Mar 2, 2017 - child's education by participating in many events enabling .... Being in the Apple Store was very exciting
Notre Dame High School - Easter 2017
A message from the Head Teacher Dear Parent/Carer It is with great pleasure that I introduce our latest school newsletter. It will give you a flavour of the activities and great achievements of our staff and young people over the past few months. During Lent, our school was represented by staff and pupils at a number of events in the Archdiocese, but my highlight, was the dramatisation of the Stations of the Cross, performed each Friday morning by our S1 Youth Team in our school Oratory. As always, our Lenten fundraising campaign has been in support of SCIAF; the girls have given generously each day and particularly enjoyed the non-uniform day! We launched our new and improved school website last month and I would urge you to save following link to your favourites, allowing you to access up to the minute information for both pupils and parents - https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/gc/ndhs Moving forward, our focus turns to the SQA examinations and I would like to thank our staff who are once again highlighting their commitment to the girls by the number of supported study events which have already taken place, and which will continue throughout the examination period. In addition, the staff are providing additional tuition time during the Spring break - our Easter Revision programme has been distributed to all pupils in S4/5/6 and I would encourage all of the girls to attend, where appropriate. Evidence shows those pupils who perform best have engaged with all of the additional help teachers provide. Shortly after the holiday, we say goodbye to our wonderful sixth year students, all of whom are moving on to a positive destination which reflects their learning and career ambitions. They have been a tremendous asset to our school and on behalf of the staff, I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contribution and to wish them every success in the forthcoming examinations and in the next stage of their journey. We look forward to joining them in celebrating their final day and Prom. Girls, I am certain that our foundress, St. Julie Billiart, will join you on your journey in the years ahead.
Notre Dame High School 160 Observatory Road Glasgow G12 9LN Phone: 0141 582 0190 Fax: 0141 582 0191 Web: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/gc/ndhs
School Holidays 2016-17 • Easter Holiday - Mon. 3 April - Mon. 17th April (inclusive) • May Bank Holiday - Mon. 1 May • Mid Term - Fri. 26 May - Mon. 29 May (inclusive) • Summer Break - School closes Tue. 27 June
The Parent Council have asked that I express their thanks for your support with the recent uniform consultation. They received an outstanding 199 responses from families and you can read more about this inside. Your continued partnership with the school is critical to our success and I welcome any comments or suggestions you might have for our continuing school improvement. As we prepare our Improvement Plan for next session, I invite all parents to share their ideas for this with me. I hope you and your family enjoy a relaxing Easter and spring break and look forward to welcoming back our pupils and staff refreshed and ready for the summer term. Finally, good luck to all our pupils undertaking examinations; do your best and be assured of the thoughts and prayers of myself and the staff.
With warmest wishes
Rosie Martin Head Teacher
Parking at School Gates Please remember that it is illegal to park on the zig-zag lines outside the school. Due to congestion in the surrounding area, parents who collect their children will find it easier to meet with their child a short distance from the school. Please be advised that you must not stop your car in the middle of the road causing inconvenience to other drivers, and please be courteous and considerate to local residents.
Notre Dame High School - Easter 2017 SCIENCE Parental Partnership Partnership working is an important aspect of our success in Notre Dame High School. As parents you show a keen interest in your child’s education by participating in many events enabling us to work together to ensure all children achieve their full potential. The list is extensive but here are a few examples. Events such as: • • • • • • •
Parents’ Evenings Information and Options Evenings Welcome Evenings Awards Ceremonies Concerts Workshops Masses
Your views and involvement are essential and very much appreciated. We have a large and active Parent Council and if you wish to make any contributions to their work, please contact Mrs. Martin on 0141 582 0190.
School Improvement Plan Thanks to parents who contributed to the Improvement Plan through our consultation process. Copies of the Improvement Plan are available for any parent from the school office. Our Improvement Plan Priorities for next session are: • Raising Attainment, and recording wider achievement • Further developing Curriculum for Excellence • Meeting the needs of all learners
BAE Schools Engineering Challenge Mrs Scrimgeour’s 2I2 class continue to work with BA systems. Their task is to design and build a model boat with the help and expertise of ambassadors from the company. The boats should be ready for the competition in May.
S3 Chemical Ambassadors Congratulations to Elize Bain and Hafsah Najam who completed their programme with the University of Strathclyde’s Chemical Engineering Department. The girls presented a summary of their work on Surfactants in Oil Recovery to S3. The girls explained the theory to us and led us through some practical work. The girls presentations were excellent. Both will be attending a celebration and prize-giving event at the university on the 27th of April. – Well Done!
Science Club The Science Club has run from October until the Easter break with a regular group of S1 pupils participating in a variety of experiments which included making their own crystals, flame test on compounds, making slime, lava lamps and volcanos. Remember there is always space for new members!
Go4Set - S2 As part of the Engineering Development Trust’s (EDT) drive to promote STEM subjects in schools, they coordinate a 10 week project entitled Go4SET. This project involves young people developing their understanding of STEM subjects, creating opportunities to explore subject and career choices in Science and develop key employability skills across multiple sectors. Our team at Notre Dame High were tasked with investigating future trends in how we will spend our money. They worked extremely well as a team, coordinating with staff across the school and in industry to complete the project. They presented their project at the City Chambers.
Standards & Quality Report Our Standards & Quality Report is produced every year by the Senior Leadership Team and describes the strengths of the school. Copies of the full report for 2016-17 are available from the school office and on the school website.
Child Protection All staff in our school participate in an annual training event covering Child Protection issues in August of each academic session. The school has a policy on matters of Child Protection and clear guidelines and procedures to follow should a concern be raised. What to do if you are concerned? If you are worried about a child or young person, speak to someone. This might be a health visitor, nursery staff, teacher, GP, social worker, police officer or children’s reporter. We are entirely committed to ensuring that everyone takes responsibility for protecting young people and our own Child Protection Coordinator is Mrs Henderson, DHT.
Girls into Engineering - S3&4 As one of the schools in partnership with BAE Systems, we were invited to take part in a 'Girls into Engineering' event. The girls took part in a practical STEM challenge to 'Construct a Crane' with support from BAE STEM Ambassadors and Scottish Council and Development Industry staff. The girls had to construct a boat with a small motor and a crane using limited resources - mainly card and tape. The crane had to be able to lift precious cargo (eggs) from the dock, put them onto the boat to transport them down the river (plastic tub). Both teams performed exceptionally well, and our S3 team - Ellize Bain, Daisy Campbell, Sofia McClure and Teresa Romera, were one of the few teams who actually managed to transport the cargo to its final destination. Our S4 team - Laaryib AbdurRahman, Alia Ali, Pati Alonso, and Jude Campbell were awarded first place and received a £200 prize for the school to use on STEM resources. Congratulations to the girls!
Notre Dame High School - Easter 2017 DEVELOPING YOUNG WORKFORCE S6 LEADERSHIP
Creative Industries Business Presentation to Apple (by Morooje Jaber, S5) As part of our project for Creative Industries class we have been developing our own brand of make-up called ‘Rouge’. We have created our own logo and branding whilst carrying out market research to ensure that we created a product that people wanted. As a result we created the Rouge Lipstick. As part of our presentation Nagoul, Treasure and I visited Apple, Buchanan Street. We were given a task by the Business Team at Apple to present our ideas in the boardroom ‘Dragon’s Den Style’. An Apple trainer helped us with the software and we were given one hour to create a presentation. Once we had created our presentation we were sent to the boardroom to deliver it to their Head of Marketing for Apple in Scotland, Head of Business for Apple in Scotland and the Store Manager. Our presentation was a success and after some tough questioning, all three Apple representatives said they would invest in us. Overall this was a worthwhile and enjoyable experience. It was an opportunity that we could not refuse. How many pupils can say they have presented a business plan in front of a billion dollar company!? Being in the Apple Store was very exciting for us and we really enjoyed our time.
Music Industry Day (by Sophie Curren, S6) On Thursday, March 2nd, 2017, I went to Glasgow University for a Music Industry Day with other pupils from the senior phase who are interested in pursuing a career in music. It began with a welcome from Jo Dipple (CEO, UK Music) and Professor Martin Cloonan from Glasgow University. They were followed by a talk from Fiona Hyslop who is the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs. All speakers spoke very highly of careers within the Music Industry and encouraged us to work hard and achieve great things. We were provided with information which included the Programme of the day, information about the new Postgraduate Degree; M.Litt. in Music Industries, a CD and Careers Information Pack, including college courses, university courses and apprenticeships. This had useful links for all different types of jobs in the music industry and showed us a structural representation of how many ways there are to get a job within the music sector. We were given talks by Geoff Ellis; the organiser of T in the Park, Leo O'Brien; representative for PPL, Ivan Hall Barrientos; a Producer/DJ and Carla Easton; who is part of the band Teen Canteen. I learned so much during the day and was surprised to learn about all the different career opportunities within music. Each speaker shared their personal experiences and told us to dream big and to have a focus for what you want to do in the future. I learned that it is important to make the most of opportunities that present themselves and ensure that my work is acknowledged appropriately. I understand the importance of developing my skills and experiences which will stand me in good stead for the future.
Senior Phase Options Conference (by Leah McCabe, S5) On Thursday 2nd March I attended a Senior Phase Options Conference in school. It began with a presentation from Skills Development Scotland where I learned about the different career paths teenagers can choose after school; higher education, further education and apprenticeships. After the presentation we went to the Dining Hall to visit stalls which were hosted by universities, colleges and businesses from across Scotland. I specifically wanted to look at the Strathclyde University and Royal Conservatoire Scotland stalls. The representative from RCS was extremely helpful; as a result of this event I have now emailed RCS to have a consultation lesson with a Professor where they will mentor me in preparation for my audition next year. I have also requested to be a part of the Classical Singing Summer School where I will develop my teamwork skills and gain confidence in singing around others. I also visited the Strathclyde University stall; this is where I was put in contact with the Head of Pharmacy to strengthen my knowledge of the course. Overall, I found this evening helpful and interesting. It provided me with the information I require to pursue my chosen career. I enjoyed attending the event and I hope that the school will run it again next year.
Since August the S6 Leadership class have been involved in an array of different activities to raise money and awareness for important causes which all started with our hugely successful Hint of Pink day. The Leadership class in particular and S6 in general have made huge contributions to school life and to our Values in Action work. Our Hint of Pink day contribution to Breast Cancer Care was around £800. From talent shows to coffee mornings, sports competitions to quizzes, S6 have so far been hugely creative and worked well together to ensure these events successes. Senior school pupils have also been involved in the St Margaret of Scotland Hospice Christmas Bus fundraising event. It is clear that Sixth Year are helping the school make a positive contribution to very worthy causes.
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ACADEMY Jay Lamb from Social Enterprise Academy gave two inspiring talks to S3 Business Class about “Reunion”, his Social Enterprise project which he started with one boat, built by volunteers with mental health issues. Jay told his story to the pupils, focussing on how many people the project has helped to “rediscover their life’s purpose” and re-enter full time employment. Jay relayed his journey to expanding the Social Enterprise to twenty-two Narrow Boats on the Forth and Clyde Canal and how it continues to flourish today. The pupils were delighted to hear his story and were very engaged. Jay commented, “In ten years of coming to schools, I have never been hosted by pupils directly, or asked so many questions by them– they were very professional!”
Notre Dame High School - Easter 2017 Pupil Support If you have any concerns or comments regarding your daughter’s progress or welfare please do not hesitate to contact her Pastoral Care teacher shown below: Pupil Support: Mrs C McCabe Iona: Mrs P Kelly Melrose: Mr B Henry Trinity: Mrs M McLaughlin / Mrs Marshall
SfL/EAL Mrs McCabe manages all Support for Learning/EAL matters, and also has Pastoral responsibility for a number of pupils across the house groups. Our Deputes / Year Group Heads are also available to contact: S1/ 2: Mr J Kane S3/4: Mrs Henderson S5/6: Mrs. P Griffin
SCIENCE Beatson Visit - S5 Seven of our S5 students with ambitions to study medicine or pharmacology attended the Beatson open evening on Wednesday the 15th of March. The girls enjoyed lectures which focussed on new and developing treatments for cancer as well as a tour of the laboratories.
Scottish Space School 2017 Congratulations to Xiou Sang Chen and Ketsia Dikoko. Both have been successful in their applications for Space School (26th June - 30th June).
Outdoor Learning - S2 Mrs Dunn and 2M1 have been enjoying some outdoor learning at the Botanic Gardens. They have been studying biodiversity and adaptations. In April, the girls and Mrs Dunn are heading to Arran for a day of environmental sampling. All being well, we plan to take all of S2 in August/September.
DEVELOPING YOUNG WORKFORCE
Spanish for Life and Work ( by Sama Kadhum) As part of the Spanish for Life and Work course we looked at the topic of employability. It was then decided that in order to gain more knowledge of the topic, we’d visit the Skills Development Scotland offices on Byres Road on Tuesday 21st of February 2017. Upon arrival at the office, we were introduced to Alexandra – the Personal Support Advisor – and she talked to us about employability at our age as well as the wide range of options that are open to us if we wanted to leave school at S4. She gave us lots of detailed information on things like modern apprenticeship, which allow you to get a job whilst still in school. This means that you spend half of your time in school and the other half working to gain more experience of the world of work. Furthermore, she gave us information packs that informed us of job opportunities and career planning. They also included example CV’s that we could use to create our own for practice and also for submission for work purposes in the future. Lastly, we were given the chance to use the computers, which were available for public use, to access the myworldofwork.com website. On this, we either signed in or created a new account and then did a quiz of our strengths that then matched us up to possible career options that we could look at as well as exploring the site. We also discussed how to apply for part-time jobs and type of skills that employers are looking for. I believe this experience was very useful as it taught me that there is an alternative to just going to college or university as you can do modern apprenticeships and have alternative routes to getting into work and employment. I also found out that I could match my strengths to a possible career on the computers at the office. I felt as if this was very effective as it was a quick and easy process to go through just to get ideas of careers you go into. Skills Development Scotland is very beneficial to the wider public as it is a very small office; however it is always there and open for public use. Whether a member of public wants to speak to an advisor about jobs or use the computers that are accessible for use by anyone. Also, they can make use of the printing and scanning services which is really good for people that may not have access to the internet at home. Overall, Skills Development Scotland provides the public with an opportunity to always be employed, and search for jobs. You have the chance to work and get employed and experience the world of work. You have the opportunity to develop and improve their skills so that you can progress your career. This makes Skills Development Scotland successful as they are always aiming to support and encourage people into work and having a better future.
Notre Dame High School - Easter 2017 PHYSICAL EDUCATION MATHEMATICS
Sports girls of the month Every term we nominate a sports girl from S1-3 and one from S4-6. The pupils are chosen by the PE staff and sports Young Ambassador's based on their contribution to sports and extracurricular. Congratulations to Alyson McGraw 1T1 and Laibah Anwar 4i2 this term's winners!
Congratulations to Jude Campbell and Megan McCormick (both S4) who achieved Bronze Awards in the recent UKMT Maths Challenge at Intermediate Level. Jude also achieved a 'Best in School Award'.
Notre Dame Ninjas
Some of our S2 pupils are currently preparing for the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge which takes place in late April.
Our rugby team has a new name and have been competing in various tournaments over the last few months. They have come on leaps and bounds since August. The soon to be S2 members of the team will be embarking on a new programme as part of our school of rugby initiative. Watch this space for updates in the new term.
S3 PE Some of our S3 students and the PE staff have had the opportunity to learn a new sport this term. Thanks to Dave at the Scottish Squash Rackets Club in Maryhill for providing fun and exciting coaching sessions
Primary Netball tournament Well done to our sports Young Ambassadors who helped to host a primary netball tournament this term. It was a fantastic day enjoyed by all! Thanks to Notre Dame Primary, Hyndland primary and Kelvindale primary for showcasing your talent!
We are looking forward to welcoming some staff from the Bank of Scotland who will be visiting the maths department to work with some pupils in S1-S3 on good financial decision making. (Late April) Staff from the Stewart Ivory Trust are due to visit the school in June to work with some senior pupils on financial education. The maths department continue to offer supported study to National 5 and Higher pupils in the run up to the SQA exams. We will also be offering some Easter revision classes to both Higher and National 5 pupils. National 5 and Higher pupils should make use of the revision materials which are available on Glow. In addition, some particular websites which may prove useful as part of a revision programme include: (click on each link) ● ● ● ●
SQA Past Papers and Marking Schemes HSN Notes BBC Bitesize Scholar - Higher Maths (Please ask your teacher about a login and password for this website)
Further Links www.maths180.com - this contains excellent National 5 and Higher revision materials and video clips www.youtube.com/user/DLBmaths - this is a series of Higher/National 5 video clips on YouTube presented by a Scottish Teacher
Parent Council Uniform Consultation The reason for undertaking this exercise was a direct result of the Cost of the School Day report which makes some important points around how we support young people from low-income families to benefit from the wide range of activities and events which take place during the school year. The report can be found here: http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/cost-school-day-report-and-executive-summary. Firstly, thank you to those parents who attended the consultation meeting with possible suppliers on Tuesday 17 January and to all who responded to our online questionnaire. We were delighted with the response - 199 completed questionnaires which included opinions, comments and suggestions. In addition, all pupils were given a say through their Pupil Council representative. We would like to share the main headlines: ● S2 parents provided the most feedback -well done S2! ● 59% of parents were keen to have the option of a polyester blazer ● 57% said they would be happy to buy uniform from an online provider Opinion on the tartan skirt was most divided as follows: ● ● ● ● ●
S6 only - 22% S5 and S6 - 24% S4, S5, S6 - 9% All years - 17% Noone - 28%
Having considered and discussed this, the Parent Council have made recommendations to Mrs Martin and a letter will be sent to all parents soon.
SOCIAL MEDIA Notre Dame has embraced the world of Social Media and we regularly use Twitter and Youtube to communicate with our pupils, Parishes and the wider school community. Here are the links to our pages: Twitter: @ndhsglasgow YouTube: www.youtube.com/ndhsgla sgow
Pupil Absence Reporting Line Thank you for your continued support in helping make Notre Dame High a valued and successful participant. Please continue to report absence to the Pupil Absence Reporting Line on 0141 287 0039.
Notre Dame High School - Easter 2017 ST. PATRICK’S DAY TREAT As you would expect there are many departments throughout the school who work hard behind the scenes to prepare for this wonderful annual event. Here are some pictures taken by our pupils of our school assembly hall before all the singing and dancing got underway:
ST. PATRICK’S DAY TREAT - FRIDAY 17TH MARCH For the last 39 years S3 Notre Dame High School pupils have been entertaining the senior citizens of our local parishes during the month of March. Weeks of preparation by pupils and staff in the form of fundraising, rehearsing, baking, and much creativity go into delivering a truly enjoyable afternoon for all. This is an intergenerational event that allows our young people to build confidence and develop communication skills. Our pupils work in teams to decorate and set up the assembly hall, they provide hospitality for our guests, preparing and serving food and refreshments. Behind the scenes, our Art Department run competitions for pupils to design tickets and to decorate the walls of the hall with colourful celtic designs. Our Home Economics department work with their classes prior to, and on the day, to provide delicious cakes, tasty sandwiches and hot sausage rolls for our visitors. Many weeks of rehearsal with our school orchestra were very much appreciated. It was a delight for our guests to listen to beautiful Scottish songs on fiddle, performed by Sophie Curren and Pratiksha Lee, S6, and a harp solo from Maggie Ewins, S1. We always enjoy the sing alongs and a big thank you also to Bernard, a member of the parish who sang unaccompanied for us. This year, we were joined by girls from St Ninian’s Primary, to perform Scottish Country Dancing reels which lifted our spirits no end. Our own Kenidy Ferguson performed a graceful and energetic Irish dance. Thanks to the generous donations from pupils and staff. We were able to give almost everyone a raffle prize and all of our guests were given a bag of shopping to take home! Every year we receive cards to express the gratitude that this joyful occasion brings to the senior citizens and parisioners in our community. The pleasure is all ours and we look forward to seeing you all again next year.
Notre Dame High School - Easter 2017 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION High Schools Mass - 31 January A group of pupils, accompanied by several members of staff, attended the Archdiocesan Mass for all Catholic High Schools in the Archdiocese. It was a moving occasion, particularly due to the fact that the music of the Liturgy was led by our very own school orchestra and choir. Well done to all involved.
SOCIAL SUBJECTS A massive well done to pupils involved in the after school Debate Mate club, who won 2 rounds of the Urban Debate League Competition held at Smithycroft Secondary on Tuesday 7th of March. Debate Mate mentors were very impressed with the quality of debating and how articulate pupils were when delivering their arguments.
Stations of the Cross Our S1 Youth Team, assisted by members of the S3 Dorothy Stang Team, have been leading us prayerfully through the Way of the Cross each Friday morning before school during the Holy Season of Lent. They will put on this performance during the last week of term for each year group. Thank you, girls. God bless you!
CARITAS Caritas Retreat at Christ the King, Kings Park On 21st February our Caritas class enjoyed a day of reflection, prayer, workshop and fun with the Archdiocesan Youth Team - Kate, Mairi-Claire and Sean (RCAG Youth). They are now preparing their final pieces of evidence for submission to SCES and will learn in May if they have been successful in gaining the Award. Good luck, girls!
WIDER ACHIEVEMENT At Notre Dame High School we aim to promote a culture of Wider Achievement which is inherent throughout the whole school community. As a school we want to celebrate pupils’ individual achievements in the school, home or wider community – for example, through participation in sport, the arts or activities in the community, or through assuming positions of responsibility, such as young carers. We welcome pictures and descriptions of our young people participating in Wider Achievement to display on our notice board.
God's Loving Creatures As part of her Caritas Award volunteer work, Colette Martin has been working with RSPB. Linking this work to respect for God's creation, Colette delivered a superb lesson to an S1 RE class, after which they enjoyed some enjoy outdoor learning. Well done, Colette!
Caritas in Action Our Caritas class continue to give sterling witness to their faith through good works in school and beyond. You have been an absolute joy to journey with girls! Thank you for allowing God's glory to shine through.
Please email Mrs Kelly with your picture and short description of your Wider Achievement activity:
[email protected]
Notre Dame High School - Easter 2017 ART, DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY Mackintosh - The Innovator If Charles Rennie Mackintosh were alive today what design projects would he be involved in? Well that’s the task set to our current S3 Graphic Communication pupils who are taking part in a city wide competition titled ‘Mackintosh - The Innovator’.
St Patrick's Day Preparations S3 classes in both Art & Design and Graphics have been working frantically to prepare for this year's St Patrick's Day treat. The Graphics pupils competed to produce this year's invitation and songbook cover, whilst the Art & Design pupils produced the wall displays and decorations for the hall. This year our congratulations go to Rebecca Brough and Hui Yin Tan who produced the winning entries. Well Done girls!
During this competition our girls are required to walk, talk and think like ‘Toshie’, and develop a range of design proposals based on their investigations on the man himself. On a recent visit to the launch of the competition at ‘The Lighthouse’ our pupils experienced first hand some of Mackintosh’s great legacy and were thoroughly impressed with the wide range of designs on display. Here are some of our pupils on the iconic Lighthouse stairwell, and also gathered outside The Lighthouse.
Scottish Teenage Book Prize Graphic Novel competition Two of our lower school pupils have entered the graphic novel competition this year organised by the Scottish teenage book trust. The graphic novel competition asked students to create a comic strip adaptation of a single scene from one of this year’s shortlisted titles. The girls chose to depict a scene from “Silver Skin” by Joan Lennon. Silver skin is the story of a time traveller from the future who accidentally ends up in ancient Scotland, inspired by the Stone Age village of Skara Brae in Orkney. The girls are pictured with their comic strips and both girls will have their work displayed on Joan Lennon’s website.
John Byrne Competition Congratulations to Sofie McClure for her winning entry to the John Byrne National Art Competition! Sofie’s work was created in response to the work of John Byrne and aimed to showcase her creative flair and love of drawing. Her drawing features an intricately drawn facade of Glasgow's Mitchell Library, and has taken a more graphic approach to her imaginative 'creative mind' artwork. Sofie’s striking image was amongst just 33 successful entries to be shortlisted from over 4,000 that were submitted for the national drawing competition. The winning entries are on public display at the John Byrne Exhibition in Paisley Museum until the end of April. The Art Department received a significant number of highly accomplished entries to this competition, and so a big well done to all who entered!
