40 S1 and S2 pupils recently travelled to the heart of rural Perthshire for the annual visit to Teen Ranch Scotland. In glorious sunshine the group bade farewell to family and friends as they set off on the two hour coach journey to their Teen Ranch base.

Party leader, Mr Clark Govan of the PE Department, has been running the Teen Ranch club two lunchtimes each week throughout the session in preparation for the stay which is always one of the year’s highlights. At Teen Ranch, pupils stay in surrounding set out like an authentic Wild West ranch, with even wigwams on site.

Over a busy three-day programme, pupils tackle mountain-biking, pony trekking, Canadian canoeing, and water sliding and archery.

Our picture captures Miss Clare Hughes (front and centre) leading Clyde Valley’s pony-trekkers during a training session at Teen Ranch Scotland.

A party of avid readers from S2 and S3 travelled to the Mitchell Library in Glasgow last week to meet with Children’s Laureate, Malorie Blackman. The event was one of a number of ‘Meet the Laureate’ seminars organised by the Scottish Book Trust.

Award-winning author, Malorie, enthralled the young people with her passionate description of her love of literature and the craft of writing. She entertained her young audience with her often amusing tales of the period when she was a struggling young writer and her endless search for a publisher. Her esteemed position as Laureate certainly proved to be one story with a happy ending!

Malorie then took time to answer questions and to sign individual copies of her books.

Clyde Valley’s S2/S3 readers with Children’s Laureate, Malorie Blackman.

Pupils in first year enjoyed a day off timetable last week to take part in the annual S3 Health Day.

Principal Teachers of Pupil Support, Mr Ian Love and Mrs Mari-Claire Barclay, worked with the school’s PE Department and a number of partner organisations to deliver a busy and varied programme of personal development and health activities.

All of the pupils took part with great enthusiasm as they tried their hand at mountain biking, dancing, judo and several other sporting challenges. Colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland delivered CPR training, drugs awareness education and the consequences of knife crime.

Third year pupils captured mountain-biking during Clyde Valley’s S3 Health Day.