SQA & Revision Information
Therapeutic Garden Information
A group of teachers and pupils have been working hard to create a Therapeutic Garden in the grounds of Mintlaw Academy. Featuring winding paths leading to different areas, a reflective shelter, sensory flowers and plants, bird feeders, water features and other eco additions, the garden will be a long term project that will evolve over time. It will function as an education resource, involving pupils in its progress which will help them develop skills for life and employment and earn additional qualifications such as ASDAN, John Muir Award, Personal Achievement awards and many more! It will also serve a wider purpose, as an outdoor learning space for all classes, teambuilding area for staff and pupils, gardens for pupils to work on, development of eco projects and space to showcase projects.
Finally the creation and completion of the garden will facilitate a meaningful interdisciplinary project, engaging pupils, staff, local businesses, parents and community members, ultimately providing an additional resource in the learning and teaching of pupils in our area.
If you would like to be involved or hear more about the project please contact Mrs T Ross or Mrs A McKeown at Mintlaw Academy, 01771 622994.
Information for Supporting Your Learner
Adverse Weather Information
During the dark winter days, we encourage pupils to put safety first. This includes dressing appropriately so that they can be seen at all times and to wear appropriate outerwear/footwear for the weather conditions. Pupils have been reminded about the procedures to follow in the event of wintry weather, please discuss these arrangements with your son/daughter including if the school were to close during the day. If unable to get into school, pupils should work through the materials appropriate to them as instructed by their class teachers. Information about changes to school bus routes or school closures will be posted on the Aberdeenshire Council website and on the school infoline.
To access the school infoline:
- Dial Aberdeenshire Council’s access number: 0370 054 4999
- Enter Mintlaw Academy’s Pin number: 021100
- You will then be taken to the MAIN MENU where you will be given 4 options.
- PRESS 1: to hear our school’s message about adverse weather
You can also find out about school closures by registering to receive e-mail alerts or subscribing to the school closures RSS feed, on the Aberdeenshire Council website.
Communication with Parents
Parents – frustrated when letters from school go missing?
Now is the time to get involved in shaping the future of communication with schools. Aberdeenshire Council is rolling out a new service to communicate with parents by email, text message and a new app for smartphones and tablets.
A parents’ survey is available that will directly influence how the school uses the new messaging service – you can complete it at the following link; https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/AberdeenshireSchools
This improved system will allow us to send home newsletters, certificates and other communication electronically, saving the school money currently spent on text message and printed newsletters.
We are scheduled to begin using this technology hopefully next year and are seeking parents’ views on what they want to receive, delivery methods and how often they want to hear from the school.
Please note, telephone and letter communication will still be used for communication that is of a sensitive or confidential nature.
Further information is available by visiting http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/schools/parents-carers/school-communications/
Open University: Young Applicants Schools (YASS) : – Information for Parents/ Carers and Students.
Good News
S2 Writing Success
Recently several of our S2 students have been chosen for publication in a Young Writers Anthology entitled ‘Stories of Peril’. We’ll see copies in our library soon so everyone can share in our students’ success. A huge well done to:
2B1 Aliyah-May Sanger, Madeline Morrison and Hope Duncan
2B2 Caitlin Smart, Jessica Yu
2D1 Liam McDonald, Mia McDonald, Hugh Wilson
2D2 Hannah O’Connor, Ellie Wright, Maja Nejman, Jordan Murray, Lois Reid, Logan Murray
2M1 Charlie Bey, Isla Emslie
2M2 Calum Cruickshank, Nathan Olsen, Trent Freeman
2U1 Austin Wood
Well done to this group of S5 pupils on achieving outstanding National 5 results in their recent S4 exams. #Aspiration #Success
Well done to this group of S6 pupils on achieving outstanding Higher results in their recent S5 exams. #Aspiration #Success
Warm Welcome to our new members of Staff at Mintlaw Academy
Shelly Lawson (Technologies), Lianne Gray (English), Fiona Campbell (Creative Arts), Anthea Bond (Social Subjects), Sarah More (Languages), Melanie Maclennan (English), Jennifer Baird (English)
Award Assemblies
Award Assemblies for S1-S5 for Attainment, Endeavour, Special and Volunteering achievements during 2022/23 were held on Tuesday 27th June.
Senior Prefect Team 2023/2024
Meet our Senior Prefect Team 2023/2024
Head Girl Eleanor Whyte, 6M, Depute Head Girl Sophia Gibb, 6D
Head Boy Hamish Craig, 6U, Depute Head Boy Charley Fraser, 6M.
Congratulations
YPI Winners for 2023
S3 pupils Jack, and Fynn presented the Mintlaw & District Men’s shed
with a cheque for £3,000. Well done to all involved.
as part of our Health & Wellbeing week Mintlaw Academy pupils and staff took part in the Race for Life on Wednesday 17th May to raise money and awareness for Cancer Research UK.
Sadly, Friday was our S6 pupils last day, study leave then sitting their exams from today.
Good luck to them all and all the best for the future, hope you enjoyed your last fun filled day at Mintlaw Academy.
Prelim Success
Congratulations to our S4 pupils who have achieved 5+ A passes in their recent prelim exams.
Congratulation to our S5 pupils who have achieved 5 A & B passes in their recent prelim exam.
S1 Pupils – Outstanding Effort
Following the recent tracking reports, we would like to pass on our congratulations to your child for their outstanding effort across their courses. We ask our teaching staff to award the highest ‘rating’ for effort when a pupil’s effort has been exceptional and so to have been given this by a number of different teachers across a range of subjects is superb.
Mintlaw Academy Senior Leadership Team
Findlay Anderson-Milne, 1B2 Olivia Birnie, 1D2 Abbie Brown, 1U1
Kayla Burnett, 1B2 Jessica Chalmers, 1U1 Emily Chamberlain, 1U1
Calum Cruickshank, 1M2 Trent Freeman, 1M2 Jimmy Griffin, 1M2
Bethany Hart, 1U1 Rachel Ironside, 1U1 Grace Kinghorn, 1B1
Mia McDonald, 1D2 Drew McGillivray, 1U1 Madeline Morrison, 1B1
Scott Pert, 1U1 Lois Reid, 1D2 Isla Smart, 1B2
Lia Thomson, 1B2 Isabella Whitelaw, 1B2 Aiden Will, 1D2
Ellyna Wright, 1M2 Jessica Yu, 1B2
S3 Pupils – Outstanding Effort
Following the recent tracking reports, we would like to pass on our congratulations to your child for their outstanding effort across their courses. We ask our teaching staff to award the highest ‘rating’ for effort when a pupil’s effort has been exceptional and so to have been given this by a number of different teachers across a range of subjects is superb.
Mintlaw Academy Senior Leadership Team
Ruby Adam, 3D1 Poppy Buchanan, 3M2 Liam Cameron, 3M1
Isla Catto, 3M1 Amy Chalmers, 3D1 Nathan Clark, 3M1
Lynsey Cromarty, 3U2 Rocco Elmslie, 3B1 Blair Findlay, 3D1
Ruby Forsyth, 3D2 Ben Holroyd, 3B1 Daisy King, 3U1
Ella Mackie, 3U2 Natalie Moore, 3B1 Brooke Strachan, 3D2
Lydia Watkin, 3M1 Tyler Willox, 3U2 Imogen Wood, 3D2
Mrs Duthie HT presenting two members of the English faculty with their Mintlaw Academy Pins.
Mrs McCluskey PT English faculty for (support for a huge number of individualised pupil home study packages) and Mr Holding for (commitment for getting to work whatever the challenges).
Aberdeenshire schools visit the academies of Nashville, ‘See it to be it’.
Aboyne Academy, Bucksburn Academy, Harlaw Academy, Mackie Academy, Mintlaw Academy Northfield Academy, Old Machar Academy, St.Machar Academy & Turriff Academy.
Inspiring visit, talking to some incredible students, demonstrating their oracy,
Ambition and energy for their education and futures.
@MyFutureMyWay @Nashhub @Excelerate
Festive Fun
1st Prize – The Nativity, 2nd Prize – The Family and 3rd Prize – Home Alone
Well done to Ms Morris on being awarded a Mintlaw Academy Pin for
supporting whole school Professional Learning.
Congratulations on Outstanding Tracking Report Results
Following the recent tracking reports, we would like to pass on our congratulations to our pupils for their outstanding effort across their courses. We ask our teaching staff to award the highest ‘rating’ for effort when a pupil’s work has been exceptional and so to have been given this by several different teachers in a number of different subjects is superb.
Mintlaw Academy Senior Leadership Team
Peterhead Fire Station
Some great pictures below from an excellent partnership event with Peterhead Fire Station. A group of our young people from S2 and S3 involved in a mock emergency yesterday, with all parents in attendance to watch. They did fantastically well.
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Mintlaw Academy/Rennie Farms Partnership
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“In honour of a long standing partnership between Mintlaw Academy and Rennie’s Farm Shop, Morag Rennie presented Mintlaw Academy (on behalf of the family business) with a new whole school pupil award in memory of her Mother-in Law Ina, who spearheaded the partnership. The inaugural award winner was S4 pupil Calvin Strachan for his endeavour and commitment to the Fresh start project, which Rennie Farm Shop have supported for many years through the provision of fresh produce to allow Mintlaw Academy pupils to engage in an enterprise project as part of their learning.”
#learningtogether #partnerships
Dylan Forman raised £407.89 for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus by selling lucky squares to pupils and staff at Mintlaw Academy.
Local businesses, Murdoch Allan, Simpsons garden centre, Macbi, Aberdeenshire larder and Morrisons Peterhead supported him by donating prizes for the draw.
Wendy Blair from Spina Bifida Charity came to school on 16/6/22 to be presented with a cheque from Dylan Forman and thank him personally for his hard work.
Mintlaw Academy are delighted to share that our Head Prefects for this session are as follows:
| Head Prefects
Marina Murdoch Declan Will
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Depute Head Prefects
Martha Fowlie Chloe Forman Odhrán Mannion Vadym Kapliuk |
I am sure you will all look forward to congratulating them on their achievement.
Congratulations to #ugiehouse for winning sports day this year. Well done to everyone who took part.
#learningtogether #mintlawacademy
Rugby Success
As part of Ellon Rugby Football Club, some of our S3 boys celebrated success on winning the U15 league earlier this year and on Sunday they won the Caledonia Cup Bowl!
Representing Mintlaw Academy were Malachy M, Fraser M, Jackson R, Konar S, Caden H and Ryan M.
Well done Ellon RFC!
S2 TRUST – Journalism Task
Nicola McAlley from STV selected the following entries for recommendation
Liam (S2)
Phoebe (S2)
Callum (S2)
Mintlaw Academy pupils’ Donation for Bunono School, Uganda
Photo: Marlyn Somers (3rd right) and Trixie Findlay (4th Right) with the cheque for £200 and the pupils who made it possible.
S1-4 pupils from the Horizons Group and Enhanced Learning Suite at Mintlaw Academy have raised funds for Bunono School in Uganda by running an enterprise, which has included making and selling bird feeders and holding a raffle. Bunono School is the beneficiary of the charity ‘Uganda Person to Person’ founded 10 years ago by Marlyn Somers, an optical dispenser from Forres. Bunono School also opened 10 years ago and now has a roll of 600 pupils, who receive a Primary Education. Uganda Person to Person is so called as all money donated goes directly to the school with no administration fees. Marlyn accompanied by Trixie Findlay from Elgin were invited to speak to the pupils earlier in the session and as a result,the pupils and staff of the Additional Support for Learning department were so touched by Marlyn’s work and the needs of Bunono School that it was decided that they would help with resources by fundraising. Some pupils also wrote to the school and their letters along with photos of their enterprise work were taken out to Uganda in January. Marlyn and Trixie have recently returned to Mintlaw with photos and news of the pupils and their trip. The sum of £200 will be used to fund a shower cubicle for the boys at the school and the department will continue to raise funds to help with resources.
