Parent / Carer Letter

The letter below was emailed to all parents and carers yesterday and the important points from it are being discussed with pupils in school this morning too. It covers:

  • Changes to rules about mask wearing in secondary schools from 28th February.
  • Re-Introduction of Assemblies for all year groups
  • Mikeysline Parental Sessions
  • Key Dates for remainder of this term
  • Reconfiguration of our Guidance Houses from 4 to 6

Overview of Scottish Apprenticeships

Thursday 10 March 2022

Parents and carers can learn more about Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships on a free webinar later this month. Careers Advisers from Skills Development Scotland will talk about the different apprenticeships that are available and how work-based learning can open the door to a wide range of careers. They will also be on hand to answer any questions that you may have about your young persons career development. Parents and carers can register for the session below.

LGBTQ+ History Month

LGBTQ+ History Month is held in February to coincide with the 2003 abolition of Section 28. Section 28 of the Local Government Act, introduced by Margaret Thatcher, stated that local authorities were not allowed to ‘intentionally promote homosexuality.’ 

According to the Human Dignity Trust, 71 jurisdictions worldwide criminalise same-sex relationships. The purpose behind LGBTQ+ History Month is to recognise the struggle of those that fought for the movement whilst celebrating their contributions.

Most importantly, however, LGBTQ+ History Month reminds us of those who live without the rights we take for granted. These slides contain a few historical figures to learn more about this month.

By Becca Cooper, 6LG

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Mikeysline Parent Workshops

Parents and carers should have received an email inviting them to complete a survey based on Mikyesline. Mikeysline is a charity that offers support to both young people and adults around mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention.

As a school community we want to continue to support parents and carers, therefore we have partnered with Mikeysline. Marina Finlayson from Mikeysline has kindly offered to lead two workshops for parents and carers which can either be face-to-face in school or online. The way in which these workshops will be delivered will be based on what the majority of parents & carers want. 

Please complete the survey if you are interested in attending.

S4 Online Parents’ Evening

S4 Online Parents’ Evening is on  Wednesday 16th February with appointments being made available between 5.30pm and 8.00pm.  The booking system opens tomorrow, Tuesday 8th February, at 6pm, and closes for bookings on Tuesday 15th February at 6pm. Letters with information about how to book these appointments were issued in hard copy via tutor this morning, and emailed out to parents using the email addresses that we have on file. Please contact the school office if you have any queries about this.

SQA Timetable 2022

The timetable for National Qualification Exams 2022 is now available. Exams begin on Tuesday 26 April andrun until Wednesday 1 June.

RRSA Parent Survey

Many parents and carers will have now received an email inviting them to complete a survey based on The Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA). The RRSA puts children’s rights at the heart of schools and that is the reason Culloden Academy have started to focus on the Bronze Award this year. The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) works with schools in the UK to create safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive.

Our Rights Respecting Schools Award embeds these values in daily school life and gives children the best chance to lead happy, healthy lives and to be responsible, active citizens.

For those parents and carers who did not receive an email we invite you follow the link to the survey. This evidence will be used to review where we currently feel we are as a school community, allowing us (pupils, parents and staff) to create an Action Plan in order to move towards working for the Silver Award.

We want to make a genuine change for our young people at Culloden Academy and to do so we need your help. Please use the button below to complete the survey if you have not already done so.

If you are interested to learn more about The Rights Respecting Schools Award please click on the link below.

Creative Writing Competition

Culloden Academy’s English Department organised a creative writing competition for Junior and Senior pupils. Pupils were asked to submit entries based on a genre of their choice to allow them to write on topics that interest them. The competition gave pupils the chance to showcase their creativity and imagination, whilst also assessing their technical writing skills. 

There was fantastic engagement across all year groups who all impressed with their original stories. Amongst these entries, we found two worthy winners:

The Junior winner was Annrose Arun who wrote a Thriller full of suspense and surprise. 

The Senior winner was Eva Baijal whose entry was a Dark Romance that explores a broken relationship.

Copies of their stories can be read via the links. 

Well done to everyone that entered!

LGBT History Month

What is LGBT+ History Month?

LGBT+ History Month takes place in February every year and offers the chance to connect and to reflect on the past and present of the LGBT+ community.

This is an opportunity to celebrate LGBT+ culture and progress towards equality over time, and to explore what the lessons of history can teach us for the future.

Anyone can take part, and everyone who decides to celebrate LGBT+ History Month, however big or small, whether online or in-person, helps to make LGBT+ History Month what it is and create visibility across the school community.

This year’s LGBT+ History Month theme ‘Blurring Borders’ (a world in motion) is intended to inspire, engage and provoke conversation.

Blurring Borders – A World in Motion

To consider that, while Scotland has made great strides towards equality, the journey has come at a slower pace in some parts of the world, and faster in others.

The question we must ask ourselves is: What is Scotland’s place within this global movement? Right now, our friends in countries like Poland and Hungary are faced with a rising tide of anti-LGBT rhetoric and a rollback of their human rights.

In 69 UN member states, including a majority of African nations, LGBT people are still criminalised under homosexuality and “cross-dressing” laws, as well as being targeted under numerous other offences. And the Council of Europe has recently pointed to the UK as one among several countries where the advances of recent years are “under threat” amid “extensive and often virulent attacks on the rights of LGBTI people”, particularly in the form of “anti-trans narratives”.

We know that no country, including Scotland, has yet reached the destination of protecting and championing the rights of all LGBT people, and no country is immune to the backlash against progress.

LGBT Youth Scotland

Useful Links

Time to Talk 2022

Thursday 3rd February is Time to Talk Day

Culloden Academy are fortunate to have partnered with Marina Finlayson, who the development officer for Mikeysline. Marina has been delivering virtual sessions to all S1-S6 pupils during PSE to educate our young people on the importance of talking about mental health and support.

Time to Talk is about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health. We all have mental health. By talking about it, we can support ourselves and others. 

Why time to talk day is important:

  • 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
  • We want everyone to feel comfortable talking about mental health – whenever they like.
  • Talking about mental health reduces stigma and helps to create supportive communities where we can talk openly about mental health and feel empowered to seek help when we need it. Mikeysline is here for you every evening of the week and at the weekends. 

By having conversations about mental health, we can support ourselves and others.