Creative Communities - St Columba's School

Issue 34 june 2012
The Columban
Aiming High: Lachlann
Represents Scotland at the
British Tumbling Championships

Rector’s Message
Another school year is almost coming to a close. As always
at this time I am very aware that many of our young people
will soon be leaving us. no doubt they will be feeling a
mixture of excitement and trepidation about moving
on, but I hope that they will also feel that their time at
st Columba’s has prepared them well for the new
challenges this next stage of life presents. We hope they
will keep us up-to-date with their ongoing achievements
in the former pupils section of the Columban.
Over the next five years we will also be saying farewell
to a significant number of staff as they reach retirement.
This year our Head of Junior School, Mrs Davida Cook, and
several of her staff will be leaving us. While the prospect
of change is always a little unsettling, I believe that Mrs
Cook and the colleagues who depart with her leave behind
excellent foundations. I thank them for their hard work and
commitment over the years and wish them well in their
retirement.
Once again we mark the end of the academic session with a
celebration of excellence and achievement. You may recall
that our guest at last year’s Senior School prizegiving was
the adventurer and broadcaster Mark Beaumont. We were
delighted when he subsequently requested that the School
Pipe Band play at his wedding in April. This year it will be my
pleasure to welcome Dame Joan Springer, Principal and Vice
Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, to Senior School
prizegiving. We are also very pleased that Mrs Cook has agreed
to be our special guest at the Junior School prizegiving.
In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy the many other events
which we have ahead of us, such as the Silver Tablet Concert
and Beating the Retreat.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 sChool neWs | 1
Staff News
Mrs sheila Robertson and Mrs sheila swinnerton will take
early retirement at the end of this term to spend more time
with their families.
Ms Catherine Patterson will become a full-time, permanent
member of staff with a commitment to Junior School Music.
Congratulations to Mrs Alison Gillen (History) on the birth of
her son, Arthur.
Our best wishes to Mr Alan Morrison (Design) and lindsay on
their marriage.
There have been a number of new appointments:
Marie hillyard-Planchon
Ms Marie Hillyard-Planchon has been appointed as a teacher
of French and Spanish. Ms Hillyard-Planchon is a graduate of
Université Paul Valéry and is currently teaching at St Modan’s
High School, Stirling.
Finlay Campbell
A former Head Boy of St Columba’s, Finlay will be known to
many of you. He is already involved in Saturday morning
rugby, working with some of our J6 and Transitus pupils,
and supports with the Duke of Edinburgh Award’s Scheme.
He completed a BA in Outdoor Education and a PGDE at
Strathclyde University and is currently teaching both in
Kilcreggan Primary School and at Hermitage Academy.
He will be teaching in Junior 4 next session.
Anne Dickson
Anne is a Hutchesons’ FP and a BEd(Hons) graduate of
Strathclyde University. She has worked at both Kelvinside
and Hutchesons’ and is currently covering a long-term supply
at Woodlands Primary School. A keen sportswoman, Anne
is looking forward to being involved in the wider life of the
School. She will be teaching in Junior 2 next session.
lucy eadie
lucy is also a St Columba’s FP who will be known to many of
you. She is a BEd(Hons) graduate of Edinburgh University,
after which she travelled extensively across Australia and
New Zealand. lucy is currently teaching at The Glasgow
Academy and enjoys a wide range of sporting activities.
She will be teaching in Junior 6 next session.
Mrs Duncan (left) and Mrs Andrews (right)
Kathryn leighton
Kathryn taught at Kelvinside Academy and is currently a
teacher at George Watson’s in Edinburgh. She is originally
from Oxford and studied French to MA(Hons) level at Glasgow
University, before embarking on a year’s PGDE at Edinburgh.
Kathryn has played hockey at a national level (England
Under-18), as well as captaining the Glasgow University team.
She will be teaching in Junior 5 next session.
Rachel Porter
Rachel has been teaching in our Junior School as a 0.6
Support for learning teacher since August. She came to us
from Kelvinside Academy, where she taught for 5 years as
both a Support for learning and a class teacher. A BEd(Hons)
graduate from Strathclyde University, Rachel has been
teaching since 1994. She will be teaching in Junior 5 next
session.
Mrs Alison Duncan (head of junior school)
Mrs Duncan joined St Columba’s as Depute Head of Junior
School in August 2011 from The Mary Erskine & Stewart’s
Melville Junior School, where she held the post of Head of Year.
She has a passion for learning; she is an honours graduate
in Modern languages from the University of St Andrews
and has since completed a number of additional teaching
qualifications, culminating in the Scottish Qualification
for Headship award in 2011. She is looking forward to the
challenge of leading our Junior School into the future and
being at the heart of both the School and local community.
Mrs jane Andrews (Depute head of junior school)
Mrs Jane Andrews is an honours graduate in History and
English of King Alfred’s College of Higher Education and holds
the higher degree of Master of Arts in Education of the Open
University. She began her teaching career in 1985 and has
taught in a number of different types of schools and served
as a Depute Head for four years and as Head Teacher for three
years, before moving with her family to the west of Scotland
in 2005. Jane joined the staff of St Columba’s in 2006 and is
currently teaching Transitus classes.

2 | sChool neWs THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
Creative Communities
Website
You can now read about Creative Communities at
www.creativekilmacolm.org
Many thanks to Harry lang (SIV), who made the video
and sound recordings for the site. Harry is studying Sound
Engineering as part of Intermediate II Music with Technology.
The Adventures of the
Olympic Flame
‘The Adventures of the Olympic Flame’, a collection
of stories written by pupils from St Columba’s
School and Kilmacolm Primary School to celebrate
the passing of the Olympic Flame
through Kilmacolm, was launched in
late May. We were delighted to have
amongst the guests at the event
Mr Hamish Hardie. Mr Hardie
competed in the 6m sailing class
at the 1948 Olympic Games.
Winning Words
Earlier in the year pupils from Junior and Senior School
entered the Young Writer Competition, which was
organised by Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland.
Congratulations to Thomas Rainey (Transitus), who has
won second prize in his category (poetry 11-13 years).
The competition was awarded the Inspire mark by the london
2012 Inspire programme and the theme was ‘Olympic Dreams’
or ‘Olympic Spirit’. You can read Thomas’s poem, ‘King of the
Hill’ at www.creativekilmacolm.org.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 sChool neWs | 3
Superheroes to the Rescue
Children enjoyed learning how to create a six-frame cartoon story with the help
of artists from the Glasgow Cartoon Art Studio at a series of workshops. Our
superheroes rescued pupils from a blazing school hall, were dangled over tanks
filled with man-eating fish and escaped the clutches of jelly-tentacled monsters.
Community Workshops
A highly successful ‘Writing from life’ workshop was followed up by an
unscheduled session some weeks later at Glebe Court Sheltered Housing. Thank you
to participant Patricia leitch and her carer, Maureen, for facilitating this.
We have two workshops scheduled for children and young people later in the year.
Who am I and Where am I?
24 August, 4.00-5.30pm, Kilmacolm Community Centre
Young People, 14-18 years , 15 max
Jasper Fforde is a genre-busting writer. This a chance to challenge yourself and
produce something amazing for your SQA English portfolio or maybe just for fun.
www.jasperfforde.com
everyday Magic
6 October, 10.30am-12pm, Kilmacolm Community Centre
Children , 8-13 years , 28 max
As we approach the witching hour, a chance to hear Roy Gill read from his new book
‘The Daemon Parallel’ and create your own parallel universe. www.roygill.com
To take part in the workshop, please email Kirstin Zhang at creativecommunities@
st-columbas.org
Photography
Competition
We are delighted to announce that
Mr Peter Sandground, an awardwinning
freelance photographer,
has kindly agreed to judge the 2012
Photography Competition.
The theme is ‘superheroes’.
There will be a winner and runner up
for each category:
12-14 years – Winner £50,
Runner-up £25
15-18 years – Winner £75,
Runner-up £50
18 years & over – Winner £125,
Runner-up £50
The deadline for submission is
Friday 31st August 2012.
For full details please see the
Creative Communities website
www.creativekilmacolm.org
St Columba’s School ltd is a registered charity SC012598

4 | ChARIty AnD CoMMunIty THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
Charity and Community
SVI Volunteers
Beth Fraser
As part of a new initiative, a number of SVI pupils volunteered
to help at Kilmacolm Primary School for an hour each week.
Unsure of what would follow, we each ventured down to the
school, where we were given a warm welcome and introduced
to the teacher whom we would be assisting over the course of
the year. I was assigned to Primary 4 and, aside from the odd
‘St Cucumber’ joke, I was well received by the children. I have
been involved in the various topics they have studied each
term and have very much enjoyed getting to know them all on
a personal level.
From helping to construct Viking helmets, to getting tangled
up in wool during an afternoon weaving session, it has
certainly been a blast from the past and has very much
reminded me of my Junior School days. I will be sad to say
goodbye to the children at the end of the school year and
urge the upcoming sixth years to give this a go, especially if
they are considering teaching as a career. It is undoubtedly
an experience that I shall not forget and many of the skills
will prove useful as I begin university (although maybe not
weaving!).
Saddlebags 2012 Calendar
Rosalind, Alastair & Ewan lauchland would like to thank all
who purchased a copy of the Saddlebags 2012 calendar to raise
funds for The Teenage Cancer Trust and Cancer Research UK.
They particularly wish to thank the Parents Association and
Mr & Mrs Mitchell of lynton House Dental Practice for their
sponsorship, which was used to help cover the printing costs.
A total of £6500 was raised and has been split between both
charities.
Earth Hour
Alexander osborne
On Friday 30th March, as part of Eco-Initiatives, teachers
at Senior School were encouraged to use as little power as
possible for the day. This was part of the worldwide event,
Earth Hour, set up by the World Wildlife Fund. Some teachers
turned off the lights and interactive whiteboards and
discussed with pupils why they were doing so. Some went a
lot further. Mrs McCaffer even banned the use of calculators
in Geography and Mrs Shaw survived the whole day without
paper, lights or electricity. This proved an interesting day,
with classes literally thrown back to the ‘dark ages’. It showed
us that climate change does not simply affect us, but has a
knock-on effect on the natural world. We hope pupils were
encouraged to take part in the global event the following day,
which saw cities around the world plunged into darkness for
one hour.
Health and Wellbeing Film
Pupils in SI and SII are currently working on a short film
about Health and Wellbeing at St Columba’s. Volunteers from
the lunchtime club have been very busy writing scripts and
filming their own scenes, which are acted out in German,
Spanish and French. Many thanks to the pupils in SIII-V who
are giving up their time to help out. We look forward to the
première of the finished film.
Eco Week
Eco Week has become a permanent fixture on the Senior
School calendar. This year we were delighted to welcome
Councillor Wilson to Assembly to launch the week and speak
about environmental initiatives in Inverclyde. Teaching and
learning had an Eco focus throughout the week and fun
events were organised for lunchtimes. These included a sale
of Fairtrade products, which raised over £200. Ms Rodger
coordinated a jewellery recycling scheme, which raised around
£100, and the annual Eco Quiz was won by Craigmarloch.
SII pupils upcycled jumpers to create attractive cushions
and SI Art classes worked with recycled materials to produce
CityScapes. Our popular Freecycle event enabled pupils to
exchange books and acquire reading material for the February
break.
Molly Cuthberts and Annalise Nixon (Transitus)
with their eco-instruments

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 sChool | 5
Ardgowan Hospice
Duncan stewart
Fiona Bell, Sarah Frederick and Duncan Stewart (SV) took part
in a Schools Project at Ardgowan Hospice. Pupils from a range
of Inverclyde schools also attended and it was interesting to
talk to other pupils who were interested in careers in similar
fields, such as medicine. The first two weeks were focused on
how the hospice was run and, in particular, dispelling common
myths about hospices. The next section taught us about
fundraising and how as little as 44% of the money required
to run the hospice actually comes from the NHS. The rest,
well over a million pounds, has to be found by the hospice’s
fundraising team (so any donations are much appreciated!).
The final two weeks of the course covered the more sombre
topic of death. Although this was one of the more difficult
conversations to have, it proved to be a very interesting topic.
On the last day a priest who organises a lot of funerals,
Father Carlin, came in to talk to us about his job and much
to our surprise, was actually very funny and entertaining.
Our involvement with Ardgowan is not over yet. We still have
to make a presentation at the hospice in June to our parents
and teachers about what we have learned during the project.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
The following pupils were awarded their Silver Award at
Assembly by School Governor, Mr Hugh Curry:
Hal la Thangue, Fiona Bell, Anna Provan, Megan Reilly,
Emily Weir, Emma Findlay, Mark McGregor, Alexandra Findlay,
Beth Reid and Hannah Kerr.
Bronze, Silver and Gold teams have spent the last couple of
months preparing for their respective hikes, which will take
place in June.
World Schools Debating
Championship
Mrs stevens
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to be selected to judge
at the World Schools Debating Championship in Capetown.
The 48 countries represented at the Championships came from
across the continents of Africa, Europe, N & S America and
Australasia. Although it was disappointing not to have anyone
from St Columba’s in the Scottish team, it was very exciting
as the final in Capetown Cathedral was between Scotland and
Wales. The motion in the final was:
This House regrets South Africa’s decision to use the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission rather than prosecuting perpetrators
of crimes committed under Apartheid.
Scotland won by 8 judges to 1.
The breathtaking scenery of Table Mountain was always a
backdrop to our journeys to different schools around Capetown
to compete and one day, in complete contrast to much of what
we had experienced in other schools, we visited the Township
schools. Despite having read much about South Africa and
the poverty of so many, nothing prepared me for the schools
there and the enormous contrast between buildings with
caged classrooms, iron bars on all the windows and doors and
furniture padlocked, in case it disappeared, and the delightful
pupils spotlessly turned out in immaculate white shirts and
socks. As I sat at the back of one classroom while the debaters
prepared, I had a fascinating conversation with a Year 10 boy,
who showed me his spotless, carefully covered Maths jotter
and his very neat homework with the few errors he had made
neatly corrected; as I listened in stunned silence, he told me
about his school and how he loved learning! There are not
many wide-eyed Scottish 15-year-old boys who readily admit
to loving learning.

6 | sChool THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
South Africa is a beautiful country to visit, with spectacular
scenery and very relaxed and friendly people. Despite the
intensity of the competition, we did have one free day after
the preliminary rounds and before the break rounds, when the
Scottish team chose to visit a game reserve. The four-hour plus
bus journey inland was not an exciting prospect, but when we
finally reached our destination and boarded our jeep for the
day I really began to appreciate the experiences I had seen so
often on television. Watching the elephants showering each
other in a mud pool and the lions basking in the sunshine less
than five feet from our jeep was an unforgettable experience
and as our guide took us round to see rhinos, hippos, zebra,
springbok, blue and white-tailed wildebeest, giraffes, cheetahs
and wild buffalo the hours flew by, the cameras clicked and
clicked and we felt our heads were on swivel-sticks as we
responded to shouts of “look at that”, “ there is another
hippo”and “can we follow that elephant to the watering hole?”
The 4-hour journey back to Capetown passed in an orgy of
wild life photographs and sheer amazement at the spectacular
experience the reserve had been.
On the second last evening, as the Scottish team prepared for
the final, several of the teams and 20 judges went up Table
Mountain to watch a most spectacular sunset. As darkness fell
across Capetown and the lights lit up the city in the harbour
way below us, berthed in port was the luxury liner, Queen
Mary 2, the flagship of the Cunard fleet preparing to sail to
Australia. It was a delightful evening, which left us relaxed
before the tension of the final the following afternoon and
Scotland’s victory.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 FACulty neWs | 7
Faculty news
Art
Paisley Art Institute schools’ Competition
Congratulations to the following pupils:
overall Winner (MacFarlane shield)
Dominic Bogle (SI)
sI – sII
1st Jamie Wilson (SI)
2nd Beth Galloway (SI)
3rd Zoe Borland (SII)
sIII – sVI
1st Holly Gibson (SIII)
2nd Saskia Robinson (SIII)
3rd Melissa Rankin (SIII)
j4-7
1st Tara Patel
A selection of work is being exhibited at the gallery until the
10th of June to coincide with the annual exhibition. You can find
out more about the PAI at www.paisleyartinstitute.org.uk
Biennial Art show
Amateur and professional artists will be exhibiting their
work once again at our biennial Art Show on Saturday 15th
September. A wide range of art will be on display, so why not
come along to look or even buy!
The painting below was produced by Iga Martynow (SV).
English
Inter-house Poetry Competition (Gregor Keir)
Now in its fourth year, the annual inter-house poetry recital
competition was once again judged by Mrs Sommerville.
The winner in the SI-II category was Maryka Cain (SI), while
Gregor Keir (SIV) and Stuart MacQueen (SVI) were both
winners for Kilallan. A performance of the winning poems
made for a very interesting assembly. Stuart’s “honest,
sonsie face” graced the stage, entertaining the audience
with a superb rendition of the Burns classic “To a Haggis”.
The haggis in question, however, was slightly unconventional,
consisting of a carrier bag and some (hopefully clean) socks.
Gregor’s performance of Edwin Morgan’s “Good Friday” saw
a philosophical, though slightly inebriated, gentleman on a
Glasgow bus temporarily take over assembly, while Maryka
gave an excellent recital of J.M. Caie’s “The Puddock”, the
tale of an ebullient frog who believes that there’s never been
one better than himself, only to find that he makes nothing
more than a small snack for the heron who swallows him up.
Thanks are due to the English Department for organising the
event and to Mrs Sommerville for acting as judge.
the elizabeth earnshaw Prize
The Elizabeth Earnshaw Prize for imaginative fiction has been
won by Jessica Curry in the SI/II category, Saskia Robinson in
SIII/IV and Katrina Holbrook in SV/VI. All English students
in the school took part and used a number of pieces of music,
helpfully supplied by the Music Department, and a variety of
interesting pictures as stimuli for their pieces. The standard
was very high across the school and the winning entries
displayed a high level of imagination and literary ability.

8 | FACulty neWs THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
the Burns Project
For a number of years the English Faculty has asked SII pupils
to complete a piece of work on ‘Tam o’Shanter’. This work
should display the themes, images and central concerns of the
poem in an imaginative way. Pupils are therefore asked to use
their knowledge of the text to create something different that
displays their own understanding and makes themselves and
others think about the poem. For the first time this year the
scope of the project was broadened to allow SI and SIII to take
part. SI and SIII looked at a variety of poems with a common
theme and used their knowledge of these to produce a creative
response. The best pieces of work in each year group were
awarded small prizes and the winners this year were: Jessica
Curry (SI), lewis White (SII) and Saskia Robinson (SIII).
Geography
Red Cross Visit (Garth Finch)
The SII Geography class was visited by a member of the Red
Cross, who taught us about ‘Emergency Rescue’ or in other
words, the reaction to a natural disaster. We were given
photographs which we had to sort into order – to show which
situations seemed most like an emergency rescue. To our
surprise, we discovered that all the photographs showed forms
of emergency rescue. We were then given cards which we
once again had to sort into order of importance in the shape
of a pyramid, the top point being the most important. After a
debate we realised how many things are crucial when aiding
people in the midst of a natural disaster. The visit ended with
the story of a young boy caught up in a disaster. It was very
frightening to read. We enjoyed the visit very much and are
grateful to the Red Cross for teaching us about an exceedingly
important matter.
Science
scottish space school
Edward Stirrup and Alex Wren (SV) have been accepted for the
Scottish Space School. This will take place during the summer
holidays.
Music & Drama
sweet sound of success
Congratulations to the following pupils who have successfully
auditioned for NYCoS:
Boys’ training Choir Jamie Ewing
Boys’ Choir Marcus Wylie
Alastair Smith
Gavin Findlay
Girls’ training Choir Ciara Ewing
Catriona Faint
Rowan MacKillop
Girls’ Choir lucy Bishop
Sophie Stuart-Menteth
Fiona Faint
Olivia McNee
Changed Voices’ Choir Luca Hlaing
training Choir Rebecca Anderson
Luca Hlaing
nyCos Melissa Meighan
In addition, Clare Eagle (SVI) has been awarded the
DipABRSM. She passed Associated Board Grade 8 with

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 FACulty neWs | 9
Distinction in SIV. Ms Carey, Director of Music, said, “Most
musicians aspire to pass Grade 8 by the time they reach
Senior VI. To have achieved the diploma, which is incredibly
demanding, is a statement, not only of Clare’s musical talent,
but her dedication.”
Clare said, “I’m delighted, but surprised. The jump from Grade
8 to the diploma was huge. I wasn’t confident I could do it.”
As part of the exam Clare had to perform a thirty-five minute
programme. However, Clare has had plenty of experience of
performing at a high level. Apart from her solo at the school’s
recent concert in Greenock Town Hall, she was invited in
November to perform with the Royal Scottish National
Orchestra during a concert for Scottish schools, which was
held at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. On this occasion she
played violin.
Clare attends the Junior Department of the Royal Scottish
Conservatoire, where she studies piano and violin. She
practises three hours of piano and one hour of violin every day.
When she has time, she also plays the cello.
Inverclyde Music Festival
Duncan Brown trophy (awarded to the competitor with
the best aggregate marks in bagpipe classes in the age group
16 and under) – Sandy Ritchie
the A. Willis Calder Memorial trophy (awarded for the best
performance by any girl or boy entrant in appropriate vocal
solo classes) – Melissa Meighan
the jack Paterson Memorial shield (awarded to the best
solo instrumental performer in the age group 7-11 years) –
Kedar Crossan
the McCaig Quaich (awarded to the competitor with the
best aggregate marks in bagpipe classes in age group 14 and
under) – Keir Brown
All results can be found on the School website in the Music
Department news section.
trinity Results – March 2012
sophie ewing Piano Initial Distinction
Aidan hendry Piano Initial Distinction
Catriona lindsay Piano Initial Distinction
Grace Mcloughlin Piano Initial Distinction
sophia Guyler Piano Initial Merit
Keder Crossan Piano Grade 1 Distinction
Matthew Brodlie Piano Grade 1 Distinction
holly Pitts Piano Grade 2 Distinction
Amy Drysdale-Dykes Piano Grade 3 Distinction
Molly Cuthbertson Piano Grade 3 Merit
thomas Rainey Piano Grade 3 Distinction
jamie Beverstock Piano Grade 3 Merit
Will Fleming Trumpet Grade 3 Distinction
Kim Crawford Trumpet Grade 3 Merit
Amy Crawford Piano Grade 4 Merit
Duncan stewart Clarinet Grade 5 Distinction
Fiona Faint Clarinet Grade 5 Pass
Gregor Keir Piano Grade 6 Merit
Caitlin Girdwood Flute Grade 6 Merit
Kirsty harper Clarinet Grade 6 Distinction
Associated Board of the Royal schools of Music
ewan Davidson Clarinet Grade 1 Merit
emily lee Flute Grade 2 Distinction
Rhona McPhail Flute Grade 4 Pass
nicole hall Flute Grade 4 Merit

10 | sPoRt AnD PhysICAl eDuCAtIon THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
sport and Physical education
Lachlann at British
Tumbling Championships
lachlann Murphy (J6) won the grade 1, 11-12 years old,
Scottish Tumbling Championships and subsequently
represented Scotland at level 3 in the British Tumbling
Championships.
St Columba’s Junior
Gymnastics Competition
2012
lucy McClymont 1st=
lachlann Murphy 1st=
Rachel Bannatyne 2nd
Catherine jones 3rd =
Anastasia Denholm 3rd=
Scottish Secondary
Schools’ Cross Country
Championships
laura Stark won the Under-14 individual gold medal and
St Columba’s School took team gold at the Scottish Secondary
Schools’ Cross Country Championships. The team consists
of laura Stark, Iona Miller, Catriona Allan and Jessica Curry.
laura subsequently represented Scotland in the British
Schools’ International Cross Country event.
Scottish Primary Schools’
Cross Country
Congratulations to all 18 St Columba’s athletes who took part
in the Scottish Primary Schools’ Cross Country Championships.
Kim Crawford ran a fantastic race and won an individual gold in
the J6 race and the J6 girls won team bronze. The team consisted
of Kim Crawford, Katrina Miller, Sarah Wilson, Anastasia
Denholm and Olivia Saddler. The J6 boys, David Martin,
Ross Wilson, Cameron Stark, Cameron McPhail and Andrew
Smith, were 8th, the Transitus girls, Molly Cuthbertson, Anna
Campbell, Annaliese Nixon, Rachael Curry and Amy Crawford,
were 13th and the Transitus boys, Jonathan Bradford, Rowan
Gibson and Cameron Marr, were 18th.
South West Hockey Cup
St Columba’s won the South West Cup for the tenth year in a
row, captained by Kirstin Bailey. The team thus qualified to
play in the Scottish finals at Peffermill.
Team: laurie Kirkland, Kirsten Bailey, Karina Bailey, Sarah
Frederick, Abi Robb, Beth Nandwani, Katie McAlpine, louise
Binning, Morven MacEwen, Megan Reilly, Anna Provan, Jenny
Pirrie, Caitlin Girdwood, Megan Hammond and Amy McIntyre

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 sPoRt AnD PhysICAl eDuCAtIon | 11
Interhouse Hockey
Kilallan was overall hockey champion this year with
Craigmarloch 2nd, Duchal 3rd and Strathgryffe 4th.
Junior School Swimming
Championships
Open butterfly competition (for all swimmers from J4-6)
Girls winner Kim Crawford
new school record of 17.96 seconds
Boys winner Calvin Wardell
new school record of 16.67 seconds
Championship event
(3 lengths, 1 back crawl, 1 breaststroke and 1 front crawl)
Girls Champion Kim Crawford
Boys Champion Calvin Wardell
Winning house
Strathgryffe
j6 Girls back crawl
Kim Crawford with a new time of 18.29 sec
j6 Boys back crawl
Calvin Wardell with a new time of 18.92 sec
j6 Boys breaststroke
Calvin Wardell with a new time of 20.82 sec
j5 Boys back crawl
lewis Heasly equalling the time of 20.39 sec
Junior School swimming champions (Calvin Wardell and Kim Crawford)
and the winning house captains holding the swimming shield (Jordan
Wotherspoon and Lucy McClymont for Strathgryffe).

12 | sPoRt AnD PhysICAl eDuCAtIon THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
Netball
Gillian Beggs
St Columba’s A and B netball teams competed in the
Inverclyde Spring Netball league at Greenock Sports Centre.
It was a two-part tournament involving around 18 teams from
across Inverclyde. The girls played extremely well in the first
round of matches, with the A team winning all their games,
securing them a place in the second part of the tournament.
St Columba’s B team showed great determination and hard
work, finishing in third place and only narrowly missing out
on a spot for the finals. Subsequently St Columba’s A team
played against five other teams, achieving four wins and one
draw, which gave them the highest score in the competition.
The girls were delighted to defend this particular title for a
third consecutive year. Mrs Connolly and I were very pleased
to see the girls demonstrating both a positive attitude and
good sportsmanship at this event.
Squash
Jack Smillie (SI), who only started playing in February
last year, has gained a place in the West Scotland
development squad. He represented the West of
Scotland at the Junior Inter Regionals at under-13
level, competing against juniors from six
regions in Scotland. He also won his division
at the Central and West tournaments, where
players from all regions in Scotland compete.
Sailing
lewis Marr (SIII) has been selected to join
the Bank of Scotland local Heroes programme
run in conjunction with Sport Aid. lewis sails a
Topper sailing dinghy and has been a member of
the Scotland National Topper Squad for three years
and this year is a member
of the GBR Intermediate
National Topper Squad.
lewis recently joined
other athletes at the
Marriott Hotel in Glasgow
to receive his Sport Aid
Award, followed by a
Bank of Scotland local
Heroes workshop at
Scotstoun Sports Centre.
The workshop, which was
hugely motivational for
all, covered areas such
as learning how to deal
with media attention,
the use of social media
and the benefits of
sports psychology. The
day involved former
Olympians leon Taylor
(diving) and Jonathan
Edwards (triple jump) and
present Olympian lee McConnell (athletics), who gave an
insight into the dedication and perseverance needed to reach
the top as an athlete.
With the Olympics in July, it is an exciting year to be involved
with the local Heroes programme and the athletes even
managed to get their hands on the Olympic Torch.
British Schools’
Karting Championship
St Columba’s karting team, Tom Thickpenny, Glen Fraser
and lewis Marr (SIII) came second in the Regional Heat of
the British Schools’ Karting Championship and qualified for
the Regional (Scottish) Final. Unfortunately, the Regional
(Scottish) Final was held in Edinburgh when Tom was
competing in Italy and they were unable to attend.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 sPoRt AnD PhysICAl eDuCAtIon | 13
Rugby
Most Improved – Alexander Bascetta
Captain’s shield – Gregor MacEwen
Player of the season – Ker Malcolm & Sean Yacoubian
Hockey
Most Improved – Megan Reilly
Captain’s shield – Kirstin Bailey
Goalkeeper’s shield – laurie Kirkland
Player of the season – Kirstin Bailey
High Jump
Hayley Skimming (SIII) recently took first place in the
Under-15 high jump at an event at Kelvinside Academy.
Overall, she is now 8th in Scotland. Hayley is a member of the
Giffnock North Athletics Club.
Castle Semple
Rowing Regatta
St Columba’s pupils enjoyed success at the Castle Semple
Rowing Club Regatta, the largest one-day Rowing Regatta in
Scotland. Congratulations to:
harry Rodgers – J12 open single – 2nd
Katie Rodgers – J14 Double – 3rd, J14coxed quad – 3rd
Megan Connolly – J15 single- 4th,
Womans Novice Coxed Quad – 1st
Chloe lyth – J18 single – 4th, Womans Novice Double – 1st
Chris leiberman, who has only been rowing for a month,
took part in the Men’s Novice coxed Quad – 4th and the Mens
Novice Double and were 4th in their Heat (first three to final).
Katie, Megan and Chloe were part of the winning crew in
the Womans Novice 8. Chloe and Megan have now lost their
novice status in Sculling and are now row under R1 Status.
Sports Dinner
We were joined by Scotland and Glasgow Warrior rugby
players Ed Kalman and Johnnie Beattie. They provided an
informative and amusing insight into the day-to-day life of a
full-time professional rugby player and the commitment and
dedication required to make it to the top of their chosen sport.
During the evening a number of pupils were also recognised
for their sporting achievements throughout the season.

14 | junIoR sChool THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
A note from Mrs Cook
It is hard to believe that as I write this, I have only eight
weeks left before I retire as head of junior school. It is a
time of mixed emotions. I am, of course, very excited about
having more time to spend with my family, in particular
the three new grandchildren who are expected in the next
few months, but I will be really sad to leave what has been
such a huge part of my life over the last twelve years.
I have obviously been spending a lot of time reflecting over
the last few months. Both education and the School have
undergone huge change. There has been the implementation
of the Curriculum for Excellence and enormous developments
in technology. I am so proud of what we have achieved
and in the capacity of the staff to embrace new initiatives.
The sense of teamwork within the School is wonderful and all
the teachers really look out for each other, both professionally
and personally. As Mrs Duncan establishes her new team,
I know that she will continue to build upon this crucial part
of the School. Our new appointments have all been made
and I am confident that this is the beginning of a new and
successful stage in the history of the School. It has been
wonderful to have the opportunity to work with Mrs Duncan
to ensure a successful transition period.
I will miss the children so much – their innocence and
enthusiasm for all that is on offer. I have so many happy
memories of their comments and throw away remarks!
It is always a pleasure to see the pupils in Senior School
and remember them when they were just innocents in
Junior School!
Easter Eggcentricity
With so much going on in the school, there has been little
chance of winding down this session, indeed far from it.
I thought last term’s concert was a great success. However,
having seen how emotional I became at the end, I don’t
hold out much hope for a tear-free prizegiving! I have lots of
goodbyes to say and I hope I will have opportunities to say
them personally to the many friends of St Columba’s, but to
those I will not see, may I say thank you for the support you
have given me over the years. I wish this very special school
continuing success in the future.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 junIoR sChool | 15
Review of The Keymaster
Mark Connolly, j6
Pupils from Junior 4, 5 and 6 staged a production of The
Keymaster by Nick Perrin and it proved to be a fun and thrilling
adventure for those involved.
The play tells the story of a class of unruly schoolchildren
whose view of history as boring is completely transformed
when a strange, cool and quirky supply teacher comes to the
school. He takes them on a rollercoaster journey with his
magical set of keys and timelock, transporting them back in
time to different key points in history. However, it is not until
they travel to the future and see the devastation that has been
caused by man that they realize they can use the keys to go
back in time and save the planet.
As well as having an important message about the need to
look after our planet, the play also had some brilliant acting,
some very catchy songs and some great comedy, which had
the audience howling with laughter.
All in all, I believe that The Keymaster was a success. Although
during rehearsals there were some frayed tempers, I think
that, in the end, we all pulled through and gave an outstanding
performance. As a result, we received a great amount of
positive feedback from all who saw it. It’s true that every
actor and back-stage helper was weary after each show, but
we all had a ball and if I, the Keymaster, really did have magic
powers, I would go back in time and do it all over again.
The Keymaster programme was designed by Kim Crawford (J6)

16 | junIoR sChool THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
Eco News
Ashleigh Blyth’s mother donated a plum tree to the Junior
School and it is doing very well. We are hoping to get lots of
plums this year!
We are hoping to carry out lots of work around the school
grounds in the summer term and have a Saturday event
(details to follow). One of the jobs is to build the greenhouse
we bought with our Morrisons vouchers.
Six Nations Rugby Mascots
Radovan Sarafilovic (J5) and Alistair Currie (J1) represented
Scotland as mascots at the recent Scotland v France Six
Nations match held at Murrayfield. They described their day
as “exciting” and were presented with a Scotland rugby strip
and a signed programme as souvenirs of the event. They stood
in front of the Scotland team during the national anthem and
were then given great seats from which they had a good view
of the game. Despite the result, both Radovan and Alistair
enjoyed their day.
Prep
The Prep children and their parents enjoyed dancing at our
Katie Morag Celebration. The children also went on an Easter
egg hunt with their J5 buddies. Great fun was had by everyone.
Junior 1
We have enjoyed having Mummys and Daddys join us for our
active learning. The most popular activities so far have been
playing in the “gloop”, making models from junk and using
real saws and hammers! Our topic this term is ‘Percy the Park
Keeper’ and we have changed our home corner into Percy’s
shed. The children are growing cress seed heads and designing
their own seed packets in the shed.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 junIoR sChool | 17
Junior 2
The children in Junior Two welcomed some visitors to
their classroom. In January Dr lew-Chin Chee Crawford,
parent of Gregor, came in to talk about the Chinese New Year.
She brought with her some beautiful Chinese clothes and
other interesting items to share with the children. They were
particularly delighted to be given a traditional money wallet,
containing a chocolate coin.
In March the children were visited by storyteller Susan Wilson
and her little ‘assistant’, Onion. They were enthralled by her
tales and enjoyed taking an active role in helping to bring her
stories to life.
Junior 3
Junior 3’s World Book Day had an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme.
The children and staff dressed up as characters from the book.
The children made sandwiches and decorated biscuits to have
at the ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ in the afternoon. Everyone had
a lovely time eating and chatting politely.
Junior 3 also enjoyed a visit from Badger the Mystical Mutt
and his author. The author read from the book and answered
questions about Badger and his friends. The children really
enjoyed meeting Badger and were very inspired by the story.
Junior 4
Fairtrade stall
Junior 4 learned about Fairtrade as part of their Healthy Eating
topic. The children organised and ran a Fairtrade stall selling a
range of goods, from delicious chocolate to jewellery and toys.
The goods were supplied by Rainbow Turtle – the Fairtrade
shop in Paisley.
Running the stall also gave the Junior 4 children a great
chance to practise their money skills. Everyone in Junior
School had the opportunity to visit the stall and it was so
popular that many products were sold out by the middle of the
week! In total we sold £1,111.30 of Fairtrade goods, which was
an amazing result.
Diamond jubilee healthy eating Café
The parents of Junior 4 children were treated to a Healthy
Eating Café fit for a Queen. As well as enjoying cucumber
sandwiches, strawberry tarts and fruit cocktails, the parents
were treated to a medley of songs, poems, jokes and facts
about Healthy Eating.
Jack Patton in Junior 4H came up with the idea of inviting Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the café. He felt she must know
quite a lot about healthy eating. On behalf of the rest of Junior
4, Jack wrote to the Queen to invite her and we were all thrilled
when he received a reply. Unfortunately the Queen wasn’t
able to join us on this occasion, but the children had a lot of
fun making red, white and blue decorations for the café in
celebration of her Diamond Jubilee.

18 | junIoR sChool THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
Junior 5
Junior 5 are currently studying electricity and forces as part
of the Junior School Science curriculum. The first experiment
involved investigating static electricity using a woolly item
and two balloons. When the children rubbed their woolly item
on the balloon, the wool lost electrons, developing a positive
charge. The balloon therefore gained electrons, developing
a negative charge. The children learned that positively and
negatively charged objects were attracted to one another and
that two negatively charged balloons repelled. The children
had fun exploring the effects of a negatively charged balloon
on their hair!
Junior 6
Junior 6 have been studying Robert Burns as a topic and
visited the Burns Birthplace Museum and Burns Cottage.
A guided walk between the two sites took them along Poet’s
Path, which depicts the story of Tam O’ Shanter, as well to
Alloway Auld Kirk and Brig O’ Doon, which both feature in the
poem. The children also got to see what life was like in Burns’
time with a chance to dress up and take part in some role play.
The Glasgow Science Centre Body Works tour came to visit
the Junior School as part of their topic on the Human Body.
The children were entertained and educated with a show
about body systems and how they can maintain a healthy
body through sport participation, regular exercise and a
healthy diet. After the show the children got the chance to try
out some Science Centre exhibits.
Transitus Report
This term Transitus gave a presentation on their favourite
books. The talks were very interesting and we found out a
lot about pupils’ favourite books. We also did a presentation
on a renewable energy source. We had a choice between
posters, newspaper articles and power points to present the
advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy. This was
held in Physics lessons at Senior School.
The athletics season has started and we are having a great
time with our championship well under way. We will soon find
out who will become the Transitus sports champions.
We have also entered a competition for Home Economics.
This was a hygiene competition to see how clean we can keep
while cooking. This competition was held by Sainsbury’s and
was extremely good fun.
In language we have been reading the ‘The Wind in the
Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame. We acted out and freeze
framed some scenes from the playscript. This was fun and
entertaining.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 junIoR DeVeloPMent sChool | 19
Development
The Board of Governors has now concluded missives for the
purchase of land on the Milton Wood site adjacent to the rear
of Senior School. The land would be purchased subject to
planning consent for an extension to the Senior School.
At the time of going to print the School had submitted an
application for planning consent in principle to Inverlcyde Council
and was in the midst of a 21-day period for lodging comments
related to the application. We were delighted that Kilmacolm
Community Council decided to support the School’s application.
In summary
• The extension would create space to allow Transitus pupils
to return to Senior School.
• Modern accommodation would be provided: science
laboratories and preparation rooms, classrooms and
teachers’ bases for English and Mathematics, a Drama
studio, a new entrance to the School with reception and
offices, medical room and much needed toilet, locker and
changing facilities.
• This would allow a reorganisation of the old building to
accommodate the languages and Humanities faculties.
Social areas for the children would also be created.
• The school roll will not increase; the size of the School is at
the heart of the School’s character and ethos.
• The School wishes to remain within the heart of the village.
• The building would be on a relatively small site (less than
two Hectares) behind the former police house and opposite
the existing buildings on Gryffe Road; the school building
would be adjacent to the woodland.
• The plans are sympathetic to a woodland setting; the
character of the site would be retained with the building
nestling into the existing surroundings with the removal of
only 4 mature trees.
• The new facilities would be available to the community
including a community car park of 33 spaces which the
overwhelming voice of the village requested.
• Pedestrian access to the woods would still be available
throughout the construction process.
• The entrance to the site on lochwinnoch Road will be
altered to reduce the widths of the roadway and establish a
pedestrian path.
• Construction traffic would not be permitted to enter or leave
the site during times when children are walking to and from
school.
• The School is in contact with Inverclyde Council with a
view to arranging for a Crossing Attendant to patrol the
entrance to Duchal Avenue. The Safe Route to School would
be unchanged.
• Staff cars would enter the site by Duchal Avenue. A total
of 47 parking spaces would be available; this will reduce
significantly congestion on Duchal, Gryffe and lyle Roads.
• School buses would continue to arrive and depart from
Gryffe Road – not lochwinnoch Road.
• The pupil entrance would be by Gryffe Road – all droppingoff
and collecting including school buses would be by this
entrance only.
• This is a sole application by St Columba’s and is not related
to other applications anywhere in Kilmacolm.
• The School’s planning application is for educational
facilities – not residential housing.
• The width of the access road is that which is required
for staff and community car parks together with service
and emergency vehicles. This size of road will be required
regardless of any future aspirations of Duchal Estate.
• Kilmacolm Primary School, when it was built, was on land
designated at the time as ‘Greenbelt’ and, more recently,
Inverclyde Council approved the building of Inverclyde
Academy and Gourock Primary School on land designated as
‘Green Open Spaces’.
• Previous applications for housing have been denied.
• In developing its plans the School entered into a
consultation exercise with a number of groups within
the community, including the Community Council, the
Civic Trust and neighbours. Meetings with these groups
took place again in April and May to confirm how the
consultation exercise shaped the proposal. During the
consultation process the School also engaged with both
the parental body and the wider community, through local
publications and a week-long exhibition in Kilmacolm
Community Centre, and in general received very positive
support for the plans.
Financial Assistance Fundraiser
A golf event was held at Kilmacolm Golf Club to raise funds
to provide financial support for children who would not
otherwise be able to access a St Columba’s education and to
provide hardship support for school families.
Following a bacon roll and coffee, fourteen teams of parents,
business partners, staff, former parents and former pupils
teed off in the Texas Scramble. The day was rounded off by
a fabulous lunch at the club house, a raffle and prizegiving.
Notable prize winners included Iain Findlay’s team (the Old
Stiffies). In second place came Sandy Binning’s team and in
third place was Graham Cunning’s team (the Tartan Terrors).
The scores were tight, the last placed team having a net 64…
so proper golfers on the course! Fiona Malcolm was the winner
of the longest ladies’ drive.
The event raised just over £7,000. Thank you to everyone who
supported this very worthwhile cause.

20 | FoRMeR PuPIls AnD FRIenDs THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
President’s update
hello and welcome to the Former Pupils and Friends
section of the Columban. It’s unbelievable to think the
school year is nearly over and another sixth year is about
to join us as former pupils of st Columba’s school. We wish
them the best of luck for the future – please remember to
keep in touch.
On 31st March we had a wonderful day for the FP rugby and
hockey matches – the weather was very kind to us, if not a
little chilly! We had a fantastic turnout – well done and thank
you to all of those who made the effort to come along; it was
lovely to see you all. The committee would like to take this
opportunity to say a huge thanks to Heather Glass (Crawford)
and Gillian leitch (Smith) for all their help on the day.
It was great to see some former pupils playing in the
St Columba’s School Golf Day at Kilmacolm Golf Club in
April, which was arranged by Sara Bishop – Alison Adams
(Burns), Norah Adams (Brown), Blair Williamson, David
Slack and Stuart Thomson, to name a few.
Our AGM was held in March. Unfortunately we did not have
a great attendance, but we would like to thank those who did
come along.
The FP Association has taken the decision to support a charity
annually in the same way that the School has done for many
years. We will select a specific charity each year, which will
be different from the one chosen by school. The charity will
hopefully always have an association with a former pupil and
FP& School Matches
The annual Former Pupils and School Matches took place on
Saturday 31st March and thankfully, this year, nothing was
rained off… the sun even shone!
The School Pipe Band paraded the teams on to the pitches,
which always adds to the occasion. A fantastic number of
supporters turned out to cheer the teams on and all enjoyed
refreshments in Junior School following the matches.
Results
hockey
Winning team – Former Pupils (Capt: Stephanie Kirkland),
3-0. Man of the Match – Gillian Green (Soutar)
Rugby
Winning school team – Captain’s Team (Capt: Gregor
MacEwen), 34-0. Man of the Match – Gregor MacEwen
Winning FP team – FP Team A (Capt: Jamie McDonald),
12-10. Man of the Match – Hugh Gillies
As mentioned in the President’s Update, Calum Yacoubian, a
former pupil and medical student, talked of his charity work
with The Sanata Trust. His parents, Paul and Paula Yacoubian,
have also visited the programme.
most importantly, have an emphasis on education. We will be
organising events, big and small, to help fundraise. This year
we have chosen The Sanata Trust in Kenya. It was brought
to our attention by Calum Yacoubian, our Head Boy of 2006.
The Sanata Trust runs an orphanage and school in Gilgil,
Kenya. They help orphaned babies and children by taking
them off the streets and supporting them into education.
Calum visited the orphanage during his elective year from
medical school and was incredibly moved by the work that
they were doing. We started fund raising at the FP rugby and
hockey matches and made a fantastic £700.
Our main social event this year is the House of Commons
lunch on Saturday 3rd November. This event is proving to be
extremely popular and we look forward to seeing lots of you
there. Places are going very fast, so please get in touch soon if
you are interested in going.
Thanks to everyone who has sent in updates for this
Columban – remember if you have anything of interest,
please let us know – it’s great to hear from you. Email
fps@st-columbas.org or write to the FP Association at
Senior School.
Please also keep in touch on Facebook –
www.facebook.com/stcolumbasfpfriends.
Kind regards
The FP Committee
Ros Davidson with Sean Yacoubian, Stephanie Kirkland and
Calum Yacoubian

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 FoRMeR PuPIls | 21
Sanata Restart Centre is a haven for about 70 less fortunate or
abandoned street boys in Gilgil. It is home to boys aged 2-20
years (although many don’t actually know their real age) who
have been rescued from a life of crime, drug abuse and begging
on the streets.
The centre was started with the aim of addressing the plight
of young, idle, illiterate and unemployed boys resident in the
Bondeni and Somali Camp areas of Gilgil, places characterised
by widespread prostitution, theft, drug trafficking, abuse and a
myriad of anti-social attributes. Eight out of every ten boys in
Bondeni and Somali Camp have been molested.
The boys are offered counselling by two experienced
counsellors and go through informal learning sessions
imparted by two teachers. The boys are now ready to continue
with their schooling. Sanata Restart Centre needs help
to create a proper environment for the boys by building a
rehabilitation/youth training and resource centre, as well
as a series of family-unit homes, and to give them a future
through education. Further, the centre hopes to accommodate
more boys, as well as start up training and empowerment
programmes for the older boys, but this is subject to the
availability of funds. A similar rehabilitation scheme for girls
is also envisaged.

22 | FoRMeR PuPIls THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
Facebook: St Columba’s
School, Kilmacolm –
FPs & Friends
Get connected with former Columbans – former pupils, former
staff, former parents and friends of the school. Pictures,
events, news and chat will all be posted here.
If you have not already done so, please like the new page at
www.facebook.com/stcolumbasfpfriends. We would love
to get the numbers up, so please share the page with your FP
friends.
Network on linked In
We are in the progress of setting up a School account and
details will be available in due course.
Former Staff lunch
Rosemary hammond
Former Pupil Carries Olympic Torch
james Mitchell
At the moment I am approaching the end of the MA Fine Art
degree at Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts
london (UAl). I graduated from the Master of Architecture
course last summer and in October coming I am hoping to
start working at an architect’s office in pursuit of my Part 3
Architecture (the professional qualifications).
I was chosen to carry the Olympic Flame based on my work
with Orkidstudio, the charity I founded around five years ago.
I’ve just returned from a five-week trip to Zambia, Kenya and
Uganda. In Zambia, we have launched our third project, which
is in aid of the Mutende Children’s Village and School. It was
set up around 10 years ago by the Bristol Christian Fellowship
and linden Church, Swansea and is still actively supported by
both churches today, During my trip I ran a ‘design and build’
workshop, which resulted in the construction of a chicken
shed. It included a large space for around 800 egg-laying
chickens and a store room for feed.
In Easter 2013 we will return to Mutende to build a second
chicken shed, this time for meat-chickens. And then, in
Summer 2013 we are running a 2-3month construction project
to build a new hall and classroom structure for the school.
We are also in the very early stages of pursuing a new project
in Kawangware – an inner-city slum in Nairobi. This would be
to provide mobile classrooms that could be easily assembled
and dismantled as required without any skilled labour or
special tools. Here, we would be helping a school called Elim
Academy, however, the idea is to manufacture the classrooms
in a prefabricated form and distribute them worldwide to
similar areas of need.
On Wednesday 9th May 2012 some 21 former members of
staff gathered at the River Inn for lunch, much chat and many
reminiscences of our time together in St Columba’s. The hair
had more grey and there were several walking sticks, but
none of that held us back. The farthest travelled was Marjorie
Willox from Stonehaven and the oldest was Marjorie McKeller
(or maybe Elspeth Buchanan) and Isobel Evans attended for
the first time, probably the youngest there. Sally Smythe, who
left as a young mother around 1976, came back again and is
becoming known to later serving members of staff.
Drew livingstone, John Spinks, David Craig and Tom Walton
represented the men-folk and seemed to enjoy the mainly
female company. There was a wonderful atmosphere
when news of families, weddings, engagements, expected
grandchildren, as well as granny boasting books were
exchanged, travel plans discussed and news of those unable to
be with us was recounted. We are becoming so laid back about
this gathering that no photos were taken – we can do better
next time – providing we don’t have collective senior moments
then too.
I was very humbled to have been nominated and then
recognised by the Olympic Torch organisers for my work with
Orkidstudio. It is certainly a rare opportunity to carry the
Olympic Flame and I hope the occasion will help raise some
awareness of what the charity does and hopes to do in the
future. The charity has achieved a huge amount in the past
four or five years, certainly more than we had ever anticipated.
Although I am carrying the Torch alone, I would like to thank
the many people who have helped us over the years, and in
particular the other two founders, Su Mei Tan and Julissa
Kiyenje.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 FoRMeR PuPIls | 23
House of Commons lunch,
Saturday 3rd November
The House of Commons lunch, sponsored by former pupil Eleanor laing MP, is always a great success and
the FP Association hopes that many of you will support the event again this year. Former pupils, former
staff, current staff and friends of the school are all very welcome.
Due to recent changes in the pricing structure in the Food and Beverage Department at the House of
Commons, as well as general inflation, the price per head has unfortunately risen considerably since
our last lunch. The price will be confirmed shortly and will be in the range of £60-£65 a head. At this
time we will take a deposit of £30 to secure your ticket and the remainder will be due once the final price
has been confirmed. The 3-course lunch will be held in one of the exquisite Dining Rooms and Terrace
Pavilion from 12.00-15.00. There is also the option of a guided tour of the historic building which costs
approximately £7.50.
To reserve a place, please complete the booking form below.
london residents often meet for coffee at the National Gallery beforehand, at around 10.30am. If you
are interested, please mark this on the booking form and we shall pass your details to the london Area
Representative.
House of Commons lunch Booking Form
I wish to book for the above event and understand that these tickets are non refundable, but are
transferable if prior notice is given. Each ticket will be printed with the ticket holder’s name to meet
House of Commons security requirements. If ordering more than one ticket, please print and complete for
each person as the tickets will be posted prior to the event – either copy this booking form or download
further copies from the Former Pupils/Events & Reunions section of the school website.
You need to bring the ticket with you to gain entry, as this is a House of Commons security requirement.
Name
(Nee)
Address
Postcode
Tel
Email
Dietary Requirements – please tick if applicable:
Vegetarian option
Special dietary requirement –
please specify
lunch £30.00 deposit. Balance to be paid prior to the event.
I enclose £ (cheques payable to St Columba’s Former Pupils’ Association)
I would like to reserve a place on the guided tour.
I would like to meet for coffee. Please pass my details to the london Area Representative.
Please send your completed booking form and payment to:
Former Pupils’ Association, st Columba’s school, Duchal Road, Kilmacolm, PA13 4Au

24 | FoRMeR PuPIls THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
Class Notes
lynn Preston, 1974 & norma elliott (Park), 1975
lynn Preston and Norma Elliott visited Senior School on 15th
March. After a tour of school and much reminiscing with
Debbie Dickie (Tinton), Dorothy Motherwell (Carpenter) and
Rosemary Reeves (Sim), afternoon tea was served in the Main
Hall, providing a chance to peruse old photographs.
lynn said:
“I left St Columba’s in the seventies. I have not been back for
many years. However Nichola McKay and the school recently
were very kind enough to show me around again, something
I have always longed to do, as I always looked back with great
fondness on my school days.
I was shown around with Norma Elliot (Park) and it brought
back so many happy memories; I just wish boys had been
allowed in the school when I was there.
Since leaving school I have been an Occupational Therapist
throughout my career, although I developed Multiple Sclerosis
in 2003 and had to give up work. I live in Gourock with my
partner Colin.
Thanks to all who arranged such a lovely afternoon, especially
Nichola McKay, and for the special efforts made to help me
around in my wheelchair.”
jen Marshall (Brown), 1989
I have recently moved to New Zealand thanks to relocation
by my husband’s company. We have been living abroad for
the last six years (Holland and Switzerland) and now find
ourselves on the other side of the world. I am loving it so
far and I have taken up golf again and still play tennis. The
children, now nine and seven years old, have settled in very
well to their new lives and schools in Auckland.
I met up with Jane Gamble (Rowand) who lives in Taupo, and
had a lovely visit from my cousin, Jilly Adams, who is based in
Melbourne. I am looking forward to lots of family and friends
coming to visit.
Andrea Martin-Wright, 1992
Andrea Martin married Graeme Wright on 5th November 2011
in New York City on the banks of the East River in glorious
sunshine between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan
Bridge. A wedding lunch was held in The River Café followed
by dinner at Giles. Former pupils at the celebrations were
Corrie Martin and Gillian lovatt (Taylor).
Pippa shaw, 1995
Pip delivered Theo Thomas Robinson on 19th April weighing
7lb 2oz. A brother for Jamie (7) and Sam (5) and another
grandchild for Pat Shaw, who left the School Office in 2002.

THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34 FoRMeR PuPIls | 25
joanna Ford (lindsay), 1998
Joanna is delighted to announce the arrival of a son, luke,
on the 10th May 2012 in Aberdeen. Joanna and her husband,
John, are moving to Norwich in July. John starts an Academic
Clinical Fellowship in Public Health at the University of East
Anglia in August. Joanna has completed her Registrar training
in Aberdeen and takes up a Consultant post in Norfolk and
Norwich University Hospital in Medicine for the Elderly in
February 2013.
nikola Miller, 2001
Nikola was delighted to be awarded Young Planner of the Year
2011 and was presented with her award at the Royal Town
Planning Institute’s Planning Awards ceremony on
23rd February 2012 at the lancaster Hotel, london.
An extract from the RTPI’s Planning Award’s brochure
describes Nikola’s achievements:-
Edinburgh-based consultant planner Nikola Miller’s
enthusiasm, communication skills and commitment to
planning values made her the judges’ choice to represent
junior members of the profession as Young Planner of the Year
over the next 12 months.
The Geography graduate began her planning career on a
summer placement with North Ayrshire
Council, after which she gained a planning qualification at
Heriot-Watt University. She joined consultancy GVA as a
graduate planner while completing her masters, then took up
a permanent position with the firm after becoming a chartered
planner in 2008. Her work at GVA included a masterplan
for John O’Groats and a major mixed-use redevelopment
in Edinburgh city centre. Her masters dissertation covered
emerging Scottish government policy on community
involvement and she has been able to follow up this interest
in designing engagement programmes for large-scale
applications and masterplan sites.
A placement with Planning Aid for Scotland allowed Nikola to
further develop her understanding of the impact of planning
on communities. As a development officer, she worked to
develop and deliver training to communities, with a particular
focus on creating an education programme to engage children
in planning.
last year she joined development company Miller
Developments, working on large-scale mixed-use
developments. In November 2011 she moved to the rural
planning team at Smiths Gore. Her work ranges from smallscale
housing applications to large-scale site promotions.
Nikola is committed to continuing professional development
(CPD) – both personally as a Planning Aid volunteer and
professionally as convener of the Edinburgh lothian Borders
Fife chapter of the RTPI, where she has taken a lead in
organising CPD and networking events for members. Before
last year’s Scottish elections she organised a hustings
event, bringing together parliamentary candidates and built
environment professionals to discuss planning issues.
She represents young planners through her role on the
Scottish Young Planners Network steering group, working
to provide assessment of professional competence advice to
young planners, an annual conference and other networking
opportunities.
Miller says planners should look to related professions and
beyond in promoting planning as a positive process for
change and a mechanism to deliver viable developments
and sustainable economic growth. “Culture change has to
come from within the profession, but we need to transmit it
to others too,” she says. “Planners have had a bad press as
‘enemies of enterprise’, but planning is a positive force for
change in emerging from recession,” she says. “I would like to
put the message across that there are lots of opportunities – so
stay in planning, show your enthusiasm and get involved.”
Becoming a Planning Aid volunteer is a “great opportunity”
for planners to show their worth, she adds.
The judges said: “Making a final decision was difficult, but
Nikola Miller stood out to us as someone who is inspired
by engaging people with planning and has the passion and
communication skills to inspire others. We believe these
qualities make her a real ambassador for planning and what it
can achieve.”
Katy Kaskonas, 2004
Katy and Thomas Anderson (2003), who met at school and
have been together for nine and a half years, are delighted to
announce their engagement. We look forward to hearing about
the wedding date and venue.
In Memoriam
Geoffrey Duncan
We are sad to announce the death in April of Geoff Duncan.
Geoff was well known in Kilmacolm, having moved to the
village from Bridge of Weir in recent years. He was Chairman
of the local Board of Directors for St Columba’s from 1972 to
1982 and also Chairman of the Girls’ School Company from
1977 until 1990. This was a very demanding time in the
history of St Columba’s School and Geoff steered the School
smoothly into co-education and the introduction of the
assisted places scheme. Following his retiral as Chairman,
Geoff was a staunch supporter of St Columba’s and was a
regular and distinguished presence, always in his kilt, at
School events such as the Silver Tablet, Prizegiving and the
Carol Service. He is survived by his son David, daughter Rosie,
who is a former pupil, and grandchildren Tessa and Rory.

26 | the BACK PAGe THE COlUMBAN ISSUE 34
Laura Stark
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
Rector
David G Girdwood
Dl BSc MEd SQH
head of junior school
Davida l Cook
DCE ITQ DipAdPrSt DipEdMan
St Columba’s School ltd is a
www.kennethgray.co.uk
registered charity SCO 12598
www.st-columbas.org Design