Tuesday 13 December 2016

Boeing, Boeing



A huge thanks to all who were involved in staging or attended this year’s superb senior Drama production. The standard seems to get higher and higher each year!

One highly impressed critic wrote on social media:

‘A hilarious night at James Gillespie's High School enjoying this year's senior drama, the breakneck-farce 'Boeing Boeing,' translated into English in 1962 and said to be the most performed French play in the world. It’s the Sixties and suave bachelor Bernard couldn't be happier: a flat in Paris and three gorgeous air-hostesses all engaged to him without knowing about each other. But Bernard’s perfect life gets bumpy when his Irish pal Robert comes to stay and a new and speedier Boeing jet throws off all of his careful planning. Soon all three stewardesses are in town simultaneously, timid Robert is forgetting which fibs to tell to whom, and catastrophe looms... brilliant performances by Robert Davis, Maddie Cassidy, Jack Richardson, Michael Barker, Stella Clancy and Lori Stott, in a show entirely produced, directed and staged by school students’

Special thanks to  to Malcom Hardie and Zee Sulleyman whose leadership from behind the scenes continues to ensure that our seniors’ talents are recognised, nurtured and celebrated.

Sad to think that this is the last year in High School for Maddie, Jack, Michael and Stella but I’m sure we’ll hear more of their acting talents in the future.

Tuesday 6 December 2016

OECD tables

OECD league tables
Today's news in relation to league table positions for Scotland makes very uncomfortable reading.

We will need calm and clear heads in the coming weeks. We must avoid knee jerk reactions.

Monday 5 December 2016

Fidelis et Fortis

The clock that never worked, the sinister Green Lady, the day we nearly drowned the Queen Mother – it’s all in a sparkling new book, Faithful and Brave: A Celebration of James Gillespie’s High School. Commissioned by the James Gillespie’s Trust to mark the opening of our new campus, and penned by award-winning journalist John MacLeod – himself a former Gillespie’s pupil – Faithful and Brave is 304 fact-packed and heavily illustrated pages, covering our entire history from the last days of Mr Gillespie to Callum Skinner’s Olympic glories in August 2016. A gripping read, a physically beautiful book and the perfect present, with a warm foreword by Grant Stott – it’s unputdownable. Buy your copy right now. And another for a friend!

1. Email the school at: Admin@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk to reserve a copy and arrange for collection. Price £17.99
2 Electronic payment:
TSB Sort Code: 30 13 01; Account number 00972295
• Price is £17.99 if collected from school
• Price is £21.25 if the book is to be posted.
The book will also be available for sale at various school functions in the next few weeks.
The formal launch of the book will take place on the evening of Wednesday 14 December at the school. Details to follow.