award for investing in people award for investing in people

ST COLUMBA’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER • ISSUE 19
AWARD FOR
INVESTING
IN PEOPLE
Major UK Win for Debaters
Meet the Heads and Deputes
Get all the news online at
www.st-columbas.org
Where Are They Now?

In July, the recognition panel of Investors in People
Scotland accepted the recommendation that
St Columba’s be awarded Investor in People status.
This is a tremendous achievement and involved the
whole School; teaching and non-teaching staff
members being fully involved in the process. More
importantly, our system of
professional development, selfevaluation
and
improvement planning has
now been extended to
include non-teaching
staff. Peter Russian,
Chief Executive of
Investors in People
Scotland, visited the
School on 4th
December to present us
with the Investor in People
certificate at a celebration
hosted by the Board.
Meet the Heads and Deputes…
in their own words…
Rector’s Message
I was delighted with this year’s prizegiving ceremonies. Both of our Principal Guests - Dr Harry Burns, Chief
Medical Officer for Scotland, and Mr David Ward, Chairman of the Board of Governors - delivered
impressive addresses and we thank them for their time and inspirational words.
Our performance in this year’s SQA results was very pleasing. The SIV results were excellent with a pass
rate in excess of 99%, with 79% at Grade 1 (Standard Grade or equivalent). This was also the first session
in which we presented SIV pupils for Intermediate 2 English rather than Standard Grade and the results,
too, were excellent. The pass rate at Higher grade was 90.3% which, although less than in recent years, is
very good indeed and reflects the enormous commitment of pupils and their teachers. The Advanced
Higher results were also pleasing, with more than 30% of the grades at A.
The School is delighted to welcome two new
members to the Board of Governors - Mr Colin
McClatchie and Miss Nicola Anderson.
Mr McClatchie, a former parent, and Miss
Anderson, a former pupil, have been very involved
with the School over the years and have much to
offer St Columba’s. Please read their profiles on page 3.
At the end of the summer term the School
learned that Inverclyde Council had
declined our application for planning
consent to erect an extension to the
Senior School on Gryffe Road. This
news was particularly disappointing,
given that certain facilities within
Senior School desperately need to be
improved if we are to continue to
provide a first class learning environment
and that the last five years have been spent
developing the project. Because we believe,
wholeheartedly, that St Columba’s has to develop
to remain an attractive proposition and to protect
its long term future, the Board has appealed against
the Council’s decision to decline planning
permission. The appeal process can be lengthy and
the outcome may not be known for several months.
Alastair Findlay, Head Boy
Since coming to St Columba’s in J4, Alastair has been a dedicated
member of our year; his extra curricular activities include ‘Calamity
Jane’, this year’s school production, piping and rugby. Alastair is
also doing the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and is enjoying it;
those nights walking the hills provide a change from the autocratic
rule he normally experiences. As Pipe Major, he takes his
responsibility seriously, trying his “wee heart out” to encourage all the
junior and, indeed, most of the senior members of the band. Woe betide anyone
who fails to turn up!
Although he appears to be all that St Columba’s looks for in a pupil, the Alastair we know failed his Physics
and ECDL tests in the same week and topped off a great week with a 0% success rate in the line-out
throws at rugby on the Saturday: result…substitution.
Alastair’s singing talents are varied and infamous: his more cultured and articulate side is seen in the Senior
Mixed Choir and in ‘Calamity Jane’, where he plays a ‘Johnny’, and his slightly more dulcet tones at an
unmentionable venue in Glasgow, where he sings with a choir of 50,000 every Saturday.
Alastair is definitely an asset to the School, perhaps not in height, but in stature. His enthusiasm and
commitment to every task he undertakes (shown in his attempts to play rugby, which involve his misguided
view that giving the opposition the ball is a good thing, or in performing his duties as Head Boy) will serve
him well as he achieves his ultimate goal of becoming Doctor Alastair Findlay – sounds right.
I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that -
• the School roll will not be increased
• there will be no marked change to traffic flow
around the campus at the end of the day as
Transitus already spend a significant amount of
their timetable at Senior School
•we are actively working to further improve parking
• the planned new extension will satisfy our need
for increased space within the Senior School
building and is actually lower in height than that of
the current two villas
I am delighted to announce that St Columba’s will
offer bursaries for the first time, in 2008. A limited
number of bursaries will be available to new pupils
entering Transitus. Bursaries will be means-tested
and applicants will be subject to our normal
admissions policy where places offered are in order
of academic merit.
St Columba’s has just held its Open Week for
prospective parents and pupils. Our tour guides,
Transitus and SVI pupils, did a fantastic job and I
received a number of very positive comments from
visitors about how impressed they were with our
pupils. As always, our pupils are our best ambassadors!
Rona Paterson, Head Girl
Standing at the bow of a canoe in the
middle of a cold, dark night on Loch Tay,
Rona showed us why she is our Head
Girl: strong, determined and willing to lead
in the harshest of conditions. This is the
picture that Rona would like everyone to have
of her, but for those of us who really know her,
we are used to seeing a very different person: a
dreamer, a joker and a girl who keeps smiling!
On the hockey pitch she is a formidable figure in
goal for the 1st XI and in her spare time she likes
partying, although she does have a tendency to
worry that her social exploits will reach the
Yearbook. She is occasionally known to blurt out
her eventful and rather embarrassing dreams. Is
Rona the only Advanced Higher Geography pupil
who ever read a map upside-down on the D of E
hike? But in all seriousness, Rona is a true friend
and great asset to the School in everything she does.
Academic Achievement
The Dux for session 2006-7 was Alison Marr and
the Proxime Accessit was Jessica Palmer. Our
photograph shows Lord Lang, Mr Girdwood,
Alison, Jessica, Dr Harry Burns and Mr David Ward.
The following pupils received 5 As in their Higher
examinations: Gayle Biggart, Alastair Findlay, Iain
MacPherson, Clare McCusker and Alex Mitchell.
David Bateman,
Depute Head Boy
David has never been one to
follow the rules. Joining the
School in Junior 1, his menacing
ways were disguised by his goofy
glasses, natural confidence and charm; his best
friends were all girls. Though the glasses have
thankfully disappeared, his confidence has continued
to grow. Some have mistaken this confidence for
arrogance; an easy mistake to make, considering he
has in the past compared himself to the selfproclaimed
‘special one’, José Mourinho.
David has always been very competitive, in
particular when it comes to sports. Until recently
he could normally be found either running in his
free time or helping with the 1st XV. Unfortunately,
because of a repeated shoulder injury, David had to
give up rugby, but has continued to run for
Inverclyde and has successfully competed in
Scottish Schools’ events. However, this year he has
opted for a more relaxing extra curricular activity:
debating. Having recently represented the School in
Reading at an international competition, he has
proved that he is a confident speaker, which should
stand him in good stead for his degree in History
and Politics next year.
Even though David appears to be the joker of the
Heads, he has got a caring and hard-working side
to him. Impossible to believe…YES.
SCHOOL NEWS
Alex Mitchell,
Depute Head Boy
Contrary to popular
belief, Alex’s best friends
are not Maths textbooks…
he prefers Spanish ones!
However, his love for an inspiring melody is
definitely the fuel for his love affair with the Music
Department. His leadership of the School orchestra
demonstrates his enthusiasm for all things musical;
it is even said, by some, that he holds the entire
band together.
Alex turns up to rugby – regularly enough – but he
tells us that he doesn’t exactly set the pitch on fire,
though his catching ability is indeed something to
behold!
However, in all seriousness, since Junior 1 Alex has
astonished his teachers and peers with his keen
attitude towards music, sport and his academic
studies, resulting in his election as Depute Head
Boy. His hard-working, argumentative and
sometimes even cantankerous approach will stand
him in good stead when achieving his dream of
becoming a lawyer.
Gayle Biggart,
Depute Head Girl
Throughout her 14 years at
St Columba’s, Gayle has developed
from being a shy and quiet girl
(mainly owing to her initially boyish
hairstyle) to a strong-minded and
confident young woman who has
taken her rightful place as Depute
Head Girl. Gayle undertakes a range
of activities, both within and outwith
School, ranging from swimming at national
level to her attempts to sing in the Senior Mixed
Choir and her extraordinary ability to mime the
playing of the bagpipes in the pipe band.
Gayle, though hard-working, is prone to extreme
laughing fits, which often cause disruption to her
Advanced Higher classes, especially History where
two people who should know better frequently
wind her up. However she also has the admirable
ability to laugh at herself, because quite frankly “she
doesn’t really care”. With a stubborn side to her
character, Gayle always argues firmly for what she
believes and is an extremely enthusiastic member of
the team.
Gayle’s numerous nicknames are available to anyone
who asks.
Lauren Matthew,
Depute Head Girl
Lauren has always been a
very active member of the School,
culminating in her appointment as Depute Head
Girl. Indeed this year not only does she have many
responsibilities, including chairing the School Council
and a leading role in ‘Calamity Jane’, she also
squanders vast quantities of the Head Boy’s time.
Undoubtedly the most sociable of the Heads, as has
been confirmed on many a Saturday night, Lauren
has a unique blend of friendliness and a highly
charged will to succeed, which ensures that she will
be successful in whatever she does as long as it
doesn’t involve any type of Maths. Her life ambitions
have risen from owning a pub in Spain to attending
university to study Philosophy with Management:
this suits her skills as a leader while catering for her
sensitive side. However Lauren always speaks her
mind, with her sensitive side often taking a volatile
twist when she is “stressed”, particularly if this
involves the common room’s cleanliness.
Over the years Lauren has developed a prestigious
singing career. Her fantastic voice led to her being
selected for the National Youth Choir of Scotland, a
wonderful achievement and one which she
thoroughly deserves, even though it means the rest
of the team is “dragged” to many a NYCOS event.
The School is extremely lucky to have her. Despite
persistent efforts to appear cultured and be more
like the “Kilmacolmics”, she will always be that wee
shy Paisley girl with a heart of gold who befriended
us all those years ago.
1 2

School Welcomes
New Board Members
Latest Staff Changes
Since the last Columban we have welcomed a
number of new staff members, some of whom are
former pupils of St Columba’s.
Mr Graeme McNicol as Head of English.
Mr McNicol is a graduate of Hertfordshire
University and was previously a teacher at The High
School of Glasgow.
Mrs Elizabeth Wilson (McAuslan) as Teacher of
Biology. Mrs Wilson is a graduate of Paisley
University and was previously teaching at Linwood
High School.
Mrs Hilary Davies (Walker) as Junior School
Teacher. Mrs Davies is a graduate of the University
of Warwick and her previous post was at the City
of London Freemen’s School.
Mrs Judy Adams (McGill) as Junior School
Receptionist.
Miss Gillian Doole as Nursery Nurse.
Mrs Emma Corbett (Howard) returns to Junior
School from maternity leave.
Mr Ian Forster as temporary part-time Teacher of PE.
Mr William McIntyre as Groundsman.
SCHOOL NEWS
Mr Colin McClatchie
Colin was until recently Managing Director, Scotland and Ireland, of News International Newspapers Ltd.
Having recently retired, Colin will not be putting his feet up just yet as, in addition to being a member of
the Board of Governors, he is also Non-Executive Director of Dunfermline Press Ltd, Beattie
Communications, Scottish Enterprise, where he chairs the Nominations and Remuneration Committees,
and Vice Chairman of Scottish Opera.
Born in Belfast, Colin was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution and the Queen’s University, Belfast.
On leaving Queen’s in 1971 as an economics graduate, Colin joined Thomson Regional Newspapers and
had spells in Belfast, Newcastle, London, Reading and Edinburgh. In the 80s and 90s he took up senior
appointments in the top newspapers in Scotland, including the Scottish Daily Record, the Sunday Mail and
The Scotsman, all in circulation and marketing. After a brief spell as a Marketing Consultant, he joined
News International as Scotland Chief in 1995.
He has two daughters, Amanda and Milena, who were educated at St Columba’s, and is married to Claire,
the School’s Chief Invigilator. Colin lives in Kilmacolm and his recreations include family, golf and theatre.
Miss Nicola Anderson
Nicola was a pupil at St Columba's from Junior 1 right through until Senior VI, leaving in 1998. Whilst at
school Nicola spent much of her time in the Music Department and will be remembered for her musical
achievements: she was heavily involved with the choir and orchestra and successfully passed grade 8 piano.
After school Nicola went to Robert Gordon University to study Physiotherapy and has now been working
in this field for over five years, which has taken her to Glasgow, Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and New
Zealand. Nicola has now specialised in out-patient physiotherapy and is currently working part-time in the
NHS and part-time privately at her mother’s practice in Kilmacolm.
Nicola lives in Glasgow, enjoys hill walking, skiing and has recently completed a course in sculpting.
”Since being asked to join the Board this year I have been very interested to see the changes within the
School since I left. These have been very important for the School in order to move with the times and
keep as up-to-date as possible.”
Remembrance Service
Senior School held a dignified Remembrance
Service, led by the Rector and Rev Colum
McGranaghan, at St Columba Church. A number of
SIV pupils played an important role in the occasion
as they shared their heart-felt recollections of their
recent trip to the Battlefields. Sophie Cahn began
with an introduction and overview of the trip,
James Forrest talked about the Menin Gate, Beth
Docherty read ‘In Flanders Fields’ by John McCrae,
Fraser McArthur shared his memories as he
recalled playing the bagpipes at the Somme and
Melanie Lau finished with the important point that
we should never forget these soldiers.
Rev McGranaghan then added his own thoughts on
John McCrae’s moving words and poppies, before
giving the blessing. The haunting sound of the
bagpipes ended a two-minute silence as Head Boy,
Alastair Findlay, played ‘Flowers of the Forest’.
Funds were raised for the Poppy Appeal through
the sale of poppies.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards
Congratulations to the following pupils who recently
gained the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Several of the pupils are pictured with the Rector
and former Governor, Mrs Semple.
Silver Award -
Gayle Biggart, Clare McCusker, Aimee MacDonald,
Sarah McDowall, Alex Mitchell, Claire Ramsay,
Christopher Scott, Matthew Hesselmann,
Stephen Kirwan, Alison
Leighton, Andrew Mann,
Fergus McCarroll, Rona
Morison, Rona Paterson,
Eilidh Rarity, Su Tin, Jessica
Weir, Lindsay Wright
Bronze Award -
Michael Bell, Jessica Weir,
Andrew Beverstock,
Laura Dunn, Ava
Kaskonas, Andrew
McAlpine,
James Mitchell, Callum Rae,
Emily Jayne Russell
Expedition training recommences for all participating
pupils in January.
Calamity Jane
William, Andrew, Rebecca, Hannah
The Senior School show this year is ‘Calamity Jane’
under the direction of Mrs Nicoll, Head of Biology.
It runs from 17-18th December and will be
featured in the next issue of the Columban.
First Major UK Win for Debaters
Debating has begun well in Senior School this year with 40-50 pupils attending
Debating Club each week. We are really lucky to have the assistance of Jenni
Harrison, a former pupil of the School and a successful University IV debater,
to help us each week.
We hosted our own tournament in September attended by 12 schools. St
Columba’s entered a team of fourth year pupils, Megan Girdwood,
Rebecca Meredith and Hannah Reilly, and they finished third. We were
very fortunate to have David Cairns, Trish Godman and Annabel Goldie
to judge the final and the winning team was Aberdeen Grammar School.
At the end of September Rebecca Meredith and Hannah Reilly won a
national competition, the NJDC, at Royal Grammar School in Newcastle.
This is the first time that St Columba’s has won a national competition
and one of the other three teams in the final was our ‘B’ team of Andrew
Beverstock SIV and William Hesselman SIII.
In November Megan Girdwood and Rebecca Meredith won through to the
Scottish final of the Debating Matters competition run by the Institute of Ideas.
The exact date of this has yet to be arranged, but it will probably be in early March.
This year the International Independent Schools’ Public Speaking Competition was held
in Reading (not Canada!) and five pupils, David Bateman and Georgina McLellan, SVI,
Andrew Beverstock, Rebecca Meredith and Tessa Robins, SIV, participated. Rebecca and Tessa
performed particularly well in their chosen categories.
A Bit of a Do!
We are hoping to have a ‘bit of a do’ in the Junior School Hall on Friday 28th March, the night before the
annual School v FP matches. Local band Toozup will provide the entertainment with a whole host of
material from Rolling Stones to Scissor Sisters to Paulo – there’s something for everyone. It will be a
ticketed event to cover costs, but it’s not a fundraiser - just a good night out for parents, former pupils and
staff. So look out your jeans and sparkly top…..tickets will be on sale in the new year. If you have any
questions please contact nmckay@st-columbas.org.
Diary Dates
17-18 Dec Senior School Show
‘Calamity Jane’, Senior School 19.30
19 Dec Pipe Band plays in village, 16.00
20 Dec Junior School Carol Service,
St Columba Church, 14.30
Senior School Carol Service,
St Columba Church, 19.00
School closes for holidays
21 Dec Senior School Ball,
Senior School, 19.30
7 Jan School re-opens
12 Jan Entrance Examinations
13 Mar Former Pupils’ AGM,
Junior School, 19.30
28 Mar ‘Bit of a Do’,
Junior School Hall, 20.00
29 Mar Former Pupils v School Hockey
and Rugby Matches
- hockey, 9.30, Astroturf
- rugby, 10.45, Birkmyre Park
3 4
Chess
British Under-16 Chess Champion, Calum
MacQueen in SVI, represented Scotland at the
World Under-18 Chess Championships held in
Turkey. With over 120 competitors from all over
the world, Calum faced stiff opposition, but won 2
and drew 4 of his matches.

AROUND THE DEPARTMENTS
SI Trip to Paris
By Hilary Harrison-Millan, SI
As the mid-term holiday approached, the excitement of most of SI grew and for good reason - in just
three days we were going to be on a Ryanair flight to Beauvais! At 11.30am children started arriving at
Senior School. After we had got into groups and received our identity badges we all trooped onto
the buses, our suitcases were loaded and off we set for Beauvais Airport.
Once in Paris we had dinner at Flunch and then toured the city. Seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up at
night was certainly a beautiful and welcoming sight. The first day was spent at Notre Dame and
Versailles where we got swamped in our first experience of street sellers. After that we went to
one of the best places in the whole of France, L’Aquaboulevard, where our water dreams came
true! My favourite slide was the most terrifying vertical drop where, as you may have guessed, you
dropped vertically down into a pool of water. Wednesday was spent at the Etoiles du Rex where
we got to become movie stars, Montmarte and Sacre Coeur where we all bought HUGE ice creams,
the Arc de Triomphe where almost everybody used up a camera and going to the Louvre to see the
Mona Lisa.
On Thursday one of the most talked-about days had arrived – Disneyland. We were split into groups and
then the fun began. The rides that my group went on were Thunder Mountain, The Haunted House, Space
Mountain, The Buzz Light Year Ride, It’s a Small World, the Tea Cups and the Merry-Go-Round.
Unfortunately, because of the strike in Paris, the roads were gridlocked so we couldn’t go up the Eiffel
Tower and instead returned to Hotel Ibis to pack our suitcases.
On Friday morning a sad group of children left the hotel and made their way to the Eiffel Tower.
The view at the top was magnificent and when we came back down we went into a huge rugby
ball (the boys were ecstatic) and saw a presentation about New Zealand. We met back at the bus
and headed for the Hard Rock Café where all our dreams came true - loud music, televisions and
fast food…it had the lot.
We then began a nice stress-free journey to the airport…or not! Problems began as soon as we
pulled into a road that was gridlocked. Time was marching on and it didn’t look like we were going
to make the flight. Soon rumours were flying around that we would have to get a ferry. Luckily we
managed to get to the check-in with three minutes to spare. After a stressful wait we finally got onto
the plane and arrived at Prestwick Airport with a great story to tell.
Prefects Get Building
By Rachel Coyne, SVI
SVI got the year off to a great start on a team building weekend at Ardeonaig Outdoor
Centre, run by the Abernethy Trust. Throughout the weekend we were involved in a
number of team tasks and outdoor activities such as high ropes courses and camp craft
tasks. This prepared us for the main event of the weekend where we had to pull together
all of our talents and resources and work together as a whole year group in order to
survive the overnight camping challenge. This involved everyone, ably accompanied by
trained staff from the centre and Mr Clark, Mr Robertson and Mrs Reilly, building their
own rafts and rowing to the island camp where we worked with limited resources to
build our own makeshift tents; an exercise which led to many people being left
without shelter, sleeping in survival bags on the ground, praying that it would
remain dry overnight…which it did.
In the morning we awoke feeling the effects of the uncomfortable night’s
sleep, but facing a strenuous day of kayaking, orienteering and hiking which
required us, once again, to use determination and the knowledge we had
gained about ourselves and each other to successfully complete the
challenge. Lack of sleep and food undoubtedly led to some moments of
stress and conflict between certain people, but overall the weekend was a
major success which allowed everyone to use their own skills, from ability in
sport or logical thinking to organisation and leadership. By placing us into a
team situation like this, we have undoubtedly benefited as a year group and are
now closer and more able to work together successfully, making the hard work
of the weekend’s challenges very satisfying and worthwhile for all.
The Quest to Satisfy
Classical Intellect!
Following the successful Classics trip to Italy last
session, Mrs Carey very kindly agreed to
take her Classical Studies class on a
further field trip to the not so
exotic, but equally informative,
Hadrian’s Wall.
With Mr Steel at the wheel of
their minibus, they visited the
Wall, the archaeological dig at
Vindolanda and the reconstructed
Roman gatehouse and villa. The many
fascinating finds in the museum gave an
insight into the lives of the thousands of
soldiers who had been based in this area
of Britain. The trip proved to be a
wonderful introduction to their
Intermediate 2 topic ‘Archaeology and
the Romans in Britain’.
Geographers Take to the Field
As part of the Higher Geography and Advanced Higher Geography course, a fieldwork study visit to
Arran was undertaken from 21st-24th September. Students were introduced to a range of mysterious
fieldwork techniques which they had learned about in class. They set out around Arran to investigate
rivers, coasts, glaciation and rural settlements on the island. Everyone enjoyed learning outside the
classroom environment and in the evening analysed and presented all the data collected during the
day. The Geographers counted pebbles to determine longshore drift and measured a range of river
variables to examine the changes along the long profile of a river. The weather held up, except on
the last day when the group got very cold and wet investigating the effects of glaciation in Glen Rosa.
...And to the City...
Following the successful fieldwork trip to Arran, the class embarked on an urban fieldwork tour of
Glasgow to examine a developed world city as part of Urban Change
and its Management. The trip began at Glasgow Cathedral
Precinct where the pupils walked from the original
site through the inner city and Merchant City
looking at recent developments that have
taken place. They took a well
deserved lunch break at the
Lighthouse in the city centre and
continued the tour to take in
some famous landmarks, including
the Glasgow School of Art and the
Tenement House. The final section
of the tour included a trip along the
River Clyde investigating the decline of
industry and the successful regeneration of
the area. The tour was concluded at Braehead
Shopping Centre where, more than a little foot-weary,
some students managed to recuperate with a little retail therapy!
Society Award for Mercedes and Jennifer
SIV pupils Mercedes McKay-Turner and Jennifer Hoad were each awarded a prize in the Royal Scottish
Geographical Society’s annual John Bartholomew Essay Competition for their work on tropical rainforests.
They were awarded an atlas and a visitors’ map of Scotland by the Director of the Society at Glasgow
University on 7th November.
All the entries “were of a very high standard” and Jennifer and Mercedes “put together a very well
organised PowerPoint presentation of absorbing interest,” said the organisers. The purpose of the
competition is to stimulate pupils to discover for themselves - extending
knowledge, understanding and skills while arousing interest in the
world. The girls were lucky enough to meet a former pupil at
the event, Joan Miller (Alexander), who was there to listen
to the talk on Africa being delivered after the prizegiving.
5 6

AROUND THE DEPARTMENTS
Modern Studies
Parliamentary Adventure
Congratulations to Rebecca Anderson, SII, whose
letter was one of only two submissions which were
chosen from across Scotland to be presented to
the Cross Party Group for Animal Welfare.
The Group provides a lively forum for many
different organisations and MSPs to come together
within the Scottish Parliament to debate today's
most topical and controversial animal welfare
issues. Input is sought from young people across
Scotland and the Group asks pupils to suggest
topics for discussion in parliamentary sessions.
They asked which animal welfare issues concern
young people today and how they would like the
Scottish Parliament to help.
Rebecca had written to the organisation
complaining about the damage litter does to
animals, particularly along her local cycle track. Her
topic was subsequently chosen and the Group
invited her to the Scottish Parliament on 14th
November to have a tour of the building, lunch in
the Members’ Dining Room with the Convener of
the Cross Party Group for Animal Welfare,
Christine Grahame MSP, and then to attend the
meeting where ‘Man’s Casual Pollution of Lands and
Seas’ was discussed.
Rebecca had a fantastic day and even met First
Minister, Alex Salmond, before presenting at the
Group’s meeting. Here is an extract from Rebecca’s
post-visit report -
“The scary part came next because, although I had
been trying, I could not forget why I was in the
Parliament: I had won a competition and now I had
to speak. OK, so it wasn’t in the main chamber, but
standing up in front of 30 or so people is still a
daunting task. I spoke about the
reasons why I felt strongly that
the cycle tracks of Inverclyde
are a real hazard to animals.
I was even asked questions.
As I climbed into
the car on my long journey
home, I realised what I had just
done. No, I hadn’t debated in the
chamber, I hadn’t voted for my country, but I had
done some wonderful things. I had eaten cake,
spoken to the First Minister and had stood up for
what I believed in!”
Physics
Quiz Time
Beverley Macpherson and Ross Donachie in SIV
and David Johnstone in SIII recently competed in
the West of Scotland Physics Education Group
hosted by Strathclyde University. They successfully
reached the final, held on 15th November, and
finished in fourth place out of sixty schools.
Looking to the Future
Congratulations to Abby Beall who was runner up
in the Royal Astronomical Society’s competition to
write a newspaper article about what space travel
will be like in 2057.
Business Studies
Each year the Renfrewshire Branch of the
Chartered Management Institute organises a work
shadowing project and SVI pupil, Ava Kaskonas,
was fortunate enough to shadow Sharon Ewing, the
Facilities Manager at Reid Kerr College. Following
an interesting and enjoyable three days, Ava was
then required to prepare a presentation which she
delivered, alongside three other pupils from other
Renfrewshire schools, on the evening of Thursday
8th November at Reid Kerr College.
Ava delivered a very interesting PowerPoint
presentation and she also coped well with the
questions from the panel of four judges. She
should be commended for the commitment shown
and the experience gained. Ava should now be
encouraged to work hard to achieve her goal of
completing further study in the field of business
management when she leaves school.
Art
Music
The Music Department is preparing for a very busy
season of music-making, with preparations for our
Christmas services and rehearsals for the School
show, ‘Calamity Jane’.
Pupils Enter Radio Competition
The Junior Choir has entered the BBC Radio 3
Choir of the Year Competition. This has been a
very exciting project and the Choir recently
recorded a CD which was sent off as their entry.
Everything is crossed as the pupils wait to see if
they are through to the Area Selection stage at the
Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh on 27 April. The
children (and staff!) are very enthusiastic about the
competition.
Music Honours
A number of our pupils auditioned for the National
Girls’ Choir, National Boys’ Choir and National
Youth Choir of Scotland at the end of November.
Lauren Matthew, who is a member of the National
Youth Choir of Scotland, travelled to Hungary in
August to take part in six different concerts in four
cities across the country. The Choir’s final concert
took place at the internationally recognised Kodayl
Institute of Music in Kecskemet. Emily Jayne
Russell, a member of the School’s Brass Quartet,
was Principal Cornet of the National Youth Brass
Band of Scotland Reserve Section.
Piping
Congratulations go to our piping instructor, Pipe
Major Gordon Walker, who won the coveted
World Championship of Solo Piping, the
Glenfiddich Trophy at Blair Castle on 27th October.
Pipe Major Walker’s winning tunes were ‘The Braes
of Castle Grant’, ‘Cabar Feidh’ and ‘John Morrison
of Assynt House’ with his Piobaireachd being ‘The
MacKay’s Banner’.
Organised by Port Glasgow Civic Art Exhibition, Katie Robins in SII was the first prize winner in the 11-13
year old category of the Brownlee Award. Her picture was an acrylic
painting called ‘Sunset Over City’.
Craftsman Cooper
Timmy Cooper was given his first mallet at the age of two
and received his first set of tools at the age of four. Now
in SIII, he has graduated to a workshop in his garden
where he has developed his skills in woodwork and
metalwork, producing small intricate items - as seen in
these photographs - as well as furniture…and even a
golf club.
At the moment this is a hobby and he just very generously
gives his creations away, but we are sure that a market could
be found should he decide to set up in business!
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Junior School pupils have been out and about on a number of visits. J4 had a wonderful day at Clydebuilt
and then enjoyed a trip on the Clyde. Nursery visited the Transport Museum in Glasgow;Transitus have had
a day at Castle Semple and also a morning at Finlaystone pursuing a “Safe Kids” event. As part of their
Autumn topic Prep went to Finlaystone Estate for a walk in the woods. Although the weather was rather
wet, blustery and cold, the children had great fun.
Hopscotch Theatre Group
On 1st November, Hopscotch Theatre Group visited Junior School to perform a play about the history of
St Andrew. They took the children on a journey through time, starting in the present and going back to
when Andrew was Jesus' first disciple taking part in the feeding of the five thousand, his demise at the
hands of the Romans, then to Constantinople where his remains were brought in an effort to draw
pilgrims. The journey finally returned to Scotland where Andrew appeared in a dream to local King, Angus
MacFergus, which inspired his victory in battle against a Northumbrian army with a Saltire appearing in the sky.
As usual, Hopscotch were fantastic and held the audience captive for almost an hour with imaginative props,
excellent costumes and lots of humour. The pupils all learned a significant amount about our patron saint.
Showtime
A Peter Pan pantomime visited Junior School to
entertain children from Prep to Transitus on
Wednesday 12th December. ‘Little Blue Star’ is the
theme of this year’s Infants’ Christmas Celebration
and the Prep-Junior 3 children will put on this
fantastic show on 17th December. In preparation for
the Junior School Show in April, auditions are
already underway for the lead roles in Roald Dahl’s
adaptation of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.
Glasgow Central Mosque Welcomes J5
In November J5 visited Glasgow Central Mosque as part of their Religious Education topic on Islam.
On entering the mosque, the children naturally had to remove their shoes
and place them in racks.
A guide showed our pupils the clocks which are used
to display the times of the five daily Prayers and
they were then taken to the ablution area
where Muslims must wash themselves in a
very specific way before each of the
Prayers. Afterwards they visited the main
prayer hall, which was a very peaceful
area, and were shown a number of the
special features of the mosque: the minbar,
mihrab, minaret and dome. J5 agreed that it
was an excellent visit and brought to life all
the pictures which they had studied.
Hallowe’en Disco
The Hallowe’en Disco, run by the Parents’
Association for J3, J4 and J5, was a great success
and raised £410 for School funds.
The PA would like to thank all those who made
such a wonderful effort with their costumes.
Back to the 30s
On 14th November J6 went back to the
1930s during their visit to Scotland Street
School and the People’s Palace. Getting
into character, with the girls wearing a
gymslip and coloured sash and the boys
wearing knitted ties and woollen jumpers, the
pupils relived what it was like to be at school
in those days: strict discipline, including the
appropriate etiquette associated with answering a
question, slates and ink wells.
At the People’s Palace the pupils visited the Winter
Gardens, Buttercup Dairy and the Anderson Air
Raid Shelter.
The Best Day Ever!
Back in September, as part of Social Education,
Transitus pupils enjoyed a great team-building day
out at Castle Semple in Lochwinnoch. With Transitus
being one of the main intake years, the pupils were
at Castle Semple to make new friends, meet new
people, try new skills and obviously to learn to work
together as a team.
On arrival the pupils were split up into six different
groups, mixing girls, boys, House and class. Then the
challenges began - biking, kayaking, team games, raft
building…and getting very wet!
The pupils had a fantastic day and Natalie Bascetta
summed it up:“Our day at Castle Semple was the
best day ever! I want to do it again, but
unfortunately we can only go once a year.”
7 8

Introducing the Captains
Aimee MacDonald, Captain 1st XI
With the hockey season now fully underway, I am thoroughly enjoying my role as Captain. I noticed how
important hockey was at St Columba’s as soon as I started playing the sport at School and distinctly
remember looking up to the previous 1st XI Captains. My love for the game increased as I moved up
through the School and I now also play for Kelburne Ladies 2nd XI and have represented South West
District at U-18 level. I assist in coaching the SII teams and enjoy being involved in all aspects of the sport.
In the seasons to come, I aim to play at the highest level possible and complete my coaching qualifications.
We have had some tough matches and tournaments so far this session and the team continues to develop.
The talent within the 1st XI is impressive; we are aiming, as always, to win the South West Cup and qualify
for the Scottish Schools’ tournament next year. I feel confident in my team and through hard work and
determination we will achieve our goals.
David Morrison, Captain 1st XV
When I joined St Columba’s School in Transitus I had no previous experience of rugby. I found myself
instantly attracted to this contact sport and enjoyed its physical nature. In the first couple of years I played
second row alongside my twin brother. I then moved to my preferred position of flanker, as it offers the
chance to be involved with the backs as well as the forwards. In SIV I played a few games for the 1st XV,
but found a permanent place in SV. I have also played for Whitecraigs Under-17s, which provided me with
valuable experience.
Rugby is a great game for keeping fit and I find that the more I visit the gym between games, the more I
enjoy the match itself. Fortunately I have stayed clear of serious injury. I have always enjoyed the team spirit
and the ‘banter’. The role of Captain is challenging, as I am forced to think not only of my own game, but
the performance of the team as a whole. This has also involved moving into the position of 2nd row, rather
than flanker, to help strengthen the scrum. I have never been a try scorer, but I do the basics well and if
anyone has seen me playing they will know that I particularly enjoy tackling. I feel that St Columba’s has
given me a good grounding in the game of rugby and would like to thank the PE staff for their endless
enthusiasm and guidance. I hope to go on and play rugby at university level and possibly further.
Hockey
The following pupils were selected to represent
South West District at the Scottish Inter-District
hockey tournament on 10th and 11th November at
Peffermill in Edinburgh:
Under-16 - Megan Girdwood, Stephanie Kirkland,
Kelly Provan, Hannah Simpson, Katie Wood
Under-18 - Polly Brechin, Rachel Cannon, Becky
Marshall, Rona Paterson, Kirsty Wilson
Subsequently, Becky Marhsall and Kirsty Wilson
were selected for the Under-18 Scotland
training squad.
Rugby
The 1st XV are through to the semi-final of the
SRU Bowl and our Under-15s reached the third
round of the SRU Scottish Schools’ Cup.
Running
SPORT
There has been great enthusiasm for running this
session, with many of our pupils performing well in
the cross country competitions.
Columbans Compete for Medals
Our pupils were successful in the Kilbarchan Cross Country Championships on 16th September.
The School won the Primary trophy for the fourth year in a row with a team of pupils from
Junior 5, 6 and Transitus.
Senior I boys, Lochie Morris, Sammy Rose and
Charlie Murray, won team Gold and a number of
pupils won individual medals:
Gold - Morven MacEwen, Chloe Hardie
Silver - Greg Cunning, Tom Thickpenny
Bronze - Katie McAlpine, Olivia Finch
Lochie, Sammy and Charlie
School’s Competitors
Bronze for Road Runners
St Columba’s was one of forty schools which took
part in the Scottish Primary Schools Road Relay
Championships at Grangemouth on Saturday 27th
October. Two of our teams won bronze medals
Transitus Boys - Andrew Mitchell, Marcus McLaren
and Jack McAlpine and Junior 6 Girls - Chloe
Hardie, Amy Mitchell and Olivia Finch.
Pupils Bring Home the Medals
At the Annual Inverclyde Cross Country Championships on Wednesday 7th November our runners
performed extremely well to achieve the following excellent results:
Transitus Girls: Silver Kirsty Harper
Transitus Girls Team: Silver Kirsty Harper, Morven MacEwen, Chloe Finnie
Transitus Boys: Bronze Andrew Mitchell
Transitus Boys Team: Bronze Andrew Mitchell, Jack McAlpine, Greg Cunning
SII Girls: Gold Katie McAlpine
SI/SII Girls Team: Bronze Katie McAlpine, Jenny Pirrie, Sophie Stuart-Menteth
SI/SII Boys Team: Bronze Lochie Morris, Sammy Rose, Gregor McEwen
SIII Girls: Silver Rebecca Cameron, Bronze – Emilie Anderson
SIII Boys: Gold Calum Macleod, Silver – Stuart Bell
SIII/SIV Girls Team: Gold Rebecca Cameron, Emilie Anderson, Jordan McKenzie
SIII/SIV Boys Team: Gold Andrew McAlpine, Stuart Bell, Calum Macleod
SIV Boys: Gold Andrew McAlpine
SV/SVI Girls: Silver Emma Leighton
SV/SVI Team: Gold Emma Leighton, Becky Marshall, Rachel Cannon, Kirsty Wilson, Polly Brechin
Scottish Performance Squad
Congratulations also to Calum Macleod, SIII, who has been selected for the Scottish Performance Squad
Middle Distance.
Swimming, Triathlon
Matthew McCusker recently competed in regional
heats to qualify for the Scottish Schools Swimming
Championships being held in January. Last year he
won a Gold medal in the 200m individual medley
and a Silver in the 200m backstroke. In September,
Matthew was also selected for the Triathlon
Scottish Performance Squad. The first camp took
place at Aberfeldy at the beginning of November.
Rowing
Alexander Afuakwah in Transitus won three gold
medals for rowing in the summer.
Riding
Jessica Lee (SI) won the Mini/Major Championship
at the Scottish Schools’ Winter Individual Show
Jumping Championship on Sunday 25th November,
riding Flutey.
The School's team event is next year and
Jessica, along with Emma and Kirsten
Findlay, also of SI, seem very confident.
9 10
Transitus Boys
Junior 6 Girls

Hallowe’en Obstacles
SIV pupils Jennifer Smith and Melanie Lau
organised a Hallowe’en Inter-house
Obstacle Relay Race for charity. Mixed
teams of pupils and teachers faced a
variety of tasks, which included
dunking for apples, running a
3-legged race, dressing-up and
generally getting wet - all against
the clock!
Kilallan won the race and over
£160 was raised for a charity
helping Malawi.
Children in Need
Junior School pupils had great fun raising a total of
£890 for Children in Need. They held a Funky Tie
Day, brought coins to School to fill Smartie
tubes, had a Whacky Day with a Chair,
organised by Mrs Simpson and Mrs Scott,
and Prep saved Pennies for Pudsey.
Mrs Simpson and Mrs Scott
‘All for a good cause!’
CHARITY NEWS
Fun Raising Funds
As ever, St Columba’s pupils have embraced charitable giving with a
number of events to raise funds for worthwhile causes.
Junior and Senior School raised £850 for Breast Cancer Research and Jeans for
Genes in a pink-themed dress-down day before the October holiday. SII Art pupils
held a cake sale in School and raised £178 to help fund a garden design project
which they are undertaking for Countryview at Quarriers. Funds were raised for
the Poppy Appeal through the sale of poppies for Remembrance Day.
Kirsty Wilson and Michael Thomson in SV held an Interhouse Quiz to raise £170 for Glasgow
University Medical Research. The quiz was won by Strathgryffe after a tie-break question.
Strathgryffe - Matthew McCusker,
Gregor Wilson, Colin Mackenzie,
David Leiberman and Allison Hodgart
President’s update: Morven Simpson
The highlight of the session so far has been the Centenary Lunch held at the beginning of September. This
is something we hope can become a regular occasion and the Association would welcome feedback and
ideas for similar events.
I would like to thank David Clark for his ongoing support towards the Association. He has some fantastic
ideas to open our Rugby/Hockey Day to a wider network of FPs, as well as trying to start curling events.
I would urge all interested parties to show him
their support as soon as possible. See below for
further information.
There are a number of talented young golfers in
the School and we are keen to try to organise a
School versus FPs golf match. If any FP would be
willing to assist in the organisation of such an
event, please contact me at fps@st-columbas.org.
If successful, we could approach other schools’
Former Pupils’ Associations to hopefully arrange
subsequent golf matches, or even hold our own
FP Championship.
We are still having the ongoing battle of keeping
the database up-to-date. You can find the ‘address
details form’ in the Former Pupil section of the
110 Year Celebratory Lunch
A lunch was held in Glasgow for former pupils to celebrate 110 Years of
the School. The afternoon was chaired by Morven Simpson. David
Girdwood talked about St Columba’s School in 2007 and Dr Helen
Laird spoke of her time as a pupil at the School with a very
entertaining ‘virtual tour’. On arrival guests were entertained by
piper Christopher Scott and our Brass Quartet - Alex
Mitchell, Douglas MacKillop, Emily Jayne Russell and
Scott Dickson. After lunch SVI pupils Lauren Matthew
and Rachel Coyne sang several solos and a duet
accompanied on keyboard
by Tom Walton, former
Head of Music.
Guests enjoyed the
opportunity to catch
up with familiar faces
and there were many
requests to hold such an
event every five years. We’ll
see what we can do.
A number of copies of the hardback book “Variety
Without Disorder”, which was written by Susan
Milligan to celebrate the School’s centenary, were
taken along to the 110 Year Lunch with other
memorabilia. There was a real interest in the book
and all the copies we took along were actually bought.
We still have some copies available, so if anyone would
like to purchase one, please email
nmckay@st-columbas.org for further details.
On the Saturday
before our lunch a
number of former
pupils visited
Kilmacolm’s
Community
Centre to see the
display celebrating
the School’s 110th
anniversary and also
enjoyed a tour of the Junior
and Senior School buildings.
school website. Please inform us of any change in
contact details. This should help us reduce paper
wastage and the amount of returned mail.
I hope you enjoy reading the FP newsletter which
accompanies this edition of the Columban. Thank
you to all who have contributed and I would
encourage all former pupils and staff to send in
news for future editions.
Finally, can I draw your attention to the Former
Pupils’ AGM which will be held in the Junior School
on 13th March 2008 at 7.30 pm. We can only move
forward with your input, so your support would
be much appreciated.
FP Teams And Clubs
By David Clark
FORMER PUPILS
FP v School Matches
It’s not that long until FPs challenge School in the
annual hockey and rugby matches. The fun takes
place on Saturday 29th March 2007 - hockey
9.30am at the Astroturf, rugby 10.45am at
Birkmyre Park. Do come along to cheer on the
teams.
Senior FPs Rugby Match
Calling fellow FP rugby lads, we need you for another game. Most of us wish that we had played
better at school...or even got the chance to play. Some of us want to start playing again, but haven’t
quite got around to it. Well, the time has come. As the FP team which plays against the School’s 1st
XV is sensibly restricted by age, there’s some interest amongst FPs in staging a Senior FP rugby
game. Depending on numbers we have a few options available to us.
This senior game will be open to all FPs; no age restrictions or minimum fitness levels. So this is your
opportunity to play once a year for old times’ sake and more importantly for fun. It is envisaged that the
game would take place on the same day as the existing and well established FPs v 1st XV game. The game
would be senior FPs v senior FPs or one FP team against either Birkmyre or Glengarnock. Nothing has
yet been finalised and your suggestions are welcome. So come on, put your name down and you never
know, you might just enjoy it; if nothing else you can expand your old school contacts.
Please send me an email at mrdavidpclark@btinternet.com.
Curlers Wanted!
As some of you will be aware, School has had a
number of curlers over the years, many of whom
either played whilst at School or have taken up the
sport since leaving.
We are looking for people, any age or gender, who
are interested in becoming involved in an annual
game at around the same time as the other FP v
School games of hockey and rugby. There are a few
options available depending on numbers or
interested parties. Namely, to have a School v FP
game or to have two FP teams play each other:
boys against girls or mixed teams. Another option
is to arrange an FP game against Kilmacolm or
another local team. However, none of this can be
done without you, so come on, step up to the hack
and deliver your best shot. If you curl and are
interested in finding out more, please contact me
at mrdavidpclark@btinternet.com.
11 12
110 Year Display
Plea for Committee Members!
We urgently require a treasurer for the Association.
If any former pupil is an accountant and could take
on the small task of being responsible for our
accounts, please contact me at
fps@st-columbas.org.

Where Are They Now?
80s - Present
Jen Marshall (Brown), 1989
Jen, Jonathan and her two children are still very much enjoying life in Holland. They’ve had lots of visitors,
including Sarah van der Molen (Noble) whose husband is Dutch, and are becoming expert tour guides. Her
cousin, Jilly Adams, has given up on the Glasgow rain and headed to Melbourne for a few years where she
loves the outdoor life and is even playing netball again, but not in her old position of Centre...apparently
that's for the younger ones! She is still in touch with Emma Broadhurst (Ritchie), Linda Park (Kennedy) and
Amanda Borland.
Jane Kochanski (Adam), 1990
Jane is currently a lawyer linguist with Sallans, a firm of advocates in Paris. On 6th July this year Jane
graduated with an MBA from the Ecole Pont et Chaussees in Paris. Here is Jane’s
recollection of the day:
‘It was a marvellous occasion with 23 nationalities gaining diplomas, many
of them there in their national dress. Monsieur Paul Broekx, Head of
Human Resources for Nestle, was the guest speaker and also
presented the awards. His address was excellent and I will always
remember his closing remarks, which he delivered in French,
quoting from ‘Diary of a Country Priest’ by George Bernanos
which, freely translated, was that “We must doubt
everything but we must never doubt ourselves.”
‘I am expecting twins around Christmas, but I am also
looking forward to advancing my career and I will always
be grateful to St Columba’s for the excellent foundation
I received in both English and modern languages.’
Louise Young (French), 1992
After leaving St Columba’s, Louise became a fully
qualified nursery nurse through James Watt
College. She was employed in various nurseries
within Edinburgh before taking 12 months out in
1998 to travel around Australia, which she enjoyed
tremendously.
Louise returned to Edinburgh to work
full-time in a health and fitness club
crèche, whilst also gaining her Hospital
Play Specialism Certificate through
Stevenson College in 2004. Since
January 2005 she has been working
part-time for the crèche and parttime
for the City of Edinburgh Council
in a children’s centre, working and
supporting families from a variety of
backgrounds, which she says is very
challenging.
Louise married Gordon Young at Melville Castle,
Edinburgh on 7th July 2007. Her sister, Sarah
McAnish (French), was chief bridesmaid and Claire,
one of her flower girls, is the daughter of Rebecca
Norbury (Hillier). Sarah and Rebecca are also
former pupils of St Columba’s.
FORMER PUPILS
Georgina McMaster, 1998
Georgina, a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art,
has recently been awarded a major prize by the
Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts. The
competition was entered by thousands of Scottish
artists and although around 200 pieces of work
were on display at the RGI’s annual exhibition, only
a select few were given awards. Georgina is
currently combining freelance commissions with a
part-time teaching role.
50s - 60s
Margaret Wolfram (Gillan), 1950
Margaret, a former boarder now living in Canada, has just had a little book published. It's on her memoirs
and includes a couple of episodes of life at St Columba's School. The book is called "Primrose". That’s
Margaret’s middle name and when she first met Miss Sutton, the house mistress in 1941, she was
introduced as Margaret Primrose – that was what her mother wanted her to be called. Apparently
Margaret is quite glad that the name never stuck! On giving an update for the Columban Margaret said:
‘I have been away from St Columba's some sixty years now, but the many memories are still vivid and
mostly fun to think about. When tucking my grandchildren into bed at night, they'd say: "Gran, tell us
about when you were at boarding school." Now my eldest granddaughter is at university in Florida, so I
have had to write out the stories and that's what started the book.
‘I joined a small group of authors and we'd meet every second week. We would read aloud to each other
what we'd written then criticise the works. To be able to join this group it was mandatory to take a writing
course which, of course, I did.
‘You know, people often say to me: "It must have been awful to be at a boarding school away from home."
Initially, at age nine, it was a shock, but it soon became "home" and I realised that it was a good life after
all. Being an only child, I now had 35 sisters!’
If anyone wishes to purchase a copy of Margaret’s book please contact her at mwolfram@kingston.net.
Joan M Miller (Alexander), 1956
Joan has fond memories of her time at St Columba's, but doesn’t remember it being as academic as it is
now. She is interested in Geography and travel and recently met Mercedes McKay-Turner and Jennifer
Hoad at a Royal Scottish Geographical Society meeting. Joan has post-polio syndrome, which considerably
limits the distance that she can walk. However she can drive and travel by air, so still manages trips abroad.
Living in Milngavie with her husband, Joan has a grown-up family of three and a six-year old grand-daughter.
She runs a Housebound Group for elderly people in Bearsden, The Monday Club, and volunteers at a
charity shop in Balmore called the Coachhouse, which supports Third World charities and is very close to
her heart. Joan is a member of the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian group.
Former Head Girl, Aileen Bryant (Wilson), took a table at the recent 110 Year Lunch. Joan, Aileen and
another nine classmates sat together and had a great time catching up.
Margory Love, 1966
Earlier in year, tennis ace Margory Love
was selected to represent Great Britain
in the Maureen Connolly Cup - the
World Team Championships for
Women over 55 held at the
Club Ali Bay near Antalya in
Turkey. She captained the
team of three which finished
fourth out of twelve teams.
In the World Individual
Championships, held at the
same venue, Margory
reached the final in the
singles event for women over
55, losing to Nora Blom of the
Netherlands. This was the first
time that Margory had reached
the final, having got to the semi final
in 2004 and 2006.
In January of this year, Margory won the British
Indoor Singles for women over 55 and this led to her
selection for the British team. In August she also won the British Singles for women over 55 which was
played on the grass courts at Aorangi, Wimbledon.
Reunions
Class of 1978-79
Our 30-year reunion is on Saturday 4th October
2008 - a tour round Senior School followed by
buffet lunch. Please contact me at 41 Marine
Parade, Millport or email at
forrestmillport@btopenworld.com
Susan Forrest (Patrick)
Class of circa 1989
In two years’ time it will have been 20 years since
leaving school and Jen Marshall (Brown) thinks it
would be great to try to organise a reunion. If
anyone is interested, then please let her know at
j.marshall@planet.nl or drop her a line with your
news anyway!
Area Reps
Remember to visit the FP section of the website to
see a list of the area representatives – always useful
to know who’s where in case you’re travelling or
moving to another part of the country…or the world
Lost Contacts
Remember to visit the former pupils section of the
website - www.st-columbas.org - to view a list of
lost members and let us know if you can provide
any updated information by emailing
fps@st-columbas.org or call Nichola McKay
on 01505 873972.
FP Dates
Check out the Diary Dates section for details of
the FP AGM, FP v School matches and the social
evening on the Friday night before the matches.
13 14

Rector: David G Girdwood BSc MEd SQH
Head of Junior School: Davida L Cook DCE ITQ DipAdPrStudies DipEdMan
www.st-columbas.org
Senior School
Duchal Road Kilmacolm PA13 4AU
T: 01505 872238
F: 01505 873995
E: secretary@st-columbas.org
Junior School
Knockbuckle Road Kilmacolm PA13 4EQ
T: 01505 872768
F: 01505 874642
E: juniorsecretary@st-columbas.org