Rector's Newsletter - February 2010

I must begin by thanking everybody involved in Dollar Academy life for the enormous efforts made during the recent wretched spell of wintry weather.  As was stressed in assemblies and on the website, Dollar Academy aims to remain open at all times, and even in the worst weather, classes will continue.  I am aware of the extraordinary level of care taken by parents in delivering children to bus stops or indeed to the school during a time of high risk.  Significantly, during the worst spell, in the opening three days of term, there were no casualties reported to the medical centre – a tribute to the sound common-sense of all pupils and staff.  I must particularly thank the grounds staff, the janitors and the cleaners whose work has been most demanding in the past fortnight. 

Second term has its focus on examinations for senior pupils, and we are very grateful to a number of universities, and in particular the University of Strathclyde, for the support offered to pupils in their Advanced Higher projects.  The prelim schedule is available;  any issues relating to examinations should in the first instance be referred to the relevant heads of department.  The term also provides opportunities for wider involvement – the Ford Castle experience for the Junior School, various external visits by the Prep School, plays, concerts and other musical performances which bring so much unity to the Academy.   I thank all my colleagues who are involved in making these complex arrangements.

Over the winter break, I found myself exploring statistics relating to examination performance in Scottish schools.  For the past two years, Dollar Academy has topped the list in terms of Highers gained by the end of Form VI:  for the past two years, over 94% of our leavers have gained five or more passes at Higher.  The average in Scotland as a whole is 20%.   In the past three years, the percentage of leavers with one or more Advanced Highers puts Dollar in the top three in Scotland.  Such figures do not, sadly, gain prominence in the UK press – but moves are afoot to publicise this consistent strength.  Above all, parents sending their sons and daughters to the Academy can be assured that in the midst of an excellent all-round education, Dollar’s pupils also gain spectacular academic results - consistently. 

I wish everyone a most successful term.

Kindest regards,

PUPILS

Badminton
The Junior and Intermediate squads have won a number of trophies in the recent Central School Badminton Championships.  In the Junior Championships, Kathryn Gillespie (II) won the Girls Singles, and along with Emma Buchanan (II) won the Girls Doubles.  With Michael Welsh (I), Kathryn won the Mixed Doubles title in addition.   At Intermediate level, Gayle Watson and Matthew Abbot (both IV) won the Mixed Doubles competition, and Gayle was runner-up in the Singles.

CCF
Kerr Wishart (VI) has been selected for the International Air Cadet Exchange, and he will thus spend five weeks in the USA this summer.  He is one of the eight in the UK who has been nominated for the John Thompson Memorial Sword which is presented to the most outstanding member of the Air Cadet organisation in the whole of the UK. 

In the Annual Drill Competition, Dollar’s RAF section won with the training sergeant describing the display as “near flawless”.  All the cadets are to be congratulated on their hard work and their extra training during the cold spell in first term, and this resulted in Dollar winning the competition (the ScotNine) for the first time.  The team was as follows:  Kerr Wishart, Calum Brookes, Jamie Ritchie, Lucy Bowler (all VI), Blair Dick, Rosalyn Hawkins, Abigail Field (all V), Michael Clark, Jamie Wyse, Max Koronka, Robert King and Murray Cheshire (all IV) and Callum Macfarlane and Lyndsey Mackay (both III).  

Doodle4Google
Karolina Brzozowska (V) and Ella Hammond (J2) met with outstanding success in the worldwide competition.  Out of over 50,000 doodles created, both girls were declared regional winners and placed in the top 52 overall.  Karolina’s design was based on the theme of My Hero, and incorporated many faces and images.  Ella, in her own age group, created a doodle based on her hero, Rebecca Adlington, the swimmer.  The brightly coloured designs can be found on the Dollar website.

Highland Dancing
Danielle Barrett (V) took part in a performance with the Jenkins School of Highland Dancing in Lucca, Tuscany, during the Christmas break.  They performed at the Il Desco event, a highlight of the Christmas season within Lucca’s city walls.

Mathematics
Margot Bortels (I) and Bethan Scott (II) won the department’s poster competition with inspired designs on the subject of mathematical patterns. 

Photography Competition
The Classics Department annual trip to Hadrian’s Wall provides the opportunity for a photography competition.  This year, Ronan Allum won the competition with Callum Munn and Heather Downie in second and third places respectively.  Mr Hall indicated that the standard produced by this year’s Form I was the highest it had ever been. 

Piping
In the Annual Scottish Schools CCF Piobaireachd Competition, held this year at Fettes College, Lucy Ferguson (I) was awarded the Ceol Mor Trophy and was singled out by the judges for her outstanding performance. 

Swimming
Aisla Gordon (J2) goes through to the Scottish Schools Swimming Finals after a very strong all-round performance in the Cumbernauld Winter Meet in mid December.  In this she came first in the 100m Front Crawl, fourth in the 50m and third in the 100m Butterfly.

NEWS

The Politics Society was delighted to welcome Mr Adrian Green, Economic and Special Adviser to the Government, who spoke of his involvement in Iraq and the Middle East.  Adrian Green, the father of Finlay  (VI) and Alexander (IV), offered a remarkable number of insights into his area of expertise, and the large audience appreciated his visit.

STAFF

Mrs Pam Ferguson (Biology) has left us to join her husband who has taken up a professorship in the University of Grenada.  Mrs Ferguson’s contribution both at local and national level, particularly in the world of Junior Science, has been greatly appreciated.  Mr Morton, Mrs Jarvis and Dr Eoin McIntyre will be providing the expert support for her classes here. 

Mr John Foster (Director of Sport) has been absent, ill, since the beginning of term.  Mrs Irene Mason (Classics) will be absent for the next six weeks;  her classes will be covered by Mrs Heather Lumsden.

Miss Sadia Hussain (Biology) was married on Christmas Eve in Pakistan to Bilal Shakir. 

We welcomed two new gap students to McNabb & Tait House at the beginning of term - Sam Akon, from Australia and Daniel Ellingham from New Zealand.

FROM  THE  BURSAR

The Governors have directed that fees for all pupils joining Dollar Academy from the beginning of session 2010-2011 should be collected by direct debit.  If you already have a son or daughter attending the Academy, then existing payment arrangements can be continued for that pupil, but any additional family members enrolling from next session onwards will be required to follow the direct debit scheme.  Over 75% of fees are currently paid by direct debit. 

CHARITIES 

At the end of first term, the continuing great work of this year’s Charities Committee was reflected throughout the Academy.  Over £1,200 was raised during the final lunchtime, as a result of a highly professional series of performances in the Xmas Factor.  The proceeds went to the Bobby Moore Fund for Bowel Cancer Awareness.  £300 is being donated through the Charities Committee (by the photographer, David Ho) to the Haiti Disasters Emergency Committee - £1 from every photograph bought at the Christmas dances.

Sarah Crowe (VI), a Cameron Trust scholar, continued her fundraising efforts which will support her teaching involvement in Ghana.  On the final night of term, she put on a concert with a number of her peers, and raised almost £1,200.  At such a busy time of year, it was marvellous to see so many turning out to support her initiative and organisation, and the Chairman of Governors, Mr John Cameron, was there to witness her determination and musicality. 

The Form I and II Disco on 21 January, with a Pirates of the Caribbean theme, raised £250 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. 

FORMER  PUPILS

Jamie Mackinnon (FP 2002) is to be congratulated on passing out as an Officer from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

Richard Carr (FP 2000) has graduated with an MA in Industrial Design from Loughborough University. 

The sad news of the death of Bill McLaren, the legendary rugby commentator, was particularly strongly felt throughout the Dollar Academy community.  Four of his grandchildren, Gregor, Rory and Lindsay Lawson and James Thompson attended Dollar and each made huge contributions to the Academy and to wider fields.  Bill McLaren proudly wore his Dollar Accies tie which was presented to him when he spoke at the Form VI Dinner.  We send condolences to his wife Bette and the whole family.

Thrift Shop Opening, 2:30pm – 4:00pm  (2nd and 4th Thursday of the month)

Thursday 28 January 2010                                 Thursday 11 February            
Thursday 25 February                                        Thursday 11 March
Thursday 25 March

The Thrift Shop would like to thank parents who brought in a lovely selection of girls’ party dresses and shoes in the run up to the Christmas parties.  Parents who would like to have unsold party items back are requested to collect these before the February break, when any uncollected items will be donated to charity.

We currently have plentiful supplies of the following specialist items:

• Revision guides & past papers
• Rugby pads & scrum caps
• Ski wear
• Riding boots & associated items
• Corp boots (especially smaller sizes)
• Hiking boots

So do come in and find yourself a bargain!

Please note that we will no longer be taking the following items from 2010:

• Golf shoes
• Riding boots & associated items

The Thrift Shop is always happy to welcome new members to its friendly, committed, team.  If you feel that you are able to donate two afternoons a month to this important, parent-run, service, please pop in next time the Thrift Shop is open and have a chat to the volunteers.

Further information about the Dollar Academy Thrift Shop can be found in the Parents Section of the school website.

The hymn book used in Senior School Assemblies, the red CH3 book, is available second-hand from the School Office priced £3.50.

DOLLAR  ACADEMY  PARENTS’  ASSOCIATION  OPEN  EVENING

A cheque for £750 was presented by DAPA to the Music Department in recognition of the department’s outstanding work both in the Academy and further afield.  Mr McGonigle, in thanking DAPA, indicated that the new Glockenspiel would be forever associated with this generous gift – the DAPA Glockenspiel.  Parents had the opportunity to be involved with the remarkable technological advances in the department during an excellent open evening.

MAIN  DATES  FOR  YOUR  DIARY

Further dates will be found elsewhere on the website and on the Calendar Card