supporting online learning
Many parents will be getting to grips again with supporting online learning.
From our Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth Year groups, Kilgraston uses Scholar, one of Scotland’s most successful teaching and learning initiatives. It offers online learning materials and support and could give you some additional resources, should you need it.
As always, Kilgraston prides itself on offering our families a first class education, and our wonderful teaching staff are always available to discuss subjects with you. The video below with give you some ways Scholar supports online learning.
Watch Kilgraston’s Christmas Movie
You may have already read about the Kilgraston Christmas Movie and the wonderful performances of both our pupils and staff.
Thank you to everyone who came and supported the school last week when we shared it with our families. Now we are delighted to be able to share the film with everyone, so enjoy, and wishing you all a very Merry Christmas:
Kilgraston’s 2020 Christmas card
In keeping with tradition, Kilgraston’s 2020 Christmas card has been created by one of our talented pupils. This year’s Christmas card competition winner is Upper Sixth’s Alexandra.
The stunning painting in acrylic took Alexandra around two weeks to paint.
Alexandra said: “I wanted to create a painting that captured some of the magic of Christmas. The angel at the heart of the scene was inspired by the Angel Gabriel or the Christmas Angel as I would picture them. At Christmas angels represent light, hope and good news. I think this year more than any we need a bit of light in our lives and I hoped to create a painting that would capture that sentiment.
“By placing the angel within a familiar setting such as the school grounds, it makes the whole scene feel more magical. That if you peered out of the school windows on a wintry Christmas night you might catch a glimpse of an angel in the snow.”
The Kilgraston’s 2020 Christmas card should be with our families now so we hope you enjoy them. If you would also like to find out how Kilgraston has continued to celebrate Christmas, have you read about our Christmas movie? You can read more here.
This is Alexandra’s painting:
Gold medal win for Kilgraston pupil
We are enormously proud of Kilgraston pupil Sophie who has just won a gold medal at World ITF Taekwon-Do European Championships.
Upper Fifth Sophie was the youngest person to take part in the Junior female black belt category at the online event, and is the newly crowned WITF European Patterns Champion.
Sophie said: “I am waiting on my medal to arrive and cannot wait to add it to my collection.
“Filming a pattern, submitting it, and waiting for the results is very nerve wracking. Being the youngest in the age category, I didn’t expect to place and was totally shocked to discover that I had in fact won.
“I have taken part in several competitions and received medals from competitions in the USA, Mexico, Australia, and all over Britain.
“Entering these competitions online has given me even more opportunity to compete internationally and be very successful. The team I compete with and I have been formally invited to compete in Mexico next year at the Mexican Open.
Kilgraston’s Covid Christmas Show
Kilgraston’s Covid Christmas Show proved that anything really is possible…
What’s Christmas without a little family drama and Kilgraston’s seasonal homage had it with bells on. But, like any tension-inducing event, it was very much all alright on the night.
Director of Music, Jason McAuley’s ambitious production of an hour-long drive-in movie was testament to the grit and determination of a small school to not have its annual Christmas showcase spoilt by Covid: “We just wanted to give everyone a good time, something to bring a little cheer into this gloomy climate.”
And deliver joy he most certainly did.
With the help of a blow-up movie screen imported from Truro and school bus drivers hastily morphing into car park attendants and instant Bluetooth speaker experts, the weather also played ball, allowing nearly 200 cars to slip seamlessly into their allotted space and enjoy one of the three movie showings over one hectic night.
“I can’t tell you how hard everyone’s worked on this,” said an emotional Mr McAuley, wrestling with momentary sound interference and a sea of blinking hazard lights indicating poor reception.
Christmas is a time when magical things happen and just as tensions piqued, the technical fairies flicked their wands and all was well in the world.
The Kilgraston community is a cohesive unit with all 260 pupils and nearly 100 staff doing their party piece and adding to the festival spirit. Recorded over two weeks and appropriately socially distanced measurements in draughty marquees and windy front lawns, dancers, singers, pipers, jazz musicians, orchestra members, choirs, actors and speakers led the audience through the traditional tale with a contemporary twist: “We included ‘flock immunity’, gifts of fragrant hand-sanitiser and the R-number – rational reaction of reasonable repetitive response – to add a touch of much-needed humour,” said Mr McAuley.
Diced and spliced during a week of late-night sessions in the School’s recording and editing suite, the movie promised to take viewers on a ‘new journey’ where we ‘thought a little differently’. During the first few minutes, one performer asked: “Where are you Christmas, where is the laughter?” It was all there. Teachers donning cardboard camels, pupils re-enacting appropriately spaced nativity scenes.
You couldn’t make it up, but they did and to spectacular effect, spreading joy and happiness to a chilly car park in Perthshire, the audience going home for the night full of festive bonhomie.
“Phew,” said Mr McAuley.
“Thank you,” called everyone else.
Read more about the press coverage of this event here.
Kilgraston Junior School Christmas Fair 2020
Below, Junior School Head Girl, Willow, writes about the Kilgraston Junior School Christmas Fair 2020:
Recently, Upper Third held the Kilgraston Junior School Christmas Fair 2020 in the Atrium.
The fair was organised by the Junior School Head Girl team with loads of help from Mrs MacGinty and Ms Cooper .
There were ten stalls selling inventive things as we could not have a bake sale. Instead we have all been very busy at home crafting, coming up with ideas to make money and creating loads of goodies to sell.
The aim was to raise as much money as possible for our chosen charities - Mary’s Meals, Free The Bears and a homeless charity in Edinburgh.
At the fair there was so much to buy and do including stalls such as ‘guess the name of the teddy’, Christmas baubles to buy, a tombola, a Christmas tree raffle, as well as stalls selling hair scrunches, bracelets, dog treats, home-made Christmas cards.
Everyone had lots of fun and it was a real treat to all be doing something different and together for a great cause.
A very big thank you from the Junior School Head Girl team to Mrs MacGinty and Ms Cooper for all their help and I am so proud , on behalf of the Head Girl team and Upper Third, to announce that the junior school Xmas fair raised over £700.
Willow, Junior School Head Girl
Scottish exams 2021 update - Mrs MacGinty on BBC Radio 4
Kilgraston’s Headmistress Mrs MacGinty discusses the Scottish exams 2021 update on national radio station, BBC Radio 4.
Education Secretary John Swinney’s announcement about the cancellation of Scottish Highers in 2021 provoked strong reaction from stakeholders throughout the country.
Following the decision, Kilgraston’s Head Teacher, Dorothy MacGinty, spoke about the situation on the BBCs flagship political show, Radio 4’s Today.
You can listen to Mrs MacGinty at 08:36am here.
Being interviewed by host Justin Webb, Mrs MacGinty appeared with Professor Lindsay Paterson FBA, Professor of Education Policy at the University of Edinburgh.
“I feel this decision should have been made months ago,” commented Mrs MacGinty, “Teachers must now administer and evaluate exams and produce estimates.”
Prof. Patterson agreed with Mrs MacGinty, adding: “There is no coherent reason for this series of decisions,” he continued, “schools are struggling to understand how this could happen, their (pupils’) learning has been turned upside down.”
Local radio station, Tay FM, also carried an interview with Mrs MacGinty and you can listen to Mrs MacGinty’s section at 07:50am here.
Lily Procession 2020 by Upper Sixth’s Daniela
Kilgraston’s Lily Procession is one of the most anticipated events on the school’s calendar not just because it is one of its oldest traditions, but because it marks the beginning of the school’s Christmas period, and is something that students never forget. We were very lucky that we were able to have the Lily Procession despite all of the Covid-19 restrictions and regulations. This year was extra special because it had the twist that only the sixth form pupils were in attendance, and a portion of our procession took place outside so that we were able to sing without worrying about health precautions.
In a year that has been full of disruptions, it was very comforting for the girls to have Kilgraston’s Lily Procession. It is a very special event, even in it’s slightly adapted new format. The Lily Procession is one of Kilgraston’s oldest traditions, in which girls from across the school come together to celebrate and worship the Virgin Mary, our mother, “Mater Admirabilis” who is the role model of the Sacred Heart Schools network. We all hold candles in lanterns to symbolize the light of Jesus in our lives, and process around the chapel whilst singing Latin hymns in praise of Mary, and we offer our prayers to her in the hope that she will guide us and that we can learn from her strength and faithfulness. We wear our formal uniform with long kilts and sashes with mantillas on our heads, and the light from the candles in the darkened chapel made it really special. Kilgraston is one of the very few schools in the world who still hold this tradition, and this makes it all the more special for the staff/girls here.
Unfortunately, we were not able to have visitors to attend, but we were lucky enough to have had the whole event professionally recorded which you can watch here
We are very fortunate that the pandemic was not an impediment to this beautiful and cherished tradition.
Upper Sixth Daniela, Marketing Prefect
You can read more of Daniela’s wonderful insights in life at Kilgraston here.
Kilgraston longest-serving staff
Whilst Kilgraston celebrates an important birthday in 2020, we are also celebrating some of Kilgraston’s longest-serving staff.
Amongst those who have worked here the longest, is Kilgraston’s Deputy Head, Mrs Carol Ann Lund, who has been teaching at Kilgraston since 1989. Head of Classics, Mrs Annie Bluett, started in 1991, teaching French and English before becoming a Housemistress for ten years and then became Head of Modern Languages. She said: “Kilgraston has given me my whole career and educated my children.”
Also celebrating long service is Support for Learning teacher, Mrs Pam Ferguson who started in the Junior Years School on supply for four weeks and has just started her 25th year at Kilgraston. She said: “I’ve got so many wonderful memories of Kilgraston and our amazing pupils. I particularly loved seeing a photo of Georgina Futong with Hilary Clinton during the last Presidential election in the USA. Having taught her in Reception and Lower First, I always knew that she would do something special and different. “
Junior Years School Secretary, Ms Trish Stack is another one of our longest-serving members of staff. She started at Kilgraston in 1997 as a Receptionist. She said: “From when I started, the staff and pupils were really wonderful to work with and have absolutely loved it ever since. Working with children is something I never envisaged and it makes my role unlike any other standard admin role and I think it’s pretty special.”
Our Head of Housekeeping, Mrs Lillian Friars is another one of Kilgraston’s longest serving staff, starting in 1993. Lillian said: “When I started working here, there were still a number of nuns working in the school so it has changed a lot over the years. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that Kilgraston is still a wonderful place to work.”
Duke of Edinburgh - new member of team
Kilgraston is proud of all of our pupils who continue to be committed to the nation-wide Duke of Edinburgh scheme and in 2019, previous pupils even enjoyed a trip to Buckingham Palace to receive their Gold Awards.
With the scheme’s increasing popularity, Kilgraston is delighted to have another member joining Mrs Herbert, Mr James Ferrier. Below, Mr Ferrier introduces himself and talks about our latest silver expedition practice - welcome to Kilgraston Mr Ferrier:
“I am a semi retired teacher with 34- years experience in the Independent system; 20 of which have been at Lathallan in Aberdeenshire where I was Head of Junior (amongst other things).
“I have over 40 years experience leading people, young and older, in wild places in the UK, Europe, Indonesia, South Africa and South America and am a qualified Mountain Leader and Navigation Award Tutor. I am passionate about the value of outdoor learning and education - now so relevant -and now devote my time to bringing this opportunity to young people. I am also a former Kilgraston parent and am delighted to be able to give something back to somewhere of which my now grown-up daughter has very fond memories.
“The Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award group had a wonderful two days (no camping required this year in winter and under COVID) in the Lomond Hills exploring the forests and open hill and moorland.
“Saturday was bright and sunny and it was a joy to be on the hills; Sunday was rather mirky until we climbed above the cloud inversion on Bishop Hill from where we could see for miles. The girls were very positive and enthusiastic and gave an excellent account of themselves, especially with some confident navigation on a misty Sunday morning.
“Thank you to all the girls; to Miss Sieger and Mr Fraser; to Miss O’Brien for coordinating; to all the Kilgraston staff for making the trip and my visit so enjoyable; and to my fellow Mountain Leader (and Kilgraston parent) Mr MacHardy.”