Penicuik High School

Parental Newsletter Summer 2008

www.penicuik.info

Dear Parents and Carers

This is the last parents’ newsletter of this year and I would like to start by thanking each parent and carer for the superb support you have given to the school throughout this session. I know that many of the events and activities that we have run this year have only got off the ground because of your support.

Telephones

Over the last number of months we have experienced severe problems with our telephone system in the school. If you have been inconvenienced in any way because of this please accept my apologies. Over the summer holidays the school is to receive an upgrade to our telephone system which I am assured will rectify all our problems.

Malawi Visitors

In May we were delighted to welcome to Penicuik High School Mr Alan Gwani and Mr Sydrech Nachuma from Thyolo Secondary School in Malawi. Both teachers spent a considerable time in school working with staff and pupils as well as meeting MSPs on a special visit to the Parliament where they spoke to a select committee about the Scotland Malawi educational links. We have received messages of thanks from Alan and Sydrech for their memorable time in Scotland and in particular for their time at Penicuik High School.

John Muir Award

One of the most outstanding links between our school and Thyolo Secondary School has been our linked project in Geography for the John Muir Trust Award. Our congratulations go to the pupils in both schools who have received this award.

Activities week

Our S1-S3 pupils enjoyed and excellent activities week at the end of May with a range of activities both within school and out with school. Activities included, mountain biking, sailing, M and D’s, Edinburgh Zoo, Yellowcraigs beach, mosaic making, art workshops and hospitality.

Staffing

We say farewell to two principal teachers who are retiring at the end of August, Mr Tony McKale in Art and Mr Bill Tough in Computing.  We thank both Tony and Bill for their contribution to the life of Penicuik High School over a number of years and wish them all the very best for the future.

Congratulations to Ms Julie Dixon who has been appointed Principal Teacher of Art. We welcome at the start of the new session Ms Margaret McGovern to our Computing Studies Department and Ms Laoise Hickey in Mathematics.

We also say goodbye at the end of their Newly Qualified Teacher year to our NQTs Miss Lauren Anderson, Miss Rosie Billett, Miss Wendy Muir, Mrs Fiona Nicholls, Mrs Flora Steadman and Miss Rachel Vale. We wish them all every success with their teaching careers in the future. Next year we welcome four NQTs to the school Paul Beattie in PE, Kerry Oliver in History, Hollie Lyons in RMPS and Daniel Fulton in Chemistry.

Mrs Tracey Mulcahy from the English department moved to St David’s High School in June, we wish her all the best for her new post. Two of our learning assistants are leaving us over the summer Mrs Lesley Brown is leaving us after many years of service to the pupils of Penicuik High School to take up a post in business and Ms Stefanie Waltenburger who has worked mainly in the Student Support Base is also leaving.

Amnesty International Group

Our newly formed Amnesty International group have begun actively campaigning for an improvement in human rights in China prior to the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer. The group under the leadership of Mr Damian Hayes (PT History) will continue to raise issues of human rights abuse throughout the new session.

School Dress Code

Can I once again take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of our school dress code. I can tell you that we have a very high level of support for school dress. We have not changed anything in our school dress code which is :

·        White shirt or blouse

·        School tie

·        Black trousers or skirt

·        Black shoes

·        Black V neck jumper or cardigan

·        All pupils should bring a bag with all necessary equipment for school.

From this August onwards for PE we would like to suggest that students wear the following:  Plain white T-shirt (no logos) Jogging trousers (no combat style trousers) or shorts and training shoes.

Examination results

SQA examination results will be posted out to all pupils to arrive on Tuesday 5^th August 2008. Pupils who wish to check their SQA exam results on line will have completed all the necessary paperwork before school finished and these results will be available from Monday 4^th August 2008.

SMC Enterprising Mathematics Day 

After doing so well in the Regional Final last June, Penicuik High School was invited to participate in the National Final in Glasgow in November 2007.  The team of Callum Noble, Vicky McFarlane, Finlay Noble Chamings and Sarah Law did remarkably well finishing a very creditable 8^th.  This year’s regional final recently took place.  Our preparations were disrupted by two broken arms and an asthma attack.  Despite this, the team of Jayde Jeffrey, Finlay Noble Chamings, Sarah Law and Robert Oyler were superb finishing as the best team in Midlothian for the second year running. 

SMC Mathematics Challenge

Congratulations to the following pupils whose efforts in this year’s Maths Challenge were recognised by the SMC

Callum Noble                  - Gold Award

Ryan White                     - Silver Award

Finlay Noble Chamings  - Silver Award

Ethan Furneux                 - Bronze Award

UKMT Mathematics Challenge

The School received an amazing haul of certificates in this year’s Challenge.  Four Gold Certificates, 14 Silver Certificates and 14 Bronze Certificates were awarded to our pupils – our best set of results ever!  The Gold Certificates were awarded to Robert Oyler, Sarah Law, Thomas Fyfe and Callum Noble.  A superb achievement!

Callum also qualified for the British Olympiad Pink Kangaroo follow-on-round.  This is a very prestigious achievement.  Callum did amazingly well in this paper and was awarded a merit for his efforts.  In real terms this meant that Callum finished in the top 800 students in the whole of the UK.  Well done Callum - We salute you!

Other Achievements

The school also arranged for pupils to participate in a number of other events including Mathematique Sans Frontier, the UKMT Mathematics Junior Team Challenge and the World Mathematics Day.  Well done to all that took part.

David Saffhill (Teacher of  Mathematics)

Starting Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

This year we are starting the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme at Penicuik High school.

This is a fantastic national scheme to give young people independence and responsibility. To get the award young people have to organise themselves to complete four categories: a Sport, Skill, Service to the Community and two expeditions.

The Sport could be joining a football club, doing dance or gymnastics. The Skill could be anything from making wooden toys to circus skills to reading. The Service could be doing John Muir award, running the Eco-schools operation, visiting an old folks home or helping in a primary school. The expedition requires students to plan and prepare to walk, bike, or canoe in a team, with all their equipment, over 2 days and camp overnight.

The programme will run initially for the third years at Bronze level. In future years we hope to continue up to the Gold level award which is generally awarded at Holyrood Palace by the Duke himself.

The Parents Association has generously supported our start up costs so the entire programme should cost around £10 for registration, and £22 for an expedition. There are a limited number of places- and I will take anyone who wants to have a go- regardless of cost or anything else.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a chance for students to prove themselves individually and as part of a group. This commitment not only benefits young people, but they will also find future employers and universities very impressed.

I look forward to a fantastic year.

Damian Hayes (PT History)

Awards Ceremony

We celebrated a very successful awards ceremony on 17th June with a packed Assembly Hall and a table laden with prizes for every subject area. Our guest of honour for the evening was Mr  Jeremy Purvis MSP. Our warmest congratulations go to all who received awards, their number being too numerous to mention here.

Concert

Our end of term concert took place two evenings later when once again we had a hall full of proud parents and family members as well as guests. We were treated to a wonderful evening of musical talent. Our thanks and admiration go to all who took part in this superb event and to all who had a hand in the organisation of the concert.

Congratulations to our Leavers

As a school we bade farewell to our leavers from S4-S6 at a very enjoyable leavers evening. This event, which can only take place through the very generous support of the Parents’ Association, is the school’s formal goodbye to those pupils who leave at the end of each session. We were able to present each pupil with a commemorative gift and certificate. We are grateful to Mrs Suzanne Thayne, Education Officer who presented the gifts. The evening was made memorable by it being attended by almost the entire S6 cohort.

Happy Holidays

Can I finish by wishing you all a very warm and sunny summer holiday and we look forward to seeing out pupils again on Wednesday 20^th August for the start of the new session.

Mark Edie

Headteacher

Penicuik High School has registered itself as an Eco School and to support this endeavour we would like to send letters and newsletter home to you via email. 

Eco-Schools is an international award program that guides schools by developing sustainable practices into everyday school life.  We have established recycling systems and are committed to finding ways to protect our resources.

We are asking for your support by agreeing to receive school letters and newsletters, wherever possible, via your email address.  We appreciate that some of our parents may not have internet access and they would still receive information in the usual way.

Obviously this is only going to work with a huge positive response from our parents and carers.  Please complete and return the attached slip and give us your support.

Thank you in anticipation.

M Edie

Headteacher