Dear Parent/Carer
I hope you are looking forward to the May Day weekend … and that temperatures pick up. I heard someone asking today whether the clocks had been put back 4 months!
It was another eventful week in school with tearful assemblies led by our S6 leavers. The class of 2016 did a great job of summing up their time in KHS and touched all the staff with their reminiscences. They have been a great credit to the school and we all wish them well on the next leg of life’s twisting journey. At the Beveridge Assembly, it was shared that Mrs Ritchie, one of our longest serving members of staff and a much respected Guidance teacher, will retire in the summer. This is part of the reason behind our proposal to realign the Houses and reduce the number of guidance teachers. This will create additional time for pastoral work. Thanks for the comments received as part of the consultation. From the change of timetable, we will operate a 3 House model: Adam Smith, Carlyle and Oswald, and we will review things over the course of the next session.
The other change which we will introduce is the adjusted bell times from August. As per the consultation paper already shared, we’ll be starting at 8.46am (warning bell at 8.42am), taking lunch at 1pm and finishing at 3.20pm. This will make “joined up” working with the College and other schools far easier. Many thanks to those of you who responded.
On Monday evening, our U16 football team was very unlucky to lose out to Glenrothes High in the Fife Cup final. In a tight match at Kelty Hearts ground, the score ended 6-4, and included an excellent hat-trick from John Soutar. However, that scoreline could easily have been in our favour. Well done to the boys, they represented the school with distinction and showed excellent sportsmanship. Here’s hoping the girls’ team can go one better against St Andrews in their Fife final tonight.
There’s a bit of a football theme this week. I suppose it’s that time of the season … and it’s been a good one with the Rovers in the play-offs and two other Fife teams winning their leagues. On Tuesday afternoon we had a large group of pupils, accompanied by staff, attending the Champions League semi-final in Manchester, where City took on Real Madrid. It was a great experience, marred only by the lack of goals.
Also on Tuesday, at the Dean Park Hotel, we were well represented at the Rotary Club Youth Celebration event. Megan Craig and Hannah Thomson gave an excellent talk about the work of our “Interact” Club and Leah Bidgood and Lachlan Duncan were introduced as successful “RYLA” leadership camp candidates after recent interviews. I was very proud of them all.
The Junior UK Maths Challenge went well yesterday, as did the Staff v Pupils volleyball … won by the pupils! And more football news … our senior team won the Fife 7 a side competition named in honour of former KHS Depute Rector, Bob Docherty, who remains a leading light on the schools football scene. It was also a fond farewell to Mrs Clarkson of the Chemistry Department, who has now retired after many years of excellent service to our school.
We’ve had fun activities and some emotional farewells here today as the S6 leavers let their hair down on their final day in school (bar the exams). I must thank them for the donation of 52 litres of cola, which arrived at my office this morning … it’s good to see that our sugary drinks ban has got them thinking! Nice one. Our “Class of 2016” are an exceptional group of young people and on behalf of all the staff, I wish them all the very best for the future.
As you know, Monday is a public holiday and Thursday is a staff training day. This has been timed to suit the Holyrood elections and saves primary schools being closed to act as polling places. On Friday, we’ll have a group of S2 pupils taking part in the Go4Set Challenge at Fife College – this is a Science, Engineering and Technology Competition for schools across the East of Scotland.
On the theme of competitions, you’ll perhaps recall that Umar Mohammed and Kyle Pitcaithly have reached the East of Scotland finals of the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal’s Public Speaking Competition. This takes place at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 12 May and we’ve now learned that the boys will be up against Braes High School from Falkirk and James Gillespie’s High School, Edinburgh. Good luck to them.
Our Activities Day for all S1-3 takes place this year on Friday 20 May. Mr Young has almost finalised the programme and we are looking forward to a fun day out for everyone. The programme will include: Alton Towers, white water rafting on the Tay, the Ryze Trampoline centre at Newtongrange and other exciting options. Although we do give those pupils who have followed our school code all year the first choice of activities, it is expected that everyone in S1-3 will take part. Families facing financial hardship can make contact with Guidance in order to discuss the possibility of some support with any trip. We’ll enclose a copy of the programme with next week’s email.
And good luck too to Mrs Thompson (Guidance/English) and Miss Young (Modern Studies) who will go off on maternity leave at the end of next week.
I must mention the SQA exams before finishing. These commence next Wednesday with Lifeskills Maths and Classical Studies, then continue on Thursday, despite the in-service day. The school buses will operate as normal that morning and the exams are Higher, Advanced Higher and National 5 English. Friday sees the Geography exams.
Finally, next week’s refectory menu is; Tuesday: Gammon steak and chips. Wednesday: Mince pie and mash. Friday: Chicken curry with naan bread. We also have our pasta, sandwich, soup and salad options too.
As always, please do not hesitate to be in touch if we can be of assistance. Thanks for your ongoing support, it is greatly valued by us all here.
Derek Allan
RECTOR
29 April 2016
