Kilgraston Lower Four visit York
As Sixth Form jetted off to Paris and Upper Four and Lower Fifth enjoyed a medley of activities close to home, Kilgraston Lower Four took a trip to York:
On Saturday the 12th of June 2022, a severe amount of last minute packing consumed all of us Lower fourth students. I begged my mum to drop me off extra early that morning just in case I had forgotten something. Then we were all gathered by our extremely helpful teachers who will definitely not be as willing to volunteer to take us next time! The previous few weeks prior to our exhibition the whole Lower Fourth class created uniquely coloured tie dye shirts which we wore from the morning of our departure until that same night.
Just before nine that morning we all lined up on the front lawn, in the most cluttered and disorderly fashion. We took pictures of us all together as our trip began. We travelled on the coach while watching Mamma Mia singing along to every word. We arrived at our first stop (not our destination), Vindolanda at around 1pm, searching and scoping the ancient roman fortress all whilst eating our packed lunch that the school catering kindly made for us all. Then after we had explored for a while, we all hauled ourselves back on our coach to travel the second half of our long journey. Even though our journey was long it was not a sickly one, as our very own, Mrs Bluett told us that if you normally feel carsick on a long journey, all you have to do is sit on a newspaper. As bizarre as it was it worked. For everyone it was astonishing and not even she herself could explain it.
We arrived at our youth hostel at around 5pm. Only half an hour after we arrived, we set off to the restaurant we were going to for dinner, Bella Italia. After a great dinner our first adventure in York began. Our teachers had booked a ghost tour guide to take us through York while telling true fascinating ghost stories of York’s past inhabitants, including Guy Fawkes. The next day started off with the York Minster which took over 250 intricate years to create. It was a wonder to explore and learn about. A while after we were all let loose to go shopping for just over an hour. After lunch we all arrived at the York dungeons, a programme with actors paid to scare and entertain us. After the spooky time we spent in the dungeons we headed off to the very interesting Yorvik Centre.
We were taught in a lively and interactive way to see active sculptures of Vikings in their era. After an already tiring day, we were all dying to eat our amazing Mexican food at Las Iguanas, a delicious experience. When we arrived back at the youth hostel, we all dove to our rooms either to rest after the long day or to take a nap. But about an hour later we were surprised with a quiz constructed by Mrs Bluett who probably regretted it after she heard all our yelling!
The next morning was our departure from York but it was not the end of our trip… we travelled on the coach for about and hour and a half when we were told we had to make a stop at Asda to buy our lunch as we would be too busy when lunch actually came. We all rampaged around the shop picking up anything and everything we could, obviously not realising that our eyes were bigger than our stomachs! After Asda we travelled a while longer until we got to Beamish, an amazing living museum that transported us fully into its Victorian age. We explored old fashioned homes, shops, schools, and fairs, rode on carousels and watched people making liquorice.
At around half past three we set off on the home stretch but not without stopping off at the McDonald’s right on the border between England and Scotland for dinner! We finally reached Kilgraston at eight o’clock, very much ready to sleep in our own beds. On behalf of all Lower Four, thank you to our wonderful teachers, Mrs Murphy, Mrs Bluett and most of Mrs Lyle for organising a great end of year trip.
Lucy, Lower Four
Kilgraston Sixth Form - Bonjour Paris
Kilgraston Sixth Form visited Paris as their final year trip:
On Monday 13th June a group of 35 Upper and Lower Sixth accompanied by Mlle Depreux, Mr Connolly, Dr Phillips and Mrs McCormick travelled to Paris. Starting the day on Tuesday we boarded a Parisian Seine cruise at the impressive base of the Eiffel Tower. We viewed Notre Dame, breath-taking Parisian bridges, l’île de la Cité, and Parisian architecture. Next we took a walk along the Champs Elysées viewing L’Arc de Triomphe, tasting the famous La Durée macarons, Parisian croque-monsieur and window shopping well known brands.
Our next stop began with a magnificent, but challenging climb to the beautiful Sacré Coeur which was truly an incredible experience. The Montmartre area with its charming bistros enchanted us all ending what was a day which was an incredible stimulation of the senses. On Wednesday we spent the day at Disneyland Paris; to get our adrenaline soaring we braved Star Wars Space Mountain, a Disney ‘Big Thrill’ which even Mlle Depreux enjoyed. Ratatouille was a firm favourite amongst the group as well as Big Thunder Mountain the clattering runaway train and for some a big highlight and brave achievement the Tower of Terror. The finale of this day was spectacular firework display around the Disney Princess castle, a magical experience.
On Thursday we divided up to either shop at Val d’Europe or relax and enjoy the Parisian heat wave. What made this trip such a success was the comraderie and sense of team adventure displayed by our girls. The laughter they shared, along with confidence gained from exploring a new city and for those braving to speak the French language including both Mr Connolly and Dr Phillips. The girls represented themselves, their parents and the school tremendously well and have hopefully made memories to last a life time. There was even a chorus of ‘Where Next’ from Lower Sixth.
Mrs McCormick, Head of Sixth Form
Sports Day 2022
Kilgraston Sports Day 2022 took place June 9th and 10th with the sun shining for both the Junior and Senior events.
This year our Senior Sports Day started on Friday morning. Each house gathered on Front Lawn in their colours and were piped to the sports field by Lower Fifth’s Libby before the event compère, Mr. Allaker, who did a fantastic job.
The first event was the 100 metre sprint in year groups (Fourth Form, Fifth Form and Sixth Form). It was followed by the Long Jump, Shot put and High jump. Each event was very fun to watch, but my favourite was the high jump! The other two running events were the 800 and 200 metres. The fun races included the egg and spoon race and the sack race. There was an egg and spoon race for the teachers and parents too.
The last races of the day were the relays, which were in the usual year groups, with an extra one which is the staff against the sixth form.
At the end senior event, Libby piped us to the finish line for presentations to the Champions from Mrs. Davie. Thank you to Mrs. Ferry and everyone who made this years sports day so successful.
Jaya, Upper Four
Kilgraston Activity Days 2022
Kilgraston Activity Days have become an essential part of the calendar year where we celebrate and spend some much-needed social time together. The days, free from academic work, have helped developed a wide range of inter-personal and team work skills along with building resilience.
The days have provided a wide range of activities, ranging from the creative with ‘Crafternoon’, the calming games on the lawn, the thrilling Laser Tag and the adventurous water sports at Blown Away at St Andrews. These were but a few. There was also bowling, Woodland Combat and the Aloft Tree Top Challenge at Crieff Hydro, climbing at the University of the Highlands and Islands, tennis, swimming, football, cricket, stone art, Air Thrill, quizzes, golf, baking, scavenger hunts, camping along with the obligatory s’mores. Then there were the residential trips to York for the Lower Four, Alton Towers for Upper Fifth and Paris for Sixth Form. A formidably packed few days for pupils and staff alike.
As with all events and adventures that bring us together through laughter and shared experiences, it cements our common bond. Cor Unum.
Ms Hall
Retirement of Mrs Ferguson
Mrs Ferguson has given her all in her role at Kilgraston for 26 years. After two decades as a Junior Years class teacher, her nurturing approach to helping learners to fulfil their academic potential made her move into Support for Learning a natural and highly successful one.
Pam looks after pupils and colleagues as if they were members of her own family and, in this way, she epitomises the Kilgraston spirit. Her warmth and goodness have made her an immensely popular teacher; pupils bring to her their life stories and worries as well as their academic concerns and achievements, knowing that all will be met with the same degree of conscientious care and respect.
The young people who work with Pam innately understand that her interest in their academic success and wellbeing is genuine and deep, and they thrive under her guidance. Pam’s generosity with her affection and time and her determination to see the best in everyone have made her an incredible teacher, an indispensable colleague and an invaluable friend.
We wish you well Mrs Ferguson and we shall miss you.
Kilgraston Parents’ Association Summer Fair
Last Saturday, 11th June, the Kilgraston Parents’ Association Summer Fair took place at the Sports Pavilion. Despite a blustery start, the day was filled with fun and excitement. Several stalls were featured including the ever popular strawberries and cream, baked goods and sweeties, along with the newly introduced Pimms table. Strawberries were kindly donated by Emma Stuart-Reid of Broadslap Farm with Pimms donated by Upper Third parents. Splat-A-Rat and ‘Guess How Many’ proved to be very popular, with Leonie securing first prize for the latter.
Many raffle prizes were kindly donated by staff, parents and local businesses, including Clootie McToots, Harmony Beauty, and Gleneagles. Thank you to all who donated prizes and congratulations to all the winners!
The Fair also saw some of our own Kilgraston Entrepreneurs showcasing their talents including the Sixth Form Girls with their wellness packs, the Science Department and the Apiary Committee, and Lower Four’s Ishbel with her luxury, handmade soap business called Airbubble. We hope to see more students and staff with their own stalls at next year’s event!
Finally, a great BIG THANK YOU to all the staff, students and Gap Year Girls who helped with the Summer Fair. All the support is very much appreciated. And thank you to everyone who attended. We hope you had a lovely day!
Music at Kilgraston - find out more
Music is an intrinsic part of life at Kilgraston with the Music Department offering a wide array of activities with individual instrumental lessons, choirs and instrumental groups as well as class teaching from Reception through to Upper Sixth.
All pupils in the junior school and in Lower and Upper Four receive specialist music lessons as part of their curriculum. In the Junior School pupils are taught the basics of music through the Kodaly method of teaching which focuses on learning through singing games and the basics of music notation. They are also introduced to a range of instruments in class which from next session will include experiences in strings, woodwind and brass instruments delivered by our instrumental teachers. This carries on into the senior school where pupils in Lower 4th and Upper Four specialise in two instruments as well as studying topics in a wide range of musical genres. Music is then offered as an exam subject at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels and includes the three elements of performing, listening and composition which as well as preparing pupils for further study and careers in music also offer a range of transferrable skills.
Instrumental lessons are provided in the school by 15 visiting instrumental teachers in instruments ranging from bagpipes, pipe band drumming and clarsach through to guitar, drumkit, piano, voice and a range of string, brass and woodwind instruments. Over 90 pupils currently receive instrumental or vocal lessons with many pupils receiving lessons on a second instrument as well.
Supporting the learning undertaken in class and in instrumental lessons, we are fortunate to offer a wide range of music groups within the co-curricular programme with regular performance opportunities in concerts and other events throughout the year. There are groups to suit all interests from choirs and orchestras in both the senior and junior choirs to smaller groups such as the pipe band and clarsach group as well as opportunities for pupils to form groups such as jazz and rock bands. The highlight of the musical year is the annual Christmas Concert in the Perth Concert Hall which involves every pupil in the school with other highlights including regular lunchtime concerts, the annual Spring Concert and the Kilgraston Young Musician and Perform in Perth competitions.
In the past year the department has seen so many achievements for both individuals and groups. Coming out of two lockdowns where performance was so restricted, with audiences not allowed, it is testament to the pupils and staff that live music has made a return to life at Kilgraston. However this success is tinged with sadness as this summer we say farewell to music teacher and percussion instructor Mr Gordon Murch after many years at Kilgraston. The music department has benefited so much from Mr Murch’s wide experience in this time, but more importantly his warmth of character and the absolute joy he brings to all the pupils he works with in school from the very youngest reception children through to the most experienced musicians in the senior school. He will be greatly missed by all his pupils and colleagues but we know he will continue to enjoy music making in his retirement and we look forward to welcoming him back soon to Kilgraston.
Kilgraston’s Mrs Saunders is retiring
It is with great sadness for us that Mrs Saunders has decided to retire after 26 years at Kilgraston. For all of us who have worked with her in either capacity as pupil or colleague, we all share this truly privileged position to have known her and witnessed the everyday acts that make her an astonishing educator and person.
She subverts all notions of the tired retiree needing to be put out to pasture. The perfect example of this was right at the end of last academic year when the teaching staff were exhausted from rounds of internal assessments yet Mrs Saunders was the epitome of creative power leading the entire school to transform glass square into an art installation that expressed our concerns about the climate emergency.
We will remember everything Mrs Saunders has said. All of it brilliant.
We will remember everything she did. All of it equally brilliant too.
But more than anything, we will remember how she made us feel.
Ms Hall, Kilgraston’s Head of English and friend of Mrs Saunders
A longer length version of this will appear in the next Cor Unum, our annual school magazine. which will be published later this year. Sign up to our mailing list here.
Junior School - Upper Second turn detective
This week, Upper Second became Crime Scene Investigators.
As part of their class project on crime they were visited by Jon Bates from Sci-High Forensics who spent the day with our Upper Second detectives and led them through different role plays.
In this scenario, there had been a break-in at Kilgraston School and the culprits had left behind lots of forensic evidence. Upper Second pupils donned their forensic suits to collect blood swabs, dusted for fingerprints, and found footprints in our initial search.
The police then sent the forensic team the fingerprints, clothes, handwriting samples from the three main suspects. They then had to analyse these carefully to paint a picture of what happened that night.
Once the Crime Scene Investigators had pulled together all the evidence, Upper Second pupils then held a full trial complete with judge and jury to determine whether the suspects were innocent or guilty. The forensic evidence we had found was essential, especially the blood spatters.
The class had a fantastic day so thank you to Jon for leading this investigation.
You can find our more about our Junior School curriculum here.
Duke of Edinburgh experience at Kilgraston
Duke of Edinburgh, while a tough experience was something I will remember forever. It made me realise just how resourceful I could be and how valuable a good team is! I will also remember the amazing memories with the girls, while it was difficult, it was also really fun.
Of course, it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine (although we did see a double rainbow and lots of sun at the end of day two), The laughs while walking up hills out of breath and my wet sleeping bag (make sure to put everything in dry bags) were worth it. It also tested my cooking skills, as I managed to make a stir fry for lunch on day two consisting of pepper and spinach.
I will definitely use the skills that I learnt from Duke of Edinburgh, such as patience, medical skills (like the use of blister plasters) and how to have an amazing time in the most unlikely circumstances.
On day one we were all really discouraged at the start because we went the wrong way, only to fix it and loose a member of our team to injury, however by the end of our bronze expedition we got to see a double rainbow, and a group of extremely aggressive sheep who definitely did not want us there.
Overall, Duke of Edinburgh was worth all the hardships, and you can be sure I am doing silver next year!
Aine, Lower Fifth