Brought to you by The Ellon Press TeamEditor: Lauren Thomson 2K2

The ‘old school’ is currently in the process of being closed. Fixtures and fittings not being used in the new campus are being recycled to other Aberdeenshire educational establishments and local voluntary groups. Once this is complete, the ‘old school’ buildings will be closed completely. Decisions on the use of the ‘old school’ buildings is pending.

I am aware that some members of our community were unable to visit the school during the open evenings or the official ‘open day’ in August. There will be a further opportunity to tour the school and community facilities in November. Information will be shared through the local press.

Dear Parent/Carer

We are all delighted with the move to the new Community Campus! Almost all of the major building work is now complete and most ‘snagging’ issues resolved. Minor building works will continue for the rest of this school session, but we are now concentrating on ensuring the new systems put in place work well and that all pupils enjoy their learning and are given every opportunity to maximise their academic success. As you can imagine, there are many school related tasks still to be completed. One of the these is the re-launch of our school website. We have begun this work and will soon be advertising the new site with pictures of the new community campus.

I am extremely proud of the hard work by pupils, teachers, support staff and community colleagues in getting the campus open on time. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our local councillors for their support and contribution to the planning and delivery of the new campus. As you can see from the picture above, it is truly a magnificent sight!

Tim McKayRector

UNICYCLE ELLON

Members of the Community, along with HAS at Auchterellon Primary School, have set up a uniform recycling scheme.  This scheme will enable parent/carers to get the use of “nearly new” uniforms free of charge.  The scheme will rely on donations of school uniforms to run. This scheme runs on the last Monday of each month from 10 – 11 am at the Scout Hall on Millwood Road, Ellon.  It is available to everyone and donations are welcome. The scheme is being organised by Kirstin Wallace who can be contacted through the Unicycle Ellon Facebook page or at unicycleellon@gmail.com  ELLON ACADEMY COFFEE MORNING

Many people have to face the devastating effects of cancer. The Macmillan Cancer Coffee Morning is a charity event where people can get together and enjoy coffee and cake for a good cause.

The generous staff at Ellon Academy Community Campus raised a wonderful £177.66!

Thank you to all staff for your generosity! This is a great total.

 

Caitlin Pirie and Rachel Meldrum 

MAGNIFICENT MEGAN

Over the past year, we have brought you various reports of Megan’s sporting successes. She has excelled in individual rowing events on occasions, and now, we are delighted to bring yet more good news!On Saturday 5th September, Megan Hewison of 3M1 won Gold and, as a result, is now the Sea Cadet UK Girls Under-18 champion!This is an outstanding achievement, especially when you

consider that Megan has just turned 14.

Congratulations in your success from everyone here at Ellon Academy, Megan, and all the very best for the future.

On the 2nd of August 2015, the new school was open for tours. Even before we got to the main building, it became apparent that we were going to be a lot fitter by the end of the year with all the walking to and from the school. On first impressions, the school was huge! It looked modern, new and exciting. Outside we saw the famous red and green ‘Pringles’. We walked across the world map on our way to the grand main entrance.

The tours started in the school’s theatre, a huge room that can easily copy with a full year group. Mr McKay gave a speech and showed a range of pictures of the timeline of the building of the school. It was incredible to watch the school develop from the first cut in the soil to the full building we now have.

The S1s started the tour on the second floor. On this floor we saw the English department first. We also visited the wonderful new and modern library and got to look at all the new books and cool seating areas. We then said ‘bonjour’ to the Languages classrooms! Also on the 2nd floor is Humanities, which is made up of History, RME, Modern Studies and Geography.

Then we saw the subjects on the first floor which are Science, Maths and Business Education. Also on this level is the staff centre.

Then we moved on the ground floor. The ground floor is home to the more ‘hands on’ subjects. First we saw the Home Economics department, a state-of-the-art area. That was great. Next we saw Technical and we looked in the Design and Manufacture rooms as well. We also saw the Music, Drama and Art departments. Everyone on the tour thought the P.E halls were very big and in the public tours there were younger children getting to do some gymnastics. We went in to the swimming pool and had a look in the changing facilities and pool. Last of all we saw the college area of the community campus.

I was extremely excited about starting at Ellon Academy, and I am happy to report that my first term has been as good as I was hoping.

New S1 pupil, and budding journalist Isla Buchan recalls her experience on the school tour on the open day, on 2nd August 2015. It was a hugely successful day where thousands of local community members came to marvel at the wonderful new school.

Isla Buchan 1C1

The countdown is well and truly on for the Ellon Academy World Challenge 2016. The expedition to China is now less than a year away, and there are lots of fundraising ventures on the cards, including a Whisky hunt, Staff Quiz, “Pampered Chef” night and a plans to have a Ceilidh and Chinese meal in the future.

The teams have also been doing extra training, with the help of a group of parents, by organising regular walks. The walks are carefully planned so that pupils are experiencing a whole variety of walks, and have even managed to bag a few Munros!

Good luck to the team in all they do in the future. It’s all looking brilliant fun leading towards a life-changing experience.

The purpose of this training was to work on lots of skills for expedition life, including what to do if someone is missing and how easy it can be to be pick-pocketed!

Above and below: Teams successfully conquering a challenging hill walk in preparation for World ChallengeThe midges attack!

Miss Tomlinson

and even the Rice in Nando’s marinade was delicious!

As part of the pupil preparation, we had a hugely successful training weekend at Badaguish, Aviemore where three separate teams all survived camping, hiking and even the horrendous midges! There was some dodgy sounding food on the menu, but all teams did well with the catering (no one got poisoned) a

FRIDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2015. The red carpet had been rolled out. Twenty two fabulous tables had been decorated. All performances were slick and ready to go. Two senior pupils stood looking magnificent in full tuxedos ready to welcome in the guests. Behind the scenes, an army of helpers, made up of staff and pupils, were ready to work seamlessly to make the night a success. The Ellon Academy Evening of Entertainment was back, with a difference.The opening of the new school brought some changes to the event. This year was a whole hour longer than ever before. Our two doormen, Callum Chalk and Taylor Law made for a very impressive entrance to the event. On top of this, our very own William Paterson (S3) provided a musical introduction, piping in the guests. Inside, guests were directed to the school’s Sunken Social Area, a perfect location completed by a classy ceiling of LED net of lights, making the new school sparkle. William Paterson, S3 pipes as Taylor

Law welcomes guests on the red carpet.

Guests were seated at one of twenty two tables in the schools Sunken Social Area.

Upon arrival, guests received a welcome drink and canapés before being directed to their seats for a hot meal followed by dessert, tea/coffee, shortbread, fudge and snacks later on in the evening. All of this was nothing compared to the feast of entertainment that was also laid on.

The entertainment came in various forms, from both talented pupils in the school and members of the wider community.

Performers included singers: Scott Armstrong Sian O'Brien and Julie Sinclair; electric violinists Katie Jones and Eileen Reece; choreographed contemporary dancers Katherine, Kirsty and Amy Fraser; classical pianist Richard Bailey; flute and harp duo Emma Wilkins and Helen McLeod, ballet dancers Ailsing O'Sullivan and Lucy Connor; choreographed Highland dancers Danielle Christie, Amy Robertson, Rachel Havelin, Rebecca Shand and April Walker. Also, Rachel Bolton and Bebhionn Paterson provided the music for guests arriving and during the meal.

The event was sponsored by Universal Inspection (UK) Limited, The Newburgh Inn, Phoenix Weights Limited, Ellon Plant Hire, AB2000 and Frasers of Ellon.As always, the auction was hugely successful, raising over £6000 and we are

extremely grateful for the contributions and support given to us which enabled us to make a significant amount of money on a variety of gifts, experiences and opportunities that money simply cannot buy!

This event could never happen without countless hours of work put in by all staff and pupils behind the scenes on the night and in its preparation. Our pupil helpers did a magnificent job - S4 washing dishes, S5 serving the food and S6 serving the beverages. 

We are extremely proud of the event. It is a very unique event to Ellon that brings together the whole community - it is open to everyone to attend: Businesses, traders, parents, groups, family, friends. It also brings together former pupils and current pupils for the good of the school.

Thank you to all who came, and we hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did!

Mrs O’Brien

 

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL THE DELEGATES WHO CAME TO SUPPORT OUR PUPILS ON 7TH

OCTOBER.Ellon Academy’s annual Careers Convention is an inclusive event that is open to all pupils, staff, parents and adults living in the Ellon Academy Community Campus areas. The 2015 Careers Convention had the widest variety of employers, services and post school education establishments we have ever had on campus. It was an exceptionally busy evening and, as always, our pupils impressed employers with several being offered jobs and apprenticeships on the spot! For the first time we had a range of Third Sector employers on site as this is a growing job area. There truly was something for everyone!

Some of the hundreds of delegates and guests at our Careers Convention

Photographs by Amy Fraser 6M

Lucy Wakefield, STEM Programmes Manager from the Dundee Science Centre, Dundee, was delighted at the turnout when she held the regional STEM training event for teachers in Ellon Academy, on the evening of 7th October. A range of STEM Ambassadors (employers who support schools with Science, Technical, Enterprise and Mathematics activities – STEM) attended this event as well as supporting the STEM stand in the Ellon Academy Careers Convention held on the same evening. Teachers from a range of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire schools also attended.

Lucy wrote to thank Ellon Academy saying:

Once again the pupils and staff of Ellon Academy impressed visitors!

“I just wanted to send a huge thank you for the event on Wednesday night – it was all fantastic and your pupils were absolutely outstanding – so lovely and welcoming and I couldn’t fault the new school at all.” 

Special News Bulletin

A massive thank you to our Executive Team who organised Prefects for all of the recent events and to our Prefects for giving up hours of their own time to help us out ! Mrs Hall

Ellon Academy Community Campus UNRRS Steering group

 Ellon Academy Community campus is working towards the United Nations Rights Respecting School level 2 Award. We have a large steering group made up of representatives of pupils, parents, staff, churches, different faiths and cultures, employers, community workers, charity organisations and volunteer groups. Additionally, we have several groups in school and the local community linking into the steering group .  

 

 Will YOU help us?

We need all our pupils, staff, parents and local community to

understand and promote the “United Nations Convention on the

Rights of the Child” Which of the UN CRC articles do you know?

Our Charter for Learning was designed by staff and pupils in school. It is part of our Promoting Positive Behaviour Policy that can be found in every pupil organiser.

Can you display a copy of the United Nations CRC in your work place? Let us know if you do and we will mention you in our bid! E mail: Kim.Hall@Aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Ellon Academy recognises that your rights are universal, inherent, indivisible, unconditional

and inalienable under the United Nations Convention On The Rights of The Child:

(a)Education at Ellon Academy will develop every pupil's personality, talents and abilities.

(b)All efforts should be made to ensure that the rights of all pupils are met.

(c)All pupils have the right to express their views on matters affecting them in school, have their views taken seriously and have their dignity respected.

(d)It is the right of all pupils to have an education. Each pupil has a responsibility to respect the education of others.

Through shared responsibility with

staff, pupils, parents and

partner links.

ELLON ACADEMYCHARTER FOR LEARNING

We also run “Cake Fridays”. Any pupil who has their Food Hygiene Certificate can come along and be involved. Cake Friday is normally the last Friday of each month. The next one will be held at the end of November, so come along at the start of term to make sure you are involved from the start!

Are you alone at lunch? Do you want a quiet place to chill, chat and make friends?

Well come along to Room S16. It’s a great place to go to at lunch time

Make Halloween/Christmas crafts, play on the Wii or X-Box and meet a variety of new people.

All are welcome!

Room S16

Isla Buchan 1C1

BUSINESS CLUB

Any budding entrepreneurs? Got an idea that you think will make a successful business? Then the Business Club is here to help you.

The Business Club will start again after the October break. First meeting will be in F6 on Wednesday 28th October at 12.30 pm.

Mrs Ewen, PT. Business Education

COMMUNITY CAMPUS BOOK CLUB

Do you love to read? Do you have a passion for literature? Then come along to the first meeting of the Community Campus Book Club, Tuesday the 27th of October 2015 at 3:45pm until 4:45pm in the Ellon Community Campus Library. We intend to meet once a month on a Tuesday, but if Tuesdays are not suitable for all, there is the potential for a rotation of days to allow all to attend.

At this first meeting we will discuss possibilities for our first book we read, so any suggestions for this month’s book are warmly welcomed. Our club is not just for senior pupils, we welcome anyone from S1-S6 to even members of the community of all reading abilities. All we look for are people with a passion for literature. We hope to see as many of you there as possible.

Community Campus Book Club Committee