Extracurricular Activities: Learning Skills for Life - St Columba's School

Issue 31 June 2011
The Columban
Extracurricular Activities:
Learning Skills for Life
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, page 4
School Orchestra, page 8

Rector’s Message
Although we are now heading into the final weeks of the
school year the pace does not appear to have slackened.
The school diary is as busy as ever, with staff and pupils
involved in theatre trips to London, Duke of edinburgh’s
Award hikes, sports days and talent shows. We are
delighted to have secured Mark Beaumont, the BBC
presenter and cyclist, as our guest speaker for senior
school Prize Giving. Professor John Wallace, Principal
of the Royal scottish Academy of Music and Drama, will
speak at Junior school Prize Giving. Please refer to the
calendar on the school website for details of all events.
I am extremely pleased to note that so many pupils are
involved in extra-curricular activities, such as the Duke of
Edinburgh’s Award. A range of sporting and musical groups
and clubs are also offered, including the Athletic Club and
the School Pipe Band. As one of our pupils notes in the article
about the School Orchestra, being part of a group is not only
a chance to have fun, but also to acquire important skills and
to boost personal confidence. I would encourage all pupils to
take every opportunity to fully engage in School life at
St Columba’s.
Staff news
Mrs Diane Hecht has been appointed as Principal of the Pre
Preparatory School of Highgate School, London.
Mrs Alison Duncan has been appointed as Depute Head of
Junior School in succession to Mrs Diane Hecht. Mrs Duncan
is an honours graduate in Modern Languages of the University
of St Andrews where she also completed her teacher training.
She comes to us from The Mary Erskine & Stewart’s Melville
Junior School.
Mrs Isobel evans has decided to retire at the end of this
session after many years of dedicated service to the school.
We wish her well in this new phase of her life. Mrs Gill Hall,
BA Cantab, who has covered during Mrs Moore’s long-term
absence, becomes a permanent member of the Junior School
staff.
Mrs Jane Flinders is also leaving Junior School to join her
husband and family in the south.
Miss Catherine Patterson, BEd RSAMD has joined the Music
Department.
Congratulations to Ms sonia Cromarty and Miss sturt (now
Mrs Ingham) on their marriages.
I would also like to take this opportunity to make you aware
of a change of format to one of our events for 2011-2012.
This year a concert, at which pupils from J4 to SVI will display
their many musical talents, will replace the Christmas Carol
Service. The concert will take place in Greenock Town Hall on
Thursday 15th December. Plans for the evening are already
fairly advanced and I believe we can look forward to an
excellent programme. This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy
the musical excellence of the School and I hope that you will
join us. In the meantime, enjoy the many end-of-year activities
and the summer holidays when they finally come.
Mrs emma Corbett has had a little girl, Briony, born in
September.
Mr eric Milligan and wife, Helen, have had a baby boy, Drew.
We are sorry to say goodbye to Mrs Tracey Carlyle (Wright)
and Mrs Gillian Green. Mrs Carlyle and Mrs Green have
decided not to return to School after maternity leave.
Mrs Zoe shaw, BA Glasgow Caledonian, who has covered
for Mrs Carlyle, becomes a permanent member of staff.
Mrs Laura Robertson and Mrs nicky Gardner will begin
their maternity leave at the end of term. Mrs Lisa shaw,
BSc Strathclyde, will cover for Mrs Robertson.
Mrs Betty Kidd, who has served with distinction as Vocal
Teacher, will retire at the end of the session.
Ms Laura Wrightson, BEd Edinburgh, a Scotland hockey
internationalist, has been appointed as Senior Hockey Coach
and teacher of PE from August.
Mr Graeme sutherland, who has acted as an additional
member of the Maths Department, will leave the School at
the end of the session.
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Heather at UK Final of
Young Chef Competition
Heather Fleming (SII) won the Scotland and nE England
regional final of the Young Chef 2011 competition hosted in
Dundee and went through to the UK final in Stratford. In just
two hours, Heather, and the other seven finalists from across
the UK, created a three-course dinner which was tasted by five
judges, including Valentine Warner, chef and TV presenter,
Susan Low, editor of Delicious magazine, and Walter Zanré,
Managing Director of Filippo Berio.
Although Heather, who was sponsored by the Rotary
Club of Gryffe Valley, didn’t win, her dessert, dark chocolate
and raspberry truffle torte, was singled out for praise as
“worthy of being served in a Michelin starred restaurant”.
Her achievement was all the more impressive because she
was at least two years younger than the other competitors.
School Council
Recently School Council meetings have been dominated by
discussions relating to various items of uniform. These range
from the possible introduction of a new waistcoat for the
senior boys to a replacement for the ever-unpopular girls’ PE
shorts. We are very grateful to Mr Keith Wilson of Smiths
of Greenock who agreed to attend one of our meetings. He
explained many important aspects regarding the supply of
uniform and provided valuable advice and support for our
discussions. We are continuing to look into issues relating to
items of uniform, but appreciate that this is a long process,
involving discussion with many partners. It is likely that next
year’s Council will continue the research begun this session;
however we can report that, having given the proposed green
waistcoat our full consideration, it was decided not to adopt
this item into the boys’ uniform.
Meeting My Hero
(Glen Fraser)
Sir Jackie Stewart is a legend. He has won the F1 World
Championship three times and has also been very successful
in business. Most importantly, he has done all this despite
having dyslexia. I’m a dyslexic myself and was given the task
at school of preparing a talk on a person I admire. I chose
Jackie Stewart, having just read his autobiography, ‘Winning
is not Enough’ with my dad. The day after I had done my
presentation a package arrived by post, which had Jackie
Stewart collectibles in it and a letter from the man himself
encouraging me with my talk! nobody has yet owned up to
making contact with him on my behalf (!) but since then I’ve
been trading emails with him regularly. Last year I was lucky
enough to have the chance to meet Jackie through Dyslexia
Scotland, of which he is President. I’m involved in kart
racing and love motorsports too, so this was an opportunity
I couldn’t say no to. I had to make my way to Edinburgh by
train and I was very nervous, but when we got to the venue,
Edinburgh Library, I was more relaxed. Sir Jackie was making a
speech about the challenges faced by dyslexics and when the
conference ended I finally got to meet my hero. He was very
polite, although I was so flustered I could hardly speak. It was
a great experience and he asked how my karting was going
and how school was. He seemed genuinely interested in all
I was doing. He also gave me some handy tips on driving and
dealing with dyslexia. I went home very pleased with myself.
Glen with Jackie Stewart

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Charity
The past couple of months have been a great success for
charity events. Events included a Wii Ski Challenge held
by SIV, which allowed many of the pupils to show off their
skiing skills. However, Maxine Muirhead outperformed
them all with a winning time of 1min 14seconds. Well done,
Maxine! This event alone raised over £100. The charity total
is now approaching £2000 and will towards the Teenage
Cancer Trust, benefitting many young people as they face the
challenges of a serious illness.
In February members of the Pipe Band, the Junior Choir and
Senior Ensemble performed at City Halls in Glasgow as part of
the Sounds of Scotland Concert, raising money for Quarriers.
There was a roaring trade in Fairtrade products, including
chocolate and jewellery in early March, as part of Fairtrade
Fortnight.
Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami which
struck Japan, the children of Junior School raised a fantastic
£1180, to be split between Save the Children and the Red
Cross to help towards their efforts there. Transitus had a sale
of baking and home-made jewellery, while Gavin Findlay and
Jonathan Bradford of Junior 6 got their year group selling
baking and sweets to contribute towards the funds.
How You Can Support
the Work of the
Teenage Cancer Trust
Alastair and Rosalind Lauchland, together with a group of
friends, have embarked on the project of creating a “Calendar
Girls” calendar for 2012 based on the theme of “Horse and
Rider” to raise funds for The Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity
with a close personal connection to the Lauchland family.
They are now seeking sponsorship to cover the costs of
production, so that 100% of the proceeds of all sales will
go to the charity. They are delighted to have already raised
over £1000 from businesses and individuals, but as you can
imagine, the cost of a quality publication is fairly high.
If you would like to sponsor this project, please contact
alastair.lauchland@btinternet.com
Guidance
SI pupils have been learning about healthy lifestyles,
including diet and alcohol. As part of the School’s Eco Week
activities, SI Duchal helped prepare and analyse a lunch
questionnaire. Subject choices and career research have been
the focus for SII, IV and V pupils throughout much of the
second term. Camille Anderson (SII) won the inter-house
career poster competition with an innovative and informative
poster about working as an illustrator. SIV pupils benefitted
from individual interviews with a representative of the
Independent Schools’ Careers Office and pupils across all three
year groups have had the opportunity to discuss career and
subject choices individually with their Heads of House.
SVI ended their PSE programme with three afternoons
dedicated to a variety of guest speakers. As part of the
Preparation for Adult Life afternoon, we welcomed back to the
School Mrs Tracey Carlyle with her baby son Thomas to speak
about breast-feeding, whilst former pupil Jane Wylie-Roberts
entertained students on the topic of parenting. Students have
also enjoyed talks on finance, road safety and blood donation
and in February Olivia Giles returned to the School to speak
about her charity 500 Miles.
Eco School
senior school Committee
In anticipation of the Eco Schools’ inspection, which will take
place in June, the Senior School Eco Committee has continued
to work hard towards achieving Green Flag status.
Our second annual Eco Week was held in February and played
host to a variety of events. There was a CD and book swap,
organised by the English Faculty, a sale of Fairtrade products
in the foyer and a sale by Ms Zhang of jewellery made from
recycled magazines. The money raised will help towards the
work of Open Arms, a vocational training charity based in
Uganda. There was also a highly successful inter-house Eco
Quiz involving all year groups. Many thanks to Matthew
Garrett, who wrote all the questions, and to Sean Yacoubian,
who chaired the event. Congratulations to Duchal for winning
the quiz. To round off the week, a Healthy Heart Day took
place on the Friday, during which the committee worked
alongside the SVI Scottish Baccalaureate group to promote
healthy living. One of the highlights was the smoothie bike
which enabled pupils – and some staff – to prepare a healthy
drink whilst exercising. In addition, lessons in all faculties
focused on a variety of environmental issues.
Junior school Committee
Junior School held its first ever Eco Day. Everyone came to
school out of uniform (but wearing something green!) and we
raised £326 for our chosen eco charity, the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF).
The day started with Assembly led by the Eco Warriors. We
watched films of endangered animals like polar bears and
turtles. Polar bears are under threat because climate change
is melting the ice on which they live. We learned that we can
help by saving energy and that simply switching off the lights
when we don’t need them. We also discovered that sea turtles
often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eating them can
prove fatal. Disposing of our rubbish properly and recycling
is important. Two of our Eco Warriors, Laura Smith (J4) and
Amy Crawford (J6), gave a presentation about WWF’s Earth
Hour 2011. Earth Hour took place on Saturday 26th March at
8.30pm and billions of people across the planet turned off their
lights for an hour. Famous landmarks like the Golden Gate
Bridge, the Eiffel Tour and the London Eye fell into darkness.
Laura and Amy helped us to realise that if we all make little
changes in our lives, it will make a huge difference to the
whole planet.
During Eco Day every class took part in a special eco activity.
Two of our priority areas for achieving our Green Flag award
are litter and waste minimisation and these were common
themes. Prep learned about litter, organised a litter pick-up and
performed their anti-litter song at Assembly. Junior 1 made sock
puppets out of recycled materials as part of their Toys topic.
Junior 2 created two wonderful dinosaurs out of rubbish.
Junior 3 created slogans to remind us all not to drop litter.
Phoebe Maclean-Bristol (J3) said, “On Eco Day I dressed in
green and we made a big poster which said ‘Put litter in the
bin’. I also liked doing the Eco Assembly.”
Junior 4 taught everyone a song in French about walking to
school. They also worked in groups to create some Healthy
Eating Heroes. “Blueberry Boy” and “Cherry Champ” were
just two of their imaginative creations made entirely out of
recycled materials.
Junior 5 enjoyed a talk about renewable energy from
Mr Cameron Smith and then made their own windmills.
They also collected recyclable materials to create a display
about recycling. Junior 6 made bird feeders out of empty juice
containers. nicola Lambert (J6) said, “I thought Eco Day was
really fun and I’d like to do it again. The assembly really made
me think about the animals and it was great to make bird
feeders.” Our Junior 6 and Transitus Eco Warriors also helped
to run a Fairtrade stall selling a range of goods, including
sweets, chocolate, pencils and small toys. The stall proved
very popular and sold £958 worth of Fairtrade products.
We are hoping to have a dedicated page on the School website
very soon which will keep parents and pupils up to date with
our activities both at Junior and Senior School.
How you can help us become an eco school?
We hope to offer recipients of The Columban the option of
receiving it as an e-magazine. At the beginning of the next
academic year a letter will be sent out with further details
about this. Please look out for it.
If you are a Former Pupil and would like to receive
the newsletter in this format please email
kzhang@st-columbas.org

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Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Award Presentations
In late March James McAlpine, Convener of the School
Governing Board’s Building Committee, attended the Senior
School assembly to present Bronze and Silver level Duke of
Edinburgh’s Awards to thirteen pupils. Before handing over
badges and certificates to the successful participants, he spoke
with great enthusiasm about proposals for the development of
the School’s facilities. (Please see School website for details of
our development plans and profiles of all our Governors.)
Bronze Awards
Gavin Crawford Ila Khan
silver Awards
Rachael Baker Jordan McKinstry
Sally Bishop Charlotte Mitchell
Caitlin Findlay Jennifer Pirrie
Peter Hargreaves Joseph Reid
David Johnstone Katie Robins
Rachael McCabe
Introduction to the Dofe Course
Rebecca Grant P J Rankin
Peter Hargreaves Kirsty Rarity
Graeme Mann Katie Wood
So, what does the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award involve?
Participants give us an insight into some of the activities they
have undertaken:
Volunteering (Jordan McKinstry and Katie Robins)
Finding a placement to complete the Silver Level volunteering
section initially proved a challenge, until Mrs Marr (Director
of Outdoor Education) suggested that we paint a mural to be
placed in the children’s garden of Quarrier’s Village. It sounded
like an original idea, so we decided to give it a go. We spent a
great deal of time planning the project and after visiting the
site, we decided upon a wildflower theme. The actual artwork
was carried out in the School’s outdoor education centre in our
spare time during term and over the holidays. We were grateful
for the help of three other girls in our year group – Amy Brown,
Charlotte Mitchell and Sophie Rankin – who had some hours to
make up to complete their volunteering section at Silver Level.
Once the job was completed and the mural placed in the
garden at Quarriers we were delighted, not only with how
it looked, but also with the appreciation with which it was
received. We all felt that the project was a rewarding and
worthwhile experience.
expedition (sally Bishop and Caitlin Findlay)
Unfortunately, owing to a collision of dates, the practice
expedition for Silver participants offered in the School’s
calendar last session clashed with the week a number of us
were due to spend training with the national Youth Girls’
Choir – Rebecca Ronney and Jennifer Faint being the other
two participants. However, we were determined to undertake
our hike and chose to do it out of school through the Outdoor
Activity Centre at Ardeonaig.
Our practice hike provided a real learning curve. With little
or no hiking experience, the route we planned discounted hill
contours, rivers, marshes and quarries! Fortunately the centre
looked at our plan and helped us tweak it into something
more manageable. However, it was still a challenging hike
and a huge jump from the one we’d undertaken at Bronze
level. The practice hike was also hampered by the extreme
weather conditions – so severe that the centre decided to
end the hike prematurely. When subsequently planning our
actual hike, we took into account a lot of what we’d learned
from our mistakes and tried to stick to the paths, particularly
cycle paths, in the area. Additionally, our knowledge of map
reading had improved and we knew how to use land marks
and geographical features to keep us in the right direction.
In complete contrast to our practice hike, the weather was
beautiful. After initial feelings of anxiety, the mood of our
team soon turned to uplifted and happy when we got out onto
the hills. In fact, there were no problems this time and instead
we really got to appreciate the beautiful scenery. Completing
the expedition section out of school was at first quite
intimidating, but we all gained a real sense of achievement
by completing this section through both our own means and
some really hard work.
Leadership Award (Katie Wood)
This year six SVI pupils took on the challenge of the Duke
of Edinburgh’s Leadership Award. Peter, Graeme, Rebecca,
Kirsty, PJ and myself have thoroughly enjoyed working
with our SIII mentor groups. We have helped out at cookery
sessions, emergency procedures and navigation days as part
of the practical module. The theory of the award has been
particularly interesting and beneficial to our leadership and
communication skills. The award is something that we all
feel will be of great use in later life. We would like to take this
opportunity to thank Mrs Marr for all her hard work and all the
time she has given up for us.

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Design Faculty Week
Tanya & Ruby
McFarlane Prize for Art
Tania Dykes (SIII) has won the McFarlane Prize, which is
presented by the Paisley Art Institute. The theme of the
competition was ‘Light and Shade’. Ruby Gilmour (SIII) also
came third in her category. The prize giving took place at the
Paisley Museum.
Ancient and
Modern Languages
Latin
Matthew Garrett (SI) achieved second place in the Standard
Latin Prose section of the Glasgow and the West of Scotland
Prose and Verse Speaking Competition. This prestigious
competition, which was held at Glasgow University, saw
Matthew compete alongside third and fourth year pupils from
a variety of schools in the area. [Pic: Matthew Garrett]
Six pupils from the Higher Latin and Classical Studies classes
have taken part in an international Cicero competition at
George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh. Melissa Meighan,
Christopher Lambert, Luca Hlaing, Jerome Bailey, Fiona
Ritchie (SV) and Hal Le Thangue (SVI) completed a
Cicero Competition
translation and a civilisation paper on the story of Jason and
the Argonauts. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the day and
are looking forward to finding out how they got on in the
competition.
French
Pupils from the
Advanced Higher
French class
enjoyed a trip to
Paris in February
as part of the
preparations
for their final
Speaking exams.
Karen Hamilton,
Alexandra Findlay,
Hannah Edmundson and Douglas Turner spoke French
continuously as part of the language immersion trip and all
coped admirably with the challenges they encountered on
the two-day visit. Although the trip was short, the pupils
managed to see many of the main sights in the city and all
agreed that experiencing life in the country has helped them
to better understand the language.
In January, Karen Hamilton (SVI) took part in the Euroscolar
programme at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Karen beat strong competition to win a place in the group
representing Scotland in the annual international language
event. Over the course of four days she took part in multilingual
debates in the Parliament’s “hemicycle”, conducted a
questionnaire in the centre of Strasbourg in French and found
time for a ceilidh with other students from across Europe!

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Inverclyde Music
Festival 2011
We were delighted to see so many of our pupils enjoying
success at the festival this year.
sandy Ritchie
McCaig Quaich for Piping
highest mark in designated classes
Mark McGregor
Duncan Brown Memorial Trophy for Piping
highest mark in designated classes
Clare eagle
George Parkhill Memorial Trophy
piano solo performance
Full details of winners can be found on the School website
Trinity Guildhall
A list of results for the Trinity and Guildhall Music
examinations can be found on the School website.
Congratulations to all successful candidates.
nYCoS
Fifteen pupils from St Columba’s School successfully
auditioned for the national Youth Choir of Scotland (nYCoS).
Lucy Bishop, Sally Bishop, Fiona Faint, Caitlin Findlay,
Melissa Meighan, Rebecca Ronney, all SV, were accepted for
the nYCoS Girls’ Choir, and Archie Morris (SII) for the Boys
Choir and Luca Hlaing (SV) for the Changed Voices Choir. In
addition, Ciara Ewing, Stephanie Blyth, Catriona Love and
Amy Bretherton joined the Training Choir and Gavin Findlay,
Alistair Smith and Marcus Wylie joined the Junior Corps.
They attended a 6-day residential course during the Easter
holidays, during which they received vocal coaching,
musicianship training and also rehearsed for a number of
high-profile performances. Last year Sally, Rebecca, Melissa,
Jennifer and Caitlin had the added honour of being selected
to sing at the Opening Concert of the Edinburgh International
Festival at the Usher Hall.
Director of Music at St Columba’s, Ms Yvonne Carey, said,
‘I am delighted that so many of our pupils have successfully
auditioned for the national Girls’ Choir/national Boys’ Choir
of Scotland and the Training Choir. I’m particularly pleased
that three of our Junior 6 pupils joined them this year.’
Why Should You Join
the School Orchestra?
There are lots of good reasons for playing as part of the
orchestra or band. Pupils develop many important skills
through the experience, such as patience, discipline,
organisational skills, as well as learning to work as part of a
team. All members of the orchestra have a role to play. Senior
pupils mentor younger musicians and are given responsibility
for a particular section of the orchestra. They ensure that
pupils attend rehearsals regularly and work with them in
smaller groups between rehearsals. Additionally, there is a
huge amount of fun in playing and making music together.
Over the past two years the orchestra has really bonded as
a group. This year they competed in the Inverclyde Music
Festival for the first time. Their hard work, dedication
and commitment were reflected in the standard of their
performance and there was a real sense of achievement.
“I find that playing as part of a group gives me confidence and a
sense of security.” Clare Eagle (violin)
“I’ve been in the orchestra for a year. I enjoy the chance to play
a wide repertoire and things that I maybe wouldn’t play on my
own.” Jillian Craig (cello)
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“As the only French Horn in the orchestra it’s sometimes a bit
daunting, but has also given me confidence.” Malcolm Millar
(French horn)
“I’m the eldest in the flute section and I’ve been able to develop
my leadership skills as I’ve moved up through the orchestra.”
Rebecca Anderson (flute)
We are also happy to find new owners for unwanted
instruments in good condition, so if you have any used
instruments please let us know. ycarey@st-columbas.org
Maths
World Maths Day
Pupils marked the day by taking part in the international
Maths competition. 1,298,834 students and 22,785 schools
from 212 countries participated. Malaysia won the Maths
World Cup.
uKMT Maths Team Challenge
A team of SI and SII pupils took part in the Regional Final
of the UKMT Junior Team Mathematics Challenge at the
University of the West of Scotland. The team consisted of
Matthew Garrett (S1) Kharis Cunningham (SI) Ewan Davidson
(SII) and Megan McClement (SII). They participated in four
rounds, including: group competition, crossnumber, head-tohead
competition and relay race. All rounds involved problem
solving questions in pairs or groups.
Science
Affairs of the Heart
Eight Science Baccalaureate pupils at St Columba’s School
have been working on a group interdisciplinary project
entitled ‘A Healthy Heart, Physically and Emotionally’.
Rebecca Grant, Karen Hamilton, Hannah Edmundson, Peter
Hargreaves, Christopher Marshall, David Johnstone, Ross
McAlister, and Euan Rae were allocated individual topics to
study, including smoking, sleep, exercise, the cardiovascular
system, nutrition and dental hygiene. As part of their project
they were required to develop not only their own knowledge,
but to educate others. This took the form of a ‘Healthy Heart
Day’ for pupils and staff at the school. The event was a huge
success. Sporting bright red British Heart Foundation t-shirts,
the group presented their findings and organised a number of
activities, including blood pressure tests, a smoothie bike and
a Zumba class.
Star Pupils
Two pupils from St Columba’s have been selected for the
Scottish Space School. Melissa Meighan and Charlotte
Mitchell, both SV, will take part in the programme at the
University of Strathclyde this June. The Scottish Space School
is an annual five-day event which aims to “inspire the next
generation of scientists and engineers by highlighting the
career and educational opportunities available to young people
with an interest in science, engineering and technology.”
Mr Iain Weir, Head of Physics, commented, “This year the
organisers have said that competition for places was the
fiercest yet and the standard of applications was extremely
high. Although pupils from the School have participated
before, this is the first time that two of our pupils have been
successful. It’s a fantastic achievement. We wish Melissa and
Charlotte well for June.”
To find out more about the Space School visit:
http://www.strath.ac.uk/eee/undergraduatecourses/
admissionsevents/outreachactivitiesforschoolpupils/

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Annual Sports Dinner
The annual Sports Dinner for the 1st XI, 2nd XI, 1st XV and
SVI was held at The River Inn, Houston this year and proved a
huge success with pupils, staff and guests. We were honoured
to welcome Mr Colin Brown, Captain 2009-2010, of the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews as the Guest Speaker. Mr
Brown also presented a number of awards during the evening.
Rugby
Captain’s Plate: Jamie McDonald
The Steel Cup for Most Improved Player: Stuart McQueen
Player of the Season: PJ Rankin
Hockey
Captain’s Plate: Stephanie Kirkland
Goal Keeper’s Shield: Laurie Kirkland and Catriona Dickson
The Green Cup for Most Improved Player: Katie McAlpine
Player of the Season: Stephanie Kirkland
SII Hockey Team Win
the Hutchesons’ Trophy
Well done to the SII Hockey Team, who won the Hutchesons’ Hockey Tournament.
1st XI Win South West Cup
Congratulations to the 1st XI who won the South West Cup against Wellington 1-0.
Scotland U16
Hockey
Caitlin Girdwood (SIII) and Laurie
Kirkland (SIV) have been selected for the
Scottish U16 squad. Caitlin played for
the Scotland U16 team against Wales in
April as a centre striker. Laurie will play
in the England match at the end of May.
Caitlin (left)
Interhouse
Cross Country
Transitus
Jamie Eatock Strathgryffe
Iona Miller Craigmarloch
sI
Owen Bannatyne Duchal
Olivia Gemmell Duchal
sII
Fraser McIntyre Kilallan
Chloe Hardie Strathgryffe
sIII
Greg Cunning Duchal
Kirsty Harper Duchal
sIV
Ian Gillies Craigmarloch
Dakota Hlaing Duchal
sV
Ker Malcolm Kilallan
Katy McAlpine Duchal
Sean and Ker
Play for Glasgow
District
Congratulations to Sean Yacoubian and
Ker Malcolm, both SV, who were selected
to play rugby at U17 level for Glasgow
District. Their first game was against the
South.

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Rowing
Chloe Lyth (SIV) has taken part in the world’s largest women’s
rowing regatta, the Women’s Eights Head of the River 2011
Tideway. The course is identical to that taken by the famous
Boat Race and covers a distance of 7km. Chloe was part of
a composite crew from Castle Semple Rowing Club and
Glasgow Rowing Club. From a starting position of 277, the
crew finished 249th out of 303 boats and 9th out of 20 in their
racing category in a very respectable time of 22.56.12 minutes.
The race included the GB Olympic crew and was won overall
by The Leander Rowing Club in 18.06.57minutes.
Chloe Lyth (SIV) second from left
Scottish Primary Schools’
Cross Country
Teams from J6 and Transitus took part in the Scottish Primary
Schools’ Cross Country Championships at Kirkcaldy. Laura
Stark won individual gold and Iona Miller won individual
silver. The Transitus girls’ team won team gold (Laura, Iona,
Emma Devine, Eilidh Love, Catriona Allan). The Transitus
girls’ B team were 9th, (Imogen Davies, Julia Cunning and
Catherine Martin) The J6 girls were 12th (Kathryn Meenan,
Annaliese nixon, Amy Crawford and Alaina Taylor) and
the J6 boys (Cameron Marr, Max nugent, Jonathon Bradford
and Rowan Gibson and Robbie Murdoch) were 10th. Jamie
Eatock and Josh Hendry, both Transitus, were 15th and 39th
respectively.
Scottish Schools’
Swimming Finals
Two pupils from Transitus qualified for the Brodie Scottish
Schools’ Swimming Championships, held at Tollcross Glasgow
in January. Eilidh Love (Trans) swam in the 50m backstroke
for 12 and under girls and Iona Miller (Trans) swam in the
50m freestyle in the same age group. Eilidh was placed 4th
in her heat and progressed to the final where she was 9th
overall. Both girls swam personal best times and enjoyed the
experience of swimming at this prestigious venue, which will
host the 2014 Commonwealth Games swimming events.
Junior School
Swimming Gala
Junior School pupils enjoyed the afternoon at the Johnstone
Baths. Kim Crawford and Calvin Wardell, both J5, were
awarded Swimming Champions for 2010-11.
netball
St Columba’s A team competed at the Inverclyde netball
Summer Tournament Qualifiers at Greenock Sports Centre in
March. The girls won all of their matches and secured a place
in the finals. Despite some tough competition, St Columba’s
managed to win the overall tournament by one point. This is
the second consecutive year the team has won the event and
the girls were delighted.
An apology to Emma Devine (Trans), who was the
third member of the Primary Girls’ winning team at the
Inverclyde Cross Country Championships
THE COLUMBAn ISSUE 31 senIoR VI | 13
The Role of House Captain
(naill skelton)
Serving as House Captain of Craigmarloch has given me a great opportunity to
develop my cooperation and organisational skills, whether by being involved in the
swimming gala, the inter-house quiz or the monthly House Assemblies. Leading
House Assemblies offers a chance for Captains to get to know their House pupils and
set an example. House Assemblies usually consist of an update on how the House
is doing, a presentation of star badges to pupils who have contributed significantly
to the House and a motivational speech in order to spur on the pupils to do their
best. Although the Captains have an important role, they are helped along the
way by their fellow 6th years. It is crucial for the House Captain to be enthusiastic
and fun in order to create an atmosphere in which younger pupils feel comfortable
and relaxed. On a personal level, Captains must make sure they come across as
approachable, so that pupils feel they can discuss any matter with them, especially
if they don’t feel comfortable speaking to their Head of House about it. As a House
Captain I have benefited immensely: I have learned how to communicate with
different types of people, how to address various situations and how important it is
to be responsible, as I realise that my actions influence others.
SVI Extravaganza
(Heather Brandon)
The Class of 2011 organised a Sixth Year Extravaganza to raise
funds for their yearbook. Despite the gruelling rehearsals, we
enjoyed a marvellous show, which featured everything from
Guns ‘n Roses to Grease, Blackadder to the Hangover, and,
of course, the rugby boys dressed in some very questionable
fashion! It was an opportunity to showcase the many
talents possessed by members of the year group, including
piano playing, juggling, singing, dancing and some spot-on
mimicry. Running over two nights, the show was a resounding
success, due to the incredible commitment of staff, the SV
backstage helpers and the SVI performers. Most importantly,
everyone pulled together and played an important part in
the production. In the end we raised over £2,000 towards the
yearbook. Well done Sixth year, we’re electrifying…

14 | JunIoR sCHooL THE COLUMBAn ISSUE 31 THE COLUMBAn ISSUE 31 JunIoR sCHooL | 15
A note from Mrs Cook
I cannot quite believe that we are almost at the end of
another academic year. We have been so busy at Junior
school and it seems to have whizzed by. We have enjoyed
all sorts of activities, events and visits, but perhaps
the endeavour which has really caught the imagination
of our pupils has been our quest for Green Flag status.
We enjoyed our first eco Day in February and learned
how to take better care of our environment and that
each one of us can make a difference. For example, I am
delighted to see every class is taking a turn to help keep
our playground free of litter. We also got a fantastic new
notice-board in the link corridor, which our eco Warriors
are very excited about. This is used to display information
about the many eco initiatives around school.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the year was the opening of
our new nursery just before Easter. We are hugely indebted to
the parents who came to help us move in. It is wonderful
to have our little ones finally at the heart of the School.
We are also delighted to have recently received a positive
Care Commission report, with very good comments across
the board.
As many of you will be aware, Mrs Diane Hecht, our Deputy
Head at the Junior School, is leaving us to take up a new
position as Principal of the Pre Preparatory School of Highgate
School, London. Highgate is one of the leading schools in
England. Mrs Hecht has been a huge asset to us and Highgate
are very lucky to secure her services. While we are very sad to
say goodbye to her, we are pleased that the move will allow her
to be closer to her family.
Well, after such a busy year I know that pupils, staff and
parents will be looking forward to the Summer holidays. I hope
you have a restful break and I look forward to welcoming most
of you back next year.
Prep and nursery
On Friday 1st April the new Prep and
nursery building was finally ready to
move into. Mrs Campbell and the rest
of the Prep staff are delighted with the
wonderful new facility.
Prep invited parents in for their Katie
Morag celebration in February.
The Prep and nursery children also
enjoyed taking part in a workshop by
the Scottish Chamber Orchestra called
“We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.”
Junior 1
J1 has been learning about what happens in a church. We have
had great fun at all the weddings in the Junior 1 church.
As part of the Eco Day activities pupils recycled old socks,
ribbons, buttons and material. They made sock puppets and
introduced their puppets to the boys and girls in nursery.
Junior 2
The J2 children went on a dinosaur dig and discovered what
it is like to be a paleontologist. They set up a dig area in the
resource room and each child carefully excavated a ‘dinosaur
bone’ which had been set in clay. After using real tools (and
wearing safety glasses!) they proceeded to package and label
their fossilised bones for safe transportation to a museum.
Junior 3
J3 enjoyed an afternoon of activities about the senses.
Children identified various pleasant and unpleasant odours as
part of the topic.
Pupils planted seed potatoes in several tubs and are now
responsible for watering and weeding the tubs until we
can harvest them. Hopefully we’ll have bumper crop and
pupils can each have a sample to cook and taste at the end
of the term.
Junior 4
J4 have quite literally had an ‘exciting time’ with their
enterprise project. As part of their Healthy Eating topic they
created “Fruity Tooty Time Tellers” – CD clocks with colourful
fruit designs. The children designed the clocks, came up
with the name and undertook customer research to identify
demand. They then worked in a production line to build the
clocks, with everyone having a particular job to do, including
assembly and quality control. They also learned about
calculating profits and decided upon a suitable selling price.
Finally they chose a charity to benefit from their hard work.
It was a close vote, but the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation will
receive over £200 as a result of their enterprise.
Junior 5
J5 recently visited the Glasgow Central Mosque to learn more
about the practices of Islam. They have been learning about
the Five Pillars of Islam and the significance of these duties to
Muslims.
The pupils also presented a special assembly about life in the
1960s, which they performed to their parents and the school.
They enjoyed dressing up in the fashion of that time and
learning some well-known songs by the Beatles. The children
demonstrated how convenience foods, which began to appear
at the time, impacted on family life and how toys and games
were very different from today. The children showed the
differences between school life then and now and are relieved
to experience a more relaxed approach to school life!

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Junior 6
In March, J6 visited Burns Cottage; a trip which had been
postponed because of the snow in January. This is the first
time we have visited the site since Historic Scotland took
it over and opened the new Burns Birthplace Museum.
The children had the opportunity to take part in some drama
and dress up in clothes of Burns period. They had already
completed their study of Robert Burns with a Burns Supper in
the hall at Junior School by the time of their visit. This Supper
is an annual event for the children but this year parents were
invited for the first time. The children served their guests with
the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties, along with our ‘other’
national drink – Irn Bru. The parents were then entertained
with poems, speeches and songs.
In April J6 enjoyed the Glasgow Science Centre ‘roadshow’
as part of their topic on the Human Body. The class learned
about the science of sport and the benefits of leading a healthy
lifestyle. The show facilitators also brought lots of exhibits
to demonstrate the power of the body, ranging from testing
reaction times to using the power of brain waves to move
a ball!
Country Dancing Club
The J5/6 Country Dance Club meets every Thursday after
school. This term the children have been learning a range of
country dances from around the UK. The children have also
had the opportunity to create their own dances and teach
them to the rest of the group.
Transitus
Rowan MacKillop, Emily Kellock and Laura Stark held a
cake sale to celebrate Red nose Day. The Transitus pupils
thoroughly enjoyed the cup cakes, cookies and chocolate
krispies which the girls had baked. £150 was raised for
Comic Relief. This was followed a week later by a cake and
jewellery sale organised by Isla Lawrie, Iona Miller, Teresa
Melling, Catriona Allan, Emily Kellock, Eilidh Simpson and
Kirsty Robertson. The jewellery designed by Isla and Kirsty
was in great demand by both pupils and staff and the mouthwatering
baking sold out in no time. The £178.86 raised will go
towards helping the victims of the recent earthquake in Japan.
Hello from the FP Committee
Welcome to the FP section of The Columban. We hope you
all had a wonderful easter break and are looking forward
to the summer.
FPs have had a busy time since the last Columban. February
saw a lovely evening of ‘drinkies in the west end’. It was a
great chance for a few of us to catch up in a more accessible
place (for some!) – we had great fun and a lot of laughs! Watch
out for our next ‘drinks in town or west end’ date on Facebook
and in The Columban.
In March we had the Former Pupils’ AGM in Senior School and
then the FP rugby and hockey matches in April. Unfortunately
the rugby had to be cancelled due to the pitch conditions, but
the hockey went ahead and was very well attended. Alongside
FP and School Matches
Rugby
Due to the terrible weather leading up to the FP matches,
Inverclyde Council deemed Birkmyre Park to be unplayable
which meant that the rugby was postponed. Both matches
– one between two School teams, the Captain’s XV versus
the Vice Captain’s XV, and the second between two former
pupil teams – have now been rescheduled to the afternoon of
Sunday 19th June with a 2pm kick-off.
Hopefully we’ll have a glorious sunny day to help make it a
special afternoon, with the pipe band on show and possibly
a barbeque in place of sausage rolls. Please do come along to
support the teams – everybody is very welcome.
the rugby and hockey matches we had an FP coffee morning in
Junior School. The FP rugby match has been postponed until
Sunday 19th June – hope to see you there!
Thank you to everyone who has sent in updates for this issue,
it’s great to hear from you. We always welcome news, so
please keep sending in anything of interest – post to the FP
Association at Senior School, email fps@st-columbas.org
or post a message on the ‘St Columba’s School, Kilmacolm’
Facebook page.
Keep in touch and keep us updated.
Kind regards
The FP Committee
Hockey
Luckily all was not lost on match day and the girls still
managed to play hockey at the Astroturf. After a hard-fought
battle the School team, captained by Stephanie Kirkland,
was victorious in a 3-1 defeat against Hannah Simpson’s FPs.
Stephanie was also presented with the Player of the Match
award; FPs Hannah Simpson and Becky Marshall were close
contenders.

18 | FoRMeR PuPILs THE COLUMBAn ISSUE 31 THE COLUMBAn ISSUE 31 FoRMeR JunIoR sCHooL PuPILs | 19
Coffee Morning
At the last coffee morning in April, former pupil June McAuliffe
(Hutcheson) returned to School. It was great to hear about her
life post St Columba’s, which you can read about in Classnotes.
June thoroughly enjoyed her tour of Junior School, along with
Margaret Tindall, and it was fascinating to listen to their
recollections of school days and Shalott.
Former Staff Out to Lunch
At the time of going to print, former staff members were
meeting at the River Inn for their annual lunch organised
by Rosemary Hammond. We’ll hear all about it in the next
Columban.
Dates for Your Diary
Tue 7th Jun
Silver Tablet Concert, St Columba Church, Kilmacolm, 14:00
Former pupils, friends of the school, former parents and
parents are all welcome. If you would like to attend, please
contact nichola McKay at nmckay@st-columbas.org or call
01505 872238.
sun 19th Jun
Former Pupils/School Rugby Matches
Rescheduled rugby matches at Birkmyre Park from 2pm.
Refreshments and prizegiving will follow at Junior School.
All very welcome.
Thu 15th Dec
Musical Concert, Greenock Town Hall, evening performance
This promises to be a wonderful showcase of musical
excellence from pupils in Junior 4 to Senior VI. Former pupils,
former staff, former parents, parents, friends and relatives are
all very welcome. Please put the date in your diary and details
will follow next session.
Silver Tablet
Reunions
Would you like to have a reunion?
If you are thinking about organising a reunion or get-together,
whether it is 5, 10, 30 years or more, help is available! In the
first instance please contact nichola at School for an initial
chat. We can discuss possible dates and event options, for
example, a tour of School and lunch provided by an outside
caterer or move on to a local venue for dinner, drinks or
cocktails. I can provide names from the database and help
you to promote the event through a combination of mailings,
The Columban, the school website and Facebook.
Please get in touch – I am very happy to help.
Contact nichola McKay at nmckay@st-columbas.org or call
01505 872238.
30/31-year Reunion
The Class of 1980 held a delayed 30-year reunion at the
Hilton in Glasgow on 16th April 2011. Those present were:
Alison Burns, Jackie Kerr, Jacque Gardiner, Linda Baldi,
Gail Cunningham, Pauline Davidson, Fiona Peattie, Fiona
MacConnacher, Suzie McEwing, Fiona Milne, Alison Smith,
nina Buchan, Maggie Ayre and Caroline Baldwin – all maiden
names.
People brought old school photos going right back to 1968 and
Junior 1, which caused great hilarity; trying to recognise the
faces and ‘admiring’ the fashions being worn at the time by
the teachers. The reunion was a great success and they plan to
arrange another in the future, hopefully managing to contact a
few more people.
50-year Reunion (1960/61)
Morvyn Hood and I look forward to our 50-Year reunion on
17th September. Acceptances are gradually coming in and at
present 21 are hoping to be there. It would be great to meet as
many of you as possible. I attended the last Coffee Morning
at Shalott and was most impressed with the facilities in the
Junior School and Sports Hall. Tours will be available.
If you left School around 1960-61 please do try and join us on
17th September.
Margaret Tindall (Mcneill), 1961. Contact
margarettindal123@talktalk.net or call 01360 310911.
Classnotes
Margaret Wolfram (Gillan), 1950
After leaving St Columba’s boarding school in 1948 I travelled
to Europe several times, then headed west to Toronto, Canada
in 1956. I intended to stay there for one year to get a taste of
all seasons. However, I met a young man from Vienna, Austria
and in 1958 we were married. 1960 our first child was born,
then two boys followed and I was still in Canada. now our
lives took an unusual turn: we decided to build an eighteenhole
golf course. After much searching for suitable land, we
found the perfect spot just west of Kingston, Ontario. This
was purchased in 1971 and we, the five of us (and at weekends
some friends also helped), tilled the land and picked stones
and laid out our plans for this championship course. It took five
years of constant labour, but the first nine holes finally opened
in 1976. The second nine were ready the following year.
now we have a large club house with a restaurant that seats
two hundred people, a fully stocked pro shop and a fleet of
sixty 2011 electric golf carts. The three children are fully
employed: Kevin is a CPGA first class golf professional,
Brian is the restaurant manager and Linda is our accountant.
My husband died in 2008 and I am retired, but still go out now
and then to join in the various activities.
My life in recent years has involved painting and writing
memoirs, but it has really revolved around my mixed breed
hound dog (she came from the humane society). We trained in
obedience, rally-o and agility at which she excelled. Last year
she earned her Lifetime Award with the Agility Association
of Canada and continued to further her abilities in tackling
Challenge courses. Last year she was tenth in Canada for
having the most qualifying runs. She died of cancer in
February of this year at the age of nine.
When I received a copy of the February issue of The Columban
I was saddened to read the news of Mrs Hood’s death.
This brought back memories of St Columba’s in the forties!
I remember Miss McMurtrie who was Headmistress when
I arrived (as the youngest boarder at the age of nine) in 1941.
There were 35 girls at that time in residence at Shalott.
On Sunday afternoons we would sit on the floor, around a lit
fireplace in Miss McMurtrie’s private living room, as she sat
regally, in a plush, wingback chair and read stories to us.
She was replaced by a young Miss Katherine MacArthur who
kept up the story reading, while I was there anyway. I wonder
if this is still being done by the present Head of the School?
School’s reply: reading is carried out by the class teachers and
teaching assistants. We also have a story club for Junior 4, when
they can come and listen to a story of their choice.

20 | FoRMeR PuPILs THE COLUMBAn ISSUE 31
Krystyna Kennedy, 2000
Krystyna Kennedy was overjoyed when her partner
Gary Caulfield from Lochwinnoch, proposed on their 4th
anniversary. Thinking she was going for a quiet drive in the
country, Krystyna was shocked to find Gary was actually
taking her up in a helicopter. After months of planning
Gary had arranged for the helicopter pilot to fly them over
their house, still unsuspecting Krystyna was surprised and
delighted to see a huge banner on their roof saying “marry
me”. All prepared, Gary then presented the ring and Krystyna
accepted. They are due to wed on the 18th August 2012.
Pamela Watson (McHarg), 2001
Pamela graduated from Glasgow University in 2006 and is
now working as a banking and finance solicitor in Edinburgh.
She married Duncan Watson at St Michael’s Parish Church,
Linlithgow, on 12th June 2010 with a reception at Dundas
Castle. Former pupil Sarah Kelly was a bridesmaid. The couple
honeymooned in Rome and have since settled into married life
in Edinburgh.
nicola Malcolm, 2005
nicola was delighted to be part of this year’s (A Little Less)
Strictly Come Dancing charity event in aid of The Prince and
Princess of Wales Hospice. The event, which took place on
Saturday 2nd April, involved six couples from the world of
celebrity and business each hoping to be crowned champion
with their Scottish professional partners. The line-up
consisted of Scottish event rider nicola Malcolm, actress
Kathleen McDermott Carberry, Clyde 1’s Romeo, Scottish
football hero Gordon Smith, Chief Executive of Scottish
Enterprise Lena Wilson and Hilton Area Manager and Hospice
Ambassador, Craig Gardner.
They danced to the sounds of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra
as the judging panel formed their opinions and offered
their scores. nicola and her dance partner, Bobby Cranston,
performed the Jive to ‘Rockin Robin’ and finished in second
place overall.
“It was an amazing experience and I am just gutted that it
is all over! Thank you to anyone who voted, over £5,000 was
made from everyone’s text votes. Overall the event raised
£55,000 for the charity,” commented nicola.
You can view nicola’s dance on YouTube by searching ‘nicola
Strictly’. nicola’s mother, Fiona, was crowned champion of the
event last year.
sheila evans (simpson), 1996
After graduating from Edinburgh University, I moved
down to nottingham with my (now) husband. I deal with
buildings management for a large regional housing association
and we have a little girl, Matilda, who turns four in May.
Life is generally very lovely, but I’m not sure it’s particularly
newsworthy! My brother Andrew (2000) was also at
St Columba’s.
THE COLUMBAn ISSUE 31 FoRMeR PuPILs | 21
June McAuliffe (Hutcheson), 1975
From French Teacher to Retail Store Manager… plus ça change!
I was at St Columba’s from 1962 -1975 and throughout school
I only ever wanted to be a French teacher. However… joining
C & A Trainee Management Scheme in Edinburgh, little did I
know what lay ahead. A retail career spanning 20 years, taking
me from Edinburgh to Bournemouth, via the Midlands, and
back to Glasgow. I didn’t know that Mr Dickinson (Patricia
and Josephine) was a buyer for C & A: we met across a desk in
Guildford in the early 80s. Managing stores and staff in Luton,
Stevenage, Bournemouth and Poole, I was heading back to
Trongate when C & A started closing out of the UK. Changing
course slightly, I joined Edinburgh Woollen Mill, firstly in
Aberfoyle and then the Moffat Woollen Mill and tackled one
or two troubleshooting roles – Romanes and Paterson and
Inverness Mill. Four years ago the opportunity arose to work
for Mohamed al Fayed as General Manager of The Falls of
Shin Visitor Centre, which whilst incredibly challenging,
was also hugely rewarding. Following the sale of Harrods, I
found myself on the move again, most recently as Interim
Retail Manager at Livingston Designer Outlet. I am currently
preparing for another Visitor Centre role only 70 minutes from
Glasgow Airport.
Who knows what the future holds? I have relied on my
resilience, resourcefulness and dogged determination to get
me this far – those must be qualities I mastered at school.
no matter what career you choose, always give your best,
and I hope you will find your working life as challenging and
rewarding as I have.
Laura Dunn, 2009
I moved to Edinburgh to study Vet Medicine and received
the Gemmel Award for best first year student. now in my
second year, I am thoroughly enjoying the course and have
developed an interest in wildlife and avian medicine. I have
worked in wildlife centres in Scotland and England, including
Tiggywinkles Wildlife Centre which has had its own TV series.
This summer I am going to Bejing to study acupuncture. I will
also be spending time at the Blair Drummond Safari Park in
various animal sections, as well as gaining falconry experience
and some clinical Extra Mural Studies (EMS).
In Memoriam
olive Laurie (McKelvie)
Olive, who left School in 1940, died peacefully in Sydney
on 1st January 2011. Olive, who was widowed, leaves four
sons and one daughter and was a devoted grandmother and
great grandmother. Her two sisters were also at School, Vida,
who died in 1996, and Sheina, who survives her and lives in
Wimbledon.

22 | THe BACK PAGe THE COLUMBAn ISSUE 31
senior school
Duchal Road
Kilmacolm PA13 4AU
T 01505 872238 F 01505 873995
e secretary@st-columbas.org
Junior school
Knockbuckle Road
Kilmacolm PA13 4EQ
T 01505 872768 F 01505 874642
e juniorsecretary@st-columbas.org
Rector
David G Girdwood
DL BSc MEd SQH
Head of Junior school
Davida L Cook
DCE ITQ DipAdPrSt DipEdMan
St Columba’s School Ltd is a
www.kennethgray.co.uk
registered charity SCO 12598
www.st-columbas.org Design