Belmont Academy pupils complete silver Duke of Edinburgh award

Oct 10 2008

TWENTY pupils from Belmont Academy have successfully completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh award.

Sixteen completed their qualifying expedition in the Galloway Hills, five others completed theirs cycling in the Trossachs.

Belmont has promoted the DofE for many years but this is the most pupils the school has ever seen qualify in one year for their silver award.

Over the last two years the school has promoted parent involvement in the delivery of the award, since then the number of pupils participating in the Award has grown to 140 through the three stages of bronze, silver and gold.

A TEAM from the NHS trust have been in school last week to immunise girls against cervical cancer. This national initiative has been very much welcomed by parents and pupils.

PROBATIONER teacher Dean Markham shadowed a first year class for part of last week and gained a valuable insight into pupil experience and therefore what the consumers went through on a period by period basis.

ONCE again Belmont Academy entered a team for the mock trials at Ayr Sheriff Court last weekend. The Belmont team was led by Ed Sutherland, principal teacher of RME and all of the participants thoroughly enjoyed the day and of course the venue.

The Belmont team members were: Ross Adam, Andrew Jarvie, Thomas Chambers, Thomas Macleod, Lindsey Collie, James Pollock, Robert Denman, James Roberts, Euan Ferguson, Elizabeth Roberts, Lewis Finlayson, Olof Robertson, Katrina Forsyth, Andrew Ronning, Helen Fraser, David Scott, Anna Gibb, Sehar Wahla, Suzi Goodfellow-Orr, Emily Hunter, Catherine Hunter.

WORK Experience for half the fourth year cohort took place this week and over 120 young people reported to placements organised by Elaine Marrone, our principal teacher of guidance (World of Work) and Enterprise Ayrshire. For the participants it was an enjoyable view of the demands of the workplace and staff in the academy would like to record their thanks to all the employees who welcomed our young people and gave them this valuable opportunity.

MIKE McCabe, director of education, Culture and Lifelong Learning accompanied by Margo Williamson, head of quality and Improvement and Chrissie Quinn and Frank Cardle, quality improvement officers visited the school last week to meet with Mr Moir and members of the senior management team to discuss pupil performance in the recent diet of the national examinations and to map out areas and strategies to continue to improve performance across the school.

At the meeting Helen Holdsworth our principal teacher of modern studies made a presentation of the innovative work taking place in her department to boost pupil confidence and therefore success in order that they achieve their very best.

LED by Gillian Gilmour of the music department, sixty pupils travelled to the Grand Hall in Kilmarnock to attend a concert given by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Featured composers were Vivaldi and the internationally recognised contemporary musician Thea Musgrove. For everyone this proved to be a stimulating orchestral experience and built on workshops the audience had already been involved in.

A JOINT group of parents and teachers met last week to work out the strategy for the delivery of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

This session the popularity of the scheme has exploded within the school with over 140 participants, seventy of them new starts at Bronze. This huge explosion has been a direct result of the tremendous parental contribution and as the group are always looking for volunteers any parent who would like to assist should contact Ed Sutherland at the school.

CONGRATULATIONS to fifth year student Zoe Davidson who took part in the 2008 World baton Championships which took place in Limerick in August. Zoe represented Scotland in the Junior Pair and Team Section and her photograph will soon be displayed on our International class wall of honour.

WELL done to Jennifer McNidder of our DMR office who baked furiously to produce the goodies for the members of staff who took part in the MacMillan Cancer Support World's Biggest Coffee morning. The cheque has now been forwarded to the MacMillan group.

THIRD and fifth year students visited the Ayr office of Trading Standards where they were given an insight into the working of the department. Thanks to Nan Walker for organising this visit.

THE U18 rugby team beat Loudon Academy 57 - 3 in the Scottish Cup with ties from Ben Rankin, Walker Lynch, Craig Hogg, Neil Wallace, Euan Corbett, Scott Richardson, Nick Lynn and Ewan McGibbon. They play Douglas Ewart H.S in next round. U15 team beat Dumfries Academy 46-0 in round 1 and then Douglas Ewart H.S in round 2 of the Scottish Cup 33-5. Tries from George Wylie(3) and George Adams(2) and 4 conversions by Wylie. They play St Josephs Dumfries in next round.

Led by manager and coach Gillian Wilson and assistant coach PC Jack and Mr Fraser Brown two basketball teams took part in the Ayrshire Basketball League. The result was good.

U14 Ayrshire Basketball League Boys result was Belmont - 37 Marr - 30, top scorer for Belmont, Joshua McGilvary . Openboys Ayrshire Basketball League result was Belmont - 58 Marr - 72, top scorer for Belmont, Graeme Cassells.