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The Voice of st leonards

The May Review

Leavers’ Celebrations

Class of 2021

CLASS OF 2021 | As half term came upon us, we said a fond farewell to our Year 13 pupils. There was an exciting programme of celebratory events to mark the end of their time at St Leonards which, whilst a little different from usual given the circumstances, was still very special.

On the final Wednesday before half term, together with staff who donned academic gowns and hoods for the occasion, the Class of 2021 were piped through the grounds from Quad to Birdcage in black tie by Mr Andrew Maitland, Chief Operating Officer. The leavers then paused on the Birdcage steps for a formal photograph - where they received a hearty round of applause from parents, who enjoyed delicious picnics in bubbles of six, delivered by the caterers at Cambo Estate - before enjoying a formal dinner in Restaurant 1877. The following day, the pupils enjoyed an informal BBQ and outdoor ceilidh on Birdcage, and a premiere of the Leavers’ Concert online. To round off the week, pupils and staff tucked into coffee and croissants in QML Garden, followed by a Prizegiving Ceremony in the School Hall. It was wonderful to celebrate the individual and collective achievements of this fantastic group of pupils, and to welcome back former Headmaster Dr Michael Carslaw as the guest speaker at this momentous occasion.

The Prizegiving Ceremony included the unveiling of a portrait of Dr Carslaw, commissioned by St Leonards Council and painted by Maggie Milne. The painting will be displayed in the School Hall, alongside fellow former Headmasters and Headmistresses. The portrait encapsulates the Carslaw years, nodding both to St Leonards’ status as the first all-through International Baccalaureate school in Scotland and the prestigious accolade of Scotland’s Independent School of the Year 2019, which was awarded by The Sunday Times.

A full gallery of photographs from these events, as well as a specially commissioned video of the celebrations, can be accessed via the link below. We wish the Class of 2021 all the best as they embark on their next chapters.

Exciting Enrichment

EXCITING ENRICHMENT | Having completed their final assessments, our Year 13 students enjoyed a fortnight of enrichment activities, coordinated by Head of Sixth Form, Ms Aileen Rees. There was everything from cooking classes in the yurt to salt marsh restoration, rounders on Big Field to a ‘whodunnit’ crime game, and guidance on student finances to First Aid workshops. The students developed new skills and also had fun with their friends. It was certainly a fantastic end to our leavers’ time at St Leonards.

Leavers’ Concert

LEAVERS’ CONCERT | The Leavers’ Concert is always a highlight of the Summer Term - and this year’s programme did not disappoint. It is now over a year since we were last able to welcome audiences into the Music School Auditorium, and this was the 21st online concert since lockdown began!

The online concert premiered online and was enjoyed by pupils, friends and family across the world. There were some fantastic individual and ensemble performances. Please follow the link below to watch the concert.

The Arts

Tilton Rise

TILTON RISE | After a long hiatus, the St Leonards Players took to the School Hall stage once again to perform an original script, Tilton Rise, written by Director of Drama Ms Nichola McQuade-Powell. The play was written as a sequel to Tilton Road, which was staged in the School Hall back in 2018. At the end of this production, it became apparent that the beleaguered Saunders family, against all odds, overcame the harshness of a 1950s industrial town and prospered. Yet, this was not the end of the story… Just after Tilton Road had been staged, Ms McQuade-Powell was asked ‘How did the Saunders family make their money?’ - and this was the impetus for a new script. There was only one person with the tenacity and streetwise intelligence to do this: Clem Saunders’ youngest son, Johnny. And so, Tilton Rise was born!

The fabulous script was brought alive by the talented casts who captivated the audiences. There are more plays due to be performed by our terrific thespians before the end of term, including Dracula, so watch this space for updates and reviews!

Boarding

Exciting Excursions

EXCITING EXCURSIONS | Over the course of the past few weekends, our boarders have enjoyed an action-packed weekend mountain biking at Comrie Croft, a refreshing walk along the coast in the East Neuk, fish and chips from the award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar, and navigating the inflatable courses at Wild Shore Aqua Park in Dundee!

Brilliant Baking

BRILLIANT BAKING | Earlier this month, our boarders were challenged to produce a ‘showstopper’ bake for the team baking competition. There were some impressive entries including piles of profiteroles, magnificent muffins, and indulgent chocolate cakes. However, in the end, the Bishopshall girls came out on top with a banana cake topped with a shiny chocolate ganache. Congratulations to all who took part - we certainly have some brilliant bakers in our midst!

Perfect Pizzas

PERFECT PIZZAS | Over the half term holidays, the St Rule and Bishopshall boarders enjoyed creating their own pizzas, topped with pepperoni, olives, red onion, mushrooms and, of course, cheese in Restaurant 1877 for a fabulous fake-away evening. The Ollerenshaw boys also enjoyed a piles of pizza, choosing, however, to source their feast from Domino's in St Andrews!

Rest and Relaxation

REST AND RELAXATION | The Bishopshall boarders enjoyed some well-earned rest and relaxation over the half term holidays - there were ice cream evenings, mellow nights roasting marshmallows around the fire pit, fabulous chocolate fountain socials, and flower arranging workshops.

Academic

IA Investigations

IA INVESTIGATIONS | The Year 12 historians had a productive day in QML researching an incredibly wide range of topics for their Internal Assessments, everything from Henry VIII to the Space Race. It was wonderful to be able to utilise the rich resources found within QML. Many thanks to Ms Tawse for all of her help gathering sources!

Terrific Talk

TERRIFIC TALK | Earlier this month, our Career-related Programme students enjoyed a brilliant talk delivered by Frances Sutton. Frances works in Public Relations, and has worked on a number of high-profile events including Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Official Royal Opening of the Queensferry Crossing, Burns & Beyond Festival, Edinburgh Diwali, Sleep in the Park in Edinburgh and London, Granite Noir Literature Festival in Aberdeen. She has also been involved in charity fundraising events - perhaps most notably six fundraising dinners for 500 guests for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust which raised over £200,000 on each night - with expertise in all aspects of event organisation including PR, Marketing, Operations, and Artist Liaison. Frances spoke about the role of an event organiser at a corporate level, the challenges and satisfactions of event organisation, and more widely about her vast experience in the sector. The students learned a lot from her, and were very engaged, asking questions for over 45 minutes. The insights that the students gleaned will be incredibly helpful, since, as part of their BTEC Business studies, our CP students have to organise and execute an event. Many thanks to Frances for finding time in her busy schedule to speak with our students.

Articulate Arguments

ARTICULATE ARGUMENTS | After learning about ethics in preparation for their Reflective Project, the Career-related Programme students enthusiastically debated the topic ‘Is it acceptable for a company to look at the social media profile of a person they are interviewing for a job?’. Both sides articulated their arguments clearly and passionately, and the class is yet to reach a satisfactory conclusion on the topic. Great work, Year 12!

Fabulous Fieldwork

FABULOUS FIELDWORK | Last weekend, 43 Biology students conducted fieldwork down on the East Sands and in the school grounds. The students learned and honed practical techniques under the supervision of the Field Study Centre Millport tutors, and also collected useful data which will be used for their IAs. It was fantastic for the students to be able to see and apply the content and theory that they hard learned in the classroom in real life!

IB Inquirers

IB INQUIRERS | It was all systems go in the Physics laboratories earlier this month, as the Year 12 pupils took part in their Extended Essay day. There were some truly fascinating inquiries, ranging from how pivot points affect the range of a trebuchet to the effect of wind speed on power output for a turbine! We look forward to reading the pupils’ findings in due course.

Colourful Chemistry

COLOURFUL CHEMISTRY | Our Year 8 pupils have been experimenting with Universal Indicator in their Chemistry lessons. We loved the ‘rainbow’ that they managed to create!

Sport

Golf Glorious Golf

GOLF GLORIOUS GOLF | St Leonards played Glenalmond in the ISGA schools knockout, winning 3-0 on the Eden Course, St Andrews. Jan E won 8 and 7, Chrispope A won 6 and 5, and in Match 3, Ewen F won 6 and 5. Congratulations to our golfers.

This month, our golfers also travelled to the Strathmore Golf Course in Alyth, Perthshire, for the Barry Douglas Scottish Junior Masters Competition, which is a 54-hole stroke play event. Congratulations to all the boys who took part, but especially Fynn L and Moritz W who finished in 5th and 9th place respectively. Their impressive results will move them up the European rankings and help their scholarship applications to the States.

St Andrews Boys Championships

ST ANDREWS BOYS CHAMPIONSHIPS | Well done to Will J and Edward H-C, who participated, straight from the GCSE examination room, in the St Andrews Boys Championships on the Eden Course in St Andrews, finishing in first and second place in the senior handicap section, and to Ewen F, who finished second in the scratch section. The tournament has been held annually for nearly 100 years, since its foundation in 1923. The boys are pictured with the St Andrews Golf Captain and Club Secretary, as they prepared to tee off on the first hole of the Links course. After their round, the pair, along with their parents, were invited to enjoy supper and a Prizegiving ceremony at the St Andrews Golf Club. Congratulations to all involved!

British Schools Championship

BRITISH SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIP | Congratulations to Frankie C on another small-bore rifle shooting success. Frankie qualified for the final of the British Schools Individual Championship with a 295 ex 300. A fantastic achievement!

Sports Days

SPORTS DAY | Due to the current restrictions, we are sadly unable to hold a Senior Sports Day in full, with the usual crowds of spectators, cake stall and delicious local strawberries (courtesy of the St Leonards Parents Association). However, in its place, the pupils are taking part in all the usual races and events within their timetabled PE lessons. The first instalments have seen the pupils trying their hand at long jump and shot put. We look forward to sharing further photographs and results with you in due course!

Other News

Meeting Mr Brian

MEETING MR BRIAN | Following a successful visit last month, Mr Simon Brian, Headmaster of St Leonards from August, visited the School again this week to meet pupils, parents, and staff. Mr Brian spent time listening to and learning from members of the school community, and also enjoyed watching an evening performance of Tilton Rise. We look forward to welcoming Mr Brian and his family to St Leonards later this summer.

Informative Induction

INFORMATIVE INDUCTION | Our Induction Programmes for current and new pupils have been in full swing over the past fortnight, with taster lessons, subject group overviews, curriculum talks and more. Sessions have been delivered online for new pupils who were unable to join us in person for our usual 'Moving Up' events. We hope that all involved have found the sessions so far helpful as they prepare to step up to the year above in August.

Golf in the Gazette

GOLF IN THE GAZETTE | This year, 2021, marks the bicentenary of the birth of Old Tom Morris. He was born on 16 June 1821, in St Andrews. To mark this anniversary, former Deputy Head and Housemistress Jane Claydon (1975-2007) was asked by the St Andrews Preservation Trust to produce a booklet about Tom's forgotten course at St Leonards.

The Tom Morris nine-hole golf course at St Leonards was laid out in 1893 and, according to a previously overlooked entry in the St Leonards Gazette, discovered recently by Jane, a suggestion made by a Senior may have been the catalyst for the provision of this course, even outlining its location - in the field below the cricket pitch. That Senior was Edith Bruce Johnson, who completed her studies at St Leonards in 1882, aged 16.

There is no evidence so far to suggest that Edith, herself, was a golfer and, as the St Leonards Gazette did not begin until 1887, no records of games were kept at that stage.

Highland Adventure

HIGHLAND ADVENTURE | Congratulations to Daniel S who recently walked the West Highland Way with his brother and father. This was a huge expedition - the beautiful route stretches 96 miles from Milgavie to Fort William, across various terrains including parkland and steep mountains.