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The Voice of st leonards

The June Review

Celebrations

Senior Prizegiving

SENIOR PRIZEGIVING | This year, the Year 7-12 Prizegiving took place in the School Hall, and was watched live by tutor groups around the school, whilst prizewinners attended in person. As restrictions on events continue, the ceremony was also filmed for families to enjoy over the holidays.

Mrs Pemberton-Hislop, Acting Headmistress, addressed the pupils, and congratulated them for completing another challenging year. The focus of her address then shifted to the importance of comparing ourselves to who we were yesterday rather than who someone else is today. Mr Andrew Durward, Deputy Head (wellbeing), announced this year’s winners, who were seated in the Hall and walked across the stage to receive their awards. There have been so many individual and collective achievements over the past year - a round of applause for the prizewinners and their peers for completing another academic year. Special mention goes, also, to those legacy prizewinners, who received their 2020 awards this year.

Both the photographs and the event film can be viewed below - enjoy!

Congratulations and Celebrations

CONGRATULATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS | Earlier this month, the Year 11 and Pre-IB pupils celebrated the end of their GCSE assessments with an outdoor ceilidh, followed by a joint barbeque with the Career-related Programme and STEP students on Birdcage. The pupils have achieved so much over the past two years, and are excited to move into the Sixth Form and embark upon either their IB Diploma or Career-related Programme.

To see more photographs of the Year 11 Celebrations, please follow the link below.

DELF Diplomas

DELF DIPLOMAS | Congratulations to the DELF Class of 2019 who were awarded their certificates earlier this month and enjoyed a belated celebration on St Leonards Grass. DELF is a certificate awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify the language proficiency of foreign students. We were delighted to welcome Mme Laurence Païs (French Consul, Edinburgh) and Mr Philippe Sibeaud (Director of Studies, French Institute, Edinburgh) to present the awards outdoors and celebrate our students' successes!

MYP, Complete!

MYP, COMPLETE! | The Year 9 pupils celebrated the successful completion of the Middle Years Programme in a special assembly, featuring music, certificates and prizes. Over the past three years, the pupils have developed and honed their communication, social, self-management, research, and thinking skills and consequently are well prepared for their IGCSE and GCSE courses, which they will begin after the Summer Holidays. Well done, Year 9!

At the MYP Celebration, the Year 9 band (with Isha B on vocals, Sam H and Madeleine F on guitar, and Rafferty H on drums) performed a fantastic rendition of an Oasis classic. The performance was recorded for families and friends to watch, below.

Academic

Journey's End

JOURNEY'S END | Our Year 12 Career-related Programme (CP) students completed their leadership journey with the Royal Navy. The journey began virtually in November when the pupils had in-depth discussions about leadership qualities and attributes. Next, in December, the pupils enjoyed taking part in a role play exercise which pitted their decisions against real NASA astronauts. The final stage of the journey was a disaster event simulation in which the pupils had to make decisions on how to distribute aid to a refugee camp. This was based on a real scenario that the Royal Navy has faced.

The CP pupils also took part in several practical leadership tasks within the school grounds. They reflected upon their mistakes and successes, harnessing their creativity to make windmills which helped them assess the range of solutions which they faced. The group also took risks and faced their fears, using communication skills to wind through ‘dangerous’ terrain, blindfolded and whilst carrying a casualty.

All in all, it was an excellent way to end the first year of the Career-related Programme at St Leonards!

Bumblebee Boards

BUMBLEBEE BOARDS | This term, Year 7B have enjoyed researching bumblebees. To round off their inquiry, the pupils produced some informative and interesting project boards which were then displayed in a mini gallery. The pupils enjoyed a ‘gallery walk’ to learn more about bumblebees, and also assessed their peers’ projects. As part of the peer assessment process, they discussed how materials are displayed and accessed by different communities in galleries and museums. Well done, Year 7B!

In the Field

IN THE FIELD | After a year of waiting, Year 11 finally made it down to the East Sands to conduct their Geography fieldwork in glorious sunshine. The pupils measured the shape and size of pebbles, and also assessed and noted the changes in the beach profile. The excursion enabled the pupils to apply the fieldwork skills that they had learned in the classroom, and then to identify some of the issues that geographers face when gathering data - this will be particularly useful for those students who will continue with the subject next year. Well done to all involved.

STEP Stories

STEP STORIES | We are delighted to announce Qube as the winners of the inaugural St Leonards Enterprise Programme competition, following the exciting STEP finals event on Friday, 18 June. All companies worked tirelessly to come up with concepts, market their products, and deliver their aims as a group. There were some impressive presentations on the day, but it was Qube that took the top spot. Congratulations to Natasha R, Nicole J, Colette J, Mikulas I, Aron Z and Daniil Z who, together, make up Qube.

Having made a profit on their sales of pom pom keyrings and scented bubble candles, Qube decided to make a generous donation of £250 to The Cure Parkinson’s Trust. They were joined by Helen Matthews, Deputy CEO of the London-based charity, earlier this month for a cheque presentation with Mrs Dawn Pemberton-Hislop and Mrs Paula Prudencio-Aponte.

Special mention should also go to Ciara C, Charles De B, Nikolas L, Zoe L and Nico S, of Totally Tote, who gave the best presentation, and the members of 4U Clothing Sophie C-H, Emilia F-P, Elizabeth F, Ida S-S, and Josefine S who were awarded the prize for the best product idea.

Speaking at the presentation, Helen Matthews said:

“It is fantastic to see a group of students come together to problem solve and raise much-needed funds for our work. Every donation makes a huge difference to our work at The Cure Parkinson’s Trust and I am incredibly proud of the amount Qube has raised, and the effort and coordination that went into it is phenomenal.”

Solar Spectacle

SOLAR SPECTACLE | Earlier this month, the clouds lifted and our pupils enjoyed gazing up at the partial solar eclipse through protective viewing glasses. At its peak, just over 30% of the Sun was obscured by the Moon. Many thanks to the Physics Department for facilitating this memorable morning.

Caring for the Community

CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY | As part of the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Year 9 pupils undertake an extended community project. The pupils must identify a need or issue in the local area, propose an action, and then seek to make a meaningful difference, either as individuals or in a small group. As ever, the pupils selected a wide range of projects - everything from induction booklets to help new pupils settle into life at St Leonards to baking sweet treats to say thank you to staff at Ninewells Hospital and organising community litter picking competitions to keep our local beaches clean. Another interesting project was undertaken by Sam H (pictured below) who worked with the Kennoway Community Shed to update their website, integrating their social media feeds and improving its visibility. He also started a Crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the Shed, and this allowed them to complete their Memorial Garden Mural, which pays tribute to the fallen servicemen of the town.

After six months of hard work and dedication, the pupils presented their findings in an outdoor exhibition earlier this month, and engaged members of the school community in conversation about the skills that they have acquired and the experiences that they have gained through the process.

To view the pupils’ recorded presentations, please follow the link below.

Boutique Business

BOUTIQUE BUSINESS | Earlier this month, the Year 12 Career-related Programme pupils enjoyed a talk from Miss Daniela Prudencio-Aponte, owner and director of a boutique company which focuses on marketing and design for real estate businesses based in Queretaro, Mexico, and also the sister of Mrs Prudencio-Aponte, our Business teacher. She spoke to the pupils about the challenges of running your own business, citing her own experience of setting up her company, Mamoot. The talk sparked some excellent discussions amongst the pupils about the opportunities and challenges that come from establishing your own business. Thank you to Miss Prudencio-Aponte for giving up her time to speak with our students.

Design with a Difference

DESIGN WITH A DIFFERENCE | Year 9B enjoyed a Design lesson with a difference. The pupils have been looking at how to change people’s eating habits to decrease their carbon footprints, and as part of their inquiry learned about why eating insects is such a good solution. The pupils then tried a few peri peri crunchy roasted crickets, a sustainable alternative to the conventional packet of crisps, which were met with mixed responses. We will have to wait to see whether our Year 9 pupils are truly converted to the sustainable snack!

The Arts

Sounds of Summer

SOUNDS OF SUMMER | As we approached the end of term, there was a relaxed air on Birdcage and down in the Junior playground as pupils and staff enjoyed music from the St Leonards Ukulele Group, the SLUGs. Thank you to Pablo G-M, Eva S, Maddy W, Katie MacA, Charlotte MacF, Millie L, Molly W, Shreyas D, Will B, and Archie B, as well as our staff musicians, Mr and Mrs Shiells, Mrs Stewart and Ms Love. We hope that you enjoy this short excerpt of their performance below!

Summer Art Online

SUMMER ART ONLINE | With our usual annual Summer Art Exhibition (and PA Summer Drinks) still unable to take place, the Art Department staff have compiled another outstanding online exhibition, showcasing the hard work of our Year 7-13 pupils from the 2020-21 academic year. We hope that you enjoy browsing the virtual galleries, taking time to enjoy the pieces on show.

Congratulations to our Year 7 pupils who have produced some fantastic artwork. To view a gallery of their work, please follow the link below.

Our GCSE and DP pupils have also produced some wonderful paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages, and for their examination portfolios and pieces. To view some highlights, please follow the link below.

Marvellous Music

MARVELLOUS MUSIC | Did you know that our Music Department has hosted an impressive 27 online concerts this academic year? If you missed the Years 7, 8 & 9 Concert at the start of this month, please follow link below and let our marvellous musicians from the middle years entertain you.

Drama Showcase

DRAMA SHOWCASE | At the start of this month, our budding thespians and Drama Department pulled together to stage two fantastic productions. Year 7 staged a fabulous performance of Rebels of Gas Street, whilst Year 8 presented their adaptation of The Willow Pattern. The casts thoroughly enjoyed performing to live audiences again, albeit with safety measures in place. We look forward to staging more productions in the new academic year.

Congratulations are also due to all those who received their Trinity Guildhall results this month. We are immensely proud of all the candidates - over half of the students achieved a Distinction, and the remaining half were awarded a Merit. As the examiner confirmed, it was a “very, very good set of results”!

Singing by the Sea

SINGING BY THE SEA | Earlier this week, the Daemon Barbers headed down to the Harbour to record a special seaside performance. The boys had a great time singing Kirk Douglas' Whale of a Tale. We look forward to hearing more amazing a cappella performances next year!

Sport

Track and Field

TRACK AND FIELD | This year, our Senior Sports Day took a slightly different format. In place of our usual celebration, complete with spectators and locally-grown strawberries, the track and field events were held during timetabled Games lessons, everything from shot put to sprints and long jump to hurdles. Congratulations to all those who broke records this year, and to the winners of the events, each of whom were presented with a medal, and last, but by no means least, to the PE Department for coordinating the series of events with enthusiasm and energy.

Summer Sport

SUMMER SPORT | In addition to tennis and athletics, our pupils have enjoyed playing volleyball on Birdcage in their Games lessons. Summer sport in the sunshine is great fun!

Senior Success

SENIOR SUCCESS | We were delighted to hear that St Leonards Senior Alex Samuel was selected as captain for the Scotland rugby team in the Six Nations U20 Championships, which are taking place at Cardiff Arms Park, Wales.

Alex, who plays in the second row, is aligned to the Super6 side Stirling County and currently trains with the Glasgow Warriors full time, and is a member of the Glasgow FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy. His passion for rugby was fostered through his involvement with the Madrascals, and later the SLM Blues.

In the first match of the tournament, the Scotland side were pipped to the post by the Irish squad. However, there are still four matches remaining (details below) - so there is hope yet for the Scotland squad. Alex will captain the Scotland team for the remainder of the Six Nations U20s tournament - we wish him, and the other players, all the best as they compete for the trophy!

Boarding

Wonderful Watersports

WONDERFUL WATERSPORTS | Over the past few weeks, the MYP pupils have headed down to the West Sands for wonderful watersports workshops with Blown Away. They had such a lot of fun and pushed themselves beyond their comfort zones, developing both confidence and resilience.

The boarders have also enjoyed white water rafting, stand up paddleboarding, and wakeboarding in their bubbles at weekends. These workshops really have been a fantastic way for pupils to celebrate the end of the academic year with their friends!

Football, Food and Friends

FOOTBALL, FOOD AND FRIENDS | Over the past month, our boarders enjoyed some more low-key events with their friends as the school year drew to a close . The Bishopshall girls tucked in to a fabulous ice cream sundae spread in the sunshine outside, with fresh berries, a range of sorbets and ice creams from Jannettas, wafers and chocolate dipped cones. They also loved making their own pizzas under the tutelage of Mr Darren Tonge, our Catering Manager. Finally, the boarders gathered to watch some of the Euro Football matches, which were projected onto a large screen in Restaurant 1877. We look forward to sharing snaps from more boarding activities next term!

Other News

Gardens Open

GARDENS OPEN | St Leonards was pleased to take part in the Preservation Trust Hidden Gardens event on Sunday, 27 June. Members of the public were able to walk around Queen Mary’s Library garden, and also the garden of the Headmaster’s House, enjoying the sunshine in these 'secret' spots. The roses were in full bloom and it was a wonderful opportunity to show people around the grounds.

Innovative Induction

INNOVATIVE INDUCTION | As the Summer Term drew to a close, we ran a programme of online and in-person induction events for both current and new pupils. The events were designed to give pupils a flavour of the next chapter in their educational journey, ease the transition process, and answer any questions that the pupils had ahead of the new academic year.

Year 11 and Pre-IB enjoyed a comprehensive induction programme to Sixth Form life at St Leonards, which took place over four weeks. The pupils enjoyed subject taster lessons, information sessions about the core elements of the Career-related Programme and Diploma Programme, leadership workshops, drop-in Q&A clinics, and a host of other enrichment activities including yoga, mindfulness, and fire pit cookery.

The Chemistry induction sessions focused on plastics and their properties. The pupils learned how thermoplastics, specifically polymorphs, can be used to design items for society. The pupils enjoyed conducting a number of experiments in the sessions, including testing the absorbency of hydrogel present in nappies, mixing lemon juice and liquid latex to make rubber rings, and making plastic from potato starch. Finally, the pupils took part in a thermoplastic polymer design competition, which took a ‘Dragons Den’ format - pupils had to present their creative and innovative designs to a panel of judges and justify their choices and decisions. Congratulations to Isobel W, Milla G, and Niamh H who made a jewellery tree out of thermoplastic.

The induction events have certainly whetted the pupils’ appetites for the Sixth Form at St Leonards!

Pride Celebrations

PRIDE CELEBRATIONS | To mark Pride Month, and to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ in our school community, Mrs Prudencio-Aponte's Year 12 tutor group organised a range of different events. The pupils prepared and delivered a presentation to pupils and staff, with the aim of educating our school community; coordinated an LGBTQ+ Concert, which can be accessed via the link below; organised a casual clothes day with a fun photo booth; and also planned an afternoon of games for their peers. Well done to all involved - it was a vibrant day of events, and a great CAS project!

Guest Speaker

GUEST SPEAKER | Earlier this month, our Head Boy, Karajahyah Forbes-Schlagenhauf, was the guest speaker at his former primary school’s Prizegiving ceremony. The ceremony was themed around ‘embracing transformation while entering a new era’, and Karajahyah addressed pupils and staff via Zoom. It is always fantastic to see older students working to support and encourage younger pupils - well done, Karajahyah.

Happy Holidays

HAPPY HOLIDAYS | Wishing our St Leonards and families, and staff, a relaxing and restful summer holiday. We look forward to welcoming everyone back at the start of the Autumn Term in August.