Interhouse tournament

Report from Mrs Coburn:

Just to let you know that DEE house won the Interhouse tournament yesterday quite convincingly. It was a really good afternoon and it was so good to see house teams made up of all year groups. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they worked together. A massive thank you must go the house captains for organising the whole event. They did an amazing job and we as a dept literally did nothing in contribution to what was a really well thought out afternoon. If you see any of them in the passing today please feel free to say well done. I have not seen a group of seniors who are so capable of turning initiative and ideas into something more tangible as this group. They are an absolute credit to the school. The house captains involved were:



Tay - Jocelyn Mitchell, Tara Aldin, Natasha Jacobs, Megan Bryant and Kirsty Evans

Clyde - Ross Hunter and Nicole Blues

Forth - Gemma Grubb

Dee - Seonaid Heeps



Thanks also to all the staff who helped out and to other staff for allowing pupils out of class.

Tam O'Shanter goes graphic!

Well done to our entrepeneurial librarians (Mrs Brown and Mrs Babbs) who have managed to secure a £1800 grant to allow us to develop a graphic novel version of Burns' famous poem 'Tam O'Shanter'. A number of S2 pupils will interpret the poem in words and actions relating it to life in Edinburgh using current 'slang' and situations that are relevant to the present day. A graphic novel will be created using digital images and Comic Life software, which can then be taken to primary schools and re-told by our pupils in both Burns Scots and Liberton lingo.

The school has recently completed the Liberton50 Project which enabled the whole school to participate in creating images and storytelling of Liberton past and present. Promising and talented pupils were identified by the storyteller in residence and these pupils are the ones that could take the poem to the primaries enabling their talents to cascade down to the younger pupils. An ongoing aim of the project would perhaps trigger interest in nurturing the storytelling links between secondary and primary pupils with a long term vision of a storytelling festival for the local area. Additional help would be sought through professionals such as Mathew Fitt, Beth Cross and Ruth Kirkpartick, where available, to guide our pupils to generate a worthwhile and sustainable project of storytelling in the area.

Shoe box appeal for children in Belarus

A huge well done to our S2 pupils from Business Education who managed to gather enough gifts to fill 52 shoe boxes for needy children in Belarus. I am very proud of the efforts of all of our pupils, parents and staff who donated so willingly to such a worthy cause.

This shoe box appeal is run by the Samaritans' Purse.

Donald J Macdonald (Headteacher)

Edinburgh's got talent

Well done to Jack Robertson who is currently leading this online competition organised by the Evening News. To listen to Jack and to vote for him please click here and follow the instructions.

Well done to Ian McBain

Warmest congratulations to Ian McBain on winning a £1000 scholarship to sing with St Ninian’s Church choir. Additionally, Ian has also won a place with the National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCoS). Click here to find out more about NYCoS.

Well done Ian – this is richly deserved!

Training with British Gas

Later this year, Liberton High is joining forces with a training team from British Gas to offer training to students who may wish to consider training as gas engineers. During this training students will also get the opportunity to develop their skills in CV writing and applying for jobs. Details to follow.

As a School, we are committed to providing every possible opportunity for our students to compete in a very challenging job market.

School fully open on Monday 12 October

I am delighted to report that our Heating system has now been restored and is fully operational. The school will be open for everyone on Monday 12 October.

Thank you for your patience over the past three days and, once again, apologies to all who were inconvenienced by us having to close the school for pupils in S1 to S4.

School closed for S1-S4 on Friday 9 October

Liberton High school will remain closed for pupils in S1-S4 on Friday 9 October. Senior students should attend as normal from 8.30 am. Apologies to all for any inconvenience caused by this.

Engineers will do their best to get the main heating system operational as soon as possible.

DJ Macdonald (Headteacher)

School closed for S1- S4 on Thursday 8 October

Liberton High school will remain closed for pupils in S1-S4 only on Thursday 8 October. Senior students should attend as normal from 8.30 am. Apologies to all for any inconvenience caused by this.

DJ Macdonald (Headteacher)

Burst pipe closes school for S1 - S4

Liberton High School will be closed to S1-S4 on Wednesday 7 October due to a burst water pipe causing problems with the central heating. The school will remain open for staff and senior pupils. S5/6 pupils should register at school at 9.30am tomorrow. The school canteen will be open for lunch as normal.

Parents and pupils should listen to Radio Forth or visit this page for an update on Thursday morning.

September bulletin

Liberton High School Bulletin (Bulletin No16. 24 September 2009)

I am delighted to report that this session has started very positively and we are all now settled into a working routine after the summer break. The numbers in our senior school continue to grow with many more students choosing to stay on at school and to apply for university this session. Every pupil starting at Liberton High is expected to work towards gaining qualifications that will allow them to go to university. I understand that not all pupils will choose to go to university, but gaining good qualifications provides this additional option, even if it is later on in life.

The new S1 have settled in well. Staff invariably describe our new charges as polite, well-mannered and sensible. Well done to our new S1! The Guidance Team will shortly be interviewing all of S1, individually, as a welcoming and getting-to-know-you exercise.

Car boot Sale. The LHSA has organised a Car Boot Sale for Sunday 4 October
9.30 am-12.30 pm. Cost is £7 per car. There is no need to book - just turn up on the day. We will be on the tennis courts at the back of the school.

It is that time again, folks, for renewing or joining the 100 Club. It runs from October to September and only costs £12 for the year. If you are interested in joining you can download an application form from the school website or if you need more information, please contact the school office and leave your name and contact number.

Exam Results. I am delighted to report that our exam results across the board have all improved again this session. Once again, pupils in S2 and S3 sat national exams much earlier than normal and were highly successful. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all parents, staff and, of course, the pupils for their continued hard work. The challenge for all of us is to improve even more in the coming session.

Litter. We seek the support of everyone in tackling litter. Environmental wardens will be around at lunchtimes and have the power to issue fines to those who drop litter.

Dress Code. At assemblies last week we revisited dress code and what we expect of all our pupils. In particular, pupils/students have been asked not to wear bangles and bracelets to school. Following feedback from Parents etc we are now allowing dress shorts to be worn as long as they extend to or below the knees. In order to ensure consistency, a note of the revised dress code (minor changes made) will be posted in the news section of our Website.

Staffing Update. Welcome to Dr Fleming who joined us as a Depute Headteacher in August. Dr Fleming will be House Head for Clyde House.

Congratulations to Mr Russell on being appointed Senior Depute at Liberton High.
Mr Russell takes over from Mr Macrae, who retired in the summer. Mr Macrae has asked me to relay his gratitude and appreciation for the many messages of good luck he received from all associated with Liberton high School.

Thank you to Miss Arnold who has organised a trip for seniors on Friday 25 September to visit Samye Ling Monastery.

Teambuilding Weekend. Many thanks to Mr Russell and the nine other staff who spent a weekend in Dalguise with 28 S6 pupils. The purpose of the weekend was to develop teamwork and to foster relationships in our new S6. By all accounts this was a highly successful weekend!

Study Support and Extra Curricular. All pupils are encouraged to become involved in the wide range of study support and other activities available beyond the normal school day. These opportunities are great for helping with learning, getting to know other people and pursuing new interests. Most activities are free of charge. Parents – please encourage your child to become involved! An example of this is the start up of the Moonshine Band which involves staff and pupils playing a variety of folk-country instruments such as banjos, fiddles, mandolins etc. Please se Mr Walker for further information!

A flavour of the events pupils are or have been involved in is as follows:

• Mrs Kean is organising a S1 History trip to New Register House in Edinburgh.
• A group of S3 pupils known as the ‘Cooldown Crew’ have been working with the fire service during the past week. Well done to all the pupils who were prefect ambassadors for the school.
• On 28 August, Tim Barraclough (Head of UK Relations, Events and Protocol for the Scottish Government) visited Liberton to meet with S3 pupils studying Intermediate Modern Studies and S6 students studying Higher Modern Studies. Discussions centred on how the Scottish Government makes decisions affecting us and co-operation and conflict between the Scottish Government and the UK Government.
• Mrs Brown and Mrs Babbs accompanied 21 pupils to the Edinburgh Book Festival on Thursday 26 August
• S5 and S6 students attended a Business Dynamics conference at Edinburgh University on 8 and 9 September.

The ‘On Board’ rewards system is, once again, up and running. Pupils will gather points as they go around their classes for punctuality, good behaviour, effort and homework. Last year we had several very enjoyable reward trips for those scoring the most points. Please note that pupils arriving after 8.30 am will be marked as late and encourage your children to do their best in all categories to enable them to be part of the reward trips this year.

Warmest congratulations to Edinburgh foster carer, Mike Perry, who won the Evening News Carer of the Year award this year. Mike was the carer of one of our former pupils.

Well done to Jack Robertson who won the talent contest, hosted by Steve McKenna from Real Radio on Thursday 3 September.

Congratulations to Mr Skelly (Physics department) on having now completed eight modules of the Chartered Teacher Programme.

Congratulations to Anne Traill, who was once again selected to play with the Edinburgh Secondary Schools Orchestra at the final gala concert on the evening of Saturday,
5 September in Central Hall, Tollcross.

Health Week at Liberton High School will take place week beginning 12 October. Health week is for all pupils/students, parents and staff from S1-S6. There will be many activities on offer during and after school and the objective is for all pupils/students, parents and staff to become more actively involved in promoting good health within and out with the curriculum. There will be a number of activities on offer including yoga, aerobics and mental health workshops. We look forward to inviting you into school that week to experience some of the activities and to see some of the work being done by our pupils/students. Keep your diaries free!

Activities Week. We would like your opinions on what we should be offering to your children and when activities week should take place. There has been a suggestion that we move it from the last week of term for S1-S6 to the last week before the change of timetable for S1-S3 only. We would like to hear your views. Please follow the weblink below and answer the three questions provided. This should take less than two minutes. We would like all responses by 2 October please so we can start organising trips. Many thanks.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=SAHesv0G5ifMHpqKqSkFSw_3d_3d

Parent Council Update. The Parent Council is looking at the impact the plans to close some schools in Edinburgh would have on Liberton High School and we would like to know what you think. You can contact us in a number of ways:
• Write a note and send it into the school office either by post or ask your child to give it to their tutor teacher
• E-mail them at LHS.parentcouncil@googlemail.com

Dates for the Diary

Wednesday 30 September Open evening for P7 pupils
Friday 25 September Target letters to pupils in S3–S6.
12–16 October Book/Health week
Friday 16 October Term ends (normal dress day)
Monday 26 October Pupil/student holiday (staff training day)
Tuesday 27 October Pupils/Students resume


Please let me know if there is anything in particular that you would like to see included in future editions of this bulletin.

Donald J Macdonald (Headteacher)

SQA results

SQA results should arrive in the post on Wednesday 5 August. In the event that the results do not arrive on Wednesday 5 August it may be that the post has been delayed. If they still haven't arrived in the post on Thursday 6 August parents/pupils should phone the SQA to enquire further. (SQA Phone number: 0845 279 1000)

If the results have not arrived by Monday 10 August, parents or pupils can access their results by going to the school office, where one of the office staff will provide the required information.

Please note that teaching staff resume on Monday 17 August. From that date we will deal with any appeals that can be made. The school is aware of and has made arrangements to meet the deadlines set by the SQA for the submission of appeals. Please note that appeals can only be made when the school has detailed evidence to support such an appeal.

From 19 August, we will consider making some changes to classes where the results indicate that a change of class to that timetabled in June will be beneficial.

Good luck with the results!

Appeals for SQA exams

In August of this year, usually at the end of the first week, this years exam results will beposted out to pupils across Scotland by the SQA. Pupils or parents who wish to contest the results awarded should look at the web page on appeals at the SQA for information about how appeals can be made. Please note that appeals can only be made by the school or college involved.

Here's hoping that no appeals will be required by any of our pupils!

Swine Flu Advice

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q What can I do to help?

Help your childminder, nursery, pre-school group, school or out-of-school club by making sure that they have your up-to-date contact details – your address, phone number (home, work and mobile) and e-mail details as appropriate. They will need to get in touch if there is a case of swine flu confirmed among the children or staff and they suspect that children may be at risk.

Q What should I do if my child (or indeed anyone else in the household) shows any signs of flu-like illness?

If your child is unwell and you are concerned about their health you should contact your local GP or NHS24 (0845 242424) for advice.

You should keep them at home and not send them to school, nursery, childcare organisation or summer activity. You should also inform the school, nursery, childcare organisation or summer activity organiser.

Q Is hand-washing and the use of tissues important?

Yes, very, and as much in the home as in the school or nursery. The advice in the leaflet you received through your letterbox recently should be followed. Frequent hand-washing and use of tissues to cover coughs and sneezes is very important in helping to slow the spread of swine flu among children and young people because they are so more likely than others to catch and spread it.

CLOSURES & ATTENDANCE

Q Why have schools and nurseries been closing?

To try to contain and slow down the spread of swine flu. Children and young people are 4 times as likely as the general population to catch swine flu, and when they have it they are more likely to pass it on.

Q What happens if a pupil or staff member at the school or nursery is suspected of having, or has swine flu?

If this happens, the education and health authorities will liaise very closely and decide what is the appropriate action to take. This may or may not involve temporary closure of part or all of the school or nursery.

Letters from the local NHS will explain to parents and pupils what is happening, whether or not Tamiflu anti-viral treatment is being offered, and why.

Where the flu is already spreading in the local community the authorities may decide against closing the school or nursery.

Q What are my rights as a parent to keep my child off school or nursery if I am concerned?

If your child is at school and the school remains open, your normal responsibility to send your child to school still applies.

Contact the school though and discuss your concerns with them.

Q Are alternative arrangements being made for childcare if schools or nurseries are closed?

No, because the main reason for closures is to reduce the spread of infection by closing places where children come together in groups.


SUMMER CAMPS, ACTIVITIES, EVENTS ETC

Q What about camps, play schemes and other organised events and activities over the summer holidays that my child will be attending?

Do not change any plans you already have, although you may wish to check in advance with the organisers. The health authorities will be keeping a very close watch on the flu situation over the summer and will be liaising closely with the organisers of summer activities and events.

A SWINE FLU VACCINE

Q I have heard about a vaccine against swine flu? Will my child receive it and when?

A vaccine is being developed against swine flu and the Government intends to run a vaccination programme for the whole population. The timing will depend on how quickly the vaccine can be manufactured and distributed. It is not yet possible to say when it will begin or which groups of people will be vaccinated first. Further information will be available in the autumn.

FOREIGN TRAVEL

Q I have a foreign holiday planned over the summer – is it safe to travel?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s website has the most up to date and detailed advice about travelling overseas – www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/swine-flu

Stem Cell Research Poster Winners

Last month 3 2nd year pupils went on a day trip to London. This was their prize in a poster competition to raise awareness about the importance of Stem Cell research. As you can see from the following account a good day out was had by all!

My trip to London was a fantastic experience since I’ll probably not get the chance to do this again and also because it was such a great prize for winning a poster competition! My 2 classmates and I went with our Science teacher (Mrs Maciver) to the famous London Eye, a really interesting Science Museum and Piccadilly Circus. We also got a rare chance to watch the rehearsal of the Trooping the Colour for the Queen’s birthday. We couldn’t have got a better view if we’d tried!

Later on, we had a lovely meal in Bella Italia and a nose-about in the famous Harrods.

Overall it was a great day and everyone enjoyed it. I would lastly like to finish off by saying thank you very much to our science teacher Mrs Maciver for kindly taking us on this fantastic trip to London.

Words provided by: Lauren Hand, Kirsten Kryzaniwsky and Lauren McHugh

Scottish Youth Parliament Elections

Are you good at listening to and supporting other young people?

Could you act as a champion for young people’s issues in your area?

Are you aged 14–25?

Want to make yourself heard?

...then put yourself forward as a candidate for election in the Scottish Youth Parliament elections. There are 11 Edinburgh seats in the Scottish Youth Parliament that need to be filled and one of them could be yours! For more information or for your candidate pack, please contact Mary or Kelly at Youngedinburgh on T: 529 6585 or go to www.youngedinburgh.org by 10 July.



Elections will take place in September and you will be in good company if elected - Big Brother Celebrity Hijack Winner John Loughton was formerly the chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament!



Go on! Make yourself heard!

Grease - the musical!

2009 has been a fantastic year for performing arts at Liberton – a highly successful celebrity ‘L’ Factor, a great Carol Concert and success in the Edinburgh schools Battle of the Bands contest. Now as the icing on the cake of our 50th anniversary year we present out first whole school production in many years – the musical ‘Grease’.

Grease was chosen as it was written in 1959; the year that Liberton High School opened. While the young people of Edinburgh were dancing to rock and roll, greasing their hair and falling in love, so is our cast at the fictional American Rydell High school.

Many of the students who were successful in the ‘L’ Factor have major roles in Grease. Kirsty Evans (S6) takes the lead role of the sweet and innocent Sandy. Kirsty won the ‘L’ Factor and was invited to perform with Sandi Thom at her Dunfermline gig.

Cecily Kingston (S6) and Iain McBain (S6) took second prize in the ‘L’ factor and take on the roles of Rizzo – the acerbic leader of the pink ladies and Danny the supercool t-bird who steals Sandy’s heart. Third prize winner Uni Kim also had a principal part and will be flexing her comedy muscles as Jan. These four students are talented musicians who have performed at many events during their Liberton careers. They all studied Higher Music this year.

The other success story from our ‘L’ factor is the incredibly talented Jack Robertson (S4) who toured with Sandi Thom, and is being mentored by her, also lends his vocal talent to Grease. Jack is cast in the dual role of Johnny Casino/Teen Angel singing the much loved ‘Beauty School Dropout’.

Many of the audience will be familiar with Grease from the 1978 film version and may be surprised that the musical has some differences. As well as the very familiar songs ‘Summer Nights’, ‘We go together’ and ‘Sandra Dee’, the musical also includes more unfamiliar songs such as ‘Freddy My Love’ and ‘Shaking at the High School Hop’.

Preparing for Grease has been a whole school effort and the non-singing star of the show is definitely the car – Grease Lightning. It has been lovingly designed and built by members of the CDT department who have been burning the midnight oil for many weeks. The car is based on a 1940’s ford convertible and is the subject of one of the favourite songs from the show sung by Mark O’Neil – our current head boy of the school who is playing Kenickie.

The show will take place from Tuesday 16 June – Thursday 18 June at Liberton High School. Tickets can be reserved by calling 0131 664 7514. (Words provided by Mrs Graham. 10 June 2009)

Congratulations

Congratulations and well done to Graham Crawford (PT Sciences) whio recently graduated from the SQH programme. Graham is one of a number of very talented and aspiring school leaders who recently received awards from Fiona Hyslop (MSP and Cabinet secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning) at a ceremony in Glasgow.

Music for a Spring Evening

This evening I had the pleasure of attending an exhibition and musical performance at the Royal Scottish Academy on Princes Street. Along with colleagues, parents and pupils we had been invited by the Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy to join then on this special evening.

I was so proud of young musicians from Liberton High who had been invited along to entertain the guests. They played and sang magnificently!

Performing this evening were:

Ross Hunter (Clarinet)
Kellie Hunter (Saxophone)
Anne Traill (Cello)
Liam Allison (Guitar)
Mike Ainsley (Guitar)
Uni Kim (Flute and Piano)
Ian McBain (Voice)
Kirsty Evans (Voice)
Amy McVicar (voice)
Hannah Cowie (Voice)
Cecily Kingston (Piano)
Laura Klem (Flute)

Led by Scott McCorquodale, Principal Teacher of Music.

What really pleased me tonight was how well our pupils interacted with guests. They really were the most fantastic ambassadors for Liberton High School. Experiences like this will last a lifetime for these very talented youngsters.

Astronomy Club

This image of a section of the moon was taken on our first moonwatch event on 2nd April. After processing the image we were able to identify craters smaller than 20km in diameter. The area of the moon on view shows the sea of tranquility, sea of serenity and the sea of vapours. The smile on the moon is created by the shadows of the apinninus mountains.

Our telescope was a gift from the Society for Popular Astronomy and the camera was funded by Liberton High School Association. The astronomy club would like to thank both organisations for enabling us to have access to such good equipment.

Swine Flu advice

If you wish to find out more about Swine Flu and what you should do if you feel you may have the symptons highlighted in the media then please go to the 'Swine Flu' section on Edinburgh Council's wesite.

Homework Club

Open to all pupils on a Tuesday after school in business education room 2.

Every time you attend you will be rewarded with a merit point, free snacks and drinks will also be available.

If you attend the club regularly then you will have the opportunity to go on a trip at the end of term.

Mr Andrew Macrae

Mr Andrew Macrae, Senior Depute at Liberton High School will be retiring from Education on Thursday July 2 2009, after 37 years service.

To mark this occasion a dinner dance will be held in his honour at Liberton High School on Friday 26 June 2009. The evening will begin at 7.00 pm with a Champagne Reception, followed by a buffet dinner, an opportunity to share your memories of working with Drew and Ceilidh dancing.

Places are limited, so if you would like to reserve a ticket please email by return shona.mathie@liberton.edin.sch.uk your name and contact details, indicating how many tickets you would like. Cheques must be made payable to ‘Liberton High School’ for £20.00 and should be sent to the address below no later than 4 May 2009. Tickets purchased before 12 June will be posted out (please include details with cheques), any tickets purchased after this date can be collected on the night.

If you have any further questions/comments please contact Christine Babbs and Shelagh Lee on 0131 664 7514.

Liberton High School
328 Gilmerton Road
EDINBURGH
EH17 7PT

Dress down day for charity

Today, we finished off the term with a dress down day for staff and pupils. Well done to everyone who contributed to raising a magnificent £411.24!! The money raised will go to the Children in Need fund.

The term was brought to a close by having teams of pupils competing in an interhouse Quiz. On this occasion Clyde House were victorious.

Well done and thanks to Mr Russell, S6 helpers and staff for organising and staging this event. I thought the atmosphere across the school was great - a perfect way to end the term!

PTA update

Message from our PTA (known as LHSA)

We have just recently funded Business Management, Geography and Chemistry Departments for much needed new books; we have also given the Astronomy Club funding to buy a new camera attachment for their telescope as they will be taking part in the events for International Year of Astronomy.

We have organised a Bag Packing weekend at Morrisons on Sat 2 & Sun 3 May
to raise funds to buy and install a Smart Board for the school, and are also holding our Car Boot Sale on Sunday 31 May 9.30am-12.30pm. Watch out for further details.

If you are interested in how we raise and spend the funds for the school, come along to our next meeting on Wed 22 April at 7.30pm in the staff room.

Many thank to Liz Kettle, parents and staff on the LHSA for all of their efforts in supporting the school in so many different ways.

March/April Bulletin (1 April 2009)

As always, this has been a very busy and productive term. Now that the clocks have gone forward we can all enjoy lighter evenings and take advantage of the better weather. I take this opportunity of wishing all staff and families a very relaxing and enjoyable Easter Holiday.

I can confirm that Wednesday 20 May will be an additional in-service day for all Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Special Schools in Edinburgh.

Pupils, parents and staff are asked to note that as a result of the extra in-service days over the next three years, the school day will have to start at 5.30 a.m. This will begin immediately after the summer holiday.

Liberton High School has been awarded £9,220 from ‘Awards for All’ to build on progress already made with Dance in the school!

During the past few weeks pupils across the school have been heavily involved in preparation for their final exams. Exam leave for S4 pupils begins on Tuesday 5 May and for pupils in S5 and S6 will begin on Friday 15 May.

Parents of pupils whose attendance continues to cause concern will be contacted by House Heads to discuss what support may be required, over the coming weeks. Well done, and thanks to all those who have managed high levels of attendance this session.

Warmest congratulations to Liam Allison, Lewis Allan and Callum Munro who won this year’s Edinburgh Schools Battle of the Bands final. The boys beat several great bands from all over Edinburgh to win the top prize of 2 days recording at a top studio.

Revision for exams All pupils are reminded of the extensive programme of revision classes that take place across the school during the school week. Additional classes will be on offer during the Easter Holiday. Details of these have already been passed to pupils. Please take advantage of these!

Events that have taken place in the last few weeks include:


• The astronomy club run by Mr Crawford meets regularly.
• Continuing rehearsals for Grease, which will be staged in June 2009
• Last week we ran a health promotion week across the whole school. ‘Body attack’ and ‘Cheerleading’ were among the activities on offer.
• Janet MacInnes, Writer in Residence, has been based at Liberton High School
• Syd Maddicott (British High Commissioner to Cameroon) visited us on Friday 27 March and presented to S6 pupils about life in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Jennifer Martin has joined us on a four week placement as a Musician in Residence
• Rudi Oppenheimer (Holocaust survivor) visited and addressed an S2 assembly on Tuesday 31 March.
• A BBC film production team visited Liberton High school to record pupils’ opinions on ‘Democracy and Politics in Scotland’ for a Learning Zone programme on Democracy in Action.


Staffing update Miss Nowosielska (Bursar), Mrs Day (Office), Mr Scott (Art) and Mr Waterhouse (CDT) are currently off through ill-health. We wish them all a speedy recovery.

The Library is collecting Times and Sunday Times tokens for free books for school. Please continue to support a very worthy cause!

Litter All pupils are requested to be considerate of others and our environment when disposing of waste. Please use the litter bins provided!

BBC Blast! Came into school and spent the morning with a lucky group of S2 pupils. The aim of the workshop was to introduce the pupils to the variety of Media products which can be created easily using simple computer programmes. During the two hour workshop, all of the pupils were involved in creating both a short radio programme and a short 3D animation. All the projects were a great success and the pupils were very proud of their work. Thanks to Miss Mackinnon for organising this.

On 24 March, Saffron Law, Kieran Armitage, Emma McNaughton and Fraser Murray took part in a Childline Conference which looked at the issues of peer pressure and bullying. They were asked to look at the issues and think about some solutions to the problems and at the end they had to make a presentation in which Saffron stood up and spoke in front of 100 people! They all found the day really interesting and informative and we have come back to school with lots of ideas to help combat the issues! Thanks to Miss Arnold for leading on this.

I am delighted to note the positive impact that the Story-teller, Ruth Kirkpatrick, and the Writer in Residence, Janet MacInnes, have had on the classes they have been visiting in the English department over the past few weeks. The pupils are very engaged with the work that was done by both of these creative people. A range of topics were explored with whole classes, and smaller groups, in order to raise awareness of, and encourage interest in, writing, especially by Scottish authors and poets. Work was undertaken with lots of our pupils of all abilities and across the year groups. A huge, long, Japanese poem called a Renga was composed in the library by pupils from S2-S4 and some really imaginative poems have been written by the pupils themselves!

We are now running a homework club for all pupils. S1 – S3 Tuesdays straight after school,
S4 – S6 Wednesday’s straight after school – these clubs allow pupils the opportunity to complete homework for any subject in a quiet environment and with access to computers and the internet. Thanks to Miss Rankin for organising this.

Key Dates for your Diary


Friday 3 April Term Ends (Dress Down day for charity)
Tuesday 21 April New term begins
Monday 4 May May Day Holiday
Tuesday 5 May Exam leave begins for S4 pupils
Friday 15 May Exam leave begins for S5 and S6 pupils
Monday 18 May Victoria Day Holiday
Tues 19 and Wed 20 May In-service days. Additional holidays for pupils

Check the school website for copies of all previous bulletins and other important news!

My sincere thanks for your continuing support in 2009. Donald J Macdonald (Headteacher)

Congratulations to Jennifer Somerville S6

Jennifer took part in the DSE Junior National Swimming Championships in Sheffield over the weekend and won a handful of medals. These were:

50M FREESTYLE GOLD MEDAL IN 43.83 seconds
50M BACKSTROKE GOLD MEDAL IN 53.18
50M BREASTSTROKE SILVER MEDAL IN 59.86 PB
100m BREASTSTROKE SILVER MEDAL IN 2:09.53 PB
100M BACKSTROKE GOLD MEDAL IN 1:50.93
100M FREESTYLE GOLD MEDAL IN 1:36.75
400M FREESTYLE GOLD MEDAL IN 7:08.28

Well done Jennifer.

Liberton High School Bulletin Jan/Feb 2009

2009 has started very well. Throughout this session and beyond we will continue to be an ambitious school for all of our pupils. A highlight for us in January was our Burns supper which was a huge success. My sincere thanks to all staff, pupils and parents who contributed to this superb occasion.

During the past three weeks pupils have been heavily involved in prelim exams. The prelim results will give all those involved a very clear picture of where they are now and what must be done to realise their potential in the final exams this summer.

School building I am pleased to say, that despite all the recent press about crumbling school buildings in Edinburgh, our building is wind, watertight and fit for purpose.

Along with the December newsletter, you should have received a copy of your child’s attendance summary. Thank you to all parents for your support in ensuring attendance at school. Pupils whose attendance is les than 80% will be interviewed by House staff in order to assess what can be done to support them in their learning this session. I anticipate that there will be some pupils whose progress has been so hindered by poor attendance that repeating the year will have to be considered. No decision will be taken until parents have been contacted by us. ‘Pupils who are absent from school are not being taught and therefore will not make the progress expected of them’. (Quote from HM inspectors in January 2006)

Curriculum for excellence update Liberton High School is presently reviewing what we teach to our pupils. As you may already know, every school in the country has been asked to develop its own Curriculum for Excellence. In developing ours we would like to hear the views of pupils, parents, employers, colleges and universities.
Could you please spare five minutes of your time to complete a brief survey? To do so, simply click on Survey Monkey.
Surveys should be completed before Sunday 22 February for your response to register.

Heartstart Parents are invited to join us at Liberton High School on Saturday 7 March to learn about Emergency Life Support skills and practical advice for what you do when someone has had a heart attack. (See attached sheet for details).

Very well done to the following:
• Jennifer Somerville who continues to go from strength to strength in swimming. Jennifer won three gold medals at the regional championships in Middlesbrough on 10 January.
• Anthony Garcia (former pupil) who came second in the World Karaoke Championships in October 2008.
• Jordan Wilson (2D) and Ellie-Louise Wilson who have both been chosen to represent Scotland at Handball in the World championships this summer.

Staffing update Ms Nowosielska (Bursar) and Mr Scott (Art) are currently off through ill-health. We wish them both a speedy recovery.

The Library is collecting Times and Sunday Times tokens for free books for school. Please support a very worthy cause!

Litter All pupils are requested to be considerate of others and our environment when disposing of waste. Please use the litter bins provided!

Revision for exams There are a wide range of revision classes on offer across the school; these are particularly relevant to pupils in S4-S6. Pupils sitting exams this year should, by now, have obtained copies of revision guides and Past Papers. Some of these are available (for free) on the Internet. Please take advantage of these; exams are looming large!

Events that have taken place in the last three weeks include:
• Holocaust Education day for all S2 pupils on Monday 26 January.
• Senior pupils have led whole school assemblies on ‘standing up to hatred’.
• Continuing auditions for Grease, which will be staged in June 2009
• Visit by a BBC film crew to record a pupils debating topical issues on Monday 9 February. (Screening arrange in March)
• Senior pupils, organised by Mrs Imlach, continue to share their skills and talents with local primary pupils.
• Liberton High School’s newly formed astronomy club had a visit from Chris Lintott on Monday 9 February. Chris co-presents the BBC ‘Sky at Night’.

Babies go home Over the last few weeks a number of students in S4 have had the opportunity to take home a ‘reality baby’. The babies are programmed to behave like a real baby, so they cry to be fed, winded and changed at inconvenient times and they protest long and hard if handled roughly, they can cry for over 30 minutes if they are upset. The students had mixed experiences, mostly positive but some students were heard to utter ‘never again’! Some babies cried for over 60 minutes while other babies only cried for 16 minutes in the 13 hour period they were at home depending on their care. Next term the same students can take the babies home for the weekend. Some of the students are very keen but others have already got reservations about coping with the needs of a baby 24 hours a day!

LHSA Update 100 Club Winners:Jan - 1st Prize Maureen Irving, 2nd Prize Miss Quigley, 3rd Prize Norman Adam Feb - 1st Prize Alan Smith, 2nd Prize Louisa Mc Donald, 3rd Prize Patricia Somerville.

We are planning to hold a Bag Packing weekend at Morrisons to try and raise enough funds to buy and install a new ‘Smartboard’ for the school and we are also holding our Car Boot Sale on 31 May so start clearing out the attic now!

Dates for the Diary
Friday 13 February Term ends
Friday 13 February Deadline for returning course choice forms
Monday 23 February Staff training day (Pupils on holiday)
Saturday 7 March Heartstart Training for parents (see separate flyer)
Friday 3 April Term Ends
Tuesday 21 April New term begins

Check the school website for copies of all previous bulletins and other important news! (http://www.liberton.edin.sch.uk)

My sincere thanks for your continuing support in 2009.

Donald J Macdonald (Headteacher)

Music success!

Congratulations to a very talented group of musicians, known collectively as 'The Directors'. Today they were successful in winning their 'Bands' heat at Liberton High.

Lead Vocals and Guitar: Liam Allison (S4)

Bass Guitar: Callum Munro (S3)

Drums: Lewis Allan (S3)

They will now perform at the Picture House on Lothian Road in the finals on 19 March.

Well done boys!

Tribute to Brian Queen

It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Brian Queen.

Brian was the cleaner in the CDT department in Liberton High school for a number of years. During this time he proved to be a valued member of the department. Brian always took pride in doing an excellent job but Brian’s contribution was much more than that. He always knew what to say at the end of a busy day to keep the mood cheerful. Brian also had an endless supply of sweets which he shared every day!

During the years that Brian worked with us he showed that he was a thoughtful and kind person in his day to day actions e.g. keeping the Evening News Edinburgh Marathon results for Jim Heneghan, bringing in milk and biscuits for break time and making sure that the rooms were spick and span before the SQA exams. Brian was modest and never expected any thanks for the extra work he regularly did for us.

We will miss Brian as a colleague and a friend and feel fortunate for having the chance to work with him.

(Words provided by staff of the The CDT Department at Liberton High School)

Weather Warning - Tuesday 3 February 2009

The school received the following message earlier today. This is for the period from midnight tonight to 23.59 Tuesday.

There is a High Risk (60%) of a Severe Weather event affecting parts of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and eastern Scotland during Tuesday. Periods of snow are expected through the day, with heavy falls likely in places. Although marked variations will occur from place to place, 5-10cms is likely, especially over higher ground. This could cause disruption to travel networks, especially across higher level routes. Snow may turn to rain at times at lower levels.


Parents and pupils are reminded that if any Edinburgh schools are closed tomorrow (Tuesday) an announcement will be made on Forth One and Forth Two.

Astronomy Club

To mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo first using a telescope we are setting up an astronomy club in Liberton High School.

Contact Mr Crawford for details.
First meeting Monday 19th January 1.10pm Lab 2