THE Lochgelly High School 'family' will next month celebrate the school's 30th birthday with a special weekend of activities.

In these three decades LHS has gone from being Fife's newest secondary school to one that has had to tackle a lot of challenges as part of being in one of Fife's most deprived areas.

From when Jack Yuille took on the role of being LHS's first rector the school has carved out its own part in Fife's education make-up and over the past five years has become a leader in preparing youngsters for the jobs market.

Current rector, Carol Ann Penrose, is hoping that the whole of Lochgelly, Benarty and Cardenden become involved in the 30th anniversary celebrations and just last week Principal Teacher of Music and a teacher at the school all of these 30 years, Mandy Miller, made an appeal for members of the school's pipe band over the decades to come forward and take part in a massed pipe LHS band from over the years event on Saturday August 19 and already the signs are good that she is going to get a great response.

And of course as the first 30 years comes to an end the next 30 will start with a group of LHS pupils heading for the Arctic in March, so it is an exciting time at Lochgelly High.