Dear Parent/Carer
I hope that you are well and have had a good week. Maybe a little quieter at home as of Wednesday!
It has been a real pleasure to see our young people once again on their return this week – looking so smart and eager to get back to learning. A special welcome goes to parents/carers of our new S1. This will be the first weekly bulletin you will have received.
You should be aware that we do not permit S1 to leave the school grounds at lunchtime unless you give express permission. You should contact Guidance if you wish your child to be allowed to go home for lunch or to leave school for any other reason. We do not advise it as we have an excellent canteen in school, although I do apologise for the initial glitch with the tills on Wednesday. It seems that there was a computer problem in Glenrothes. You will have received information directly from the Council about topping up the “Myfife” card to pay for meals. This is now done online. Free meal entitlement is loaded automatically as before. We also expect that very shortly we will open a second coffee bar serving snacks and sandwiches directly into the playground. New outdoor benches are also available. More details soon.
As you will know, the teachers started back on Monday with training events. On the training days, we had the chance to look at the exam results in some detail. Our initial analysis suggests some outstanding individual performances and some very strong improvement trends at almost all levels.
As I mentioned previously, every individual’s best is inevitably different, and I’m reluctant to single out individual students. However, we did have that group of six young people who could not have achieved any more, they scored straight “A” Grades; Cameron Bowie, Shannon Houston, Rebecca Meekison, Kiara Montgomery, Kitty Pham and Mollie Turner. This is an exceptional achievement … special congratulations go to them. They will be awarded Achiever’s Ties at next week’s assemblies.
We had year assemblies today, and I shared some details about the exams. We also had a focus on “Growth Mindset”. We want all our learners to have the confidence in their own abilities, whatever their background, and to be able to try their best in all things. Success means different things for different people, but the principle applies to all.
Next week we’ll have House Assemblies, with Adam Smith on Tuesday, Oswald on Wednesday and Carlyle on Thursday. On Monday, some S3 and S6 English pupils are off to the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
A warm welcome is extended to the new staff who joined us this week; Miss Kerr – CDT, Mr Spink – Modern Languages, Miss Duff – Physics, Mr Fairley – Mathematics, Miss Shepherd – Geography and Ms Birrell – Pupil Support Assistant. Also, best wishes to Gillian Easson (Pupil Support Officer) who is now on maternity leave.
Next week’s canteen choices are;
Monday – Lentil soup, Butter Chicken Tikka Masala and Rice, vegetables
Tuesday – Mushroom soup, Grilled Sausage/burger – veggie/beef/chicken, chips, baked beans
Wednesday – Scotch broth, Roast chicken and gravy, potatoes and vegetables
Thursday – Carrot and coriander soup, Savoury mince cobbler, potatoes and vegetables
Friday – Yellow split pea soup, Breaded fish/Sausage roll, chips, peas.
We also have baked potatoes, pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salad available every day.
Please remember about the AGM of our Parent Council. This is at 6pm on Tuesday 19 September. I do hope that you can make it along.
On a final note, may I advise parents/carers who drop off or pick up at the start or the end of the day that Dunnikier Way and the Golf Course Road are not suitable places to do this. The only car park we have for this purpose is the one next to the astroturf pitch. All other car parks are for staff and school visitors only. You must use the astroturf car park or find a safe drop off/pick up point away from the school. Many thanks.
The Depute Heads will send you an email message by the “Groupcall” system next week. In their role as yearhead, they will introduce themselves and lay out expectations for the session ahead. Please expect the email from Mrs Aitken (S1 and S6), Mr Young (S2 and S5), Mrs Davidson (S3) or Miss Diamond (S4).
As ever, if we can help with any matter, please do be in touch.
Yours
Derek Allan
RECTOR
18 August 2017
