Doon Academy News

S2 Parents Evening

2012-02-09T05:33:00.001-08:00

The S2 Parents Evening will be held on Wednesday22^nd February at 5.30pm to 7.30pm. This is an important time for ourS2 pupils as they are making their 3^rd year option choices. It wouldbe great to meet as many parents as possible to discuss their child’s progressand future options. We look forward to seeing you all.

Galaxy of Greatness

2012-02-09T05:32:00.002-08:00

The Wider AchievementGroup is launching a ‘Galaxy of Greatness’ on Friday 24^th February.This involves highlighting pupil’s achievements inside and out of school sothey may be recognised for their accomplishments.

Business Education Skills Base

2012-02-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

Our new Business Education Skills Base is beingrefurbished.
It’s been carpeted and John McBride has made a great job of thepainting of the walls and ceiling. Miss.Borthwick and Mr. Richardson are busy preparing for the launch of the BusinessEnterprise Skills Centre on the 29^th February.
The centre willinclude state of the art equipment and will be the home of our school businessThe Miner’s Lamp.

Campus Day in Kilmarnock

2012-02-09T05:30:00.001-08:00

27 S3 pupils attended a FOCUS West FE Campus Dayat Kilmarnock College.

The pupils took part in variousteam-building, leadership and college information activities. They alsoundertook a workshop in one of the following disciplines: motor vehicle,engineering, sports, hairdressing and beauty. Everyone really enjoyed theircampus day.

Their next FOCUS activity will be a HE Campus Day at the University of Strathclyde.

Giant Heptathlon

2012-02-09T05:29:00.001-08:00

S1/2 pupils will be taking part in the EastAyrshire Giant Heptathlon to be held at Stewarton Academy.Pupils will undertake a series of sporting challenges. Good luck everyone.

Peer Education Project

2012-02-09T05:28:00.001-08:00

Together with Auchinleck Academy,12 S6 pupils will be taking part in a Peer Education Project where they willreceive 2 days training on drug and alcohol misuse. The seniors will thendeliver the lesson to S1 pupils and Dalmellington P7s.
This course will gotowards the S6's Higher Leadership practice.

Spring Spectacular Concert

2012-02-09T05:27:00.000-08:00

Doon Academy pupils are busyrehearsing for the East Ayrshire Schools Spring Spectacular Concert.

Well doneto Annabel McTaggart who has been selected as first clarinet and Fiona Kennedy,first cornet, in the concert band.

Pupils selected for the choir are LeighBoyce, Becky Inglis, Nicole Millar, Shania Brown, Paige McMahon, JonathanMilligan, Alex Dearie, Bethany McGhee, Cheryl Allison and Courtney Cassells.The concert will take place on Wednesday 21^st March at 7pm in theGrand Hall, Kilmarnock.

Reading Week

2012-02-09T05:26:00.000-08:00

Our latest Reading Week was a great success withpupils and staff reading for enjoyment the first 20 minutes of the day.
Ourfocus this time was on a Reading Quote competition. Pupils were asked to choosea quotation and design an appropriate illustration.

The winner was Tommy Campbell in S3 with hispicture of "A book is like a garden carried in a pocket" which is aChinese proverb. Runner-up in the competition was S2 pupil Jordan Kean.Congratulations to them and well done to everyone who took part.

Health4Life visit to Portugal

2012-02-09T05:25:00.001-08:00

As part of our Comenius Health4Life Project, MrsBax, Ms. Miller and pupils Shannon Renwick and Lauren Kennedy will be visiting Portugal,in March, for a project meeting. They will be meeting staff and pupils from ourpartner schools in Belgium, Greece, Poland,Portugal and Spain.

Dark Skies Observatory

2012-02-08T01:30:00.000-08:00

Head Teacher Mr. MacKenzie together with theschool’s junior captains and members of the astronomy masterclass attended theground breaking ceremony, on Friday 27^th January, for the new DarkSkies observatory at Craigengillan Estate.

The event was also attended bycouncil dignitaries and MSP Fergus Ewing, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Energy. Despite heavysnow falls the first spade was struck and now the building work may begin.

Stock Exchange Challenge

2012-02-08T01:27:00.000-08:00

Five pupils from S3, Kirsty McCormick, Rachel Boyce, Stephanie Carrick, Halle Fitzsimmons andPatrick Gilmore attended the Stock Market Challenge competition in the MitchellLibrary, Glasgow.
Pupils were accompanied by Mrs Stewart, Principal Teacher of Business Educationand IT.

The challenge allowed pupils to experience what life islike in the Stock Exchange and gave them an understanding of the effect ofsupply and demand on share prices. Students also learned how events inthe news and people behaviour can affect the confidence of investors anddetermine share and currency prices. During the day pupils were involvedin problem solving, risk assessment management and using their Business andMaths skills. To be successful they had to work under pressure, aspart of a team and rely on good communication skills.

The pupilsthoroughly enjoyed the event and above all had 'great fun' in their learning.

Burns' Wreath Laying

2012-02-08T01:24:00.001-08:00

S2 pupils Carla and Sarah represented Doon Academy’s Burns Club and laid a wreath at the Burns statue in Ayr to celebrate the bard’s birthday.

Jazz Awards

2012-02-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday 25^th January, thefollowing girls sat their Intermediate 2 Jazz module: Lisa McTaggart; TamiMcLelland; Paige Collins; Fiona Kennedy; and Alana Murray.

All girls showedoutstanding individual performances resulting in all girls passing. The girlshad to perform several warm ups as a group and then show an individual jazzpiece.

The independent adjudicator told the girls that it was the higheststandard of performance she had seen from any of the schools she has visited.

Well done to everyone for all their hard work and a special mention to AlanaMurray who in second year has now received an Intermediate 2 award.

Literacy Wall

2012-02-08T01:20:00.001-08:00

The Music and Social Subjects departments are February's contributors to the Literacy Wall.

In Music S2 pupils worked in groups of four or five researching a genre of music and producing aninformation poster.

In Social Subjects S1 pupils learned about local government and wrote letters of complaint. In S2 pupils wrotepieces discussing the Holocaust. Another S2 groupstudied Mary Queen of Scots and wrote murder reports aboutDarnley.

The best pieces of work were written by: Chole Chalmers,Wendy Roulstone, Fallan Smith, Chole Halliday, Amy Collins, Rebekah Copelandand Katie Burrell. Congratulations to them!

Day of problems

2012-02-08T01:19:00.000-08:00

Last week the school suffered a series of unfortunate problems when part of the school had to be closed, on Thursday, due to water in the corridor. Whilst this was being sorted there was further flooding to a large section of the building and the school had to be closed, to S1 to S3 pupils. Senior pupils who were preparing for their prelim examinations stayed in the school until lunchtime when we were hit by a power cut and a heavy fall of snow. We are grateful to pupils, parents and staff for helping us to manage our difficulties.

Thanks also to the East Ayrshire council workers who repaired the problems.

Tim Hunter Challenge

2012-01-26T03:43:00.000-08:00

Doon Academy's budding entrepreneurs Frazer Buchanan, Paige McMahon and Kirsty McCormick competed inthe Tom Hunter Challenge on Wednesday 18th January at East Ayrshire Council Chambers.

Their task was to present a business idea to a group of businessleaders and pupils from other schools, in East Ayrshire, in order to win thetop prize of £5,000.

The group presented their idea "The OutwardPioneer" a walking holiday company based at Craigengillan Estate, and achieveda very respectable third place in the competition.

Their hard work andenthusiasm paid off, congratulations!

Parent Council

2012-01-26T03:39:00.001-08:00

Head Teacher Mr MacKenzie is delighted towelcome new members, Mrs Gilmore and Mrs Uriarte, to the Parent Council.
Theyjoin other members Mrs McTaggart and Mr. Connell and community representativesMrs Stewart and Mr. Gibson.
The council met on the evening of Tuesday 24^thJanuary where Mr Richardson gave a talk on our new Leadership qualifications.The members of the council are looking forward to regular meetings which willhelp improve our links with parents and help us to work together for thebenefit of all our pupils.

Holocaust Memorial Day

2012-01-26T03:38:00.000-08:00

To commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 6^thyear students Lisa Chalmers and Lauren Mitchell led the S1 and S2 assemblies.The students had visited Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland, inDecember, as part of their social subject studies. They described the visit astraumatic and unforgettable. Other year group assemblies were also held toremember the Holocaust.

Coca Cola Visit

2012-01-26T03:31:00.000-08:00

Pupils from classes in S3 Business Management and S5/6 Business Management visited Coca Cola Enterprises Ltd recently.
During their visit they learned about the marketing carried out by Coca Cola and about the wide number of products produced by the organisation. They were given information about the production of the famous soft drink and then had a conducted tour of the manufacturing process.
They then had a workshop to design a new product for Coca Cola. Four S5/6 pupils, Nathan Gilmore, Lauren Mitchell, Ashley Green and Alistair Paton, together with Mrs Stewart, Principal Teacher of Business Education & ICT in the school, were invited to be present at the launch of the Scottish Food & Drink Federation’s Skills Ambassador programme which involves people working in the food sector supporting education establishments with careers advice. During this time the pupils were introduced to Richard Lockhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment.

Creative Industries workshops

2012-01-26T03:16:00.001-08:00

As part of the FOCUS West project Chloe Dobson-O’Sullivan from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland visited the school and took workshops with pupils interested in a career in the Creative Industries. Pupils found the workshops very interesting and informative.

Aspiring Principal Teacher

2012-01-26T03:15:00.001-08:00

The aspiring Principal Teacher programme has now finished and congratulations to Shonagh Borthwick, Shona Elder, Fiona Ferrie, Justine Fuller, Kristine Gillespie, Martin Richardson, Mark Kerr and Ian Power for completing the course. Also, thank you to DHT Lyndsay McRoberts for her delivery of the course

Gleam Award Nomination

2012-01-26T03:14:00.001-08:00

Well done to the cast and crew of the Gleam musical who have been nominated by the NHS Oral Health Team for a Young ScotAward. Good luck!

Gideon's visit

2012-01-19T04:08:00.000-08:00

Doon Academy’s S1 pupils attendeda Gideon Assembly which was led by Mr and Mrs Matthews. Mr. Matthews is anAyrshire businessman, and he and his wife are members of Gideons International,who distribute bibles to schools, hotels, hospitals, police and fire services.

Theinteresting talk was appreciated by S1 pupils and Mr. Matthews commented thatthey had been an excellent audience.

Chess masterclass

2012-01-19T04:07:00.001-08:00

Owing to a generous donation of six chess setsto Doon Academy, we hope to be offering achess masterclass in the near future. Chess has been played for severalcenturies and continues to be one of the most popular games in the world.Playing chess can help to develop many useful skills such as memory, concentrationand attention.

If you are interested in taking part in a chess masterclass (nomatter whether you have played the game before), contact Mr. Taylor inthe Maths department.

New PE teacher

2012-01-19T04:06:00.002-08:00

Staff and pupils wish a warm welcome to PEteacher Donna Meek who will be at the school until June.

Focus West Art help

2012-01-19T04:06:00.000-08:00

As part of the FOCUS West project two GlasgowSchool of Art students will be visiting the school to work with S3 to S6 Art pupils ontheir Art and Design portfolios.

Liz Lochhead talk

2012-01-19T04:05:00.000-08:00

S2 pupils joined a special online presentation,organised by the Scottish Book Trust, by the Scottish Makar, Liz Lochhead, who is the NationalPoet of Scotland for a very special celebration of Robert Burns.

Ms Lochheaddiscussed why Burns means so much to her, as well as treating us to somereadings of her own poems. Everyone really enjoyed the talk.

Prelim dates

2012-01-19T04:03:00.002-08:00

Senior prelims will begin in the school onMonday 30^th January, and pupils will be on study leave, returning toschool on Wednesday 8^th February.

School Calendars

2012-01-19T04:03:00.000-08:00

Doon Academy has produced two calendars containing pictures, many of the local countryside, takenby the Higher Photography students.
These are on sale in many of the localshops in Dalmellington and at school.
The cost of the calendar is £3.

Basketball tournament

2012-01-19T04:00:00.001-08:00

The Young Ambassadors are hosting a basketballtournament for S1 pupils.

Readers'Cup Quiz Results

2012-01-19T03:59:00.000-08:00

Librarian, Mrs Bax, held the first roundof our annual quiz for S1 and S2 in December.
Almost all of S1 and S2 had a goat the quiz on children's books.

There were lots of prize-winners but the mostoutstanding scores were achieved by Melanie Connell and Samantha Torbet in S1and Michael Roberts, Robyn McCluskey, Rebekah Copeland, Katie Burrell, DanniCullen and Colin McTaggart in S2.
These pupils and some others will berepresenting their clans in the next round. Well done to all of them.

Cricket news

2012-01-19T03:56:00.000-08:00

In cricket news the DoonAcademy’s girls’ team, made up ofpupils from Doon and Dalmellington primary, playedin a single wicket competition with runner-up Lori Jane McLarty and Macy Biggar.

Well done to everyone who took part.

Congratulations to Josh Taylor and Rory Parker who are playing in the under 14 county cricket team and to DalmellingtonPrimary pupils Tommy Smith and Sam Boyd who are playing in the county under 12team.

Coach Alan White has begun cricket training and will be held in the gymon Mondays 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Burns Supper

2012-01-19T03:55:00.000-08:00

Doon Academy’s Burns Supper will be held on Thursday 9^th February from 7pm.
Tickets are priced at £5 and available from Ms. McClue in the Maths Department 01292 550521.

The supperpromises to be a superb evening with the Selkirk Grace by Head teacher JohnMackenzie, a Tam O’Shanter recitation by Bryce Wilson, a Scottish Traditional Danceby the Doon Dancers and all ably chaired by S6 pupil Ryan McKnight.

Readers' Cup Winners

2012-01-12T02:29:00.000-08:00

The first round to our annual Readers' Cup quiz for was held just before Christmas. All the pupils in S1 and S2 had a go at 20 questions on childrens' books. The outstanding results came from Melanie Connell, Samantha Torbet, Liam Elder, Campbell Baird and Jade McClymont in S1 and from Robyn McCluskey, Rebekah Copeland, Katie Burrell, Danni Cullen, Colin Mctaggart and Michael and Katie Roberts in S2. These pupils and some others will represent their clans in the next round later this term.

Head teacher's New Year message

2012-01-12T02:19:00.000-08:00

Head Teacher John MacKenzie wishes everyone a very happy new year and his message for the new term is:
“This is a vitally important term for all our pupils but especially for our seniors who will be sitting their SQA exams in only 12 weeks time. These exams are the culmination of up to 13 years of full-time education.

Our focus this term will be on the completion of course work, study and revision and exam preparations. Teachers and mentors will be ensuring that pupils are fully prepared and on track to achieve their target grades in all subjects.

Our prelim exams at the end of this month are an important part of our preparations. They will give students experience of examination procedures and help all of us to identify areas of learning which need to be improved in the weeks before the ‘real’ exams.

In the next few weeks it is important that our pupils continue to focus on class work and study at home - and minimise any distractions which will break the flow of progress. Every year we have seen large numbers of pupils who have improved subject grades, even in the last weeks before exams, through a disciplined regime of study.

The school and parents are determined to make sure that our students have the best possible preparations which will be rewarded by success in the national exams”.

School Calendars on sale

2012-01-12T02:18:00.000-08:00

Doon Academy has produced two calendars containing pictures, many of the local countryside, taken by the Higher Photography students. These are on sale in many of the local shops in Dalmellington and at school. The cost of the calendar is £5.

Visit to Coca-Cola

2012-01-12T02:17:00.001-08:00

Pupils in S3 and S5/6 Business Management classes are preparing for their visit to Coca Cola in East Kilbride where they will learn about the marketing and operations activities carried out by the famous soft drink manufacturer. Pupils will be accompanied by Mrs Stewart, Miss Grant and Mr Kerr.

Ayrshire Cook-Off Competition

2012-01-12T02:16:00.002-08:00

Congratulations to Amy Gibson who will be representing East Ayrshire at the Ayrshire Cook-Off competition. Amy is one of 4 pupils selected from East Ayrshire schools.

Business start-up day

2012-01-12T02:16:00.000-08:00

6 senior pupils attended the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust start-up day at the Park Hotel in Kilmarnock. The pupils undertook workshops and gained valuable skills that will help them to start-up their own business in the future.

Big fish

2012-01-12T02:14:00.001-08:00

Continuing our focus on the masterclasses pupils in the fishing class, under the guidance of Mr. Kelly and Mr. White, have been casting their rods in the local rivers. The pupils have learned valuable techniques which have led to success with some really large fish being caught.

Stock Market Challenge

2012-01-12T02:13:00.001-08:00

S3 Business Management pupils are looking forward to taking part in the Stock Market Challenge at the Mitchell Library on Wednesday 25 January. They will be accompanied by Mrs Stewart, PrincipalTeacher of Business Education & ICT.

Burns Supper tickets on sale

2012-01-12T02:12:00.000-08:00

Doon Academy’s Burns Supperwill be held on Thursday 9^th February from 7pm.
Tickets are priced at £5 andavailable from Ms. McClue in the Maths Department 01292 550521.

The supperpromises to be a superb evening with the Selkirk Grace by Head teacher JohnMackenzie, recitations by our S1/2 Burns prize winners Chloe Chalmers and KatieBurrell, a Scottish Contemporary Dance by the Doon Dancers and all ably chairedby S6 pupil Ryan McKnight.

Literacy Wall

2012-01-12T02:11:00.000-08:00

The Maths and Art departments are thismonth’s contributors to the Literacy Wall. In Maths S2 pupils worked ingroups of three to research famous mathematicians.
In Art S1/2 pupils, for homework,researched a famous artist or designer and wrote a report. Congratulations to ToriMcDicken, Tyler Hiddleston and Jamie Geddes who produced excellent reports.

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

2011-12-16T04:57:00.000-08:00

Successful work experience

2011-12-15T01:51:00.002-08:00

S4 pupils received their work experience certificates.

Observatory Funding

2011-12-15T01:51:00.000-08:00

Doon Academy pupils and staff were delighted to host visitors from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT)and the Dark Skies Project, Craigengillan. CRT handed over a cheque for the magnificent sum of £89, 918 to the project to assist with the building of the new observatory.
Pupils from the astronomy masterclass were present at the ceremony. Thank you to the trust for their generous donation.

West Sound Awards

2011-12-15T01:38:00.000-08:00

Head teacher Mr. MacKenzie, accompanied byschool captains Ritchie Lindores and Lauren Mitchell, attended the Provost’sreception, on Tuesday 13th December, for the winners and nominees of the WestSound Awards. The event was held at the visitor centre in Dean Castle and Country Park..

Netball success

2011-12-15T01:37:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday 7^th December, Doon Academy’sS3/4 netball team played Queen Margaret. With the game not starting until4.30pm, the girls were well warmed up and ready to take on the netballing worldby the time the first whistle was blown. The centre court was occupied byAnnabel McTaggart, Paige McMahon and Cheryl Allison and the opposition quicklydiscovered that they were up against some strong players. With Lauren Shaw outwith a leg injury, it was up to Claire Boyd and Alana Murray to stop the goals comingfrom Queen Margaret and they did this with precision and determination. Up atthe shooting circle Jade Scott and Sophie Dobbie did their usual fantastic jobof getting the ball through the net. By half time the score was at 7-2 to Doonand by the end of the second half, the final score stood at 13-3 to Doon.

Well done to Alana Murray and Cheryl Allison whostood in for the S3/4 team.

Congratulations also go to Cheryl who walked awaywith Player of the Match after her valiant effort in Wing Attack.

Community Carol Service

2011-12-15T01:36:00.000-08:00

On Sunday 11 December Doon Academy pupils andstaff attended the Community Carol Service at Dalmellington Church.Readings were givenby S3 pupil Kirstie McCormick, S5pupil Nathan Gilmore and School Captain RitchieLindores.

Thank you to the pupils for their willingness to be involved in theventure. Everyone had a wonderful time at the service.

Italian masterclass trip

2011-12-15T01:35:00.001-08:00

Mrs McKenzie’s Italian masterclass visitedCeccini’s Restaurant in Ayr to practise their conversationskills in Italian. Pupils ordered their food in Italian from the waiter and MrsMcKenzie was very impressed with their linguistic ability.

Thanks from Samaritan's Purse

2011-12-15T01:34:00.001-08:00

Thank you to Mrs. Parnaby from Samaritan’s Purse– Shoebox Operation Christmas Child who wrote to DoonAcademy stating:

“As Area CoordinatorI would like to say a HUGE Thank you for all the lovely shoeboxes your schooldonated for the children in Belarusand Ukraine.Thanks to you 1740 shoeboxes were collected, checked and packed in cartons andsent off from the checking centre in St. Leonard’s Church, a fantastic result from all inAyrshire.”

Beauty and the Beast trip

2011-12-15T01:33:00.003-08:00

S1 and S2 pupils visited Elmbank Theatre in Ayrto see a performance of Beauty and the Beast by the FIB Theatre Company whichfeatured star performances by Doon Academy pupils.

The pupils andstaff had a fantastic time and really enjoyed the pantomime.

Christmas Dance

2011-12-15T01:33:00.001-08:00

The Christmas Dance will now be held onWednesday 21^st December from 7pm. The tickets cost £3 and areavailable from the prefects at break and lunchtime.

Readers' Cup Round One

2011-12-15T01:32:00.000-08:00

School Librarian, Mrs Bax, has been hosting the 1^st round of the Readers Cup Quiz. Pupils in S1/S2 were asked 20 fun questions relating to books and their authors and the winners from each class will take part in the 2^nd round.

Good luck everyone and keep reading!

Dates for your diary

2011-12-15T01:30:00.000-08:00

Senior prelim examinations begin Monday 30^th January.
Burns Supper Thursday 9^th February.
S2 Parents Evening Wednesday 22nd February.
S3 FOCUS FE Day 3^rd February
HE Day 29^th February.

Christmas Holidays

2011-12-15T01:29:00.001-08:00

Doon Academy staff and pupils will be on Christmas Holidays from Friday 23^rd December. The schoolwill reopen for staff and pupils on Monday 9^th January. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Paris trip

2011-12-12T02:37:00.000-08:00

The Modern Languages Department took a group of 8 Higher/ Intermediate 2 students to Paris at the end of November. The group visited the Arc de Triomphe and saw the tomb of the Unknown Soldier with the French wreaths laid from Armistice Day. Then, continuing down the Champs Élysées, the group visited one or two shops to practise their French and purchase some of the well-known, delicious French cakes - macaroons!

The many other highlights of the trip included a Christmas market, a visit to the top of the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame Cathedral as well as the basilica of Sacré Coeur. The group also toured the memorial to the deportees of World War 2 on Ile de la Cité, which was very moving. On the final evening a delicious French meal was enjoyed by all in a typical French bistro near the Moulin Rouge.

Everyone had a chance to practise their French as well as soak up the wonderful Christmas atmosphere in the city of lights!

School panto

2011-12-12T02:34:00.003-08:00

The Dazzle performers are busy rehearsing fortheir pantomime Beauty and the Beast which will be performed on Wednesday 14^thDecember at 7pm in the school hall.

Tickets are on sale from the school office01292 550521.

There will be a raffle, Christmas gifts for sale andrefreshments.

Come along and enjoy the show.

Rag Bag collection

2011-12-12T02:34:00.001-08:00

The Eco Group have organised a Rag Bag Recyclingcollection. Pupils and staff are asked to fill the bags with any unwantedclothes, textiles, shoes and books. The bags are then weighed by the ragbagcompany and a donation is made to the school.

Successful Poppy Appeal

2011-12-12T02:33:00.001-08:00

Well done to Mr. Ellis and his team whoorganised the local Poppy Scotland appeal this year and raised the magnificentsum of £1600 for the British Legion.

Willow masterclass

2011-12-12T02:32:00.001-08:00

Local artist Geoff Forrest has been in schoolworking with pupils in the art masterclass. The pupils have been crafting a fish made fromwillow and using unwanted CDs for its gills.

Winning Cook

2011-12-12T02:31:00.003-08:00

Congratulations to S3 pupil Amy Gibson who is one of four East Ayrshire pupils, selected by the chefs at Braehead Cook School, to represent East Ayrshire. Amy will go to the cook school at the end of January for the cook-off competition against teams from North and South Ayrshire. Good Luck to Amy and the East Ayrshire team.

Student teachers

2011-12-12T02:31:00.001-08:00

Pupils and staff bid a fond farewell to ourstudent teachers Lesley Crawford in English and Caroline Jones in Biology. Wewish them every success for the future.

Prelim dates

2011-12-12T02:28:00.001-08:00

S4 pupils sat their English and Social Subjects prelims on the 6^th and 9^th December. Intermediate and Higher prelims for S4/5/6 will begin on Monday 30^th January. Parents will be informed of the results in their child’s report.

For advice and exam tips go to Doon Academy's Revision Help page.

Burns Competition

2011-12-12T02:23:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Katie Burrell who was runner-up and Chloe Chalmers who was the winner in the S1/2 Burns Verse Speaking Competition. They will both represent the school in the Ayrshire Schools Burns Competition and at the school’s Burns Supper to be held on Thursday 9^h February 2011.

Thank you to our Burns judges Mrs. Margaret Skilling from Alloway Burns Club, Dr Tom Morrall from Ayr Burns Club and S3 pupil Kirsty McCormick last year’s winner.

All the finalists in the competition will be visiting the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in February to support their studies on the life and works of Burns.
To see more photos of the competition click here.

Art Exhibition

2011-12-12T02:22:00.001-08:00

The grand opening of Doon Academy’s annual art exhibition at the Doon Valley Museum was a great success. Pupils, parents and staff had a tour of the exhibition, refreshments and purchased arts and crafts which were on sale. The exhibition will run until the end of December and is open Thursday to Saturday. Please pop along and see the wonderful display of artwork.

Music CD available

2011-12-12T02:18:00.001-08:00

The Young Musician of the Year 2011 CD is now onsale from the school office. The cost is £7 for one or 3 for £20. Thiswonderful CD will make an ideal Christmas present for all music lovers.

Photography trip

2011-12-12T02:17:00.001-08:00

Pupils in the Higher Photography class will bevisiting Dunaskin to take photographs of the industrial ironworks for theirportfolio.

Reading Stars

2011-12-12T02:16:00.001-08:00

Well done to AcceleratedReader of the month for November Rebekah Copeland. She was chosen for heroutstanding achievement of passing five quizzes in a month and earning 30points.

Congratulations to S2 pupils Danni Cullen andKatie Roberts who have achieved Accelerated Reader word millionaire status thisyear. Between them they have read over 2,750,000 words. This is an amazingamount to have read so early in the school year. Also, there are several otherpupils who are working towards their first million words.

Christmas shoe boxes

2011-12-01T04:15:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday 23rd November, S1 pupils Megan Baird, Mitchell Ewing, Chloe Halliday, Jade McClymont, Shannon Miller, Samantha Torbet and Saffron Wightman delivered 28 shoe boxes to St. Leonard's church in Ayr.

Anne Parnaby, the area co-ordinator, met us there and explained what happened to the shoe boxes after they were delivered. The pupils then spent some time helping to check the boxes and filling them up with extra items. Anne also gave the pupils a sweet when they left. All in all, it was a really interesting and fun afternoon that passed far too quickly!

Thanks to everyone in school and in the wider community who supported this year's appeal.

Silver Band performance

2011-12-01T04:12:00.001-08:00

Well done to pupils of the Dalmellington Silver Band Junior Section who led a Songs of Praise evening service at Straiton St Cuthbert's Parish Church.

Their music filled the historic building and was very well received by the many people who attended. This is the third time that they have played at the church and every time the congregation have been so impressed by the professionalism of the members of the band, and so uplifted by their renditions.

Burns Competition

2011-12-01T04:11:00.001-08:00

The final of the S1/2 Burns Verse Speaking Competition will take place on Wednesday 7^th December. The adjudicators are Dr. Tom Morrall, President of Ayr Burns Club, Mrs Margaret Skilling, Schools’ Convenor for the World Federation of Burns Clubs, and last year’s winner Kirsty McCormick.

Good luck to our 26 competitors.

Visitors to school

2011-12-01T04:06:00.001-08:00

On Thursday 1st December East Ayrshire Council Leader, Councillor Douglas Reid, visited the school with Mr Graham Short, Director of Education and Social Services. Our guests were met by our school captains Lauren Mitchell, Ritchie Lindores and Mr. MacKenzie our Head Teacher. Together, they toured the school, meeting pupils and staff to discuss the school’s improvement plan.

Football

2011-12-01T04:05:00.001-08:00

Commiserations to the S2 football team who were knocked out of the tournament at St. Matthew's Academy.

Better luck next time boys!

Panto dates

2011-12-01T04:04:00.001-08:00

The Dazzle performers are busy rehearsing for their pantomime Beauty and the Beast which will be performed on Wednesday 14^th December at 7pm in the school hall.

Tickets are on sale from the school office, call 01292 550521.

Doon on URTV

2011-12-01T04:02:00.001-08:00

Doon Academy has once again hit the small screen. On Wednesday 23rd November film crew from URTV, an internet based community news channel, filmed the Craft master class and Miss Borthwick to find out more information about our gift shop project “The Miner’s Lamp”.

Thanks to Miss Fuller for letting us use her classroom as a colourful and exciting backdrop and to the pupils of the master class who were great ambassadors for Doon. It can be viewed at http://ayrshire.urtv.co.uk/stories/1145-doon-academy-ventures-into-business

Pupil Enterprise Team

2011-12-01T03:52:00.001-08:00

Elaine Stewart, Manager of the Zone, and Miss Borthwick conducted interviews for the Pupil Enterprise Team. The Enterprise Team will be involved in the running of the gift shop;"The Miner's Lamp" managing stock, organising events and promoting the brand. All candidates performed well. The chosen team is Paige McMahon, Frazer Buchanan, Naomi Allan, Kirsty McCormick, Nicky Fairbairn, Nathan Gilmore, Kayleigh Boyd; and Halle Fitzsimmons. Congratulations to them all.

Primary Sports Event

2011-11-23T07:48:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Doon Academy’s sports ambassadors, Dillan Dunn, Melissa Carroll, Stacey Chalmers and Nathan Gilmore who ran their first primary sports event last week at the academy for over 60 primary aged pupils and it was a great success!!

In conjunction with Active Schools the young ambassadors have been helping their Active Schools Coordinator, Nicola McCormack run a number of events to help promote the Olympics for next year, and they kick started it by running a basketball festival for all 6 primary schools in the partnership.

At the sporting festival, each of the six primary schools competing represented the country it had been allocated in the lead-up to the Olympics: Bellsbank – Turkey, Dalmellington – Spain, Dalrymple – Georgia, Littlemill – Slovenia, Patna – Indonesia and St Xaviers – Argentina.

Nicola McCormack, Active Schools coordinator said “Festivals like this are great to help promote the Olympic values of Respect, Excellence and Friendship. The young ambassadors have been absolutely great in the lead up to this festival; I couldn’t have done it without them”.

CD on sale

2011-11-23T07:46:00.001-08:00

The Young Musician of the Year 2011 CD is now on sale from the school office. The cost is £7 for one or 3 for £20. This wonderful CD will make an ideal Christmas present for all music lovers.

Police visit Crash Test

2011-11-23T07:45:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday 9th of November Constable Denholm and former Doon Academy pupil Sergeant White visited the crash scene investigation masterclass. During the visit Constable Denholm explained the procedures used to investigate crash scenes as well as helping the pupils investigate the motion of vehicles before collisions. The pupils then got the chance to measure the speed of vehicles outside the school using the Police radar gun.

Luckily for the motorists there was no speeding!

Parents' Evening

2011-11-23T07:44:00.001-08:00

The S4-6 Parents Evening on Wednesday 16th November provided parents with a great opportunity to discuss pupils’ progress with their teachers. This is a crucial stage for our students so it was great to meet so many parents.

Art Exhibition

2011-11-23T07:43:00.001-08:00

Doon Academy’s annual art exhibition will have its grand opening on Thursday 1st December 6pm to 7.30pm and will run until the end of December. At the opening, refreshments will be provided and there will be arts and crafts on sale. All are welcome to attend.

Children in Need Talent Show

2011-11-23T07:42:00.003-08:00

Pupils and staff pulled out all the stops to raise the magnificent sum of £827.85 for Children In Need. There was a non-uniform day, talent show, face painting and bake sale. Well done to S6 boys Kieran Boyle, Callum Stevenson and Steven Slider who had their chest and legs waxed and Gavin McFadzean who had his hair shorn. Well done to everyone who took part in fundraising for such a worthy cause.

Fire Safety

2011-11-23T07:42:00.001-08:00

Community Firefighter Liaison Officer Carol Cairns visited the school to speak to S1 about the safety of fire service officers when they attend fires in the community.

New Depute Head

2011-11-23T07:41:00.001-08:00

Doon Academy’s staff and pupils wish a warm welcome to our new Depute Head Teacher Mrs Elaine Hetherington. We wish her every success in her post. The year remits for the Senior Management Team have now changed with Mrs. McRoberts responsible for years S1, 3, 5, Mrs Hetherington years S2, S4 and Mr. MacKenzie year S6.

Visiting minister

2011-11-23T07:39:00.001-08:00

On Friday 25th November we welcomed to the school Mr. Ian Jamieson from the local church to lead our S2 assembly.

Youth Magazine

2011-11-23T07:38:00.003-08:00

Tracey Baird and Mike Mills from the Ark Youth Project visited the school and met with Mr. MacKenzie and Mrs Murray PT of English to discuss pupil contributions to a new youth magazine project. Pupils and staff are looking forward to working with the Ark whose alcohol free nightclub is a popular venue for young people.

Mrs Stewart steps down

2011-11-23T07:38:00.001-08:00

Head teacher Mr. MacKenzie, on behalf of pupils, staff and parents, thanked Mrs Stewart for her hard work and dedication as acting DHT and Mr Power for holding the fort as acting PT in Business Education and ICT.

Adam Ingram visit

2011-11-17T01:15:00.001-08:00

Head teacher John Mackenzie was delighted to welcome to the school, on Friday 11th November, Adam Ingram MSP for Cumnock and Doon Valley. Mr Ingram met with the head; depute heads and school captains to discuss our future improvement plans. He then had a tour of the school, and the Supported Learning Centre, during which he met other staff and pupils. Mr Ingram then attended our senior Remembrance Day assembly which was led by teacher Mr. Paul Ellis who has also served as a reserve in Iraq and Afghanistan. BBC School News Reporters were thrilled that Mr. Ingram took time out to be interviewed for the BBC. The reporters asked him many interesting questions and their full report with be broadcast on School News Day.

Switch-Off Fortnight

2011-11-17T01:13:00.001-08:00

Doon Academy pupils and staff are participating in Switch Off Fortnight and the Eco Group are organising a number of events. The aim is to improve the school's energy use and to get the whole school interested in cutting carbon. Senior pupils will be conducting an audit at the start of the fortnight to see how many lights are left on at intervals and lunchtimes. We will then run a campaign over the fortnight to encourage people to save energy. This will be done mainly through the mentoring period. Lesson plans and materials will be distributed over the next week. At the end of the fortnight a second audit will be completed to see if the campaign has been successful. Hopefully, we can help to reduce the school's energy bills and carbon dioxide emissions. Further details may be obtained by visiting the website www.jointhepod.org/switchoff

New janitor

2011-11-17T01:11:00.001-08:00

We wish a warm welcome to the school to Mr Stephen Devaney our new Head Janitor. We wish him every success in his post.

The school staff and pupils bid a fond farewell to relief janitor Mr Dave Millar. During his time at Doon Dave was popular with everyone because of his friendly manner and helpfulness. He also shared his excellent sense of humour with everyone he met. We wish him good luck in his next posting.

Pizza and Cupcake eveneing

2011-11-17T00:58:00.003-08:00

The Art Department held a pizza and cupcake evening for 14 S5 Art and Design pupils. This allowed the pupils to have 3 hours of interrupted work on their design portfolios. The evening was very enjoyable for art staff and pupils and everyone is looking forward to another event in December.

Business Leaders and Young People Seminar

2011-11-17T00:58:00.001-08:00

10 senior Business Management pupils, accompanied by Miss Borthwick and Mrs McRoberts, attended the East Ayrshire Business Leaders and Young people's seminar at St Joseph's Academy Kilmarnock. During the day pupils listened to talks from Sir Tom Hunter, of The Hunter Foundation, and Dr Peter Hughes from Scottish Engineering. Both delivered inspirational and informative presentations. The pupils also marketed and launched a product during their two workshops.

Auschwitz visit

2011-11-17T00:57:00.001-08:00

Two of our senior pupils, Lisa Chalmers and Lauren Mitchell, visited the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland. The girls are Higher Modern Studies students and the visit was organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust. Lauren and Lisa attended a preparatory meeting in Glasgow during which they met a survivor of the death camp. The girls were shocked and saddened by their visit and they will share this emotional experience with other pupils at special assemblies.

Felt Artist

2011-11-17T00:56:00.001-08:00

Renowned felt artist Ewa Kuniczak is working with Mrs Gillespie and Ms Fuller’s masterclass making felt wrist bands to be sold in The Miner’s Lamp school shop

Art and Design Exhibition

2011-11-17T00:54:00.001-08:00

The annual Art and Design Exhibition will open on Thursday 1st December at the Doon Valley Museum 6pm to 7.30pm. All are welcome to attend where there will be refreshments provided and arts and crafts on sale.

Astronomer Royal visit

2011-11-14T03:32:00.001-08:00

Pupils and staff were delighted to receive a visit from Professor John C Brown, 10th Astronomer Royal for Scotland. He gave two presentations, one to Dalmellington Primary School and one to Doon Academy pupils.

The presentation to the primary pupils was on "Abra cad Astra - The Magic of the Cosmos". Professor Brown talked about planets, stars and the sun and illustrated his talk with some wonderful magic tricks. He demonstrated reduced gravity with magnets, Jupiter’s moons with a magic ring trick and black holes by making a fifty pence piece disappear through some rubber and reappear on the other side! In addition, Professor Brown explained how he did some of the tricks, but some remained a mystery to the enthralled audience.

His talk to the Doon Academy Astronomy group was similar but with more science and different tricks. Both groups were hooked by Prof Brown’s magic colouring book at the start of the show. After the talk, Professor Brown had a chat with the Astronomy group and promised to return next year when the Dalmellington Observatory is up and running.

Sci-Fun Roadshow

2011-11-10T04:06:00.000-08:00

The Sci-Fun roadshow, in conjunction with the University of Edinburgh, visited the school to present a day of activities for P7s from Dalmellington Primary and S1 pupils from Doon Academy. This was a reward for pupils’ effort and good behaviour in their science classes. The roadshow included presentations on our senses and global warming and there were many hands-on experiments for the pupils to try. Everyone really enjoyed the experience and pupils were a credit to the school.

DofE newsletter published

2011-11-10T04:04:00.002-08:00

The school’s Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award group have produced the first issue of ‘Blab’, their magazine style newsletter. The newsletter had a Halloween theme and included features and articles by Heather Dunn (Chief Editor and music correspondent), Rosie Coles (special features), Ainsley Limond (Agony Aunt), Kirsty McCormick (Charity Editor), Kayleigh Boyd (Horoscopes), Alexander McDowall (Sports Editor) and Damian Slocombe (ICT correspondent). The group are looking forward to further improving their journalism skills with 2 more issue due out before Christmas.

Reader of the Month

2011-11-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Kayley Hancox who has been selected as Reader of the Month in Accelerated Reading.