Kilgraston Junior School prize-giving
This week has been full of celebrations including our 90th birthday and our senior school prize-giving. Now it was Kilgraston Junior School prize-giving. This was for the school year 2019 - 2020 as our typical prize-giving event had been delayed due to COVID.
Mrs MacGinty hosted the event and started with a wonderful speech on the importance of achievements, how these can help nurture each and every one of us person and how the Kilgraston values contribute to this. After the prize-giving ceremony, Upper Third’s Olivia gave a wonderful performance of Chanson Triste by Tchaikovsky on her violin.
Please find below images of the prize-winners. Well done everyone.
Lower Third
Upper Second
Lower Second
Upper First
Reception - Lower First
Kilgraston’s commitment to the environment
Kilgraston’s Junior School has been busy charting the growth of a hedge planted in 2009, part of Kilgraston’s on-going commitment to the environment and educating our pupils on nature.
Speaking in the Catholic Universe, Ms Dana Cooper, Junior Years’ teacher and head of the school’s Eco Committee said, “We thought it would be demonstrated particularly well if we showed our eleven-year-olds what nature can do in the same period. Our pupils are particularly interested in natural habitats for indigenous wildlife, which we have an abundance of here at school, but they are also keen to create artificial habitats and, additionally, are currently building a ‘bug hotel’ out of palettes and recycled materials.”
The hedge, which is made up of hawthorn, common lime, hazel and the guelder rose, stretches along the Kilgraston beautiful countryside campus next to the school’s swimming pool. Now, eleven years since it was planted, the hedge reaches four and a half metres high in places and is almost 80 metres long.
Upper Third’s Edith, who is Head of the Junior Years Eco Committee, said: “We have been learning how the hedge provides wildlife with a natural larder.
“Birds such as thrushes, blackbirds and fieldfares love the rose hips, while bees enjoy nectar from the hawthorn and robins, red squirrels and rabbits enjoy the berries.”
This story also featured in the November issue of magazine, Scottish Field.
Meet our Head Girl teams
Each year, our Junior and Senior Schools have Head Girl teams voted for by the pupils and staff of Kilgraston. This year in the Senior School, Head Girl Emily is supported by her deputies Libby and Issie. Emily said: “This is my tenth year at Kilgraston and my main goals are to get to know everyone and make sure everyone feels the strong sense of community between the students and staff. Between the three of us we have a few main goals to focus on this year, one of these is concentrating on the Sacred Heart Goal of Intellect and finding out what that means personally for each student. We believe it is about more than just exam results but also about being aware of global issues. We would also like to really focus on the 90th birthday of the school and we are keen to learn more about the history of the school together. Finally, we know these are challenging times and we would like to have a positive year as adapting to changes will not be easy however we can overcome and face them as school community, as year groups and with strong friendships.”
In the Junior School, Head Girl Willow, is joined by Lucy, Ishbel and Edith as her Deputies. Willow said: “I am honoured to be the Head Girl of the Junior Years this year, and the Juniors Head Girl team has lots of exciting plans we are looking forward to implementing.”
The team has come up with several ideas including a money-raising sausage sizzle for a charity. They are also planning to continue Kilgraston’s sustainability drive with an inter house competition which would see each house designing a costume out of recycled materials, with the School voting on their favourite. The team is also looking at putting a suggestions box into school so everyone can put forward their ideas for activities for the Junior School.