Friday 27 August

 The first full week back is now complete and it’s reassuring and pleasing to see how well our pupils are settling in and adapting to changing circumstances. Special thanks again to all of our pupil befrienders whose role it is to look after our new arrivals. Huge credit also to all parents and staff who have supported all in getting the school up and running again. A copy of the welcome presentation that was shared with pupils last week is attached as it contains some useful information for parents.

 

My weekly emails are available to view on my Headteacher Blog.

 

1. As you may be aware, Scotland is currently experiencing a sharp increase in positive Covid cases. We have had 15 cases (14 pupils and 1 staff) in the past week. For the foreseeable future, pupils and staff are all expected to wear face coverings whilst indoors (including classrooms) and follow the other school procedures to minimise the risks for virus transmission.
1. Please continue to access the NHS Guidance so that you will know when you should get tested for Covid19.
2. Remember to tell us the results of the Covid19 test and any advice you have received in regard to attendance at school.
3. As always, email or phone the school if your child Is absent and do tell us if your family is waiting to be tested for Covid19. This is recorded differently in the school’s attendance register.
2. Please encourage your son/daughter to dress appropriately for the unpredictable Scottish weather. Classroom windows will be opened to allow air circulation and, other than in really wet weather, pupils should be outdoors at breaks and lunchtimes.
3. Details of how to access Covid vaccination clinics for all aged 16 or over can be found here.
4. The first Parent Council meeting for 2021/22 will be on Tuesday 7 September at 7pm.  As last year, this meeting will be online, and the joining link will be circulated through the school.  The meeting will include the Head Teacher’s report and updates, plans for the coming year and reporting back on the results of the parent survey the PC carried out before the summer. Questions for the meeting can be raised in advance on jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com and we will try to include them in the updates. There will also be the opportunity to raise questions via the Q&A typed chat facility on the night.
5. We are moving to a new platform for holding PC meetings which is why we haven’t been able to advertise this date before now. This should be the same experience for parents attending but has meant some work behind the scenes, so please bear with us as we get things sorted out.
6. Details of our extra-curricular programme (including Active Schools) are being finalised and will be shared with everyone in the next few days. Thanks to Eliot Ambrose (Active Schools’ coordinator), Parents and Colleagues for contributing to what will be a comprehensive programme. Our Duke of Edinburgh Programme has now resumed and we await a green light to resume overnight excursions including our extensive foreign trips.
7. Please note that in line with updated National Policy, access to our Active Schools’ activities are free to all. We would invite those who can afford to contribute £25-£50 (annually) per pupil to help us maintain and develop our programme as, in addition to volunteers, we also bring in paid coaches to supplement our provision.
8. Look out for emails from our Parent Council. We have a very strong and active Parent Council and I would encourage you to get involved and engaged. Details of the first meeting will be shared in the next few days.
9. SQA Appeals 2021 Mr Shankland (Depute Headteacher) is continuing to process appeals arising from this years’ SQA arrangements. Thanks to all who have contacted the school and for your patience as we process all of these in accordance with SQA procedures.
10. We have invited Tempest Photography, the renowned school photographers, to return this session to photograph our new S1 students. Mr Mike Biagi of Tempest will be visiting the school on Tuesday 31st August 2021 to take individual photographs of our S1 students.  A copy of the photograph will be held within our secure electronic record system and available for you to purchase. Proofs of the photographs will be handed out to students the same day, along with details of how to order and process for each photographic package available. Dress code for the photographs is individual choice on the day:  uniform as worn for music exams and concerts can be worn if pupils wish, and we would only respectfully request that individual choice follows the school dress code. If you do NOT wish your child to be photographed, please email Joanne.Sinclair@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk by Monday 30th August.
11. I am delighted to share that James Gillespie’s High School has been awarded the ‘We Care: Schools for Young Carers Recognising Award’! Well done to Mr Sievwright,  Mr Carruthers and Mrs Oatman for leading on and coordinating our Young Carers’ support programme.

 

My quote for the week: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain.

 

 

Best wishes to all for a lovely weekend.

 

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

Friday 20 August

 

I’d like to begin by welcoming everyone back to the new session after what I hope was a rejuvenating and most enjoyable summer holiday. For those who are new to JGHS, I like to email parents/carers/staff every Friday afternoon to share what is happening and news of progress across a broad range of matters. I include key messages from our Parent Council and details of various meetings and events associated with the school. I also like to include pupils successes so please let me know if your child has achieved something outwith school that you’re happy for me to share with our wider school community. My weekly emails are available to view on my Headteacher Blog.  

1. It was lovely to see all pupils returning on Wednesday 18 August. A particular warm welcome to all who have joined in S1 or are new to the school.
2. For the foreseeable future, pupils and staff are all expected to wear face coverings whilst indoors (including classrooms) and follow the other school procedures to minimise the risks for virus transmission.
3. If you would like your child to be exempt from wearing a face covering, please email the school office Admin@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk stating your child's name and reason for exemption. We will update our medical records accordingly and issue those who are exempt with a sunflower lanyard or an exemption card. This card will have your child's name and class on it and will support your child demonstrate their exemption without having to go into any details.
4. Please encourage your son/daughter to dress appropriately for the unpredictable Scottish weather. Classroom windows will be opened to allow air circulation and, other than in really wet weather, pupils should be outdoors at breaks and lunchtimes.
5. I’d recommend that pupils’ jackets etc. have their name discreetly marked on the wash label so tha we can return any lost items to the rightful owners.
6. At this time of year we would expect common colds to become more widespread.  
1. Please continue to access the NHS Guidance so that you will know when you should get tested for Covid19.
2. Remember to tell us the results of the Covid19 test and any advice you have received in regard to attendance at school.
3. As always, email or phone the school if your child Is absent and do tell us if your family is waiting to be tested for Covid19. This is recorded differently in the school’s attendance register.
7. As we settle into a new school year we are aware you may be clearing out old revision books, success guides, textbooks etc.  If you would like to donate any of these items then we have set up a tray in the entrance foyer where your child could drop them off.  Due to our current situation, these resources cannot be shared as easily between students.  Therefore, any donations would be much appreciated by our Support for Learning Department and Equity and Attainment Hub.
8. Look out for emails from our Parent Council. We have a very strong and active Parent Council and I would encourage you to get involved and engaged. Details of the first meeting will be shared in the next few days.
9. On Thursday 19 August we issued ParentPay Activation letters and Pin codes for use in the school canteen to S1 students. 
10. We would like to say a huge thank you to 21 of our S5 and S6 pupils who gave up two days of their holidays to complete the  Mentors in Violence Prevention training. They are now qualified to deliver sessions to S1 and S2 pupils on challenging gender based violence and being an active bystander. We also would like to thank Gael Cochrane and PC Amy Fowler for giving up their time to deliver the training along with Tania Peters (Pupil Support Leader).
11. A reminder to all parents of students eligible to receive free school meals that the application form is now available online for session 2021/22. This needs to be completed annually, although can sometimes be awarded automatically with housing benefits. The automatic awards were confirmed by post in July 2021. Even if your child does not intend to use the school canteen it can be worth completing an application form if eligible to receive associated reductions in other costs such as materials for some classes. The application can be found online at: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/xfp/form/261  If you are unable to apply online or require any further assistance please contact Elaine Oram or Laura Stewart in our Pupil Equity department using the email addresses: Elaine.Oram@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk or   Laura.Stewart@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk 
12. SQA Appeals 2021
1. Thanks to all candidates and families that notified the SQA of their wish to appeal their course awards from last academic year.  The deadline for candidate initiated appeals (through the SQA website) was Thursday 12 August.  Appeal requests can still be submitted to the SQA by notifying the school of this wish, prior to the following deadlines:
2. Priority Appeals (appeals which may affect a conditional offer from university/college/employment):  Tuesday 24 August 2021
3. Standard Appeals : Friday 27 August 2021
4. Please be aware that these dates are an ultimate deadline and in some cases, are also the deadline for the digital submission of evidence (priority appeals and appeals for some practical subjects).  Therefore, if you wish to request an appeal, you must notify us as a matter of urgency, so that we have the time available to gather the necessary evidence and have this transmitted to the SQA, before the deadline date.
5. All information regarding appeals, including the grounds by which you can request an appeal can be found here:  Appeals 2021
6. If you have contacted the school/Mr Shankland during the summer holidays or this week regarding appeals, please be aware that Mr Shankland is working through these and will be in touch imminently.
13. SQA Courses 2021-22

1. The SQA notified schools on Wednesday 18 August regarding their broad intentions for the assessment of National Qualifications in 2021-22.  The full statement can be accessed here.
2. Some notable information from the statement:
• An SQA exam diet is planned to be running from 26 April to 1 June 2022.
• From Thursday 19 August, SQA will start to publish ‘modification summary documents’ that provide more detail on the 2021-22 course modifications and explain the assessment requirements for this year.
• If there is further significant disruption to learning and teaching this session, beyond that experienced in 2020-21, appropriate additional support measures for learners will be put in place to ensure that exams can still go ahead. For some courses this could include, for example, advance notice of some topics which will feature in exams.
• If changes to public health advice mean that large gatherings of people are no longer permitted in April to June, and exams are cancelled, SQA will ask teachers and lecturers to use their professional judgement of assessment evidence to determine learners’ grades. Importantly, this will be judgement based on evidence already gathered and schools will not be required to complete additional assessments, as they did last academic year.

14. Warmest congratulations to:
1. Erin Sheehan, 4W1, has was selected to take part in the Scotland Women’s'  Under 17's Football Squad Training Camp over the summer.
2.  Kirsty Johnson, S6,  and Sarah Johnson, S4, who continue to make excellent progress in competitive cycling. Sarah Johnson (S4), is a regular visitor to the podium across different events and Sarah (S6) has been selected to represent Scotland in Track and Road Cycling at the School Games in Loughborough in September.
3. Kintai Kwok (2S4), on signing for Hibernian FC Academy last week.

 

 

 

My quote for the week: ‘“On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin.” (Gregory S. Williams)

 

Best wishes to all for a highly productive and enjoyable session.

 

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

Thursday 12 August

 

Dear Parent/Carer,

I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer and managed some downtime with your family and friends.

We look forward to welcoming all pupils back to school on Wednesday 18 November. Pleasingly, the COVID-19 situation is much better generally than it was when we broke up in June, but there will still be risks for us to manage. Therefore, it will be important for us all to continue to be careful, cautious and sensible in the coming weeks. To that end, in line with Government Guidelines, the various mitigations we operated in June will continue from when we resume next week.

Hands                   Regular hand washing throughout the day

Face                       Face-coverings must be worn by all pupils and staff whilst in any of the buildings. (This includes classrooms) Pupils should bring their own face coverings to school with them. We will have some spares available at the main reception.

Space                    Pupils are requested to keep 2 metres from staff.

Community        All are asked to maintain social distancing from members of the community and to wear face coverings whilst using public transport and visiting local shops. All are reminded to be kind and respectful towards others at all times.

We will continue to keep you updated as national guidelines continue to evolve over the coming weeks.

 

Schools Asymptomatic Testing Programme

All pupils and staff are strongly encouraged to undertake twice-weekly at-home LFD testing. We would suggest testing is undertaken on Thursday mornings (prior to school) and on Sundays.

It is really important results are recorded online, whether positive, negative or void. This helps public health experts understand what levels of COVID-19 are, and can inform policy on matters such as mitigations in schools.

If your child is signed up to the programme at School, test kits can be collected from our School Reception between 830 am and 4pm. Alternatively, they can be ordered online for home delivery, or collected from your nearest test site or pharmacy. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/

In approximately 4-6 weeks the Scottish Government will be reviewing this Testing Programme and we will provide an update from that review when received.

 

SQA Grades 2021

Warmest congratulations to all of our pupils as represented in this year’s SQA Grades. My sincere thanks to all pupils, parents and staff for your concerted efforts in the difficult times experienced by all over the past 18 months.

Mr Shankland will continue to update parents on all SQA related arrangements including appeals.

 

Arrangements for Wednesday 18 November

In order to issue updated timetables and to ensure that classes resume safely and efficiently, we will be operating a staggered start to the school day as follows:

8.30       S1s and S6 befrienders arrive on campus via the Lauderdale Street entrance. Details of what happens next will follow in a separate email from Mr Ian Porter (Depute Headteacher)

9.35       S2, 3 and 4 attend their Key Adult class.                

13.50     S5 & S6 will start Period 5 & 6. Those who have made subject change requests and/or require a new copy of their timetable may pick this up in the Forum from 1:00pm.

Pupils in S2,3,4,5 and 6 are allowed off campus at breaks and lunch times. S1 pupils must remain on campus throughout the school day.

If any parent/carer has any queries about their child then please email -  Admin@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk

Kindest regards to all,

Donald