Duke of Edinburgh: Silver Practice Expedition in October 2011

A group of nine Belmont pupils and three staff went off in October 2011 to complete a Silver practice expedition in the Central Highlands. Jennifer, one of the students in the group, wrote this honest and engaging account of their adventure:

The first day of the walk was, I found, a very positive experience; for me it was liberating: a refreshing break from school and studying. Being in a small group journeying through the mountains made me feel very independent; it was an adventure. However, not everyone is what you could call a hill walking enthusiast and so many of the others found the walking a more arduous experience, but powered through it nonetheless. The glorious weather coupled with the scenery made for a very uplifting sight. I wished I had the foresight to bring my camera. Even those individuals who couldn't be described as enjoying themselves were impressed.

The camping was another matter entirely; it was pretty much the prelude to the beginning of the awful experience of the second day. It started to rain and got dark and cold -- and who enjoys putting up tents in that? I guess it brought us all together, though, as we all lent each other a hand where it was needed, which was nice. It made up for the fact that no one got a good night’s sleep. 

The next day was pretty dour, to say the least.  I was ill so had to drop out of the walk, so I can't really comment on it. However, everyone else (in spite of the conditions and their exhaustion) bravely soldiered on and were really willing to help me when I got ill, which made me feel very supported and safe.

The third day brought a an all-time low to the experience: the weather conditions were so awful that we were forced to just go home. However, considering the good and the bad, I think it is something everyone should experience.

Mr. McClemont also contributed a report of this expedition, which follows:

For three days a hardy group of 9 Senior 5 and 6 pupils opted to undertake their Silver  Practice expedition. They started at Tyndrum in bright and sunny weather with just a hint of wind. They used their map and compass skills to follow a simple route that took them to their first campsite at Inveroran, where they cooked their meal and set up camp. The next day brought very poor weather conditions and all team members were learning valuable lessons on just how important it was to wrap all their kit so that it was waterproof. At Kingshouse they set up camp and managed to get some hot food inside them, cooking in windy conditions. All pupils had brought the right kind of food with them.

However, during the night, the wind and rain were unrelenting and a very early morning visit to the campsite revealed very cold and tired pupils who had not had any sleep at all. It was decided that the final day of walking should be called off and left to another day, as the mist was down low over the Devil’s Staircase.

A lot of valuable and relevant lessons were learnt by all team members that will be of use for their full assessment on Arran in June.

Belmont Running Club -- Student Profiles

A few members of our Running Club have written in to tell us about their experiences in the group and what motivates them to participate.

Once a week at running club, we start with some warm up exercises, like burpees and do some stretches.  We then go for a run, usually to Rouken Glen Park, where we run around the lake for as many times as our capabilities allow. We then run back to school and finish off with some sprint work and stretches. The most I’ve run around the park is six times and the furthest distance I've covered is 5 KM.  I really enjoy running club; Miss Hawker and Miss Allan are really good trainers.  I hope to improve my running skills and eventually join the school cross country team.  I also enjoy competing in fun and family runs and this training really helps my stamina for those runs and the other sports that I play.

--William Senior J4

I love running club because we can run a long way (if we are able to) and the other runners in the group are really nice. The group is made up of girls and boys from the Junior school and although we all have different abilities we are able to join in every activity. It makes me feel really proud to be a part of this group running through the streets in our school sports uniform. It is great being able to run with the club and improve my fitness so that I can run longer distances such as 5 KM. I really like doing fun warm ups  and cool downs at the beginning and end of the sessions.

--Oliver Senior J4

All About the Junior School Lego Club

Lego Club takes place every Thursday at lunch time.

We have about 20 regular members ranging from J1 to J6.

The J4s have recently taken on the challenge to build a Lego City!

We also hold weekly competitions...

Like build the best boat or plane!

And build the best monster!

Tunnock's Factory Trip

Carl has written a very detailed report of the S6 class trip to Tunnock's on October 7th, 2011:

Our S6 trip to Tunnock’s factory in Uddingston was a highly enjoyable experience.  We were given the chance to see the actual manufacturing processes of the Tunnock products including its Caramel Wafers, Logs, Tea Cakes and Snow Balls.  We were all able to look the part as a Tunnock employee and were given lab coats and hair nets to wear.  On our way round the factory we were able to learn about the company’s biscuit productions which undergo weight control, texture and visual quality checks.  It was interesting to find out that 40% of Tunnock's products are exported abroad to Europe and the Far East.  Our tour guide was very pleasant and engaging; however it was sometimes difficult to hear him due to noise from the factory machines.  I was also surprised to receive a Tunnock “goodie bag” which contained some of their produce, quickly polished off over the weekend- yumm!!   The trip was extremely worthwhile from a point of view that we learned a lot relating to the Higher Business Management course and that we were stuffed with biscuits by the end of our visit!

·         Had a full tour round the factory in our white lab coats, hair nets & ear plugs! J

·         Observed the different manufacturing processes of the Tunnock products (including Caramel Wafers, Caramel Logs, Tea Cakes and Snow Balls)

·         Asked various questions to our tour guide in the meeting room

·         Still operate a local shop round the corner from the factory in Uddingston which produce meat pies and bakery goods.

·         Still use the original biscuit packaging, to obtain their tradition and identity. Unlike other competitors, they have kept their biscuit sizes the same.  

·         All the products which they manufacture on a day to day basis have already been ordered and bought by supermarkets and cash and carry outlets. This means that the Tunnock profits will have no overall sale losses.

·         They also make sure that the quality of their products is consistent. (For instance: Before the Caramel wafers are wrapped and boxed, they are first of all are checked by a laser sensor to make sure they are the right size in order to fit in the packaging. If they’re not then the machinery shoots the odd wafers into a waste bin).

·         They manufacture all their goods from the Uddingston factory and don’t have any other factories in Scotland or abroad.

·         Tunnock products are shipped abroad to Europe and the Far East. The Far East is actually their biggest market abroad because the majority of the country is wealthy. As a result they had to adapt the packaging to add sections in Arabic and they were also asked to change the size of the Caramel Logs to include a bigger JUMBO size in order to satisfy the popular country demand. It is also estimated that 40% of the Tunnock product range is exported abroad!

·         Any excess wafers are also used as wafer dust. This is used on the Snow ball conveyer belt to avoid the mallow from sticking to the surface. Some wafer bits are also sold to companies who extract the sugar from them. This means that the company doesn’t waste any extra produce.

·         The Tea Cakes are actually biscuits but are officially called cakes because they don’t have any VAT placed upon them.

·         When the biscuit bases for the tea cakes are produced they are actually crunchy. In the final product they are soft because the moister from the mallow and the chocolate softens the base.

Atop the Sightseeing Bus

J4 have recently been learning about the city of Glasgow in class and managed to put their knowledge to the test when they boarded the Sightseeing Glasgow bus on November 2nd. 

The cold and wind didn't daunt their spirits and it appears there are some budding photographers in our midst! 

“I love the city chambers in George Square. The tour was amazing!” Adam 

“I loved looking at the University of Glasgow and going through the Kelvingrove Park!” Kieran 

“The best part of the trip was seeing the old buildings and the museums around Glasgow” Abbie

“I loved seeing the sculptors on the city chambers and waving to people!” Callum 

Belmont Musicians Visit Senior Care Homes

Rachel B. has prepared a well-written account of the events of December 7th (2011), as she is part of our Celtic Group. This musical event may have been a bit low-key compared with our other holiday events, but it was still a great volunteer opportunity for our students and it helped us to raise even more funds for our chosen charities:

Our first stop was at the St. Enoch Centre in Glasgow to play and raise money for the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice. The Celtic Group and Orchestra played for an hour slot, entertaining the passing Christmas shoppers with a combination of Christmas, Celtic and movie theme tunes and inviting them to put some change in their buckets.

We then got back on the minibus and drove down to Symington in Ayrshire to play to the residents at Townend Care Home. As well as the Celtic Group and Orchestra, the residents, staff and their relatives were treated to performances from the Senior Choir, solo singers Carl, Tegan, Jodie and Rachel, and Irish dancing from Allison, among others. Overall, the response was overwhelmingly positive, with the audience keen to join in and sing along to any songs that they knew.

More about our Seasonal Concert (December 15th, 2011)

You can find all of the photos I took of this event in an earlier post but Carl has been a big help and written all about the performances. His report follows:

It was yet another successful Seasonal Concert with fantastic performances from all the pupils from Junior 1 up to Senior 6. Parents have commented on how great the show was this year and how impressed they were with the talent of the school. Mrs. Smart’s hard work obviously paid off.

Highlights of the show included:

The Junior School

Little Cherub Choir (J1-J3) who sang ‘Basil Belmont’ and ‘All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth’- which was suitable for some of the children on stage!

J4-J6 Choir who dazzled us with ‘Santa Fever’ and their ‘Showbiz Snowman’ song, in a stupendous Broadway / Winter style with walking sticks and woolly hats instead of canes and top hats.

Junior crackers (J5 Soloists) - Violinists Olivia G and Jackie M who played ‘Jingle Bells’.

Trumpeter - Struan B who played ‘Good King Wenceslas’.

Definitely talent for the future!

The Senior School

Guitar Club (S1 to S6 performed ‘Marry You’ by Bruno Mars with Ed M and Dylan M who played the bells. Jodie M (S3) was our ‘front-woman’ both singing and playing the guitar while the Senior Choir joined in with the chorus.

Celtic Group which never fails to impress, performed the Indiana Jones theme, 'Palladio' and 'Celtic Christmas'. They also performed the ‘Fairytale of New York’ and with a different spin had the lovely Alison B dance on stage in her colourful Irish dancing dress.

Soloists- (S3 Girls) Miriam S, Aqsa S, Jodie M and Tara P sang a lovely cover of ‘When You Wish upon a Star’.

(Ashleigh M)- sang ‘Hallelujah’ and then a duet of ‘Silent Night’ on piano with Cameron M. Both songs were beautifully performed which meant that the audience could sit back and relax.

(Austin M)- who played the guitar to ‘Sound the Bells’. As usual, our very own Jimmy Hendrix sounded superb.

(Me- Carl M)- I sang ‘You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch’ from the film; you guessed it, The Grinch. I don’t know how it sounded, so it could have been terrible, but I enjoyed singing it anyway because it was a fun song to doJ.

(Drama)- Throughout the evening we were entertained by some of the junior senior members of the Drama Club who performed Christmas monologues. Well done to Abigail L, Lauren S, Hannah B, Robyn L, Nairne C and Jack R.

(Staff/ Senior Choir)- we performed the songs 'Dinner Bell' and 'Now in Bethlehem'. Staff appearances included Mr. Pichotka (who was held the part 2’s together), Mr. Lee and Mr. Doak (who were hiding at the back of the choir) and Jennifer Moore.

Elf Bell Ringers- now some of these names may ring a bell; Jonny T, Andrew W, Ryan M and Sam A rang bells to 'Jingle Bells' which was absolutely hilarious. Santa Claus was also able to make a special visit to Belmont when the audience joined in with Jingle Bells. Santa was great, the kids were hyper and we were bombarded with sweets. Everybody won!

Senior Choir- performed 'Movin’ On Up' (which we recorded for the BBC for Children In Need), performed Where You Lead (the song from Gilmore Girls), 'Silver Bells', 'It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' and A Holiday Sing-along (to end off the show with the Celtic Group).

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Good bless us everyone!

Belmont Alumnus prepares for the Six Nations Championship

Former pupil Ed Kalman is making headlines with impressive rugby skills, which have just netted him a place in the Scotland squad. A product of Belmont House School and the Whitecraigs Club, he has been playing for various teams since he was eight years old. It's also worth pointing out that this well-rounded alumnus earned a degree in physics while keeping up with rugby in England.

Read all about it here.

Our newest additions to the Senior School brush up on their knowledge of Fire Safety.

"On the 7^th of December 2011, a fire officer called Steve Smith came to the school to talk about fire safety to the S1s." - Cameron

"Steve told us a lot about fire safety, like not to charge your phone overnight and to keep a clear exit when there is a fire. In case of a fire, always keep your door shut when you go to sleep at night to keep the smoke out of your bedroom. Always leave keys beside the door or a place where you can find them because if you’re in a fire, you won’t be able to get out." - Warren

"He told us how to keep (prevent) ourselves from making a fire. He told us, “You should check that your fire alarm is working every week.” When you are going to sleep, make sure you switch all your stuff off. You should keep a spare pair of keys beside your exit. If there is ever a fire in your house and it’s in your room and you can’t get out, you should phone someone to get help if you are able. If you can’t, you need to use plan B and jump out the window, but it would only be your last resort." - Ciaran

"He showed us a clip of people who were blinded by gas created by the fire. Some other important advice he gave was to close doors to stop the fire spreading so fast." - Cameron

"I liked when Steve told us a story about how a little boy was in a fire and his pet cat was still in the house, so the firefighters went in and got the cat, but it was dead. The boy started to cry, so Steve held the cat and gave it C.P.R. and the cat became alive again. So, the boy was really happy and thanked Steve." - Warren

"The best story he told was when he had to give a cat C.P.R. and made it come back to life. It was amazing." - Ciaran

A Ski Trip to Italy to Ring In the New Year!

Stuart F. dropped off a paper of his recollections of the student expedition to Pila:

I felt the trip to Italy in the New Year was a great success. Over the course of the trip, friendships were established; there was great skiing, as well, of course! On our first day of skiing, we were all put into groups dependent on how well we could ski. It was quite foggy that day but that did not stop us from enjoying the skiing. The snow was outstanding for it! Some of the days were colder than others and some were sunnier. Most people went on red or black runs, some went off piste. As well as the skiing, there was great entertainment in the evenings. There was a disco, karaoke and wandering around town on the second-last day. Overall, the trip was enjoyable and a great success!

Belmont House School's Outstanding Nursery

A surprise care service inspection was conducted in our nursery during October 2011 and we're quite pleased with the rave review we've received!

We earned 5's (Very Good) for the quality of care, support and environment that we provide. The inspector praised the good relationships we have built with parents and children and how we continually involve them in developing our service, encouraging us to forge ahead with various initiatives that are already underway, such as developing the nursery garden. She noted that we were "making very good progress" and "provide an interesting and stimulating learning environment for the children".

Questionnaires were issued to some of our parents, who were highly pleased with the quality of care their child receives with us.

"I think it's great value for money."

"Staff spend a lot of time getting to know the children."

"The staff are great with my son, and most importantly, he loves it."

"A good range of information is supplied before starting."

To view the report in its entirety, click here.

What's It Like To Be An Astronaut?

We're pretty big on hands-on learning here at Belmont, so as our J? class was learning about space, they got an opportunity to learn a bit more about the lives of astronauts in space...by sampling their meals.

Everything began innocently enough, and the kids were quite eager to taste this mysterious, freeze-dried food.

The verdict?

Sorry, parents. I guess we aren't raising the next generation of astronauts, after all!

Duke of Edinburgh: Junior (S2) Expedition to Strathfillan Wigwams

Paul McClemont reports in about the S2 practice expedition along the West Highland Way:

A large amount of the Junior DoE section made their way by minibus to the Strathfillan Wigwams near Crianlarich for their weekend of camping, map and compass work, intended to improve their skill level prior to attempting the full Bronze award in S3.

As usual, the weather was very poor, with a thunder storm battering us as we travelled up the A82. Undaunted, the team set up their tents in the appalling wind and rain and then headed off after a briefing on the route to walk a few kilometres of the West Highland Way. The Wigwams that we were staying at were right on the Way and this meant that we had direct and easy access to the section of the walk we were doing.

After the walk the pupils then cooked their own meals in the campsite kitchen, although the state of the kitchen left a lot to be desired; they're not so good at cleaning up after themselves! The night brought a little respite in the rain and after one or two words the pupils were quiet, though few of us had a good night’s sleep and were a bit bleary in the morning.

It was decided to strike camp early as the pupils were all wet from the rain. So, after a chat about the proper boots needed for walking as well as how to pack a rucksack effectively and a bit more map and compass work, the minibuses were loaded and we headed back to the school. Quite a few lessons were learnt by the pupils and despite the weather they displayed resilience in coping with it, though their campcraft skills need to be improved, which is something to consider for the S3 course next year.

The Scottish Diaspora (and its effect on the world)

Boris Pitchoka recently wrote in: 

The History Department took Higher History candidates on a festive trip to attend a lecture by one of Scotland’s most eminent historians: T.M. Devine on Monday 12^th  December. Professor Devine is a Personal Senior Research Professor in History at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at University of Edinburgh. His topic was the Scottish Emigration in the late 19^th and early 20^th century, which is the topic our Higher candidates are studying for in preparation for Paper 2 of their examinations. In particular, he looked at the Scottish exodus of the 1800's and 1900's, examining why so many Scots fled the country during a time of Victorian prosperity, as well as the consequences it had on what is now one of Europe's greatest emigrant peoples. Pupils enjoyed the evening with Mr Pichotka’s “favourite” historian. 

You can watch the lecture in full here. 

End Polio Now: our Eco-Committee's efforts in Rouken Glen

On Friday, the 28^th of October 2011, Belmont House School’s Eco-Committee attended an event in Rouken Glen, hosted by the Eastwood Rotary Club, where we planted purple crocuses to help raise funds for “Thanks For Life”: the Rotary project which is leading the way in a world-wide effort to eradicate polio. This effort was part of their overall End Polio Now campaign.

Contributing a mere pound to plant five crocus bulbs can actually prevent five children from being infected with polio, one of the most dreaded childhood diseases of the previous century. Major, widespread epidemics around the turn of the century provided the impetus towards the creation of a vaccine in the 1950’s, which reduced polio cases per year from hundreds of thousands to about a thousand.

We may be fortunate enough to view it as a throwback, but polio, which remains incurable, still cripples thousands of children around the world who lack access to the vaccine, particularly in Nigeria and Southern Asia. The Rotary Club’s campaign stops at nothing short of eradicating the disease from the planet, once and for all, and we were proud to be a part of their undertaking.

Our school planted over one thousand bulbs that day. So, the next time you’re passing by Rouken Glen, glance over at the crocuses and you may see a “B” for Belmont!

DoE Bronze mapwork practice and expedition to Arran

Michael has written us a great report about his experience on Arran.

First, he shares the contents of his kit; all the essentials he packed:

• Sleeping Bag
• Torch
• Matches
• Plate
• Fork
• Knife
• Spoon
• First Aid Kit
• Food (Breakfast, Dinner, Snacks)
• Money
• Water (lots of it!)
• Walking Boots
• Another Pair Of Shoes
• Clothes For The Trip
• Rucksack
• Washing Up Liquid And Sponge
• Compass

Day One:

I was at school in the minibus and we were about to set off. I thought to myself, "What will the walk be like?" We drove off. I had nothing to fear because Mr. Maguire was driving the minibus. We arrived at the dock and waited to get onto the ferry. When we got on, we left the minibus and looked around the ferry. It had a gambling place, a shop and a place where you could get something to eat and drink. We got off the ferry and went to the starting point of our trip.

We got our bags on our shoulders and went on forward. We met Mr. Anderson at the first point and we did some map and compass work. 

A few hours later, we arrived at the campsite. We got the tents set up and cooked some food. Later, we walked down to the beach and back. Then we went to sleep.

Day Two:

We woke up and cooked some breakfast, then we cleaned up and packed the tents and our bags and headed on our way. We met Mr. Anderson for our map and compass work. 

Then we walked, walked and walked some more. We later met Mr. Anderson at a house and continued our walk. 

Then, we finally finished our walk. I cooked some food and gave some to Mr Anderson! We all bought a nice, cold, refreshing glass of coke and hopped on the minibus. We went around the shops of the dock where we were going to get the ferry home. We got on the ferry and eventually arrived back at school. I was tired.

Conclusion: 

I found this walk very challenging, yet I completed it. I am very pleased that this was a challenge I could accomplish because I plan to do Silver and maybe Gold in the future. In conclusion, I am very pleased that I completed the walk on Arran.