Friday 19 January

1. The prelims are now in full swing: fingers crossed that all our pupils derive maximum benefit from this experience.
2. Well done to the group of eight S2 boys who played for Currie Star FC in an amazing cup semi final beating the league leaders to make the Kilvin cup final. The S2 boys are: Daniel King (cap), Santosh Rowe, Cameron Buchanan, Ben Smyth, James Gallacher, Ruthven Dunn & Sean Garotti. Well done to all!
3. On Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 January, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra will be at JGHS to offer a wonderful opportunity for some of our Nat. 5 pupils and percussion pupils to take part in a music-making workshop with professional musicians next week. The final performance of this will then be filmed and recorded. This project takes its inspiration from the percussion concerto Incantations by Finnish composer Rautavaara. All participants will receive free tickets to hear Incantations performed by the SCO and the Scottish percussionist Colin Currie.
4. Well done to:
1. Ms Dickinson (Science Department) who has been selected to represent GB in international Triathlon championships in Madrid in September 2018.
2. Ms Eyre (PE Department) who will represent Scotland in an international netball tournament from 6-10 June this year.
3. Elena Santoyo-Brown who has been selected to go to Iceland with the Scotland Under 17s from the 1 – 7 February for a series of matches in preparation for the European Championships in March 2018.
4. Archie Ellen who had a very exciting and satisfying weekend  at the HSBC UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships in Hetton, Sunderland. Archie finished 17th overall in his age category and was top ranked Scottish rider out of nearly 70 U14 boys.
5. Thanks to all who have supported this year’s South Africa fundraising efforts. Please do come along and support the next evening fundraiser on Friday 26 January. https://www.evite.com/event/0382AXYSPWKX4MTRQEPH64GEGF6INA/rsvp?utm_campaign=send_sharable_link&utm_medium=sharable_invite&utm_source=www.facebook.com
6. The next JGHS Parent Council meeting will be on Tuesday 23 January @ 7pm in the library.  Christopher Ross, Catering Operations Manager with the City of Edinburgh Council, will be at the meeting to talk about the proposed pilot introduction of biometrics, an electronic fingerprint system, for payment of school lunches.  Also on the agenda will be rising school rolls and wifi provision for pupils. All are welcome.
7. Please email if you have any news you would like to share with the wider JGHS community.

And finally, wrap up warm this weekend - it’s going to be another cold one.

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

Friday Update 12 January 2018

1.      I’d like to begin by wishing all a very happy and successful 2018.

2.      Welcome to Ms S Sawers (English), Ms J Barrett (English) and Mr S Savill (Support for Learning) who joined us this week Prelim exams for S4, 5 and 6 begin on Monday 15 January. Best wishes to all involved.

3.      The next JGHS Parent Council meeting will be on Tuesday 23 January @ 7pm in the library.  Christopher Ross, Catering Operations Manager with the City of Edinburgh Council, will be at the meeting to talk about the proposed pilot introduction of biometrics, an electronic fingerprint system, for payment of school lunches.  Also on the agenda will be rising school rolls and wifi provision for pupils. All are welcome.

4.      Well done to both Iona Weir (S5) and Hannah Lamond (S5) who, from a large number of entries from across the whole of Scotland, have been long-listed (a list of only 20) for the Scottish Schools’ Young Writer of the Year 2017. The final results will be announced on the 29 of January, but to get to this stage is a great achievement in itself. We are the only Scottish School to have more than one finalist and so pleased about that in the year we celebrate the 100 anniversary of former pupil Dame Muriel Spark.

5.      Well done to Julia Folan (S6) who has reached the final of the UK Schools Mandarin speaking competition which will be held in London on 7 February.

6.      Bicycle security update and plan for next week:

1. On Tuesday 16 January 2018, weather permitting, we will have a bike breakfast to encourage pupils and staff to cycle to school.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. We will have staff from a cycling organisation in attendance to show cyclists how best to secure unattended bikes.
5. We will offer advice on the most secure bike locks and offer a discounted price on a ‘best lock’ to cyclists in attendance.
6. Pupils in receipt of free school meals will receive a bike lock for free.

7.      Thanks to all who have supported this year’s South Africa fundraising efforts. Please do come along and support the next evening fundraiser on Friday 26 February. https://www.evite.com/event/0382AXYSPWKX4MTRQEPH64GEGF6INA/rsvp?utm_campaign=send_sharable_link&utm_medium=sharable_invite&utm_source=www.facebook.com

8.      Information about this year’s South Africa project (involving 50 pupils and staff) and due to depart on Tuesday 6 February can be accessed at:  http://jamesgillespies.co.uk/south-africa-project/. This section of our school website has the documents and presentation shared with parents and pupils at last night’s South Africa information meeting.

9.      We have parents’ nights for S2 pupils on Tuesday 16 and Thursday 17 January.

10.  A safe journey home to the party of 75 pupils and staff who return home tomorrow after a week’s skiing in Alpe D’Huez in the French Alps.

I wish all a wonderful weekend.

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher