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Wednesday 16 December 2009

From the Headmaster

We are due to say goodbye to Mr MacKenzie at the end of this week which is a momentous retirement given his 35 years of service in teaching Modern Languages and leading the Senior School as Depute Headteacher. He has an enormous expertise which has been so well deployed to help many generations of pupils at Lomond. Mr MacKenzie brings great common sense to bear and is a stalwart of good standards within the school. He exercises his responsibilities with great humanity and is a very efficient organiser indeed. We will miss Mr MacKenzie greatly and I am hugely indebted to the assistance he has given to me over this term. I know that Mr Macdonald felt exactly the same. Mr MacKenzie is succeeded as Depute by Miss Dudley who has a similarly strong deftness of touch, deep care for all pupils and high educational standards. All in Lomond wish Mr MacKenzie every happiness for the future and in his retirement ahead.

Also leaving at the end of this term is Mr Hammond, who has been a wonderful assistant in the PE Department, and a first rate tutor in Burnbrae boarding house. Mr Hammond is a significant athlete himself playing regular rugby for Helensburgh RFC and he has been a great role model to all the pupils in the school. His leadership on the Tanzania Expedition this summer was excellent. Mr Hammond returns to New Zealand with our very best wishes.

Another departure from the PE department is Miss Morgan Gladden who has spent this term working with the PE team. I know that as a former pupil she found it very exciting to be involved in the opening of the Sports Hall and enjoyed having the opportunity to fully use the excellent facilities. We appreciate the hard work and commitment that she has shown during this brief but intense term. 

We also say farewell and thank you to Ms Alexander-Kirk who was with us for a term in order to cover Mrs McKillop’s maternity leave. She fitted in extremely well in the English Department bringing enthusiasm for her subject (many will remember ‘the flour babies project). Ms Alexander-Kirk also made a valuable contribution in the Boarding House and was very willing to organise weekend activities for the boarders. Our thanks and good wishes go with her to her new position at St Aloysius’ College in Glasgow.

It was great to see the junior pupils in Clarendon raising significant funds for the Lomond Mountain Rescue. This was their chosen charity after hearing Mr Dodson speak earlier in the term and they went about organising their fete with huge energy. A fantastic £630.50 was raised for this excellent cause and the pupils learned a great deal as they organised the stalls and sorted out the finances on Friday afternoon. There are some budding entrepreneurs around and a real variety of activities and products were on offer. Great fun and not much space! I am very grateful to the Clarendon Charities Committee, Mrs Gardiner and Mrs Robertson amongst others who led this initiative and helped organise a really good event.

Many pupils have been active in their musicianship over the last weeks with the Clarendon Choir, Transitus Choir and Chamber Choir all having outings. Mrs Lyon and Mr MacDonald in the Senior School have masterminded a series of musical events with contributions to the Helensburgh Christmas Lights event and an afternoon of music at Hill House. This has involved traditional musicians, the Pipe Band and solo performers. Clarendon and Transitus have been busy playing at various senior citizen events, and raising money for the Hansel Foundation at Princes Square Shopping Centre with Mrs Phillips helping to bring the Junior Choir together beautifully. The music at the Carol Service on Monday night was a real treat and reflected significant practice by individuals and in groups. We are indebted to the Music Department for bringing this together and to the boys and girls involved for their great effort.

Much has been happening with dramatic events too. The Junior 1 Nativity Play was wonderfully put together by Mrs Macleod, helped along by Mrs Thomas, Mrs Reid and Mrs Marrison. These very young pupils needed a lot of coaching and help but produced a really special production which signals the start of Christmas proper. Mrs Ritchie has been working hard alongside the S2 pupils to produce the pantomime production ‘Jock and the Beanstalk’ this was due to be performed tonight (16 December) however due to illness within the cast this has had to be postponed. We may now all look forward to 2 performances in the New Year which will be on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 January both at 7.30pm in St Bride’s Hall. Tickets which have been purchased will be valid for either of these performances.

May I wish all Lomond families a very good Christmas break indeed and an enjoyable start to the New Year. We look forward to a strong start to 2010.

Congratulations to … The Golf Team of Liam Chambers, Daniel McCahery and Calum Thornton who defeated the High School of Glasgow in the Scottish Independent Schools Cup.

Emma Johnston (T2) who came a superb 4th in a Christmas card competition organized by Jackie Baillie MSP. There were hundreds of entries from pupils in the region. Emma’s card has been sent to the Prime Minister.

Warmest congratulations to everyone.

From the Depute Headmaster

• The Christmas lunch will take place on Thursday 17 December and will cost £3.10 for the two course meal, plus 55p for a soft drink.
• On Friday 18 December, there will be a General Knowledge Quiz, an inter-house public speaking contest and an awards ceremony. School will close at noon, and there will not be lunch available for pupils that day.
• Day pupils should return to school at 10am on Wednesday 6 January 2010.

Next term's calendar will be sent out in the end of term mailing, but here is some advance warning of important dates at the start of next term:

• S2 Course Options meeting in St Bride's Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday 6 January. All S2 parents are invited to come to the meeting at which the process involved in selecting subjects for S3/4 will be outlined. The Careers Advisor and subject teachers will be available for further discussion at the S2 parents' evening the following week.
• T2 Parents' Evening    Thursday 7 January           7pm-9.30pm  Mrs Brown and Miss Springett will be available for further appointments on Tuesday 12 January.
• S2 Parents' Evening     Tuesday 12 January          6.30pm-9.30pm
• S1 Parents' Evening    Wednesday 20 January      6.30pm-9.30pm
• S4 Parents' Evening    Thursday 28 January          7pm-9.30pm
• S3 Parents' Eevning    Wednesday 3 February      7pm-9.30pm
• T1 Parents' Evening    Thursday 18 February        7pm-9pm    (Mrs Fullarton and Miss Boyd will also be available on Tuesday 23rd February 4-6pm)
• Sign-up sheets for appointments with teachers are available in Reception up to two weeks prior to the meeting. Sign-up sheets are already available in Reception for the T2 and S2 parents' evenings. 

 Lost Property

In order to try to reduce the amount of unnamed lost property which is left at the end of term, all items of unnamed lost property will be laid out in the old Gym on Wednesday 16 December for T1-S6 pupils to look through at break and lunchtime if they know they have lost something. It would be helpful if parents could remind their children about any lost items they need to look for. Parents are welcome to have a look themselves and the Gym will be open for parents 3.30pm-4pm. All items left will be disposed of or passed on to the school shop.

Ms Chapuis and Mr Lawn are in charge of lost property and find it very difficult to manage the amount of unnamed lost property which collects at St Bride's and the Sports Hall so please ensure all school clothing is clearly named. In future, the Lost Property Office will only keep named items to hand. All unnamed items will be put aside for general display and collection in the Gym at the end of term.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 4 January 2009 –

Mon – HOLIDAY: Tues –– HOLIDAY: Wed– Breaded Haddock with sweetcorn and chipped potatoes, millionaire’s shortbread: Thurs – Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, baby roast potato with cauliflower and carrots, banana boat with chocolate drops: Fri – Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread, melon, pineapple and grape cocktail. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

• At Transitus Assembly Mr Calder spoke about newspaper headlines and the fact that the news in them is quickly forgotten. He asked the children to consider three headlines: “Baby born in stable”, “Shepherds see UFO” and “Three kings visit Helensburgh”.
• At the Clarendon Assembly on Friday Mr Calder discussed the same topic as at the Transitus assembly. On Tuesday Mr David Dodson came across with his Mountain Rescue hat on and gave a very informative speech about the work of the Lomond Team. He also gratefully received a cheque for £630.50 presented by Cameron Kemp and Callum Woodward on behalf of the charities committee.
• Clarendon Christmas Fayre: Last Friday was an extravaganza of Christmas fun and in the process the amazing sum of £450 was raised for Lomond Mountain Rescue. The calendars have also raised over £180 so the total raised is £630. Mr Calder wishes to thank all those staff, parents and pupils who both helped and gave generously: in particular Mrs Gardiner, Mrs Robertson and everyone on the committee.
• Clarendon Eco Committee & Club: Order forms for the purchase of Eco bags have been distributed from J1 to T2. Could we urge you to please support this initiative – the bags are very strong and very competitively priced, samples available for viewing in Clarendon. All money raised will go towards our next Eco project. Many thanks.
• T2 bicyclesMr Calder would appreciate it if the remaining five T2 bikes could be removed from the back of Clarendon as soon as possible. Please let Mrs Ferguson or Mr Calder know if you will be unable to pick up your bike.
• Transitus and Secondary Christmas Lunch: parents are reminded that, as noted in Mr Calder’s end of term letter, a hot lunch is not available for the Clarendon children on Thursday 17 December. The Clarendon Christmas lunch took place on Tuesday and Mr Calder thanked Miss Cathy McNaughton (Sodexo) and all of her team for the splendid food that they provide for the children throughout the year. Many apologies for any inconvenience caused on Thursday.
• Just a reminder that the Primary Carol Service takes place in the West Kirk on Thursday 17 of December at 2pm. All welcome. If anyone has not returned their slip regarding pick-up to their child’s teacher could they please do so as a matter of urgency.
• Norwegian Teacher: If anyone knows of any teachers of Norwegian in the local area (for young children) could they please approach Mr Calder.
• Finally a reminder that as the school closes for all children at noon on Friday (18 December) there is no After School Club on that day.
• Please note that on Wednesday 6 January the children are starting back at 10am so the Junior 4 and Junior 5 children should come to Clarendon in uniform on that day. On Wednesday 13 January 2010, the J4 & J5 pupils will resume with their normal Wednesday PE routine.

FORMER PUPILS OF LOMOND, ST BRIDE’S AND LARCHFIELD...The school history, “A Hundred Years at St Bride’s” makes an ideal Christmas present. £15 from the school or Bookworms. (200 pages hardback, with many photos, including a Larchfield section).

 

YOGA

Exams are understandably associated with stress, and managing personal stress levels is key to maximising an individual’s potential.

Last year a yoga programme, specifically aimed at managing exam stress, was offered to S5 and S6 year groups. Evaluation by the pupils was very positive with each claiming benefit. With this in mind, it will again be offered to S5 and S6 year groups and the offer will be extended to include S4.

The course will commence on Thursday 14 January 2010 at 3.45pm and will run for 10 weeks. Numbers are limited to 15 and the cost will be £40. Interested pupils should register their name in the General Office.

PTA NEWS

PARENTS COFFEE MORNING

A date for next year’s diary - Friday 8 January.  Our usual catch up, chat and coffee at the Commodore. All parents welcome from Nursery through to S6. Look forward to seeing you there at 10am. 

Boarding House Appeal...The Boarding House is looking for unwanted outdoor kit (boots, waterproofs etc) in all sizes. All donations will be gratefully received.

PE

3rd Year PE finishes at 3.25pm on Thursday. 

Next Term

Saturday 9 January                       Hockey v Douglas Academy

• 1st Yr ‘A’, 2nd Yr ‘A’ & 3rd Yr ‘A’ – Home.
• S4, S5 & S6 Hockey players to meet at Sports Hall for Indoor Hockey Tournament in the morning.  Times to be confirmed.

Any pupil wishing to compete at the Scottish Indoor Athletics Championships at Kelvin Hall on Thursday 4 February 2010 must see Mrs Taylor as soon as possible with your individual event and personal best performance.  Entries must be sent off by Thursday 14 January.

Rowing...The Rowing Club will commence training on Wednesday 6 January from 5.30pm - 7pm. All interested pupils should attend.

Rugby

Fixtures will commence the 1st Saturday back after the holidays, can I take this opportunity to remind pupils that they are expected to attend fixtures unless they have been given permission by the Headmaster not to. Can I also ask parents not to organise activities/parties on Saturday mornings as this severely hampers the ability to run teams due to our small numbers.

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weekly News

Wednesday 2 December 2009

From the Headmaster

Following a number of years of hard work and careful planning, Lomond received very good news on Tuesday 24 November from the Office for Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR), who passed the school’s facilitated access plan. This plan comprises a number of initiatives designed to allow easier access to education at Lomond and increases the public benefit afforded. Significant work has gone on to ensure that a strong and community minded approach was developed.

A major part of the plan involves increasing the number of means tested bursaries to local families who would benefit from a Lomond education. These are being extended on an annual basis through the conversion of scholarship funds, which are not means tested, to bursaries, which are. This is an inherently fairer scheme and better use of the funds. The extension of the bursary scheme will be beneficial to the mix of pupils at Lomond and will not entail any additional increase on fees. This is an ongoing process and in the future existing discounts will be subject to means testing for new pupils.

A second significant aim is to implement innovative schemes involving many local youngsters in singing, shared sporting events and creative writing projects. These will involve joint projects with local primary schools in a number of areas of sport, music and writing. Some of our S5 and S6 pupils are training in the Community Sports Leaders Award (CSLA) programme and will give sports sessions in local schools as part of this scheme. These projects have already begun and stand to benefit all the children involved.

There will be greater international involvement at Lomond School too, with two Eastern European pupils arriving in August 2010 on a scheme for gifted pupils from very disadvantaged backgrounds. In January 2011 we hope to have Gustav Heckerodt, a South African pupil whose education Lomond is supporting at Pecanwood College, join us for his final two terms of schooling. These links will help broaden Lomondinternational approach and give breadth to the community in the school.

Access to the new Lomond Sports Hall has been made available to several community groups benefitting local youngsters involved in rugby, cricket, netball and hockey. This is part of a wider development of sport at Lomond School and in the Helensburgh area. The Lomond Challenge Triathlon, which is open to all S4-S6 pupils in Scotland, will see its funding recommitted for a further five years in the plan.

The elements of the plan will be beneficial both for the school and the local community. They are part of our licence to operate and will spark off many new and positive projects. Lomond is always looking for ways of being active within Helensburgh and the surrounds. This plan should help that goal and we will be working closely to implement it over the next two years.

Congratulations to ........

• Ross Stanley-Whyte who has been offered a place as a member of the GBR Team to attend the Laser 4.7 World Championships in Thailand at Easter.
• Katherine Stanley-Whyte and Jonathan Marmont who passed their National Pool Lifeguard Qualification and are now fully qualified pool lifeguards.

Our warmest congratulations to all of them.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 7 December 2009 – Mon – Savoury mince and finger carrots with creamed potatoes, jelly and fruit: Tues – Macaroni cheese with sweetcorn and French bread, seasonal fruit flan: Wed– Haddock, peas and chipped potatoes, pineapple upside down sponge and custard: Thurs – Roast pork with apple sauce, roast potato and broccoli, St Peter’s mud pie Fri – Lentil soup and assorted sandwiches, shortbread. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

• At the Transitus Assembly T2B told us the story of St Andrew and sang ‘Highland Cathedral’ beautifully.
• At the Clarendon Assembly on Friday Mr Calder discussed road safety. On Tuesday the children continued with an old Clarendon tradition as they put their own decorations on the tree in the hall.
• Children in Need – the final total raised was £96.78. Thank you for your support.
• Clarendon Eco Committee & Club: Order forms for purchase of Eco bags have been distributed from J1 to T2. Could we urge you to please support this initiative – the bags are very strong and very competitively priced, samples available for viewing in Clarendon. All money raised will go towards our next Eco project. Many thanks.
• The last 2 weeks of term letter was sent out by Mr Calder last week. A copy is available on the website.
• Clarendon now has a group of Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSO).  They will be visible in the near future in the campaign to keep our children safe. They are Phoebe Aylward, Ross Hamilton, Cameron Kemp, Ruairidh Scott-Brown, Mackenzie Serpell and Tyler Thomas.
• The visit of Fischy music was a great hit with our J1– T1 pupils. They worked with double year groups in the morning and then entertained us with a concert in the afternoon.
• Parents are reminded that the Junior Choir will be singing in Princes Square shopping centre in Glasgow at 3pm on Sunday.

Nursery News

• Superhero Play Policy: A meeting to discuss parents' responses from the recent questionnaires, and to develop a policy on superhero play will take place in the Nursery on Thursday lunchtime.  A very big thank you for your frank and open responses.
• Local Authority questionnaires: Thank you for your responses so far.  If you have not yet completed your questionnaire, please could you kindly do so by Friday 4 December.  As a few parents have indicated that they are unsure of our policy on behaviour, we are in the process of developing this in the form of a leaflet for parents, but in the meantime if there are any policies you are unsure about please just ask.
• Dates for your diary:  The dress rehearsal for the concert is on 15 December - we hope all children will be able to attend Nursery, even if they do not normally attend on a Tuesday.  The concert is on Wednesday 16 December at 11am in St Bride’s Hall.  Santa will be invited to our Christmas Party on Thursday 17 December - further details about the arrangements for these events will be sent home next week.

SCHOOL TRIPS UPDATE

• South Africa – The next amount of £665 was due on Tuesday 1 December for those paying in four instalments.  Please hand cheques to Mrs Carroll in the General Office.
• Nice Trip 2010 - The final instalment of £230 is due by Friday 4 December.
• Norway/Sweden– The next instalment of £400 is due by Monday 7 December. Please hand cheques to Mrs Carroll in the General Office.

PTA NEWS

PTA Sessions in the Sports Hall

• The PTA sessions in the Sports Hall have now started.  There is a great fitness session in the Dance Studio, Fit'n'Mix Friday which is being held between 11am and 11.45am on Friday mornings.  It is 45 minutes of aerobic exercise, toning and relaxation and caters for all fitness levels.  It is being run by Julie Smith who is an aerobics instructor and is well known in the area for her enjoyable mix of exercise styles.  If you are free on a Friday morning, do come along for a quick burst of exercise before the weekend.  
• In addition, Badminton is being held between 7.30pm and 9.30pm on Wednesday evenings. With up to six courts available, all standards, including absolute beginners, are very welcome and a high percentage of on-court time can be guaranteed. Don’t worry about equipment as everything necessary is supplied. Singles and doubles played as desired.  In addition, the gym is available during this time for parents who have been through the induction.  Details of more induction dates to follow.
• Festive Teas and Coffees on Saturday 5 December – please see attached flyer for details.

Boarding House Appeal...The Boarding House are looking for unwanted outdoor kit (boots, waterproofs etc) in all sizes. All donations will be gratefully received.

After School Club Appeal...The After School Club are looking for small ice cream tubs (1/2 litre size) or other small sealable tubs with lids for storing items. If you have any could you please leave them inside the back door of Clarendon. Thank you.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

• Scottish Opera Open Day – Saturday 5 December 10.30am-5pm. Free Entry and a fantastic opportunity to see behind the scenes. Please see flyer attached to this newsletter.
• Helensburgh Theatre Arts presents Little Red Riding Hood at the Victoria Halls. Thursday 10-Friday 12 December. Tickets from Workforce or on the door.

PE

Weekday Fixtures. If pupils depart from School they will be returned to school and not the Sports Hall.

Hockey

Saturday 5 December                 Lomond v Craigholme

• 3rd Year ‘A’ & ‘B’, 1st Year ‘A’, T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ all meet at Sports Hall for 7.55am, to travel to Craigholme pitches.  Travel in school uniform and return approximately 12.40pm.  1st Yr ‘A’ team playing on blaes at 9.30am and 3rd Yr ‘B’ playing on blaes at 10.30am.  3rd Yr ‘A’ on astro at 9.30am and T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ on astro at 10.30am.
• 2nd Yr ‘A’ team meet at Ardencaple for 8.55am, match at 9.30am and finish 10.30am.  Bring clean shoes to change into for match teas upstairs and wear full tracksuits.
• 2nd Yr ‘B’ team meet at Ardencaple for 9.50am, match at 10.20am and finish 11.30am.  Bring clean shoes to change into for match teas upstairs and wear full tracksuits.
• 1st XI Indoor Hockey Tournament at Craigholme Games Hall.  Meet in full tracksuit and remember indoor shoes!  Return approximately 1.30pm depending on how well we do.

1st XI lost 1-0 to Jordanhill School in the West District Cup semi-final on Tuesday evening.  The match was very evenly contested with both teams missing scoring opportunities.  Jordanhill scored half way through the second half and Lomond continued to battle away to find the equaliser.  The whole squad worked extremely hard on a difficult pitch.

Congratulationsto Nicola Skrastin (S6) who has been selected to be part of the Scottish Under 18 Hockey Training Squad 2009-2010

NO HOCKEY MATCHES ON THE LAST SATURDAY OF TERM (12 December).

Christmas Dances

• S1/S2 Christmas Dance on Thursday 10 December in Larchfield Hall at the main building.  Starts at 7pm and finishes 8.30pm.  Entrance fee is 50p which goes towards the school’s designated charities.  There will be a Tuck shop available for refreshments and 6th Year students will be assisting the PE department throughout the evening.
• S3/S4 Christmas Dance on Thursday 10 December in Larchfield Hall at the main building.  Starts at 8.45pm and finishes 10pm.  Entrance fee is 50p which goes towards the school’s designated charities.  There will be a Tuck shop available for refreshments and 6th Year students will be assisting the PEdepartment throughout the evening.
• T1 / T2 Christmas Party on Friday 11 December in Larchfield Hall.  Starts 2pm until 3.25pm.  More details to follow.

These dances are fairly low-key in comparison to the main School Dance in S5 & S6, and pupils are asked to dress smartly and enjoy the evening.

 Rugby

Saturday 5 December                       Lomond v QVS         

• 1st XV, S3/4 (Development) and Transitus (Away).  Meet at Sports Hall 7.45am return by 12.30pm
• S1 & S2 (Home).  Meet at Sports Hall 9.15am finish by 11.30am.

Could I please ask all parents to take into consideration that we have a full fixture list for T1-S6, when organising birthday parties and trips etc.  We have small numbers and when pupils are taken out for events then it does leave us short for our teams.  There will be times when it is unavoidable but we would appreciate it if arrangements could be made for the afternoons rather than mornings of fixtures.

S1 Netball

Thursday 3 December                        Away v Williamwood High at 3.30pm

Wednesday 16 December                  Away v Gleniffer High

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