RHS News - T2TW · RHS News Spring 2013 ... the winner of the Our Place Youth Project logo ... The YPI was launched this term.

RHS News Spring 2013

Keeping pupils, parents and staff at Renfrew High School informed.

Message from our Head Teacher

Dear Parent/Carer, Spring has arrived! The days are longer and the national exams for our S4/5 and S6 are fast approaching. This term we have been very busy preparing our pupils for these exams, working with pupils on choosing courses for moving into S3, S4 and S5/6 and, as you will read in this Newsletter, delivering a myriad of other activities. As you read these pages, I am sure, like me, you will be enormously impressed by the high level of skill and talent our pupils and your children have developed and the care and concern they have for others. Our school continues to invest a lot of time and effort in improving the education we offer to our pupils and I hope, like us, you see that this is having a positive impact on what our pupils achieve. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very happy spring break.

Madeleine Sharp

Head Girl / Head Boy Report This term has most certainly been a busy one for both of us - with lots going on! One of our main jobs was to organise our prefects to lead assemblies to the younger school. During the week beginning the 11th March, a selection of our S5 and S6 prefects led assemblies with the topic of our school values. The chosen values were honesty, commitment, respect and good relationships. We have our values displayed all

around the school, but it was important for our prefects to display their views on what those values mean to them. The values are ones which our prefects demonstrate on a daily basis by carrying out their duties, and they were glad to share their thoughts with the younger school. Mark and I also attended the 18

th annual Senior Pupils’ dinner at the Glynhill Hotel on

the 13th March. Provost Anne Hall hosted the evening and was kind to thank Senior Pupils across Renfrewshire for our involvement in not only our school community, but also our local community as a whole. We were also treated to guest speaker Bob Davidson, who is the Chief Executive for Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce. He opened our eyes to life beyond education and gave us some useful tips on how to prosper in our careers. The overall evening was very enjoyable and a worthwhile event to attend. We wish S4, S5 and S6 the best of luck for the 2013 SQA exams which are fast approaching! We hope everyone has a relaxing Easter break and enjoys the holiday. Chloe Kearney and Mark Cumming

RHS Connections Page 2

Contents Page

Message from our Head Teacher 1

Head Girl and Head Boy Report 1

RHS Connections 2

S1 and S6 Year Group Reports 3

S2 and S3 Year Group Reports 4

S4 and S5 Year Group Reports 5

Pupil Support for the World of Work 6

Skills for Work, Learning and Life 7

S5 Fashion Show Trip 8

Music and Dance Innovation 9

Enterprising Partnerships 10

Our Dynamic Impressions 11

The Sports Page 12

New RHS Website…. …Our Website has been comprehensively updated. There are now a number of updated pages to view online. Our address is:

www.renfrewhigh.renfrewshire.sch.uk

New RHS email address… …Our school email address has also been changed. Our new address is:

[email protected]

Summer Term 2013 key dates…

16 April School resumes for pupils

23 April P7 Parent Workshop

26 April SQA Exams start

6 May Holiday

7 May S5/S6 SQA Exams start

8 May S3 Exams begin

9 May S2 Parents’ Evening

16 May S3 Exams completed

24 May Holiday

27 May Holiday

29 May P7 Induction Day 1 and P7 Parents’ Evening

30 May P7 Induction Day 2

5 June Start of New Timetable

6 June Senior Formal Dance

13 June Awards Day Ceremony

20 June Awards Evening Ceremony

26 June Dress as you please

27 June School closes 1pm

RHS Press Team… … Mr Liam Cullen, Deputy Head Teacher S2 and S3; Jemma Pettigrew,S6; Courtney Orr, S5; Mrs Geraldine Scott, Business Support. If there are any other pupils interested in joining the group please contact Mr Cullen.

S1 and S6 Year Group Reports Page 3

S1 Spring Break already! It is hard to believe that our S1 are almost all the way through the first year at Renfrew High. What a busy term it has been with so many things happening around the school. Our recent S1 Parents Evening was a great success and it was lovely to see so many Parents and Carers. Our S1 pupils have also been closely involved with many activities around the school including our Red Nose Day - Comic Relief events, performances from visiting stars – Mini Moves and also Stephen Cullis. The behaviour and enthusiasm of our S1 pupils at all of these events has been terrific. In addition, well done to Harry Armstrong of 1B, the winner of the Our Place Youth Project logo competition which was open to pupils across S1 and S2 year groups both here and at Trinity High School. Harry’s design will now feature on all of the project’s posters and leaflets. Some of our S1 girls also took part in whole school assemblies on Fair Trade and International Women’s Day. They all spoke very well at assemblies for all our year groups and did a brilliant job. Keep up the great work S1 and enjoy your holiday.

S6 We have reached the Easter holidays and we know what that means, Sixth Year – final SQA exams are imminent and so too are your last few weeks of High School. You have all been really busy this term with final NABs and course work being completed. Many of you have attended supported study and are getting prepared for the final set of exams that will set you on your way to your future at work, college or university. I know that you will put all your efforts into getting the best results you can. In addition to all the hard work going on, there have also been a number of whole school events, fund raising for Comic Relief and World Challenge, Young Enterprise Finals, prefect led assemblies and also the Blood Transfusion donations from Friday the 15th March. Well done to all who have taken part in any or all of these. I hope you all have a great holiday and come back even more determined to make the last few weeks count.

Mrs K Shaw

Deputy Head Teacher

S2 and S3 Year Group Reports Page 4

S2 This term as Year Head I have been working on the S2 Choice process. This has required many conversations with pupils and parents in order to finalise the timetables of pupils. I would like to express my gratitude to all pupils and parents who participated, I have greatly appreciated your support and understanding during this process. The next step will be to input this data to produce an individual pupil timetable. At the start of next term, there will be an S2 Report issued and parents will have the opportunity to meet staff at the S2 Parents’ Evening on 9 May. I am looking forward to meeting S2 parents and carers on the night and I will be available to discuss any questions or queries you may have. I hope all S2 pupils have a fantastic holiday and I look forward to supporting you in the summer term. S3 This has been a very busy term for S3 pupils! The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), S3 Reports, S3 Parents’ Evening, S3 Options and the launch of Work Experience to name but a few of the activities. The YPI was launched this term. Pupils were tasked with researching a local charity and presenting this to their Personal and Social Education (PSE) class. The winners from each class took part in a Final Event in the School Theatre which was a fantastic success. The presentations were of the highest standard and the judging panel had great difficulty identifying a winning team. The winning team’s charity which was Maggie’s Centre received three thousand pounds from the Wood Family Trust. The winning team were Aiden Watt and Kyle Fleming, well done boys! The S3 Parents’ Evening was a great success. This evening provided me with an opportunity to meet a great many parents and carers – and for you to put a face to the name! S3 pupils have also been working with our Pupil Support Team to decide on their S3 Option Choices for the beginning of the Senior Phase. Pupils will receive their final timetable during the Summer Term. Work Experience was launched by Mr Conway in March. This is a very valuable learning experience and I would encourage all pupils and parents to be involved sourcing a suitable Work Experience placement. I wish all S3 pupils a well-rested Easter Holiday!

Mr L Cullen

Deputy Head Teacher

S4 and S5 Year Group Reports Page 5

S4 & S5 As the SQA exams draw nearer our thoughts turn to doing our very best to make sure our pupils are fully prepared and able to achieve their best. Staff in all departments have been working hard to get everyone ready for their exams both in class and after school at the many supported study sessions which have been running. S5 pupils enjoyed some input from a renowned educational company who delivered workshops on motivation and preparation for exams. The sessions went down a storm and feedback from the pupils was really positive. Meanwhile S4 pupils had a refresher lesson in exam planning delivered by SMT. Pupils were reminded how to create a weekly study plan and how to create a long term planner. The materials can be accessed via the exam blog (see below for address and QR code). Parents are encouraged to access the exam blog to locate resources and information to help support pupils who are getting ready for the exam period. There are also links for pupils to access revision materials from a variety of sources and links to the SQA website which provides past papers for download and apps which allow pupils to plan and manage their exam schedule.

Note that all S4 – 6 pupils have been issued with an exam timetable and a letter containing

important dates.

A word from the Pupil Health Forum…Tea for two…or rather 842!

Following secret talks at a very high level (Mrs Sharp was involved!) the Pupil Health Forum can announce that Renfrew High will soon be proud to have its own coffee bar! We have chosen a lively, vibrant colour scheme which will make it a great place for pupils to hang out at break and

lunch. Don’t worry though - we’ll be keeping a close eye on what’s for sale so that Renfrew High

pupils still have healthy choices. No Smoking Day 13th March was National No Smoking Day and the Pupil Health Forum were encouraging people to give up the cigarettes and to get their loved ones to give up the cigarettes. Pupils were given out information leaflets and asked to take part in a quiz to test their knowledge about the effects of smoking. Congratulations to Colin McGachy in S5 who was the lucky winner of the cinema voucher supplied by Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership.

Ms J Levens

Deputy Head Teacher

RHS exam blog – rhs-exams.blogspot.com

Pupil Support for the World of Work Page 6

Page 1

A word on Careers from Ms Gauld…

UCAS…Congratulations to all those pupils who are in the fortunate position of having already received unconditional offers from the universities of their choice. A significant number of our students have already gained admission to courses including dentistry, law, modern languages, history and science. Well done to them all! Other senior students applying to university have received conditional offers, and are currently working hard to achieve the grades they need to secure entry to the courses of their choice. Good luck to all our S4, S5 and S6 students in the SQA examinations which begin at the end of next month.

Since January, our Careers Adviser, Esther Stewart, (Skills Development Scotland – SDS) has also been working hard in school, conducting one-to-one interviews with many of our senior pupils and offering workshops on college applications and effective CV preparation. She has a ‘drop-in’ session on Tuesday lunch-times in the school library which pupils are encouraged to attend. For more info see >>> www.myworldofwork.co.uk This website offers a wide range of information, advice and support including: CV builder, job-seeking information and links to employers / training providers and colleges / universities.

Experienced words from Mr Conway…S4 Work Experience is an Intermediate 1 course

which allows pupils to gain new skills and to experience the world of work. Pupils will be guided by Pupil Support Teachers and through the website “WorkIT” https://www.workit.info/ during the Personal and Social Education (PSE) Programme. Pupils can apply for a work placement through this website or find their own placement. Pupils must record their experience during their placement and at the end of the week they receive a report from the employer.

Important dates for your 2013 diary… 28 March: Pupils must return self-placement information sheets by this date. 14 June: All placements confirmed. 16 August: Pupils receive Logbooks and Reports for their employers. 19 August: Pupils start placement. 23 August: Pupils return to school at 2pm for completion of reports.

26 August: Pupils return to timetable.

Reach Programme organised by Glasgow University A number of our S4 pupils attended a seminar in Renfrew High organised by the University of Glasgow, intended to widen access to law, medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry. Some pupils have opted to follow this up with a visit to the University. Some of our S5 students are also participating in this programme of visits and, later on, Summer School.

Skills for Work, Learning and Life Page 7

Employability awareness from Mrs Lockhart As ever, a key priority for all of us a Renfrew High is to improve the life chances of every one of our pupils. This year, we have worked hard to develop pupils’ understanding of what it means to be employable. We have readily embraced Renfrewshire Council’s initiative to promote the development of vital skills in order to help pupils fully prepare for the transition between secondary school into further education and the world of work. Last session, our S5 and S6 pupils took part in an Employability Awareness Event. This was a fun, active event which provided a meaningful learning experience within a real life context. The focus for this particular event was effective team working; and it certainly made many think of this as a vital skills area. As we continue to consider our approaches to developing key employability skills, the need for creating effective partnership links is vital. To date, we have had a great response from the business community to help us engage and support young people. As a way of enhancing partnership links, I would like to extend an invitation to any parent/carer or guardian who feels able to offer expertise in any particular area of employment. Please feel free to contact me to discuss any ideas you may have. I look forward to hearing from you.

Industry Links from Mr Sharp As part of the S3 Computing Science curriculum, our two classes have been working with a device called the Raspberry Pi to develop their own computer games. Led by STEM ambassadors from British Telecom, this project has allowed the pupils the opportunity to work with emerging technology and develop their programming skills while gaining an insight into the role of a commercial software developer. As this project is the only one of its kind in Scotland, it has been a great boon to the course, allowing us the opportunity to build links with industry and to provide our pupils with an engaging and unique experience.

S5 Fashion Show Trip Page 8

The catwalk view from Emma Tomlinson and Rhys Campbell of S5… On Tuesday Fashion 8 March, Miss Cowell accompanied a group of ten Intermediate 2 and Higher pupils to the Glasgow School of Art Fashion Show. We left the school at the start of lunch and headed into Glasgow by bus to “The Arches”. The show lasted about one hour and we saw all sorts of different types of fashion design like embroidery, printing, weaving and knitting, as well as some crazy designs. This trip was really useful as some of us are designing fashion items for our design portfolio and we are all studying fashion designers for the written part of our exam.

Music and Dance Innovation Page 9

Got to Dance with Mr Elliot It looks like we’re in for another busy term with Illusion Dance Troupe. The group is looking to follow a very successful exhibition in the Christmas Pantomime with a fantastic new routine for the Renfrewshire’s ‘Got to Dance’ competition which takes place in the school on Wednesday 8th May. We’re going for something a little bit different to make us stand out and incorporate some different styles which will allow our pupils to show off their wonderful talent and ability. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to perform in a show in school with ‘Mini Moves’ who have made it through to the final of Sky1’s ‘Got to Dance’ competition and we all thoroughly enjoyed watching the girls perform. They answered questions after their routine and gave us a sneak preview into their routine for the final. Fingers Crossed for ‘Mini Moves’ in their competition. (Picture shows RHS Illusion and the girls from Mini Moves) The group has also been asked to perform during the S3 YPI presentations in school where they will resurrect their ‘Thriller’ routine which has always been a group, and crowd favourite. The new members of the group this year have done really well to learn the routine in such a short space of time so we are glad they get the chance to dance this routine which we hope will prove popular once more.

DJ Workshop by Alistair Howie S3 Over the last six weeks I have been taking part in a DJ workshop in the social area in RHS where we learn to DJ. In the workshop, we learn to use the sound board, the virtual DJ software and what all the different cables do. The software that we use has a lot to it and we have had to learn how to use most of these parts. We can now mix different songs and we know how to use the software well. We have also learned what songs mix well together, how you should mix songs and the type of songs you should put together. It has been very useful in helping us become better with music and how to DJ and I am looking forward to the rest of the lessons with Gordon Larkin. I am also looking forward to the events within the school e.g. playing music at lunchtime, discos and other events.

Enterprising Partnerships Page 10

Fairtrade Fortnight and Red Nose Day Activities from Miss Carr, Mrs Ito and the Charities Committee and Senior Enterprise Group Fairtrade Fortnight Pupils from Renfrew High were active participates in this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight between 25th February and 4th March. The pupils were made aware of the importance of Fairtrade and of buying Fairtrade products through various activities. These included S1 and S3 pupils leading an assembly on the importance of Fairtrade and running a stall selling various Fairtrade sweet treats. S1 were also given the opportunity to participate in a Fairtrade wrapper competition. Each class went head to head to see who could collect the most Fairtrade wrappers - the winning class was 1E! The wrappers will now be made into a Renfrew High Fairtrade Banner and will be displayed in the school. Well done to everyone involved! Red Nose Day Renfrew High showed their enthusiasm yet again in organising and planning fund raising events, this time for Red Nose Day, following the success of Children in Need. Activities included a staff coffee morning, a staff car wash led by S6 pupils from the Senior Enterprise class – even in the pouring rain the cars came back shining and the pupils received much praise for their efforts. There was also a ‘penny line’ which involved S1 and S2 pupils donating as many one and two pence as they could, this alone raised £50, and a sponsored leg waxing event – ouch!! Many thanks to everyone who organised and participated in the events and especially those who donated. Well done!

Charities Committee and Senior Enterprise

Our Dynamic Impressions Page 11

Our Dynamic Earth Trip by Miss Quinn and S3 On Thursday 14 March, twenty five S3 Geography students took part in a trip to Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh with Mrs Deans, Miss Quinn and Mr McKechnie. This involved a tour of the museum, where students could create their own earthquake, travel back in time to the dawn of the universe, experience a tropical thunderstorm and take part in a whistle-stop tour from the North Pole to the Equator. After lunch, the students took part in a workshop to learn more about climate change. Everyone had a great time and all students were a credit to the school.

Alastair Howie, 3F... ...“The trip to Dynamic Earth was amazing and we all had a great day. We had an extremely enjoyable tour and we learned a lot about how the earth was formed and how it has evolved over the years. After an enjoyable lunch, we had a workshop, where we learned more about climate change. Overall, it was a very good day”

Chloe Muir, S3... ...“In Geography, we went on a trip to Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. During the trip, we walked round the different areas, which were very interesting. Some of the bits I enjoyed were the 4D adventure and the workshop.”

Gemma Trotter, S3... ...“Our trip to Dynamic Earth was a good idea. It was a good experience and helped us learn more about our topics. Dynamic Earth showed us a lot of stuff from Earth’s past and about global warming. It showed us how Earth started, which animals were formed first, and how ice changed the earth. The workshop told us how climate change would affect some areas. I enjoyed this trip and would recommend anyone to go there”

Emma Balfour, S3... ...“Our trip to Dynamic Earth was very enjoyable. It was fun and I learned a lot from it. We did a quiz along the way and I thought this was a good idea because it helped us to learn”

Kirandeep Gill, S3... ...“We arrived at Dynamic Earth at around 11 o’clock. When we started the tour I was really excited to find out the interesting facts. Mrs Deans and Miss Quinn gave us a quiz so that everyone is engaged in the tours and the facts. My favourite part of the whole tour was talking to the explorer through Skype. I thought this was very smart and interesting. Overall, I think the trip was fantastic and words can’t explain how interesting it was”

The Sports Page Page 12

Ms McGorry and Mr Stevenson share the grass root stories… Girls Football… …The Renfrewshire Girls Football League kicks off again at the end of March. The January and February leagues were postponed due to bad weather and work on the pitches at St Mirren. The upcoming round of fixtures gives the S1 – S3 team the opportunity to consolidate their position at the top of the league, while the senior team are still in with a chance of climbing to the top of the league.

Staff versus Pupils Football… …During February, there was a staff (with a few seniors to bolster our numbers) v pupils football

game. It was a feisty encounter with many a meaty tackle, a few controversial decisions – but not short on goals. The game finished 4 – 4 with bad light preventing extra time and penalties. A rematch could well be on the cards later on in the year.

Girls Hockey…

...On 27 February a group of nine girls from S1 and S3 participated in a hockey development day in Park Mains High School. The girls started with a hockey skills session where they all greatly developed and improved their skills. The girls then played five other schools in small sided games where they performed very well and portrayed a vast amount of hockey skill. Each girl enjoyed the day immensely and their excellent behaviour and attitude was commented on by the staff and coaches who ran the day. Well done to all involved!