SIFE

Looking forward to meeting Andrew Marr and the SIFE team again this week.



The University of Strathclyde students are going to put some 30 or so of our S3 pupils through real life business challenges to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit.



They did a good job with our seniors at Christmas at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship so it will be nice to welcome them on home turf.

Young Enterprise 2007-08

Klass Act, Hamilton Grammar's YES company is in a mad rush to finish off their report and presentation for the Lanarkshire Area Finals in April.

The size of the group does seem to have been an issue as individually the students are brilliant and confident, but as a group they have become rudderless and lacking motivation. Perhaps I have something to do with it, but on the other hand I was so confident with this group I haven't been as much of a motivating force as perhaps I should have. A lesson learned there, I think.

I quite enjoy being the Link Teacher as it does give you another focus and I like working with the seniors, though don't mention the word 'Prefect' when I am around. (Cue in-joke private laughter).

Anyway, I am very proud of the students and I hope we do ourselves and the school proud... if we get everything finished.

At worst it has been an invaluable experience for me and the kids. We did start incredibly late so I won't make that mistake again. And even my mentor for YES at Lenzie had a few goes before being successful in the Area Finals. Though she did go on to win the Scottish twice!

Mind you, as they say from my neck of the woods: "Nae bother tae the wee man".

Was that my head swelling... mibbe. Because... READ THE POST BELOW!!!

We Are The Champions

Told them.

I had said in no uncertain terms to the seniors who did the grand job of organising a quiz for The St Andrew's Hospice that I was going to win.

Armed with a ramshackle team of Mr McAlpine (Mastermind subject: Music), Mr Alexander ( (Mastermind subject: Politics), Mr Pellegrini ( (Mastermind subject: Maths & Physics) I knew it was gonna be an uphill battle.

Just as well I had a trial for Blockbusters eh?

The lads romped home scoring 81 out of 90 to win by ten clear. We all felt like Tiger Woods, unlike Mr Arthur (Mastermind subject: Thunderbirds) who thinks he is Tiger!

Seriously, it was good fun and I enjoyed myself.

What a great performance and effort by the seniors, many of whom I teach in S6 or know through Young Enterprise. They raised something like over £400 which is just fantastic.

The Carrigan's venue in Hamilton was pretty good also. Everything went superbly.

Though I do have to say that the young chap who does Advanced Higher Music needs to go to Maths more often. I told him it was Beethoven's FIFTH and not the sixth as he insisted.

I look forward to making it two in a row next year!

The EDGE Programme

Two Hamilton Grammar pupils are going for the EDGE programme, an event run and sponsored by Scottish Enterprise.

EDGE is all about encouraging the young entrepreneurs of the future and getting them to work on a team based project within real companies.

I am going to be involved in some capacity, so I am quite excited also. And as one of the candidates remarked I am NOT only going because there is a quite stimulating social calendar. Shame on you!

Good luck to the both of them, and we wish them success.