On Wednesday 22nd November the school hosted an ‘Open to Question’ evening for the parents and carers of incoming P7 pupils. Before the event guests were given a quick tour of the school building before gathering in the assembly hall where they heard Head Teacher Mrs Rooney and Mr Gardiner, Depute Head Teacher in charge of S1-S2, give informative talks on Braidhurst. The audience then had the opportunity to ask the panel of staff and pupils wide-ranging questions on everything from the school curriculum, pastoral support, extra-curricular clubs, and of course school lunches. S1 pupils Olivia Rae and Nathan Tollan joined school captains Hannah Gordon and Joe Farmer to talk about their experience as a Braidhurst pupil.
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MOCK INTERVIEW EVENING
The school recently held a ‘Mock Interview’ evening for pupils currently in their fourth year. This event is part of the ‘Developing the Young Workforce’ programme with pupils also creating their first CV which listed their particular skills, interests and experience. Throughout the evening pupils were interviewed by volunteers from various companies and industries to give them valuable experience of participating in a formal interview. The event was a success with pupils dressing smartly and conducting themselves very well during their interviews.
MANCHESTER CITY –V- FEYENOORD ROTTERDAM
On 21 November a total of 49 pupils made the trip to The Etihad Stadium to watch the Champion’s League group match between Manchester City and Feyenoord Rotterdam. Despite the match only finishing 1-0 to the hosts with a late goal from Raheem Sterling, pupils had an excellent time being close to the action and seeing top stars such as Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne Alistair Small and Rhys Mallinson were triumphant in the traditional bus quiz, winning a match day programme each. Alistair also winning a Manchester City top in the bus raffle. Pupils and Staff had a very enjoyable outing.
S1-S2 READING CHAMPIONSHIP
Reading is at the heart of academic success and helps to develop a robust mental health amongst young people. Braidhurst has risen to the challenge of strengthening the literacy skills of our pupils in lower school by inviting them to participate in a ‘Reading Championship’. This program is run by the school library and delivered as part of the S1-S2 English curriculum. Pupils have good reason to get engaged with personal reading, as the more books they read will lead to certificates, badges, trophies, and a class rewards afternoon involving pizzas and a movie. Pupils have admirably risen to challenge with the majority taking their library book home to read in their spare time and visiting the school library on a very regular basis looking for their next book to devour. Mrs McKenna, Depute Head Teacher in charge of the Pupil Equity fund, remarked that “the ‘Reading Championship’ puts front and centre our belief that literacy goes beyond classroom based activities and assessments and is a skill which enriches our lives on a daily basis. Promoting reading for pleasure is an essential part of our strategy to raise literacy levels across the Broad General Education phase of the school and we are committed to encouraging our pupils by recognising their efforts in this regard.”
ROAD SAFETY CALENDAR COMPETITION
Art and Design pupils are entering this year’s North Lanarkshire road Safety Caldendar competition. The pupils have worked hard this session, developing their slogans and matching designs to spread the work on all aspects of road safety. We have been successful in recent years and are hoping that their hard work this year is rewarded.
FAMILY LEARNING SESSIONS – HEALTHY COOKING
The school recently hosted a very successful ‘Family Learning’ programme where a group of sixteen S1 pupils and their families participated in healthy cooking sessions. The course was funded through the Pupil Equity Fund which is designed to support young people achieve their full potential. The course was organised by Linda McGurk, Home School Partnership officer and delivered by Ms Fox, Home Economics Teacher. Families cooked a wide range of healthy food and spent quality time working together. One parent commented “The family sessions helped me bond with my son at his new high school and will lead to more interaction at home especially in the kitchen”. Braidhurst High School recognises the value of family learning and parental engagement. The school plans to offer more family learning sessions in a wide variety of subjects including Art, Computing and Music.
U14 SCOTTISH SCHOOLS FOOTBALL MATCH
Braidhurst’s U14 Scottish Schools FA squad played a fantastic game against Our Lady’s High School, Cumbernauld on Monday 9th October. The team performed well with goals from Peter John McGiff and a doubler from Jay Miller. The final result was 3-1 to Braidhurst.
