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weekly News

Wednesday 30 September 2009

From the Headmaster

I trust that all Lomond families benefitted from the long September weekend. Discussions with pupils certainly indicated that it had come at the right time and I hope it will allow renewed energy to approach the next section of the Autumn Term. Attitudinals should now have arrived at home via the post. There have been disruptions to our local mail and if these important feedback documents with pupil effort grades have not reached you please do contact the school. Follow up to the Attitudinals is taking place with pupils and if you have any concerns it would be best to contact your son or daughter’s Form Teacher in the first instance.

The Health Authorities are noting an increase in swine flu rates nationally and we are keen to ensure that Lomond plays its ongoing part in the response. We are monitoring the situation closely and encourage any parents who have concerns to visit the Health Protection Authority website on www.hpa.org.uk which has the most up to date advice. As stated before if your child is showing any flu like symptoms they must remain at home.

We are looking forward to the official opening of the Games Hall on Saturday 10 October. This promises to be a busy and happy occasion. Thank you again to all parents and supporters of the school who have assisted with this project. It has been a very significant undertaking and is adding huge value to the experience of all pupils already. Letters to give fuller details on the opening arrangements are en route to homes. All Lomond families are most welcome to attend at 2.15 pm in the Games Hall for the opening of the building by Mr Macdonald. There will be refreshments on offer and tours of the Games Hall will be available alongside demonstration activities. Parking is anticipated to be very tight and if possible guests are requested to leave their cars at home, or alternatively at the main school where a park and ride bus service will be in operation courtesy of Garelochhead coaches. There will be added pressure on parking nearby due to a fixture at the Rugby Club. To protect the floor of the Games Hall it is requested that no stiletto heels are worn please.

Congratulations to ...

Lois McLatchie, Tom Claxton and Duncan Redstone who beat St Aloysius’, Dunoon Academy, and Bearsden Academy to go through to the semi-final of the WOSPEG Physics competition.
Tom Claxton who recently took part in the annual Lincoln to Boston rowing marathon and completed the 50km course along the River Withey in a time of 4 hours and 34 minutes, coming first in his age category and setting a new Junior U15 course record.

From the Depute Headmaster

May I ask those pupils who were presented with cups, plaques, shields etc to take them to the engraver in East Clyde Street by half term, so that they can be suitably engraved. The school will pay for this, and will display the trophies in the trophies cabinet. (We will collect them from the engraver).

Primary News

Lunch w/c 5 October 2009 – Mon – Chicken curry with rice, jelly and fruit cocktail:Tues – Tomato soup and a selection of sandwiches, millionaires shortbread: Wed– Breaded haddock, sweetcorn and chipped potatoes, key lime pie: Thurs – Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and baby roast potato with cauliflower, banana boat with chocolate drops: Fri – Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread, melon, strawberry and grape cocktail. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

There was no Transitus Assembly this week due to the Monday holiday.
At the Clarendon Assemblies Mr Calder discussed friendship and what it takes to be a good friend.
Individual Photographs. The individual photographs will be taken for all Nursery and Primary pupils on Monday 12 October. Could I politely request that all pupils come dressed in full winter uniform on that day. (G A Calder)
J1-J5 Parent Consultations. The Clarendon Parental consultations will be taking place in the classrooms on Tuesday 13 October (7pm-9 pm) and Thursday 15 October (4pm- 6 pm). Appointments can be made in the front hall of Clarendon from Monday 5 October. A childcare service will be available on Tuesday 13th.
Transitus 1 Parent Consultations. The Transitus 1 Parental Consultations will take place next Tuesday (6 October) and Thursday (8 October). All parents should have received a letter regarding this last week - if not please inform Mrs Marrison in the Clarendon Office. The autumn consultations take place with the class teachers in their classrooms and appointments can be made in St Bride’s reception.
Fit Fridays. Following the success of the walk-to-school days in Health Week we are hoping to introduce ‘Fit Fridays’ when we will walk in to school from the Sports Hall. This will start on Friday 2 October at 8am.
Road Safety. I have registered us to take part in the National School Road Safety Week in November. I would appreciate any suggestions as to how we can increase awareness of this very important topic. (G A Calder)
If you need to contact the After School Club the new number is 01436 675647. This number is available between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. If you are calling before 3.30pm please use the school number 01436 672476. Thank you.

LEARNING AND TEACHING RESOURCES...In order to simplify the logging on process for pupils which seemed to be causing ongoing problems, there is now one username and password per yeargroup for all pupils in that year to use. The pupils have been advised of this and they should have a note in their homework diaries. If there are any further queries regarding logging on please contact Mr Donald Thomas d.thomas@lomond-school.org.

CAREERS INFORMATION...The Careers Library has received a delivery of new careers publications and resources, including titles such as “Getting into Psychology Courses” and “Teaching English Abroad”. S6/5 pupils may like to borrow new editions of “Creating Your UCAS Personal Statement” and “Passing the LNAT, BMAT and UKCAT”. Please pop up to the Careers Room on the first floor or speak to the Careers Adviser if you would like to borrow or browse these useful publications.

PTA NEWS

PTA Family Ceilidh. Please note that the date of the Family Ceilidh has changed from the date set out in the School Calendar. It will now take place on Saturday 28 November in St Joseph's Church Hall with the band Crowded Croft. Tickets will be on sale after the October holiday.
Saturday morning catering in the Games Hall. If you have been along to the pitches on Saturday mornings to support the home teams and have ventured into the Games Hall you will have noticed that the PTA have organised very welcome cups of tea and coffee along with home baking. In order to do this, we need 3 volunteers every Saturday to man the kitchen between 9am and about midday. If you would like to be involved, please call Linda Pender on 01436 820479 who will slot your name into the rota.
Use of the Games Hall by parents. The school have made the Games Hall available for exclusive use by parents on Wednesday evenings and Friday mornings and the PTA hope to have this facility up and running shortly. We would like to canvas the views of parents on the types of sports and activities which they would be most likely to become involved with. Please let us have your input either via your year rep or directly to Helen Etchells by email on helenetchells@mac.com. In addition, if you would like to run a class or sport at the Games Hall during these times or know someone who would, please let us know.
New representative for J5. There is currently a vacancy for a year rep for J5. If you would like to volunteer to take this role on please contact Carol-Anne Tomlinson, the PTA Secretary.

PTA SCHOOL SHOP...We are pleased to announce the navy blue crested polo shirts and rain jackets have at last arrived, and we now have a full range of sizes in stock. Opening hours: Every Friday of term 3.30pm – 4.30pm.

BOOK APPEAL...If you have any books that children have outgrown, suitable for pupils from J1 to T2 please donate them to the Clarendon bookswap by leaving them at Clarendon or Reception. Thank you. (G Calder)

PE

The PE department will be using a phone system for cancellation on a Saturday morning.

The Girls have to phone 0751 843 0319 to find out if any matches are cancelled and, if there are any delays in the travel arrangements, there will be a message left on this mobile.
The Boys number to phone is 0751 843 0155.

Please note - these phones will only be used as an answer machine.

Hockey

Friday 2 October Lomond v the High School of Glasgow

T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams leave for Anniesland at 2pm, return to the Games Hall 6pm.

Saturday 3 October Lomond v Douglas Academy

1st XI (Cup), 3rd Yr ‘A’ and 2nd Yr ‘A’ all meet at Games Hall for 7.50am, travelling to Douglas Academy, return 12.45pm.
2nd Yr ‘B’ and 3rd Yr ’B’ meet at Games Hall for 7.50am, travel to Clydesdale, return 12.45pm
T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ meet at Ardencaple for 8.45am, matches 9.15am, finish at 10am.
1st Yr ‘B’ meet at Ardencaple for 10.30am, match 11am, finish 12 noon.

All home teams must remember to bring clean shoes and full tracksuits to change into before heading upstairs for match teas.

NURSERY NEWS

Join us in our Welly Waddle to Duchess Woods on Wednesday October 7th.

The Welly Waddle is a fun sponsored walk for pre-fives in aid of the Scottish Cot Death Trust.

The beauty of the Welly Waddle is that it doesn't matter if the sun is splitting the trees or if the rain is pouring down - it's a great excuse to get your wellies on and have a bit of fun.

We will be leaving nursery as soon as possible after 9.00a.m. It is difficult to predict when we will return because so much depends on the time we leave, the weather, how fast we walk and the energy levels of the children (and adults too!). We will stop half way for a rest and a snack. The route takes us along Millig Street where we can find sweet chestnut, horse chestnut and oak trees, along the road to the garages. There is usually an abundance of sycamore seeds, and the children can have great fun playing helicopters. If it is raining, this is the point we will turn round and return to Nursery. However, hopefully we will be able to continue through the ‘kissing’ gate into Duchess Woods. We will follow the path (which is suitable for sturdy buggies if you have a toddler in tow) and circle round over the rugby pitch, back to the garages. Look out for fungi on the trees and in the undergrowth, but please ensure that the children do not touch. The children will have little bags to collect their seeds, which they will take home afterwards to sort and maybe plant. While you are walking through the woods, take time to pause and look all around – talk to your child about the trees, listen to the sounds, look for signs of wildlife (sometimes we find cones or acorns gnawed by squirrels). Remember to look up high; it’s amazing what you may see. In the interest of health and safety, could I please ask that you do not let your child venture off the paths in the woods, and keep your child close by whilst walking along Millig Street as we will walk along the grass verges in some places. If it has been raining it may be slippery and wet underfoot. Miss Lovell and I will have first aid supplies with us.

If it is raining, we leave it up to you to decide if you would like to brave the elements and join us; but please ensure your child is suitably dressed for the weather on the day!

If you are unable to join us and your child will be unaccompanied, we will need to ask you to please complete a parental permission form.

You are just one step away from joining the fight against cot death in Scotland.

Happy Waddling!

(The Scottish Cot Death Trust, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ)

AD V E R T I S E M E N T S

(Rates: Personal ads, e.g. For Sale, Wanted are £2.00 per week and Business Ads are £5.00 per week)

Deadline: Tuesday 12 noon.

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weekly News

Wednesday 23 September 2009

From the Headmaster

It was extremely good to be invited to attend a special Assembly with the J4 pupils who gave an excellent animated drama on ‘The Ogre’. This involved spirited singing, good teamwork in co-ordinating acting and dance and some confident solo performances. I was very impressed by the confidence of all the pupils involved and thank Mrs Grieg for her work with the class. Drama is a marvellous vehicle for communication and I wish to encourage all pupils to consider the opportunities to be involved in acting and stage craft as they arise. The Boarders are preparing a Christmas Pantomime and Mrs Ritchie is leading her own series of S1 performances on a rolling basis. Mrs McElhill and Mr Greig are preparing a significant cast for the musical ‘Back to the 80’s’, whilst Transitus will put on a play shortly too. I am grateful for each of these initiatives and we look forward to further dramatic endeavour this year.

It was helpful to outline to those parents who could attend at the Parents’ Forum a series of messages about Lomond School and the vision for the next years ahead. There was a useful question and answer session afterward although attendance was light. There are many good reasons to maintain a constructive set of Parents’ Forums and if there is a way in which these can be improved I would be keen to know. Topics recently have included ‘Internet Safety’ and ‘Healthy Eating’. It may be that a different approach to the delivery of this information will help.

One very encouraging event this week was the S6 Childline day for Mentors. This involved a group of our most senior pupils receiving professional training on their role in supporting fellow pupils. This approach can only help reduce any pupil concerns and opens another channel for communication of anxieties. There will be ongoing work to help introduce the S6 Mentors who have full support. We are keen to build on the strong structures for high quality pastoral care at Lomond. The Form Teacher remains the prime contact for any issues from day to day and it is helpful to reconcile any issues as early as possible whether they are academic or otherwise.

I hope that all families will have a very good long weekend ahead and that this helps recharge batteries ahead of the next stretch of term. Time is moving past quickly and pupils will receive their Attitudinals this week. This again is information that is best discussed with Form Teachers in the first instance. If concerns arise a plan of action will be put in place to assist. Clear communication between home and school will be very helpful here.

Congratulations to ........

Christopher Grundy and Sarah Newton who have been appointed as Depute Heads of House in Burnbrae.
Lewis Serpell who came 2nd in his age group for the Great North Run – this is a fantastic achievement.
The Helensburgh Swimming Club team who entered the Argyll & Bute Swimming Championships in Dunoon over the weekend of 12th and 13th September. Katherine Stanley-Whyte: 100m Breaststroke – Gold, 100m Backstroke – Bronze and Mixed 200m relay – Bronze. Duncan Redstone: 100m Backstroke – Gold, 100m Breastroke – Gold, 100m Freestyle – Gold, 200m Freestyle – Bronze, Mixed 200m relay – Bronze and 200m IM – 4th. Charlotte Caskie: 25m Breaststroke – Gold, 25m Backstroke – 6th

It was a long and tiring weekend for all involved but very successful – well done.

Former pupils news :

Ruaridh Nelson received a bursary from the Nuffield Foundation and spent five weeks working with Dr Kim Last of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (also known as SAMS) investigating the effect of changing light conditions on the activity of the PolychaeteNereis Diversicolor.
James Spy who gained a BSc (Hons) in Equine Dental Science from Hartpury College, University of the West of England.
Alistair Morison who was presented with the strongly contested Prize for Innovation award at The Year in Industry’s` Contribution to Business Awards.

We pass on our warmest congratulations.

From the Depute Headmaster

The school will close for the September holiday on Thursday 24 September at 3.25pm , and re-open on Tuesday 29 September at 8.30am.
Attitudinals for T2-S3 and S5/S6 will be posted to parents on Thursday.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 21 Sep 2009 – Mon – HOLIDAY:Tues – Tomato and cheese pasta with French bread, artic roll and fruit: Wed– Cod goujons with mixed vegetables and oven chips, fruit loaf: Thurs – Roast chicken, oven roast potato and sprouts, lemon meringue pie: Fri – Shepherd’s pie and peas, profiteroles and chocolate sauce. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

The Transitus Assembly was led by T2A and focused on Harvest.
At the Clarendon Assembly on Friday Mr Calder suggested that we all see things differently and that we should respect others points of view.
At the Clarendon Assembly on Tuesday J4 entertained us with the story of the horrible ogre and it was through cunning and teamwork that he was defeated.
Fit Fridays. Following the success of the walk-to-school days in Health Week we are hoping to introduce ‘Fit Fridays’ when we will walk in to school from the Sports Hall. This will start on Friday 2 of October at 8am.
Road Safety. I have registered us to take part in the National School Road Safety Week in November. I would appreciate any suggestions as to how we can increase awareness of this very important topic. (G A Calder)

If you need to contact the After School Club the new number is 01436 675647. This number is available between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. If you are calling before 3.30pm please use the school number 01436 672476. Thank you.

LEARNING AND TEACHING RESOURCES ...In order to simplify the logging on process for pupils which seemed to be causing ongoing problems, there is now one username and password per yeargroup for all pupils in that year to use. The pupils have been advised of this and they should have a note in their homework diaries. If there are any further queries regarding logging on please contact Mr Donald Thomas d.thomas@lomond-school.org.

PTA NEWS

PTA Family Ceilidh. Please note that the date of the Family Ceilidh has changed from the date set out in the School Calendar. It will now take place on Saturday 28 November in St Joseph's Church Hall with the band Crowded Croft. Tickets will be on sale after the October holiday.
Saturday morning catering in the Games Hall. If you have been along to the pitches on Saturday mornings to support the home teams and have ventured into the Games Hall you will have noticed that the PTA have organised very welcome cups of tea and coffee along with home baking. In order to do this, we need 3 volunteers every Saturday to man the kitchen between 9am and about midday. If you would like to be involved, please call Linda Pender on 01436 820479 who will slot your name into the rota.
Use of the Games Hall by parents. The school have made the Games Hall available for exclusive use by parents on Wednesday evenings and Friday mornings and the PTA hope to have this facility up and running shortly. We would like to canvas the views of parents on the types of sports and activities which they would be most likely to become involved with. Please let us have your input either via your year rep or directly to Helen Etchells by email on helenetchells@mac.com. In addition, if you would like to run a class or sport at the Games Hall during these times or know someone who would, please let us know.
New representative for J5. There is currently a vacancy for a year rep for J5. If you would like to volunteer to take this role on please contact Carol-Anne Tomlinson, the PTA Secretary.

PE

The PE department will be using a phone system for cancellation on a Saturday morning.

The Girls have to phone 0751 843 0319 to find out if any matches are cancelled and, if there are any delays in the travel arrangements, there will be a message left on this mobile.
The Boys number to phone is 0751 843 0155.

Please note - these phones will only be used as an answer machine.

Hockey

1st XI Senior Tournament on Wednesday 30th September.
T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams on Friday 2nd October at The High School of Glasgow. Travelling to Anniesland at lunch-time.

AD V E R T I S E M E N T S

(Rates: Personal ads, e.g. For Sale, Wanted are £2.00 per week and Business Ads are £5.00 per week)

Deadline: Tuesday 12 noon.

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weekly News

Wednesday 16 September 2009

From the Headmaster

As we enter the fifth week of term it is appropriate to hold the New Parents’ Meeting on Thursday 17 September. Many parents with children new to the school have spoken about their very warm welcome from Lomond families, from the children in their classes and the telephone calls and offers of help from the PTA. It is very reassuring to see the new pupils at Lomond settle quickly into the school routines and year. If there are any issues that remain at this stage it would be our hope that they can be addressed quickly by contact through the Form Teacher of your child. We look forward to the involvement of each new pupil in the life of the school.

The Nursery received a significant boost this week with a very positive Care Commission report. This is testimony to the hard work of Mrs Jo Reynolds and her team who have created an oasis of calm and purpose in the Nursery and garden. The youngest pupils in the school have been investigating autumn with a great deal of outdoor play and learning, bringing back berries, bugs and other items of nature’s booty to study with their staff. The pupils in Nursery clearly have a great sense of enjoyment of their environment and have been making the most of the decent weather.

The Junior School have finished their Health Promotion Week with an excellent barbeque and session of games and activities in the sun on Friday. The whole week has been a tremendous success and up to 50 children (and a dog) were walking to school each day come rain or shine. A significant number of healthy family challenges have been recorded by families in Clarendon and healthy sports stars have been chosen and profiled on wall displays downstairs. These are vital lessons to learn and I am very grateful to Mr Calder, Mrs Serpell and all the Clarendon staff for their significant input this week. Congratulations to Mrs Serpell for competing in the Medoc Marathon in France over the weekend too.

Next week marks the September holiday with a long weekend from Friday 25 to Monday 28 September. It is a valued brief break in the long Autumn Term and all families are asked to resist the temptation to add any additional days away from school and lessons at this point. The school has a clear policy on leave in term time. All absences apart from medical ones must be requested in writing from either the Headmaster of the Junior or Senior Schools.

Next week also marks European Languages Day on Thursday 24 September. Lomond School has a thriving Modern Languages provision with active learning of French in the Junior School and very strong results in both German and French in the Senior School. There are an active set of Language Exchanges and Cultural Trips to Germany and France which are proving popular again. Spanish is being offered in the top years of the school and the distance learning programme in Latin has been very successful again this year with a big uptake for 2009/10. It is fantastic to see the learning and teaching of languages thriving in Lomond when nationally the situation is one of diminished participation and performance. This is an area that the school can be very proud of and will seek to build on.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 14 Sep 2009 – Mon – Savoury mince with finger carrots and creamed potatoes, fresh cream trifle:Tues – Macaroni cheese with sweetcorn and French bread, seasonal fruit flan: Wed– Haddock, peas and chipped potatoes, upside-down pineapple sponge and custard: Thurs – Roast pork, apple sauce with roast potato and broccoli, St Peter’s mud pie: Fri – HOLIDAY. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

The Transitus Assembly this week focused on personal challenge and was led by those Senior School pupils who participated in the life-changing Tanzania trip.
At the Clarendon Assemblies Mr Calder discussed more of the children’s health challenges and the idea of continuity and learning from the past. He used elections such as for the twelfth disciple after the Ascension of Christ and Barack Obama as examples of this whilst suggesting that we can learn from our predecessors of all faiths or none. The pupils this week will be electing their Pupil Council and Charity representatives and J5 are learning about democracy.
Health Promotions Week. The feedback has been very positive from the children about health week. Mrs Serpell will formalise the feedback process in the forthcoming weeks. Thank you to everyone who took part in this very worthwhile venture. It has been suggested that more walk-to-school days might be a good thing and I am looking into staffing this. (G A Calder)
Road Safety. I have registered us to take part in the National School Road Safety Week in November. I would appreciate any suggestions as to how we can increase awareness of this very important topic. (G A Calder)
If you need to contact the After School Club the new number is 01436 675647. This number is available between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. If you are calling before 3.30pm please use the school number 01436 672476. Thank you.

LEARNING AND TEACHING RESOURCES

PASSWORD-PROTECTED SECTION OF THE SCHOOL WEBSITE

The aim of this section is to provide an additional tool to help pupils organise their independent studying and offer access for senior pupils to some key resources and information relating to subjects. The resources section is also designed as an aid to parents supporting their children with homework. It is important to stress that individual pupils still have to take responsibility for noting down work in their homework diaries as the site is not intended to replace instructions and resources given out in class and not all activities will necessarily be posted.

Login details distributed last year are still current and new pupils have been given their login details. Pupils in the same family have the same login details. The password protected section can be accessed through the Learning and Teaching Login button on the home page of the school website at www.lomond-school.org. The first time you access the Learning and Teaching site you will need to register your account by following the link and you will be given the option of creating a new password of your choosing. You will need to enter an email address to complete the registration process which will be used in the event of a forgotten password. If you forget your password, click on the Request New Password link on the Welcome page.

If you experience any problems with the login process or are unsure of your login details please contact Mr Donald Thomas in IT support (d.thomas@lomond-school.org).

PARENTS MATHS REFRESHER SESSION - 19 SEPTEMBER..The next Session is on Sat 19 September in St Bride's Room 26. Tea/coffee available from 10.45am and we aim to start at 11am. If you haven't already done so, please email me (a.laceby@lomond-school.org) if you're intending to come so that we can order enough chocolate digestives (dark chocolate, of course ...)

PTA..The PTA will hold its first Parent’s Forum of the year on Tuesday 22 September at 7.30pm in St Bride’s Hall. Mr Mills will give a presentation and answer questions in an informal setting. Please come along.

PTA SCHOOL SHOP..We are pleased to announce the navy blue crested polo shirts and rain jackets have at last arrived, and we now have a full range of sizes in stock. Opening hours: Every Friday of term 3.30pm – 4.30pm.

BOOK APPEAL..If you have any books that children have outgrown, suitable for pupils from J1 to T2 please donate them to the Clarendon bookswap by leaving them at Clarendon or Reception. Thank you. (G Calder)

PE

Hockey

Saturday 19 September – Hockey v The High School of Glasgow

1st XI meet at Ardencaple for 8.45am, match 9.15am, finish 10.15am. Must bring a clean pair of shoes before going upstairs for match teas.
2nd XI meet at Ardencaple for 9.45am, match 10.15am, finish 11am. Must bring a clean pair of shoes before going upstairs for match teas.
3rd XI meet at Ardencaple for 10.45am, match 11.15am, finish 12 noon. Must bring a clean pair of shoes before going upstairs for match teas.
3rd Year ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams, meet at Games Hall for 7.50am to travel to Auchenhouse, Milngavie.
2nd Year ‘A’ team also meet at 7.50am, but will be playing at The High School at 11am. All 3 teams returning to Games Hall approximately 12.45pm
1st Year ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams as well as 2nd Year ‘B’ team meet at Games Hall for 8.15am to travel to East End Park, Dumbarton. 1st match 9.15am, 2nd match 10.10am and 3rd match 11.05am. All pupils must travel in School Uniform and will return at 12.30pm. Some T2 players will be asked to play for the 1st Year ‘B’ team on Saturday.

Match Teas..All pupils must change footwear before going upstairs in the Games Hall for match teas. We expect proper behaviour when pupils are upstairs.

Any parents wishing to watch and support the teams are very welcome to go upstairs in the Games Hall for refreshments. The PTA is offering this service and there will be tea and coffee available for which a donation is requested. In addition the PTA has very kindly offered to assist with the match teas on Saturday mornings.

Rugby

Saturday 19 September - Rugby v Jordanhill

U16, S1 and Transitus (home). KO 9.30am. Meet at Games Hall 8.45am in School Uniform. Finish by 11am.
S2 & S3 (away). KO 9.30am. Meet at Games Hall 8am in uniform return by 12pm

Only boys in School uniform will be permitted to enter the Games Hall for match teas after the game.

Unavailability to play on Saturday Mornings Procedure..Any pupil who cannot play on a Saturday morning must write a letter to the Headmaster 1 week in advance asking for permission to be excused.

Duke of Edinburgh..Will S4 pupils who have signed up to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award please get their payments to Mr Fitzgerald as soon as possible.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Reminder that all activities for year groups are now up and running (3.45pm – 4.45pm):

S1 Basketball– Thursday
S2 Basketball– Monday
S3 Basketball– Tuesday
Senior Badminton – Tuesday

AD V E R T I S E M E N T S

(Rates: Personal ads, e.g. For Sale, Wanted are £2.00 per week and Business Ads are £5.00 per week) Deadline: Tuesday 12 noon.

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weekly News

Wednesday 9 September 2009

From the Headmaster

For those who have been involved with Clarendon’s Healthy Eating Week I hope that you have enjoyed the experience. There has been a focus running right through all Junior School lessons and activities with smoothie making, T-shirt design, walk to work week, yoga, belly dancing and many different fitness classes. If not directly involved you may have benefited from a retelling of these experiences at home. We are indebted to the creativity of our School Nurse, Mrs Lesley Serpell, who has worked with the staff and parents in Clarendon to provide a really enjoyable and worthwhile week of experiences.

Lomond strives to be a healthy school and it was excellent to see a full range of Hockey and Rugby teams out on Saturday. There will be more than 11 senior Hockey teams playing this Saturday, with 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams at the top age level. It is terrific to see the strong emphasis on participation and teamwork. The Extra Curricular Fair will be held in the Senior School on Wednesday led by S6 pupils. There will be a full range of offerings with life drawing, debating, hill running, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, football, Eco Schools, chess, badminton, basketball, Young Engineers and many music groups on offer every week. This is in addition to the clubs run at lunch times and additional competitions. I hope all pupils will be selecting activities that interest them and developing new skills this term.

Mrs Ritchie is busy organising a Pantomime for S2/S3 pupils for the end of term whilst Mrs McElhill is organising a school musical entitled ‘Back to the 80’s’ for the Spring Term. Miss Dudley and Mr Dodson are finalising arrangements for a canoe trip to Norway and Sweden in 2010 whilst many other school trips both in Scotland and further afield are being planned and advertised. I am very grateful to the energy of staff and support of parents for making these possible which really enriches the experiences of all our pupils.

One other area of encouragement this week is the sterling work of the Parent Teacher Association. The Lomond PTA met this week in a very constructive and helpful way and has welcomed many new families into the school and indeed the area. There is a real buzz of enthusiasm from the PTA to help provide refreshments at the new Sports Hall on a Saturday morning and all parents are most welcome. It is an excellent venue to catch up and support children in their sport. There will be a significant number of social events organised by the PTA this year and your support will be most welcome at these. Full details are on the PTA website. (www.lomondpta.org.uk). The PTA continues to provide energy, ideas, feedback and resources to help enhance the life of the school and I am sure this will be a strong year for their work.

Congratulations to………..

Emma Watson who was awarded a silver academic tie for 9 GCSE passes at A or A* and

Danielle Arnott who was awarded a silver academic tie for 8 grade 1 passes at Standard grade.

Latin GCSE..Congratulations to all pupils who took Latin GCSE via distance learning last year as a 9th subject in S4. There was 100% pass rate. Particular congratulations to Sarah Alexander and Niall Hope who gained A grades and Katrina Wallace who achieved an outstanding A*

Former Pupil News..Ailsa Morison is doing an MA Psychology degree at Glasgow University however, has won the Robert Neilson Prize for Management which is a great achievement.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 14 Sep 2009 – Mon – Chicken fajitas and tortilla chips, chocolate and orange gâteaux:Tues – Penne pasta with tomato and chilli, French bread, fruit platter: Wed–Jumbo fish fingers with peas and chipped potatoes, rice pudding and fruit: Thurs – Gammon, pineapple, sweetcorn and creamed potato, apple and strawberry sponge with custard: Fri – Cheese and tomato pizza, beans and croquette potatoes. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

The Transitus Assembly this week was led by Reverend Clark who discussed dressing up as a soldier in his father’s old uniform and the start of World War II.
At the Clarendon Assemblies Mr Calder discussed the healthy challenges undertaken by Lomond families this year and showed footage of ‘Man with no limbs’ Nic Vudjidic- a real sporting hero.
Health Promotions Week
Our attempt to ‘walk round Scotland’ has started well with a good turnout at the Games Hall- even in the Tuesday morning rain. The barbecue on Friday will take place outside Clarendon and then we will be taking part in activities both in the playground and the gym. All family members are welcome to join us at this time.
If you need to contact the After School Club the new number is 01436 675647. This number is available between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. If you are calling before 3.30pm then please use the school number 01436 672476. Thank you.
Road Safety It has been a super start to the term and the children have settled in very well – however the parking on the zig-zags that I have noticed recently does not help us to keep them safe and I would politely ask that this be taken into consideration at all times.

MAKE YOUR MARK APPEAL..If any member of the parent body would like to buy a brick in time for the official opening of the Games Hall please could you make your donation by next Wednesday (16 September). Donations after this date will still be very gratefully received but individualised bricks will not be able to be prepared in time for the opening.

SQA PAST PAPERS (SCIENCE)

To all parents of pupils S4-S6 with children studying a science subject.

The Science Department is able to bulk buy sets of SQA exam past paper books at a 30% discount which we pass directly to you, the parent. Instead of £7.99 you pay only £5.60 per book. These are available for Physics, Chemistry and Biology for Standard Grade, Int 2, Higher and Advanced Higher. The deadline for placing an order is Monday 14 September. Orders including payment can be handed into any member of the Science Department. (Dr Tully)

PE

Hockey

Saturday 12 September - Hockey v St Columba’s School

1st XI, 2nd XI and 3rd XI all meet at 7.50am at the Games hall in School Uniform. Travelling to Kilmacolm, 1st XI playing 9.15am, 2nd XI playing 10.15am, 3rd XI playing 11.15am. Return to Games Hall 1.15pm.
4th XI, 1st Yr ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams meet at Games Hall for 7.50am in School Uniform. Travelling to Linwood, 4th XI match 9.15am, 1st Yr ‘A’ match 10.15am, 1st Yr ‘B’ match 11am, return to Games Hall for 1pm.
3rd Yr ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams meet at the Games Hall for 8.20am in School Uniform. Matches at 9.30am and 10.20am. Return 12 noon.
T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams meet at Ardencaple for 8.45am, matches at 9.15am across pitch, finish 10.15am. Bring a clean pair of shoes to go upstairs for match teas.
2nd Yr ‘A’ team meet at Ardencaple for 9.45am, match at 10.15am, finish 11am.
2nd Yr ‘B’ team meet at Ardencaple for 10.45am, match at 11.15am finish 12 noon.

All home teams must bring a clean pair of shoes to change into after match to enable them to go upstairs for match teas.

Saturday morning hockey/rugby fixtures

Any parents wishing to watch and support the teams are very welcome to go upstairs in the Games Hall for refreshments. The PTA have very kindly offered this service and there will be a donations box for teas and coffees.

Thursday 10 September – U15 Rugby Cup match v Lenzie. Pupils leaving from Games Hall at 2pm, returning 6.30pm.

Wednesday 16 September – 1st XI Hockey Cup match against Hutchesons’ Grammar at Bellahouston. Minibus leaves 2.15pm, return 6.30pm

Rugby

Saturday 12 September - Rugby v Marr College

1st XV, U16 XV and U15 away - meet at Games Hall 8am return by 1pm.
S2 & S1 home - meet at Games Hall 9.15am.
KO for all games is 10am.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Reminder that all activities for year groups are now up and running (3.45pm – 4.45pm)

S1 Basketball– Thursday
S2 Basketball– Monday
S3 Basketball– Tuesday
Senior Badminton – Tuesday

Duke of Edinburgh..All pupils should have returned their form to Mr Fitzgerald by 9 September. If you are interested and have not yet handed in your form you have until Friday at the latest.

Click on the image to enlarge to full size

weekly News

Wednesday 2 September 2009

From the Headmaster

It was excellent to see the whole of Lomond School assembled for the school photograph on Thursday last. It was a real snapshot of the character of Lomond in more than one way as all the pupils gathered in Clarendon playground on the staging. The senior pupils were up first and had to wait very patiently until the younger pupils and finally Nursery pupils arrived before the shutter was pressed. I was impressed with the calmness, the maturity and the family feel of the occasion. Older pupils assisted younger ones naturally and spontaneously which is excellent to see. It was also excellent to see the neat turnout by members of the school and it makes a significant impression to all who pupils meet. I would commend this approach and we will look for ongoing neatness as another enduring Lomond characteristic.

It was excellent to meet many parents at the Clarendon and Nursery meeting. The chance to reflect on any questions for parents of younger children was good and I hope useful to all who attended. Feedback on any area of school life is always appreciated and the Class or Form Teacher is usually the best member of staff to contact with any initial comments. Please do not hesitate from alerting any of the senior staff if further action is needed. The lines of communication are always open.

I am grateful to Miss Dudley and Mr Dodson who co-led the training expedition weekend in advance of the Morocco expedition leaving at Half Term. This will be a terrific opportunity for the pupils who attend and their qualities were tested by the squally conditions. All returned safely and with kit intact but very wet. The Outdoor Adventure opportunities are a real hallmark of the school and I am convinced that pupils gain so much through these experiences.

With this in mind we welcomed back our partners from the Aberfeldy Outdoor Centre who have helped lead Personal Development Days this week for S1, S4 and S6. They present leadership skills in a very practical, coherent and organised way that is unique, in my experience, in school life. Leadership skills are able to be taught and we spend a significant amount of time on this area. Written feedback will follow these events, but more importantly the pupils stand to gain a very great deal from both the sessions and reflection on them afterwards.

I am grateful to the members of the PTA who led the first provision of refreshments to parents and pupils at the new Sports Hall on Saturday. There was a good buzz on and all parents are welcome during and after any home matches. We will no doubt see further refinements of the hospitality but there was no doubting the warmth of welcome and chance to catch up. It was very good to see both spirited hockey and rugby in action with some good successes. There will be further matches versus Kelvinside and Queen Victoria School this weekend to which all families are welcome.

Congratulations to………..

Holly Lewis who cycled from Lands End to John O’ Groats during the summer holidays

Edward Greaves – a member of the U14 Scottish Boys Hockey Team which won the British Championships and was subsequently invited to join the UK Lions Hockey squad (this is the top 24 U14 boys in the UK). He is also in the Kelburne Hockey Club 2nd Team.

Equestrian news

Lomond FPs and senior pupils have had an extremely successful summer season competing at Scottish Area events and qualifying for National Championships in England with The Pony Club UK:

Novice Challenge Eventing Championship – winner of section – Jennifer Nash

Intermediate Tetrathlon Team – Sophie Canty

Open Eventing Championship – winner of section – James Spy

Intermediate Eventing Team – Sophie Canty, Eliza Ritchie, Chris Corbett

Former Pupil News

Emma Jane – has reached RIBA part one at Strathclyde University

Our warmest congratulations to everyone on their successes.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 7 Sep 2009 – Mon – Lasagne with French bread and side salad, mousse:Tues – Mexican meatballs and noodles, Swiss roll: Wed– Fish fingers with peas and chipped potatoes, jam tart and cream: Thurs – Steak pie with roast potato and spring cabbage, strawberry sponge and custard: Fri – Chicken korma and rice, kiwi, orange and melon cocktail. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

The Transitus Assembly this week was led by Mr Mills who talked about teamwork and determination – Ranulph Fiennes ascent of Everest was one inspirational story used.
At the Clarendon Assembly Rosie MacFadyen of Contraflow told the story of the paralysed man cured by Jesus in the New Testament through ingeniuous use of a very simple visual aid
If you need to contact the After School Club the new number is 01436 675647. This number is available between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. If you are calling before 3.30pm, please use the school number 01436 672476. Thank you.
Road Safety. It has been a super start to the term and the children have settled in very well – however the parking on the zig-zags that I have noticed recently does not help us to keep them safe and I would politely ask that this be taken into consideration at all times.
Class Assembly. Just to give notice that the J4 class assembly to which all parents are invited will take place on Tuesday 22 September at 8.45am.
Health Promotion Week. There are posters on the back door of Clarendon and on the Transitus noticeboard about the activities taking place in the Primary Department next week. A letter with all details is being finalised by Mrs Serpell who has worked very hard to produce an excellent programme. A revised set of clubs will take place for one week only.

SEASONS FOR GROWTH

What is Seasons For Growth?

Seasons For Growth is an educational programme for children and young people who have experienced some significant change in their lives. It is not counselling but a grief and loss peer support education programme. It helps the participants examine how these changes can be accompanied by a sense of loss whilst also helping them to deal with this loss in a safe, supportive, learning environment.

‘The core element of our programme is the promotion of social and emotional wellbeing for young people who have experienced significant loss due to death or family breakdown.’ (seasonsforgrowth.co.uk)

The course is run for several age groups:

Level 1: Ages 6-8

Level 2: Ages 9-10

Level 3: Ages 11-12

Level 4: Ages 13-15

Level 5: Ages 16-18

Each participant has a manual and journal. It is designed as a withdrawal programme from normal classes and it runs for 8 sessions. Mrs Greig, Mrs McLatchie, Mrs Guy and Mr Calder have all been trained as Companions for Seasons For Growth. If you would like more information or think that your child may benefit from a Seasons For Growth course please contact Miss Dudley or one of the aforementioned. We plan to get a course/courses up and running after the September holiday if there is a need.

Some useful websites:

www.seasonsforgrowth.co.uk

www.notredamecentre.org.uk (Scottish centre)

www.ltscotland.org.uk/sharingpractice/s/seasonsforgrowth

PUPIL ATTENDANCE

For obvious reasons of safety we monitor pupil attendance in school closely. It is a good opportunity at the start of the new session to clarify procedures. A daily register is taken by form teachers at 8.30am. If a pupil in T1-S6 arrives after 8.30am he/she should report to the West Door for admission and go to the General Office to sign in. A pupil arriving after 8.30 in J1-5 should go to the front door of Clarendon and ring the bell. Persistent lateness in S1-S6 without a valid reason will lead to detention.

It is very helpful if the school can be informed if a child is off sick via a quick phone call to the school or email (admin@lomond-school.org) on the first morning of the absence.

As a change of policy we will now follow up the unexplained absence of any pupil in T1-S6with a phone call to parents at the end of the first morning. In Clarendon staff will continue to follow up an absence early in the morning, as previously.

Please let the office or your son/daughter's form teacher know of any planned absence from school via a phone call/note/email. Requests for exceptional leave of absence beyond routine appointments should be made in writing to the Headmaster.

LOST PROPERTY

A large amount of named property remains unclaimed from last year. In many cases the owners have been contacted but they have still not come to collect their items. There is a comprehensive list of named items in the Lost Property and so may I ask parents to encourage their children to collect their clothing as soon as possible. Thank you. (J Lawn)

Hockey

Saturday 5 September - Hockey v Kelvinside Academy

1st XI, 2nd XI and 1st Yr ‘A’ teams must meet at the Games hall for 7.50am to travel to Balgray astro, off Great Western Road, opposite Gartnavel Hospital, Glasgow. Travel in School Uniform and return approximately 1pm.
T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams meet at Ardencaple for 9am, finish at 10.20am. Match teas will be served upstairs in the viewing gallery and pupils must wear a clean pair of shoes before going up for match teas.
3rd Yr ‘A’ team meet at Ardencaple for 9.45am, matches at 10.20am, finish at 11.30am. Match teas will be served upstairs in the viewing gallery and pupils must wear a clean pair of shoes before going up for match teas.
2nd Yr ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams meet at the Games Hall for 8.20am to travel to East End Park, Dumbarton. Travel in School Uniform and take PE kit to change into. Return approximately 12 noon.

We have just experienced a full week down at the Games Hall and the PE Department are insisting that all pupils must change into their School Uniform before being dismissed from the Games Hall after their PE afternoon. Classes finish at 4.15pm and this gives pupils time to change into their School Uniform before leaving the grounds. Any items left in the changing rooms will be taken up to the main School the next morning and will be left in the Lost Property office. It is then the pupils’ responsibility to collect their items from there.

Rugby

Saturday 5 September - Lomond v Queen Victoria School

1st XV, U16 XV and Transitus home KO 10am. Meet at Games Hall 9.15am changed, finish 11.30am approximately.
S1, S2 and S3 away, KO 10am. Meet Games Hall 8am return by 12.30pm

AD V E R T I S E M E N T S

(Rates: Personal ads, e.g. For Sale, Wanted are £2.00 per week and Business Ads are £5.00 per week) Deadline: Tuesday 12 noon.

STOP PRESS

Lomond Parent raising money for Multiple Sclerosis

Our local reporter found out more:

“My name is Jody Hopper and I have 3 children at Lomond School. Peter Slavin and I are driving from Calais to Barcelona in a car worth less than £200 in a challenge called Barcelona Bangers.

This is a fundraising event and we are collecting for multiple sclerosis. If you would like to make a donation please go to:

www.justgiving.com/peter-slavin or www.justgiving.com/JODY-HOPPER”

Good Luck!

HOME TUITION AVAILABLE

For primary stages, up to secondary

English, Maths, French, German and Gaelic,

to Standard Grade level. Tel: 07787 300 094

For Sale

Selmer Clarinet - £70

Please contact Mrs. Diana Macintosh on 01436 675767