NEWSLETTER

Dear Parents/Carers,

At the end of an extremely busy term a brief chance to reflect on recent events and achievements in the school. The 2011 SQA results again showed many positive aspects but as ever we will analyse performance and seek to improve outcomes for learners. This will always be one of our key priorities and is of course included in our im-provement plan for this session (please see page 4 for a summary of this plan, and also the school website for the full version). Working with parents on this agenda is of course critical as indeed is working with pupils themselves. With regard to this the new Pupil Representative Council is in place and has already begun to consider how best to influence the design of the new school. The delivery of this tremendous facil-ity remains on track with a confirmed opening date of August 2014 in place. In addi-tion to plans for the building being on the website we are going to hold a consulta-tion event for parents with a dual focus: New School and Curriculum for Excellence. This will take place on Wed 7th Dec at 7.00 pm in the hall. Other aspects of parental liaison are also listed below. In advance of these, thank you again for your interest and support - thanks also for your generosity in responding to the Sponsored Walk. Much needed and hugely appreciated!

From the Rector’s Desk

Autumn Edition - October 2011

The following events support the vital partnerships be-tween school and parents. Additionally of course, please contact the school directly regarding any matter of concern regarding your child.

Wed 2 Nov - 9.15 - 11.15 am - Open morning (visit to see the school in action) Mon 7 Nov - 5.00 pm - Rector / parent meeting (opportunity to raise any issue - please advise school office in advance) Tues 8 Nov - 6.00 - 8.00 pm - S5/6 Parents Evening Wed 30 Nov - 6.00 - 8.00 pm - S3 Parents Evening (not English and Maths) Wed 7 Dec - 7.00 pm - Consultation meeting in hall re new school / CFE Mon 12 Dec - 7.00 pm - S2 Curriculum Information Meeting (hall) Mon 19 Dec - 5.00 pm - Rector / parent meeting Mon 16 Jan - 5.00 pm - Rector / parent meeting Wed 18 Jan - 6.00 - 8.00 pm - S3 Parents Evening (English and Maths only) Mon 23 Jan - 7.00 pm - S4 Curriculum Information Meeting (hall) Thurs 26 Jan - 9.15 - 11.15 am - Open morning Thurs 2 Feb - 6.00 - 8.00 pm - S1 Parents Evening Mon 20 Feb - 5.00 pm - Rector / parent meeting Wed 29 Feb - 6.00 - 8.00 pm - S2 Parents Evening Mon 26 March - 5.00 pm - Rector / parent meeting Tues 1 May - 9.15 - 11.15 am - Open morning Mon 14 May - 5.00 pm - Rector / parent meeting Mon 11th June 5.00 pm - Rector / parent meeting Mon 18 June - 7.00 pm - P7 Parents Evening

Ian Parkin

Staffing

Thankfully the term began having a full comple-ment of teaching staff. Sadly however at the end of last term we said farewell to two key members of our support services team. After 3 years at the school Mr Ranjit Fernandez, Support Services Co-ordinator has left to take up a Principal Teacher position at Blairgowrie High School. Also departed is Mrs Elspeth Hay (ICT Analyst) after 11 years here. She has moved to a post in the Aberdeen City council housing service. To both of them we extend our thanks and best wishes for the future. Their replacements have now been appointed and are Mr John Vickers as Support Services Co-ordinator and Mr Brian Black as ICT Analyst. One other staff departure to confirm is that of Eng-lish teacher Mrs Donna Gilchrist who left us at the beginning of the month. To her also our gratitude. Her replacement will be appointed very soon along with other currently advertised posts in Support for Learners and Modern Languages. Additionally, Ab-erdeenshire Council have been very supportive of the school in agreeing to the future appointment of an extra part-time Depute Head to help with the huge workload associated with the building of the new school. This appointment will be confirmed next term. Meanwhile to all colleagues in the school - thank you for your continuing efforts and commitment.

Parental Liaison

Mearns Academy—Autumn Newsletter

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Active Schools

Mearns Academy—Autumn Newsletter

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Lathallan V Mearns basketball friendly in September

Football team from the sassa event in September at Aberdeen Sports Village.

Girls Netball

Netball training is on a Monday

lunchtime at the Sport Centre.

Coach: Miss Cunneen

Athletics

Athletics club for all pupils in

the Sports Centre.

Wednesdays, 3.30-4.30pm.

Archery School Club

Train on a Wednesday evening

18.15 - 19.30 outdoors / school

gym weather dependent.

Table Tennis

Wednesday lunchtimes

1 - 1.45

in School Table Tennis Room.

Basketball

Friday 3.30 - 5.30

Mearns Sports Centre.

Girls Rugby

Friday 3.30 - 4.30.

Meet at PE department.

James Sadio - Mackie

Development Officer.

For more information, e-mail: susie.mclarty@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Boys Football

Thursday 3.30 - 5 pm.

Coach:Mr Hobson.

50p a session.

Meet at PE.

Girls Football

Thursday 3.3.0 - 5pm.

Coach: Anna Forsyth

50p a session.

Sports Centre.

MEARNS ACADEMY MUSICAL SOCIETY

Les Misérables

Performed entirely by Students. A musical by Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schonberg

School Edition specially adapted and licensed by Josef Weinberger Limited on behalf of Music Theatre International and

Cameron McIntosh (Overseas) Limited

18th – 22nd JUNE 2012

Fundraiser

Thank you to everyone involved in making the MacMillan Cancer Coffee Morning a huge success.

We have raised £408.93 to date.

ACTIONS TO SUPPORT IMPROVEMENT - 2011 – 2012

VISION, VALUES AND AIMS Vision We aspire to be a school community acknowledged as a centre of excellence for learning, teaching, and the care and welfare of all who work here. Values In carrying out our work we exhibit the values of: - Fairness - Honesty - Respect for all - Working together - Communication Aims To support the school’s vision our aims are: • Learning: To ensure that each pupil is encouraged to respect learning and is provided with a rele-

vant, challenging and motivational experience • Teaching: To ensure that all teaching is of the highest possible quality and that staff are provided

with a supportive and rewarding working environment • Caring: To ensure the development in school of a positive and caring ethos in which all members

of the school community are valued and supported as individuals • Partnership: To ensure opportunities are created for parents and others in the wider community to

be involved in the life of the school and its programme for improvement • Improvement: To ensure that thorough and ongoing evaluation leads to improvements in the qual-

ity of service we provide • Achievement: To ensure that all members of the school community are encouraged to achieve all

they can and that such achievements are recognised and valued

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5 PRIORITY AREAS

Mearns Academy’s improvement agenda will continue to focus on 5 key areas:

• These key areas are linked to certain HMIe quality indicators and also accommodate Aberdeen-shire Council priorities.

• Whole-school, and Department/Faculty self-evaluation procedures will continue to focus on these 5 areas and individual teacher self-evaluation will continue to focus on the areas of Learners’ Experi-ences and Meeting Learners’ Needs.

KEY AREA CURRENT LEVEL OF QUALITY

Improvements in Performance (Achievement and Attainment)

Good (4)

Learners’ Experiences Very Good (5)

Curriculum Good (4)

Meeting Learners’ Needs Very Good (5)

Improvement Through Self-Evaluation Very Good (5)

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ACTIONS TO SUPPORT IMPROVEMENT

The target is excellence in all areas, and through dialogue, support and appropriate resourcing the fol-lowing areas for improvement are seen as being supportive of this goal.

Others: Website to feature video – pupils talking about the school Improve staff induction procedures and introduce mentoring facilities for new PTs Re-visit review of shape of school day/week

Area Improvement

Improvements in Performance

a) Ongoing Pursue all strategies to respond to SQA results/STACS 2011 Sharing of good practice (SQA, Reviews, PT Meetings, Staff Meetings, etc) S5/6 study/work ethic – continuing focus Exam preparation support – support for revision classes

b) Emerging Priorities

Target setting/tracking – new policy implemented focusing on raising at-tainment Evaluate revised homework policy Improve performance of boys in SQA exams

Learners’ Experiences

a) Ongoing ELT Policy to be developed and further integrated into work of school Further commitment to AiFL – dept policies to confirm this ELT Group to extend the work of the Tapestry Group GLOW – increase pupil use, wireless opportunities

b) Emerging Priorities

Implementation of ‘Learning Rounds’

Curriculum a) Ongoing Joint In-Service Day with Primary Schools/Joint collegiate activities Confirm and support structural changes to implement CFE (S3-S6) Extend co-ordination of literacy and numeracy Include pupils in curriculum evaluation Continue review of PSE curriculum – link to RME in Senior School Extend curricular links and sharing of good practice with primary schools

b) Emerging Priorities

All departments to implement Curriculum for Excellence planning template re S2 and plan for S3 delivery Implementation of new assessment structures/reporting procedures Evaluate/continue John Muir Trust Award – S1 inter-disciplinary project Within S2 deliver Reflective Period and establish inter-disciplinary home-work tasks. Improve organisation to support effectiveness of reflective periods Confirm detail re option choices in S2 Extend provision of YASS courses for S6

Meeting Learners’ Needs

a) Ongoing Extend ‘buddying’/mentoring of pupils (extend Prefect links to S1 Groups) Pursue Integrated Assessment Framework (IAF) and utilise protocols Child Protection training – continuing focus

b) Emerging Priorities

SEEMIS – improve access to information about various categories of pupils – to be available for all staff (e.g. LAC, Child Protection, Additional Needs, etc) Implementation of revised Anti-Bullying Policy Extend challenge to able learners in S1 – extend setting arrangements as appropriate.

Improvement through Self-Evaluation

a) Ongoing Review Customer Service Excellence accreditation/evaluate new CS Policy Extend new meeting structure for SMT links and PTs Faculty Extend shadowing of pupils and staff across the school for staff ELT and Behaviour Group workshops to continue Extend “listening lunches” HT – learning visits to all depts./faculties to be extended

b) Emerging Priorities

Set up evaluative procedures re Meeting Learners Needs (to include focus on next steps to support learning) Effective use of Journey to Excellence (5) Materials CPD and PDRS – review and implement amended procedures Evaluate revised QI policy and calendar More focus at DM’s on improvement rather than administration

Contact Details

Mearns Academy Aberdeen Road LAURENCEKIRK AB30 1ZJ Tel: 01561 378817 Fax: 01561 378252

Email:

mearns.aca@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Web address: www.mearnsacademy.org.uk

Dates For Your Diary and House News

3rd

65 PTS

2nd

85 PTS

1st

95 PTS

End of Term 7th October Term begins 24th October S5/6 Parents Evening 8th November In Service Days 14th & 15th November S3 Parents Evening 30th November (exc. English & Maths) End of Term 23rd December Term begins 9th January 2012 Occasional Days 9th & 10th February School Closed 13th February - Mid-term In Service Days 14th & 15th February End of Term 30th March Term begins 16th April School Closed 7th May - May day Activities Days 24th & 25th May Occasional Day 4th June School Closed 5th June - Queens Diamond Jubilee Sports Day 14th June Les Miserables 18th - 22nd June Prize-giving 28th June End of Term 29th June

2011 - 2012 Head and Senior Prefects

HEAD PREFECTS

MATTHEW CLARK ASHLEY SPARK

SENIOR PREFECTS

JODIE GARROW ALANAH MILLS

ZOE KIRKHAM-MOWBRAY CAMERON GALL BLAIR SHEARER FRASER SCOTT

Mearns Academy—Autumn Newsletter