Rebecca’s story of lockdown learning
My lockdown learning
When the second lockdown started, everyone resorted to online learning but for some people like me, we were going into school for the key worker hub. I go into school on days when both of my parents are working.
We’ve all got an allocated desk so at first it was strange not moving around for each class but I am now used to it. It was really nice to see everyone at the hub and the rest of my class online. Once we finish our morning of online learning, our year group has lunch together and goes on a nice walk around our lovely campus.
It is nice to see all of the teachers supporting the hub and helping our parents by looking after us. I am really enjoying getting out the house and not looking at the same four walls all the time (even if it is only for two days).
Rebecca
You can also read Talia’s story here.
Kilgraston’s PE challenge - mountain climb challenge
From the Sydney Opera House and Mount Everest to Ben Nevis and Mount Snowdon, Kilgraston pupils have again been busy with their weekly PE challenge.
Recently, we’ve had a Chilli Challenge and the Tour of Scotland so now Mrs Ferry and the PE department asked our pupils to climb as many of the famous buildings and mountains on the challenge list as possible.
For one of our Upper Sixth pupil, this resulted in an outstanding performance on her bike. Lucy hit the trails, roads, and surrounding Perthshire highways and byways to cycle ALL the mountains from our Mountain Climb challenge, including Mount Everest, and all in one week!
Amazing effort, well done Lucy.
Kilgraston’s Junior School - Reception and Lower First virtual visit from the vet
In Kilgraston’s Junior School, Mrs Stewart’s Reception and Upper First are continuing with their ‘People Who Help Us’ class topic.
Recently this saw the pupils get a virtual visit from vet, Nicole, who works at Fair City Veterinary Group in Perth, and her dog, Walter.
Nicole gave a wonderful talk about her job. She showed the class some of the tools of the trade and used her ever patient dog to demonstrate bandaging a paw, listening for a heart beat and giving a vaccine. The children asked her an array of questions and thoroughly enjoyed the stories she told. They wrote about the talk in their diaries and here are a few of them.
Many of the people who help us most in the community are key workers, which is very topical at the moment. The children have each chosen one particular job to study and are busy making a poster which will show pictures and information about it. Many have relatives who are working in one of these fields which includes The Mountain Rescue, several nurses and care workers, farmers and of course, teachers.
Sixth Form at Kilgraston - Glasgow University virtual information event
Despite the school building being physically closed, preparation for life after school is still going ahead in the Sixth Form.
As part of our Sixth Form Studies programme, we recently welcomed Kirsty Notman from Glasgow University to talk to talk to out Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth about Higher Education and what Glasgow university has to offer.
This was via Zoom rather than in person but the talk still created a sense of enthusiasm and excitement, particularly for our Upper Sixth who will be embarking on their own Higher Education journeys soon.
The talk was very engaging and gave our students’ lots of food for thought. The question and answer session was especially interesting with lots of great question about entry requirements, degree structures, student accommodation, as well as what universities are doing regarding the Erasmus scheme and how they have adapted to online learning.
Over the coming weeks we have other speakers from different institutions lined up to give virtual talks so the Sixth Form have a broad range of experiences to help inform their future decisions.
You can find out more about Sixth Form at Kilgraston here and you can attend our next Sixth Form Information Event on February 6th 2021. Contact us for information on how to attend.
New stable block at Kilgraston’s Equestrian Centre
We have some exciting news to share - Kilgraston’s Equestrian Centre has a new stable block. Completed this week, Kilgraston’s Equestrian Manager, Rachael McLean is delighted with the results and tells us more about the Equestrian Centre and its facilities:
“The Equestrian Centre is home to up to 25 horses and ponies all year round, around half of which are owned by the school and used in riding lessons, camps and pony days, and the other half belong to girls at Kilgraston who keep their horses on livery with us. Come rain, hail, snow and COVID, the horses and ponies still need cared for daily with feeding, exercise and regular welfare checks carried out throughout.
“The equestrian centre has doubled in size over the last seven years, and we are always looking to improve the facilities that we can offer to our students. Work has just been completed on a new stable block of four stables, meaning we can now house 16 horses indoors along with more than 20 acres of grazing with field shelters in each paddock. We have students bringing their horses from as far afield as Germany, Orkney and the Isle of Man so these extra stables play a vital part making sure we can accommodate their needs.
“We are very much looking forward to the students returning to school when restrictions allow, and being able to restart lessons and show off our new facilities.”
You can find out more about Kilgraston’s Equestrian Centre including meeting some of our horses here.
French at Kilgraston - celebrating La Fête des Rois (Epiphany)
French at Kilgraston continues with pupils from Lower Third, Upper Third and Lower Four taking part in virtual La Fête des Rois celebrations with Kilgraston’s Head of Languages, Mme Depreux, which included a live baking session.
La Fête des Rois is a celebration in France that takes place on Twelfth Night.
It includes a king, a queen and a special cake and the French have combined the cake tradition from the Romans and the arrival of the three wise kings in Bethlehem to create a tradition of their own.
The galette des rois is a cake made from puff pastry with almond paste inside and is eaten on this day. Everyone in the family has a piece of the cake and someone gets to be the king or queen for the day. A little plastic or china figurine is placed inside the cake before serving it, and whoever finds it becomes the king or queen. Originally a bean was placed inside the cake, which is une fève in French, and the word is now used for the figurine too.
The cake is served with a crown on top which the king or queen will wear. During the cutting of the cake, le tirage des rois, the youngest member of the family sometimes goes under the table and says the order in which people should be given a slice.
Mme Depreux also shared a song French children sing on La Fête des Rois day called J’aime la galette and you can listen to this here.
Kilgraston virtual assemblies - January 2021
Kilgraston’s assemblies are traditionally thought-provoking, and inspiring, and this week’s virtual assemblies are continuing this custom.
In Monday’s assembly, Kilgraston’s Deputy Head, Mrs Lund, asked us what might be the connection between a number of objects including an oyster, a NASA Scientist and an American Vice President.
The answer, Mrs Lund explained, was a pearl: the oyster produces a pearl, an item worn eventually by American mathematician, Kathryn Johnson, whose maths helped NASA astronauts land on the moon, and a pearl necklace is today the signature item of the American Vice President, Kamala Harris. A pearl is a small item and Mrs Lund’s message was not to underestimate the difference you can make as an individual, no matter how small.
Someone who began her campaigning small in years but certainly not in stature is activist, Greta Thunberg, and in Wednesday’s assembly, Head of Geography, Dr Phillips, discussed climate change and how Greta has inspired and motivated a generation of environmentalists. Dr Phillips shared some staggering data of the rise in CO2 in the past century, underlining the human impact on the planet.
Assemblies at Kilgraston can be given by staff and indeed pupils and you can enjoy more of these here.
Kilgraston cares for key worker children
Like all schools in Scotland, Kilgraston lessons are now taking place virtually but the school is still open to children of key workers. So here is Upper Four’s Talia to explain what she has been doing in school:
“I have been so glad to get back to school although it is not as it is normally. We have been doing our lessons online with the rest of our class and it has been so nice to see everyone including all of the amazing teachers. We have managed to do our PE challenges set for us by Mrs Ferry. This was a 5k run which was a real challenge and we went round the cross country route three time and managed to complete it, all socially distanced of course.
“We are doing well wearing our masks, washing our hands, hand sanitising all whilst keeping at a distance of two metres. It is the new normal for us. I feel so fortunate to be able to come to school and it is a great chance to get all of my school work done while my parents are both working at this awful time. I understand that there are others in my position who are not as fortunate as me and I just want to say thank you all especially Mrs Muller and Mrs Lyle who have been taking care of me.”
You can read more about via our coronavirus updates and Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs MacGinty, recently talked to national paper, The Times, about the return to school.
PE challenges start of Spring Term 2021
Kilgraston’s PE challenges are well underway. Each week as well as our usual PE lessons, our Head of PE, Mrs Ferry, and the rest of the PE staff are setting weekly sporting events for the pupils to tackle.
In week one of term, it was the Home Learning Chilli Challenge.
Each pupil had to pick a chilli strength, mild through to extra hot, and complete the four challenges within. For our Upper Sixth, this could be completing a five kilometre run, recording a sports commentary, research on testing cardiovascular endurance and designing and completing your own HIIT training session - extra hot strength.
Last week, the pupils were asked to complete a Tour of Scotland. Each year group had to travel from the North of Scotland to the South of Scotland in seven stops. With three different levels of intensity, the pupils had to do an exercise from each of the stops. These included things like how many press-ups in 30 seconds and going for a thirty minute walk, run or cycle.
We all know how important exercise is to our mental health particularly in this current lock-down, so huge well done to everyone for staying so motivated and energised!
For more tips on positive thinking, read this article by Kigraston’s Head of Boarding and Pastoral Care, Mrs Sonja Muller.
Kilgraston celebrates Burns Night 2021
Kilgraston may not be able to celebrate Burns Night 2021 in our traditional manner but this hasn’t stopped our talented singing teacher, Ms Colleen Nicoll, and piano teacher, Mr Andrew Johnston, for performing and recording Burns’ song, ‘The Deil’s awa wi’ th’ Exciseman’.
Whilst Burns may have worked as an Exciseman, collecting taxes for the government and monitoring illegal goods, he understood how unpopular these employees were. This humorous song is written as a celebration that the disliked Exciseman is absent, having been taken by Satan to Hell, and therefore allowing everyone to enjoy themselves without fear of regulation.
Kilgraston’s Director of Music, Mr McAuley, has put a video together to watch along with the fantastic music, so happy Burns Night 2021!