Teacher takes top prize
Congratulations to Ms Heather Leonard, who was chosen as Orkney's top probationer teacher in the school session 2015/16. Ms Leonard attended a national GTCS event with probationers from all of the Scottish Local Authorities at Strathclyde University earlier this week, where she gave a presentation about her experience working as a newly qualified teacher in Orkney. Miss Heather Bichan, who has been Acting PT in the English Department, said that Ms Leonard has been an exceptionally good probationer teacher, and that young people in her classes have really enjoyed having her as their teacher. We'd like to say thank you to Ms Leonard, and to wish her all the very best as she takes up her first full-time permanent post in Angus after the summer break.
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The most important change of them allToday Mr Don Hawkins joins us as our new Head Teacher. We wish him well in his time at KGS.
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Staff changes (cot'd)
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Staff changes (but sort of not)
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Art win for Ahmi
Congratulations to S1 pupil Ahmi Santiago, who has taken 1st place in the S1-3 category of the Tesco Bank Art Competition for Schools, which is run by National Galleries Scotland. This is a major achievement for Ahmi as this is a national competition which had 7400 entries this year. All eight judges were very impressed with her drawing.
Ahmi has been invited, along with her family, to attend the awards ceremony at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh on 12th June, where she will be presented with her prize of art materials by multi-award winning author and illustrator Nick Sharratt, who has worked on over 250 books including most of Jacqueline Wilson's books. Nick was one of the judges and will be photographed alongside all the competition winners. Her winning work, on the theme of 'Light and Darkness', will go on display in the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh from 8 June-27 October, then Borders General Hospital and finally at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness until May 2017. If you are in Edinburgh or Inverness during these times, please go and view the exhibitions. A selection of the winning works will feature on postcards and a calendar later this year. Well done also to all those S1 pupils who worked hard to create entries for this competition. With Fin Siderfin's success in February, KGS pupils have now won two national competitions in one session, a fantastic achievement. |
Staff changes
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New House names and colours revealedThe new house names and colours were revealed today at a ceremony to mark the end of the old houses. The results of the Guidance restructuring are:
Berstane and Newark will become FARA Inganess and Waulkmill will become EYNHALLOW Dingieshowe and Scapa will become COPINSAY The ceremony was attended by all pupils, many wearing the colours of their old house, making for a very colourful gathering. The posters made up of squares decorated by every pupil were paraded from the Art Department down the main stairs to the ground floor. They were then laid down to symbolise the end of the old houses. The House Captains all gave speeches recognising the achievements of their house and thanking their Guidance teachers. Dr Hall then began the process of revealing the new names and colours. Using the actual sorting hat brought to Orkney by J K Rowling, slips and balls were drawn and the names emerged on screen. The names were as voted for by KGS pupils and staff and the colours come from the Orkney flag. |
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House posters taking shapeFor the celebration of the old KGS houses on April 22nd, we are going to produce large posters in the house colours. Each pupil will be given a 10cm square piece of paper in their house colour. They can then personalise this - by writing a message, using magazine cuttings, using textured fibre etc. This way every pupil will contribute to the posters, and they can be as creative as they want to. The more variety in the squares, the better.
Once pupils have completed the squares, they will be arranged and stuck on a large piece of paper with darker shades towards the top and lighter shades towards the bottom - to represent a sunset. Then, at our celebration on Friday 22nd, the finished posters will be brought in a procession down from the Art Department, round the mezzanine, and down to the bottom of the stairs, where they will be ceremonially laid down - to mark the end of our old houses. Photos: Della Laurenson |
Head Teacher appointed
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Youth Philanthropic Initiative launched
Today we launched our YPI (Youth Philanthropic Initiative). The Wood group give £3000 per year to a school to donate to a local charity. The students research a charity and at a grand final in May they pitch for their chosen charity to be given that £3000. All S3 will be participating in this and it will be run by the Guidance department with the help of the RMPS and English Department.
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House names - Isles win by narrow margin
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First place for Fin
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