"The future's bright..."

My first month as the new Rector at Peebles High School has been both challenging and hugely enjoyable. The warm welcome I received makes it clear to me that there is a positive ethos in the community that places the school in an excellent place to push forward and become even better. Pupils have shown themselves to be confident and polite; staff have been positive and professional; parents have shown an incredible willingness to be involved in the present and future of the school; representatives of the community outside of school have also expressed their desire to support Peebles High School. Only one month in and I already describe our school with a sense of pride and belonging.
Key to ensuring that the school does move forward is to recognise areas where improvements are needed and to steadfastly pursue changes that can help us to deliver the highest standard of education. Obviously, the recent report into the school steers us into areas that require our attention as do the conversations I have with people about the school. Anyone who has ideas on how the school could be better is welcome to contact me to share their views and I extend my thanks to those people who have sought to offer their ideas and expertise to date.
I look towards the future with a genuine sense of optimism and a determination to get to know the community and its people well. I extend my gratitude to all those who have worked hard for the school in the past and to those who endeavour to do so in the future.
We are looking forward to a bright future.

Campbell Wilson, Rector

Tour of Britain

...setting off from Peebles with PHS riders!

On Sunday the 4th of September the Tour of Britain started in Peebles and 50 youngsters from Peebles Cycle Club and Peebles High School mountain bike club were asked to lead the riders out through the town. This year the tour had a number of big cycling names taking part including Mark Cavendish, the Tour de France Green Jersey holder and Thor Hoshovd the current World champion. The ride around the town was exhilarating with cheers from the massive crowd and the tour riders riding directly behind the school children. This was a huge honour and a great privilege for the pupils who took part.
Caroline Wallace, Physical Education

Zambia 2011

In June, after 9 months of planning and hard work fundraising, a group of 6 students, accompanied by 2 teachers, departed on an eagerly awaited S6 Senior Leadership Initiative 3-week visit to Livingstone, Zambia.
Links with 2 Basic Schools: Christ the King and Zambezi Basic had been established. Basic learning resources that we take for granted were very scarce and the schools were very grateful for the learning materials we took with us. The S6 students helped to support classroom teachers, delivering lessons and sporting activities, they also spent time working at the local orphanage Lubasi.
The group embraced Zambian life and there were opportunities too for numerous cultural exchanges. During our stay the students enjoyed many adrenalin filled activities, visited Victoria Falls, cruised the Zambezi and bartered at Makuni – the local craft village.
Throughout the planning and duration of the visit the students displayed the leadership skills the SLI projects aim to develop. The students were a credit to PHS and I am sure their Zambia experience will live with them forever.
Group members: Rachel Alexander, Kayleigh Boyd, Andrea Gonzalez, Liam Hope, Fiona Robb, Kieran Stewart. Staff members: Veronica Boyd, Justin Noon.
Veronica Boyd, Business School

Lead on, Wolfie

A stunning artwork, 'Wolfie', created by Meg Johnanssen, began as an SLI initiative to communicate 'Leadership' and has suggested a series of banners communicating essential 21st century life skills.

Iain Campbell, Physics

Introducing our head boy and girl

Robbie Leeson – words by Anna Owens: Robbie is hoping to study either Chinese and linguistics, or music, at university. Robbie's the saxophonist from the notorious band "Armadillo". When he's not playing music, there's no doubt that you'll find Robbie helping others or doing jobs around the school. Robbie's an approachable and friendly character, who hopes to increase the awareness of school achievements throughout the community.
Anna Owens – words by Robbie Leeson: Anna would like to study law at university in Glasgow possibly. She is both outgoing and friendly and likes nothing more than to have a good chat. Anna would like to open a debating club in the school which will help younger students develop an invaluable skill-set for later life. Finally, Anna enjoys the occasional party and night out!

Music Dept, Extra Curricular Activities

There are a number of activities available to pupils at lunchtimes in the music department. Rehearsals start at 1.15pm and early lunch passes are available from the staff base
MON : Guitar Group, Girls' Choir ,Boys' Voices
TUE : Wind Band
WED : Senior Orchestra
THU : Brass Group, String Orchestra*
FRI : Ceilidh Band, Flute Group
*moving to Wednesdays after October holiday
STOP PRESS: coming soon, Pipes & Drums .

CHRISTMAS CONCERT: All groups will be preparing items for our annual Christmas Concert which this year will take place on Tuesday 20th December at 7pm in the Assembly Hall.

S5-6 Business Aware Days

On Friday 9 September, 50 senior school Business Management students took part in a Business Awareness day run by management consultant Eileen Black. Students worked collaboratively in small groups, rotating round 3 workshop activities designed to bring out leadership, communication and problem-solving skills, set within a range of business contexts.
The stimulating workshops were provided by -Emma Shaw of the Bright Business Partnership, -Stephen Schreuder & Catherine Begg from Standard Life and -Bill Hutcheson of the Institute of Applied Technology.
The workshop providers are all released by their employers free of charge to come and work with us, and Eileen Black reports that there is never any shortage of volunteers to come to Peebles as they find the students to be engaging and mature in their approach.

Carolyn Futty, Business School

LRC Book Amnesty

A vast number of books have been taken from the LRC without being properly issued. It is extremely important that these books be returned.
An amnesty box has been placed on a table beside the stairwell to the maths tower. Please check at home, in classrooms and anywhere else for LRC books and return them as soon as possible. Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
Ruth Fry, Librarian

Business School: S1 Event

Earlier this term all S1 pupils took part in the Freaky Fortress challenge supported by management trainers from Mindvision UK. Following direction from a group member who had only limited access to the completed version of the Freaky Fortress model, the challenge required creativity and emotional intelligence from the other team members to replicate the construction of the complex model fortress. Communication skills, problem-solving skills, resourcefulness and flexibility were all the order of the day, with many individuals demonstrating initiative and leadership skills. Student evaluation of the course was very positive indeed..

Carolyn Futty, Business School

Gerry Reville, NEW Principal Teacher – Modern Languages

In an ever-increasing multi-lingual world the importance of learning another language has never been greater.
The Modern Language team is committed to increasing the promotion and development of Modern Languages across the school not only as an important curricular subject which can be enjoyed, but also as a very valuable and useful skill for future employment.
I joined PHS in 2006 and have been teaching French, Italian and Spanish from S1 to S6. Prior to becoming a teacher I worked in an International Company for sixteen years where I used my language skills on a daily basis and therefore have personal experience of the value that speaking other languages can have in today's world.
One of the keys aims of Modern Languages teaching in Curriculum for Excellence is to develop pupils' 'communicative competence' so that they are able to use and enjoy language effectively in real situations for a range of relevant purposes in work and leisure throughout their lives. In addition to the practical benefit of being able to communicate more successfully with more people, language learning brings cultural and educational advantages which are vital to our well-being.

Lord Lieutenant's Cadet 2011-12

At a recent ceremony, Capt. David Younger, the Lord Lieutenant for Tweeddale, bestowed the honour of the Lord Lieutenant's Cadet for Tweeddale on Daniel Melrose, S5.

Carolyn Futty, Business School

Grenada 2011

From the 19th of June to the 4th of July this year, 12 students and 2 members of staff attended the Med/Vet Academy at St Georges University on the island of Grenada. This trip gave our students access to academic and practical experiences they could not find anywhere else in the world.
Not only did the students get a glimpse of life at University studying Medicine and Vet Medicine, they also spent their days working and sharing recreational activities – including scuba diving - with around 80 other international students.
In the words of the students:
"This experience has allowed me an invaluable insight into what it is like to be a medical student at university and confirmed my desire of becoming a doctor."
"I met many new people from many different countries and backgrounds whilst forming friendships that will last a lifetime."
"I have improved my knowledge, my learning skills and my interpersonal skills."
"This is unquestionably the best school trip I have ever been on and I suspect it will remain one of the best trips of my life."

Paula Huddleston, Biology

"Believe in yourself and anything becomes possible."

We aim to encourage an ethos of achievement at PHS. We want to inspire our students to achieve their potential and to celebrate such achievements.
Our new 'Hall of Heroes' displays photographs and details of past and present students who have gained national honours in sport. This is a permanent display which we hope will inspire students for years to come, encouraging them to aspire to reach the level of success of the sporting 'heroes'.

Raising Money for Sick Kids

Earlier this month Rachel Callaghan and Sarah Laing(S6) walked the 22 miles from Peebles to the Sick Kids Hospital in Edinburgh. Caroline Currie and Grahame Connor (WLPS) accompanied the girls. Together they raised over £350.
Caroline Currie

Edinburgh Book Festival

A group of S2-S4 students attended excellent talks at the recent Edinburgh International Book Festival. Author (and former PHS Head Boy) Johnny O'Brien brought history to life with his time-travelling adventures; while the session by Elizabeth Laird and Jason Wallace was interesting as they spoke about young people caught up in war and political change in Africa and the Arab States. Students and authors alike thoroughly enjoyed the interactive session.

Ruth Fry, Librarian

Annual Battlefields Trip

The annual Battlefields trip at the end of June was a great success.
We enjoyed three solid days of History by visiting the various trenches, cemeteries, museums and memorials of the Great War on the Somme, at Vimy Ridge and around Ypres in Belgium. We visited Dump Cemetery at Loos for the first time, the memorial wall there features the names of over 7,000 Scottish soldiers who went missing during the Battle of Loos in 1915. Janette Conalty, English dept, provided relevant and poignant reading material which, together with the site visits, served to deepen the students' understanding of, and empathy for, the soldiers of the Great War.
On our final full day we enjoyed an excursion to the beautiful Belgian city of Bruges and students had time to wander around this "Venice of Northern Europe" and sample its delights – particularly its chips and chocolate!
All in all, a great time was had by all and we returned home the better for our experience – also a bit heavier, but that's another story!

Calendar 2011

A PHS Calendar has recently been issued via school bags. The Calendar contains essential dates such as term / holiday dates, parents' evenings and school activities / trips, as well as a host of practical information.
Calendar updates will be circulated electronically – sign up to receive these by email by clicking on the link at
www.peebleshighschool.co.uk

PHS welcomes new Staff

Eleanor Wood
English. Having stepped into my first year in the teaching profession I am delighted to be placed in such a welcoming English department. Amanda Wren and I have recently started an S1/S2 debate club at lunchtime on Mondays. I have also become involved with Peebles Netball Club which provides a lovely opportunity to work with students, and parents, outside of the school itself
Lauren Murphy
History. I am thoroughly enjoying my Peebles High school experience and have received an extremely warm welcome. I am looking forward to the coming year where I hope to get more involved with the school and many different extra-curricular activities. Hopefully I will get a chance to meet with more pupils, staff and parents along the way.

Fiona Williams
RMPS. I have had a great first few weeks getting know the lovely staff and pupils. I am still learning how to navigate around the building but I'm thoroughly impressed with all I have discovered so far. I'm looking forward to becoming a part of the team. A brief reminder that Film Club for S1 /S2 pupils is now up and running at 1pm every Friday in M30.

Gillian Geddes
Addn. Needs. I'm delighted to be at Peebles High working in the A.N dept. Prior to joining I worked at a special needs secondary school, and previously at a number of nursery/primary schools all in/around Edinburgh. My initial impressions are what a very friendly and welcoming school it is; and how helpful everyone (staff and pupils) has been. My only concern is getting lost!
Trish Timmins
Addn. Needs. After only 5 weeks at PHS I already feel part of the team. I moved here from Dumfries and Galloway, where I have taught Modern Languages and also worked as a teacher of Additional Support Needs. Most recently I worked on an educational support project for a division of Aberlour. I am really looking forward to working in support of inclusive learning here.

Sport

Rugby : Class of 2011/12

The Hockey and Rugby seasons have kicked off and the PE staff are delighted with the high numbers training during the week and playing on Saturday mornings. It has also been great to see so many parents turning up to support our teams on Saturday mornings – parental support is very much encouraged.
At home games there is a Tuck Shop selling tea, coffee and home baking – all proceeds go towards the hockey and rugby programmes.
(above) S1, S2 and U15's Rugby squads 2011/12

UK School Games: Mountain Bikers Scoop Gold!

4 PHS pupils recently took part in the mountain bike competition at the UK School Games in Sheffield.
Making up half of the South of Scotland Mountain bike team were: Isla Short (S4), Eve Hanlon-Cole (S3), Lucy Grant (S4) and Calum Magowan (S3). There were four races across three days: Dirt Crit race, Uphill mass start race, Downhill time trial and Cross-country race.
Lucy Grant and Isla Short said "The final day was a cross country race. The crowd was pretty big and we'd become quite well known by the last day for the noise we and our supporters made! We were referred to as the Tangerine Dream Team, as we had orange kit which was awesome. In the end we were cheered on by all the different regions. The whole thing made a great atmosphere, one that none of us had really experienced before!"
The South of Scotland Mountain bike team won Gold by a huge margin. Congratulations!

Health and Wellbeing Presentation Evening

On Thursday 8th September Peebles High school hosted the first ever Health and Wellbeing presentation evening. The evening celebrated the success of pupils within the health and life skills and physical education departments over the past year.
The pupils and parents were first treated to inspiring words from Mr Wilson, the new Rector, and former British Lions rugby Captain, Finlay Calder. Presentations were then made for excellence in cookery, hygiene, performance in physical education and extra curricular sport by Mr Changleng and Miss Duncan of the PE department, Head of the Health and Wellbeing faculty Kirsty Williams and former Head of PE at PHS, Jack Allan.
One of the biggest prizes was presented to last year's sixth pupil Faye Nicolson for 'Outstanding contribution to the health and wellbeing faculty'. In her time at Peebles High School, Faye represented the school in dance, netball and athletics and took her athletics to international level. She also put a huge amount of time into helping younger pupils to develop their sporting abilities.
Well done to all the prize winners and all those who made the event such a success. A particular mention going to Mrs Hunter of the PE department who put a huge amount of time into organising this evening of celebration.

Outdoor Inter-house

There's a wide range of extra-curricular sporting activities on offer. Everyone welcome – just come along to the PE department and get active.

HEATHER DICKSON S6, joins the editorial team for the PHS Newsletter during 2011-12 as student representative. Any news story you want included in future editions, contact Heather via Art Room 1

Copy deadline for the next issue of PHS News is Friday 28th October – all material to Heather Dickson (S6), Mrs Moretta, Mrs Reed or Mrs Dewar by this date please.