Headteacher Key Information Update
I hope this update finds you all well. Our young people have settled well into the new school day timings - thank you for your support in ensuring they arrive on time and ready to learn. Just a few updates for you this time!
Staffing Update
- Ms Greig will be joining us in October to take up a full time post in our English department.
- Mr Smart has joined our Technologies team on a full time basis until the Easter Break.
Pupil News
Ben Got Gold!
Huge congratulations to ex pupil Ben Sandilands who won a GOLD medal at the Paris Paralympics. Ben is popping into school on Friday 20th for a visit with his medal!
Celebrating Success
Following lots of feedback about how we celebrate and share the successes of young people in our community, Mr Robertson and the Communications group (made up of and led by pupils and supported by staff) are nearly ready to launch their first update! These will be linked into my HT updates but we're going for a different approach to make sure we reach as wide an audience as possible. Watch this space (or your inbox!) for our forthcoming news and regular updates from then on.
Developing the Young Workforce Activity
One of our school improvement priorities is to improve industry links and really bring our curriculum to life. We've recently had 2 great events in school that helps us achieve this.
Design, Engineer, Construct - AtkinsRealis
We were joined by a team from AtkinsRealis engineering company who worked with our DEC students and our Girls Get Set group. They were learning about the industry, the roles and the pathways into this area of work. It was fantastic having first hand insight!
Not only that, Mr Giove has won the national award for his work with our DEC curriculum. What a fantastic achievement and recognition of his leadership in the area.
Business Breakfast
On Wednesday 18th September we welcomed a wide range of business partners to school for our Business Breakfast. This provided a great opportunity for our staff to meet and mingle with a range of employers and partners from various sectors, making links to enhance our curriculum. Huge well done to Ms Charnley who is our DYW coordinator in school and thank you to the businesses who supported us.
Previous meeting minutes are available to read here.
The Balwearie Lottery & Fundraising to Support Teacher Bids
Currently the Balwearie Lottery is a monthly prize draw that all parents and carers can sign up to for as little as £2 per month. Each month 50% goes to the school and 50% of the prize fund goes to the lucky lottery winners. All school funds raised go to support the teacher bids.
Teacher bids are the requests teachers make for additional equipment and subsidies for trips and learning. This is outwith Fife Council statutory funding for the school but any funding the PCV can raise for the school massively helps the teachers and pupil provision.
If you would like to support and sign up for the lottery - click here
If you would like to find out more about the Parent & Carer Voice - click here
Community News
We've loved working with the 'Love our Lang Toun' colleagues and our creative thinking class have been creating (as you'd expect!) some brilliant ideas for a community based project to celebrate our local community and are linking with a local care home too. Brilliant work and a shining example of our school values #REACH
Dress Down Day - 27.9.24
We'll be holding a dress down day on Friday 27th September to raise funds for the Team Jak Foundation . This charity has supported many families in our school and community and we'd like to offer some support in return. Suggested donation £1 (or donate what you can) - cash on the day or via iPayimpact from next week. We have also selected this charity to mark the end of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this month.
Building Works and Refurbishment News
Progress on the car park has nearly concluded for now, with the final work taking place during the October break for health and safety reasons (hot tarmac and big trucks...!). We are glad to be getting new external doors fitted throughout the school during the break too. I've been meeting with Curriculum Leaders to get their feedback on some of the changes and suggestions they'd like to share for our internal improvements and we've been asking lots of young people too - one of my favourite suggestions is an indoor roller skating rink!
There are 2 links that may be of interest to you - both are displayed at the front of the school as required, but I'm aware many of you won't be in school to see these!:
- Planning Application: Development affecting the setting of listed buildings
- Panning Application: Development affecting listed buildings of special architectural or historic interest
If you'd like to leave any feedback related to this update, please use the form below.