Contents...

Welcome from the Headteacher

Primary News

Outdoor Education

Instrumental Evening

Strengthening Families Programme

World Youth Day 2016

Hong Kong Exchange

Remembrance Day

Romania Experience

Keeping our uniform, uniform.

Advent Fundraising

5th Birthday Celebrations

Nativity

Christmas cake

St John’s RC Academy- Newsletter

Notes from the Headteacher...Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of St John’s RC Academy,

Welcome to our Christmas 2016 newsletter where we look back at the last termand share our successes as a learning community with you.

As always, the last term has been very busy for the school.  Across the school ourchildren and young people have been working hard in lessons and engaging in awhole host of different activities; you’ll see many of them within this edition of ournewsletter.  The children of P3 have been looking at Charlie and the ChocolateFactory, while P7 learned about our history during World War II, visiting the BlackWatch Museum and the Poppy display. Our senior pupils are proving that hard workbrings success and are busy preparing for formal assessment opportunities forNational 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses in January, as well as exams in May.

Highlights this term have included our young people visiting Hong Kong andRomania, our 5th Birthday celebrations and our fundraising drive for ‘Pennies for thePlaygrounds’. Our P2 Nativity was excellent as were the children from across theprimary school who confidently sang for us all recently. As I write, we arepreparing for the secondary show and lots of nursery and primary Christmasparties!  Santa will be busy! While our main focus has been on raising funds for ourplaygrounds appeal, P7 took part in the annual SCIAF ‘talented fundraiser’ initiative– creating unique gifts for sale and raising £500!  Thank you for giving what you canto all our requests and for your generosity.

Our S6 excelled themselves recently with the organising of their own Winter Ballfor S5/6 – a first for St John’s Academy and one which the current S6 reallywanted. I was very keen not to add to the ‘cost of the school day’ by including afurther formal event in the calendar, so I set them the challenge of making thisformal event affordable. They worked really hard to make the hall look great andwith the help of Margaret and Jackie from Tayside Contracts put on delicious food.With music from John Cassidy, the evening was complete and a great success. TheBall even raised money for the playground appeal – so well done to them all.

On behalf of the staff, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our familiesthe joys and blessings of the Christmas season, and offer you our very best wishesfor 2017.

SP HagneyHeadteacher and Campus Leader

PRIMARY News...

This term Primary 6 and Primary 7 have been takingpart in rugby training. We learned the rules of touchrugby. We developed our skills at working in a teamand passing the ball to each other. It was fun! Thenwe had a rugby festival to use the skills we had beenlearning in a mixed team tournament. Everyoneparticipated well and should be proud. Welldone to the winning teams! We are lookingforward to getting an opportunity to take partin the after-school rugby club next term.

PRIMARY 6&7 RUGBY

This term Primary 6 have been

learning to play hockey. We have

been developing our hockey skills by

learning how to dribble and how to

use a reverse stick. For some of us it

was our first time playing hockey but

we all did very well. We are all

having fun playing hockey.

PRIMARY 6 HOCKEY

For Eco week P7 promoted Global Goals bycreating their own t-shirts to replicateAdidas' recyclable branding. Pupils in bothclasses thoroughly enjoyed making their owndesigns and sharing these with peers andstaff. To celebrate and promote healthy lifeunderwater we played a friendly game offootball and demonstrated excellentsportsmanship. We all had a lot of fun!

Eco week - Global Goals

Outdoor Education News...

Throughout this term 2 groups of S1 pupilshave taken part in a variety of activitiessuch as Orienteering, Hillwalking, RockClimbing and Abseiling. All pupils are usingthe Outdoor Activities to enhance specificskills that each individual has chosen towork on. The skills include problem solving,working in partnerships and teams,determination to reach high standards of achievement and having anenthusiasm for learning. Throughout the course the pupils will provide evidence eachday and specify how they have progressed with their skill; this evidence will then becollated and submitted in order for them to pass their Dynamic Youth Award.

S1 Dynamic Youth Award

A big thank you to all those who bought books atthe Primary Book Fair in November 2016. We havemade an incredible £768.80 in commission which willbe used for new reading books for the primary.

Our winners in the raffle for a book voucher to useat the Book Fair were: Paul P7B; Gosia P5M; VictoriaP4M; Ellie P3GT and Lacey P2C

Primary Book Fair

Once again this year P7 were asked to takepart in a Talented Fundraiser project to helpraise money for SCIAF. First we used all of ourtalents to come up with a wide range offundraising ideas. We arranged some of ourincredibly talented P7 musicians to play at thefair. We worked cooperatively in groups to makesweetie bags, reindeer dust, reindeer hotchocolate, sweetie kebabs, snowman bags,popcorn cups, and many more! As a class we paintedceramic baubles and sold them as well. We have raised astaggering £480 and fundraising still continues.Milly and Alex P7B

Talented Fundraisers

Along with Mrs Tomb from the PE department, twogroups of S2 pupils have undertaken a leadershipcourse. The pupils participated in outdoor activitiessuch as Teambuilding, Climbing, Orienteering andBiking. Towards the end of the course the pupils weretested on their Navigation and depending on theirability achieved Bronze, Silver or Gold YoungNavigator Star Awards. In order to show theirleadership skills the pupils organised and ran anorienteering event for some of St John's P6s and P7s.

S2 Young Navigator Star Award

With ever increasing numbers, the new S3, S4 andS5/S6 pupils have now signed up to do their Bronze,Silver and Gold Awards and will be working towardsthese Awards throughout the remainder of theschool year with expeditions starting after Easter.

Duke of Edinburgh - Extra-curricular

The S4 pupils in the DofE class have beenworking on their National Navigation BronzeAward throughout Term 1 and during theOctober holidays over half of the class tookpart and passed the assessment for theAward. The remaining pupils will be testedduring their expedition.

Currently the pupils are working towards their John MuirDiscovery Award and with the help of Miss Golder theyhave taken part in species identification, exploredriverside and woodland areas and will be making feedersfor birds and insects.

Duke of Edinburgh - Curriculum

Strengthening Families Programme

What’s it all about?The Strengthening Families Programme is a 7 weekprogramme that helps families with young people in P6 & P7 toprepare for their teenage years. Becoming a teenager can be a challenging timefor young people and parents alike. Strengthening Families is proven to supportboth parents and young people through this exciting time of change, helping themto achieve greater success when they move on to secondary school.

What happens?As a family you attend one session each week for 7 weeks, the sessions are heldin the evenings from 5.00-7.30pm. Each week you will learn by taking part in funactivities, sharing in discussions and watching informative DVDs.

In the first hour, parents and young people meet in their own groups to take partin activities with group facilitators.

In the second hour everyone comes together again to be involved in familyactivities. An evening meal is provided for all the family and crèche and transportis also available.

What are the benefits?Parents and carersWith each session your confidence will grow as you learn about different ways tosupport your young person; learn how to set boundaries as they get older.

Most of all, Strengthening Families helps your whole family to experience youryoung person’s teenage years more positively.

Young PeopleWith each session your confidence will grow as you: develop skills for handling peerpressure, which helps to avoid problems such as drugs and alcohol; develop skills inlearning how to better appreciate the feelings of others; and learn how to set yourown goals for the future, helping you to achieve greater success when you moveonto secondary school.

Your Whole Family.By the end of the 7 week programme you will have a much better understanding ofeach other’s strengths and qualities, helping you to become much stronger as afamily and better able to support each another.

How can I access this programme?The next programme to run at North Inch Community Campus begins in February2017. The programme will be held on Monday evenings, starting at 5.00pm andfinishing at 7.30pm with a ½ hour interval for an evening meal.

If you would like to join in the programmejust complete an application form which youcan get from school or contact:

Evidence2 Success 01738 477836, emailevidence2success@pkc.gov.uk orMarcoAllen@pkc.gov.uk

Visit the websitewww.pkc.gov.uk/strengtheningfamilies to finddetails of courses in other venues.

Congratulations and well done to everyone who participated in our annualInstrumental Evening which took place on Tuesday 8 November in theAssembly Hall. This was an opportunity for families and friends to comealong and hear performances from pupils in the school who are learning aninstrument, and we were pleased that so many people attended.

There was a wide range of musical styles on show, with everything fromtrumpets and flutes to piano and violins. Primary and Secondary pupils tookpart and the evening was presented by two of our senior students. Ourmusic instructors were there to meet with parents, answer questions andcomment on progress the students had made.

The evening was a great success and we collected just over £139 forRachel House in Kinross.

Instrumental Evening

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Two pupils from St John’s Academy travelled on pilgrimage to Poland for the2016 World Youth Day with 37 young people and leaders from across the Dioceseof Dunkeld. Lauren Quinn (S5) reflects on her experience:

Even after three months of being back from World Youth Day I am still trying todigest everything that happened. World Youth Day was challenging. Itchallenged me mentally, physically and also emotionally. Having said all that, itwas also fulfilling and spiritually nourishing. I feel so lucky and blessed to bepart of the experience. I enjoyed being able to speak to people from othercultures. Kraków is such a beautiful city and is rich with culture and architecture.Each day had its own significant meaning and now I have so many memories that Ihold close to my heart. The stand out moment was the overnight vigil atCampus Misericordiae. The sunset was breath-taking and there were two millioncandles lighting up the camp. It’s almost impossible to describe the rush ofemotions I felt, there was happiness, excitement and I was also extremelyovercome with love.

Another incredible moment was Auschwitz. Walking around where all thosedespicable things happened was chilling but also important because it helps us toreflect on the past and to never allow a repeat of those horrors.

I’m still trying to process everything that happened in Krakow and I can’t wait togo to the next World Youth Day in Panama 2019!

World Youth Day 2016

During the October holidays Mrs Carroll, and four of our S4 pupils, travelled withpupils from other schools from the local authority to Hong Kong. On their tenday adventure they had many opportunities to see different cultural attractionsand experience insights into life in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Exchange

"Visiting Hong Kong was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Itwas great to see the different cultures and the food was delicious! The weatherwas great apart from the two typhoons. I would go back without batting an eyelid.Best holiday ever!" Col Young S4

"Going to Hong Kong in October was a fantasticexperience, and I would go back in a second. Thefood was delicious! It was great meeting newpeople, as well as experiencing different cultures.An amazing time!" Lyall MacDonald S4

“I really enjoyed Hong Kong. It wasa great experience; I will definitelygo back. My favourite part waswhen we went to the beach.”Jasmine Greer S4

Winter Ball

On the 9th of December 2016 we held our first ever Winter Ball. The assembly hallwas transformed into a winter wonderland with whimsical decorations and aplethora of fairy lights. Entertainment was provided by DJ John Cassidy whosuccessfully got everyone (even the teachers) onto their feet dancing. Thecatering team provided the delicious food (special thanks to Jackie and Margaretwho gave up their free time). Members of the teaching staff manned the mocktailbar serving mouth watering cocktails with panache. We raised a staggering total of£574.16. We hope everyone had a great time and that this new tradition ismaintained throughout the coming years. Many thanks to all who participated.

In an act of remembrance this year four of our S5pupils, who participated in the Battlefields trip in June,led assemblies for all year groups about theimportance of Remembrance Day. They focused onthe anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in 1916and the importance of the Poppy Appeal in today'ssociety. This year the school raised a total of £253from the sale of Poppies by the House Captains.

Three of our S6 pupils further participated in theMemorial Ground evening at the Campus on Friday11th November, which was an evening of musicalremembrance. They described their experience ofvisiting the World War One battlefields and theimpact that it has had on them while two pupilsread letters to home from soldiers in theBattle of the Somme.

Current S4 pupils, many of whom are going onthe battlefields trip in June 2017, createdtheir own tribute to all those who have fallenin conflict in their act of remembrance.

Remembrance Day

Both P7 classes took a very exciting trip to the BlackwatchMuseum so that we could learn more about our World War 2topic. We went round the museum and looked at all the artefactsthey had from World War 1 and 2.  We were in two groups, somepeople were upstairs doing a quiz on World War 2 and somepeople were downstairs trying on different outfits they wouldwear in the war, and then we swapped around. After thatwe went around the rest of the museum.

We visited a number of galleries and learnedall about the Blackwatch from the 1700s topresent day. Finally we saw a video thatshowed us how the poppies were made for theWeeping Window poppy display. It was veryinteresting and very fun. Kira and Alex

Blackwatch Museum Visit

Romania Experience

Our Romania experience 2016 was a moving and life changing experience for all ofus. We spent 5 full days volunteering in the Budimex (Marie Curie) Children’s Hospitaland St Joseph’s Recovery (Recuperare) Centre, Bucharest, helping in the play rooms,ergotherapy, arts and crafts, tidying up the playground and playing one to one withlong-stay children. Having the opportunity to interact with such amazing childrenduring a vulnerable time of their life was truly incredible for everyone and gave usinsight into their world; being able to put a smile on their faces is something trulyunforgettable.

While there, we saw for ourselves the current state of the playground. Due to lackof funds it is in a bad way; it looked unsafe for the children to play on and it wasovergrown with weeds. This made us all the more determined to raise the moneyneeded to give them the playground they deserve.

Using the items donated from pupils and staff at the school and in the community,we personalised shoeboxes for patients in the cancer ward and hand delivered them,witnessing their reaction and the joy such a small thing can bring.

This experience emphasised to us all how important the donations for the shoeboxesare, since they make such a huge emotional difference to these very special childrenwho are going through a terrible time that no child should have to experience. It wasa truly unforgettable experience that moved us all and gave us a real insight intowhat life is like for those children.

We would recommend this experience to anyone in younger years who feels theyhave something to give – it will change you!

We also encourage everyone who can to keep donating to this incredible cause. Thehospital and recovery centre receive so little funding despite the incredible need.

In St John’s RC Academy we ‘Seek theGood’ in ourselves, in others and in everyaspect of our lives.

We are proud to be part of ourcommunity and we have agreed auniform which we are proud to wear.

We recognise that through wearing ouruniform we are demonstrating that weare ready to work and ready to learn.

We also believe that our uniform helpseveryone to belong; it is an importantsymbol that we are a community andthat each of us contributes to making ourcommunity great.

Black dress trousers/shorts orskirt/culottes. White school shirt.

Grey jumper/cardigan (with orwithout the school badge) whichallows the school tie to be seen.Plain grey only - no brands.

School tie - BGE (for P1-S3) tieavailable at the school office.

Plain black shoes/trainers with blacklaces.

Purple and white summer dressduring the summer months (optional).

Black/purple outdoor jacket - schoolversions in both black and purple areavailable.

White tee/polo shirt, black shorts andtrainers for PE. Indoor black shoescan be used.

For clarity, the following are NOT partof the school uniform:

Denim/leather/PVC clothing, any cloth-ing or bags with football logos, clothingwith offensive slogans or prominentbranding, low-cut tops, large hoopedearings or dangling earings, facial pierc-ing (including nose or lip piercing), largenecklaces, scarves (other than black),brightly coloured or whiteshoes/trainers (except in PE), tracksuitsor joggers (except in PE),basketball/converse trainers, leggings,lace jumpers/tops/tights.

What to avoid

Thank you for supporting our communityby supporting our uniform.

Primary

SUPPLIEROur current uniform supplier is AcademyUniforms: www.academyuniformsltd.co.uk

Keeping our uniform, uniform...

Black dress trousers or skirt. White school shirt.

S1-3: Black jumper/cardigan/hoodie (with or without the school badge) which allowsthe school tie to be seen. Plain black only - no brands.

School tie - BGE tie (for P1-S3); Senior tie (for S4-6) available at school office.

Black shoes/trainers with black laces. Plain black only.

School blazer with purple braiding. S1-3: Optional. S4-6: Essential.

Black outdoor jacket: school versions in both black and purple are available.

White tee/polo shirt, black shorts /joggers and trainers for PE.

Secondary

This year the focus of our fundraisingefforts have been on the Pennies forPlaygrounds project in support of ourpartnership with the Budimex MarieCurie Hospital in Bucharest, Romania. Inthe lead up to Advent, senior classeshave been fervently creating andorganising a range of charity fundraisingevents for the whole community: a hair-day with waxing and shaving andcolouring; a dance off competition; anda bake off competition with a cheekyblindfolded twist. Great fun was had byall organisers, participants andaudiences with a few more fun eventsstill to come. Other whole schoolevents like our Talent Show andChristmas Jumper day will help us reachtowards our ambitious target. There willbe news of how our fundraising isproceeding on our website in the NewYear and details of more excitinginitiatives… watch this space!

Advent Charity Fundraising

This year marks our 5th birthday sincethe official opening of the school andcampus on 20 December 2011.  Tocelebrate, we had special events aroundSt Andrew’s Day.

On 30 November itself, we celebratedour annual family mass together.  Wewere led by Fr Colin, with Frs Bogdan,Andrew, Tom and Deacon Len, presentalso. Bishop Stephen, who could not bewith us, sent his blessing. The pupils fromthe music department played beautifullyfor all the parents, pupils and specialguests.  Mr John Swinney, who officiallyopened the campus in 2011, returned andspoke warmly about the special ethos of ourschool. Mrs Audrey May, the firstHeadteacher of St John’s RC Academy,returned to join the celebrations also.

On 2 December pupils across the wholeschool celebrated with birthday parties either in class (primary) or in tutor group(secondary).  Home Economics pupils provided cupcakes for all the secondarypupils – in House colours – and pupils enjoyed traditional party games.

On Saturday, 3 December the campus opened its doors to the whole community andwelcomed them to join the celebrations.  We had local traders, a bouncy castle,crafts, games, raffles, and (of course) a panto!

Thanks to the many pupils, staff, parents and community partners who made allthese events possible.

5th Birthday Celebrations

This term has been very busy for the pupils of Primary 2 as they have learnedabout Jesus’ birth and prepared to share their learning with the school, theirfamilies and the wider community of St John’s Academy.

The children learned about the key roles each person played from the momentMary said yes to Angel Gabriel and agreed to be the mother of this special baby,Jesus, until the kings arrived at the stable to honour the ‘new king.’

The children worked very hard to learn the songs and challenged themselves tonarrate the events and play the roles of the characters. Originally Diarmuid didn’twant a speaking role.

‘I didn’t want a speaking part because I thought the people might not hear me but Ireally wanted to be a soldier. I had to practise my words and say them loudly andclearly and I did it.’

The narrators ably told the story as the other children listened and followed thedirections. Jessica (a narrator) couldn’t believe the number of people who came tosee the play. ‘I felt nervous but excited when I saw all of the people.’

From innkeepers, shepherds and sheep, kings with camels (not forgetting Herod)following a star to dancing angels, all the children played their roles with precisionand enthusiasm.

‘The Nativity’

‘My job was very important. I

was the donkey and I had to

lead Mary and Joseph all the

way to Bethlehem.’ said Patrick.

‘We told everyone theimportant message that‘Jesus the son of God isborn!’’ said Kacper.

‘I was an angel and I

loved it.’ said Lacey

‘The Nativity’ was written by Niki Davies.

Our pupils continue to make excellentprogress with this new course on offerfor S6 pupils. Their last project was aChristmas cake and pupils came up withsome creative and intricate designs.Well done! Looking forward to seeingthe Valentine cakes.

National 5 Practical Cake Craft

During the textile unit, S2 pupils were asked todesign an "imaginative, decorative item for theirbedroom". They came up with some excellent ideasand produced a wide range of items. Well done!

This unit is now finished and we are moving on toa cookery unit after the Christmas holidays.Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, somepupils have not managed to complete their itemin the time allocated. Staff continue to beavailable, on request, if pupils would like to makethe effort to get them finished.

All S2 classes have now finished the textile unit.

S2 Textiles