ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY Weekly Newsletter

Ben Davis, Acting Headteacher

Grassyards RdKilmarnock KA3 7SL

01563 526144

www.saintjosephsacademy.co.ukTwitter: @StJoAcad

ISSUE 19.3

APRIL 24TH2015

FOR PARENTS, CARERS, FAMILIES & PARISHES

INSPIRE AND TRANSFORM:

NURTURING FAITH-FILLED WORLD CLASS LEARNING

Mr. Yemm, Super-Janitor In the Christmas edition of redblack we focused on character, featuring contributions from Home Rooms across the school. One Home Room described how Mr. Yemm was an inspiration for them and, as a result, our janitor received not one, but two honours from Mitie, the school’s Facilities Managers. Well done Mr. Yemm and thank you for all you do!

S2 No Knives Better Lives

This week’s S2 Enspire Day saw the year group examining the serious

issue of knife crime. The pupils watched a challenging, entertaining and

hard-hitting drama production that examined the experiences of those

affected by knife crime. They then went into discussion groups and

workshops to explore the issues in greater depth. The following day in

Home Room, S2 were challenged to discuss what they had learnt with

their fellow pupils.

S1 Enspire Day

S1 also enjoyed a challenging Enspire Day, focussing for some of it on

developing their ICT skills. All pupils logged on to GLOW and learnt

how to use its various functions, included email. In addition, they

accessed their e-profiles on Learner Journey, allowing them to record

their learning and development. Parents and carers can now view both

GLOW and Learner Journey at home allowing them to share their

childs' learning better and discuss issues such as the safe use of the

internet.

Study Leave & Study Days

The programme of study days for study leave has now been published

and accompanies this newsletter email. Pupils are expected to attend

in school for these days. We have also introduced twice-weekly

wellbeing drop-in sessions throughout the exam diet. These take place

on Mondays and Thursdays in the Oratory and are for all S4 - S6

pupils who are anxious, worried, stressed or need some breathing

space.

SQA Exams and results

Parents, carers and pupils can download a range of advice and

support from the SQA during their exams.

Revision guides: tinyurl.com/lwxh8ez

Specimen papers: http://tinyurl.com/ob4qqlu

Register to receive your results by text or email on August 4th:

tinyurl.com/klpyub2

Check the exam timetable: tinyurl.com/nyr2dko

Miss Woodward and S6 pupils

raising money with a bake sale

this week.

Advanced Higher Art Exhibition

We are delighted that Veneer Gallery in Glasgow

has kindly agreed to host an exhibition of work

by four Advanced Higher pupils. ‘Diverse Unity’

is a collection of portraits by four young artists

illustrating how they see themselves in the world

they live in.

The work explores themes of personal and

cultural identities, relationships, individual

development and existence. It demonstrates a

personal journey that each respective artist has

accomplished and in some means still living.

Declan McCluskey, Jennifer O’Rourke, Tatenda

Tapatapa and Nadia King are four young adults

from Kilmarnock all currently completing their

advanced higher art qualification. Their work

displays a fresh distinctive and emerging

selfhood. It is a bold body of work illustrating

the uniqueness of these four characters. The

exhibition opens on May 1st and runs until May

10th. Veneer Gallery, 1184 Arglye Street,

Glasgow, G3 8TE

www.veneergalleryglasgow.com

Community Planning Awards

Pictured on the right of this page are six S1 - S3

pupils who performed at the East Ayrshire

Community Planning Awards over the Easter

holidays.

Talk About It

Just before the Easter holidays we launched our

pupil-led mental health initiative, Talk About It.

This offers an online forum for pupils to

promote positive mental health and to discuss

and address their concerns and challenges. The

pupils leading the initiative are also appointing

Positive Mental Health ambassadors in each

year group and have designed an aspect of the

primary 7 transition programme.

Twitter: @SJAtalkaboutit

www.sjatalkaboutit.tumblr.com

Isla Grant (S2) is walking 420 this summer to

raise money for SAMH. You can sponsor her

here: justgiving.com/IslaGrant

WEEKLY HOME ROOM REFLECTION: Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin was an American diplomat, but also a scientist, becoming the inventor of the lightning conductor. After the War of Independence between Britain and the American colonies, Franklin was one of those who wrote the Constitution for the newly independent United States of America. He died on this day in 1790.

One day, Benjamin Franklin gave some- one a list of practical suggestions about getting along with others. This is what he wrote: “The best thing to give your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your ear; to your child, good example; to your father, reverence; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; - to all people, love.”

Let us pray: Lord, give me patience and tolerance with everyone. Lord, show me how to be kind and generous to everyone. Lord, help me to live positively and cheerfully for everyone. Amen.

PARISH MASS TIMES St. Matthew’s: 9.30 am, Fr. Chambers St. Joseph’s: 6.00 pm (vigil), 11.00 am Fr. Latham St. Francis Xavier, Patna: 5.00 pm (vigil)St. John the Evangelist: 10.45 am, Fr. McGrattan Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 9.30 am, Fr. McGhee St. Michael’s: 4.30 pm (vigil)St. Paul’s: 11.30 am, Fr. Chambers Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Patrick: 6.00 pm (vigil), Fr. McGrattanSt. Sophia’s: 6.00 pm (vigil) Fr. Chambers St. Thomas the Apostle: 9.00 am, Fr. McGrattan

IMPORTANT DATES…………………………………………………

April 24th Study Leave for S5/6 begins

April 28th SQA exams begin

May 1st Study Leave for S4 begins

May 1st Advanced Higher Art & Design

exhibition opens in Glasgow

May 4th Public holiday

May 18th Planned change of timetable

POSITIVE ASPECTS SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT

• Easy to sign in by welcoming pupils • Lovely pupils at coffee/tea bar, very welcoming • Good to see pupils welcome parents to school• warm friendly atmosphere • Lovely warm welcome and coffee from the Parent• Council • Very nice to put a face to a name and teachers knew • my child very well • Teachers knew my child well (x5) • Teachers very helpful and gave us plenty of• feedback (x2) • Teachers are very helpful and informative as always• well done and thanks • Teachers all very professional and knowledgeable• about my child, a pleasant time • Teachers all very friendly and approachable, lots of• information regarding new Curriculum for Excellence • Teachers very informative and enthusiastic, very• impressed, thank you • Good parents’ evening, all teachers very pleasant• and well informed • Well organised and flowed well, teachers were• interested, enthusiastic and prepared to discuss and• answer questions• Very well laid out, very welcoming, teachers all very• accommodating• Information well mapped out • Well organised • Well organised evening, only issue with daughter• organising times! • Good comments, running on schedule

• No need for a schedule as teachers were busy at allocated• times and others were available• Floor plan confusing, time slots mix up as one slot runs into• another• Clearer labels for teachers – having to read the table is• ridiculous• Coat stands to make it easier to spot teachers• Please cover the dotted wall behind the teachers, it is awful• and starts off my visual migraine – sheets of paper etc. will do• the job• The room was too hot!

School’s response:

Thank you for your feedback. It does not seem to be the case

that most parents and carers find that the teachers they have

booked to see are busy at the allocated time. However, this

can happen (and is unavoidable) if parents or carers are running

late. We do try to take account of this by reorganising some

appointments as the night progresses and by asking all

participants to stick to five minutes per appointment. We are

endeavouring to improve the quality of the signage in the hall at

Parents’ Evenings and are aware that it can be unclear or

confusing. There is not an easy solution to the appearance of

the walls in the hall, but as this matter has been raised several

times we will endeavour to find a solutions. We will also raise

the temperature of the hall with the facilities managers.Thanks to the Parent Council for running the refreshments

stall and gathering feedback at the evening.

S2 Parents’ Evening Feedback

Here are the comments from parents and carers as gathered by the

Parent Council. The attendance was 60%.