Parent Newsletter

Parent Newsletter Archive

Drama VE Day Achievement
To mark the sixtieth anniversary of the end of World War 2, North Ayrshire school pupils were invited to write and perform a short play on the theme of the sixtieth anniversary. The final took place in Vikingar in Largs on the 8th May, and I am delighted to say that the Garnock entry “Attic Memories”, written and performed by S2 drama pupils, won the competition. Well done to the pupils and staff who as well as winning the award, also win a visit to some of the European World War 2 battlefields, later in the year.

Toilet Refurbishment
The toilet blocks in the Music Foyer and at the entrance to T-block are currently being totally refurbished. This is a complete refurbishment – back to bricks and concrete – and should bring the pupil toilet provision in the school to a high standard. The work is due to be completed by the start of the new term in August.
Prizegiving
The annual prizegiving takes place at 7.00pm on the evening of 21st June. Approximately one hundred and forty pupils will receive awards for many different activities, academic, sporting, musical and other activities. Parents of award winners will be invited both to the ceremony and to light refreshments afterwards.

School Plan
The school plan for next year has now been finalised. The complete plan can be viewed on our school website after 25th June, under Information for Parents. The main themes of the plan are improving attainment at Standard Grade (General Level), optimising teaching after department analysis of 2005 SQA results and developing strategies to improve pupil ethos.

Free School Meals / Clothing and Footwear Grants
Earlier in the term you should have received an application form for free school meals, and incidentally, a clothing and footwear grant application form. If you satisfy the criteria for these, you are entitled to the benefits. Too many parents each year who do qualify for the above, for whatever reason, do not apply for the benefits to which their children are entitled. Please consider this carefully. If you have lost your application form and would like another please phone or visit the school office (01505682685) for a replacement form.
For information, the school dining areas have recently introduced a new “healthy eating” programme for pupils to encourage eating for health. This is to be commended. Please try to encourage your son or daughter to participate in this.

Strings Project Concert: 19th June
The North Ayrshire strings project, which involves 60 pupils being taught how to play stringed instruments, has been running on Saturday mornings in Garnock Academy for five years. Tutors for this project, which is a joint project between the Royal Scottish Academy of Music And Drama and North Ayrshire Council, are provided by the RSAMD. Pupils performed in the school hall to a good audience of parents and friends on the evening of Sunday 19th June.

Barcelona Trip
The senior choir, senior jazz band and senior concert band leave on Tuesday 28th June at 11.30pm on a performing trip to Barcelona. Pupils, parents and staff have been planning and preparing for this trip for over a year to great effect, and I am sure that it will be a great success. The school wishes everyone on this trip good luck and a safe journey.

P7-S1 Transfer - Additional Support Requirements
Garnock Academy has an extensive liaison programme with all associated primary schools and most pupils will by now have had their induction day visit. Information has been transferred from Primary Heads and P7 staff and arrangements are currently being finalised for the new S1 intake.
Primary Support staff from Garnock Academy have been working with Primary 7 classes as part of the transition programme and additional support requirements have been noted. Parents are invited to telephone Mrs Walker (Principal Teacher Pupil Support) on 01505 682685 should they have any concerns or queries about support provision at Garnock Academy.
Staffing
Mr Callum Lowe (Depute Head Teacher) who will be well known throughout the Garnock Valley as a PE teacher, retires this summer after teaching in Garnock Academy since the school opened in August 1972. Prior to this, Mr Lowe taught in Beith, Kilbirnie and Irvine. In his time at Garnock Mr Lowe has been Principal Teacher of PE, a teacher of computing, and for the last sixteen years, an Assistant Head and Depute Head Teacher. The school owes a huge amount to Mr Lowe’s excellent work in many different areas, and he will be a great miss. We wish him a long and happy retirement.
Mr Lowe’s post will be filled by Mr A Jack, currently Principal Teacher of PE at Irvine Royal Academy. Mr Jack takes up the post of Depute Head Teacher when the school restarts after the Summer holiday.
Mr Robb also leaves the school at the Summer after six years of teaching in the English Department. We wish him every success in his new post and thank him for his services to Garnock.
Miss G McCulloch left the music department on 30th May to take up a post of vocal instructor in Dumfries and Galloway. We all wish Miss McCulloch well in her new post.

Senior School Prom
The Senior Prom for S5/6 pupils took place at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow on the evening of 21st June. Stretch Limos, evening gowns and Highland dress were the order of the evening as 130 senior pupils and 15 staff enjoyed a beautiful meal followed by a ceilidh. This was a most enjoyable night, and the photograph can be viewed on our school below. Thanks must go to all staff who organised and attended this event, notably Mrs Pettigrew and Mr Merrick, whose untiring efforts made the evening a great success.

Work over the Summer holiday
Whilst the summer holiday is a “holiday”, any pupil who wishes to spend some time thinking about school work will find a considerable amount of useful material on the school website under “revision and essential study”. This may take up an hour or two on a wet afternoon.

S1,2 &3 Photograph

Important Dates for Next Session
School closes for summer at 1.00pm on Wednesday 29th June 2005
Pupils restart after the summer break at 9.00am on Wednesday 17th August 2005
Pupil holiday, 19th September 2005
School closes for October break at 3.35pm on Friday 14th October 2005
Pupils return from October break at 9.00am on Monday 24th October 2005
Pupil holidays, Thursday 10th, Friday 11th and Monday 14th November 2005
School closes for Christmas at 2.30pm on Friday 23rd December 2005
Pupils return after Christmas at 9.00am on Monday 9th January 2006
Pupil holidays, Monday 13th, Tuesday 14th, Wednesday 15th February 2006
School closes for Easter at 2.30pm on Friday 31st March 2006
School return after Easter at 9.00am on Tuesday 18th April 2006
Pupil holidays, Friday 28th April and Monday 1st May 2006
Pupil holidays, Friday 26th May and Monday 29th May 2006
School closes for summer at 1.00pm on Thursday 29th June 2006
Pupils restart after the summer break at 9.00am on Wednesday 16th August 2006

Appropriate School Wear

Pupils and Parents are reminded of the school dress code.
To clear up any doubt, the following are not considered acceptable within the dress code and pupils may be sent hometo change if they arrive dressed in the following items:

Goth clothing and related items - no spikey braclets, necklaces, skull T-shirts, hanging chains, multi-buckles etc. We do not feel pupils should be able to support this subculture at school. It has had a very bad press of late, for obvious reasons.
Hooded sweatshirts: these have strong associations with cultures we strongly wish pupils to avoid.
Tracksuit bottoms and tops. Especially so if they carry the infamous “three stripes” beloved of subcultures.
No horizontal striped tops please. Black and white stripes, light blue and dark blue stripes, etc., are not required. Fashionable they may be, but not for school. Pupils should not wear vertical striped tops either
Any top or bottom in the colour pink. This colour has counter-culture value, particularly with girls. No pink tops please.
Bare midriffs. Girls in particular, please cover up. Bare midriffs may be the height of fashion in certain quarters, but not at school. Similarly the top being worn to school by girls should be high enough to avoid normal decency being questioned.
Large piercings. These are dangerous. Last year a pupils had an ear badly torn when a large earring caught in another pupil’s schoolbag. Keep all body piercings to small studs or sleepers, for safety sake.
Multi-finger rings. These are unsightly and dangerous both to the wearer and to other pupils. Fashion items are best left at home. The same applies to fancy and ornate necklaces carrying a pupil’s name, names of football clubs, pop stars or cannabis symbols.
Rude or offensive material. Please don’t come to school with offensive T-shirts or sweat shirts, often bought abroad. It neither shocks nor impresses, but it does say a lot about the wearer. Leave such items at home.
Clothing advertising tobacco products, alcohol or drugs. For obvious reasons these are not allowed.
Similarly, no football tops, American football tops or rugby tops should be worn to school. No football scarves or hats either, please.
Big logos. Sweatshirts, jerseys and T-shirts bearing large logos – very popular with fashion designers, are really walking adverts for retail chains or fizzy drink manufacturers. Leave them at home, and buy something dark and plain at a small fraction of the price.
Woollen hats (usually black) of the American rapper type. Hats can be worn, of course when the weather is wet and cold, but not as a mere fashion or attitude statement. Baseball caps fall into the same category. Best left at home since pupils will persist on wearing them in school as a statement of attitude, which will cause confrontations with staff. We have a very simple rule, “No hats to be worn inside the school buildings.”
Walkman type machines. These are lost, damaged or the cause of confrontation in class many times each year. If you must listen to music on the bus, or in the playground, make sure the player is switched off and stowed away out of sight before going to class.
Additional Information:
Mobile phones: we have no objection to mobile phones being brought to school for safety purposes. However, they must be turned off in class at all times! Please note that the Scottish Qualifications Authority imposes an immediate disqualification to any candidate found with a mobile phone in an examination. Pupils who forget to turn phones off and who disturb the class can expect to get a punishment exercise, and if the problem persists, can expect to have their phone removed for the rest of the day.

Do encourage your son or daughter to bring a schoolbag to school. It is necessary to carry books, PE kit and other items like pencils and pens. Please note that pupils should not travel to school in their PE kit, even if they have PE after registration. The kit should be packed in a schoolbag and changed into at the start of the PE lesson. It should also be changed out of immediately the PE lesson is finished.

I hope that the above clarifies any questions before the return to school shopping spree.

Brian McNaught Rector June 2005

Garnock Academy
School Road
Kilbirnie
KA25 7AX5
Telephone:01505 682685
Email: contactus@garnock.n-ayrshire.sch.uk


HomePage