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11 July
The Merchiston Enterprises arm of the School too is very busy, as we must be fair to our parental body in trying to ensure that non-fee income augments our fee income. Very often, though, some of the organisations which use the School in the summer are at the very heart of education and it has been wonderful seeing the National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland in residence, followed by the National Youth Choir of Scotland this week. Next week, the charity “Windows for Peace” will also be with us. “Windows for Peace (UK)” works with “Windows - Channels for Communication” (Windows CfC) in Israel and the Palestinian territories to promote dialogue and understanding amongst Jewish, Palestinian and Arab young people in the area, as well as the communities in the UK. Fifteen young people will be staying in Pringle for two weeks and enjoying a number of activities. And after that we will be hosting the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the National Youth String Orchestra of Scotland! We hope that families will be enjoying some quality time together at some stage over the course of the summer. 30 June
My highlights: I finish the academic year with two highlights – both involve singing! It was fascinating seeing the Upper Sixth Formers and their guests singing at the front of School at 1am on Saturday morning, after their Dinner Dance. Accompanied by guitars, the assembled group went through a whole a range of songs and created a tuneful cacophony! Secondly, the Upper Sixth graduation on Saturday morning was a special moment. Then seeing them demonstrate their pride and belief in their School as they led the audience from the front of the Memorial Hall in singing “Ready Ay Ready” was moving. Barbara and I wish all who are leaving Merchiston, and indeed their parents, every success and happiness in the future. I have no doubt that the young men will enjoy wearing their Merchistonian ties wherever they go! 26 June
18 JuneMy thoughts: We are now half-way through week 10, but we are still in a very busy period. As I write, Upper Sixth Formers continue to sit their A2s, the Fifth Formers have just about completed their GCSEs, and the rest of the School from Shell downwards has sat internal examinations! Walking down the drive, chatting to one of the chaps in Pringle, I mentioned that examinations were a good way of showing the staff how the boys were enjoying learning! He replied, “I’ve never heard that before”! My congratulations: In this week’s Headmaster’s Assembly, I had the opportunity to shake hands with at least 30 young men to congratulate them on their achievements. The list of winners can be found in the relevant news story: Young Engineers for Britain Awards.
Still on Design and Technology, the ‘Students of the Term’ awards went to Connor (Senior category), Jamie (GCSE) and Jack (Junior). Arts Honours for Music (Pipe Band) have been awarded to Alasdair, Matthew, Marinus, Bruce, Oliver, Alastair and Stuart. Major Games Ties have been awarded to Ross (for cricket); and Rory, William, Andrew, Glenn and Malcolm for athletics. Scottish Schools Athletics Relay Championships – from two weekends ago: we also congratulated Malcolm and Charlie, who were members of the Merchiston teams which came 2nd in the O17 and 2nd in the U15 events respectively. (The other members of the team were congratulated last week.) In music, we were delighted with the high quality of the performances at Friday’s McLeod Cup and Forbes Bowl Competitions; particular congratulations go to Joe and Ben, the winners of the Junior and Senior competitions respectively. And in Piping and Drumming, the Band performed well in the CCF Piping and Drumming Competition at Loretto.
11 JuneMy thoughts: Listening to the news yesterday morning, one heard about moves south of the border to improve failing schools. Essentially, such schools, judged by results, will be given a certain period of time to improve or they will be closed. Naturally, I believe that each and every young person deserves to be educated to the best of our ability as teachers. However, to my mind a successful school is all about ethos and that incredible trust that should exist between pupils and staff, both within and outwith the classroom. No school is perfect and in this week’s Headmaster’s Assembly, I and Robin Macpherson (Housemaster of Rogerson West) spoke to the boys about intolerance. Robin reminded us of two great quotes: Thomas Jefferson, the US diplomat, politician, Enlightenment philosopher and 3rd President, who wrote Declaration of Independence of 1776, said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” The 2nd quote came from Edmund Burke, the 18th century Member of Parliament and political philosopher who said, “ All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” We cannot afford to have any intolerance within Merchiston. One of the things that is so special about this school is the quality of the trust between the boys and the staff, and the unusual depth of friendship and camaraderie between the boys. It does no harm to remind the School when we have let ourselves down. However, the Assembly also included so much that was praiseworthy, and there was much applause!
4 June I also reminded the School of standards. One member of the public commented that she felt that boys' shoes were not polished on the Commemoration Morning and neither was some of their hair brushed. I reminded the School that attention to these small parts of the jigsaw leads to the bigger jigsaw puzzle being completed. I also congratulated Pringle in the way in which they led our Worship on Sunday morning. My Highlights: My first this week was receiving a letter from a member of the public: “At Holyrood and at the School on Saturday, the boys and staff did themselves proud and clearly the parents, staff and visitors present on Friday evening and on Saturday were enjoying being part of the School which is evidently flourishing. I was able to report for parents on my stay in Glasgow that the School is doing extremely well and is being led in the most caring and progressive manner. Your choice of speaker on Saturday was inspired; David was inspirational and humbling and I would never have thought that the boy I taught twenty six years ago would address us all in such a memorable fashion”. Secondly, as I walked around the grounds on Saturday afternoon, I could not fail to hear one sound, that of boys’ laughing and playing - whether this was in the Pringle football pitch, Pringle Gardens, the West Gardens, the East Gardens or even on the Arena. The boys were playing touch rugby, football and cricket in between trees and just having fun. Finally this is a mammoth week for our Fifth Form, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth in the examination halls (viz theatre); equally all the other boys are undergoing a revision week as they enter a period of internal examinations next week. 29 MayMy thoughts: As I sit quietly at my desk at home over half term, writing this, I reflect on week 6! So much happened in the week before half term, of so much variety. First, let us not forget that this was the beginning of the major public examination period for the Fifth, Lower and Upper Sixth Forms. Secondly, we had some notable events, such as the Young Farmers Club, the Pringle World Issues Week, the Modern Languages Film Society Cercle Cinémane and the J4/J5 Dalguise Trip. Equally, there was a huge amount of activity for our pipers and drummers who took part in Beating Retreat at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. Sports fixtures abounded in tennis and cricket. Finally, there were a number of events connected to our 175th Anniversary Commemoration celebrations. The Dinner Dance at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre was so well supported by parents, It was a joy to see the variety of work by the boys in the Art & Design and Design & Technology Exhibitions, and to enjoy such a huge breadth of music in the Concert on the Gibson lawn and in the Dining Hall. Those playing included the Junior and Senior Pipe Bands, the Folk Group, the Saxophone Quartet, the Close Harmony Group, the Concert Band, and two Boy Bands: The Mystic Floorboards and The Foxy Boxers. This was intended to be a relaxed and informal opportunity to hear Merchiston’s musicians, rather than a formal concert. Moreover, there were cricket and tennis matches versus the Merchistonians. The Pringle Cricket Tour to Ireland left on Saturday, as did the Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award Exhibition, and those competing in the Scottish Schools TR (Target Rifle) Competition at Barry Buddon departed on Sunday. The pupils looked resplendent in their kilts, wearing their 175th Anniversary 1833-2008 ties. From my perspective, it was difficult to believe that all this and more occurred within the space of a week. At the same time, the School was going about its daily business while providing a showcase of talent. I have already written to the pupils, thanking them for their involvement and participation. I hope that many parents also enjoyed the week and to those of you who were unable to join us, I hope that this blog will give you a glimpse of the various events. Week 6 was certainly busy and we now concentrate on everything that is going to be happening, both within and without the classroom, in the second half of the Summer Term! I do hope that as many boys and families as possible have been able to enjoy some time together over half term. 21 MayMy congratulations: I congratulated the Pipe Band and the Close Harmony Group who performed so well at Ladybank Church in Fife. In cricket, our congratulations went to the 1XI on their win, and the U15 As on their draw, against Glenalmond. In Pringle, the 1XI defeated Loretto and Peebles; the U11 side also won against the latter; and the U10s, in its first hard ball match, had a good win over Belhaven! I also congratulated both the O17 and U17 athletics teams on their fine wins against Strathallan; and in tennis the 1VI and U13s won against Watson’s.  My highlights: I have three this week. Mrs Hunter and I attended the concert with local primary schools, which involved Pringle, St George's, St Peter's and Balgreen Primary Schools in an evening of music given by their pupils. Balgreen and St Peter's children were attending this annual event (now in its 11th year) for the first time. Each school performed a variety of songs lasting no longer than 15 minutes, and it is now traditional for everyone to join in a singalong at the end. This time, all 200 pupils concluded the concert by singing “When the saints go marching in” and the audience joined the children in a final rendition. Singing is therapeutic! St George's girls brought a recorder group, as did our own pupils, who also performed a piece for drums and voices by Ms Cohen. Secondly, the word ‘variety’ continues to spring to mind as I look at the School calendar. In the past week, pupils have attended a drugs talk given by the police, a sexual health talk, and other activities have included clay pigeon shooting, golf, the staff cricket match, sub aqua, the Blakerston Camp, the Chalmers East Italian meal with St George’s, and the Third Form Summer Ball, also with St George’s. My third highlight is to commend all the pupils in the Fifth, Lower and Upper Sixth Forms on their efforts as they prepare for, and sit, their GCSEs, their ASs and their A2s respectively. This is the first full week of public examinations, and whilst I would not necessarily say that ‘enjoyment’ is the right word, I ‘enjoyed’ seeing the boys start their examinations in the theatre. Every desk was occupied and it was good to see the calm sense of quiet purpose exuded by the staff, the invigilators and the pupils.
14 May
6 May
 My highlights: This week I have four. First, Bag-a-Book Week last week was a tremendous success. This is held in the Spawforth Library and it is part of our strategy of fostering the reading culture at Merchiston. Indeed, I am delighted with this facility, the way in which it is looked after by our librarian, Mrs Williams, and with how the boys use it. It is one of the many gems on the Merchiston campus. Secondly, the Whole School 175th Anniversary photo was great fun! Every pupil was wearing the 1833-2008 tie and the only mistake I made was that, on hearing a considerable body of the ‘kirk’ humming the School song, I did not allow everyone to sing it! However, we were worried about the number of people on the stands! Every member of the School community was invited to participate in the photo. Thirdly, the Information Morning on Saturday was fascinating to watch, though I say so myself! In particular, I enjoyed watching our boys acting as guides and activity organisers. Fourthly and finally, last week’s Piping and Drumming Concert, with 33 pipers and 26 drummers taking part, was excellent. However, the quietest and most significant moment was welcoming Christopher and Michael from the Royal Blind School, Edinburgh, to the event; Christopher joined our Pipe Band in playing Amazing Grace and Highland Cathedral (and indeed, he finished the latter by playing the solo). I found this extremely moving and it just illustrated how remarkable these two young men are in overcoming disability, and the wonderful sense of vocation, compassion and professionalism of their carers, but what was so stunning was to experience how music joins all people
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29 April
23 AprilMy thoughts: The first week of term has certainly been action-packed! Moreover, it has been mighty, mighty cold! However, it is a joy to see and feel the warmth entering the air; leaves are appearing on the trees, and accordingly the campus is beginning to look even more beautiful. In my Headmaster’s Assembly, among other things, I thought it was extremely important to remind the Fifth Form, and the Lower and Upper Sixth, that whilst they are facing very challenging weeks as they prepare for, and indeed sit their public examinations, generally speaking, if they put in the hours, working with the staff and concentrating on their revision in study hours, preps and sessions in the Spawforth Library, they will gain what they deserve. Equally, I reminded the boys that it is very difficult to ‘cheat’ examiners! In other words, if one does the former, there will be no need to attempt the latter!  My highlights: I have a mixture of private and public highlights from last week. First, Barbara and I attended the Confirmation into the Church of Scotland of Kerr, Alex, Oliver and Tom in the local Parish Church at the bottom of Colinton Village, near the Water of Leith. This was an interesting and different Service. On Sunday evening, the School held a Celebration of Confirmation Service. Our speaker on Tuesday morning was Bill Donaldson (Merchistonian, former History teacher at Merchiston and Housemaster of Chalmers West, and then Headmaster of Newcastle-under Lyme School, Staffordshire). He has now been in retirement for 20 years and in recent times he has written two prayer books: “Does Life Make Sense?” and “Light in the Darkness”. He spoke to the School about the importance of the 4 ‘F’s: faith, family, friends, and fitness of mind and body, and presented copies of “Light in the Darkness” to Kerr, Alex, Oliver and Tom (photo left). Secondly, it was wonderful to see the whole of our Fourth Form taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award expedition over the weekend. This is still a tremendous experience which challenges young people. Thirdly, on Monday it was a pleasure to welcome to Merchiston the Higher Education Careers event, which we put on in conjunction with St Margaret’s and St George’s. Finally, my private highlight: you will know from my first web diary entry of the Summer Term last week how important it is that there should be no distinction between the private and the public in terms of how our boys perform and behave. Thus, I was delighted to hear a Housemaster telling me that he was so pleased to see one of our 18-year olds asking a 10-year old from St George’s to dance at the recent Boarders Ceilidh at St George’s. A ceilidh is such an inclusive activity but it still takes a desire to include everybody for this young man to have asked such a young girl to dance, irrespective of the age difference. So, this week’s highlights are a real mixture of the spiritual, the practical, leadership and the personal.
17 April
My thoughts: As term started, the sun shone and the blossom on the trees is out! Mr Nick Blair, the Leader of the Chaplaincy Team, reminded us at my first Headmaster’s Assembly of the term that each pupil at Merchiston is receiving the gift of a wonderful education, and indeed that each day is a gift. It was my great pleasure to welcome to the School seven new pupils: Alfred (First Form), Andrew and Jack (Second Form), Adrian (Third Form), and Benjamin, Samuel and Anton (Fourth Form). We also welcomed five Summer Term exchange pupils or short-term visitors: Alvaro (from Madrid – Second Form – this is his 2nd spell at Merchiston), Jack (from The Scots College, Sydney, Australia – Shell); Hitesh (St Andrew’s College, Christchurch, New Zealand), Marcus (Lindisfarne College, New Zealand) and Mark (Michaelhouse School, South Africa) have all joined the Lower Sixth. The new arrivals were photographed after Assembly at the front of School, first on their own, and then with their guides who are so important in ensuring that these boys and young men get over any butterflies in their tummies as quickly as possibly! Finally, I welcomed to Merchiston Ms Frances Griffin, the P2B (P2Talk and P2Think) School Project Manager.
Congratulations: I congratulated Mr Adam Dickson (teacher of Design & Technology) on his marriage to Vicky during the holiday. Start of Term Message: I played to the School two very different songs: “We don’t need no education” (Pink Floyd) and “Do what you do do well (Ned Miller – 1964!). The first one epitomises the rejection of a structured education and I reminded the School how important it is that we retain our moral anchor, that we are able to distinguish right from wrong, and that we do not adopt a culture of ‘expediency’ whereby we perform when ‘on parade’ but then choose to become someone else when we are not on view. This is particularly vital when we are in group situations, especially when we might be ‘out of sight and out of mind’ of you, the parents, and indeed us, the staff! I reminded the School of my themes for the year:
Archive: Autumn 2006, Lent 2007, Summer 2007, Autumn 2007, Lent 2008 |
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Whilst the boys are now in the 2nd week of the holiday, life at Merchiston continues apace! The academic reports have now all been safely despatched and the families of our new pupils in September have received their joining papers. Our 1st XI cricketers have already returned from their tour to Gloucester, and the Close Harmony Group and Pipe Band Tour to Canada was a great success. The pupils on the Pringle Ru’a Fiola trip have also just returned. The participants in the Chinese Exchange to Zhuhai No 1 Middle School, Guangdong, have just departed. The Bisley Target Rifle Meeting takes place next week, and thereafter the Rugby Development Tour to South America departs! Equally, 16 young Merchistonians are undertaking a telephone fundraising campaign (photo left) for the new Sixth Form House. 
It has been a great pleasure and privilege for Barbara and me to visit Kenya, where I spoke at two prep school Prizegivings (Pembroke House, Gilgil, and The Banda) and we attended a third (Peponi House)! My father was born in Kenya, as was I, and Barbara was born in Uganda, so we both flew backwards and forwards to the UK for senior schooling and university. Thus, we understand how boys who live outside the UK and come here for their schooling, and indeed their parents, feel. We also hosted an Ambassador Drinks Party at the Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, followed by dinner for our present Merchiston parents, as well as meeting boys who are joining the School in September. We have always felt it is vital for us to understand our pupils’ home countries and their customs. 
My thoughts: As I sit at my desk on the Monday after Prizegiving, I am reflecting on a hugely busy final week of term. I particularly enjoyed reading through the reports of all the boys in the School and I like the way in which, for the most part, our reports try to reflect the whole breadth of the School experience, ranging from the academic to activities outwith the classroom. Secondly, who will forget the joy of the RAF visit on Friday, including a Merlin helicopter? Thirdly, the boys having disappeared to all parts of the globe, and Barbara and I will be flying to Kenya tomorrow to speak at the Prizegivings of two prep schools. We have boys from 24 countries at Merchiston; two boys are from Kenya and we will welcome a further two pupils from that country in September. This will be my 3rd trip to Kenya since I have been at Merchiston, and in a sense each trip is a homecoming for me since I was born in Kenya, as was my father. 
My congratulations: The public examination schedule is often challenging for schools, not least as the boys in the three top year groups (the Fifth, Lower and Upper Sixth Forms) start and finish at various stages of the term. We have not necessarily got it right with our Lower Sixth programme over the 2nd half of term, but on the other hand we have been delighted that the Sixth Formers have ended term with the Arts Festival. A whole variety of activities was laid on, including a Business Dynamics, Driver Safety and Personal Protection courses. The debate on Evolution versus Creationist between Mr Richard Lucas (Mathematics teacher and Third Form Housemaster) and Mr Matthew King (Head of Biology) was one of the highlights of the year, let alone the Arts Festival, and they showed themselves (and the Common Room) in the best possible light in front of a large audience from across the School. I really hope that we have more of these types of debate in the future; for the boys to see the staff being so passionate and articulate about their subjects was incredible. I would like to thank all the staff who organised the Festival, and especially Mrs Chispa Prini-Garcia, Mr Paul Williams and Mr Robin Macpherson, the Acting Housemaster of Rogerson West. Secondly, the Whole School End of Term Service, including First Prizegiving, and then the Drinks and Dinner Dance for leavers, their guests and parents, were a huge success. Again, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work of Mr Anderson in this regard. Thirdly, Prizegiving is different every year and this year saw the youngest ever speaker at a Merchiston Prizegiving, our 175th, in Robbie Grant, a Merchistonian, who made a huge impression judging by the volume of the applause. 
My thoughts: As we embark upon week 11, I have been thinking how fortunate the pupils are in these last two weeks of term to enjoy such a variety of activities, for instance the J4/J5 trip to Alnwick Castle. the First Form trip to Loch Insh, the Second Form trip to the Farne Islands and Bamburgh beach, the Second Form and Third Form Geography fieldtrips, the Third Form History trip to York, the U14 cricket tour to Derbyshire, the U15 Cricket Festival at King’s Bruton, the Duke of Edinburgh Silver and Gold Award expeditions, the Young Farmers’ trip to the Highland Show, work experience for the Lower Sixth, the final of the Edwards Reading Prize, the Sixth Form Young Driver Education Course, the Rogerson Roast, the Sixth Form Arts Festival, and the Pringle Celebration of the Year. Moreover, the Rugby Development Tour Group will be presented with some RAF-sponsored shirts. (It is likely that the School will review the number of trips we organise as we must ensure that our core curriculum continues apace. However, the young men are so fortunate in being challenged in such a variety of ways.) In the meantime, lessons have been continuing, and indeed some of our Upper Sixth have been sitting their final raft of public examinations in the form of Advanced Extension Awards, which are all about stretching the able.
My congratulations: I congratulated so many members of the School at this week’s Headmaster’s Assembly! Beginning with sport, in the Scottish Schools Swimming Championships, Senior section, Marc gained Gold, Oliver Silver, and Fergus Bronze; at U16 (photo left), Keith won Gold, Peter Silver, and Douglas Bronze; at U15, Teddy achieved Gold, Kirill Silver and James Bronze. Patrick (photo below), a member of the Shell, scored a century in the 1st XI match against George Watson’s at the weekend. Cricket colours were awarded to Oliver, who has scored six half centuries this season and has represented Scotland at U17. Swimming Half Colours were presented to Marc; Athletics Half Colours to Thomas and Malcolm; Basketball Half Colours to Haoyang; and Tennis Half Colours to James. Major Games Ties for cricket were awarded to Ross; and for athletics to Rory, William, Andrew and Glenn. Several pupils set new School records at last week’s ‘Games’: Malcolm in the O17 200m; Fraser in the U17 1500m; and Jay in the U15 200m, 400m and 800m! George too set a new record 
in the U13 1500m. Fraser was congratulated on being selected by the Scottish Schools Athletic Association to take part in a Track and Field match against England, Ireland and Wales. I took the opportunity to thank Mr Appleson and his team for our very successful ‘Games’. Continuing with sport, I congratulated the 1st XI on their win at Watson’s, the U15A XI on their wins against both Fettes and Watson’s, and the U15B XI on their win against Watson’s. At Pringle level, the U11B side defeated Clifton Hall, and the U10A and the U9 teams did likewise against The Compass; in the matches against Watson’s, the 1st and 2nd XIs won. It is important to note that this tradition of shaking hands with young men on the stage is not a trite gesture. It never ceases to amaze me that so many pupils are congratulated, and I like to think that each time this happens, there are at least 10 more saying to themselves, “I also wish to do well and be the best I can be, and help others to be the best they can be”. The ‘Musician in Residence’ Concert ended the Celebration of Merchiston Music evening. 
My highlights: I have two this week: first and foremost, Mathematics. In the Junior Maths Challenge, we garnered 37 awards – a new record – including 17 Gold Awards, which is also a School record. The Best in School and Gold Award was achieved by Lawrence; Gold Awards were won by Tim, Jamie, Ralph, Jack, Jamie, Edward, Adam, Cameron, Thomas, Rory, Ruairidh, Angus, Duncan, Rupert, Charlie and Ryan. This is a remarkable achievement both by these boys, and their teachers, Mr Lucas and Mr Vaughan. I only wish I was so good at Maths at their tender age! 
My second highlight is in the sporting arena: Stewart, Jamie, Patrick and Jasper (left) won the Scottish Schools Tennis Competition. Our Tennis Academy sister school, St George’s, were the runners-up. Moreover, I am absolutely delighted that Merchiston has reached the national finals of the Glanvill Cup. This is a UK-wide competition, and to reach this stage the boys played through a tournament draw involving Scotland and the North of England, and now they join the last 16 in the whole of the UK to compete for the Cup in the summer holiday. The Tennis Academy is not just about looking after brilliant tennis players; it is also about raising the profile of tennis in the School, and I am indebted to Mr Charman, Miss Cordiner, and last, but not least, Mr du Coudray. He is an outstanding coach and mentor of boys and girls, and equally a guide to the parents of these boys and girls. And so we continue with week 11! There is much going on! 
Scottish Schools Athletics Championships – this past weekend: Fraser (left) won Gold in the U17 1500m, in a new School Record time of 4m 08.72 (he led from start to finish); also Silver in the U17 3000m. Myles (right) won Bronze in the U17 Javelin, with a Personal Best throw; Lachlan (centre) achieved Silver in the U17 Long Jump, with a Personal Best throw; and Malcolm gained Silver in the O17 250m (he missed the Gold award by less than 0.1 of a second).
My highlights: I have four. Mrs Hunter and I particularly enjoyed the McLeod Cup (winners pictured left) and Forbes Bowl Competitions. There was a huge variety of music to be heard, and it was a very moving evening as we watched and listened to young men playing their instruments and engaging emotionally with the music. Accordingly, it was a tremendous pleasure to hear Ben play his winning piece on the saxophone (First Movement of the Sonata by Phil Woods) in this morning’s Headmaster’s Assembly. Secondly, I walked round the cricket pitches on Saturday, seeing boys playing this wonderful game. The cricket season is all too short in schools so it is tremendous that we have been blessed with good weather this summer. Thirdly, once again we heard Mrs Gillon speaking in Headmaster’s Assembly. However, this is the last time she will do so as she retires at the end of term after 27 years at Merchiston. Yet again, she did not waste a word and you may be interested in reading her beautiful prayer: 
Mrs Gillon has contributed so much to this School in so many different ways. My fourth highlight was seeing our visiting musician in residence, Mr Malcolm Harding, the former Director of Music at Bradfield College, leading the School in congregational singing practice this morning (photo left)– we all enjoyed the fun of it! And so we continue with week 10, with many young men having the incredible good fortune of going on trips with staff to celebrate the end of exams and the end of term. How fortunate they are! 
My congratulations: First, Hamilton, Campbell and Scott were congratulated on being awarded Arkwright Scholarships, which is an extremely competitive external award. It goes to a candidate who has successfully passed the Arkwright Aptitude Paper, demonstrating flair and originality in solving Engineering Design problems, and who has presented his GCSE work to a panel of interviewers. The selection process culminates in an interview for shortlisted candidates at one of six universities. The Scholarship supports young people during their A Level/Scottish Highers years by awarding £250 a year to assist with the purchase of materials and books and it carries the status of ‘Arkwright Scholar’ into university. Secondly, in Physics, Tom was congratulated on gaining a GCSE Physics Challenge Gold Award – it is important to note that there are only 21 awarded nationwide. Scott 
gained a Silver Award, and Rakeeb, Duncan, Kit and Max achieved Bronze. In the equivalent competition in AS Physics, Silver Awards were won by George, Dominik and Tomas, and Stewart and Jipeng gained Bronze. In addition, in the Senior Physics Challenge, Tomas has been granted a place at a one-week summer school at the Cavendish Physics Laboratory in Cambridge. Aspiring Science students are challenged by a series of lectures, practical activities and evening activities that go well beyond the confines of the A Level syllabi. Places are very limited, with the top 50 students being chosen to attend. Secondly, Tomas recently submitted an essay for the Kelvin Science Prize, entitled “Man on Mars: Must or Madness”, and this was chosen as one of the commended entries; the judges commented that his essay stood out for its clear style, level of research and originality of thought. We congratulated Santiago on having his poem, “From Scotland to Argentina”, published in “The Best of the Young Writers 2008” book.
Turning now to sport, James, Malcolm, Rickie and Jamie came 2nd in the final of the O17 Scottish Schools Athletics Relay Championships; Jonathan, Thomas, Tom and Monty came 3rd in the final of the U17 event; and Charlie, Jay, Callum and Claude won 2nd place in the final of the U15 event. Major Games Ties for cricket were awarded to Tom, Kyle, Kyle, Mark, Patrick, Ross and Douglas; and for athletics to Marc, Rory, Robert, William, Andrew, Andrew, Glenn and Malcolm. In cricket, Kyle was awarded his Century Bat for scoring 103 not out in the 1st XI match against the Merchistonians; and Jack was congratulated on his century against George Watson’s. Our congratulations also went to the 
U15As on their win against the Royal Grammar School (RGS) Newcastle, and the 3rd XI on their victory against Fettes. In Pringle, the 2nd XI and U11s defeated George Watson’s on Thursday, whilst at the weekend all four Pringle teams won their matches – against RGS Newcastle in the case of the 1st XI and against Riley House in the case of the rest. Moreover, I am delighted to see tennis growing and growing in the School, and the 1st IV defeated Marr College in the quarter final of the Scottish Cup; they are also in the next stage of the national finals of the Glanvill Cup. 
My thoughts: In this, our Anniversary year, I spoke to the School at assembly yesterday about the Holly Hedges (left) which are situated close to the tennis courts. It is remarkable that we have it on good record from the Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, that these were planted sometime between the years 1670 and 1680 but certainly not later than the latter year! They form a beautiful and secure protection to the gardens and they are an outstanding part of the Merchiston Estate!
There are a number of staff at Merchiston who work long hours behind the scenes, often unnoticed, providing different educational sessions for boys. One of these is Abe Wood (photo left, with Mr Charman) who joined us in 2002 to help deliver our Basketball programme. Mr Houston and Mr Lucas may lay claim to the initial basketball sessions at the School but it is through Mr Wood's expertise that Merchiston is now recognised as one of the top 8 basketball playing schools in Scotland. Before joining us Mr Wood led the Scotland team to a number of European competitions and was involved in numerous national and European cup victories with Boroughmuir Basketball Club. At Merchiston, he has instilled a real passion for Basketball through our SSO programme and has led the School team to 1 semi final, 2 quarter finals and 1 team to the last sixteen of the Scottish Cup. This is no mean feat given the strength of youth basketball in Scotland and the fact that the Schools’ Cup involves over 128 teams. In Mr Wood's final two seasons, the teams remained unbeaten in school matches outwith the Cup. He has mainly been involved with our senior boys, but more recently he has taken some of the junior activities as he moves towards his final retirement at the end of term. Mr Charman has worked closely with Mr Wood over the years on fixtures and mini tours and he comments 'it has been a real pleasure working with such a gentlemen. Abe has a fantastic understanding of the game and can identify the most complicated offensive plays and can organise counter defences. I will miss working with him.' Although 6 years may be a short stay compared to many staff, we are very sorry that Mr Wood is leaving and we would like to thank him, for his contribution to Basketball at the School. The Captain of Basketball presented Mr Wood with a gift from the School. It was a joy to hear Mr Wood say that coaching sport was such a privilege. 
My congratulations: I congratulated Patrick Baker on his century (102 not out against Lothian Schools), Patrick’s first century! Equally, I congratulated the 1XI on their wins against Merchistonians and Gordonstoun, the U15A XI who defeated Lothian Schools and drew with Gordonstoun. At U14 level, the ‘A’ side defeated North Edinburgh whilst the Pringle 1XI and 2XI had a good victory against Dollar with the U11 side winning against Malsis at the weekend. I also congratulated the tennis players as the 1VI won their last four matches against Fettes, Loretto, Waverley Club and the Merchistonians, whilst the U16 side also defeated Waverley.
Merchistonians, staff and guests. The Service was held, as ever, on Saturday morning, and our guest speaker this year was Dr David Millar BA, BSc, MSc; Merchistonian (1980-85). Dr Millar is currently Lead Clinical Neuropsychologist for adult neuropsychology services at the Regional Neurosciences Centre, Newcastle General Hospital. David studied for a BA Sports in the Community at Jordanhill College but suffered a spinal cord injury whilst playing rugby in New Zealand in 1989. After a short sojourn as a publican in Tillicoultry, David read for a BSc in Psychology and worked in injury rehabilitation in New Zealand. Since then he has gained a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Newcastle, and an MSc in Clinical Neuro-psychology from Glasgow. He gave a most inspiring and 
My thoughts: At this week’s Headmaster’s Assembly we heard about the British Schools Clay Pigeon Shooting Championships, and about the School skiing trip. The Fifth, Lower and Upper Sixth Forms continue to work extremely hard as they prepare for public examinations – they are doing lots of past papers and practice questions, and I am seeing higher and higher occupancy rates of the tremendous Spawforth Library! 
My congratulations: The Commendation of Achievement tie was granted to Horace, Bo and Anh for their recent extraordinary academic achievements in Maths, Physics and Chemistry respectively. Fraser was congratulated on winning both his 1500m race in the East District Cross Country Championships on Saturday and the 3000m race in the East/West Championships on Sunday. In the course of running the former, Fraser broke the 1500m School record, which had been held since 1982. We also congratulated Malcolm on breaking the School record over 100m, which had been since 1975, and equalled in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Finally, in cricket, Mark was congratulated on scoring 123 not out against Edinburgh Academy, his 2nd century of the season, and Carleon (pictured) scored 140 not out in the Lothian Schools Cup 1st round against Stewart’s Melville. 
My highlights: I have three this week. First, Mrs Hunter and I really enjoyed the Pringle production of The Witches! It was wonderful to see young people involved on and off the stage in this evening of great fun and there were some excellent touches. I always think going to watch or listen to something live is so invigorating and inspiring. As ever, the sound, the pyrotechnics and the lighting, the movement and the choreography, in tandem with the words on the stage, were extremely interesting and this all bodes so well for the future. Drama is actually a tremendous life skill! Yet again, this evening illustrated the huge diversity of life and talent at Merchiston. Secndly, at yesterday’s Assembly, Christopher from the Royal Blind School joined our Pipe Band in playing Highland Cathedral; 
Christopher played the solo at the end of this rendition (pictured). It was tremendous to welcome him back to Merchiston, and to hear his sense of humour when he was asked some questions in the front of the whole School about why he had taken up piping and which were his favourite tunes. We very much hope that he will come to some piping group work sessions at Merchiston. Finally, it was tremendous to see the First and Second Form enjoying a Language Morning and Lunch with St George’s girls. So, as you can see, we have been happily involved in the challenges and fun of weeks 4 and 5 of the Summer Term, both within and without the classroom!
My thoughts: At this week’s Headmaster’s Assembly we had two visiting speakers. The first, Bill Donaldson, spoke to the School again and presented a copy of his latest prayer book, Light in the Darkness, to confirmands Jack, Philip, Claude, Nicholas, Kit and Richard. I very much enjoyed attending the two Confirmation Services in the local kirk and in the Episcopalian church. The respective Services were very different but both exuded a real sense of faith and spirituality. I was also particularly pleased to see friends of the confirmands attending the Services to support them. Do, please, have a look at 
My congratulations: At Assembly, on the stage, we congratulated Tom and Horace (photo left) on being awarded Certificates of Distinction in the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad 2008. Having performed particularly well in the Intermediate Maths Challenge, Tom and Horace were invited to participate in the UK Mathematics Olympiad. Of this select group, 50% are awarded a Certificate of Participation, the next 25% a Certificate of Merit, and the top 25% a Certificate of Distinction. So Tom and Horace achieved this highest accolade. Furthermore, Horace’s performance at this level has placed him in the top 40 students in the UK, and he has therefore been invited to the National Mathematics Summer School in July, where the top 40 students take part in training, which leads on to the selection of the UK’s Mathematics team for the next International Olympiad. We believe this achievement is a first for a Merchiston pupil. We also congratulated Anh on gaining a Gold Award in the Chemistry Olympiad 2008; again, it was remarkable that he was selected as a ‘Top 8 in Britain’ Lower Sixth student to attend a course at Cambridge. Also, Oliver gained a Commendatory Award. I congratulated the Episcopalian confirmands on the stage, namely Philip, Claude, Richard, Jack, Nicholas and Kit. In sport, we congratulated Jack who scored 144 not out recently in the fixture against Strathallan, and he was awarded his bat! The U17 and O17 athletics teams came first in the event involving Merchiston, Fettes, Edinburgh Academy and Stewart’s Melville. Moreover, the 1XI drew with the Forty Club (they would have won but for a hail storm that arrived 7 overs from the end of the match!); the 1XI won their match against Stewart’s Melville in the 1 st Round of the Lothian Schools Cup. The 2XI won against Strathallan; and at the weekend the 1XI had a good win versus Dollar, as had the Pringle 2XI against Cargilfield, though the Pringle 1XI lost narrowly to Cargilfield. The Senior and U15 tennis teams recorded good victories in their matches against Stewart’s Melville and Heriot’s respectively. 
My thoughts: At Headmaster’s Assembly yesterday morning, it was a pleasure to hear Chris talking about the recent Geography field trip to Iceland, and Alex giving an account of the GCSE History trip to Eastern Europe. We also welcomed Dr and Mrs Cartwright and baby Orla – she received a blessing (and a bottle of champagne!). The highlight of the Assembly was the continuation of our series on 1833 and Merchiston’s 175th Anniversary, relating important events at the time of the School’s founding to specific subject disciplines. So, this morning the Head of Biology, Mr King, spoke about 
My congratulations: On the platform, I congratulated George (photo left) on coming 2nd in the U12 Scottish Schools Cross Country Championship in Kirkcaldy on Saturday, and Mark on scoring 108 not out in cricket against Edinburgh University. Again in cricket, our congratulations went to the 1st XI, the 3rd XI, the U15As, the U15Bs, the Pringle 1st and 2nd XIs, the U11s and the U9s on their wins. In tennis, I congratulated the 1st VI, the U18s and the U16s on their victories last week. 
My congratulations: I congratulated Charlie on being awarded Arts Honours for Music for his ongoing commitment to instrumental music throughout his School career, both as a guitarist and a pianist; also for his leadership of guitar groups involving junior pupils. I also congratulated Alexander, Peter, Alexander, Charles and Hector (photo left) who did extremely well to win the JP Morgan Stock Market Challenge last week; they came top out of the 24 schools competing and won a prize of £500 as they turned £15,000 into £171,000 after 5 virtual days of trading! Clearly, this might be a talent we should watch! The pupils studying PE in the Fifth Form were congratulated on the OCR examiner’s extremely complimentary comments on their performance, when he visited Merchiston last Friday. The sporting season has already started and in cricket I congratulated the 1XI on their win against Loretto, and the Pringle 2XI and the U11 XI on being successful in their matches against Edinburgh Academy. In tennis, the U18 team defeated West Lothian, the U16s won their match against Hatton Sports Club and the U14s drew against Dunfermline Tennis Club. And in the final rugby game of this academic year, the 1XV played Edinburgh BATS and won 44-7; this is now a traditional match between the Cup winners and an Edinburgh Select side. 
End of Term/Holiday Activities: I said to the School that the number of activities that took place at the end of last term and in the Easter holiday is remarkable: National Schools Sevens (Rosslyn Park), the Balgreen Primary School/Merchiston/Place2Be activity afternoon at Merchiston, the First Form trip to Paris, the Sixth Form Spanish trip to Malaga, the GCSE History trip to Eastern Europe, the ski trip to Alpe d’Huez, Mrs Hunter’s and my trip to Hong Kong, the Multi-Sports Easter Camp, the Melrose Sevens, the Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition and the Geography field trip to Iceland. I was delighted to hear from members of staff who accompanied the trips that the pupils were a joy to be with in terms of their demeanour, spirit and enthusiasm.
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