The Columban Issue 32 - St Columba's School

Issue 32 october 2011
The Columban
Mark Beaumont:
Rising to the Challenge

Rector’s Message
Parents will by now have received the report from the
HMIe inspection, which was undertaken just before we
broke for the summer holiday. I am very pleased that it
was overwhelmingly positive. As I had noted in the last
columban, June is an extremely busy month in the school
calendar and the inspectors joined us at many of the events,
including the silver tablet concert and the senior school
sports Day. they were impressed by how the whole school
worked as a community and the enthusiasm and pride with
which both pupils and staff engaged in these activities.
subsequently, we were delighted to welcome as our guest
of honour at senior school Prizegiving, the adventurer
and broadcaster, Mark beaumont. Mark was in the final
stages of preparation for his latest challenge, a rowing
expedition to the North Magnetic Pole, from which he has
now successfully returned. He shared with pupils his first
adventure, a cycle ride from the east to the west coast of
scotland at the age of thirteen, and encouraged them to
set themselves challenges and pursue their chosen path
with passion.
Personal challenge is at the heart of our teaching at
St Columba’s. You may have noticed the Get Set logo on the
cover. Last session SII pupils completed the Learning for Life
Project and St Columba’s was successfully accepted onto the
Get Set Network. This is an educational initiative promoting
the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012.
We have a number of events planned for this year which
support this endeavour, including a Challenge Week in late
November which will involve all faculties.
To learn more about the Get Set Network go to:
http://getset.london2012.com/en/home
ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 scHool News | 1
Prizegiving
Rowan MacKillop was the first recipient of the cup donated
by former Transitus teacher, Mrs Isobel Evans, for the “Most
Promising Musician in Transitus”.

2 | scHool News ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 scHool News | 3
New heads of School (…by their peers)
sean Yacoubian (Head boy)
Sean Yacoubian gets along with everyone due to his charming
personality and is a great representative for both the year
group and the School. Sean participates in a variety of
activities, including 1st XV rugby, and enjoys the benefits of
being head Boy. When he’s not working out at the gym, Sean
is turning up late to pipe band practice or singing his heart out
at Senior Ensemble. although some would find the prospect
of being head Boy slightly daunting, Sean is used to being
the centre of attention and is sometimes even surprised when
people don’t applaud at the sound of his name. his competitive
edge means Sean will be looking to make this year’s SVI the
best there’s been.
Katie McAlpine (Head Girl)
Katie has been the favourite for head Girl since Transitus.
Despite huge amounts of envy at her unbelievable beep test
score and Rapunzel-like hair, Katie is well liked and respected
by her peers. her busy schedule has not got in the way of her
‘can do’ attitude or achieving excellent results in her highers.
Katie is frequently found working up a sweat on the hockey
pitch or lapping ahead of the rest of the girls during the PE
Department’s fun runs (possibly only found fun by Katie
herself). her determination and endless enthusiasm mean
Katie has already made an excellent start to the year.
caitlin Findlay (Depute Head Girl)
With the voice of an angel and a genuine passion for
maths and science, Caitlin is every inch the model student.
The side of Caitlin, however, that many do not see is the
feisty personality which has caused her to be named the
“bossy-boots” of SVI. Caitlin is undoubtedly hard working and
determined, evidence of which lies in her recent higher exam
results, and her natural talent for ballet and singing is obvious.
It seems that good things really do come in small packages.
beth Nandwani (Depute Head Girl)
Despite being renowned as the ‘crazy kid’ of SVI (sometimes
not going to bed till 10pm), Beth Nandwani has all the
admirable qualities of a head of School. Beth is a keen member
of the magazine committee, hockey team and Senior Choir
and her organised and creative personality mean she is also
looking forward to co-chairing the Charities Committee this
year. Determined to get along with everyone, it seems that
Beth has founded a ‘cross-word club’, of which she is the
only member. after receiving fantastic higher results, Beth is
looking forward to another successful year and we’re sure that
she’ll take her new responsibilities in her stride.
stuart MacQueen (Depute Head boy)
Stuart MacQueen’s laid-back personality and ability to make
just about anyone laugh has made him popular throughout
the year group. Our chess champion has a natural aptitude
for maths and problem solving, a skill which we’re sure he’ll
use to his advantage in the challenges he will no doubt face
this year. Stuart always makes sure he puts maximum effort
into all that he does, whether it’s singing loudly in the Senior
Ensemble, playing rugby for the 1st XV or being “ridiculously
good looking”. his friendly nature and what is now commonly
known as ‘the stare’ means Stuart is known throughout the
school as a bit of a legend.
elliot Gemmell (Depute Head boy)
There is no debating that Elliot Gemmell is the perfect choice
for the position of Depute head Boy. Elliot is thought to be
the most sensible head of School, although he is not without
his “blonde moments”. Despite claiming that he has done
“no revision whatsoever,” Elliot has always been a straight
a student, prompting the conclusion that he must just be a
natural genius. his turbulent love life aside, we are sure Elliot
can focus this year on being an organised and helpful Depute
head. Elliot’s amazing debating ability means the rest of us are
relying on him to do all the public speaking – whether he likes
it or not!
Sean Yacoubian Beth Nandwani
Katie McAlpine Stuart MacQueen
Caitlin Findlay Elliot Gemmell

4 | scHool News ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32
a Musical Celebration, 15th December
as the Rector has already intimated, we are delighted to
showcase the musical talents of our Junior 4 to Senior SVI
pupils on the evening of Thursday 15th December at 7.00pm
in Greenock Town hall.
as a School we rarely have the opportunity to host events
which include pupils from both Junior and Senior School,
so we have chosen to perform at the Greenock Town hall,
in order to accommodate everyone. The event is open to the
entire School community – parents, relatives, former parents,
former pupils, staff, former staff and friends – in addition to
the local community and general public. Our Master of
A Musical celebration, 15th December
Name
I require tickets (£6 each or four tickets for £20)
I enclose £
(cheques payable to St Columba’s School)
Pupil Name and Class
address
Please forward with payment to Nichola McKay at
Senior School or hand into Junior/Senior School reception.
Ceremonies for the evening is Professor John Wallace CBE,
an outstanding trumpet player and Principal of the Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly RSaMD). Junior School
parents will remember Professor Wallace from Prizegiving
in June.
This is sure to be a wonderful evening in the run-up to
Christmas and we hope that you will join us. Tickets cost £6
each and include light refreshments at the interval. a family
ticket for four costs £20, saving £4.
To book tickets, please complete the form below.
ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 scHool News | 5
healthyliving award
Mrs Pauline Drummond, School Catering Manager, and her
staff have achieved the healthyliving award. The aim of the
award is to encourage organisations to actively reduce the
amount of fat, salt and sugar in the food that is served, to
make fruit and vegetables easily available and to help their
customers make better food choices. Mrs Drummond will
officially receive the award at a presentation ceremony in
October.
Carrie Mac Sings
for St Columba’s
Staff and pupils were delighted when pop star Carrie
Mac played a special gig at School to promote her single
Till I See You Again.
www.carriemacmusic.com
Preparing for SVI
(Katie McAlpine)
With exams finally out of the way, last year’s SV pupils
participated in a day somewhat different to our usual
timetables. When we might have been working through
algebra problems or conjugating Latin verbs, we found
ourselves instead organising a music festival. This was part
of the preparation for SVI.
Our challenge was to plan a music event in teams, with
every member given a specific responsibility. With the help
of experts from various fields, such as lighting, sound and
health and safety, it was our job to develop the event and
pitch our ideas to the local council. Teams had to consider a
wide range of issues, from decisions about ticket prices and
performers, to calculating the necessary electricity required
for running the event. These more challenging aspects of the
day emphasised to us the importance of good leadership skills
and communication within the team. Confident pitches and
admirable efforts from each team made the judges’ decision a
difficult one, but they finally concluded that team ‘Conquest’
was the victorious team. The exercise boosted our selfconfidence
and helped us recognise the strengths of our peers.
We would like to thank Mr. Weir and Dr. Spencer for organising
the fun-filled day!
Staff News
Congratulations to Mrs laura robertson (Chemistry)
who had a baby boy, Joshua, and to Mrs Nikki Gardiner
(Mathematics) on the birth of a son, Finlay.
The Music Department welcomed Gordon turner, Ba applied
Music Strathclyde, who will teach sound engineering.

6 | coMMuNItY AND cHArItY ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32
Beatson Pebble appeal
a junior hockey play day was held in august to raise money for
the Beatson Pebble appeal and School goalkeeping equipment.
£200 was raised, of which the Beatson received £130.
Teenage Cancer Trust
Dr Lucy hay (Biology), together with her husband, Ken, and
School parents, Keith and Lizzie Gibson, took part in the First
Monster Challenge (www.firstmonster.com). This involves
120km around Loch Ness, split into eight sections, four run
and four bike sections. They raised £4460 which, with gift aid,
will allow them to donate £5500 to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
a fantastic result!
St Columba’s Supports the
Beacon arts Centre
Pupils from the School supported the fundraising efforts of
the Greenock arts Guild for the construction of a new facility,
the Beacon arts Centre. Talented musicians Fraser Quinn,
Claire Eagle and Rebecca anderson played at an event held in
the Kilmacolm Community Centre.
Duke of
Edinburgh’s
award
a number of former St Columba’s pupils
were presented with their Gold awards
at holyrood Palance this summer.
Left to right: Jessica Weir, Paul Haig, Beverley
MacPherson, Claire Ramsey, Laura Pirrie, Katei
Stirrup, Presenter, James Mitchell, Kirsty Wilson,
Stephanie McCabe, Peter Wren, Hannah Reilly
ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 coMMuNItY AND cHArItY | 7
Eco School
In June inspectors from Eco Schools
Scotland met with the Senior School
Eco Committee and Junior School’s Eco
Warriors. They spent a morning speaking
to pupils and looking at displays of
inter-disciplinary work around the
School. They were extremely impressed with all that they
saw, especially the Junior School’s health and Wellbeing
assembly. at Senior School they were very interested in
Sammy Rose’s presentation about the development of an
eco-page for the website and noted that Ione Edmundson’s
healthy Eating evaluation was particularly well done. The
Maths Department’s oil spillage display was also praised as an
example of good practice.
We were delighted to be awarded the Green Flag and are
already setting new targets to ensure that the flag can be
reawarded in two year’s time.
Keeping it Green
In May some of the Junior 4 Gardening Club and their parents
and grandparents gave up their time to plant new flowers
and shrubs in the grounds of the Junior School. Senior School
also lent a hand and thanks to Mr Smith and his team of Peter
hargreaves, Sam Conn and Emma Matthews.
In June Senior I pupils and staff braved atrocious weather
conditions to pick up litter in and around Kilmacolm. They
were particularly shocked by the amount of litter dropped in
Birkmyre Park.
To find out more visit our webpage –
www.st-columbas.org/page/ecoschool.aspx
How can you help us become an eco school?
We hope to offer recipients of The Columban the option of
receiving it as an e-magazine.
If you are a former pupil or parent and would like to
receive the newsletter in this format please email
kzhang@st-columbas.org

8 | FAcultY News ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32
Science
biology
SIII display their cell models made from anything from cardboard to cakes. Graham Allan (right) used a pizza to demonstrate the structures present.
Cheese=vacuole, tomatoes=chloroplasts, ham=nucleus, pastry=cell wall
and membrane and tomato sauce=cytoplasm. Very creative!
Music and Drama
silver tablet
an audience of staff, pupils and guests enjoyed an afternoon
of musical excellence. This year two pupils competed for the
Silver Tablet, which celebrates the best of musical talent from
the Senior School. Kirsty Rarity was commended for a varied
vocal programme, including Widmung (Robert Schumann) and
Think of Me (andrew Lloyd Webber). The winner, Meaghan
Lau, particularly impressed the adjudicator, Mr Ian McCrorie,
with a mesmerising Clair de Lune (Claude Debussy). Director of
Music, Ms Yvonne Carey, said, “We’re delighted at the standard
of performance by both Kirsty and Meaghan. Today we also
heard from two of our younger pupils, Matthew Chan (SI) on
piano and archie Morris (SII) on flute.”
The afternoon was brought to a close by Scott Dickson, a
former pupil and previous winner of the Silver Tablet.
uK theatre school
Ciara Ewing (SII) has successfully auditioned for the uK
Theatre School in Glasgow.
All-britain Fleadh cheoil
Niamh Moran (SV) has again achieved success in traditional
Irish ballad singing. In early May she won gold at the all-
Scotland under 18 Ladies’ Singing in both English and Irish.
She qualified for the all-Britain in Preston at the end of June.
There she was unplaced in the English singing, but won Gold
at national level for singing in Irish. This, in turn, qualified her
for the all-Ireland (world championship) in Cavan in august
of this year, where she competed in a group of world-class
competitors, some coming from as far away as Georgia, uSa.
Note Perfect
Matthew Chan (SII)
has successfully
auditioned for the
Junior Department of
the Royal Conservatoire
of Scotland (formerly
the RSaMD), where he
will study piano. Pupils,
staff and guests had
an opportunity to hear
Matthew play recently at
the Silver Tablet Concert,
which celebrates musical
talent from the Senior
School.
We are also happy to find new owners for unwanted
instruments in good condition, so if you have any
used instruments please contact the Director of Music,
Ms Yvonne Carey: ycarey@st-columbas.org
ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 sPort AND PHYsIcAl eDucAtIoN | 9
Senior XV v Livingstone
First match of the season.
Scotland u-18 hockey
Congratulations to Laurie Kirkland (SV) who played for
Scotland u-18 in the uK School Games and was named Player
of the Match in the game versus ulster.
‘Training for u-18 Scotland Girls was a massive challenge
with school and other commitments; however it was all worth
the training, when I was recently selected for the uK School
Games. The uK School Games is a multi-sport event for the
uK’s elite young athletes and enables players to experience a
four-day multi-sport environment designed to replicate the
feel of major events such as the Olympic, Paralympic and
Commonwealth Games. The event took place at the start of
September in Sheffield, at a range of venues.
Scotland narrowly missed out on the bronze medal, drawing
3-3 with ulster (defending champions), losing 3-0 to England
and 3-2 to Wales. Playing at national level has been a valuable
experience that I can certainly build on in years to come. I also
enjoy playing hockey at school and I am currently a member of
the first eleven. I find that it is easy to get along with the girls
in the teams, which makes it all the more enjoyable. hopefully
this bond will help us on the tour to Ireland in October.’
(Laurie Kirkland)
South-west District hockey
Olivia Finch, Ellen halliday, Chloe hardie, hayley Skimming,
(SIII) Morven MacEwan and abi Robb (SIV) were selected for
to play for the south-west u-15 district team at Peffermill,
Edinburgh.
Scottish Schools’
Relay Championships
Five Teams from St Columba’s competed in the Scottish
Schools’ Relay Championships.
transitus boys transitus Girls
James Smith Laura Stark
alistair Lee Imogen Davies
Rory Davidson Connie Dodds
Jack Smillie Emma Devine
sI boys sI Girls
Owen Bannatyne Emily Jane Stewart
Jonny Murray Olivia Cain
Sam Muirhead Olivia Gemmell
Campbell Gibson Iona Grant
sII Girls
Lisa Mcalpine
Saskia Cooper
Megan McClements
Chloe hardie
unfortunately after their first heat and after two very strong
runs the SI teams just missed out in progressing to their final.
The Transitus boys were 2nd in heat 1, 3rd in heat 2 and
finished in a very credible 6th place in the final (60.7 sec).
The Transitus girls were also 2nd in heat 1 and 3rd in heat 2,
and in the final, after an excellent final leg by Emma Devine,
secured third place and a SSaa Bronze Medal (59.4 sec).
however, the performance of the day goes to the SII girls’
team. Qualifying for the final with the fastest time from all
heats (at 54.3 sec, just missing out by 0.9 seconds on the
Scottish Schools’ badge standard) they were drawn in lane 4.
after a nervous beginning and a recall due to a false start the
race finally got under way. a flawless run by everyone resulted
in Chloe bringing home the baton in a time of 54.7 seconds and
first place earning the girls a SSaa Gold Medal.

10 | sPort AND PHYsIcAl eDucAtIoN ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 sPort AND PHYsIcAl eDucAtIoN | 11
Sailing to Success
Lewis Marr (SIII) has won the Topper Dinghy Championships,
which were held at helensburgh. Lewis, who sails from Largs
Sailing Club and is a member of the Scottish Topper Squad
and British Topper 4.2 Squad, produced a very consistent
performance in difficult light wind conditions to overcome a
very competitive fleet.
his victory was a huge confidence boost as he prepared for the
uK National Championships in North Berwick. he was one of
only two Scottish boats to qualify for Gold fleet.
Open Water Swimming
Two pupils ventured out of the swimming pool to take part
in Open Water Events on Saturday 20th august. Laura
atkinson (SIII) was participating in the annual Kilcreggan to
Greenock Cross Clyde Swim, organised by Gourock Swimming.
unfortunately, weather conditions meant that the swim had
to be re-routed to run alongside Greenock Esplanade. Laura
completed the gruelling 2.2 mile challenge in an impressive
time of 01:02:06, placing her 12th overall and first girl home.
On the same day fellow Inverclyde aSC team-mate Eilidh
Love (SI) took part in the SaSa West District Open Water
Championship at Lock Eck near Dunoon. Eilidh was the
youngest competitor in the Novice Class and won gold for the
1km event, which is swum without wetsuits.
Scottish Road Race
Championships
The Scottish Road Race Championships were held on closed
roads in the centre of Paisley. Katrina Miller (J6) won the girls’
age 10 and under race, taking the lead on the final lap.
Scottish Triathlon Squad
Following success in this year’s Scottish aquathons and
triathlons, Sarah Bradford (SII) and Iona Miller (SI) were
selected to represent Scotland in the British Inter Regional
Triathlon Championships which were held in hetton Lyons
Country Park, Durham on September 4th. The team of 14 came
7th out of 11 regions. Olivia Gemmell (SII) was reserve.
Sarah Bradford
Iona Miller
Scottish Women’s League
Emma Devine (SI) was part of the West of Scotland
athletics team and competed at the Scottish Women’s
League this summer. She took Bronze in the u-13 100m,
running a personal best. She also took part in the long
jump, contributing to the team total.
Paisley 3K
Well done to Eleanor aslett, Eilidh Simpson, and Cameron
and Laura Stark, who competed in the Paisley 3K on Sunday.
Special congratulations to Laura (SI), who won the female
11-18 category in an amazing time of 8 mins 39 seconds.
Eventing
Kirsten Findlay (SV) has qualified for the National Schools
Equestrian association British Eventing Championships next
spring. She will also compete in the Pony Club uK Dressage
and Tetrathlon finals.

12 | JuNIor scHool ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 JuNIor scHool | 13
a Note from Mrs Cook
I share the rector’s pleasure in the conclusions of the HMIe
inspection. Despite the pressures of a busy end of session
schedule both children and teachers conducted themselves
extremely well. I’m so proud of the way that the children
interacted with our visitors and, of course, the inspectors
recognised in their report that the school hugely benefits
from a highly-skilled and committed staff. I think everyone
definitely deserved their holiday when it finally arrived.
This session we welcomed a new Depute head, Mrs alison
Duncan. Mrs Duncan has been concentrating on getting to
know the children and as part of this has spent a good deal
of time in classes. Parents will have an opportunity to meet
with Mrs Duncan at the various events that are taking place
over the next couple of months, such as Parents’ Evenings and
School Dances.
Junior 1
The children have all been working hard learning new
sounds. They made pink pig cakes when they were
learning the “p” sound.
I also look forward to meeting with parents at the monthly
coffee afternoons held at Junior School. a list of dates is on
the School website under alerts. It’s a good chance to catch up
with other parents as well, so I hope you’ll join us.
as some of you may already know I have decided to retire at
the end of this academic year. I have loved working with all
the children and being part of the School’s development over
the last eleven years. I’ve been blessed with a superb staff and
a felt a real sense of comradeship.
There is no doubt that I will be very sad when the moment
finally comes for me to leave, but I am looking forward to
spending more time with my husband and family, particularly
the boys. I’m hoping also to travel and enjoy a few more
adventures.
Junior 2
Junior 2 enjoyed taking their Maths study out in the
September sunshine.
Junior 4
Junior 4 pupils are settling in to their new routines and looking
forward to an exciting year of learning. Our first topic is the
River Clyde and we are finding out about the water cycle and
how rivers are formed, as well as the history of the River Clyde
and the important role it has played in our local area. We are
also learning about how people use rivers and the problems
caused by pollution.
The Junior 4s are also looking forward to starting lunchtime
clubs and will have the chance to choose from a wide range
of activities, including art, cookery, science, story writing and
gardening.
Junior 6
In May Junior 6 went on their annual trip to Newlands
adventure Centre. The weather held for another year and the
children had a fantastic time, with team building exercises
and outdoor activities such as kayaking, mountain hiking and
ghyll scrambling.
In June, Kilallan were the winning house for the year. The house
treat was an afternoon at Xscape for a game of ten pin bowling.
The Kilallan children all worked hard for their credit marks over
the year and thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of their labour!
Dux and Proxime accesit – The Dux was Thomas Rainey and
the Proxime accesit was amy Drysdale-Dykes
Transitus Pupils Report on
Their Trip to Castle Semple
Our day at Castle Semple was absolutely amazing. at first
some of us were nervous, but when we got there, something
clicked and we knew we were going to enjoy ourselves.
The weather was on our side and we had a great time.
The canoeing was quite testing. You had to communicate,
otherwise you wouldn’t get anywhere. The most fantastic
part was the challenge at the end when you had to walk
across three rocky, unsteady, wooden canoes. It was really
funny as one by one each person tried to walk across the blue,
freezing water.
Kayaking was great fun, but because it was windy we
attached two kayaks together and were given a sail. One of the
sails was actually a hammock and was so tiny the boat hardly
moved. So while the other two boats rocketed down the loch,
the third was left bobbing along.
The land activities didn’t disappoint either, with team games
and mountain biking. The cycling was amazing! When you
flew down the hill you could feel the wind on your face. In
the team games we had to fill up a tube with water, but it had
holes in it and we all got soaked.
We all had mixed feelings about our favourite activities, but
it didn’t matter because we enjoyed it all! although the water
activities were cold and wet and the land activities were
muddy, we still had a great time. We would recommend it.

14 | PAreNts’ AssocIAtIoN ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32
Parents’ association
The St Columba’s School Parents’ association has had a very
interesting year in establishing with the School, the Board
of Governors and of course parents the primary roles and
functions of the Pa. These primary roles are outlined below
and have been formalised in the revised St Columba’s School
Parents’ association Constitution which you can find on the
School website.
representing parental ideas – we meet regularly with
Mr Girdwood and Mrs Cook to discuss topics of general interest
that have been raised with members of the association. Year
representatives can be contacted directly through our page on
the School website and our ‘minutes of meetings’ are this year
to be available online.
Fundraising – our events have helped raise valuable funds
for the school. Over the years these funds have bought
whiteboards, a School minibus, foreign language dictionaries,
ice-creams for Junior School Sports Day and provided
much-needed support for charities. We should by now have
launched our new ‘200 Club Lottery’ but would welcome other
fundraising ideas, particularly those that are fun and involve
the whole family.
social events – we organise social events throughout the year
and our events to date have included discos, barbecues, winetastings,
craft fairs, Ladies Lunches and (although we have
missed one recently), our biennial ball. again we would like
you to get in touch with ideas and suggestions for the kind of
events you would like to attend.
Every Parent of a child at St Columba’s School automatically
becomes a member of the Pa and we hope to persuade anyone
who is interested in joining the Pa Committee to get in touch.
The more of us there are the more we can do.
We have listed the current committee members with there
contact details and we would like to encourage you to pass any
ideas or suggestions to your Year Group Representative.
We look forward to seeing you all at this year’s Wine Tasting
Evening, where we hope you will enjoy combining a great
social evening with some early Christmas wine shopping.
Gavin Murray
Chair of the Parents’ association
gavin.murray@talktalk.net
Position Name children’s Year Group
chair Gavin Murray SII, SV
Vice chair Roddy Davidson J3, Transitus, SI
treasurer Lesley Greenlees J2
secretary Irena hnatiuk Prep, J1
committee Rhona Ritchie SIV, SVI
committee Calum Jones J6, SII
committee Ros Eatock Transitus
committee Rory Melvlille J3
committee heather Pearson J3
committee Jackie hammond Prep, SII, SV
Year Group representatives
Prep Jackie hammond
J1 Irena hnatiuk
J2 Lesley Greenlees
J3 heather Pearson
J4 Rory Melville
J5 alison Campbell
J6 and sII Callum Jones
trans and sI Roddy Davidson
sIII and sV Gavin Murray
sIV and sVI Rhona Ritchi
ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 ForMer PuPIls | 15
hello from the FP Committee
welcome to the Former Pupils’ section of the columban.
we hope you all had a wonderful and restful summer.
May we take this opportunity to wish our most recent FPs –
last year’s 6th year and other leavers – the best of luck as you
move on from school and venture off to university, travel, a
job or whatever you may have planned. We wish you every
success for now and the future and look forward to seeing you
at School/FP events, as well as hopefully hearing from you
over the years with updates for the Columban. Please do keep
in touch.
This year we are planning to have more social events,
including West End nights out, ladies’ fizzy shopping evenings
and, of course, our ever popular Saturday coffee mornings.
Please keep an eye on the FP section of the website and the
Facebook page for more details.
Dates for Your Diary
19 Nov Open Coffee Morning
Senior School, 10.00-11.30am. Pop in for coffee, home-baking
and chat. Everyone in the school community is very welcome –
former pupils, former parents, former staff, parents and friends
of the School. Phoenix Cards may be there with a selection of
handmade cards and advent calendars.
16 Dec a Musical Celebration, Greenock Town hall, 7pm
Enjoy the musical talents of pupils from Junior 4 to Senior VI.
The evening will be hosted by Professor John Wallace CBE,
an outstanding trumpet player and Principal of the Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly RSaMD). To book tickets,
please complete the form on page 4.
3 Nov 2012 house of Commons Lunch
Please put the date in your diary and details will follow in due
course.
FP and School Rugby
Matches
The rescheduled matches took place on Sunday 19th June.
Despite the School rugby boys being tired, having just
returned from the ardèche, some great rugby was played.
The Vice Captain’s team was victorious in the School match,
while the B team, led by Sean Mcalindon, won the FP match.
Officials decided against a Player of the Match for the School
game, feeling that the quality of play overall was impressive.
FP Player of the Match was awarded to Sean Robertson.
Players and spectators enjoyed a barbeque ably cooked by
Pauline Drummond, our School Catering Manager, andrew
Mcalindon and Jamie Davidson.
Thanks to all the players, spectators, volunteers and the pipe
band for making it a great afternoon.
Saturday 3rd November 2012 is our date for the house of
Commons Former Pupils lunch, which has always been very
popular in the past. We will keep you up to date with the
details nearer to the time.
We had a wonderful day back in June and a great turn out for
the FP rugby matches – we even managed a barbeque without
rain! This hopefully will be the format for future FP matches,
as everyone had a great time – a huge thanks to all who came
along to support the event, especially those who participated.
Thanks to everyone who has sent in updates for this
Columban – it’s great to hear from you. If you have anything of
interest to send in, please do so.
Keep in touch and keep us updated.
Kind regards
Ros and the FP Committee

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Former Staff Lunch
On 11th May some twenty former members of staff, everyone
looking really well, gathered at the River Inn in houston for
what proved to be a most congenial get together. Not all were
recent leavers either, three had left St Columba’s more than
thirty years ago, but still felt part of the family.
Tales of happenings in the intervening years since leaving, of
grandchildren, of travels, of family weddings and anecdotes
of our time spent together, meant that the time passed very
quickly and everyone was reluctant to leave. It looks like this
will become an annual event and it is hoped that numbers will
increase too.
(Rosemary hammond)
Back to School
after 50 Years
On Saturday 17th September, over 20 former pupils returned
to school for their 50th reunion. The ladies thoroughly
enjoyed their tours of Senior School and Junior School and
had fun reminiscing over a collection of old photographs and
magazines. a wonderful lunch was prepared by former pupil,
Marjorie Mann. Thanks to Margaret Tindall for reuniting the
ladies.
Planning a Reunion?
It’s nearly…
10 years since the class of 2002 left.
15 years since the class of 1997 left.
20 years since the class of 1992 left.
Do you fancy having a reunion?
Remember that I am here to help with your reunion
organisation. I can arrange tours of school, provide names
from the database and help you promote the event through a
combination of mailings, the Columban, the school website
and Facebook.
Please contact Nichola McKay at nmckay@st-columbas.org
or call 01505 872238.
Facebook
The FP group page,
‘St Columba’s School,
Kilmacolm’ needs to be
upgraded to Facebook’s
new group format.
It appears that people
may have to rejoin the new formatted page. If so, we will try
our best to let you know, either through a group message or a
wall posting, before we update the page.
Refer a Friend
We are trying to find FPs with whom we have lost contact or
perhaps have never been on the FP database since leaving
School. So it’s favour time! When chatting to your FP friends,
if you know that they don’t receive the Columban, could you
please either ask permission to forward their details to
School or get them to contact School directly. Please email
fps@st-columbas.org. Thanks for your help.
School Magazine
The annual School Magazine will be available in November
and those interested should send their name, address and a
cheque for £5, payable to St Columba’s School, to Rosemary
Reeves at St Columba’s, Duchal Road, Kilmacolm Pa13 4au.
You can also request a copy by downloading the form from the
School website.
Classnotes
Declan laird, 2010
Declan, who left School in fifth year, recently gave up a
two-year deal with Morton Football Club to pursue a career
in hollywood. he has secured a two-year scholarship at the
prestigious Stella adler Studio of acting in Los angeles, which
boasts alumni such as Marlon Brando and Robert de Niro.
Declan was discovered after he entered the junior version of
Lord Sugar’s ‘The apprentice’ and made it to the final 18 (of
28,000 entrants). Despite not being selected, he was invited
by one of the producers to audition for some work on an advert
which took him to hollywood to shoot scenes. he impressed
Milton Justice, a producer who teaches at Stella adler and is
involved in the scholarship programme. Declan will train four
days a week and is one of only 18 young adults from across
the globe to train at the academy. In his relatively short career
he has appeared in ‘River City’ and made it to the last two of
auditions for the part of ‘Paul Ferris’ in the forthcoming film
about the gangster’s life.
There has been a lot of support for Declan over the past year
and he would like to thank his family, friends and local actor,
Jim Sweeney, who have all helped him greatly.
Declan’s brother, Stefan, left St Columba’s in 2006.
he unfortunately had to retire from professional football
due to a knee injury and is now in his final year at aberdeen
university studying International Relations.
Gillian leitch (smith), 2004
having left school in 2004 from sixth year, I worked for the
Royal Bank of Scotland for two years and then a local estate
agent. Following my work with the estate agents, I attended
Glasgow Caledonian university where I gained my Property
Management and Valuation degree. however, I am currently
planning to pursue my love of photography. Damian and I got
married on the 30th July 2011 and our son, Jason, who will be
five in October, was incredibly proud to be our page boy.
There were many FPs at the wedding, including my sister
Kaye and my close friend Emma McPherson, both of whom
were my bridesmaids. Simon Lees was our photographer and
helen Knight was our soloist with my sister Kaye also singing
a beautiful solo.I was very honoured to have my good friend
angelle Rodriguez (Guerre) and her mum Lisa Guerre at the
wedding, who travelled all the way from houston, Texas to
celebrate with us. angelle attended the Junior School for some
time before moving back to the uSa with her family.Damian
and I had a wonderful day and got married in St aloysius
Church in Garnethill, followed by a reception in the garden
of our house in Kilmacolm. We honeymooned in Rome and
Florence, followed by a family holiday in Cyprus, returning just
in time for Jason to start Junior 1 at St Columba’s. I am still in
touch with many people from School and meet up with most
of them regularly.
The following FPs are in the pictures:
Milena and amanda McClatchie, Stephanie Marshall, Gillian
Doole (Prep Teacher), Natalie and Stephanie Formisano, Blair
Macnab, Murray and Julie Thomson, angela Rhodes, helen
Knight, Jen hood, anna Brooks (Laing), Gary Clark, Lucy
Eadie, angelle Rodriguez (Guerre), haddon, Becci and Emma
Mcpherson, Ros Davidson (Gray), heather Glass (Crawford),
andrea Martin and Kaye Smith.
also at the wedding were current Junior 1 pupils anna Watson
(flower girl) and Jason Leitch, plus babysitter extraordinaire
and SVI Duchal head of house, Melissa McLaren.

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clare watt (scott), 2003
Clare married Thomas Watt on 16th april 2011 at St Fillan’s
Church in houston, followed by a reception at the Grand
Central hotel in Glasgow.
Former pupils at the wedding included Clare’s mother,
Elizabeth anne McMurray (1977), siblings Elizabeth,
Christopher (1999), Mhairi-anne (2000), Joseph (2006) and
friends anna Brooks (Laing), Suzie Bright (2003), Kimi Bright
(2004) and Erin Duff (2004).
Nicola watson (Anderson), 1998
Nicola, a former pupil and School Governor, married Graeme
Watson on 25th June at St Columba Church in Kilmacolm,
followed by a reception at ayr Racecourse’s Western house
hotel. Graeme organised the honeymoon to Mauritius and
Dubai as a surprise for Nicola. The couple met eight years ago
when working together as physiotherapists.
The group photograph shows FP Katy Kaskonas (Thomas’s
girlfriend), FP Thomas anderson, Rebecca anderson (SVI),
Graeme Watson, Nicola and Mr and Mrs anderson.
Other guests at the wedding from St Columba’s included Sara
Packham (Montgomery), Jill Moore (Currie) and Gill de Oliviera
(Dawson).
coralyn Mcewan (bowd), 1995
Since leaving school I have graduated with an honours
degree from Glasgow university and a masters degree
from Strathclyde university. after starting work I qualified
as a Chartered Management accountant, most recently
working at Morgan Stanley as a Vice President, responsible
for European OTC Derivative Settlements. My husband,
Russell, and I moved to Kilmacolm two years ago and we
now have a beautiful daughter, Erica, who will be one at the
end of October. I’ve recently decided to take a career break to
concentrate on family life and am loving every minute of it!
Jenny blair and Kenny Doole, 2000
Kenny and I left School after completing sixth year together
in 2000.
I studied European Law with honours and graduated in
2005. after qualifying in 2008 I spent some time in practice
as a solicitor, mainly focusing on the defence appeal for
the Lockerbie bomber before moving into legal recruitment
last year. I am now really enjoying working for hudson.
My husband, Kenny, graduated from Strathclyde university
with a Masters in Manufacturing Engineering and is now head
of Sales for SIMuL8, a software company in Glasgow. We got
married on 6th February 2010 at Cameron house and now live
in Glasgow.
erika letson (lucas), 1997
Erika and Jack are delighted to announce the birth of their
baby daughter, Sophie Catherine Letson, born on 5th april
2011 weighing 7lb 11oz.
ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32 ForMer PuPIls | 19
clare Miesner (brown), 1998
Ramsay James Miesner was born on the 14th March 2011,
weighing 6lbs 10oz, to myself and my husband John.
steven lucas, 2001
Steven and alana welcomed Kyron Peter William Lucas to the
world on 5th September 2011, weighing 7lb 10oz.
louise Young (French), 1992
Louise gave birth to her first child, Eden Marcie Smith Young,
on 3rd March 2011. My sister Sarah Mcanish (1990) also has
a wee boy called Ethan alexander William Mcanish, who was
born on 14th December 2009, nearly six weeks early! as we
stay close by in the east coast, it is great that the cousins will
get to see a lot of each other growing up.
laura Macconnacher Hannah, 1997
Laura and husband, Simon, are delighted with their new
arrival, Zoe Olivia hannah. Born on 31st July, Zoe is a little
sister for adam and abbie. adam attends St Columba’s Junior
School.
Hazel Macconnacher cameron, 2001
hazel married Ryan Cameron on 7th May at Knockderry
house. her sister, Laura, was a bridesmaid. Some of the former
pupils in attendance included hazel and Laura’s mother,
angela (haddow), and cousin Jamie MacConnacher.
Jennifer sim (scouller), 1989
We were delighted to welcome Jennifer back to Senior School.
Jennifer, who appeared in Issue 30 of the Columban, returned
to School in June during activities Week to hold a Rock Choir
workshop with Senior I pupils.
SVI holiday
Our SVI leavers… or new FPs… kept up the tradition of
a mass exodus to the sun to mark the end of an era.
This year the destination of choice was clubbers’ paradise,
ayia Napa.

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Development
Generations of Giving
St Columba’s is undoubtedly one of the top performing schools
in Scotland. a recent hMIe report described our pupils as
‘confident, articulate and well-motivated children’ and ‘young
people who enjoy high quality teaching experiences’.
The quality of education that St Columba’s is able to offer
its pupils today has been made possible by the generosity
of former pupils, parents, staff, governors and friends of the
School from previous generations.
as a former girls’ school, St Columba’s does not have the
endowment funds of some of the schools founded for boys.
although the School is in good financial health, our fee income
alone will not on its own be able to address the long term
capital needs of the School.
Ongoing support from the entire School community is crucial
to ensure that St Columba’s continues to flourish and offer a
first class education to both current and future generations.
With this in mind we would like to ask everyone from our
School community to consider making a gift in their Will to
St Columba’s to help extend the scope of our financial
assistance scheme and to provide improved facilities.
leaving a legacy – a truly fulfilling gift
Making a Will is an intensely personal matter and naturally
your first consideration will be to make proper provision for
your family and friends in the most tax-efficient way possible.
Many people also leave a gift to one or more charities. Leaving
a legacy to the School, which is a recognised charity, is one
of the greatest gifts we can receive and will make a real
difference to the lives of the pupils at St Columba’s. Legacy
giving may also have tax benefits for you by reducing the
amount liable to inheritance tax.
types of legacy
Pecuniary legacy a specified sum of money.
residuary legacy the residue or a percentage of the
residue of your estate after your specific
bequests have been made.
specific legacy a specific asset or personal possession,
such as property, antiques, jewellery,
works of art or stocks and shares.
a legacy is simple to arrange, either at the time when you
make your Will or, if you already have one, by adding a Codicil.
1897 society
any person indicating that they intend to leave a gift to the
School in their Will is automatically awarded membership of
the 1897 Society as a token of our gratitude and will be invited
to attend School events and private functions. however, we
recognise that a decision to leave a gift is a private matter, so
donors can choose to remain anonymous.
Thank you for giving St Columba’s School your consideration.
Making a Pledge
If you decide to leave a legacy to St Columba’s in your Will,
or have already done so, it would greatly assist us to have
an indication of your support so that we can thank you.
By informing the School, you will enable us to plan with
greater confidence for future generations. If you are able to
share this information, please complete the Legacy Pledge
Form and return it to us. Naturally this pledge is no more than
a statement of your present intentions, is in no way binding
and will be treated in the strictest confidence. We recommend
that you discuss your wishes with your family and solicitor
before making a pledge.
Legacy Pledge Form
Please complete as appropriate:
Title and Full Name
address
Postcode
Email
Tel No
Signed
Date
Former Pupil
Former Parent
Current Parent
Friend of School
Other
I would like my legacy to go towards:
Wherever the School needs it most
Financial assistance for pupils to support the payment of school fees
Building development projects
This will take the form of:
a cash gift
The residue or part residue of my estate
an individual item of value
Estimated value of the legacy £
Solicitor’s Name and Firm
address
I would like my gift to remain anonymous.
I would like to visit the School to discuss my proposed gift.
We would like to suggest that you keep a copy of this form with your other legal
documents.
Please send this reply to:
Nichola McKay, Head of Marketing and Development
st columba’s school, Duchal road, Kilmacolm, PA13 4Au.
St Columba’s School Ltd is a registered charity SCO12598.

22 | tHe bAcK PAGe ThE COLuMBaN ISSuE 32
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