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lot of good, younger players coming through.
The Highland Tac Team led by Stephen Tierney performed exceptionally well this year in the annual Scottish CCF/ACF competition: collectively, the team was simply the best Scottish School CCF team and 4th overall, an excellent result. Chloe Johnston and John Halley are also to be congratulated on being selected for the British Schools Shooting Team to tour South Africa at Easter. This continues on excellent tradition established at QVS, of representation at the highest level.
Cross-country has again seen a marked improvement this year, so it was disappointing that the Scottish Schools Championship were cancelled this year. However, we were successful in the following: in the relays at Fettes where the U.17 boys and the U.15 girls came 2nd. In the Spring Term QVS hosted a very successful afternoon of competitive races between Strathallan, Hutchesons, Rannoch, Glenalmond, Kilgraston and ourselves, in which Leanne Bridgeman came 2nd in the U.13 girls and David Honeymon and Cameron Gaff came 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the U.13 boys.
Athletics has been particularly successful this
year with the following very good results; S1's — 1st against Hutchesons, St. Aloyius and Douglas Ac.; a draw in a senior competition with Strathallan; S3 girls winning at Glenalmond; S3 boys and girls coming 2nd against Dollar, Fettes, Strathallan and Glenalmond; S1 boys and S3 girls winning the Inter-District Championship and the Senior Relay Team coming 3rd in the Scottish Schools Relay Championships.
Charity work and fund-raising have played an increasingly strong role in the School. It was good to see Laurie Cairns' photo in the Stirling Observer to highlight our Shoebox Appeal. We had a number of swimming teams
taking part in the Swimathon on behalf of Erskine Hospital and, more recently, the Lookey Likey Day for Multiple Sclerosis.
I have also been extremely pleased to see the QVS Young Enterprise Company
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develop to be so successful under the Managing Director Laura Dunnachie. It was good to hear the outside advisers talk so positively about what those involved in the
Company have done. I am sure that our senior pupils will have benefited positively from this experience.
I was also very pleased that Her Majesty's Commissioners suggested an Art Competition to be run between August and December 2000 and were willing to provide the money for the prizes which were presented at the School Christmas Dinner. It was evident that the pupils were very enthusiastic about the competition and it was good to see so much of their artistic work in the corridors of the Main Building. The opportunity was also used to frame some previous work which now decorates the Main Dining Room and other areas.
Drama also continues to develop with a presentation by S1 of "The Highwayman" and plays were performed by S2 and S3 groups. In addition, the School's Drama Group did extremely well creating an original script for a Scottish National Drama Competition for Human Values and, coming second in the finals. Amy Morton was awarded the prize for Best Actress and the School received the award for "Best Script".
The Windband continues to contribute substantially to the corporate life of the School by their involvement in Sunday Services, the Carol Service and the Christmas and Summer Concerts. However, the highlight of the winter term was the concert held in November in which Lynsey McAulay, Ciara Watson, Laura Wylie, Amy Morton and David McDougall took part. Ciara and David also were highly
commended in the Bridge of Allan and Dunblane Rotary Club's Music Competition. Laura Wylie (descant recorder), Ciara Watson (flute), David McDougall all did well at the Glasgow Music Festival with David winning the Brass Solo A class.
We have already had a major change in personnel this session with the departure of the Bursar lan McGregor who took up a
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similar post at Erskine, Stewarts, Melville Schools on 1st May 2001. lan McGregor joined QVS in July 1999 but in the short time he was here, he established his credentials well and much was achieved in a short space of time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank lan for the excellent job he has done and wish him all the very best of luck in the real independent sector.
Peter Onslow, who joined us as Principal Teacher of Music in January 1996, unfortunately, leaves us in June 2001 to return to Switzerland, from whence he came. He has been instrumental in taking Music to a new dimension in this School with the Windband, and the varied range of concerts. In addition, he has introduced Studio Management and Computerised Sound Recording at Higher. On the extra curricular side he has been involved in Wavell as a House Tutor and "bravely", stayed on when the House became
all girls. As officer-in-charge of the Army Section he has also contributed substantially to CCF as well as encouraging pupils to have a go at one of his other passions, parachuting. As can be seen, he is not just a specialist musician and an excellent organist but has contributed substantially to community life and extra-curricular activities. This is also a double blow in that we will also be losing Jo, his wife, who has been teaching in the Primary Department this year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Peter for his unique contribution to the School and wish Peter and Jo all the best on the slopes.
Another member of staff leaving at the end of the summer term will be our Geography teacher, Ruth Courtney. Again, her stay with us at QVS has been all too short, having joined us in August 1999. Apart from her subject specialism, she has contributed extremely well in a number of areas: to ski-ing, Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, music and the horse-riding hobby. She is leaving us for the very best of reasons; she is to be married in the summer holidays and will live in Aberdeen. We wish Ruth all the best and every happiness in married life.
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