News Archive: Autumn 2005, Lent 2006, Summer 2006, Autumn 2006, Lent 2007, Summer 2007, Autumn 2007
Week 11
The final week of term was spent by many senior pupils completing coursework for GCSE or A level submissions, and some GCSE language candidates also did their oral examinations. The annual School Cross Country was held on Tuesday, with a route rather revised on this occasion because of building work on the new Sixth Form House! Many Sixth Formers went to a production of The 39 Steps on Tuesday, and the following evening several houses held end of term dinners in or out of school. Trips departing at the end of this week include Sixth Form Spanish pupils going to Malaga, GCSE Historians going to eastern Europe, and a ski trip.
Week 10
Further musical events took place this week: a Pringle Concert and Competition on Tuesday (picutred left), with a Piping and Drumming Competition that evening also. Members of the Pipe Band also competed in Glasgow in a competition on Friday. On Sunday the Colinton and Merchiston (adult) choir performed Maunder's Olivet to Calvary to popular acclaim. One of many trips out of school this week involved the second half of the Lower Sixth going for its Leadership Training Course at the weekend.
Week 9
Exam results arrived this week for those AS/A2 modules sat in January. Also receiving results were Shell and V Form boys who sat the Maths challenge recently. A group of staff and senior pupils gave a concert of varied types of music on Wednesday. The Chapel Choir went to Paisley Abbey to give a lunchtime concert on Saturday to a small, but very appreciative, audience. On Sunday, the annual Rugby Sevens competition saw a win for Merchiston at U18, with Gordon's winning the plate competition, a further win for Merchiston at U15 level, and the U14 section was won by Watson's.
Week 8
The main event of the week was the Choral Society Concert on Sunday evening in the McEwan Hall.
Poor weather forced the cancellation of most of what would have been for some their final matches of the season on Saturday, but our curling team was able to take part in the Miller Drummond competition on Saturday and were winners of the trophy for the third consecutive year.
Many Fifth Formers' parents attended a dinner on Friday night, and a meeting on Saturday, at which subject choices for the Sixth Form were discussed with subject teachers.
Lower Sixth Geographers were away on a field trip in the first half of the week, and at the junior end of the School, many pupils gave their presentations for the English Speaking Board exams. The English department also had a theatre trip for its A Level students, and held this term's 'Bag-a-book' event on Thursday and Friday. There was an adult's Highland Ball for charity, organised by Ken Houston, on Saturday, at which some boys acted as ushers.
Week 7
On Tuesday, we were pleased to see Merchistonian Cameron Johnston (2004) back at school coaching the 1st XV. That evening, many of the Sixth Form went to see Equus at the King's Theatre. The Choral Society are in the final stages of rehearsing for their concert next week. On Thursday evening, a number of senior pupils spoke to prospective parents at 'The Merchiston Journey' presentation, and various social events took place at the end of the week for various year groups.
Half-Term
Week 5
On Tuesday evening over 90 people attended the annual Scholars' Dinner, which this year was a special 175th Anniversary event. In addition to the scholars themselves, there were staff, some former History staff, and also several Merchistonians who left between 1999 and 2007. John O'Neill (Common Room 1992-97 and 2000-04) gave the address, talking about many historical, religious and political events taking place in the period of the School's initial foundation between 1828 and 1833. On Thursday, we had the annual Sixth Form Highland Ball. The following morning, the Fourth Form arrived back from a successful visit to the First World War battlefields (Menin gate at Ypres pictured), and the half-term ended at lunchtime. The 4th XV departed for a short trip to Pau in France on Saturday.
Week4
Weather conditions this week were sometimes very unpleasant, with cold winds and periodic blizzards forcing boys indoors on more than one afternoon, and making movement from lesson to lesson unpleasant at times. Some rugby fixtures had to be cancelled on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Dr Julius Ruiz from Edinburgh University gave a talk to senior historians on the Spanish Civil War. The Fifth Form started a fortnight of mock GCSE exams on Monday, and Shell joined them with their own exams starting on Friday. Report Cards were written for all year groups during the week.
Week 3
The big event of the week was the Rugby Cup Final on Friday, which Merchiston won on Friday evening with the whole school in attendance at Murrayfield. Earlier in the afternoon, we had a visit from an Australian drama group, who gave a performance of The Première, by Ben Myers. With Burns night this week, several year groups had Burns-related events, from the youngest, who had their event at school on Tuesday lunchtime, to the seniors, some of whom attended an event with girls at St George's on Thursday. The girls were also here the previous evening, for the first of the rehearsals for the joint choral concert in March.
Week 2
On Wednesday, most members of the School went to Myreside to watch the 1st XV in action against Heriot's in the Rugby Cup semi-final, which Merchiston won 27-3. Saturday's fixtures went ahead in good weather after another somewhat unpredictable week weather-wise. The new paths were finally completed in the quads after weeks of weather-induced delays. The whole Lower Sixth attended a talk about mental health on Thursday, and Sixth-formers doing English went to The Glass Menagerie at the Lyceum that night. The first of the Anniversary events was the Burns Supper on Saturday night.
Week 1
It may not have been a White Christmas, but it was a White Start-of-term, with a thick layer of snow settling over Edinburgh on Monday. By later in the week, it had all gone, but variable weather conditions disrupted rugby, and fixtures were cancelled on Saturday.
Our celebration of the 175 years since the founding of Merchiston began with a large school-shaped cake, which was shared by the whole community on Tuesday morning. The following day, public exams (AS/A2) began for many members of the Sixth Form, and on Thursday we were honoured to receive another visit from Professor Hew Strachan who came to speak to the IV Form about the 1st World War, in preparation for their trip to the Battlefields later in the term.
On Sunday, at the whole School service, the Headmaster spoke about the Beatitudes.
