Dear Parent/Carer
How are you? As always, I’m hoping it’s a “no’ bad” at least. These stormy, mid-winter, locked up days certainly are a massive challenge for us all, making “no’ bad” actually “no’ bad at all”. And I think that’s worth a wee focus for this week.
You’ll no doubt have picked up on the news that the tentative school return date of 1 February has had to be put back until “mid-February” at the earliest. It’s all about reducing community transmission rates, hospitalisation and deaths, and the good news is that although these indicators are all currently too high to “unlock”, the trends are starting to look more encouraging. We’ve also got the testing and vaccination programmes gathering pace.
It’s not the news we wanted but meantime, we try to get by and keep on going, through the storm. This week I felt that I had to put a message to the teaching staff asking them not to be too hard on themselves if what they are able to achieve online is nothing like as good as the in-school experience. I also shared that, in my opinion, we have the most dedicated, passionate, committed and professional team around, and this will inevitably mean that not being able to meet the highest of standards will be particularly hard to take. I’ve had to advise our staff to take some time to close the laptop, switch off the notifications and look after their own health, especially their mental wellbeing. The online relationship which kids now have with their teachers is not like Snapchat, and teachers can’t be expected to be constantly “on call”; answering messages, emails etc instantly. They may have 8-12 different classes and upwards of 200 pupils, and so need to work to a schedule too. Many are parents themselves and I’ve asked them to set “out of hours” messages on chatrooms as appropriate. Also, I would ask that you respect the fact that a significant number of our teachers work to a part time contract. Although I know they’ll all go above and beyond, they’ll only be obliged to engage on their work days.
I hope you don’t mind? Burnout or breakdown will help none of us. I also feel that I need to ask you to do the same and ensure that you don’t get overly hung up on “home learning” either. Sadly, it is absolutely clear that it can never be as good as we would wish. Kids just can’t do a 9am to 3pm learning shift, and it’s not fair to expect it. Please just do what you can, and encourage your son/daughter to do only that too. I’m sure you’ll all do your personal best under your own personal circumstances. These are obviously vastly different for everyone in these strange, difficult and surreal times. Now, I know that this is a difficult message, but I think I’ll have to repeat it. In terms of curriculum based, “schoolbook” learning, what we are able to manage online is unfortunately not as good as “KHS Live”.
However, there is cause for optimism. Our staff are reporting high levels of engagement with many learners thriving, and a few actually doing better under this approach to learning. Also, this generation, the Class of COVID, will have learned so many other vital life lessons. They’ll know the power of resilience, of “keeping on”, the worth of family and friends, and they’ll maybe have discovered new ways to beat boredom and conquer isolation. They’ve also had to develop higher level IT skills to get by, and I know that many now have a new found interest in the outdoors … “Gie me ae spark o’ nature’s fire, that’s a’ the learning I desire!” (Burns). Above all, I suspect that our kids, like those from all the generations living in the now, might well have a stronger empathy for suffering, and a greater respect and appreciation for life itself.
That’s maybe enough of the high falutin stuff! On more routine matters, parents of S2 pupils can expect reports home shortly and we’ll be setting up online course choice forms soon after that. We are also putting together a virtual “Learning Fair” which we’ll upload to Youtube to help with choices. Teachers are putting together short video clips about courses available over the next fortnight or so. Mr Young will also be in touch with S1/2 next week. He has put together a short video “assembly” for his Yeargroups.
Looking ahead, we’ve set up a series of virtual parents evenings for next year’s S1 intake. These take place at 6pm as follows;
Tuesday 26 Jan: Capshard
Wednesday 27 Jan: Torbain
Monday 1 Feb: Valley
Tuesday 2 Feb: Fair Isle
Monday 8 Feb: Placing Requests (all other schools)
The P7 parents/carers will receive notification of log in details from their Primary School. If you know of anyone from outwith the catchment who wants to enrol their son/daughter into S1 in August, please advise them to contact us at kirkcaldyhs.enquiries@fife.gov.uk as soon as they are able. We have a sharply rising roll and it’s better to get in as early as possible.
Back to online learning, and I’m pleased that the scheduling of different S1/2 subjects on different days has helped you manage things at home. When Mr Young is in contact by email at the weekend, he will include information about which actual days will be linked with which specific subjects. We’ll also make it clear that, under the current circumstances, late hand in of any work set is also perfectly acceptable. This applies to all Yeargroups (S1-S6). We’re trying to balance the helpfulness of having some structure, whilst maintaining enough flexibility to allow families to work around any barriers eg shared access to a computer etc.
I’m also well aware that there are so many online resources out and this may be confusing for you. However, may I point the parents/carers of Senior Phase students in the direction of “Scholar”. This is a very well established virtual platform run by Heriot Watt University which supports a good many Advanced Higher, Higher and National 5 courses. Here’s a link to a very useful introductory video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkYos38CMuU
Mrs Simpson (Head of Music) has asked that I explain that the Fife Music Instructors are continuing to deliver live instruction to instrumental pupils via video link. The pupils will receive an appointment on Teams and parents/carers will receive an email if there are any issues. Thanks.
I think you’ll know that at KHS we have a real focus on supporting young people into sustained positive destinations when they leave school. The time at home with families maybe gives learners the space to think about what they might like to do on leaving? What careers are open, what interests and passions will our young people follow?
Our Developing the Young Workforce Team, led by Mr Paterson (Modern Studies) with SDS Careers Advisors, the Guidance Team and our 16+ Team regularly advertise career opportunities on KHS social media pages, and a summary of events and job vacancies often goes out with the Rector’s Log. Many Employers, Colleges and Universities are offering fantastic virtual sessions for pupils, parents and carers, which give a valuable insight into a range of different career options. Please remember to follow ‘KHS Futures’ on Twitter and we now also have our new ‘KHS Futures’ Instagram Page. Please keep an eye out for new posts each week. I’m grateful to Mr Paterson and all the DYW Team for their commitment to this very important work.
On an different tack, please watch out for a link we’ll send out by email next week, both to parents/carers and to pupils via GLOW email. On Wednesday morning, we’ll invite everyone to view a special video assembly put together to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. It’s an issue we always cover in some depth in school and we usually have history students reporting back on their experiences of visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau. For many years now we’ve arranged a visit to Poland each November. I’m very grateful to Miss Osborne (History) and Mrs Duckett (Music) who have collaborated with a group of senior pupils for the online assembly. It’s a tribute to the victims of genocide and a warning from history. Hate, prejudice and intolerance have always led to the most shameful events of the past. We need to remember in order to heal and to remind ourselves that only cooperation and compassion can build happy societies.
To wind up, thank you for your support at this time. We’ve had a high level of positive feedback about the KHS Lockdown Learning offer, and for the efforts we’ve made to keep connected. We’re working hard to reduce that waiting list we have for a laptop or other digital device, with Mr Jones (PTC Social Subjects) having distributed around 100 gadgets so far. The Technicians (another bunch of heroes) will be repurposing another 20 or so laptops next week.
On that digital connection theme, I have a closing offer for you. Vodafone has been in touch and have generously donated eighty free SIM Cards, each with 30GB of data valid for 90 days. I understand that these will work in any “unlocked” digital device (eg a tablet or mobile phone). You might need to ask your service provider to unlock your phone, but I’m informed that this is not too difficult. I understand that you can remove and insert the cards quite easily. You can also tether a laptop or other device to the SIM by creating a wifi hotspot on a smartphone. More details are available at; www.vodaphone.co.uk/schoolsconnectedterms. If you think that you can make good use of one of these cards for home learning, please respond to this email with details of the young person who will benefit. I’ll try to have them posted out next week but please bear in mind that we do have a limited number. I hope that this is a helpful offer to close.
… and of course, I’m hoping you’ll have a “no bad” weekend. Given it’s the Burns season, I tried to get another of the bard’s lines to close, but surprisingly couldn’t find something apt enough. So how’s about the late, great Gerry Marsden … “don’t be afraid of the storm, walk on”.
Derek Allan
RECTOR
22 January 2021
