Newsletter February 2014

During the past three weeks, prelim exams have taken place for pupils in S4, 5 and 6 and, over the past week, we have held parent consultations meetings to discuss prelim performances. Those meetings have focussed on ensuring that pupils are aware of what they now need to do to achieve their potential in the final exams and have the necessary support and resources to do so. Thank you all who have contributed to this process and we are sure crossed that our continued support and encouragement of pupils bears fruit when the results are declared in August.

Many staff, as usual, are offering extra classes at lunchtimes and after school each week. Again this year, we are offering a programme of classes during the Easter Holiday. Details of these additional classes will be shared with pupils and placed on our school website.

In response to feedback from parents over the past 12 months we are currently setting up a database of email addresses for all of our parents. We will, in the next few weeks, devise a way of ensuring that all the addresses we hold are up to date and accurate. We will continue to use texting in tandem with our website to draw your attention to and share key information. If any of your personal details, including email address or mobile number, has changed recently then please let us know either by emailing the school or sending a note in to the school office with your child.

In regard to feedback I would remind you to please complete the ‘Annual Survey of Parents and Carers’ which has a link on the front page of our website. This particular survey is being organised by Council Officers on our behalf and the deadline has been extended until Friday 28 February. Please take a few minutes to complete this anonymously: the information gathered is vital to ensuring that our school continues to grow and flourish.

As part of this newsletter we are, once again, hugely proud to highlight the many and varied achievements of our pupils. These successes are also highlighted on our school website. As parents and carers please continue to share news with us of our pupils’ successes – it is really important that these are shared with our wider community. We are a high achieving school and it is good for us all to be aware of the incredible people we have in our school community.

During the February break this year’s 90 strong delegation will, for the 12^th consecutive year, journey to South Africa. We are enormously grateful to Mr McCallum for continuing to coordinate this excursion. Thank you to everyone who has contribution gifts that will be shared with our South African friends next week.

I am delighted to report that the rebuilding of our new school continues apace. The programme is on schedule and we look forward to moving into the main teaching block in just over a year.

I take this opportunity to remind all our pupils, staff and visitors that they must keep valuables in their possession at all times. The school cannot be held responsible for the safety of personal possessions such as mobile phones, jewellery etc unless a staff member has taken possession of the item.

Although the incidences of loss or theft in the school are low my advice is not to bring valuable items to school and if you must then to keep them with you at all times. Whilst at PE, staff offer a secure box in which valuables can be safely stored.

And finally, I take this opportunity of wishing you all a most enjoyable and rejuvenating February break.

Donald J Macdonald (Headteacher)
February 2014