Loading

The Voice of st leonards

The November Review

Autumn Term Achievements

Publication Prize Winners

We are delighted to share that we have had further success in our Creative Writing Club, organised by Mrs Johnston. Eva S in Year 8's work will be published in an anthology showcasing young adults’ writing called The Power of Poetry - The Poet Within. Eva’s poem, A Million Words, was submitted to express her thoughts, feelings and opinions, crafted into a poem. The award-winning submission is set to be published in January 2023, with a copy to remain in the National Archives of the British Library forever!

Eva’s creative writing triumph has continued, and alongside her Year 13 peers Keyuri A and Cameron A, has been selected by Young Writers for publication in a celebratory anthology named The Power of Poetry - A Poetry Odyssey. This is a fantastic achievement for three pupils from one school to be featured. Congratulations to Eva, Keyuri and Cameron and a big thank you to Mrs Johnston for inspiring and engaging our pupils with poetry.

Steps to Sixth Form

Our Year 11 and Pre-IB pupils were invited to Hotel du Vin St Andrews to learn more about the Sixth Form pathways at St Leonards. The students were introduced to our two Sixth Form curriculum options - the IB Career-related Programme and Diploma Programme - and looked at preparation for life beyond St Leonards. Former pupil Mr White gave an inspiring guest lecture about life in the Sixth Form and how studying at St Leonards shaped his successful career as a musician and composer. Mr White also works at St Leonards in the Music Department and in the Boarding Team.

The group then heard from the Head, Mr Brian, Deputy Head, Mr Gaisford and Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Rees. The pupils left the event feeling supported, informed, and most importantly, prepared for their future.

For any families interested in learning more about the Career-related Programme and Diploma Programme in the Sixth Form, our current Sixth Form Curriculum Guide can be found below.

We Will Remember Them

To commemorate those who gave their lives in service, St Leonards held three assemblies of Remembrance on Friday, 11 November. The assemblies were followed by a two-minute silence observed by the whole school, on Birdcage, which ended with the sound of the bagpipes.

Our Heads of School, Niamh and Pablo, also laid a wreath on behalf of all at St Leonards at the war memorial in St Andrews on Remembrance Sunday. They were joined by the Head as they paid their respects, following a service in Holy Trinity Church and a military procession in the town.

MACE Debate

Our fantastic St Leonards Debating Teams took part in the Mace competition this month, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones and presenting some fantastic motions. The online event was targeted towards S3 or above, yet it was our Year 7 and 8 students who bravely took to the podium alongside their older peers. Well done to both teams who won at least one round each!

We will soon find out whether the St Leonards teams will progress to the next round of in-person debates later this academic year.

Enterprise Challenge

Congratulations to Year 13 pupils, Fiona B, Eric B, Carl H and Ishan K, who were selected to participate in the Inter-School Enterprise Challenge hosted at Strathallan in Perthshire. Five schools took part in the challenge with only two prizes up for grabs. We are thrilled to announce the St Leonards pupils won one of prizes, being awarded the 'Most Commercially Viable Idea' for creating a concept that offers Consultancy for Environmental issues. The students formulated an outstanding presentation and were highly congratulated by the panel of judges. A proud moment for these future entrepreneurs!

ToK Writers’ Retreat

Our Year 13 IB Diploma students ventured to The Burn - a wonderful country house in Angus - for a writers’ retreat. Over the weekend, the pupils polished their ToK essays, moving from the draft to final submission stages. The students made use of the quiet location and structured learning environment to make great progress with their work.

When Worlds Collide

Pupils, parents and staff were blown away by the exceptional talent at our recent production, When Worlds Collide. The original script, written and directed by Ms McQuade-Powell (Director of Drama), was performed by the St Leonards Players at four evening performances.

The captivating love story explores the ultimate sacrifice one might make to save the other. The cast and crew delivered the script without fault, with every line both realistic and unforgettable.

The shows were a sell-out success, with full standing ovations at the end of each performance. Cast and crew now have grand plans to take the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2023, performing additional shows to a public audience. Very well deserved, a big congratulations to all involved!

Take a Bow

This term we have enjoyed many musical moments, including the GCSE Concert, the Jull Singing Award and the Strings Concert, celebrating the talent of our many young musicians. All were hosted in the Music School Auditorium and were performed to audiences of parents, staff and friends of St Leonards, complete with refreshments and an opportunity to mingle at the end of each occasion.

A particular highlight was the Autumn Concert which hosted an array of musical talent. Instruments including the bagpipes, drums, ukulele, cello, saxophone and piano. The packed programme featured the St Leonards Orchestra and the popular St Leonards Ukulele Group, known as the SLUGS, performing the likes of Whitacre, Smetana, Jones, A-ha and more.

Another firm favourite was the Jull Singing Award where our top vocalists performed to both the audience and adjudicator, in a bid to be named winner of this year’s Jull Medal for singing. Following a series of superb performances, congratulations go to Maddy W, winner of the Jull Medal for the second year in a row, and to Arabella H, Ben S, Shreyas D and Nicky F-P, all of whom were Highly Commended on the night. Our thanks to Peter Thomson, adjudicator on the night. Mr Thomson is former Director of Music at St George's School in Edinburgh and has recently joined the staff at St Leonards, teaching piano in the Music Department. He has extensive vocal training, with a specialism in opera.

Next up is the Christmas Mix, which is always a festive favourite, and calls for audience members to have their car keys at the ready to jingle along to Sleigh Bells. Tickets for this incredibly popular event have already sold out, however please find the livestream link below.

Wall of Fame

Introducing our new St Leonards Sporting Wall of Fame, celebrating current and former pupils who compete at regional, national or international level. The display can be seen inside the main Senior School building and includes a variety of sports - Ice Skating, Sailing, Trampolining, Golf, Rugby and many more. New additions are always welcome, by contacting our Director of Sport, Mr Baxter with news of top level sporting successes. Many thanks to all those who have already been in touch with additions - our board continues to be updated as the achievements and fabulous photos come in!

Volcanic Victory

Sarah MacDonald, a student at the University of St Andrews, kindly visited some of our Sixth Form students to demonstrate how magma behaves in an eruption. With a clever use of sweets to represent people (including the emergency services and a children's hospital) the pupils were tasked with deciding where best to place their defences. The lesson made for an incredibly interesting insight into the methods used by universities to predict, study and prepare regions for such events.

Pupils then took part in a 'disaster game' which allowed them to respond to a volcanic eruption - an exercise which allowed them to discuss and use their knowledge of the IB geography syllabus, whilst saving a town. Our thanks to Sarah for taking the time out of her university research to work with the class!

UK Women Firsts

A group of Year 12 and 13 pupils jumped at the opportunity to visit the Wardlaw Museum on a Friday lunchtime to look at their new temporary exhibition entitled First Women. The visit was both informative and inspiring as the students viewed the collection of photographic portraits capturing women in the UK who were first in their field of achievement. Such a wonderful opportunity!

St Leonards Enterprise Programme

Well done to all pupils who took part in the St Leonards Enterprise Programme (STEP) launch event this month. Four companies took to the stage to present their products/services that they have been working so hard developing since the start of the academic year. Not only have they developed their ideas into feasible products/services but they have also considered the marketing, finance and business operations. A fantastic effort from all involved.

The companies are creating and selling all sorts of items from keyrings to personalised caps, beanies and bobble hats!

Bridge Building Competition

Over the past two weeks, 14 of our Year 9 pupils have been working with great enthusiasm and dedication at break, lunch and after school to compete in a Bridge Building Competition. Ran by special guest, Mr Stanway, a final year Physics student at the University of St Andrews, the pupils have been vying to plan and build the sturdiest and most aesthetically pleasing bridge, with the specification that it must be made out of lolly sticks.

First, the pupils attended Engineering Masterclasses to help with their concepts before the competition commenced. They then meticulously built bridges, which were rigorously tested to determine the winners.

Congratulations to Riya B, Alastair M and Jack H who won with a bridge that held 79 times its own weight before collapsing. The prize for the most 'aesthetic' structure was awarded to Hannah C and Isabelle M for its sleek appearance. Well done to all involved and a big thank you o Mr Stanway for running this engaging competition at St Leonards.

Future Assets

We are delighted to share that Year 13 pupils, Sienna L, Keyuri A, Niamh H and Josephine L-B and Year 12 pupil Katie A, who were selected for the Future Asset’s Investment Competition, have now submitted their company idea to the panel of Investment experts. The girls have been working on their business plan since September and have been liaising with Mr Franklin, an external advisor, to finalise their project. The competition finalists will be released late January so watch this space!

Year 7 & 8 Island Ceilidh

Our Year 7 and 8 pupils had a wonderful time competing in their Island Ceilidh, dancing with their fellow peers to try and win points for their Islands. The students practised and participated in three Scottish dances: the Gay Gordons, the Dashing White Sergeant and the unrivaled favourite, Strip the Willow - in celebration of St Andrew's Day on 30 November. A fantastic effort from all involved and well done to those who were awarded Island points!

Deck the Halls

A big thank you to our Pupil Leadership Team who got into the festive spirit and decorated our splendid Christmas tree in the Main School Reception. Adding lights, tinsel and baubles the students did a fantastic job decorating the branches, as we welcomed the start of December.

Sports News

Shooting Success

Huge congratulations to Lily D in Year 13, who embarked upon her very first shooting competition at Aberdeen & District Smallbore Shooting Club. Not only did she win the novice class (for shooters in their first competition), but she also won the Junior category and the Ladies' category. A wonderful opportunity, shooting alongside Sheena Sharp, gold medallist in the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and silver medallist in Manchester in 2002. Lily was truly inspired by the standard throughout the competition, spurring her onwards in her shooting career. Sincere thanks go to Jim Ward of St Andrews Smallbore Shooting Club, who invited and supported Lily throughout the competition, and to both the Aberdeen Club and Sheena Sharp for the warm welcome.

On the Astro

Our Years 7 to 13 hockey squads have been highly successful this term, with many convincing wins throughout the season. Well done to our Year 8 and 9 combined squad who played exceptionally well against Queen Victoria School (QVS), with goals from Captain Anna B x2, Inka P x3, Isla T-P x2, Piera P and Cammy P. A similar success was seen by our Seniors who won 3-1 against Kilgraston. The team played some great transitional play that led to goals by Sarah L x2 and Fiona B. Our Year 8, 9 and Seniors teams also played tougher end-to-end games against High School of Dundee. With some amazing goal line saves and great teamwork, the fixtures were a pleasure to watch.

Hockey Tournament

Our U12 players have also been participating in a Hockey Tournament this term, with games against Clifton Hall, Fettes, High School of Dundee and Loretto. There were some great games contested with some excellent fast-paced play. Overall results; Fettes 1st, Loretto 2nd, St Leonards 3rd, High School of Dundee 4th and Clifton Hall 5th. Well done to our U12 squad!

On the Field

Our U15 and U16 rugby squads have continued to grow their game over the past few weeks, remaining determined and motivated to train hard and perform their best at team fixtures. Well done to our U15s who played outstandingly against St Columba’s, winning an impressive 47-23. Further congratulations goes to our U16s team who are now through to the semi-finals after winning against Lasswade, 21-19 in the Cup League.

World Amateur Golf Ranking Event

Well done to Julian G, Ewen F, Caspar H, Hazel P, Verity S, Leo VN, Glen T, Harry J, Theodor S and Benedikt W for competing in the highly competitive World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) event. The successful 3-day event took place at The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club in East Lothian. Despite the wet weather, Hazel P played exceptionally well and managed to win the girls’ event, being awarded a trophy for her unrivalled skill. Further success was seen by Ewen F, Julian G and Benedikt W who all managed to finish inside the top 10. Huge congratulations to all competing golfers who managed to finish third in their team event!

Ruling Renaissance

Huge congratulations to Ewen F in Year 11 who posted a 4 under par 67 at the ProDreamUSA event at the Renaissance Club. Ewen managed to win the renowned 18 hole shootout event with his impressive score, winning the grand prize of a branded ProDreamUSA golf cart bag. A huge well done from all at St Leonards!