A group of Art pupils from Braidhurst High set up an exhibition of work for the recent S4 parents’ evening.   This included expressive and design folios and helped to promote the excellent work that the pupils have produced.   The exhibition was extremely popular and it was viewed by many of the parents and pupils who attended the very successful evening.

Senior pupils Eryn Lawrie, Greg Mackenzie and Marc Armitage were delighted to accept an invitation from the Holocaust Educational Trust met to attend an intimate reception at the Scottish parliament on Tuesday 3^rd November.   The event was held to commemorate the work of the HET in delivering the Lessons from Auschwitz Project (LFA) and the invitation was in recognition of Braidhurst High School’s involvement in the initiative over the past 5 years.

Accompanied by Mrs Ballantyne, the pupils were welcomed by Ken McIntosh MSP and met with Ruth Davidson MSP and Alisdair Allan MSP.   Amongst the guests were Holocaust survivors Henry and Ingrid Wuga who previously visited Braidhurst in 2012 and were delighted to recognise the school badge and uniform.   The pupils were delighted to have the chance to speak briefly with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP who complimented them on their smart appearance and on Braidhurst’s commitment to the LFA Project.

The HET and LFA is supported by the Scottish Government and allows two pupils from every secondary school in Scotland to participate in a unique opportunity to witness first-hand the atrocities of the Holocaust and the impact it had on the victims, survivors and their families.   As in previous years the pupils will now work as Ambassadors for the HET in sharing their experiences with their peers and the wider school community.

On Thursday 26^th November at 7 pm Braidhurst High School’s Parents’ Group will be hosting a fashion sale in the assembly hall.   To get you in the mood for some Christmas shopping come along and check out the discounted clothing from brands such as Topshop, Next and Monsoon (prices ranging from £5 to £30).   Tickets for this event cost £5 and include a glass of bubbly and a cupcake.   If you are interested please contact Miss Watson on 01698 274999 for tickets.

Braidhurst senior pupils Nathan Smith, Nicole Baird and Caitlin Watson volunteer every week with the local Parkinson’s self- help group.

The pupils are working with the group to produce an information leaflet for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

The group are also learning new computing skills as part of the Digital Inclusion Project.   Supported by the Community Learning Development workers Peter McNally, Linda McGurk and Cheryl McGuire.

For further information about the group please contact: 01698 337460

NETBALL

S5/6 Leadership            

Primary 6 & 7 pupils are invited to attend Braidhurst High School’s after school sports club, held by a small group of senior pupils, participating in the leadership course.

Time: 3:45pm – 4:45pm

Dates:                  17^th & 24^th November 2015

1^st & 8^th December 2015

Equipment: Gym clothes, sensible gym shoes and a bottle of water.

Transport: A bus will pick all children participating up at 3:15pm and will return at 4:45pm. One of the buses will transport all children who live in Jerviston home. Parents are also encouraged to collect children from their primary schools if possible.

*If possible children should be changed and ready for the bus picking them up.*

There will be 2 activities, netball and badminton, held in the sports barn and football will held outside (depending on weather conditions).

Approximately 15 children in each group.

All children participating in netball will join in on team building activities and will have the opportunity to play a few games.  There will be 3 teams, each consisting of approximately 5 pupils. Each game will last 5 minutes and 2 teams will play whilst the third team watches. After each game is finished the teams will swap over and a new game will begin.

We look forward to seeing you there!

On 28^th October, School Captain Eryn Lawrie (6L) and Justin Hogg (6M) joined 200 young people from central Scotland in a History lesson they will never forget.  The senior school pupils have returned from an emotional pilgrimage to the infamous Nazi death camps in Auschwitz, Poland as part of the Lessons from Auschwitz project led by the Holocaust Educational Trust.

Reflecting on her visit, Eryn commented “my trip to Auschwitz has been an unforgettable experience for me. As we walked around the camps, we were continuously reminded that the shoes, glasses and suitcases that we saw piled high, all belonged to an individual human being who had been stripped from their identity and had been deemed worthless. I believe it is extremely important that we never forget the horrifying and unimaginable torture these people endured. ‘Seeing is not like hearing’ is a very true statement. Being able to see and walk around the camps has changed the way I see the Holocaust. We need to ensure that this inhumane and hateful act is always commemorated so that it may never be repeated. I am extremely grateful that I was given the opportunity to learn more about the Holocaust so that I will then be able to pass it onto others.”  Justin mirrored the views of Eryn and remarked “I feel honored and privileged that I had the chance to not only represent my school but to witness first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust.  My involvement in this project has had a lasting impression on me and I will take seriously my responsibility and moral obligation to share this knowledge and experience with others as a Lessons from Auschwitz Ambassador”.

All of the young people who took part in the Lessons from Auschwitz programme arrived with a textbook understanding of the Holocaust and what happened in the camps.  Eryn and Justin will now work in school as Ambassadors for the Holocaust Educational Trust and will complete a Next Steps Project in which they pass on the lessons they have learned from their involvement in the programme.  The experience is sure to be one lesson from history that Eryn and Justin will never forget.

Thursday saw the return of the Braidhurst Halloween Disco with a collection of ghosts, ghouls and zombies marauding around the dance floor.   This year this event was organised by the senior pupil’s Scottish Enterprise group, ‘Aspire’ who took full responsibility for all aspects of the event.

Mr Hamilton from the technical department was employed as resident DJ for the evening.   A mixture of current chart hits along with some old school classics kept the crowd entertained.

The prize for the best costume was won by S1 pupil Leah Fairservice, who trumped competition with her creative and unique ‘vampire emoji’ outfit.