Bridge of Don Academy ParentCouncil
telephone: (01224) 707583
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Chairperson’s Report 2012-2013
Introduction
While Session 2012-13 has been a stable and calm period on the external front it was dominated internally by the departure of Jack Harland as Headteacher and the subsequent appointment of Daphne McWilliam as his very able successor. Despite this change the Parent Council has pretty much continued with business as usual, recording another successful year.
Business as Usual
One of the main purposes of the Parent Council at Bridge of Don Academy is to support the school. Due to the collaborative and cooperative attitude that has always been taken by school management this means that members are in the privileged position of being involved in discussion and decision making on many aspects of daily school life.
This year has been a busy one and the Parent Council members have been consulted on a wide range of important topics:
- Exam Results
- Annual Audit
- School Improvement Plan
- Homework
- Discipline Policy
- Personal Support for Pupils
- Travel Afternoons
- Staffing
- DHT Interviews
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- General Education for S1-S3
- School Health and Safety
- Christmas Fayre
- School Show – Wizard of Oz
Parents have been consulted during the annual audit and school improvement plan as well as being involved in Homework Focus Groups to help ensure that the quantity and quality of homework is conducive to achieving the best from our students.
The commitment of school staff can be demonstrated by their regular attendance at Parent Council meetings; Mr Haggarty has appeared with more than one hat, to inform and question us on the Mental Health and Wellbeing project and to inform and instruct us on details for the school show, The Wizard of Oz.
Miss Ritchie has also been a visitor, to give parents a preview of the new Discipline Policy and how it will be implemented in the school.
It was always going to be a hard act to beat last year’s School Show but this year’s production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ certainly lived up to expectations.
Once again, the Parent Council were delighted to be able to contribute to the success of the show and under Ann’s direction ably managed the raffle at all three performances. Thanks again Ann.
A big thank you also to Mr Haggarty, Mrs Forbes and the rest of the team of staff and actors for another superb show. The only problem .... the bar is getting higher !
The Christmas Fayre also offered an opportunity for parents to get involved and thanks to the hard work of Susan Murray proved to be a great success.
Financial Matters
100 Club
Following the introduction of the 100 Club in 2011 the scheme has continued to grow little by little during this session. Thanks once again to a huge amount of hard work by Ann Allan and her family this source of finance has allowed the Parent Council to fulfil a large number of the requests for funding received from school staff.
EasyFundraising
An additional stream of funds has also been created this year following the creativity of one of our members. Thanks go to Linda Robertson for coming up with the idea of setting up an ‘EasyFundraising’ account and for subsequently volunteering (?) to be responsible for it. This allows the Parent Council, and therefore the school, to benefit financially from the online shopping of any subscribers. Despite a low number of subscribers this scheme has already raised around £200 for Parent Council funds.
Donations
As a result of the income generated through the 100 Club and EasyFundraising, the Parent Council has been able to donate money to a variety of causes throughout the year :
- Maths Books (£360)
- Interactive French programme and Spanish course (£501)
- Library Books (£550)
- Cambodia Trip Raffle prizes (£50)
- School Show (£615)
Curriculum for Excellence
The Curriculum for Excellence continued to be a major topic during the year. While the ‘guinea pig’ students are quietly getting on with the new curriculum, the focus turned to the ones that are following and the Parent Council were consulted on the provision of the broad general education during S1 to S3. The decision to extend the full broad general education until the end of 3rd year is an excellent example of how well the school management, staff and the Parent Council work together in the interests of the students.
Aberdeen City Parent Council Forum (ACPCF)
There is regular attendance by BODA Parent Council at the bi-monthly meetings of the ACPCF which allows every Parent Council within Aberdeen City to meet and discuss city wide issues relating to school life. Any relevant information is then discussed at Parent Council meetings.
The Curriculum for Excellence continues to be a main theme in these meetings but many other issues are also addressed.
Goodbye .... and Welcome
As mentioned earlier, the main event of the year was the retirement of Mr Jack Harland as Headteacher. Jack was hugely supportive of the Parent Council throughout his years at Bridge of Don Academy and it is in large part due to his dedication and commitment that the Parent Council is the strong body that it still is today. As a team I think we achieved a great deal over the past 5 years.
On behalf of the Parent Council I would therefore like to thank Jack for everything and officially order him to enjoy his retirement.
While we will miss Jack, we are lucky enough to have a very able successor in Daphne McWilliam. Three members of the Parent Council; Lorraine Kennedy, Ann Allan and Shona Wildi participated in the interview process and helped Aberdeen City Council to come to the conclusion that she was the best man for the job !
I would therefore like to extend a formal welcome to Daphne in her new role. Big boots to fill but I have every confidence that we will continue to flourish under Daphne’s leadership.
Thank You
On behalf of the Parent Council of Bridge of Don Academy I would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff and management of the school for everything that they have done over the course of the year.
Every year I am astounded at the achievements of our students and this would not be possible without the commitment of the Bridge of Don Academy ‘family’.
On a personal note Iwould also like tothank each and every member of the Parent Council. Without the constant support and dedication of everyone connected with the Parent Council it would not be the easy and enjoyable job it is to be the Chairperson.
More special thanks to Lorraine Kennedy, Ann Allan and Joanne Shewan for continuing in their official roles for another year.
Once again, it has been an honour and a pleasure to be the Chairperson of the Parent Council over the last year.
THANK YOU ALL
Shona Wildi
Chairperson
Bridge of Don Academy Parent Council
September 2013