Summer Newsletter
Alford Academy wishes all our pupils, parents/carers and staff a wonderful holiday. Hope you enjoy reading our Summer Newsletter (see link below).
Performing Arts showcase & Young Musician of the Year 2024
Performing Arts showcase & Young Musician of the Year 2024
On the 20th June we finally we were able to hold the performing arts showcase led by the Performing arts faculty; a brainchild of Dougie Trueman (Faculty Head) with his team including Louise Hunter (music) and Hannah Walker (Drama).
At the performing arts showcase event we also held the Young Musician of the Year Competition 2024. The night was split into 3 spaces; the main stage was in the canteen area and had a full set list showcasing all our bands, choirs and solo acts who have been working on their craft for the last year. In the theatre we had a theatrical extravaganza from drama performances as part of SQA work to acts by the drama clubs. Finally in the staff room we held the Young Musician of the Year competition.
We had 11 pupils in the competition ranging from S1-S6 who performed for our 2 judges Jon and Jen Wilson. Feedback from those watching the event was the highest it has been in praise for the talent of our young people and the confidence shown was exceptional. To perform in such a way is always a challenge at such a young age but these folk showed great professionalism and dedication to their practice. Sharon Hassan (local music instructor) compared the evening and Laura Bleck & Dougie Trueman accompanied musicians on the piano. Thanks must go to all 3.
The judges had a very difficult decision to make and this year they had the toughest challenge yet but the winner and runner up were quite phenomenal and well deserved.
Winning the Alford academy Young musician of the year 2024 was Thomas (S4) who played the guitar and then had to rush off to perform with the band and in various other acts through the night. He was also playing at the awards nights. Our runner up this year was Fionn who played a set on the fiddle which was also exceptional.
The Young Musician of the Year Competition is supported by the Rotary Club of Alford and as such we were delighted to have them present at the night and not only did they present the prizes but they also donated the gift cards each winner received! Thank you!
The showcase was closed by our own star Stuart who sang his song Mars which not only did he perform himself but also wrote all the music and lyrics as well as recording all the backing music and vocals. A real talent!
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SSW Summer Programme
Horizons – S6 Driving awareness and safety
Tuesday 25th June – S6 Driving awareness and safety
Today we had a very successful Horizon event for our S6 students. The theme today was for young drivers and focussed on:
- Driving Safety – a session delivered by the Fire service and Police Scotland with a hard hitting message regarding dangerous driving.
- DVLA – Highway code theory test delivered by local driving instructor
- Car Maintenance – a practical session from John Reid, working on a car: Changing a tyre, looking at brake pads, oil filter, how to fill your car with petrol.
All the sessions were very informative and the pupils recognised the relevance to them as they think about or have started driving lessons.
An S6 pupil who attended the sessions shared:
The fire service delivered a presentation to us about staying safe on the road. We participated in group discussion identifying which factors may contribute to collisions and how these may be avoided. For example, we identified the reasons that people may speed to be; you could be running late, you could be trying to impress someone, or you could be seeking an adrenaline rush. We watched a case study and listened to the story about a road accident in Ayrshire. We learned about common hazards on the road and how exceeding the speed limit can have worse consequences than expected.
We participated in an activity with Jim Reid car sales and services. This saw us learn about the basic maintenance of a car and take a hands-on approach, getting involved with the changing of a tyre and being shown the essential parts of the engine such as the windscreen wiper fluid intake. Jim explained that for a car to remain in good condition its engine must be maintained and checked often. This includes monitoring the oil, coolant, and brake fluid level. Jim and Craig were very friendly and our active participation kept everyone eager to learn more.
We also talked to a driving instructor about theory and practical tests. He gave us tips and explained the necessary components for someone to receive their licence. He talked us through what we could expect in a driving lesson. As well as resources we could use to prepare ourselves for our theory tests. We enjoyed taking an online mock theory test, which turned out to be more difficult than most of us were expecting.
RGU Open Days
Higher Biology River Field Trip 2024
Higher Biology River Field Trip 2024
We were delighted to have Keilidh Ewan (Education officer) and her colleague Jamie from the River Dee Trust visit the school on the 13th June to talk to the Higher Biology pupils about their work in conserving the Rivers local to Alford.
Part of the higher curriculum focuses on understanding invasive species and using techniques to sample indicator species. The River Dee trust specialise in this and took time to work with pupils to complete sampling tasks on the River Don.
Keilidh completed a pre visit with both classes before facilitating a site visit on the 14th June where 38 pupils took part in a range of activities to support classroom learning.
The 2 main tasks completed are as follows:
- Kick Sampling & Biodiversity Scoring
The presence or absence of invertebrates in our watercourses can tell us a lot about the health of our river systems. Pupils had the opportunity to try kick sampling. Life jackets and nets were provided as well as trays and identification sheets at the riverbank. Pupils scored the diversity of invertebrates to see what they can tell us about the main stem of the River Don. We established that the water quality was high and many clean water indicator species were seen as well as catching smaller fishes.
2. Invasive Plant Identification & Recording
Many invasive non-native plants have found their way to the riverbanks of the Don. Following on from our learnings in class, pupils surveyed the riverbank in search of non-native species with identification sheets at hand. Where non-native species are found, the class will complete survey forms, including details such as quantity / patch size and location for submission to the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative.
Himalayan Balsam has been found upriver of the Haughton Country Park which is at risk of spreading downstream, while non-native varieties of Butterbur are known to occur throughout the Park. We also found a new patch of giant hogweed which will now be officially reported as it can be dangerous to humans.
We are so grateful to have these opportunities to enhance the classroom environment for our students and help bring these topics into a real world context.
Bioblitz 2024
Bioblitz 2024
The aim of a bioblitz is to record as many different species as possible for a site in the space of a day. On the 13th of June three Science classes worked with nature specialists to find out which plants and animals live in and around the Alford Academy campus.
Everyone involved recorded wildlife and every piece of information adds to our understanding of biodiversity. Our pupils used different ways to record the plants and animals we found and why it is important to gather the data. This data can now be used to help us to protect and promote nature on the school campus. The data will become a useful part of the North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBReC) database and can be used by the school to see how the campus develops for nature in years to come.
Everyone involved recorded wildlife and every piece of information adds to our understanding of biodiversity. Our pupils used different ways to record the plants and animals we found and why it is important to gather the data. This data can now be used to help us to protect and promote nature on the school campus. The data will become a useful part of the North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBReC) database and can be used by the school to see how the campus develops for nature in years to come.
We had 3 specialists support our students; Judy Baxter from the Cairngorm ranger service, Caitlin McLeod from Buglife and Aileen Salway from NESBReC.
60 pupils from Mrs Rees-Jenkins BGE classes (S2 and S3) took part in this mini bioblitz to gather baseline data from the school. In future years all our S2 pupils in Science will be taking part each year to track changes and hopefully see an improvement in biodiversity.
The summary of our findings are as follows:
| Mammals | Birds | Invertebrates | Plants | Fungi |
| Common pipistrelle | Blackcap | Sawfly | Creeping buttercup | Russula fungi |
| Red squirrel | House martin | Snipefly | Yorkshire fog | |
| Roe deer | Pied wagtail | Ground beetle | Sessile oak | |
| Rabbit | Robin | Tree bumblebee | Sycamore | |
| Roe deer | Carrion crow | Scorpion fly | Larch | |
| Oystercatcher | Millipede | Cleavers | ||
| Starling | Spider | Birch | ||
| Goldfinch | Large white butterfly | Alder | ||
| Blackbird | Soldier beetle | Rowan | ||
| Willow warbler | Scorpion fly | Daisy | ||
| Goldcrest | Silver ground carpet moth | Broad leaved dock | ||
| Swallow | Caddisfly | Broom | ||
| Wood pigeon | Wolf spider | Nettle | ||
| Common gull | Hoverfly | Heath bedstraw | ||
| Herring gull | froghopper/Cuckoo spit | Germander speedwell | ||
| House sparrow | froghopper/Cuckoo spit | Pignut | ||
| Willow warbler | Green lacewing | Rosebay willowherb | ||
| Blue tit | Cleavers | |||
| Carrion crow | Elder | |||
| Yellowhammer | Red clover |
In successive years we can monitor how species diversity changes over time as we work to improve the school grounds. We have a new outdoor learning group who will be working with our partners to develop ideas with our pupils to make the grounds more enjoyable and a better home for nature.
Summer Wellbeing Event : Monday 10th June
A reminder that pupils can come to school in casual clothing, suitable for participation in our Summer Wellbeing Event on Monday 10th June. We are encouraging everyone to wear house colours if possible:
Craigievar = Blue
Forbes = Yellow
Glenbuchat = Purple
Kildrummy = Red
Further information can be found here : https://youtu.be/QoSQFdbLuSI
Combating Financially Motivated Sexual Extortion – Understand the Risks and How to Keep Children Safe
Cybersafe Scotland have invite professionals and parents/carers to their live webinar – Combating Financially Motivated Sexual Extortion – Understand the Risks and How to Keep Children Safe:
Date: Wednesday 12 June
Time: 7pm-7.45pm
Click here to register
What is Sexual Extortion (Sextortion):
- Understand what sextortion is and how this impacts children and young people.
- How to spot sextortion
Training Information
Financially motivated sexual extortion has increased exponentially. Ros’s son tragically took his own life after being targeted by criminals, listen to her experience and her passions through campaigning for change. Paul Raffile a globally renowned expert and author of multiple investigative reports will share his knowledge.
Why should I go?
- In Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Moray there were 109 sextortion reported in 2023.
- 92% were male victims – primary target is boys.
- In 2023 nationally (Scotland) victims ages – 8 children between 9-12 years old and 307 children/young people between 13-18 years old.
In Aberdeenshire, there has been a significant increase in the sharing of images by children, from as young as nine years old. With children receiving mobile phones at a younger age, professionals and parents/carers must be aware of the potential increased risks this may bring. Key to prevention is to speak with your children.
For additional help and support: