A leading boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 12-18 in Perthshire, Scotland
29 April
Time is flying past as usual and the girls have their heads buried in books and their walls plastered in notes as they make the most of the remaining weeks leading up to the start of the exams. The Art pupils were delighted to have got their 2 days of Art GCSE done and dusted at the beginning of the week and now have only a few days to complete their portfolios. Well done girls!
The 1sts, 2nds and 3rds played tennis against Watson's on Saturday - finally some better weather! - and the 2nds and 3rds won all their matches. The 1sts played a good game but were defeated by strong opponents.
Today saw the first Glenalmond Croquet tournament take place. Team Captain, Lydia M had a tough job as two of her team were unable to play and so she pulled in the reserves making the team: Lydia M, Flora F, Rowan G and Lily S. They were drawn first against Goodacres and despite excellent effort failed to win through on this occasion sadly. Father Giles, (self-styled) Master-in-Charge of Croquet & Keeper of the College Flamingos had nothing but good to say of their efforts.
We have been on the receiving end of more awards: Sarah P - two for French; Lydia M - French. Keep up the good work.
Emma A kindly volunteered to look into a Cairnies' sweatshirt and in the bat of eye sourced some excellent tops, available in beautiful colours. She very efficiently traipsed around the house collecting orders and I believe we will receive our tops in a few weeks time. Many thanks for your efforts Emma!
The girls are desperately trying to keep bugs at bay but there are a few who are feeling a little under the weather. This particularly cold spring is not helping much either! I'm sure the girls would be grateful for any preventative potions you might suggest: echinachea, vitamin C, Olbas Oil, …
Last, but by absolutely no means least, I have today awarded some Full and Half House Colours:
Full
Isobel H - for work with House Chapel and the Cairnies' Charity Tea Party
Lily S - for work with House Drama and the Cairnies' Charity Tea Party
Vicky B - for work with House Drama, the Cairnies' Charity Tea Party and House Photography
Clodagh M - for work with the Cairnies' Charity Tea Party, Thanksgiving and her Head of House duties
Half
Mary P - for her work with Thanksgiving
Robyn B - for her work with House Part Song
Annie W - for her general helpfulness and support to all housemates and staff
Rowan G - for her general helpfulness and support to all housemates and staff
Kirstin G -- for her work with House Music
Sarah P - for her work with House Music
Ailsa P - - for her work with the Cairnies' Charity Tea Party
Livia P - for her work with House Chapel
Without all the effort and support these especially, but also all the other, girls give Cairnies, we would not be able to run such a successful house with so many events. Without their efforts the Cairnies' identity would be less strong and I am immensely proud of their efforts and grateful for the responsibilities they take on. Thank you girls!!
Next week brings inter-house athletics, Field Day and Evening Chapel on Sunday, so fingers crossed the rain stays away.
March 11th 2012
The girls are all back after a well-deserved and much longed-for leave out weekend. I've never quite fathomed why they come back so exhausted after 2 days of sleep…………….!
The week before leave out was an interesting one. Mich Curtis delivered her first Life Coaching session which was quite well attended. This first session was about values and Mich reports that the girls worked really well and came up with some great values that they would like to see adopted amongst everyone at Cairnies. Having worked in smaller groups, the session finished with the groups consolidating their values on to one sheet of paper which the girls then signed. It is now displayed in the Common Room to remind us all. The next session, self-esteem, takes place on Wednesday evening after prep. Mich was aware that the girls would be tired after a long day at school and so adopted a very relaxed approach with the girls. They must have had a real impact on her as she was able to recount names and tell me about several positive things that emanated from the various girls.
On Thursday it was International Womens' Day. To mark the occasion, Livia P and Issy H put together a House Chapel involving a significant number of the girls. Livia canvassed the Cairnies' girls to find out which women they viewed as iconic or inspirational. From that she whittled down the names to capture a few, outstanding women and it is these ladies that the girls spoke about. I've attached a copy of the talk if anyone would like to read it and if I can get my technology working, I shall post a video of the talk too.
(A pdf file of the talk is here: Cairnies Chapel Talk March 3rd 2012 )
Phoebe A acquitted herself very well at the lunchtime concert on Thursday and Robyn B performed so well at Perth Festival that she took first prize in her class on Friday. She will now take part in the championships on Saturday so a busy week for her as she is also taking her Grade 8 Violin exam tomorrow.
This week is already busy as House Drama takes place on Saturday so it is all hands on deck as Lily S directs the participants in our version of Macbeth
Maria Trygger
11/3/12
Once again several weeks have passed since my last update and as ever there is much to report.
On 4 February the girls played lacrosse against Loretto. As ever, they did us proud with the 1sts winning 11-4, the 2nds 11-3 and the 3rds 14-0. In the 3rds match, Lily S was very proud at not having let in any goals ……. Although she later admitted that no balls had really come her way to save!
Thursday 9 February saw the annual Glenalmond Steeplechase take place. This year the run was relocated to the golf course which was fantastic for the spectators if not the runners. Cairnies didn't win a cup in the end but the girls put in some excellent performances with Flora F coming 1st out of all the senior girls in a time of 18.56, Virginia 10th with a time of 20.58 and Charlotte Mc 12th with a time of 21.13. Out of 61 competitors that is pretty good going. There were excellent runs by Annabel E, Emma S, Kirstin G and Philippa v S too. Of course, taking part is one of the key elements in the steeplechase and makes the whole atmosphere one of tremendous fun.
That same evening, the Glenalmond's Got Talent show took place. Having not heard a whisper of what the girls were performing, I was thrilled to see the team on stage, playing their instruments, many not ones you might expect at such a show. We didn't win but the girls' efforts were commended by the judges, they looked fantastic and I was once again extremely proud of them.
Further to the last batch of form orders, it was my pleasure to send 6 girls to the Warden for commendation for their effort and achievement. Congratulations to: Issy H, Lydia Mc, Jenny M, Sarah P, Ailsa P and Fenella T-K. In addition, I received notification of the following star awards for Physics: Fenella T-K, Charlotte C, Issy H and Sarah P. The majority of the girls are applying themselves well to their revision and this will stand them in good stead. A good number regularly attend the additional subject support sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays and recently the Art school has been well attended by the girls completing their coursework folders. Rowan G and Annabel E are pleased to have moved up a science set too.
On the 23 February the entire Fifth Form were take to see 'An Inspector Calls' at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow. Despite the evening being a wee bit late, the girls really enjoyed the production and the evening out. Only a couple of days later, the music scholars had the privilege of attending the RSNO Concert in Glasgow from which they returned exhilarated. The same night, the rest of the house joined all the school's juniors on a cinema outing to Dunfermline to see 'One for the Money'. Sadly we were not as exhilarated after that!
Sunday 26 February saw the Cairnies' Charity Tea Party take place. Thanks to the efforts of all the girls, both before and during the event, and thanks to your generosity, we have raised over £300 in aid of DebRa and The Clemmie Nicholson Foundation. I am just gathering in the last few pounds before I can finalise the total amount and contact the charities to present the money. Particular thank must go to Lily S, Ailsa P, Emma S, Amber F and Vicky B who had such beautiful items to sell as well as to Clodagh Mc for organising things.
With lots of girls out on DoE expeditions the same day as the tea party, there had been much preparation during the days before. Sadly one cake, a green monster cake (!) didn't make it through till Sunday; it disappeared off the plate within about an hour of coming out of the oven J. All the girls really enjoyed their DoE outings. The walkers managed to return in time to join the Tea Party and recounting stories of saving a lost dog and learning masses about navigation. The canoeists had a rather longer day which was "hard work" and "freezing" but "fantastic" at the same time.
Ailsa P and Livia P joined the school's ICT committee to discuss various things such as internet speed, YouTube, social networking sites and more. This committee was set up last year by Mr Jeffers to address issues that the pupils encounter and to talk about what they would like. There have already been some changes and some problems resolved through this excellent medium.
Confirmation classes have now started and I'm delighted that so many Cairnies' girls are taking part. It is such an important decision to take and I know that it has not been taken lightly. Celebrating their confirmation in May will be wonderful.
This past week the netball team played some tough matches against Dundee High School and Fettes. Issy H, Amber F and Kirstin G felt frustrated afterwards since the matches were lost but only by a few points. Over the weekend, Flora F, Jemima M-P, Michaela M and Phoebe A flew south to Imperial College, London to take part in the U19 National Schools Lacrosse Tournament. They played 12 matches across 2 days and were one point off the semi-finals. Although they beat the team who eventually won the section, they didn't have enough overall points to get through. The girls returned tired and bruised by having had a fun time.
Last Friday, Emma A, Philippa v S and Issy H sat the first part of their Maths GCSE paper and the second paper is tomorrow. The girls have been revising hard and felt the first part went well though no-one wants to say too much just in case!
Sarah P was surprised whilst waiting for the minibus to bring her up to house the other night. She looked up and saw something strange in the sky, something with flames coming out and zooming across the sky for quite some time. She pointed it out to some of the other girls, convinced it was not a shooting star. Today, whilst standing in the lunch queue she suddenly saw images of what she had seen - a meteor.
A huge thank you also has to go out to Annie W who has been working extremely hard to get a big social event organised for the Fifth Form. This event ended up being the 'Fluorescent Adolescents' disco in aid of Give Gig. Fluorescent is the word! Before leaving Cairnies last night, the girls were busy dressing up in rather leery and very bright clothes and painting themselves - no, not just their nails but also their arms, legs and faces - in bright colours. It was quite something to see and hopefully I will be able to get some photos from Vicky B later this week.
Finally, this afternoon all the choristers have been away rehearsing for a very special concert in Dunblane Cathedral. I'm sure that it will be incredible and I am so disappointed that I have not been able to attend but I await news when the girls return. Daisy W has also been taking part in the Pipe Band competition at George Watson's College where she tells me Glenalmond came 11th out of 18 bands.
As part of a new programme to help the girls with their self-development, I have organised for a series of self-development workshops to be delivered by Life Coach, Mich Curtis, the first of which takes place on Monday evening. These sessions are voluntary but hopefully will be well attended. The first session will look at Values. At the end of the 5 sessions (this will take us in to next term), Certificates of Attendance will be issued and the girls will be able to make reference to what they have learnt when completing their UCAS forms or, later on, application forms.
So, as you can see, we are busy, busy, busy but also working hard and smiling a lot J.
Maria Trygger
This weekend the girls tried to relax as much as possible after a tough week of mock examinations. Their view of the week was "tricky" but "not as bad as expected - at least in most subjects". The girls worked hard in the run up to the exams so hopefully they will be rewarded for their efforts. Certainly I know that there are already some top grades for some despite most subjects not having returned papers yet. Tomorrow is the last day of exams - 3 science papers - and then the girls can return to the normal week!
Last Wednesday the CCF had a cadre which Annie and Flora described as "tense and scary" despite thoroughly enjoying it.
At lacrosse on Saturday, the girls did us proud against Loretto. The 1sts won 11-5; the 2nds drew 6-all after their 7th goal was disqualified, with Jenny M as goalie; the 3rds won 9-1 with Lily S as goalie for the second time. Both Lily and Jenny seem to have enjoyed the goalie experience and recounted some interesting saves; thank goodness they are so padded.
Last night the girls were able to choose whether to stay in house or attend the junior ceilidh. Not unsurprisingly after a week of exams, the majority stayed in, relaxing in their rooms or flopped across the sofas in the common room watching a film. Those who attended the ceilidh had a fabulous time. I had also requested the projector and big speakers for the common room so that the girls could have a fun Zumba session if they wanted to (I have some DVDs) and several girls took advantage of this to strut their stuff and get a bit fitter. It seems fun so I hope to have some more drop-in Zumba days over the course of the term.
Last week the girls also elected their Flat Prefects. This term we have Livia P in Flat 1, Amber F in Flat 2, Jemima M-P in Flat 3, Emma S and Sarah P in Flat 4 (because after 3 rounds of voting it could not be narrowed down to just one of them!) and Rowan G in Flat 5. I look forward to working with the girls in the running of the house. Mary P and Clodagh McH continue to be of great support in their roles also.
And finally, it was with pride that I received news of some colours having been awarded for last term: Amber F and Jemima M-P - Senior Half Colours and Emma A Junior Colours for hockey. Congratulations to all three.
Maria Trygger
22/01/2012
So, a week has passed already since the end of the Christmas holidays which means that there are only 9 weeks of term left! It was lovely hearing the house fill up with shrieks of laughter and boundless chatter last Sunday when everyone returned. Having spent about 12 hours planning room allocations, I was thrilled that the girls all seemed happy, be that in single rooms or sharing.
All week the girls have been knuckling down to serious revision as the trial GCSE exams begin tomorrow, ending on Monday 23rd. Stress levels are naturally quite high but overall everyone seems fairly calm at the moment. I can't praise the girls enough for their efforts during prep and also over the weekend; they all deserve to do well.
On another note, HUGE congratulations are due to Sarah P, Kirstin G and Jenny M who gained A* in their early entry Maths GCSE examinations. As if that was not enough, the same three girls and Issy H were also awarded a star for their continued effort in Maths classes. Well done girls!
Fenella has now proudly received her first fencing badge.
This weekend, in between lots of revision, the girls organised a relaxed pizza and film night on Saturday evening. Lydia Mc and Sarah P worked diligently, quickly collecting all the orders and the money for these before calling the take away to place the order. What a surprise then that the amount due was significantly less! The situation was resolved by refunding a bit to everyone as the savings stemmed from a variety of special offers. Today, Vicky B did us proud giving a superb, clear reading in Chapel.
As ever, the girls have crammed in a few more things besides revision. In lacrosse, the 1st team beat Fettes 11-8 with Jemima M-P scoring 4 goals; the 2nd team beat Fettes 8-7 thanks to Kirstin G's goalie skills. Kirstin was named player of the match and, rather unbelievably, she does not actually take lacrosse at all! The 3rd team also beat Fettes 8-7 and here Lily S made her goalie debut to great acclaim. The Silver Duke of Edinburgh practice sessions have begun and Michaela Mc, Annie W and Livia P spent a few hours canoeing in the pool this afternoon. They were tired but very happy at the end of it all.
Finally, an early prompt that the Cairnies' Charity Tea Party will take place at 1430 on Sunday 26th February so please keep your diaries clear and join us! Invitations will be sent out in due course once all the planning is in place. If anybody can help with baking or things to sell, please do get in touch. All proceeds will go towards one or two charities chosen by the girls.
And suddenly the end was in sight ……………….
I can't actually believe that we are in the last week of term. As ever, the girls have been incredibly busy.
Ailsa P has been awarded a star in English and Sarah P stars in English and Physics. Congratulations go to both girls who are among a large number who've been studying hard these past weeks. The Geography controlled assessment, which has troubled many over the past weeks, is finally reaching its close and already quite a few girls have printed off their final drafts and breathed a huge sigh of relief. A few more hours and the remainder will be in the same position.
Music continues to play a large part of the girls' lives. Last week Charlotte M and Vicky B took part in the lunchtime concert. On Saturday there was the Christmas concert in which Philippa v. S, Phoebe A, Robyn B, Daisy W, Charlotte M and Emma A performed. Robyn's efforts were of particular note as she played a wonderful violin duet with Nathan West. Phoebe A was also delighted to receive her ABRSM Theory exam grade: Grade 2 Distinction!
In terms of sport, congratulations go to Fenella T-K who passed her Fencing Grade 1. This weekend Issy H, Kirstin G, Flora F, Clodagh M, Amber F and Jemima M-P were away on a hockey tour in England. Much fun was had by all and two tough matches were played. The first match was a 3-1 win and the second a 3-1 defeat sadly. The first team did manage a 1-0 win against Fettes on the Thursday before leaving though and were very excited, not least because Mr Allan (coach) apparently jumped for joy over the result! The other teams played against Fettes on Saturday, all away matches and the scores were: 2nds: 1 all draw; 3rds: 2-0 to Fettes; 4ths: 3-0 to Fettes and 5ths (playing several down): 1-0. This week there will be little sport with new snow on the ground but hopefully that will be a good thing for Michaela M and Phoebe A who leave early on Saturday morning with Mrs Erdal, heading for a week of ski race training in France.
I'm very impressed with this year's girls who make the most of every opportunity. Livia P, Olivia G, Rowan G and Lily S are members of the Political Society in school and attend the weekly meetings. Livia tells me: "I think it is important and interesting to keep up with what is going on." Olivia G, Rowan G, Livia P, Tessa R, Pippa S and Virginia P also attended the Goodacres play on Friday, 'Clouds' by Aristophanes.
Clodagh M and Mary P have now received job descriptions for their posts as Head of House and Deputy Head of House respectively. Both continue to be very helpful in their roles and watching them develop as a result is wonderful.
Wednesday 30 November was St Andrew's Day and Father Giles led a beautiful Eucharist that evening in Chapel. An increasing number of girls attend Compline, the short Wednesday evening service. The atmosphere during this service is completely different to the normal weekday services and it provides a safe place for some quiet contemplation. Linked to this, I am delighted to see that quite a few of the girls have asked to be confirmed later this year.
This Thursday, the Flat Prefects (Phoebe A, Lydia M, Rowan G and Annie W), The Head and Deputy Head of House (Clodagh M and Mary P) will join me for supper in my flat as a thank you for their work this term. Next term the girls will be in different rooms and different flats to give them the opportunity to increase their bonds with others in the house and so it will be time for the flats to vote for the next Flat Prefects. The Head and Deputy Head of House will, however, remain in post all year.
I understand that we have at least two mums who have baked something delicious as a treat for the House and so, in anticipation, thank you. The girls love receiving little treats, especially when they are sweet and home-made!
By the end of the week, hopefully the house will be all packed up and the girls will be ready to relax and enjoy their Christmas dinner. That is followed by the junior ceilidh and, as a special treat this year, the Fifth Form have been invited to the senior entertainment after that.
On Saturday, Cairnies will be attending the 0930 Carol service after which parents and other family are invited to join me and the tutors in the Common Room for tea, coffee and mulled wine. The house will be unattended from about 0900 so can I please ask that you do not come at that time to load cars, etc as the doors will be locked.
Maria Trygger
The 16 November was Form orders day and I am pleased to report that these are improved compared to the last ones indicating that the girls are heading in the right direction. On particular note was Fenella T-K who achieved an astounding seven 1s! Others referred for commendation by the Warden were Issy H, Jemima M-P, Ailsa P and Philippa v. S. Well done. Each girl has spoken to their tutor, and many to me also, about their effort and current working grades and we have looked at strategies to improve the grades further.
On the 17 November, Phoebe A and Sarah P competed in the swimming match against Fettes which I'm reliably informed Glenalmond won easily.
And then it was leave out - sleep-in time!
The girls returned on top form from their second leave out this term, ready to launch straight back in to more controlled assessments. These are currently the bane of their lives but the end is in sight fortunately and with Christmas not too far away, the girls seem more able to cope with the pressure.
On Monday afternoon Cairnies competed in the inter-house swimming gala, for the first time ever entering as a house in its own right. The girls all did brilliantly with the As swimming against the seniors and the Bs against the juniors. Unfortunately, this threw the adjudicators who were not quite sure how to calculate the scores in terms of houses, so they didn't - at least not in terms of Cairnies! That was a huge blow to us all, but once the individual times were published, it was clear to see how well they had done. The following all came 2nd in their events: Annie W - junior 50m backstroke; Jemima M-P - junior 25m butterfly and Issy H - senior 50m breaststroke. Cairnies also came 2nd in the senior Medley relay and the senior freestyle relay.
Thursday saw Phoebe A and Sarah once more competing in swimming against Morrison's and Gordonstoun this time swimming in the senior competition. Both tell me they swam well and that Glenalmond won again!
That evening Cairnies celebrated Thanksgiving and what a wonderful evening we had. Clodagh Mc and Mary P had been busy, together with a few others, during the afternoon ensuring the table was laid and decorated, the American flag hung up and all the name labels located in the right place; they spent quite some time the night before working on the seating plan! When the girls arrived, they looked stunning and their behaviour matched that all evening. Our invited guests: Mr Erdal, Mr Orviss and Mr Rattray could not believe the amount of delicious food on offer, especially upon discovering that all the starters and puddings had been produced by the girls. Eating completed, each person stood to give thanks about something close to their heart. This was followed by a little bit of clearing up and then lots of singing and piano playing. I loved listening to the girls but I think their highlight was Mr Rattray giving them his rendition of 'Hey Jude'! I hope to have some photos for you soon.
Last night we had the privilege of going to see the senior musical, Godspell. None of us have seen much of Emma A over the past few weeks and no wonder. She was the only Fifth Form girl selected for this musical and she had a beautiful song to sing as well as being part of the chorus for all the other songs. Emma was wonderful and as for recovering, she tells me "I managed 11 hours sleep last night; it was great!"
This afternoon (Sunday), 10 girls took part in an 8-mile trial walk which forms part of the selection process for the 100-mile walk in June. Earlier in the week the girls had to submit a report about why they would like to take part, so no easy selection process. Fortunately, it was a dry day, at least from above, but instead there were strong winds to contend with. Nevertheless, all the girls looked happy to have taken part. Now comes the hardest part, waiting to see who has been chosen….
This evening we had a wonderful candlelit advent service in Chapel. It was magical to sit in darkness and listen to the choir performing from the vestibule area. Their entrance was wonderfully choreographed and when, eventually, they passed on the light from their candles to the rest of Chapel, it took only moments until the Chapel was bathed in the candles' warm, soft light. The sound of the singing brought goose bumps to my arms it was so magical.
Following that, the girls affiliated to Home rushed back to house to don their cocktail dresses and head for Reid's where they were invited to join Home's Christmas party. I'm sure they evening will be a huge success and await news with anticipation.
Maria Trygger
There are simply not enough hours in the week to keep up with all the activity that takes place at Glenalmond, so once again the weekly update has become a 2-weekly update!
Week Commencing Monday 8 November:
Jemima and Issy took part in the Midlands hockey tournament, spending the weekend in Edinburgh, went into the semi final and eventually finished 4th. It's the first time we've got through to the semi-finals though so they deserve huge congratulations for their efforts.
Philippa celebrated her 16th birthday on the 8th and was supplied with a delicious Black Forest Gateau to share with her friends.
On Wednesday Kirstin, Sarah and Jenny sat the first early entry GCSE Maths paper. Whilst none of them is prepared to talk about how it went, they all seemed in fairly good spirits afterwards and so I assume it was not too bad. The second paper is on Monday 14 November.
As last week, the hard work continued this week with a raft of Controlled Assessments taking place. All the girls are feeling under pressure but are still managing to work hard and not panic. In fact, there is masses of laughter, especially in the evenings when the girls are tired and thus being sillier; nothing better to lift my spirits! Annie got a star award for Physics - well done!
We had excellent results in hockey this week with the first and second teams winning both on Tuesday against QVS and on Saturday against Gordonstoun. The scores were: 1sts 6-0 and 2nds 8-1 against QVS, 1sts 4-1 and 2nds 8-0 against Gordonstoun. Fabulous scores.
On Saturday all the juniors went on a cinema trip to Dunfermline to see Tower Heist. Whilst the girls did not really rate the film very much, they thoroughly enjoyed the excellent facilities at Dunfermline and just having an evening out. It is not often the whole of screen 1 is filled with one party J
Today we had a beautiful Remembrance Sunday service in Chapel. I was so proud to sit with the Cairnies' girls who were smartly turned out and impeccably behaved. Annie had been asked to do a reading and despite her nerves carried it off magnificently. She has written a little article about this which also appears on the web page. A little later in the service, Mary led the Intercessions. Her voice was perfectly pitched and her words had a huge impact on the congregation. With this being one of the most important services in Chapel over the entire school year, it was an honour for them to be asked and they did Cairnies proud.
Clodagh has also written a little update on the Battlefields trip that took place over half term. All the girls from Cairnies who went on the trip found it incredibly interesting and moving and reading her article tonight about how this impacted their appreciation of the Remembrance service has made me determined to visit the battlefields myself one day.
Next week is Thanksgiving and we are very much looking forward to our Resident Tutor, Heather Mullin, working with the girls to prepare the Thanksgiving dinner which will be held on Thursday evening. Celebrating Thanksgiving has become a Cairnies tradition as we always have an American Resident Tutor. I'm sure this year will be as wonderful as last year's.
Maria Trygger
My Chapel Reading
This Sunday was Remembrance Sunday and a week and a half ago the Chaplain asked if I would do a reading for the service. The thought of doing it absolutely terrified me and I had to say no. So instead of me he got someone else, but when they dropped out because of another engagement, the Chaplain came back to me and asked me again! I don't know what I was thinking but I said yes this time...!
So I was given the reading and had to go to a rehearsal and have a run through and things. Of course the moment I was given the reading I read it whenever I could: before bed, during the day and in my spare time - whenever! Luckily, Mary another girl in my year, was doing the Intercessions and we were both terrified but practised together and then suddenly it was Sunday.
We went down to breakfast, shaking and nervous and had a few more run throughs together. I was first up, straight after the first hymn and predictably something went wrong. I had hiccups. Of course I began freaking out, thinking that if they didn't go we would have a serious problem on our hands. Walking down seemed the longest walk ever but I felt much calmer than I thought I should feel and, thank goodness, my hiccups died away on my way up the aisle!!
I feel honoured I was recommended and asked to do this on this most special day.
By Annie Winton
13 November 2011
Battlefields Tour
When the "51st Blackwatch Pals Battalion, Glenalmond" got on the bus which would take us to the memorials and battlefields in France and Belgium, our tour guide, Robin Magregor, told us that this experience would change us. Having been a bit sceptical about this claim, we surprised ourselves when we fairly got into the swing of things after a sing along of some (forty six) famous war songs that he had on a CD. After a well organised, scheduled itinerary including favourite stops at Canadian Newfoundland Park, Thiepval, Tynecot and, of course, the daily ceremony at the Menin Gate, we all felt that we had a lot to thank Robin for. We have indeed changed for the better and today all appreciated the Sunday Remembrance service fully. It was an amazing trip and I would recommend it to anyone and would certainly go again myself. Here are some thoughts from the Carnies' girls who went that sum up the trip:-
Isobel Houston "I'm a changed person."
Annabel Eden "Two words - in credible."
Sarah Peacock "If I had to describe the trip in one word it would be phenomenal!"
By Clodagh McHardy
November 2011
The second half of term began, as always, with the girls returning full of chatter about their holiday and the house reverberates with their laughter and giggles. Although you might expect the girls to be harder to shoo into bed, for some reason they are always exhausted and practically fall into bed!
The 2 November was All Souls' Day and there was a special candlelit Holy Eucharist in Chapel that evening. It was wonderful to see it so well attended from Cairnies. On the same day, Phoebe A sat her ABRSM Music Theory exam. The results will not be in for ages but Phoebe looked as though it had gone well so we have fingers crossed.
On Friday 4 the Lothian girls were lucky enough to participate in the Lothian Extravaganza. Although unable to be there myself, the feedback was excellent and the girls were very elated upon their return to house. Meanwhile, Rowan, Michaela and Bella accompanied me to Moneydie where they helped to served food at a large fireworks party. They worked hard and showed excellent initiative and all who attended were impressed by them. Thank you girls!
Saturday 5 saw lots of hockey being played against Fettes. The match results were: 1sts 2-2 with good work at the end especially; 2nds 3-3, a gripping and well-played match; 3rds 4-1 to Fettes; 4ths 2-2, again with a good recovery late on; 5ths 6-1 to Fettes but a really enjoyable match with lots of action.
The efforts in class and prep are clearly paying off with Cairnies receiving lots of star awards this week: Maths - Rowan, Phoebe A (2), Robyn & Jemima; PE - Phoebe A; French - Sarah; English - Issy. Keep up the good work as it is clearly reaping dividends!
That evening was the school Fireworks display, which was incredible, followed by a junior ceilidh. The girls dressed to impress and somehow managed to hide their lovely evening clothes under several layers in order to remain warm outside but still have little to carry later and much fun was had by all.
Maria Trygger
As we near half term, the girls are getting ever more excited at the thought of a nice break and a few lie-ins! We have 9 girls departing on Wednesday 19th for the Battlefields trip which promises to be as interesting as ever. I hope they have a great time and I am very envious!!
Last night (18/10) the girls bid a fond farewell to Australian exchange pupil Taylor Carlisle who leaves us at half term. It was a joyful and tearful event. Taylor has written a letter to each member of the House and stood up to make a wee speech. Photos were taken of everyone as a memory. In return, the girls had prepared a huge card for her and she got a few mementoes of Scotland to take back with her. She will be much missed.
We also celebrated Annabel Eden's birthday last night as she is off on the Battlefields trip this morning and would otherwise have missed out on her cake. Happy Birthday Anzie!
Also on the 19th, Little Ardvreck are visiting Cairnies Wood for a day of exploration and fun. They will be joined by about a dozen staff children of varying ages. We hope the weather will not be too shocking for them as they plan to be outside, have milk and biscuits for mid-morning snack and then after more adventures outside to barbeque sausages over the open fire under a huge parachute for lunch before returning to Ardvreck around 1330.
News just in: Sarah Peacock and Issy Houston have been awarded stars for their work in French and English respectively - well done, girls.
As part of the improvements to Cairnies, Lily Strachan and Vicky Beckett will be helping to design some signs to be painted by the girls in the entrance hall. Jemima Murray-Poore has volunteered to take charge of organising the 'graffiti wall' which will be our effort towards the school's literacy drive. I can't wait to see the results which will hopefully be on display before the end of term.
And finally, Flora Fergusson and Phoebe Anderson have volunteered to look into options for a Cairnies top.
Enjoy half term!
Week commencing 10th October
Emma Acton was presented with Silver Duke of Edinburgh award after last summer's canoeing expedition so huge congratulations to her.
Robyn Bell's efforts with the part song for the House Singing competition resulted in a beautiful rendition on the night. The lighting effect may have been slightly different to that planned but its effect was positive, luckily! Sadly we did not win but I was incredibly proud of the girls and Sebastian, my son, thought they should have won! Sarah Peacock and Kirstin Gaffney's efforts with the house shout did not result in a win either but, again, the girls did Cairnies proud. They looked stunning in colourful clothes and their choreography was very effective.
On the 13th October Jenny Middleton, Jemima Murray-Poore and Amber Flowerdew were invited to take part in the winter tennis trials. Well done girls!
Victoria Beckett, Issy Houston and Philippa von Schoenfeld were invited to Dr Kinge's office to receive a commendation further to excellent Form Orders. Normally the commendations are carried out by the Warden but in his absence this week, it fell to Dr Kinge. Overall, the Form Orders were good and I hope that all the girls will strive to maintain these high standards.
Livia Petto, Victoria Beckett and Rowan Gaskell attended Fr Giles' philosophy film evening, a viewing of Bruce Almighty which they thoroughly enjoyed. It is wonderful that these girls alongside several others are seizing the opportunity to attend the Philosophy Society lectures which help to expand their thoughts and teaches them to question things more, something they can apply to all areas of their education and lives
On 5th October, Flora Fergusson suddenly discovered that she had to step in to replace another NCO during the Fourth Form field day and as a result ended up camping overnight on the golf course in rather miserable conditions. But, Flora's positive outlook on life enabled her to see the bright side of this even if she was rather tired the following evening!
The hockey teams set off early on Saturday 8th to play George Watson's in Edinburgh but unfortunately did not win. The poor first team left earliest from Glenalmond and from Edinburgh but arrived home last; their journey home took 4 ½ hours due to road works on the Forth Road bridge!
Later on the 8th, the Home girls took part in Home Arts evening which was a huge success. The girls gave a fantastic performance and were, in my opinion, one of the better acts of the evening. Meanwhile, the Lothian girls were invited to Lothian for a movie and pizza night which they thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to Mrs Sinclair for hosting them.
The Philosophy Society trip on the 6th was about 'Luck'. Although Fr Giles said it was not very intellectually demanding, the girls who went really enjoyed it. The main message, delivered with a great deal of humour, was that there is no such thing as luck. Rather, you are in control of creating a lucky environment for yourself and luck is very much linked to positive thinking. A great message to carry forward!
The girls' goal for the week ending 9th October was to "complete the House Shout and Part Song to perfection". With the House Singing competition only a week away, Robyn Bell (part song) and Kirstin Gaffney and Sarah Peacock (house shout) were busy organising every spare moment with practices - to good effect. The sounds resonating around the house were spectacular.
Other events this week included the Biology ISA; Phoebe Anderson getting a star in Maths; Virginia Perez Coll being invited, as part of a team, to help the Chef organise the cooking for a Spanish night to be held after half term and Choral Day where the members of choir worked really hard as did Lily Strachan and Emma Acton as guides.
Lastly, but by no means least, Amber Flowerdew took part in the riding competition at Gleneagles on both her horses. She did not qualify with her new horse as they rode too well, coming in a minute faster than allowed, but she came 8th on her second horse (out of about 20). A wonderful achievement!
Maria Trygger
From the moment I stepped off the plane into the chilly Scotland weather I knew this was going to be the best experience ever! All the girl in Cairnies welcomed me with big smiles and hugs and asking me about my flight and wanting to hear my accent and making me say such things as "G'day Mate" and "Hi, I'm Taylor from Australia" which was a good laugh. The first day was exciting meeting new people and getting into the daily routine of waking up in the dark even though it was 7 am in the morning and rushing to get the front seat of the bus on the way down to breakfast. Glenalmond is such an amazing school with so many beautiful buildings such as the chapel, (I am amazed by how big it is), and the clock which makes the chimes throughout the day. In the time that I have been here I have done so much; I have gone to my first soccer match, I have tried on a kilt and I enjoy wearing it!, I have eaten haggis and black pudding which I wasn't that fond of but gave it a try. I have even on leave-out to Paris for the first time which was really exciting. I only have a few more weeks left and Rowan and I are planning to do so much more with the time that I have left. I am truly going to miss everyone here!
Another week has zoomed by and once again we've achieved a huge number of things. Here is a wee synopsis of the girls' achievements:
The Triathlon was a big success. Competing in the senior section, i.e. against Lower and Upper Sixth Form girls, the four Cairnies' teams came in 2nd (Clodagh Mc Hardy, Kirstin Gaffney and Flora Fergusson), 4th (Jemima Murray-Poore, Phoebe Anderson and Jenny Middleton) and 5th (Issy Houston - who did 2 legs herself - and lower Sixth Former Anna Townsend). Unfortunately our last team (Charlotte Mackintosh, Livia Petto and Sarah Peacock) were disqualified!
Of particular note are Clodagh McHardy who came 1st and Jemima Murray-Poore who came 2nd out of 27 competitors in the cycling leg, Flora Fergusson and Issy Houston who came 2nd and 7th respectively in the running leg and Issy Houston and Phoebe Anderson who came 6th and 9th in the swimming leg. Issy's achievements are especially fantastic since she competed in two legs!
The girls have continued to shine in hockey also where the matches against Kilgraston led to a 6-0 victory for the first team and a 6-1 victory for the second XI.
Although not competing for Glenalmond, a special mention goes to Amber Flowerdew for coming 2nd (out of about 20 competitors!) at the Hunter Trials at Strathearn Events last Sunday. This means she has qualified for the Gleneagles event in a couple of weeks time - and on a new horse too!
Earlier in the week a few of the girls joined Mr Wright on the trip to see St Johnston in Perth. Daisy Walker played her part in the Pipe Band at the event and by all accounts this was one of the best performances they have ever done so I am sorry I could not be there.
Jenny Middleton was responsible for the Intercessions in Chapel on Sunday and, despite feeling like a nervous wreck, sounded composed and calm. Well done, Jenny.
This week also saw a spate of birthdays so the girls have been gorging on cake! Emma Acton supplied both pizza and cake to celebrate her birthday and Clodagh McHardy spent all of Sunday afternoon baking another two cakes for Jemima and Lily. Needless to say, they didn't last long. Hopefully the baking will continue and more girls will join in. It's a lovely, social activity with a tasty end result. As a keen, amateur baker myself, I love baking with the girls when possible.
The House Music competition is not far off now so the house has been ringing with the sound of lots of singing. Mostly it is wonderful to hear but occasionally the girls decide to worry me by singing massively out of tune - on purpose, of course. I can't wait for the competition because I think the Cairnies' entry is very strong.
With so many sporting ladies in the house, we also have a continual round of sporting injuries. Mike Davies, Head of Games, has organised for a physiotherapy practice to treat pupils at school on a weekly basis. If you would like your daughter to see a physiotherapist, all that needs to happen is for her to let Mr Davies know and for you to email me consent. The cost of these sessions is significantly reduced compared to a regular physiotherapy rates. This pilot programme is an excellent opportunity.
Hopefully soon to appear here are articles written by the girls rather than by me. Annie Winton has volunteered to be the 'Website Editor' and to cajole the others into supplying content from time to time. Hopefully first up will be a little something from Taylor Carlisle, our exchange pupil from Australia. Taylor's family welcomed Rowan Gaskell to Australia this summer and is now enjoying her time in Scotland. With any luck, we will also be able to post links to photos taken by Victoria Beckett, who has been nominated as our House Photographer because of her skills with a camera.
On Friday 30 September you are warmly invited to join your daughters at the Glenalmond Careers Fair from 13.30 - 14.15 in the Gannochy. This event has been organised by Mr Norton and Mrs Adamson and the number of stalls this year is bigger than ever.
Two weeks into term and we continue to have lots of things going on. The atmosphere at Cairnies is buzzing and it is fantastic to see the girls whizzing here and there busy with their various sporting and other activities. They have taken well to 'independence' and are always up and ready for the buses in the morning, running in and out of the laundry doing their washing and being proactive in keeping their rooms and brew rooms tidy - great effort all round.
Last week Mary Peacock and Annie Winton volunteered to be our 'Website Editors' so thanks in advance to both. Their role will be to write little articles for publication on the Cairnies' website and to cajole the others into doing the same so that you can hear the news from their perspective rather than always from mine. I hope to have something up within the next week; please keep checking!
Olivia Gillespie read the Intercessions in Chapel on Sunday. She was naturally very nervous but worked hard on getting them just right so they were neither too long nor too short on the day. The feedback was excellent. Sadly I missed them as I was my turn to run Sunday school that day, so I was in the Library with 7 little children having a look at 'God in Our Lives'. Please remember that you are welcome to bring any young ones to Sunday school if you wish to attend Chapel any Sunday. Sadly I also missed Charlotte Macintosh singing the solo responses for that service - very brave!
On the sporting front we also continue to do very well. In the matches against Loretto, the 1sts drew 1-1 after an excellent game. The 2nds won 4-2 and the 3rds won 6-1. Congratulations to the numerous Cairnies' girls playing in those matches.
Socially, Cairnies' hosted a disco for the Fourth and Fifth Form on Saturday night. The venue was excellent and the lighting and sound too. Thanks to Mrs Winton for lending us the equipment! The event would benefit from some more input to encourage more dancing and less changing of tracks, but for a first attempt, not bad! If anyone would like to make a small contribution towards disco equipment of our own, we would be very grateful!
On Sunday 24th, 13 of the girls are joining girls from other years in the Glen Girls' Challenge Triathlon. The teams of three will be running 2 ½ miles around the golf course, swimming 800m in the Glenalmond pool and cycling the 'short half' of the glen, a mere 4 ½ miles. Kick-off is 13.30 so please do come and cheer them on if you can and please sponsor them!! Those taking part are: Daisy W, Charlotte M, Phoebe A, Jemima M-P, Jenny M, Sarah P, Livia P, Michaela M, Issy H, Amber F, Flora F, Kirstin G and Clodagh M.
Finally, if there is anything you would like us to particularly include in our website updates, please email myself or one of the editors to let us know.
Maria Trygger
The term has certainly started with a bang! The girls arrived full of giggles, laughter, enthusiasm and positivity to begin the new term. Initially the new overseas pupils arrived, some having completed the new EAL (English as an Additional Language) induction here at Glenalmond. They were closely followed by a significant number of girls who had been at Coll for the pre-season hockey training. And, in the evening, the remaining girls arrived. Cairnies is full this year and it is a pleasure to also welcome the previous day pupils as boarders.
You might think that not much goes on during the first week of term, but you would be mistaken!
The hockey season is in full flow and the girls in the hockey team drew 2-2 against Queen Victoria last week and then played a hard match of 3 half hour sessions against a visiting Chilean team who were on tour. We didn't win (score was 3-1) but the girls played really well. Many of our top players were away at the Midlands trials at the time and so the team playing Chile had not played together before. Four girls entered the Midlands trials: Kirstin Gaffney, Isobel Houston, Charlotte Macintosh and Jenny Middleton and Issy was fortunate enough to get through to the next round.
On Saturday the 1st and 2nd XI went to Gordonstoun for their matches. The long round trip was well worth it with both teams returning victorious. Jemima Murray-Poore, Amber Flowerdew, Flora Fergusson and Issy Houston helped the 1st team deliver a 6-0 victory whilst Kirstin Gaffney, Clodagh McHardy, Jenny Middleton, Michaela Macphie and Charlotte Macintosh played in the 2nds team to bring a 2-0 victory.
Further to their work last term, Emma Sargeant, Jenny Middleton, Kirstin Gaffney and Flora Fergusson were awarded their Silver Athletics badges and Lydia McCallum and Charlotte Macintosh were awarded their Bronze Athletics badge. Well done!
In Friday Chapel services Glenalmond has "Congers" or congregational practice. At the end of this, a cup is awarded to the House that has tried hardest and performed the best and on the first Friday of term, Cairnies was victorious. This is indeed an accolade as we didn't quite manage to win it at all last year and it is hard for us being a smaller house and sitting under the gallery. But, it has set a standard that we now have to maintain - we can and will do it again!
The elections for Flat Prefect resulted in Phoebe Anderson, Annie Winton, Mary Peacock, Rowan Gaskell and Lydia McCallum being elected. Congratulations to all 5. As well as assisting the duty tutor with various duties during and after prep, these girls will also form the House Council. I look forward to working with them this term. Next term new representatives will be elected as the room allocations also change.
Issy Houston, Flora Fergusson, Amber Flowerdew and Charlotte Macintosh have also volunteered to run the House Tuck Shop. All proceeds from the first two terms will go towards making improvements to the house so it feels more homely for the girls. In the last term, Tuck Shop will be run by the 100-mile walkers and the proceeds will be part of their fundraising for the chosen charity.
Yesterday, Cairnies had a House outing to AMF Bowling in Stirling. We occupied 7 lanes and much fun was had by all. The scores seemed less important than having fun and there was much laughter and frivolity as well as some interesting poses all around. Vicky Beckett had her camera and took lots of lovely photos so I hope to put some up here shortly and a big thanks to her for taking on that role.
As we enter the second week of term, I am looking forward to seeing what happens next with more hockey matches and Midlands trials looming. I'm encouraged by the girls' attitudes so far: they are positive and happy, have settled well and are working and it is such a pleasure to be able to ladle praise on them.
Before I finish this update, I want to add a big congratulations to Ros Wise who was with us last year. Ros and her friend undertook the London to Paris cycle ride over the summer to raise money for the National Autistic Society and despite an accident after only 10 miles that left her with quite a bad leg injury, Ros completed her race and together with Lauren raised in excess of £4500. What an achievement!
Maria Trygger, Housemistress
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