3 December 2014

Year	Content                                                         Date 03.12.2014
S1	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.   **Please have your boxes ready by Wednesday 3rd December – contact me and I will collect!**   Mrs Fallon
S2	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 **Please have your boxes ready by Wednesday 3rd December – contact me and I will collect!**   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 Update - Christmas Shoebox Appeal **Please have your boxes ready by Wednesday 3rd December – contact me and I will collect!**   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
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	Word of the Week Congratulations to 4R 1/2 for coming up with this week’s word.   Word: cosmopolitan (adjective)   Definition: at ease with many cultures and countries.   Context: Esme was so cosmopolitan: some would say she didn't have a nationality.     Use this word in interesting contexts and start thinking of words beginning with D for next week. Eco-Group A reminder from the eco group that they meet every Monday in the library at break.   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. 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’     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   CHRISTMAS CONCERT - 2 WEEKS TO GO   There are now only 2 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: 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.