June 2010

Knox News
Pencaitland Road, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 4DT

Tel: 01620 823387

Fax: 01620 823186

Email: knoxacademy@knox.elcschool.org.uk
Web: www.ka-net.org.uk

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to the last Knox News of session 2009-2010. The summer term has been very busy
with a wide variety of activities taking place in and out of school.

At the end of term we say farewell to the following members of staff:

Two long-serving members of staff are retiring this summer.

Mr B Dillin (Principal Teacher of Computing) has been at Knox Academy for 35 years, 24 of
these as Principal Teacher. During his time here, Mr Dillin has witnessed many changes and has
led the department through a bewildering number of moves of accommodation. A valued
member of staff, Mr Dillin’s commitment to the school, his hard work and sense of humour will
be missed. Mr Dillin’s contribution to the school’s Curriculum Development Group has been
pivotal to the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence in the school. He has contributed to
the wider life of the school by being part of extra-curricular activities, most notably as a
stalwart of the Italy trip. I know staff will miss his support, good humour, wise counsel and
organisation of the annual staff golf competition.

Mrs E Elliott (Modern Languages) is retiring after 18 years as a permanent member of staff,
before that, for several years, she was a temporary member of the Languages Department.
As well as her contribution to the Modern Languages Department as a loyal and hardworking
teacher, Mrs Elliott has contributed to the wider life of the school. She has been a valued
member of various committees; in particular, staff will miss her endeavours with the Staff Social
Committee. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Elliott for her many years of work
with the Haddington Twinning Association, liaising with and arranging visits for the respective
Twinning Associations in the two towns, organising school visits to Aubigny, arranging for
Twinning Scholars' work placements and making correspondence links between pupils. Her
expertise in this area will be missed greatly.

Best wishes to both members of staff for happy and healthy retirements.

Ms H Dowle (English) has resigned from her post, as she is re-locating

down south. Ms Dowle has been with us for nearly 6 years, including
her probationary year. During this time she has been a very
successful teacher, committed to the well-being and success of all
her pupils. She has made a very valuable contribution to the English
Department as well as contributing to the wider life of the school by
being part of extra-curricular activities and theatre trips. I am sure
you join me in wishing her continued success at her new school.

Ms K Johnston (Art) and Mrs K Fairbairn (English) begin their maternity

leaves in August and Ms R Smith (Technology) is on maternity leave
already. Very best wishes to all the families.

continued...
The four teachers who have been with us for their probationary year will be leaving:
Ms  S  Auchinleck (Art), Ms H Harpur (Mathematics), Ms C Morgan (Drama) and Ms C Sayers
(Geography). All are talented teachers and we wish them every success in their careers.

Some temporary staff have left the school this term already: Mr J Greig (Computing),
Mr M Hughes (RMPS), Ms M Stuart (Pupil Support Base), Mr A Lambert and Mr J Stirling (both
PE).

I am sure you join me in thanking all of the staff above and wishing them good luck for the
future.

This means there will be many staff changes after the summer. Full details of staffing for next
session will be issued in the August Pack sent to all parents and carers.

On the 18th June we held the Leavers’ Ceremony to say farewell to pupils leaving from S4
and S5 and, of course, the whole of S6. We wish all our leavers health and happiness.

Many of our pupils will have a tense time in July and August waiting for the SQA results. The
results should reach pupils by email on Wednesday 4 August and in the post on Thursday
5 August; no information will be available from the school before 5 August.

A big thank you to all sections of the school community for another hectic, successful and
enjoyable session.

School closes at 4 pm on Thursday 1 July, the autumn term for pupils starts at 8.44 am on
Thursday 19 August.

Best wishes for a relaxing summer.

JB Craig
Head Teacher

Keeping in Contact ...

In order to communicate effectively with parents/carers it is important that we hold the correct
contact details.

If anything changes eg your email address, mobile telephone number or if you move house,
please get in touch so that we can update our records.

Remember that you can also subscribe to news updates on the school
website.

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: Trampolining
On Monday 10 May, Knox Activities Week 2010 began.
One activity choice was trampolining, which was to be run
by Miss Jeffrey, along with Kayleigh and Kirsty, two coaches
from the City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club. 14 pupils
signed up for the activity, which would involve four full-days
of trampolining at Knox Academy, Musselburgh Sports
Centre and Lasswade High School. This gave the group the
opportunity to try trampolining and learn new moves,
routines and synchro!
 
Over the week, tasks were set and challenges met. The spirit of the group was great and this
allowed the coaches to really push the pupils on, with many learning front somersaults and
even some learning back somersaults. This was a great achievement for a weeks work.
 
On Day 3 at Musselburgh Grammar, the group was faced with two full-sized trampolines for
the first time. This created a real buzz as they were much bouncier than the ones used at the
school. Again, the pupils worked really hard, learning new moves and working in pairs to
complete synchro routines (simultaneous trampolining in mirror image).
 
On the final day the group travelled to Lasswade High School Centre, the main training venue
of the City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club. Here the group had 4 full-size trampolines resulting
in even more time on the trampolines and a chance to attempt some quadruple person synchro!
The group were given time to practice their routines as there was a mini competition after their
lunch break, where they could show of their new skills and be awarded with medals. They
competed in Beginners, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced Levels, with 3 youngsters
managing to complete routines with more than one somersault in it!

The results are as follows:

Level 1: 1st - Emma Innes, 2nd - Graham Jones, 3rd - Daniel Smith
Level 2: 1st - Gareth Evans, 2nd - Niall Robertson, 3rd - Eilidh Johnston
Level 3: 1st - Connel Erskine, 2nd - Samantha McClymont, 3rd - Jordanne Grant
Level 4: 1st - Lloyd Connell, 2nd - Sam Turvill, 3rd - Finlay Shearer

Synchro Champions: Sam Turvill and Gareth Evans

Swivel Hips Challenge Winner: Lloyd Connell

This was great fun and all performed really well, trying their best in each event. Well Done!
 
The whole week proved to be a great success and the pupils
really worked hard. They were rewarded with an Achievement
Certificate from CETC. I was really impressed with how
enthusiastic the Knox pupils were throughout the whole week and
it was a pleasure to work with them. It would be great if they all
kept up their trampolining, we hope to see them at some of our
Summer programmes this summer holiday!

Kayleigh Jeffrey
City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club
www.cityofedinburghtrampolineclub.co.uk

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: Health and Beauty
This year for Activities Week I took part in the Health and Beauty activity. This was run by Miss
Dowle, Miss Adam and Miss Machen. The Pupils that took part were Carla Dunn (3L1),
Emma  Bald (3L3), Megan Wilson (3L1), Lejla Kilic (3T3), Azra Konjevic (3L1), Jade Watson
(3G1), Shelby Leckie (3L2), Jodie Hoy (3L1), Katie-Ellen Wigginton (3T2), Angela Barrie (3T2),
Stephanie Hay (3T2), Shannon Wilson (2L2) and Beth Watters (3T3).

During the week we had various people coming in to do our hair, nails, and make-up. On
Monday we were shown different methods of street dancing. We went to the swimming pool
and gym in Dunbar on Wednesday, and staff from The Bead Shop came in to show us how to
make bracelets and necklaces. Cheer-leaders from the Red Flame Dance group worked with
us on Thursday which was great fun.

We all enjoyed the week and would recommend it for next year.

Azra Konjevic 3L1

History/Geography Trip - 22 March 2010

The History and Geography Departments decided to run a joint trip for third year pupils to
three museums in Glasgow which were relevant to the Standard Grade course in both subjects.

First stop was the Glasgow Museum of Transport. The pupils were
given a guided tour of a replica 1938 street. They were then shown
round the various trams, buses and cars housed in the museum giving
an insight into how road transport has developed over the last 150
years. The pupils were particularly impressed by the vintage cars!

Next stop was the People’s Palace to see artefacts relating to Glasgow’s social history. Having
studied a unit on housing, the pupils were fascinated by the ‘single end’. They also enjoyed the
‘Steamie’ exhibit where they pretended to be characters from Tony Roper’s classic drama
which we had watched in class.

Finally it was off to Clydebuilt. This museum depicts the rise and fall of the shipbuilding
industry in Glasgow. Although they don’t usually give secondary school groups guided tours
they made an exception for us and the pupils were treated to the excellent knowledge of a
guide who not only has an active interest in the History of the River Clyde but who also has the
skills and technical knowledge of one who has sailed in the Merchant Navy. After a tour of the
museum we were taken outside to the pontoons for a look along the river where many
shipyards have been. We even saw a Royal Navy Destroyer which is now undergoing sea
trials having been built on the Clyde.

The pupils were a credit to themselves and Knox Academy by displaying impeccable
behaviour. The staff in the museums made a point of complementing the pupils on their
enthusiasm. This was a very enjoyable day and I know that the pupils will put this knowledge
to good use in the SQA exams.

S McPhee
History Department

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Haddington Success at Trampoline Competition
16 pupils from Haddington travelled to Lasswade
High School Centre on 8 May for the annual
City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club Schools
Championships. This competition was
open to youngsters from the Borders,
East Lothian, Midlothian and South
Lanarkshire and over 100 individuals
took part.

East Lothian was well represented with

7 pupils from Knox Academy, one from
Haddington Infants School, 6 from Kings
Meadow, one from Yester Nursery and one from
Gullane Primary.

The Knox Academy team were strong and came home with 2 medals in the Intermediate
Secondary Junior Boys category: 1st Place - Keeley Robertson (1G2) and 2nd Place - Ewan
Cunningham (1G3). The girls performed well in a tough group of Novice Secondary Junior
Girls with Sian Thomas (3G1) and Kaelyn Pritchard (1G1) coming 6th=, Jordanne Grant (3L3)
finishing 8th and Anna Heawood (1T3) in 9th Place.

The winning school team this year was Liberton High School, Edinburgh. Well Done to all
involved.

L Jeffrey
Geography Department

Sean Noon Scottish Cyclist

Sean Noon (2G2) is a top class sportsman following in the footsteps, or should I say tyre marks
of Scotland’s most acclaimed cyclist Sir Chris Hoy. Sean is a top road cycler and currently sits
top of the Scottish Youth Road Series.

This year Sean has taken part in many national events such as the Scottish
National Time Trials in Fort William, the British Championships and the
British National Cyclo-Cross in Birmingham where he came 19th out of
the 36 competitors.

Once a month Sean is part of the Regional School of Racing and

competes in the National School of Racing twice a year. He is very
committed to his sport and hopefully will go on to be a top road
and track cyclist.

R Couper
Sports Coordinator

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: Aubigny and Paris
At 8 am on Sunday 9 May, 31 pupils and 4 teachers, Mr Hutchinson, Mrs Elliott, Mrs Cochrane
and Mr  Johnston left for Glasgow airport. After a couple of hours of checking-in and
shopping, we were off. For some it was their first time flying and for others the first time going
abroad without parents. We arrived in Charles de Gaulle about 4 pm local time and set off
for a two hour bus journey to Haddington’s twin town, Aubigny. When we arrived we were
greeted by some of the local pupils and the Deputy Mayor.

Next day we were given a tour of the town and school where we had lunch. In the afternoon
we visited the nearby town of Bourges where we were given a tour of the cathedral, a visit to
the crypt and climbed 365 steps to the top of the tower. Then we had time for shopping. That
day was the best weather we had, as we had lots of rain and cold. There was no need for
sunglasses, shorts or suncream! In Aubigny that evening the Twinning Association kindly hosted
a lovely meal for us. Afterwards there was time to get to know our new French friends. After
saying our goodbyes, we went back to the hostel to pack for the rest of our trip.

The bus took us back to Paris and we found the hotel in heavy rain, then had our first trip on
the metro. After a quick lunch, we visited a perfume museum which was interesting and some
of us purchased some gifts. We had time for shopping before going back to the hotel to
unpack. After dinner, we went to Montmartre using the funicular railway. We could see the
whole of Paris and it was beautiful except for the weather. After having a crepe, it was back
on the metro to the hotel. The following day we went up the Eiffel Tower which was amazing,
visited Notre Dame before having lunch and going to the Louvre. We caught a glimpse of
Mona Lisa and other things. Then we went to the Champs Elysees for some shopping and
visited the Arc de Triomphe. After dinner we went on a river cruise down the Seine which was
lovely. After another crepe at the Eiffel Tower, we could watch the tower illuminated. Next
day was an early start for Disney which was a lot of fun.

Before we knew it we were back on the plane returning home. Although it’s nice to be back,
we had an amazing time in France and we all want to return. Despite the bad weather, we all
managed to enjoy ourselves, even the teachers!

Sarah Hall, Louise Boyd and Beth Revuelta

S3 Pupils

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Absences
Thank you to all the parents/carers who contact Knox before the school day to inform us if
their youngster is going to be absent. Sometimes the telephone lines are very busy and your
patience is appreciated. We also appreciate the letters sent in with pupils when they return to
school.

Following a telephone call, pupils are recorded as having a

verbal explanation for absence, however a letter from their
parent/carer is required before the reason for absence is
confirmed. If absences remain unexplained they will be changed
to ‘N’ for ‘unreasonable excuse’ or ‘T’ for “truancy’.

For pupils in receipt of an Educational Maintenance Allowance,

absences can affect the payments they receive.

Please help us by:

• Continuing to contact the school before the school day if your son/daughter is going to
be absent (the office is open from 8 am).

• Sending notes regarding appointments in to school at least one day before the
appointment (including child's name and registration class).

• Sending notes when your child returns to school (including child's name, registration class,
dates of absence and reason for absence).

• The school now accepts absence notes via email.  If you wish to do this please email
knoxacademy@knox.elcschool.org.uk  with your child’s name and registration class in
the subject line.

Your help is most appreciated.

The Admin Team

Knox Academy Support Group

Over the past year KASG has provided the Technical
Department and the Science Department with specialised
equipment. They have also funded a training session which
assisted with the dramatical production of The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe.

Your support is always appreciated. Recent fundraising events have included The Duck Derby
raising £800. Results: 1st place - Mary Watson (£50); 2nd place - Beth Elliott (£15) and 3rd
place - Anne Sturgeon (£15). T’s in the Park raised £700.

Could Anne Sturgeon please contact the school office at Knox Academy.

The next confirmed event is the whole school Christmas Dance on Thursday 2 December.
M Ball
KASG

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Dress Code
A reminder to parents/carers that pupils are expected to wear the School Dress Code at all
times. Please could you ensure that your youngster has the appropriate clothing for the school
day:

Years 1 to 6 inclusive:

• White collared shirt (boys shirts should be tucked in)

• School tie (to be worn at the neck)
• ‘V’ neck sweater or fleece (plain – navy or black). (no other colours allowed)
• Smart black trousers from waist to toe. (no jeans/cargo or hipster trousers)
• Smart black skirt
• Black shoes (no trainers)
• Shorts may not be worn other than PE in classes
• Headwear may only be worn in school for religious or health reasons
• Jewellery should be kept to a minimum and be discreet
• Accessories should be in dress code colours only eg bags, scarves and hats
• Belts should be black or navy only.

Years 5 and 6:
All pupils are expected to wear the dress code as described above and a navy blazer with
the school crest. Christmas leavers are not required to wear a blazer but may do so if they
wish.

Prefects:
Prefects are expected to wear blazers with the school crest and braiding at all times.

Outdoor Garments:
Outdoor garments may not be worn in class.

Extremes of Fashion:
In general terms, we would expect all our young people to maintain a sense of decorum. By
way of example, we would not expect to see bare skin/midriffs or shoulders. As in previous
years, we will continue to tackle areas of concern with sensitivity and on an individual basis.

If pupils do not wear Dress Code they lose points from their Pupil Points total and subsequently
lose points for their House. Parents/carers will be informed in writing if their youngster is
regularly infringing the School Dress Code rules and we do ask for your support in ensuring
that the pupils of Knox Academy look smart and business-like.

The following items are examples of non-compliance with school dress code:

• hooded tops
• strappy/vest tops
• hipster trousers
• skirts worn over trousers or footless tights
• big belts that are not black or navy
• large beads/pieces of jewellery
• shorts of any kind (long or short)

Senior Management Team

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: Northern Adventure
Our journey to Shetland began on Sunday 9 May at 10 am, when we set off from Knox by
minibus bound for Aberdeen. It took us about three to four hours to get to the ferry in
Aberdeen. The journey from Aberdeen to Lerwick, via Kirkwall in Orkney, took us fourteen
hours, but the ferry provided enough entertainment to satisfy everyone. This included a
cinema, a bar area, restaurants, an arcade and a deck that gets very windy!

Once in Lerwick we had a short wander in the fresh air. Strangely enough the weather was
constantly shifting but we still got to see some seals. Before we headed to our hostel, we went
to the Shetland Museum that contained exhibits about the history of Shetland and its
inhabitants. After spending some time in the museum, we headed to our hostel. The
accommodation was moderately comfortable with plenty of space to muck about in. For the
rest of the day, we tried to play rounders on the beach but the tide was too high so we
skipped stones on the water for a while.

On Tuesday we went to the shopping area of Lerwick to purchase souvenirs. The shops there
were decent and had a colourful variety of products to buy. In the afternoon we went to see
Puffins at Sumburgh Head followed by a visit to an 18th Century Croft House and Watermill.
The lichens growing on the walls around Sumburgh Head were not yellow and powdery as in
Haddington, but light green and bushy. Before heading back to the hostel, we had a quick
game of rounders and cricket on the beach. If I hadn’t known where I was, I would have said
that the beach was in a tropical region.

On Wednesday we headed for Unst, the most northerly inhabited island in the United
Kingdom. This involved two short ferry crossings from the mainland of Shetland. Once there,
we walked through the Hermaness nature reserve to see Muckle Flugga and its stack. This
really is as far north as the United Kingdom goes. Whilst on the nature reserve we saw
Bonxies – or Great Skuas – huge brown birds that swoop and shriek at visitors.

On the final day we went to another museum in Lerwick and to do some last minute shopping
before setting off home. The journey on the ferry was only twelve hours as it went straight
from Lerwick to Aberdeen. Arriving in Aberdeen at 7 am we set off for Haddington.

An enjoyable trip was had by all.

William MacIntosh-Smith 2T2
and Mr Jappy

F1 in Schools: Sponsorship Opportunity

You may already be aware of our participation in this challenge to design, build and race
miniature gas powered balsa wood F1 cars.

Our team, XL, would like to invite you to join us in this venture by becoming a sponsor. As with
real F1 cars your, or your company’s name, will be displayed on our vehicle, uniforms and
publicity material. You will be invited to meet the team and be kept up-to-date with progress.
Any contribution, corporate or individual, big or small, would be greatly appreciated.

To find out more please contact Ms Leggatt in the CDT Department. You will find the website
www.f1inschools.co.uk useful – we are competing in the Bloodhound Category.

D Ferguson and A Leggatt

Business Education and Technical Departments

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Knox Has Got Talent
On the Thursday 1 April, Knox once again showed the school is full of talent. With 6 acts
signed up for the show - including a very special staff act - it was a very busy lunchtime.

Knox’s Head Boy, Ally Brown, decided to start the show and set the bar to high standard. He
was closely followed by Simon Simpson who showed his talented impressions of Gok Wan,
Brian Blessed, Joker from Batman and Alexander from Compare the Meerkat. All three
judges, Mrs Craig, Mrs Ingham and Mr Illingworth, enjoyed these performances. 

The next two acts were both singing acts, one a very memorable performance by Mr Dempster
and Miss Morgan which the audience thoroughly enjoyed and will be remembered for some
time. The next singing act was Sophie Lawrence and Rowan Bland (both 1L3) who sang Don’t
Stop Believin’ and again all 3 judges highly commended their performance.

The final singing act of the afternoon was Kaelyn Pritchard (1G1) and Rebecca Cole (1G2)
who sang Pixie Lott’s song ‘Mamma Do’ which the audience loved and all 3 judges thought was
the best performance so far. It would be a tough act to follow. Eilidh McSporran (2G3) on the
piano was the final act and her performance was again of a high standard, but who did the
judges feel was the best?

Mrs Ingham announced the winners:

The judges first of all highly commended all the performances but they were unanimous in their
decision and the winners were Kaelyn Pritchard and Rebecca Cole.

The event raised a total of £171.40 with all the proceeds going to Radio Forth’s Cash 4 Kids
appeal.
Roddy Coull S6
on behalf of the S6 Charities Committee

Activities Week 2010: Animation

Activities Week started with a comic strip. Ms Auchinlek and Miss Morgan took us, and gave
each small group a starting point. The starting idea was that we were trapped in the school,
alone. Many idea’s erupted from this, including “Super Rosie!” and “The Tie Appreciation
Society”.

By the second day we had started with our actual animation projects which were to be finished
by Thursday. They used stop-motion animation (i.e. take a picture, move the object, take a
picture, move the object, take a picture … etc, then you run them together). The story of
Orville and Anka (by Iona and Liska) used an enchanting music-box piece which proved quite
difficult to find.

By Thursday we had pretty much finished our projects and we were off to see How To Train
Your Dragon. The film was good and we ended up being the only ones in the cinema. We
took the public bus there and back and it was a bus journey to remember … there was plenty
of laughter!

By Friday our projects were finished and we watched them over … what a week!

Simone Samuel 3T2

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Young Enterprise: Lothian Board Awards
On the 25 March 2010, the five members of Team Rise
attended the end of year presentation of all the Young
Enterprise businesses in the Lothians.

We were all pretty nervous of the unexpected during the journey and
even more so as we pulled up to the Stuart’s Melville College Performing
Arts Centre in Edinburgh. There were 23 other businesses there from around
Edinburgh and the Lothians. We would not only be performing our presentation
on the stage surrounded by all of them, but also the judges and many other adults
involved.

As the evening went on however, we gained some confidence as we first won a silver plate for
the ‘Best Human Resources Director', followed by third place for ‘Best Marketing Director’, a
second place for ‘Best Production assisted by the Managing Director’ and a second place for
‘Best Sales Director’.

We were the 15th presentation and as we saw more teams it

seemed all the more daunting to have to do it ourselves, however
there was then a break to present more awards and to our
absolute shock we  were awarded  a further two awards: a cup
for ‘Best IT Director' and a trophy for ‘Best Business Idea’! The
company awarded the 'Best Company Award' would go onto the
British final. Here we managed to receive a third overall, which
we were all very pleased with after our previous awards.

Altogether, the night was a huge shock in terms of our success for us all, and we therefore had
a much better evening than any of us had imagined. The Young Enterprise experience is
something we have all benefited hugely from and we would recommend it to all S5 pupils next
year looking for a definite challenge, and even to earn some extra cash!
 
Team Rise: Emma Lynas (Managing Director); Tom Gates (Finance Director); Phillippa Jackson (Human
Resources Director); Lewis Wilkie (Sales and Marketing Director); Andrew Wright (IT Director); Link Teacher:
Colin Dempster; Business Advisor: Finlay Marshall

Emma Lynas S6
Managing Director - Rise

Activities Week 2010: PGL

As usual the PGL bus set off at the unearthly hour of 5 am on Friday 7 June. For some it was
the first time they’d ever seen that time on a clock, for others it would be the last.

We set off with high hopes of sun, sand and excitement, as had been the story in previous
years. We didn’t believe the weather forecast, why should we, they’re not usually right.

Day one is usually a relaxed affair with the emphasis on getting to know
your boat and your fellow paddler.

Most people did a good job of getting to know their fellow paddler, but

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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some chose to totally ignore their partner in the boat and try and do exactly the opposite to
what was expected. As you can imagine this made for some interesting turns, pirouettes and
going backwards down the river.

Day two was a black day, forever burned into my mind.

It was raining when we got up, and it continued to rain until we got off the river. Hard as we
paddled we struggled to keep warm as we made our way down the Mighty Mighty Ardeche
river.

My day was brightened up by two staff managing to make a spectacular exit from their boat
on one of the rapids. They somehow managed to jam their boat against a rock in the middle
of the river, causing a mass pile up. They tried to blame this on the PGL instructor, and then
proceeded to try and rescue all the pupils who then fell in because of them. The self
proclaimed “Heroes of the River” successfully finished the day without further incident. All
pupils should be commended for their efforts that day as they battled through the rain and
cold to paddle 14 km to the pick up point.

The rain that followed us down the river let up for a little while but returned with a vengeance
later on. The camp was flooded, thunder and lightning kept us on our toes and we were
thankful of our raised cabins. Day three was beautiful, but the previous night’s rain had
increased the height of the river by 7 metres which made it too dangerous to go on.

As we set off for the sunshine of the Mediterranean coast we were waved goodbye by another
thunderous downpour. The Med proved to be drier and sunnier and we got on with sailing,
snorkelling, sea kayaking, catamaran sailing, and some climbing and abseiling to make up for
the cancelled windsurfing(another storm). The pupils were also offered the chance to
experience some French cuisine in the form of l’escargot (snails cooked in garlic). I’m not quite
sure if everyone tried it, but the expression on the faces of the faces that did was priceless.

Apart from a few errant teenagers, the trip delivered everything we hoped. The pupils
experienced activities they’d not done before, and a lot of them were pushed outside their
comfort zone, and actually enjoyed the experience.

Roll on 2011!

K MacDonald
PE Department

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Home Economics
We are delighted to mention some of our extra curricular success stories
for 2009-2010. The year started with Abbie Lindsay (4T2) and
Andrew Lund (4L2) winning the East Lothian Chef Competition in
September. They had to cook a two-course meal for judges.
The pupils were praised for their high level of ability and the
knowledge of the techniques required. Presentation skills
were highly commended, as was their choice of dishes to
meet the brief.

Our most recent accomplishment last week was the Little and
Large Cooking Competition where a senior pupil, Ben Nisbet,
had to lead a team of two King’s Meadow primary pupils,
through the preparation and cooking of a foreign dish of their
choice and a dessert. In a close fought
competition Ben and his team were
victorious and were praised for their outstanding flavour in
the dish, and their presentation. This challenge requires
good communication skills, being able to work as a
team to make choices
but able to work
independently to
achieve results. The
competitors also
required to be
aware of safety
and hygiene in a
kitchen environment.

These budding starlets might one day follow in the

footsteps of a former pupil, Claire Lund, who has attended
college and has now successfully secured a contract to work
and train further at the Luxury 5 star Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire.

K Hossack
Home Economics Department

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Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: Creative Cookery
During Activities week I was privileged to be involved in the
Creative Cookery package. The pupils and teachers
(Ms Smith, Miss Hossack and Mrs Harpur) were a joy to work
with and I personally learned a lot.

We made cup-cakes which we decorated, baked and

decorated a large cake, made various sweets plus a box in
which to hold them.

On the Wednesday morning we

baked lots of goodies to take to
the Haddington Day Centre.
Meringues, empire biscuits, chocolate
éclairs, pancakes, scones, fruit loaf and
some sweets were duly made and
transported to the Day Centre.

In the afternoon we served the clients tea and cakes and enjoyed a
chat with them. Everyone got to take a plate of goodies home which
were greatly received. We received a lovely thank you letter from the
Day Centre expressing how much they had enjoyed our visit.

Well done to all the pupils involved. I know that all the staff had a wonderful four days.

L McInnes
Head of Mathematics

S3 Theatre Trip – Sweeney Todd

Leaving school at 12 pm fifty-four S3 pupils made their way on a
coach to Dundee to see a theatre company perform Stephen
Sondheim’s masterpiece ‘Sweeney Todd’. The Production was part of
the Dundee Reparatory Season and Director, James Binning, had
modernised the piece setting it in the 1980s.

‘Sweeney Todd’ tells the tale of Benjamin Barber as he returns to London to seek his revenge
on Judge Turpin for what he did to him and his family. With Mrs Lovett in desperate need to
keep her pie shop open and Mr Barber (who is actually Sweeney Todd) killing so many people
… the obvious answer is to hide the bodies in the meat pies … after all she does have the
worst pies in London, but not for long!

Louise Boyd (3G2), S3 Drama Pupil, said ‘I think Sweeney Todd was really good and I enjoyed
it more because it wasn’t as gory as I thought it was going to be.’ Greg Russell (3T2), another
S3 Drama pupil, added ‘The special effects were outstanding and I loved how the stage was
on the thrust’.

Mr Campbell said ‘This was a fantastic production that really enabled pupils to see how
theatre arts can enhance a piece of theatre. The pupils were fantastic too and it was a great
first trip for the Standard Grade Drama Class’.
J Naples-Campbell
Drama Department

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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The Big Bang Scotland
A team of six made up of Caitlin Brock (2L2), Erin Craig (2L2), Molly Ferguson (2T2), Holly
Merritt (2T2), Rebecca Friary (2G2) and Struan Stuart (2T1) (Team Reknoxable) have been
working on a project since November. The project was about recycling and we chose to focus
on a bike station which was for members of the public and pupils, where they could take their
bikes and get them fixed or donate them so that we could take them apart and use the spare
parts to help fix other bikes.

On 14 May, the team travelled to Edinburgh University to take part in a competition called
Young SET Ambassadors Challenge, which is run in conjunction with Edinburgh University, but
sadly we did not win. After getting feedback on our project from the judges the team went
back to Knox and made changes to make the project even better.

On the 7 June the team travelled to Dundee to Abertay University to take part in The Big Bang
Scotland competition with other schools from across Scotland. The team got extremely good
feedback from the judges but didn’t win any prizes; however we did get a silver crest award
at the end. This is a very good achievement for these second year pupils and we have
enjoyed the experience very much.

Caitlin Brock, Erin Craig, Molly Ferguson, Holly Merritt, Rebecca Friary and Struan Stuart
S2 Pupils

Ethos Quaich
Aidan Lindsay (S6) was awarded second place in a county-wide competition to honour pupils
who are or who have made a difference in their schools. The "Ethos Quaich" is awarded
annually by Anti Bullying East Lothian. Aidan was nominated because of his work with junior
pupils as both a Buddy and House Captain. Aidan is also involved in running the Hockey Club
and has helped run ACE Friday mornings for our S1 pupils.

Outside of school Aidan is kept busy through his commitment to the Scouting
Movement among numerous other things. Aidan has always been ready to
assist pupils and staff at the drop of a hat and has carried out his duties as
both House Captain and Prefect with generosity and good cheer.

We wish Aidan well in his future endeavors and we shall miss him here at
Knox Academy.

S Ingham
Depute Head Teacher
Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: Italy
After a busy day in school 51 pupils set
out on a 30-hour bus journey to Italia
via Scotland, England, France and
Switzerland. We went with Mrs Barber,
Mrs Ball, Mrs Slowther, Mr  Dempster,
Mr Wren and Mr Stirling.

On our first day we visited the very

fashionable city of Milan with a coach tour of the
city in the morning and a tour of the San Siro, the home
stadium of AC Milan and Inter Milan, and it’s Museum in the
afternoon. We were shown around the stands and got to see inside
the AC Milan changing room, Inter Milan was playing the next day so we couldn’t see theirs.
Many of us had pictures taken in famous player’s seats. We also went to the San Siro museum
and saw past footballers’ shoes, footballs and paintings etc.

On Sunday we got on the coach again for a spectacular drive to Riva del Garda. In the
morning we visited the Cascata Varone, a waterfall where apart from the cascading water we
were able to admire all the plants of the area. This was also our first opportunity to do some
shopping. In the afternoon we went for a trip on Lake Garda stopping at Limone. Working in
groups we carried out a tourist survey trying out our Italian and then had some free time to
wander about.

On Monday we packed for the second hotel and left for

Gardaland. Gardaland is a famous and the biggest theme
park in Italy. We all went on various rides in groups – roller
coasters, water rides etc. After Gardaland we travelled to our
second hotel in Lido de Jesolo.

We didn’t have the bus drivers on Tuesday as they had a day off, so
we explored around the hotel area and performed our plays on Romeo and
Juliet with a modern twist for the Golden Gondola Award. Later on, the teachers treated us to
an ice cream of our choice, they were all different but nice. Although it wasn’t wall-to-wall
sunshine we hit the beach where a few brave people went into the water while the others
played rounders. That night we had our disco in a local club called Splash.

On Wednesday we visited the beautiful city of Verona. The arena was

impressive because it had been around for so long and is still being used for
entertainment. A short walk past some very expensive shops took us to
Gulietta’s balcony for some photo opportunities and we then
had some free time to wander through the market in the
Piazza del Erbe. Instead of dinner at the hotel that night we
went to Andiamo and had a pizza made to our choice, they
were very big and tasty.

Thursday was our final day in Italy and we had a walking tour of Venice and
two other small islands near it; Murano, where we watched the Maestro blow
some of the famous glass and Burano which we nicknamed Balamory because of
all the brightly coloured houses. We had free time on this day, and it was good to look
around.

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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On Friday 14 May it was “Ciao Italia” and we left for another long
journey.

Every night, either before or after dinner we had Mr Wren’s quiz,

which over all had 6 rounds and lasted the entire excursion.
Mr  Stirling and Mrs Slowther also prepared activities for us
including the Fashion Show and Knox Has Got Italian Talent. At night
when we weren’t doing activities we had free time to explore or speak to people in other
rooms.

The majority of us thought the second hotel was better as it was near the beach with more
freedom to shop in the evening!

Throughout the trip the rain was off and on, but we had quite a
lot of sunny spells too. On one night thunder and lightning came
but it didn’t affect us as our activities weren’t weather
dependent.

Everyone who went on this trip all

extremely enjoyed it and many of us
made new friends who they hadn’t talked
to in school before. We saw the teachers in a
different environment which made them less strict but we still
depended on them. They made everyday fun and we all
bonded with them. We are all so grateful for them taking us
and putting up with us.

It was an experience we will all never forget.

Aylee Bunting, Ailsa Macaldowie, Matthew Moore, Emma Paterson, Emma Scott
S2 Pupils

Former Pupil News

Eleanor Cairns, who is now studying French at Glasgow University, was the winner of Knox’s
Aubigny Twinning Scholarship two years ago.

She has now been awarded a Stevenson French Exchange Scholarship to support her in a year
studying at Grenoble Stendhal University. Her award is part of an initiative designed to
create and maintain links between Scotland and France. Upon her return she will have to
present a report about her experiences.

During her time in France she also plans to go back to Aubigny to stay with the family who
hosted her two years ago. Some of the friends she made there are now at universities across
France and this will give her the opportunity to visit them and experience life in other French
cities. It promises to be a very rewarding opportunity for her.

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Knox Academy Awards: Session 2009-2010

S1 MERIT CERTIFICATES S2 MERIT CERTIFICATES

Caitlin Baptie 1L1 Katie Archibald 2T3

Rachel Barr 1G3 Callum Baptie 2L2
Peter Gilmour 1G1 Aimie Cowan 2T3
Katie Holton 1G1 Maura Drew 2T1
Lachlan King 1L2 Abbey Ellis 2G1
Bethan McGregor 1L2 Roisin Kennelly 2G1
Owen McHugh 1G1 Ailsa Macaldowie 2L1
Claire Neillans 1T1 Finlay Munro 2G1
Angus Riddell 1G2 Sean Noon 2G2
Naomi Rogers 1L2 Jaimee Pickard 2G3
Katie Scott 1L3 Adam Richmond 2T3
Rhona Taylor 1L3 Gemma Sandie 2G3
Ellie Thomson 1T1 Kirsty Steven 2T3
Susan Woods 1T2 Struan Stuart 2T1
Caitlin Wright 1T1 Eve Swinton 2G1
Kirsty Wallace 2G1

S3 SUBJECT PRIZES

Charlotte Algeo 3T1 The Isobel Inglis Prize for Biology

Charlotte Algeo 3T1 Business Management
Charlotte Algeo 3T1 The Isobel Inglis Prize for Chemistry
Caitlin Bruce 3L3 French
Zoe Connell 3T1 History
Kathryn Couperwhite 3T1 Physical Education
Liska Crofts 3T2 English
Connor Davies 3G1 Classical Studies
Laura Dick 3G2 Modern Studies
Heather Dickson 3L1 Administration
Sarah Hall 3G2 Latin
Louis Harrodine 3G1 Computing
Ailish Kelly 3L1 Graphic Communications
Euan King 3L2 The Kirby Prize for Mathematics
Euan King 3L2 The Isobel Inglis Prize for Physics
Steven Knox 3L1 Craft & Design
Torquil MacLeod 3G1 The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography
Gavin McManus 3T2 Drama
Ben Nisbet 3G1 Music
Beth Revuelta 3T3 Religious and Moral Education
Simone Samuel 3T2 Art & Design

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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S4 SUBJECT PRIZES

Sarah Bruce 4T2 Modern Studies

Julia Cockburn 4G3 Latin
Connor Forsyth 4G1 Business Management
Connor Forsyth 4G1 Computing
Alastair Hastings 4G2 Graphic Communication
Katie Hogg 4T2 Administration
Abbie Lindsay 4T2 Home Economics
Evie MacGregor 4L2 The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography
Evie McGregor 4L2 McGregor Prize for Chemistry
Scott McLaughlin 4G3 Physical Education
Nicola McQueen 4L1 History
Graeme McWilliams 4L1 Craft & Design
Hannah Mitchell 4T2 Drama
Sarah Muir 4L2 Classical Studies
Sarah Muir 4L2 English
Douglas Pate 4T2 McGregor Prize for Physics
Megan Rogers 4L2 McGregor Prize for Biology
Megan Rogers 4L2 The Kirby Prize for Mathematics
Megan Rogers 4L2 Italian
Katie Watson 4G1 Art & Design
Katie Watson 4G1 French
Katie Watson 4G1 Music

S5/6 SUBJECT PRIZES

Holly Betts 5T2 McGregor Prize for Biology

Holly Betts 5T2 The Alex Inglis Prize for Geography
Andrew Gilmour 5G2 McGregor Prize for Chemistry
Andrew Gilmour 5G2 Graphic Communications
Andrew Gilmour 5G2 McGregor Prize for Physics
Campbell Hastings 5G1 Business Management
Campbell Hastings 5G1 Modern Studies
Campbell Hastings 5G1 Physical Education
Anna Mackay 5T2 English
Megan McCafferty 5L1 RME
Aileen McKnight 5L1 Drama
Gregor McMillan 5L2 French
Gregor McMillan 5L2 History
Gregor McMillan 5L2 Latin
Gregor McMillan 5L2 Mathematics
Peter Martin 6G1 Computing
Rosie Noon 5T1 Art & Design
Haley Pollard 6L2 Drama
David Ryan 5T1 Music
Neil Stewart 6L1 Information Systems
Kirsty Young 5L2 Italian

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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FRASER & ISOBEL SPOWAGE PRIZES FOR
OUTSTANDING WORK IN ADVANCED HIGHER

Kathryn Barlow 6T1 Biology

Kathryn Barlow 6T1 Chemistry
Mark Barlow 6T1 Mathematics
Tom Gates 6G1 Computing
Graeme Gibb 6T2 Modern Studies
Zoe Green 6T2 RME
Aidan Lindsay 6T1 Administration
Emma Lynas 6L2 English
Emma Lynas 6L2 French
Peter Martin 6G1 Geography
Stuart McInnes 6L1 Physics
Alexzandra Moncrieff 6L2 Art & Design Gillis Prize for Painting
Stuart Rodger 6L2 Music
Robyn Tinch 6G1 Art & Design

CADET MEDALS NATIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

Gregor McMillan 5L2 AWARD 2010 - Highly Commended
Kelsie Hamilton 5L1 Kelvin Craig 3T1
Gareth Evans 3T1
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT Gabrielle Jackson 3G2
Simon Simpson 5L2 Conor McHugh 3G2
Fraser Thomson 3T3
JOHN LOCKHART AWARD
Roddy Coull 6T1 ENTERPRISE AWARD
Tom Gates 6G1
BEST GYMNAST & GAMES PLAYER
Fiona Cleat 5L2 Girls ANGELA WOODWARD PRIZE FOR
Bruce Halloran 6L1 Boys EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS EDUCATION
Campbell Hastings 5G1
KERRY JAWORSKI TROPHY FOR HOCKEY
Catherine Dodson 2T3 PLATINUM CERTIFICATES
Katie Scott 1L3
YOUNG COACH OF THE YEAR Rhona Taylor 1L3
Gemma Herkes 5T2 Awarded jointly Eve Swinton 2G1
Johann Cow 5T2 Awarded jointly Kirsty Wallace 2G1
Rachael Weir 5T2 Awarded jointly
KERR MACFARLANE PRIZE
ALICE BURNETT TWINNING SCHOLARSHIP Roddy Coull 6T1 Awarded jointly
Emma Lynas 6L2 Aidan Lindsay 6T1 Awarded jointly

S2 AUBIGNY TWINNING PRIZE ALASDAIR BARDEN MEDAL

Abby Ellis 2G1 Alex Muir 6L1

MICHAEL GODEK PRIZE FOR GUITAR

David Ryan 5T1

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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 SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL

Mark Barlow 6T1

Debbie Blair 6G1
GEORGE ALEXANDER
Ally Brown 6L1 DUX MEDAL
Roddy Coull 6T1
Robert Edgar 6T2
Jessica Gillon 6G1 Gregor McMillan 5L2
Aidan Lindsay 6T1
Peter Martin 6G1
Stuart McInnes 6L1
Alex Muir 6L1
Connor Raine 6T2
Neil Stewart 6L1
Robyn Tinch 6G1
Callum Watson 6L2
Natasha Wishart 6T1

Sports Day
Sports Day at Knox Academy was once again very successful. Pupils were given the
opportunity to compete in various activities including: Welly Wang; Giant Skittles; Beat the
Goalie; Bean Bag Throw; Golf Putt and Relays.

The winners of the Athletics and Sports championships are listed below. Well done to all
involved.

Athletic Champions

S1 Boys - Peter Gilmour 1G1 S1 Girls - Bethan McGregor 1L2

S2 Boys - Harvey Blake 2L1 S2 Girls - Emily Baxter 2T3
S3 Boys - Nick Stewart 3L1 S3 Girls - Gabby Jackson 3G2
Senior Boys - Tom Hutcheon 5G2 Senior Girls - Fiona Cleat 5L2

Sports Championships

1st Garleton 2nd Lammerlaw 3rd Traprain

R Couper
Sports Coordinator

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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 EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL
Department of Education & Children’s Services
School Session Dates 2010/2011

* Revised School Session Dates with extra in-service day for staff on Wednesday 18 August 2010

Staff Pupils
TERM 1

Staff Resume Monday 16 August 2010 (In-service day 1)

Tuesday 17 August 2010 (In-service day 2)
Wednesday 18 August 2010* Extra in-service Day for
Curriculum for Excellence
Thursday 19 August 2010 Pupils Resume
Staff Break Friday 17 September 2010 Pupils Break
Autumn Holiday Monday 20 September 2010
Staff Resume Tuesday 21 September 2010 Pupils Resume
Staff Break Friday 15 October 2010 Pupils Break
Staff Resume Monday 25 October 2010 (In-service day 3)
Tuesday 26 October 2010 Extra in-service Day for
Curriculum for Excellence
(TBC)

Wednesday 27 October 2010 Pupils Resume (TBC)

Staff Break Thursday 23 December 2010 Pupils break (End of Term 1)

= 88 days = 84 days
TERM 2

Staff Resume Monday 10 January 2011 (In-service day 4)

Tuesday 11 January 2011 Pupils Resume
Staff Break Friday 11 February 2011 Pupils Break
Staff Resume Monday 21 February 2011 Pupils Resume
Staff Break Friday 8 April 2011 Pupils Break (End of Term 2)
= 60 days = 59 days

Spring Holiday Monday 18 April 2011

Good Friday Friday 22 April 2011
Easter Monday Monday 25 April 2011

TERM 3

Staff Resume Tuesday 26 April 2011 Pupils Resume

May Day Holiday Monday 2 May 2011 May Day Holiday Schools Closed
Staff Resume Tuesday 3 May 2011 Pupils Resume
Victoria Day Monday 23 May 2011 Victoria Day Schools Closed
Staff Resume Tuesday 24 May 2011 (In-service Day 5)
Wednesday 25 May 2011 (In-service Day 6)
Thursday 26 May 2011 Pupils Resume
Staff Break Friday 1 July 2011 Pupils Break (End of Term 3)

= 47 days = 45 days
Total – 195 days Total – 188 days
Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Activities Week 2010: Jewellery Making
This year there were a lot of different in-school activities
during Activities Week. Stephanie King (3L1), Corrie
Paton (3L2), Hannah Herriot (3L3), Heather Dickson
(3L1), Lauren Dickson (3L2), Heather Barr (3T3),
Catherine Crawford (3L1) and Becky Gunn (3L2) all
took part in the jewellery making course with Dr Wilson.

On the first day we had an introduction to jewellery making

and made basic pieces of jewellery like bracelets ! and
necklaces. We then went to the Bead Shop in Haddington to buy
beads to make our own unique pieces.

The next day we did a workshop at the Bead Shop where we were taught some new bead
looping techniques and made eye-catching coloured wire beads. We then progressed to
making beaded rings and earrings.

! On the Wednesday we went to Ceramic Experience in Leith to make glass

pendants out of different coloured pieces of glass. These were put in the
kiln and fired and we got the finished pieces back in school the next week.

On the final day we finished off our pieces of jewellery and took lots of
photographs of the pieces we made. We all really enjoyed jewellery
making and improved our skills - we would recommend it to anyone that
stays at school during Activities Week!

Heather Dickson 3L1

Please complete and return the survey on the last page

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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Active Schools Raise £190.90 for Sports Relief
Over fifty pupils from S1 and the cluster P7s took part in a fun afternoon
of sports to raise money for Sports Relief.

The event organised by Rory Couper and Suzanne Laing (Active Schools
Haddington Cluster) brought together a group of pupils who took part in
Basketball, Table Tennis, Trampolining, Dance and Dodgeball. The group
of participants also donated £2 each and completed a mile run in a relay
format.

Active Schools use this event as a Transition experience for the primary pupils who will be
attending Knox Academy next year. It allows them to meet the current first years and make
new friends, meet some of the school sports club coaches and see the facilities that they will be
using next year. This is the second time the event has fallen on Sports Relief and is a great
way to raise money and awareness for the charity.

Early in the day teachers and S6 pupils guessed 'who could keep it up the longest' and raised
£90 to add to the total.

R Couper
Sports Coordinator

Knox News Delivery

Knox Academy is interested in your opinion on the method that you would find most
appropriate for delivery of your copy of the Knox News.

We are aware that a number of our copies of Knox News do not make it home successfully via
pupil post. Copies of Knox News are produced at the end of each term: October; Christmas;
Easter and Summer.

Please can you return this tear-off slip to the school office or alternatively email your opinion
to knoxacademy@knox.elcschool.org.uk.

............................................................................................................................................................................

It would be my preference to receive Knox News:

as it currently distributed via pupil post with the ability to read online as well

I am happy to be notified when the Knox News is published online and read online
without receiving a paper copy

Pupil Name: ______________________________ Class: _______________

Signature: ______________________________

Knox News - The Newsletter of Knox Academy - June 2010

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