Maths Challenge!
Ages 5 - 7
Andrew decorated 20 biscuits to take to a party.
He lined them up and put icing on every second biscuit.
Then he put a cherry on every third biscuit.
Then he put a chocolate button on every fourth biscuit.
So there was nothing on the first biscuit.
How many other biscuits had no decoration? Did any biscuits get all three decorations?
Ages 7 - 11
“Can you make square numbers by adding two prime numbers together?”
Ages 11 - 14
1 kilobyte is actually not 1000 bytes, it is 210 bytes.
1 megabyte is 210 kilobytes.
How many bytes are there in 1 megabyte?
Ages 14 - 16
Take a look at the system of equations below:
ab=1
bc=2
cd=3
de=4
ea=6
Can you find a set of values {a, b, c, d, e} that satisfy the system?
Can you find more than one?
Ages 16 - 18
Find the range of values of x for which
x√+1x√<4,where x√ is the positive root.
Looking for some more maths challenges?
Try visiting https://nrich.maths.org/covid19 - this site was created by Cambridge University with activities and games from age 3 to 18.
Or why not try…
- Board games
- Card games
- Games with counters (such as nim listed above)
- sudoku and other printable games above.
- Cooking: weighting and measuring and buying ingredients
TOP TIP FOR PARENTS: Children can explain to you what they are doing and what they were going to try to solve a problem. Avoid leaping in and solving it for them, the journey is more important than the destination.
“At a time of enforced separation, Kilgraston School is very much together.”
Hyperbole is frequently misused. On this occasion, I feel justified in saying that the speed of unfolding events has been almost incomprehensible for each and every member of our community.
However, I am extremely proud to report that, at the end of our first week of the new working arrangement, every part of Kilgraston has more than risen to the challenge.
Plato said: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’. Never before has there been a need to reinvent working practice so rapidly.
Every member of our close Kilgraston community has changed their routine, embracing new and unfamiliar arrangements. But despite this, a full roll-call has been maintained.
This is an extremely difficult time; for our community and the entire world. Like never before, working as a collegiate is vital and I feel immensely honoured – and humble – at the way in which pupils, staff, parents, guardians, everybody, have embraced the ‘TEAMS’ technology, enabling us to carry on.
I understand that there are many challenges to having children at home: trying to help teach, trying to work, trying to maintain a routine. I understand the worries of pupils thrown into disarray with exam changes, the possible influences on future education and the ensuing anxiety that this will cause parents and carers.
But please remember that you are not alone.
At a time of enforced separation and distance, we are very much together. From Mexico to Spain, France to Kurdistan, Dingwall to Dorset, we’re still a family and very much there for one another.
There is no ‘I’ in either team nor TEAMS. There is only a collective effort. These changes have been hard for everyone but, together, we will get through this and emerge stronger and more resilient.
Every individual has played their vital part, ensuring our Kilgraston School will continue to be the unique and precious community with which we are all so familiar.
Despite these extenuating circumstances, many, many parents and guardians have taken time out of their busy day to write and thank staff for the dedication and ingenuity demonstrated this week, thus ensuring a fulfilling curriculum for their children.
If you will permit, I would like to sign-off with their words, not mine. At the end of this extraordinary week, thank you so much for your assistance and consideration.”
Dorothy MacGinty, Headmistress
from parents & guardians…
- “Can we just say how impressed we have been by the level of support the girls have received this week - much more direct involvement by teaching staff compared with schools in the west. Well done Kilgraston.”
- “From our perspective, the virtual teaching has been going very well indeed. Not unexpectedly, (my daughter’s) have risen to the occasion and fully embraced the new ways of learning. A big thank you to all staff for their creativity and commitment to continuing to provide learning and routine for the girls. A brilliant demonstration of how young people can be supported to cope, even thrive, in the face of adversity. True resilience-building.”
- “Thank you for all your communication and organisation at this difficult time. The ‘Teams’ seems to have worked well and all the teachers continue to provide fantastic support. It is much appreciated at what is a difficult time for the girls with their exams being cancelled. Stay safe and many thanks.”
- “As I sit at my dining table working through this morning’s emails, I am listening to an U3 English class being delivered by Mrs Ramsay on Zoom. The girls are excited by the whole experience and interacting well. I have always had respect for teachers but Mrs Ramsay has gone up a further notch. Great stuff – making me smile and feeling proud to be part of it in some small way!”
- “I just wanted to send a quick email to thank you and your team for implementing an efficient and effective changeover for the girls to continue their learning. Daughter (Upper Fourth) has been really diligent in making sure that she is doing her work and keeping up to date. Thank you, as it cannot have been easy to put everything together in a short period of time and under a situation that was changing every day. Best wishes”
- “A well balanced and pragmatic risk-based approach from Mrs MacGinty. I am sure I speak for many of the parents - if you need any support (as many of us are now working from home) do reach out. More than happy to help out maintain some sort of normality for the girls, brawn or brain offered. Pass on my support.”
- “I just wanted to say thank you for all the excellent communication you have given parents. I feel that in a crazy situation you have led from the front and maintained a real contact with us parents and kept us up-to-date as you have been able. I am so sorry that we have not been able to stay open and I think you and your staff have really kept calm in this crazy time. I am thinking of you all in these difficult days and send my very best to you and your staff.”
- “Thank you so very much for all your communication and I look forward to getting the girls back to school as soon as possible. In the mean time we shall buckle down and keep healthy!! Best wishes, please all take care of yourselves and thank you for what I consider an amazing job that you are all doing.”
Kilgraston Moves Online
On Friday 20th March, Kilgraston, along with all other schools in Scotland, closed it’s doors to pupils (and later, staff) due to the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.
Staff worked tirelessly to move all learning online so that our girls were still able to continue with their ”normal” timetable via distance learning, rather than face to face in the classroom.
As usual, our girls have excelled themselves and continued learning from home without any hesitation or complaint. Teachers have set up their ‘home classrooms’ where they are delivering lessons via Microsoft Teams.
Our P.E department have launched a ‘live’ P.E lesson on their Instagram (kilgrastonpe) that is broadcast every weekday at 1pm with exercises and challenges to ensure the girls stay fit and get at least one hour of exercise everyday.
It is in times like these that we are reminded of how wonderful our Kilgraston community is, pulling together in times of crisis to ensure an world-class education, without compromising on pupil or staff health and welfare.
You can stay up to date on our social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
Young Musician of the Year
The Kilgraston Young Musician of the Year competition reached dizzy heights last week with fantastic performances from the girls. The standard was extremely high according to the adjudicator Peter Grant, Director of Music at Ardvreck.
Young Musician Results
Kilgraston Young Musician of the Year 2020
Emma D, L4 - Violin
Kilgraston Junior Young Musician 2020
Olivia K, L3 - Piano
Junior Years: Beginner / Grade 1 Class
Niamh S, U3 - Voice, 1st
Rebecca M, U3 - Clarsach, 2nd
Sofia IvB, L1 - Violin, Highly Commended
Junior Years: Grade 2 Class
Grace R, U3 - Voice, 1st
Chloe B, L3 - Voice, Highly Commended
Junior Years: Junior Open Class (Grade 3 or above)
Olivia K, L3 - Piano, 1st
Senior Years: Grade 2 to 4 Class
Maia B-A, L4 - Voice & Guitar, 1st
Anais C, U4 - Piano, 2nd
Laura I, U4 - Voice, Highly Commended
Senior Years: Grade 5/6 Class
Lucy H, L6 - Baritone, 1st
India H, U5 - Piano, 2nd
Mischa S, U4 - Voice, 3rd
Senior Years: Open Class
Emma D, L4 - Violin, 1st
Emily S, U5 - Double Bass, 2nd
Women and Business welcomes medical Professor to Kilgraston School
Women and Business - leading ladies
The School’s series of talks has, so far, hosted specialists from the fields of accountancy, law, journalism and private enterprise. Future visits include a Professor of Stem Cell research, the Commercial Director of Gleneagles, an engineer with SSE and a leading orthodontist.
Lectures give senior school pupils the opportunity to hear, first hand, from industry experts, while also being given the chance to speak to them on a one-to-one basis.
Medically minded
Prof Ibbotson spoke to pupils about the route her career had taken, including a spell as a Harvard Medical School Research Fellow in Boston, where she conducted photochemistry research: “Take every opportunity,” she told the 80 pupils, “During my medical student days and career, I’ve spent time studying and working in Sydney, Vancouver and even Bermuda, where I had the chance to focus on paediatrics.”
Initially attending Leeds Medical School - qualifying with a first class honours degree in biochemistry and honours in her medical degree - Prof Ibbotson also completed a postdoctoral thesis in blood clotting disorders and diabetes: “I had wonderful mentors there who sparked my interests in blood clotting and leg ulcers and, ultimately, led to my specialism in dermatology.”
Moving back to Newcastle, the Professor took up postgraduate dermatology training, developing an interest in the effects of sunlight on the skin, where there was “lots of dedicated research into the effects of different wavelengths of light on the diagnosis and treatment of different types of skin diseases.”
Clearly still very passionate about her profession, Prof Ibbotson explained her research into light and skin to the girls, for example describing how pharmaceutical industries have requirements to investigate how drugs may interact with UV light on the skin and that the Photobiology Unit at Dundee University carried out research in this field: “Many drugs are light-sensitising and need to be thoroughly investigated,” she told the audience, “we also specialise in photodynamic therapy, a treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer and sun damage, which combines a drug that makes cells sensitive to light with exposure to visible light.”
Careering ahead
The audience, many of whom were considering a medical career, learnt about necessary undergraduate qualifications. At Dundee University, assessment is based on school exam results, UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) and MMI interview.
“Medicine is very competitive, with approximately one in ten applicants being offered a place” explained Prof Ibbotson, “that’s the bad news! But the good news is that it is an extremely rewarding career and there are lots of options regarding career choices with a medical degree, along with a 100% graduate employment rate.”
One Sixth Form pupil, who has been offered places to read Medicine at four Scottish universities, also addressed the girls: “I approached my GP practice and was given a few days’ work experience,” she said, “But also, I kept being told how important ‘soft skills’ were so I’ve found taking my Higher Drama very helpful with communication.”
At the end of the lecture, pupils quizzed the Professor on various routes through a medical career, including general practice, medical and surgical specialties and one enquiry regarding plastic surgery: “There are some very focussed young ladies here.”
The next generation
As well as being the Head of the Photobiology Unit at Dundee University, the Professor told pupils that she continues with research and teaching,particularly enjoying her involvement with the undergraduate medical student programme.
“Early in my career, I was lucky enough to be mentored very well,” she concluded, “so it is always a complete pleasure to offer guidance to the next generation of medical enthusiasts.”
Kilgraston School was very privileged to have welcomed Professor Ibbotson.
A packed house at Kilgraston School for Professor Ibbotson’s lecture on 13 March 2020
The Times spots Kilgraston’s preloved fashion zipping ahead
Dress sense
In a bid to reduce the annual 300,000 tonne tally of textiles that end-up in landfill, girls were, this year, encouraged to think differently about their outfits: a ‘preloved’ ball gown swap-shop was established.
“Just after Christmas, staff and pupils were asked to donate,” said Head, Dorothy MacGinty, who will herself wear her own mother’s vintage astrakhan coat and black, velvet, dress. The Head is a great fan of older clothing, regularly donning 35 year old Dior during the school day.
The idea took off: “Even in one year, I see a huge difference in the girls’ attitude when considering different outfit options.”
Upper Sixth pupil, Abbie, is in tune with the Head: “I now think, ‘am I going to wear this again?’ and, if not, I don’t tend to buy it.”
Flora, agrees with her friend: “There’s a cachet to wearing vintage.”
Leading example
Last year, a speech by Mrs MacGinty initiated a ‘Wear it Again’ day, when all 270 pupils wore vintage.
In it, Mrs MacGinty highlighted the “enormous impact the fashion industry has on the world’s carbon footprint” quoting from a 2015 paper, by the industry-led Circular Fibres Initiative.
This organisation reported that global greenhouse gas emissions, from textile production, totalled 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2; equivalent to more than the emissions of all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Saturday’s ball pressed-ahead with the drive to reduce textile waste, but pupil ‘rethink’ is not confined to glamorous occasions.
“Even in just a few months, I’m more aware of charity shops and what they have to offer,” says Lola, “there’s also been a huge spike in online retailers who sell vintage – ‘depop’ where you can buy and sell is really popular.” The Sixth Former continued: “Influencers, like teenager Olivia Grace, now wear and promote vintage.”
Mum knows best
Being seen in mum’s old outfit is now definitely de rigueur. Pupil Maggie wore her mother’s full-length, backless, Niteline Della Roufogali dress: “It’s over 25 years old. Mum had it from new and wore it to several events in her 20s. I love the shape but especially the quality of the material. It doesn’t look its age at all and has really lasted.”
Couture clashes were avoided by the girls with the useful initiation of the Sixth Form Common Room’s ‘Ball board’: “Everyone puts up their name and a picture of their outfit,” explains Lola, “if you’re in vintage, you’re definitely unique!”
Naturewatch: The Cromwell Tree
On 30th January 1649, King Charles I was executed on a scaffold erected in front of the Banqueting House of the Palace of Whitehall in Westminster, London. In response, on 5th February, the Parliament of Scotland declared his son, Charles II, who was living in exile in the Netherlands, to be King of Scots.
Charles returned to Scotland on 23rd June 1650, landing at Garmouth, Moray and signing the 1638 National Covenant and 1643 Solemn League and Covenant which brought both Scottish Royalists and Scots Covenanters rallying to his cause. Less than a month later, on 22nd July, Oliver Cromwell and his New Model Army arrived in Scotland from Ireland and, by the end of the year, they had taken control of the city of Edinburgh and much of southern Scotland.
In a largely symbolic gesture, Charles was crowned at Scone on 1st January 1651; by July, Cromwell’s army had crossed into Fife and begun to advance towards Perth, stopping to rest at Bridge of Earn where, it being a Sunday, it is said that Cromwell preached an eloquent sermon. The Royalist garrison at Perth surrendered on 3rd August and, to maintain control of the city and its surrounding countryside, Cromwell ordered a citadel to be built on land that is now occupied by South Inch car park.
Of greater significance here, though, is a Spanish chestnut (or sweet chestnut) tree that was planted on the Kilgraston estate on the day of Perth’s surrender. If the story of its planting is true, this tree would now be approaching 369 years of age. However, while the upper part of tree appears to be a mass of dead branches, the lower part does show signs of fresh growth. The tree is still visible across fields to the north of school, a still-living reminder of Britain’s turbulent political and religious history.
Sports Round Up
Kilgraston senior netball team’s landslide win qualifies them for the Scottish Cup Finals
The senior netball team played Elgin Academy on Wednesday in the semi finals of the Scottish Cup. The girls played an incredibly fast-paced match to win 44-7. This means the team have now qualified for the Scottish Cup finals. Well done girls!
Arran takes the win at swimming gala
Tuesday saw 64 girls take part in a house swimming gala. All the girls put in their best efforts, however, the winners were:
Seniors - Rania M
Under 16 - Katherine B
Under 14 - Rebecca M
Under 13 - Maia B-A
Under 11 - Edith S
Under 9 - Emma H
House Champions - Arran
Well done to all those who took part.
‘Inspired performance’ sees senior hockey team win against QVS
On Saturday the senior girls had a great games and practice on a beautiful sunny morning.
We welcomed QVS to play our Senior team and L5/U4 team
The senior team were 2 – 0 down after half time but an inspired performance in the second half, with 2 – 2 and 30 seconds left to play Connie scored the winner, with Ellie scoring the other 2.
In the 2nd game Erin scored an amazing 4 goals and Jessica scored the 5th to win 5 – 0.
Well done girls!
Kilgraston girls ski to success at Prep School Ski Championships
Kilgraston entered three teams for this event, the youngest consisting of Lower and Upper 1! They were truly amazing, as the weather certainly wasn’t. Not only were they challenged with a steep and difficult slalom course, they had to battle against the wind to stay up! (Alice, Sofia, Minnie and Jessica)
Our B Team came 3rd, winning bronze medals. (Hannah, Willow, Delilah and Elsie)
The A Team won silver medals with a 2nd place. (Lucy, Edith and Sally). Lucy came 2nd in the U.11 category so came home with two silver medals).
A huge congratulations to the girls and a thank you to all the parents who helped.
Prep Schools Strings Day
Kilgraston has opened it’s doors to 75 pupils from 7 different schools today, for our annual Prep Schools Strings Day.
Organised by our Director of Music, Jason McAuley, the day has been a finely tuned success with all pupils, including those who took part from Kilgraston, able to gain valuable performance experience throughout the event.
The large strings orchestra are spent the day learning the piece ‘A Million Dreams’ from the popular 2019 box office hit, The Greatest Showman, whilst the advanced strand worked on Elgar’s Nimrod from his Enigma Variations, as well as a very fun version of a Bach Brandenburgh Concerto.
The day was wrapped up by a concert, showcasing the talent of these young musicians, who, quite clearly, have very exciting musical adventures ahead of them!
February Sporting Success
Junior ski team qualifies for Scottish Championships
Two of our junior ski teams headed to compete in the Scottish Schools Alpine series on Wednesday 26th February.
This was a qualifying round and for many, it was their first experience racing. The sun was shining and the snow glistening. Then the wind started blowing, the snow falling and the temperature dropped. The girls took it all in their stride and braved the elements with no complaints.
In the P. 1 – 4 team were: Elsie, Alice, Sofia, Jessica and Minnie. Elsie came 4th in this category – a really fantastic achievement.
In the P.5 – 7 category were: Lucy, Edith, Megan, Sally, Delilah and Hannah. Both Lucy and Edith did exceptionally well, finishing 8th and 9th. Their team have qualified for the Scottish Championships at Glenshee next Wednesday – a great achievement.
Well done girls!
Katherine qualifies for Olympic trials
Katherine from Upper 5 attended the McCullagh International Swimming meet in Ireland last week and had a very successful competition.
She reached the A final of the 200m butterfly, but withdrew to focus on the 1500m swim.
Katherine took the silver medal in the 1500m freestyle, blowing her own personal best out of the water (quite literally!) by six seconds to finish on 17:35.84, claiming her first international event medal.
This fantastic result qualifies her for her second British Olympic trials event at the Olympic pool in April this year.
To top it off, Katherine had another podium finish by taking 3rd place in the 800m freestyle, gaining her another Olympic qualifying time.
Congratulations Katherine!
Michaela plays for team gold medal
Michaela from Upper 6 played in the EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge with her club, the Dundee Wanderers last weekend.
The competition was held in Porto, Portugal where Michaela and her team played an excelled game to take the gold medal, and gain a promotion to the ‘B’ division for Scotland clubs next year.
Well done Michaela!
Senior Skiiers take to the slopes
Belana and Elisa from Lower 6 headed to the Senior Skiing Championships this week. The girls put in a fantastic effort and thoroughly enjoyed their day.
Well done girls!
Interhouse Hockey
Our Muirhead house hockey was won this year by Kinnoull, with Arran in 2nd and joint 3rd for Moncreiffe and Inchcolm.
For the Under 11 inter house, Moncreiffe won overall with Kinnoull taking 2nd, Inchcolm in 3rd and Arran finishing 4th.
Congratulations Kinnoull and Moncrieffe, and well done to everyone who took part.