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Rector’s Message<br />
<strong>Music</strong> plays an important part in life <strong>at</strong> st Columba’s.<br />
There are a number of bands, orchestras and choirs which<br />
pupils can join and plenty of opportunities to perform<br />
throughout the school year – choirs sing <strong>at</strong> charity<br />
concerts and prizegiving, our senior school orchestra<br />
plays <strong>at</strong> Assembly each week.<br />
In addition to studying music as part of the curriculum,<br />
many of our pupils pursue individual lessons with our<br />
visiting specialists.<br />
I was delighted <strong>at</strong> the number of our pupils who took part<br />
in the Inverclyde <strong>Music</strong> Festival this year, and th<strong>at</strong> so many<br />
of them enjoyed success. Indeed, on the strength of her<br />
performance during the festival, one of our pupils, Melissa<br />
Meighan, has received a scholarship to <strong>at</strong>tend a European<br />
Youth Summer <strong>Music</strong> Course. We are also pleased to hear<br />
th<strong>at</strong> once again pupils from <strong>St</strong> Columba’s will have a strong<br />
presence in the NYCoS Girls’ Choir, and I understand th<strong>at</strong><br />
a number of them have been invited to sing <strong>at</strong> the Opening<br />
Concert of the Edinburgh Intern<strong>at</strong>ional Festival <strong>at</strong> the<br />
Usher Hall.<br />
<strong>St</strong>aff News<br />
Mr Calum ure, Head of Ancient and Modern Languages, is<br />
leaving to take up a new post <strong>at</strong> George W<strong>at</strong>sons. Ms Lisa<br />
Rodgers will be replacing him. Ms Rodgers is an honours<br />
gradu<strong>at</strong>e of the University of Edinburgh and has nine years<br />
of experience teaching French, most recently <strong>at</strong> Auchinleck<br />
Academy, East Ayrshire.<br />
We also bid farewell to Ms eileen Carey. Ms Carey is joining<br />
the Classics Department <strong>at</strong> Hutchesons’ Grammar <strong>School</strong> in<br />
August.<br />
Mrs Christine Gillies, who has worked in Support for<br />
Learning <strong>at</strong> <strong>St</strong> Columba’s for ten years, mainly <strong>at</strong> Junior<br />
<strong>School</strong>, is leaving <strong>at</strong> the end of the Summer Term to pursue<br />
other commitments.<br />
In June there will be a chance to enjoy some of the musical<br />
talent from the <strong>School</strong> <strong>at</strong> events such as the Silver Tablet and<br />
the Be<strong>at</strong>ing the Retre<strong>at</strong>. I do encourage you to come along to<br />
both.<br />
As usual <strong>at</strong> this time of year many of our pupils are emerging<br />
from a demanding schedule of examin<strong>at</strong>ions. For some these<br />
weeks have been the most challenging of their lives so far, as<br />
they hope to secure places <strong>at</strong> their chosen universities. I wish<br />
them every success for the future and hope th<strong>at</strong> we will see<br />
many of them again soon <strong>at</strong> former pupils’ events. I would also<br />
like to take this opportunity to thank all those members of<br />
staff who have supported them along the way.<br />
Enjoy the summer break and I look forward to welcoming<br />
pupils returning in August.<br />
Our best wishes to Mrs Jane Wild who is also leaving to begin<br />
a new position <strong>at</strong> the University of Glasgow. Mrs Wild worked<br />
first <strong>at</strong> Junior <strong>School</strong> as a classroom assistant, before moving<br />
to reception duties, most recently <strong>at</strong> the Senior <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Welcome back to Mrs Nichola McKay and Mrs Nicky<br />
Gardiner, who have both been on m<strong>at</strong>ernity leave.<br />
Ms Marion Boquet, covering for Mrs Pamela Kennedy, who<br />
is on m<strong>at</strong>ernity leave, is leaving to go to Bangladesh with her<br />
partner.<br />
Mrs Gillian Green (PE) and Ms Tracy Wright (Business<br />
<strong>St</strong>udies) will both be taking m<strong>at</strong>ernity leave in the next<br />
academic year.