Here in Edinburgh at JGHS, the kids worked hard every Tuesday of last term to create their entries.

In the past the joint Gaelic & Media project at Gillespies has been very successful winning best production twice, best overall film and best actor.

However they’ve never won the people’s vote and today is the last day to vote, so go to www.filmg.co.uk and click on Films to see their entries amongst the others:

‘Glacte’ - made by S5s

And

‘Air an Stairsich’ – made by S1s. Be careful there are several  ‘Air an Stairsich’ films as it was this year’s theme (On the Threshold). The JGHS one is. Ard-sgoil Sheumais Ghillespie – roll over the image to see which school submitted the film.

Make sure you vote for the film you like best from the entries and good luck JGHS!

Improve your Gaelic conversation

Yakety Yak Language Café offers the opportunity to improve your Gaelic in small groups (maximum 6) with fluent tutors. We learn in the relaxed atmosphere of cafés so you can enjoy a chat over a tasty wee treat.

Whatever your level of fluency, you will join a group of similar ability in which you can improve your conversation and meet people with similar interests. Please note these sessions are not suitable for beginners. You should be able to have a basic conversation before you come along.

No need to commit to a block of sessions – drop in when it is convenient for you. You can pay as you go – £6 per hour’s conversation session or you can pay for 5 sessions upfront and get the 6th session free.

Our Gaelic conversation sessions take place at

Monday 9.30-10.30 am – Cuthberts Coffee and Sandwich Bar, 94a Fountainbridge (opposite Tollcross Primary School), Edinburgh
Thursday 10-11am – eteaket Tea Boutique and Cafe, 41 Frederick Street, Edinburgh

For more information, please see www.yaketyyak-languagecafe.co.uk
or phone 07826 555134.

Email
mail@yaketyyak-languagecafe.co.uk

Fri 10th June

8.30pm

232 Canongate, Edinburgh

£3 at the door

Bothan is delighted to welcome renowned Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes on stage with friends.   Kathleen who belongs to South Uist and was brought up in a Gaelic speaking home has been described by music writer Norman Chalmers as having “unique vocal colour and the ability to breathe dramatic life into her songs”.  Her debut album Og-mhadainn Shamhraidh (Summer Dawn) was awarded “Best Folk Album released in 2006″ by Scotland on Sunday and in 2010 her vocals featured on Ridley Scott’s  Hollywood blockbuster film Robin Hood. Kathleen is also no stranger to TV, having made numerous appearances as both an accomplished actress and singer over the years.  This will the last session of Bothan before the summer break and a great  way to end on a high note.

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Celtic Festival 2011

The 1st option is to move the Gaelic Medium Unit from Tollcross Primary School into the old Bonnington Primary School effectively creating a dedicated Gaelic Primary School.  The 2nd option is to extend the current Unit at Tollcross leaving 2 schools sitting together under the one Head Teacher.

The 1st option is a long term solution offering 14 classrooms and a nursery that can care for 40 children.  It is supported by the majority of the children in GME, their Parents, the major Gaelic Bodies in Scotland, international examples of best practice in the preservation of minority languages and the Scottish Government.

The 2nd option will provide 4 extra classrooms and extend the current communal areas to accommodate the extra children.  It is not supported by any of the above, would cost almost 3/4 of the 1st option, will only support the development of the language in the short term (4 -5 years on current figures), will mean the loss of a large section of the infants’ playground and mean the children will have to cope with learning amid major building work over the next couple of years.  It also means that Tollcross effectively becomes a Gaelic Primary School with an English Medium Unit.

At present, parents living in and around the Tollcross catchment do not tend to send their children to their local school, they choose Sciennes, Bruntsfield or Gillespies.  Tollcross’ English Unit is made up of almost 70% out of catchment children.  So, would the removal of the Gaelic Unit put the entire school under threat of closure?  This is the major concern of the parents with children in the English side of the school.

Although the 2011 census report will not be analysed in time for this consultation, current trends on birth rate and primary school needs indicate that inner city schools are full to bursting and this is only going to get worse – moving the Gaelic side of Tollcross to Bonnington would help ease the pressure on school placements and with the glowing HMIE Report on Tollcross that was released last autumn, hopefully local parents will make the decision to support their local school once again.

Parents from the English side of the school have already voiced concern that the reason local parents do not choose Tollcross is down to the fact they believe it already is a Gaelic School.  Mixed messages, unclear direction and an outcome that nobody is particularly happy with – that is the current situation, CEC you have been given a clear direction by all interested parties, it is now in your hands.

If you support the formation of a dedicated Gaelic Primary School in Edinburgh, please email primarygaelic@edinburgh.gov.uk before the 21st March with a short email stating why.

An Dannsa Bliadhnail 2011

Please read through the consultation paper, details of which can be found by clicking this link on the Council website.

Written responses to the consultation should be emailed to: primarygaelic@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Important dates for your diary:
Comann nam Pàrant meeting

• 7.30pm, Wednesday 9 February
• 137 Dundee Street, above Fountainbridge Library

We will be discussing the contents of the consultation paper. Please come along, as this is your opportunity to find out more and give your input to CnamP’s response.

Consultation public meeting

• 7-9pm, Monday 28 February
• St Thomas of Aquin’s RC High School

This meeting is run as part of the consultation process to allow all interested parties to ask questions and raise issues about the consultation. It is important that we have a good attendance to ensure the views of GME parents are heard.

Key points in the consultation paper:

This consultation relates to nursery and primary GME only. Secondary is being considered separately. There are 2 options to consider:

Option (1) – Establish a dedicated primary school with nursery facilities at the former Bonnington Primary School premises, and the withdrawal of the current GME unit at Tollcross Primary School; or

Option (2) – Increase GME capacity on the Tollcross Primary School site by extending the building and relocating the nursery to a new, larger facility in the grounds of the existing school.

However, CEC reserves the right to do neither of these and maintain the status quo. The implications of this third option are not discussed in the paper.

If you have any questions please email consultation@gaelic-education.org

You are warmly invited to an evening of great entertainment to support the Alma Project
which works in the field of arts helping people experiencing mental health problems

Date Saturday 5th February

Venue Pleasance Bar

Doors open 7.15pm

Tickets £7.50/£5.00 available from group members

To ensure reservation of ticket ( pick up at door on the night)
email stairheid@live.co.uk or telephone 0131 3323591

Thursday 20 January, 17.15

Conference Room, 27 George Square, Edinburgh Dr Bernadette O’Rourke (Heriot-Watt University) ‘New Speakers of Minority Languages: Comparisons Between Galician and Irish’

Thursday 27 January, 17.15

Conference Room, 27 George Square, Edinburgh Dr Lindsay Milligan(Glasgow Caledonian University) ‘Status Planning through Gaelic (Learners) Education’

Wednesday 2 February, 17.15

Conference Room, 27 George Square, Edinburgh Dr Annis May Timpson(University of Edinburgh) ‘Indigenous Languages and the Settler State: The Complexities of Creating a New Official Languages Act for Nunavut, Canada’

Wednesday 9 February, 17.15

Conference Room, 27 George Square, Edinburgh Fiona Dunn (Gaelic Officer, University of Glasgow) ‘Promoting Gaelic in the University of Glasgow – and Scotland’s Other Universities?’

Tuesday 15 February, 17.15

Conference Room, 27 George Square, Edinburgh Dr Christine Robinson (Scots Language Dictionaries) ‘Towards a Strategy: the Report of the Ministerial Working Group on Scots’

All Welcome