Kirkwall+Grammar+School


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Click on the badge to go to their own metasaga wiki
 * KGS METASAGA 2010.- TRANSITIONS[[image:map.jpg width="360" height="213" align="right"]]**

Current S1 - S3 pupils have created a Metasaga for the incoming S1s. The main aim of this Metasaga is to give S1s a tour with a difference in order to help them to feel more connected with the KGS community and to start thinking about their place within their new school. We wanted to dispel their fear and prompt them to think more reflectively about what their move to a new school could mean for them in terms of their own journey through education and life. We are also viewing it as a way to record the life of the old building before we move to the new improved KGS. We hope that you enjoy this virtual tour as well !


 * The English Stairs.**



At the heart of the school is the English stairs. I know what you are thinking - yes I am psychic - you are thinking that the English stairs are boring, but actually, surprisingly enough, they aren’t! Take a closer look and you will find lots of interesting stuff!



For starters, they are one of the main features of the school and play a very big part in everyone’s day. They are situated in a very handy place close to the toilets, science department, office and English. Especially for you S1s, we have interviewed the head of the English department and asked him a few questions.

Dr Hall was a pupil at this school just the same as you. He said English was quite similar when he went to school he also said that the teachers interact with the pupils more now than they could twenty years ago. He thinks that the English stairs are a very important part of the school because it is a meeting place for teachers and pupils.

Sometimes the English stairs are busy, when the smell of lunch is in the air and a torrent of people rush down them, and sometimes they are peaceful, in between lessons for example. This is a place of contrast – we hope that your life at KGS will be a place where you meet lots of new friends, have an exciting time, but also some time for quiet reflection as well.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

1. Where do you go for excitement and where do you go to find peace and quiet? 2. Would you prefer an exciting or a peaceful life? 3. Where is your life leading?

By MS and RT


 * The Library**

The Library is a very important part of our school. It was extended in 1985 to accommodate over ten-thousand books! The weirdest thing that ever happened in the Library was that someone jumped out of a window – don’t try it! We use it for studying, research, or just finding a good book to read in our spare time.

How do you escape from the world? By reading a book we can travel through time and go all over the world! All our problems and worries can be forgotten, we can just leave the world we’re in and go to 1675 or Africa or even outer space. Do you feel satisfied after reading?

Everyone has different tastes and the library has a wide range of genres:
 * Historic
 * Science Fiction
 * Romance
 * Adventure
 * Fantasy & Legend
 * Animals
 * Thriller
 * Detective
 * War
 * Sport
 * Comedy
 * Supernatural
 * General
 * Non-fiction

There is definitely something for everyone in the Library!

What was the last thing you read? Do you read a lot, or do you think of it as a chore? Well, reading shouldn’t be a chore, it should be something you look forward to and enjoy. That is the point of all the different genres. In secondary school you will probably be asked to decide yourself what types of book you read. You will have a wide range of books and it is important to experiment and find your type of book. It might reveal what type of person you are too.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS 1. How do you escape from the world? 2. Why do people read? 3. What stimulates your imagination?

By JC, CD and JS


 * Drama Hut**

The Drama hut was not always a drama hut: previously, it was used by the Orkney College as a carpentry room and it was changed into the drama hut and drama room in 2002 / 2003. The upstairs of the drama hut was added in 2000 because more room was needed for props and costumes.

Drama is a great way for S1s to get to know each other and it is also a great way for everybody to get to know each other because it involves working together in groups. Drama develops confidence, imagination and self expression – it is also LOADS of fun! Drama is a way of reaching out to the community and performances are watched by parents and members of the public as well.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS 1. How do you express yourself ? 2. Who is your favourite role model ? 3. Have you ever pretended to be somebody you're not ?

By SJ and RB

The purpose of the technicians is to support and get supplies for science and technology. In the past, there were no computers or modern technology but you will be pleased to know that there is now – we are no longer living in The Dark Ages!
 * Technicians**

The computing/technical technicians fix items or computers in the school, while the science technicians order supplies such as chemicals from the chemical catalogue and sometimes local food supplies such as cabbage, flour, yeast and sugar that may be used in some weird and wonderful science experiments. They also make solutions like acids and alkali. So far there have been no serious accidents regarding acid or chemicals, thank goodness!

In general technicians maintain science labs, prepare experiments for classes, and computer technicians fix things around the school such as computers and sharpening technical equipment. Nowadays we have computers, smart boards, lots more modern equipment and technology, and more acids and alkali to make solutions. Without technicians, science and technology would not be as much fun!

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

1. What does technology mean to you and how would you cope without it? 2. What is your role in the universe? 3. Who do you take for granted and what could you do for them?

By KM, FG and LD


 * The Sick Bay**

The sick bay is located in the room 85 of the school.

There are two nurses at the sick bay; they are Fiona and Denise and the two previous ones were Mrs Oag and Mrs Park, they are both retired now.

The role of this place is to help all the students with illnesses. It is important to the school because there are over 850 pupils and almost every day there are about 10 -15 pupils who come to the sick bay. The most common illness is actually headaches (and maybe a little bit of skiving! ).The most unusual accident that has happened before was that someone swallowed a penny – don’t ask! Good luck S1 in your new school, we hope you are happy and healthy!

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS 1. What makes you feel better about yourself? 2. Who makes you feel better? 3. How would you make someone feel better?

By SS and GH


 * The Staff Room and The Staff...**

This is all about the teachers and the staff room. You will probably be asking yourself what the teachers are like at KGS and also what goes on in the staff room. What are they keeping behind the doors that you are not allowed to see? Well, we went behind those doors and we asked some teachers about this school and the mysterious staff room.

Turns out that the staff room is a sanctuary for the teachers – a place they go to relax, have a cup of coffee and catch up with other members of staff. Or maybe they are just telling us that to keep us quiet…

So, what do you think the teachers are like at KGS? Well, teachers have changed a lot in the past few decades. In the olden days kids would basically just sit and listen to their teachers talking and talking and talking. (Maybe we still do sometimes!) But you see nowadays, we use technology all the time in school: smart boards, i books, computers etc. Kids are often more experienced with technology, in fact some teachers said that they do actually learn things from pupils from time to time!

About punishments - we’re sure you’re all aware that children don’t get beaten at school anymore, but that hasn’t been the case for that long really. You may find that when your parents were at school the belt might have still been in use. Do you think that the belt should be brought back to school? Nowadays the punishments are usually detentions, lines or if you are using something you’re not meant to like a mobile phone that could be confiscated.

So are teachers just here to control and brainwash us? We think that most of them give us the freedom to be ourselves, share our opinions and learn interesting stuff. We can go to them for guidance and support. Most of them are alright, really!

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

1. Where is your sanctuary? 2. Who do you go to for support? 3. Where do you go to relax?

By JC, MG and AW

Powerpoint for Pastoral care teachers

We are trying to capture the NOW of Kirkwall Grammar School