TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE.                         16.5..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

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

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

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.

                                                    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

THE FINAL

COUNTDOWN

JACQUI CARR FROM AUSTRALIA - TRACKING DOWN THE BAINS

Hi I am trying to find out if some relatives went to or taught at Kilmarnock Academy. My grandmother Annabella Greenshields Bain went to KA. She was born in 1921, so may have gone there sometime in the 1930's. I was also wondering if any of the following names appear as pupils or teachers:

Matthew Campbell Bain (I think he may have attended in the 20's or 30's, as he then went to Glasgow University and became a surgeon - he emigrated to Singapore). Any other Bains during the 1800's with names such as Robina, Agnes, Janet, Henrietta, Francis, Archibald, James, John, Frank. Other surnames include Wyllie Bain, Young Bain (maybe George Young Bain in the early 1800's), Borland Bain, Hay Bain.

If you have lists you can send I would be happy to trail through them myself. I would be happy to reciprocate with photos if they did attend, as we have many old photos of these families.

I am from Irvine, my mother is from Kilmarnock. I now live in Australia, and have found a 4th cousin once removed in Sydney (my granny and her grandfather -Matthew Campbell Bain - were distance cousins). We are sharing some ancestry information and trying to learn more about our common ancestors. So I would appreciate any information you could provide.

Kind regards, Jacqui Carr                                                                                                       23.4.2012

                                                HIGHER MATHS REVISION MATERIALS CLICK HERE.                         20.4.2012

                                                 TO VIEW THE S3 EXAM TIMETABLE CLICK HERE.                           11.4.2012

                                                    TO VIEW THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN CLICK HERE.                           30.3.2012

WELCOME BACK MRS MARSHALL!
HOPE YOU ARE FEELING BETTER.
(AND WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN ALSO MAKE GREAT CAKES!)

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Kilmarnock Academy pupils are the smartest in town. Let’s keep it that way! The school is moving towards all pupils wearing shirt and tie. New S1 pupils will receive a free tie as a gift from the parent council and school, and Senior Pupils (S5/S6) have a newly designed senior tie which must be worn at all times.

As a parent myself I do understand that you may still want your child to use  existing polo shirts and sweatshirts. I would however  strongly encourage you to move towards shirt and tie which is a smarter and often cheaper alternative.

From August 2012 uniform will be;

·         White/Black shirt and school tie

·         Black trousers or smart skirt – not leggings or mini skirts

·         Black V neck jumper or cardigan

·         Black shoes – trainers are for PE

·         Black tights

Many thanks for your support in this

B Paterson, Head Teacher                                                                                                  28.3.2012

CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE INFORMATION EVENING MAY 8th AT 7pm

Kilmarnock Academy is rightly proud of its tradition of success in learning and attainment, and we have been developing our curriculum for excellence to ensure that all our students achieve their potential. On May 8th we are holding an information evening for all parents to discuss these developments and also to consult with parents on our plans for the Senior Phase (S4-S6). These plans will impact on our S1-S2 students, however I am keen that all parents are invited to this event, including parents of children in our catchment primary schools.

You will find out about

·         How our our Curriculum for Excellence is developing in Kilmarnock Academy

·         Changes to the timetable

·         The curriculum in S1-S3

·         Course choices S4-S6

·         Additional qualifications we intend to offer

·         How we recognise and reward achievement

·         Enterprise and Employability

·         The New Examination framework

·         Working with local employers and College

I do hope you can attend.

B Paterson, Head Teacher                                                                                                  28.3.2012

                    TO GET LAST MINUTE ADVICE FOR HIGHER AND INT 2 ENGLISH CLICK HERE.          27.3.2012

S2 VISIT TO CRAUFURDLAND CASTLE

At Craufurland estate we saw the Craufurdland Castle and its murder hole.  We learned that Mr Craufurd can trace his ancestors to William Wallace - he told us the story of how William Wallace became the guardian of Scotland. The house was great and had 3 extensions that were built along time ago and still have some of the original structures.  The oldest part of the building had drains that were for when someone attacked the castle.  They put boiling oil and water in them and it killed the men who were attacking, and if that didn’t kill them the archers in the murder hole would! The estate had chests that have gold, rubies, and more, but there was a ghost who made you forget about the chests. The chests are a myth… or are they? 

Near the forest there’s a fishing loch and in the forest there’s a mountain biking track.  Not too far from the track we set up our fires in pairs.  We had to find tinder and wood and we got fire steal to light the fire. When we lit the fire we roasted marshmallows and had hot chocolate and then we went home.

Report by Calum McDonald 2F                                                                                                                                                        22.3.2012

EXAM TIMETABLE CHANGES

Please note the following changes to Kilmarnock Academy's SQA timetable.

         Subject/Title                                    Date                 Start              End    
0860   English                        
GC      Writing Foundation, General, Credit     26/04/2012      9:30 AM          10:45 AM       
GC      Reading General                              26/04/2012      12:30 PM           1:20 PM
GC      Reading Credit                                26/04/2012      2:00 PM             2:50 PM

These times will apply at Kilmarnock Academy and may differ from the English Exam times given on the SQA website.                                                                                                                                                                                                          21.3.2012

ALLAN BURNETT VISIT

On Tuesday 6th of March, Allan Burnett came to our school and did a book signing. He is known for his “An All That” series of books, about the history of Scotland, although he is about to start a new series called ‘Tales of Adventure of WWII’ and he is currently doing a book on WWI .

When Allan Burnett visited our school library he did re-enactments of some of his books, including Macbeth. He asked for two volunteers and had Craig Clark (Kilmarnock Academy) and Jack Herrall (Kilmarnock Academy). Jack was lying on the floor pretending to be sleeping and Alan had Craig pretend to stab Jack with a pretend knife. He also did a re-enactment of St. Columba.

Allan then read some of his ‘Macbeth’ book. As he is a bit superstitious, at the end he had some of us recite a chant because the word ‘Macbeth’ is said to be a curse and many disasters have happened in plays because of using the word – as is shown in the back of his book.

Allan finished up by answering questions and signing our books. He had brought some of his books for us to buy and he gave two free books to Natalie Miller (Kilmarnock Academy) and Ben Weir (Kilmarnock Academy) for asking the two questions that intrigued him the most.

We were very excited to be at the Allan Burnett book signing and it was a great joy as we had lots of fun and a good laugh.

Report by Rebeka Cameron, S2                                                                                                21.3.2012

 This Friday, 23rd March, Kilmarnock Academy will be supporting Sport  Relief fundraising efforts by holding a dress as you please event. All  pupils are invited to wear sportswear, e.g. trainers, trackies, hoodies,  to school that day. All we ask is that pupils pay £1 for the privilege.  Proceeds will go to Sport Relief.

 Triple P winners in S1 to S3 are also invited to take part in sporting  activities on Friday afternoon for a small charge of 50p. Again, this  money will go to Sport Relief. Pupils will have the choice of taking part  in a dance class, playing basketball or walking a mile in Kay Park that  afternoon. What better way to keep fit and healthy while raising money  for a good cause?

 Mrs Dale, Acting DHT

KILLIE WIN THE SCOTTISH LEAGUE CUP 2012 !

Congratulations to Kenny Shiels and his players on defeating Celtic 1-0 to lift the Scottish League Cup. The fact that Killie kept another clean sheet meant that they won the competition without conceding a single goal - quite an achievement! The whole team put in a fine performance to compete in all areas with a Celtic team that went into the game on a run of twenty-six domestic games unbeaten - their last defeat being a 0-1 home defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League back in November 2011. Killie's winning goal, worthy of winning any final, was scored in the 84th minute by Belgian birthday boy, Dieter van Tornhout.

Triumph turned to tragedy, however, at the final whistle when Mr Jack Kelly, the father of Killie midfielder Liam Kelly, collapsed next to the Kilmarnock dugout. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being rushed to the Victoria Infirmary where he later died. Our thoughts at this very difficult time are with Liam, his family and friends.                                                                                                                                                   N McI 19.3.2012

SOFTWARE PROBLEMS AGAIN!

Apologies for the lack of updates since the middle of last week. This was due to the recurrence of a major software problem. Normal service will now be resumed.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   N McI 18.3.2012

OTHER STUDY SUPPORT ON KA WEB

In case you didn't know, you can also get Study Support and Revision materials in other 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 and of course Modern Studies.

Extensive Chemistry support has also beenuploaded, courtesy of Mr Fyffe.

To get support in other subjects, just ask your class teacher.
                                                                                                                                                                 N McI 13.3.2012

HOPE YOU HAD AN ENJOYABLE WEEKEND...

NOW IT'S BACK TO BUSINESS!

STUDY SUPPORT IN MATHS

A special thanks to Mrs Walker, Queen of Sums, for providing a fantastic range (and amount!) of study materials for Standard Grade General Maths as well as Intermediate 1 Maths. These have been added to the Maths section of the school website and can be accessed by clicking here.

We already have extensive Study support in English, in Music and in Physics.            N McIlvanney 4.12.2011

KA FASHION SHOW.....MORE PICS AND REPORT TO FOLLOW                                                           2 .12 .2011

 SQA EXAM TIMETABLE 2012

 Pupils in S4, S5 & S6 can start organising their long-term programme of  work now by checking out the 2012 SQA Exam Timetable. At the same  page you can also find out about using your own on-line exam timetable  builder. SQA's timetable builder is also now available for most mobile  phones (Java based), Google Android, iPhone and iPod Touch.The application lets you build your exam timalso proN McIlvanney 13.10.2011

 WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF WORK

 It often appears that those young people who have a clear idea of  what they want to do when they leave school, as well as what passes  they require, tend to be more successful in exams. It's all about  motivation and having a defined target. If you don't know what you  want to do but would like some help in making your mind up then the  new website from Skills Development Scotland - My World of Work -  should help you to make an informed decision.          N McIlvanney 13.10.2011

OUR NEW SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

To view our updated Senior Management Team page click here.                                                  N McIlvanney      18.9.2011

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