"Seize every opportunity" is message to pupils from head teacher at Lossiemouth High School
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LIFE can be very short and making sure you seize every opportunity is essential, head teacher Janice Simpson told pupils and parents at Lossiemouth High School's awards ceremony.
"We will continue to provide our young people with those opportunities and we invite them to embrace them with open arms so that they can develop the skills to carry them forward on their chosen pathway."
She said staff are under "ever increasing pressure" to ensure that all pupils receive an excellent learning experience.
And there remains great uncertainty over what lies ahead as the government, through Professor Hayward’s review, continues to consult over what the curriculum and assessment will look like going forward.
Mrs Simpson said: "We do hope that changes made will ensure that all learners are recognised for their attainment and achievements within in a fair system.
"Staff are understandably anxious about the impact such changes may have on their workload but are very keen to begin any development that will be required.
The school's priorities for the year ahead are: curriculum, learning and teaching, raising attainment and family learning.
She revealed staff will be working in learning trios over the next few years so that they can achieve a consistent approach within each classroom.
The school improvement group is planning a range of events to support the growth in family learning.
Mrs Simpson said it had been a joy to see pupils grasp a range of leadership opportunities over the past year year and she has been very impressed with the S3 prefects who have stepped into the breach whenever the seniors were on study leave or unavailable.
"We hope very soon to have leadership opportunities for all year groups.
"We have had such positive feedback from every visitor, remarking how polite and informative our pupils are. We really do have leaders of the future in our midst and we look forward to growing even more leaders in the year ahead."
She said mental health remained of key importance and funding has remained in place for two counsellors to work with pupils to build confidence and help deliver strategies to help pupils deal with barriers to learning, anxiety and stress.
"We also have a centrally funded counsellor allowing us to extend our service to even more pupils, staff and parents.
"We have recently appointed a Home School Link Worker who, in August, will begin working with families to support improving attendance and engagement with school.
S1-3 pupils enjoyed three days of wellbeing activities in May, including the annual walk to Spynie Palace.
The Parent Partnership continues to grow and provide support and
advice on all school issues and improvements, added Mrs Simpson.
She thanked staff who supported the school's mission of "Working together to make ambitions a reality".
"It is so important to value the things in life that are precious; family, friends, doing good deeds, being kind, going the extra mile and making every day count.
Winner of the DYW award was Kacie Dick (16), who finished school at the end of 5th year and is now working with Murray Travel in Elgin.
She won the award after spending a year on work experience with the firm who have since offered her a full-time job.
"When I took travel and tourism in school, I then started at Murray Travel and it went from there.
"I had a mixture of different ideas (before that). I wanted to be a painter and decorator at one point and I went to my careers advisor and my guidance teacher Mrs Russell helped me get work experience.
"I am really enjoying it and it wasn't as scary starting off because I had done work experience there for a year.
"I would love to travel in the future and in this job you have a lot of different opportunities.
"I am really proud (to win the award)."
Kacie would love to visit Australia or the Maldives, and after talking to The Northern Scot, she was off to Aberdeen harbour to look at a small cruise ship as part of her job training.
Andrew Fiske (16) won the S5 boys Ramsay Macdonald dux medal.
"It's amazing and quite unbelievable. I am very happy," he said.
"I hope to go to university after S6 to do sciences.
"I play violin and I like sports; I like cycling and going to the gym."
Andrew, who is also head prefect, added: "S5 was probably the nicest year of school I have had so far and I am sure S6 will be just as enjoyable."
Neave Lyons (17) won the S5 girls dux medal.
She said: "I didn't believe it at first; I think I was just shocked. I am really proud.
"S5 was a really good year and I think my exams went OK.
"I am hoping to go to uni to do law. I think it is such an interesting career path.
"I want to do corporate law. I like the business side of things."
Neave, from Burghead, hopes to study in Glasgow for the four years to gain her law degree.
Award winners
S4
Dani Barclay Excellence in N5 Spanish
Dakota Bolton – Excellence in N5 chemistry; computing science, history, maths. Attainment in higher art and design and English.
Calvin Burch – Excellence in N5 practical woodworking.
Felix Cameron –Excellence in N5 philosophy and physics. Attainment in N5 chemistry.
Corey Carter – Attainment in N5 physics.
Holly Cliff – Attainment in N5 application of maths.
Ellie Collier –Excellence in N5 English and geography.
Erin Connelly – Attainment in N5 maths.
Callum Cowan –Attainment in N5 application of maths and Bert Barclay Award for maths.
William Craig – Attainment in N5 practical electronics.
Daniel Cruickshank – Attainment in N5 practical woodworking.
Elyse Edwards – Excellence in N5 modern studies. Attainment in N5 PE.
Maddison Grant – Excellence in N5 practical cookery. Attainment in N5 RMPS.
Maisie Hay – Excellence in N5 PE. Attainment in N5 modern studies.
Maddison Hewkin – Excellence in N5 art and design.
Derren Holmes – Excellence in N5 English. Attainment in N5 geography.
Morgan Hughes – Excellence in N5 biology. Attainment in N5 PE and Spanish.
Alfie Joss-Allan – Attainment in N5 chemistry. Attainment in N5 philosophy.
Shannon Lynch –Excellence in N5 practical cake craft.
Heather Manisty (S3) – Attainment in N5 maths.
Annabella Middlecote – Attainment in N5 English, history, maths and music.
Holly Millard – Attainment in N5 art and design, English and history.
Athol O’Driscoll – Attainment in N5 practical cookery.
Abigael Parkes – Excellence in N5 maths. Attainment in N5 graph comm.
Morven Reid – Excellence in N5 business and graph comm.
Jai Roe – Excellence in N5 history. Attainment in N5 biology.
Sam Russell – Excellence in N5 PE.
Rhianna Williams – Excellence in N5 chemistry, drama, English, French, maths and music.
Charlotte Wolford – Excellence in N5 French and RMPS
S5
Aimee Bremner – Attainment in higher French
Lauren Caldwell – Excellence in higher drama. Attainment in N5 practical cake craft.
Caelan Clark – Excellence in higher graph comm.
Elizabeth Clarke – Excellence in higher art and design, higher computing science. Attainment in higher maths and higher physics.
Dannie Cochrane – Attainment in N5 computing science.
Bailey Couling – Attainment in higher chemistry, higher maths, higher physics
Kacie Dick – Excellence in N5 travel and tourism.
Kiera Duncan – Attainment in higher business.
Andrew Fiske – Excellence in higher chemistry, higher English, higher maths, higher music and higher physics.
Keil MacPherson – Award for maths.
Struan Fraser – Attainment in higher graph comm, higher PE.
Logan Gordon – Attainment in N5 physics.
Isabelle Hogan – Excellence in Higher French and higher geography. Attainment in higher biology, higher English and higher maths.
Alex Lander – Attainment in N5 practical electronics.
Cairn Lasley – Attainment in N5 biology.
Charlie Lucas – Excellence in higher English. Attainment in higher philosophy, higher modern studies and higher RMPS.
Neave Lyons – Excellence in higher history, higher modern studies and higher philosophy.
Seph MacGillivray – Excellence in higher French and higher RMPS.
Molly MacLean – Excellence in higher biology and higher Spanish.
Thomas Main – Attainment in higher biology.
Abbie Rolph – Excellence in higher biology. Attainment in higher chemistry, higher English and higher Spanish.
Isla Ross – Attainment in higher music.
Evelyn Rylance – Excellence in N5 biology.
Jamie Stewart – Excellence in N5 practical electronics.
Eden Thomson – Attainment in N5 travel and tourism.
Sophie Thornton – Attainment in N5 application of maths.
Cerys Wynne – Attainment in N5 French.
S6
Katie Adams – Attainment in N5 practical cake craft.
Rhys Banfield – Attainment in higher history, higher geography.
Additional Awards
Cake Artistry – Amy Duncan.
Keil McPherson award for mathematics – Andrew Fiske.
Bert Barclay award for outstanding achievement in mathematics – Callum Cowan.
Edwards Shield for football – Spynie House.
The Stuart Macleod music prize – Jennifer Pyett.
Ivan Scott Cup for excellence in PE – Struan Fraser.
Mary Cameron Robertson award for writing – Molly MacLean.
Wm Gall prize for RME– Seph MacGillivray.
Developing the Young Workforce award – Kacie Dick.
The S4 Curiosity award for effort and attainment in STEM – Rhianna Williams.
Ramsay Macdonald Dux medal – Andrew Fiske and Neave Lyons.
