St Modan's High School
St Modan's High School
Parent Newsletter - Week Beginning 21st September 2026
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Our Amazing Pupils
Our Amazing Pupils
Dear Parents and Carers,
School session 2026-27 is now very much in full swing.
Thank you again for your continued support with the school uniform—our pupils look absolutely amazing; especially when they are out and about representing the community of St Modan's. You will see in this newsletter a range of activities which our young people have been involved in so far this term. There are also a wealth of opportunities for others including parent/carers to get more involved.
Please continue to encourage your young person to get fully involved in school life or to be active in their local community.
Warm regards,
Claire Friel
S6 Caritas
S6 Caritas
Earlier this month, a group of S6 pupils and staff attended the wonderful Caritas Award enrolment service in Edinburgh. The event was conducted by Archbishop Leo, and the group were also accompanied by Fr Hermogenes – who regularly celebrates Friday morning masses in St Modan’s.
The Caritas Award is youth achievement award that encourages senior school students to put their faith into action through a commitment to community service and personal reflection. This year we are delighted to have almost sixty S6 pupils taking part in the award and helping to enrich our community of faith.
Heritage Heroes
Heritage Heroes
S2 pupils received their certificates from Archelogy Scotland for achieving the Explorer Award for there successful completion of their chosen heritage project. Pupils had to Plan a research project, Engage in research, Inspire (by sharing what they have learnt in an imaginative way) and Reflect on what they have learned. Well done to all those who achieved the award!
Geography Fieldwork
Geography Fieldwork
S4 Geography pupils took part in their fieldwork research for their National Qualifications this term. They managed to enjoy this despite the wet weather!
Clackmannanshire Youth Forum
Clackmannanshire Youth Forum
Several of our Clacks pupils attended the Clacks Youth Forum in September. Clackmannanshire Council has demonstrated a strong commitment to children's rights and youth voice. At this meeting the pupils heard from the Scottish Sports Forum and took part in the Scottish Government's consultation on Mobile Phone's in schools.
Health Sector
Health Sector
Our Health Sector pupils have started their weekly visits to a local care home, gaining valuable hands-on experience while putting their classroom learning into practice. The visits will help develop their communication, teamwork and care skills while making a positive contribution to the local community.
We are incredibly proud of our pupils for embracing this opportunity and look forward to seeing their confidence, skills and knowledge continue to grow throughout the year.
S3 Author Visit
S3 Author Visit
On 18th of September, a group S3 English pupils had the unique experience of being visited by celebrated Scottish author Martin Stewart.
Martin delivered a talk to a group of four classes on how he got started as an author and how he finds ideas for his various novels (one of which is pictured).
Hopefully, this visit - which is part of the Bloody Scotland book festival - will have inspired some of our pupils to consider a career in writing themselves.
You can find out more about the author at: www.martinstewart.com
Family Learning
Family Learning
We would like to welcome parents and cares of S1 pupils to our first family learning event on Thursday 1st October from 4pm to 5:30pm. This is an opportunity to find out more about the learning which takes place within the faculties of Maths, Science and Modern Languages.
The event is open to all members of the family, who can come along and try some learning for themselves! If you would like to attend please complete the Google Form using the link below:
https://forms.gle/e3Xoy9Ukxf5cftDJ8
If you are unable to attend the event, we would appreciate your feedback so that we can better organise these events in the future. Please complete the relevant section on the form.
2627 Activities 22/9/26 version.pdfPupil Opportunities to Get Involved
Pupil Opportunities to Get Involved
Please see PDF link on left for a list of activities and clubs during lunchtimes and after school.
NYCOS
NYCOS is a great complement to instrumental lessons, school music, orchestras, bands and performing arts.
Our musicianship programme develops aural skills, rhythm, sight-reading, musical understanding and confidence — valuable skills young people can take into everything else they do in music.
volunteer poster (1).pdfParent/Carer Opportunities to Get Involved
Parent/Carer Opportunities to Get Involved
Please see posters for opportunities to make a contribution to Homestart Stirling and ASL Parent and Carer Reference Group.
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
Our first Celebrating Success newsletter of the year is due to be published in October.
Please continue to share any news or success stories with us so we can include them in our newsletter. Simply send an email to smhscelebratingsuccess@stirlingschools.net
Copy of ASL Parent and Carer Reference Group poster (A4)_2026 (1).pdfParent Teacher Partnership
Parent Teacher Partnership
Our PTP is open to all Parents/ Carers and our next meeting takes place on Wednesday 23rd September @ 6.15pm in the Library, we would love to see familiar faces as well as new faces. Most of our current members are parents of S6 pupils, so please consider joining us! (We are very friendly!)
Please see a link to the minutes of our recent AGM
Our PTP is about getting involved within the school life as much as we can, supporting young people, families and projects/groups within the school. We are always looking for volunteers and different ideas for fundraising too.
We keep in touch in a variety of ways however our Facebook group has definitely proven to be a success. Please join St Modan's Parent & Carer Info Group to keep updated.
Thank you to all current & former parents/carers who have supported our fundraising efforts last term, we really do appreciate it.
Keep an eye for new information coming about the St Modan's Lotto.
Parking
Parking
School Drop-off/Pick-Up - reminder - A growing number of parents/carers are using the front car park to drop off and/or pick up young people. This is making this car park increasingly busy and dangerous for our young people who are transported via ASN Taxi and those who need to use the disabled bays.
We have lots of parking at the side of the school.
Please make sure that you use the drop-off/pick-up zone in the main carpark or the carpark at Forthbank.
Support for Pupils Update -Counselling and Time 2 Talk
Support for Pupils Update -Counselling and Time 2 Talk
An update from Christina Poulou, our new School Counsellor:
Counselling Service
"The counselling service is now available Monday to Friday, offering young people a safe, supportive, and confidential space to talk about anything that may be worrying them or affecting their wellbeing.
Whether they are facing challenges at school, at home, with friendships or going through big changes, the service is here to listen and provide support.
Information about the counselling service was shared with all year groups during assemblies last week, and a PowerPoint presentation has also been uploaded to Google Classroom for anyone who would like to find out more.
Time 2 Talk
Young people can also access the service through a dedicated QR code, which allows them to request a short lunchtime appointment. This gives them the opportunity to have an initial conversation, talk through any concerns they may have, and explore what support might be most helpful for them.
It’s great to see so many young people engaging with the service and reaching out for support so far."
Safeguarding Information Spotlight
Safeguarding Information Spotlight
Supporting Healthy & Safe Smartphone Use
Supporting Healthy & Safe Smartphone Use
Smartphones offer fantastic ways for young people to stay connected and learn, but managing their use can be challenging. As a school, our goal is to partner with families to build healthy digital boundaries that protect young people’s mental health, safety, and sleep.
Key Safeguarding Tips for Home
Keep Devices Out of Bedrooms at Night: Sleep deprivation heavily impacts learning and wellbeing. Establish a central charging spot in the home (such as the kitchen) where all family phones are parked overnight.
Agree on Boundaries Together: Involve your child in setting rules around screen-free times (e.g., during meals or homework). Setting clear expectations around device ownership helps maintain accountability.
Filter and Monitor: Set up parental controls at the router level and directly on the device (e.g., Apple Family Sharing or Google Family Link) to restrict mature content and limit app usage times.
Focus on Communication Over Secrecy: Remind your child that they can come to you if they see something distressing online without fear of having their phone immediately confiscated.
Recommended Resources for Parents
Useful webpage - Safeguarding Spotlight: Mind Yer Time (Healthy Screen & Social Media Habits)
Mind Yer Time is an official Scottish digital resource co-designed by children and young people from the Children’s Parliament and the Scottish Youth Parliament. Built specifically for children and teenagers across Scotland, it provides practical, non-judgmental advice on managing screen time, staying safe online, and protecting mental health.
Useful webpage with helpful video links - To help families navigate the digital world together, we recommend exploring the video lessons and interactive content created by Digital Skills Education. Based in Scotland, this organisation produces family-friendly video resources tailored to young people.
Videos - Digital Skills Education
Podcast - In this episode of The Healthy Screen Habits Podcast, the host breaks down practical ways families can handle device requests and set screen time boundaries without relying on constant arguments. Rather than using strict rules driven by fear, the episode focuses on building digital trust, teaching young people self-regulation skills, and establishing clear home boundaries like device-free bedtimes and screen-free meals. It is an easy-to-digest listen packed with actionable strategies for building healthy family tech habits.
The Healthy Screen Habits Podcast
Caring for Chromebooks
Caring for Chromebooks
New S1 Chromebooks will be issued to pupils once they arrive in school. At the time of writing we do not have a definite date for this.
Pupils will only be issued a chromebook if their parent/carer has already completed the Stirling Council chromebook loan agreement:
STIRLING COUNCIL PARENT CARER CHROMEBOOK AGREEMENT
New S1 pupils will also complete a pupil version of the chromebook loan agreement before being issued with their chromebook. This will be done via Computing Science classes prior to the chromebooks delivery. Stirling Council have provided every secondary school pupil with the loan of a chromebook. Pupils should return this chromeboook, charger and cover on their last day at St Modan's High School.
The majority of our pupils and their families do a great job of looking after their chromebooks, however, a small but increasing number of chromebooks and/or chargers are being lost or damaged through carelessness. A new chromebook currently costs our school £315 and a charger £55.
There is a also a small amount of malicious damage to screens, keyboards and chromebook casings. To replace a broken screen costs £30 in parts alone.
Please continue to support your child in looking after their chromebook and charger. They should bring their chromebook to school each day fully charged and any issues should be reported immediately to staff.
We will continue to ask parents/carers to make a contribution towards the full or partial replacement costs of equipment damaged or lost through carelessness.
We will also ask all existing pupils and parent/carers to complete a refreshed chromebook agreement in September 2026.
SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES
SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES
Young Carers
Young Carers
If your child is a carer for someone at home, please encourage them to see Ms Fitzsimons who can advise them on support that is available, in and out of school, to help with their young carer role.
Pantry & Uniform
Pantry & Uniform
We have a supply of pre-loved uniform; shoes; food parcels and period products available in our school. If there is anything that we can do to support you and your family, please contact the pupil support team on pupilsupportstmodans@stirling.gov.uk or complete this google form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI2tw5JxeAjWYVzHvf61nKOI9QTij0r_7NffBTGMtrNPdUww/viewform?usp=sharing
Please make sure you have completed the free-meal entitlement and uniform support if you think you may be eligible as a family. If you need help completing the form, please contact the school. Also, this is the form regardless of your 'home authority' as we are a Stirling Council school:
Free Under 22s Travel & Young Scot
Free Under 22s Travel & Young Scot
As you may be aware travelling by bus is now free for 5-22 year olds around Scotland. So if you haven’t already applied for your child’s card why not do it today in time for the summer holidays and obtain Young Scot discounts & Rewards www.youngscot.org/discounts-and-rewards
You can apply now or check out the below links for more information.
How to apply for Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel on behalf of your child: https://youtu.be/EYiz87G0MSE
How to apply for Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel on behalf of your child under 16 who already has a card: https://youtu.be/A3sKTzZVpiA
How to apply for Young Persons Free Bus Travel if you’re over 16: https://youtu.be/CLWDKSzfCqA
Contact Us
Contact Us
The most effective means of getting in touch with us is email. The email addresses are:
General Enquiries:
Pupil Support, ASN and Inclusion:
pupilsupportstmodans@stirling.gov.uk
Autism Provision:
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