One of the school’s largest ever intakes started secondary school on 16 August with every single pupil in full school uniform. They all seemed really keen to start secondary following a quite extensive series of induction events spread throughout last session organised by Ms Ruth Anderson, Depute Head Teacher in charge of lower school. Senior pupils acted as guides to ensure that they found their way around the campus whilst various support staff worked with them in class to assist them in their learning. An assembly was held to make sure all administrative issues were understood and to encourage participation in the wider life of the school. At this early stage they seem in general to have adjusted well to life in Braidhurst. Parents and guardians certainly have supported the school policy of full school uniform.

New Staff also started the school in August with several appointments for additional staff likely in the weeks ahead. Included in the new staff are Mrs Susan Welsh in computing, Ms Claire Mullen in English, Ms Kirsty McNeill in music, Mr Alan Inch and Ms Lynne Barr in physical education, Mr Blair Cockburn in biology, Ms Kirsty Logan in geography as well as Mrs Catherine McKenna and Mrs Angela Sweeney as assistants in learning support.

Ex-Scotland international footballer Willie Donachie recently paid a visit to investigate the Scottish FA Performance School of Football set-up at Braidhurst High. Willie gained 35 Scotland caps playing at left back taking part in the famous 1978 World Cup side. Most of his career was spent with Manchester City. Willie is currently the development coach with Newcastle United and he asked to come and see for himself the football development set up at the school. He was greatly impressed by the facilities land the development programme.

The 2nd match of staff –v- pupil cricket took place on Monday afternoon after school with the pupils looking for revenge from last year’s humiliating defeat to the staff. The pupils had formed a strong team and rumour had it that they were holding training sessions in weekends before the big match. On the day, the pupils were very confident and had brought along supporters, including two parents. However, one parent very kindly agreed to umpire the match whilst the other decided to join in with the staff team. The pupils elected to bowl first and the staff were eager to take wickets. The pupils looked to be starting off with their strongest batting pair, the Khan brothers, with Azhar looking to have more of an impact in this years’ game after being bowled out for a golden duck last year. It was looking promising after scoring a couple of runs until Mr Clark had him caught and bowled with a lighting reflex catch. The pupils began to score, some down to wide bowls from staff but eventually the pressure from bowlers began to cause problems as the teachers began to take wickets. Mr Khan stepped up to bowl and he took 3 wickets in his over, a tremendous achievement for the staff team. Pupils scored 40 runs all out.

For the staff, the promising Mr Thompson, who has a wealth of experience in cricket, opened but he was then put out after the ball went high off of his bat and was caught. Mr Clark joined Dr Gardner on the field. This was the beginning of the end of the match, with Mr Clark and Dr Gardner scoring with almost every ball, even though a very young Zafar’s bowling was the highlight of the match. They even managed several 4s and 6s land the pupils could see that with 8 batters still left in the pavilion the match was well out of their reach. The match finally ended with the staff scoring 44 for 1.

Well done to everyone who participated and to the group of senior pupils who organised the game. Thank you to staff and parents who were involved in the game. I’m sure the pupils will be starting to practice for the 3rd annual Braidhurst staff –v- pupil test match.

Prizegiving will take place on the morning of the last day of term Thursday 27^th June starting at 10.30 am. The principal guests will be Councillor Jim Logue the Convener of Learning and Leisure Services and Mrs Madeleine Hannan, wife of the Rector. The parents of all prizewinners have been invited to attend what is always the highlight of the session.

Staff and pupils at Braidhurst High were absolutely delighted to learn that two pupils recently won medals in the three nations junior boxing championship held in Warrington. Matthew Middleton boxing in the 48kg category won bronze with John Stevenson boxing at 54 kg gaining a silver. Both boys box for Forgewood ABC and represented Scotland against strong opposition from England and Wales.

Braidhurst High School’s S3 netball team have had another successful year and have been crowned winners of their league section. The girls have a tremendous track record and remain undefeated in the league this year. The girls’ hard work over the past three years has paid off with them gaining success in both local and national competitions. However the girls still have one important game to play before the end of the season and that is the staff –v- pupil network match.

Rebecca Murray has successfully completed her first year in the netball south regions pathways squad. The purpose of the pathways squad is to develop young players who have been identified as particularly talented so that they can then progress and feed into the national U17 squad. The squad train every two weeks in East Kilbride. Initial selection does not guarantee your place for the year and Rebecca has proved that she has what it takes allowing her to maintain her position in the squad. Rebecca said “The training is very hard, but is worth it as I have improved all areas of my game”.

Second year pupils at Braidhurst High School were honoured to welcome Holocaust survivors Henry and Ingrid Wuga on Wednesday 12^th June 2013. They delivered a talk to 120 pupils who have been studying the Holocaust as part of the S2 Social Subjects course. Pupils had the fantastic opportunity to not only hear Henry and Ingrid’s testimony but to ask questions to further their own knowledge. Henry and Ingrid Wuga share an incredible story where against all odds they were able to escape the evil Nazi regime against German Jews at the outbreak of World War Two.

Henry was born in Nuremberg, Germany in 1924. Following the events of Kristallnacht on the 9^th November 1938 when Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues were destroyed by the Nazis, it became clear that there was a real danger for Jews in Germany. Henry’s parents made the decision to send him to the UK as part of the Kindertransport. This allowed 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children to enter the UK to live with a sponsor family, however Henry’s parents were not allowed to join him. On 5^th May 1939, Henry arrived in Britain and travelled to Glasgow on the flying Scotsman, where he was fostered by a Jewish widow until he was evacuated to Perth alongside other Glaswegian children in 1940.

Henry shared his experience with the pupils of being arrested in 1940 for ‘corresponding with the enemy’ for writing to his mother in Germany via his uncles in Paris and Brussels. He was registered as a Dangerous Enemy Alien at the High Court in Edinburgh, and was subsequently sent to the Isle of Man, where he remained for 10 months until he was reclassified as a Friendly Enemy Alien and released. On his release, Henry returned to Glasgow where he once again worked in restaurants as a chef. It was here that he met Ingrid, a fellow refugee from Nazi Germany, who he went on to marry. In 1947, Henry’s mother, who had survived the war in hiding, joined them in Scotland, his father passed due to natural causes.

Ingrid shared a similar experience of Kindertransport. She was born in Dortmund in Germany in 1924 and escaped at the age of 15, just a few weeks before the outbreak of World War II. She was not given the opportunity to continue her education in the UK, and soon after arriving in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Leicestershire, she took up a position of a nanny to a baby. Ingrid’s mother and father were fortunately able to follow her to the UK. However, Ingrid’s aunt and uncle chose to remain in Germany and did not survive the Nazi reign of terror. After a few months in England, Ingrid’s parents were offered jobs in West Kilbride, and the family moved to Scotland. As the war progressed, Enemy Aliens were no longer allowed to live on the coast as it was feared that they may send signals to the German Army. Ingrid relocated to Glasgow, where she worked in a dress shop, sewing collars on British Army uniforms. Henry and Ingrid continued to live in Glasgow, where they are involved with the work of a number of charities. This was recognised by the Queen in 1999 when Henry, a ski fanatic, was awarded the MBE for his charity work with the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen’s Association (BLESMA). The couple continue to tell their story across Scotland. Laura Ballantyne, History teacher commented, “It was a tremendous privilege to welcome Henry and Ingrid Wuga to our school. Their testimony will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced. There is no better way to learn about the Holocaust than through the first-hand testimony of a survivor. Henry and Ingrid’s story is one of tremendous courage during horrific circumstances. By studying the Holocaust we hope to impart the history of the event to young people, to ensure that we honour the memory of those whose lives were lost and to take forward the lessons taught by those who survived to make a positive difference in their own lives. From this pupils can learn where prejudice and racism can ultimately lead. We are very grateful to Henry and Ingrid for taking the time to visit us to share their story and to the Holocaust Educational Trust for co-ordinating the visit”.