- Please remember that whilst you are waiting for the result of a COVID test, all members of your household should self-isolate until the result is known.
- Teenage booster immunisation packs will be issued for all S3 pupils on Wednesday 25 November 2020 during Key Adult class. These will also be issued to some S4-S6 pupils who haven’t had the immunisation in S3. Please return the completed form by Wednesday 2nd December to your Key Adult or to the school Reception before that date.
- Earlier this week we were delighted to welcome Ana Puljic, our school counsellor to James Gillespie’s! This is part of a Scottish Government initiative to have counsellors available to every school. Ana is with us from Monday to Thursday. Information on access arrangements will appear on our school website shortly.
- We are looking for volunteers to join our parental consultation group for Anti-bullying. The first step for this group will be to have an initial discussion on Wednesday 25th November from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. In advance of this you would receive some council documentation to review. The second step would be to help review the draft policy in Mid-December Please email ben.lewis@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk by Sunday 22nd November if you would like to participate.
- Thanks to all who contributed to the staging of our first online Parents’ consultation on Tuesday evening. Parents who took part are requested to complete the following survey so that we can learn and make suitable changes for the next such event. S3 Online Parents' Evening - Parent Feedback
- Thanks to all who were able to attend Wednesday evening’s Parent Council meeting. Presentations on accommodation arrangements for JGHS from August 2021 and our evolving anti-bullying policy were followed by a Q and A session. Copies of the Q and A will shortly be available on the Parent Council section of the School website.
- Parents are invited to complete the pre-consultation document (https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/ce/gme-edinburgh/) on Gaelic Medium Education (GME) secondary provision. GME has been part of JGHS for the past 30 years and, pleasingly, it has grown in numbers to such an extent that the Council has decided to develop an autonomous secondary GME school. The Council is holding two virtual public meetings to discuss the options further:
- Wednesday 25 November 2020, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
- Monday 30 November 2020, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
If you would like to attend either of the public meetings, please contact Committee.Services@edinburgh.gov.uk to confirm which date you would prefer. The meetings will also be webcast live here. If you have any comments or questions that you would like to be addressed, please contact us ahead of the meetings, or by 11th December to be included in the outcome report.
- Around this time last year some will remember the buzz of excitement across our school community when we were asked to provide a school choir to perform in the sequel to Princess Switch -a Netflix blockbuster Christmas movie. We are delighted to announce that the Princess Switch 2 was released on Netflix on 19 November. At a time when we cannot come together to perform in person, it is great to be able to celebrate the talents of our combined choirs and orchestra who will feature in a few scenes from this film. Congratulations to all who were involved, we are incredibly proud of you!
9. Earlier this week I learned of the efforts of Catherine Rednall in S3. During lockdown, Catherine really progressed her art and then, over the summer, developed floral images into cards and stationery to sell. She has set up her own Etsy shop and is also in the Art and Craft Collective in Causewayside. Catherine may well be Edinburgh youngest collectivist - quite an achievement! Alongside her floral art, Catherine is currently selling Christmas cards with £1 from each card going to a Christmas Charity for refugees. Well done and thanks to Catherine for her outstanding efforts.
10. Congratulations to Ms Donna M MacIver (History and Gaelic Teacher) who takes over the Curriculum Leader role when Mr Seonaidh Charity leaves us to return North on Thursday 26 November.
11. Please continue to share stories of pupils’ achievements with me so I can share with our wider school community.
My quote for the week: ‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover’. (Mark Twain)
Wishing all a great weekend.
Donald j Macdonald
Headteacher
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