Dear Parent/Carer

I hope that you’ve had a good week and enjoyed some sunshine. Certainly here in school it felt a bit more like summer is coming.

It was an action packed week again with all our Primary Schools in here for Enterprise and Sports Days on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. We also had a great engagement with Barratt Homes on the Tuesday when they led our Design and Manufacture students in a property development project management exercise.

It was a Parent Council meeting on Tuesday evening and we discussed our success in the Scottish Education Awards finals in Glasgow, the restructuring of Guidance (a move to 3 Houses for the session ahead), and our Improvement Plan priorities for 2016-2017. The Parent Council AGM will be on Monday 20 June and we are hoping for a big turnout. Chairman Derek Dunsire intends to issue a letter of invitation to all parents/carers. There is a plan to have a themed approach to Parent Council meetings next session, with a focus on issues such as drugs and legal highs, career pathways, internet safety etc. I hope this will meet with your approval.

Last night was very special. Umar Mohammed and Kyle Pitcaithly (both S3) represented the school exceptionally well at the East of Scotland Final of the Crown Office Public Speaking Competition … and won! The contest was held in Edinburgh Sheriff Court and KHS beat Braes High from Falkirk and James Gillespie’s from Edinburgh to lift the title. They now go on to the national final to be held on June 1. I am very proud of them.

Speaking of titles … we were also winners of the East of Scotland Go4SET Science Competition held at Fife College last Friday, beating teams from Fife, Falkirk and Edinburgh then too. The final is in Glasgow in June. Many thanks to Miss Tennant, who has supported the team of S2 pupils so well. It’s an “eco” design competition.

Next week is our “Health Week” with taster sessions in lots of different sports and activities as well as an inter-house sports and athletics competition. The sessions include body-combat, karate, hockey, Aussie rules football, floorball, dance, tae-kwon-do, gymnastics and football training with the Rovers. We have a Primary 6 Health Day in school too – this takes place on Tuesday and all local P6 pupils visit for other related activities.

S1 parents and carers should expect to receive school reports at the end of the week and Friday is our Activities Day with trips out to take part in trampolining, whitewater rafting, theme park activities, crazy golf, snowboarding, paintball, golf or bowling. Please remember that the additional consent for the Ryze trampoline centre must be completed by Monday.

A wee reminder that for S3 it will be the Parent/Carer evening on Monday 23 May and pupils have a booking schedule for completion. You will want to check that appointments are being made for you to meet with teachers.

Also, our exam timetable rolls on with Latin and Music today, French on Monday, Administration and IT on Tuesday, Chemistry on Wednesday and History on Friday. Best wishes to all our candidates. We had a bit of a problem yesterday when two young men on scrambler bikes disrupted the SQA Maths exam by riding them into the playground at lunchtime. If you have any information about this, please call me in school. We are very keen to support the Police with Operation Fireblade, which targets illegal use of motorbikes.

And finally, a couple of parents have remarked that the paper copy of our latest Newsletter did not make it home last month. They were issued to pupils, so that’s maybe understandable! Please find a PDF copy attached.

With fond regards

Derek Allan

13 May 2016