June 2011

Knox News
T h e N e w s l e t t e r o f K n o x

A c a d e m y

F RO M T H E H E A D T E AC H E R
Dear Parents/Carers, Welcome to the last Knox News of session 2010-2011. The summer term has been very busy with a wide variety of activities taking place in and out of school. Mr M Duddin, Depute Head Teacher, is retiring at the end of this session after nearly 31 years at the school. Mr Duddin joined Knox Academy in January 1980, when he was appointed Principal Teacher of Geography and, in September 1984, he was promoted to his current position. During his time at the school, Mr Duddin has taught generations of pupils Geography, a subject about which he is passionate. For many years, he organised and led the Geography Field Trip to France, these excursions were very successful, Mr Duddin dealing with all eventualities calmly-including a member of staff breaking their ankle half way up a mountain. As well as being an excellent classroom practitioner, Mr Duddin has been the backbone of the Senior Management Team for nearly 27 years. In particular, he has been Mr SQA and Mr Timetable and has loyally led and supported his House: Traprain. Mr Duddin has been a wonderful and loyal colleague, his humour and sense of fun belying his (selfpromoted) reputation as Mr Grumpy. He will be much missed, best wishes to Mr Duddin for a happy and healthy retirement. Four teachers who have been with us for their probationary year will be leaving: Mr J Clelland (PE), Ms A Morson (Technical), Ms A Gallacher and Ms K Hay (Art). All are talented teachers and we wish them every success in their careers. Some temporary staff are leaving us: Mr C Wood (Computing), Mr Grandison (Biology) and Ms M Stuart (Pupil Support Base). I am sure you join me in thanking all of the staff above and wishing them good luck for the future. The following have been appointed to permanent posts at Knox Academy, with effect from August: Mr A McFarlane (Business Education), Ms J Waters (PE), Mr C Blair (Maths), Mrs H Jackson (HE Auxiliary), Ms S Moore (Technical), Mrs M Maxwell, Mr P Bristow, Mr O Edwards and Ms Z Machen (English), Ms M Brown (Drama and Music), Dr G Wilson and Ms L Ward (Biology). Also, from August, Mr S Illingworth will be Acting Depute Head Teacher. Full details of staffing for next session will be issued in the August Pack sent to all parents and carers. On the 17th June we held the Leavers Ceremony to say farewell to pupils leaving from S4 and S5 and, of course, the whole of S6. We wish all our leavers health and happiness. Many of our pupils will have a tense time in July and August waiting for the SQA results. The results should reach pupils by Thursday 4 August; no information will be available from the school before 5 August. A big thank you to all sections of the school community for another hectic, successful and enjoyable session. School closes at 12.05 pm on Friday 1 July, the autumn term for pupils starts at 8.44 am on Wednesday 17 August. Best wishes for a relaxing summer.

JB Craig

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Knox News

PA R E N T S C H O O L PA RT N E R S H I P
Who knows a child better than his or her own parents? We know, and educational research backs us up, that children have a happier and more successful school life when parents get actively involved, and that is why every school has its own Parent Council. At Knox Academy, the parent council is known as the Parent School Partnership (the PSP) and we try to liaise very closely with the school to ensure that our children receive an excellent school experience. It is our role to ensure that all parents have a say in their children's education whilst supporting the school in its work. We have been working hard to promote links between parents and staff. The PSP has worked closely with the school to develop the school website, which gives parents a comprehensive guide to what goes on at Knox Academy. Most departments within the school now provide details of their courses and learning materials on their own pages, which can be found on the website. This is of tremendous benefit to pupils and their parents and we are grateful to the teachers for this. Who is in the PSP? Currently, there are seven parent members of the council, though the constitution will allow up to twelve members. We meet at the school once a month during term times, along with three teacher members, a secretary, the Head Teacher and, generally, one or two councillors. The parent members usually meet unofficially beforehand (in a local pub) to discuss any issues that have been brought to our attention. This makes for a more focused meeting at the school. When should parents contact the PSP? Obviously, if parents have an issue that just involves their child, then they should contact the school themselves, who will be happy to talk with them. But if there is an issue that concerns a number of children, or if a parent has questions or suggestions about the school, then they can contact the PSP and we will be happy to represent them. Every parent, or carer, of a child at Knox Academy is entitled to contact us to represent their view. Sometimes, we will contact the parent body, usually by email, to ask for opinions and suggestions on some topic or other, and we are very keen to hear what parents have to say. What about the Teachers? In these changing times of Curriculum for Excellence, it is good for us to know the vision that our children's teachers have for their education. Several teachers and department heads have given presentations to the PSP this year. It has been very exciting and reassuring for us to see the enthusiasm that these teachers have and to hear their plans and ambitions for our children. We have had the opportunity to ask them questions and offer suggestions as well as offering opinions that we hope are those of the parent body in general. Details of these presentations can be found in the minutes of the PSP meetings on our website. Do you think that you have something to offer? Parents are often reluctant to be involved because they feel that they have little to contribute to their child's school, especially at secondary level. But we, as parents, are experts on our own children and know what they need. We have a variety of skills and experience that we can share, and we are often members of our local community, having links with businesses and organisations that the school may not have. We feel very strongly that the school would benefit from closer links with all parents and with the community. Any parent, or carer, who would like to consider joining the PSP is welcome to contact us. Contact Us The best way for us to keep you up-to-date with what's going on is through our feedblitz mailshots, and you can sign up for these from our website, http://edubuzz.org/blogs/knoxparents. You can also contact us with any queries, complaints or suggestions through our website at http://edubuzz.org/blogs/knoxparents/contact-us. If you would like to come along and experience the PSP for yourself, our meeting dates are posted at http://edubuzz.org/ blogs/knoxparents/dates-of-psp-meetings. We would love to hear your ideas and look forward to meeting you. T Holden, Chairman

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WO R K E X P E R I E N C E

2011

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The new fourth year pupils are already gearing up for a week of real work out in the community. Initial letters have been given out (if you havent seen it, its on the school website) giving information about placements and dates. The week were all planning towards is: November 21st 25th In the past pupils have gained full time employment from showing how committed and hardworking they are during this one week placement, whilst others have learnt the very important lesson about which career they DONT want to pursue! Pupils can find placements in 2 different ways, but both benefit from parental input and support. If pupils have a place in mind they would like to go, they need to make contact with the company to get their agreement. They then must get a letter and a form from school, which the employer must complete and return to us by September 16th. Alternatively, pupils can choose from a list of jobs on a database, which they will get access to after the holidays. There is a lot to do before pupils are allowed out on work experience and we appreciate your support. If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to contact Miss Easson at school.

H A P P Y B I RT H DAY A M N E S T Y
On Wednesday 25th May at 7.30pm the Knox Amnesty group were invited to be a part of the 50th Birthday celebrations where a host of exciting guests attended including Iain Gray MSP who cut the fabulous birthday cake. The Knox group gave a talk on the work they had been involved in during their time as members of Amnesty including campaigns, assemblies, Amnestea events and the Christmas Card Campaign. The local group were very impressed by the work done by both Knox and Campie Primary school. After the presentations and some touching readings there was an opportunity to mingle, chat and eat delicious cake. Mrs Montgomery, Liska Crofts, Beth Revuelta, Rosie Murray, Jennifer Galbraith and Catriona Galbraith

ABSENCES
It is vitally important that parents and carers keep us up to date with information about pupil absence. If we do not receive verbal notification of absence, pupils will automatically be recorded as "Truancy". If we do not receive a follow-up note/email following telephone notification, pupils will be marked as "To Be Confirmed" which is eventually counted as truancy in our system. Please remember to give the school a call or drop us an email as soon as you know that your youngster is going to be absent - this is especially important given the number of off-site activities that are arranged during school time. Thank you. S Ingham Depute Head Teacher

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Knox News

DRAMA NEWS
Happy Birthday National Theatre of Scotland To celebrate the fifth birthday of the National Theatre of Scotland the award winning company launched a worldwide project called Five Minute Theatre. They asked artists to create pieces of five minute theatre that were streamed live on their website for 24 hours. Knox Academy thought this was an amazing project to be part of and proposed five separate pieces of theatre to show and we were surprised when all five proposals were accepted, being the only school to do so. Our five Standard Grade Drama classes (two in S3 and three in S4) began full time rehearsals and blended Physical Theatre, Monologues, live piano playing, comedy and drama into their pieces. National Theatre of Scotland sent out a recording team to shoot the five pieces live which were then streamed over the world on Wednesday 22nd June. All pupils did extremely well and we were all proud of the end products and to be part of something so big and international was an incredible achievement for the pupils and staff at Knox Academy. The five productions included a play about speed dating, castaways stranded on a desert island, a site specific piece about relationships, a confessional and a cooking show. KWN Success Third year pupils at Knox Academy have spent the past seven months working on a short documentary film called It Gets Better. The film focuses on homophobic bullying in schools and gives hope to young Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender people that It Gets Better. The pupils were part of the Panasonic Kid Witness News project, a Global contest, which asks young people to create an engaging short film with Global importance. At the Panasonic awards day in Derby on May 4th 2011 the Knox Academy KWN Team were awarded the Best Global Citizenship Award. Out of the fifteen schools involved in the UK, the Knox Academy team were the only Scottish representatives. Gill Brigg, Education Director for KWN, had this to say about the Knox Academy film: 'The judging team was deeply impressed by the commitment of the Knox Academy students in bringing such a loud and proud message to the competition. Their film encapsulated the spirit of KWN through placing citizenship at the core and leading the audience through a challenging, yet optimistic, narrative. We loved the film. Well done! We will ensure that this film reaches as wide an audience as possible. Panasonic supports KWN in 679 schools across 26 countries and we will ensure that this film reaches as wide an audience as possible.' The pupils worked alongside Stonewall Scotland to help create their KWN film. Laura Ferguson, Education Officer at Stonewall was very impressed by the Knox Academy KWN Team and wanted to thank them, she said I hope this team of motivated and intelligent young people will inspire others around the world to speak out about homophobic bullying; a problem that destroys lives. I was delighted to work with such a passionate group and Im thrilled that the panel have recognised their efforts. Maura Drew, a third year pupil and member of the KWN team said Its been such a fun day; we didnt expect to get any award. Some of the final films were really good. I was just pleased that our work has been recognised. Ive learnt so much about film production from doing this. Its a great project. The team worked with professionals from Panasonic on film production, editing and camera skills. This has been an amazing opportunity for our young people and I am so proud of them. Homophobia is a serious issue in schools and I want to thank these young people for getting the message heard that It Gets Better. This is our first year in the contest and to come away with the Best Global Citizenship award is really special, Im truly honoured to work with so many inspirational people. Commented Drama Teacher, John Naples-Campbell The new Kids Witness News team will start work in September 2011. NC Acting and Theatre Performance (Musical Theatre) We are very proud to be the first school in Scotland to launch the NC Acting and Theatre Performance (Musical Theatre) course. The course looks at the genre of Musical Theatre in an indepth way with the pupils on the course specialising in Acting, Singing and Dance. With one-to-one singing tutorials as well as group singing they develop as Musical Theatre performers. The two main assessments throughout the year are the pupils solo Cabarets which was a highlight from last term and then their final shows. This year we opted for three short musicals; Lavender Girl, Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens and a short concert version of Les Miserables. The pupils fully deserved their standing ovation on the final performance, the power and passion they showed in their acting was fantastic to see.

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Leanne Adams, pupil on the Musical Theatre course and off to study Musical Theatre in Glasgow, had this to say about the course, I feel my year on the course has really helped me improved my skills in every aspect of musical theatre. My weaknesses in acting have always hindered my confidence on stage but, due to the guidance of the teachers who dedicated a lot of their personal time, I believe my abilities have been developed dramatically. The concluding performances really showcased the talent that we had on the course and highlighted how far we had all come as an ensemble rather than just individuals. Junior Drama Success The Junior Drama club, ran by Miss Whitfield, showcased their scenes to their family and friends at the end of term, supported by the Glee Club. This was a great success and gave the young people a platform to show their talents. Well done to all involved. Summer of fun! Congratulations to Sam Turvill and Donald Turvill who have secured two places at Scottish Youth Theatre for their Summer Festival. Both boys will spend the summer working with professional actors and directors, developing their skills in performance. Scottish Youth Theatre helped Billy Boyd and Alan Cumming start their careers We wish them all the best. J Naples-Campbell Drama Dept.

FA M I LY- L E D I N F O R M AT I O N P O I N T
FLIP (Family-led information point) is a group for parents and carers of children with disabilities. It offers members the chance to share experiences, knowledge and information about services and support for children with disability and their families. FLIP normally meets once a month or so to discuss what's happening. Find out more about FLIP at www.eastlothian.gov.uk/flip S Ingham Depute Head Teacber

UCAS EVENING

On Thursday 8th September Knox Academy will be hosting an evening related to applying to university. Presentations will be made by a number of agencies, including Careers Scotland, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh University and the Student Awards Agency. The evening will run from 6.30-8pm in the Assembly Hall and any pupil who is considering applying to university is advised to attend along with any of their parents. K Macdonald Guidance Dept

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Knox News

TO T S N T E E N S
As of next session there will be a playgroup using the facilities at Knox Academy. 15 tots aged between two and five years old will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings for three hours. The adult Playworkers will be assisted by some Knox Academy pupils from the new S3. We had more applications than places and some difficult choices had to be made. For those not lucky enough to get a place, there will be an opportunity to take part in some childcare and job application training.

S Ingham Depute Head Teacher

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Challenges

Throughout the session, a group of S1 pupils have been competing in STEM Challenges. The STEM Challenges are ten activities that have been inspired by the preparations for London 2012. Each one will focus on a different aspect of the preparations or the event itself. The teams meet once every week and the aim is to provide a cross-curricular approach to studying the STEM subjects, demonstrating to pupils the links between these subjects along with some of the related careers. This is the first year that Knox Academy has run a STEM Club and not only has it proven very popular but we have also been very successful, being highly commended for our teamwork and research. We have competed in two Challenges this year: the Wetsuit Challenge (where we designed a Wetsuit for Paralympic athlete Jimmy Goddard) and most recently the Cisco Website Challenge. This challenged pupils to raise the profile of Paralympian Rachel Morris by designing an interesting, informative and educational website. We had three teams enter this Challenge and present their website design to a panel of expert judges. All three teams did exceptionally well and their final designs were outstanding. Congratulations must go to Chloe Craig (1L2), Harriet Lomholt-Welch (1T1), Peter Macaldowie (1G1), Isla Macdonald (1L1) and William Syme (1G1) for qualifying as one of only eight teams to compete at the National STEM Finals in London. The finals take place on July 8th so watch this space for details of how we get on. C Blair Mathematics Dept

P O E T RY CORNER

Protect the World By Katie Holton 2G1 I look into the future and see A world of fear, pain and misery The last tree is cut, the sea is dry And filthy black smog covers the sky. The world is silent, lonely and sad As if dreaming of the life it once had Wars have been fought, but never been won In this silent land without a sun. Though warned, we humans paid no heed Thinking only of our own greed We were told the world was on its knees Yet we still poisoned our fish, still cut our trees.

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And now that everything is dead How will we humans ever be fed? We have condemned ourselves to death With starvation, murders, fights and theft. But maybe, maybe they can be saved A better future can be paved We must realise now, before its too late That we are masters of our own fate. We can save ourselves, and the world too If we can realise that what we do Affects our children, makes the planet too warm Even affects those not yet born.

Comenius Regio Project Update

In July 2010, Knox Academy together with the Scottish Seabird Centre was awarded a grant from the British Council to participate in a Comenius Regio project with a secondary school called the Gymnazium Karvina, in the Moravian Silesian Authority of the Czech Republic. During the project, participating organisations will be focusing on elements of the curriculum which support the education of pupils on environmental sustainability. To date we have: Established a weather station in the school grounds, which allows pupils to monitor environmental conditions in Haddington. This information can then be compared to the weather conditions in Karvina. Planters have been placed in the school quadrangle, these contain the plants grown from seed by pupils in S4. This activity was used to illustrate the ease with which food crops can be grown in small areas of garden or a window box. Created a suite of activities being enjoyed by S1 and S2 Science classes which focus on adaptation of species to cope with environmental factors, renewable energy and solar radiation. All the activities are intended to inform pupils of the effect their daily lives have on the environment in which they live.

In the future we hope to look at local industries past, present and future. We will create resource packs for use in class. Any parent or carer who has photographs or information regarding local industries in and around Haddington in the past, please contact Mr Jappy via the school office. Thank you. A Jappy Science Dept

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Knox News

Hvala! Thanks! Merci! Arigato gozaimasu!

Knox Academy could not provide such variety of experiences for our pupils without the generosity and assistance of others and we are fortunate to have such a vibrant and helpful local community. We are extremely grateful to those listed below for their contributions to the school this term.

Home Economics are grateful to Craig and Kirsty Hunter for their tireless efforts to help out pupils in the department. They are always very willing to help pupils and ourselves at any time. Many thanks.

Thanks to Iain Gray, MSP and the Community Police for giving their time to come in and support the Advanced Higher Modern Studies class with their dissertations. Mr Illingworth

A Huge thank you to David Neillans (parent of Claire, 2T1) for kindly driving Ms McPhee and group of 4 pupils to Oban for their Activities Week activity and for coming to pick them up to take them home again. Ms McPhee

A big thank you to all staff, senior pupils and volunteers who have helped run Knox Academy's extra-curricular sports programme: Mr Clelland & Mike Mitchell - Badminton Tam Munro - Basketball Hamish Colgan - Boxing Miss Morson - Cheerleading Miss Waters - Fit for Girls/Pilates Mr Williamson, Mr Flood, Mr MacFarlane & Mr Blair - Football Miss Ward - Hockey Sally Harris & Stevie Boyle - Outdoor Education Scott Marnoch - Rugby Miss Jeffrey and City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club - Trampolining Miss Montgomery/Dr Wilson - Yoga Mr Lambert

The Business Education Department would like to thank the following people who judged the Enterprise Event during S1 activities week: Alan Blackie, Head of East Lothian Council Jan Wilson, Haddington Business Association Joe Forte, Joe Forte Sports Janis Craig, Head Teacher

Your comments and time were greatly appreciated by staff and pupils. We would also like to thank Marjorie Shepherd, ELC Development Officer for Food and Health for providing posters and the fresh fruit which was distributed by the Knox pupils during the Haddington Festival float parade.

THANKS

CTND

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Thanks to The City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club for providing coaching for both primary and secondary Active Schools trampolining sessions at Knox. In addition the regular free coaching time and expertise for transition days and P7 visits have been greatly appreciated. Ms Jeffrey RMPS would like to show their appreciation to the following: To SCIAF, Animal Aid and Beneath the Veil for coming into deliver lessons for all pupils in the RMPS department. Also to the parents of pupils going to Nicaragua and Honduras (Team Tortuga) who have organised some great fundraising events so far. Dougie Hudson has run 4 African drumming and dance workshops with S1 pupils this year. Many thanks for your time and expertise. Ms Orr On behalf on the Knox Academy STEM Club I would like to thank: Sandra Lowson, Director, Global Web Limited, and Nicole Farquharson, Web and Graphic Designer for helping us design and learn about the process of building and maintaining a website. They have helped massively in us reaching the National STEM Challenge Final in London. Mr Blair Thanks to the following for assisting with the ACE Fridays Fraser Wood (Mid and East Lothian Drugs Advice) Tommy Blue and Charmian Currie (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) Lynn Black (Lothian and Borders Police) Dave Clark (Taekwon-Do Instructor) Destination Judo

Also thanks to the following in-school staff: Tracey McConnechie and the Food Court Team, School Janitors, Mrs Craig, Mr Greenaway, Mrs McInnes, Mrs Montgomery, Mr Naples Campbell, Ms Brown, Mr Halliday, Ms Ward, Ms Jeffrey, Ms Duff, Mr Illingworth, Mrs Slowther. Dr Wilson

The Knox Academy F1 in Schools Challenge team recently participated in the Scottish final and won Best Rookie Team award and Best Sponsorship and Marketing award. The support of our sponsors made our participation possible, so many, many thanks to: RX:Comms Had-Fab Ltd LeisureTime Sports The F1 Team: Katie Scott, Lev Crofts, Peter Gilmour and Owen McHugh. Assisted by Mrs Ferguson, Ms Morson and Mrs Leggatt.

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Knox News

AC T I V I T I E S W E E K 2 0 1 1
O C E A N YO U T H T RU S T S C O T L A N D
On Monday 6th June four Knox Academy pupils accompanied by Miss McPhee arrived on the North Pier in Oban. After a short ferry trip across to the island of Kerrera we boarded our home for the week; Alba Explorer, one of Ocean Youth Trust Scotlands fleet of 70ft round the world racing yachts. We were joined on the trip by some pupils from Eyemouth High School and both sets of pupils quickly bonded becoming great crew mates. On Monday evening we were given a tour of the boat and all our safety briefings before being given time to explore the island of Kerrera. We departed Kerrera on the Tuesday and had a lovely downwind sail to Balamory or (Tobermoray) where the pupils again had a chance to explore. Next day we experienced one of the best sailing days Scotland can offer as we headed to the island of Canna rounding Ardnamurchan Point on the way. As we past Ardnamurchan we saw a minkie whale which seemed to enjoy our attention as it played in our wake following us for a while. After dinner we were given time to explore the tiny island before setting off on a lovely evening sail to an anchorage on the island of Rum where we were anchored beside Ocean Spirit of Moray the sail training vessel owned by Gourdonston School. The following day we survived a sail through the strong tides of Kyle Rhea and anchored in a bay on Skye. A very picturesque and tranquil bay until 12 pupils were asked to row around in the dingy as part of a qualification they were aiming to achieve. Next day we motored across the short distance to Kyle of Lochalsh where pupils were given the chance to have showers and explore. After some refreshing ice cream in Kyle of Lochalsh we set sail heading back down towards the Sound of Mull. We picked up a mooring buoy in Tobermoray at 0200 on Saturday morning. The pupils really enjoyed working in watches and experiencing a long passage. The sunset that evening over Rum was particularly stunning. The next morning we set off in very light winds towards Kerrera. On the way we saw a Tall Ship belonging to the Jubilee Sailing Trust. All the crew were asked to go on deck and a Mexican wave followed. On Saturday evening we all played various games. Highlights included the chocolate mousse game and special mention must be made of Connors efforts during the game of Honey I Love You. On Sunday it was time to leave the boat and say farewell to all the friends we had made. But first we had to clean and tidy the boat to make sure it sparkling and ready to be handed over to the next crew. Before we left certificates were handed out to everyone who had taken part in the voyage. Not only did all four Knox pupils gain the OYTS certificate but they also all gained their RYA Competent Crew certificates, a huge achievement for all. This qualification is the second rung on the ladder to becoming a skipper. Well done to all pupils involved, they were a credit to themselves and to Knox Academy. S McPhee History Dept

N O RT H E R N A DV E N T U R E

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On Sunday 5th June 12 pupils, Mr Jappy and Ms Rainger departed Knox Academy for the Shetland Islands. We travelled to Aberdeen to catch the Northlink Ferry overnight service for Lerwick. Staff and pupils were delighted to see the midnight sunshine with sunset at 11.30 pm and sunrise around 1am. Over the course of the week, pupils experienced some of the attractions the Shetland island has to offer ranging from traditional industries, important historical sites to the most northerly point in the United Kingdom. Whilst in Shetland the group stayed at the Voxter Outdoor Centre and enjoyed the comfortable surroundings and extensive outdoor space. A good time had by all. Hopefully we shall return again next year. A Jappy Science Dept

J E W E L L E RY M A K I N G
Mrs Moore worked with Emma Totney and Holly Merritt all week on making jewellery. Each day the girls developed a new skill. These included: Acid etching on aluminium to make dramatic cuff bangles. Roll printing to create animal brooches and pendants, Texturing and silver soldering to produce beautiful rings. Cold enamelling on both silver and aluminium making a series of earrings, pendants and rings Dry felting, making a spectacular penguin parade and a variety of other adorable creatures. The group also had a trip to the Beadshop Haddington, where they purchased some beautiful beads and created a whole series of beaded jewellery to their own designs. Then Holly and Emma worked in the technology workshop with a wide variety of specialist jewellery tools and equipment which Mrs Moore brought in. They had lots of fun as well as working hard and produced some very professional looking pieces of jewellery. S Moore Technologies Dept

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Knox News

O N Y E R B I K E K N OX C YC L E TO U R
DAY 1: On Monday 6th June we left Knox Academy at 10:28am, we cycled south out of Haddington towards Bolton where we stopped to look at the Robert Burns Memorial. After that we turned west towards Begbie, and then went further on to Middlemains and then Nisbet where we stopped by the river for lunch. Then we continued North through Hodges farm and Butterdean wood. Then we turned on to the A199 and cycled along the cycle path to the railway walk route back to Haddington. DAY 2: On Tuesday we went north out of Haddington and back down the Railway walk to Longniddry. We then continued north to the coast and followed it down to Aberlady. We stopped at Aberlady Bay and turned back the way we had come, taking a slightly different route back to Longniddry and back down the cycle track into Haddington. DAY 3: On Wednesday we went along the Tyne and then turned South to go around Lennoxlove and through Colstoun and then continued cycling South to Gifford. We stopped for lunch at Gifford in the football field. On the way back we took a detour through a field down to a treehouse. After that we continued along off-road tracks until we reached the road and cycled North towards Begbie, then Westfield and Clerkington Mains and then back to Haddington. Day 4: On Thursday we went on our longest trip so far, we went east along side the River Tyne most of the way until we reached Hailes castle, where we stopped to have a look around at the ruins. We then went on past East Linton then we continued down alongside the A199 to East Links Family Park where we went to look for the surfers. We didnt have time to talk to them so we went and had lunch at the barbeque site by the beach. We turned back after that and went back into East Linton and then back down following the roads to and then back onto the A199 into Haddington. CONCLUSION Over the four days we cycled over 70 miles through some of the most interesting places in East Lothian that a few of us didnt even know existed. We have all become stronger cyclists and have had great fun along the way. Im sure we are all glad to be the first to experience the Knox Academy Cycle Tour. Thanks to everyone who helped out. J Easson Guidance Dept

TRAMPOLINING

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Eight pupils participated in the trampolining package this year. Coaches from City Of Edinburgh Trampoline Club along with support from Miss Jeffrey (Geography Department), ran this exciting week that consisted of 3 days at Knox Academy and one day at Meadowmill Sports centre using world class full-size trampolines. Participants worked their way through novice, intermediate and some even made it onto elite level skills. The group played games on the trampoline, tried the daily challenge, video recorded and analysed their own performances, took part in some strength and conditioning exercises and created their own routines. A great time was had by all. After perfecting their routines, a mini-competition was held on the last day, with certificates and medals issued to the top 3 placings in each group. Well done to all involved. For information on trampolining Summer Programmes in your area, contact: secretary@cityofedinburghtrampolineclub.co.uk L Jeffrey Geography Dept

C R E AT I V E C O O K E RY
What shall we do? We asked ourselves. We wanted to make savoury dishes, desserts and to create and decorate a celebration cake. Monday morning and it all started with a buzz, weighing and measuring, reading recipes, washing dishes, and this is how it went all week! Raspberry Chocolate Tortes, an examination recipe for Intermediate 2, was the starting point for Miss Hossack. A challenging recipe to start the week but it did look very impressive once completed. Another huge challenge was making Choux Pastry to make Chocolate clairs. It did take some of us a few attempts to make the paste. It didnt go exactly to plan - It was third time lucky for some of us. Loaves of bread, pizza, stuffed chicken breasts were all delicious and very popular when we took them home. For something completely different we visited our local restaurant, The Avenue at The Victoria Inn. Craig and Kirsty Hunter were so kind and helpful introducing us to life in a busy restaurant: Making Angel Hair, which is spun sugar, was very messy but really fun. While some of us were cooking, the rest were preparing front of house for the clients about to visit the restaurant. This involved preparing the dining room, polishing tables, glasses, napkin folding and learning how to make the different styles of coffee. After all the work we sat down to enjoy our efforts. Clean plates all round. Many thanks must go to Craig and Kirsty for giving their time and making it all a great experience. The next task to tackle was the celebration cake. We first learnt some techniques and in the process made a picture plaque and pot of roses. Creations, ideas, shapes, colourings all started to take off and eventually we all achieved a superb decorated cake to take home. Added extras were home made ice cream, pop cakes, (cakes as lollipops, latest American craze), smoothies too..we certainly were creative for the week! Kirsty Wallace, Shannon Wilson, Chloe Wilson, Christine Elder, Jade McKinney, Rachel Young.

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Knox News

MORE

P H O TO G R A P H S

K N OX AC A D E M Y S U P P O RT G RO U P
Knox Academy Support Group had had a busy year and has managed to fund the following: Weight Plate Set, Olympic Bar and Weights Storage Stand, Folding Weights Bench System, Spring Collars Medical Room - Lightweight folding wheelchair Home Economics - Kenwood Chef Food Mixer, Hostess Hot Tray Drama - Panasonic Camcorder 6 costume rail PE Department Senior Boys Football Strips Knox Academy Trampoline Club - Repair of bed and re-stitching Funding for Ceilidh Band for 6th Year Leavers Dance

The total value of the bids was approximately 2,000 Our latest venture was The Duck Derby and Teas in the Park held during Haddington Festival Week. The Duck winners were: 1st 50 Tom Guy : 2nd 25 Gregor Booth: 3rd 15 Louise McLelland Congratulations to all three. Dates for the Diary - Christmas Dance Thursday 8th December 2011 Burns Supper Wednesday 25th January 2012 Thank you to all who supported the group over the last year. We are always looking for new members and new ideas so look out on the web site for dates and come and join us at one of our friendly meetings. M Ball

S P O RT I N G S U C C E S S

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On Sunday 10th April 2011, 10 Knox Academy pupils took part in the Annual City Of Edinburgh Trampoline Club Schools Championships. The event took place at Lasswade High School Centre and was this year, in partnership with Midlothian Council. A great day was had by all who attended the event, with many spectators giving up a sunny Sunday, to come along and support all the youngsters. The inclusive competition attracted a total of 112 competitors on the day, from ages 4 to 21. They represented 56 different nurseries, primary & secondary schools, universities & colleges in Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian & the Borders. Medals were awarded to those achieving 1st, 2nd & 3rd places in each category, and every participant was presented with a personalised certificate to recognise their placing/achievement. Midlothian Depute Provost, Margot Russell, CETC Chair, David Stevenson & Secretary of Scottish Gymnastics Trampoline Technical Panel, Lynn Simpson, presented the medals and the trophies to the winning schools. Suzanne Laing, representing East Lothian Active Schools, presented the certificates. The Knox Academy participants attained 1 gold medal (Callum McQuade in the Novice Secondary Junior Boys), 1 bronze medal (Lloyd Connell in the Elite Secondary Junior Boys) for the school and a team total of 19 points secured the 3rd place Overall Champion School trophy for Knox. Knox Academy Results: Beth McCafferfty - Novice Secondary Junior Girls- 4th Place Ellie Thomson- Novice Secondary Junior Girls- 5th Place Anna Heawood- Novice Secondary Junior Girls- 6th Place Rowan Bland- Novice Secondary Junior Girls- 8th Place Callum McQuade- Novice Secondary Junior Boys- 1st Place Charlie Riddell- Intermediate Secondary Junior Girls- 4th Place Kaelyn Pritchard -Intermediate Secondary Junior Girls- 5th Place Sally Birrell -Intermediate Secondary Junior Girls- 6th Place Heather McFarlane -Intermediate Secondary Junior Girls- 7th Place Lloyd Connell -Elite Secondary Junior Boys- 3rd Place L Jeffrey Geography Dept

H A D D I N G TO N F E S T I VA L F LOAT
Knox Academy participated in the Haddington Festival Float/Parade on Saturday 4 June 2011. The theme was Knox Academy Getting Fit for Life and included a range of pupils from S1,S2 and S3. Our original plan to be led by Mr McFarlanes car was disallowed for safety reasons; it gathered much attention as it sat parked in Whittinghame Drive covered in balloons. The consolation was the award for the Best Car in the Parade Rosette, which Mr McFarlane has proudly displayed in the staff base. The pupils showed their creativity when preparing giant cardboard fruit and vegetables as well as a banner to lead the parade. They looked very effective and colourful on the day. Ms Morson and her cheerleading team were well prepared with some choruses about the wonders of Knox Academy; their enthusiasm and screaming never faltered throughout the parade. Fitness was represented by pupils highlighting the range of sporting activities in the school. We had some proud hockey, rugby, basketball and football players in their team strips desperately trying not to lose their equipment as the parade went on. Following at the rear, pupils enthusiastically displayed a range of giant fruit and vegetables including pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, carrot, grapes and broccoli. Largest of all were the inflatable bananas which were taller than those carrying them! As we made our way around Haddington we had two very friendly pupils dressed as chefs who offered free fruit to the spectators along the route. This was very well received judging by the empty fruit boxes at the end of the day. Overall the parade was a great success and enjoyed by the staff and pupils involved. Technology Faculty

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Knox News

AWA R D S C E R E M O N Y
S1 Merit Certificates
Ruairidh Bruce Chloe Craig Iona Freckleton Jack Gidney Alexa Hay Sophie Hay Ben James Scott Erin Scott Charlotte Smith Rebecca Swinton William Syme 1G3 1L2 1G2 1L3 1L1 1G3 1T1 1L2 1T2 1G1 1G1 Rachel Barr Rebecca Cole Mark Findlay Peter Gilmour Katie Green Eilidh McClure Owen McHugh Claire Neillans Angus Riddell Naomi Rogers Katie Scott Perry Stewart Rhona Taylor Ellie Thomson Caitlin Wright

S2 Merit Certificates
2G3 2G2 2G3 2G1 2G3 2G1 2G1 2T1 2G2 2L2 2L3 2T3 2L3 2T1 2T1

S3 Subject Prizes
Katie Archibald 3T3 Callum Baptie 3L2 Amie Cowan 3T3 Abbey Ellis 3G1 Troy Flood 3T2 Danielle Forsyth 3G3 Rachel Fulton 3G2 Ailsa Macaldowie 3L1 Max McAlpine 3G1 Lucie ODonnell 3T1 Adam Richmond 3T3 Gemma Sandie 3G3 Struan Stewart 3T1 Holly Taylor 3T2 Lee Trotter 3T2 Kirsty Wallace 3G1 The Kirby Prize for Mathematics The Isobel Inglis Prize for Physics Classical Studies The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography Drama Latin RME Business Management Home Economics Art & Design English Craft & Design Administration Computing French Modern Studies Physical Education History The Isobel Inglis Prize for Chemistry Music

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S4 Subject Prizes
Charlotte Algeo 4T1 Business Management French McGregor Prize for Biology McGregor Prize for Chemistry Drama Classical Studies Latin Craft & Design Art & Design English Computing Music Graphic Communications The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography McGregor Prize for Physics The Kirby Prize for Mathematics Physical Education History Administration Modern Studies Religious Studies

Louise Boyd 4G2 Cora Coull 4L3 Liska Crofts 4T2 Sam Donaldson 4G1 Lauren Fairgrieve 4T1 Louis Harrodine 4G1 Ailish Kelly 4L1 Euan King 4L2 Erin Lowe 4G1 Calum Lyell 4L2 Rosie Murray 4T2 Ben Nisbet 4G1 Beth Revuelta 4T3

S5/6 Subject Prizes

Hannah Baxter 5G2 Conor Bowles 5G1 Gillian Dodson 5G1 Daniel Hogarth 6L1 David Edgar 5G2 Michael Lemmon 5G1 Shaun Lund 6L1 Laura Lynas 5L2 Evie McGregor 5L1 Anna McKay 6T2 Scott McLaughlin 5G2 Gayle Middleton 5G1 Katie Morris 5L2 Sarah Muir 5L1 Emma Murray 5T1 Douglas Pate 5T2 Megan Rogers 5L1 Erin Stewart 5G1 Katie Watson 5G1 Rachael Weir 6T2 The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography Business Management Music Physical Education Graphic Communications Computing Home Economics RMPS English History Classical Studies Physical Education Home Economics Modern Studies French Latin Mathematics McGregor Prize for Chemistry McGregor Prize for Biology McGregor prize for Physics Drama Art and Design Administration

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Knox News

Fraser and Isobel Spowage Prizes for Outstanding Work at Advanced Higher
Holly Betts 6T2 Fiona Cleat 6L2 Johann Cow 6T2 Jamie Hardie 6G1 Campbell Hastings 6G1 Aileen McKnight 6L1 Gregor McMillan 6L2 Rosie Noon 6T1 David Ryan 6T1 Chemistry Biology Geography English Business Management Modern Studies Drama RMPS French History Art & Design Mathematics Music Physics Kaitlyn Walker-Stewart Art & Design Gillis Prize for Painting

Honours
Personal Achievement Best Gymnast and Games Player Flora Muirhead 6L2 Campbell Hastings 6G1 Hannah Laing 5G1 Megan Richardson 5G1 Michael McFarlane 6T2 Holly Taylor 3T2 Daniel Hogarth 6L1 Gregor McMillan 6L2 Rachel Barr 2G3 Owen McHugh 2G1 Jacob Orchard 2L3 Campbell Hastings 6G1 Conor Bowles 5G1

Kerry Jaworski Trophy for Hockey Young Coach of the Year Alice Burnett Twinning Scholarship S2 Aubigny Twinning Prize Michael Godek Prize for Guitar Enterprise Award Angela Woodward Prize for Excellence in Business Studies F1 Challenge Kids Witness News UK Contest 2010/11 Prizewinners

Lev Crofts 2T2, Katie Scott 2L3, Peter Gilmour 2G1, Amie Cowan 3T3, Maura Drew 3T1, Rory Stewart 3L1, Shannon Wilson 3L2, Yve Barry 3L1, Gemma Sandie

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Service To The School Fiona Cleat Catriona Galbraith Jennifer Galbraith Andrew Gilmour Ailie Henderson Christina Laing Shaun Lund Megan McCafferty Jack Ramage Robyn Szymoszowskyj Iain trotter 6L2 6G2 6G2 6G2 6G2 6T2 6L1 6L1 6L1 6T1 6G2

Dux Megan Rogers 5L1

Daniel and Emma receiving their runner-up awards at the AntiBullying East Lothian Quaich Award Ceremony. Whilst neither of them won the ABEL Quaich their significant contribution to Knox Academy and East Lothian was recognised.

Kerr Macfarlane Prize Emma Campbell 6T2

Alasdair Barden Medal Daniel Hogarth 6L1

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Monday 15th August 2011 Tuesday 16th August 2011 Wednesday 17th August 2011 Monday 22nd August 2011 Monday 29th August 2011 Tuesday 30th August 2011 Monday 5th September 2011 Wednesday 7th September 2011 Monday 19th September 2011 Tuesday 20th September 2011 Thursday 22nd September 2011 Friday 23rd September 2011 Thursday 29th September 2011 Friday 30th September 2011 Monday 3rd October 2011 Wednesday 5th October 2011 Tuesday 11th October 2011 Friday 14th October 2011 Monday 17th October 2011 Monday 24th October 2011 Tuesday 25th October 2011 Wednesday 26th October 2011

In-Service Day In-Service Day Pupils Resume Eco-Week begins S1 & S6 Photos S5/6 Higher Education Convention Edinburgh University Open Day Parent School Partnership (6.15pm) School Closed All Resume S1 Settling-in Evening (6.30pm) Staff-S6 Weekend S2 Girls HPV injections Library Book Fair Library Book Fair Library Book Fair Parent School Partnership (6.15pm) P7 Parents Evening (6.00pm) All Break (12.05pm) October Week Holiday In-Service Day Pupils Resume S3 Dip-Tet Innoculations S4 Parents Consultation Evening (5-7.00pm)

Knox Academy Pencaitland Road Haddington East Lothian EH41 4DT 01620 823387 knoxacademy@knox.elcschool.org.uk www.ka-net.org.uk