Please note that there will be no Mass tomorrow morning at 8.25am. Mass will be celebrated during the school day for staff and pupils.

Congratulations to the following S6 pupils who have been appointed in the following positions:

Eva Marie Curran 6a4 (Head Girl)
Lucy Dillon 6a6 (Depute Head Girl)
Romy Edgar 6a7 (Depute Head Girl)
Eve McAuley 6a5 (Depute Head Girl)
Maria Mone 6a7 (Depute Head Girl)

Stephen Shaw 6a1 (Head Boy)
Graham Curley 6a5 (Depute Head Boy)
Ronan Fox 6a5 (Depute Head Boy)
Luke Halpin 6a5 (Depute Head Boy)
Ally MacDonald 6a10 (Depute Head Boy)

Well done to all pupils who applied.  They all demonstrated fantastic qualities throughout the process and will all play a significant role in leading their year group in the year ahead.

Joe Mullanney Award

This award which is given every year in memory of our former teacher, Jo Mullanney, has this year been awarded to our recently graduated sixth year and Head girl Nuala McBride for her excellent effort and work in class and her overall commitment to the Modern Languages department.  With her award Nuala was presented with a cheque for £100 for her to spend on studying materials. 

Monsignor Monaghan Award

This award is given out each year in the name of Monsignor Monaghan in recognition of his dedication and devotion to St Ninian’s High School – it’s staff and pupils alike.

As part of this award the nominated pupil will receive a £2,000 cheque which must be used towards the cost of a minimum two week linguist course in a country of their choice and the pupil must also be committed to further education in languages.   

The school is delighted to announce that this year the Monsignor Monaghan award is being given to Louisa Preston, our recently graduated sixth year, who has not only excelled in her own linguistic development but has demonstrated an  outstanding level of commitment to the Modern Languages department throughout her six years as a pupil. Louisa is looking forward to furthering her studies in Mandarin as she looks forward to a year abroad studying in China    

Congratulations to both Nuala and Louisa we wish you both every success in the future.

On Tuesday 8^th August students will receive their SQA Results by post or email/text if they have registered online at www.mysqa.info . Mr J Cumming, DHT will be available in school that day to deal with results queries – 0141 577 2000.

A number of Pastoral Support staff and senior Management will be available to students between 9.30 am – 11.00 am only on Wednesday 9^th August to deal with all students who wish to re-negotiate their S5/6 curriculum.

Please note staff will not be available on the In-Service days 14^th & 15^th August to see pupils.

Parents Information SQA Results

Festival of Colours

We are looking for  12 + volunteers aged 14 and over, to help out at East Renfrewshire’s Festival of Colour on Saturday 29th July 12-4pm at Rouken Glen Park

• Help set up stalls and man them during the event
• Help with clear up at the end of event
• Have fun

HOURS CAN BE PUT TOWARDS GAINING A SALTIRE AWARD

Please see Miss Howard for further details by Monday 26^th June.

Photographs from the YPI National Celebration event can be viewed here.

The event was absolutely fantastic and the pupils (Mareesa, Elise and Eve) were outstanding! They enjoyed a range of entertainment, performances from some of the winning teams and some very moving speeches from motivational speakers including Sir Ian Wood, Garreth Wood, Corinne Hutton (quadruple amputee) and Dame Katherine Grainger DBE.

Photographs from the Big Bang STEM Event can be viewed here.

This was a great event where our four fastest teams from the rocket car competition raced their rocket cars in the National Final of the Bloodhound Rocket Car Race. All pupils also thoroughly enjoyed the STEM events and activities throughout the day.

Congratulations to Olivia Burke (3a6) who gained 2nd place in the under 16’s and 2nd place overall Female in the English Slopestyle Ski Championships on Friday.

Congratulations to Heather McHugh (S4) who has won Film Club’s Review of the Week for her fantastic review of My Fair Lady.

Her winning review can be viewed below:

My Fair Lady

Stories centred on bets are my favourite kind of story. Whatever the stakes whether it’s a life or death situation or just who gets the last bite of a mouldy tuna sandwich – the tension amassed in these stories is something akin to story-writing gold. If there’s even the word bet in the synopsis, you can bet I’m all over it. (Ha ha. I promise I’m funny sometimes, don’t give up on me yet!) Puns aside, when my mum gave me a brief overview of the plot of My Fair Lady in an attempt to expand my majorly lacking knowledge of musicals, I did the one thing every person who’s ever consumed media for fun will agree that you don’t do. I got my hopes up. I know, I know. I broke the golden rule, but so what? It’s not like I can just become devoid of all excitement at the touch of a metaphorical button. What can I say; I’m a sucker for a good bet.

My Fair Lady follows Eliza Doolittle – a poor flower girl that speaks in a slang-ridden cockney accent – as she whirled into the whimsical world of the upper class, with all the accompanying glitz and glamour. After being told she’ll never be hired if she can’t speak “proper” English, she goes to language professor Henry Higgins to ask for English lessons. Henry decides to make a bet with his friend, Colonel Hugh Pickering, that he can turn Eliza into a refined lady in just six months. He takes Eliza into his home, buys her extravagant clothes and delicious food, and forces to her slave away day and night to achieve his goal. All the while, Eliza and Henry grow closer and realise that there could be more between them than just a bet.

This film was hilarious! It took every opportunity to poke fun at its characters, yet still keep them dignified, and delivered a number of well-crafted jokes at their expense. Even so, it offered an interesting view on social class and gender roles that is still relevant today. Not to mention the soundtrack! No musical is complete without a killer track-list, and I’d be lying if I said that “Get Me to the Church on Time” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” haven’t been playing in my head on loop for days-on-end.

My Fair Lady is a potent and heart-warming commentary on significant issues in the world that can be enjoyed by practically anyone. With Audrey Hepburn playing Eliza and Rex Harrison cast as Henry, the acting was top-notch. As long as you can sit through its almost three hour run-time; My Fair Lady is a must-watch. It didn’t win eight Oscars for nothing.

Tickets for the performance on Wednesday 21.06.17 are now sold out!!!

Tickets for performances on Tuesday 20.06.17 and Thursday 22.06.17 are selling out fast!

Thank you to the following S6 Sports Leaders who helped at the St Joseph’s Primary Sports Day:

• Kacper Pasternak 6A4
• Daniel Church 6A2
• Matthew Devlin 6A9
• Calum Doyle 6A7
• Ami Paterson 6A5
• Rebekah Holmes 6A10
• Maria Mone 6A7
• Olivia Jones 6A7
• Fiona Graham 6A5
• Sophie McGrane 6A7

A Helping Hands Fun Run and Onesie Walk on behalf of Parkinsons UK will take place at 3pm on Friday 23 June on the synthetic pitch.

Thank you to colleagues organising this exceptionally worthy charity event (Parkinsons UK).

The following Faith events are taking place this week:

• Morning Mass – Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Oratory, 8.25am
• Eucharistic Adoration and Rosary  – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the Oratory, 12.20 – 1pm

S5 Retreats will take place in the Oratory this week with the Salesian Sisters.

All parents, pupils and staff are most welcome to attend.

A number of our S6 students will attend the Paisley Diocese Conference 2017 – Teaching in a Catholic School: A Positive Career Choice.

We hope they find the conference useful in helping to make the important decision about their potential career path.

The following pupils have been chosen to represent the school in a Chemistry at Work event at the University of West of Scotland on Tuesday 20th June:

• Heather Spooner (3a9)
• Daniel McKibbens (3a9)
• Jonathan McFarlane (3a10)
• Dominic Collins (3a10)
• Francesca Heath (3a10)
• Sinead O’Hara (3a2)
• Poppy Wright (3a6)
• Eman Manzar (3a4)
• Jenna Hynes (3a6)
• Laura Campbell (3a7)
• Nicholas Manini (3a1)
• Charlie Mone (3a1)
• Jasmine Jassal  (3a2)
• Jamie Dunn (3a1)
• Lucy O’Donnell (3a6)
• Kiran Sanghera (3a7)
• Elle Forbes (3a6)
• Anna Tomson (3a8)
• Lisa Livingstone (3a10)

Congratulations to Michael McGrade, one of our recent S6 graduands, for winning the prestigious competition – “Hong Kong: A dream vacation destination for youth travellers!”. Michael is pictured receiving his prize at a major awards ceremony which took place this weekend at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. The competition is sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways and supported by the British Council and Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Students were invited to design a 48-hour travel itinerary for youth travellers visiting Hong Kong. The project had to show Hong Kong is unique and attractive to youth travellers. Students were also expected to compare travel experience between Hong Kong and a UK city, with winners selected and entries judged based on content, creativity and presentation.

Michael’s prize includes a place at a university summer school in Hong Kong and the opportunity to experience Hong Kong’s vibrancy and major tourist attractions, as well as to consider pursuing tertiary education in Hong Kong. The Competition has the participation of four key universities in Hong Kong. We understand that Michael has arrived safely in Hong Kong already!!

Michael is no stranger to this part of the world having previously participated in the Hong Kong Raleigh Challenge Wilson Trail last October with other pupils from the year group. Michael also undertook the Confucius Institute Chinese Language and Culture Immersion Course in Tianjin, China during July 2016, again with fellow pupils and staff from St. Ninian’s. As a stalwart of our Confucius hub Michael has had ample opportunity to practice his Mandarin language skills, which he has studied to Higher level here in our school.

On return from this latest trip Michael will commence studying for an undergraduate degree in History at Brasenose College in Oxford University where he has a conditional offer to commence in Autumn 2017.

Well done Michael on your latest success!

Neil Macdonald (Depute Head Teacher)

Week Beginning Monday 19 June 2017

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. For us, this has a two-fold meaning – we celebrate God’s gift of Himself, His body and blood, in the Eucharist and, as we share in His life, we become the Body of Christ, His Church.

In the First Reading Moses asks us to remember how, in the midst of great hardship, God kept His people alive in the desert by giving them manna from heaven and water from bare rock, so that they might learn that life is more than material things. Everything we have is gift; our lives depend on the goodness and faithfulness of God. In response, we sing a psalm of praise and gratitude to God for all His gifts. As we come to receive the bread and wine that are the Body and Blood of Christ, we do not do this only as individuals, but as the one body of God’s people, sharing one loaf (Second Reading).

Jesus tells us that He gives Himself for our life and for the life of the world, so that everyone who eats the bread that is Himself will draw life from Him. Christ will live in us and we will live in Him for ever (Gospel).

Corpus Christi procession

This Sunday (18^th June) there is the annual West End Corpus Christi procession for vocations which will get underway with a Holy Hour in Turnbull Hall at 3.00 pm led by Fr. Ross Campbell, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese.  The procession is scheduled to leave Turnbull Hall at 4.00 pm for Mass at St Peter’s Church, Partick an hour later.

Corpus Christi

Our S2 Creative Industries and S3 Art and Design pupils have created a fantastic display thanking the Friends of St Ninian’s group for their fundraising over the course of 2016-2017. The Friends of St Ninian’s are a group of parents and staff who organise school events such as the Pamper Evening, Family Ceilidh, Burns Celebration and Sports Day.  Proceeds from these events helps to support school activities. This year the group have raised a fantastic £2188. This money has bought new netball strips for all year groups, PE equipment and new musical instruments for pupils to borrow and take home. The money has also been used to subsidise the cost of buses for various residential trips as well as sporting or educational trips. Without the Friends of St Ninian’s group, these new resources and opportunities would not be possible. So a big thank you to all involved in Friends of St Ninian’s! Let’s hope next year’s fundraising is just as or even more successful!

Many thanks to all pupils and staff who attended the initial information evening for prospective Medical, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine applicants.

Please see the attached presentations:

• Medical, Dentist and Veterinary Medicine J Fuchs Presentation 13.6.17
• Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and Oxbridge Applicants J McArthur Presentation 13.6.17
• UCAS Personal Statement J McArthur Presentation 13.6.17

Please also visit the Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine section of the S6 2017-18 website for further information.

Well done to our Maths Sans Frontieres Team who came 9th in the competition! An excellent achievement!

Congratulations to Iona Spooner who came second in a Mandarin Speaking Competition organized by the UK Association for the promotion of Chinese Education in Lasswade High School. Well done to Lucia Doyle and Nicole Sung who came third.

Iona Spooner

Overall I really enjoyed the competition. I learnt a lot about China and Chinese stories. I found the competition quite challenging and competitive but I was pleased with 2nd place. If I had to do it again, I would focus on my stage behaviour. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun and it really boosted my confidence for speaking as well as Mandarin.

S6 pupils Callum Holland and Mark Rae recently received HSK 4 Certification. This is an outstanding achievement for them and the boys have worked incredibly hard in preparation for the HSK test. Well done! The boys are currently in the Advanced Higher Mandarin course.

The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) is an official examination designed to assess the Chinese language proficiency of non-native speakers from beginners to advanced level (divided into levels 1-6). It is an internationally recognized standard in assessing your Chinese language level and the result can be used to apply for Confucius Institute Scholarship and the Hanban Beijing Trip. It is also accepted by universities in China as proof of Chinese proficiency. The HSK tests include writing, listening and reading skills.

Congratulations to the students who spoke at the S6 Assembly outlining their aspirations to become the Head Girl and to lead the Senior Team. The quality of the speeches was outstanding. The young people reflected clearly in their individual talk the essential qualities of mind and heart that they will bring to the post, working for the good of all members of our school community.

Eva Marie Curran 6a4
Lucy Dillon 6a6
Romy Edgar 6a7
Anna Gallagher 6a4
Sara Inglis 6a2
Caitlyn Martin 6a7
Eve McAuley 6a5
Maria Mone 6a7
Hepsi Xavier 6a5

Thank you

John Docherty
Head Teacher

Please note the information below:

Eastwood Park Car Park Resurfacing

Rouken Glen Park will play host to the annual Armed Forces Family Fun Day this month.

The free, family-friendly event is being held on Saturday 17 June and will have a wide variety of attractions for all ages.

It will start at 12pm with the raising of the Armed Forces Day flag at the park’s Pavilion.

In the main events area, attractions will include a military display, climbing wall, birds of prey, assault courses, farmers market, craft stalls and a chance to try archery and laser quest.

Vintage military vehicles and costumes will be on show, and the 3SIXTY bike display team will perform during the afternoon.

Also, performances from battle re-enactment group, Swords of Dalriada, along with local sports group I-Kick Martial Arts and local musicians.

Armed Forces Day is a national celebration designed to give people the opportunity to show support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community, from serving troops to service families and from veterans to cadets.

An excellent Numeracy and Mathematics glossary has been developed by Education Scotland for parents and carers of children and young people in the broad general education in Scottish schools. This includes nursery through to S4 in secondary schools. It provides clear definitions of some of the commonly used terms in numeracy and mathematics.

Mathematics and Numeracy Glossary

Good luck to the S2 and S3 pupils who will be visiting Perth College on Tuesday 13^th June to take part in the National Final of the Bloodhound Scotland Rocket Car Challenge at the Big Bang Fair.

Week Beginning Monday 12 June 2017

The S2 Ardeche Trip leaves on Thursday 15 June. Over 80 pupils will participate in the trip. They will return on Friday 23 June.

Wishing them a safe and enjoyable experience! Many thanks to staff accompanying pupils on this trip.

Good luck to the following pupils who will represent the school in the Cricket Factory – Big Bash Final on Thursday 15 June:

• Sohaib Chaudhry
• Humza Zulfiqar
• Haris Ahmed
• Haaris Sattar
• Azaan Munir
• Amaan Nazeer
• Umair Zaheer
• Arpith Phillips
• Dayyum Mohsin

Good luck to our Head Girl and Head Boy candidates who will make speeches to their peers on Tuesday 13 June and Tuesday 20 June respectively.

Head Boy Candidates

• Ben Clarke 6a3
• Graham Curley 6a5
• Ryan Davis 6a8
• Ronan Fox 6a5
• Luke Halpin 6a5
• Alexander MacDonald 6a10
• Aidan McKenzie 6a3
• Stephen Shaw 6a1
• Stephen Tolland 6a7

Head Girl Candidates

• Eva Marie Curran 6a4
• Lucy Dillon 6a6
• Romy Edgar 6a7
• Anna Gallagher 6a4
• Sara Inglis 6a2
• Caitlyn Martin 6a7
• Eve McAuley 6a5
• Maria Mone 6a7
• Hepsi Xavier 6a5

A huge well done to all pupils who competed in the Rotary International Scottish Schools’ T&F Athletics Championships at Grangemouth Stadium.

• Amy Donaghy 6a6
• Eva Blues 3a9
• Rhona Mowatt 4a6
• Rachel Callan 2a6
• Leila Hickey-Fugaccia 2a10
• Morgan MacDougall 2a3
• Cara Wotherspoon 3a5
• Mary-Rose Cairns 1a6
• Mary Creighton 2a6
• Niamh McWilliams 2a5
• Isla Scott 1a4
• Isla Ward 1a8
• Nicholas Boyle 5a4
• Joseph Lowrie 5a4
• Andrew Conlan 4a4
• Luke Nelson 3a3
• Adam Chaudhry 2a5
• Marc Capaldi 1a6
• Joe Davidson 1a2
• Michael Moynihan 1a7

Congratulations to pupils who placed in event finals. This is a great achievement in a very tough competition.

Scottish Schools Athletics Results

An Information evening for our Sixth Year students (and their parents) who are prospective Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine applicants will take place on Tuesday 13 June at 7pm in the Lecture Theatre.

Good luck to the following S5 pupils who will be attending a prize giving ceremony at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh on Monday 12th June. They will find out where they placed in the top ten of the competition.

The pupils are:

• Michael Doyle
• John Lynch
• Gabriel Curran
• Zaynab Sarguroh
• Maria Kent
• Megan McLaughlin
• Victor McQuade
• Lewis Mitchell
• Raafi Mahmood
• Luca Valentini

Many thanks to parents, carers, staff and friends who made it along to the S6 Mass of Thanksgiving and Graduation last night. The numbers were tremendous and showed the outstanding support our S6 pupils have received.

A lot of time and effort is spent in preparation for this event each year. Thank you to staff, janitors, cleaners, cafeteria staff, musicians, singers, clerical staff and to the year head Mr Macdonald for all of the time and hard work they put into organising what was a beautiful and fitting end to the S6 experience.

Finally, thank you to Monsignor Monaghan, Fr. Hill, Fr. Burke and Fr. Donnelly for celebrating the beautiful Mass for us.

Photographs can be viewed here.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a group of S6 pupils to be involved in a ‘Music Leadership’ pilot project in conjunction with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Pupils will have to prepare and perform a short programme of music on their chosen instrument at grade 6 level, mentor younger students, and engage with professional musicians. Marlisa Ross from the Conservatoire is coming to lead an initial session with pupils on Thursday 22^nd June periods 6 and 7.

Wishing them well in this exciting opportunity!

Graduation

Our S6 Graduation and Thanksgiving Mass will take place on Thursday 8^th  June. To see arrangements for the graduation please click on the link below.

S6 Graduation Information 2017

Good luck to the pupils who will be representing the school in the Scottish Schools Outdoor Athletics Championships at Grangemouth Stadium on Friday 9 June.