Tuesday 31 March

Dear Parents and carers,

I hope you are keeping well and managing to adjust to your new ‘normal’, whatever that means for you and your family. In recent days we’ve sent numerous emails to keep you informed in the rapidly changing situation we find ourselves in.  I’ll return to distributing a ‘Friday Update’ each week. In the interim, here are a few key points of information covered in recent emails that may be of interest to you.

SQA Arrangements (Mr Shankland)

1. The 2020 exams have been cancelled and no further coursework will be submitted.
2. We await clarification from the SQA on how examination grades or level passes will be arrived at for all candidates.
3. Parents and pupils are requested to not email teachers directly about personal circumstances or grades that are required for university, college etc.  We shall email all parents/carers SQA updates as and when they arrive.

Arrangements for children of Key Workers (Mr Donald j Macdonald liaising with Council Officers)

1. City of Edinburgh officers have made arrangements for the children of key workers to attend schools (called HUBs) at various locations around the city.
2. Our designated HUB School is Craigroyston High School.
3. Early feedback has indicated that further refinement of the arrangements is required. In particular, families have been in touch in relation to the distance to our HUB and the difficulties that are presented by having siblings attend different HUBs.
4. I will send out an update in the next day or two.

Vulnerable Pupils (Mr Ian Porter and Mrs Laura Stewart)

1. A number of arrangements have been made to best support our vulnerable pupils. This includes, but Is not limited to:
1. 61 food parcels (provided by the Council) were distributed to families by JGHS staff on Friday 27 March.
2. We hope to have a further batch of parcels to distribute next week. If you are in need of a food parcel or you know of a family that is, please email us to let us know. Please email both Mrs Laura Stewart Laura.Stewart@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk   and Mrs Elaine Oram Elaine.Oram@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk. It would be helpful for us to know what the best way is for us to contact the families concerned.(home/mobile phone or email).
3. Various staff across the school have been checking in on selected pupils in recent days and we will continue to do so.

Online Learning (Mrs Deirdre O’Brien and Mr Jeff Warden)

1. Details outlining arrangements for (mainly) S1, 2 and 3 pupils were emailed to parents on Thursday 26 March. Additionally, a list of useful websites to enhance and support learning was issued to parents for all year groups, along with a guide to online learning for EAL pupils. We are working on age appropriate learning arrangements for pupils currently in S4 and S5 and will issue this to parents after the Easter holiday.
2. We will seek initial feedback on the arrangements we have put in place later this week. We are grateful for ongoing feedback as we continue to develop our practices as circumstances evolve and opportunities permit.
3. We appreciate that many are still finding their feet in regards to online learning and some may be struggling to manage the volume of tasks and activities that have been set. Please rest assured that these are not prescriptive and should not become a source of stress or worry. We will continue to respond to these concerns and make adjustments as appropriate.

My quote of the week: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” (Plato)

Stay safe,

Kindest regards,

Donald j Macdonald (Headteacher)