Dear Parent/Carer

Welcome to the latest news … I do hope that it finds you and the family well, and apologies in advance for this being quite a lot to take in.

Firstly, a wee reminder of the calendar for the fortnight ahead, up to the Easter break. You know that we are to have a spell of “blended learning” to allow kids to re-engage prior to a full reopening after the holiday (if all goes to plan). Here are the arrangements;

• Monday 15 March: Keyworker children, vulnerable learners and Supported Learning only. Teachers will reorganise their classrooms and set up home learning for period ahead. We’ll also get mass LFD testing organised (staff and S4-6)
• Tuesday 16 March: All pupils (S1-6) with surname A-G attend, as well as keyworker children etc, who will be in school every day
• Wednesday 17 March: All pupils with surname H-N
• Thursday 18 March: All pupils with surname O-Z
• Friday 19 March: S4-6 pupils A-G (some teachers available to look after home learning)
• Monday 22 March: S4-6 pupils H-N (some teachers available to look after home learning)
• Tuesday 23 March: S4-6 pupils O-Z (some teachers available to look after home learning)
• Wednesday 24 March: All pupils with surname A-G
• Thursday 25 March: All pupils with surname H-N
• Friday 26 March: All pupils with surname O-Z.

As I say, the chief purpose is “checking in” and we’ll have a strong focus on wellbeing rather than “catching up” at this stage, especially for those who are not studying for SQA qualifications this year. Miss Diamond has summarised our approach in a communication to all teachers. We are determined to be positive about the future and not dwell on what has been “lost”. Of course, nothing has been lost anyway. It’s all just been a different experience for everyone. No learners will be challenged about perceived poor levels of engagement with online learning. How can we know what things were like for any family? These have been stressful or even traumatic times of loneliness, frustration and possibly despair for us all. We now need to celebrate what we can achieve, not dwell on what we couldn’t do for a while.

Of course, even back in school, things will be nothing like “normal”. We have 2m distancing (1m on buses), strict class size limits, enhanced hygiene, face covering rules and asymptomatic testing for S4-6. I am very grateful to Mrs Duckett of the Music Department, who has put together an animation which explains our expectations. It will be available on Youtube very shortly and the Deputes will send out a link over the weekend.

A few parents/carers have been in touch about lunchtimes. Given the situation over the next fortnight, the best arrangement might best for young people to bring a sandwich or whatever from home and take this outside in the playground or Dunnikier Park. The school dinner hall will be operating but we are keen to avoid queues and crowding. We don’t encourage pupils to leave the school grounds at lunchtime, but should they do so, they will need to follow all the public health rules on distancing, masks etc.

Changing facilities in PE will be a problem, especially with the 2m rule. That’s why we’ve decided to allow pupils to come to school in their kit on any day they have PE in the run up to Easter. Mr Stewart has assured me that very strenuous activities will not be part of PE lessons over the next fortnight, so we will not have the usual hygiene concerns. Uniform will be expected for those without PE on their timetable and we will revert to our usual uniform rules from April 12. I hope that this is helpful.

I mentioned the testing of S4-6, prior to attending school where possible and twice weekly after the break. This has been going very well, with a very high level of interest and uptake from our pupils. Those S4-6 who have still to be in school will receive their kits next week. Thanks for your support with this. It is not compulsory to take the tests, but most will appreciate it’s useful in preventing the spread of Covid.

Earlier this week, we learned that all pupils (S1-6) will be strongly encouraged to test twice weekly at home (Sundays and Wednesdays) after the holiday. We are currently developing a plan to issue the boxes of tests to all S1-3 from 24 March. We will require your consent to do so and I will be in contact with more information and an online consent form next week. I do hope you will “sign up”. I’ll share all the instructions, including a video demonstration. Pupils might well need a wee bit of help at home to take the test as it involves taking a nasal and throat swab.

Back on the theme of learning, and you know that there are no SQA exams this year. Grades are to be decided by the SQA based on evidence gathered by teachers during the course of the session and especially in the period up to the middle of June. The deadlines for our submission of provisional estimates has been extended until the end of June and we will allow all of our learners the opportunity to show us what they can do right up until then. However, the extended deadlines will not affect the date on which certificates will be issued. This is still set for Tuesday 10 August.

In order to allow our candidates to find their feet after missing so much in-school learning, we have decided that we delay the start of more formal assessments and evidence gathering until the start of May. The three weeks after Easter will have a focus on learning rather than testing. The SQA have produced a leaflet for learners and their parents/carers.

Looking ahead to next session and I can share that Fife Council has decided, quite rightly, that new timetables will not begin until August. We usually move each yeargroup on in June, but this session is different, largely due to the SQA arrangements. We sttill need to get our timetable sorted of course, and will need to know our staffing requirements for 2021-2022. Mrs Hamilton has emailed parents/carers of S2, S4 and S5 where we do not yet have a completed course choice form. Please complete this process or be in touch if you need further advice as soon as you can. Many thanks.

I don’t know to what extent you are familiar with our website? Last month, Fife Council informed us that, as of the end of March, unfortunately the current “hosting” arrangements would no longer be available. This has resulted in our creating a new KHS website based in “GLOW” but with full public access. Our new “domain name” is “www.kirkcaldyhighschool.com“.

I am very grateful to Dr Paul Murray of the Chemistry Department, who has set up the infrastructure and transferred relevant files from the old Fife Council site. Please have a wee look and give me any feedback. We are looking for ways to make our website as useful and interactive as possible, and to make it a helpful learning resource too. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

I’ll do a wee demo of our new website at next week’s meeting of the Parent Council. As has been indicated, this takes place at 6pm on “Zoom”. If you would like to be part of it, please contact us. Our main themes will be return and renewal. Gillian McIntyre (Chairperson) will welcome you all and our staff and senior pupils will be happy to take your questions on any matter. It’s been one of the success stories over the past year. When once we had a handful of parents/carers at these events, we are now able to engage far more effectively using technology.

And that’s maybe a nice positive note to end. I did say that learning hasn’t been “lost”, rather it’s been different. Now’s the time for it to be different again and increasingly this can be in ways which will bring us all greater togetherness, achievement and happiness.

Please take care. Bring it on.

Derek Allan
RECTOR
12 March 2021