NEWS Spring '10 - Strathallan School

Talks...
Spring 2010 | News 7
Colin Montgomerie Gives Annual
Sixth Form Lecture
2010 Ryder Cup Captain, Colin Montgomerie took time out his
busy schedule to give the annual Lecture to the Sixth Form. He
spoke of how his career evolved from his amateur victories in
the early 1980s, his decision to turn professional in 1987 and the
highlights of his professional career but he also focused on the
importance of a good education.
Having attended Houston Baptist University in Texas on a golf scholarship
and studied Business Management and Law, it comes as no surprise
that Colin has a flair for business and he talked about the Elizabeth
Montgomerie Foundation which he established in 2007 to raise money
for cancer patients in Scotland. Colin is also an extremely well respected
Course Designer and spent time explaining the process involved and the
importance of a good team which is hand picked for its skill and ability in
the many aspects of creating great golf courses.
The pupils were given ample opportunity to question Colin and his
responses were both candid and humorous.
Gap Year
Challenge
“ I am Kirstin Lamotte and am currently in my final year at
Strathallan studying hard for my A levels. As Head Girl I have
many duties and responsibilities all very busy but exciting.
I have chosen to do some voluntary work as part of my gap year
on leaving Strathallan and in February I went to the rural island of
Coll to take part in the selection course for Project trust www.
projecttrust.org.uk.
Project Trust is a gap year organisation that has been established
for forty seven years. It is very important to them that the
volunteers they place are perfectly suited to their projects to
enable them to contribute and make the biggest difference.
The placements involve care work in orphanages and schools for
the disabled, teaching, outdoor activity centres and journalism,
working with children just like those shown in this picture.
I was lucky enough to be selected to do care work and teaching
in my first choice country Sri Lanka, a place that has always
fascinated me.
Sri Lanka has faced many horrible disasters , including the 2004
Boxing Day tsunami and the longest lasting war in Asia, but there
are also positive aspects especially around tourism, culture,
conservation, food and sports.
I am planning on doing fundraising events such a Sri Lankan
dinner dance with raffle and games, a sponsored sky dive, car
boot sales and many more in order to raise the £4600 I require
to go this August. I would be so grateful for any donations to
Project Trust and my voluntary work in Sri Lanka – no donation
is too small. I would be more than happy to speak to anyone on
this if it is of interest to them as I think it will be the opportunity of
a life time for me personally and I hope to be able to contribute
greatly during my placement making a positive impact on the
community.
For information on donating please contact me by email –
Kirstin_lamotte@hotmail.co.uk or on my just giving website
www.justgiving.com/Kirstin-Lamotte. Thank you. “
The talk was extremely well received with something for not only the keen
sports enthusiasts but all who attended.
Author Charlie James
Riley pupils were joined by the children of Forgandenny Primary
School to listen to author Charlie James as she gave a most engaging
talk on her comic novels ‘Dino Egg’ and ‘Fish’.
The children discussed the wild adventures of the Finn Family and
all their hilarious antics with great enthusiasm and absorbed the
surprising number of prehistoric facts with eagerness.
Their imaginations were still running riot long after the talk ended.
Kenya Book
Appeal
The Headmaster visited Kenya in November and was shown
around the three schools and the orphanage run by the Ann
Gloag Foundation. We are in the process of setting up a variety
of volunteering options and Gap year opportunities for pupils and
staff to help with these excellent initiatives. The Foundation runs
the Jonathan Gloag Academy and Orphanage alongside, a rescue
school for Maasai girls in Suswa in the Rift Valley and Mashimoni, a
primary school situated in the heart of Kibera, the biggest slum in
the world.
While in Kenya the Headmaster was asked by a member of the
Kenyan Parliament if it would be possible to coordinate a book
collection to support libraries in some of the poorer schools in
Kenya. As a result we have offers of support from a number of
HMC and IAPS schools in Scotland which will ask parents and
pupils for any reading books suitable for pupils from the age of four
to fourteen. These will be collected by the Charities Committee
at Strathallan and will be shipped to Nairobi in June. The first gift
of books came from Forgandenny Primary School some of whose
pupils are pictured with members of the Charities Committee.
Anyone who is able to help with this appeal is asked to send the
books back with their sons/daughters at the start of term or drop
them off at the School for boxing before the end of April.