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(2000 till 2013)

WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND

Friday 7th June 2013:
Low cloud will soon disperse leaving a bright day with plenty of sunshine. Warm in the sunshine once again with an isolated afternoon shower possible over high ground of Lanarkshire. Max temp 22 °C.

Outlook for Saturday 8th to Monday 10th June 2013:
High pressure will maintain mostly dry, settled weather over the weekend and on Monday. There will be further warm sunshine but also coastal mist patches. Winds will remain light.

DON'T MISS OUR SCHOOL MUSICAL! 7.6.2013

MISS BLACK'S ASDAN GROUP - THINKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT 6.6.2013

JOHNNIE WALKER'S FROM HILL STREET - ONE POSSIBLE SITE FOR PROPOSED NEW SCHOOL 6.6.2013

SQA Exams - nearly there...keep working hard!

It's the new timetable - be prepared and keep your focus!

AT LAST... THE SUMMER IS HERE

JUNE 2013 - IMPORTANT DATES

Sat	1	Comenius Trip to Germany
Mon	3	New timetable begins for new S2,S3 & S4
Tues	4	S3 Physics visit to St Joseph's, CfE evening P6-S3, P6 shared responsibility display
Thurs	6	New timetable begins for new S5&S6
Fri	7	Hospice Coffee Morning – extended interval Cost £1.50
Sat	8	Connect Dads and Lads outing
Tues	11	PT meeting – lunch, School Show
Wed	12	School Show, P7 Induction Days
Thurs	13	School Show, P7 Induction Days
Fri	14	Rapid Response, P7 Outdoor Trek
Sat	15	France/Belgium trip leaves
Tues	18	Issue S1 reports/Prizegiving
Fri	21	France/Belgium trip arrives home
Sun	23	Lake Garda trip leaves
Tues	25	Lightwater Valley, ACE Rewards Trips
Fri	28	School closes – 1 pm
Sat	29	Lake Garda trip arrives home

RETURN VISIT OF KILMARNOCK'S GLOBAL MARKET

Kilmarnock's Global Market is back in town this weekend, from Thursday to Sunday. This event builds on the success of previous visits when locals turned out in numbers to sample the international fayre on offer - everything from ostrich burgers to freshly baked macaroon. As well as food you can buy crafts, clothing, plants and jewellery. Check out the pictures below taken on a previous visit.
N McI 31.5.2013

Enjoy the weekend!

S3 LEARN LIFE-SAVING SKILLS 13.5.2013

WORK CONTINUES ON OUR NEW SCHOOL WEBSITE

Work is continuing on our new school website. We aim to retain some aspects of the look and identity of our existing website while freshening things up and improving functionality. To get an idea of what it might look like click here. 8.5.2013

SQA Exams - be prepared and be on time!

ROBERT MARSHALL - GOLBERRY 1976?

Hi,stumbled upon your site the other day, thank you, good to have a browse, and I will be back to
browse some more. There was a question about whether there was a Goldberry magazine produced
in 1976. As a sixth year pupil in 1976, I can tell you that there definitely was not, and I think also
for several years after that. The reason conveyed to me was that the Rector and/or his senior
staff did not consider his then-current crop of senior pupils responsible enough to produce a
magazine - which might well have been true - we really were an outstanding lot.

After leaving school I went on to do electronic engineering at Glasgow University, and for many
years now I have worked in semiconductor circuit design in what was until recently National
Semiconductor in Greenock - not too far away. My funniest memory of KA was when a fellow
pupil treated us to an acapella rendering of "I can't get no, nah nah nah . . . " at a school
function. I'm forever endebted to the teachers for whom education was more than their job;
Mr Montegomery who always managed to turn the dinner queue into a philosophical search
for reason, Mr McGrath who brewed up his tea on a bunsen burner in the basement of the tech
building, Mr McKee who let me mess about with transistors even if neither of us knew anything
about them, and many more forming the mosaic without which my life would have been much
impoverished.

Regards, Robert Marshall 7.5.2013

NEW SCHOOL WEBSITE COMING SOON!

The menu on this site can only be seen in Internet Explorer which is now used by only 30% of web surfers. That means that 70% of our visitors are missing out on the vast majority of the pages on our site, including the main subject areas. The problem is made worse by the fact that the present menu is not visible on any mobile phones. In order to address this problem and improve access, the plan is to build up a new site that is accessible in all browsers and all phones. This would form a new front end for our site, giving instant access to important pages and information, while the complete old site will still be accessible in the background if you use Internet Explorer to browse it. The identity and look of the present site will be maintained. 29.4.2013

TO VIEW OUR EASTER STUDY SCHOOL TIMETABLE CLICK HERE. 27.3.2013

MR PATERSON'S EASTER MESSAGE

This has been a very exciting term for us. Once again, barely a week goes by when there isn’t a positive news story in the local press regarding the successes of our students and staff. From a truly superb Burns Supper to seeing our S3 students work with local entrepreneurs in our industry awareness days, the fantastic coverage of our achievements in F1 Challenge, our well earned praise as an international school and indeed the successes of our wonderful girls’ football team demonstrates the commitment and efforts of staff, students and the community in making sure we are one of the most successful schools in East Ayrshire. On top of this, we have nominated a range of staff for the forthcoming National Education Awards; Mr Kerr has again been nominated for a lifetime achievement award having received national coverage last year and having spent all his career to date working in Kilmarnock Academy. We have also nominated our Connect staff for their work in building a range of alternative curricular opportunities for students who find mainstream education difficult

The key to our continued success is undoubtedly the sheer hard work and determination of our staff and students. Be under no illusion however; if we truly want to be recognised as the best school in East Ayrshire, we must also ensure that all our students receive a quality service tailored to their individual needs, aptitudes and aspirations and receive support and challenge to gain the best possible qualifications in national Examinations.

As you will know, we continue to work very hard to establish and affirm our core values and an ethos of high standards and expectations across the school. Our new systems for target setting along with a very robust approach to monitoring and tracking student progress provide fantastic support and challenge to enable students to achieve their potential, including mentoring as appropriate....which is NOT punitive, but rather an additional support to ensure students either get back on track or indeed stay on track for success at final exams in May.

Despite all we do however, I do still sense a lack of ambition in some of our students which needs to be addressed. The work ethic must be emphasised for all our young people, especially in challenging times. However, I am gratified in knowing that in working closely with parents and carers, and ensuring that you have all the information on your child’s progress that we are indeed working in partnership to ensure the best possible results for your children. The school will continue to develop ways of ensuring that we continue to build this partnership for success.

So as we approach the Easter break it is crucial that for our S4/5/6 students they use the time to best advantage and should see the break as extended study time. I would ask your support in this. It is quite simply imperative that we ensure that the Easter break is used productively and to ensure that our students are as successful as they can be, and able to take advantage of this as they move onto further education, training or work

Have a peaceful but productive break!

Mr Paterson, Head Teacher 27.3.2013

ART AND TECH STAFF - RED NOSE DAY 2013

HAPPY IN ENGLISH - INDEPENDENT LEARNERS WORKING AS A TEAM

PETER HOWSON VISIT

On Tuesday 19th March six senior art students and two Art department staff attended a talk and question and answer session with the prolific Scottish artist, Peter Howson OBE. This was a rare and exciting opportunity for pupils and staff to come face to face with one of the world’s most famous living and working artists. If meeting the man himself wasn’t enough, a Kilmarnock Academy pupil and staff member were the lucky winners of two Howson original artworks! Mr Howson explained how important he felt art history was and said he had two questions, one for pupils and one for teachers; it is with great delight that BOTH prizes were won by our school, Chelsea Sloan of S5 and Miss Smith. The talk and questions were then followed by an opportunity to have posters signed and photographs taken. This trip was completely inspirational and a day to be remembered for pupils and staff; no doubt this personal experience will benefit critical essays in class greatly. Could you have won a Howson framed drawing for yourself? The two questions asked were as follows:

Pupil Q: Who painted the Sistine Chapel?
Teacher Q: Which artist was found dead on a beach in Naples?

Report by Miss Smith, Art Department 21.3..2012

Largs Academy	vs	Kilmarnock Academy

Senior Ayrshire Cup - Q/F	Barrfields Park, Largs	11/03/2013

Author: Billy White (Lewis's Dad) Kilmarnock Academy marched on into the semi-finals of the Ayrshire Cup after their most impressive display of the season by far. The first-half was in the main uneventful however Killie had most of the ball and despite one excellent chance falling for Largs the away team were pretty much in control without moving-out of second gear. Half Time: Largs Academy 0-0 Kilmarnock Academy As the second-half started it became very clear that Kilmarnock had victory on their minds as the pushed on and after only ten minutes they were two goals to the good both coming from striker Kris Mason. The first was a shot from just inside the box while the second was a diving header that left the Largs keeper with no chance. At this stage Killie were streets better than Largs and the away team should have pressed home their advantage as Mason twice, McGuffog and Black all squandered chances to put the game beyond doubt. Killie became complacent though as Biggley was caught napping at the far post when Largs pulled a surprise goal back. Killie were even more complacent as only five minutes later the Largs centre-forward stole some space to level the score much to the delight of the home supporters. Kilmarnock though re-established their dominance and after 25 Kiminutes of the second-half Bolland was clearly fouled in the box and the ref had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Jordan Muir for the second round running stepped-up for Killie and buried the penalty that took his team through into the semis. The game ended with Killie firmly in control and Largs rarely threatening. Full Time: Largs Academy 2-3 Kilmarnock Academy Largs Academy Man of the Match: Largs number 7 worked his socks of for his team driving them on and doing his utmost to keep his team in the cup. Kilmarnock Academy YFS Man of the Match: Kilmarnock Academy number 3 Fraser Smith was superb down the wing and working back to help his defence. 21.3..2012

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 18.3.2013

EVELYN STEWART SAYS HI!

I have just been looking on the Kilmarnock Academy web site. I think it is great. I attended Kilmarnock Academy from 1971-1976 and enjoyed it very much. My name was Evelyn Stewart (Lynn) before I got married. I moved to England in 1978 where I got married and had twin boys. I hope someone who remembers me sees this and replies. It would be great to hear what has happened to former pupils from my school days.

Evelyn Stewart (Lynn) 15.3.2013

MONDAY MORNING - NICE...BUT CHILLY!

HOPE YOU HAD A REALLY GOOD WEEKEND.

NOW IT'S BACK TO WORK!

NOW THAT'S TEAMWORK!

Miss Montgomery’s Primary Liaison project is now well under way! Our first project, with Primary 5 pupils at Onthank primary School, has been a great success due to the fantastic work and effort put in by the following KA pupils: Pamela Bryson (S6), Laura Jenkins, Jodie Sherman, Mary MacInnes (S3), Jessica McCrum, Rebecca McLean, Laura Millar, Robyn McDowall and Eilidh Raeburn (S2).

Onthank Primary school’s 2013 showcase is an exciting production of The Jungle Book. Our team of pupils attend the primary school on Monday afternoons and run a workshop creating theatrical masks based on characters from the Jungle. The enthusiasm and welcome from the primary 5 pupils has been outstanding; their hard work and creative input is sure to impress audiences of all ages! We can’t wait to see the show in full swing on the 26th of March.

Before our school year is over there will be further exciting interdisciplinary projects with Kirkstyle and Hillhead primary schools, as well as a new initiative with our community’s elderly residents. Miss Montgomery is on the look out for more studious and creative pupils to be involved in these projects.

Miss Montgomery, Art Dept 8.3.2013

BOOKMARK COMPETITION

The winners of the World Book Day design a bookmark competition were Leah Irving S1, Ben Wyper S2 and Eilidh McKenzie S6. Ben won an easter egg and a book signed by Barry Hutchison, Leah won an easter egg and a book signed by Cathy MacPhail and Eilidh won a lovely stationery set with matching magnetic bookmark and pens because she doesn't like chocolate!!

The winning bookmarks are pictured on the left. The images are - Winner1 - Ben Wyper S2 (school tie and Let's Read), Winner 2 - Leah Irving S1 (flags and world book day), Winner 3 - Eilidh McKenzie S6 (World Book Day globe and book).

Thanks to everyone who entered - it was a tough decision.

Miss Black, Librarian 8.3.2013

SPRING READ AUTHOR VISITS

Every spring, East Ayrshire School Librarians organise their Spring Read. This year, award winning authors Cathy MacPhail and Barry Hutchison visited East Ayrshire secondary schools to talk to pupils about their books.

On Tuesday 26th February a group of 13 pupils from Kilmarnock Academy travelled to Loudoun Academy along with Miss Black (from the library!) and Miss Cairney to see Cathy MacPhail. Cathy gave an excellent talk about where she gets the inspiration for her stories. She got us all involved trying to imagine all the spooky things that could go on around us. She then answered some questions from the audience. Well done to Courtney from K.A. who won a gift voucher in the raffle. At the end, Cathy stayed behind to sign books and chat to pupils. Look out for Panda Eyes - the film adaptation of Cathy's book Another Me.

On Friday 1st March a group of 18 pupils walked from Kilmarnock Academy to St Joseph's Academy with the two Miss Blacks to see Barry Hutchison. We had heard that Barry was very funny and he didn't disappoint. He told us about his overactive imagination, about his struggle to become a published author and about where the ideas from his stories come from. He told us he is scared of squirrels and asked us if we had any strange phobias! We then had the chance to ask Barry some questions before getting our books signed. We all had a great afternoon.

Thank you to all the school librarians in East Ayrshire for helping to organise these wonderful events :)

Miss Black, Librarian 8.3.2013

KA GIRLS VICTORIOUS IN A GAME OF TWO HALVES

Kilmarnock Academy senior girls made the short trip to Irvine Royal Academy for their penultimate league game of the season looking to maintain their 100% record. The girls expected this to be a tough test as Irvine had quite a few players who were involved with some of Scotland’s biggest clubs.

In the first half, Kilmarnock created some excellent chances and were unlucky not to take the lead as Madeline Orr and Kristiana Hamilton saw their shots well saved by the Irvine goalkeeper. After some excellent skill, Kyra Smith found herself through on goal only to be cruelly denied by the post. With only a few minutes of the first half remaining KA were caught in possession and punished for not taking their chances as Irvine Royal’s number 10 found the bottom corner from about 10 yards out leaving keeper McLean with no chance. Despite being 1-0 down at half time the spirit of the team was still positive and they knew sooner or later if they kept making chances the goal would come.

5 minutes into the second half, KA were rewarded for their hard work. After some excellent skills to pass 2 players on the left hand side of the park, Hamilton played an inch perfect pass to Smith who slotted the ball pass the outstretched goalkeeper. Just 3 minutes later, Kilmarnock doubled their tally with some fine work on the wing by Orr who cut inside the defender and fired the ball into the far corner of the net leaving the keeper rooted to the spot. With 10 minutes remaining and Irvine pressing for an equaliser, KA killed off the match with an excellent solo run and finish by Tagan Lawson. KA created a few more chances with Holly Fulton being unlucky not to make it more. KA survived a late scare, with Hay being harshly adjudged to have handled the ball in the box but the penalty went sailing over the bar to McLean and the rest of team’s relief. This victory ensures Kilmarnock maintain their spot at the top of the table and with only Greenwood Academy left to play.

Team: Hannah McLean, Bethany Hay, Melissa Muir, Danielle Sprott, Hayleigh Hunter, Tagan Lawson, Madeline Orr, Holly Fulton, Kyra Smith, Kristiana Hamilton

MOM: Madeline Orr (It could have been a number of players but after the offer of a cookie on the bus home, Miss Milligan gave Madeline the nod).

Report by Mr McClurg (Business Studies) and Miss Milligan (PE Dept) 8.3.2013

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 4.3.2013

POEM BY S4 PUPILS, ALANA CARMICHAEL AND NATALIE NUTT

Love is the breeze when you first wake up
Love is the tea you pour into my cup
Love is the noise of our babies first burp
Love is

Love is the roll and sausage you made me for lunch
Love is when you threw the first punch
Love is when you stood on the leaves and made them crunch
Love is

Love is the steam that comes from the pie
Love is the tears that come from my eye
Love is how you blush when you are shy
Love is

Love is when we flew our first kite
Love is when we took our first flight
Love is me, and love is you
Love is... 7.3.2013

SAM AND BALTIMORE LEAGUE AT KING TUT'S WAH WAH HUT

Well played Sam Leighton and Baltimore League! Last night, sixth year pupil Sam played the legendary King Tut's in Glasgow with Baltimore League. The band were the main support for local band Mechanical Smile. Sam is pictured left with Fraser D - a former Grange Academy pupil and new addition to the band. The other members - Euan McIlvanney and Gregor Keachie - are former KA pupils. The band played a rousing set to an appreciative and packed crowd. Check out the band's Facebook by clicking here (and if you are on Facebook, be sure to give them a 'like'). 28.2.2013

LOOKING FOR BOBBY STEELE

Hi,

Trying to find Robert (Bobby) Steele who I have found in your Class of 76 page.

Bobby would have left school late 1976 and then went to Liverpool to become an Engineer in the Merchant Navy with 19 other boys from around the UK. After a 4 year cadetship, we all went our various ways and in the time before email, mobile phones and Facebook, we lost touch. Garry Pycroft (now in California) and Brian McLean (now in West Australia) have stayed in touch and have found several of the group (Ian Batts, William Warnock, Jim McCaulay, Wayne Ralph) but we cannot find how to get in touch with Bobby ANYWHERE.

We would love to be able to find Bobby if anyone could help, I know he had lots of family in Kilmarnock.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Brian McLean

m: 041 060 5445
h: (08) 9330 8804
e: mcdirt1@gmail.com 28.2.2013

HAPPY AT THEIR WORK - K.A. ART DEPARTMENT

Miss McKee

Miss Smith

Miss Montgomery

DISCIPLINE

Gentle reminder! Behaviour and discipline in this school is very good. The ONLY time this breaks down is where students refuse to do what adults ask/instruct them to do. Be clear that I expect every single student to do as they are asked by every adult 100% of the time. Where this doesn’t happen, your learning is disrupted, and this simply will not be tolerated.

Mr Paterson, Head Teacher. 22.2.2013

STORYTELLING WORKSHOP

On Wednesday 20th February, the S1 bookclub attended at storytelling workshop at the Dick Institute with Community Librarian, Margaret Patterson. Margaret works in Young People's Services and had lots to tell us about why reading to others is great! Not only will young children love hearing the story we are telling but we will also improve our own confidence and reading skills We learned techniques to use when telling a story to young children and what makes a good story. After hearing this we were all able to choose what we thought would be a suitable book to read to a Primary 1 class. We borrowed 13 books from the library and brought them back to school. Our next task is to use what we have learned to narrow them down to just 3 books. We hope to read these 3 books to a Primary 1 class from Loanhead Primary once we have practised our new storytelling skills!

The bookclub would like to say thanks to Margaret Patterson for a really great afternoon.

Report by Miss Black, Librarian.

TO VIEW OUR SUPPORTED STUDY TIMETABLE CLICK HERE. 21.2.2013

OFF TO GREECE FOR A FEW DAYS

Mr Ramsay and Ms Fullerton set off for Greece on Sunday with a group of four Kilmarnock Academy pupils. They will be visiting a special music school in Northern Greece as part of the Comenius Project which is run by the British Council.

Mr Ramsay sent us the picture on the left with the fairly brief but entirely appropriate message: "The journey begins... and the art of conversation is overtaken by technology!" (So how did you take the picture and send the message Darren? ...pot?...kettle?)

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE BREAK!

SPRING READ COMPETITION WINNERS

The winners of places on the Catherine MacPhail visit are as follows:
S1
Laityn Blair, Kieran Cranson, Bethany Dobson, Scott Mains, Jack Mains, Erin Mowat
S2
Lauren Anderson, Abbey Bell, Kim Law, Erin Muir, Eilidh Raeburn
S3
Rebeka Cameron, Louise Fleming, Courtney McConnell, Caitlin McEwan, Isla Mair

The winners for the Barry Hutchison visit are:
S1
Laityn Blair, Caiti Brannigan, Kieran Cranson, Jack Mains, Scott Mains, Adam Muirhead, Jessica Thomson, Dylan Scoular
S2
Morgan McDonnell, Robyn McDowall, Erin Muir, Ty O'Donnell, Eilidh Raeburn
S3
Rebeka Cameron, David Hall, Kaitlyn Holland

All pupils who have won a place should come to the library at interval this Tuesday 19th February for more information and to collect permission forms. Thanks to everyone for their entries.

Miss Black, Librarian.

HAPPY

VALENTINE'S DAY

2013

LIGHTWATER VALLEY - DON'T MISS IT!

This year’s end of term ACE Awards trip is to the fantastic Lightwater Valley Theme Park in North Yorkshire . The trip will take place on Tuesday 25th June 2013 and promises to be a fun-filled adventure. Rides include dodgems, log flumes and Europe ’s longest roller-coaster, not to mention the arcades, shops and eateries available within the park.

The cost of the trip is £36 in total and a £15 deposit should be paid no later than Tuesday 19th February. Pupils who wish to take part must qualify for awards in 3 out of 5 ACE Award blocks.

Spaces will be given on a first come, first served basis so act fast to secure your place on what promises to be an exciting day out!

Mrs Dale, Acting DHT

WORLD BOOK DAY - DESIGN A BOOKMARK

World Book Day takes place in over 100 countries all over the world. It is a celebration of books which aims to encourage young people to enjoy reading! This year, World Book Day is on Thursday 7th March. To celebrate, your school library is running a Design a Bookmark Competition. The only rule is that the design must be book related. The best 3 entries will be made into bookmarks and given out in the school library from 7th March. Collect your entry form from the school library and hand in by Thursday 28th February.

Look out for your free £1 book token coming soon. You can exchange this at most bookshops for one of the eight books produced specially for World Book Day. Or you can use the voucher to get £1 off a book worth £2.99 or more.

Miss Black, Librarian

ACE AWARDS END OF TERM TRIP

This year’s exciting end of year ACE Award trip is to Lightwater Valley Theme Park in North Yorkshire. The trip will take place on Tuesday 25th June and will cost £36. Those of you who wish to take part and qualify to do so, must pay a non-refundable £15 deposit no later than Tuesday 12th February. This should be paid to Mrs Dale at registration or lunchtime only. Pupils wishing to attend the trip must obtain an award in 3 out of 5 blocks.

Places are limited and will be given on a first come, first serve basis – so book early to avoid disappointment!

Mrs Dale 4.2.2013

S5/6 PRELIM EXAMS HAVE STARTED - BE PREPARED AND BE ON TIME 1.2.2013

TO VIEW THE S5/6 PRELIM TIMETABLE CLICK HERE. 30.1.2013

BOOK CLUB MOMENT OF FAME

On Thursday 24th January, Kilmarnock Academy S1 bookclub took part in a Scottish Book Trust Authors Live event. We registered to watch live online as author Darren Shan spoke about his new series of books Zom-B. Darren read scary extracts from the newest book in the series and then answered some questions from the audience. Lots of schools watching in the online audience had sent in questions and there wasn't going to be time to read them all so we were very excited when one of Kilmarnock Academy's questions was chosen (if you heard a loud cheer at around 11:20 - that was us!). The presenter and the author both agreed that it was a VERY GOOD question so well done First Years!!

Watch the event on iplayer to find out what we asked and what Darren's answer was. (Skip to 21:37 if you're short for time)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p013wht6/Authors_Live_Darren_Shan/

Miss Black, Librarian 30.1.2013

DISTRICT MOCK INTERVIEW INFORMATION BY MRS HAMILTON

JUNIOR SCIENCE CLUB

Any S1 or S2 pupils interested in trying out some extra experiments and gaining a Science Certificate should come along to Mr Lambert’s room (C11) on Friday lunchtimes. 14.1.2013

MOCK INTERVIEW INFORMATION BY MRS HAMILTON

DON'T MISS THE K.A. BURNS SUPPER

S4,5 & 6 - date for your diaries.
This year’s Burns Supper and Ceilidh will be on us before you can say “Ae Fond Kiss”!
Thursday 24th January. Keep it free.
More details soon.

Mrs Dunsmuir 14.1.2013

S5 & S6 PRELIM ARRANGEMENTS - NO STUDY LEAVE

As there was some initial confusion last year as to the official stance on S5 & S6 study arrangements for the prelim exams, Mrs Walker has moved to clarify the situation for this year and announced that there will be no Study Leave during S5 and S6 prelim exams. All students are expected to attend their normal classes except when they are actually sitting exams. 14.1.2013

S5 & S6 SUPPORTED STUDY TIMETABLE WILL BE ISSUED THIS WEEK.

S5/S6 PRELIMS - BE PREPARED!

With prelims coming soon, it's worth remembering the Raising Attainment Working Group's advice to pupils and parents on how to get organized as you revise for examinations and the many benefits of a detailed revision schedule. Remember, these exams will help to determine your future - no pressure, you understand.

The following sections of KA Web also provide guidance and support:
English Higher/Int. 2 Study Guide
Helping your child to Revise at Home

SAM IS BACK ON THE DRUMS

Sixth year pupil Sam Leighton is back playing drums in the latest live video from local band, Baltimore League. As well as drumming and singing with the band on recordings and at gigs, Sam can play guitar and he even played upright bass on To the Edge - the band's last live video. You can check out his latest performance by clicking here. Baltimore League play at King Tut's on 27th February.

Check out the band's Facebook by clicking here (and if you are on Facebook, be sure to give them a 'like').

S4 MOCK INTERVIEW PROGRAMME 2013

The annual mock interview programme begins in PSE classes this week. On Thursday 24th January, all S4 pupils will be offered a mock interview. They will work on the application form and learn interview tips in class.

The “job” advert and the “job” specification will be posted on the KA website. Pupils will be told that this is an opportunity for parents, grandparents, carers and friends to help via their own experiences.
More and more job interviews are set along “scenario” lines. This is a difficult concept for young people, although some pupils will have their work experience to fall back on. Some also may have sampled part time work.

After our internal mock interviews, KA pupils will have the opportunity to compete with pupils from Grange and James Hamilton Academies in the Kilmarnock District Mock Interviews. Local companies offer “job” interviews to 6 pupils per “job”. To gain an interview is an achievement; to get the “job” is a massive confidence booster.

Some pupils find the mock interview process a real challenge. They are apprehensive at “stepping out of their comfort zone”. In my opinion, the mock interview programme is one of the most important aspects of school life in Kilmarnock Academy.

Mrs Hamilton
PT Vocational Education

FREDDY'S FAST FOOD JOINT
Fresh tasty snacks and light meals designed to eat on the move when in town. Home deliveries also available for lunches and kiddies’ parties Extensive menu available on request. Special and dietary needs catered for Competitive prices. Deliveries to all areas of Kilmarnock Visit us in Elmbank Drive (next to Kilmarnock Academy)

Job Advert Age is no barrier
Freddie’s Fast Food Joint is looking for a food adviser to join their enthusiastic team.
The successful candidate will have a basic knowledge of food hygiene and what constitutes a healthy diet. He or she will also have innovative ideas to bring to the business.
Hours are 4 – 6 pm Monday – Friday. The pay is the minimum for under 18

Applications to be made during PSE classes to
Freddie’s Fast Food Joint
Elmbank Drive
Kilmarnock
KA1 3BS

(The above info was supplied by Mrs Hamilton.)

2013

A Very Happy New Year
~
To all pupils, their families, all former pupils and all friends of K.A.
~
From all of the Staff at Kilmarnock Academy
~

MR PATERSON LOOKS BACK ON 2012

It is hard to believe that yet again we are approaching the Christmas Holidays. Since taking up post last year, I have been most impressed with the dedication of all staff in moving the school forward. I for one want to see Kilmarnock Academy as the highest achieving school in the town. As you will know last year we introduced a new monitoring and tracking system into S4 and S5 to ensure all our students know what their targets are and how to achieve these. The impact of this was that we improved our examination results considerably, and were regarded as the most improved school in Ayrshire. Similarly as I patrol the town each lunchtime I am most impressed with the behaviour of our students all of whom are wearing a school tie.

We continue to challenge our students to be the best they can be, and I am in no doubt that we will continue to improve our results this session as the school continues to work closely with parents/carers to ensure that all our students are motivated to achieve the best possible examination results in May.

I am also delighted to note the continued positive press the school is receiving in the Kilmarnock Standard. Not a week goes by without our local newspaper reporting good news stories. In recent months stories as diverse as young entrepreneurs to sporting achievements, our charity work and musical events, all demonstrate that we are a school that is not only recognised for our proud tradition in academic achievement, but also as a school which is on the move and has a keen eye to the future for all our students.

One of the most important stories last year was the state of repair of the old Academy building. I am pleased to report that significant works are now completed, and also include a complete refurbishment of our school office and reception areas, new staging in our assembly hall and most notably in our sports facilities which, includes full access to the superb new athletics facility in Queens Drive. This meansthat Kilmarnock Academy will have access to sports facilities and expertise which are second to none across the council. It is also worth noting that at the moment, no fewer than six of our students represent our country in various sports.

Alongside our sporting achievements the school continues to excel in the arts, design and performance. The Art and Design faculty consistently deliver nationally recognised success on a yearly basis, and can be witnessed most significantly in the design of our new school mural which has received much praise over the last year, so much so that the Klin Group commissioned a similar mural for the Opera House development in John Finnie Street. Similarly, our music department continues to deliver the highest quality performance across the council year after year and we are looking forward to Hairspray in the new year. Again, the dedication of our staff in motivating our students to deliver such quality is nothing less than outstanding.

For all the good news stories over the last year, one issue is beginning to concern me somewhat. A number of students are persistently late and for no other reason than they slept in. I know I have the support of every parent/carer on this issue, and whilst I am the last person to dampen the festive spirit, this issue will need to be addressed. In the world of work, lateness would simply not be tolerated. I ask therefore that where this is an issue, you encourage your children to make punctuality a New Year’s resolution.

Best wishes to you and yours

Bryan Paterson, Head Teacher

XMAS FOOD IDEAS AND WINTER HEALTH TIPS FROM LORNA

If you are hoping to avoid the usual winter ailments and really enjoy this festive season then former pupil, Lorna Willock, has some great Winter Health Tips for you. She has also come up with some fresh ideas for Christmas Food, if you feel like trying something different and cutting back a bit on the calories. Also, thought I'd mention that if you use Facebook and "like" Lorna Willock's Food Clinic then you will be entered into a prize draw on Christmas day for 2 free nutritional sessions - a 2 hour full session and a follow up hour - a prize that would cost £93. Thanks to Lorna for the tips and recipes. N.McI 20.12.12

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS...

Christmas is the one special time of year that brings families together. One good aspect of Christmas is people thinking about other people. There is a good feeling involved in buying a present for somebody who really means something to you . We also like to see people being grateful because you have bought something for them and you feel good about yourself for making somebody else happy. Joe Pattie S5

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS...

We all know that male figure we think of when Christmas comes around - the big jolly man in the red suit and white beard. Santa Claus is a great mythical role model for children and helps to teach them good from bad and right from wrong. Parents use the threat of Santa Claus withdrawing his services as a way to improve children's misbehaviour while large companies such as Coca Cola also like the thought of Santa Claus when it comes to Christmas advertising. Cameron McCall S5

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS...

Imagine a child during christmas - so excited, eagerly counting the days till Santa comes. It truly is a magical time for them. But I suppose if you imagine Christmas from the parents' perspective, it can be a lot of pressure. Blair McGill S5

LETTER FROM GRAHAM SHORT 13 December 2012

To: Parent / Carer / Staff of Kilmarnock Academy

Dear Parent / Carer / Colleague

ARTICLE IN THE KILMARNOCK STANDARD 13 DECEMBER 2012

An article was published on the front page of today’s “Kilmarnock Standard “ speculating on the name and site of the proposed new school to replace Kilmarnock Academy and James Hamilton Academy.

I thought it might be helpful for you to know the factual position. The concept of a merger of the two schools and the site of the new building has to be subject to a statutory consultation exercise. This will be conducted openly with the publication, through the Council’s Cabinet, of a formal proposal document which will be issued to staff, parents, carers and all key stakeholders. That document will consult on the idea of a merger and will identify a preferred site. It will also provide information on the other sites considered. The proposal document will include the information related to, and the results of, an option appraisal exercise. Officers are still working on this part of the process, the results of which are therefore not known at this stage. Clearly, to meet the timescale of the publication of the document through Cabinet in January, this work is at an advanced position, but has not yet been finished. Therefore, any conjecture on the Council’s position even as a preferred option is speculation. Even a stated preferred site has to be subject to public scrutiny and comment during the legal process of consultation. We are therefore a very long way off from any settled position.

For completeness, also, the name of the newly merged establishment or its campus, would not form part of the consultation process. Rather, should the merger be agreed, only at that stage would the Council consult with stakeholders about a preferred name as happened with Willowbank School and New Cumnock Primary School. So again, speculation in this area is also premature.

I very much hope that this information clarifies the position reached beyond doubt.

Yours sincerely

GRAHAM R SHORT - Executive Director of Educational and Social Services

THE CHRISTMAS TREE IS UP! pics - Miss Black, Librarian 12.12..2012

SUBJECT: YOUR CHOIR AT PRINCES SQUARE - 6th DECEMBER 2012

Dear Bryan,e

I had to put fingers to laptop immediately on my return home, to congratulate your choir on their quite exceptional performance in Princes Square today. I have heard many choirs there over the years and it is always a pleasure to hear young voices in song. However, your choir is quite the best I have heard there. I was having a leisurely lunch on the terrace with Carol Stuart, formerly a colleague from Boclair, so we had the pleasure of hearing the choir's whole programme and it enhanced our experience.

The young people looked great; their enthusiasm was palpable; their charity tin collectors were a credit to the school, showing excellent interpersonal skills; the choice of pieces sung was energising and they sounded absolutely terrific! My special mention for Jessie J's "Money" and for the Coldplay cover.

Please pass on our thanks to the young people and our sincere compliments to the choir leader ... Miss Donnelly? .... all of whom must have worked so hard to produce such results!

Yours sincerely

Morag Towndrow

Thank you so much for providing such positive comments, Morag. As the Head Teacher of the school, I feel immensely proud of the attitude, enthusiasm and achievements of all our young people and the staff who support them. Wishing you the Season's best. Bryan Paterson 6.12.2012

SCHOOL MUSICAL - HAIRSPRAY AUDITIONS

Auditions will be held on the afternoon of Monday 17th December. If you wish to audition for a part please put your name on the sheet located on the noticeboard outside Mr Ramsay’s room. Audition material can be collected from Mr Ramsay. 6.12.2012

S4 PRELIMS HAVE STARTED TO VIEW THE TIMETABLE CLICK HERE.

REVISION GUIDE BY MR PATERSON

With the S4 prelims upon us, the need to be motivated, organised and industrious is greater than ever. If you need some help with your revision programme, Mr Paterson has some important and effective tips on how to make the most of your study time. To view them click here. N.McI 3.12.2012

WILLIE COFFEY VISITS KILMARNOCK ACADEMY

Kilmarnock Academy pupils were delighted to welcome Mr Willie Coffey, MSP, to the school on Monday November 26th for a highly informative Q & A session.

Mr Coffey enlightened the pupils from S1 to S6 about the nature of his work and also fielded a huge variety of questions which included: What skills do you need to be an MSP? How will the rest of the UK cope without Scotland if it votes for independence? Will we still be part of Europe and what amount of debt will accrue to Scotland if it is split away from the rest of the UK?

Mr Coffey said that he was impressed at the pupils’ breadth of knowledge and their insightful questions and once again he kindly offered to host a visit by pupils to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in the near future.

Report by Mr Mackay 30.11..2012

SENIOR GIRLS FOOTBALL

KILMARNOCK ACADEMY 4 – 0 AUCHINLECK ACADEMY

The Kilmarnock Academy girls went into their 4th match of the season hoping to maintain their 100% record in the league so far missing a few regular first team players against a young and energetic Auchinleck side. Kilmarnock almost got off to the perfect start when an inch perfect through ball by Johnston found its way to Orr and she finished into the top corner of the net only to be denied by the referee’s whistle as she had strayed fractionally offside. After 8 minutes, Kilmarnock took a deserved lead following an excellent solo run and finish by Kristiana Hamilton. Several minutes later, Hamilton doubled Kilmarnock’s lead with an excellent finish low into the corner of the net. On the stroke of half time, following some good work by Lawson on the left, Hamilton found herself unmarked at the back post to make it 3-0 Killie.

In the second half, Auchinleck upped their game and some vital blocks from Sprott, Lawson and Hunter kept the score at 3-0. Kilmarnock rode their luck at times with Auchinleck hitting the woodwork on 2 separate occasions. With 10 minutes to go, Kilmarnock put the game out of sight with what Mr Taylor described as a great passing move and again Hamilton made no mistake firing past the onrushing goalkeeper for her and Kilmarnock’s fourth goal. It could have been 5 in the dying minutes with Kyra Smith finishing in style after an excellent through ball by Fulton only to be harshly adjudged to have strayed offside.

The girls would like to thank all those who came to watch in such freezing conditions for their support. It was also great to see McCracken, Fulton and Muir performing to such a high standard in what was their first appearance for the team. The girls next 2 games will be against Irvine Royal and Greenwood in 2013.

TEAM: B Hay, D Sprott, H Hunter, T Lawson, S McCracken, M Muir, L Johnston, K Hamilton, Z Ross, K Smith, M Orr, H Fulton

Report by Mr McClurg/Miss Milligan 30.11..2012

AFTER A WEEK OF SOFTWARE AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WE ARE BACK ONLINE! 26.11..2012

CELEBRATING SUCCESS CANCELLED DUE TO FIRE

Our sincere apologies to all of the parents and guests who turned up for our Celebrating Success event on Friday at 11am. The ceremony had to be cancelled at very short notice due to a fire in the Technical Department. The outbreak meant that the school had to be evacuated for a lengthy period prior to the planned celebration. 26.11..2012

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 26.11..2012

TO VIEW THE S4 PRELIM TIMETABLE CLICK HERE. 26.11..2012

HOMEWORK SUPPORT

At our recent first year Parents' Afternoon, we discovered that some parents were not aware that we provide an extensive range of support materials for pupils and parents, right here on KA Web. While many schools don't offer support materials or only offer a few external links, several of our subject departments have uploaded advice, homework exercises, revision notes, concepts and much more. In order to access and take advantage of these materials, you should use Internet Explorer, as the drop-down menu does not show up in Firefox or Chrome.

If you have any problems accessing the support materials then e-mail the website and let us know. If you have any other concerns regarding your son or daughter's homework or progress, contact the school - we are here to help. N.McI 26.11..2012

CHILDREN IN NEED

Well done to all pupils and staff who so colourfully and energetically supported Children in Need day. Those who came to school in fancy dress impressed with a special combination of imagination and flair. It was also nice to get a visit from Nutz, the Kilmarnock FC mascot, who toured the building tailed by a band of excited young Killie supporters.

The Who Wants to be a Tenpoundaire quiz was a great success although Mrs Dale was clearly a bit nervous as she opted to phone a friend when she was asked to provide her name. However, once the nerves settled, she did really well. In the afternoon the fit and the dedicated headed to the AAA facility at Kilmarnock Academy Playing Fields for a Fun Run to raise even more cash for a very worthy cause.
N.McI 16.11.2012

S4 SUPPORTED STUDY STARTS THIS WEEK CLICK HERE FOR TIMES AND DETAILS. 12.11..2012

EAST AYRSHIRE SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE 11.11..2012

WELL DONE JESSICA!

Congratulations to Jessica McCrum who is part of the International Development Team in figure skating and will be attending the British Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield. 11.11..2012

PARENT COUNCIL MEETING CANCELLED

The Parent Council meeting for tonight (Tuesday) has been cancelled. The date for the re-scheduled meeting will be posted on the website as soon as we have that information. 6.11..2012

EAST AYRSHIRE FIREWORKS DISPLAY

The annual East Ayrshire Fireworks Display takes place in the Kay Park, Kilmarnock tonight. This display which is now recognised as one of the best in the West of Scotland has attracted an audience in excess of 40,000 in previous years. Go along and you can be sure of a spectacular evening's entertainment.

Due to the expected high volume of traffic, parking restrictions will be in place. To find out details click here.
N.McI 5.11.2012

HELP WITH THE PERSONAL STATEMENT

Writing the Personal Statement is one of the most important and, at the same time, most difficult tasks faced by those senior pupils hoping to gain entry to university courses. The pressure is increased when they try to get feedback or guidance, only to find that the opinions and advice they are offered can vary tremendously. With that in mind, Helen Crane, a freelance writer, has written a piece for the Guardian entitled "How to write a personal statement that catapults you onto your chosen course." To read the article click here. The article is well researched, has some very relevant advice and provides real food for thought to those prospective students currently scratching their heads and staring at a blank sheet of paper.

However, proceed with caution. Helen points out that one of UCAS's main criticisms of many personal statements is that they are formulaic. If you are too rigid in following all of the "eight don'ts" and "eight dos", just be wary that you are not simply substituting one formula with another. Good luck ... and get a move on! The deadline is approaching.
N.McI 30.10..2012

For Miss McLeish's new Geography Blog click here.

SENIOR GIRLS' FOOTBALL

CARRICK ACADEMY 2 - 5 KILMARNOCK ACADEMY (Senior Girls)

The Kilmarnock Academy senior girls team made the journey south to Maybole to play Carrick Academy in the next of their League Cup matches. Following on from the excellent peformance against St Joseph's in the last match, they got off to a flying start in this one. Sarena Fairbairn opened the scoring in the 2nd minute following some excellent work on the wing by Kristiana Hamilton. In the 8th minute, Fairbairn returned the favour with a perfectly weighted through ball and Hamilton slotted the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper to make it 2-0. With the girls confidence continually growing, Hamilton and Fairbairn scored another goal each resulting in a half time lead of 4-0, despite Hamilton hitting the woodwork on 3 separate occasions.

Midway through the second half, Madeleine Orr made a great run passing 3 defenders and managed to pick out Kyra Smith who stroked the ball into the corner of the net. Carrick flourished in the last 10 minutes, pulling one back thanks to an excellent lob following some sloppy defending and made it 5-2 in the dying stages of the match with a goal that had more than a hint of offside.

The girls displayed an excellent team spirit and commitment throughout. They also would like to give special thanks to Mr Kirkland for driving the bus without whom this game may not have gone ahead. The next game will be away to Ardrossan Academy in November.

Team: H McLean, B Hay, D Sprott, T Lawson, H Hunter, R Caddis, Z Ross, L Johnstone, S Fairbairn, K Hamilton, K Smith, M Orr

Report by Mr McClurg

JEANS FOR GENES

The S3 ASDAN class would like to thank all the pupils and staff who contributed to making Jeans for Genes Day a great success.

We raised a huge £442.30 which will make a big difference to the lives of those with genetic disorders. Well done!

ASDAN Group

IMPRINT BOOK FESTIVAL

Don't miss this year's IMPRINT BOOK FESTIVAL which has a fantastic week of literary events lined up, beginning Monday 12th November. Some dates have already sold out, so if you are interested in attending an event you better be quick. You can find out more at the IMPRINT 2012 website.

HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD HOLIDAY!

LOOKING BACK ... AND LOOKING FORWARD

It is now just over a year since Mr Paterson became our Head Teacher, replacing Carole Ford who retired in summer 2011. In last week's Kilmarnock Standard, in conversation with reporter Ian Russell, he reflected on his first year in charge. "It has been an exciting journey, resulting in a remarkable increase in SQA results," he said. "And in my opinion, we have as a result become the most improved school in Ayrshire."

He spoke of his many fond and positive memories of his first year in charge but he identified the unveiling of the school mural, designed by some of our own students, as being a particularly significant moment. "I cannot underestimate the value of this significant artwork and the subsequent support of East Ayrshire Council."

Other successes he mentioned included the School Fashion Show, the F1 Challenge in which the school was placed fifth in the UK championships and Tom Campbell winning Scottish Teacher of the Year. He said, "We recognise the importance of actively engaging the whole community in building real opportunities to meet, share and learn, where we continually engage with the ongoing regeneration of our town. This is the vision for Kilmarnock Academy - now and in the future." There is no doubt that Mr Paterson is really looking forward to his second year in charge.

THE FINAL MUNRO

My name is Alan Stewart and I am a retired Depute Head and technical teacher. The photograph on the left shows me with my grandaughter Emma. She is 2 and has recently been diagnosed with autism. As part of the disorder Emma LOVES to climb. It is therefore fitting that I am climbing my FINAL MUNRO for Emma.

After many years of hill walking, and 281 Munros (for those of you not in the know, a Munro is a mountain in Scotland over 3000ft) already bagged, on the 27th October 2012, I will climb my final Munro, Aonoch Mor, at Fort William.

I am using this occasion to raise funds for Speur Ghlan Early Intervention Service, a small Scottish self funding charity supporting young children with autism, including Emma. This fantastic wee charity provides the early intervention approach advocated by, but unfortunately not at present delivered for children as young as Emma by the NHS. Speur Ghlan (Gaelic for Blue Skies ) provide a programme of play-based therapy tailored specifically to the needs and strengths of the child.

Please help us raise much needed funds for Speur Ghlan so they can continue their fantastic work with children across Scotland whose needs are not being met elsewhere. You can sponsor me through the internet by accessing the following web site and following the instructions.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/THEFINALMUNRO

Thanks in advance for your help, and my best wishes to everyone.

Alan Stewart (retired DHT)

MR PATERSON SHARES HIS THOUGHTS

What a complete joy it was returning to school in August and noting that ALL our students had adopted school tie. Many visitors and indeed other head teachers have remarked upon how smart our students look. Whilst other schools strive to get half the school wearing uniform and school blazers, I am clear that 100% wearing tie is a significant success. I will not move towards blazers unless I can guarantee your support in this, and as a father myself, I have to say I would be reluctant even to suggest we move towards blazers in the current climate given the cost implications for families who are already on a tight budget.

Our head boy and girl recently remarked that “the school is oozing with ambition!” As you will know from newspaper reports, the school’s results in SQA examinations were nothing short of fantastic. Such was the dramatic increase in our students’ attainment that we are considered to be the most improved school in Ayrshire. But we won’t stop there! Kilmarnock Academy has set its sights on restoring our reputation as the highest attaining school in the town, and have set ourselves and our students some very challenging targets for this year. Over the year parents will be informed where students are under performing and with your support we will challenge them to get back on target. It is absolutely imperative that our students are supported to be the best they can be.

Our staff are equally ambitious and have been working very hard in building our new Curriculum for Excellence. Added to this, Tom Campbell from our Technical Department recently won Scottish Teacher of the year. As you read this, both Tom and myself will be in London at the UK finals. My own view is that Tom has a very good chance of winning. Just consider....Kilmarnock Academy, with all its rich history and tradition is still making headlines as being the best...Again, I want nothing less for the school and nothing less for your children!

And of course this brings me to the proposed merger of James Hamilton and Kilmarnock Academy. Exciting times ahead. The Director of Education has already written to you outlining the process of consultation. I am clear; if our children deserve the best, then they ought to get the best, and whereas I am delighted with the support the council has given me in terms of refurbishing the school, and making it fit for purpose, a brand new school will be simply fantastic and bring with it a whole range of new opportunities for our students. I will of course keep you updated on progress. In the meantime, rest assured the council is absolutely committed to the widest possible consultation on this.

Finally it is crucial that the school has a strong parent voice, particularly in times of change in the curriculum and indeed in terms of other proposed developments. The council meets on the first Tuesday of each month and has been a fantastic support to me in my first year. The council does require new members. If you are interested please e-mail robertsondk@aol.com or simply turn up at the next meeting on 6th November at 7 30.pm. Your support in this would be much appreciated.

Bryan Paterson, Head Teacher.

CLASS OF 75 RE-UNION

The class of former pupils who started first year at Kilmarnock Academy in August 1975 had a re-union at the Foxbar Hotel in London Road on Saturday 6th October. The event was well-organised and well-attended, with around ninety former pupils turning up to catch up with old friends and chat about the good old days. Several former staff members also made the effort to go along to the event including Mr McMeekin, Mr Oliphant, Mr Kleboe, Mrs Miller and our former Head Teacher, Frank Donnelly, who was also celebrating his birthday. Well done to all those involved in organising the event and to all those former pupils who supported it.

HAVE AN ENJOYABLE WEEKEND!

JEANS FOR GENES - THIS FRIDAY

Wear jeans as part of your uniform on Friday 5th October to help us raise money to help people with Genetic disorders. It will cost £1 for pupils and £2 for staff.

Jeans must be worn as part of your normal uniform.Thanks for your support.

ASDAN Group

OUR SAM - A MAN OF MANY TALENTS

Sixth year pupil Sam Leighton is putting his musical talents to good use these days with local band, Baltimore League. As well as drumming and singing with the band on recordings and at gigs, he can play guitar and he even plays upright bass on the band's live video recently uploaded to Youtube. You can check out his performance by clicking here. Baltimore League play this Friday at Box on Sauchiehall Street.

Check out the band's Facebook by clicking here (and if you are on Facebook, be sure to give them a 'like').

A CASE OF 'THE HAPPY MONDAYS' (Pics by Ryan McCulloch S6) 2.10..2012

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

ASSEMBLY - MONDAY MORNING

Please note that on Monday 1st October, all of 4th,5th and 6th years should come straight to the main hall
at 8.44am. Pupils should sit in Registration Class rows.
Please also note that Tuesday 2nd October all 3rd year classes should come straight to the hall at 8.44am.

Pupils should also sit in Registration Class rows.

Mr G Kerr, DHT.

AN S4 ENGLISH CLASS PSYCHING THEMSELVES UP (AND DOWN) FOR INDIVIDUAL TALK... 2.10..2012

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 1.10..2012

K.A. BOOKCLUB IS RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS
S
K.A.Bookclub has their own special collection of books in the library that can only be borrowed by bookclub members. We will discuss books, play games, do activities, run a blog online and decorate our space on the wall outside the library. Bookclub members will also have the chance to take part in the “Spring Read” when authors visit the schools to give talks to pupils, as well as the Reader’s Cup quiz – where they will use their knowledge of books to compete against other schools in East Ayrshire1

If any pupils in S1 or S2 would like to come along to the bookclub on a Wednesday after school – please give your name to Miss Black in the library.

Miss Black, Librarian.

HOPE YOU HAD A REALLY GOOD WEEKEND!

SOME KEY MEMBERS OF 'TEAM K.A.' IN ACTION

Pics by Ryan McCulloch S6 28.9..2012

SENIOR GIRLS GET OFF TO A WINNING START

ST JOSEPHS ACADEMY 2 - 3 KILMARNOCK ACADEMY

The Senior Girls football team made the short journey to St Josephs for their first game in the Ayrshire League. Having had only 2 training sessions the team expected this to be a tough test.

St Josephs started off the better and looked very dangerous on the attack. Had it not been for several excellent saves from goalkeeper McLean and last ditch tackles by Sprott and Lawson, the game could have turned out very differently. In the 20th minute of the match, the Kilmarnock girls resistance was finally broken with an excellent half volley which brushed the post on the way in leaving keeper McLean with little chance. On the stroke of half time, Lawson played an excellent through ball to Kristiana Hamilton who slotted the ball past the onrushing St Joseph's goalkeeper.

This equaliser coupled with the half time teamtalk seemed to give the girls that bit of confidence they needed. And as they were lining up to start the 2nd half the offer of a strawberry tart each from Mr Kerr ensured there was only going to be one winner in this game. Kilmarnock looked a different team and were playing with such confidence that St Joseph's were now on the backfoot with Kristiana going close to scoring her second and a last ditch tackle denying Kyra Smith what would have been a certain goal. In the 41st minute of the match, Kyra was fouled on the edge of the box. Up stepped Sarena Fairbairn to take the free kick. She bent it round the wall and into the corner of the net leaving the keeper with no chance. Kilmarnock had a few more chances to put the game out of reach but were hit on the break by a great run and finish by the St Josephs number 8 to make it 2-2. With 4 minutes to go, Kilmarnock went in search of a winner and were rewarded when the ball broke to Fairbairn and she made no mistake firing low into the corner to make it 3-2. Kilmarnock managed to hold on thanks to a fantastic treble save from McLean at the death.

It must be said this was a great team performance with all players doing their bit and showing great spirit and determination.

The girls would like to thank everyone who came along to support and cheer them on. The next match will be away to Carrick Academy in the next few weeks.

H McLean, H Hunter, D Sprott, T Lawson, M Orr, K Hamilton, L Johnstone, S Fairbairn, R Caddis, Z Ross, K Smith, S Hamilton, B Hay

Report by Mr McClurg/Miss Milligan 28.9..2012

OUR NEW RECEPTION AREA IS LOOKING GOOD! 28.9..2012

LATEST NEWS ON PLANS FOR SCHOOL MERGER

Dear Parent / Carer / Colleagues

SCOTLAND’S SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE : PHASE 3

On 28 June 2012 I wrote to you indicating that the Cabinet of East Ayrshire Council had applied for funding to the Scottish Government under Phase 3 of Scotland’s Schools for the Future. As indicated in my letter, I am now in a position to inform you of the results of that submission and outline the next stage in the process.

The announcement from the Scottish Government given today by Cabinet Secretary Michael Russell MSP was that funding has been awarded for a new secondary school involving the present Kilmarnock Academy and James Hamilton Academy. It is for the Council’s Cabinet to consider the implications of this funding award and then to decide on whether to move forward with the consultation exercise under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. In summary, and if agreed, this consultation would involve staff, parents and young people attending or due to attend these schools and the wider communities. The exercise would take place at a near point in the future, and would focus on the concept of merging the two schools and the possible site options.

As you would recall, the letter that I sent on 28 June 2012 also indicated that Silverwood Primary School and New Farm Primary School and Nursery Class were included in our submission to the Scottish Government. The information at our disposal would indicate that the Council has not received a funding award in respect of that part of our submission. However, the Council recognises the challenges with the present facilities at both Silverwood Primary and New Farm Primary School and Nursery Class. Therefore, it is envisaged that at the same time as the consultation on Kilmarnock Academy and James Hamilton Academy is considered by Cabinet, that a decision will also be taken on the Council’s future plans for Silverwood Primary and New Farm Primary School and Nursery Class.

Once the Cabinet has considered these issues, I will write to you again with the outcome.

It is very much hoped that this information is helpful at this stage.

Yours sincerely

GRAHAM R SHORT
Executive Director of Educational and Social Services 26.9..2012

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 25.9..2012

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

European Day of Languages celebrations will be held this Thursday 27th September 2012. French delicacies will be on sale in the foyer during break and at lunch time. Croissants, brioches and mini pains au chocolat will all cost £0.30 each. There will be a Fancy (European) Dress Competition with prizes for S1 only. Judging will take place at lunchtime (12.45 pm) in the hall. S1 pupils will be in the assembly hall for their French period and we are also welcoming P6/7 pupils from Kirkstyle in the morning and from Loanhead in the afternoon. S2 pupils will celebrate European Day of Languages in their class. S4 pupils will be in the assembly hall where they will take part in a general knowledge quiz about Europe. S3 pupils do not come to French on Thursdays but will also take part in a Euroquiz at another date. More information from Mrs Stables or Mrs Smith.

Mrs Stables 25.9..2012

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND!

INTERACTION PROJECT

David Ross, local architect and a Director of Keppie Design, was in school last week discussing the school's involvement in the Interaction Project with Head Teacher, Bryan Paterson. To find out more about the Interaction Project click here. David, who grew up in Onthank, was an outspoken critic of the BBC's The Scheme (click here) and was instrumental in the creation of a communal garden on the former site of the Ardbeg Community Centre which was demolished last year.

Mr Paterson said, "I am excited by the Interaction Project. It really will sit well with the the range of other innovations we are carrying forward this year. These are exciting times at the Academy." 23.9..2012

SO WHAT IS THE OCCASION?

Miss Montgomery of our Art Department is pictured below with her Grandfather, in front of our famous school clock. Why? Full story to follow soon.
Pics by Sandy Ferguson

OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE FAMILY,

COLLEAGUES & FRIENDS OF

PC NICOLA HUGHES & PC FIONA BONE

OF GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

KILLED ON DUTY

TUESDAY 18th SEPTEMBER 2012

"A very upsetting and brutal reminder of the debt we owe to those who enable the rest of us to live ordinary lives."

PC LEWIS FULTON
Killed on duty
17th June 1994

A THOUGHT FOR THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO SERVE

It was 17th June 1994, the first day of World Cup USA, when I saw a picture of my close neighbour in Wardneuk, Lewis Fulton, flash onto my TV screen on the evening news. A really decent big guy, I had spoken to him earlier that week. But he died that evening. He went out to work that morning and he never came back. He had been stabbed in a Glasgow street earlier in the afternoon, protecting the public from an armed and mentally deranged man. Lewis was just 28. He had a wife, Christine, who had to try to find the stength to adjust to life without her man. And he had a six month old son, Luke, who had to grow up without his Dad. Long after the headlines had faded and the rest of us had returned to normality, there remained for them a void in their lives that will never be filled. At this time, we should spare a thought for them. On that day in 1994, Lewis paid the ultimate price to enable the rest of us to live ordinary lives. Nearly twenty years later, his wife and son are still paying for our freedoms. N.McI 19.9.12

Be sure to check out Care for Police Survivors, founded by Christine Fulton and Jim McNulty in 2003, and also the Scottish Police Memorial Trust, Roll of Honour.

MORE OF THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS!

What a surprise I got when I decided to check up on my old school! My name when I started the primary school in Kilmarnock Academy in 1943 was Anne Cowan - now Anne Condon. I had such a good laugh when I read Jim Crosbie's reminiscences of the primary teachers - especially Davy Gordon. I too remember being given the strap, which happened to miss my hand and hit my wrist. Do any of you remember Mummy Young? (my mother's cousin) She taught us Nature Study - and her "friend" Daddy Farrer -an English teacher and Colonel in the cadets. Then there was the granny figure of Miss McClarty - so gentle.

Like Jim my Father was taught by "old Nish' and I remember her sending me to the back of the class -"-bag and baggage", saying I was not like my father - I was "frivolous!".

If I remember correctly, the Crosbies went to the same church as us - Portland Road - and Walter was in my Sunday School class as well as my infant school class.

I studied Medical Laboratory Technology and worked in Irvine Central Hospital for eight years and then went to Bahrain to work. I married an Irishman ,Tom Condon, who was an engineer with Caltex Oil Company. We did some travelling the Middle East in countries which are not so safe now and then came back to Ireland. Until this year we still managed to have interesting holidays abroad , but arthritis has caught up with us! I had a marvellous re-union last year in Ayr meeting up with the staff of Irvine Central Lab most of whom I had not seen since 1964! It is good to talk about old times, especially when the memories are happy ones.

We have one son,Andrew, who studied Computer Science in Trinity College, Dublin. He worked in Seattle for 8 years, then went to Mexico and now lives in a remote area of Catalonia.

I think the photograph I have attached (below) was taken when we were in Davy's class. Look forward to keeping in touch with the website.

Anne Condon 19.9..2012

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 15.9..2012

THE GOOD OLD DAYS!

I was a pupil at Kilmarnock Academy from 1961 to 1964 and I believe I hold a record that maybe not everybody would be proud of....but oh well, I was young then...

In 1963 or probably 1964 I received 17 of the belt from our physics teacher in the St Joseph's classroom that we used at that time. This punishment was spread out over the whole period and I can't remember the teacher's name but we affectionately called him " Fumble " as he was just a young teacher and a lot of his experiments went wrong. In the same vein, I was the last person to get flogged by the Rector Robert McIntyre who retired on that Friday and, on the Monday morning, I was also the first ever flogging by the new Rector, Mr Hislop, both occasions being from " Ma" Logan's English class right next door. I think the classroom was designated B2.

Rector McIntyre had occasion to flog me once previously. That was the first time I ever got the belt in school and I think that turned me. Well, that's my excuse anyway. I was reported by a prefect for smoking in the bogs between the Academy and the Tech purely out of malice because I didn't smoke but a couple of my friends did and I was just in there to use the toilet and I was the only person singled out. I didn't start smoking until I was eighteen and I was pretty annoyed at the whole situation. Anyway, I've managed to get through life so far without too much trouble.......but there's time yet.....

Hugh Docherty 15.9..2012

RETURN OF SQA ART WORK

If you would like your folio work back from the SQA you need to pass your name and money to Miss McKee ASAP!! If you do not ask for your work to be sent back to school it will be DESTROYED by the SQA!! You have been warned!! The deadline for this is the 20th September.

S4 Int 1/2 - £5 S5/6 Int2/ Higher - £8 Photography - £5

Miss McKee 13.9..2012

JEANS FOR GENES - MESSAGE FROM OUR ASDAN GROUP

On Friday the 5th of October we are fundraising for Jeans for Genes. Everyone can come to school wearing jeans and pay £1 (staff pay £2).

This day is all about people with genetic disorders. The money we will raise is to improve their daily life. It gives them opportunities to take part in different activities. 6.9..2012

MARIE MACKLIN VISITS THE SCHOOL

Distinguished former pupil, Marie Macklin, visited the school on Monday afternoon to meet with our Head Teacher, Mr Paterson. A very interesting proposal, which involves the Art Department, was under discussion. Details will be revealed soon, here on KA Web. 3.9..2012

OUR NEW FIRST YEAR PUPILS SEEM TO LIKE IT HERE... 3.9..2012

ONE MAN AND HIS BLOG

We have good news for all those S5 students who want to do well in Maths. Our own Mr Murdoch - who is very keen to keep his S5 Maths class up to speed with homework tasks, deadlines and Maths news - planned to provide daily Maths updates to this website. However, Mr McIlvanney suggested he would have greater control over updates if he created his own blog. So, with a little help from our librarian, Miss Black, he has created his very own KA Maths blog. The address is
kahighermathshw.edublogs.org. 30.8..2012

MR PATERSON RESPONDS TO YOUR FEEDBACK (SEE ITEM BELOW THIS ONE)

It is really gratifying to see such positive comments about our school community, and such constructive
suggestions for improvement! The school is about to undertake a full consultation exercise with students
as to how good you think learning and teaching is at this school....once again our wily webmaster has read
my mind!

Be clear though: our school is THE most improved school in the whole council by a long, long mile and it is
the intention of all of us to be the best school in Kilmarnock and indeed beyond. To see every single
student in dress code and working hard to achieve this goal is simply wonderful!

Mr Paterson, Head Teacher

ANY IMPROVEMENTS?

1. I think one thing that would make my school better would be if more classes did things together such as
Physics could work with English to create a class book. Regan Kelly S3

Mr Paterson says: Thanks for your suggestion Regan. The school has done some great work in taking
forward “Interdisciplinary Learning”. Primary /Secondary projects, The Olympic Topic, Enterprise topics
and beyond have been hugely successful. One of the key areas the school will be working on this year is to
extend our approaches to departmental collaboration in order that we “connect the learning” more across
subjects. I will certainly bring your idea to the attention of Mrs Dunsmuir an Mrs Hogg

2. I think one thing that would make my school better would be to have animal welfare lessons on how to
look after animals and pets and learn about how animals are treated around the world. Eilidh Raeburn S2

Mr Paterson says: Eilidh, I understand where you are coming from.... but given all the work we have to do
across all our subjects it looks as though this might be an idea for a lunchtime club perhaps? Speak to
your Year Head and we’ll see what we can do....

3.I think one thing that would make my school better would be a bigger range of option choices. Rhys S6

Mr Paterson says: Rhys, we’ve introduced new courses in Personal Development and Fashion and Textile.
Next year we will introduce Engineering Skills and Leadership.... but the problem every school has is that it
can’t offer everyone everything at the same time, I’m afraid. That said, I’m keen to explore this further
with you .... You know where I am!

An effective “Student Voice” plays a key part in improving our school. We have an excellent Student
Council who make an invaluable contribution to the school and hold me to account regularly . I will be
consulting with them on my proposal for full student consultation, so watch this space for more
information ... 29.8..2012

ONE REALLY GOOD THING ABOUT OUR SCHOOL IS...

One really good thing about our school is the friendliness of the teachers. Ross Bell S3

One great thing about our school is that the place has a lot of history and character. Luke Simumba S3

One really good thing about our school is that we have great lunch ladies. Sean Stuart S5

I think one of the best things about my school is that we have a very good library. Max Cusack S2

ANY IMPROVEMENTS?

I think one thing that would make my school better would be if more classes did things together such as Physics could work with English to create a class book. Regan Kelly S3

I think one thing that would make my school better would be to have animal welfare lessons on how to look after animals and pets and learn about how animals are treated around the world. Eilidh Raeburn S2

I think one thing that would make my school better would be a bigger range of option choices. Rhys S6

28.8..2012

STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHS

All photograph orders and money to be received by Friday 30th August, 2012. Thanks. 27.8..2012

COMENIUS PROJECT

Over the next two years Kilmarnock Academy staff and pupils will be involved in a Comenius project called “Art, Sport And Literature Against Violence In Schools”. The project is funded by the British Council under its lifelong learning programme and will enable us to work with students and teachers from nine European countries. The countries are: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Turkey.

We will work on a variety of tasks in school and at regular intervals throughout the project the schools will meet up to share the work we have been doing. Our visits to the other countries will take the form of exchange visits with our pupils staying with host families and then hosting a child on return when our European partners visit Scotland in May 2013. This will not only help us to reduce costs but will also provide greater opportunities to learn about the countries and the people we are visiting. We will also spend time during each visit attending the host school and learning about the school life of our European partners.

All ten countries will meet for the first time in November in Latvia. We will visit Saldus Profesionālā vidusskola, the school of our Latvian partners which is a boarding school where pupils study construction (technician in construction and road builders), computer-based systems (computer technician), carpentry, hotel service (hospitality service specialist) and fire safety and fire fighting (fireman/rescuer).

Pupils interested in taking part in the programme need to be prepared to stay with a host family, reciprocate by hosting a child from one our partner schools for the visit to Scotland, work on Comenius activities prior to and following the visits, share our work by talking to school assemblies and classes both here and abroad about the work that they have been doing.

Mrs E. Walker - DHT 27.8..2012

233d AUGUST 2012...

THIS IS IAN THE JANNY'S

LAST DAY AT K.A.

WE THANK IAN FOR CHEERING US UP

OVER THE YEARS AND WISH HIM

A LONG AND HAPPY RETIREMENT

OUR VISIT TO THE BOOK FESTIVAL

On Tuesday the 21st of August, some 2nd and 3rd year pupils went on a school trip to the Edinburgh Book Festival in Charlotte Square. We listened to Garth Nix telling us about his new book 'A Confusion of Princes' and Tommy Donbavand telling us about his new horror comedy book series specialy written for dyslexic readers. We had a geat day out. Thanks to Miss Fullerton and Miss Black our librarian

Report written by Eilidh Raeburn S2

OUR NEW SENIOR TIE IS PROVING TO BE POPULAR (thanks to Calum Strain and his i-phone for photo)

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 20.8..2012

PLANS TO MERGE KILMARNOCK ACADEMY WITH JAMES HAMILTON ACADEMY

At the beginning of the summer holidays, plans were announced for a new £40 million "superschool" which would see the merger of Kilmarnock Academy and James Hamilton Academy on one campus. To read the Kilmarnock Standard report on the proposed merger click here. When we get more information regarding the proposals, we will post the details here on the school website. N.McI 20.8..2012

SOME KA WEB FEATURES - CHECK THEM OUT!

Old Haunts

View from the Roof

Daily Newspapers

DURING THE HOLIDAYS, LORNA JACKSON E-MAILED US FROM BAVARIA

Hi there KA

I was on your website at the weekend and I thought I could let you know who I am and where I am. I am a former pupil form 1967 - 1971 : Lorna Jackson. I have been living in Germany, in a town called Aschaffenburg in the north of Bavaria since 1978.

I was a teacher of Mod Languages, and am now teaching ( mostly) French and a little English at a Further Education College for pupils who did O-levels and then learned a job and later return to school to take Highers/A-levels because they want to go to university. I still enjoy my work and Aschaffenburg is a beautiful town on the edge of the Spessart forest and about the same size as Kilmarnock.

I was in the same year as people like : Lesley Martin, Allison Anderson, Dorothy Grieg, Mary Findlay, Elizabeth Christie etc. Maybe I'll hear from some of my old friends through you.

Cheers for now. Lorna (Glaubitz) 20.8..2012

A NEW SESSION AND A FRESH START - LET'S MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

BE ON TIME - BE PREPARED - BE POSITIVE

DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS & WORK HARD AT DEVELOPING NEW ONES

SEIZE OPPORTUNITY, REALISE YOUR POTENTIAL & DO YOURSELF JUSTICE

TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK AND YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS - SIMPLY TURNING UP ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH

KILMARNOCK ACADEMY

BE PROUD OF YOUR SCHOOL AND ITS TRADITION OF SUCCESS!

A VERY WARM WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW PUPILS AND NEW MEMBERS OF STAFF!

IMPROVED EXAM RESULTS - FIRST STEP ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

Congratulations and well done to all those students whose hard work, concentration and effort contributed to significant improvements in almost all areas of the school's 2012 SQA results, compared with last year. Mr Paterson, who took charge of the school last August, is pleased to see so many Higher pupils in particular being rewarded for their efforts with good passes across a range of subjects. However, while he recognises that this success is an encouraging first step on the path to re-establishing the reputation of Kilmarnock Academy as a top Scottish school, he believes that "this is only a start and that there is still a great deal of scope for further improvement and still a lot of hard work to be done."

Mr Paterson added, "I am actually delighted with Foundation and General results....only a bit disappointed with Credit. The Director is equally delighted overall. We should take heed from our Olympians re working hard for success. As a school we have set ourselves some challenging targets for next year's exams. We are absolutely committed to supporting and challenging all our students to be the best they can possibly be."

If this year's successes are to form the foundation for an upward trend of further success in coming years, then there can be no doubt that the greatest challenge facing the school and the staff is to find a successful strategy for tackling the lack of motivation and self-discipline which prevents so many young people nowadays from achieving their full potential. This year's S Grade Credit results - the only area in which we dipped slightly - highlight this. The sort of conviction and self-belief students require has got to come from within - and that's the hard bit. Parents and teachers can impose some of the discipline or rigour and clearly that can make a difference for some pupils. However, it cannot create in students the conviction, the belief, the sense of purpose and the appetite for knowledge and hard work that ensure success and enable pupils to realise their potential. Mr Paterson, who certainly doesn't lack conviction, is well aware of the impact this issue has on results and on the future prospects of our students. Consequently, he has some interesting and innovative measures in the pipeline for this session which aim to tackle the problem. Watch this space. N.McI 18.8..2012

KILMARNOCK & DISTRICT HISTORY GROUP 2012 -2013

2 October 2012 - Alex Lochrie ‘Never Too Old – The French Foreign Legion’
16 October 2012 - Jim Steel ‘The Laigh Kirk Session 1643 - 1900’
30 October 2012 - Ian MacDonald ‘Belgian Refugees in Ayrshire in WW1 ’
13 November 2012 - Paula Williams ‘Putting Kilmarnockon the Map’
27 November 2012 - Duncan Close ‘Sanquhar Post Office – The Oldest in the World’
11 December 2012 - R. Allan Richardson ‘History of Beith Furniture’

8 January 2013 - Lawrence Wyper ‘Make It Kilmarnock’
22 January 2013 - Anne McLauchlan ‘Portencross Castle’
5 February 2013 - Dr. Ian Matheson ‘In Search of El Dorado – The Spanish Conquistadors of the 16th C "
19 February 2013 - Prof. Jim Boyle ‘A History of The Royal College’
5 March 2013 - Prof. Jim Penman ‘The Genius of James Clark Maxwell’ -A joint meeting with KESS
9 March 2013 - Norman Deeley ‘The Goatfell Murder’. Plus AGM

Thanks to Stuart Wilson. For more details click here.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR S5 & S6 PUPILS

All S5/6 pupils should come into school on 13th and 14th August to discuss option choices in light of exam results.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL STUDENTS WHO PERFORMED WELL IN THE SQA EXAMS.

ADDITIONAL IN-SERVICE DAY

Dear Parent/Carer

ADDITIONAL IN-SERVICE DATES 2012/13
THURSDAY 16 AUGUST/FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER (SECONDARY SCHOOLS ONLY)

As part of the Scottish Government’s response to requests for additional resources to support the implementation of new qualifications, two additional in-service days have been allocated to all secondary schools across the country.

In deciding on the timing of these additional days it was agreed that the existing in-service day schedule would be maintained since planning for these days has been in place for some time. It has been agreed, after consultation, that the best use of these two additional days for secondary schools would be gained by inserting the first extra day on Thursday 16 August, and the second extra day on Friday 12 October. This means that secondary school staff will be able to undertake initial planning and discussions early in the new session, have an opportunity for further meetings and development work to take place over a period of time. The second in-service day will then provide an opportunity for secondary school staff to work together across the authority to implement further development activity.

Please note that these two additional in-service days apply to secondary schools only in accordance with the Scottish Government’s wish. Primary schools, special schools and early years establishments will be open as usual for children on 16 August and 12 October. You should also be assured that where a primary school catering is supplied from a secondary school kitchen, this will be in operation so the school meals service for primary schools will be operating as normal.

I am conscious, in listening to the views of parents, that having only Friday 17 August as the first day back in a one-day week may not be ideal so I therefore will be asking schools to reinforce the importance of attendance on that single day to pupils through website messages and group call. I believe that staff will get the most benefit from this revised schedule and ultimately so will pupils.

Thank you for your continuing support and co-operation.

Yours sincerely

Alan Ward - Acting Head of Service: Schools 7.8..2012

Introducing the new range of
Kilmarnock Academy uniforms

Black V Neck Sweater with
Kilmarnock Academy Logo

Black Full Zip Fleece with
Embroidered Badge

Black Regatta Waterproof Jacket
with Embroidered Badg

For full details and to download an order form click here.

BEST WISHES TO RETIRING STAFF

At the end of the session last week we were sad to lose some of our most experienced members of staff. We were sad but they were actually pretty happy as they were retiring. David Nisbet, Ruth Ogg, Jim Rigg and Carolyn Stewart have all opted for a more leisurely lifestyle and we wish them a long and happy retirement. 5.7..2012

JEAN McEWAN SAYS HI AND THANKS DAVID McCALL

I was Jean McEwan and attended KA from 1966 and left at end of 5th year in 1971 to go to Craigie College. Have had a varied life and now live in Dundee with my 3rd husband. On 23rd June I attended a reunion with many others who left in 1972 - was a great night. Many thanks to David McCall for organising it. 5.7..2012

KILMARNOCK FAIR FESTIVAL AT CENTRESTAGE

"Nothing ever happens in Killie..." We've all said it. But things are changing. Over the past two years there has been a real increase in the number of big shows featuring famous and successful acts and this year's Kilmarnock Fair Festival at Centrestage continues that trend. For this year's festival, Centrestage are presenting acts that blend credibility and popular appeal in an intimate setting that has been designed with the audience experience in mind. We think nothing of paying £80 or more a ticket to watch big acts, tiny figures in the distance, at Hampden. For a small fraction of that price, go along to Centrestage next week and experience great acts and quality sound. For more details click here or call 01563 551505.

JIM SUHLER & MONKEYBEAT - Wed 4th July @ 8pm

HUE & CRY - Thursday 5th July @ 8pm

RHYTHM KINGS - Saturday 7th July @ 2.30pm

BRIAN KENNEDY - Saturday 7th July @ 8pm

ROBBIE DALE plus a BBQ Sunday 8th July @ 2.30pm

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 26.6..2012

BALTIMORE LEAGUE PERFORM AT TOWN CENTRE

One of the acts performing at the town centre on Saturday was new local band, Baltimore League. The band consists of S6 pupil, Sam Leighton, along with recent former pupils Gregor Keachie and Euan McIlvanney. After delivering a dynamic and melodic set the boys were off to Glasgow to perform at The Captain's Rest on Saturday night. The band have some more gigs coming up, including The Grand Hall Kilmarnock on the 13th July and The Garage in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow on the 21st July. To check out the band's Facebook page click here.

KILMARNOCK ACADEMY PUPILS SING FOR SHOPPERS

Well done to our senior choir who gave a fantastic performance on Saturday afternoon at Kilmarnock town centre. The choir were performing as part of a full programme of musical entertainment laid on for the enjoyment of shoppers by Town Centre Manager, Fiona Nicholson. Other acts, including Centrestage and EAYT, also featured pupils past and present. Well done to all and a special word of thanks for Ms Donnelly and Mr Ramsay who yet again gave up a fair chunk of their weekend for the benefit of their pupils, the school and the community.

NOT LONG TILL THE HOLIDAYS...

The photos below were taken on Loch Lomond during the summer holidays last year. Let's hope we can look forward to some good weather this summer.

THIS WEEK WE HAVE HAD OUR PRIZEGIVING CEREMONY AND SUMMER CONCERT. 14.6..2012

NEW SPORTS FACILITIES NOW OPEN AND IN USE 14.6..2012

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A WINNER... 12.6..2012

TOM CAMPBELL

DAILY RECORD EDUCATION AWARDS

TEACHER OF THE YEAR 2012

CONGRATULATIONS TO TOM, A MEMBER OF OUR TECHNICAL DEPT, ON HIS SUCCESS. WELL DONE TC!

THE OLYMPIC TORCH AT KILMARNOCK ACADEMY PLAYING FIELDS

One of our S2 pupils, Regan Kelly, has edited up the film footage he took at last week's Olympic Torch event and produced a short film which really captures the excitement of that historic day.

Regan is not only hard-working and a nice guy but he is also a dab hand at all things technological - as you will see when you view the movie. We hope that he will be able to produce more short films for our school website. To view click here. 12.6..2012

EAST AYRSHIRE

READERS' CUP

2012

The Readers’ Cup final took place at St Joseph’s Academy on Friday 8th June 2012. Our team competed against St Joseph’s Academy, Auchinleck Academy, Doon Academy, Cumnock Academy and Grange Academy to answer book related questions! Our team was Eilidh Raeburn, Robyn McDowall, David Hall and Rebecka Cameron. They didn’t win but they did really well and everyone got a goody bag at the end. Congratulations to the winners, Doon Academy, who will host the competition next year!

We only had 3 supporters this year so maybe if we can get more fans to cheer on our team next year we will do even better! A big thank you to our supporters Morgan McDonnell (who knew the answers to loads of the audience questions and won himself some sweets), Katie Smith and Katie Gibson (I think the two Katies knew the answers too but were too shy to answer).

The picture above shows our team warming up their brains before the competition by making their talking hamster mascot say funny things in a squeaky voice…

Report by Miss V. Black - Librarian (To view EAC's report on the event click here.)

HAPPY AT THEIR WORK...

THE OLYMPIC TORCH

QUEEN'S DRIVE & KILMARNOCK ACADEMY PLAYING FIELDS

FRIDAY 8th JUNE 2012

OLYMPIC TORCH DAY - FRIDAY 8th JUNE 2012

The Olympic Torch comes to Kilmarnock on Friday 8 June and will be part of the official opening ceremony of the new athletics’ facility at our playing fields.

All Kilmarnock Academy pupils will be involved on this day.

Some pupils will be taking part in sporting activities. These pupils will be organised by Mrs Hamilton.

All other pupils will be walked to the playing fields, leaving school at 1000am and returning by 1200 noon. These pupils will be part of the audience for the arrival of the torch and must be in full school uniform. Pupils must be prepared for all weather situations.
Eg. Sunscreen and water or waterproof clothing.

Further details will be sent to registration teachers in the near future.

G Kerr 31.5..2012

S2 FRENCH PUPILS VISIT GLOBAL MARKET

The recent Global Market in Kilmarnock gave these S2 pupils from Kilmarnock Academy an excellent opportunity to practise their French. The pupils have been learning all about food in class and particularly enjoyed speaking to the French stallholders . Michael Green (2S) said ‘We asked the woman at the cheese stall a few questions – it was great fun being able to talk to a real French person’. Mrs Smith and Miss Ambler from the Modern Languages Department accompanied the pupils.

Report By Mrs Smith 7.6.2012

CUMNOCK ACADEMY HAS A GREAT NEW WEBSITE

Congratulations to all at Cumnock Academy on the launch of the new school website. The creation of the site has taken literally hundreds of hours of hard work and ceative thinking by Stevie Robson of the Music Department and when you visit the site you will see that all his effort and sacrifice have certainly paid off. The site is light, bright, engaging and the tone of it is informal and fun. I really liked the staff photos. These were either taken by Kevin Bridges wearing a party hat or the Cumnock staff are an extremely happy bunch. Keep up the good work and keep adding to your site! To view the new website click here. N.McI 6.6.2012

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND!
ALL PUPILS RETURNED TO SCHOOL WEDNESDAY 6th JUNE
NEW STARTING TIME - 8.40am
DON'T BE LATE!
6.6..2012

OUR NEW SCHOOL WEEK FROM 6th JUNE 2012

Monday and Tuesday,		Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
Reg	8.44 – 9.00am (16 min)	Reg	8.44 – 8.50am (6 min)
1	9.00 – 9.50am	1	8.50 – 9.40am
2	9.50 – 10.40am	2	9.40 – 10.30am
Break	10.40 – 10.55am (15 min)	Break	10.30 – 10.45 am (15 min)
3	10.55 – 11.45am	3	10.45 – 11.35am
4	11.45 – 12.35pm	4	11.35 – 12.25pm
Lunch	12.35 – 1.15pm (40 min)	Lunch	12.25 – 1.05pm (40 min)
5	1.15 – 2.05pm	5	1.05 – 1.55pm
6	2.05 – 2.55pm	6	1.55 – 2.45pm
7	2.55 – 3.45pm

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Don't miss this week's Kilmarnock Standard which features reports written by S3 pupils Mathew McAteer, Sophie Richardson, Torin McKenzie, Jake McCormack and Lauren Johnson. Well done to our budding journalists. We are grateful to Clair Fullarton at the Kilmarnock Standard for her assistance and wish to thank all at our local paper for providing our young students with the opportunity to write for such a large local audience. N.McI 31.5..2012

CONGRATULATIONS TO MISS MILLIGAN - NOW OFFICIALLY A KA PE TEACHER 30.5..2012

S2 ENGLISH PUPILS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE LIBRARIES AND READING 30.5..2012

RECRUITMENT FAIR THURSDAY IN GRAND HALL

WHAT'S ON OFFER? 47 Modern Apprenticeships in areas such as Business Administration, Construction, Roads Maintenance, Horticulture and Social Care

WHERE? Recruitment Fair, Grand Hall, Kilmarnock

WHEN? Thursday 24 May from 3.00pm – 7.00pm

Don't miss it! N.McI 24.5.2012

THE VIEW FROM THE TOWER (CLICK ON THE PICS BELOW) 28.5..2012

HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING THE SUNSHINE! 28..5..2012

NO KNIVES, BETTER LIVES

East Ayrshire Council's No Knives, Better Lives education roadshow took place in the Grand Hall on Tuesday 22nd May. The event was attended by seventy teachers who gathered to learn about knife danger. The Director of Educational and Social Services welcomed guests and identified sectarianism and violence in TV soaps as being key contributing factors to the problem of violence and knife crime in Scotland. While some may question how many knife-carrying teenagers even watch soaps such as Eastenders, the fact remains that it is only through the expression and exchange of views that we will be able to identify and tackle the actual root causes of the violence. The No Knives, Better Lives event facilitated such discussion. Also as part of the roadshow, the Kamikaze Theatre Company delivered a powerful and thought-provoking drama that highlighted some of the pressures faced by young people today.

There can be no doubt that the No Knives Better Lives initiative is both welcome and necessary. Since May 2009, KA Web has tried to highlight the devastating impact of violent crime. In recent years we have lost two pupils as a result of violent attacks. The effect of such terrible events on the families and the friends of the two young victims is immeasurable. Both of these tragedies took place at night in the community. In each case the assailant was part of a group. Random violent attacks are seldom perpetrated by individuals acting alone - unless of course the motive is robbery. An awful lot of violent crimes are committed for no other reason than to "impress" others present and to elevate status in the eyes of peers. Alcohol often acts as a catalyst and, combined with aggression, is a key aspect of male teenage culture in the West of Scotland. There is no doubt that this is a deep-rooted and complex cultural problem. Let us all hope that the No Knives, Better Lives campaign will be succesful in challenging and changing the attitudes and behaviour of those young people who are presently drawn in and seduced by modern tales of macho violence. N.McI 24.5.2012

THE HUMAN COST OF KNIFE CRIME (FROM KA WEB - MAY 2009)

Some time ago I worked on pages for this website commemorating former pupils who died in the two world wars. At the time I stated that the real emotional impact of that memorial derived from the fact that the individual stories and tributes succeeded in humanising the statistics, giving a real sense of the lives behind the names and conveying an overwhelming sense of loss. Recently I came across a web page that did the same thing for young victims of another tragic war - on the streets of modern Britain. Anyone who thinks that it's cool to be "tooled up" should click here. N. McIlvanney

THE AREA AROUND THE SCHOOL ON A SUNNY DAY IN MAY (CLICK ON THE PICS BELOW) 24.5..2012

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BIG LUNCH?

The Big Lunch is a very simple idea from the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. This year the plan is to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee with a Big Lunch on 3rd June 2012. To find out all about it click here.
22.5..2012

A SNEAK PREVIEW ...

The new sports track and facilities at Kilmarnock Academy Playing Fields are due to open very soon. Most of the development lies to the right/east side of the drive up to where the original pavilion stood. This means that the rugby pitches, to the left/west of the drive, remain untouched. More details soon. 22.5..2012

NEW RANGE OF KILMARNOCK ACADEMY SCHOOL UNIFORMS

In response to quite understandable concerns expressed by some parents regarding the cost of school uniform, Mr Paterson has issued the following advice:
"White shirts can be purchased from Asda or Tesco at approximately £10 for a pack of three, and school ties are only £3. The new school jumper is good value in that it is very hard wearing and will easily last a whole school year. That said, parents may choose to purchase alternative black v necks from elsewhere. The most important thing is that that our children take pride in themselves and in the school. Uniform is part of this, and I am convinced that our students will be seen as the smartest in town."

FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT OUR NEW SCHOOL UNIFORM CLICK HERE.

HOPE YOU HAD A REALLY GOOD WEEKEND!

ALL S4, S5 & S6 PUPILS - KEEP WORKING HARD DURING STUDY LEAVE - IT WILL BE WORTH IT.

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE!

At present my first year class are working on a campaign to promote the positive aspects of Kilmarnock. Any questions I might have had about the commitment of these young people to the cause were surely answered by the e-mail below which was sent to the school website on Saturday evening at 6.04pm:

Dear Mr McIlvanney,

We were wondering whether Ms Black would let us into the computer suite (or your classroom). Why do we ask you? We need your help in getting us into the school at lunchtime because our Kilmarnock project needs a lot of work done. We were also wondering whether this could be our homework (instead of the smaller one) because we are putting a lot of effort in. This will not be an easy project to finish in a short amount of time. Your support in this would be much appreciated.

Yours Sincerely, Callum & Eilidh

As their teacher, I find their enterprising attitude as well as their earnest and business-like enthusiasm for our class project both reassuring and satisfying - especially coming from two twelve-year-olds. That this matter was occupying their thoughts on a Saturday evening, not long before the BGT final, is also quite endearing. My answer to Callum & Eilidh: consider it sorted!

(The project will appear here soon.) N McI 14.5.2012

HRH Prince Charles

PRINCE CHARLES VISITS KILMARNOCK

HRH Prince Charles will visit Kilmarnock today (Friday). The main purpose of his visit is to officially open the renovated Johnnie Walker Bond building in Strand Street. Later he will visit the North West Youth Project in Onthank and the North West area centre in Western Road. The Prince's visit will come as a boost to Onthank following the damage caused to the area by the BBC's The Scheme which highlighted the problems faced by several families "from Onthank" (only one of the families actually lived in Onthank). Of course, the publicity the programme generated only added to those problems and also had a negative impact on the other residents of Onthank. We hope Prince Charles enjoys his visit to the real Scheme. N McI 11.5.2012

FORMER PUPIL MAKES FANTASTIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCHOOL - DETAILS SOON

OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY - 8th JUNE 2012 - AT K.A. PLAYING FIELDS - DETAILS SOON

DON'T MISS THE RETURN OF THE GLOBAL MARKET - THIS WEEKEND

The Global market is back untill Sunday the 13th of May. Come take a slice of life from one of the exotic stalls. From tasty cheese to hand-crafted chairs, we have it all. Enjoy a kangaroo burger or some super sweet churros. Situated in the centre of town it is easy to get to and great fun for all the family. Get a big bright pick and mix for the kids while you browse the fancy flower stalls . It's all here so come to Killie!!!

(The photos below were taken when the Global Market was in town at the beginning of June last year.)

Report by Eilidh Raeburn 1S 10.5.2012

ATTENTION MISS BLACK'S S5 ENGLISH CLASS!

With the English exam next week, Miss Black has been working overtime to provide her S5 class with a bit of extra help in revising the Carol Ann Duffy poem War Photographer. The revision notes are hosted at an interesting site called prezi.com which allows you to make presentations similar to PowerPoint, except online. So if you want to delve more deeply into the poem and find out more about such aspects as the sentence structure, the imagery, sound patterns and word choice just click here. If you want to revise more English or do work for other subjects check this site. 9.5.2012

ONLINE STUDY SUPPORT - THANKS TO MR RIGG

Hi

I just wanted to thank Mr Rigg for his admirable Int 1 and 2 resources. Was tearing my hair out trying to help a young man understand and revise the key aspects and these notes have reduced everyone's stress levels enormously.

Many many thanks.

H Elsley 8.5.2012

STUDY SUPPORT ON KA WEB

In case you didn't know, you can get Study Support and Revision materials in a range of subjects right here on the school website. As well as help in English, Maths, Music, Biology and Business Studies you can now find help in Religious Education, Geography, Media Studies, Modern Studies, Chemistry and History.

To get support in other subjects, just ask your class teacher.
N McI 8.5.2012

HOPE YOU HAD AN ENJOYABLE

HOLIDAY WEEKEND!

EAST AYRSHIRE LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS - 4th MAY 2012

WARD 1	WARD 2	WARD 3
Ellen Freel – Independent Eoghann MacColl – SNP John McGhee – Scottish Labour	Helen Coffey, SNP Andrew Hershaw, SNP Maureen McKay, Labour	Tom Cook, Conservative Lillian Jones, Labour Iain Linton, SNP Douglas Reid, SNP
WARD 4	WARD 5	WARD 6
James Buchanan - SNP John Campbell - SNP Gordon Cree - Scottish Labour Drew McIntyre - Scottish Labour	John Knapp - Scottish Labour Hugh Ross - SNP Jim Todd - SNP	Alan Brown – SNP George Mair – Scottish Labour Bobby McDill – SNP John McFadzean – Conservative
WARD 7	WARD 8	WARD 9
Neil McGhee – Scottish Labour Stephanie Primrose – SNP Jim Roberts – SNP David Shaw – Scottish Labour	Billy Crawford – Scottish Labour Barney Menzies – Scottish Labour Kathy Morrice – SNP Eric Ross – Scottish Labour	John Bell – SNP Elaine Dinwoodie – Scottish Labour Moira Pirie – Scottish Labour

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES!

ALTON TOWERS

Kilmarnock Academy’s annual school trip to Alton Towers will run on Tuesday 26th June 2012. 133 pupils and 10 staff are taking part in this exciting trip with 3 buses transporting them from the school to the theme park and back again.

The bus will leave Kilmarnock Academy at 2am so pupils will be asked to report to the school at 1.30am in order to register. We wouldn’t want to leave without anyone! All those involved will spend the day at this fantastic theme park and be asked to report back to the bus at 4.45pm to set off from Alton towers at 5.15pm.

The total cost of the trip is £42. All pupils have paid a £15 deposit and the balance is due on or before Monday 21st May. Pupils attending must qualify through the school’s positive rewards scheme to take part.

This has been a very successful trip in the past and all pupils taking part have a fabulous time – many do not wish to leave! This promises to be a thrilling experience for all those involved.

Further information will be available from the school closer to the event.

Mrs Dale (Acting DHT) 3.5..2012

TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE. 1.5..2012

CHECK OUT OUR LIBRARY BLOG

Miss Black, our new librarian, has settled in nicely and has even been busily blogging to keep our students up to date with the latest developments in the Library Resource Centre. If you want to find out about the Readers' Cup, all the latest purchases or the most popular books in the library then you should click here. Class 1S would like to thank Miss Black for her help with the Scotland 2050 project, featured below.

As exam leave has now started, all senior pupils should return any books borrowed to Miss Black in the LRC. N.McI 1.5..2012

CLASS 1S THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE

We got together as a class and thought about what Scotland would be like in 2050. We had a good laugh discussing and thinking about what it would be like and came to a conclusion to target three main areas. Our first area would be a 2050 classroom (what we think it will look like), second an invention that would make our lives easier and lastly write a diary about a day in our lives in 2050.

We set off individually and after a week of hard work we were finished all three areas we had thought about. Now we are sending them away to the SQA for judging in a competition and hopefully have some winners and make all the hard work pay off. It was a good project to do and we all enjoyed doing it. To check out our ideas click here.
Callum Gibson 1S 27.4.2012

TO READ ON AND VIEW OTHER NEWS AND EVENTS FROM THIS SESSION CLICK HERE

AND THERE'S MORE.....

In case you have missed any of our front page news, we have archived it so you can browse at your leisure. The news archive is split into school years or sessions:

Session 2010 - 2011
Session 2009 - 2010
Session 2008 - 2009
Session 2007 - 2008
Session 2006 - 2007
N.McI

READ ALL ABOUT IT !

In case you didn't make it to the newsagents' this morning, you can catch up on all the news and headlines here on KA Web. Click the picture on the left to access everything from the Daily Record to the Guardian.

If you have time, you should also check out the MAGAZINE RACK (right) where you will be sure to find something to appeal to - or develop - your interests.
N.McI

Former Pupils

Worldwide

We have recently heard from Peter Holt (Portugal), Gerry Greensmith in Brighton and Janie Henstock in South Africa who visited Kilmarnock in July 2006. She sent us some pictures and her thoughts on her visit.

GET IN TOUCH WITH K.A.

We have already heard from
Billy Lennon (Derby), Daryn Bolland (Canada), Linda Sewell (Kentucky, USA), Jamie Ross (Weston, Florida, USA), David McGaw (Hamilton), Kara Lou Ross (Kilmarnock), Julie Clemmy (Kilmarnock), Winifred Holland (Ontario), Heather Farrell Andolsen (New Jersey), Laura Hastings (Cape Cod), Russell Dowson (Boston), Alison Macmillan (London), Janet Smith (Auckland), Gordon Mutch (Ontario), Ed Wilson (Arkansas), Lesley Anne Campbell (Glasgow), Iain Brown (Kilmarnock), Jane Henstock (Johannesburg), Angela Brown (New York), Elaine McCulloch (Chicago), Roy McClymont (Atlanta), Craig Hanlon (Paris),Kirsteen Wright (Tokyo), Clifford McMillan (Korea), Elinor Kerr (Kilmarnock) and Scott Bell (Norway).

K.A. WORLDWIDE

Is anybody out there?

Over the past year we have received a number of e-mails from former pupils living abroad (check out the list on the left). These are being posted on the Former Pupils' Notice Board.

If you are a former pupil living abroad, then e-mail us and let us know what you've been up to lately.

As you can see from our list, we also welcome e-mails from former pupils who are still living locally.

So, what are you waiting for? Contact us at:

formerpupils@kilmarnockacademy.co.uk

K.A. Promoting Reading and Access to Knowledge

UK National Daily Papers

Read all about it! Access all the UK national daily and Sunday papers at the click of a button.

K.A. Library Resource Centre

Here you can get reading lists, advice, book reviews, the latest reads and competitions.

The Magazine Rack

No matter what your interests, you should find something to suit you here.

World Newspapers in English

Here you can find out what's going on from L.A. to Moscow, at the click of a button.

K.A. Web - Credits

The creation and maintenance of this site has taken place (and continues to do so) outwith school time during evenings and weekends. It consumes serious amounts of time for which the creators receive no payment whatsoever. Neil Dickson and Neil Mcilvanney are both full-time English teachers with full timetables. Eric Gordon works full-time in I.T. for South Ayrshire Council.

Alistair and Stuart Livingston
The idea to upgrade our school website came originally from Alistair Livingston, (a former KA Maths teacher and member of our school board) and his son Stuart.

Thanks to Sirius Concepts for hosting our school website.

The Pupils of K.A.
Enthusiastic contributions to many areas of the site - especially reviews of Books, Films Games and CDs. Keep those contributions coming.

Former Pupils of K.A.
Contributions from across the world to Former Pupils' Notice Board, K.A. Worldwide, Feedback & Requests. Your contributions are gratefully received - keep sending them in!

Neil McIlvanney
Creating and uploading all (700+) pages; site layout; all ideas for site content; all photos (except Art); researching links; updating content; developing additional features and content to be uploaded soon; design, layout and uploading of subject content pages (an additional 200+ pages coming soon).

Eric Gordon
Site menu system; many, many hours of invaluable technical support and advice; making up initial country pages for K.A. Worldwide.

Dr Neil Dickson
Content in History , Famous Former Pupils, Former Rectors.

Individual Subject Departments
Subject Content; Art Dept. - Art & Fashion photographs.

Carole Ford
Content for What's on This Month, the Weekly Bulletin and the Term Newsletters; arranging 5 days for Neil McIlvanney to work on the School Handbook Section; sanctioning finance for the creation of the site menu system.

Hugh & William McIlvanney
For giving permission to include their work on our school website.