DRAGON’S LAIR

The Dragon’s Lair final was held on Tuesday 13th November in the Antrium Centre in Coatbridge and out of 6 finalists Braidhurst were represented by 2 teams. Entrepreneurs  for ‘Educate Me’ were Finlay Anderson, Iona Eldhose and Rebecca Nevans  who designed an app to educate children in all aspects of their learning by providing additional support and skills to improve their knowledge and understanding of a subject.  The app would also include video tutorials, timetable, planners, games and prompters. Supernova – Solar Mower entrepreneurs were Ellie Anderson, Ryan Murray and Robbie Tollan who designed a new and improved lawn mower powered by solar energy to combat global warming by depending on reusable energy instead of using fossil fuel. The pupils attended an Information Day where they were advised on the completion of their business plan.  This was submitted 2 weeks later and marked by one of Business Gateway’s Business Advisors.  Out of 19 submissions, Braidhurst was overwhelmed to have 2 teams in the final. After selection, the pupils attended a briefing day regarding their presentation to the Dragon’s and had one week to prepare their pitch.  On the day, the pupils excelled in their presentation skills and dared to enter the dragon’s den for 5 minutes of questions. Although both teams were unsuccessful in winning the title, they were complimented on the exceptionally high standard of their business plans and presentation skills.

Pancakes for Pudsey

The annual Children in Need event ‘Pancakes for Pudsey’ took place in the Hub last Thursday.  Former Braidhurst teacher, Mrs Neilson, made and sold over 250 pancakes during lunchtime, while Hub staff and pupils provided various temptations such as ice-cream cones, popcorn and cakes.  There were also competitions and a raffle.  In total, £415 was raised for Children in Need.

S3 DRAMA – TRON THEATRE

The S3 Drama class were recently working with the Tron Theatre for a two week period where they participated in a range of workshop activities. These activities explored set design and costume as well as lighting. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the experience and found them educational and fun.

JAMIE SMITH FOOTBALL VISIT

Braidhurst recently welcomed back Scottish FA and Performance School graduate Jamie Smith for a Q&A and practice session with our S1-S2 performance school pupils. Jamie was also happy to pass on excellent advice to our S2 goalkeepers after he recently made his debut for Hamilton Academicals reserve team.

AUSCHWITZ VISIT

On 30th October 2018, senior pupils Chloe McLaughlin (5M) and Matthew Sinclair (6L) joined 200 young people from central Scotland in a History lesson they will never forget.  The pupils embarked on 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.  They were accompanied on their visit by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Prior to their visit, Chloe and Matthew took part in an Orientation Seminar to hear the incredible story of a Holocaust survivor first-hand.  Eva Clarke shared the story of her mother, an inmate and survivor of the Nazi death camps and of her own story of fate and good fortune to have been one of only a few babies to survive being born in an extermination camp.  The heart-touching story evoked an emotional response from the audience and added a personal perspective to the events and atrocities of the Holocaust the pupils had previously studied from textbooks, films and photographs. On arriving in Poland, Chloe and Matthew explored the camps and prison cells at Auschwitz I which have now been dedicated to a museum housing evidence of the atrocities. The visit inside the gas chamber and the nearby crematorium, offered a chance to reflect on the terror felt by the inmates who met their untimely and inhumane end in the “showers of death”. The exhibits merely touche upon the scale of the mass murder experienced by the inmates in Auschwitz alone, not to mention the other Nazi death camps elsewhere in Poland. The tour continued in the afternoon to Auschwitz- Birkenau II.  The sight alone of the railway tracks leading into “the gates of hell” sparked an emotional response from many students.  Chloe and Matthew walked along the infamous railway tracks which brought many innocent men, women and children to their fate. The day ended with a moment of reflection with a short service of memorial and a candle lighting ceremony led by Rabbi Daniel Epstein in memory of the dead.  Chloe and Matthew agreed that this was an appropriate and touching end to their visit. Reflecting on her visit, Chloe commented “The trip to Auschwitz has been an unforgettable experience. I believe it is extremely important that we never forget the horrifying and unimaginable torture that innocent 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 view the Holocaust. We must remember each victim and survivor as an individual and not lose their identity as just a fact and statistic of the past.” Matthew mirrored the views of Chloe and remarked “I am privileged to have had the chance to witness first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust.  The atmosphere is Auschwitz is indescribable.  There is a feeling of calm and serenity in a place where so much terror and hatred was previously bestowed upon the camps innocent victims.  My involvement in this project has had a lasting impression on me Chloe and Matthew will now work in school as Ambassadors for the Holocaust Educational Trust and will complete a Next Steps Project in which they will pass on the lessons they have learned from their involvement in the programme.  This will include a presentation and lesson delivered to lower school pupils focussing on the theme of prejudice, racism and tolerance.  The experience is sure to be one lesson from history that Chloe and Matthew will never forget.

STUDENTS HELPING FOSTER STEM DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH LANARKSHIRE

Once again Braidhurst, like other North Lanarkshire schools, has embraced STEM teaching, by creating the role of senior school STEM ambassadors who recently visited Rochsolloch and All Saints primary’s DYW event, to showcase and inspire STEM in students at an early age. Their mission was to ignite the imagination of young people and nurture their talent for the long-term benefit of North Lanarkshire. The school’s two STEM ambassadors, Jenna and Chloe, are passionate about bringing gender diversity into the world of engineering, actively taking a lead role in encouraging their female peers to take an interest in the subject. Through their love of science, the two senior students have devoted their lunchtimes and evenings to lead a STEM club for younger pupils within their school where they have created a fun and welcoming learning environment. There is an emphasis on encouraging girls into STEM subjects and for them to sign up to the ‘Girl Power’ pledge via https://www.girlpowered.com/. To showcase examples of how women are changing the world, providing tools for success, and enabling comfortable environments where the confidence and abilities of all students can flourish.

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