We have had another busy and fulfilling term with many opportunities for our pupils to demonstrate their skills and talents in classes and outwith in the wider arena. The staff have worked tirelessly to implement the new curriculum and we await the results in August of our pupils in their SQA examinations which start on 30 April 2014, more details on our website. Attainment We have introduced a new curriculum structure in Monifieth High to allow us to fully embrace and embed Curriculum for Excellence. Pupils will have increased personalisation and choice of courses at the end of S2, studying 10 subjects in S3, and selecting up to 6 of these subjects to continue as National courses in S4. There are greater course options in the middle and senior school and it is very pleasing to see the increased uptake of our vocational courses at college. This year has seen more pupils obtaining places on the courses they wish to study, which is a tremendous achievement for our timetable, Mr Morris.” In order to support our raising attainment agenda, Miss Grant, Mr MacLean and Mr Latto have been mentoring a small group in S4, offering additional support and guidance through this challenging academic year. A prefect training morning took place and was facilitated by a group from Lipscomb University, Nashville and Mr David Hamilton, (Chairperson of the Parent Council) which allowed all S5 pupils who wish to be considered as prefects next year to develop some leadership skills and confidence, which are key skills required for the role.

Mr Latto has chaired a small working party (members: Mr Tragham, Mrs Wainwright, Miss McCumiskey and Miss Wilson) who, with help from all departments, have produced our new Learners‟ Guide for the National courses. Much appreciation goes to Martin George, Pupil Council representative and Mrs Beverly Grubb, Parent Council representative for their valuable contributions and comments. I wish to give you advanced notice about a parental consultation evening for our School Improvement Plan which will take place on Thursday 8th May 2014 at 7pm. I would welcome parental input to our new plan for session 2014/2015. The main themes are: Reporting, Tutor Time, Restorative Practice, S1-S3 courses, Pupil Leadership, Higher Courses, Resilience, Study Skills and the GIRFEC agenda, so, if you would like to have an input and hear from staff what we hope to achieve, please come along. I mentioned at one of the additional parents‟ evenings for S2 course choice that we could offer the textbooks / study guides for subjects at a discounted price. It was suggested I target S3 pupils, so if any parent would like to take up this offer, I am more than willing to put out an order form. Please let me know if there is enough interest.

National Qualifications Revision in a Nutshell – subject guides for learners The National Parent Forum of Scotland has prepared a series of revision support materials for learners who are about to sit the new National 5 qualifications. The Revision in a Nutshell subject guides are designed to complement learning and revision in the classroom. The guides, which are currently being added to the NPFS website, will cover 20 of the most popular subjects. They provide links to:    

SQA Specimen Papers and marking instructions useful SQA past papers and marking instructions, with questions listed school websites with helpful course content and revision activities revision materials on BBC Bitesize, YouTube and to teacher blogs.

There is a link to the Nationals in a Nutshell on our website. Health We have had a series of Health Drop-Ins organised by Mrs Perry and School Health Nurses during lunchtimes every Thursday. Each week we focus on a different topic such as alcohol awareness, drugs awareness, healthy eating, eating disorders, sexual health, cancer awareness and self-esteem. There are information boards, resources and activities relating to the topic that week and pupils can discuss any questions/queries they may have. Pupils can be referred to the School Health Nurses via their Pupil Care & Support Teacher or can self-refer by completing the short referral form and placing it in the box in the PC&S base. There will also be an Online Safety Evening on Thursday 15th May at 7.00pm which will be in conjunction with our associated primaries about keeping your child safe on the internet. We had a super turn out for the Sports Relief event held on Sunday 23rd March 2014, in conjunction with Sainsbury‟s supermarket and Angus Council Sports‟ Coordinators. Many of our families joined in the competition and fun to raise money for this worthy cause. Mr Cunningham has enlisted support from parents in developing a new PE protocol. We must thank Mr Caithness in particular for his comments and advice. Our Senior Boys Football team won through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Football Association Cup in Alloa last Friday. They were unfortunately beaten by Springburn Academy, but we were immensely proud of them as they have been the only Angus school to achieve this position. Our S2 have also made us very proud by winning the National Giant Heptathlon. It really is a tremendous achievement and we look to watch this team go from strength to strength.

Community We had a group of pupil volunteers helping the Rotary Club of Monifieth and Eco Force replace infected Ash trees with new saplings on Sunday 23 rd March, 2014. The Rotarians were very pleased to have the enthusiasm and energy of the pupils as

over 200 trees were planted that day. The pupils also ably assisted in finishing off the BBQ food that was provided for all the volunteers. It was a lovely community event and we hope it is the first of many such ventures. The Fairtrade Team at Monifieth High School have been working hard to raise money for Fairtrade not only throughout Fairtrade Fortnight but throughout the year too. Fairtrade Fortnight started on the 24th February and ended on the 9th March, it is a great opportunity to raise lots of money for Fairtrade. This year, a man named Foncho, who is part of a Fairtrade certified co-operative called Coobafrio, is headlining the campaign for fair trade in order to try to make bananas fair priced for the banana farmers like himself. The Fairtrade Team, which consists of pupils from across the school, supported by staff members Miss Kelly and Mr Gall, held assemblies for the pupils of Monifieth High where they talked about what Fairtrade is and what Monifieth High have done in the past to support the campaign, and about what the school will continue to do to support Fairtrade. They also talked about Foncho and encouraged pupils to buy Fairtrade products. Stalls were set up at break time selling chocolate and other sweet treats. The stall is usually only available to staff on Friday break times but the stall was set up as a special treat for pupils during Fairtrade Fortnight. The stall raised over £100 and all the money is going to Fairtrade. As well as stalls there have also been form time activities for S1-S3 pupils, quizzes and a competition to create a poster in which the pupils had to decorate bananas and include key issues about Fairtrade. A group of senior pupils (Mya Bollan, Natalie Cavellini, Rebecca Creamer, Thomas Doig, Rachel George, Annie Hosie, Dayna Irvine, Louise King, Rebekah Robertson, Sarah Spence and Kaja Vesely) are going off to India with Miss Smith and Ms Grundy on 18th June 2014 to support our link project in Tamil Nadu. There has been frantic fund raising as all the pupils have to fund the trip themselves. The pupils were the „horses‟ (well for one race anyway) in our very well attended Race Night at the Ballumbie Golf Course. It was a fun filled night and we have to thank staff, parents and supporters for attending the event and for donating fantastic raffle prizes.

Commonwealth Baton Holder Fantastic news – Bruce Philip is going to be a batonbearer! I am delighted to advise that Bruce is going to be a batonbearer representing Monifieth High School in Angus on the Queen‟s Baton Relay (QBR) for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. He will have the honour of carrying the Queen‟s Baton as it travels the length and breadth of Scotland on the way to its final destination at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. By the time it arrives in Scotland, the baton will have been on an epic 248 day journey around all the nations and territories of the Commonwealth. The pupils of Monifieth High were well represented when the Angus Schools Senior Concert took place at St Andrew‟s Church, Arbroath, on Wednesday 26th March 2014. The church

was packed full with invited guests, parents and members of the community. It was a very full programme and showcased the immense talent we have in the schools in Angus. Mrs McGalliard, Teacher of ASN is retiring at Easter after 18 years and 10 months working at Monifieth High School. The school wishes her all the very best for a long and happy retirement, which she is taking early to assist looking after her new grandchild.

ATTAINMENT On the 19th of November, S6 pupils from Monifieth High School joined with other Advanced Higher English pupils from across Angus to meet and speak to author Fiona Thackeray. The pupils were given the chance to ask questions about creative writing and get tips from the novelist. Fiona Thackeray has won many awards for her writing and has travelled to Poland to be a guest of the Mayor at an International Book Festival. The S6 pupils were then given the chance to discuss their creative essay ideas with each other and talk about what they had learned after being given the chance to meet such an accomplished writer. All Monifieth High pupils involved found the opportunity extremely worthwhile in helping them to complete their Advanced Higher English coursework. Over the February long weekend, a group of S4 German and History pupils took part in an exciting and highly enjoyable excursion to Berlin, accompanied by Modern Languages teachers Miss Low and Mr Julien. For the seventh time, the group followed tightly packed schedule during their trip. After an early departure from Monifieth and a short flight to Berlin, the group arrived in the city in the early afternoon. The hotel, which was cosy and comfortable, was situated just off the Ku‟damm, Berlin‟s vibrant main shopping street, which is central to all of Berlin‟s many attractions. The first activity on the busy schedule was an orientation walk of the local area including a visit to the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche where the group saw an exhibition of the bombing in Berlin during WW2. After that, the enthusiastic group went over to Gesundbrunnen Station to take part in a tour of a WWII air raid shelter and nuclear bunker at Unterwelten, situated in the hidden tunnels and unused storerooms around a railway station. This tour gave the pupils an insight into the lives of normal Berlin citizens during the war and taught them what the conditions would have been like during the bombing raids. Here, they met with tour guide Nick Jackson, who remained with the group for most of their time in Berlin. That evening the group then enjoyed their first meal of the trip at the atmospheric 12 Apostel Restaurant, situated in the railways caverns very close to German President Angela Merkel‟s apartment. The second day began with an excellent walking tour of Berlin led by guide Nick Jackson, during which the pupils heard about and saw the main highlights and historical sites of Berlin, including the Brandenburg Gate, the remaining sections of the former Berlin Wall, the Reichstag, the Luftwaffe Headquarters, the Holocaust Memorial, the site of Hitler‟s bunker, Gendarmenmarkt, Checkpoint Charlie, Humboldt University and Bebelplatz, the site of the 1933 National

Socialist Book Burnings, many museums and Berlin Cathedral. The group also visited Fassbender und Rausch, Berlins most well-known chocolatier, famous for scale models in chocolate of historic monuments. Many photos were taken of the chocolate Brandenburg Gate, TV tower, Reichstag, Gedächtniskirche and the Titanic. The smell in the shop was mouth-watering and many purchases were made. The tour guide held the attention of the whole group for the duration of the tour with his enthusiastic and energetic approach and his undoubted excellent knowledge of the city and its colourful history. After lunch and some free time to explore Berlin‟s main shopping street – the Ku‟Damm, the group visited the Reichstag. This is Germany‟s Parliament building, which is the most visited parliament in the world. The pupils had a guided tour in English, through which they learned about the history of the building and those who worked there, and then they visited the debating chamber where they were given a quick introduction to German politics. Following this, the group climbed up to Sir Norman Foster‟s Dome, which is a very eye-catching and modern structure, to get some excellent evening views of the whole city. The group then went to Hackischer Markt for dinner at Barist. The third day began by meeting tour guide Nick Jackson again for what proved to another interesting day, with a visit to a Nazi Concentration Camp. The group travelled by train to the small town of Oranienberg, situated just to north of Berlin, which is the home of the Nazi model and training Concentration Camp, Sachsenhausen. The camp and memorials were particularly eerie and atmospheric in the dull, cold and damp February weather. Pupils were given a guided tour of the site and visited many exhibitions and memorials such as small museums, Jewish camp, barracks, the camp prison and kitchens. The group then went to “Station Z”, the site of the mass murders and location of the gas chambers and execution trenches in addition to the remains of the furnaces where the bodies were burned and the location of the mass graves where 8 tonnes of human ash was dumped. Then the pupils were given a further insight to the atrocities which took place at Sachsenhausen by visiting the pathology labs and the hospital where experiments were carried out on camp prisoners, such as testing burn creams, testing the effects of infectious diseases and the effects of high pressure on the body before being shown the massive body cellar where the victims of the Holocaust were stored before being transferred to the furnaces. Punctuated by various anecdotes and personal accounts of the camp, this visit proved to be a harrowing experience for all involved and brought some of the information that the pupils had learned in school and throughout the course of the visit to Berlin into perspective. In the afternoon, during some free time, a small group of young historians visited the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, which houses a large exhibition of personal accounts of the holocaust. Here they found out more about the scale of the atrocities, looked at photographs and read letters from holocaust victims to their families telling of their suffering and impending death. The stories of children and young people of a similar age to them were most harrowing. Dinner on Saturday took place at a traditional German Gaststube, where pupils tried and enjoyed traditional food such as Schnitzel, Sauerkraut, various German sausages, frikasse and various other delicacies. Despite the cuisine being different to the standard Scottish fare, the pupils ate heartily and enjoyed their meal. A relaxing evening at the bowling led to Daniel Barclay being crowned Berlin Bowler of the year with his high speed and high quality bowling. The final morning was spent visiting the East Side Gallery, which is the longest remaining section of the Berlin wall (1.3 kilometres), which contains approximately 106 different paintings depicting freedom, before collecting suitcases and returning to the airport for the journey back to Monifieth. Overall, the trip was again a huge success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all involved. The pupils remained enthusiastic and good humoured throughout, and were excellent representatives for Monifieth High school. This was a very worthwhile trip and the pupils gained a valuable

insight into the history, language and culture of the country and many have vowed to return in the future. On Tuesday 14th January, pupils from Monifieth High School had the opportunity to attend a talk by an OPITO representative about apprenticeships in the Oil and Gas Industry. The talk was attended by pupils from S4-S6 who heard information about the recruitment process for apprenticeships and the entry requirements needed to become involved with OPITO. OPITO is a company which aims to service the needs of the oil and gas industry and deliver initiatives and activities which ensure a competent and safe workforce supply for the industry both now and in the future. The OPITO representative came from Aberdeen, where one of the company‟s two UK offices is located. The aim of this talk was to inform pupils about the benefits of working in such a thriving industry and to inspire school leavers by raising awareness of the breadth of exciting career opportunities in the sector. The pupils who attended found the talk very informative and useful for helping them to understand apprenticeships in these industries and consider whether they would like to do these jobs in the future. As part of the Geography course at Monifieth High School, all S2 pupils had the opportunity to visit Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, supported by their Geography teachers. These visits were split over two days; unfortunately, due to bad weather the first of these visits had to be rescheduled until January this year. During S2, pupils study earth forces, such as volcanoes and earthquakes, along with different world regions such as deserts, the rainforest and the Polar Regions; therefore, this visit was particularly well suited to supporting their learning. On arrival at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, the pupils were welcomed and were invited to watch an educational film in the show dome, which was then followed by a tour of the exhibition. This tour took them on a geographical journey from the big bang right through to today. The groups passed through different geographical zones such as the rainforest, Polar Regions and the hot desert. The pupils had the opportunity to enhance their learning by trying out some of the new interactive activities and watching a huge variety of audio-visual presentations. Overall the students that took part thoroughly enjoyed the experience and many indicated that they would be keen to visit the venue again with family and/or friends.

On Monday 24th February, a small group of pupils from Monifieth High School took part in a training day with the Royal Marines Band, which is an annual event to raise awareness of the opportunities on offer to young musicians. The three young musicians from Monifieth High School travelled to Montrose where they took part in workshops and training sessions with the musicians from the Royal Marines Band, giving them the opportunity to play alongside professionals and learn new skills and techniques. In addition to the workshops, where many questions were asked, the musical trio took part in two concerts with the band, playing a variety of different styles of music. This experience was enjoyed by all three musicians and it showed them just how much can be achieved by dedication and

practice. All three players would be very happy to attend the workshops again in the future to help develop their own performance skills, and would recommend the experience to other young musicians. On Wednesday the 5th of March, Ruth Ansell, a researcher for the Scottish Textiles Skills Partnership (STSP) visited Monifieth High School. During her visit she spoke to a group of second year pupils in order to gain an insight into what children of that age know about the Textile industry. The aim of her project and the STSP is to raise awareness to the career possibilities available in this industry as often so few are discussed. It was a very interesting session as I, as a sixth year hoping to go into the textile industry, discovered career paths I knew little about. Ruth‟s visit was very informative and the pupils that attended the session found it very useful.

On Thursday 13th March, the Monifieth High School Woodwind Quartet took part in the Secondary Schools‟ Ensemble Class at Arbroath Music Festival. Under the instruction of successful woodwind teacher Mrs Susie Will, the four talented musicians performed Turkish March by Beethoven and Larghetto by Mozart to a panel of adjudicators. The players were very successful with both of their pieces, scoring 84 and 85 points respectively, and winning their class overall. The musicians enjoy all opportunities to develop their abilities and repertoire and to perform to the public, so the experience was very beneficial for all involved.

COMMUNITY In December, S1 and S2 pupils from Monifieth High School, along with Staff, took part in the Angus Toy Appeal to ensure that young people less fortunate than themselves were not forgotten at Christmas. Organised by PC&S teacher Mrs Perry, the group set to work advertising the appeal in junior form classes and to the staff. Their efforts paid off and 4 large boxes of gift were collected from the school to be distributed to children in Angus in preparation for Christmas.

Last week, Mr Alan Swankie from Angus Training Group LTD visited Monifieth High School to deliver a presentation on modern apprenticeships in Angus for senior pupils. Angus Training Group was established in 1966 to support the needs of employers by delivering high quality, hands on training for young people in Angus. The group focus on training in the engineering sector, covering a range of skills including mechanical and electrical engineering, welding and production engineering. During the presentation, the young people heard about the experiences of others who had been through the programme and the progress and developments they had made, as well as about the opportunities that are available in the Angus area starting in August 2014. The application and selection process was discussed and many pupils left with applications for the programme. This interesting and highly informative presentation was enjoyed by all who attended.

The Arbroath Music Festival is an excellent opportunity for young musicians to show off their talent and perform competitively in the local area. This year, many pupils from Monifieth High School have been involved in the Festival across a range of different classes. Monifieth High School‟s two choirs both took part in the Senior Choir class. Sing Out, a group of 24 keen singers from S1-S6 sang „Skyscraper‟ and „Mirrors‟ under the direction of Mrs Ruth Longden. The Boys‟ Vocal Group consisting of 10 members sang „Let me Go‟ and „Lego House‟, instructed by Mr Stuart Brand. In this section, the Boys‟ Vocal Group took second place and Sing Out took third overall. Many instrumental soloists also competed during the week-long festival. S2 pupil Tyler Reid took part in two percussion classes, scoring 85 points in the Elementary Snare Drum class and 82 points in the Elementary Drum Kit class. Caleb Owen and Callum McGrath both competed in the solo guitar class and were asked to perform „Gallop‟ as their test piece. Caleb won first place in this class with 86 points and Callum scored 82 points. The brass classes took place on the afternoon of Friday 14th March. S4 trombone player Hannah Grubb took part in the advanced brass class, scoring 84 points. Andrew Lannon competed in the intermediate brass class on tuba, scoring 84 points. These many successes are due to the hard work and dedication of not only the young people, but also the teachers who work with the pupils to bring them up to the required standards to compete in such competitions. Well done to all involved. Monifieth High School Art and Design Department are delighted to have had the opportunity this month to welcome a talented young artist to the department. Leah Robb visited the school on Monday 3rd February to give an illustrated lecture about her latest portrait painting before it forms part of an exhibition for one of Denmark's greatest living artists. Leah Robb was educated at Perth Academy and then studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. She has travelled widely and worked on various commissions in the past 14 years. Her visit on Monday the 3rd of February with

her painting saw her give two lectures to our current S3 rota of 160 pupils, as part our 'Perspective on careers' unit. This is a new initiative that looks to invite artists and designers to visit the school and give talks on their careers and work to the young people and open their eyes to opportunities for their futures. The S3 had just finished their portrait projects and they found it useful to be able to speak to a practicing artist about her portrait work and career. The Fairtrade Team at Monifieth High School have been working hard to raise money for Fairtrade not only throughout Fairtrade Fortnight but throughout the year too. Fairtrade Fortnight started on the 24th February and ended on the 9th March, it is a great opportunity to raise lots of money for Fairtrade. This year, a man named Foncho, who is part of a Fairtrade certified co-operative called Coobafrio, is headlining the campaign for fair trade in order to try to make bananas fair priced for the banana farmers like himself. The Fairtrade Team, which consists of pupils from across the school, supported by staff members Miss Kelly and Mr Gall, held assemblies for the pupils of Monifieth High where they talked about what Fairtrade is and what Monifieth High have done in the past to support the campaign, and about what the school will continue to do to support Fairtrade. They also talked about Foncho and encouraged pupils to buy Fairtrade products. Stalls were set up at break time selling chocolate and other sweet treats. The stall is usually only available to staff on Friday break times but the stall was set up as a special treat for pupils during Fairtrade Fortnight. The stall raised over £100 and all the money is going to Fairtrade. As well as stalls there have also been form time activities for S1-S3 pupils, quizzes and a competition to create a poster in which the pupils had to decorate bananas and include key issues about Fairtrade. The S5 India Team, who are going to do voluntary work in Tamil Nadu in summer 2014, are doing very well in raising the money for going to India in June, although they have a considerable amount of money still to raise. So far the current total raised is £1,500, which was achieved by hosting events such as a car wash, quiz nights and selling cupcakes every Friday at break. Individuals are also participating in fundraising by hosting their own events and getting many people to attend. The young people have written to local business and already got positive feedback and support. In the next four months they plan to host more events and raise even more money, such as a carwash on Tuesday 18th February, a ceilidh on the 25th February, a Race Day in David Lloyds on the 25th February, selling cakes at S2 and S3 Parents Evenings and a Coffee Morning on the 25th March. The India Team is preparing for the trip by being trained in a paper-making (to help children build a sustainable business), English and construction (bricks). The team are working very hard to achieve their goals, but would gladly welcome any raffle prizes, sponsorship or support from their local community and will have updates of their progress and upcoming fundraising events. If you can help in any way with the fundraising effort, please contact Ms Grundy or Miss Smith at Monifieth High School on 01382 536700.

Pupils in S2 at Monifieth High School are currently taking part in the living spaces interdisciplinary project, which has taken on a new and exciting dimension. Following the new style launch in January that saw invited professionals present all aspects of eco house design to the S2 year group, a small number of pupils and staff were invited by Ged Young, who is a partner of AIM design in Dundee to visit Dundee‟s newest eco project. The visit by representatives from each S2 team in the project took place on Tuesday 11th of February. They visited „District Ten‟ located in Dundee, which are eco designed office buildings, created from shipping containers to provide low cost accommodation for the creative media industry of Dundee. Each representative reported back to their group in school as part of the creative process for the project. The project asks pupils to design an eco-home for a site in the school grounds. The grand final of the Living Spaces event will take place in school on March the 26 th. Last Tuesday, the leaders of Monifieth High School‟s Senior Charities Team were invited to the Maggie‟s Centre Dundee for information and tour given by Claire Heaton. The school have raised money for the Centre previously and the team are currently raising funds by selling Valentine‟s Day sweets and carnations to pupils and teachers. The team were told that there are over 10,000 people in Dundee and the surrounding areas living with cancer today. In a warm and friendly environment, the Maggie‟s centre offers people suffering from cancer, along with their family and friends, the opportunity to come in and find practical, emotional and social support. The team also discovered that Maggie‟s offers more to its visitors than just a cup of tea and a chat – they also have support groups and workshops from eat-well ones to make-up tutorials for people of all ages too! The team were surprised by the environment they were in – „I didn‟t expect it to feel so homely, it‟s not clinical at all – there are no signs reminding you of where you are so you forget that you are in the grounds of a hospital. If I ever needed support, I would feel very comfortable in coming here.‟ It costs £590,000 per year to keep the Maggie‟s Centre open - the school hopes to raise over £100 for the well deserving cause which could fund three people visiting Maggie‟s for all the support they need, two hours of support from a psychologist at the Centre or a nutrition workshop for up to 10 people.

Pupils and staff from Monifieth High School have been involved in the Monifieth Befriending Scheme, which provides friendship for isolated older people, and people of any age who have suffered bereavements who live in the Monifieth area. The project aims to provide one to one time to the more socially isolated members of the community by training and providing volunteers to give up their time to work with the scheme. The Resource Base in Monifieth High School held a coffee morning to raise funds for this worthwhile scheme and raised £450 for the Befriending Scheme in Monifieth. In addition to this, senior pupils Alexis Campbell and Ashleigh Begg have been trained as befrienders through the scheme and are now ready to work with members of the community. Well done to all involved.

A team of 13 students from Lipscomb University in Nashville came to work with pupils at Monifieth High School from Friday 14th March until Friday 21st March. This is an annual event which has been made possible by the partnership between Lipscomb University and Monifieth High School and is organised by teacher Miss Leanne Wilson. The first activity that took place was an S5 Leadership Conference on Saturday 15th March involving pupils from both Monifieth High School and Grove Academy, who are also involved in the partnership project. This event was very successful for all involved, and also functioned as a good introductory activity for the American group, as many of them had not visited Scotland before. A prefect training morning also took place and was facilitated by the group from Lipscomb University, which allowed all S5 pupils who wish to be considered as prefects next year to develop some leadership skills and confidence, which are key skills required for the role. In addition to working with senior pupils, the group also held a variety of workshops and activities for other year groups in the school. All S2 pupils took part in an identity workshop where they looked at differences between Scottish culture and American culture, how we each see ourselves and identify what makes us how we are. For the S3‟s they acted out some scenes from the play “Macbeth” in which they demonstrated how one leader made some bad decisions which led to serious consequences, and they also talked about what would have happened at certain points in the play if different decisions had been made. Through this activity, the pupils learned the qualities of what it takes to be a good leader. A Costa Night was held where the pupils could go and have a chat with the Team from America and get to know each other and share thoughts and ideas. A ceilidh took place on the final evening of the visit where the young American visitors had the opportunity to learn some traditional Scottish dancing and taste stovies, which was enjoyed by all involved. Overall, the event was very successful and the pupils have enjoyed working alongside their American partners. Monifieth High School looks forward to welcoming the students of Lipscomb University again in the future. On the 13th March, 4 actors who were all previous students of Dundee and Angus College came to Monifieth High to perform to S3 pupils. The aim of the drama was to raise some of the main health issues concerning young people, e.g. mental well-being and sexual health as well as working to inform pupils about services that can help and support them. The drama also gave the pupils an opportunity to meet local health workers who deliver the services discussed in the drama. Another aim of the event was to find out about the fears and anxieties associated with using the services, e.g. confidentiality, embarrassment, anonymity. Also, pupils were asked to consider the way in which boys face their health issues and the difficulties they face in speaking about personal matters. The drama took place in two distinct parts, and also included a workshop and discussion session. The drama is part of an annual tour organised by Health Promotion. It is a forum for raising health issues, finding out the thoughts and fears of young people and is an opportunity to show the different services available in the local area. The tour will go through Angus, Dundee, Perth and Kinross schools. It was enjoyed by all involved.

On Tuesday 25th February, all senior pupils were invited to attend a post-prelim Ceilidh in the Panmure Hotel in Monifieth. This event was organised by the pupils and staff who are taking part in the 2014 visit to India, supported by Depute Head teacher Miss Smith and teacher Miss Grundy. The music was provided by Abertay University Traditional Music and Piping Society. The group did an excellent job in keeping the young people on their toes and in time to the music, and made sure the event was a lot of fun. The funds raised through the ceilidh will be used to support the work team will be doing when they are in India. The event was very successful and was enjoyed by all involved. HEALTH S4 Monifieth High School pupil Andrea Goodman has given her running shoes a very good workout over the past few weeks. On the 5th and 6th February, sprinter Andrea took part in the Scottish Schools Athletics Association Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, which proved to be a huge success for the young sprinter. Andrea, who trains diligently 5 times a week with Dundee Hawkhill Harriers under the instruction of Dave Combe, came second overall in the 60 meter sprint with a time of 7.89 seconds, which was a new personal best. She also won all her heats to allow her to get to the final stages of the competition. During the same event, Andrea also achieved 2nd place overall in the 200 meter sprint, with a time of 26 seconds, again winning all her heats to achieve her place in the final. After her success at the Scottish Schools Championships, Andrea then went on to compete in the National U18 and U20 Indoor Track and Field Championships, which again took place at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on the 15th February. Here she again excelled herself in achieving second place overall in the Under 18 200 meter sprint, again setting a new personal best of 25.58 seconds, which ranks her a very impressive third place overall in Scotland. She also took part in the National final of the 60 meter sprint after having won all her heats, finishing with a time of 8.07 seconds. These are fantastic achievements for the fifteen year old and despite having only been training for 10 months, she has worked hard, set high standards and goals and this effort and determination has paid off with great success. Well done and good luck for future competitions! As is customary every Burns Day, one of Monifieth High School‟s senior pipers Keiran Kettles received the honour of piping in the haggis at the Burns Day Lunch this year. This year he was accompanied by award winning dancer, Isla Mitchelson. Followed the head of Expressive Arts, Mr Latto, and highland dancer, Isla, Keiran piped his way through the lower social area and dining area of the school and up towards the canteen. Isla then took to the floor to perform a highland fling, accompanied by Keiran on the pipes. The haggis was then ceremonially cut open and presented to the dinner ladies for serving. The canteen staff served a traditional dish of haggis, neeps and tatties to pupils and staff eating in the canteen, along with the usual menu being on offer for those who do not have a taste for haggis.

On Saturday 9th March, S1 Monifieth High School pupil Jack Smith travelled to Ayr to take part in a Scottish Karate Alliance Scottish National competition. Jack, who has being doing karate for 6 years, is a member of the Saltire Karate Club in Muirhead and trains three times a week with sensei, Kevin Scott. Jack‟s talents in karate were very evident in Ayr as he won the Gold Medal in fighting in the 11-12 years category, making him a Scottish Champion. Jack then went on to also take Silver medals in Team fighting, age 11-14 and in the Neon event. These results leave him ranked very highly in Scotland for his age. Jack is very proud of his achievements and at the young age of 12, he has already represented Scotland 3 times in both European competitions in Hungary and Sheffield, and in the World Championships in Serbia. Well done Jack! On the 13th and 14th of January Monifieth High School had a visit from ZooLab, a company that delivers animal handling workshops for children all across the UK. This visit took place in the Home Economics department and the workshop, entitled “The JunkFood Roadshow” was for all S2 pupils. The theme was healthy eating and the workshop was designed to reinforce dietary targets and show the pupils easy ways of achieving them. The leaders of the workshop investigated the ingredients of common unhealthy foods such as beef burgers to show the pupils the sometimes unappetising things that go into their food. Then they demonstrated how easy it is to create tasty fast food that would count towards their daily dietary targets. The pupils all had the opportunity to test the food at the end of the workshop. The pupils all found the workshop very interesting and worthwhile and they learned a lot about how to get the most nutrition from their food whilst not missing out on their favourite meals. Monifieth High School‟s newly formed netball team has been successful in gaining a place in the quarter finals of the Scottish Schools Netball Cup. The qualifier took place on 22nd January and the S1 girls‟ team from Monifieth High School took the lead in the last few minutes, finishing with a score of 19-18 against Hawick High School. Coach Miss Sturrock said that she is very impressed by the skill and determination shown by the young people and she wishes them all the best in the quarter finals. Last week, the Monifieth high school S1-3 Hockey Team competed against St Paul‟s Academy Junior Hockey Team in the Active Schools Plate Competition which took place at Dawson Park astro pitch in Dundee. The young hockey stars have been training all year with coaches Callum McDonald and Michael Craig, and the Monifieth High team performed well despite the tough competition, producing a convincing win of 5-0. As a result of their well deserved success, the team were presented with the Active Schools Plate for Hockey. Well done to all involved.

Monifieth High School were recently crowned Scottish Schools S2 Giant Heptathlon Winners at an event held at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow by Scottish Athletics. Their campaign started back in November 2013 where they won the Angus event organised by Angus Council Sports Development and Active Schools. All eight Secondary Schools competed in the event, which consisted of various disciplines including sprinting, jumping, throwing, hurdles, relays and endurance. The Angus Champions then went on to compete in the Tayside and Fife Regional Final in Pitreavie, Dunfermline where they continued their success by coming out on top against some very tough opponents from Dundee, Perth and Fife schools. The Scottish Final, which took place on 21st March was held at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. Monifieth High School, representing the Tayside and Fife Region, demonstrated fantastic speed, endurance, skill and physical ability as they stole a march on their fellow Regional winners to take the National Schools Giant Heptathlon title. The school were presented with their trophy and medals from Commonwealth Games contender, Kirsty Yates. With 139 other Secondary Schools around the country involved in the S2 Giant Heptathlon, this is a fantastic achievement! The team, who were managed by Alex Thom, PE Teacher and Lynda Sim, Club Together Athletics Officer consisted of 7 Boys and 7 Girls from S2. They have worked very hard to achieve this coveted title, with regular training from Lynda Sim. Their dedication, enthusiasm and teamwork during training helped land them the title of Scottish Champions. On Friday 14th March, Monifieth High School held their annual inter-house swimming gala. Competitors for all three houses - Dalhousie, Balmossie and Panmure competed in the annual event to see who was going to become the swimming champions for 2013/2014. This year, Panmure finished in third place, Balmossie in a very close second place and finally Dalhousie finished in 1st place after winning the relays. The swimming trophies were presented in a ceremony at the end of the event by Depute Head Teacher and PE Teacher, Miss Smith. The S1 girls‟ trophy went to Emily McLean of Dalhousie. The S1 boys‟ winner was Darren Mitchell of Panmure. The S2 girls‟ winner was Emily Harle of Dalhousie and the S2 boys‟ trophy went to Cavin Tosh of Panmure. The S3 girls‟ trophy went to Erica Mappin of Dalhousie and the S3 boys‟ winner was David Scott of Dalhousie. The senior girls‟ winner was Amy Robertson of Dalhousie and the senior boys‟ winner was Scott Mitchell of Panmure. The swimming gala was a great success for the school this year, with over 100 pupils taking part. Well done to all involved.

Last Friday, staff members and senior pupils dusted off their football boots for the annual staff and pupil football match. Again, the pressure was on for the staff to show off their fitness and skills on the pitch skills to try to win back their long lost title as champions. However, under the close attention of Referee Mr Farrell, the half time score remained 1-1. The second half of the game again proved very exciting and enjoyable, but the pupils scored in the final few minutes of the game, allowing them to retain the title of MHS Staff Vs Pupils Football Champions 2014 with a score of 2-1.

On Saturday 18th January, three junior pupils from Monifieth High School took part in the local heat of the Rotary Club Future Chef competition. After an earlier competition in school highlighted their talents, Maddie Owen, Elisabeth Appleton and Megan Bissett were selected to progress to the local heats, which took place at Dundee High School. Again, the girls all worked very hard and produced excellent menus to show off local produce, quality and presentation, and then cooked their food to a very high standard. Judging was carried out by members of the local rotary groups and chefs from local restaurants. Despite the fierce competition, Maddie Owen and Megan Bissett have been selected to cook in the Dundee Final which takes place on 25th January at Dundee College. Well done to everyone involved. Yours faithfully

Mrs McInally Head Teacher