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Weekly News

NEWSLETTER

Wednesday 24 March 2010

From the Headmaster

The last weeks of term are always very busy ones for all sections of the school. The pupils from S4 to S6 are preparing for their final weeks of learning and revision before their public examinations start in May. With just six weeks to go it is vital that the tempo of work rises to its highest point and there is a need for consideration of exam candidates at both home and school. Any pupil with any concerns is always welcome to access staff support. Whether it be study leave or final taught lessons pupils are encouraged to use the last weeks with their staff to check areas they still need to fully understand or gain materials to help their revision. Past paper practice remains vital for all candidates and so much can be done in focused blocks of time.

Mrs Barrett Bunnage has been advising many pupils on their university and college applications. Her wealth of knowledge and experience is hugely appreciated by all who meet with her and this guidance continues to be very helpful. The great majority of senior pupils have secured university places already and it is excellent to see all five medical applicants with firm offers, these being Abdul Tarmal, Adam Cowley, Catherine Humphreys, Michael Pretswell and Iain Cameron. We are very grateful also to parental help in providing suitable and stretching work experience placements. These have certainly helped our senior pupils and once again Mrs Barrett Bunnage is assembling a programme of two separate weeks for all S5 pupils after their Highers. If any parents are able to offer work experience placements again this year this will be invaluable and a massive assistance. Mrs Barrett Bunnage is available on j.bbunnage@lomond-school.org and would be delighted to hear directly on these matters.

It was wonderful to hear the musicians in the Senior School Concert last Wednesday who gave a programme of real depth and diversity. There were very strong solo performances from Cameron Green, Rachel Mansley, Andrew Mortimer, Lois McLatchie , Shannon Kemp, Malcolm Feist and Megan Hastings with several excellent individual compositions from the Advanced Higher Music course. The Orchestra, Woodwind Ensemble and String Ensemble demonstrated a huge amount of practice and rehearsal and I commend the standard of musicianship. It was entirely fitting that Mrs Lyon was leading this concert and a fitting testimony to her encouragement of individual and corporate musical talent over many years. Thanks must go also to Mr MacDonald for his leadership and Mrs McKillop, Miss Burman-Roy and Miss Trevena for their input.

This week it is the turn of the senior pupils to put on the performance of ‘Back to the Eighties’. All seats have been sold out for some time and a terrific amount of practice has gone in. It is always a huge venture putting on a show and I am very grateful to Mrs McElhill and Mr Greig, who after they have finished leading their respective Business Management and Modern Languages Departments forward have put their musical enthusiasm and talents into developing this show. They have been widely supported by Miss Boyd, Mr Kilday, Miss Mason, Mr Campbell , Mr Kerr and the works team, Mrs Croft and the Art Department and Dr and Mrs McKillop. We wish them all a very successful set of nights in performance and a very memorable production.

The PTA Ceilidh went very smoothly at the weekend under the guidance of a team of parents with Mrs Etchells at the helm. There were around 120 parents and family gathered in Larchfield Hall with a very good atmosphere, helped by the Crowded Croft ceilidh band. It was fantastic to see the input from all involved to make the evening go smoothly from set-up to clear up and we look forward to future events.

A further piece of pupil news that is very noteworthy is that Lindsay Hastings in S5 has been successful in obtaining an English Speaking Union Scholarship to North America. Lindsay, who is keen to read Law, had to compete nationally against a heavy field being interviewed last week in London. We are delighted that her hard work and excellent set of accomplishments to date have led to this experience being available. We wish her well with this exciting venture.

The S1 girls have been doing extremely well in the Scottish Netball Cup this year. As a new venture, Miss Boyd has been training and umpiring this team who have now progressed to the Semi-Finals of the Plate Competition. This match will be played at home in the Sports Hall on Monday 29 March at 3.45pm. Spectators are very welcome and it would be good to give the team support. S1 girls are welcome to stay after Games that afternoon. We wish them every success in this match.

From the Depute

Latin GCSE. Each year we offer Latin GCSE as a crash course in a year to a small group of S4 pupils. This is taken as a ninth subject and is delivered through distance learning with a weekly tutorial via video conferencing and independent study. It thus involves a significant level of commitment and challenge. Letters have been sent to parents of current S3 pupils who we feel would benefit from taking this additional subject in S4. If you have not received a letter but would be interested in finding out more about what is involved, please contact Miss Dudley.
End of Term Arrangements. Pupils will be dismised on Wednesday 31 March at 12 noon. Lunch will not be available for pupils on that day.
Start of Summer Term Arrangements. Pupils should return to school on Monday 19 April at 10am.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 29 March– Mon –Lasagne with French bread, jam tart and cream; Tues– Mexican meatballs and noodles, Easter cakes;Wed– HOLIDAY. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

At the Clarendon Assembly on Tuesday Mrs Greig told the story of the ‘Stupid Cook’ to illustrate the need to say what you mean and that communication is important.
Congratulations to the Transitus Choir for their 2^nd place at the Glasgow Music Festival. Singing on the main stage of the Royal Concert Hall was quite an experience.
Lost property:Gregor Cameron’s dark unnamed duffle coat has gone missing – please let Clarendon know if you have seen a duffle coat anywhere. Also Charlotte Caskie’s named PE kit has gone missing. Her tracksuit, trainers etc were in a pink PE bag. Please could you check to see if your child has brought the wrong bag and/or kit home in error. Thank you.

Nursery News

Easter bonnet/hat parade and egg hunt - Tuesday 30 March. The children are invited to wear a decorated bonnet/hat to Nursery for this exciting event.
Annual Family Grounds Day and Barbeque – Saturday 15 May 12 noon – 4pm. Please make a note of the date in your diary for this annual fun-filled event which we have just begun to make plans for.
‘Wee Builders, Wee Architects workshops’on 20 and 21 April at Scotland Street School in Glasgow. As detailed in a letter sent home, the preschool children will be taking part in these workshops at the start of next term. Please could we respectfully ask that the permission form for this be signed before the end of this term. Thank you.

AN APPEAL TO PARENTS
Please could you encourage your offspring to collect their belongings from the Lost Property Office – there are currently 137 items waiting to be claimed. Thank you. (J Lawn)

TUESDAY NIGHT IS MOVIE NIGHT– organised by the school Sailing Club in St Bride’s Hall.

On Tuesday 30 March there will be two films shown:

For pupils 12+ Don’t Mess with Zohan 5.30pm-7.30pm
For pupils 15+ The Hangover 8pm-9.30pm

Please note that ages will be checked!

Tickets are available to buy from Thursday 25 March until Tuesday 30 March in the Covered Way at lunchtimes.

Price: £2 if bought in advance or £2.50 on the door. Tuck shop available on the night – bring money!

SENIOR DRAMA PRODUCTION 24-26 March

Mrs McElhill and the cast of Back to the 80’s would like to thank all parents and pupils for helping to collect together the props for the school show. The tickets are all sold and props have now been received! We hope you enjoy the show.

Saturday 27 March Lomond Easter Hockey Festival

T1 – S1 meet at Ardencaple astro-turf for 8.55am in ‘fancy dress’ colour of your team. Juice & biscuits upstairs afterwards and finish 10.30am.
S2 & S3 meet at Ardencaple astro-turf for 10.15am in ‘fancy dress’ colour of your team. Juice & biscuits upstairs afterwards and finish 11.45am.

Inter-House Hockey & Rugby this week.

Seniors on Wednesday 24 March, finish about 4.45pm.

S3 on Thursday 25 March, finish about 4.30pm.

T1 & T2 on Thursday 25 March periods 1 & 2.

Inter-House Chess

Thursday 25 March Bergius v Colquhoun 12.30pm in Mr Laceby’s room.

Senior Inter-House Football

Tuesday 30 March at 3.45pm

Staff v 6^th Year Pupils Hockey Match on Monday 29 March at 4pm on astro-turf. Spectators welcome.

S4 – S6 Hockey & Rugby Dinner on Monday 29 March at Larchfield Hall. Starting at 7pm.

The Golf Team will be leaving school at lunchtime on Tuesday. Liam Chambers, Daniel McCahery and Calum Thornton have reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Independent Schools Cup. We wish them luck against Stewart’s Melville on Tuesday 30 March at Cardross.

West District Summer Camp 2010. Monday 9 August – Friday 13 August for T1 – S5 pupils. Please collect forms from the office or PE. department. Completed forms must be handed in to Mrs Taylor by Friday of this week.

SPORTS HALL ON SATURDAYS

Pupils are invited to use the Sports Hall on Saturday 27 March as follows:

J5 and Transitus Basketball and Badminton 10am -11am

S1 – S6 Badminton 11am – 12noon

Please arrive changed.

D of E

Silver D of E training weekend –Departs on Friday at 3.30pm returning on Sunday 6pm approximately.

LOMOND PTA NEWS

Diary Date

The PTA are pleased to let parents know that we have been in discussions with Loch Lomond Golf Club with a view to developing a relationship with them. They have recently opened the Spa facilities in the walled garden to the public and are keen to let people know what is available. To that end, they are holding a Coffee Morning to which all Lomond Parents are invited this Friday (26 March) between 9.30am and 11.30am. During the morning, the Spa will be offering complimentary treatments. The Spa is a very pleasant environment and we hope that as many parents as possible will be able to take advantage of this opportunity. Please see the letter attached.

The Family Ceilidhon Saturday night was a great success. Many thanks to everyone who attended and to Cathy, Mrs Ferguson and the members of the PTA for their hard work in making the evening possible.

HOLIDAY SPORTING ACTIVITIES FOR 5-14 YEAR OLDS AT LOMOND SPORTS HALL

An important strategy for the school is to get the best possible use of our new Sports Hall. We have been approached by an established service provider ‘SportEcosse’ and they would like to run sports camps during the Easter 2010 school break.

Based on their success at other venues we have agreed to allow them to use our Sports Hall on a trial basis. If the initiative is successful then we will allow them to continue during the Summer holiday period. The camp is targeted towards 5 to 14 year old pupils.

The booking form is being sent by email with this newsletter and leaflets are also available from Clarendon and the General Office. I would ask that any parents who are interested in this service should contact ‘SportEcosse’ directly.

70 WILD MILES, GLENCOE - LOCH ETIVE SATURDAY 5 JUNE 2010

(CLIC Sargent, Scotland – Caring for Children with Cancer)

70 Wild Miles is a triathlon where competitors cycle 47 miles, canoe 10 miles and run the last 13 miles.

The event needs a large number of people to support due to the large area covered. The Water section especially needs enough Safety cover or cannot go ahead.

If you have some spare time (and a boat) we desperately need your help. Thank you!

For more information please contact ytsrik_1@hotmail.comand visit www.70wildmiles.org

ROYAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY -EXPLORING DESERET

In this exciting talk, Bruce Gittings takes us through the mountains and valleys of Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California, where landscapes range from the grandiose monuments of the still-isolated Mormon culture to the tranquility of Yosemite in the snow and the vast urban sprawl of Los Angeles.

7.30pm on Thursday 25 March at Park Church Halls. Admission £6 for adults,

ADVERTISEMENTS

The school is happy to advertise articles for sale for example sports equipment, musical instruments, items of furniture and other small items. The main intention is for the Lomond community to sell smaller items amongst themselves. For these small ‘For Sale’ advertisements the charge is £2 per item per week.

Business Advertising

This is meant to be for small local businesses. Some goods and services cannot be included such as property transactions, financial services, tuition and childcare. Charges are per week - £25 for a full page, £15 for ½ page and ¼ page will be £10. Small ads (1/8^th page or less) will be charged at a rate of £5 per week.

Deadline: Tuesday 12 noon

WANTED- Yamaha Flute that is looking for a new home. Please contact Pippa Hutchison on 01436 840001

Weekly News

NEWSLETTER

Wednesday 17 March 2010

From the Headmaster

There is a significant amount of musical endeavour at this point in the Spring Term and it is with much pleasure that I am able to announce the appointment of Mrs Diane Philips to be the successor to Mrs Lyon as the new Head of Music from August onwards. Mrs Lyon has been quite remarkable in her leadership of the Music Department at Lomond, serving more than 36 years with huge energy, enthusiasm and great care towards all the pupils in her classes. Mrs Philips has been developing music with great vigour in the Junior School and I have every belief that she will continue this with her work in the Senior School.

There will be further time yet to celebrate the successes of Mrs Lyon but in the meantime we look forward to the Senior Concert at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 17 March in St Bride’s Hall. This promises to be a lively set of performances and adds to the recent performance by the Pipe Band at the Schools’ Pipe Band Competition on Friday. Also playing recently were Shannon Kemp, Megan Hastings and Katherine Bull who joined the West of Scotland Independent School’s Orchestra a week ago to perform in the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. I congratulate all of the musicians who are working hard on their instruments and voices and wish the upcoming competitors in the Mid Argyll Music Festival every enjoyment and success.

Opportunities to see the senior pupils in ‘Back to the Eighties’ are now curtailed as all nights are now sold out. This is a time of high intensity practice for the cast and I am most grateful to Mrs McElhill, Mr Greig, Miss Boyd, Miss Mason, Mr Campbell, Mrs Philips and Mrs McKillop for their really strong work in bringing along this production. We very much look forward to the performances and it has been fantastic to see the level of effort going in from all the cast and staff. There have been plenty of humorous moments in practices and a lot of new skills have been honed.

It was excellent to see Caitlin Todd in S4 gain a prestigious place at the Harvard Summer School, which is an intensive pre-university set of courses offered to prospective applicants. Caitlin will be one of the youngest students on this summer school and has a bewildering series of lectures to choose from. The programme is intense and Caitlin will be studying right through her summer holiday. However it is sure to be very stimulating and will be a fascinating window onto life as a North American student. Caitlin is endeavouring to raise significant funds to help her meet her costs and will be selling cakes and washing cars at the Sports Hall on a Saturday morning, in addition to other fund raising activities locally. If you are able to support her in either of these two ways I commend her to you as a pupil who is working very hard to achieve her success.

We have recently said goodbye to the group of German of pupils who joined us from our link school in Leipzig, Germany. These experiences are always very positive both for our own pupils and for those who attend. Usually we have a number of German pupils who join us for 6 months in S5 to develop their, already very strong, English and experience a Scottish school. They will often learn new sports such as rugby and make many new friends. Recently it has been possible for me to meet Robert Klimmt who runs this scheme at the Leipzig end and also Sabina Ulrich, their new Headteacher. Both are great enthusiasts regarding Lomond School and the link remains in good shape accordingly.

I hope that all pupils will make maximum use of their remaining fortnight of lessons before Easter. There is much to do and the time is getting close to examinations now. I hope that all candidates will be systematically covering their work as they revise and raising any concerns with their subject teachers. This work will be most important as the examinations draw nearer. Help is always available to any pupil from all Departments.

Congratulations to …

Rachel Nimmo (S6) who won the Glasgow Ski Centre Club Championships Senior Girls event at Nevis Range last weekend. This is a great achievement.

Douglas Jagger (S4) who was selected to represent the Glasgow Warriors U16 Rugby team versus Edinburgh on Sunday. Douglas was selected to play at stand-off and this represents a real step forward in his playing experience. Douglas will also play for the Glasgow Warriors against the Borders and Yorkshire in the coming weeks ahead. We wish him all success.

From the Depute

S2, S4 and S5 girls HPV vaccination (3). This will take place on Thursday 18 March from 9.30am in Burnbrae.
S5/6 reports and T2-S4 attitudinals will be posted to parents in the end of term mailing.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 22 March– Mon –Chicken curry and rice, jelly and fruit cocktail; Tues– Tomato soup and selection of sandwiches, carrot cake;Wed– Breaded haddock, sweetcorn and chipped potatoes, banana boat with choc chips; Thurs – Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding with baby roast potato and cauliflower, gingerbread; Fri– Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread, melon, strawberry and grape cocktail . A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

At the Transitus Assembly T1B presented their thoughts on a Curriculum for Excellence and how their schooling is leading towards them becoming successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
At the Clarendon Assembly on Tuesday Mrs Cassels told the story of Joseph Lister and the importance of washing our hands.
Clarendon Maths Weektakes place the week beginning 22 of March and the theme will be ‘inside and out’ and will also have an artistic element.
Mid-Argyll Music Festival – a letter went out to the Transitus Choir about the Mid-Argyll Festival last week. Please let Mrs Ferguson know if you did not receive a copy.

Nursery News

ChildsmileThere are a few consent forms outstanding. Please could we politely ask that these be returned as soon as possible.
Sport Relief. On Monday 22 March: The children will be taking part in a session of fun filled activities organised as part of Sport Relief during their normal PE lesson. We would greatly appreciate if you were to give your child a £1 donation to bring along for this session. These donations will go directly to Comic Relief who will then use this money to help the poor and vulnerable here in the UK and abroad. For further information on Sport Relief, please check out www.sportrelief.com
Keeping children safe. Our local community police officer spoke to the children to help them understand how to keep safe, with particular reference to personal safety. There is much information of on the kidscape website for parents and older children.
http://www.kidscape.org.uk/assets/downloads/kskeepingyoungchildrensafe.pdf

LOMOND SCHOOL MUSIC DEPARTMENT IN CONCERT

Please join the Music Department on Wednesday 17 March at 7.30pm in St Bride’s Hall. Tickets are available from the General Office and admission is free.

S5 WORK EXPERIENCE

The Careers Advisor is looking for parents who could assist with work experience placements - especially engineering and medical. Work experience is scheduled for w/c 31 May for one week and w/c 14 June. If you can help please email j.bbunnage@lomond-school.org

SENIOR DRAMA PRODUCION

Mrs McElhill and the cast of Back to the 80’s would like to thank all parents and pupils for helping to collect together the props for the school show. The tickets are now all sold and all props have now been received! We hope you enjoy the show.

Senior High School of Glasgow Hockey & Rugby VIIs on Wednesday 17 March. Minibus leaves for hockey at 12 noon. Return 5pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
Friday 19 March – Local Primary Schools Cross Country competition behind Colgrain Primary. T1 & T2 pupils will be taken to this event by minibus and will return to school for lunchtime. A letter will be sent out to the selected pupils.
Glasgow Academy Prep Hockey Tournament at Windyedge, Glasgow. This rearranged event will take place on Friday 19 March. Pupils will leave at 11.45am to travel to Glasgow. Return to school at 5.30pm.

Hockey on Saturday 20 March Lomond v Hutchesons’

1^st XI, 2^nd XI and 3^rd XI meet at Sports Hall for 7.50am. 1^st XI and 3^rd XI travel in Full Tracksuits as your matches are both at 9.15am. You ALL must bring School Uniform to change into for after the match. 2^nd XI travel in School Uniform as your match is at 10.15am. Return to Sports Hall at 12.30pm.
2^nd Yr ‘A’ & ‘B’ to meet at 8.20am to travel to East End Park, Dumbarton. ‘A’ team playing at 9.30am, finish at 10.20am, ‘B’ team start at 10.20am and finish at 11.15am. Return to Sports Hall at 12 noon.
3^rd Yr ‘B’ team to meet at Ardencaple for 9am, match at 9.30am, finish at 10.20am. Bring clean shoes to go upstairs for match teas.
T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams all meet at 10am, match at 10.20am, finish at 11.10am. Bring clean shoes to go upstairs for match teas.
Girls’ cancellation number is 0751 843 0319. Please phone this number after 7am.

On the last Saturday of term, Saturday 27 March, there will be an Easter Hockey Tournament. T1/T2/S1 meet at Ardencaple for 8.50am, finish 10.15am and S2/S3/S4 meet at Ardencaple for 10.15am until 12 noon. Fancy dress with each team having a colour to wear. Teams will go up next week.

Inter-House Events:

Thursday 18 March Senior Inter-House X-Country competition at Duchess Woods after school.

Inter-House Chessstarts next week for T1-S6 pupils

Monday 22 March Graham v Bergius Room 28 at 12.50pm

Tuesday 23 March Colquhoun v Graham Room 28 at 12.30pm

Thursday 24 March Bergius v Colquhoun Room 28 at 12.30pm

Inter-House Hockey & Rugbystarting next week:

Monday 22 March 1st Yr Hockey & Rugby 4.30pm

Tuesday 23 March 2nd Yr Hockey (3.30pm) & Rugby

Wednesday 24 March Senior Hockey & Rugby 3pm – 4.45pm

Thursday 25 March 3rd Yr Hockey & Rugby 4.45pm

Thursday 25th March T1 & T2 Hockey & Rugby periods 1 & 2

Staff v pupils Hockey match on Monday 29 March at 4pm at Ardencaple.

Hockey & Rugby Dinner on Monday 29 March at Larchfield Hall for 7pm. Tickets will be available next week.

Summer West District Hockey Camps from Monday 9 August – Friday 13 August: Cost £55 with a free T-Shirt. T1 – S5 players. Pick up forms from General Office and PE Department.

Rugby

Saturday 20 March

1st XV & S3/S4 (away) meet at Sports Hall 8.45am return by 1pm.
S2 (home) meet at sports hall in uniform 9am, finish by 11.15am.
Boys’ cancellation number is 0751 843 0155. Please phone this number after 7am.

SPORTS HALL ON SATURDAYS

Pupils are invited to use the Sports Hall on Saturday 13 March as follows:

J5 and Transitus Basketball and Badminton 10am -11am

S1 – S6 Badminton 11am – 12noon

Please arrive changed.

D of E

Bronze D of E training weekend -Killin & Loch Tay. 9am Saturday 20 until Sunday 21 March 6pm approximately. All pupils should have picked a letter up from the office concerning this activity.

LOMOND PTA NEWS

Use of Sports Hall Multi Gym. This facility is open to parents on Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm-9pm however it is essential that anyone using the equipment has an induction. This Saturday there are two opportunities to attend induction – 3 places for 1pm and 6 places for 1.30pm. Booking is essential. Please email admin@lomond-school.org to reserve your place.
Change to Pre-Order System – Trial Period

To make the Pre-Order System more convenient for senior school parents, orders handed in by Friday morning can be collected from St Bride’s Reception between 8.20am - 8.30am the following Monday directly from either Mrs McPherson or Mrs Lawn. Pre-Orders for junior school pupils will still be available for collection from Mrs Ferguson.

Lomond PTA Shop

Colquhoun Tartan School Kilts now selling at ONLY £10.

Navy Crested School Jumpers in stock from only £12.

Lovely warm fleece lined waterproof jackets for juniors and seniors start at only £18. Hats and scarves are also available.

The shop is open on Friday afternoons 3.30pm- 4.30pm

Diary Date

The PTA are pleased to let parents know that we have been in discussions with Loch Lomond Golf Club with a view to developing a relationship with them. They have recently opened the Spa facilities in the walled garden to the public and are keen to let people know what is available. To that end, they are holding a Coffee Morning to which all Lomond Parents are invited on Friday 26 March between 9.30am and 11.30am. During the morning, the Spa will be offering complimentary treatments. The Spa is a very pleasant environment and we hope that as many parents as possible will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

LOMOND PTA FAMILY CEILIDH

All parents and children are warmly invited to the PTA Family Ceilidh which is taking place in Larchfield Hall on Saturday 20 March from 7.30pm to 10.30pm. The band will be Crowded Croft and we will be serving light refreshments at half time. There will also be a tuck shop and raffle. Tickets are available from the School Offices and the PTA year reps for a very reasonable £5 for adults and £3 for children. Do come along for what should be a very enjoyable evening.

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED

Volunteers needed to assist with planting a Hawthorn Hedge at Duchess Wood near the Lomond rugby pitch. This forms part of the woodland management effort conducted by Friends of Duchess Wood. We will also conduct a litter clear by the picnic tables there. Such events can count as service towards Duke of Edinburgh Awards and I will be happy to sign assessment sheets. We will start this work Sunday 21 March 10am. If you can help please mail me - Mathew Offord at matthew_offord@yahoo.co.uk. Many thanks.

HOLIDAY SPORTING ACTIVITIES FOR 5-14 YEAR OLDS AT LOMOND SPORTS HALL

SCRIPTURE UNION CAMPS J5 to S6

If anyone is interested in attending a Scripture Union camp this year leaflets are available at Clarendon and the General Office.

HELENSBURGH MUSIC SOCIETY

The next concert of the Helensburgh Music Society is on Saturday 20 March 2010 at 7.45pm at Victoria Halls, Sinclair Street, Helensburgh

Sharona Joshua, pianist, accompanies Baritone Thomas Guthrie in Schubert's song cycle Die Schone Mullerin.

Tickets are £11, £9 (concessions) £5 (students), £1 (u16s) and available from the Membership Secretary 01436 672402, The Pink Gallery, 28 Sinclair Street, Helensburgh 01436 678848 and on door.

70 WILD MILES, GLENCOE - LOCH ETIVE SATURDAY 5 JUNE 2010

(CLIC Sargent, Scotland – Caring for Childrenwith Cancer)

70 Wild Miles is a triathlon where competitors cycle 47 miles, canoe 10 miles and run the last 13 miles.

The event needs a large number of people to support due to the large area covered. The Water section especially needs enough Safety cover or cannot go ahead.

If you have some spare time (and a boat) we desperately need your help. Thank you!

For more information please contact ytsrik_1@hotmail.comand visit www.70wildmiles.org.

Weekly News

NEWSLETTER

Wednesday 10 March 2010

From the Headmaster

As the later part of the Spring Term draws nearer with about three weeks to go until the Easter holidays all pupils in S4 to S6 will be making sure that they have a carefully constructed revision timetable. The number of weeks until public examinations can now be counted in single figures and the amount of time spent in revision work must therefore rise. There are still plenty of opportunities for all candidates to seek help from their teachers, but in addition a significant increase in the number of hours of homework must now take place to get the best possible results in August.

The programme for examination leave will be put on the website, published to pupils by the end of this week and a copy included in the end of term mailing with the aim being to maximise time in class for all pupils taking examinations. After the summer examinations S5 will have a period of two weeks of work experience surrounding one week on an Outward Bound course. This will, I think, be incredibly rewarding to those who go.

After the Advanced Highers are sat by S6 they will be able to participate in a wide ranging programme under the heading ‘Independent Living.’ This will also be known as the S6 Leavers’ Programme and will run from 14-29 June. It will involve sessions on finances, health, survival cookery, first aid, plus have sessions on sport, whole year group activities and other opportunities. We look forward to this additional programme.

Meanwhile the Curriculum for Excellence preparations are moving ahead well with the secondary emphasis being on S1 and S2 next year. This preparation has recently been supplemented by the February INSET day and staff attending outside training and joining development panels for the new qualifications. The cross curricular work opportunities are proving exciting for Departments to develop. There is still a period of waiting to see how the new examinations at S4 level, to be known as National 4 or 5, are going to be organised. A summary of Curriculum for Excellence and how it fits in with our provision at Lomond is available on the school website.

There will be minimal adjustments to school uniform for next year in a bid to ensure that team kits can have as long a life as possible. One change that will be made is to introduce a more modern girls’ games skort (a skirt/short combination garment) that is more in keeping with the modern game. The PE Department and School shop are liaising closely here to ensure the transition goes well. Additionally the Junior boys and girls will have a better fitting set of PE shorts ordered. All other items of uniform remain the same which I hope will help.

The recent Charity fundraising Neon discos, for CHAS and Pecanwood College have done well and raised a sum of £600.19 in one short burst. We hope to be able to send a good set of funds to make a difference. I am grateful to the Charities Committee in S6 and Mr Dodson and his staff helpers for making this an excellent event.

Congratulations to …

Jeanna Sallywho has been elected as Helensburgh and Lomond’s new Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament. She won with 96% of the votes.

Caleigh Bradburysubmitted a piece about “The Book that Changed My Life” for the Scottish Book Trust. This has been included in an anthology of stories written by well know authors including Michael Rosen and Alexander McCall Smith. Caleigh was invited to the book launch and presented with her own edition of the book.

Well done and our warmest congratulations.

From the Depute

S6 subject choices. In the course of the next few weeks I will be interviewing all current S5 pupils about their plans for next year, especially their proposed subjects of study. Pupils should use the recently completed prelim marks as an indicator. As a general rule, it would be unwise to choose an Advanced Higher course unless the pupil is likely to obtain at least 60% (a 'B' award) at Higher level. The choices made at this stage will help in constructing the timetable for next session. Needless to say, changes will be able to be made once the Higher results are published in August.
Team Photographs will be taken on Friday 12 March. Clean PE kit should be brought into school on that day. Individual photographs will also be taken for pupils who were not available in September. Full school uniform should be worn for these photographs and a list of the pupils concerned is on the noticeboard and a note will be given to Form Teachers.
S2, S4 and S5 girls HPV vaccination (3). This will now take place on Thursday 18 March from 9.30am in Burnbrae.

Primary News

Lunch w/c 15 March– Mon –Sausage casserole with cauliflower cheese and creamed potato, raspberry flan; Tues– Tomato and cheese pasta with French bread, fruit platter;Wed– Cod goujons with mixed vegetables and oven chips, fruit loaf; Thurs – Roast chicken, over roast potato and sprouts, Mars bar cake; Fri– Shepherd’s Pie and peas, empire biscuit. A selection of fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily.

At the Transitus Assembly Mr Calder shared an excellent CEOP (Child Exploitation & Online Protection) production aimed at 8 to 10 year olds. This resource, called Jigsaw, talks about how children can keep themselves safe online and how they can report anything they find disconcerting. Sadly the case reported in the news of a conviction in Darlington for an incident of this type within 10 hours of the assembly shows how vital this education is.
At the Clarendon Assembly on Tuesday Mr Calder discussed the significance of the individual using the example of the Stroma Bell and sheep. Hopefully the children will remember their ‘Stroma Bell’ whenever they are being poorly influenced by others.
Clarendon parents’ eveningtook place on Tuesday and will take place on Thursday 11 March (7pm-9pm). As well as class teachers, there are appointments available with PE and Additional Support Needs from 7pm – 8pm. Please contact Mrs Ferguson if you still require an appointment.
Maths Week:Last week in St Bride’s T1, T2 and S1 took part in a Maths week where they were taking a look at the usage of maths and numeracy in everyday life. This included use of the Clarendon garden, liaison with the Art Department and taking part in the World Maths Week Challenge. Mr Calder was particularly impressed by the pizza and cookie he received as part of the financial education element. In Clarendon, Maths week will now take place the week beginning 22 March and the theme will be ‘inside and out’ and will also have an artistic element.
T2 Edinburgh trip:Just a calendar reminder that the parental information session for the T2 Edinburgh trip will take place in Mrs Brown’s room at 3.30pm on Monday 15 March.
Cross Country:The next generation of Lomond Cross Country runners is shaping up to be a good one. Unfortunately for the J5 girls they did not hold their title at the Garscube Harriers Meet last week due to Wallis Jamieson having a nasty fall but Kara Bruce ran extremely well to come 5^th in 13.06 minutes with Mackenzie Serpell taking 12^th place in 13.46. The J5 boys ‘A’ team were awarded with trophies for third team place after excellent runs by Charlie Johnston (5^th in 9.58), Tyler Thomas (7^th in 10.49) and Ruairidh Scott-Brown (15^th in 11.42). The boys ‘B’ team also performed well to take 7^th place. They were Jamie Fraser (19th in 12.26), Callum Woodward (27^th in 13.27) and Andrew Macleod (31^st in 14.58). In the T1 race Calum Caskie had a really classy run to come 5^th in 10.15 whilst Tristan Philbey was not far behind him coming 8^th in 10.39.
Congratulations to Helena Philipswho took part in the 98^th Glasgow Music Festival. She was awarded first place out of 10 for singing in the in the Songs from the Shows category (10-11 year group). Helena is the first Lomond pupil in recent times to have entered this competition and this is an incredible achievement. Hopefully she will help the choir towards an equally good result next week.
Tesco Vouchersare now being given out and are once again being collected by Clarendon. Thank you for your continuing support with this initiative.
Lost property:Alexander Caskie’s named school waterproof jacket, one of the new fleece lined design, has gone missing. Please could you check to see if your child has brought it home in error. Thank you.

Nursery News

World Book Day~ A very warm thank you to those parents who read to the children. This was a lovely day, it was good to see so many children dressed up and having fun developing their storybook characters through their role play.
Nursery Photographs~ The whole group photo will take place on Friday 12 March in St Bride’s at 10.20am. If your child is not usually in Nursery on a Friday, if possible please could you bring him/her to St Bride’s at this time as we would like all children to be included. If your child missed the individual photo earlier in the year, or had not yet started Nursery, there will be an opportunity to have this taken at 1.45pm (please note not 2pm as previously stated), but please could you let us know if you will be going as we need to notify the photographer. All children are asked to please wear their full nursery uniform, including sweatshirt, for the photographs.
GoggleBox ~ The next Gogglebox session will be after Nursery on Tuesday 16 March. If your child has just started Nursery, this is a great way to get to know other parents while the children let off steam.
Visit from the Community Police Officer ~ We are in the process of arranging a visit from the Community Police Officer to help the children understand about keeping safe, especially as at this age children may run away from a parent without any concept of possible consequences.
Superhero role play ~ All parents should have recently received our policy leaflet. Please refer to this if your child is showing an interest or concern about this type of play. This week in Nursery we are focusing on helping children to understand the differences between fantasy and reality - a very difficult concept for children under the age of 6 to comprehend.
The following web links may be of interest to you:

Superhero
Kidzworld

Chicken Pox ~ This is doing the rounds - keep an eye out for spots, or if your child is generally unwell ... you are advised to keep your child at home until all the spots have crusted over.

S5 WORK EXPERIENCE

LOMOND SCHOOL MUSIC DEPARTMENT IN CONCERT

Please join the Music Department on Wednesday 17 March at 7.30pm in St Bride’s Hall. Tickets are available from the General Office and admission is free.

S1/S2 PARENTS MATHS REFRESHER SESSION

In anticipation of the S1 and S2 Maths Assessments in March, there’ll be another of our occasional Refresher Sessions in school on Saturday 13 March from 11am-12 noon (tea/coffee and biscuits from 10.45!). Everyone is welcome; we’ll be looking at Angles, Areas and Volumes. Please email me at a.laceby@lomond-school.org if you would like to attend. (AJL)

SENIOR DRAMA PRODUCTION

New request – we need a very old, dirty and beaten up, but still working BMX type bike for the show. If you can help please contact Mrs McElhill - c.mcelhill@lomond-school.org Many thanks.

Saturday 13 March Hockey v St Columba’s School

1^st XI meet at Ardencaple for 9am in Full Tracksuits, match at 9.30am, finish 10.30am. Bring a clean pair of shoes for match teas.
2^nd XI meet at Ardencaple for 10am in Full Tracksuits, match at 10.30am, finish 11.30am. Bring a clean pair of shoes for match teas.
1^st Year ‘A’ team and 3^rd XI meet at Sports Hall for 8.20am in Full Tracksuits, to travel to East End Park, Dumbarton. 1^st Year match at 9.30am and finish at 10.30am, 3^rd XI match at 10.20am and finish at 11.15am. Bus returns to Sports Hall at 12 noon.
T2 ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams and 3^rd Year ‘B’ team are meeting at Sports Hall for 7.45am to travel to Linwood. T2 matches start at 9.15am and will finish at 10 am. Miss Boyd will be driving a minibus to take the dancers back to Helensburgh for 10.30am. T2 pupils must travel in Full Tracksuits and take their School Uniform to change into after match. 3^rd Yr pupils must travel in School Uniform. Return to Sports Hall approximately 12.15pm.
3^rd Yr ‘A’, 2^nd Yr ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams all meet at Sports Hall for 7.45am to travel to Kilmacolm. 3^rd Years travel in Full Tracksuits with 2^nd Years travelling in School Uniform. 3rd Years playing at 9.15am, 2^nd Yr ‘A’ at 10am, 2^nd Yr ‘B’ at 10.45am. Return to Sports Hall for approximately 1pm.

Girls’ cancellation number is 0751 843 0319. Please phone this number after 7am.

Wednesday 10 March

West District Hockey VIIs away to Glasgow at lunchtime.

2^nd XI Tournament, players leaving at 12.30pm sharp from School. Change into PE kit at break time. Return 6.15pm.

Hutchesons’ Rugby VIIs at Auldhouse, leaving at lunch-time.

Friday 12 March

2^nd Year Hockey & Rugby Squads v King’s School, Tynemouth. Matches starting 2pm at Ardencaple, pupils are being dismissed from there and are hosting the visitors on Friday night and then meeting back on Saturday morning. More details on letter.

Tuesday 16 March

West District Under 15 Hockey Trials at Windyedege. Leaving school at 3.25pm, finish at 6pm.

Wednesday 17 March

The High School of Glasgow Hockey & Rugby VIIs - Away

Thursday 18 March

Senior Inter-House Cross Country at 3.25pm.

Rugby

Friday 12 March

S2 v King’s School (home) KO 2pm

Saturday 13 March

Lomond V Coatbridge HS

1^stXV, S3/S4, S2 and S1 (Home) KO 10am, meet at sports hall 9.15am changed, finish by

11.15am.

Boys’ cancellation number is 0751 843 0155. Please phone this number after 7am.

SPORTS HALL ON SATURDAYS

Pupils are invited to use the Sports Hall on Saturday 13 March as follows:

J5 and Transitus Basketball and Badminton 10am -11am

S1 – S6 Badminton 11am – 12noon

Please arrive changed.

D of E

Monday 15 March –Silver D of E presentations in St Bride’s Hall at 6.30pm. The Silver groups from last year will be doing presentations about their expeditions.
Bronze Training weekend Saturday 20 March9am – Sunday 21 March 6pm approximately.

Pick up letter from D of E tray in General Office.

LOMOND PTA NEWS

Change to Pre-Order System – Trial Period

Lomond PTA Shop

Colquhoun Tartan School Kilts now selling at ONLY £10.

Navy Crested School Jumpers in stock from only £12.

Lovely warm fleece lined waterproof jackets for juniors and seniors start at only £18. Hats and scarves are also available.

The shop is open on Friday afternoons 3.30pm- 4.30pm

Diary Date

The PTA are pleased to let parents know that we have been in discussions with Loch Lomond Golf Club with a view to developing a relationship with them. They have recently opened the Spa facilities in the walled garden to the public and are keen to let people know what is available. To that end, they are holding a Coffee Morning to which all Lomond Parents are invited on Friday 26 March between 9.30am and 11.30am. During the morning, the Spa will be offering complimentary treatments. The Spa is a very pleasant environment and we hope that as many parents as possible will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

LOMOND PTA FAMILY CEILIDH

HOLIDAY SPORTING ACTIVITIES FOR 5-14 YEAR OLDS AT LOMOND SPORTS HALL

Booking forms and leaflets have been sent out via email and are also available from Clarendon and the General Office. I would ask that any parents who are interested in this service should contact ‘SportEcosse’ directly.