Friday 4 June

In last week’s Friday Update I concluded with a reminder to all of our school values. When, in 2015/16, we consulted as to what our school values should be, I was delighted to see that ‘kindness’ emerged as a favourite. The older I get and the more I learn about the world and how it works, I am convinced that kindness is the key to making all of our lives better. More often than not, it is small acts of kindness that make a difference on a day to day basis. On that note, thank you to those who have donated musical instruments to our Support for Learning department and to those who have offered to pay for a ‘Prom’ ticket for any of the outgoing S6 who may need help to afford the £65 ticket.  I take this opportunity of thanking all who give so generously, often anonymously, to ensure our school is inclusive and allows everyone to access the richness of experiences on offer.

 

1. The next Parent Council meeting will be held online on Tuesday 8 June at 7pm. A link to join the meeting will be circulated via the school next week.  The agenda will be:
1. Donald Macdonald (HT) – overview and parents’ questions
2. Bob Shankland (DHT) – SQA assessments
3. Jeff Warden (DHT) – the new timetable
4. Eliot Ambrose (Active Schools Co-ordinator) – plans for Active Schools in 2021/22

There will be the opportunity on the night to ask questions via the Q&A typed chat facility, but if you want to raise a question in advance please sent it to the Parent Council email jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com by Monday at 2pm and we will try to include it in the updates.  You can catch up with the May meeting on the Parent Council website https://jghspc.wordpress.com/ where there are links to presentations and the recording of the meeting.

2. Pupil timetables for the new academic session are now being finalised and should be distributed during the week of 7th June. Pleasingly, we have been able to accommodate over 96% of the subject requests for pupils going into S5 & S6 and over 97% of the requests for pupils going into S3. Our course offering this year allows for over 90 classes across levels from National 4 to Advanced Higher for over 650 pupils making requests and we are very proud of the breadth and depth available to pupils across the faculties. After pupils receive their timetables, any urgent changes, errors or omissions should be emailed in the first instance to Mr Warden prior to 14th June (Jeff.Warden@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk)  These amendments take time and pupils must follow their published timetables until the amendment has been confirmed by Mr Warden. Further change requests beyond this date should be made directly to your child’s Pupil Support Leader. Please note that we do try our best to fit all requests and will operate waiting lists as classes become full. There will be a further opportunity to make changes immediately after the summer holiday and supporting correspondence will be shared closer to the time.
3. Please note that there is no further study leave for pupils in S4 or S5. Pupils in S4 and S5 who are involved in further SQA assessments will be released from their classes.  From Monday 7 June, S4/5 pupils should bring in a device to access online resources. Council funded Ipads are available to be collected after the documentation Is completed and the nominal fee is paid.  
4. If you happen to have an unused guitar (or a keyboard) that is looking for a new home,  our support for learning department would gladly receive your kind musical contribution and find a new home for your instrument with one of our sfl pupils. Please drop any such instruments off at reception. Many thanks in advance.
5. Thanks to Mrs Oatman (Support for Learning) for the heads up on next week being national Carer Week. More information here. In JGHS we are working toward the We Care Award.
6. If your child feels unwell during the school day, they must report to Welfare. We will then contact you if they need to go home. It is essential that this procedure is followed.
7. Please ensure that you ‘phone or email the school if your child is absent from school.  When absences are planned, please give us as much notice and detail as possible so that we can maintain accurate records. The school will be supportive and understanding of the additional pressures being faced by families during this time.
8. The following link takes you to some useful information booklets for staff and parents on a range of matters. https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/downloads?fbclid=IwAR3ogMRI95pl9Zx_vJwy6YV4VWA4pEbn-vghUDRQ2c3nMPbqQqmaBquIvRM
9. Dates.
1. Please note that that the Wednesday 9 June is an Inservice day and that pupils should not attend unless they have been invited to be part of an exam/assessment.
10. Well done to the following for their guitar ensemble performance at the Scottish Instrumental Music Teachers conference. Oliver Coombs, Erin Sandiford, Chloe Stirling, Elizabeth Mole, Scarlet Young, Ella Rose Ridley, Amelie Primrose, Alexandre Sabine Hunt, Sam Shannon, Hannah Schenk, Parthiv Kalappurackal, William Warlow & Dylan Daunt. They all performed magnificently in the recording and teachers from across Scotland were very impressed and generous with their praise for them.

 

My quote of the week: ‘Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change’.  (Bob Kerrey)

 

Wishing all a lovely weekend.

Donald