In this blog I want to promote the wide range of opportunities available to pupils at Harlaw Academy.
| Monday | Netball for S1 – games hall – Miss McGroryTable tennis for S1-S6 – east gym – Mr Connor
Senior concert band – Assembly Hall *Running for S1-S6 – various – Miss McGrory *Junior Basketball for S1-S3 – games hall – Miss Ritchie |
| Tuesday | Badminton for S1-S6 – games hall – Mr ConnorRowing for S1-S6 – east gym – Miss McGrory
Jazz band – D30 Senior woodwind group A90 Ukulele group D9 *Netball for S4-S6 – Games Hall – Miss McGrory/Mrs Paul *Junior concert band – Assembly hall |
| Wednesday | S1 football – games hall – Mr DonaldsonGirls basketball for S1-S6 – east gym – Miss Ritchie
Ceilidh band – D30 *Volleyball for S1-S6 – games hall – TBC |
| Thursday | Dodgeball for s1-s6 – games hall – Mr BellJunior netball S2-S3 – east gym – Miss McGrory/Mrs Paul
S1 dance/cheerleading – west gym – various staff Leos club – assembly hall – Mr Hogg Harlaw defenders – B33 *Senior basketball for S4-6 – games hall – Miss Ritchie *Film club for S1-s6 – library – Mrs Ustun |
| Friday | Girls football S1-S6 – Games Hall – Mr DonaldsonShinty for S1-S6 – east gym – Mr Macfayden
Scripture Union – C36 S1/2 book quiz group – Library – Mrs Ustun Choir – D31 |
* = after school
There are also clubs/groups running for:
- eSports/Gaming club – Mr Raffarty
- Rock Challenge rehearsals – Miss Yates
- Duke of Edinburgh – Mrs Cooper
- Micro tyco – Miss Maxwell
Other groups and visits etc:
- Various sports teams are starting their fixtures – these include football teams at various age levels.
- Staff have already started up some catch up/homework support sessions
- Many seniors are also stating to sign up for opportunities to be peer educators for younger pupils and sports leaders.
- We have a group of pupils heading to Poland to visit Auschwitz in late September/early October.
- On Friday 28 August we had 6 seniors taking part in an engineering challenge called ‘Stem in the Pipeline’. On the same day a group of 7 seniors visited Aberdeen University to take part in an AH Optics day.
- We are in the process of planning the annual forest walk – which takes place on 2 October. Curriculum for Excellence tries to go beyond conventional subject teaching and we see the forest walk as a key element in ensuring school is about more than accumulating qualifications – it is also about building memories and experiences we would not normally have.
- We are also planning for a visit of a group of guests from our partner school in Regensburg. This will take place 28 Oct – 1 Nov.
Involving parents/community in school life:
This week we also had meetings of two important parent groups:
- Our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) held its first meeting on Monday 31 August. Notes of this are on the school website and the PTA Facebook page.
- The Parent Council then held its meeting and AGM on Thursday 3 September – again notes of the meeting will appear on the school website.
- We are keen to engage with parents and are planning a curriculum information event on Wednesday 9 September 7.00-8.00 in the school.
- Another date for your diary is Saturday 12 September. On this date the school is open from 10.00-4.00 as part of Doors Open Day. We will be running tours of the school every 15 minutes from 10.00 until the last tour at 3.30. It would be great to see families and friends along on that day.
- This Saturday, 5 September, some senior pupils and I will be meeting our Former Pupils in the school to discuss ways in which we can build on links between the groups to promote intergenerational learning and mutual support. Later in the day some staff will be meeting with the Mayor of Regensbourg to discuss how to further develop our school links with Von Muller Gymnasium.
Diary dates:
Term dates: Term 1: Tuesday 18 August – Friday 9 October 2015
Term 2: Monday 26 October – Friday 18 December 2015
Term 3: Monday 6 January – Friday 1 April 2016
Term 4: Monday 18 April – Friday 1 July 2016
In-service dates: Monday 17 August 2015
Monday 16 November 2015
Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 February 2016
Tuesday 3 May 2016
Holidays Monday 15 February, Friday 25 March, Monday 2 May
Other dates: Saturday 12 September 2015 (Doors open day)
Friday 2 October 2015 (Forest Walk)