DRESS AS YOU PLEASE FUNDRAISER

Well done to everyone taking part in the DAYP Day on Thursday 11 February to raise funds for the S3 Badaguish Residential Trip – a current total of £325.70 has been raised.  Your donations can still be taken early next week if you forgot!  Thank you to our fab S3 counters Mairi and Rory.  Congratulations also to Harry Osbaldiston (S1), Ms Farquhar in the office and Mrs Briston PT Art & Design for winning the prizes for the most colourful attire.  Runners up were Megan Rees and Aeryn Sherwood.

The Scottish Youth Parliament's  Education and Lifelong Learning Committee is planning to conduct research across Scotland on Additional Support for Learning to find out what is working well and what could be done better.The Committee wants to find out what innovative initiatives have been developed to support young people to the best of their ability. 

What the Committee is planning to do:

They are planning to conduct research in secondary schools in all 32 local authorities to ask young people with additional support needs about their experiences of their education. They will also be asking staff who work with young people with additional support needs how they support young people and what innovative practices they believe should be developed nationally to ensure all young people receive the best possible education so that they can reach their full potential.

What they want to achieve:

*       Raise awareness of the views of young people with additional support needs.

*       By sending out reports to interested parties such as the Scottish Government and Education Scotland they want them to know what is working well and what could be done better.

*       Meet with Scottish Government Ministers to discuss our findings and to propose a positive case for changes to be made if the research shows changes do need to be made.

*       To engage young people who are not as able as their peers and give them a voice and a say about their education.

The Scottish Youth Parliament would be delighted to hear from as many young people and staff as possible.

The links to the survey is:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ELLresearchASLlearner

MODERN APPRENTICESHIPS

Find out more about Modern Apprenticeships at our parents/carers event at Skills Development Scotland, 232 High Street, Elgin on Wednesday 2 March from 5.00 to 7.00pm.  Phone 0300 013 2103 for more information.  Pupils should also pay close attention to pupil notes each day and the library noticeboard for information about employment opportunities.

HOUSE ASSEMBLIES

The House Assemblies to all three houses were delivered this week by the Senior Prefects and the ‘My World Of Work Ambassadors’ highlighting the key features of the ‘My World Of Work’ website.  The Ambassadors have been present at recent parents evenings demonstrating how the computer program can help with course choices and career planning.  The Ambassadors will be continuing to support pupils, parents and teachers with all aspects of this valuable tool for the remainder of the school year.

CAREER READY

There will be a Parents Evening for S4 parents on Tuesday 8 March to introduce Career Ready.  This is an opportunity for pupils staying on for S5 and S6 to get a better insight into the world of work.  Pupils who are selected for this programme will have an industry mentor, attend masterclasses and have a four week paid internship with a local employer.

STAFF CHANGES

Today we say farewell to Miss Donna Shaw, Teacher of Art and Design for the last two years.  We wish her every success in her new post at St Michael’s Academy in North Ayrshire.

CLIMBING SUCCESS

Natalie Taylor, R1 and Renee Dumenil, R4 have both been selected to attend the Grand Final of the Scottish School Climbing Championships in Glasgow on Saturday 12 March.

PARENTS EVENING

Tuesday 1 March is our S5 and S6 Parents’ Evening.  Pupils have their appointment sheets and should be seeing teachers to arrange these.  If you have any queries, please contact the school office in the first instance.

ABERLOUR FAIRTRADE COFFEE MORNING

The Girls Group have been spending their lunchtimes this week baking for the Aberlour Fairtrade Coffee Morning.  The girls have been preparing a variety of goodies including scones, muffins and flapjacks using as many Fairtrade products as possible.  We hope that those attending the Coffee Morning enjoy all the tasty treats made.

PHYSICS NEWS

The S3 Physics classes will be taking part in 'I'm An Engineer Get Me Out Of Here' in early March.  This will involve live chats with robotics engineers to find out more about what type of activities they do in their job, the qualifications necessary and which companies they can work for as well as finding out about what their interests are outside work.

TSI Moray have several volunteering opportunities based in Tomintoul in March (see attached document).

To register as a volunteer with TSI, please either go to the website,  www.tsimoray.org.uk , or contact them at info@tsimoray.org.uk .

Anyone aged 12 – 15, and who volunteers, is also eligible to claim Saltire Certificates, a Scottish Government certificate issued to young people at key target hours, to acknowledge the young person’s efforts -  a wonderful thing to include in a young person’s CV.

There will be a parents’ information evening for S4 parents on Tuesday March 8^th to find out about Career Ready. This is a scheme for pupils in S5/6 to prepare them better for the world of work. Pupils receive mentoring from someone in business, the attend masterclasses and do a four week paid internship. This will be the third group of pupils to be part of these scheme from Speyside High. The first cohort are coming to the end of their experience and have benefitted greatly from their experiences in terms of confidence, maturity and a better knowledge of themselves and what will be expected of them in employment. One pupil has gained employment through being part of the scheme and he will speak about his experience on the evening along with other pupils. If you are an S4 parent who would like to find out more but you are unable to attend please contact Mr Picksley at school.

CAREER READY

There will be a parents’ information evening for S4 parents on Tuesday March 8^th to find out about Career Ready.  This is a scheme for pupils in S5/6 to prepare them better for the world of work.  Pupils receive mentoring from someone in business; they attend masterclasses and do a four week paid internship.  This will be the third group of pupils to be part of these schemes from Speyside High.  The first cohort are coming to the end of their experience and have benefitted greatly from their experiences in terms of confidence, maturity and a better knowledge of themselves and what will be expected of them in employment. One pupil has gained employment through being part of the scheme and he will speak about his experience on the evening along with other pupils.  If you are an S4 parent who would like to find out more but you are unable to attend please contact Mr Picksley at school.

ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY SCHOOLS ANALYSIS COMPETITION

Three Higher Chemistry students, Mark Mitchell; Lesley Nicol and Leithen Vallance, were in Aberdeen at Robert Gordon’s College on Thursday 10 March, taking part in a senior students competition organised by The Royal Society of Chemistry.

CAREER READY

S5 and S6 Career Ready students presented at a Career Ready Parents Information Evening this week on Tuesday 8 March.  This event was aimed at S4 pupils and their families.  Anyone who was unable to attend but would like to find out more about this excellent opportunity, please see Mr Picksley.

S6 students will be travelling to Perth next week to attend their Graduation ceremony.  Seeing how this group of students have developed in terms of their confidence and understanding of the world of work demonstrates the power of this scheme.  Speyside High would, in particular, thank the mentors and their employers; The Edrington Group, Walkers Shortbread, Chivas Brothers, Johnstons of Elgin, The Aberlour Hotel, Diageo, Moray College and The Moray Council for supporting our young people.

ATHLETICS CLUB

After school athletics will start again on Monday 14 March from 3.30 to 4.30pm.  New members are welcome.

MODERN APPRENTICESHIPS

S4 pupils had a talk from Roddy Innes of SDS and Bethany Holroyd of Moray Council about Modern Apprenticeships last week.  There are many opportunities for our pupils currently being advertised via the school notices, the careers noticeboard outside the library and via @SpeysideRector on Twitter.

GETTING READY TO VOTE

Ms Childs and senior Politics students ran an assembly for senior pupils this week [Thursday 10 March] to encourage all pupils to register to be able to vote in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election. Pupils were able to use computer rooms during break and lunchtime to go online and register.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR CLUBS

The following groups meet every week at school: Girls Football and Speakers Club Wednesday lunchtime and Rugby Wednesday after school.  Boys football teams train after school on a Monday.  Badminton and a Gym Session are held on Tuesday lunchtimes.

UKMT MATHEMATICS CHALLENGE

The annual UKMT Mathematics Intermediate Challenge for S3 and S4 took place on 4 February.  As usual our pupils scored well and gained the following awards:

Silver :Kyle Brown(Best in S4), Ashleigh Rizza, Thomas Grams, Jamie Watt, Kirsty Simmons(Best equal in S3), Mairi Weir(Best equal in S3).

Bronze : Jack Walker, Zoe Nairn, Daniel Officer, Jake Durno, Daniel Gordon, Hadyn Milton, Lucy McGillivray, Hollie Grant, Rory Horsburgh, Leanne Wright, Thomas Cattenach.

NATIONAL SCHOOLS CLIMBING COMPETITION

Speyside High pupils Renée Dumenil and Natalie Taylor competed in the National Schools Climbing Competition on Saturday 12 March in Glasgow, both achieving a podium finish in the S3/S4 Girls Category.

Renée Dumenil – 1^st Place

Natalie Taylor – 2^nd Place

A fantastic result and another first for a Moray School, well done!

EXTRA STUDY TIME

Many teachers are giving up lunchtimes to support pupils in the run up to the exams.  Pupils should speak to their teachers when extra lunchtime sessions are taking place.

MOCK INTERVIEWS

S4 pupils all had a mock interview on Friday 18 March.  We are very grateful to local employers and volunteers from the community who came into school to give our pupils a valuable experience from which they will be receiving feedback on how they got on.

MORAY COLLEGE

There are places still available in some courses within the Moray College Schools Programme for next year for pupils currently in S3 moving into S4 and S4 moving into S5.  If this is something that may be of interest to you, then please see your Guidance Teacher for more information.

BADAGUISH TRIATHLON

S3 pupils took part in a sponsored walk, run, swim or cycle on the morning of Thursday 17 March to raise funds for their Residential in May.  Well done to all pupils who took part.

BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK

The Science Department have been busy this week with events to celebrate Science Week.  All S2 pupils have taken part in the 5 round quiz, all school staff given the opportunity to take part in a slightly shorter but harder quiz and finally to celebrate Demonstration Day pupils were invited to see large scale demonstrations in the Science Department.

HEAD BOY/GIRL

Congratulations to Dimitris Paganopoulos and Katie Durno who have been appointed as Head Boy and Head Girl for the 2016/17 academic session.

SWIMMING GALA

This years’ Swimming Gala will take place on Wednesday 23 March – Periods 5 & 6.  Please see your Guidance Teacher/House Captains to sign up for this fantastic event and represent your house.  All competitors should get changed at the end of the lunch break, so that you are ready to get warmed up in the pool when the bell rings.

The Easter Service took place on Wednesday 23rd March in the Auditorium. Thanks to the pupils who performed during the service.

MORAY YOUNG CITIZENS AWARDS

Girls Group were delighted to receive a commended award at last Friday evening’s Awards Ceremony [18 March].  The Group, which was established over a year ago, has been involved in numerous fundraising and other community related activities.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

As part of our Children’s Rights work, we have been creating a Children’s Rights Ostereierbaum or Easter Egg Tree.  This is a century old tradition in Germany where the branches of trees are decorated with eggs.  Our tree is a bit different… Each Tutor Group were given 2 Articles from the UNCRC, they discussed these during Tutor time and then on the back of sparkly eggs they wrote up some ways which they have been able to access this Right at Speyside High School.  The Modern Languages Department also helped by providing a slide show explaining the history of the German Tree.  Through activities like this, pupils at Speyside High School are beginning to understand the rights that they and others have, and can identify ways in which the school is helping them access their rights.

OUR BEAUTIFUL WORLD PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

Congratulations to Duncan Collis and Charlie Wright who won the Speyside heat of the Rotary Nationwide Photography Competition.  The next level is to compete for the Moray selection.  Well done to all students who entered this competition.  We were told that the standard was high and judging outright winners was difficult.

SHS SPEAKERS CLUB

This has been a busy week for the Speakers Club teams.  Last Wednesday [16 March], a team of three S3 pupils went to the Aberdeen Curling Centre for the NOSS final.  Although the team from SHS had been asked as a late replacement for a team from another school, we performed really well.  It was also a great opportunity to hear older pupils speaking and the experience was amazing.  On Monday 21 March, two teams went to the heat of The Procurator Fiscal’s Speaking competition at Banff Academy.  Both teams gave excellent performances and one of our teams has progressed to the area final in Aberdeen at the end of April.

CLIMBING SUCCESS

Congratulations to Natalie Taylor and Renée Dumenil who have both been selected for the Scotland North Climbing Team and Scottish squads and will be competing in the British finals in Edinburgh later this month.

NEW HEADTEACHER

Mrs P Goodbrand starts as our new Headteacher on Monday 18 April.  She takes up this post having previously been Depute Headteacher at Kemnay Academy.

S1 students at Speyside High School worked with their BBC micro:bits this week in their Computing Science classroom.

The micro:bit is a handheld, fully programmable computer being given free by the BBC to all S1 children in the country to keep. The device is part of a BBC initiative called ‘Make It Digital’ to inspire a new generation to get creative with coding, programming and digital technology.

The UK is facing a significant skills shortage with 1.4m digital professionals needed over the next five years.

CHARITIES FAYRE

On Thursday 21 April we had a very successful annual Charities Fayre which was organised by all the S2 PSE classes.  There were 20 stalls offering a variety of goods and challenges.  In the lead up to this the pupils were asked to research a charity of their choice and give a presentation to their class mates on why we should give the money raised to that good cause.  The winning charity this year was Cancer Research.

P7 INFORMATION EVENING

On the evening of Thursday 21 April we welcomed parents of next sessions’ new S1 pupils to the school for an information evening.  Thank you to all those who attended.  If you were unable to come along please get in touch with the school if you have any questions prior to your children coming to Speyside.

OUTDOOR KITCHEN AREA

This week we welcomed a group of volunteers from Glenfiddich Distillery and Business In The Community.  The group were in to begin construction of our new outdoor kitchen area.  They have built us 2 barbeques and painted our picnic benches.  Our BGE classes are looking forward to using these in the coming weeks in the ‘Design A Burger’ Units.  Business In The Community work with businesses around the country to link them up with schools, we are grateful to both them and Glenfiddich for their involvement in this project.

COMPUTING SCIENCE NEWS

S1 students at Speyside High School were working with their BBC micro:bits this week in their Computing Science classroom.  The micro:bit is a handheld, fully programmable computer being given free by the BBC to all S1 children in the country to keep.  The device is part of a BBC initiative called ‘Make It Digital’ to inspire a new generation to get creative with coding, programming and digital technology.  The UK is facing a significant skills shortage with 1.4m digital professionals needed over the next five years.

FROM PATRICIA GOODBRAND, HEAD TEACHER SEYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.

I took up the post of Head Teacher at Speyside High School on Monday 18 April, 2016.

I am delighted to have been successful in gaining this position.  I am very much looking forward to working with the young people, staff, parents and all partners of Speyside High School community in the future.

I have already met with all pupils via an assembly I led on Monday morning, to introduce myself and to outline my vision and values.

I have met all staff also, at an afterschool meeting on Monday, to share the same information and to allow everyone to put a face to a name.

I was very much looking forward to my first Parent Council Meeting on the evening of Wednesday 20 April and to meeting many of our new S1 parents for session 2016/17, at a transition event, on Thursday 21 April.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in Moray and particularly Speyside High School for their warm welcome.  I look forward to many years of positive work to ensure the best possible outcomes for our young people.

P7 INFORMATION EVENING

Well done and thank you to Christine Dolor, Lewis Gall, Brandon Smith, Lucy Lloyd, Lauren Bain & Owen Lawson for helping at out the P7 Information Evening last week – you did a great job! Thanks also to Mr McKay and Mr Connelly for their contribution. We look forward to welcoming the P7’s to Speyside High School in June for their induction days.

S2-S3 SUBJECT CHOICE

S2 pupils all received a letter this week outlining the subjects they will be doing next week.  Every effort has been made to give pupils their first choices but in a few cases that has not been possible.  If you have any questions regarding this then please contact Mr Picksley.

SENIOR PHASE SUBJECT CHOICE

Information went out to all S3 to S5 pupils about progress in allocating classes to pupils for the Senior Phase next year.  Every effort is being made to ensure pupils get their first choices but in some cases discussions need to be had with pupils and their parents/carers.  If there is anything you wish to discuss, please contact Mr Picksley.

LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES

As I continue to settle in to Speyside High School I received two interesting invitations.

On the evening of Monday 25 April I attended the Speyside ATC Open Evening held at Grant Hall, Rothes.  I was hugely impressed by the presentation skills and enthusiasm that the young people of Speyside High School displayed when talking about their experiences with the ATC.  The opportunities they have been offered through this group are amazing, from radio coding to trekking to camping and even some air traffic control experience.

On the Tuesday evening I attended the dress rehearsal for the Higher Drama productions.  I and the parents who attended were very impressed with the talent on show.  The hard work both from pupils and staff was evident and I wished them every success for the real thing on Wednesday 27 April. (P. Goodbrand)

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Speyside High pupils about to leave or undertake SQA exams all the best. 

Friday 29 April is a normal working day for Speyside High and an important S3 assessment is taking place.  Any activities that undermine the safe running of the school will be dealt with appropriately.

I hope we can all work together to ensure pupils last day is positive and successful.

Due to lack of numbers the following classes will not run next year in the senior phase. I have discussed alternatives with a number of pupils but not all. I plan to do this over the next few weeks. If you have any concerns please contact me a school to discuss options.

Column A

-          Higher Biology

Column B

-          French

-          Music

Column D

-          Care

-          Environmental Science

Column E

-          Accountancy

-          Chemistry

-          Drama

Column F

-          Administration and IT

-          German

The following subjects are oversubscribed and while a solution is being sought it may well be the case that some pupils will have to choose again or their second choice will be used.

Column A

-          Computing

Column B

-          Physics

Column D

-          Chemistry

Column E

-          Biology

-          PE

Column F

-          Geography

-          Woodwork

ROTARY YOUNG WRITERS COMPETITION

Renée Dumenil, one of the local area winners from the Speyside High School entrants, has won the overall Senior competition for the entire North of Scotland.  Renée’s piece will now go forward to the National competition.  An excellent result!  On Friday 6 May there will be a presentation for all participants and winners from Speyside High School by the Aberlour and Speyside Rotary President.

ANOTHER BUSY WEEK AT SPEYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

First of all good luck to all pupils who are now starting their exams!

Last week saw lots of successful outdoor activities.  The first meeting of the POLLI:NATION group took place – the enthusiastic group had a very productive meeting with Tom.

On the afternoon of Friday 29 April we were delighted to welcome parents into school.  They celebrated the successful completion of the John Muir Award for some of our pupils.

Following a meeting with a representative of the Parent Council we are putting in a bid for a visit from an author.  We are hoping that all S3 pupils will be involved in this which offers a great opportunity to develop further their literary skills.  It is also hoped that Speyside High School can develop this into an Interdisciplinary Project.

I am delighted, as the new Rector of Speyside High School to welcome you to our website.

Speyside High School has a central role in the Speyside community. 

The website is a source of information about all the work we do and a place to celebrate the talents and achievements of all in the Speyside High School community.

The High School has a welcoming, caring and inclusive ethos, where the values of resilience, respect and responsibility are central to all the work with young people.

We aim for all our young people to be Happy, Healthy and High Achieving by ensuring that excellent learning and teaching is at the heart of the work we do.

All activities are focused on supporting young people to be the best they can be. This gives young people the opportunity to gain the best possible set of qualifications and develop the best set of skills to be successful both in and beyond school, whether that is in the World of Work, Further or Higher Education.

We hope that the website is a useful means of communication and helps us work in partnership to share information with parents and the wider community.

With best wishes

Patricia Goodbrand

Rector, Speyside High School

The University of Aberdeen will be hosting 3 Open Days this year. We have added 2 Saturday dates to maximise the opportunity available for prospective students to visit the University.  We would be grateful if you could pass this information on to pupils.  More information is available here. 

Open Days will be held on:

·         Saturday 4^th June

·         Tuesday 30^th August

·         Saturday 22^nd October

Packs containing our prospectus, an Open Day poster and some postcards have now been distributed to all schools in Scotland, which you can also use in promoting our Open Day.  We have also suggested some possible social media posts below:

Facebook: Have you booked your place at the upcoming University of Aberdeen Open Day on Saturday 4^th June? More details here: www.abdn.ac.uk/openday

Twitter: Have you booked a place at the University of Aberdeen Open Day on Saturday 4th June? Details from @applyaberdeen: www.abdn.ac.uk/openday

Positive Pathways Scotland offers an opportunity for family carers to receive innovative practical training to help and support their family member who is age between 5 and 18.

The free training programme focuses on understanding emotionaland behavioural challenges in children and young people with autism.

Topics include:

• An intoduction to Positive Behaviour Support 
• Exploring reasons for behaviours that challenge
• Sensory differences in autism
• Communication and understanding
• Social stories and scripting
• Strategies for managing difficult times
• Wellbeing for you and your family member

The programme is delivered through training sessions, 1:1 sessions and a range of e-learning resources and tools.

Interested carers should contact Laura Andrew, Positive Pathways Scotland coordinator on 0845 013 6365 or by email pps@trfs.org.uk .