January 2016
Lochgilphead Joint Campus
NEWSLETTER
A Word from the Principal
Inside this issue:
Advanced Higher
Art Exhibition
2
S5 and S6 Ceramics
Project
2
Parent Council
2
Holocaust Memorial
Assembly
3
Skills for Work
3
Primary Scots Afternoon
3
Active Schools Update
4
The New Year always signals the busiest part of the school session, where senior
pupils are preparing for SQA national qualifications, pupils in S2 and S3 are beginning to think about subject choices, and lots of work is being done with our
associated Primary schools to prepare the P7 pupils for the transition to High
School.
Many S6 students are anxiously awaiting
responses from their UCAS applications,
with competition for university and college
places more rigorous every year, and much
work is done by our Guidance Team to prepare them for interviews, which are now a
routine part of the selection process.
We are very grateful to our local Rotary
members for offering mock interviews to all
of the students in S6. These took place over
a few days in January, and the students
greatly appreciated the opportunity to experience a formal interview — for the first time
for many of them — and the encouraging and constructive feedback they received from the interviewers.
Across the campus, the Primary pupils benefited from a Health Fortnight and it
was great to see them running around the building to achieve their daily mile.
They finished each week with a Zumba session which saw the whole school enjoying the activities and the music in the main hall.
Burns day was also celebrated with an afternoon of Scottish culture, with all of
the Primary classes involved in performing music and verse in memory of the
Bard.
Creativity was certainly on display at the annual Advanced Higher Art exhibiton
which was, as usual, very well-supported by members of staff and the wider
community.
There will be Parents Evenings for S2, S4, S5 and S6 this term but, as ever, please
don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns about your child’s progress.
Lochgilphead Joint Campus Newsletter
Advanced Higher Art Annual Exhibition
PARENT COUNCIL
UPDATE
The January meeting
incorporated an EGM at
which it was agreed that
there should be separate
Parent Councils for
Lochgilphead Primary
and Lochgilphead High
School.
A new constitution for
the High School was
ratified. The two
councils will
communicate as
necessary and will meet
formally once per year.
At the meeting there was
a presentation from Miss
Devine on the structures
to deliver the New
National Qualifications,
discussion of funding
requests and some
debate about behaviour
at school events.
Our hugely talented Advanced
Higher Art students - Rhianna,
Kelsey and Ellie (pictured right) welcomed pupils, staff and the
wider community to the annual
exhibition of their work. With
diverse influences and interests,
the girls demonstrated boldness
and originality in an amazing range
of work.
Please check the Parents
section of the campus
website for more Parent
Council news
S5 and S6 Ceramics Project
Page 2
Photo (left) of a ceramics project for
S5 and S6 taking inspiration from the
old tile works at Moine Mhor. The
pupils are working with ceramist
Lesley Burr, Scottish National
Heritage and Kilmartin Museum to
create a collaborative piece inspired
by the location and its history.
Lochgilphead Joint Campus Newsletter
Holocaust Memorial Assembly
S3 students commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day
with a short assembly for P7 and S3 students. Depute
Head Boy, Josh Coates, played an emotional piano piece
as students entered the hall and they were then told the
story of Sir Nicholas Winton, who brought Czech children
to safety in Britain. The theme for HMD 2016 is ‘Don’t
Stand By’ and we were asked to consider our role in
standing against injustice and persecution.
Primary Scots Afternoon
The Primary School held their annual Scots Afternoon on
Monday 25th January. Pupils and staff were entertained by all
classes with a huge variety of Scottish songs, rhymes and
dances including 'The Wee Kirkcudbright Centipede', 'If It
Wasnae For Yer Wellies', 'The Braes of Killiecrankie' and many
more. We were very lucky to also have our own wee pipe band
who piped everyone through the corridor to the gym and then
entertained the audience with a rendition of 'Scotland The
Brave'. Well done to all involved.
Skills for Work
As part of the S2 Options Programme, delivered
through Learn to Learn classes, an event to promote
Argyll College courses was held in the school on
Tuesday 26th January. Tutors came from Hairdressing,
Construction, Engineering, Rural Skills and Childcare
and pupils - from Lochgilphead and from Tarbert
Academy - were able to pick up information leaflets and
ask about the courses on offer. They were also able to
talk to current S3 pupils who have been involved in
Skills for Work this session and who could give an
account of their own experiences and an evaluation
of the activities undertaken.
Page 3
Lochgilphead Joint Campus Newsletter
Important Dates and Events in February/March
FEBRUARY
Lochgilphead Joint Campus
Kilmory
Lochgilphead
PA31 8AA
Phone: 01546 602598
Email:
enquiries@lochgilpheadhigh.argyllbute.sch.uk
enquiries@lochgilphead-pri.argyllbute.sch.uk
1st
Prelims begin
12th
Prelims end
18th
School closes
24th
Staff Development Day
25th
Pupils return
MARCH
3rd
S5/6 Reports to parents
8th
S4/5/6 Parents Evening and Options presentation
11th
S3 Tracking issue
Check out the latest
news on our website
Active Schools Update
www.ljc.ea.argyllbute.sch.uk
My name is Eilidh MacPherson, you may have seen a recent article about me in the Argyllshire Advertiser. I am the
newly appointed Active Schools Coordinator for Mid Argyll which covers Lochgilphead High School and the 10 local
Primary Schools. I am a former pupil of Ardrishaig Primary and Lochgilphead High Schools and I am passionate
about the local area, and the opportunities that are available to children, and young people who live here.
As an Active Schools Coordinator one of my main roles in Lochgilphead High School is to help create more and
better opportunities for pupils to participate in extra-curricular activities. I work closely with the high school and
the P.E department to support extra-curricular sports clubs and to encourage all pupils to come along and have
fun. Joining a club can have such a positive impact on how you feel and how you concentrate in school. It would
also be great to hear from some of our pupils who might not be going to any of our clubs at the moment, but may
have some ideas about new activities.
Lochgilphead High School has many sports club opportunities at the moment, including new clubs that have
recently started such as Volleyball on a Monday after school and a lunchtime Netball Club on Wednesdays. All
information about what clubs are on at Lochgilphead High School will be posted shortly on the school facebook
page. Pupils can find out about clubs from the P.E department or the Active Schools Notice Board opposite the
Library in the small corridor.
I am also calling on volunteers in the community to please come forward if you may be interested in helping out at
one of the clubs or possibly starting something new? I am happy to answer any questions or help enthusiastic
volunteers who are starting from scratch. If anyone has a great idea for a club or sporting event or would like to
get involved in coaching please contact me via email on Eilidh.Macpherson@argyll-bute.gov.uk or by phone on
01546 604 134.