Friday update 22 December 2017

1.       Thank you to everyone who supported this week’s magnificent Christmas concert in a myriad of ways. The quality and variety of the performances were quite outstanding.

2.       The Parent Council would like to thank everyone who supported our school’s Christmas fundraising effort.  Your generous donations at the Christmas Concert have, thus far, raised £1420. You can still donate via the school office.  The money you give makes a big difference for our pupils. 

3.       Best wishes to all involved in the ski trip to the French Alps which departs on Saturday 6 January.

4.       Parents’ nights for S2 takes place on both 16 and 18 January. Online booking is now open http://www.parents-booking.co.uk/jamesgillespies

5.       We look forward to welcoming all pupils back on Tuesday 9 January.

As 2017 draws to a close I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all associated with JGHS for your support, encouragement and enthusiasm in 2017. It has been another highly successful year for our school and we have much to look forward in 2018. I wish all a relaxing holiday and a prosperous and healthy 2018.

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

Friday update 15 December 2017

1. Following the recent bike thefts from our campus I’m pleased to report progress on counter measures we will effect to minimise the likelihood of further bike thefts. Actions taken to date and others proposed include:
• Additional CCTV has been installed to cover the bike parking area
• Additional signage alerting intruders to the use of CCTV has been installed.
• During week beginning 15 January 2018, weather permitting, we will have a bike breakfast to encourage pupils and staff to cycle to school.
• On this morning we will offer complimentary marking (thanks to local police input) of bicycles to all pupils and staff. We have chosen early January to ensure that those receiving bikes as presents over the Christmas period are reassured and encouraged.
• We will issue details for a website provided to us by the Police where cycle owners can register their bike. Should the bike be stolen, this will make it much more difficult to resell the bike and will enable Police to more easily return recovered bikes to their owners.
• We will have staff from local cycling organisations in attendance to show cyclists how best to secure unattended bikes. Advice will also be offered to
• We will offer advice on the most secure bike locks and offer a discounted price on best locks to all in attendance. We have managed to obtain sponsorship to further discount retail prices on the best locks.
• At the point of contacting you, it appears that ’D’ locks are being recommended as the most difficult to breach.
• Pupils in receipt of free school meals will receive a bike lock for free.

Thanks to all who have offered advice and particularly to the family who offered a bike to one of the pupils whose bike was stolen. I am determined that bike thieves will not deter our pupils and staff from cycling to school.

2. JGHS has been awarded status as Cycle Friendly Secondary School by Cycling Scotland.
3. Well done to the JGHS singers who supported Mercy Corp’s Christmas collection by carolling in Princes Street Gardens on Thursday from 4.00pm.
4. Well done to the following who were successful in the recent Royal Hospital for Sick Children art competition:
• Scarlett Oswald
• Ruying Yang
• Tihomir Spadavecchia
• Matilda Ball-Torokoff
• Catherine Mole 
• Eva Tarsia 
• Mario Parra Bedon
5. Well done to Max Bloor (S6) who, on Friday 1 December, won the 10km Foxtrail Night Trail Event. Ms Dickinson (chemistry teacher) also did very well and was the 6th woman.

6.      I am delighted to share that James Beeston has been offered a place in the Senior Orchestra of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, playing Viola.

7.      A reminder that our Parent Council raises funds through the Easy Fundraising website. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ If you are making online purchases please do so through Easyfundraising and, at no extra cost, contribute to school funds.

8. Today, around 100 of our Gaelic Medium education pupils joined 350 primary pupils at the annual (Gaelic) Christmas service at Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk. Bha e math fhein!

9.      Many thanks to Mr Graeme Davies and Mr Charles Warlow (1:15:00 in video link) (both from our Parent Council) who, along with Adam Paton (S5) (1:19:12) , attended the Council Education committee on Tuesday to promote our request to the Council to provide ubiquitous Wifi access across the school campus for pupils. Their presentations were excellent and can be viewed at  https://edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/293991

10. Our Christmas concert is on Tuesday 19 December- a handful of the 2000+ tickets remain for what will be the hottest ticket over the festive season!

11.  The Parent Council would like to ask if you can help boost our school funds by making a Christmas donation to JGHS.  If you are coming to the JGHS Christmas Concert at the Usher Hall this Tuesday our volunteers will be handing out envelopes, inviting you to fill in the information to allow the vat on your donation to be claimed back by the JGHS Trust.  If you are not coming to the Christmas Concert please consider donating to our fundraising drive via the school office.  Last year, with your generous donations, we were able to fund the nurture group supporting vulnerable young people at our school, fund the start of the breakfast club, pay for STEM club resources, and buy sports strips, strings for instruments and equipment for the photography course as well as many other things.   Your donations make a difference for our pupils and the Parent Council would like to thank you for your support.  

And finally, with just one week to go before term ends at midday on Friday 22 December, I wish all a not too busy and peaceful weekend.

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

Maths challenge success

Well done to JGHS who, having won the Lothians' round finished 3rd in the Scottish finals.

Maths National finals

'The scores across all four events were compiled and our congratulations go to James Gillespie’s High School who finished in 3^rd place overall.'

Friday update 8 December

1.      Our senior Drama production (‘Deathtrap’ by Ira Levin) takes place tonight in the Muriel Spark building. Tickets available at the door. Show starts at 630 Pm.

2.      School Christmas Concert takes place on Tuesday 19 December. Tickets can be obtained from the Usher Hall box office.

3.      A coursing information evening takes place on Tuesday 12 December for parents of pupils in S2,4 and 5.

4.      Marchmont and Sciennes Tree-Lighting Ceremony – Saturday 9 December at 4.00pm. Brass and wind pupils will perform carols around the tree at Scotmid from 4.00pm. Members of the JGHS pipe band will start proceedings and pipe the community to the German Church on Chalmers Crescent at 4.30pm where members of the senior choir will perform. All are welcome to attend.

5.      Carolling in Princes’ Street Gardens – Thursday 14 December from 4.00pm. Members of the senior choir will sing carols in the Winter Wonderland to raise money for Mercy Corps Christmas Collection.

Many thanks to all the pupils who are performing at these events, and for staff and parents who have helped organise and accompany them to these events.

6.      A copy of our latest celebrating Sporting Success newsletter is attached.

7.      Best wishes to the following, accompanied by Ms Walker, who are in York today taking part in a Mandarin speaking competition in York.

a.      Aurora Branigan

b.      Aaliyah El-Salahi

c.       Mara Franke

d.      Lucia Garland

8.      Best wishes also to the following pupils who are representing the school in the 2nd round of the Scottish Schools Tennis Competition against Stewarts Melville next Thursday 14 December.

a.      William Belkebir S4

b.      Robbie Galloway S4

c.       John Dabos – Doukas S4

d.      Sean Gallacher  S2

9.      Well done to Archie Ellen who is now the 2017 U14 Boys Scottish Cyclocross Champion.

10.  Last week our STEAM (*) (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) club had a fantastic turnout at the ‘Green Plan It’ challenge at the Botanical Gardens, organised by the Royal Horticultural Society. Our s1 and s2 pupils have been working tirelessly to research, design, and build (to scale!) model gardens for the annual Green Plan It competition. A huge congratulations to all who took part, especially the ‘Thoughtful Thistles’ group who managed to come away with the RHS award for the best team work.

11.  This coming year is the centenary of the birth of Muriel Spark (b. February 1918) We will mark it in some way. February is a very busy month for the school and the JGHS Trust and so we will likely look to do something in May/June.

12.  Work continues on measures to deter thieves from stealing bikes. I’ll update on this next week.  

Have a lovely weekend and do wrap up warm as low temperatures and piercing arctic winds are heading our way over the weekend.

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

(*) At Gillespie’s HS we believe that our pupils are best served by following a curriculum that maintains breadth across a wide variety of disciplines. Thus, we encourage all pupils in years 1-4 incl. to study across a breadth of disciplines including at least one additional language to certificate level.