The following items have been extracted from the parents newsletters written
by Mr Thewliss four times a year.

October 2008

European Day of Languages

On Friday 26^th September a European breakfast was enjoyed by pupils from all year groups at Harris Academy. Pupils enjoyed tasting French croissants and pain au chocolat, German pumpernickel with cheese or sausage and Spanish magdalenas.

The European flavour continued throughout the day as classes tested their knowledge of all things European in various language quizzes. These included quizzes on cultural awareness, identifying the origin of foreign words used in English and doing research on the Internet. 

December 2007

Senior pupils attended higher and Advanced Higher Days organised by the Goethe Institut for German and the University of Dundee for Spanish.  Over one hundred S1 pupils enjoyed a visit to DCA to see the German film “Dizzy, dear Dizzy”.  

June 2007

Aisha Schofield and Mairi MacFarlane (S4) took part in an annual German competition at the University of St Andrews. Mairi won first prize in the junior section against approximately 80 candidates from schools across Scotland.

March 2007

On 2^nd March our S1 German classes attended an event on board the Frigate Unicorn.  Pupils enjoyed finding out about various aspects of German life through displays and activities.

December 2005

European Day of Languages at Harris Academy

On Monday 26^th September a European lunchtime was enjoyed by pupils from all year groups at Harris Academy. Pupils enjoyed tasting French cheese and pate, German and Spanish sausage and Italian Panetonne.  The European flavour continued with tasters in Portuguese, Italian and Russian. Throughout the day classes tested their knowledge of all things European in various language quizzes.  These included cultural awareness, identifying the origin of foreign words used in English and a music quiz.

The school canteen also took part providing a menu with a European slant: paella, Mediterranean Chicken and French onion soup. Pupils also designed posters incorporating the “Opening Doors” theme and how to say hello in different languages.

Once again the School of Applied Linguistic and Language Studies at Dundee University will be holding a Spanish day for secondary pupils on the 16^th December.  A group of our Higher and Advanced Higher pupils will be taking part.  They will be given an insight into courses available with languages at the university as well as enjoying a day of activities in Spanish.  The programme includes songs, quizzes, language games and activities, and discussion groups.  The afternoon session ends with some “Salsa” and the chance to experience the Spanish tradition of “Las Uvas” (eating grapes with each chime of the bells on Hogmanay).

October 2004

Harris Academy is an examination centre for GCSE and GCE examinations in Modern Foreign Languages not offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.  Congratulations to the following pupils who were proficient enough in their own mother-tongue to gain awards in the following languages:

Qadees Ahmed – GCSE Urdu

Maroua Al-Saffar – GCSE Arabic (A)

Adba Almas – GCSE Arabic (A)

Pui Yui Wong – GCSE Chinese (A)

Meng-Lu Li – GCSE Chinese (A)

Bo Yang Li – GCSE Chinese (A)

Success in IELTS – International English Language Testing System

Congratulations also to the following pupils whose mother-tongue is not English.  Their award has provided them with an English qualification sufficient for University entrance.

Ka Man Shek – IELTS (Band 6)

Mustafa Ridha – IELTS (Band 6)

French Film Trip

A group of S4, S5 and S6 pupils went to the UGC cinema on Monday 13 September for a private showing of the French film “La Vache et le President”, organised especially for Harris pupils by DCA during their children’s film festival.