Dear Parent/Carer

It was good to welcome back the S4 and S5 this morning after the last four weeks of study leave. With the SQA exams now over, we will be back up to our usual compliment of young people in school from the timetable change on Tuesday 6 June. S4 pupils in school spent the day returning books, catching up with friends and getting ready for next week whilst the S5 were involved in an induction programme with various inputs, including volunteering, study tips, university, college and apprenticeship routes etc. It’s all about the S6 experience, and the additional leadership opportunities which this brings. One of these will be the “Study Buddy” programme we are planning. We want to give the S6 the chance to mentor a younger pupil who is finding examinations or another aspect of school to be challenging. Full training will be provided and details will be available soon.

Also today, we have held elections for the Head Boy and Head Girl positions. After the interviews last week, I am pleased to announce that Osama Aslam, Jay Elder, Emma Fenton, Lucie Jones, Craig Kelly, Christy Ritchie, Sean Saunders and Isla Wright have been appointed to the Prefect Leadership Team. Today’s ballot, which was open to all S6 and all staff, will decide who from this group will be KHS Head Boy and Head Girl for 2017-2018.

The SQA exams this week have been Administration and IT on Monday, Art on Tuesday and we finished with PE and Drama yesterday. The other main event this week past was the S3 Parent/Carer Night on Tuesday. It was good see so many parents or carers on the evening. The arrangements seemed to go smoothly but I have appreciated the feedback you have given about how we organise these events. We will likely try something a bit different next session and base your appointments in a group of adjacent classrooms.

We are currently working on the new school calendar and our next Parent/Carer Night is likely to be for S3 on Tuesday 3 October. We are planning a different approach and will have two Parent/Carer Nights for S3 (3 October 2017 and 24 May 2018) instead of a full written report. This has been approved by the Parent Council and we hope it will help our young people get the most out of an important stage, just prior to their exam year. We will continue to provide “tracking” reports in the absence of a “full” report.

This week, we also had a group of S1 Chemistry pupils taking part in the Salter’s Festival at Heriot-Watt University on Wednesday. I am pleased to report that they won third prize in the competition part of the day. Then, yesterday, all of our Second Year were taken off their normal timetable to take part in an outdoor team exercise on the theme of a disaster response to an imaginary earthquake. It was brilliant fun and involved different types of learning in a variety of outdoor contexts. We had teams making make-shift water pumps, learning first aid, making emergency stretchers, learning morse code or building temporary shelters. Thanks to Miss Wight and the group of supporting staff who put together such a complex event.

Monday is a holiday, then we’ll move to the new timetable. We’ll also have a group of 35 young people competing in the Fife Schools’ Athletics Championships at Pitreavie that day. I think this is our best ever representation and I must thank Miss Malcolm for her work with this. She has stirred up a great deal of interest.

At the end of the day on Tuesday it will be a great pleasure to welcome Matt Elder, the Sports Editor of the Fife Free Press (and a former KHS pupil) for our Sports Colours Ceremony. Those who have regularly represented the school in team sports will be presented with coloured braid for their blazer and we’ll also be recognising other sporting achievements such as the contribution of our “Sports Leaders”. It’s also the time when our Saltire Volunteer Award winners receive their certificates, the new Prefects receive their badges and the Head Boy and Girl for the year ahead are announced. Next week ends with a “STEM” trip to Glasgow Science Centre (Science Department) and a visit to KHS from the University of St Andrews “Geobus” (Geography Department).

I’m looking forward to new teaching staff joining us next week; Mrs Cunningham in English (currently at Levenmouth Academy), Mrs Findlay in Maths (currently at Bell Baxter High School) and Mr Mitchell in Religious Education (currently at Starley Hall School, Burntisland). A warm KHS welcome to them all. It’ll also be nice to welcome back two teachers who have been on maternity leave; Mrs Dempsey (Biology) and Mrs Thompson (English and Guidance for Adam Smith House).

Also from next week, our S3 students will be taking part in the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) as the RME element of S3 Enrichment Course.  YPI is an international initiative designed to support young people in developing community awareness. Students are taught about philanthropy and charity through an experience of giving that highlights the positive impact they can have on their community. Students will work in teams to research the needs of their community and identify a local charity they believe is best placed to make a positive change. They then learn how to assess the charity’s management, strategy, staffing arrangements and services.

Possibly the most important aspect of YPI is the site visit students are asked to make to their chosen charity. By visiting a charity, our students will develop a real understanding of some of the challenges facing the community and will, we hope, be inspired to work to change society for the better.  It may be the case that they need to visit their chosen charities out-with school hours.  Students will use their research to make presentations on the reasons that their chosen charity is most deserving of support. Come June 2018, the team from S3 that is judged to have made the most compelling presentation will be given a £3000 YPI Grant to award to their charity. During this process, students develop skills in research, analysis, presentation, and communication, which all contribute to a student’s growth, and confidence. We are excited to be one of the schools across Scotland to be participating in YPI and hope that you will fully support and encourage our students as they participate in the project. More information about YPI can be found on ypiscotland.org.uk.

YPI is part of a change to the curriculum which sees the new S3 taking 4 shorter courses across the session; YPI, “Career Management Skills”, an introductory German Course (as part of the Government’s 2 + 1 programme) and a curricular option such as “STEM” or Creative. We are constantly trying to improve what we teach in order to broaden the appeal of the curriculum for all learners, whatever their interests and abilities. It’s a really exciting opportunity and a real way to enrich the local community in a positive way.

Next week’s hot dish menu is; Monday: Butter chicken tikka masala with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Grilled sausage/burger (veggie/beef/chicken) with chips and baked beans. Wednesday: Roast chicken and gravy with potatoes and vegetables. Thursday: Savoury mince cobbler with potatoes and vegetables. Friday: Breaded Fish/sausage roll with chips and peas. We also have our pasta, sandwich, soup and salad options too.  Do remember that a cup of home-made soup is available free to all young people at lunchtime.

Looking ahead, please see attached a “flyer” for the Skills Development Scotland Open Evening which takes place between 4pm and 7pm on 13 June at the SDS offices at Whytescauseway. Leavers and their parents or carers are welcome along to discuss post-school options such as college or university courses, apprenticeships and job opportunities.

On a final note, very well done to Mrs Hume, head of English, who was presented with recognition award at the Scottish Book Trust Awards held at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh on Wednesday. Mrs Hume was “highly commended” in recognition of her promotion of literacy and reading and she leads a very committed team which is improving this vital skill across KHS. Please encourage your son or daughter to read whenever the opportunity arises, it’s the basis of most other learning.

If we can ever assist, please contact the school with Guidance being the usual first contact. Have a great long weekend.

Yours truly

Derek Allan

RECTOR

2 June 2017