School trips teach pupils valuable life skills, Kinlochbervie rector says in prize-giving address
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The effort and expense involved in taking pupils on residential school trips is well worth it, particularly for remote schools, a Sutherland rector has said in his prize-giving address.
Dr Ian Smith, head of Kinlochbervie High School, said pupils learned vital lifeskills when away from their own environment.
Over the past year youngsters attending the small, north west Sutherland school have made trips to Ireland and France as well as Glasgow and London.
"This was a huge investment in time, effort and money," Dr Smith told the audience at Thursday’s prize-giving ceremony.
He revealed that despite the "fantastic" fundraising and payments from parents, all trips were subsidised by the school.
"However, every penny spent is worth it," he said.
"Not only do pupils and staff have a really enjoyable time but the life skills learning experienced on these trips is so important to pupils in a small remote school such as ours."
Dr Smith went on to outline staffing issues that had affected the school over the past year but said they had been overcome.
He commended the work of depute rector Debbie Gunn who took on certificate PE teaching for a term on top of all her other classes and duties.
Dr Smith announced the resignation of part time science technician Anne MacKay who is leaving to take up a full-time post.
He said: "Anne was appointed in September 1995 so has been here almost from the beginning and during that time she has looked after at least 12 science teachers."
Dr Smith compared the way primary schools had been able to implement a Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) so readily with its more limited introduction in secondary schools across Scotland. "Secondary schools still have a focus on SQA exams so CfE only affects the junior school.
"Teachers here are now grasping the positive difference CfE can make to learning and teaching by changing their teaching styles and methods of assessment, giving much more responsibility to pupils.
Dr Smith concluded by stating that after another challenging year, he was "looking forward to continuing to work with a great staff and a great set of kids next session".
Prize-winners as follows:
Trophies
The Kinlochbervie Camanachd Cup for the Players’ Player of the Year – Sophie Clark and Mark MacDonald
Inter-House Sports Shield (presented to the school by M.A.P. Consulting Engineers) – Inchard
The Neilson Barr Trophy for Endeavour
(presented to the school by Jennifer and Sarah Neilson Barr) – Kelly Daphne
The MacSween Cup for Improvement
(presented to the school by the MacSween Family) – Ryan Corbett
The MacLeod Trophy for Excellence in Practical Technological Skills (presented to the school by Marie and Donald MacLeod) – Scott Paterson
The KLM Quaich for Overall Achievement
(presented to the school by The KLM Partnership. Chartered Quantity Surveyors) – Mark MacDonald and Alison MacPherson
The Blyth and Blyth Cup for Dux of the School
(presented to the school by Blyth and Blyth Associates, Consulting Engineers) –Alison MacPherson
Certificates for Achievement
S1: Claire Barnes-Miller, Iona Harper-Reynoldson, Katy Horler, Craig Mackay, Tyree Mackay, Rebecca Morrison
S2: Lewis Arrowsmith, Billy Corbett, Mark Dorrian, Ambar Feliz, Tiffany Hartley, Connor Munro, Mark Morrison
S3: Hamish Armes-Harris, Hugh Elrick, Jack Hatherall, Sine Jones, Mary McCowan, Mark MacDonald, Elizabeth Morrison, Rhianne Sutherland
S4: Christopher Arrowsmith, Mathew Hathaway, Kelsey Keith, Elizabeth Marsham, Mark McCowan, Adam McKenzie, Tom Robbins, Jaclyn Ross, Gary Sheriffs
S5: Tom Amos, Sophie Bell, Sophie Clark
S6: Ashleigh Boyd, Morna Belbin, Rebecca Marsham, Eilidh MacFarlane, Alison MacPherson, James Robbins, Natasha Sutherland
Certificates for Endeavour
S1 Callum Arems-Harris, Claire Barnes-Miller, Chloe Clark, Katy Horler, Rebecca Morrison, Jamie Saggers
S2: Chloe Andrews, Lewis Arrowsmith, Mark Dorrian, Ambar Feliz, Tiffany Hartley, Connor Munro, Jennifer Ross
S3: Sine Jones, Mark MacDonald, Mary McCowan, Elizabeth Morrison, Shannon Morrison, Rhianne Sutherland
S4: Jason Andrews, Christopher Arrowsmith, Eilidh Clark , Abbey Corbett, Mathew Hathaway, Daniel MacDonald, Elizabeth Marsham, Adam McKenzie, Lorreann Pritchard, Jaclyn Ross
S5: Tom Amos, Sophie Clark, Martin Mackay
S6: Asheligh Boyd, Morna Belbin, Kelly Daphne, Tamara Laing, Natasha Sutherland
Extracts from the Rector’s Report
Dr Smith welcomed the audience to the sixteenth annual Prizegiving at the school. He outlined the staffing issues over the past year and how these had been overcome. He commended the work of Depute Rector Debbie Gunn who took on certificate PE teaching for a term on top of all her other classes and duties. He likened this to the Maths situation last year when Steph Sutherland, Julia Mann, Heather MacNeil and Brendan McMahon had added Maths teaching to their duties. He confirmed the SQA results had shown how successful these teachers had been in teaching Maths.
Dr Smith announced the resignation of part time science technician Anne MacKay who is leaving to take up a full time post. "Anne has been here almost from the beginning, being appointed in September 1995. During that time she has looked after at least 12 science teachers." He quipped that "looked after was quite an appropriate description of what was required for a few of those teachers!"
Many trips and residentials had taken place over the session stated Dr Smith "But the highlight of the year were the trips to Glasgow, London, Ireland and France last week. This was a huge investment in time, effort and money. Despite the fantastic fund raising and the payments from parents, all trips were subsidised by the school. However, every penny spent was worth it. Not only did pupils and staff have a really enjoyable time but the life skills learning experienced on these trips was so important to pupils in a small remote school such as ours."
Dr Smith compared the way primary schools had been able to implement a Curriculum for Excellence so readily with its more limited introduction in secondary schools across Scotland. "Secondary schools still have a focus on SQA exams so CfE only affects the junior school. Teachers here are now grasping the positive difference CfE can make to learning and teaching by changing their teaching styles and methods of assessment, giving much more responsibility to pupils.
Dr Smith concluded by stating that after another challenging year, he was "looking forward to continuing to work with a great staff and a great set of kids next session".
