Wednesday 26th March – 5:30-6:30pm

The event is for friends and family of the students, giving them a chance to see the work they’ve produced over the year.

Yearbooks and hoodies are on sale for our S6 leavers at the link below. The store closes on 7^th April at 23:59, so get your orders in before then! We are excited to see you all in your Leavers 25 hoodies and sign your yearbooks!

To raise awareness for the condition, Down Syndrome, we would like you to recreate the photo below with your friends and your odd colourful socks, and send it to us to display on our school FB page.

Please send photos to michele.galleitch@cullodenacademy.org.uk

People wear odd socks on World Down Syndrome Day (March 21st) to symbolise chromosomal difference. Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21, which is sometimes referred to as trisomy 21. Chromosomes, which are the structures that carry our genes, are typically paired, but in the case of Down syndrome, there’s a third (or extra) chromosome in the 21st pair.

The act of wearing mismatched or odd socks represents the idea that people with Down syndrome have something “extra” (just like the extra chromosome), but this extra characteristic makes them unique and special. The mismatched socks are a playful and visual way to raise awareness and celebrate the individuality and diversity of people with Down Syndrome.

It’s also a fun, non-intrusive way to participate in the global campaign to promote inclusion, equality, and the rights of people with Down syndrome. People wear odd socks to show solidarity, and it helps spread the message of acceptance, understanding, and support.

Please wear your mismatched colourful socks on Friday March 21st to celebrate and support!

The Higher Biology classes recently visited the Highland Wildlife Park for an educational session on biodiversity and conservation. Students explored the vital role zoos play in protecting endangered species, learning about breeding programs, genetic management, and reintroduction efforts. Experts explained how zoos maintain genetic diversity in captive populations through careful pairings and international collaborations. Observing species like the Scottish wildcat and Amur tiger up close, students gained insight into real-world conservation challenges and solutions. The trip highlighted the importance of biodiversity and hopefully inspired future conservationists to take action in preserving our planet’s wildlife for generations to come.

On Thursday 6^th March, we celebrated World Book Day. In addition to our drop everything and read event (now in its third year!), we hosted a live session with master of suspense and WBD £1 book author of “This Story is a Lie” Benjamin Dean. He is a full-time author with a background in celebrity journalism; he has interviewed a host of glitzy celebrities and is often tweeting about famous people, as well as LGBTQ+ culture. His award-winning middle-grade debut, Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow, was described as ‘One of the most joyful books you’ll read this year’ (The Bookseller), and he’s since gone on to publish The Secret Sunshine Project, as well The King is Dead and How to Die Famous for older readers. He discussed his childhood and memories of writing at school, along with what led him to become a writer and advice on how to write an edge-of-your-seat thriller.

A massive well done to the Culloden Academy S1/S2 Maths Challenge Team. After winning the Highland Region Team Maths Challenge in Kingussie, they have qualified for the Finals. In June, they will compete against the other 50 regional winning schools from across the UK in London. The team consisting of Micha MacDonald, Josseph Almadin, Roni Brady and Charlene Yeung are shown with their Winners certificates.

Young Carers Action Day is coming up!

On Wednesday 12th March, we are recognising Young Carers Action Day with this year’s theme: “Give Me a Break.”.

Connecting Carers support Young Carers to get a break via:

• Young Carer Clubs
• Online Activities
• Residential Trips
• School Holiday Event Programmes
• Short Breaks Bureau
• Funding

Our Young Carer Team will be delivering some much-needed respite through our clubs and events during March that will allow Young Carers to receive a break from their caring role. Anyone can make a referral – see the link below:

As Dr Vance mentioned in his recent newsletter, Highland Council are keen to understand the barriers to high attendance and would very much appreciate it if any parent who struggles to get their child to come to school or is worried about their child’s attendance would take 3-5 minutes to complete the parental survey. We also need to hear from pupils who struggle- or fail- to attend so that we better understand what we can do to make school and education a more appealing prospect.

February’s letter to parents and carers was issued by email this morning. It can also be downloaded below. It covers:

• Attendance
• Uniform
• Mobile Phones
• Vandalism