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1 | The Standard THE STANDARD Summer 2016
1 | The Standard
THE STANDARD Summer 2016
2 | The Standard
3. Reflecting on STA: Head Boy & Girl
4. Sports
5. STA Netball teams
6. Sports Photo
7. Sports photo
8. School of Rugby
9. Heptathlon, Basketball & more
10. 3 Scottish Fashion designers
11. One Glasgow: Many Cultures
12. Being an asylum seeker: Dammy Odetola
13. House Update: St Margaret & St Columba
14. Goodnight Mr Tom: Theatre Review
15. MINTED Episode 2
16. Gothic Horror
17. The Best Upcoming Films 18.
19. Quickfire Questions: Mr McSorley
20. How to Draw: The Genie
21. History of the Beano
22. ChildLine
23. House Update
24. Biodiversity: The issue of flooding
25. The World Cup
26. How to make Cake
27. How to make Cake Pops
28. How to make Ice Lollies
29. How to write a song
30. Billy Connolly: A national treasure
31. Album Review
32. Artwork by Jade Tobia
33. Top 5 Scientific Discoveries
34. Minted Episode 3
3 | The Standard
In a few weeks time, I will walk out of St Thomas Aquinas for the last time, after six memorable years in the school.
Although difficult at points, S6 has undoubtedly been one of the most enjoyable experiences yet and I can truly say
that as Head Girl, I have gained so many valuable skills that have prepared me for life after school.
Between Alton Towers, the Christmas Social and tapas nights – this year alone has been filled with so many brilliant
memories, and that’s just one year! Of course, school isn’t just about the fun bits; a lot of hard work has gone into
making my time in St Thomas Aquinas so valuable. After six years, it is easy for me to say that all the teachers here
are amazing – they really do want the best for you. My advice is to take the opportunity to do the best you possibly
can, exams results really are one of the most valuable things you will leave here with!
Being a school captain brings many responsibilities – I am in charge - alongside Declan and a team of prefects - of
organising our Prom, Yearbook, Leavers’ hoodies and any other important events in the life of the school. As Head
Girl, I feel I have become more confident and organised (and learned how rubbish my year group is at handing mon-
ey in on time!). We’re lucky that we get to organise all this ourselves though – it makes the whole year group much
closer and lots of schools don’t give pupils so much freedom.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say that this year has been unforgettable – we’ve become a tight knit group, and I’m truly going to miss seeing everyone each day. As we finish our time in school, everything we do for a final time makes room for new beginnings. For me, that new start is university – a new city, new friends and the start of many new memories. My advice to younger pupils is to take every opportunity you are given, and enjoy yourself – you’ll be leaving too before you know it! Overall, my time in St Thomas Aquinas has been hard work, but enjoyable and I’ll always remember all the great times here.
Head Boy: Declan Prosser Reflections of STA
Head Girl: Catherine Smith Reflections of STA
Sixth year is a particularly busy year as we all get ready to finally leave school; applying for university, college, jobs or apprenticeships takes up a massive chunk of our final year. To add to the stress of this, many of us have taken on additional responsibility and pressure as Prefects, House Captains and, in my case, School Captain. Along with Catherine and our amazing captaincy team we have organised many things, most of which were to do with our last year at school, such as; Prom, Yearbook and Hoodies. We also hosted and organised many other events through-out the school year such as Award Ceremonies and Parents Nights. The role can be quite stressful at times as we often have to deal with large companies who are very much in it for the money and although it can be very scary it does have many upsides. One of the main reasons that people want to be on the captaincy team is because it looks amazing on their CV and any application, whether it be for university or college, shows you are a confident person and can work in a team but can also lead one. The main reason I have enjoyed being captain is that I got to work with and talk to so many great people who I may not have spoken to before and this is also the most enjoyable thing about sixth year as we all stop being various different groups of friends and come together as one massive group for our last year.
As we venture out into the great unknown that is the future, I find it hard not to be nostalgic and look back at my time here in St Thomas Aquinas. I have enjoyed everything about my time here solely because of the people I spent it with and even though we may not always be friends, I am very thankful for the experiences that I have shared with them, whether it be in Paris in S1 or in Nicaragua over this summer I will treasure the time I have shared with everyone in St Thomas Aquinas. I think that to make the most of your time left here at St Thomas Aquinas, whether
it be five years for S1 or the remaining year for S5, is never take yourself too seriously. I did for a very long time and it held me back from doing things that actually might be fun and enjoyable. So never
act like you are too good for something or someone because it can close a lot of doors. You should always work as hard as you can because everyone, and I mean everyone (not just the peo-ple in the top classes), is capable of anything they set their mind to, as long as they never get bogged down in what other people think. If you have grit and can push yourself, you can do things
you never thought possible. If you are getting a D today what are you going to do to get an A tomor-row? An open mind is the best way to prepare for the future because thinking that you cannot change,
that you cannot get better, is what is holding you back from your potential. So if you can teach yourself to be open minded your future in school and beyond will be much easier.
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Netball The unstoppable open netball team (4th to 6th year) have won their quarter final match defeating Montrose Academy 43-29, as well as their semi-final match meaning the all-mighty fourth year team successfully managed to get through to the finals! Safe to say Mr McSorley, Miss Campbell and the rest of the netball team are proud of how far the girls have come.
Unfortunate loss as the S2 netball team leave the Scottish Cup. Even though they lost their quarter
final match against St Georges’ School, the girls left with their heads held high as that’s further than
they have ever been. Everyone on the team played their hearts out on the court especially Esther
Olowe who received player of the match yet again!
On the league games the girls defeated Hillhead 17-3! Big shoutout to Siobhann McGinley who played GA in the game. Siobhann normally plays WA but took a very brave step up to GA as Stacey (normal GA) unfortunately could not make it. Well done to Siobhann as she scored the majority of the goals in the game and also to Jenny, also known as “the Whippet” to the umpire of Hillhead, for winning player of the match.
Another big win for the S2 netball team coming 2nd out of six schools in the Netball tournament at the Emirates, the girls just missed out on first place being defeated by their main rivals Holyrood. Congratulations to all the girls. 1st year netball team managed to power their way through all their games and landed a good 4th place out of 7.
An unfortunate loss for the open netball team in the Scottish Cup final against Balfron. Even though they
lost, this is the furthest any of our netball teams have gone. Everyone was immensely proud of them manag-ing to get to the final, including their many supporters that came to watch the match. Many made banners, sang songs and chants and even painted their faces black and gold to support the open netball team.
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Our school is very successful in many sports like netball, basketball, football etc. This year our school has just be-come a School of Rugby. School of Rug-by opens up many opportunities not only for the school but for students wanting to take a career in rugby in the future. Making our school a School of rugby gives a change for pupils as rug-by is not often something that occurs during the PE year and it gives pupils who are really good at rugby to show how what they can do. From a recent interview from some of the S2 boys in the team it is clear that school of rugby is enjoyable and educational.
S2 players say they joined the team be-cause it was a new sport and they wanted to try it out. Throughout the year they have learned how to spin, pass and tackle and most importantly learn more about the sport rugby. In fact as one of the boys said one of the best things about rugby is learning and the training. It is uncertain that the boys will continue in the future but will at least continue through, with the school. Their favourite coaches from the year were Mr Gillies and Gary. Big thank you to them for teaching all the boys all the skills they know. Even though School of Rugby has just start-ed there have been so many big highs and little lows throughout. For example the boys were extremely proud of beat-ing Hynland, getting through to the next round of a tournament and lastly
managing to win two matches but the boys were not only the successors: the girls also managed to get through to the next stage, even though there team had just been formed a week before the first round. Unfortunately both teams lost, but a big congratulations to both teams! A couple of weeks ago the S1 girls had a little taster of rugby at Scotstoun and it was clear that they en-joyed it. The rugby team would like to tell you that anyone can join rugby, boy or girl. It is a great sport to get into and is a great experience. They would highly recommend to join.
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Congratulations to all those who participated in the giant heptathlon. It was a tough and challenging day for all the team but incredibly they managed to pull through and come third overall for all events!
Both under 14s boys team and u15s girls team ended 2015 with two great wins. The girls’ team absolutely smashed their game against Shawlands 46-8 and the boys got double John Paul academy’s points winning 36-18!
It was an amazing effort from all the gymnasts who participated in the floor and vault competition previ-ously. There was tough competition, but all the girls ignored that fact and performed to the best of their abilities and should be proud of what they achieved. Even though they did not win, they should still be happy for the commitment and effort they put into making and rehearsing their routines. Well done to all girls and best of luck in the future competitions.
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One Glasgow.
One sta.
Many Cultures.
12 | The Standard
When most people hear the words ‘asylum seeker’, negative thoughts come to mind, but for
me, I try and look at it from a positive perspective. I look at it like it's a learning experience. In
social subjects, in order to learn effectively about the right to seek asylum, people have to vis-
ualise what it's like to be an asylum seeker. But for me, I know, and I can honestly tell you that
it's not easy living every day in a safe and secure city, knowing that it might be your last day
there and in a heartbeat you could be deported back to the danger in your home country.
I once knew a man who was denied his benefits so he was surviving on a supply of Morrisons
vouchers. Some people have it worse than others. In my case, I believe that I have it better
because my family and I have been granted benefits and, as of now, are allowed to stay in this
country permanently. Although I do look on the positive side, I still try to deny it when people
ask me if I am an asylum seeker. I just think some people would think less of me if they knew,
but I am beginning to realise that people should be judged by the kind of the people they
make themselves out to be, not what they are labelled under.
Sometimes I still think about what it would
be like if I got deported. I wouldn't be able
to say goodbye to my friends and family,
everything would be left behind. There was
this one day where the immigration took
me, my mum and my little sister to Dungavel
the Home Office detention centre. From
there we were driven in a security van to
Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre. On most occasions from Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre you would
be taken by six escorts to the plane, where you would remain detained until being sent back
home. Luckily for us we were released.
People are entitled to their own opinion but, in my opinion, and this might just be because I
am an asylum seeker, I think loads of people contribute to Scotland's culture which is where
the saying "One Glasgow many cultures" come from. Also the saying "People make Glasgow"
is only true because it refers to many different people from all different backgrounds and eth-
nicities.
WHAT’S IT LIKE AS AN ASYLUM SEEKER? BY DAMMY ODETOLA
“People should be judged by
the kind of the people they
make themselves out to be,
not what they are labelled as”
House Update:
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Our House Head is
Mr McGraw
Our House Captain is
Berfin Saklar & Jemma Campbell
House Update: St Margaret
S1 Matthew Greenhaugh, Laura Orlowska, Jor-
dan Thomson & Sophie Murray
S2 Dylan McLeod & Jenny Mackenzie
S3 Bleon Salihi & Emma Cunningham
S4 Bashir Mohammed Ali
S5 Jon Salihi & Jemma Cambell
Our Student Council Representatives are
Spotlight
St Margaret House is currently planning a Sports
Day in conjunction with the PE department. This
event will take place during June at Scotstoun Lei-
sure Centre, with events for all to take part in. The
date is still to be confirmed but keep an eye out
on the screen in the social area and listen out for
There is also a Halloween disco in the pipeline for
next term. Consent for this event to take place has
been given by the Head Teacher and planning is un-
derway. We hope It will be a fun night for all!
Next Year
Our House Head is
Mr McGraw
Our House Captain is
Daib Ramzan
House Update: St Columba
S1 Rose Martin & Daniel McArthur
S2 Gladness Bibilari & Kamil Krauce
S3 Marc Ducat, Neve Thomson, Ellie Devlin,
Ciaran Ferrie & Joseph McClay
S4 John Cumming & Katie Gormley
S5 Danielle Reilly & Sogand Ghesemi
Our Student Council Representatives are
Spotlight
Congratulations to Precious DSane for his musical performance in front of First Minister, Nicola
Sturgeon at the National Museum of Scotland.
Well done to Gold Uk Maths Challenge award winner - Loreta Andrejeva (S3)
Silver award winners - Jemsham Onerious (S3) and Filip Linde Apanowicz (S2)
Bronze winner Ciaran Ferrie (S3) Mitchell Donohoe (s3) and Joseph McClay (S3)
Congratulations to Daniel Shearon who received a certificate from college for 100% attendance at
the Level 5 Health course.
We have enjoyed a wonderful academic year in St.Columba House and would like to give a 'shout-out' to
some of our pupils who have achieved great things!
14 | The Standard
On the 9th of January my class went to see the play of “Goodnight Mr Tom” which was
written by Michelle Magorian. It was a play about a young boy named William Beech
who was evacuated to the countryside to escape the horrors of World War Two.
We travelled by coach to the Theatre Royal in Glasgow where the play was being
shown. It started at 1pm and went on for about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
The play was very interesting and wasn’t much different from the book we had studied
or movie. Even the characters looked alike! The stage was set perfectly and the puppet
of Sammy the dog looked really realistic. My favourite part was when William played
Captain Hook in the village play when his friend Zach couldn’t do it because he had
died. It was very heart-warming.
I enjoyed reading and watching Goodnight Mr Tom and it was a great experience. I
would love to watch it again.
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CO
NT
INU
ES
ON
PA
GE
36
MINTED
16 | The Standard
S2 have been working on Gothic Horror, and some of the introductions they wrote were brilliant! Here’s a se-
lection of some of the best.
Gothic Horror I couldn’t ignore the feeling in my stomach, the hairs on the back of my neck, the shivers coursing down
my spine, the terrifying feeling…of being watched. Pushing the thought to the depths of my mind I tried
once again to get my kite airborne…but failed. With one final throw, accompanied by an expertly timed
gust of icy wind, the kite finally began to soar. The sight was one of beauty. However, my grip began to
loosen as the wind swiftly picked up its pace, the kite blew violently and all of a sudden, the feeble string
snapped. I became stunned with dread for, if I were to lose this kite, mother and father would be hesitant
to trust me with anything ever again. Eventually I caught sight of it but my brief sense of relief quickly
evaporated when I realised where the unruly kite was heading….towards the forest! I buckled my winter
jacket and braced myself. Options, I had none…I alone would have to retrieve the wayward kite. Why had
I not listened more closely to the whispered tales? The hushed conversations behind tattered textbooks
used to shield secrets from the school master had haunted me upon the first night of hearing them. I had
chosen to remain ignorant, to guard myself from those tales, those horrific tales of…the creature.
– Sam Tierney
I introduced myself to the family. These mortals had sharpened my senses; I was delighted by their naive-
ty. Not only did they invite me to stay, they had created a chamber for me. It is impossible to explain how
the idea entered my brain, but the feeling of triumph certainly overwhelmed me. Every night I as mingled
with the family, sharing the stories of my past around the hearty fire, I knew my success was guaranteed.
My devious mind was the perfect thing to manage my plan. I had convinced them that I was a delicate,
vulnerable being. Thus, without question or any mere hint of suspicion, I was welcomed into the heart of
their close, cherished union. – Jenny MacKenzie
There was a scream in the middle of the night. A midnight shriek. A sound that should only be heard in a
story. Only this isn’t a story. It is real life. As day broke I decided to search the village hoping to unearth
the source of this hideous scream. Many of the young children were startled, their eyes betraying their
seeming innocence. It was as if they knew more than the rest of us… Huddled together in large groups in
front of the steely gates of the orphanage, they trembled. – Jenny McGinniss
Hearken, gather round, for my days are numbered. I will say this only once for soon I will have
no more breath in my chest with which to speak. For many years this has vexed me, the night-
mares are too haunting to tell. Be warned, for this will not be a cheery tale… T’was many
moons ago, when the land was cared for by the peasants. The streets were rarely lit, as gloomy
and dark as the hidden side of the moon. Pickpockets scuttled around the dark alleys and, many
a time than we would care to hear, the peelers would discover a dead body…or two…their lives
seemingly taken by acts of brutal savagery. – Szymon Dobrowolski
It was that particular time in late January when there was no longer any frost, but simply biting-
ly cold air in what felt like a strangely empty atmosphere. I recall walking down the road, swift-
ly, desperate to get home. My foreboding, silhouette cast gloomy shadows against the artificial
amber glow of the streetlamps. My frosty breath formed swirls of mist with every exhalation
and I decided to slide my exposed hands deep inside my coat pockets in order to retain some
warmth. The street as entirely empty at this time. It was eerily quiet. The events have play over
and over in my head so many times that I don’t know whether I can trust the accuracy with
which I recall them, or if my own perceptions have re-written how the events unfolded. Any-
way, one this was certain, one fact remained that neither time, nor memory, could blur. My
brother…he was dead – Jack Faulds
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SUICIDE SQUAD A task force of the world's most dangerous villains is assem-
bled by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), and only mischief en-
sues. The cast consists of fan favourites such as Harley Quinn
(Margot Robbie) and Deadshot (Will Smith), lesser known char-
acters such as El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and Enchantress
(Cara Delevingne), and of course, the clown prince of crime,
The Joker (Jared Leto).
FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM
The plot of this movie revolves around Newt Scamander
(Eddie Redmayne) who was making a brief stop in New York in
1926, shortly after completing his travels around the world to
research for his Magizoology book, Fantastic Beasts and
where to find them, a book read seventy years later by Harry
Potter. The screenplay will be written by the one and only, J.K
Rowling.
FINDING DORY This long awaited sequel to Pixar masterpiece "Finding Nemo",
will focus on the amnesiac fish Dory, and
her journey to being reunited with her fami-
ly. Like in Finding Nemo, Dory will be
voiced by television host Ellen Degeneres.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Following the events of "Avengers: Age of Ultron", Cap (Chris Evans)
leads the new team of Avengers around the world stopping threats. One
stop on this tour leads to the superheroes working with the government,
but while some individuals are on board with this idea, others very much
aren't. The heroes, this time, aren't fighting villains, but instead other he-
roes.
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The jungle book Based on Disney’s animated classic, and of course Rudyard
Kipling's original story, this movie tells the tale of Mowgli (Neel
Sethi), a young boy found in the jungle by Bagheera (Ben
Kingsley), a friendly Panther. Other characters include Baloo
the bear (Bill Murray), King Louie the orangutan (Christopher
Walken), Kaa the snake (Scarlett Johansson) and Shere Khan,
the evil tiger (Idris Elba). Look for the bear necessities...
Batman v superman : dawn of justice
Mankind faces a new kind of threat as Batman (Ben Affleck)
goes head to head with the most powerful being on earth, Su-
perman (Henry Cavill). Director Zack Snyder takes on this mas-
sive comic book title and turns it into an action-packed movie
adaption.
GHOSTBUSTERS The Proton Packs are finally getting dusted off for Paul Feig's
reboot of the classic 80's franchise. An all-female cast this
time round, including Melissa McCarthy as Abby Yates, Kristen
Wiig as Erin Gilbert, Kate McKinnon as Jillian Holtzmann and
Leslie Jones as Patty Tolan. Who you gonna call?
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS The sequel to the 2010 film "Alice in Wonderland" Alice (Mia
Wasikowska) returns through a magic mirror to the whimsical
world of Wonderland, and travels back in time to save the Mad
Hatter (Johnny Depp). Merry Un-birthday!
19 | The Standard
What’s your favourite book?
Game of Thrones
What’s your favourite film?
Bladerunner, 1982
What’s your top 3 albums of all time?
(after a struggle, Mr McSorley replies)
Black Keys
Rod Stewart - Ever picture tells a story
Barry White’s greatest hits
What do you do in your spare time?
I watch quality TV like The Killing, The Bridge & The
Tunnel.
I like walking, and I like running, even though I’m
old!
What would you be doing if you weren’t a
headteacher?
Who knows? I tried out for Radio Clyde a while
back, so maybe something in media.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Working with kids.
What’s your pet hate?
Working with teachers.
Nooooooooo, I’m kidding!
People not being honest with one another, and
themselves.
What’s the best country you’ve ever
visited?
My daughter lives in Switzerland now so I might be
slightly biased, but prior to that I would have to
stay Vietnam.
What’s a country you would really like to
visit in the future?
I’d like to go back to Vietnam again, but as a geog-
rapher, I just want to go everywhere! I’ve never
been to South America, so I’d like to go there, may-
be Argentina.
What’s a good childhood memory?
Being on holiday with my Mum and Dad.
What was your favourite subject in
secondary?
Geography.
What’s one piece of advice you would
give to people for life?
We’re born to achieve more than we believe. I be-
lieve that we’re much better than we think we are. I
think God calls us to be as brilliant as we possibly
can be, and we tend to forget that, because we’re
human.
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This is the section of the magazine where I teach you how to draw something. By
the end of this quick tutorial you'll be able to draw like da Vinci. Kinda.....
THE GENIE FROM ALADDIN
Start off by drawing two simple
circles (lightly so that you can
erase them later) this will help
you to keep all of the facial fea-
tures in proportion.
Start with the nose, just in the
middle of where the two circles
meet, then draw a cheekbone next
to the nose. Then, you can start to
bring in the eyes.
Now you can start to add in the im-
portant details. Draw a sort of
curved line for the mouth and draw
some little details for the teeth. And
then, some raised, curved eyebrows.
Now draw the outline of The Ge-
nie's neck and head. Add a few
more details... And Ta-da! You've
got yourself your own Genie!
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HISTORY OF
The Beano is loved by Brits across the country, and is such a large part of our culture. So many
people came to know Dennis the Menace & Minnie the Minx throughout their childhood and
these characters still adorn the pages of the much loved comic today. Few people know that the
Beano is produced in Dundee, and will soon celebrate its 78th Birthday. Although comics were
first popular in the 1930’s, there is still a huge demand for the comic, and in today’s digital world
of social media, a weekly print issue must be a good thing. Although the humour of the Beano
has changed over the years to reflect the times, the heart remains, and the publication is still
relevant today.
The first issue was released on 26 July 1938 and was a follow up to the popular comic The Dan-
dy. In the 1930's, there was a craze for comics and even the paper and ink shortage during the
Second World War, The Beano continued to print every other week. One particularly famous
strip is the Bash Street Kids, which writer Leo Baxendale got inspiration for by watching the chil-
dren play at the school across the street.
Although the publication is still very popular, the sales of comics in general have declined dra-matically from the many millions of copies sold in the 30's and 40's. The humour of the comic has had to change to adapt to modern times. For example, Dennis' dad no longer beats him with a slipper to punish him, and he no longer bullies Walter the Softy, but the spirit & fun re-mains, and the quality of the stories is as great as it always has been. So congratulations Beano, still going strong after 78 years.
Images by kind permission of DC Thomson & Co Ltd.
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House Update:
Throughout our school life we face different challenges, emotions and experiences which can be
difficult to deal with. This is why there is a famous lady, Esther Rantzen, who created a charity
called ChildLine to offer young people support as they go through their childhood.
When did ChildLine start and what is it?
ChildLine was founded in 1986 and work to make children around the UK feel that they have
someone to talk about any problems they may have or even if they just want to talk to someone.
The charity are fighting to end child abuse in the UK. They also support children who have been
abused, protect those at risk and any other issues children and teenagers may face.
What number do I call and is it free?
ChildLine is free to call and calls will not show up on your phone bill. It’s private and confidential,
meaning that any issues discussed are between you and your counsellor – unless your life is in
danger. Call the charity on 0800 1111, have a one to one chat online or send an email.
Who will I talk to?
ChildLine counsellors are trained staff and volunteers who are all experienced in talking and listen-
ing to young people. Counsellors may work on a voluntary basis and have different jobs as well.
Many have their own families and children. They are there to focus on you and let you decide what
you want to talk about, at your own pace.
What is a ChildLine message board?
The message boards are there for young people to share their information and experiences with
one another and find out other young people’s opinions. You can offer support to other young
people or seek their support with any issue you may be experiencing.
What can I talk to ChildLine about?
Child will talk about anything! Things you might like to talk about could be : abuse/safety issues/
home life/friends and family relationships/ school and college/ anxiety/ bullying/ online and mobile
phone safety etc. You can talk to ChildLine about whatever you are feeling as no problem is too big
or too small.
Visit the ChildLine website for more information on www.childline.org.uk
23 | The Standard
Our House Head is
Mrs D’Arcy
Our House Captain is
Megan MacArthur
Our House Captains are
Justin Somerville, Karis Fiaz & Danielle Pearson
House Update: St Margaret
S1 Tolu Giwa, Miljana Memishi & Rokas Taylor
S2 Holli Stewart, Kai Lindsay, Sam Tierney &
Paul Ward
S3 Ciara Watt & Adam Morrison
S4 Erkia Bruijstens & Ryan Hamill
S5 Shannon Kelly & David Ralston
Our Student Council Representatives are
Spotlight
Two wonderful members of our St Andrews House– Charlie Shields S4 and Keri Hol-
linsworth S3- recently cut their hair and donated it to the Little Princess Trust for little
girls who have lost their hair through cancer treatments. They have also raised money
for their chosen charities in sponsorship . We are extremely proud of these girls for
setting an example of what we are aiming for– a group of caring, generous pupils.
At the next assembly, we are hoping to be giving out
more awards. However we need your ideas on what
you think people should be awarded for. So far we
have some ideas such as 100% effort and time keep-
ing or awards for doing good in or outwith school. If
you have any ideas then please feel to let us know.
We are keen to hold fundraising activities and to be
aware of anything our house members are doing so
that it can be shared with the whole school commu-
nity.
What’s Next?
The Face of
St Andrew’s:
Caring, Charitable &
Thinking of Others
Assembly Highlights
Getting introduced to all of our house
representatives
100% attendance awards
Fun Fact
St Andrew is not just the patron saint of
Scotland. He is the patron saint of Greece,
Russia, Italy’s Amalfi coast and Barbados.
24 | The Standard
Biodiversity is an essential part of life; it is the study
of all living things, for example: plants, animals and
humans. The word is ‘biology’ and ‘diversity’ put to-
gether to make ‘Biodiversity’. If there were changes
in biodiversity it would lead to catastrophic events
such as extinction and climate change.
One interesting topic in Biodiversity is ‘Floods’. Re-
cently, floods have been a major problem for parts
of the UK. A flood is an overflow of a large amount
of water which is beyond its normal limits. They can
be caused by lots of things such as extreme weather
conditions, rivers overflowing their banks after heavy
rainfall or the seas flooding the land. A flood is also a
natural event that can have a far reaching effect on
people, animals, nature and the environment.
Lately, cities around the UK were flooded by various
storms, for example: Storm Desmond, Storm Eva
and Storm Frank. The floods hit in early December
and reached their peak close to Christmas time.
During Christmas and New Year the floods were still
damaging and caused huge disruption to people’s
lives in spite of the numerous weather warnings is-
sued.
The storm left thousands of homes flooded and ru-
ined. More than 5 200 houses in Cumbria and Lan-
cashire were flooded. Tens of thousands of proper-
ties were also left without power, dozens of schools
were closed and around forty bridges were either
damaged or shut. In York, 2 200 homes were evacu-
ated as houses were damaged, and in some cases
destroyed, by flooding. As the floods hit just before
Christmas, householders in some parts of Northern
England had to take their Christmas presents and
valuables upstairs where the water would not be
able to reach them. Those communities most se-
verely affected by the flooding were forced to evacu-
ate their homes and find shelter elsewhere.
Throughout the bad weather the government were
doing all they could to support people most severely
affected. In total, the sum of money invested by the
government in order to assist in the recovery pro-
cess amounted to approximately £200 million. £40
million of this sum was used to help repair flood
damaged roads and bridges.
The army was called upon to help people evacuate
their homes by using mini-boats to transport them
onto non-flooded land. Emergency teams also
helped and sandbags were placed at people’s doors
to protect homes and businesses.
Most citizens who were affected by the floods are
still recovering and trying to get their lives back to
normal. They are preparing for future floods so that
they may not be as badly affected as they were in
the winter of 2015.
To conclude, floods play an enormous part in biodi-
versity. They reflect the concerning issue of climate
change, the environment, nature and of course hu-
man lives. Personally, I feel that more should be
done to stop floods from occurring as the devasta-
tion they cause can be overwhelming. People should
be better educated on the dangers of climate
change and should know what measures they can
take to reduce it.
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THE WORLD CUP
The World Cup has been awarded every 4 years since the
first tournament in 1930. The only exception to this was in
1942 and 1946 where it was cancelled due to the Second
World War.
Only eight nations have won the World Cup. They are : Bra-
zil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, France, Uruguay, England and
Spain.
The highest scoring game in World Cup history was in 1954
when Austria defeated Switzerland 7-5.
In 2018 the World Cup will be held in Russia!
A total of 64 matches will take place over the span of a
month.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia is scheduled to take place
from 14th June – 15th July.
This will be the first World Cup held in Europe since 2006.
The tournament will involve 32 national teams, which in-
clude 31 teams determined through the qualification sys-
tem as well as the automatically qualified host.
World Cup Year Winner
Uruguay 1930 Uruguay
Italy 1934 Italy
France 1938 Italy
Brazil 1950 Uruguay
Switzerland 1954 Germany
Sweden 1958 Brazil
Chile 1962 Brazil
England 1966 England
Mexico 1970 Brazil
Germany 1974 Germany
Argentina 1978 Argentina
Spain 1982 Italy
Mexico 1986 Argentina
Italy 1990 Germany
USA 1994 Brazil
France 1998 France
Korea/Japan 2002 Brazil
Germany 2006 Italy
South Africa 2010 Spain
Brazil 2014 Germany
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HOW TO WRITE A song This is a step by step guide on how to write your own song. I will include little tips here
and there to make your writing skills look more professional…
1. Think of the genre of the song i.e. Pop, dance, rock and roll, country, jazz etc…
2. Consider the mood you want your song to achieve
3. Decide on a tempo i.e. slow, fast, steady…
4. Now it’s time for the fun bit you have all been waiting for...it is of course, the LYR-
ICS!
How to write good lyrics:
Make them as catchy and memorable as possible (especially in the chorus)
If you remember something important which has happened in your life, see if you
can translate that into your lyrics, it will be inspiring for both you and your listen-
er.
Avoid repetition; it’s very boring to listen to!
Use instruments to your advantage, experiment with it, think outside of the box.
To make it look more professional include some things like high notes, belts, scat
singing etc
Keep saving your lyrics as you go along. Save to your phone or buy yourself a note-
book just in case you forget them.
After you have followed all of the previous steps, put it all together and BOOM, you
have successfully created your very own song!
If you are planning on creating another song, try to make it different, a complete con-
trast to your first creation. This will vary your musical style and could attract a different
fan base which is always a positive thing. It also stops you from being stereotyped.
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Billy Connolly
A nAtionAl treAsure
Billy Connolly is perhaps one of Scotland’s most loved actors and comedians of all time. Ever since
the 60s he’s travelled the world and performed in front of millions of people.
Born and raised in Anderson, his humour was inspired by the streets and people of Glasgow. Alt-
hough he rose to fame doing stand-up comedy, he starred in many films including: the film adapta-
tion of Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’; ‘Pocahontas’; ‘Brave’; ‘The Muppets: Treas-
ure Island’; and the final instalment of ‘The Hobbit’ franchise.
His comedy has poked fun at the Vatican and all sorts of influential people and organisations. Sadly,
Connolly has had to take a step back from work recently, as he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's,
a fatal disease in which part of the brain becomes damaged over time. On his disease, he said "It is
not going to go away. I think it is an attitude – you say, ‘screw it, let’s get on with it’.”
At the 2016 National Television Awards, Connolly accepted an award for Lifetime Achievement. As he
shuffled on to stage, holding on to Dustin Hoffman for support, the generation that grew up watching
him leap and bound about in banana shoes, realised that he would never perform again.
The 73 year old comic said after the show, “I am so deeply moved. It’s a precious thing and I don’t feel
I deserve it."
Connolly has had such a huge impact on show business, and it is with a heavy heart that the public
watches him take a step back from public engagements.
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25 is an album made by an extremely talented artist called Adele. Even
though her songs may be slightly upsetting, her vocals will astound
you and will make you want to listen to more, her latest song ‘Hello’ is
by far my favourite, so I recommend for you to listen to that particular
song.
‘Multiply’ is an album made by the international pop sensation Ed
Sheeran. This album is very similar to ‘Purpose’ due to the upbeat
songs. Overall my favourite song in the whole album is ‘Sing’ as it is al-
so a really easy song to sing along to.
‘Purpose’ is an album made by the amazing vocalist Justin Bieber. This
album is a complete contrast to the other two as it is filled with up-
beat/ fast songs. My favourite song is ‘Love Yourself’ as it is an easy
song to sing along to.
‘Acoustic Café’ is an album which includes a variety of different gen-
res all mashed into one single album e.g. acoustic, pop, soul etc. I
definitely think that if you like relaxing music this is the
perfect album for you. Just put your problems to the side and take
a couple minutes to calm yourself down and to think of happy
thoughts.
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Jade Tobia, S6
Jade made a banner for a service in Glasgow Cathedral for Catholic Edu-
cation Week. Pictured here with Head Girl, Catherine Smith
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this computer is from the year 150 B.C, so it's just over 2000 years old. This ancient, analogue computer, was used to calculate eclipses and astro-logical positions, aka when at what time a star or the moon will appear. Funnily enough, the mechanism was forgotten and not used, till more than 1000 years later, round about the 14th century (1300's). The mechanism itself was also used to decide the time of the Olympics. Discovered in 1902 in a shipwreck, no maker or documents explaining it , have not been yet found.
A system of glyphs from the famous Easter Islands, these writings are amongst the most unique types of written communication in the world. Found on tablets, these glyphs still haven't been cracked, as there is no logical explanation for them. Consisting of unique pictures and shapes, cracking the 'code' could perhaps lead us to finding out why the Easter Island Civili-zation fell.
Probably the weirdest, and most baffling discovery on this list, we still don't know how old this thing is, due to some controver-sies. In the 1960's a couple were out on a walk where they no-ticed some wood sticking out of a rock. After cracking it open back at home, It was discovered there was a hammer inside. After being give to scientists, it was discovered that the rock was over 100 Million years old. The hammer inside was so old, but probably younger than the rock, that the wood started to turn to coal. Now after many researches, we still aren't sure if this rock actually is this old, since it could just be cement.
All over the world, from Scotland to Costa Rica, scientists keep on finding these perfectly spherical spheres. Carved so perfectly that they are possible the most spherical thing a human or nature can form, no one actually knows what they are used for.
So this guy called Piri Reis , an Ottoman (turkish) sailor lived around the early 16th century. He made a map. Mapping Europe, South America, Asia, Africa And even ANTARCTICA, with incredible detail, this is one of our most baffling discoveries. What is even more impressive is that Antarctica was not discov-ered until 300 years later. Well this map proves that wrong. But what is real-ly weird is that it shows areas under ice, that have been under ice for 6000 years so far, meaning this guy must have live in 4000 B.C.
Top 5 amazing
scientific discoveries
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MINTED Artwork by Jack Faulds
Written by Michael Smith
Based on Mr McSorley & Mrs Wilson
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