Kilgraston Half Term Newsletter - October 2023
We are delighted to share with you the Kilgraston Half Term Newsletter. New for October 2023, this edition gives a round-up of what has been happening at Kilgraston in the past six weeks and a warm welcome to new member of our community, families and staff alike. Click on the image below to open up the digital version of this.
Look out for the next edition of this in December and if you have anything you would like to be considered to include, please email [email protected].
Kilgraston adopts BSA Covid-Safe Charter
Kilgraston is delighted to pledge its support to the BSA Covid-Safe Charter. The charter identifies clear objectives for schools to adhere to when we return in August. This includes what we will do before the School opens such as cleaning, and testing policies, but also details what we will do when we are back in session including social distancing measures and laundry procedures.
As always, our priority is the health and welfare of all our pupils, parents and staff so to ensure our robust measures continue, key members of staff are already back in School, preparing for the August return. Guidelines and advice are changing week-on-week as the COVID-19 declines so we will continue to monitor the situation and communicate our plans with the wider Kilgraston community.
In addition to what we are doing as a School, our hope is that by adopting the BSA charter, our families continue to feel supported and positive about their children returning in August.
You can read the BSA COVID-Safe Charter here.
Kilgraston sees surge in new pupils
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Kilgraston has continued to provide the first class education for which it is so well known. So, as we look at our return in August, we have seen a surge in new families looking at our School. Newspapers including The Times are reporting that this is because of ‘confusion’ surrounding a part-time return to normal classes in August.
For Kilgraston, our recent Virtual Open Day was testament to how much confidence parents across Scotland, and indeed around the world, have in our support of our pupils and their education with more than three times the usual number of families attending. Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty said: “We have been hearing from a number of new families who have concerns surrounding the return to School and what this might look like. Kilgraston and our teachers have moved seamlessly from teaching our children in classrooms to teaching online so we are able to discuss with them how their children might progress here.”
This sentiment is one which is echoed by our parents. Susan and Simon from Fife said: “We have been very impressed with how Kilgraston School moved so quickly and effectively to online schooling. From day 1, there has been an excellent structure to the day which has kept our daughter engaged, challenged and happy throughout lockdown. There was clear guidance from the school for parents too. Of course we are looking forward to returning to school and the classroom but it has been a positive experience for our daughter.”
Over the last few weeks, we have been working on the final arrangements for returning to School in August, and as always our top priority is the health and welfare of all our pupils, parents and staff. Kilgraston is extremely fortunate in that our large countryside campus allows our pupils ample open space to run around. We have initiated clear plans and dates for the return of all our pupils to School in August.
Kilgraston is a School with a strong and rich heritage, one which stretches back to 1930. But this new world in which we live has shown how we can change and adapt whilst keeping our pupils and their education at our heart.
* If you could like more information on Kilgraston, please contact our Admissions Team via [email protected] or call 01738 812 257
Kilgraston girls win Young Enterprise Scotland regional prize
A La Mode, one of the Kilgraston teams taking part in this year’s Young Enterprise Scotland’s Company Programme, has scooped the top prize at the regional finals. The company, set up and run by Upper Sixth pupils Molly, Lola, Natasha and Flora, designed, packaged and sold locally sourced, environmentally friendly premium self care boxes. Aside from the top prize, the team also won other categories including Best Marketing and Best Trade Stand. The girls now go into the national Young Entreprise Finals, scheduled to take place in June.
Huge congratulations to A La Mode and all our Young Enterprise teams.
You can vote for A La Mode .
i25 Awards filming
Having been shortlisted in the prestigious, UK-wide independent schools’ iExcellence competition, this week a film crew has spent the day at Kilgraston, creating a video for use at the awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hotel, London, on March 19.
Community passion, for all matters environmental, was conveyed by pupils, staff and Mrs MacGinty.
“We’re passionate about change, root and branch,” said the Head.
Detailing grass-roots changes, like shorter showers, wearing vintage fashion and using soap bars were all highlighted, in conjunction with larger issues like the avoidance of fast-fashion, mileage considerations and the importance of planting carbon- absorbing trees.
“We all have a responsibility,” said the Head
So true.
The video will be made available to the school in April.
The autumn 2019 ‘Eco-schools’ feature in Independent School Parent magazine highlights Kilgraston
Independent School Parent magazine - autumn 2019, senior edition - examines the independent sector’s approach to this subject and finds that schools’ ‘global outlook’ - and a sense of responsibility for the world - is firmly embedded within their ethos, with young people proactively embracing the challenges.
Kilgraston pupils’ campaign to reduce ‘fast fashion’, single-use plastic and their research into declining bird populations is highlighted on page 20.
Community awareness at Kilgraston School
Independent Education Today magazine highlights Kilgraston’s Women and Business events
Started at the beginning of 2019’s academic year and designed to give Kilgraston’s Senior School pupils the opportunity to meet industry experts and learn more about various careers, the programme has caught the press’ attention with this months’s much-respected Independent Education Today magazine featuring the initiative.
“The aim is to turn the school into an industry hub,” commented Kilgraston’s Head, Mrs MacGinty: “becoming the go-to destination for ambitious girls looking to enter the world of business, knowing that they will be nurtured and mentored, fully developing their entrepreneurial spirit.”
Daily Telegraph journalist, Judith Woods, visited Kilgraston during September, subsequently writing about her day with the pupils in her weekly newspaper column: “They (the pupils) want to fulfil their potential, in the classroom, on their mandatory cross-country runs and in their chosen fields of endeavour,” she enthused.
Later this month, tax specialists from Saffery Champness will be spending time with pupils.
During spring 2020, Nyree Conway, a Director with leading Scottish law firm, Thorley Stephenson SSC, together with a Procurator Fiscal and a Consultant Dermatologist, will, independently, spend time talking discussing their respective careers with senior school pupils.
During the visit from Hettie’s Teas, owner Clare Pinchbeck commented: “Logos, branding, names and promotional ideas were all discussed. Girls were very engaged. They were surprised that the product didn’t start with the tea but with a business plan instead.” She continued: “Girls’ wanted their tea to make drinkers feel ‘bubbly’, ‘invigorated’, ‘driven’ and ‘full of energy’. The creative energy from them was amazing, they just ran with it and their ideas for the brand and logo were superb and are now being carried forward into a viable product.”
