BACK TO THE FUTURE (SCHOOL) DAY!
Thanks to all the parents, S1 buddies and staff involved in making this year's 'Back To The Future (School) Day' such an enjoyable and worthwhile day on Wednesday 8 November. This event offers parents the chance to experience life as an S1 pupil at SHS by taking part in a 'parent class'. Subjects offered this year included: English, Science, Geography, PE and Art. This is always a great success and well supported.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
This week, Mrs McLauchlan went to Aberlour Primary to work with the Primary 7s on their Weighing And Measuring for food preparation. Pupils learned all about the different ways that they can weigh and measure and the importance of accuracy. Pupils all made cupcakes with a surprise in the centre. Mrs McLauchlan and Miss Wood are looking forward to welcoming Aberlour Primary School at the High School very soon as well as returning to their classroom in the near future.
TOILET TWINNING
It’s Toilet Twinning time at Speyside High School. We are asking pupils, staff and our community to help us raise money to twin our toilet facilities with new latrines and toilet blocks in the developing world. Just £60 buys a working, clean latrine for communities and schools in less privileged countries than ours and £240 builds a toilet block. We will get photos of the toilets that we help provide to display in our own toilets in school. Register classes are collecting their brown pennies with the top three register classes winning their own Golden Toilet. We also have a giant toilet at Reception for collecting community change. If you are passing, please pop in and deposit your loose change at the door.
PE DEPARTMENT
Over the past few weeks in the PE department, the S1 pupils have been working with Patrizio De Rossi from the University of Stirling. Patrizio is carrying out research into physical literacy as part of his PhD. The pupils have taken part in various fitness assessments including the multi-stage fitness test, an obstacle run test, a ‘plank’ test and a strength test. As part of this study, pupils were invited to wear an ‘accelerometer’ for a week to record their normal weekly physical activity. Patrizio aims to come back at the end of session to re-test and evaluate progress. This is the first time that this kind of research has been done anywhere in Europe!
SPEYCOSY
Speycosy is the second Young Enterprise company to come out of Speyside High School. This year Speycosy are creating luxury winter gifts; including Speyside inspired clocks, coasters, hotwater bottles and mugs. After a successful day at the Dragon’s Den event on Monday 6 November we received an investment of £60.00. We are going to use this investment to continue the production of our products and we are all looking forward to a busy festive season of selling on-trend, affordable gifts. Products will be on sale soon!
HEAD TEACHER NEWS
Our assemblies this week are being led by the Sports Leaders and Sports Ambassadors. They are focusing on one of our values: Being Healthy. These have been enjoyable and interactive assemblies. There has been fierce competition between siblings and year groups in the challenges set.
Our new Vision and Values posters are now on display throughout the school. Well done to Lewis Ewen who came up with the winning design. Thank you to our SHS community for their hard work to reach this point.
On Friday 10 November we will be holding a Remembrance Assembly; this will be led by the Reverend Shuna Dicks and some senior pupils. Poppies are on sale in school.
We have been the grateful recipients of 2 excellent story boards for our main corridor this week. These story boards have been presented to us from St Margaret’s Church and represent the history of the Aberlour Orphanage. SHS stands in the footprint of the Aberlour Orphanage. The story boards have been much admired already and colleagues are working on how to use these in their curricula.