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Rosehall High
School Newsletter
Dear Parents,
It is with a great sense of nostalgia that I
write this final newsletter for Rosehall
High, as we move towards closure of the
school at the end of June. It has been my
pleasure and privilege to be Head Teacher
here and to lead the school to the
considerable success we have achieved in
recent years.
I am sure that all of our pupils are looking
forward with anticipation to the new
school buildings they will have in the
north of the town, and to being part of the
new Coatbridge High School. I hope too
that they will look back to their time at
Rosehall with some pride and happy
memories.
Arrangements are now well in hand for the
closure of the school and relocation of our
materials, resources and equipment. Staff
at both schools have worked hard together
to ensure as smooth and easy a transition
as possible. Some Rosehall staff will be
continuing into the new school; others will
be finishing their teaching careers or
moving on to different schools. Those of
us who are not moving to the new school
send our best wishes for the future, for
success and achievement, to all the pupils
May 2008
and staff of the new Coatbridge High. I
am sure that Rosehall pupils and parents
will be made very welcome there.
Guidance teachers Mrs Fawcett and Mrs
Lockhart will be Principal Teachers of
Pupil Support in the new school, and will
do their best to assist in the transition.
Teachers from other departments who will
take up post in the new school are as
follows –
Mr A Campbell – PT Technical Studies;
Ms S Robertson – English;
Ms C Reid – English;
Ms J Bradshaw – Mathematics;
Mr I Hanlon – Mathematics;
Ms P McLaughlin – Mathematics;
Mr J Mailley – Mathematics;
Mr S McDowell – Transition Teacher;
Ms L Brand – Business Education;
Ms P McKay – Business Education;
Ms K McLaughlin – Computing;
Mr S Black – Biology;
Ms A Edwards – Physical Education;
Ms K Gallagher – History;
Ms H Toth – Modern Languages;
Mr J McLean – Music.
The majority of our Office and Support
staff will also be transferring to the new
school, so Rosehall pupils will be well
looked after and see quite a few “weel
kent” faces!
Many thanks to Mr Simpson in particular,
who has overseen all of the arrangements
for “the big flitting”. As you can imagine,
this has involved a great deal of planning
and lots of hard work. Thanks are due,
too, to all of the staff - teachers,
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technicians, janitors, cleaners and support
staff, who have assisted with the process
of packing and clearing – no mean feat!
Parents will soon be hearing directly from
North Lanarkshire Council regarding
transport to and from the new school. Of
course, given the change of location, many
pupils who currently are entitled to free
transport will now be expected to walk to
school, and others who previously walked
to Rosehall will now be entitled to
transport.
The walking distance to
secondary school is a 2-mile “safe walking
route”. These routes have now been
measured, and information about this will
be sent out to you in the near future.
As you will know, pupils will be
accommodated in the old Coatbridge High
School building until the new school is
ready in October. Adaptations have been
carried out to ensure that this will work
well. Pupils will also attend at Coatbridge
High for “familiarisation days”, where
they will meet staff at CHS and be shown
round the building. This will take place on
Thursday 29th May for current S2 pupils,
and Friday 30th May for current S3 pupils.
On Wednesday 11th June, there will be an
“Induction Visit” to Coatbridge High for
current S4/5 pupils to give information
and directions. It is very important that all
Rosehall pupils attend these visits, as it
will help them to make a good start at the
beginning of the new term in August.
Arrangements will also be made for S1
pupils to visit – the date for this is still to
be confirmed.
New uniform details have been decided
for the new school – black trousers or
skirt, black blazers with embroidered
badge and white shirts/blouses, with a new
design of school crest and tie,
incorporating Rosehall High School
colours into the new design. There will be
“Uniform Evenings” here at Rosehall High
on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th May,
with Academy Uniforms personnel
available with samples of the new uniform
and the usual arrangements for packages
or single items on sale. Coatbridge High
staff will also be in attendance to assist.
For anyone who cannot manage to come
on these two evenings, there will be
similar arrangements at Coatbridge High
on the evenings of Wenesday 21st,
Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd. Here is a
preview of the new CHS badge,
incorporating Rosehall colours and
“rosettes” –
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Rosehall High pupils will finish school
slightly earlier this session, at the end of
the school day on Wednesday 25th June.
They will start at Coatbridge High School
(old building) on Monday 18th August at 9
am. It is planned that entry to the new
school will take place immediately after
the October holiday break. Further details
will be confirmed to you nearer this time,
but the October holiday dates are Friday
10th – Monday 20th. It is likely that there
will be additional holiday dates for pupils
added to this week to allow a phased entry
to the new school, with teachers moving in
advance of pupils.
More definite
information will be sent out to parents
after the summer holidays. Any enquiries
should be directed to Mr Rawlinson, Head
Teacher of Coatbridge High School, at
01236 427676 or ht@coatbridge.nlanark.sch.uk
Early Retirements
A number of staff members at Rosehall
High will take early retirement at the end
of this session –
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Mrs M Anderson
•
Mrs A Bruce
•
Mrs J Calvert
•
Mrs S Fairbairn
•
Mr C Fawcett
•
Mrs M Gilliland
•
Mr D Hazlie
•
Mr I Howson
•
Mr A Kerr
•
Ms M McFarlane
•
Mr A Simpson
•
Mr J Shields
I am sure that you will wish to join with
me in thanking all of these teachers for
their many years of sterling service to the
school, and to offer sincere good wishes
for a very long and happy retirement!
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Rosehall High Success
Rosehall High recently achieved the new
North Lanarkshire International School
Quality Award, to be presented at a special
ceremony on 23rd June. This is the result
of all the work undertaken in the school to
foster good international relationships – in
particular our Malawi school link, but also
work done in Modern Languages, Music
and Social Subjects, our various school
trips to Austria, France, Italy, and USA,
and the many visitors from abroad who
have been hosted here.
We were also delighted to be finalists in
the forthcoming North Lanarkshire
Excellence Awards, in the category of
“Service Improvement of the Year”. The
Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday
30th May, and we are hopeful of adding
another trophy to our display cabinet – this
will have pride of place until the end of
this session here at Rosehall, and will also
feature in the foyer of the new school.
Rosehall has once again been given the
very special accolade of a Cancer
Research UK “Flame of Hope” Award for
the outstanding contribution made to this
charity, particularly by Mr McLean and
our Music Dept. The Awards Ceremony
will be held in London in June, and it is
hoped that our School Captains will be
able to accompany Mr McLean in person
to be presented with this fabulous award.
Rosehall Activities
Rosehall’s final Easter Service was held
on Thursday 20th March, with a
tremendous array of speakers, presenters
and musicians making an excellent
contribution to the proceedings. Many
thanks to Rev R Hamilton for attending on
this occasion.
Our senior pupils had a most successful
Options Afternoon on Tuesday 18th
March, with senior staff from Coatbridge
High also in attendance. Lorraine Kay, a
former Rosehall pupil now doing well at
college, spoke to pupils about the
advantages of the flexible routes available
into college and university. Parents who
attended found the session very
informative and helpful.
Parents and pupils representing Rosehall
High School took part in a “topping-out”
ceremony at the new Coatbridge High
School on Tuesday 25th March, at which a
“Time Capsule” containing memorabilia
from both Coatbridge and Rosehall High
Schools was buried beneath the new
building.
Rosehall’s young musicians took part in a
marvellous Spring Concert at the Royal
Concert Hall in Glasgow on the evening of
Monday 31st March, with a packed house
enjoying the music.
On 1st April, a film crew were filming at
Rosehall for a short film to be shown at
the North Lanarkshire Excellence Awards.
Also, on the evening of Tuesday 1st April,
there was a wonderful concert held at
Blairhill/Dundyvan Church in which
Rosehall’s young musicians gave a
brilliant display of their musical talents.
On Thursday 3rd April, Kirsty Youngson
and Holly Traynor represented Rosehall at
the Civic Theatre in Motherwell where the
annual SuperCounty Show was in full
swing.
On Wednesday 23rd April, we held a
special whole-school assembly at Rosehall
to mark the final year of the school.
Pupils were kept informed about progress
towards their new school and events to
commemorate Rosehall’s closure. All
pupils and staff were presented with
special mementos – an engraved ballpoint
pen and a school logo mouse-mat. It is
hoped that these small gifts will be kept in
the years to come, representing “old” and
“new” technology, and carrying with them
memories of their old school.
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Friday 25th April brought a group of
Norwegian visitors to the school in search
of the “Curriculum for Excellence” in
action, and French classes that day also
attended a production of “Les Miserables”
at the Mitchell Theatre in Glasgow.
On Tuesday 29th April, there was a photoshoot in the school in connection with the
forthcoming health campaign on HPV
immunisation for girls (prevention of
cervical cancer).
The school celebrated “Europe Day” on
Friday 9th May, with posters around the
school and special events taking place.
On Monday 12th May, S3 pupils set off for
their Skill Force Residential Week at
Garelochhead, near Helensburgh. There
they are being put through their paces to
achieve their final award.
Tuesday 13th May saw our junior football
team (accompanied by their coach, Mr M
Lester) competing in the South Region
Finals of the Coca-Cola Sevens, held at
the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie.
Unfortunately, they did not progress
further in the competition, but had done
really well to reach this stage.
End of School Celebrations
With the end of the school year now in
sight, there is a programme of events for
pupils, parents and friends to celebrate the
achievements of the school.
The main event for pupils is the trip to
Disneyland, Paris, from 5th-9th June.
Pupils will travel by coach to the south of
England, through the Channel Tunnel and
on to Paris. The trip includes Disneyland
tickets, a riverboat trip on the River Seine,
and a visit to the Eiffel Tower. There will
be another Parents’ Evening for parents of
participants on the evening of Monday 19th
May at Rosehall High to give final details
and instructions. Many thanks to Mrs M
Anderson for making all of the
arrangements – we wish the group all the
best as they set off on this trip of a
lifetime. Bon voyage!
For pupils, staff, former pupils and
parents, there will be a very special School
Show on the evening of Thursday 12th
June, starring former pupil and top star
Alan Beck. Tickets are available, price £5
(half-price concessions) from the school.
An exhibition of school memorabilia will
be on display at the show, and for the
whole of the following week, up until the
Final School Prize-giving on the evening
of Tuesday 17th June. The display will
include surplus items for sale at a ‘Silent
Auction” – bids should be left at the
school and items paid for and collected
before the end of term. All proceeds will
go into our School Fund for purchase of
prizes, with any remaining funds going to
Malawi. The “Memories of Rosehall”
book will soon be on sale, price £10, with
contributions from a whole host of former
pupils and staff . The school website has
also been updated – go to www.rosehall.nlanark.sch.uk to see lots of photos, old and
new, as well as interesting information and
details. It is planned that the website, on
DVD, will be issued to pupils in the final
days of school.
Pupils will also participate in special
activities during the last two weeks of
term, with many trips and outings already
arranged – Botanic Gardens, Royal
Highland Show, Alton Towers, M&Ds,
“doon the watter” on the Waverley, etc,
etc.
School attendance will continue to be very
important at this time, as only pupils who
have achieved attendance targets will be
eligible to take part.
The final day of school for pupils will be
Wednesday 25th June, with staff finishing
up on Friday 27th. Then the gates of
Rosehall High will close forever!
Malawi Update
A group from Rosehall High, including
our School Captain, Annisha Davie, spent
their Spring Holiday Fortnight on a
humanitarian and health aid visit to
Malawi. They spent most of their time at
our link school Luchenza and learned a
great deal about educational developments
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there, having prepared for their visit by
undergoing peer-led HIV/Aids training
organised by Christian Aid. Mr Fawcett
has led a series of assemblies since his
return to school, showing a DVD featuring
life in Malawi, and this has made a very
strong impact on our pupils, who are very
keen to help in any way they can.
There is a bright and eye-catching display
of souvenirs and gifts for sale in the school
foyer, and I am sure that the link with our
school in Malawi will continue with
Rosehall pupils into their new school. I
know that our friends in Malawi are very
keen to continue the contact, which means
a great deal to them.
With many thanks for your support
over the years,
and very best wishes for the future,
(Mrs) Anne Bruce
Head Teacher
Forthcoming Events
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Monday 19th May – NL
Traditional Music Concert, Civic Theatre,
7.30/Uniform Evening for Parents,
Rosehall High
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Tuesday 20 May – S1 Parents’
Meeting – 4-6 pm/Uniform Evening for
Parents, Rosehall High/NL Strings
Concert, Civic Theatre, Motherwell, 7.30
•
Friday 23 and Monday 26 May –
HOLIDAY WEEKEND
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Thursday 29th May – S1 Climb
Tinto Hill (St Andrew’s Hospice
fundraiser)/S2 Familiarisation Day at CHS
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Friday 30th May – Senior Prom,
Avonbridge
Hotel,
Hamilton/NL
Excellence Awards, Civic Theatre, 7 pm
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Monday 2nd June – S4 return from
Study Leave
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Tuesday 3rd June – School Sports
Day
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Wednesday 4th June – Borders
Books visit for prize-winners
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5-9 June, Disneyland Paris trip
•
Friday 6th June, NL S1 Cricket
Tournament
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Tuesday 10th June – S5 return
from Study Leave
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Wednesday 11th June – S4/5
Induction Day at CHS/Christian Aid
visitors from Malawi in school
•
Thursday 12th June – Rosehall
Celebration Concert, starring former pupil
Alan Beck of ‘Caledon’
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12-17 June – Silent Auction of
school mementos
•
Friday 13 June, Junior trip to
M&D’s
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Monday 16th June – S2 Biology
trip to Glasgow Botanic Gardens
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Tuesday 17 June, Celebration of
Success and Prize-giving Ceremony, 7 pm
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12-17 June – display of Rosehall
memorabilia and “Silent Auction”
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Wednesday 18th June – Physics
trip to Cruachan
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Thursday 19th June, PE bowling
trip/Home Economics outing to Royal
Highland Show, Ingliston, Edinburgh
•
Friday 20th June – Waverley trip
to Dunoon and Rothesay (100 pupils + 6
staff)/Alton Towers trip for seniors/NL
International Conference, GLO Centre,
Motherwell
•
Monday 23rd June – Biology trip
to David Marshall Lodge, Aberfoyle/NL
International School Quality Award
Presentation
Ceremony,
Municipal
Buildings, Kildonan St
•
Wednesday 25 June – end of term
for pupils
•
Friday 27 June – close of school