurse at Langside College and since then I have had a varied career, including working in private and local authority nurseries. I also had the opportunity to work in Los Angeles and Bermuda as a private nanny. More recently I worked as a Nursery Manager; while doing so I returned to College studying for a I.L.M. certificate specialising in childcare and the S.V.Q. level 4 in Children’s Care, Learning and Development. I arrived at Glasgow Academy as Nursery Team Leader in June 2009 and I am looking forward to developing the outdoor area with the children and staff. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family and friends, swimming and salsa classes.

Neil Millar I am the new Head of Drama for The Academy and I am looking forward to setting up the Drama Department and ensuring that it contributes fully to the work and outstanding ethos of the school. I am very much looking forward to the exciting years that lie ahead at The Academy and, in particular, the Drama Department! I studied for my BA (Hons) in Drama and Theatre Arts at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh and then came back west to gain my PGCE. Prior to joining Glasgow Academy I worked at Our Lady’s High School in Motherwell. I enjoy the theatre (of course!), reading, an eclectic taste in music, walking and escaping to places that offer tranquillity and wonderment as well as spending quality time with my friends and family.

Emma McCready After a degree in French and Spanish from Aberdeen University, a degree in Public Relations from Stirling, and working in a company in Kirkcaldy for a year, I finally admitted that teaching was for me! I have spent six years at another independent school in Edinburgh, and am now delighted to be part of the Modern Languages Department here. I’m looking forward to being involved in the extracurricular life of the Academy, including Duke of Edinburgh and trips abroad. Outside school, I enjoy spending time with my family, cycling, going to the cinema, and going to France on holiday.

Lauren Stuiber I am starting this year at the Academy as a Classroom Assistant. I graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. I moved from my hometown of Phoenix to Glasgow in 2008 to complete the PGDE Primary at the University of Strathclyde. I am excited about this new job opportunity and I am looking forward to working with the staff and children at this school. I love being outside and I enjoy swimming, hiking and snowboarding.

Andy McKellar I have just taken over as Head of Classics and I am looking forward to the challenge.This is my first head of department job but I am already enjoying the new responsibilities. In Classics we mostly teach Latin but I am also teaching Classical Studies to S5 this year and in the future it would be nice to teach a bit of Classical Greek too. I did my MA at Glasgow and gained my PGCE at Jordanhill College. I like to get to Hampden and Murrayfield as often as I can to see Scotland in both codes. I support Rangers in this hemisphere and the San Francisco 49ers over the pond (I’ve been a big American Football fan since I was kneehigh!) I also love music and may well be spotted at T in the Park or Rockness from year to year. Next year hopefully Glastonbury! Catherine McMahon I am delighted to be teaching French and Spanish as one of the four new starts in Modern Languages. I studied French, German and Spanish at the University of Strathclyde. I previously taught Spanish at Glasgow Caledonian University but returned to schools four years ago after more than a decade in Higher Education. I am keen to take an active role in a French and Spanish Cinema Club and have previously run lunchtime classes in Japanese, which I would like to start at The Glasgow Academy in the summer term.

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Mark Taylor I joined the External Relations team last October as Deputy Director of Development. I attended Banff Academy and then studied Politics & International Relations at Aberdeen University before gaining my PGCE at Jordanhill. After nine years as a member and then Head of the Politics Department at Rugby School, I wanted to return to Scotland to be nearer family and friends. I have found The Glasgow Academy a really friendly, busy and fun place to work. Occasionally, I still get time to swim, travel and dabble in property development.

Glasgow Academy Parent Teacher Association

to step down, but has kindly agreed to continue to co-ordinate the Uniform sales. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Jennifer for all her hard work over the years, and for the thousands of pounds raised.

his year’s session has been very successful for the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), with thirteen new parents and five new staff members joining the Committee, and working very well together. One of the most significant successes of the PTA this year has been the way in which all committee members have become involved, and worked hard on specific events or activities, making my role as chairperson a particularly easy one! This year has been one of ‘firsts’ for the PTA. In late June 2008, we held the very successful Highland Games. Over four hundred children, young people, parents and friends had a very enjoyable day, hosted by our Clan Chief (ex pupil, and international rugby star) John Beattie. Highland games’ events, stalls and refreshments were enjoyed by all. We had tremendous support from many sponsors, willing volunteers (including all the young people who, later in the summer, toured South Africa), and parents who supported their children in the various events. It was a great event which highlighted the level of co-operation across the school community and it is now planned to hold a second games in June 2010. The new session started with our annual New Parents’ Welcome evening, which is already firmly embedded in the PTA calendar – this occasion is a great opportunity to meet other new parents and staff in a relaxed and informal setting. We then held our next ‘first’ which was two Christmas parties for Prep One to Three. Santa came to each party and again all the children, staff and parents who helped, had a great time.

We have updated our PTA pages on the school website and would encourage parents to use the information and let us know if there is anything you would like to see there.

In the spring term we worked hard to arrange a family ceilidh, which unfortunately did not attract as much support as we anticipated and had to be cancelled. The PTA recognises that not all events/activities suit everyone and therefore early next session plans to survey parents, to gauge what type of events parents would like to see organised. Another ‘first’ for the PTA was the Ladies’ Lunch held in June in the West End Hilton. This gave an opportunity for staff, parents and friends to have an enjoyable, relaxing afternoon after another year of school runs, games matches, music events, school trips parents evenings, etc etc!! Once again Jennifer Whyte and her Uniform committee have very successfully run the twice-yearly uniform sales which both provide a valuable service to parents and bring in substantial funds to the PTA. Jennifer, who has been a member of the committee (and previous Parents’ Association) for many years, has decided

Lastly, the PTA always gives donations to aspects of school life and this year we have worked to develop clearer guidance on the process. We have identified four criteria which we consider important and in future will ‘score’ requests for donations against – innovation, enhancing school values, impact on individual pupils or wider school body and sustainability. This year we have given donations towards the Christmas parties, telescopic lenses for the shooting team, digital cameras for Transitus, and snow shoes, which will add to the stock of outdoor education equipment. Information on previous PTA donations is on the website. Can I remind parents that the PTA needs your support, either as a committee member, occasional helper or as a supporter of our events. The PTA welcomes views and comments from parents, either in person (meetings are advertised in the school diary and are open to all parents) or through the website. Finally can I thank all members of the Committee, who worked hard throughout the year and, as I am retiring, wish the PTA every success in the future. Sheila Gillies Chairperson

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Prep School

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Our children continually demonstrate their understanding of how important it is to put something back into society. At Atholl, Dairsie and Kelvinbridge, through the course of the year, a wide range of fundraising activities were organised. New for this year was ‘Kids for Kilts’ day held on St Andrew’s day which raised money for ‘Children 1st’. The P7 children helped organise a fabulous range of interesting stalls in their charity fund raising event, my favourite part of which was undoubtedly the chocolate fountain! A big thank you to all the parents who donated so many high quality items.

From the Deputy Head Some have meat an’canna eat An’some wad eat that want it But we hae meat an’we can eat An’sae the Lord be thankit.

he Selkirk Grace. My Dad would always recite this at the beginning of the family evening meal. Partly because he loved the work of Robert Burns but primarily due to the fact that he liked to remind his offspring about just how fortunate we all were. That is how I feel about working at Glasgow Academy: that occasionally we need to remind ourselves about what a wonderful community it is for children, parents and staff to be associated with. We don’t get everything right all the time. But overall, I would like to think that for the great majority of the time, we most certainly do get it right. HMIe, I am delighted to record, were of the same opinion when they inspected the school in November 2008. They noted some of our strengths: “confident, articulate children who are eager to learn”; “commendably high attainment and achievement of children across a wide range of activities”; “enriched learning experiences offered for the children within and beyond the school”; “the high level of commitment of staff to working together to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment for learning”. I wish to express my tremendous appreciation of the professionalism and total dedication of the staff, not just during the inspection but throughout the session. For all the staff involved with Nursery, Kindergarten and After School Care, HMIe are not the only inspectors who visit. Each and every year the Care Commission inspect one area of our provision. This year After School Care at Kelvinbridge gained an outstanding inspection report. Well done to all concerned. If you have not yet had the chance to visit our new all-year-round Kelvinbridge Nursery, I would urge you to do so. It has such a delightful atmosphere and gives the children a secure and solid platform from which they can flourish and go on to truly achieve their potential. TS Eliot said: “What life have you if you have not life together? There is no life that is not in community.” I have been made personally very aware of what a supportive environment I am privileged to work in. My wife and I were touched by the good wishes and exquisite presents given to us by my colleagues following the birth of our daughter, Eleanor. It is perhaps a terrible cliché to say that Glasgow Academy is like a caring family but, as it is true, I feel I must still say it. Although it is of course satisfying to gain glowing inspection reports, what really makes an educational establishment is having an environment in which everyone is kind, has time for one another and where values such as respect, empathy and integrity are inexorably woven through every aspect of school life. I was particularly aware of this on the P7 residential trip to Arran where everyone pulls together, ensures that anyone who may be a little upset is comforted so that they can once again feel good about themselves. The P6 trip to Abernethy was also an outstanding success. There have been many hugely enjoyable day trips, perhaps the most unusual of which was for the P3 class who went to see the launch of the Royal Navy’s latest destroyer.

There are many times when your children make me feel very humble indeed. ‘Bugsy Malone’ was packed full of talent. How such young people remember so many lines and when to say them I feel is breathtaking. At assemblies it has been hugely enjoyable listening to a wide variety of instrumentalists. In sport there were many outstanding achievements, including the P7 A Cricket Team who remained undefeated for the whole season. 2009 was Homecoming Year and the 250th Aniversary of Robert Burns’ birth. It is thus rather fitting that one of my favourite events of the whole session was attending the poetry reading competition at Dairsie. Burns is not the easiest of poets to recite and yet the children delivered their lines with unbridled passion, which was utterly delightful. Let us all continue to strive to ensure that the Glasgow Academy continues to be a vibrant and happy community. R Teall

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Children 1st Sale

On the 21st of May, the Children 1st Sale was held in the Prep School Hall; roughly ÂŁ1600 was raised. Everyone from Kindergarten to P7 was invited. The stalls included books, toys, games, sweets, face painting and Wii stall. There were also stalls in each break-out area and chocolate fountains on each floor. Glamour City was also a favourite! It was a great success and everyone enjoyed the day! Heather Kilpatrick

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Spending, Saving, Giving â&#x20AC;?We believe that to teach pupils to handle money responsibly will equip them for a richer lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x153;

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”Parents should be proud of the articulate and confident way in which their children spoke to our guests.“

We were delighted to find that this year’s Money Week had even more parental involvement than before; the number of Dairsie volunteers, once again, came out on top! Speakers from the Institute of Chartered Bankers survived another dose of up to eighty pupils waiting to be entertained. Visitors came from Learning and Teaching Scotland, Banca D’Italia and the Times Educational Supplement to observe the proceedings. They were impressed! Parents should be proud of the articulate and confident way in which their children spoke to our guests. There is a school of thought which believes that money is for grown-ups to worry about. We believe that to teach pupils to handle money responsibly will equip them for a richer life. And when children see how money can make a difference to other people’s lives, they develop a desire to help others in the future. Throughout the week, there were opportunities for the children to learn about spending, saving and giving. At the Academy, we like to start small. Some examples of activities were a Bureau de Change in Atholl Nursery and little ones at Dairsie playing with Counting Machines. In the French classes at Kelvinbridge, pupils managed the Euro and Prep 5 realised the importance of Fair-trade. If you have read this and think you can help next year, do not hesitate to volunteer your services! J A McMorran

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Prep Christmas Show This year we were treated to a trip down memory lane with ‘Christmas Memories’. Each class sang a song that reminded them of Christmas. The Prep 2, with their ‘Rockin' around the Christmas Tree’, were full of fun as they gyrated around the stage! Prep 3 were a great sight as they wobbled onto the stage as very rotund snowmen and danced in wellies! Rudolf made his yearly appearance as Prep 4 bounded onto the stage in antlers and red noses. Prep 5 were bright and cheery as they took us all on a sleigh ride. Prep 6 gave a rousing performance of an old Elton John favourite ‘Step into Christmas’ while Prep 7 were all sentimental with ‘Last Christmas’ giving each other glittering hearts and reminding us of our old flames! A musical family, not unlike the von Trapps, or rather, von Trans, led us on a nostalgic journey through their parents' ipods. The audience got their chance to shine too as we all joined in together to sing the old Slade favourite ‘So here it is Merry Christmas’; some Dads were spotted at the back doing some super dance moves! Great fun was had by all and we went on our way feeling happy and full of Yuletide joy! E J David

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Prep School Music The Prep School pupils have worked hard on their music this year. The ensembles have been well-attended, particularly at the upper end of the school. Our flute group now has over 25 members. Although they play at varying standards, from beginner to grade four, their teacher, Rosemary Guerrier, always finds something that they can all play and enjoy. Other groups, such as the Guitar Ensemble, move from strength to strength. Our chanter group is growing and more pupils are taking up the pipe band drum; it won’t be long before we have a Prep School pipe band! We are particularly pleased with the number of brass players moving forward into the Senior School next session. There are three trumpeters and one French horn player who will be joining the senior Concert Band. The String Ensemble has always been fairly strong and numbers are good. I am delighted to report that 14 of the current P7s will be joining our music tour of New York in February 2010. Our concert venues are looking very prestigious and exciting, such as the largest Gothic cathedral in the world: a mere 600 feet in length (that’s about two football pitches). We also plan to visit the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and there will of course be opportunities to shop!

P7 Music Competition 2009 The standard of performance for this year’s competition was quite exceptional. 31 P7s entered and all gave really good performances. The winner this year was Adam Kidd, who played The Pink Panther on the trumpet. There were three second prizes, awarded to Ben Walsh (drum kit), Kyle Thomson (voice) and Andrew Halliday (Xylophone). There were so many good performances that there were nine third prizes given. These went to Douglas Sleigh (voice), Gillan Coats (cello), David Nicolson (French horn), Christopher Rae (voice), Malcolm Cohn (trumpet), Murray McKelvie (guitar), Philip Cai (piano), Katya Morrison (flute) and Anya Morrison (voice). Congratulations to everyone who took part.

Prep School Music Evening 2009 What a superb evening. With almost 200 children taking part and 300 in the audience, this was one of our busiest and best Prep School concerts. Performances were given by the P7 choir, the P6 choir, the Wind Band, the P3/4 choir, the Chanter Group, the String Group, the Percussion Group, the Flute Group, the P5 choir and the Guitar Group. For the first time we had a performance from the P7s who are travelling to New York for our next music tour in February 2010. Amongst those pupils we had a vocal solo from Kyle Thomson, who won his class during the recent Glasgow Music Festival, a xylophone solo from Sebastian Schraag and a duet from Anya and Katya Morrison. James Christie and Katya Morrison played an enchanting flute duet and James was our soloist in the tour choir’s performance of One Voice. Adam Kidd (the winner of the P7 music competition) played a superb trumpet solo. The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by both the pupils and the audience. Our thanks go to everyone for their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm. Our challenge now is to improve upon this high standard ready for the next one. Watch this space…

P7 Choir The P7 boys’ and girls’ choirs have consistently been made up from over 50 pupils. We have a very talented group of youngsters here and I have been most impressed with their hard work and, above all, their commitment to the choir. It is wonderful to see young people enjoying using their voices in such an uninhibited way and the future for school singing is bright. Our thanks go to their singing teacher, Jonathan Hawkins. The whole of P7 were involved in the Home Front Road Show, where they sang The Quartermaster’s Stores and Lambeth Walk to an appreciative audience. M B Marshall

Junior Wind Band This session the Junior Wind Band has enjoyed weekly lunchtime rehearsals working on a wide repertoire including The Pink Panther, Lord of the Rings and The Great Escape. The pupils have participated enthusiastically and the number of members has increased from last year. The ensemble features a combination of flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, bass guitar and drum kit. A McColl

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Bugsy Splurge guns and banana boozles galore! The Prep School Theatre Club’s production of Bugsy, at the start of April, was a spectacular show which would be the envy of many a school. The colourful stage, superb lighting and clear sound added to a production involving a huge cast. There cannot be many Prep Schools who can rely on their P7 pupils to run a Sound & Lighting desk which looks like something out of the Starship Enterprise - but they did it and did it well. Every person on stage, from principal parts to the chorus line, contributed to the whole; each added their own little bit of glitter and glamour to a show which would have made Busby Berkeley proud. These things don’t just happen by accident. Bugsy was in production from October to April and the producers - Mrs David, Miss Dunkerley and Mr Anderson, together with Miss MacLeod from the music department - braved weekly sessions on stage and the odd weekend’s mammoth rehearsal to bring out the best in their cast. Added to this was a support crew of Prep School staff who helped dress, make up and generally get the players on and off stage. Special thanks must go to Mrs. Ivins for the props, Mrs. Halliday for make-up and Mrs. McLellan for costumes. G R M Anderson

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Prep Prom

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Prep 1

Kyle Logan - Prep 1.1 Finlay Brown - Prep 1.2

Nina Pickering-Glover - Prep 1.1

Lewis Massie - Prep 1.2 Honey Morris - Prep 1.1

Louisa Herbert - Prep 1.2

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Sharleen Nijjar - Prep 1.3

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Prep 2 Lucy Dalrymple - Prep 2.2

Keshav Sharma - Prep 2.1

Molly Scales - Prep 2.1 Craig McKee - Prep 2.3

Ethan Sarvesvaran - Prep 2.2

Erin MacKenzie - Prep 2.3

Ava Steven - Prep 2.2

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Fraser McDonald - Prep 2.3

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Prep 3

Eve Denholm - Prep 3.1

Mary Prempah - Prep 3.2

Molly Graham - Prep 3.1

Emma Brown - Prep 3.2

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Aisha Rasul - Prep 3.2

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Prep 4

Lizzie Connor - Prep 4.1

Andrew Kitson - Prep 4.2

Timothy Chan - Prep 4.1

Abdullanh Sattar - Prep 4.2

Innes Hill - Prep 4.2

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Prep 5 Luisa Queen - Prep 5.2 Abigail Sproule - Prep 5.3

Larissa Macaloney - Prep 5.3

Alistair Fry - Prep 5.1

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James Raeburn - Prep 5.1

Henry Cohn - Prep 5.2

Hugo McGregor - Prep 5.1

Sophie Pell - Prep 5.1

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Prep 6

Sam Abernethy - Prep 6.1

Chris Anderson - Prep 6.2

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Alexandra Fletcher - Prep 6.3

Abernethy 09

Abernethy proved once again to be a very special “first” residential trip for P6 this year. In preparation, two senior pupils about to embark on an expedition to Greenland, shared their experiences of the trip that generated their love of outdoor pursuits - their P6 trip a number of years ago to Abernethy! I have no doubt that this year’s crop will have been equally inspired.

The children were a pleasure to take away and it was wonderful to hear from instructors at the centre how much they enjoy working with our school. Every child was full of energy and enthusiasm and came back better for their new experiences. This year the children took time each evening to work toward the John Muir Award, requiring them to focus on things that they have discovered, explored, conserved and shared during the week. It is amazing that telling the children that the writing up of their notes must not in any way feel like school work, somehow produces some of the most focused “work” of the year! The weather, though mixed, did not in any way affect the enthusiasm of the children or participation in activities. Every child comes away from Abernethy a more confident and satisfied being; the encouraging atmosphere created by the staff at the centre rubbed off on us all. New friendships were formed and as staff we saw children in a different environment and learned even more about their social and physical skills. New leaders were discovered and different ways to operate as a team developed simply because of the opportunities given by the activities. In every way Abernethy 09 was a resounding success. A W Marshall

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Prep 7

Rachael Barber - Prep 7.5

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Megan Auld - Prep 7.5

Lochranza

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Prep School Hockey P

rep 6 girls have been getting to grips with playing hockey as an outside activity this year; the signs are very encouraging for the future of hockey at the school. Pupils geared all of their efforts initially to the sixa-side and latterly the eight-aside game of mini-hockey. Prep 6 girls played a few matches this season against Kelvinside Academy, Craigholme and The High School of Glasgow. The highlight of the season was The Carol Hamilton Memorial Trophy where The Glasgow Academy won against The High School of Glasgow 9 games to 3. J Barr

rep 7 hockey this year has been very successful. We had our biggest year group ever with 50 girls competing very hard against one another to show off new-found skills and abilities on the hockey pitch. Over 20 girls played for the ‘A’ team and everyone else represented the school at ‘B’ or ‘C’ team level. I wish all the girls the best of luck for next year and hope that they continue to enjoy their hockey. S Fitzgerald

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Prep School Rugby

P6 Rugby

P7 Rugby

is always extremely pleasing to finish a season with the best performances of the year. After two hugely enjoyable terms with a great year group the P6s beat Hutchesons’ in both the A and the B team games, 4 tries to 2 and 7 tries to 0 respectively. What a difference from the losses inflicted by Hutchie earlier on in the season in the driving, freezing rain. There have been many notable performances such as the victories over the High School and St C o l u m b a ’s . There have been losses along the way from which the boys have learnt a great deal; the performances against strong opposition at the end of the season bear testimony to that. P7 will inherit a group of boys who are versatile, aggressive and determined and we are sure that they will develop their game extremely well on larger pitches with more space in which to run. A W Marshall

his has been yet another fantastic season for Primary 7 rugby. The ‘A’ team registered only two defeats throughout the season, and managed to rack up ten victories. The boys have consistently played attacking rugby and have demonstrated tenacity in defence. Notable scalps include those of Dollar and George Heriot’s, as well as seeing off all of our West of Scotland rivals. The close bond within the team stands the boys in good stead for the future, along with the individual talents that each possesses in abundance. Andrew Simmers should also be congratulated on his captaincy of the year group, as he carried out this role with great maturity and enthusiasm. The ‘B’ team also had a fantastic season, with many boys making the step up to the ‘A’ team throughout the season. The competition for places has been fierce and it has been pleasing to see the way in which the boys have reacted to advice from the coaching staff. Indeed, we have been able to field a ‘C’ team for the first time and this shows the strength in depth that this year group has. I would like to thank the teachers and coaches for their outstanding contribution towards the development of these boys throughout the season. Mr Williams has continued his work with the ‘B’ team and Mr Grandison seems to have thoroughly enjoyed his work with the ‘C’ Team. Mr Weston should also be thanked for the work that he has done with all teams throughout the season; I know the boys have really enjoyed his unique coaching style! The final thanks must go to the boys: they have been a pleasure to work with and I wish them well for next season. S A Mathewson

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Prep School Cricket

P6 Cricket P7 Cricket T

his could in no way be described as a golden season, but we did at least finish with silverware. A squad that included two girls won the West of Scotland Primary Cricket tournament in convincing fashion, just reward for all the hard work the children have put in this year. If there were any doubts as to the enthusiasm for cricket in this school, then a Friday lunchtime practice near the end of term was indicative of its popularity. Nearly 50 pupils, 20 of them girls, turned up voluntarily! Although results in P6 have been mixed in the limited fixtures available to us in such a short season, it is clear that there is a wealth of talent that will serve the school well in years to come. The collective mindset is still too focused on hitting every ball out of the ground and on one occasion this cost the A team a game that they really should have won, but the players will be better for the experience. The wins by the A team against Kelvinside and by the B team against Wellington stand out as highlights of a weather-affected season and the signs are very encouraging for next year. A W Marshall

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hat a lot of Cricket we have managed to cram into this term! The P7 ‘A’ team have remained undefeated again and have therefore not lost a game in the last two years; this really is a fantastic achievement! Finlay Watson should be congratulated on his captaincy of the year group; he carried out this role with great maturity and enthusiasm. The ‘B’ team also had a fantastic season, with many boys making the step up to the ‘A’ team throughout the season. The competition for places has been fierce and it has been pleasing to see the way in which the boys have reacted to advice from the coaching staff. Indeed, the ‘B’ team have only lost one game this season, and that was a tight affair against Stewart’s Melville. I have high hopes for the boys in the Senior School and hope that they will continue their fantastic run. I would like to thank the teachers and coaches for their outstanding contribution towards the development of these boys throughout the season. Mr Grandison seems to have thoroughly enjoyed his work with the ‘B’ Team and I would like to thank him for all his hard work. Mr Weston and Mr Hariharan should also be thanked for all the work that they have put in. The final thanks must go to the boys. They have been a pleasure to work with and I wish them well for next season. S A Mathewson

Glasgow Schools Primary Athletics Results Anna Dunlop

Bronze P7 Girls’ 80m

Robbie Barr

Bronze P6 Boys’ 600m

Emily Whyte

Bronze P7 Girls’ 600m

James Clark

Silver P6 Boys’ Long Jump

Cameron Horn

Silver P6 Boys’ Cricket Ball Throw

Andrew Sinclair Silver P7 Boys’ Cricket Ball Throw P7 Girls’ Relay

Anna Dunlop

Bronze

Emily Whyte Heather Kilpatrick Anya Morrison Katya Morrison P7 Boys’ Relay

Leon Hay

Bronze

Andrew Sinclair Jamie Judd Harrison Brown Kyle Thomson

Prep Athletics

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Prep School Prize-winners P7.3 Adam Kidd Heather Kilpatrick Jessica Lee Heather Kilpatrick Heather Kilpatrick P7.4 Greg Dunlop Gillan Coats Anna Dunlop Anna Dunlop P7.5 Rachael Barber Cameron Russell Megan Auld Cameron Russell

DP4 Finlay Drummond Eva Goodwin Lewis Walker AP4 Judith Arbuckle Colin MacFarlane Mary Potts P4.1 Fergus Horne Lucy Roberts Dhruv Shah P4.2 Veronica Haughey Rick Mukhopadhyay Cameron Wray P5.1 Angus Barbour Libby Strachan Brooks Holly Wicklow Mark Wilson P5.2 Thomas Barnett Juliet Philip Blair Stewart Henderson Chloe Thornton P5.3 Greg MacMillan Ruairidh Russell Sarema Shorr P6.1 Hannah Campbell Isabella Greenock John McDonald P6.2 Alasdair Forrest Fraser Middleton Calum Wray P6.3 Sarah McKee Joanna Philip Katie Thornton P6.4 James Hepburn Laura McCabe Euan McDonald P7.1 Euan Grierson Euan Grierson Euan Ramsay Euan Grierson P7.2 Harry Hitchcock Sebastian Glen Freya Stewart Mark Forbes Iona MacIntyre-Beon

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Language Mathematics Mathematics Environmental Studies French Language Mathematics Environmental Studies French Language Mathematics Environmental Studies French

Special Prizes

Language Mathematics Environmental Studies French Language Mathematics Environmental Studies French French

POETRY SPEAKING

Aisha Rasul Toni Collins Georgia Dunn Owen McBurnie-Balfour Leon Hay

DIRECTOR OF MUSICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PRIZE FOR PERFORMANCE

Adam Kidd

MUSIC

James Christie Euan Ramsay Katya Morrison

P.E. GIRL P.E. BOY

Robyn Belch Leon Hay

ART

Anna Dunlop

ESSAY

Zahra Cairns Gillan Coats Isha Mahmood Catherine Mitchell Robyn Simpson

FRAME CUP For Inter-House Competition

Morrison

THE DUX

Anna Dunlop (below)

Nursery

The first year has been a great success: the children have made many friends, they have grown together and they are all on their individual learning journeys. There have been many trips: the Transport Museum, the Science Centre (which they particularly enjoyed), Tollcross park to see the animals and the local library. The children have travelled on buses and taxis; they have walked around the local community too. There have been lots of visitors too: the Gladigator came along to show the children how to brush their teeth; the animal man came to show us snakes and rabbits; Music with Mummy gave us new songs to sing and Santa brought presents for all. We have also been very busy: we have been on a bear hunt, sang at the Christmas CafĂŠ, searched for minibeasts, made planets, rockets and aliens, made cakes, planted flowers, and much more. The fundraising event of the year was the Toddle Waddle for the Meningitis trust; the children enjoyed the walk with the Kindergarten children. Thank you to all our parents for their donations. The children have had a fun-filled time with their friends. The staff have had many memorable moments this year and for those moving up to Kindergarten, we wish you well.

J Thompson

Chronicle

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We have had another busy and fun-filled year at Kelvinbridge Kindergarten. We began the session by introducing a lending library to the children. Every Thursday the children choose a book from our Kindergarten library, take it home to read and bring it back at the start of the week. This has been a very popular project and one that we plan to take forward into the new session. The children have also had the opportunity to make regular visits to the Prep School library and to visit the local library at Hillhead. Together with the Prep School we have supported a variety of charities. This year we also got together with the staff and children of the new nursery to raise money for the Meningitis Trust. This involved us all going on a “Toddle Waddle” along the banks of the River Kelvin and into Kelvingrove Park. We were joined by some parents and staff from Cool Kids and we managed to raise over £130 for the Trust. The ethos of Kindergarten is to learn through play and, through a variety of activities and topics. The children have been able to learn more about jungle animals, teddy bears, planting and growing and festivals such as the Chinese New Year. We had our annual visit from the Gladigator, a very friendly alligator who comes from the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Oral Health team to remind the children of the importance of looking after their teeth and eating healthy food. He is always well received by the children who look forward to his visit. We have enjoyed planting a variety of bulbs and flowers in our new garden. The children love being able to go in and out of the garden very easily and have lots of opportunities to use up their excess energy on the bikes and scooters. We also take advantage of our situation in the West End to visit many attractions in the local area such as the Kelvingrove Art Galleries, the Kibble Palace and children’s garden in the Botanic Gardens. B A McLeish

Kindergarten

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Cool Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Club This is our first year in the newly refurbished space and it has proved very popular with children, staff and parents. In our new space we have a huge space for physical play and an area to lay out small world play such as dollsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; houses, building blocks and car mats. We have a separate room for art activities, computers and homework as well as a room designated for our older children in Prep 5-7. We even have a separate kitchen which enables us to provide hot lunches during our holiday clubs. Our holiday clubs are as fun as ever, with jewellery making, clay modelling, trips to parks and even hill walking! The Care Commission inspectors were impressed with our programme and we received a glowing report: four Excellent Grades and four Very Goods. This result is all down to a great team! J Peteranna

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atholl*atholl*atholl* We always hope for a quiet term at Atholl, but it never seems to turn out that way. Being well hidden can have its advantages: we thought that our locality might give us immunity from Inspection, but it was not to be. Fortunately, the inspectors liked what they saw. Straight away they felt at home and enjoyed the special atmosphere that comes with our small, but highly effective school. True to form, the children rose to the occasion: they collected the leaves at the school entrance, checked the cloakrooms were tidy, created a look-out post in the playground and even surprised the Pest Control Officer with, 'Good Morning, Sir. Welcome to our school.' Just as quickly as the Inspection started, it was all over and we lost no time in getting into the seasonal spirit with the St Andrew's Ceilidh, Carols at the Fraser Centre and rehearsing for those all-important Nativity performances. This year parents had no need to dread the bellowing of 'I need a shepherd's costume!' Bed sheets and towels could be put away as the P.T.A. funds contributed over ÂŁ500 towards the children's new outfits and the pupils looked perfect. Even the Nursery/Kindergarten exceeded all expectations as eager young thespians; they had their own special performance for mums and dads, grandmas and grandpas. What they didn't know was that, for the duration of rehearsals and the show, a family of field mice was happily ensconced in the bale of hay! Homecoming 2009 has given us the opportunity to show pride in all things Scottish. Although it was strange to have a week of Robert Burns's portrait on everything from the school milk cartons to the City Chambers, at least the children will recognise him in the future. We all learned the tricky words of Scottish songs including 'Caledonia', (which seems to have an inordinate amount of verses) and we practised poems in the Scottish dialect. The Prep 4s entered the Glasgow Music Festival Scottish Dancing competition and earned points for being the only group with more boys than girls! Some boys weren't as enthusiastic as they might have been, so we told them that the intricate steps would improve their football skills. On Grandparents' Day, the pupils sang songs from 1960s' musicals and spent ages painting and framing pictures for their visitors. They loved showing everyone their recent World Book Day displays and taking their grandparents for a well-earned coffee break in the conservatory. Very few of our events would take place without all the support from Atholl parents. We appreciate our P.T.A., run by Mrs Arbuckle, and the parent body as a whole. They help with trips, the school garden, the Healthy Tuck Shop, refreshments, BBQs, hall decorations, fĂŞtes, charities and talks to the children. Dr Fletcher even enrolled in a video editing course to produce the end-of-term school DVD. We continue to have parents into the school for curriculum workshops and we use their expertise in events like Money Week. Research consistently demonstrates that where parents are involved in Education, both at home and in partnership with the school, their children do better. As our aim is continually to raise attainment and achievement, parents as partners are an integral part of the way forward for Atholl. J A McMorran

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The Children of Dairsie have once again had a busy and productive year. Our Enterprise groups this year raised money for Book Aid International, Children 1st, Children in Need and Comic Relief. A variety of exciting and fun events were organised: selling 'Santa's Secrets' at Christmas; organising the 'Jog in the Park'; a 'Wear Something Funny' fashion show; the unique 'Dairsie Daft Day' and 'A Trail of Pennies' round the school during Money Week. Altogether they raised the fantastic sum of almost ÂŁ7,000. Well done to all our children who enthusiastically organised the events and to all the children who took part. Performance plays a big part of our children's lives. This year the Christmas Nativity was the brilliant "Hosanna Rock" which was produced by our new music teacher Robert Paterson. We are trying to give the children as much opportunity as possible to test their performance wings: they are encouraged to take assemblies, perform for their grandparents, sing at various events, give wee keyboard concerts, demonstrations in judo and they all learn poems for our annual Robert Burns Day. World Book day was once again a success. The children dressed up as their favourite characters and presented at assembly. They also shared reading across the classes: P2, P3 and P4 all read to children in younger classes. Every class contributed to a whole school story which the P4 named The Jaws Bond Adventure. This was a successful new enterprise of cooperation across the stages which the children enjoyed greatly. We have now gained our Silver Award in our eco schools campaign. The enthusiastic committee, under Mrs Whyte's guidance, has continued to think up new initiatives. The children have also experienced myriad trips and visits as part of their learning. We have had workshops in school from Generation Science, the Vivace Theatre group, a wonderful storyteller at Easter and the visiting Children's Theatre Group who came to school with Wizard William. As you can see, the children have a fun and very productive life at Dairsie which all enhances their learning. S McKnight