Dear Parent/Carer
I’m hoping you are well? Welcome to the “Rector’s Log”.
We had a shorter pupil week due to the Monday Holiday and yesterday’s training which was set to coincide with the local elections. In school, we had our first in-person staff meeting for 775 days! I introduced a good number of new staff and Mrs Whyte, our “Young Workforce” lead, gave a short talk about our approaches for ensuring that all young people have a “positive destination” on leaving school. That was followed by workshops on different aspects of high quality teaching practice and then subject teams got to work together on curriculum planning.
On that theme of “destinations”, Mrs Whyte has also created a Facebook page with that as a focus. This should extend the reach of our mini-website and help us share news of vacancies, apprenticeships, training opportunities and the like.
Earlier, on Tuesday evening, we had a “Friends of Kirkcaldy High School” meeting online. The AGM is set for 12 June (online) and all members are invited. Before then, I’ll send out an application form next week. You can become a supporter of the school by joining “FoKHS” for only £5 a year. It’s a great way to get involved, and FoKHS has been a fantastic resource for this school for over 20 years now. The next major fund-raiser is our race night set for Friday 25 November … save the date.
Thanks to those of you who tuned in for our Mental Health Awareness session (online) on Wednesday evening. I’m very grateful to Miss Osborne, Miss Hay and all the staff and young people involved in this vitally important work. Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week and we’ll have a special focus on this at the start of every day.
Today, as well having the SQA exams in Maths (at Higher) and in Administration and IT, we are celebrating the end of Ramadan for our Muslim students by holding an Eid party at lunchtime, with what I expect will be a delicious home made buffet. We last did this in 2019 and it was a fantastic spread. I’m very grateful to Ramiza (S6) and Alisha (S3) Ahmad who are leading on this,. A couple of weeks ago, I think I mentioned that Ramiza was involved in the Scottish Youth Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee. I am delighted to report that she has now be appointed as Convener, which is a fantastic achievement. Ramiza will excel in the role and she is an outstanding ambassador for KHS.
Next week sees the continuation of the SQA exam schedule with Music on Monday, Design and Manufacture and Psychology on Tuesday, Higher English and Fashion and Textiles on Wednesday, N5 English and Advanced Higher English on Thursday and then Physics on Friday. Best wishes to all our exam candidates … it’s good to see that our “masterclass” sessions have been well attended and the conduct of our young people in the exam Hall has been impeccable.
Next Wednesday, between 2pm and 3pm, we are inviting all S6 in to school to collect their copy of the Yearbook. It’s looking good and we hope that most pf the Class of 22 can make it in then. If not, the books can be collected from Mr I’Anson any time after that date up until the end of May. Please note that they are not available before Wednesday afternoon.
Congratulations to Stewart Payne, Aiden Denholm, Macauley Simon, Ethan Murray (all S4) and Deryn Montgomery (S3), who have been part of the ongoing success of the U16 Kirkcaldy Rugby Club team, undefeated since the start of the season. The boys qualified for the Saltire Energy Caledonia Cup Finals, which were held in Aberdeen recently. Kirkcaldy were runners-up in the Bowl and the KHS boys all played their part. Well done lads.
Congratulations also to Rhys Aitchison, Peter McCombie, Morgan Cameron and Lilly Koczoova (all S5), who have won places at the Rotary Club Youth Leadership Camp in the Cairngorms this summer. This is a brilliant “outward bounds” opportunity fully funded by Kirkcaldy Rotary Club. Although it’s open to all the Kirkcaldy schools, I’m delighted to say that this year, all four available places have been awarded to KHS students. Many thanks to the Rotary, and especially to Ann Mitchell, who conducted the interviews and selection process.
Please expect an email soon from Mrs Hamilton, inviting you to complete a simple online questionnaire about the KHS House System. We want your views on the way we organise things here. At present, we have three houses and six guidance teachers. Our school roll is expanding, and it could be time for change? We could maybe also look at the naming of the houses. All are named after men from the nineteenth century. Perhaps it’s time to modernise that too? There are also the House competitions, how we award House points etc. We’d like your take on all of these issues. I am very grateful to Mr Spink of the Languages Department, who has taken a lead role in this process. As I say, please stand by for a specific email about this.
Do have a good weekend. You take care.
Derek Allan
RECTOR
6 May 2022
