Swimming Successes

Two of our pupils recently excelled in the Highland Schools Swimming Gala. Pupils are restricted to only two events and of the four events taken part in, they scooped three gold medals and one silver. Janis MacDonald (S5) won Gold in both the 200 and 100 metres freestyle for 16+ and Lewis Meeks won Gold for the 400m freestyle and Silver for the 200m freestyle (13-14).

Spicy Salmon Noodles for sale!

School lunches had a treat on Tuesday 9th December a recipe designed by pupils was served up in the school dining hall. The healthy eating dish designed by Ugis Laimins, Erin McGregor and Scott Fraser was inspired by a visit to Aquascot, a seafood company in Alness. The project involved teaching staff in English, Home Economics, Science and Support for Learning. Teams of pupils competed to design a healthy dish undertaking market research and investigations in science before producing the final dishes which were judged by the Council Catering Manager, an NHS dietician and Aquascot's product development manger.

This project required pupils to combine their learning from a range of subject disciplines to produce the final product.

REAL Food in Falcon Square

The School's social enterprise REAL Food has opened a stall in Falcon Square for the Christmas period. This is in addition to the shop we currently occupy in the Victorian Market. No excuse -buy your Christmas veg and much more from REAL Food.

INVERNESS HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL PREFECTS

SPORTS
Girls shinty club has started on Monday lunchtimes. All Welcome!
The girls football club practise on a Thursday after school, and the team is training hard!
One of our students, Megan Weymss, has made the Scottish Cheerleading Team, and she has also started to run cheerleading sessions on Thursday lunchtimes, which are open to everyone.
Basketball practice is held from 5 till 6 pm on Wednesdays.

MUSIC
As we don’t have a hall at the moment our Christmas musical has had to be postponed, but the cast and school choir are performing in a 45 minute slot at the Town House on Thursday 18th December.

STUDY
There are study periods for 5th and 6th years during free periods, and for other years at lunchtimes or after school. See teachers for more info!
Our 4th years are taking their prelim exams starting 8th December – we wish them luck!

REAL PROJECT
The REAL Project, our enterprise project, is recruiting new members for their team. Their training will start before Christmas. They will also be running a stall in the Christmas market in Falcon Square throughout December, and are making up and selling hampers for Christmas.

ECO SCHOOLS
The Eco Schools committee is up and running, and we have loads of new and exciting projects in mind! The Gardening Club is also beginning on Wednesday lunchtimes taking on practical projects around the school grounds!

S2 LEADERSHIP GROUP
The second year leadership group have set up a phone recycling campaign so you can get money for yourself and the school by recycling your old phone. Details on how to do this are coming soon! They also want to set up a radio blog…watch this space!

S3/4 BASE
The 3rd and 4th year base is now open after school for an hour on Wednesdays for a game of pool or just a chat!

CHRISTMAS PARTY
We have decided that the 4th, 5th and 6th years are having their Christmas party on the 17th December from 7:30-10:00pm, and costs £3.00. It’s going to be in the games hall as we don’t have an assembly hall at the moment, but we have a live band performing and we’re going to put loads of Christmas decorations up to make the hall look as good as possible. It should be a great night. We want as many 4th 5th and 6th years along as we can! Get out your glad rags and get ready to boogie!

Important Dates

School finishes on December 19th for Christmas and we will return on Monday 5th January. Happy Christmas everybody!

INVERNESS HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL PREFECTS

SPORTS
Girls shinty club has started on Monday lunchtimes. All Welcome!
The girls football club practise on a Thursday after school, and last week went to a tournament in Drumnadrochit where they won one of their three games.
One of our students, Megan Weymass, has made the Scottish Cheerleading Team, and she has also started to run cheerleading sessions on Thursday lunchtimes, which are open to everyone.
Basketball practice is held after school on Wednesdays.

MUSIC
As we don’t have a hall at the moment our Christmas musical has had to be postponed, but the cast and school choir are performing in a 45 minute slot at the Town House on Thursday 18th December.

STUDY
There are study periods for 5th and 6th years during free periods, and for other years at lunchtimes or after school. See teachers for more info!
Our 4th years are taking their prelim exams starting 8th December – we wish them luck!

REAL PROJECT
The REAL Project, our enterprise project, is recruiting new members for their team. Their training will start before Christmas. They will also be running a stall in the Christmas market in Falcon Square throughout December, and are making up and selling hampers for Christmas.

ECO SCHOOLS
The Eco Schools committee is restarting this week, and we have loads of new and exciting projects in mind! The Gardening Club is also beginning on Wednesday lunchtimes taking on practical projects around the school grounds!

S2 LEADERSHIP GROUP
The second year leadership group have set up a phone recycling campaign so you can get money for yourself and the school by recycling your old phone. Details on how to do this are coming soon!

Teacher training

Ever wondered what teachers do on in-service days? - well here is a sneaky look.
Yes it looks like a class - Teachers were sharing ideas on classroom techniques and were trying them out for themselves. The periods were long! but great fun and whether you are a teacher or a pupil learning should be fun - at least some of the time.

Chemical Connections

Science students got a visit from staff of Chemical Connections on 1st December. This is the third time Chemical Connections have visited the High School and their experiments are always well received. Pupils pictured here got a chance to investigate how energy is stored in fruit and vegetables!

High School OU students

Inverness High School was one of the first schools to offer Open University, introductory courses to S6 pupils as a preparation for further education and a way of expanding their curriculum. This year Emily Ross is studying a Medicines, Molecules and Drugs course which is a very useful extension to a Higher Chemistry course. While Garry MacKenzie is studying Web Design where the course requires him to design a website from scratch. Both pupils were recently interviewed by the Times Educational Supplement Scotland (TESS) [the education newspaper] about their impressions of the OU courses. The OU hopes that schools all over Scotland will follow suit and offer these interesting but challenging courses to S6 students.

MP visits Inverness High School

Danny Alexander MP visited Inverness High School to be updated on the school's recent successes in developing its Social Enterprises. He visited the school farm and discussed the recent work of the school with the Rector, Mr Cunningham.

During his visit Mr Alexander took the opportunity to see the damage to the school Assembly Hall and check on the progress with the cleanup.

National Quality Construction Competition

Congratulations goes out to David Macdougall & Emma MacLennan. Their Craft and Design projects (see photos) from last session were entered into a National 'Quality Construction' competition. Both of their projects reached the final (top 8) which was held in Edinburgh on Saturday. David's garden bench ended up in 3rd place overall (won £75 for himself!) and Emma's seat was 4th overall.

Fire in Inverness High School 8/10/08

Fire damaged the Inverness High School Assembly Hall on the evening of Wednesday 8th October. The fire was discovered at around 9.45pm and several fire engines attended. The most severe damage was to the Assembly Hall stage and basement although there was extensive smoke damage to the Assembly Hall and surrounding corridors. The school's new sound and cinema system was destroyed along with the new curtains and stage lighting. Musical instruments stored by the Highland Youth Orchestra and Inverness Wind Band were also destroyed in the fire. The cleanup started in earnest on Monday 13th October and it is expected to have all areas of the school except the Assembly Hall in full working order when pupils return on Wednesday 29th October.

ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS (RYLA)

Inverness winners of the 2008 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) are Emily Dent, Karen Munro and Helen Cromarty (Culloden Academy) and James McPhee (Inverness High School).
Every year Rotary Clubs across Great Britain and Ireland sponsor young people aged between 14 and 30 to attend RYLA courses where they undergo an intensive training programme in leadership development and team working. The courses are a blend of physical outdoor activity and more intellectual challenges of competitions, teambuilding and problem solving, with a series of inspirational talks from leaders and managers who have established track records in business and sporting achievement. Individuals are chosen from candidates identified by their schools as most likely to benefit from this unique learning experience and develop into the leaders of tomorrow.
Emily, Karen and James were sponsored by The Rotary Club of Inverness and they attended a recent lunch time meeting where they gave very polished and confident talks on their experiences at camps held in July. Helen was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Loch Ness.
Picture shows President John Machin presenting James McPhee, Emily Dent and Karen Munro with their RYLA Certificates.

High School Sponsored Walk

The Inverness High School sponsored walk took place on Friday 3rd October and we were very lucky with good weather conditions. Pupils and staff look forward to this enjoyable social occasion where we raise funds for school activities as well as donate 10% to charity.

High School lifts Innovation prize

Photo – Ewen Weatherspoon

Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards

- Inverness High School scoops an Industry Award

Inverness High School have beaten off competition from Baxter’s Foods, one of the nation’s largest food producers to lift another prestigious title. The school’s REAL Food enterprise which has attracted interest from Prince Charles, won the Innovation Award at the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink awards at the Drummossie Hotel on 26th September. The enterprise which has been running for two years provides our pupils with opportunities for personal development, work experience and engagement with food from seed to retailing. The school have a thriving stall in the Victorian Market as well as other retail outlets in businesses and villages in the area.
The Awards, supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Forum and Williamson Foodservice, celebrate excellence and achievement in the food and drink industry in the Highlands and Islands. Judged by a panel of industry experts with representatives across the sector. Hazel Gordon, chair of the Highland and Islands Food and Drink Forum, said: “The Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards aim to encourage high standards, collaboration and innovation across the area, and it’s great to again see this year’s awards highlighting businesses and individuals who have excelled in our industry. We also hope all the winners, who really have come from near and far, go on to further benefit from the profile their Awards bring with them.”
REAL Food, Inverness An integrated market garden and retail based social enterprise, in Inverness High School, in the heart of the city, to provide youngsters with opportunities for personal development, work experience, community involvement and engagement with the story of food by linking the enterprise activities to the curriculum. It is now working, with pupil involvement, to expand its local sales base in locations such as the Scottish Natural Heritage HQ, Raigmore Hospital, The Victorian Market, Inverness and in a range of village markets based in Culbokie, Evanton, Strathpeffer and Kirkhill. http://real-ihs.blogspot.com/

Three years as a School of Ambition

Inverness High School celebrated three years as a designated School of Ambition on Friday 26th September. We invited a number of partner orgainisations and guests to hear about the last three years progress. Part of the story is about our school farm and vegetable retailing but there are many other aspects of the school's work that have developed over the last three years. We have dramatically improved our IT in the school and this is integrated into teaching and learning. Pupil Leadership activities are also developing and our focus has been on developing pupils early in their secondary school career. Our Activities days and school dress code are other aspects of the school that have developed over the last three years.

Certainly a lot to celebrate - although School of Amition funding stops this year the activities were have started will continue.

Young Chefs

Andrew Mackenzie and Lauren Fraser were narrowly beaten in the Final of "Battle of the Chefs" at Eden Court Theatre on Thursday evening. This event, part of the Highland Feast celebration pitted eight pairs of budding chefs against each other - producing a three course meal in front of an assembled audience. Andrew and Lauren progressed through two preliminary rounds into the final and were beaten by the narrowest of margins. Judges for the event were Alan Little of the Riverside Restaurant and Anne Law of Eilean Dhu in Fortrose. The budding chefs had to produce inventive and healthy meals using local ingredients (some of them very local - off our school farm!) Lauren and Andrew made Beremeal Blinis with Isle of Skye smoked mackerel and Balmungie Quail eggs for their starter, in the first round; then Clachnaharry Apple and Bramble Oaty crumble with a Crowdie, Honey and Whisky Cream in the semi-final. They prepared Denalder Estate Venison Loin with Crushed new potatoes and a Duo of our own School Grown Kale served with a Moniack Plum wine and chocolate sauce, in the final. They worked efficiently and hygenically in front of an audience while explaining what they were making and why they had chosen it. Both pupils a real credit to the school and their teachers.

S2 Leadership course

All our S2 pupils participated in a Leadership course run for the school by "The tree of Knowledge" training organisation. All S2 pupils participated in the first day of training and for the second day they elected a leadership group to represent them. This group undertook further training and will work with our new Youth Worker, Lizzie Cox, when she joins us shortly. Everyone seemed to enjoy the activities on the course and we look forward to the ideas S2 pupils will contribute to developing our school.

Royal Marines show S4 the secrets of the Armed Forces curry! S4 pupils were given a demonstration of forces cooking and had a go themselves. Rumour has it that CHOCOLATE!! is one of the secret ingredients. What do they say about an army marching on its stomach?

Royal Navy provide team-building training

On 8th September the Royal Navy provided two trainers to work with our newly appointed prefects. They worked on some team-building exercises which also tested their fitness levels. Some of the prefects thought thy were fit until the Navy showed up!

Congratulations to former pupils
Leila Morrison who graduated from the University of Glasgow with an MA Hons degree
and Laura Creech who graduated MChem from Heriot Watt University

STOP PRESS

Inverness High School’s REAL Food business has been shortlisted for an award at the Highland and Islands Food and Drink Awards. The School food company is shortlisted alongside a leading Inverness restaurant, the Baxters food group and many innovative businesses in the Hospitality sector. The REAL Food business which grows some of its own produce on the school farm and retails to the general public at a number of outlets in the local area; was recently honoured by a visit from Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay.
Rector, Ritchie Cunningham said “I’m delighted the work of staff and pupils has been rewarded, it is a great honour to be recognized in this way. It is very flattering to be nominated alongside so many household names”.

Mr John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable development visited Inverness High School during the summer holidays and had discussions with Mr Cunningham, some pupils working on REAL Food and other adults working on the School’s Social Enterprises

School Wins Schools Social Enterprise Award

Inverness High School wins Scottish Schools Enterprise Award.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education presented Inverness High School with one of the first Schools Social Enterprise Awards in June, at a ceremony in Edinburgh.The award recognizes all of the Enterprise activities in the school, in particular the pupil involvement in REAL Food and REAL Organics.