MINERVA

MINERVA
THE NEWSLETTER OF KELVINSIDE ACADEMY
SPRING 2015

MINERVA
Dear Parents
Habits of Mind
In the September edition of Minerva, I wrote about
the education of Mind, Body and Spirit at Kelvinside
Academy. By developing habits of mind, the 5Cs
of intellectual character, we are encouraging
young people to be active learners who think for
themselves.
Like many teachers, I have been particularly
influenced by the ideas of Carol Dweck, Professor of
Psychology at Stanford University. Dweck’s research
focuses on motivation, personality and success and
her ideas pare down to identifying two contrasting
mindsets.
A ‘fixed mindset’ is where students think their skills
and intelligence are fixed and the product of natural
talent. They don’t try to develop them as they
believe this is not possible. They view every test as
a reflection of their intelligence and perhaps also an
opportunity to fail.
A ‘growth mindset’ is where students think their
skills and intelligence can be developed through
application. They set their own goals and don’t seek
to compare their performance with that of others.
They accept failure as a necessary part of learning;
they believe in possibilities and are willing to work to
improve.
When I spoke about this at Assembly, several
students asked me if it was possible to change
from a fixed to a growth mindset. It is. Moreover,
by adopting the language of growth, praising effort
and positive habits of mind rather than natural
intelligence or ability, adults can empower young
people to develop the resilience and capacity for
personal growth in and out of the classroom. This
term, teachers and pupils from Nursery to S6 will
continue to work on the 5Cs and in particular on
concentration, persistence, focus and accuracy. The
staff training day in February will be focussed on
active thinking and active learning.
At Kelvinside Academy, senior students regularly
lead assemblies and I do not think it is a coincidence
that they use the language of a growth mindset.
Lewis Trainer spoke about how he was taking a ‘step
by step’ approach to a personal challenge. Chloe
Plazalska explained how she had transformed her
fitness and skills, especially in hockey, by working
hard to improve them. Jack Kerr told the school
how he had been inspired by another student’s quiet
strength and determination. Imogen McDonald gave
us the importance of being positive and above all,
smiling! Fergus Mitchell talked about embracing
change and going out of your comfort zone. Finally,
Melissa McKendrick gave us proof of the growth
mindset by taking a leading role in the school show,
having auditioned for a non-singing part!
Learning Walks
Back in October, I had the opportunity to visit
Lancaster Country Day School, Pennsylvania, at the
same time as Kelvinside pupils on their USA trip. The
Head, Steve Lisk, was generous with his time and
gave me a very full tour of the LCDS campus. I spoke
to teachers and senior leaders, and I looked at how
another school was approaching the educational
challenges of the Twenty-First Century.
A few weeks ago, I followed an S1 class for eight
consecutive periods in order to take a snapshot of
a day in the life of a pupil. I can only say that I will
do more ‘learning walks’ because I was inspired
by what I observed in the lessons. There was
striving for accuracy, concentration and focus;
there was problem solving, curiosity and higher
order, speculative thinking (what if… what could be
different?). The S1 pupils were very willing to learn
and engage, to have a go and take a risk.
I saw a lot of excellent collaboration and pupils
working together and with the teacher as a learning
partner. In fact, the relationships between teachers
and pupils were excellent.
With regard to teaching, I saw a lot of individual
attention and differentiation, and teachers who
worked very hard indeed within the lesson. FROG
and devices were clearly much in use. I observed a
good mix of audio, visual and kinesthetic learning
during the day. It was just a snapshot......but a great
snapshot!
Robert Karling MA MBA
Rector
2

SPRING 2015
Nursery
This term the children have explored a
variety of themes and interests including:
Scotland (with our very own referendum!),
Castles, Diwali, Fire and Road Safety and
Christmas.
Visits have included Mugdock Castle,
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery,
Maryhill Police Station and Knightswood
Fire Station.
We have focussed on developing and
highlighting ‘Collaboration’ as part of
our Habits of Mind activities. There have
been lots of golden leaves given out in
recognition of pupil co-operation and great
examples of children working together for
a shared goal.
The PATHS (Promoting Alternative
Thinking Strategies) initiative is underway
with Nursery 2 children. They are
participating enthusiastically in the weekly
sessions aimed at developing emotional
skills.
A special Pink Day took place during the
October holiday sessions and raised £51
for Breast Cancer Awareness. Our Wellie
Run in aid of Children in Need raised an
amazing £368.
The Nursery gained its Bronze Eco Award
and is now working towards obtaining its
Silver!
The children excelled in their Christmas
show “A Nursery Rhyme Nativity”. The
set looked fantastic, particularly with Mr
Boyd’s twinkling star! It was the first show
to be held in the Pavilion at Balgray and
the large audience declared it a wonderful
success.
3

MINERVA
Junior School
The Junior 2 and 3 Show
“A Midwife Crisis”
In the last week of the Winter Term, the children
from Junior 2 and 3 presented a witty and
thoroughly enjoyable take on the Christmas
story from the point of view of a midwife sent to
Bethlehem to deliver an important baby! Faith
Gerber, in the title role, was very expressive
and clearly spoken and – like many ward sisters
before her – not a character to be trifled with!
This set the standard, as one group of children
after another took on their roles with real
enthusiasm, clear voices and excellent timing.
There were many cameo roles to enjoy in this
production; for instance, the very grumpy
innkeeper and his wife, played by Cruz Taylor
and Connie Speirs respectively; the fierce
Roman soldiers played by Carlo Milne, Kenzie
McNarey, Cruz Irvin and Brody Brannigan and
the talking donkeys, Riley Dempster and Charlie
Byers, who stole the show a few times with their
repeated line, “But nobody EVER listens to a
donkey!”
There were other highlights to be savoured like
the beautifully choreographed dancing by the
angels and the star – Erin Bratt, Anna Faulkner,
Yasmeen Boutaleb, Eva Melville, Lauren
Smedley and Annastacia Hinde. The four
narrators – Mathilde McLellan, Daisy Dalziel,
Barath Selvedren and Adam McManus – kept
the story moving along with great clarity.
Best of all was the sense we all had of the
children really enjoying presenting this show to
parents, grandparents and other visitors. All
the children showed poise and confidence and
everyone had to pinch themselves to realise that
the children were still only 6 or 7 years of age!
Well done to the staff who brought this show
together – Lynne Hill, Neil Armet, Lynne McColl
and Emma Laird-Jones. The bar has, once
again, been raised.
4

SPRING 2015
Junior School Quiz Night
Pupils in Junior 4 and Junior 5 challenged their parents
and friends to a battle of wits as part of a new venture
- the Junior School Quiz Night. Questions were set by
the children on topics they had been studying this term
so quiz rounds themes included Renewable Energy,
Electricity, Sporting Heroes and The Human Body.
Parent Teams competed in the Gilchrist Theatre for the
honour of being the winning team. They also had the
opportunity to view a display of recent pupil work and
to take on the children at some electric circuit games
which the pupils had designed themselves.
It was an inspiring and competitive evening and the
pupils were delighted to discover that many of their
relatives found the questions quite tricky. The night
ended with a rousing rendition of the 70s classic ‘Let’s
Work Together’, chosen to tie in with Junior School
pupils’ work on collaboration – as well as to show off
their air guitar skills!
Junior 1
The boys and girls in Junior 1 have settled really well into school
life! They have particularly enjoyed having a J6 Buddy to look after
them.
To learn their alphabet and investigate numbers, the children
visited an imaginary place called Jolly Island. They discussed and
investigated holiday destinations, islands and the seaside and
enjoyed a fantastic day trip to Helensburgh exploring the beach and
visiting the Lifeboat Station.
After finding out about different means of transport, the children
enjoyed a workshop at the Riverside Museum focussing on many old
ways of travelling.
Learning continued in school with fun activities including bread
making for the Harvest Festival, Halloween celebrations and an
interesting talk from the SSPCA. J1B performed at Assembly with
their play “My cat likes to hide in boxes” while J1A performed “Five
Little Friends” – impressing watching parents with their singing and
acting. Highlights of the term included writing and posting letters
to Santa, the Pantomime at Mugdock Country Park and helping
our Fairy Godmother, Mrs Wright, decorate the wonderful school
Christmas tree. The term ended with a flurry of glitter, glue and
tinsel while making some Christmas Art.
5

MINERVA
Junior Netball Success
Eight of our Junior 6 netball players took part in a
Fun 5 Primary School Netball Festival at Tollcross
Sports Centre. The team won 8 out of their 9
matches, which was a fantastic result.
Junior School
Junior 3 – Diwali
Junior 3 classes learned more about the ancient
Hindu festival Diwali, the Festival of Lights. The
classes were fascinated to learn about the Hindu
customs and there were some connections with
their novel study on ‘The Owl Who Was Afraid Of
The Dark’ and fireworks night.
Daisy Dalziel (J3)
Owl Magic with Junior 3
Junior 3 were thrilled to make some new feathered
friends as part of their class book study of ‘The
Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark’.
Owl Magic brought a large selection of beautiful
owls into school and all pupils had a chance to
hold the owls and learn about them and their
environment.
Whitelee Windfarm Experience
A few weeks ago we went to Whitlee Windfarm.
First we went to the exhibition, played games and
did a quiz. We even powered lights with a bike
wheel. Then we got a tour of the windfarm. Our
guide was called Andy.
In our tour we learnt about renewable energy and
saw and learnt about the massive wind turbines.
Their blades are 40m to 50m long. That is really
big. We also learnt about peat, the energy from the
ground. You can also sink into it.
I was very interested in the animals which lived on
the wind farm. My favourite animal was the adder
snake, the only deadly snake in Scotland or maybe
Britain. That was not the only animal which lived
on the wind farm. There are others like deer, otters,
insects, sheep and birds. The wind farm we went to
is the biggest in Britain and the second biggest in
Europe.
After the tour we went into the exhibition again and
did an experiment to test which shapes were the
best to catch wind. I was in a group with James and
Owen. We thought the best shape would be the
blades like the real turbines, but we were wrong.
Rectangles were the best because they were fatter
so they could catch the wind easily. They went so
fast that one of the shapes came flying off.
I enjoyed everything about the trip.
Finlay Pirrie (J5)
6

SPRING 2015
Junior School Creative Writing
Spooky Story
It was Halloween and a girl called Jennifer and a
boy called Toby were trick or treating. After they
had gone past several houses, they came across
an old dark house and they went into it.
The first thing they saw was a pencil, so they took
it.
The next day Jennifer was in school and took
the pencil in her pencil case and started to write
things with it. The first thing she wrote was, “I
would like an apple”. But as she bent over to get
her rubber something caught her eye and guess
what - it was an apple!
The class got up and were all looking at the pencil
because THE PENCIL WAS STILL WRITING!!!
They peered at what it was writing and it wrote,
“A billion deadly snakes”!
Then they all jumped onto chairs as the ground
was filled with long green lines. Suddenly the
teacher saw people leaping and running in the
school grounds.
Jennifer glanced all over the room to see where
the pencil had gone. Finally, she saw it hopping
on a desk. She panicked at first then saw a yoyo
on her chair. She grabbed it and leaped onto the
desk, extending the yoyo as she went. It hit the
pencil as it landed with a bang with all the snakes
following behind.
There was quiet, then the room was filled with
cheering. Jennifer had saved the world!
Ava Neilson (J5)
The Spooky Thought
A long time ago, when I was a child, I used
to visit my grandparents. They lived in a big,
stone house in the countryside. They had no
neighbours and the nearest village was ten
miles away. They told me never to go into the
basement because it was unsafe and there were
broken things lying around.
One dark night I heard a noise in the house. At
first I didn’t know where it was coming from. I
jumped out of my bed and went down the stairs.
I thought that the noise was coming from the
basement. I didn’t know whether I should go
down or not. I made up my mind and went
down. I felt tired after that and fell asleep. When
I woke up I saw my phone beside me.
On my phone, I saw a picture of me sleeping.
Nicholas Sproule (J5)
Writing inspired by War Game written by Michael Foreman
Dear Mum,
You won’t believe what happened. It started on Christmas Eve when we were trying to acclimatize to the
vulgar conditions we heard a droning noise and being daft, Charlie went up the fire step and looked over the
trench wall. Worryingly he said the Germans were singing Christmas carols so I bravely looked over and he
was right! They were singing Silent Night, I could recognise the tune. All of a sudden Henry started singing
Deck the Halls .After he had sung his tune the Germans surprisingly applauded! After that the Germans
sang another song. It was like a Christmas carol medley. The next day, Christmas, we got some presents
which were: a bar of chocolate, Oxo cubes, a handkerchief, some peppermints and the pen and paper you
gave me. I’m using it right now. After that for once we got a hot breakfast. Finally the sky cleared and I saw
it was snowing. Everything looked quite calm and peaceful. But then all of a sudden I saw a grey blur but it
got clearer and clearer until I recognised a German uniform. A German soldier was coming towards us...but
I could not see any weapon, only a football. Unsurprisingly Charlie climbed over the trench and walked right
up to him. The German dropped the football and held out his hand. He said his name was Franz. Charlie
shook his hand. Slowly more British and German troops went out and shook hands. Wearily I stepped out
on to no-man’s-land but when I was shaking a German’s hand I asked if he played football and he said yes
so Henry interrupted if we wanted to play a huge match Germany versus Britain. Somehow there was an
echo in the field and everyone heard and agreed. It was wonderful. No rules. No ref. no count in scores but
the generals weren’t so happy about it. They ranted and raved all night. When I was about to go to bed I felt
something in my pocket. A Christmas card. I looked inside it and it said: Merry Christmas from Franz.
Love Robbie xxx
P.S. How are Elisa and Frank? Have you got a letter from them yet?
Tess Neilson (J5)
7

MINERVA
Senior School Show
Brush Up Your Shakespeare
‘Kiss Me Kate’, Kelvinside Academy’s revival of
Cole Porter’s 1940s Broadway Musical, treated
its sellout audiences to a cavalcade of bristling
interplay, exuberant set pieces and uproarious
musical comedy. The first number ‘Another Op’nin’,
Another Show’ raised the curtain at a Baltimore
Theatre where a familiar Shakespearian conceit,
the play within a play, became the device for
Porters’ wonderful songs and lyrics based on ‘The
Taming of the Shrew’.
Director Mrs Angela Schneeberger decided
to double cast the main parts and this gave
David Shanks (S6) and Ross O’Neill (S6) the
opportunity to play the leading man
Fred/Petruchio in very different styles. David
Shanks gave us the vain impresario reduced to
misadventure and caprice to save the show and win
the girl, his verbal wit and faultless comic timing
keeping him one step ahead of disaster. Ross was all
swagger and charm as he shared the story with his
audience, the highlight being the rousing lament for
bachelorhood, ’Where Is The Life That Late I Led?’
David and Ross are both accomplished singers.
Opposite them playing leading lady Lilli Vanessi /
Kate, Melissa McKendrick (S6) was making her
debut in a main singing role. She was a scintillating
presence, transfixing all around her either as
diva or scowling she-devil. She waltzed lightly to
‘Wunderbar’ then tore the heads off teddy bears,
shredded flowers and hit, kicked and cursed with
spite. ‘I Hate Men’, belted out with seething gusto,
was a memorable tour de force.
Playing the irredeemably flirtatious Lois / Bianca
were Jodie Baird (S5) and Nadia Varghaei (S6),
their different interpretations of the role exhibited
when performing ‘Always True To You In My
Fashion’. Jodie performed this number with sassy
abandon while Nadia was all coquettish delight
and playful glances. The part of Bill / Lucentio
was brought to us by Max Craig (S5) and Archie
Ross (S5), who sang wistfully and knowingly of
love’s imperfections in ‘Why Can’t You Behave?’.
They were joined in the array of Bianca’s suitors by
Lewis Merrylees (S4) to give us a jostling comedic
number ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’.
Oliver Timpson (S5) had the gravel voice of
General Harry Howell off to a tee, his straight
delivery of the words underpinned by an intelligent
understanding of their comic meaning. His duet
with Lilli in ‘From this moment on’ was played
as hilarious send-up but with no ham acting to
distract. The parts of the gangsters with thespian
tendencies are gifts to comedy actors. Ben Paget
(S4), Matthew Morwood (S4), Marcus Wallace
(S6) and Louis Green (S5) enjoyed every moment
as stage-struck hoodlums, singing ‘Brush Up Your
Shakespeare’ in faultless Brooklyn accents as they
unexpectedly found themselves on the wrong
side of the front curtain. We also enjoyed Reuben
Mercer’s (S6) exasperated Baptista, Samantha
Frohlich’s (S5) no-nonsense Stella and Niall
Mullan’s (S5) perplexed Paul.
The ensemble pieces gave the large troop its
opportunity to sing and dance in a range of musical
styles. Imogen McDonald (S6) and Rachel Cargill
(S5) led the chorus in the opening number and
captured the excitement of a Broadway show. ‘We
Open In Venice’ and ‘Bianca”, set in Renaissance
Italy, brought us operetta. In the dazzling
centrepiece of the show, ‘It’s So Darn Hot’, sung by
Lewis Merrylees , the mood skipped from slow jazz
to zappy hip-hop. The choreographer for this and
all the show’s dance numbers was S5 student Jodie
Baird (Lois / Bianca) and she gave us a breathless,
electric interpretation, the changes in tempo
building to crescendo and exhausted collapse.
Dynamite!
As well as a large cast, there was a sizeable crew
for sound, lighting, costumes and set. All should
be congratulated. So too the musical director, Ms
Sheena Crichton, who led the performers through
Porter’s terrific score with brio. Finally, inspiring
direction by Angela Schneeberger added masterful
touches to give audiences four nights of pure
theatrical entertainment.
8

SPRING 2015
9

MINERVA
Senior School
Enterprising Maths Challenge
Frank Murray (S4), Sandy Johnstone (S4),
Maliha Shoaib (S3) and Mykola Nechyporuk
(S3) travelled to Edinburgh to participate in the
Enterprising Maths Challenge at George Watson’s
College. The team arrived early at the event and
worked through some “Warm Up” questions.
The first round consisted of 15 problems to be
solved within an hour. Frank and Mykola worked
through questions on their own while Maliha and
Sandy worked on a thirteen part question. Soon
only the very difficult problems were left but
eventually these were solved by the team. This
round was a success and suited the KA students as
they were able to work collaboratively.
The second round was made up of six work stations.
Each contained a task to be completed within
six minutes. The team found this round difficult
because of the time pressure but still managed to
gain some valuable points.
The third and final round was The Maths Relay! The
teams were split into two pairs and put on either
side of the hall. One pair would solve a problem
while the other pair waited. Then when they had
solved it, a different problem would be issued to
the other pair. This was a mentally and physically
draining 40 minutes. For the last round of diverse
problems the team was split - Sandy paired with
Maliha and Frank with Mykola. Both pairs worked
quickly and efficiently, and answered a lot of
questions.
Overall, the trip was an excellent experience.
Everyone was very eager to contribute and answer
questions and all participants learnt a lot while
enjoying themselves.
Sandy Johnstone (S4)
Kindertransport Experiences
As part of their RMPS (Religious, Moral and
Philosophical Studies), S2 pupils have been
studying the Holocaust and prejudice. Along with
Senior Prep pupils, who are studying World War 2,
they were honoured to welcome Henry and Ingrid
Wuga to Kelvinside Academy. The Wugas arrived
in Britain on the Kindertransport and now live in
Glasgow.
The pupils heard all about experience of
Kristallnacht, “the night of broken glass”, why they
came to Britain and Henry’s imprisonment on the
Isle of Man after he was accused of being a spy!
The Wugas also shared stories of their wider family
experiences of being Jewish in Europe at this time.
WildHearts Junior GEL Summit
Four S3 pupils travelled to Edinburgh to join
some of the World’s leading Corporate, Social
and Founding Entrepreneurs at the WildHearts
Junior GEL Summit. They witnessed the power
of entrepreneurship as a catalyst for social and
economic change.
Hosted by Mick Jackson, the founder of WildHearts
and MicroTyco, the pupils heard from young
entrepreneurs who run their successful businesses
for the social good. Speakers represented the
Lewis Institute and Social Innovation Lab at
Babson College, the World’s number 1 school
for entrepreneurship and Babylon, a mobile app
regarded as one of the most exciting innovations in
healthcare development.
Mick Jackson, Kaya Morrison-Macleod (S3), Ben Geary (S3),
Monica Sloan (S3) and Sam Clarke (S3)
10

SPRING 2015
Photography Trip
Higher Photography students enjoyed a recent visit
to the City of Glasgow College. As well as enjoying
the spectacular view from the 12th floor, they heard
from Lecturer John Carberry about the variety
of Photography courses at the college, before
taking part in a fantastic workshop on lighting.
Alexandra Halley (S6) volunteered to be the first
model and pupils really enjoyed seeing how to use
light to change the look of a portrait using very
simple materials - tracing paper and a large piece
of polystyrene. Clay Mitchell (S6) struck a pose to
help demonstrate how to paint with light using a
long exposure and torch - this can be as simple as a
camera phone torch.
The next stop was Streetlevel Photoworks to see
the Jill Todd Award exhibition. Set up in memory
of Jill Todd, this exhibition has been established
to support and celebrate the work of talented
photographers from major Photography and Arts
Degree programmes in Scotland, Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland. The pupils were asked
to look at selected works in the exhibition and then
write a newspaper headline and artist’s statement.
We then discussed the work and heard from Iseult
Timmerman, Collaborations Co-ordinator, about the
stories and ideas behind the work on show.
KA Conference - Pupils think big!
School pupils from all over central Scotland came
to Kelvinside Academy to debate ethical issues
at an education conference organised by RMPS
teacher, Mrs Nicola Mathews. Targeted at Higher
level pupils, the conference aimed to provoke
discussion about challenging topics in science and
religion, including medical and business ethics.
Distinguished philosophers and authors Peter and
Charlotte Vardy challenged the audience of 300
pupils and teachers to examine approaches to
decision making from Plato to the Enlightenment
and modern philosophy. Not something many of
this audience do every day!
As end of life issues are debated at Westminster,
the second conference lecture focussed on
questions of assisted dying and also the
developments in genetic engineering. Where does
free choice end and what is it to be human?
Students also examined the impact of world
markets and the relationship between business
ethics and the environment.
Finally, the debate focussed on matters closer to
home. Students were eager to put across their
points in the final debate of the day: “This House
believes that Scotland made the right decision”.
The event confirmed the importance of asking
young people to engage in the issues that will
impact on their future lives. Their enthusiasm,
commitment and hunger for knowledge were
all impressively demonstrated by articulate
and impassioned contributions throughout the
conference debate sessions.
Focusing on Success
Fergus Mitchell (S6) was a winner of this year’s
Focus Environment Photographic Competition.
His entry ‘Sunshine through the Storm’ won 1st
prize in the My Environment age 15-18 Category.
He received his prize at an Awards Ceremony
at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh
in November. His photograph will feature in
the competition exhibition as it tours all over
Scotland. To see Fergus’s winning shot please
visit www.focusenvironment.com.
11

MINERVA
RCS Junior Conservatoire
Well done to our talented and committed pupils
who are part of the RSC Junior Conservatoire. They
attend classes on Saturdays where they receive
specialist and advanced training. Honor McAlpine
(S3) plays the piano and David Shanks (S5) plays
cello and oboe.
American Ambassadors
Congratulations to Heather Louden (S6), who has been
offered a place to read Medicine at Stanford University
in 2015. Heather has also been offered a Sports
Scholarship to play hockey at Stanford.
Heather’s superb achievement is in the context of fierce
competition from the best candidates in the USA and the
rest of the world. Stanford is one of the top universities
in the world (fourth place in the Times Higher
Educational tables). It receives over 36,000 applications
every year and only 2,000 students are accepted.
Having started in the Nursery, Heather has been at
Kelvinside Academy for 15 years of her primary and
secondary education. She has top grades in every
subject at Standard Grade, Intermediate 2 and Higher
levels. Heather has represented the 1st XI for three
years, as well as GHK Hockey Club and West District at
U15, U16 and U18 level.
Heather’s success in achieving a place to read Medicine
follows other recent outstanding achievements. In 2013,
all of Kelvinside Academy’s six candidates for Medicine
and Dentistry took up places, a 100% success rate. There
is a strong tradition of success in the sciences. In 2014,
50% of Kelvinside Academy leavers went on to study
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)
subjects at university.
We are also delighted to announce that Makenzie Brown
(S6) has been awarded a full hockey scholarship to
attend Michigan State University, where she will study
Journalism.
Makenzie is Captain of Hockey and she has represented
both West District and Scotland at U16 level. She has
also represented West District at U18 level and she is
currently in the Scotland U18 training squad.
Makenzie was offered scholarships at William and Mary
College in Virginia and Drexel University in Philadelphia.
However, she has opted for Michigan State University,
which is a leading research institution and in the top 100
universities in the world. Her brother Spencer Brown
(2012) is currently at university in New York.
12

SPRING 2015
Senior School Sport
Rugby
U16 Brewin Dophin Plate Results
KA 33 – Biggar Academy 5
This was a great result for the boys who were
physically far smaller than the opposition but
who played with great commitment and attitude.
There were two distinctive styles of play on
show, with Kelvinside looking to play the ball and
move the target and Biggar High School looking
to try and play tight to the forwards.
Playing on the top Balgray pitch, the Kelvinside
squad demonstrated very good handling
and continuity, resulting in some excellent
scores. Defensively the whole team worked
exceptionally hard for one another and denied
Biggar High school any real opportunity to get
into their stride.
This result put the Kelvinside U16 into the
National Quarter Finals.
The 1st XV qualified for the national stages of
the U18 Brewin Dolphin plate by beating Lenzie/
Kirkintilloch schools.
Both teams are excited about moving forward to
the semi finals.
Rowing
Inverness Head
Four pupils raced at the Inverness Head in
November over a distance of 4500m.
Rachel Cannon (S5) and Baraat Boutaleb (S6)
represented Glasgow Schools in the women’s
novice four with Kirsty Gilchrist (S6) coxing. They
raced nineteen other crews, including universities,
and won in a time of 18 minutes and 17 seconds,
beating the nearest crew by 31 seconds. Rachel and
Baraat raced the next day in a pair against Glasgow
Academy and beat them by the large margin of 46
seconds.
Frank Murray (S4) also raced in a four in the
Open Novice Competition against 21 boats and
finished in a time of 17 minutes and 22 seconds,
narrowly missing first place by 2 seconds, a notable
achievement as it was the crews first time rowing
together in a four. Frank raced in his single skull
the next day beating nine boats to secure a very
respectable 5th place.
Baraat Boutaleb, Rowing Captain
hockey
West District Hockey
Congratulations to the six girls who were part of
the West District Hockey teams that took part
at the Inter District Tournament in Edinburgh in
October. Heather Louden (S6) and Makenzie
Brown (S6) were selected for the West U18 team
and Lucy Findlay (S4), Madeline Cairnduff (S4),
Jessica Halley (S4) and Lucy Rankin (S3) were
all part of the U16 team. Both teams reached the
final but were unfortunate to finish runners up.
Gold at Glasgow Schools Swimming
Congratulations to Guy Evans Haggerty (S4)
on winning gold for his performance in the 100m
Breast Stroke at the Glasgow Schools Swimming
Competition.
13

MINERVA
Clay Mitchell (S6)
On the back of successful podium
finishes in Scottish Formula Ford,
Clay Mitchell (S6) was invited to
take part in the British Formula Ford
Championship at Rockingham in
September. He raced through the field,
picking up the prize for best overtaking
manoeuvre, to achieve a podium finish
in his first British race. The cars race at
speeds of up to 160 mph.
Following this outstanding debut,
Clay has signed a contract to race
for a team in British Formula Ford for
the remainder of this season and in
Formula 4 next season.
Senior School Sport
Mountain Biking at Glentress
As we neared the starting point, we saw the hill we
would have to face. We knew that with mountain
biking downhill is by far the best part for everyone.
For that to happen you have to cycle uphill first,
which would be mentally and physically challenging
for the group. We started with some basic skills
practice to establish individual abilities and to
prepare us for the obstacles which we were to
navigate throughout the day.
There was a wide range of ability within the group
but we stayed as one and went at the pace of the
slowest rider. It is a physically demanding sport
and as people began to tire, the different levels of
fitness started to show. You are constantly using
all your muscles to get up the hill and then control
your bike on the downhill trail. The group effort
was well worth it and we were rewarded with an
amazing downhill run which all went by in, well, a
blur. After a physically draining morning the group
enjoyed a well-deserved lunch accompanied by
some good banter.
We set off again in high spirits for the trails planned
over lunch. Taking the mini-bus up part of the
hill allowed us to enjoy the trails further up the
mountain and gave us more time on the downhill
trails. On one of the trails Matthew Steeples (S4)
had a minor fall but bravely bounced back raring to
continue. We finished the day on a fantastic speed
trail called ‘berm baby berm’ which brought us back
to the minibus and ended the day on a high.
Mel Scott (S6)
Lorne Scott (S4), Matthew Steeples (S5), Mel Scott (S6) and Edson McCall (SP)
14

SPRING 2015
Senior School Sport
SHOOTING
In September, Shooting Coach Ron Scaglione
(1997) took a party of four to the West of Scotland
Smallbore Rifle Association Open Meeting at the
Tullygarth Range near Alloa. Just to prove he could
still do it, Mr Scaglione brought his own rifle and
managed to keep ahead of his charges by a modest
margin. Ron also took second place in Class B, a
mere 4 points (ex 800) behind the class winner.
KA Rifle Club Captain Isla Ambridge (S6) won the
Junior Championship Cup. Maria Dyakonova (S6)
was placed second overall in Class D, winning the
100 yards stage including an excellent 190 ex 200
second score.
Alasdair Philbey (S6) and Sophie Nicholson
(S5) fought it out in class C against seriously
experienced opponents and have ‘closed the gap’
as they continue to gain match experience.
To set things in perspective, the ‘10-ring’ at 100
yards is 25mm in diameter (the same size as a 2p
coin), and at 50 metres, it is a mere 10mm across.
Mr Scaglione’s smile is because his target scored
195 ex 200!
World Marathon Challenge
Kelvinside Academy entered two teams of J6 to
S3 pupils into the World Marathon Challenge. The
challenge was to beat Wilson Kipsang’s world record
of 2 hrs 3 mins 23 secs.
The White team, captained by Euan Brady (S3),
beat the world record as well as the Celtic Record
that Kelvinside Academy held by more than 1 min
30 sec. The Whites finished the 26 miles 385 yards
in an impressive 2 hours and 29 seconds, just short
of breaking the magical 2 hour barrier.
Our White team finished in the top 5 in the World
and are Celtic and Scottish Record holders for the
fastest team.
The yellow team finished a little way behind them
in 2 hrs 20 mins 26 secs. As well as a strong
team of 62 runners, we had a team of S1 and S2s
responsible for timing and recording the number of
laps run.
Great Scottish Run
Congratulations to Lily Evans Haggerty (SP)
who won the 9-11 years category in this year’s
Great Scottish Run. She ran 2.5km in 9.39min - an
extremely quick time - the next girl was a whole 23
seconds behind her.
Lily added to her notable running achievements by
winning the girls competition in our school annual
road race. It is unique result for a Senior Prep pupil
to beat all the girls in every year group up to S6.
Stewart House were especially proud of her.
15

MINERVA
Rothiemurchus Camp
This year’s NCO camp was a challenging adventure.
The activities were full-on right from the start
which generated great team spirit and strong
leadership skills. It helped me gain confidence in
leading the team as well as testing my physical and
mental boundaries. There were various command
tasks, as well as a challenging run taking at least 40
minutes to complete.
As S5s we went to the camp without any prior
knowledge and had to adapt to overcome the
obstacles thrown our way. Despite it being unlike
any camps I had ever been to before, it was
definitely one of the highlights of my time in the
CCF and I am looking forward to being able to come
back next year in S6 to help run the camp for the
year below.
Keir Dinardo (S5)
CCF
S3 Trips
New S3 Army and Navy Recruits experienced
their first taste of real CCF camping during the
October holiday.
The Army Cadets camped overnight in tents
on Mugdock Moor with pupils supplying,
carrying and cooking their own supper,
breakfast and lunch. Cooking on camping
stoves proved challenging under rainy skies.
Their main exercise was a night-time navigation
task which involved finding their way round
a course designed by the S6 cadets, using a
compass, Ordinance Survey map and a torch.
The Navy Cadets also camped overnight but
on an island in the middle of Loch Lomond.
Their first challenge was ferrying all pupils,
instructors, equipment and food from Balmaha
to Inchcailloch Island. After setting up their
tents in the fast fading daylight, they also
had the task of cooking their own tea. They
enjoyed some speed boat driving lessons and
navigation exercises before the mist came
down and scuppered plans for any further
water based activities.
AOC National Concert Band
Following a RAF Music Camp I was selected
as part of the AOC National Concert band to
record a CD in aid of RAF veterans. On 26
October I went down to RAF Halton for the
professional recording. During the next week
the band underwent hours of rehearsals and
practices to produce 1 hour of music based
on the theme of ‘films’. The CD is distributed
to high ranking members of the RAF and is
available for anyone to buy so the stakes were
high. In the end all the hard work paid off. I
made new friends, improved my musical skill
and above all had an outstanding time.
Jordan Chan (S5)
16

SPRING 2015
Inchcailloch Canoe Trip
When the dregs of school life are bearing heavy,
there is nothing you want more than to just forget
it all. Forget the homework, university applications
and the incessant noise of the city. And on a bright
and crisp September Sunday there is no better
place to be than on the soothing waters of Loch
Lomond.
8 pupils, 6 canoes and 2 teachers may not sound
particularly soothing but we quickly succumbed to
the tranquillity of our surroundings - the radiating
heat, the sparkling waters and soft ripples of the
paddles. There was nowhere else you’d rather
be. Before the trip I just assumed we would be
doing some canoeing, plain and simple, but with
the sun setting over the water and my shoulders
slightly aching, I felt an odd sense of clarity and
contentedness, no noise of cars or city congestion,
just pure, natural silence.
Holly MacKenzie (S6)
Half-Term Trips
Handball Tour – Spain 2014
The S3 Handball team travelled to Spain for an
eight day training camp just north of Barcelona.
They trained every day and played 3 matches,
2 of which they won. This was a great result
considering the style of play on the continent
is very different and of a much higher standard
than in the UK.
They also had time to explore Barcelona, watch
a match at Camp Nou, play beach volleyball, try
their hand at Street Handball, go to the local
adventure park as well as plenty of relaxing by
the sea or pool!
Hockey Tour – Italy 2014
During the October break sixteen senior girls travelled to Lake Garda on a Hockey Tour. They played three games
against Italian clubs sides, which consisted of a couple of Italian Junior Internationalists.
The team won their first game against Padova 5 – 0, but then lost to the same team the following day 1-0. The
girls put the loss down to not taking their chances in front of goal and fatigue as they had just spent the day
exploring Venice!
The girls found their shooting boots once more in the final game against Villafranca which they won 9-0.
17

MINERVA
Pennsyl-mania
Like Christopher Columbus and Isaac Allerton before us, a
group of intrepid explorers from Kelvinside Academy made
the daunting journey across the Atlantic Ocean during
the October holidays. Thankfully instead of a sea voyage
lasting weeks we boarded a flight at Glasgow Airport that
would whisk us across the ocean and we landed in Newark
Airport far quicker than most of the pupils expected.
We were soon on our way to Pennsylvania, all be it we
had our suspicions our bus driver did not know where
he was going as we frequently heard his satnav saying
“re-calculating route”. Eventually we found ourselves at
Lancaster Country Day School (LCDS) where we were
met by the pupils and families who were kindly hosting
us. We only spent one day at LCDS which would be the
only thing I would change about our trip. We could have
all spent longer there. There were a large number of
similarities but also differences between their school and
KA. I was distraught to find out Geography is not a discrete
subject in their curriculum! The KA pupils were not just
passive visitors but took an active role in classes, making
thoughtful contributions and giving an excellent account
of themselves. Our pupils liked that there was no uniform
for the Upper School (S4-S6) but the 8am start was a
shock to the system!
Our brief visit to LCDS was soon over and we were back
on the bus (thankfully a more modern one and with a
driver who knew where he was going) making our way to
Gettysburg. Steve Lisk – the Head teacher at LCDS – gave
us a quick lesson on the American Civil War before we
arrived at one of the most important places in the history
of the USA. It was a moving and sombre experience to visit
and walk on an actual battlefield.
Next we made our way to New York where we spent
the majority of our visit to the USA. Once through the
Lincoln tunnel and we were in the Big Apple. After quickly
checking into the Pennsylvania Hotel we had dinner in
Little Italy. The pupils immersed themselves in the sights
and sounds of probably the most famous city in the world.
After dinner we caught the subway to the Rockefeller
Centre to go to Top Of The Rock. This provided us with a
brilliant view of the city at night lit up as famously as the
Christmas Tree that adorns the ice rink at the Rockefeller
Centre.
On day two in the city we made our way to Battery Park
to board the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
The beauty of the statue is in contrast to the story of all
the immigrants to the USA that you learn about at Ellis
Island. The dreaded wait in the immense hall to see if they
would gain entry to the land of opportunity.
The afternoon saw us exploring the South Street Sea Port
– an area of regeneration that would be excellent to see
in Glasgow – though I think the pupils were more taken
with the flagship store of Abercrombie & Fitch! Then for
the second time in two days we went to the sight of a very
important part of American history as we visited Ground
Zero. No history lesson was needed here as we were all too
familiar with the tragic events that struck the city. Unlike
Gettysburg there was no battle here, and there are no the
words to sum up what it was like to be there.
Our evening took us to Times Square where we went to
see Wicked and enjoyed all aspects of one of the most
successful Broadway Shows in history. Even the boys found
themselves captivated by the story, songs and set of this
prequel to the Wizard of Oz.
Day three was spent indulging in gentler pursuits that the
city offered – retail therapy! We went to Macy’s, a shop as
synonymous with New York as anything else, which made
even the largest department stores in Glasgow seem small.
Dinner was at Ellen’s Star Dust Diner where the staff break
out into song as they are serving you! We finished off the
night with bowling, where the competitive spirit came out
in the group.
On our last full day took us to the American Museum
of Natural History. The film Night At The Museum is set
here and we were not the only school group or tourists
there! We spent a sunny afternoon in Central Park,
relaxing in the company of Hans Christian Anderson
and Alice in Wonderland. In the evening we made our
way to Chinatown for our last dinner, stopping in on
Bloomingdale’s on our way downtown to visit another New
York institution.
With an early evening flight we got to spend one more
morning in New York. We did the High Line Walk which is
a unique walk along a disused elevated railway track that
has been restored and landscaped. It gave us the chance
to see the city from a totally different view than normal
and to peer into some multi-million dollar flats.
We hope that we can reciprocate the generous hospitality
shown to us by the pupils, parents and teachers at LCDS
and all are looking forward to going back there in the
future.
18

SPRING 2015
Remembrance Service
To mark the centenary of the outbreak of the
First World War, the annual school service of
Remembrance was moved to Hyndland Parish
Church.
Parents, Academicals and friends of KA joined
staff and pupils for the Remembrance Service on 11
November.
This was an occasion for our pupils to feel part of the
proud history of this great school and to appreciate
the sacrifice made by so many of its former pupils.
Cadets from Army, Navy and Royal Air Force formed
a Guard of Honour and marched from Hughenden
Road to the Church.
In addition to the glorious singing of the choir and
the inspiring words of the minister, Academical Rev
John Murdoch (1972), the names of the fallen were
read out by Vice-Captains Imogen McDonald (S6)
and Melissa McKendrick (S6) as pupils from J6-S6
laid a poppy for each life lost.
Piper Oliver Hamilton (S5) played The Lament and
RSM Jamie Cuthbertson (S6) read The Kohima
Epitaph.
It was memorable for so many reasons, not least
the dignified way in which our pupils conducted
themselves in such a solemn event.
19

MINERVA
Business Breakfast Series
The next Business Breakfast will be held on
Friday 20 February and we are delighted to
announce that our Speaker will be Gavin
Oattes, CEO of Tree of Knowledge. After
five years on the UK comedy circuit and
sell out shows around the world, aged just
23 Gavin had a decision to make. Teaching
or Stand-up? To many people’s surprise he
chose Teaching.
It was working in this hugely creative
learning environment that Gavin
stumbled upon an unexpected career as a
motivational speaker for kids. A chance to
write, perform and work with kids on a daily
basis, Gavin had found his dream job.
In 2012 Gavin won Young Entrepreneur
of the Year. Through his experience as
a Primary School Teacher, motivational
speaker and award-winning businessman,
Gavin has witnessed first-hand the
positive results that fun, motivation and
engagement can have on individuals and
among teams.
Over the past decade Gavin has worked
with literally hundreds of thousands of
people including some of the world’s
leading organisations. Gavin has worked
with business leaders, directors, teachers,
and children of all ages.
Gavin is now regarded as one the most
talented and sought after speakers in the
UK, regularly delivering keynote speeches
at conferences and exhibitions around the
country. He can often be heard on the radio
and he writes a weekly column for one of
the leading newspapers offering helpful tips
and thought provoking ideas.
On this occasion the Breakfast will be held
in the Blythswood Square Hotel. To reserve
your ticket please complete the enclosed
form and return it to Elaine Solman at
the School. Card payments can be made
through our website (or by calling Elaine on
0141 357 3376 and selecting option 2).
Miverva Winter Ball
Saturday 7th November 2015 - Save The Date
After the very successful Ball help in October in 2013, which was a sell-out, we are delighted
to announce that the next school Ball will be held on Saturday 7 November in the Glasgow
Hilton, William Street. You will shortly receive a ticket application form and information
booklet telling you more about this very exciting event.
20

SPRING 2015
Academicals
Welcome to the Former Pupil Section
Message from the Development Manager
You’ve taken your Kelvinside education and
experiences into the world and life has led
you away from Kirklee Road. We would be
delighted to see you return to the School and
attend one of the many events that take place
throughout the year. In the meantime we
hope you enjoy reading the Minerva Magazine
which will bring the world of Kelvinside to you.
The magazine’s engaging and lively stories
celebrate the achievements and experiences
of our Academicals. You are a big part of the
Kelvinside story, so we want to hear from you!
Our Academicals are always welcome to pop
in for a chat, look around the school or speak
to our Senior 6 pupils. You can now connect
with Academicals on Facebook, Twitter (@
KACGlasgow) or Linkedin.
We look forward to seeing you at the Annual
Dinner on Friday 27 March 2015.
Elaine Solman
Development Manager
Academical Club Office Bearers
Colin Neill (1972),
President
David Rowand (1986),
Vice President
Alistair Tear (1974),
Secretary
Graeme Hay (1990),
London Section President
David McGill (1973),
London Section Secretary
Gareth Gaston (1992),
American Section
Chris Breckenridge (2002),
Junior Committee
Marc Taylor (2008),
Junior Committee
21

MINERVA
Reunions
The following Reunions took place earlier this year with over 100 Academicals enjoying touring the School
with our Senior 6 pupils, reminiscing about their time in the classroom and experiencing first hand the many
changes that have taken place. The day culminated with lunch at Balgray and many discussions about who
scored the most tries!
Class of 1974
Class of 1979
Class of 1981
Class of 1982
Class of 1984
Business Breakfast
The next Business Breakfast will be held on
Friday 20 February and we are delighted to
announce that our Speaker will be Gavin
Oattes, CEO of Tree of Knowledge. On this
occasion the Breakfast will be held in the
Blythswood Square Hotel. To reserve your ticket
please complete the enclosed form and return it
to Elaine Solman at the School. Card payments
can be made through our website or by calling
Elaine on 0141 357 3376 and select option 2.
Class of 1994
The 113th Annual Dinner
The Annual Dinner will take place on Friday
27 March in the Sports Hall at the School and
drinks will be served in the Kennedy Mall.
Please complete the enclosed form and return
it to Elaine Solman, Development Manager,
Kelvinside Academy, 33 Kirklee Road, Glasgow,
G12 0SW. Card payments can be made through
our website or by calling Elaine on 0141 357
3376 and select option 2.
22

SPRING 2015
Academical Updates
Ross Anderson (2006) “On the 1st of August
I was assigned my legal traineeship to Black
& Markie Solicitors, working out of offices
throughout Scotland’s central belt with their main
offices in Alloa and Dunfermline. Their areas of
practice include Criminal, Mental Health, Child
Welfare and Immigration. I am enjoying being
involved in more areas of law as well as developing
my criminal advocacy. I became a fully qualified
Solicitor on 27 November 2014. I am also pleased
to say that I have been a Notary Public since
December 2013. Recently I attended the enrolment
ceremony at Edinburgh University’s Playfair
Library.”
Charles Berry (1970) Congratulations to Charles
on his appointment as Chairman of the Weir Group
on 1 January 2014. Charles is currently
Non-Executive Chairman of Drax Group plc and
Senior plc.
Charles was an Executive Director of Scottish
Power Plc from 1999 to 2005 and Chief Executive
of their UK Operations between 2000 and
2005. Prior to joining Scottish Power, he was
Group Development Director of Norwest Holst, a
subsidiary of Compagnie General des Eaux, and
held management positions within subsidiaries of
Pilkington plc.
Charles is also the Chairman of the Capital Appeal
for the Prince and Princess of Wales Trust.
Ian Fleming (1980) graduated with a LLB Hons
from the University of Strathclyde in 1983. He was
admitted as a solicitor in 1985. He was a trainee
solicitor, assistant and partner with Paton and Co
before becoming a partner with Fleming and Reid
in 1990. He became a solicitor advocate in 2001.
Ian was appointed as a part-time sheriff in 2005, a
Convenor of Mental Health Tribunals in 2010 and
a member of the Judicial Panel of the Scottish
Football Association in 2011. On 23 June 2014 Her
Majesty the Queen, on the recommendation of the
First Minister, appointed Ian as Sheriff of North
Strathclyde.
Sandy Forsyth (1984) completed his PhD Thesis
on “Mission in Middle to Late 20th Century
Scottish Church History.” It is a significant piece
of work which will hopefully be published. The
Examining Panel advised that Sandy should be
awarded a PhD and he graduated from Edinburgh
University this autumn. He will soon become the
Rev. Dr. Sandy Forsyth. Sandy was also successful
in his application for further research funding
and over the next few years, as Research Fellow,
he will lecture at New College, Edinburgh and will
conduct research into the Law/Religion Interface
in Scotland.
Colin Neill (1972) has just completed his first
year as the President of Cricket Scotland. Colin, as
well as attending several functions, matches and
dinners, was honoured to present the Man of the
Match award at the ODI against England in April.
The Presidency is a two year term and the next
year is a very exciting one with the Cricket World
Cup in February and March in New Zealand and
Australia. In July Scotland jointly host the T20
World Cup qualifying with Ireland.
23

MINERVA
Keith Shand (2013) and Joanna Warwick (2012)
Congratulations on completion of their Gold Duke
of Edinburgh. This is a great achievement.
Craig Wright (1992) will be spending February
and March in New Zealand and Australia. Craig is
the assistant coach of the Scotland International
Cricket Squad and they will be heading to
Australasia to take part in the Cricket World Cup
in February and March 2015. Scotland play four
games in New Zealand against New Zealand,
England, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before
crossing the Tasman Sea to play against Sri Lanka
and Australia in Tasmania. We wish Craig and the
Scotland team the best of luck on their travels.
As a player Craig played 194 times for Scotland,
including the 2007 Cricket World Cup, and 20/20
World Cup in 2007 & 2009.
Iain Montgomery (1999) “At the start of this
year, I moved out to the British Virgin Islands with
my wife Victoria Montgomery (nee Gordon and
ex-Laurel Park) and our 13 month old daughter
Annabelle. I’m a senior associate lawyer in the
corporate team at Harney Westwood & Riegels
in Road Town on the Island of Tortola. I was
prompted to write in following an email discussion
with a prospective client who turned out to be
former Kelvinside pupil Calum Johnston from the
Class of 51 who lives fairly close by in Bermuda.
It really is a small world! Before moving out to
work for Harneys in the BVI, I worked in the City
of London for 6 years as a corporate lawyer for
Pinsent Masons (formerly McGrigors) and before
that Boodle Hatfield. I’m qualified to practice as a
solicitor in Scotland, England & Wales and now the
BVI too. I studied at the University of Strathclyde
(BA Hons Economics and Finance) and the
University of Edinburgh (LLB law) before doing my
legal traineeship with McGrigors and qualifying as
a solicitor in Scotland in 2007.”
Dr Scott Younger (1958) gave an enthralling
presentation to our Senior 6 pupils on his career
in Engineering. For the past 40 years Scott has
been working on infrastructure projects in Asia
as well as research and lecturing on sustainable
development and poverty. Scott, a distinguished
Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, has a
long and distinguished career in civil engineering
in both the developed and developing world.
With degrees in Engineering from Glasgow, UC
Berkeley and Hong Kong, where he was awarded
his doctorate. The School was delighjted to
receive a signed copy of his book “Dedicated to
Infrastructure.”
24

SPRING 2015
Mark Barrett (2005) studied Property
Management and Valuation at University, however,
half way through his 3rd year and, whilst on
placement in a surveyors office, Mark decided
to drop out and join the Scottish Youth Theatre
(SYT). Mark said it was
“A very difficult and risky decision at the time.
But one I do not regret. From this I applied to
drama schools all over the U.K, where I was
finally recalled to 5 out of the 6 Schools I applied
for. I accepted the offer from Langside College in
Glasgow where I trained for 3 years and Graduated
in June of this year. My training was exceptional
and I took everything from it that I could, from
being Stage Manager on numerous occasions for
the year above shows, playing the lead in all our
own shows to Assistant Directing with the College
Director. I have also been asked back to Assistant
Direct with him again for the Pantomime this year.
Whilst at college, and in my final year, I was offered
representation from one of Scotland’s most
reputable agents.
I also landed the lead role and co-directed a Play
called the Lieutenant of Inishmore, which ran at
this years Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
However whilst in rehearsals for our end of year
show, A Midsummer Nights Dream, where I was
playing Bottom, I received a telephone call from
Robert Carlyle offering me the opportunity to
work on his new directorial debut feature film (The
Legend of Barney Thomson) starring himself, Ray
Winstone and Emma Thompson. My role was to be
his Stand-In. The role is more than that of a “body
double”, in order for Bobby to see the shape of
the scene and how it would act out he needs to
watch on the screen first. This is where I come in.
For 7 weeks filming I rehearsed scenes with Ray
Winstone, Emma Thompson, Brian Pettifer, Kevin
Guthrie, Martin Compston, James Cosmo and
many more fantastic actors.
Quite an incredible first gig!
I have just recently finished a theatre production
of Agatha Christie’s The Spiders Web and have
just today landed a role in a new BBC Production
filming in Scotland at the moment.”
Mark Barrett with Robert Carlyle
25

MINERVA
Tom Paterson (1977)
When Tom left School he joined the Merchant
Navy as a Navigation Cadet and spent 13 years
at sea. Then in 1990, as a Master Mariner with
a nautical degree he accepted a management
position ashore with Fednav in London and
transferred to their head office in Montreal in
1991. In 2007, as Vice President, he took over
responsibility for the company fleet as well as the
Arctic Operations and Special Projects. Fednav is
privately owned by the Pathy family.
Two years ago Tom was appointed as Senior Vice
President and the fleet has now grown to 85
vessels. This is the largest bulk shipping company
in North America with the largest fleet of ice class
vessels in the world, including the building of 20
new vessels with a further 14 vessels being built
in Japan in 2015 and 2016. These new vessels are
all ice class bulk carriers and range in size from
30,000 tons to 55,000 tons.
In September Fednav sent a ship called Nunavik
through the North West Passage. This is a world
first. The Nunavik is the largest most powerful
icebreaker in the world and Fednav is the only
company using drones to fly ahead of the ship for
detection of ice.
The route to China via the Northwest Passage
is some 40 percent shorter than the traditional
Panama Canal route, and as a result, will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,300
tonnes.
The Nunavik completed its historical journey on
17 October 2014.
Tom said “ It has been a wonderful career, full of
variety and adventure. To date I have travelled
to over 115 countries. Not everyone has to go
to University straight from school, although my
father said otherwise at the time!! I am also a
guest lecturer at Berkeley University in California
to one of their post graduate programmes held
3 times a year at the Haas Business School. I
certainly prefer to keep a low profile, but I am
happy to encourage pupils to consider a maritime
career.”
The School was delighted to welcome Tom’s
brother Eric (1975) and his mother to the
Remembrance Service. Eric was thrilled to be
back in the School for the first time in 33 years!
26

SPRING 2015
London Section
The London Section Dinner was held on 20 November
in the Caledonian Club. We welcomed Rector, Robert
Karling and Colin Neill (1972), Club President, as our
guests with Elaine Solman, Development Manager also
making the journey south. 26 Academicals in addition
to our guests were present, making a record turnout for
a London Section dinner. Another first for the section
was the presence of Hannah Stokes (2004) our first
lady attendee. Both the Rector and Colin brought us up
to date with news from the school and also the parent
club’s activities. Our president, Gil Scott (1989), was in
the chair and he outlined the things that we had done
since the last dinner. We held our usual auction to raise
monies for the section. Thanks to Norman Jack (1973)
for his sterling efforts in getting good bids for the items.
During the course of the year we held our usual
two golf meetings both over London Scottish GC at
Wimbledon Common. Graeme Russell (1988) was the
winner in the Spring, while Norman Jack finally got his
hands on the Balgray Quaich at the autumn meeting.
In June we entered one team for the London Scottish
Schools Golf Society day at Denham. The team of John
Miln (1968), Graeme Russell (1988), Gil Scott (1989)
and David McGill (1973) came 5th in the morning while
Gil and David won the back 9 prize in the afternoon.
USA Section
Academical Dinner in New York
The inaugural dinner of the Academical Club in
America was held on 19 October in a private room of
a restaurant in the meatpacking district of New York.
The evening was arranged by Mr Gareth Gaston
(1992), Executive Vice-President at Omnichannel
(part of U.S. Bank) and the Guest of Honour at the
2014 School Prize Giving. Gareth hosted a drinks
reception in the rooftop bar of the Standard Hotel,
from where guests took in a panoramic view of the
Manhattan skyline at night.
Fellow Academicals who then joined Gareth at a
wonderful Steakhouse Restaurant were George
Drummond (1961), his lovely wife Margaret and Mr
Paul Muir (1970). The Rector and his wife, Julia,
made up the party.
George Drummond recalled representing the school
at both rugby and cricket. His subsequent career in
Biochemistry has led him into research on a drug
to cure jaundice in babies. This has become a life
mission for him and he has banished thoughts of
retirement until his important work is completed.
His wife Margaret teaches Nursing at one of the
university teaching hospitals in New York.
Mr Paul Muir is an Accountant by training. He is now
a business consultant who specialises in building
alliances between companies. He enlightened the
Rector on the need for all organisations, both
commercial and non-profit, to engage in alliance
making.
We also held two successful lunches at London Scottish,
the second at the end of August when Scottish played
Glasgow Warriors in a pre-season friendly. A few Accies
from Glasgow, including David Rowand (1986), made
the journey down for the match. A first for the section
was a day’s shooting at Bisley. Thanks to Bruce Logan
(1987) for organising this event. Nine took part with
Christopher Cowan (1989) being the inaugural winner
of the Goldeneye Trophy.
Graeme Hay (1990) has now taken over from Gil Scott
as president and plans are underway for events for
2015. Following the success of the rugby lunches and
Bisley these events will be repeated next year. If anyone
has suggestions for events please could they get in
touch with me,
David McGill (scotlandend@btinternet.com).
As chance would have it, Paul’s daughter is studying
at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, which was the very next destination
for Mr and Mrs Karling. They visited Lancaster
Country Day School, where pupils from Kelvinside
Academy were being hosted during a leg of their
USA trip. The connection between LCDS and KA is
the late Academical John Jarvis (1942), who was
Headmaster of the Pennsylvanian school for 25
years. The Kelvinside pupils spent a day in the school
and visited the site of Gettysburg before going on to
New York.
Thank you to Gareth, who flew across the continent
for the dinner, and also to President of the
Academical Club, Mr Coin Neil (1972) and Mrs Elaine
Solman, Development Manager, for launching the
USA Dinner. We hope that there may be more USA
dinners, perhaps on both coasts, in future.
(L to R) Mr George Drummond,Mrs Margaret Drummond,
Mr Robert Karling, Mr Paul Muir, Mrs Julia Karling, Mr Gareth Gaston
27

MINERVA
Hockey Update
Congratulations to Jenny Morris (2011), former
Head Girl and Hockey Captain on gaining three
caps for Scotland.
Rugby Update
Congratulations to Scott Cummings (2014)
and Andrew Davidson (2014) on their invitation
to attend the Scotland U20 trials. It is a delight
to also watch Andrew play regularly for the
Glasgow Hawks.
Congratulations also to Jack Solman (2014)
on his selection to attend the Scotland U17
Development Camp in Valladolid earlier this year
and his invitation to attend the Scotland U18 trials.
Where are they now?
Mohammad F Ali (2000), Robinder S M Bansal (1994), Richard A Barrie (1980),
Michael R Bell (2008), Steven Bell (2005), Kirsty Brown (2006),
Steven Borthwick (2005), A L Campbell (1988), Christopher W Conroy (2005),
Nicholas B Conroy (2000), Alan J Cowan (1978), D Ross Crawford (1983),
Robert E Crowther (1978), Fraser G Cumming (2003), Adam Dart (2009),
William S Falconer (1963), Peter A Ferguson (2009), Christopher Garman (1995),
Marshall Garrett (1979), Kulwant S Gill (1991), Christopher A Green (1997),
Stephen D Gunn (1986), Roger M Hutcheon (1990), John A Legg (1964),
Graeme D Hall (1969), Ross L Johnston (2012), Daniel Kitching (2002),
Jonothan C McColgan (1994), Walter A C MacDonald (1958),
Murray G A MacKinnon (1960), Sophie McLeman (2007),
Christie C McManus (2008), Eilidh Main (2012), Steven J Molina (1998),
Simon P Morrison (1997) Gareth A H Morton (1995), Joshua W Neish (2002),
Alessandro Paladini (1995), Douglas J C Pirrie (1984), Nicholas J Richter (1981),
Douglas G Smith (1996), John F Snowden (1978), Jeff J Stirling (2002),
Kirk I M Thomson (1988), Graham A R Murray (1991)
Data Protection
Academicals sometimes contact the School requesting addresses for other Academicals
and the School is pleased to provide such information. Academicals who do not wish
their address to be given to another Academical without prior consent should inform the
school.
28