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Welcome to the first Parental Newsletter of the session. In particular I would like to welcome those of you who have pupils who have started S1 or, for whatever reason, are new members of the Woodmill community. I very much hope that you and your children have had a positive experience of the school so far and that they have settled down well into their new routines.

Our new First Year have already gone through their Induction programme including a day at Fordell Firs with guidance staff, register teachers and senior prefects. As a group they have already created a very positive impression and we look forward to their continuing contribution to the life of the school.

Woodmill enjoyed a significant level of success last year and these achievements were listed in the June 2009 Newsletter. This session has already seen two notable successes.

The Kingdom FM ‘Local Hero Awards’ for 2009 took place in the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, on Friday 28 August, hosted by Shereen Nanjiani.

Woodmill is very proud to have won the award for ‘Best School’ sponsored by ROK Building Ltd.

This award is a major achievement and recognises the hard work and commitment of pupils, parents and staff in creating such a successful school. The award is a fitting conclusion to a year which has seen Woodmill attain significant regional and national success in a wide range of activities. We look forward to continuing this tradition of achievement.

Congratulations to Woodmill’s senior netball team of Zoe Sharp, Kirsty Thomson, Hazel Johnson, Claire Sneddon. Lynn Cowan, Becci Shearer, Lauren Queen and Tiffany Concannon on winning this early-season tournament. The team beat Auchmuty High School and the hosts, Madras, before beating the High School of Dundee 10 – 5 in the final.

Another measure of success is the steadily rising school roll which currently sees around 940 pupils in the school, with over 200 in S1. This is an encouraging trend which we expect to continue.

Parental Newsletter

This is the first of seven Parental Newsletters which you will receive over the session. This issue is being posted to you but normally Newsletters will be sent home via your son / daughter and you should expect to receive the next two issues in early November and mid-December.

This first edition contains notes of significant dates for the coming session. The Newsletter can also be found on the school’s website:

Homework Booklet

Enclosed with the Newsletter is a Homework Information booklet which gives you exact details of the homework expectations in each department for all year groups.

Please keep this for reference throughout the session.

HMIe --- Follow-Through Visit

After the full inspection in September 2007, a team of three inspectors will be visiting the school on 22 and 23 September in order to assess the school’s progress towards the main points for action identified in the report. A further report on this visit will be published in January 2010.

Values Consultation

The school is currently reviewing our values. We have produced a draft document after consultation and discussion with staff. We are now consulting with pupils, parents and other partners in the Woodmill community. A copy of the draft ‘Values’ document is to be found at the back of this Newsletter. It is also available on the website.

We would be grateful for any comments on our proposed values by Friday 9 October.

Celebrating Success

As noted, even this early in the session, there is a great deal to celebrate in the school. This year’s SQA exam results were very good and there is further detail provided elsewhere in the Newsletter.

Woodmill has a reputation as a vibrant and successful school. There will be numerous opportunities over the coming session to show exactly why that is the case.

We welcome a significant number of colleagues who have joined us at the start of term.

In addition, these colleagues who were already serving in the school have been appointed to the following posts:

Principal Teacher of Modern Languages:     Mrs Elizabeth McTaggart
Principal Teacher of Guidance (Acting):      Mrs Vivien Aitken
Business Manager (Temporary):                   Mrs Sharon Simpson

We are doing a geography related activity which involves the pupils in finding the source of the river which their particular house is named after. ‘Find the Source’ will give a small prize (sweet) to everyone who succeeds.
Janet Bell

Class 5A1 in the ASN are working on an enterprise unit this session and have decided to try and make some money for the school as well as hoping to make the community a brighter looking place come the spring by teaming up with a company called Top of the Class Bulbs.

Nine Woodmill sixth year pupils took advantage of the excellent Dundee University facilities. This allowed them to experience equipment and techniques not available in the school.

In the morning they collected and measured the volume the air breathed out in five minutes. A £40,000 gas analyser was then used to measure the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations. This allowed them to make some fairly complex calculations. They were also shown how to measure their blood pressure in the original way by listening to the changes in blood sounds using a stethoscope.

In the afternoon lab coats, gloves and safety glasses were donned in the DNA lab. Bacterial DNA was extracted, cut with special enzymes and then separated using a process called electrophoresis.

A very useful day marred only by torrential rain on the motorways and Mr Aitken’s iffy knowledge of Dundee geography. Yes, we got lost.

Rain could have been a feature of this trip too. Earlier in the week schools had been walking up the hill on paths running like burns. But we got really lucky: a perfect day, with wall to wall sunshine and magnificent views of Loch Leven smooth as glass.

Andrew Foster, Calum Robinson, Charis Collier & Grace Fletcher on the heather moor, high up

Two Vane Farm teachers took a group made up of Woodmill and Perth Academy students to four different sites. The first was moorland with no trees and the other three birch woods of different ages. The task was to estimate the age of the trees, identify the plants growing in the area and take various abiotic (non-living) measurements. All results were carefully recorded.

Heather Reid & Emma Campbell estimate a tree’s age (a task not to be attempted with Mr Aitken!)

The wildlife was an added attraction, particularly the numerous dragonflies. Emma Campbell also learned it is a good idea to look carefully before you sit – ‘nough said !

COMPUTING

one digital camera
four rechargeable batteries for the camera
three gyration wireless mice and keyboard sets
three gyration air mice
two 8GB SD memory cards
one spindle pack of DVD-Rs

Many thanks to parents and pupils who collected vouchers. Also, many thanks to Mrs Shearer for counting all 20,017 of them. The new resources will be put to good use in the department. The photo shows Higher Computing students with the new equipment.

The Computing Club for pupils in S1 and S2 meets every Wednesday lunchtime at 12.15. Pupils work on educational programs accessed using the Internet. For information on how to join, pupils should contact Mr Wylie or come to room B11 any Wednesday lunchtime.

DRAMA

The company, consisting of S4, S5 and S6 pupils, will be performing their production of ‘Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ in the Byre Theatre on the 7th of October 2009. There will be a preview performance on 5th October in the school hall at 7pm. Tickets available soon. This forms Woodmill’s contribution to the Schools’ Shakespeare Festival and is the third time we have taken part in this prestigious event.

Zoe Cuthbert (S6) and Kimberly Bowman (S6) both enjoyed spending six weeks living in Glasgow devising and rehearsing their productions for this year’s Scottish Youth Theatre. (See article later on)

Participants: Mr Parnham, Sarah Crawford, Philip Curry, Zoe Cuthbert and Grace Fletcher

Day 1: We arrived just after lunch and got straight into the Geography. We started off with soil profiles, getting wet, muddy and close to nature. We had people losing wellies!

Day 2: The best day by far. Kitted out in our waterproofs we headed into the hills! The rain was so heavy that the river we were meant to study had flooded. This meant that we had to run about the marshy land to find a smaller river. We studied the river using a variety of techniques, the least scientific involving an orange to measure the speed. Everyone had a great time, even though the rain was pouring down! Zoe loved it more than most, especially when she fell in! Then it was back to the centre to analyse our data by drawing graphs and practising statistics. After all this excitement there was even a chance for huge game of hide and seek involving everyone from the seven Fife High Schools which were represented.

Day 3: Today was dedicated to mapping Glacial features. Using clinometers, ranging poles, compasses and our own judgement we were able to match a section of a valley. We also visited a number of features we had on read about or seen in photographs. At least today the sun shone and we stayed dry! We’d all like to thank the school for making the trip possible by helping fund this amazing experience to the Kindrogan Field Centre.

GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT

The new House system is up and running with some new and not so new Guidance staff in charge!

Familiar faces include:

Mr Marshall- Devon House
Mrs Drylie- Tay House
Mrs Dunlop- Forth House

They are joined by:

Mrs Shandley- Cleish House
Mrs Aitken- Lyne House

The Guidance staff, aided by their House Captains, led the first House assemblies during the Theme Week (14/9/09). The assemblies offered an exciting opportunity for the Guidance staff to meet their House as a group and outline their vision and expectations for the forthcoming year.

It is envisaged that the new House system will allow all pupils to become more actively involved in whole school life and encourage a sense of identity with their House group through sporting and other competitions.

The House Captains, organised and advised by Mrs Dunlop, take on a vital role in leading activities and fostering House identity. The House Captains are Sixth Year pupils chosen by theGuidance Team.

The work of the Guidance team is well underway and this is a busy term for all involved.

The first year pupils enjoyed a day of outdoor pursuits and team building at Fordell Firs. The S1 pupils were accompanied by the House Captains, Guidance staff and a number of volunteers from the teaching and support staff. The activity days offered an opportunity for pupils to mix and make new friends, face new and exciting challenges and develop good working relationships with the staff and seniors involved. Despite the rain and mud the activity days proved a great success and credit is due to the S1 pupils for their enthusiastic approach and willingness to get mucky! Thanks also to the staff at Fordell Firs who offered a professional and fun opportunity for all those involved.

The majority of S4 pupils are enthusiastically preparing for their AWARE work placements. The placements run over a two week window with some pupils out on the week beginning 28th September 2009 and the remainder of pupils out from the 5th October 2009. It is essential that pupils involved return signed consent forms as soon as possible to allow the final stages of preparation to be completed. If your son/daughter has not secured a work placement they should attend school as normal on both weeks.

The AWARE co-ordinator Mr Marshall, who is ably assisted by Mrs Ward in the school office, has been organising the AWARE placements for pupils since the end of last term. If parents/carers have any questions about the procedures or the placements they should contact their child’s Guidance teacher or Mr Marshall.

This is a busy time for any student who is contemplating an application for university. The UCAS application procedures have been introduced during S5/6 Social Education and pupils have been issued with help sheets and deadlines for completing application forms. While the school UCAS deadline is 1st December 2009, it should be noted that many universities start making offers as soon as applications are received. Therefore all those interested in applying to university should be actively researching courses, visiting the UCAS website () to register and preparing a personal statement to accompany their application.
The Guidance staff, through Social Education and individual interviews, are available to support all those interested in completing an application. It should also be noted that Careers Scotland offer a drop-in session in the school library to provide further support.

Again, if parents/carers have any concerns they should contact their child’s Guidance teacher.

A large number of S5/6 pupils have volunteered to help the new first year pupils as they settle into life at Woodmill High School. Pupils will be able to have daily access to their buddies in their registration class. This system allows all of our pupils to feel safe, to develop their interpersonal skills, as well as helping them to think about other pupils in the school. Ultimately we are helping all of our pupils to become responsible citizens in our Woodmill community.

It is an exciting and busy time as we embark on a new year and the Guidance team is looking forward to getting to know their pupils better and developing their House identity.

HOME ECONOMICS

A new textile club has been formed to run on Wednesday lunchtimes and is open to all students in S2 to S4 initially.

The club’s first activity is a mobile phone cover. So far the students have cut out patterns and have seen pictures of finished covers. We have decided to include a LED light unit as part of our designs which will activate and flash when the phone detects an incoming call or text.

Any new members are welcome to come along to A6 at 12.20pm on Wednesdays or should speak to Mrs Bedford.

LIBRARY

We were fortunate this year to hear three authors all give very different but interesting talks.

Award winning author Geraldine McCaughrean was first. She won the Carnegie Award for ‘A Pack of Lies’ but has written 150 books with a variety of themes. When an author was sought to write a sequel to ‘Peter Pan’, she was chosen and ‘Peter Pan in Scarlet’ was published. At the Book Festival she concentrated on her new book ‘Death Defying Pepper Roux’. The hero of the story, Pepper Roux, has to live with the dreadful fact that his Aunt Mireille has foretold that he will die when he is fourteen years old. As he approaches his fourteenth birthday, Pepper goes on the run to try to evade death and to accomplish this he assumes many guises.
Geraldine Mc Caughrean’s talk mirrored the theme of fortunetelling and bad news with some great audience participation. Old fashioned telegrams were distributed to various pupils in the audience. Each pupil was asked to read out the bad news and then everyone was asked for suggestions of how a positive ’spin’ could be given to the news. Fortune cookies were also thrown into the audience. We were able to ask questions and have books signed.

We had front row seats for Malcolm Rose’s talk. He writes thrillers but he was talking about his series of crime novels called ‘Traces’ featuring a forensic scientist called Luke Harding and his assistant a robot called Malc. Again the audience members were involved as he tested our powers of observation at the end of the talk. We had to detail all the traces the author would have left behind on the stage. We had all listened and watched carefully so “fingerprints”, “fibres”, “footprints” , DNA from a glass of water and a tissue discarded in a bin were all shouted out by the audience.
Malcolm Rose also answered questions and signed books.

We ended our day in a very hot RSPB tent at the Book Festival listening to Joseph Delaney. He is the author of a very popular and successful series of books called ‘The Wardstone Chronicles’. The hero of this series is called Thomas (Tom ) Ward and he is the Spook’s apprentice. Joseph Delaney’s latest book is called ‘The Spook’s Sacrifice’. He talked more widely though of how he started writing and in particular about where he got his inspiration. He recounted some very strange but true ghostly experiences and told us that the books may be turned into films. He also answered lots of questions and signed books.

Thanks to Mrs Dudley in the English Department for organising another interesting trip to the Edinburgh Book Festival.

S3 Modern Studies pupils were given a talk on "Life in a Nursing Home" by Fiona Walls, a senior carer from Kingdom Homes. The talk was extremely informative and will help greatly with the pupils' understanding of the topic which is so important in our local community. Many thanks to Fiona for her time.

Young People’s Question Time

On Friday 21st August, eight fourth year Modern Studies pupils were invited to the Young People's Question Time event at the Scottish Parliament. The event was part of the Festival Of Politics and was sponsored by the Carnegie Trust.The panel was made up of broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove, comedian Hardeep Singh Koli, Scottish Education Minister Fiona Hyslop and Green MSP Robin Harper.The pupils enjoyed the experience immensely and are now all determined to become MSPs!!

The pupils involved were, Natalie Fiddy, Nisha Rach, Fraser Drylie, Lauren Buchanan, Martyn Brown, Siobhan Hall, Sarah Adamson and Daniel Thornton.

On Thursday 25th June 2009 a group of Higher and Intermediate Modern Studies pupils ventured out of the classroom and into the real world with their learning. A visit to Scottish Parliament’s First Minister’s Questions allowed pupils to be awed by the world of politics and to experience that in the ‘real’ world politics is not as daunting as it first appears. Comments from the pupils were all very positive. However, they were all a bit shocked when the MSPs were tapping on their desks, texting under the tables, and laughing out loud during the discussions. The dodging of answers by the First Minister, Alex Salmond, was a source of amusement for some of the pupils, who appeared to be taking hints!

Pupils were then given the opportunity to question their local MSPs Jim Tolson and John Park about their work within the Scottish Parliament and opinions on various matters. Both MSPs managed to answer the highly intelligent questions fired at them by staff and pupils alike. The pupils enjoyed this part of the trip because they felt as if the politicians were listening to them and treating them like adults, and not simply ignoring them because they were children.

The next part of the trip was held in Parliament Square with a brief tour of old Parliament Hall where the original Scottish Parliament had been held (a vast contrast to where we had just been), then into Court Room 3. This was the highlight of the trip for some pupils.

The grand and superior feeling within the court room was heightened when a High Court Judge, Lord Woolman, came in to chat to the group and answer any questions they had. Lord Woolman’s charismatic and enthusiastic style of explaining the legal system, with examples of real life crimes that were tried in court room 3, captivated the imagination of some of the pupils, who could imagine themselves as being a criminal sitting in the dock, or the lawyers trying to defend/prosecute the accused.

The court Macer then showed the pupils the various maces held in the courts, and they even got to touch and feel the precious items. One pupil even got the opportunity to try on a High Court Judge’s gown and wig.

The pupils were then given a great privilege of being taken down into the cellars where the old holding cells were. The creepy cells were only added to when our guide pointed out that as much as they had painted the walls the crosses, and blood kept reappearing. This was enough for some of our pupils who had to make a quick exit! The court buildings are steeped in history, however, it was beyond our wildest dreams that our guide took us to a room that they had recently ‘found’. This room was full of working class relics (that had been transferred to the Museum) and they could only assume that is was a paupers cell. Once the builders cleared away the relics they started digging and found many dead bodies.

All of the pupils involved were an absolute credit to Woodmill High School. Thanks go to all pupils and staff involved.

Malawi Visitors in Modern Studies

On Monday 7th September 2009 Dr Wood returned to the school to give a presentation to Standard Grade and Higher Modern Studies pupils about life, education and work in Malawi following his visit there last summer.
On Monday 14th September Dr Wood returned with some teachers and head teachers from Malawi who discussed the educational experience of their youngsters. Our Modern Studies pupils posed some thoughtful questions to the teachers and they left the presentation feeling humbled by the fact that Scotland has such a good education compared to other countries.

Watch this space for more information about the activities the Modern Studies Department will be undertaking in order to help Dr Wood’s fundraising efforts.

The Music department began the new term with a new group of singers joining the Junior Choir, which meets on Wednesday at lunchtime. With over 40 pupils, this has the potential to be the best junior choir EVER! New members are still welcome, but from the beginning of October the choir will be preparing for events including trips to OAP’s on 7 December, Assemblies in school in November and of course the very popular winter concert on WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER at 7.30 in the school hall. There will be a mini concert for Primary pupils on Thursday 10 December at 9.30a.m. Please keep those dates on your calendar and BUY tickets.

On the subject of successful concerts, the Junior Showcase, which was held in June was very successful. As a result of the high volume of tickets sold, the music department has been able to buy 10 new keyboards to replace those which were 15 years old.

Thank you to all S1, S2 and S3 pupils who took part and sold tickets. There was a Junior Showcase DVD available after the concert which also sold well. The School Band has benefited from the profit on that and have new music to look forward to (and practise) this term.
And finally, in the spirit of recycling, some of the older keyboards were given to Limekilns Primary for use in their classrooms.

Over 40 students from S1 - S6 will be attending an RSNO concert at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on Thursday 24 September. This is the first time we have been able to attend an event with the RSNO as part of their ‘Maestro’ series and all involved are looking forward to it. Paul Rissman will provide the multi media presentation relating to the musical concepts in each of the pieces and staff have been preparing composing and Listening lessons to accompany the performances.

As ever, exam results for those studying music at Woodmill have been exceptionally rewarding. Well done to all candidates, their instructors and teachers.

On Monday 14 September, the music department held a short session in the Library called ‘Meet the Musician’. Christopher Curry, Emily Gonnella, Allannah Watters and Tomas Sibbald performed and answered questions about the pieces they played, their instruments and their practice! They were very honest about the effort, stamina and enthusiasm needed to be a musician in Woodmill. The Junior Choir sang, (after only 3 rehearsals) and a film from the Junior Showcase was shown to a very appreciative audience including some visitors from Malawi. Well done all!!

Congratulations to Rachel Livingstone who was successful in an audition, which allows her to work with Scottish Opera for 6 months. More details of her involvement can be read further on in the Newsletter.

All pupils who started instrumental instruction in Primary have been timetabled with the same instructor now that they are in Secondary.

There are still a few spaces available. If any parent/carer in S1 would like their child to be tested/auditioned, please send a letter to Mrs White, who will pass it to the appropriate instructor.

If the instructor has space on their timetable, pupils will be invited for an audition/assessment and successful candidates will begin lessons on a weekly basis with the instructor after a contract with Fife council has been agreed.

Pupils who play wind, brass, string or percussion are required to attend practices weekly, at lunchtime or after school, and to take part in school concerts and events.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Seniors
This season we are fielding an unprecedented 4 senior teams. No other Fife school fields more than 2, and most have only 1. Competition is fierce for positions with the girls showing an excellent commitment to training.

An A squad went to the Madras College tournament on 9 September. Playing outdoors on a beautiful day, they produced some brilliant teamwork for the first outing. They beat Auchmuty ‘A’ 11-1 and Madras 15-0, to meet Dundee High in the final. The game started tentatively. Dundee had a 6 foot 2 inch Goal Attack, whose game revolved around receiving high passes overhead. Kirsty Thomson was given the task of marking her in such a way that we could minimise this tactic, and performed her role superbly. Good teamwork and fast play then overwhelmed Dundee, and we won 10-5. Players of the tournament were Kirsty Thomson and Captain, Claire Sneddon.

3rd Year
Their first game was against Buckhaven at home. Good fast play, and excellent shooting from captain, Sophie Balsillie, combined with determined play from Laura Bowman saw us win 18-5. A great start to the league.

2nd Year
They were due to play a Buckhaven 3rd year B team. However Buckhaven were short of players and had to field four of their A team. This saw us outplayed by 13 goals to 2. To their credit the girls never stopped trying against an older and bigger team. Man of the Match was Wallis Jones.

All S1 pupils attended a talk entitled “What have Scottish scientists done for you?” This was presented by Dr Nigel Langford from the physics department at Strathclyde University. Pupils found out how the work and discoveries made by Scottish scientists in the past affect all our lives today.

A presentation on lasers and optoelectronics presented by Nigel Langford from Strathclyde University.

Pupils were given an insight into how lasers work, including a history of their development and their uses in everyday life (entertainment, medicine, military etc). Information was given into current research involving lasers and likely uses in the future including a possible way of reducing global warming by providing an energy supply with little carbon output. Pupils were given some hands-on experience of lasers and the materials used to construct them.

Recently, the AH Physics class took advantage of the opportunity offered by the University of Dundee to undertake some work on rotational motion in the University’s undergraduate laboratories. Arriving at the University (after a quick pit-stop at Pizza Hut), Woodmill pupils investigated aspects of rotational motion using dynamic turntables, spinning cycle wheels and a rotating chair. A dizzyingly good time was had by all.

Pupils will be re-visiting the University later this month for the annual TUSLIP day of Physics to gain further experience of the science environment at university level.

As I noted earlier, the SQA results were extremely pleasing and in many areas, the school has achieved our best figures for many years. I will be able to give fuller details in later Newsletters when we obtain data allowing us to compare our performance with that of schools with similar characteristics. At the moment I would like to note the following.

In S4, there was a rise in the percentage of pupils gaining 5+ Credit awards for the second year in a row.

In S5, there was a significant rise in the percentage of pupils gaining at least 1 Higher

In S5, there was a significant increase in the number of pupils gaining at least 3 Highers

In S5, there was a significant increase in the percentage of pupils gaining 5 Highers

In all four of the above measures, the school saw its best results for the last five years.

These improvements in examination statistics are welcome and we have confidence that next year’s results will build on this progress.

Ms Armstrong received the following note from a member of the public who was travelling on the same train as our S3 pupils who were heading for London to take part in the ‘Dance Divas’ programme in May’s Suspended Timetable.

I make no apologies for printing it in the September Newsletter as I think it captures exactly what we hope everyone’s experience of Woodmill pupils would be.

“Can I just say what an absolute pleasure it has been to have listened to your polite and delightful children.

Throughout the journey they have had fun but have been respectful to fellow passengers. You should be proud.

The school’s rewards system is now operating and parents and carers can check on the reward stamps gathered by your son / daughter by checking in their Homework Planner.

The Head Boy and Head Girl, along with their Deputes, carry out very important roles in the school. They are responsible for organising prefect rotas, attending parents’ evenings, assisting senior management in the effective running of the school and acting as ambassadors for Woodmill. All of them have already displayed a commitment to the wider life of the school and their appointment to these posts is a reflection of their contribution to the school in previous years.

Back Row (L to R)
Calum Robinson, Emma Doran, Stuart Baynham (Head Boy),Philip Curry

We have received notification of the graduations of the following former pupils:

Stephen Hamilton (2004 Commercial PS) has graduated with a 1st class honours degree in Music and is off to Nottingham University to study for a Masters in Arts & Music before hopefully progressing to a PhD.

Two of our S6 students, Kimberley Bowman and Zoe Cuthbert, spent five weeks of the summer participating in the Scottish Youth Theatre’s Summer Festival 09. Here are their thoughts

‘I participated in Scottish Youth Theatre’s Summer Festival 09. This is a five-week long drama course which runs in Glasgow. Four weeks are spent doing intense preparation and rehearsal whilst the final week is spent on the actual production which is reviewed by professional crititcs.

I was in the cast of ‘Pinocchio: The True Adventures', which was directed and designed by Kenny Miller. We received glowing reviews in both the ‘Scotsman’ and the ‘Glasgow Herald’.

Over the summer I learned so much and am certain that I want to continue with drama and theatre in future.’
Kimberley Bowman

‘I have recently spent the summer in Glasgow, participating in SYT’s summer festival. Scottish Youth Theatre is a company for and by young people aged between 16 and 25.

The summer festival runs for five weeks during which you gave the opportunity to work with professional directors and other young people from all over Scotland who share the same interest in drama.
Zoe Cuthbert

Congratulations to all Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants who have successfully completed the Expedition section of their DofE. As we reach the end of the Expedition season, it is with a great deal of satisfaction that we look back on the completion of not only the Bronze and Silver expeditions but also our first Gold. It has been a tough and challenging season and credit must go to all the participants who saw it through despite difficulties and hardships.

Mr Robertson, Mr Gray and Mrs Hull, campsite at Beinn A’ghlo, June 09

The season began in May as the Bronze group set out on their first adventure accompanied by Mr Gray and Mrs Hull. The group worked well together and as a result were put forward for their assessment, which they successfully completed in June walking from Loch Moraig to Straloch in Tayside with an overnight camp at the foot of Beinn A’ghlo (approx 22km). The group are now finishing the other sections of their DofE and we looking forward to seeing their progress at Silver next season.

Loch Moraig – Straloch, Bronze Assessment Route, June 09.
Successful participants: Sarah Adamson, Ailidh Brown, Fraser Drylie, Natalie Fiddy, Kimberley McCann, Niall Piggot, Callum Robinson, Kyle Startup, Lorna Stewart, Rachel Watson

June was a busy month for the DofE with two Silver expeditions in addition to the Bronze Assessment:

“This was definitely a challenging expedition for the group and they are to be congratulated for their determination and perseverance. The first day was exhausting for most participants - it involved the greatest distance, their packs were at full weight (food for 3 days), and there was some tough terrain to cross. Despite 2 of the group going waist deep into bog, they all made the campsite in an acceptable time.

Day 2 saw them circumnavigate a mountain, Ben Alder, and gather evidence for their project on glacial features. Again all made it back to camp in good time, benefiting from not having to carry a heavy pack that day.

Unfortunately, on Day 3 it was back to the heavy packs and the final walk out. Much had been learned from the practice expeditions. They were packed up and ready to go by 7.30am (to the surprise of the assessor and supervisors) and walked efficiently in groups arriving at the minibus at the expected time. Their navigational skills had improved enormously compared to when we first took them out two years ago!”

Report by Mr Robertson, DofE Expedition Supervisor

Mr Robertson with successful participants: Ruth Henderson, Lynn Cowan, Christopher Curry, Emily Gonnella, Alasdair Burnett, Heather Hepburn, Lauren Gray, Calvin Mowat, Rebecca Reed, outside Ben Alder Cottage, June 09. Group assessed by Mr Gray

The last day of term didn’t bring much release for the Gold participants as they set out on a practice expedition in the Blair Athol area. The group has dwindled from seven in their Bronze days to the hardcore trio of Stuart Baynham, Philip Curry and Calum Robinson. Joined by two students from Queen Anne High School, the group worked hard to get their navigation and teamwork up to scratch with teambuilding at Fordell Firs and a practice hike in the Ochils. Spirits and expectations were soaring for the practice expedition only to be crushed by the heat and humidity of early July. The weather made the walking conditions very difficult and sapped everyone’s energy at an early stage. However, the group rallied, reassessed their targets and routes and had a useful three days honing their navigation skills in preparation for their assessment.

Successful Participants: Calum Robinson (Woodmill), Philip Curry (Woodmill), Stuart Baynham (Woodmill), Kevin Mitchell (Expedition Leader), Amy Greenhill (Queen Anne), Connor Cumings (Queen Anne) en route home from Bruar Lodge, July 09

The group set out again in mid-August for their final expedition and chose Knoydart as a place of interest as it was well away from their previous experiences. Armed with a gloomy weather forecast and a very ambitious route the group set out for four days away from civilization. Where the practice had taught them about heat, the assessment had plenty to say about water. Every path was a rushing torrent while rivers and lochs had swelled and burst their banks. An easy walk in to the bothy at Sourlies turned into an arduous endurance test with everyone soaked due to the persistent rain and waist high river crossings. Once again the route was dictated by the weather and earlier aspirations had to be modified as the group was hemmed in for a couple of days on all sides by water. Credit must go to the participants who worked as a team throughout, kept their spirits high and managed to enjoy a very difficult expedition.

Gold Assessment, Knoydart, August 09. Group joined by Rachel Richardson (Queen Anne) in preparation for her own Gold Assessment. Clockwise from top left: a) Philip, Stuart and Calum contemplating a dangerous river crossing, b) crossing a river in threes as a safety precaustion, c) Connor outside the bothy at Sourlies, d) returning across the river (b), which was significantly subsided, e) bridge crossing and f) enjoying a brief respite from the rain.

Some of you may know, or have heard of me already but I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself properly. My name is Stacy Ramsay and I am the new Active Schools Coordinator for Woodmill High School. The format of Active Schools has changed recently so while my predecessor Harry McKinley only had one day per week allocated to Woodmill, I am now full time. I have responsibility for three high schools in Dunfermline but I can be contacted any time and am usually in the school at some point every day. Hopefully these newsletter articles will keep you updated with what’s going on with Active Schools at Woodmill but feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions or suggestions etc. My contact information is detailed below.

Here is a brief overview of what Active Schools will be involved with at Woodmill in the next few months. Please try and encourage your children to get involved in as much as possible.

Hopefully when the pupils come back after the October break, an Active Schools notice board will have been put up near the entrance to the PE Department. All Active Schools information will be displayed here so pupils can find out about new and current clubs, volunteering positions and opportunities to be active outside school.

This is an exciting time for Active Schools and I hope to get as much as possible up and running at Woodmill and would appreciate any support or suggestions that can be offered. Keep an eye on the newsletters to see what’s new in Active Schools.
Stacy Ramsay

All age groups are involved and the Astro is very busy every lunchtime with allocated practice sessions and bounce games going on in every available space.

In the last few years, Woodmill has become a much more established member of the Fife Schools’ footballing fraternity. Involvement and aspiration continue to increase each season.

Each Year group has a dedicated lunchtime practice day and school teams will compete in local, regional and national competitions this year. Players of all abilities are welcome at lunchtimes and a number of inter-house tournaments are also planned to allow all players to participate in competitive games.

Seniors (2009/10 Captain: Dale Allan, Vice Captain: Scott Pitblado)
Woodmill 1 Queen Anne 1
Woodmill 2 Stewarts Melville 1
Woodmill 5 Grangemouth HS 1

U15’s (2009/10 Captain: Tomas Sibbald, Vice Captain: Ryan Aitken)
Woodmill 6 Kirkcaldy HS 0

U14’s (2009/10 Captain: Sean Stewart, Vice Captain: Mal Leonard)
Woodmill 4 Buckhaven HS 4

U13’s are about to begin a series of friendly 7-a-side games against local schools and have been entered in the Fife Cup, Coca Cola 7s and the Scottish Cup and Plate events later this year. A huge number attending practice…. Great!

So far… So good!! Some attention to detail is needed, but all the squads are working hard during training. Further friendlies will be played in the forthcoming weeks prior to start of Fife and Scottish Cup campaigns… Good luck to all our teams.

Many congratulations to the following players who have been selected to represent Fife Schools in the National Shield Tournaments. Throughout two rounds of trials, they were up against fierce competition for places. They will attend regular training sessions and have the opportunity to play against other regional teams during the season. We wish them all success.

A passing remark from Dale’s father (a great supporter of Woodmill Football) resulted in a look at the archives to see exactly how often Dale had represented the school. It transpired that the Fist XI Captain had taken to the field over 100 times in Woodmill colours. This achievement was marked at the beginning of the recent match against friends, and friendly rivals, Stewarts Melville College when Mr Gilmour
presented Dale with a certificate and his team mates and fellow footballers offered their congratulations. Dale has been a key player since S1. His skill and generous style of play are an inspiration to his team mates, his joy in victory infectious, and his dignity in defeat commendable. A big thank you Dale for all your efforts over the years…and here’s to your most successful season yet!

CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE

The Literacy Group is now up and running. Our aims are to discuss how we can improve literacy skills in all curricular areas.

Our first focus is Reading for Information skills and we are planning to produce some core strategies, which will support teachers in all subject areas. We are also in the process of raising the importance of literacy skills to pupils in every subject with a series of laminated support sheets. These will be displayed in every classroom so that pupils see that their literacy skills are transferable to all subjects.

We then plan to look at Writing for Information skills and similarly to support Teaching and Learning across the curricular areas.

The school has been involved recently in a cross-cutting Theme Week. Our theme was ‘The Local Community’. During this week, pupils sampled a veriety of activities in class related to this theme. The week highlighted the opportunities pupils have in all subjects to practice literacy skills individually or in a collaborative learning situation.

In addition to the activities which pupils experienced in their subjects, a range of extra curricular activities were arranged as follows:

Monday       Musical extravaganza
Tuesday      Talk from Scottish Heritage Centre ‘The War Years’
Wednesday ‘Salty Tales’ (an entertaining talk focusing on what our River Forth means to one of our most talented and experienced sailors C. Bryant)
Thursday    Scottish language celebrated (organised by Mrs Bouaoun)
Friday         Storytelling with signing session (organised by Mrs B Bryant and Mrs Dudley from the English Department)

In addition to this, there were Inter House Football and Bench Ball competitions on the astro pitch, a staff/pupils football match, pupils in costume at lunchtime, a Science talk for all S1 pupils and literacy activity quizzes for S1.

The Crush Hall hosted displays of pupils’ work, photographic diaries of the events, sports trophies and display on how language evolved.

The whole week was a resounding success and demonstrates the enthusiasm and commitment of pupils and staff.

During the summer holidays I was given the opportunity to attend Rotary’s Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). This was a week at Nethybridge’s outdoor centre, where I was given the chance to take part in several challenging activities such as canoeing, gorge walking, mountain biking and hill walking. Agreeing to attend the week’s course before I knew fully what it was all about definitely turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made!
Being thrown in with a bunch of random people I had to live with for a week wasn’t exactly my best idea of fun but I couldn’t have been more wrong! All the instructors, staff, councillors and girls were really great and I have made some lifelong friends. This experience has also given me more confidence in similar situations where I am surrounded by people I don’t know, and should also help me in the future.

I feel I learned a lot from the week and came back raring to put my leadership skills in action. Everyday of the week, a different member of my group had to be a leader for the day’s activity. I got right in there and volunteered to be leader for the first day’s fun – canoeing. As we had to be mainly dependant on the instructors for this, I spent most of my time encouraging my team members and introducing interactions between everyone as we were still fairly shy, it being the first day. However, this did not last for long!

We were definitely the most enthusiastic team – our chanting and silly songs probably still ring in the instructors and all the other teams ears! OGI OGI OGI!! Saying that, it paid off in the end as my team won overall and we all received small trophies – mine now proudly sits on my mantelpiece!

I also learned a lot working with my team. It made me realise that everyone has different qualities to share for the benefit of the team, and that it is what makes it work so well. As much as I enjoyed the other activities, I found the team games and competitions just as exciting and valuable and made me appreciate the excellent team mates I had.

Overall, my experience at RYLA was nothing short of amazing. I would definitely recommend it as it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you learn so much. I really can’t thank Rotary enough for the chance to attend, and I certainly feel I have the potential to be a great leader, so watch this space…

On September 3rd, Scott Pitblado, Scott Chappell, Kyle Hall, Jamie Cleland and I attended the first round of trials to try for selection for the Fife Schools U18 team. They were held at Beath High School and the selectors organised a 70 minute game to allow the thirty-odd players there a chance to show what they could do. We knew that they had been looking at the same number of players in East Fife schools the day before, but were told that the standard in West Fife was better. No Pressure then.

It was more difficult than playing in a normal school game because we were up against only the best, most experienced players from each school.

Scott, Kyle and I were selected to go forward to the next round of trials on September 10th and those were held up at Kirkcaldy High School. By this time, the numbers were down to thirty but the standard even higher. As a forward I was up against my two Woodmill team mates who were playing in defence on the opposite side. I found this challenging, not least because they are both so good. This was the third time I had tried for the regional squad and I was absolutely delighted to find out the next day I was selected. Scott is also in the team and Kyle only narrowly missed out on selection. Scott was also in the squad last year: a great achievement.

Woodmill had two players selected at U15 level too so the school has done really well this year.
We begin training with the regional squad on September 23rd and our first games are against teams from Dundee and Lothian. The Fife U18 team reached the final of the Scottish Shield last year so Scott and I are hoping to do as well again this season and looking forward to playing at this level.
Dale Allan S6

I am happy to announce that the girls football team is once again up and running at Woodmill High! We have a 20+ strong squad ranging from 1st to 4th years and they are a great bunch of girls. We train every Tuesday lunchtime and Wednesday after school and have a few friendlies lined up in preparation for the Coca Cola 7’s Tournament early next year. Hopefully have some good results to publish by the next newsletter!

Earlier this year I successfully auditioned to work for seven months with the Scottish Opera. The Scottish Opera Connect Programme was created for twenty young people to experience the professional life of an Opera Singer. From September to March, I will be under going a series of workshops with professional singers and directors, while, also, going to see a number of operas, at different stages of production. So far the experience has been very enjoyable and I look forward to the remainder of the course.
Rachel Livingston

In June of this year I applied and was lucky enough to be selected to spend a week in St Andrews University with the Sutton Trust – an organisation which offers opportunities to students who might not have got to experience University otherwise. It was an amazing experience and one of the best weeks of my life and has confirmed for me that I want to go to University to study Biology. Although I was worried at first about coping academically and really nervous about meeting so many new people, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to make friends and adapt to the situation.

I had chosen to study Biology and Psychology as a second subject, which I had never done before but found I thoroughly enjoyed. At school I have a fantastic biology teacher but the laboratory in St Andrews was much better equipped and we got to do experiments that could not be done in school.

In the afternoons we had team building at RAF Leuchars which helped the groups to bond as we had to persevere with the tasks that were set. We also had a finance talk by SAAS and some input from UCAS, and a treasure hunt. All the other time was free but I spent a lot of it swimming in the sea. On one evening we had the fantastic ‘St Andrews Got Talent’ which featured a version of YMCA in drag as well as marshmallow eating. The last night was definitely the best as Mike, the student liaison officer, had organised a Ceilidh, which was an amazing end to our week and then the whole group went swimming for the last time.

My week at St Andrews taught me a lot about myself and increased my self-confidence as now I think I could manage at University.
Emma Campbell

CANADA

This summer ten of the members of Woodmill Interact Club had the once in a lifetime opportunity to spend eighteen days in Canada. It was truly the best experience of our lives and it all began at a civic reception which we attended in November last year with our rector. We were approached by a rather folically challenged councillor with the funny name with the suggestion of a possible trip to the land of maple syrup and mounties. Of course, having heard such promises before and knowing all to well what politicians are like we laughed it off and soon forgot about it. However, it soon became apparent when that same bald councillor, soon to be known to us as Rotarian Councillor Joe Rosiejak, visited the school that he was serious and thus the Canada ’09 trip was born.

Around the same time Joe was hosting a Canadian boy called Nathan Stotts who came to our school for four weeks and becoming friends with him enabled us to see what he was getting out of being in Scotland and this made us see how beneficial the Canada trip would be for us. Meeting Nathan inspired us and gave us the courage to truly commit to the project and so along with a deposit we signed our souls away to six months of hard-core fundraising.

Easily the most important yet challenging aspect, fundraising was gruelling. We knew we would have to work very hard to be able to finance such a trip for ten people but I don’t think any of us were truly prepared for the amount of time we had to commit, except maybe Joe, although we did get a lot out of each of the fundraising activities. Putting on a McGonagall Ceilidh in conjunction with our local Rotary Club taught us how to dance, our sale ability was tested in carrying out a huge Valentine’s Day Raffle, spending days bag-packing ensured that we all learned eggs MUST go on top, doing a sponsored bike ride around Lochore Meadows in the middle of a storm taught us never to trust the Scottish weather and our biggest fundraiser - a weekly paper route delivering 1000 newspapers taught us what backache is. However it was all worth the immense effort as on the 30th of July 2009 we were able to finally board a plane to Canada.

Now it would take several newsletters to tell you all about my first ever flight, the four days we spent at Ribfest, staying with host families, pool parties, barbeques, getting our palms read, Rotary lunches, Canadian friends, lunch at the Bank of Montreal, the CN Tower, Canada Wonderland, Cobourg, Ottowa, bus tours, our formal night at the revolving restaurant, the beautiful Niagra Falls and our farewell dinner at the best Chinese I have ever been to. Unfortunately space in this one is limited and I can only try to impress upon you how genuinely wonderful our time away was. It was an experience none of us will ever forget; it bonded us as a group, let us make new friends from across the world, represent Scotland and Rotary, increased our confidence and most importantly of all it gave us faith in ourselves showing us what you can achieve when you want something enough. Thanks must be issued to Rotary for giving us this once in a lifetime opportunity and particularly to Joe and Miss Bogie for really making it happen. Long may our newly forged ties with Canada continue.

Interact is typically summarised as Rotary for under 18’s. It gives young people aged 14 to 18 a chance to make a difference to communities; locally, nationally and internationally. Our club meets once a week in school over lunchtime. Although the club has been established a little over a year we have achieved a lot. The projects, which we began last year, have been continued into this year along with an additional international project. Some of our most successful projects, past and present are as follows: every quarter a few of us make a small donation of our time to plant bulbs for a residential care home for adults with various disabilities. We also carry out fortnightly visits to SEAL house; a local children’s charity manned totally by volunteers who work with children with learning and behavioural difficulties. There are also four members’ which visit two care homes on a monthly rotational basis whereby they participate in various games, activities or chats with the elderly residents. Last year we also raised almost £3000 for Schools4All and End Polio Now by making and selling eco friendly, reusable canvas bags. As a result of the success of all of these projects we were awarded a BBC Young Citizenship Award live on BBC news 24 by none other than Konnie Huq. This year we are also adopting an international project by offering support to the Eden Mozambique Project whereby a Scottish woman has built a school in Mozambique to teach adults English. It is hoped that a recruitment drive in the coming year will enable the club to continue to thrive.

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE

Absence

Parent and pupils are reminded of the legal responsibility for children to attend school regularly unless there is reasonable excuse for absence. Should parents know in advance that a child will be absent from school, e.g. for a medical appointment, they should send a note to the relevant register teacher. If this is not possible, then parents should endeavour to phone the school on the first day of absence so that we know that the child is safe and absent with parental permission. This will prevent a call from the school link officer checking the situation. On the pupil’s return to school, he/she should bring a dated note giving a written explanation for absence.

Lateness

Lateness is an increasing problem. School starts at 8.55am and pupils are expected to make their way to class after the first bell at 8.50am. Anyone arriving after this time will be recorded as Late. Parents and pupils are reminded that punctuality is regularly monitored and pupils will be issued with punishment exercises if they are late without reasonable excuse. Special arrangements are made on the infrequent occasions that the school buses are late and pupils know to sign in at the Main Office. However, for all other pupil, i.e. those walking to school, being transported by car or on service buses, there is a legal responsibility on parents to ensure punctuality. Letters will be sent home advising parents of any concerns, however they may be required to attend a meeting at school with the relevant Depute or Guidance staff should a problem persist.

Holidays

Term time holidays cannot be authorised by the school under Fife Council guidelines. Parents are therefore advised that all holidays should be taken outwith term time in accordance with this policy.

It is important that parents work in partnership with the school to ensure their child’s safety, discipline and attendance and we look for your support in complying with these reasonable conditions which have been set up in your child’s best interest. Parents who have queries or concerns about any of the above should contact their child’s Guidance Teacher in the first instance.

One more thing!!! It would make our day if pupils said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when they call at the office.