School News – Page 2 – JMAC- The Blog Experience

Reading Club ‘Pages’

Mr McCrory and Miss McDowall began a reading club to encourage S1-S2 pupils to read for fun. Books are brought in for the children based on what they want to read. Pierce said “I’ve got a book by the historian James Holland. He’s made a bunch of children’s books about the battle of Britain but using a first person view”
Miss McDowall said “I think it’s just the idea were trying to get of the stigma that reading is something associated with school. It’s that idea it can be fun.”
One of the girls involved, Millie said “Everybody’s really nice. There’s nobody who will pick on you for liking a type of book or not liking a type of book. It’s basically just really cosy and relaxing” Sara said “I like coming and meeting new people and reading,” The club currently has 10-15 pupils at a time but many more are welcome

A Melancholy Monday

The first day back this term for St. Aidan’s caritas class was a rather sad one. Their beloved Caritas teacher – and head of department- Mrs Barton was leaving. Mrs Barton has been in St. Aidan’s high school religious education department for 23/25? years but has taken up a new position as … in Edinburgh . The pupils said farewell on Monday by putting together a party with the of assistant school chaplain, father Kieran. There was many a hug going round, but the school and pupils wish Mrs Barton all the best in her future endeavours.

Mrs Heinz commented on Mrs Barton work within the school ” Mrs Barton has enriched the life of every pupil in the school, through curriculum and pastoral events and by organising special mission and retreat times. Over the last twenty years. We will all really miss her generous, caring ways.”

In other news, St. Ignatius long term parish priest of 9 years – Father Gerry Maguiness- is taking up a new position as General Secretary of the bishops conference. Father Gerry has been a very involved member of the schools religious education department for many years.

Christmas Jumper Day 2019

Tis the season for Christmas jumpers. APD ambassadors in St. Aidan’s ran a Christmas jumper day on the 13th of December to raise money for the association of disabled people. Pupils from St. Aidan’s high school will be going to India to give help first hand this summer.

St. Aidan’s has worked with APD for the past years to try create a world of Equity, Dignity, and Justice for people with disability and plans to work with APD for years to come.

Strictly Comes Dancing 2019

Glitz, glamour, lights. On Monday St. Aidan’s teachers hit the stage to show what they can do out of class. Strictly came to St. Aidan’s high school and the crowd was excited. A group of teachers were randomly paired up to dance and strut their stuff to raise money for APD.

APD (the association of people with disability) India is a non-profit organisation that aim to rehabilitee people with disability especially in India.

Tin Tuesday

“We want to make everyone feel included at Christmas, we send them a Christmas card to wish them a merry Christmas”

The RE department in St. Aidan’s have started it create Christmas parcels for local parishes filled with tins, sweets, and essentials. Pupils have also been donating money. With the help of all the WPS classes, Caritas pupils, and the school as a whole they aim to send 100 parcels to local community.
Mrs Hynes said “We need to remind ourselves Christmas is about receiving presents but also about giving. The parcel give everyone the opportunity to give something. We’ve had some people bring in bags of shopping.”
Caritas student Hollie Conlin said “We want to make everyone feel included at Christmas, we send them a Christmas card to wish them a merry Christmas” This thought is shared throughout the school and the students are getting ready to deliver the parcel.

SCIAF Real Gifts

This week St. Aidan’s High school Caritas class promoted and sold SCIAF Real Gifts during a Christmas themed staff coffee morning. The pupils served mince pies, coffee and tea to the large number of staff who visited during their Christmas lunch to show support.

Purchasing a Real Gift provides something vital for people living in poverty in Africa, Asia or Latin America such as emergency blankets, seeds or even a goat. Whilst also giving a thoughtful gift to someone in your life. The pupils raised around £180 from this event.

Scottish Mathematical Challenge 2019

This year our school was fortunate enough to have four super smart students – James Walsh, Rian Duncan, Gavin McKeown and Valentina Joseph – take on the Scottish Mathematical challenge. The pupils from S3 and S4 participated in the middle division placing 42nd overall.

The mathematical challenge was set up in 1966-67 by the chairman of the Scottish Mathematical Council at the time- professor E.M Patterson- who wanted maths to be a source of interest and pleasurable achievement.

The pupils were led to battle by maths teacher Mr Barr. He comments “there was a massive improvement from last year, the four pupils performed brilliantly and worked really well together”

Mr Barr also commented on what the day consisted of ” It’s a national competition across all of Scotland which consists of problem solving maths questions, we finished 20 places higher than last year”

Halloween Disco

On Wednesday, our fifth and sixth year pupils attended a Halloween Disco to raise money for our Victoria Park Christmas party . The pupils got to dress up, come along and have fun with their friends. The event was organised by our own sixth year Victoria Park Committee.

Connie McMahon, chairperson of the Victoria Park committee commented “I think the night was very successful! Myself along with the other chair people- Niamh Jamieson and Matthew Mooney- and all of the committee have been preparing for this event for around a month now. It was so nice to see both fifth and sixth year contribute to a night for a really good cause. Also, a big thank you to Domino’s for generously donating pizza on the night.”

At the end, prizes were given out to the best costumes of the night. Christopher Corr won the prize for best costume, while Rebecca Mackie and Samantha Reynolds won the best group prize for dressing up as Bob Ross and one of his paintings.

Sixth year pupil support teacher, Miss O’Neill, commented, “The committee who organised this event were exceptional and are a credit to themselves and the school. We raise well over £430 and I know that this will be used for organising gifts for the young people at Victoria Park. I’d also like to thank the JMAC team for organising a photo booth.”

Credit to -,Jack McClung and Eilidh Kinsman

Edited by- Daphne Miller

Photos credited to-Daphne Miller and Sophie Farrell

European Day Of Languages 2019

Every year people across the world come together to celebrate Languages and the benefits they have had to our lives. St. Aidan’s High schools very own Modern Languages department organised treasure hunts for the junior pupils and speakers from all different walks in life for the senior pupils. Kulwinder Bhumbra from Volvo commented “I think promoting and educating people on cultures, languages and other valuable skills goes a long way”

Mr Bradley Head of Modern languages department commented on the organisation of the event “there is a lot of work and a lot of preparation that goes into organising the speakers, it begins months in advance to make sure we get everything we need. its always a great event and very worthwhile ” . The day brings awareness to the rapid decline in pupils choosing to take on a language to qualification grade and teaches the young people of the many doors having a second language can open for them in the the future. Lorraine Donegan ” don’t brush over languages just because you don’t plan on using it to teach in the future”

Michael McGregor -director of corporate banking at Santander-commented on the importance of these talks for young people ” It’s quite an important session and its something I have been doing for a couple of years because I can give back relative and recent experience of why to choose modern languages, if that can help even one person then that is the benefit from my perspective”

Polish and Scottish Schools Unite !!

St Aidan’s were recently given a fantastic opportunity to host for a group of 50 students and a few teachers visiting Scotland from Poland. Liceum Ogólnokształcące nr VII im. Krzysztofa Kamila Baczyńskiego is a secondary school from Wrocław.

The students were warmly welcomed by senior staff, the school captains and our own Polish students representing St Aidan’s. Upon arrival, the visitors received a traditional performance of the bagpipes by Kerr Smillie.

Once they were officially welcomed by Mrs Connelly, both St Aidan’s and our Polish visitors had prepared presentations about the school and the culture in both countries . Afterwards they were given a tour around the school by our own polish students.

Before leaving, they stayed for an early lunch where they tried a classic roll and sausage and were later given another traditional performance by Highland Dancers Alicia Taylor and Niamh Donnelly.

One of the Polish students visiting , Matthew Chris Przyłup commented that “meeting the people here was really exciting because we’re meeting another culture, this experience has been amazing opportunity for us”.