Thrift shop volunteers still wanted

Can you do one of the shifts on this rota? Go on!

Can you do one of the shifts on this rota? Go on!

What: Aberfeldy Thrift Shop
When: Sunday 19th April to Saturday 25th April
Where: Auld Kirk, Chapel Street, Aberfeldy
How to help: volunteer for a shift

We still don’t have enough volunteers to staff the thrift shop. 450 people saw our post asking for helpers, but only three volunteered. We have 18 shifts to fill. It’s getting very close to the knuckle now. We could really do with your help.

Can you help? Go on, I bet you can spare a couple of hours. For your kids? For the school?

Take a look at the rota above and if you see a shift you can cover, email us at fundraising@breadalbaneparents.com.

Six pro tennis lessons for just £15

Six pro tennis lessons for £15 is great bargain. Grab it now.

Anyone for tennis (lessons)? Six pro tennis lessons for just £15 is great bargain. Grab it now.

For six weeks from Tuesday 5 May, Aberfeldy Tennis Club is offering junior tennis lessons with a professional coach, for just £15. That’s not £15 per lesson; it’s £15 for the entire six-week course.

Children must be in at least primary three, but apart from that the lessons are open to all. Lessons will take place every Tuesday, between 4 and 5 o’clock. Whether your child already loves sport, or is still looking for the right sport for them, this is a great opportunity to try out tennis.

The club’s also running adult lessons on the same dates, between five and six o’clock. Adults pay £30 for the six-week course. So why not learn together with your child?

To book a place, please contact club out-reach officer Eddie Vincent on 01887 820135.

Urgent! Volunteers needed for thrift-shop

Parents and 6th years — we need thrift-shop volunteers.

Parents and 6th years — we need thrift-shop volunteers.

What: Aberfeldy Thrift Shop
When: Sunday 19th April to Saturday 25th April
Where: Auld Kirk, Chapel Street, Aberfeldy
How to help: volunteer for a shift

The parent council urgently needs volunteers to help staff the thrift shop from Sunday 19th to Saturday 25th April. Money raised will be divided between the parent council’s fund, used to help pay for activities, equipment, and events for the pupils, and the sixth-year prom fund.

So far only one parent has volunteered.We need more helpers, otherwise the kids don’t get a prom and the parent council is less able to fund worthwhile projects and activities. Can you help out for a morning or an afternoon?

If you can help, let us know by emailing fundraising@breadalbaneparents.com.

University admissions open evening

Let us know your questions about getting into uni.

Let us know your questions about getting into uni.

What: University-admissions open evening
When: 6:30pm, Tuesday 5 May, 2015
Who: Open to parents and pupils

We need your help. Working with the school, we’re organising an open evening about university admissions, with a panel of experts to answer your questions about how to get into, and prepare for, university.

What we need from you, is to know what questions you want answered. Knowing this will help us get the right experts on the panel — the ones with the answers you need.

So tell us, what are your questions? Here are a few examples to get your started:

  1. Are there any grants my child qualifies for and how do we apply?
  2. Do universities admissions departments understand the new CfE qualifications?
  3. How can my child write the best possible personal statement?

Let us know your questions, either by commenting on this post or by emailing elizabeth@thinkingtrees.co.uk.

Thanks to Alice for making her photo available under a Creative Commons licence. 

£2,500 to study accountancy

Study accountancy the boss can't tell the accountant there's no money for a raise.

Study accountancy: because the boss can’t tell the company accountant there’s no money for a raise.

If your child wants to study accountancy or finance at university, but is worried about the cost of studying, the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland (ICAS) wants to help. Every year, ICAS gives accountancy students bursaries of up to £2,500. To qualify, the student must have been awarded a Young Student Bursary by the Scottish Government and his or her parents’ combined income must be less than £34,000 a year.

To see if you or your child qualifies for a bursary, and find out how to apply, click on this link:

http://www.icasfoundation.org.uk/applygrant.html

Thanks to Ken Teegardin for posting this image to Flickr on a Creative Commons licence.

Fare increase on Bankfoot 823 bus

From Tuesday 21 April 2015, fares on the 823 from Bankfoot go up

From Tuesday 21 April 2015, fares on the 823 from Bankfoot go up

From the Tuesday 21 April 2015, the first day back after Easter, child fares on the 823 bus from Bankfoot to Aberfeldy will rise to £3.15 for a single ticket and £5.80 for a day return. The 10-journey ticket will cost £25.20.

For a full list of fares, along with clarifying notes from the council’s transport department, download the PKC handout using the button below.

Get the full list of fares

 

New headteacher for Breadalbane Academy

After the 2015 summer holidays, Mr Devine will be Breadalbane Academy’s new headteacher

After the 2015 summer holidays, Mr Devine will be Breadalbane Academy’s new headteacher

John Devine, currently a quality improvement officer (QIO) in PKC’s education department, will be the next headteacher of Breadalbane Academy. Present head, Mrs Swan, who announced her retirement at the 4 February parent council meeting, will continue in the post until the 16 August. From 17 August, Mr Devine will be headteacher.

A veteran of 23-years in teaching

A graduate of Glasgow University, where he gained an M.A (Hons) in English Language and Literature, Mr Devine has been a teacher for 23 years. He started his career in 1992 as an English teacher at Kirkwall Grammar School, in Orkney.

After 13 years on the islands, during which time he rose from probationer to the principal teacher of the English department, Mr Devine left Orkney to become the depute head (school improvement) at Blairgowrie High School. He remained in Blairgowrie for nine years, before moving to the Perth and Kinross education department as a quality improvement officer, responsible for standards in a number of secondary schools.

As well as an undergraduate degree in English, Mr Devine has a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), with distinction, from Northern College; an M.Ed postgraduate degree, in educational management, from Aberdeen University; and a Scottish Qualification for Headship, also from Aberdeen University.

The best of ten candidates for the job

Ten candidates from all over the UK applied for the job as head at Breadalbane. A rigorous selection procedure saw this reduced to just two in the final interview. Mr Devine impressed the selection committee with his thoughtful and meticulous approach, his knowledge of and commitment to the school and its Highland Perthshire catchment area, and his inclusive and open leadership philosophy.

“I was honoured to be one of the panel who selected Mr John Devine for the post at Breadalbane”, said Councillor Kate Howie, the elected member on the interview panel. “During the selection process it was obvious he totally understood and was enthused by the challenges and benefits of a rural school and the responsibilities of a headteacher and campus leader. Good leadership and communication at all levels including with the local community were his main key themes and I am delighted that he has accepted the post.”

First message to the school community

“I am delighted to have been appointed headteacher of Breadalbane Academy”, said Mr Devine. “I look forward to working with parents and the wider community in building on the success of the school and the community campus.

“I want Breadalbane Academy to be known as a place where young people want to come and learn and where teachers want to come and work. For me, schools are at their best when they can both reflect and promote their community in the experiences they offer. Breadalbane Academy is already doing this, for instance with its Rural Skills course and Gaelic medium teaching. That makes being a head at Breadalbane a very exciting prospect.”

Mrs Swan working for a smooth handover

Mr Devine already already knows Breadalbane Academy well, thanks to his role as our school’s current QIO. Between now and August, he will be liaising with Mrs Swan and her team in order to get a feel for Breadalbane Academy from a head’s perspective, so that he can hit the ground running.

“I am delighted to be handing Breadalbane Academy over to Mr Devine in the summer”, said current headteacher Linda Swan. “He knows the school well as a result of our close working relationship over his time as quality improvement officer; knowing what we do well and where we need to develop. I look forward to working with Mr Devine over the summer term to ensure the transition is smooth. I wish him well in this post.”

A chance to meet Mr Devine

We hope parents will join the parent council in congratulating Mr Devine on his appointment. We’ll invite him to the first parent council meeting of the 2015/16 academic year, giving everyone a chance to meet our new headteacher and ask him questions. We look forward to seeing as many parents as possible there.

A letter to John Fyffe, PKC Director of Education

One of the actions arising from the February 26 parent council meeting was for the parent council to write a letter to John Fyffe, PKC Director of Education. Several parents had been in touch with us, to point out that the parent council should have been involved in drawing up the job specification for the headteacher’s position, before that position was advertised.

The parents referred to the following information in the guidance to the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006:

Consultation with Parent Council

4. An education authority must, when preparing–

(a)strategies; and

(b)job or person specifications,

in relation to making a relevant appointment, consult with any Parent Council established for the school to which a relevant appointment is to be made, and must have regard to the views of that Parent Council when preparing any such strategies and specifications.

Regulation 4, The Parental Involvement in Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher Appointments (Scotland) Regulations 2007

See also appendices one and two of PKC’s own response to the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006: in particular the first box in the flow-chart on page 4 and the recommended changes in the top-right box of the table on page 2 of 5.

We asked Councillor Ian Campbell to take this matter up on our behalf. He brought the guidance quoted above to the attention of John Fyffe, Director of Education and Children’s Services. Councillor Campbell assures us that Mr Fyffe is now in the process of changing selection procedures for senior school appointments, in response to our query.

However, many parents felt strongly that the parent council should ask for a formal reassurance that this will be happening and for more information on when it will happen. The parent council agreed to send a letter to John Fyffe on this topic. This letter was sent on Wednesday, March 18.

Anyone who is interested can download and read a copy of the letter.

John Devine offered Breadalbane headship

Perth and Kinross Council has offered John Devine, who until recently was depute head (school improvement) at Blairgowrie High School, the job of headteacher at Breadalbane Academy. Mr Devine is a teacher of 23 years’ experience, with 10 years at senior management level. Currently, he is working as a Quality Improvement Officer in the PKC education department. He has accepted the post.

There are still some formalities to get out of the way before Mr Devine is confirmed in the job, but these are expected to be just that — formalities. We’ll post more information on this website, once the appointment has been confirmed.

James Mcdonald wins advanced-saxophone first prize

James Mcdonald

James Mcdonald won first prize in the advanced saxophone category.

Congratulations to S5 Breadalbane Academy pupil James Mcdonald for coming first in the category ‘advanced saxophone’, at the Perform in Perth music festival. Sixteen-year-old James, who has been learning the instrument since he has in P6, beat two other young saxophonists to come away with the prize.

When asked for a quote, modest James said he just wanted to thank Mrs Waterston, an inspirational teacher. “I’m amazingly pleased”, he added.

Well done too, to James’s brother, S2 pupil Alastair Macdonald, who won second prize in the category ‘transitional clarinet’. And good luck to the Breadalbane Academy wind band who are competing in the festival on Friday March 13. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed.

We’re trying to get details of the other winners, so watch this space.