Peer Mediation

In the first week of term, our S6 students took part in a Peer Mediation training session. We now have large group of trained mediators who will assist younger students within the school with any problems they encounter such as peer pressure and difficulties with homework. Well done to all our new mediators.

S5/6 book group

Mrs Bax, our school librarian, is starting a book group for S5 and S6 students. All S5/6 students are welcome to come along and join in the fun. Also there is a new Doon Academy library website accessible through www.doon.e-ayr.sch.uk. It is a goldmine of information ranging from useful links to study tips for students.

New staff

This term at Doon Academy, we're welcoming many new faces. We say hello to Mr Kavanagh, our Social Subjects probationer teacher, Miss Gillies, in the Maths Department, Mr Ellis in Technical Studies, Mrs Shorts, in Business and ICT Department, and Mrs Gillespie, our new Home Economics teacher. We extend a warm welcome to them all and wish them the best of luck in their new posts.

In order to welcome new people into our school, we must unfortunately say goodbye to others. This year we bid a sad farewell to Mr Reid and Mrs McCormick from our Senior Management Team, Mrs McLatchie and Mrs Cummings from the Home Economics Department, Mr Nisbet from Technical and Mrs MacKenzie from our Business and ICT department, who have all retired. Also farewell to Mrs Brotherwood from our Maths department who has taken up her new post as Principal Teacher of Maths at James Hamilton Academy. They will all be greatly missed by students and staff. We thank them for their support for the school and wish them the best of luck in the future.

PE

Miss Griffin from the PE Department is busy forming the Doon Academy's 2009/2010 netball teams. Team practice will begin in September for the junior and senior teams. Anyone who wishes to have a tryout should see Miss. Griffin. Body Attack classes will also begin in September.

Citizenship graduation

At the end of last term the S3 Citizenship Group was a great success and all the members graduated with distinction. The boys undertook many tasks around the school one of which was to tidy and plant shrubs in the quadrangle. Congratulations to them all.

Leadership Showcase

The showcase was staged to show the benefits of our leadership programme to an audience of employers, community leaders and parents and to develop partnerships which would provide options for the shape and direction of the leadership project in the post-Schools of Ambition funding era.

This showcase was planned and delivered by pupils who are graduates of Doon Leadership Academy with support from Kilmarnock College and Ocean Youth Trust leadership participants.
Our pupil leaders are experienced presenters of leadership activities at local and national conferences and they have built the school's strong reputation in this area (see SOA - aCfE, Leadership page on www.doon.e-ayr.sch.uk/).


In the 5 weeks prior to the event pupils worked with a variety of partners:

• the school canteen were commissioned to prepare a special 4-course dinner;
• the music department willingly agreed to entertain guests on their arrival;
• the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce provided the database of business links;
• office staff managed the guest list and other arrangements;
• businesses and individuals with links to the school provided fabulous prizes and gifts for the raffle and auction;
• and a key-note speaker was secured.

The event was attended by 92 guests from 3 roughly equal groups of business leaders, community leaders and parents. They enjoyed musical entertainment from the school's junior silver band; a welcome speech from the head teacher; dinner; an auction and raffle; and the highlight of the evening – an interactive demonstration of the Doon leadership experience.

What did the event achieve?

Firstly, the event succeeded in its main aim which was to forge links which will allow the leadership project to grow in new directions. Local and national employers and community groups offered ideas and practical support and assistance in a variety of ways. For example:

• the Zone and Dalmellington Partnership supported and worked with us from the start of the project
• the local Co-op directed us to their own community fund;
• Stagecoach offered work placements and assistance with travel;
• a number of individuals told us about opportunities which will develop pupils' leadership skills and qualifications including service opportunities in the local community (Scouts/Beavers), BTEC training, and attendance at Ayrshire Chamber leadership development events.

Secondly, the total raised through the raffle, auction and donations of money stands at an astonishing £2100 with a further funding options to be explored.

Thirdly, the event demonstrated the enormous reservoir of goodwill which we feel encouraged to turn to again to support us with future projects. As usual, the local community's support for another school initiative has been overwhelmingly generous. This included donations of prizes for the raffle and the auction, cash donations (including 4 of 3-figure sums), and other pledges of support.

Thank you

The Showcase organisers are grateful to all who assisted with its organisation and delivery and who have not, so far, been mentioned.

The pupils who organised this event deserve special mentions. The steering group of experienced pupil leaders were Lee Orr, Stephanie Roberts, Jake Bunyan and Kyle Stewart. Other leaders also worked tirelessly on the night greeting guests, serving the dinner, and demonstrating and explaining the benefits of our leadership programmes.

Finally, the leaders would like to thank Lorna Dempsey, our keynote speaker. Lorna is a former head girl of Doon Academy who was named Cancer Research UK's Volunteer of the Year 2009 in the week before this event. Last year Lorna was Woman of the Year for the Scottish Association of Business Women (Ayrshire Branch). Lorna's speech was inspirational to the young and less-young in the audience. In the weeks prior to the event she gave freely of her time and expertise to advise the pupils on the effective delivery of this ambitious event.

John MacKenzie
July 2009