28 November 2014

Year	Content                                                         Date 28.11.2014
S1	**NEW ITEM** SPACES AVAILABLE FOR DOUBLE BASS LESSONS IN SCHOOL – S1/2   Any S1 or S2 pupil who is interested in receiving free tuition on double bass within school please come and see Mrs O’Brien in the music department. No previous musical or double bass experience is necessary.   This is open to any pupil who does not currently receive school lessons on another instrument. Pupils who take private instrumental lessons out with school are also invited to apply. JGHS Rubbish Christmas Tree Competition   Do not drop your litter on the floor have fun this Christmas and help the environment too by reusing and recycling your litter by building a ‘Rubbish Christmas Tree’   Start collecting, plastic bottle, cans and recycled paper now in your registration class to build a Rubbish Christmas tree   Prizes to be awarded for: The tallest free standing tree                                        : Most aesthetically pleasing tree                                        : Most creatively designed tree   Trees to be ready by Tuesday 16th December. Judging and prizes awarded on Wednesday 17th December   All Trees will be recycled after the competition- the Eco-Group Update - Christmas Shoebox Appeal (S1-S3) We are now working with Children 1st for our shoe box appeal.  There are many advantages to this.  The pupils at Gillespie’s will not need to pay to cover the cost of overseas shipping, we have a longer period of time to collect the boxes and we can support a local charity. The appeal itself continues as normal.  Children 1st are delighted to receive shoe boxes of presents for the families that they work with.  The only changes are you no longer need to include £3 and they can also accept boxes for children aged 13-16yrs so we have an extra age category to cater for.    Suggested Items:  Hygiene items such as wrapped soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, facecloth, comb, hairbrush.  Stationary items such as pens, pencils, ruler, rubber, notepad, colouring book.  Small toys such as yo-yo, toy car, dolls, skipping rope, ball, small puzzles.  Other items such as hat, gloves, sunglasses, jewellery, wrapped sweets.   Do not include: war related items such as toy guns, chocolate, liquids, lotions, anything of a political, racial or religious nature, marbles, sharp objects, glass or fragile items or clothing other than hats, cap, gloves or scarf.   Let me know when your box is completed and I will come and collect it or hand it in to me in SFL. Remember to label your box with either boy/girl and the age.     Mrs Fallon
S2	**NEW ITEM** SPACES AVAILABLE FOR DOUBLE BASS LESSONS IN SCHOOL – S1/2   Any S1 or S2 pupil who is interested in receiving free tuition on double bass within school please come and see Mrs O’Brien in the music department. No previous musical or double bass experience is necessary.   This is open to any pupil who does not currently receive school lessons on another instrument. Pupils who take private instrumental lessons out with school are also invited to apply. JGHS Rubbish Christmas Tree Competition   Do not drop your litter on the floor have fun this Christmas and help the environment too by reusing and recycling your litter by building a ‘Rubbish Christmas Tree’   Start collecting, plastic bottle, cans and recycled paper now in your registration class to build a Rubbish Christmas tree   Prizes to be awarded for: The tallest free standing tree                                        : Most aesthetically pleasing tree                                        : Most creatively designed tree   Trees to be ready by Tuesday 16th December. Judging and prizes awarded on Wednesday 17th December   All Trees will be recycled after the competition- the Eco-Group Update - Christmas Shoebox Appeal   See above
S3	JGHS Rubbish Christmas Tree Competition   Do not drop your litter on the floor have fun this Christmas and help the environment too by reusing and recycling your litter by building a ‘Rubbish Christmas Tree’   Start collecting, plastic bottle, cans and recycled paper now in your registration class to build a Rubbish Christmas tree   Prizes to be awarded for: The tallest free standing tree                                        : Most aesthetically pleasing tree                                        : Most creatively designed tree   Trees to be ready by Tuesday 16th December. Judging and prizes awarded on Wednesday 17th December   All Trees will be recycled after the competition- the Eco-Group History Trenches Trip   Next payment of £120 is due 29 November Please pass to Mrs Sinclair, Classroom Assistants Office in Warrender Update - Christmas Shoebox Appeal   See above
S4	Toothbrushes for South Africa We are organising a collection of toothbrushes and toothpaste for the Charles Memorial Primary School in South Africa. The school has 550 pupils so we need as many as possible! Please bring all donations to room G8 in Darroch before 12th December. They can be bought for as little as £1 in many shops.   Orla FitzGerald S6
S5	Toothbrushes for South Africa We are organising a collection of toothbrushes and toothpaste for the Charles Memorial Primary School in South Africa. The school has 550 pupils so we need as many as possible! Please bring all donations to room G8 in Darroch before 12th December. They can be bought for as little as £1 in many shops.   Orla FitzGerald S6 Modern Studies New York Trip   Reminder - 1st payment is due next Monday 1st December Please hand in to the Modern Studies Dept. or Mrs Sinclair, Classroom Assistants Office, Lauderdale Street.
S6	Toothbrushes for South Africa We are organising a collection of toothbrushes and toothpaste for the Charles Memorial Primary School in South Africa. The school has 550 pupils so we need as many as possible! Please bring all donations to room G8 in Darroch before 12th December. They can be bought for as little as £1 in many shops.   Orla FitzGerald S6
All years	Eco-Group A reminder from the eco group that they meet every Monday in the library at break.   Scottish Opera Connect Courses for 14 to 21 year olds - Singers and Musicians Workshops Scottish Opera Connect gives aspiring singers and orchestral musicians a unique, practical introduction to the skills and experience needed to perform opera. Connect Chorus Our Connect Chorus meets throughout the year for a programme of evening and weekend workshops, running from September to April. Connect Orchestra Like Connect Chorus, our Connect Orchestra follows a programme of evening and weekend sessions running from September to April.   Applications for Connect 2015/16 are now open! Auditions will be held in January 2015. Application Forms can be accessed from Miss Millar in the Music Department - deadline Monday 1 December 2014   The Edinburgh Kevock Choir Alex Elrick Memorial Award 2015 This competition is open to singers aged between 14 and 18 on 1st January 2015 who are still at school.   The winner will receive - The Alex Elrick Memorial Trophy, which they may keep for one year, and £1000 to help them continue to improve their singing. Please see Miss Millar this week for more details if you are interested.   All Year Groups – important!   Debating at the Parliament The school will be taking part in the St Andrew’s Day Debate at the Scottish Parliament on Monday 1st December. If you would like to attend this as part of the audience, then come to the debating club today (Wednesday 26th November) after school in W7 for further details and a permission slip. All pupils welcome.   If you cannot make this meeting but would still like to attend the debate at the Parliament, please see Mr Roskilly or Mr McPhail asap.   M Roskilly Senior Drama Production   The Victorian Melodrama, ”Lady Audley’s Secret” Friday 5th December Matinee Performance 1:45pm Evening Performance 7pm At The Drama Studio G20 Darroch   Ticket Price: £6 Adult, £4 Student/Child Tickets will go on sale from Mon 1st December at break outside W1.   *Please note that both shows also includes a half hour production of ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’ Lost property Reclaim   Friday 28th November – break time in the foyer   Mrs Summers     St. Andrew’s Day Celebrations 28th November, Break Time, Lauderdale/Darroch   DARROCH 1. 2 Pipers (Adam) piping in Darroch as the bell goes, leaving the Darroch campus after around 2 minutes (alt. covered by umbrellas if it rains) 2. Pipers accompanied by enthusiastic S6s with placards and Dominic from Pupil Voice. 3. Arrive at Lauderdale 11.05am. LAUDERDALE 1. Piping on grass outside of Spylaw (alt. covered walkway into Spylaw if it rains) 2. Roise (fiddle) and Finlay (clarsach) playing for S6 highland dancing in Quad (alt. in canteen if it rains) 3. Bake sale (S6-run) and face-painting (events committee) Scottish flags in canteen (alt. in Warrender hallway if it rains) MARKETING 1. Assembly presentation by S6 Pupil Voice - who St. Andrew was / significance 2. Posters in school 3. Word of mouth (via Pupil Voice representatives) Note; Students travelling from Darroch>Lauderdale>Darroch may be late getting back to class for third period. Set up; Molly, Dominic, Adam, David, Miriam, Carolyn and certain members of the events committee have agreed to help with setting up at Lauderdale during period 2. Blatant self-promotion (with a little helpful fund-raising) A few years ago, I was lucky enough to have a small publishing company called The Rialto accept my collection of poems, ‘Outswimming The Eruption’, for publication.  Poetry does not sell well in the commercial market, and the company have recently sold the final 90 copies to me at cost, because they think I am more likely to have some luck promoting the book myself than they are now.  The ‘cost’ price is £5; the cover price is £8.50.   If any parent, pupil or staff colleague is interested in buying a copy (perhaps for a Christmas present?), please come and see me with cash or cheque.  Feel free to pay the cost price, but if you pay the cover price, then I will donate my £3.50 ‘profit’ to the Parents’ Events Group Fund to be used to purchase resources for the pupils.  The only benefit to me will be a few more readers!   Allan Crosbie     LONDON DANCE TRIP 2015 A reminder that the next payment of £50 is due on FRIDAY 28TH NOVEMBER.  There will also be a short meeting at break time on that same Friday in the Library.  Attendance is essential! Miss Falconer   Word of the Week There were some fantastic entries for Word of the Week: especially bourgeois (2M4), biodegradable (1K2) and banter (5K3 and 4) but the winner is…   Word of the week from 1K1 Besmirch (verb) Definition: to soil, dirty. Context: The politician used rumours to besmirch his rival’s reputation.   This week’s word should begin with C.   M Roskilly.   URGENT NOTICE FOR ALL PUPILS INVOLVED IN THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT All pupils must ensure they have been issued a letter at rehearsals which details vital concert information. If not, please come to the music dept. to pick one up. The names of every pupil in the concert will appear in the programme. Lists of these pupils’ names will be posted outside the classroom assistants' office in Warrender for one week only, from Monday 24th to Friday 28th November. Pupils MUST check that their name is on the correct list and spelt correctly. Please place a tick against your name once you've checked this.   Mrs O’Brien CHRISTMAS CONCERT - 3 WEEKS TO GO   There are now only 3 weeks of rehearsals left until the JGHS Christmas Concert at the Usher Hall. Attendance therefore at every rehearsal is essential in the lead-up to the concert.   CHOIR REHEARSALS: S1 choir                 every Monday lunchtime in B1                                                                               S2/3 choir             every Wednesday lunchtime in B1                                                                                Senior choir          every Wednesday after school in B1 Chamber choir      every Thursday after school in B3   INSTRUMENTAL GROUPS: Junior Wind Band                   every Monday lunchtime in B3 Senior Wind Band                  every Monday after school in B3 Training String Orchestra      every Tuesday after school in B3 Senior String Orchestra         every Tuesday after school in B1 Clarsach Ensemble                 every Tuesday lunchtime in B13 Percussion Ensemble             every Wednesday lunchtime in B16  Chanters/Pipe Band               every Thursday after school in B1   CHRISTMAS CONCERT​ - TICKETS NOW ON SALE!   ​Tickets are now on sale directly from the Usher Hall box office or website, priced from £6 - £10. Pupils not performing in the concert should come along and support a wonderful school event, one week before Christmas!   Debating and Public Speaking Debating and public speaking has moved to every Wednesday, instead of Monday, after school in W7.  New participants are always welcome and no previous debating experience is necessary.   Forthcoming events:   Monday 1st December – we have been invited to participate in an all-day debating competition to be held at the Scottish Parliament. One debater from JGHS will work in a team with a university student. If you would like to be considered, or be in the audience, come to debating club or if you cannot manage today then give your name to Mr Roskilly or Mr McPhail. Be quick as places are limited. Thursday 4th December—JGHS will be hosting and participating in a debate on the relationship between the E.U. and the U.K. Other schools involved are: Craigmount High School; George Watson’s; St Mary’s Music School. Come along and support your school and fellow pupils!     M Roskilly ALL PUPILS All pupils that have an instrumental lesson at 8.50am MUST report to the office at the bottom of Bruntsfield House to register they are present.  Absence calls will go home to parents if pupils do not register.