Dear Parent/Carer
I’m hoping that this week’s “Log” finds you well. Welcome to the KHS news.
We’ve had another good week, with each day starting with a Yeargroup Assembly. We focussed on the KHS values of Respect for Self, Others and Learning, and making the most of the opportunities we offer as a school. I explained that it was always with great sadness that I sometimes encounter former pupils who admit “I wish I had stuck in at school”. Of course, sometimes our learners need support to do that, and sometimes they need to be challenged. Please have a wee chat about this at home some time soon if you can. It will be time well spent.
We genuinely understand that these are such difficult times for our young people, and our staff and for you at home. We get all the fear, anxiety, disruption, and the damage caused by the absence of “normal” routines … we’ve had 33 teachers off with Covid over the past 2 months. And we’ve had over 280 pupils missing school with the virus. However, we need our kids to engage as best they can. We need them to put their trust in KHS. We can only ever try our best. That will always do. It’s our school motto.
On Tuesday, KHS took part in the Girls’ Football Fife Cup, with 6 teams coming along to compete here at KHS. The great news is that we have qualified for the final stage after four wins and a draw. Very well done to team KHS; Morgan Murray and Katie Robertson (S6), Fallon Burke (S5), Aimee Roy and Codie Carr (S3) and Jessica Husband, Erin Husband and Ella Stevenson (S2). Also, congratulations and thanks to coach Miss Steedman (PE). The winners of the Dunfermline leg of the tournament will also now qualify for the finals which will be played at New Bayview Stadium after the Easter break. Good luck to our girl footballers.
We had another “enhanced transition” group of P7 pupils in, also on Tuesday. This went well and I am very grateful to Mrs Squires (Principal Teacher of Supported Learning) who always does whatever is required to get things right for every child. On Wednesday, Mrs Davidson had a meeting with our SQA chief Invigilator, Mrs Maloney, and yesterday saw the SQA Visiting Examiner for Music in KHS to check the standards of our musicians. We will see more of this over the coming weeks with practical assessments in Cake Craft, Drama, Dance and the like all being a feature of the weeks before the Easter break. When we return after the break, there is only one week until the exams start and candidates are on study leave. More details about study leave and other aspects of the exams soon. Please be aware that the full exam timetable can be found online.
Also, we have now been advised that the additional revision support being offered by the SQA is now available on their website. Different types of revision support is offered depending on the subject and level. You can also find out the extent of the reduction in course content and the modifications to the exam for each course.
We would urge all learners to visit “Ushare”, which is a free online platform where open source materials to support SQA qualifications are now available. It looks like a pretty useful resource.
For information and to give you an idea of what to expect from the SQA revision support guidance, I attach what’s available for National 5 English. Teachers will be working with our candidates to make use of the additional material provided, which varies significantly in style and usefulness. It’s really hard not to sympathise with our exam candidates, who once again have been so badly affected by the ravages of the pandemic. It’s also hard to envisage what else might be done in the current circumstances. In the longer term, you are maybe aware that the SQA will be done away with by 2024 to be replaced by a new body called “Qualifications Scotland”. The Education Secretary made an announcement this week after a thorough review by Professor Ken Muir. There will also be a new independent organisation which will oversee school inspections from 2024.
So, it remains a difficult time for us all. You can be assured that, as always, we’ll do what we can to make the best of a bad job. This is likely to include our offering additional study sessions during the Easter break. Please stand by for more on this shortly. We will put together a timetable, although it is unlikely to cover all subject at all levels due to teachers having other commitments, ongoing staff absence etc.
There is also a wide range of online revision webinars on offer from e-Sgoil over the Easter holidays. These are “live” revision sessions available over the web and they are thoroughly recommended for our exam candidates.
I mentioned our assemblies earlier, and this morning it was my great pleasure to highlight the excellent achievement of Rachel Crouthers (S6). Rachel is completing a Foundation Apprenticeship programme for Childcare and is part of the “Career Ready” mentoring scheme. She has made such an impact on that scheme that she has been shortlisted as one of candidates for the Career Ready “Student of the Year”. This is a brilliant achievement for Rachel, who has been expertly mentored by Carrie Lindsay, the Executive Director of Education and Children’s Services at Fife Council. Rachel has been invited to the UK Awards ceremony to be held in London next month. She will be presented with a KHS Achiever’s Tie at our next assembly.
Mr Harrower (PE) has asked me to tell you that all S1 parents who requested that their deposit be refunded for the over-subscribed “Battlefields” trip should now have received this. Please contact the school if there are any issues. S2 pupils will be notified next week if they have been allocated a place (by ballot) on the 2023 trip. Those not allocated a place will also be notified and will have their deposit refunded. We intend to run a trip for the current S1 in 2024.
In sports news, Active Schools and Kirkcaldy Rugby Club are providing a unique opportunity for young people at KHS to participate in a free 2-hour rugby session to celebrate Scottish Rugby Schools Week (Monday 21 – Sunday 27 March). S1/2 pupils are invited to visit Kirkcaldy Rugby Club, Beveridge Park, taking part in a range of skills-stations and conditioned games. This special session will be led by Danny Jennings (Kirkcaldy Rugby Development Officer), with all relevant Covid protocols and guidance will be adhered to. The session will take place on Wednesday 23rd March 2022 from 4.30-6.30pm. If you wish for your son/daughter to take part in this session, please complete the Booking/Parental Consent Form.
You’ll likely be aware that February was LGBT History Month. I meant to share some news of a sporting success we had to mark this. LEAP Sports is a charity promoting sport to the LGBT+ community and allies. Every year, they hold and inter-school/youth group bowling competition in Falkirk. This year, KHS entered and won – overcoming teams from both Waid and Levenmouth Academies amongst others along the way. A big well done to Blake, Daniel, Alisha and Isobel who were not even slightly hindered by having Dr. Murray on the team too! A great day out was had by all. Our support group has another date lined up for Thursday 31 March, taking in a performance of the amazing musical “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. That’s the second last day of term. We close on Friday 1 April for the two week Easter break, with our return on Monday 18 April.
Before then, we’ll have a further vaccination session (by invitation) for S3-6 pupils to protect them against diphtheria, typhoid, polio and meningitis. This takes place on Monday 14 March. On the Tuesday, our S1/2 “First Chances” group have an engagement in school with St Andrews University. Also, we’ll be doing a bit of fun fundraising for “Red Nose Day” at the end of that week. I’m delighted to say that Mr Geissler’s Personal Development class have been busy organising a raffle, quiz and other events, including a “Dress Down Day” on that Friday, 18 March. On Tuesday 22 March I’ll be attending an online meeting of the Kirkcaldy Area Committee of Fife Council. The local schools will be presenting reports on recent school performance and plans for improvement and Covid “recovery”. On Friday 25 March we’ll be working with NHS Fife again on the HPV vaccination programme for S1.
Please have a wee look at our mini website with its focus on job opportunities. You’ll see that, among other notifications, Fife Sport and Leisure Trust are holding a Careers Fair on 24 March.
So … I think we are getting there. You get maybe sense that from the increasing “busyness” of the Rector’s Log. Slowly, things are returning to something more recognisable as “normal”. As previously highlighted, please note that after the break, we will revert to our usual uniform expectations. Hoodies and outdoor gear will not be permitted in class. Spaces will still be ventilated but we don’t expect this to have the same impact on temperature and comfort as during winter. We’ll need a white shirt and tie, black school trousers (no joggers) or skirt and plain black footwear. Any parent/carer who is finding it difficult to acquire uniform will be supported either financially or by being gifted appropriate school gear. Please just ask.
Finally, apologies if you have had trouble calling the school today, or have been cut off half wat through a call. We are having real problems with our phone lines and it’s the same across all the local schools. Fife Council are looking into the issue today.
All the best for the weekend. Please supervise a Covid test on Sunday. Kits are available in school. Take care and keep well.
Derek Allan
RECTOR
11 March 2022
