Taylor High School news

May 13 2009 by Jean Ward, Wishaw Press

THE SQA exam diet for students in fifth and sixth Year students starts on Friday with the English exams. All students have been issued with a personalised exam timetable and must take careful note of the dates and times of their exams.

During the exam period students are encouraged to continue to use the school for study. During each period of each day a study room will be available for students. In addition, teaching staff will be available to provide study support during the period prior to each exam.

PREPARATIONS are well in hand for students in our outgoing fourth year to undertake work experience during the period June 1 to 4.

Former Principal Teacher of Pupil Support Mary Carlin has been providing excellent support for our students as they prepare to undertake this important work-related experience. The timing of this year’s programme was agreed with the local authority to ensure that the preparations of our young people for the SQA exams was not interrupted. After the week has been completed an assessment will be undertaken regarding the effectiveness of the timing.

FOLLOWING on from the issue of First Year report cards last week the Parents’ Evening takes place tomorrow tonight (Thursday) from 7pm to 9.30pm. This is always a good opportunity for parents and guardians to meet with staff and discuss the progress of their child.

ON Monday of this week students in Fifth and Sixth Year attended the annual SQA exam Mass in school. The celebrant this year was His Lordship Bishop Devine who took time out from his busy schedule to come and say the mass for us having said a similar mass for Fourth Years two weeks ago.

At the end of Mass each student was presented with a laminated prayer card for use during the exam period.

THe annual Mass for students leaving Sixth Year will take place tomorrow (Thursday) in Carfin Grotto. This will be celebrated by our former Chaplain Father Stephen Reilly.

This is always a fitting conclusion to the school careers of our Sixth Year students. We look forward to this celebration and wish our Sixth Years well for the future.

PUPILS in Third Year are currently undertaking their exam diet. The exams are a preparation for Fourth Year and cover most subject areas.

The exams in English, Maths and French will take place in the games hall to give pupils experience of exam practice before they face their Standard Grade prelim exams in December of this year. All pupils have been issued with an exam timetable, they should make careful note of the date, times and location of exams. They should also use the timetable to help them plan their study. Following the exam diet pupils will be issued with their report cards later in the term.

PREPARATIONS are well in hand for the new timetable to begin on Monday, June 8. On this date pupils in First, Second and Third Year will commence their Second, Third and Fourth Year timetables respectively. In addition students in the current Fourth and Fifth Years will commence work in next session’s Fifth and Sixth Year respectively. Prior to this date students from Fourth Year returning into Fifth Year will undergo an induction day on Friday, June 5, on completion of their work experience.

STUDENTS returning into Fifth and Sixth Year in 2009/10 will be expected to make an appointment with their Pupil Support Teachers to choose courses of study for next session during the SQA exam period. This appointment should be arranged as soon as possible in order to ensure that the maximum range of possible choices are available at the interview.

TOMORROW (Thursday), 45 students from Third Year accompanied by .Martin McMahon, Principal Teacher of RE and Mary-Jo Burton, Acting Principal Teacher, Learning for Life, will attend a performance of the Glasgow Passion in Kelvingrove Park. The trip is a joint venture between the RE and English Departments. In the morning pupils will enjoy an outdoor performance of the passion by Cutting Edge Theatre Group. The play has been staged in conjunction with the Scripture Union in Scotland. In the afternoon pupils will visit Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum with an opportunity to attend the Doctor Who exhibition.

ON Monday of this week a group of First Year students, accompanied by Debbie Collins and Alison Kearns from the English Department, visited the new state-of-the-art BBC Television Centre in Glasgow. The students were those who took part in the highly successful World News Day when they were involved in writing and recording the news and then presenting it live on the BBC. The films made on World News Day are available to view on our school website at www.taylor.n-lanark.sch.uk. The trip was arranged by BBC Scotland presenter Gary Robertson who mentored the project and visited the school on several occasions to work with our young people. The trip allowed pupils to see how the news is made and gain some understanding into the fast paced action in the newsroom.

THE girls’ football team which comprises girls from First to Third Year recently attended a festival of football at Braidhurst High School. The girls, who have been training under the guidance of an SFA coach, were drawn against Dalziel High School with the game finishing 5-5. Hayley Miller of S3, who is also the striker for East Kilbride Girls Under-15 team, scored four goals with the other coming from Michaela Donovan in S2.

Following the final whistle the game went to extra-time, however the stalemate continued.

The girls then faced a nail biting penalty shoot out with Taylor winning through in sudden death. The girls will now progress on to the North Lanarkshire Finals.

THE First Year Parents’ Meeting is on Thursday, May 14, from 7 to 9.30pm. the Bank Holiday weekend is from Friday, May 22 to Monday, May 25.

Students taking SQA exams on these dates should report to the school as normal at the times specified by the school.