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<\/a>Winning pupils and coaches from NE tournament<\/p>\nThe week started with a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting.\u00a0 The PTA are a really enthusiastic group who seek to arrange events to help parents to meet each other and meet staff.\u00a0 These events are also intended to raise funds which can be put\u00a0towards activities which will benefit pupils.\u00a0 the group met in the learning support area as the PTA had recently donated \u00a3200 to help provide resources for some of our more vulnerable young people.\u00a0\u00a0The next main event is a Murder Mystery night on Saturday 12th March at 7.00 and I hope the PTA will be supported in planning the event and\/or a good turn out\u00a0at the event.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday we had a practice of our\u00a0interim fire evacuation arrangements.\u00a0\u00a0At present we do not have access to\u00a0one of the main stairwells and a section of corridor.\u00a0 Alternative routes have been identified and checked with our H&S\u00a0advisers.\u00a0 It was important that\u00a0all staff and pupils had the opportunity to practice\u00a0an evacuation using the interim arrangements.<\/p>\n
On Thursday I met with a medal winning athlete Fiona Davidson.\u00a0 Fiona has trained with the UK cycling team and was the sighted athlete at the front of a tandem in the Paralympics in London and at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.\u00a0 She is working with us as part of an initiative called ‘Winning Scotland Foundation’.\u00a0 Between now and summer she will work with a group of around 24 pupils from S3-S5 with a view to helping them to set and achieve ambitious goals.<\/p>\n
As a school\u00a0we have been achieving a fair bit of sporting success of late.\u00a0 On Wednesday our S1 football team beat Hazlehead Academy to reach the last 16 in the\u00a0Scottish Cup.\u00a0 On Thursday a group of our youngsters took part in a NE football event and came home with the trophy.\u00a0\u00a0that evening our S3 football team boarded a ferry to Orkney to play Kirkwall Grammar school in the Scottish cup.\u00a0\u00a0At lunchtime on Friday, in front of a large Kirkwall crowd (and 2 keen Harlaw parents) they put up a great display.\u00a0 The 5-1 victory has secured them a place in the last 16 in Scotland and a game in Edinburgh against Broughton High School.<\/p>\n