Dear Parent/Carer
As always, welcome to the weekly KHS update email. I do hope that you are in good fettle.
Thanks to those who came along for our fund raising Race Night in the Hall last Friday. It was sponsored by “Friends of Kirkcaldy High School” (FoKHS), and organised by our own Mrs Davidson (Depute Rector). The event was a great success and raised over £2000 for the school fund. Look out for a flyer soon advertising the FoKHS Ceilidh, which takes place on Friday 9 March 2018. This is always a brilliant night out with dancing to the Bert Pozzi Band and a fish supper! Save the date.
Also last Friday, night it was the SQA Star Awards finals which took place at the Assembly Rooms in George Street, Edinburgh, hosted by Kaye Adams, the well-known TV presenter. Our very own Miss Audrey Diamond was shortlisted in recognition of her service to the national exam system. I am very pleased to say that of all the 15000 appointees from across Scotland, Miss Diamond was named “Appointee of the Year”. We are all absolutely delighted for her and have been flooded with messages of congratulations from staff, pupils and former pupils. Miss Diamond has been an outstanding contributor to both the SQA and to KHS for over two decades and I am very proud to work alongside her. Her dedication, especially to pupils who sometimes find school difficult, is an inspiration. For any young person considering teaching as a career, I would cite Audrey Diamond as a shining example of excellence. Perhaps you saw the story in the Courier and the Fife Free Press?
On Monday we had a special Assembly for S2 with guests from NHS Fife who gave a careers talk about opportunities in healthcare, especially allied professions such as radiography, physiotherapy etc. Miss Nessel will now be taking a group of young people to the Victoria Hospital next week to find out more. Also on Monday, the people from Barclays Lifeskills delivered excellent sessions on personal financial management to our Maths students. This was part of the Scottish Government’s “Money Week” Initiative. It went down especially well.
On Tuesday through to Thursday we had House Assemblies with a focus on remembering the sacrifice of KHS pupils and staff 100 years ago, during the Great War. We lost well over 100 of our community in that terrible conflict, and they are commemorated on the beautiful bronze memorial which graces the very heart of our school to this day. Many thanks to David Moir, Cameron Pilmer and Dylan Scott, who gave a real “voice” to some of those who gave their lives. It was very moving. Thanks also to Dr Murray, who sang a haunting version of “Willie McBride” by Eric Bogle. This morning, we held a two minute silence across the school and Mrs Aitken led a poppy wreath laying ceremony at the memorial. As well as our young people laying wreaths, we invited Mike Gordon, the school lollipop man to lay a wreath to represent a different generation and the wider Kirkcaldy community.
On Tuesday we took part in the Senior UK Maths Challenge in the morning and hosted Nathan Sparling, Campaigns Director of HIV Scotland, who was in KHS to find out more about our approach to sexual health education. We are having a focus on HIV for World Aids Day (1 December). Nathan is also an equalities activist and met with our LGBT+ Support Group to discuss their role in promoting an inclusive school culture.
In the afternoon, all of our S5 attended the Safe Drive, Stay Alive Roadshow at the Rothes Halls in Glenrothes and our S6 had sessions in school called “New to the Road”. These were supported by Kwik-Fit. Both events have been part of our curriculum in recent sessions and have been well evaluated as a suitable focus on safe driving. “Safe Drive” was, as ever, a harrowing event for some. It certainly delivers an important message in a hard hitting way.
On Wednesday, we held a “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) event in the Hall, and it was exclusively for S1 girls. Many thanks to Fife College and “Bright Green Hydrogen” (based at Methil) for their support.
Thanks to those who came along to our Christmas Fayre Fundraiser last night. It was organised by S6 with funds raised going towards the cost of their yearbook and prom. The Fayre featured stalls selling Body Shop, PartyLite Candles, various jewellery, gifts, crafts etc. I’m pleased to report that around £750 was raised.
Also last night, an S6 team took part in the Kirkcaldy Rotary Schools Quiz at St Andrews High School. We were up against the hosts, Balwearie and Viewforth. It was a very tight contest with three of the schools, including KHS, running neck and neck throughout the evening. Congratulations to Balwearie, who won by a narrow margin in the end.
Parents/carers of S5/6 should expect a tracking report to be posted home today. This should be seen as a bit of a “reality check” for the Higher exams in particular. It will flag up cases where work needs to be done to get “on-track” for success. Remember that we run an extensive study support programme at lunchtimes and after school (please check out “Twitter”).
As well as our “in-house” Remembrance ceremony today, Jay and Isla, our Head Boy and Girl will lay a wreath at the Town War Memorial on Sunday, after taking part in the traditional Remembrance Parade. Also, at the Adam Smith Theatre after the Parade, we will deliver a presentation about the contribution made by former KHS pupils in the Great War, in particular those who gave their lives and are remembered in the book called “The Memorial in the School” by John Beck. You can purchase copies online and all proceeds are recycled for the good of the current school population by the “Friends of Kirkcaldy High School”. I’m sure that the short monologues from Cameron, David and Dylan will be well received at the Adam Smith.
Next week is national anti-bullying week and our LGBT support group is delivering a presentation at “Respectme” national conference in Glasgow on the Monday. The group has been recognised as leading the way in promoting tolerance and fairness. All week, “Kingdom FM” will highlight school bullying … please listen out for interviews with KHS pupils and staff. Steve, from Kingdom FM news, recorded the interviews in school today recording. Yet again, I was very proud of our young people. They were excellent ambassadors for KHS.
After school on Monday, Miss Mahr of the RME takes a group of S2 to the Discovery Centre to collect the prize they won in the Scottish School Interfaith poster competition.
After school on Tuesday, it’s the Shakespeare Schools Festival and I am very much looking forward to “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Byre Theatre, St Andrews. Best wishes to all the cast and many thanks to Miss Bruce and Mr McPherson, who have shown such commitment to this project.
On Wednesday we are holding a “Speedy STEM” event for all S2 in the Hall. This will have a focus on problem solving science, maths and engineering problems. After school it’s our S1 Parent/Carer Evening and all S1 parents/carers should have a letter and appointments schedule. Also, it’s the Mock Court Project Awards Night at Signet Library, Edinburgh. This has been an excellent competition and I must thank Miss Ashby of the Modern Studies Department for all her work with it. We seem to have an increasing number of young people who are keen to pursue a career in law, and this competition is fantastic experience.
On the Thursday we are holding a Principal Teacher meeting after school with the Liaison manager from the SQA. You may well be aware that the arrangements for the National 5 qualification have changed significantly. In most cases, the exam has been extended. It will be good to “check in” with the agency responsible for the exams and certification.
The week ends with an In-Service Training Day for staff. The school is closed to pupils. The staff will focus on Learning and Teaching (especially Co-operative activity), Language of Learning and Growth Mindset.
The menu next week is;
Monday: Lentil soup, Macaroni Cheese, chips, vegetables
Tuesday: Tomato soup, Red Thai chilli beef and noodles, vegetables
Wednesday: Minestrone soup, Pork sausage casserole, potatoes and vegetables
Thursday: French onion soup, Roast Turkey, potatoes and vegetables
Friday: Leek and potato soup, Breaded fish/Steakbake, chips, peas
We also have baked potatoes, pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salad available every day as well as our new outdoor snack bar. Please also remember that we offer a free cup of soup with bread for all our young people, regardless of their “free school meals” status.
Many thanks to those who have completed “Parentwise” survey either on paper or online. We really value your views and it would be great if all parents and carers took about 5 minutes to do the survey online.
May I alert parents/carers of S4 about an evening we are holding on 21 November at 6pm? All those who are projected to take the National 5 Qualification in English and/or Maths in May 2018 will receive a letter (attached) next week. It will be a useful opportunity for parents/carers to find out more about how they can support young people to do well in the coursework and the exam. I do hope that you can make it along.
Attendance at additional study support classes, including “Saturday School” from January to March and our Easter School, is often an important part of exam success. Please see attached for an updated copy of the timetable of lunchtime and after school study sessions which we are offering. Thanks to all the staff who are giving up their time and also thanks to Miss Diamond, who collated the schedule.
Also, please do come along to the school on the evening of Tuesday 28 November from 6pm when we will have a special event promoted by the KHS Parent Council. It’s all about internet safety and will include issues such as online grooming, sharing inappropriate images, “sexting” and online scams. As well as our own staff explaining how we try to deliver lessons which help young people stay safe, we’ll have a special input from Scott McGready, “ethical hacker” and cyber security expert. Please see the attached letter of invitation.
You may have seen Scott on TV or heard him on radio? He is a very skilled communicator and also has another career as a magician! Scott will be delivering safety talks in school to all of our pupils during the day and be part of our parents evening too. It’s a bit different, and I do hope that you will be able to attend. Please see the attached letter, a paper version will go out to all young people next week.
The PE department is organising a ski trip for Easter 2019. They will be going to Austria to a resort called Zell Am See. This trip is open to all current S1-S5 pupils. Mr Stewart (Principal Teacher) would like to share that there will be an information evening on Thursday 16 November at 6pm and that this will be held in the school assembly hall. It will be an opportunity to find out all you need to know about the trip as well as a chance to ask any relevant questions.
Finally, a notice for all parents/carers of S3. During the period November 20 to December 8, all young people will undertake Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSA) in Reading, Writing and Numeracy. These computerised tests are being taken by young people all over the country and the results will allow teachers to plan individualised next steps in learning in time for the “Nationals” which are taken in S4. Children in P1, 4 and 7 will also be tested over the session. The tests are quite short and are computer adaptive. That means that questions are selected based on the responses given to previous questions. It is hoped that this will allow us to track pupils’ progress more accurately and provide “benchmark” information for all of Scotland’s schools.
As you know, we are always keen to support you with any matter, so please do be in touch in respect of any problem or concern.
Yours aye
Derek Allan
RECTOR
10 November 2017
