Advertizer - Issue 177 - June 2009 (Gryffe)

St Columba’s School
Elizabeth Laird, bewitched SI pupils during a visit to
St Columba’s, where she launched her new novel, The
Witching Hour. Set in seventeenth-century Scotland
the story describes how fourteen-year old Maggie’s life
changes when her grandmother is accused of witchcraft. Although the
author was born in New Zealand, her family has a long connection with
both School and the village. Several of her aunts have either attended
or taught at St Columba’s and her family were residents in the area
from the seventeenth century. In fact, one of the main characters
in The Witching Hour is based on an ancestor, Hugh Blair, a farmer
and leading Covenantor, who lived at Ladymuir just on the outskirts of
Kilmacolm.
Pupils had lots of
questions, and
were particularly
interested in
the process of
r e s e a r c h i n g
a historical
novel. Elizabeth
suggested that it
took more than
sitting in a library
looking up facts. Elizabeth Laird –
Good historical Author Visit
ﬁ ction was the
result of the author placing herself in the everyday environment of the
period and asking herself questions: What would it feel like to run over
a boggy moor with heavy trailing skirts? What would it be like to sleep
on a mattress ﬁ lled with heather rather than foam?
At a second event later in the day, which was open to the public, we were
delighted to have the present owners of Ladymuir in the audience.
Scotland Street School
Junior 1 pupils got a real sense of what it
was like to be a girl or boy at the end of
the nineteenth-century when they visited
Scotland Street School. They sat on hard
benches doing their spelling under the
St Columba’s Senior School
stern gaze of the teacher. One pupil even
donned a ‘dunces’ hat.
However, they discovered it wasn’t all hard
Extension Update
work and that school children of the past
enjoyed games just as much as the ones of
Further to our update in the November issue concerning
today. It might be a gird and cleek rather
the proposed Senior School extension, we have continued
than a playstation, but the pupils still had
to explore our options, meeting with the planning authority
a lot of fun.
and others. While St Columba’s remains in a strong ﬁ nancial
position, and looks forward to a healthy new intake in August,
we have also had to consider the project within the current
Space Academy
ﬁ nancial context. These are, of course, challenging times. Finally it was a fast forward
Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising to learn that we have to the future. Two St
decided to pause in the implementation of our plans for Columba’s pupils from the
building. Although St Columba’s requires new and enlarged Senior School have been
facilities, these must not be at the cost of ﬁ nancial stability chosen to attend Space
at such uncertain times. We will nevertheless continue to Academies this summer.
think ahead as to how best to attain our objectives and
Following her recent success
continue to welcome your thoughts on this matter.
in the Royal Astronomical
Yours sincerely, Society’s competition ‘Space
David R Ward (Chairman, Board of Directors)
Exploration in 2057, Abby
Beal (S6) has been accepted
for the European Space
Houston Community Nursery
Camp in Norway taking
Space 2057 - Katie Stirrup
place in July 2009. Fellow
June will be a very busy month for the Nursery with our trip
to Calderglen Park looming as well as a sports day for the
Space 2057 - Abby Beal
pupil, Katie Stirrup (S5)
has been successful in her
children.
application to the Scottish
We will also be appointing a new manager this month to
Space School for inclusion
take us forward next term. Our pre-school children will be
on a science and technology
graduating at the end of the month with a special ceremony
skill development week.
and concert for parents & grandparents to attend and
The event will be held at
everyone is working very hard to ensure this is a success.
Strathclyde University.
The Nursery operates from 9.15 - 11.45am, Monday-Friday,
Over the course of the
during school term times and we continue to offer our
week participants will be
popular wraparound service until 2.45pm on Wednesdays
observed and a number of
and Thursdays.
young people will then be
chosen to attend one of
If you are looking for a morning place for your child from
the ‘space camps’ at NASA’s
August, we still have a small number of places available so
Johnson Space Centre in
why not contact the Nursery to arrange a visit.
Houston, Texas.
Kirsti Margery (Acting Manager) will be happy to hear from
you on 01505 615876 or email: houstonnursery@aol.com
38 JUNE 2009 | send your NEWS & PHOTOS to info@advertizer.co.uk www.advertizer.co.uk| 01505 874385 | JUNE 2009
177_JUN09_36-39 SCHOOL NEWS.ind.indd 38 22/05/2009 12:13:21
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20 | Page 21 | Page 22 | Page 23 | Page 24 | Page 25 | Page 26 | Page 27 | Page 28 | Page 29 | Page 30 | Page 31 | Page 32 | Page 33 | Page 34 | Page 35 | Page 36 | Page 37 | Page 38 | Page 39 | Page 40 | Page 41 | Page 42 | Page 43 | Page 44 | Page 45 | Page 46 | Page 47 | Page 48 | Page 49 | Page 50 | Page 51 | Page 52 | Page 53 | Page 54 | Page 55 | Page 56