Dear Parent/Carer

Welcome to the weekly news round up. We try to keep you informed.

This week’s Fife Free Press has a dedicated KHS news page and a terrific photo of the Student Leadership Team. We really are impressed by the commitment of all the Prefects and senior students in general to supporting our efforts and being good role models throughout these weird times. I have to say that with reported cases rising and a school closing in the town, there is a collective nervousness around. It’s inevitable. I also think that it’s inevitable that we will have to respond to virus cases in school at some point soon. Despite all the mitigations in school and all our control measures, it’s an increasingly likely scenario. To reassure you, I am confident that we have the mechanisms and the support of Fife Council and Public Health Fife to handle any such situation well.

This week we shared two exciting opportunities with S5 … a workplace mentoring scheme called “Career Ready” and a leadership programme being developed by the Royal Navy. Maybe you would want to ask your son or daughter about these and encourage their involvement?

Our Parent Council on Tuesday evening meeting went really well, with a particularly good attendance (I counted 25 faces on screen) and interesting discussion. Of course, COVID was the main topic and we also discussed SQA matters and parents evenings. We still await news of the changes proposed by SQA, and you are likely aware of rumours circulating that all or some of the exams might be cancelled. I understand that all will become clear in the next 10 days or so. As for parents evenings, these are not allowed under Scottish Government rules re household mixing and we have decided to review our reporting and tracking to compensate. I’ll share our plans with you next week.

One other issue which arose at the Parent Council was the timing of the school buses in the morning, and the quality of service. I have shared my concerns with Fife Council Transportation and local councillors have also been made aware of these issues. I think that Gillian McIntyre, Chair of the Council, might want to be in touch directly to hear from you. The school will facilitate any communication and support the Parent Council to raise this as a concern as appropriate.

Please be aware of a change in our Mobile Phone Policy which will come into place from the start of October. Before the virus, teachers would sometimes confiscate a phone if a learner was disrupting others by using it without approval. From next Thursday, all teachers will have a “Phone Box” in which a pupil will be instructed to place their mobile for a short time should it be a problem. The device will remain in sight and the pupil will get it back at the end of the lesson. Should they refuse to comply, the matter will be referred to senior management and we are likely to ask for your help to sort out the situation. We do understand that, to some extent, some of the problem is likely linked to that “nervousness” I mentioned … the security of being in contact etc. However, we can’t have unauthorised phone use in class. We ran the “phone box” idea past a representative group of pupils and they agreed it’s reasonable and fair. Please encourage your son or daughter to use their phone responsibly. We’ll be in touch shortly with further information about how we are increasingly able to use our own wifi to support learning and can even facilitate learners bringing their own device to school (eg a tablet or a laptop). We’ll share the guidance around this next week with a view to starting the “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) scheme after the October break.

In closing, one of the issues which was raised at the Parent Council was teenage mental health, and I know that the Guidance Team have been inundated with concerns around this issue. Again, it’s understandable in these stressful and uncertain times. So, please remember our excellent online resource, or toolkit, is available here;

There is help available for young people and for adults alike … including you and I. It’s a great resource which I can commend to you and I must thank Mrs Kendrick and Miss Hay, who are chiefly responsible for putting it together.

Please do be in touch if you require support or advice. Take care and keep well.

Aye yours

Derek Allan

RECTOR

25 September 2020