BELLAHOUSTON ACADEMY

1. BELLAHOUSTON ACADEMY Parent/Carer Newsletter June 2014 Our Careers Advisor, Alison Phillips is in school throughout the holidays. Please email her in advance if you would like an appointment through the holidays. Alison.phillips@sds.co.uk Alison can help with applications, college information, careers advice, interview preparations etc. Remember to also access http://www.myworldofwork.co.uk Thumbs up from the Heedie… There’s certainly plenty of news to report this month as we moved towards the end of term. The SQA exams ran very smoothly, the Chief Invigilator commenting upon the exemplary behaviour and attitude of all pupils. Successful trips returned from Paris, the Belgian battlefields of World War One and Iona, the latter now in its 26th year. Our New Intake pupils enjoyed a full day in school at the end of May, as did current P6 pupils. At the start of June, we began our new timetable and all of the complicated arrangements came together very effectively. Our day-long Sports and Health Day took place in glorious sunshine on the 18th of June, with the whole school coming together for a day of activities. Finally, our new Captaincy Team of Zahrah Khan and Sean Neil as Girls’ and Boys’ Captains, with Rebecca McIlroy and Ami Sheridan, as Vice-Captains and Nathan Kevan as Lead Prefect was appointed and I have high expectations of them. SCHOOL RETURNS AT 8.50 a.m. ON WEDNESDAY 13TH AUGUST I hope that all parents and carers have a relaxing summer holiday. A number of Bellahouston pupils took part in the Respectme Anti-Bullying focus group meeting this week. Pupils were asked about a number of scenarios and highlighted the excellent work the ABC committee have been doing this year to tackle bullying related issues in Bella. Well done to: Craig Stewart  2H Sukhmani Kaur  2H Chivonne Davidson  2E Rokas Venskus 2E Megan Pennie 3A Louise Bain 3H Taylor McVicor 4D Sueryia Aziz 4D Zoya Khan 4H Rebecca McIlroy 6H Nathan Kevan 6D “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world” – Margaret Mead www.respectme.org.uk

2. Seniors complete Brookfield Project A group of our senior pupils took part in the Brookfield Project that was set up by Brookfield Multiplex. Brookfield are responsible for the design and construction of the New South Glasgow Hospital. Our pupils were given the task of comparing Brookfield Multiplex, who managed to save £20 million in building the new Southern General Hospital, with other construction companies across the globe. The group carried out their research and worked closely with different members of staff within Brookfield Multiplex and then presented their findings to a panel of judges at Pollok Country House. They were fortunate enough to visit the site of the New Hospital before its grand opening in 2015 and have learned lots about the projects. The group gave an excellent presentation and represented the school exceptionally well. We are very proud of each of them for taking advantage of this opportunity and giving it their best. Pictured with one of the judges Gordon Strachan are Abdul Rafiq, Victoria Cruickshank, Sheroz Mahmood, Khalil Khan, Fatima Aftab, Zubda Asif and Gbemisola Adesanya pictured with judge, Gordon Strachan.

3. On Thursday 27th March pupils in the S4 Media class were among 30,000 across the UK who took part in the BBC News School Report day. The Commonwealth Games, exam stress and the school prom were just some of the stories they tackled as part of their TV news round up. Some of the pupils also worked with the BBC L.A.B. project to create a sports bulletin about the Glasgow School of Sport which is available online and also featured on the BBC News School Report TV channel on the day itself. In addition to this, some of the pupils worked with L.A.B. Scotland to make an audio slideshow about the Commonwealth Games venues while others interviewed organisers of the Commonwealth Games. Well done to all the pupils in the S4 Media class! For more information check out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/24459723 Media Madness in the Literacy & Communication Faculty! This summer Bellahouston Academy pupils Saffron Dickson, Shawnie Wright, Gary Hannah and Morgan McKinnon will be taking part in Glasgow Life’s Future News project. Following their participation in a conference at the Mitchell Library in April students are being prepared to help take on a number of reporting opportunities, many of which will focus on this year’s Commonwealth Games. Glasgow Life’s Gary Condie has provided many fantastic opportunities for our young people which they have been keen to take up. The Radio Clyde Determined to Report project gave Morgan McKinnon, Rahma Mohammed, Liam Dixon, Shannon Moore and Shawnie Wright the chance to work with journalists, presenters and producers. The feedback we received suggested that they had greatly impressed all those they had encountered. Miss Douglas’ class’ efforts on this year’s BBC School Report can be seen on our school website’s News and Events section. We hope Bellahouston Academy pupils are as keen in this coming year to grab these opportunities when they become available. With so many Media production companies in our local area this is a great way of gaining experience that will help with future job applications. https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=11157 for more details.

4. Faculty of Health & Wellbeing Sports Leaders have been busy this year with weekly placements at our local Primary schools. The group worked hard all year learning how to deliver PE lessons to the various year groups they were working with and had a great experience. In June, the Primary 6 and 7 pupils then visited Bellahouston Academy for their transition visits. In the afternoon, they had a chance to put their training to the test in the Commonwealth Challenge. Well done to our winners pictured with their new year group Head, Mr Keatings, and their Pastoral Care teacher Ms Anderson. Many thanks to all who were involved in making this a success!. “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”– Ralph Waldo Emerson It has been a jam packed year for the S3 Duke of Edinburgh class filled with new skills to learn and tough challenges to overcome. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is not fornthe faint hearted. As well as fundraising and beginning their physical and volunteering sections the class have spent their year learning about campcraft, firstaid and survival skills. All of these things meant that the pupils were finally ready for the daunting challenge of their practice expedition just a few weeks ago. The pupils successfully overcame a tough hike in the forests and hills near Aberfoyle. They completed their overnight camp nd awoke to another hike n the second day while all the time carrying a rucksack nearly the same size as themselves. Through wind and rain they powered on keeping a positive attitude from beginning to end. An amazing end to a successful year for the S3 Bronze DofE class. Well done to all! Duke of Edinburgh

5. At the beginning of the year, the PE department restructured the PE course in an attempt to make a bigger impact on the Health and Fitness of all the pupils in the school. BellaFIT • In the new structure, each pupil still received 3 periods of PE a week but the focus of the lessons varied – one period would focus on fitness for the entire year and the other two would be activity based. Pupils have tried new fitness activities such • as “FitHooping” and Metafit style interval training and gave them a big • Every pupil carried out fitness testing at the beginning of the year. The aspects of fitness tested were: • Cardio Respiratory Endurance • Agility • Strength • Power • Muscular Endurance • Flexibility • Having just carried out our end of year fitness testing we can report that the majority of pupils in the school have improved in at least four aspects of fitness with some making significant improvements. • Well done to all the pupils who worked hard throughout the year! Cake, Bake & Decorate! Mrs McErlean has helped pupils develop their skills in cake decorating this year. Pupils put their creative hats on at the after school club and worked over 6 weeks to create a range of cake designs from handbags to animals, to pieces of fruit. This club has been a great success. Pupils have had so much fun designing the cakes that the Faculty of HWB are now looking at the possibility of teaching Cake Decorating in the curriculum… Keep your eyes peeled for more info!

6. Faculty of Modern Languages Paris 2014 In April, 24 S3-S6 pupils and 4 members of staff spent 4 days in Paris. During the trip the pupils took part in many different educational and cultural activities. On the first day they visited a school in the 8th district of Paris and had the opportunity to speak to students of their own age in French as well as attend a class given in French. Despite the pupils being initially a little nervous about meeting the French students, everyone got involved and really enjoyed the whole experience. Many friendships were made and many of the pupils are still in contact with the French students. The pupils and staff also visited the Sacré Cœur and Montmartre and despite the climb up to the top everyone agreed that the view was worthwhile. On the 2nd day Gillian Edgar, a former pupil of Bellahouston Academy, who is living and working in France, joined us all for the day. The pupils and staff visited a chocolate museum and factory, where they watched a demonstration in French about how different types of chocolate are made and were given samples of the chocolates to try. They then visited Notre Dame and went to the Latin Quarter. Many of the pupils also bought love padlocks to put on the bridge and threw their keys into Seine, in the hope of finding eternal love. Our route then took us from the Louvre, through the Jardin des Tuilières and along to Place de la Concorde. After dinner, the staff had booked a bowling night for the pupils in the 11th district of Paris. Again everyone joined in and a great night was had by all. Au revoir

7. Faculty of Modern Languages On the final day the pupils and staff enjoyed a river boat cruise on the Seine. The weather was beautiful and everyone had the opportunity to take many photos of the famous sights in Paris. After the boat trip the pupils visited the Eiffel Tower and many decided to go to the top from which they had a magnificent view of the whole city. The pupils and staff then walked from there to the Arc de Triomphe and then down the Champs Elysées where they were able to buy presents for family and friends. In the evening the staff put on a wee “soirée” with a power point presentation of some of the photos which had been taken during the trip and each pupil was presented with a souvenir to remind them of their time in Paris. Harry Speake was given a special mention for his expert navigating skills and helping the staff to get everyone around Paris by metro. All the pupils were “fantastique”, full of enthusiasm and fun. They all embraced the culture with open arms and many used their French in the shops, cafes and at the school. The trip was a great success mainly because of the impeccable behaviour and mature attitude from all 24 pupils. The teachers too had a fantastic time and will certainly continue with annual trips abroad. Merci à tous et vivement notre prochain voyage scolaire. Au revoir

8. CREDIT UNION Bella’s Credit Union is now up and running and it encourages all our young people to be Future Savers. The Next Collection Date is Friday 15th August. Pupils can still join by collecting a form from Ms McLaughlin in room Bus Ed 1. THUMBS UP FOR THE BREAKFAST CLUB Our ICT Breakfast Club has been running for just over 2 years and provides the opportunity for pupils to access computers every morning to complete homework, print off assignments, read the newspapers online and have the time to socialise with friends. Pupils are also provided with a Healthy Breakfast in order to help them get a good start to the day, and aid concentration in class. The club has been supervised by Technologies/ Mathematics/Science staff. Senior Prefects have had a great part to play in the organisation too. DEVELOPING COMPUTATIONAL THINKING SKILLS IN BELLAHOUSTON ACADEMY PUPILS RETIRAL IN BUSINESS EDUCATION Mrs Mackenzie from Business Education is leaving Bellahouston Academy’s Technologies Faculty at the summer holidays. I am sure all pupils, staff and parents will appreciate the many years of service that she has given to the Bellahouston Academy community, and the hard work and effort that Mrs Mackenzie has put in over the years. We wish her a very happy retirement! Bellahouston Academy has been awarded the Prestigious Title of Lead School of Computing Science in a nationwide initiative called Plan C. With the government placing increasing emphasis on Scotland’s Digital Future, Plan C has been put in place to encourage our young people to become Digital Creators. Please look out for the certificate awarded to the school to mark this achievement, on display at Bellahouston Academy’s Reception area.

9. Really SmallScience Project Jewellery A small reminder to advise parents/carers that the summer break is the ideal time for pupils to have personal jewellery piercings. This break can allow wounds to heal which then allows the jewellery to be removed for activities such as physical education or play.  http://www.goglasgow.org.uk/content/UserGenerated/file/GO%20Health%20Safety/PE_Safety_File_LR-2013.pdf> 'Personal effects (e.g. jewellery, body piercings, items of religious significance, watches, hair slides and belts constitute a hazard and may cause injury if worn whist participating in Physical Education and must be removed.' 10 of our S4 pupils recently took part in the ‘Really Small Science’ Project with students from Strathclyde University. Strathclyde and Bellahouston have been working together through the MUSE project and this was another opportunity for our pupils to work on school-university projects. http://www.strath.ac.uk/publicengagement/muse/ If you would like to find out more. Thank you for your support!

10. Commonwealth Games Spotlight As a school we are very proud and lucky indeed to have Ms Logan in our PE department and as part of our Pastoral Care team. Ms Logan has been involved in sport for many years and is one of the main voices in the world for Netball development. She has played and umpired at the highest levels and is now involved in the training of world class coaches and umpires. Ms Logan is taking part in this year’s Commonwealth Games, but what is it she’s actually doing? “As part of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, I will be working as a member of the International Umpire Appointments Panel for netball. This involves me selecting umpires for all international matches throughout the tournament. I’ll watch their performances every day, score, rank and allocate them future games, based on their skills. I will be working with another 2 panellists, one from Jamaica and the other from New Zealand, all the way through the tournament. To prepare for the Games, I will go down to Newcastle for a 5 day camp, pre-Commonwealth Games. We will prepare the umpires on how to deal with pressures of umpiring at this elite level, the psychology of umpiring, the mental and physical fitness expectations and rules interpretation. All umpires will have to complete fitness-testing throughout their time in the camp.” What does this tremendous opportunity mean to you? “As a former international umpire, it’s a great opportunity for me to stay involved as I understand the pressures of umpiring at this level, it’s a great privilege to be asked to do this. I will be coaching umpires from Australia, Jamaica, South Africa, Trinidad and all around the world, which is really interesting. The buzz will be absolutely electrifying and the support too.” Are you involved in any other sporting events within the Games? “Due to my involvement, (umpired in 4 world tournaments, 2 commonwealth games, coaching, tutoring and developing umpiring in Scotland and Europe), I was nominated to be a baton bearer, and I’m delighted to say I will be carrying the baton on Tuesday 22nd July at Bellahouston Park at 12:40. It’s a great award for all of the volunteering I’ve done in the past. I’ve already got my uniform. I’m really looking forward to seeing Scotland playing. It will be my third Commonwealth Games attendance. I’m also looking forward to seeing other events being played, I know a couple of our former pupils (Michael Jamieson and Kirsty Gilmour) will be competing in the Games.” By Cole Stewart S4

11. Record Number of Glasgow School of Sport Pupils to Represent Team Scotland Glasgow School of Sport at Bellahouston Academy has announced its largest ever representation for Team Scotland at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Eight women and four men will represent the host nation in badminton, gymnastics, hockey, swimming and triathlon. Returning competitors, including swimmer Michael Jamieson, badminton player Kirsty Gilmour, gymnast Amy Regan and hockey players Kenny Bain, Amy Gibson and William Marshall will be aiming for further commonwealth success. While Gymnasts Cara Kennedy and Carly Smith, badminton players Caitlin Pringle and Rebekka Findlay, triathlete David McNamee and hockey player Susan McGilveray are all making their Commonwealth Games debut. This is the largest and strongest representation from Glasgow School of Sport and the school is very proud of its pupils. Angela Porter, Director of Glasgow School of Sport, said: “We’re delighted to have played a part in the journey of these twelve young people to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. “They have worked tirelessly to achieve their success. All are committed and determined to make Scotland proud. I am thrilled for them." Ian Anderson, Head Teacher at Glasgow School of Sport, said: “Their selection is a tribute to not only the athletes themselves but to the coaches and staff at the Glasgow School of Sport and Bellahouston Academy.” Leading achievements of graduates include Michael Jamieson Olympic and Commonwealth silver medalist, Kirsty Gilmour the No.1 British Women’s Singles player ranked 18th in the world, hockey players William Marshall with over 100 caps for his country and prolific goal scorer Kenny Bain. Gymnasts Cara Kennedy and Carly Smith are in their final year at school and faced the challenges of competing with each other for a place in the team. Gymnast Cara Kennedy, said: “Thankfully, we’ve both been selected. It’s been tough but the School of Sport has supported us well. I’ve been able to balance my school-work with all the extra training and preparation. The School of Sport coach, Sandra Walsh, has been with us every step of the way, and that’s a huge help."  Archie Graham, Chair of Glasgow Life and Executive Committee Member for the Commonwealth Games, said “This National Centre of Excellence has helped develop and nurture some of Scotland's top young athletes and sports stars, such as Michael Jamieson. “We wish all 12 athletes every success at the Games. They will be an inspiration to the next generation of young sporting stars as they have shown that with a lot of hard work and determination you can achieve your sporting aspirations.” Team Scotland’s Chef de Mission, Jon Doig, congratulated the 12 pupils and graduates, saying: "The school of sport has been supporting young talented athletes since 1999 and the record number representing Team Scotland in the XX Commonwealth Games really shows the value of these types of programmes.  “A significant number of the Glasgow School of Sport pupils have competed at Commonwealth Youth level. Seven of the school's athletes debuted in the full Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 and the experience they have gained since then bodes well for Glasgow 2014. They will be joined by a further six athletes from the school making their debut on home soil.”

12. BELLA’S SPORT AND HEALTH DAY! Sports Day A big well done to all pupils and staff for their enthusiasm and participation in the Sport and Health Day yesterday. All photos will soon be up in the school website under the Gallery section.