Literary appearance for Kilgraston School
Kilgraston School is delighted to announce that it will be making an appearance at this year’s Borders Book Festival in Melrose.
Described by literary-legends, Michael Palin and Prue Leith, as: “The best book festival in Britain,” now in its fifteenth year, the Baillie Gifford-sponsored festival is a four day literary feast, attracting an annual worldwide audience of 30,000.
Running from the 13-16 June 2019, this summer’s festival is even bigger than previous years, hosting over 100 events during the four days. Kilgraston is pleased to support the festival, which includes prominent speakers, Ruth Davidson MP, TV Presenter Kate Humble, BBC journalist, Kirsty Wark, F1 Legend David Coulthard, historian Neil Oliver, comedy great Alexei Sayle and renowned impressionist, Jan Ravens, among many, many more.
Festival Director, Alistair Moffat, said: “After a long winter and much discontent, the clouds are parting and a brilliant sun will shine on Harmony Garden in June. The marquees will rise, the seats will be set out, the sound systems installed, the show will begin and the spells of enchantment will weave their magic. For four glorious, glowing days, the world will come to Melrose to celebrate.”
In addition, throughout the four days, there will be live music, the Orchard tented food village and plenty of free, fun activities making the book festival a great day out for all the family to enjoy.
For a full line-up and to book tickets please contact Borders Book Festival.
See you there!
Kilgraston School’s Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths record highlighted
STEM subjects at Kilgraston are particularly strong and this fact has been widely noticed with the Boarding Schools’ Association magazine (pages 60, 61 & 63) being the latest publication to highlight our record.
We’d like to think that we are always opening-up doors at Kilgraston. Nestled in the Perthshire foothills, our all-girls’ school is quietly shaking up the sector’s approach to STEM subjects. Summer 2018 saw an impressive 66% of our Upper Sixth leaving to take-up undergraduate STEM places. This represented a 22% year-on-year increase and, against the national average of less than 25% of female students graduating in STEM subjects, demonstrates a very healthy interest in the sector.
“Girls are just as excited by developments in science and engineering as boys,” said renowned physicist, Dr Jessica Wade, a leading-light at Imperial College London. We couldn’t agree more!
Wear it again - again!
Kilgraston School’s environmental policy has once again caught an editor’s imagination, this time on page eight of the April edition ofIndependent Schools Magazine. Vintage clothing is very much in fashion and the move to make the most of your wardrobe is gathering pace. Read about the School’s ‘Wear it Again’ push and Head, Mrs MacGinty, practicing what she preaches…
Exam leave: In the Times Eductional Supplement, Kilgraston’s Mrs Stott writes about the importance of keeping up the exercise - as well as the studying…
https://www.tes.com/news/sport-and-exercise-are-essential-successful-exam-leave
Physics at Kilgraston featured in international magazine
Head of Kilgraston, Mrs MacGinty, has been writing in magazine ‘Service Parents’ Guide to Boarding Schools’ about the importance of encouraging girls to enjoy and study the subject of Physics.
Kilgraston’s Spring Concert throws light and shade across the Chapel
Never let the hailstones stand in the way of a good Spring Concert.
Despite the inclement weather, Kilgraston’s Senior School left the audience in no doubt that this was a very topical show. Like the weather outside - bright, light and upbeat one minute, with a touch of sombre reality the next – the concert packed in no less than 15 varied numbers in just over an hour.
“What a lot of talent we do have,” said Head Mrs MacGinty. And indeed they do. Vivaldi’s rhythmic duo Autumn & Winter – performed flawlessly by the school’s Woodwind Ensemble – immediately imbuing you with seasonal mood.
Leaping forward to Lady Gaga’s contemporary A Million Reasons, by the Senior Choir, the audience lilted and pitched, drawn into a sensation of light-dappled fields.
But just when you thought the horizon was clear, Hebridean ballad, Dark Island, hauntingly performed by the Clarsach trio, reminded you that Spring can always ‘take’ as well as ‘give’ and dark clouds loomed above the seas ahead.
Xylophones are not an instrument that often feels the limelight. However, Yolanda N’s fast-paced Hungarian Rhapsody whisked you away to the mountainous region, finishing with a full-keyboard flourish and a timely indication that modulation was the theme of the night.
As if the performance hadn’t already flexed its variable muscles, the School’s Jazz Band leapt in with foot-stamping number Take on me. Norwegian trio, A-HA, hit the headlines with this tune over thirty years ago – a fact not lost on participating parents. But A-HA’s rendition didn’t include a trombone and tambourine. And neither did it have their Musical Director leaping from one instrument to another!
Concluding proceedings, a soft and forgiving performance of Chilcott’s Irish Blessing by the Chamber Choir, symbolised the end of the seasonal battle. Calm, soft and warming, it was, like any perfect Spring day, a balm to the soul.
A truly memorable night of variation.
Mairi Fraser
Scotland Captain meets Kilgraston girls
Our combined U3/L3 team played in the Dollar Hockey tournament yesterday and had a great time coming 2nd in the P6 tournament after the round robin element to the day. They then lost to GWC in the cross over match.
Thanks go to the girls, Mrs Ferry and to all the Dollar staff for making it a great day out.
Pictured is the team with Kaz Cuthbert, Scotland Senior Women Captain.
Freya receives award from top Scottish athlete
Adding to the thrill of the night, Freya was awarded her prize by elite Scottish athlete, and local girl, Eilidh Doyle. Commenting on the experience, Freya said: “It was just brilliant to meet her.”
However, this was not the first time Freya had been in close proximity to the famous sprinter. Just the weekend before, she had been picked to represent her athletics club, Strathtay Harriers, as a ‘kit carrier’ at the prestigious European Indoor Athletics Championships in the Emirates Stadium in Glasgow. Here, Eilidh, along with another Perthshire girl, Laura Muir, were competing.
Freya is a multi-disciplined tack and field athlete and is currently ranked top of the table in the UK for the Senior Javelin F37 category.
Over 140 sports enthusiasts attended the P&K Awards, which were held at the Dewars Centre in Perth on 8 March 2019.
Freya training with her club, Strathtay Harriers, at their ground, the George Duncan Athletics Arena in Perth.
Kilgraston’s recycling credentials dressed up by the CISC
Teenagers’ appreciating the need to think before buying so-called ‘fast fashion’ has really caught public attention, with the CISC the latest outlet to cover the story. Several of Kilgraston’s Sixth Form recently came to school in clothing that was, in some cases, several decades old, highlighting the environmental impact of the world’s clothing industry.
The Catholic Independent Schools’ Conference is a dynamic and forward-thinking family of schools with members in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Gibraltar, Italy and Singapore. There are 135 schools in CISC and the number is growing. In total, CISC schools educate more than 40,000 pupils from nursery age through to eighteen.
Read full CISC article
Vintage clothing day in The Times
Inspired by renowned environmentalist, Sir David Attenborough, who recently said: “We need to move beyond guilt or blame and get on with the practical tasks in hand,” pupils approached Head, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty, with the idea for a vintage clothes day to demonstrate that quality clothes never go out of fashion.
“The girls felt passionately about doing something positive but were unsure how they could make a difference on their own,” said Mrs MacGinty, “So, together, we have devised a list of 100 little changes, which everyone can implement, and that starts by buying fewer, cheap, clothes.”
Kilgraston’s inaugural ‘Wear It Again’ Day will be at the beginning of May when all 250 pupils will be asked to ditch their uniform for the day in favour of something that is more than ten years’ old. However, a few Sixth Form girls couldn’t wait until May and tried out a vintage ‘sneak preview’ in March - when The Times heard about the story, promoting in on International Women’s Day.
“Quality lasts,” says Mrs MacGinty, “I routinely wear a jacket that my mother-in-law gave me when I was first engaged and I’ve been married for thirty years!”
Commenting on the Vintage Day, Sixth Form pupil, Gemma, said: “Before Mrs MacGinty mentioned the impact of the fashion industry I didn’t realise how bad it was, so now I’m going to think much more carefully about what I am buying. I’m wearing a red, silk velvet dress from Top Shop in 1999 – teacher Mrs Bluett bought for a Millennium party. I’ve teamed it up with a crepe de chine patterned scarf which dates from the late 1940s!”
Felllow Sixth Former, Alex, said: “I felt that this was an outfit that wasn’t too outrageous and would encourage my generation to not be afraid to wear vintage. This is a dress from Monsoon silk which is was bought for a pound in a charity shop and is well over twenty years old. The jacket if from the 1940s and made of raw silk – I love the colours.”
Eilidh chose to wear a dark blue velvet dress dating from the 1950s. “It is beautifully cut and I liked the elegance of it,” she said. “It has been loaned to be by my teacher, Mrs Bluett, and she inherited from her mother-in-law!”
During a recent assembly, the Mrs MacGinty highlighted to pupils the enormous impact the fashion industry has on the world’s carbon footprint: “According to a report by the industry-led Circular Fibres Initiative,” she said, “in 2015, global greenhouse gas emissions from textile production totalled 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent; more than the emissions of all international flights and maritime shipping combined.” She continued: “Less than 1% of the material used to produce clothing globally is recycled into new clothing, with only 12% recycled into other products such as insulation or mattress stuffing.”
Her words had a profound affect on pupils: “Mrs MacGinty has opened my eyes to the effect of the fast fashion industry and it’s really made me think. This knowledge has definitely put me off some brands that don’t deliver a sustainable commitment on their website,” said one Sixth Form pupil.
