Dear Parent/Carer
Welcome to the weekly news from KHS. As always, I hope you are well.
The start of the week presented very significant staffing challenges once more with several new Covid cases amongst the staff. As you would expect from Team KHS, we got through it by working together to do our best by the kids and I am happy to report that the Education Service was able to offer significant extra support this week, deploying additional teachers (some from primary) to support our work yesterday and today.
I don’t want to jinx anything, but I am reasonably hopefully that next week will be less difficult. We have several teachers returning from Covid related isolation and others recovering from seasonal and other illnesses. To see us through this term, we have suspended all additional activities which put a strain on staffing resources. We have also been recruiting additional temporary and permanent staff as a longer term solution.
On Tuesday, we worked with NHS Fife to deliver another flu vaccination clinic in school and on Wednesday, in partnership with Fife Police, we laid on the Safe Drive Stay Alive Roadshow for all S5 and S6 in our Assembly Hall. This is a very hard hitting presentation which challenges young drivers to take care on the roads. I understand that the shocking content had quite an impact on our young people. This is as it should be. Safe driving is a matter of life and death.
On Wednesday evening, it was a huge pleasure to welcome over 70 parents/carers from S4-6 as part of our SQA study skills online evening. The turnout was excellent, and so were the presentations, delivered by Mrs Hamilton (DHT), Mrs Morris (Head of Humanities), Mrs Hume (Head of English), Miss Hay (Principal Teacher of Maths), Dr Murray (Chemistry and “Webmaster”), Miss Hall (Support Assistant) and Mrs Whyte (RME). I thank them all. We had lots of good questions on the night and we’ll be making these (with responses) and a video of the event available on the KHS website shortly.
The fact that Miss Hay is named as a Principal Teacher might be news to you? It was confirmed after interview this week. Miss Hay will backfill for Mrs Christie during the period of her maternity leave.
We had intended to have our school orchestra along at ASDA this afternoon to mark the switch on of the Christmas lights. Unfortunately, we have had to pull out of this due to staffing issues.
At the start of this week, we received the excellent news that Ramiza Ahmad (S6) has been elected to serve in the Scottish Youth Parliament as one of the members for Kirkcaldy. Ramiza is a strong campaigner for fairness and rights, being Chair of our student led Equalities Group. I’m sure that she will be a huge asset to the Parliament. Very well done Ramiza.
Next week, our S4 to S6 music pupils are invited to a pizza and practice night after school on Tuesday to help them prepare for their practical prelim in early December (7 and 8). Mrs Simpson (Head of Music) says that the session will run straight after school until 6pm and is open for music pupils studying Nat 3 to Advanced Higher. I understand that the pizzas are being ordered in from a well known takeaway!
Looking ahead, and we plan to hold a meeting of the KHS Parent Council on Tuesday 7 December, online at 6pm. Joining details for “Zoom” will be shared next week and I will discuss the proposed agenda with Chairperson Victoria Stokoe.
So, here’s to the weekend. Please support your son or daughter to take a Covid test on Sunday. New packs were distributed earlier this week. If anyone missed out on that they should ask either their Tutor teacher or the PSO team for a box. Also, please arrange a Covid vaccination if that isn’t yet done. It makes sense and helps keep the virus suppressed at community level. I don’t want to tempt fate but it does look like levels are falling back again … at least that’s the impression I’m getting from the reports we’ve received this week. Let’s hope it’s a trend and not a “blip”,
Take care, keep well.
Derek Allan
RECTOR
26/11/2021
