HT/Ceannard at James Gillespie's High School: Friday 27 September

I would request that parents are as vigilant as you can possibly be in ensuring pupils never take a knife/replica gun with them into the local community and certainly not to school. We are aware of recent cases where some boys in different parts of Edinburgh have been charged for being possession of a weapon in a public place. Possession of a weapon in school will lead to an immediate 999 call and an exclusion from school.
Parents’ assistance in getting pupils to school on time each morning is much appreciated. When there is a genuine reason for lateness parents should provide a note of explanation. Next week, we will be writing to parents of pupils who have been late for a class on 5 or more occasions in the month of September. Please be reassured that it is a minority of pupils who are regularly disrupting classes in this way.
Dates:

There will be an S3 parents’ consultation on Tuesday 1 October.
The JGHS Parent Council would like to invite everyone from our school community to our next PC meeting, which will be our AGM, on Tues 8^th Oct @ 7pm in the Library in the Malala building. Ian Porter, DHT, will be reviewing Key Adult Time and we will have updates on WiFi, rising rolls and capacity . Everyone is very welcome but if you can't make that date our minutes will be online at http://jghscouncil.btck.co.uk
Over the next 2 weeks the 30 pupils studying Advanced Higher Physics will be at Heriot Watt University to hone their skills in a university environment.
A coachload of S4 pupils will attend a curriculum trip to Torness Nuclear Power Station on Monday, 30th September.

Bryan McPhail (Pupil support leader) who received a ‘September Monthly Outstanding Achievement Awards; from Andrew Kerr, our Chief Executive. Mr McPhail’s ward was in acknowledgment of his support for both Blair and Fraser Purves in recent efforts to raise funds for MacMillan Cancer.
Bronwen, Lili and Katrina who, with their clarsachs, provided the background music at a dinner earlier this week for the delegation of the International Council of Education Advisors hosted by the Deputy First Minister. Reports confirm the girls played beautifully. We are fortunate to have such a rich pool of musician s (and teachers!) in our school.
Our pupil run KJ’s café who on Tuesday of this week raised around £200 in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support by organising a lunch for staff.

Best wishes to two of our S6 pupils (Ben McCluskey and Sophie Misslin) who will be representing JGHS as part of a Scottish delegation visiting Poland to learn more about the horrors of the holocaust. During the excursion they will visit Birkenau Memorial and Museum.
The following students will be at Lagganlia Outdoor Centre from Tuesday 1st October until Friday 4th October, carrying out Field work for their Advanced Higher Biology projects in glorious Autumnal weather:

It is always lovely to hear from former pupils and especially so when they offer to help current pupils. In the past week, Jamie Clarkson, who left Gillespie’s in 2017 and about to enter his third year studying engineering at Cambridge, contacted us to offer assistance to our current S6 with their applications to Cambridge and Oxford. Well done and thanks to Jamie and I extend a warm invitation to others who may have particular skillsets to contact us so that current pupils have the best possible support in realising their aspirations.
A very warm welcome to Salomon Thielen, our new German Assistant who started with us this week from the university of Mainz.