Friday 29 January

Dear Parent/Carer, 

  It’s been another very busy and productive week and I want to acknowledge just how difficult the current circumstances are for everyone.  School staff, parents/carers and pupils are all finding online learning from home to be very challenging. When the IT doesn’t work, the number of demands being made of us seems too much or, when human relations become strained, we all long for a return to the lives we knew before the pandemic. Many of our staff are parents too, so we share your frustrations. There is hope though: vaccines are on the way, infections across Scotland are reducing and daylight hours are stretching. The passing of each day is a day closer to returning to a more normal lifestyle for all of us. Thank you for the many supportive and positive messages you have sent. These positive are like sprinklings of gold dust. They help us improve what we do and, especially during these times, they bring smiles to wearying faces.

 Please, let’s all, encourage pupils to reach out if they are finding anything difficult with their online learning or any other matter. They should contact their class teacher, key adult or PSL of, if they feel unable to do that, they must share how they're feeling at home so a parent/carer can let us know. We also have our own ‘in-house’ confidential counselling service available every lunchtime for any pupil who would like to talk through what is troubling them with a trained member of staff. (Pupils can access this support via their PSE TEAMs)

 We will shortly be seeking parent and pupil feedback on how we are doing as a school in supporting your children with their online learning. We will want to find out what is working well and what we need to do differently to improve. We will share a summary of what you told us and what we will do differently in response to your feedback.

 A reminder that the Parent Council is hosting a meeting online on Tuesday 2 February at 7pm to consider proposals for dealing with school capacity in 2021/22. A link for the meeting will be sent out next week via the school. These proposals will particularly affect those going into S6 next year, so will be of interest to S5 parents and pupils.

The meeting will include presentations by:

• Donald J. Macdonald, Head Teacher
• Laura Stewart, DHT (Equity and Rising Rolls)
• Lorna French, Schools and Lifelong Learning Service Manager (City of Edinburgh Council)
• Crawford McGhie, Senior Manager Estates and Operational Support (City of Edinburgh Council)

More material about the proposals, including documents from the school setting out the plans and a survey of S6 pupils, together with a summary of comments and questions raised by parents can be found at the Parent Council website http://jghscouncil.btck.co.uk/News.  An outline of proposals was also presented at the November PC meeting and can be seen at https://youtu.be/YICdgNAxPTk (starting at 18.53).

SQA  Mr Shankland sent a communication yesterday to parents and students regarding the most recent SQA update.  Details of the update can be accessed using the link below.

27 January 2021 - Update on National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses 2020-21

 S2 Parents’ Evenings  A huge thanks to all families that managed to book and undertake appointments with teachers on Tuesday/Thursday evening, this week.  We would be grateful if all S2 parents (even those that didn’t/couldn’t book appointments) would consider completing the short feedback questionnaire (link below).  You feedback, as always, is vital in helping us improve our future provision.

S2 Parents' Evenings - Parent/Carer Feedback

16+ Positive Destinations Group  Mr Shankland has asked for your support in trying to ensure that all S4, S5 and S6 students complete a short online form (link below) regarding their intentions for when they may wish to leave school and what they would like their post-school destination to be e.g. university, college, employment etc.  Gathering this information is vital to the effectiveness of support staff identifying and signposting the right opportunities to the right young people.  An email has been sent to all S4, S5 and S6 students regarding this. 16+ Positive Destinations - Student Questionnaire

S4 to S6 parents will receive an engagement tracking report next week. Please refer to the email and document issued by Mrs O’Brien earlier this week for more information on this.

 The UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge for S3/S4 will take place on Monday 1st February 2021.  It will be held online.  If you are interested in taking part in the challenge, there is still time to sign up! Please email Ms Dolan on ashling.dolan@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk for all the information regarding logins and practice resources.

 Pupils can download a free Practice Workbook for N5 Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths at: https://collins.co.uk/collections/leckie-times-scotland There’s also a code for a discount on any other purchases for anyone looking to buy any other revision materials.

 Thanks to PC Fowler, our community Police Officer, for being proactive in requesting I make all parents aware that privately owned E-scooters cannot legally be used in any public place including on any footpath or cycle tracks. They can only be used on private land with the prior consent of the land owner.  

 Thanks to Ms MacIver (Gaelic Department)  for preparing and sharing materials with pupils in S1-3 incl. on Wednesday 27th January, to mark Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). This is an international day of commemoration to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi Persecution and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. 

 Huge thanks to everyone (parents, teachers, mentors and pupils) who has contributed to all the work that goes into applying for Higher Education. In our current S6 of 182 pupils, 151 applications have been completed. Early responses from Cambridge are favourable with 6 out of the 10 who have had a response, receiving offers. Pupils can expect to hear directly from all universities in the coming weeks. Good luck to everyone!

 Please note that schools are on holiday from Monday 8 to Monday 15 February – both dates inclusive. The school will be closed to all pupils who have been attending in person over recent weeks. No homework or assignments will be set during holidays for pupils in S1,2 and 3. Pupils are expected to read for pleasure and get as much exercise and fresh air as possible within the current guidelines.

 If you are contacting the school for any reason, please use email rather than leaving a telephone message.

 We await Tuesday’s (2 February) Government announcement on plans for schools reopening with interest.

 

My quote for this week: ‘Take care everyone and remember that there is always someone who can help’. (Mrs O’Brien’s earlier email to all pupils) 

  

Wishing all a peaceful and safe weekend. 

Donald j Macdonald (Headteacher)

 

Friday 22 January

 

Dear Parent/Carer, 

 Today marks the end of our second week of online learning for pupils in this second phase of pupils learning from home. I'm pleased to report that, overall, we are doing much better than in 2020. Significantly, Pupil engagement is much higher than last year. As we set out to do, the pupil week has structure, live lessons/interactions are taking place, pupils are getting feedback on their learning and more tasks are differentiated to better suit the range of learners' needs. In-school provision for Keyworkers' children and others who need a bit of extra support are progressing well. Of course, we haven't got everything right and we are still learning. In a week or so, we will contact you to seek your views on our current practices. We will then make changes as appropriate to improve what we are offering. 

Please, in the interim, let us know if your child is experiencing any barriers to their learning that we can help with. Many thanks to everyone for doing your best to ensure that Online learning continues to take place for our children. These are challenging times for families and school staff. Working in partnership with parents has never been more significant and important. 

The Scottish Government wishes to gather the views of parents and learners to inform the national overview of practice. If you are a parent or carer, or a learner, please use the links below to complete surveys. Both surveys will close on Monday 25 January at 12 noon. 

 https://education.gov.scot/improvement/covid-19-education-recovery/national-overviews/about/ 

  

The Parent Council will be holding a meeting (online) on Tuesday 2 February which will look at proposals for dealing with school capacity in 2021/22, and which will be attended by Council representatives. Background documents relating to the plans which have been circulated can be found at http://jghscouncil.btck.co.uk/Newsand a presentation to the November PC meeting can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/YICdgNAxPTk (from 18.53). Further details, including the link to attend the meeting will be circulated via the school nearer the time. If you have comments and questions on the proposals, please send them to the Parent Council email address  jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com by 6pm on Saturday 24 January, for inclusion in the meeting. 

The UKMT Intermediate Maths challenge will take place on 1February 2021. It will be held online. If you are interested in taking part in the challenge, please email Ms Dolan on ashling.dolan@jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk for all the information regarding logins and practice resources, unless you have already done so. 

If you are contacting the school for any reason in the coming weeks, please use email rather than leaving a telephone message.

 My quote for this week: ‘O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us, to see oursels as ithers see us!''.(Robert Burns) 

  

Wishing all a peaceful and safe weekend. 

 

Donald j Macdonald (Headteacher)

James Gillespie’s High School

Friday 15 January

 Dear Parent/Carer,

 I'm delighted to share that this week's online learning has been very successful. Despite some technical glitches on Monday, almost all families are reporting positively on their experiences over the past week. Sincere thanks to pupils, parents, and staff for your concerted efforts and engaging so positively. 

During this next week we will focus on consolidating our efforts, identifying emerging best practices, and addressing barriers to learning for those who may be experiencing some difficulty. In 2 weeks' time we will more systematically invite feedback from all involved. At this stage we do not know when pupils will return to school-based learning;, so we will plan for both online and school learning and share details with you as soon as circumstances change.

In addition to pupils learning from home, we have also had up to 50 pupils learning in school. Those pupils who are in school can access their online lessons on school computers supported by school staff. The staff in attendance are on a rota and are drawn from all departments in the school. When I was in school on Wednesday, I was struck by how happy and motivated all the pupils and staff were. 

 If pupils need to collect any materials from school, they should contact the relevant teacher so that appropriate arrangements can be made. We are working on the principle that only essential travel to and from school is permitted. 

 S2 Parents’ Evenings

We plan to still run our S2 Parents’ Evenings on Tuesday 26 January and Thursday 28 January, as previously published.  The appointments will be online, utilising the software that was trialled successfully in our S3 Parents’ Evening, last November.  Detailed information as to how to book and access appointments will be sent to parents at the start of next week.  We are currently working on having the system ready to go live for appointment booking at 6pm on Tuesday 19 January.

 Edinburgh College Applications

We ask that any student who is planning to apply for a full-time course at Edinburgh College this session (starting August 2021), fill out the following online form:

Edinburgh College Applications 2021

This will ensure we are aware of all applicants and can ensure every student has support with their application. For further information, please see the communication that Mr Shankland sent to parents on Thursday via email and the School App.

 SQA

We received an official update from the SQA this week.  The details of the statement can be accessed here:  SQA Update - Wed 13 Jan

There is nothing in this update that has not already been shared with parents.  The main points being that students should be currently focussing on remote/online learning and that schools can expect more updates (especially around the assessment of Higher and Advanced Higher courses), from next week.

 The Parent Council will be holding a meeting (online) on Tuesday 2 February which will look at proposals for dealing with school capacity in 2021/22, and which will be attended by Council representatives. The school will be writing to parents shortly with further details, The outline of the plan was set out in the November Parent Council meeting, which can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/YICdgNAxPTk (from 18.53).  The December meeting (SQA assessments) can also be seen at: https://youtu.be/YICdgNAxPTk.  The Parent Council email address is jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com if there are any issues you would like to raise on this topic or any other. 

 

Warmest congratulations to Jaimee Kirk (2R2) on winning her club Jigoro Kano award in Judo. Jaimee loves Judo and has been coaching others in her club since last September. I hope it won't be too long before Jaime is able to resume her training.

 

 My quote for this week: ‘Don't walk behind me;  I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend''. (Attributed to Albert Camus) 

 

Wishing all a peaceful and safe weekend.

 

Donald

 

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

 

Donald j Macdonald (Headteacher)

James Gillespie’s High School

Friday 8 January 2021

Dear Parent/Carer,

 

During the past few days, school staff have been busily preparing for the resumption of online learning from Monday 11 January. In line with Government guidelines, all pupils, other than the children of Keyworkers and those deemed to be vulnerable, will be learning from home. Those pupils who are eligible for a place in school have been contacted directly in relation to their in-school arrangements. In this communication I will focus on arrangements for online learning.

 On Monday morning Mr Warden (DHT) will send out information to all parents and pupils regarding various items such as accessing Microsoft 365 accounts, support with Teams, use of GLOW and SCHOLAR resources and much more. It is especially important that pupils and parents read the information that will be provided regarding two-way video communications and the expected protocol for any use of this function. Please be assured that we are in a strong position to provide an improved experience in using digital technology for learning and teaching and we will continue to build on this in the coming weeks. We intend to make greater use of the School App to share information and invite those who haven’t already, to download the School App for Parents. This can be found in both the Google Play and Apple App Stores.

In relation to SQA arrangements, Mr Shankland(DHT) sent communications to all S4, S5 and S6 parents (as well as all students) earlier in the week.  These detailed the two important points that:

 

•             The formal assessments for all Higher and Advanced Higher courses, previously scheduled to run between Monday 25 January and Friday 5 February, have now been cancelled.

•             The publication of the proposed schedule for National 5 class assessments activities has now been postponed until a further update has been received from the Scottish Government regarding when students will likely return to school.

 

Until further guidance is received from the SQA, it is difficult to advise as to what will be our plans (or requirements) for the assessment of students sitting SQA courses.

 

Our current advice to students is to focus fully on the online learning tasks that will be set by their class teachers from next week and try to not become too concerned with the current changes to circumstances and plans.

 

The ‘SQA Qualifications 2021’ document housed in the ‘Exams and Assessment’ section of the school website (found under both the ‘Parents’ and ‘Pupils’ tabs) and will continue to be used as a working document that reflects the most up-to-date information we have.  Please be assured though that when notable updates are given, Mr Shankland will contact parents, carers and students to highlight this.

 

 

Online Learning from 11 January 2021

 

In response to feedback from last year’s online learning we are making a number of changes to what will be on offer from Monday 11 January. These changes include:

1. Structure                             Pupils will follow their ‘normal’ school timetable.
2. Teacher interaction          All teachers will be interacting online at agreed times with pupils.
3. Feedback                            All teachers will be offering feedback on progress to pupils.
4. Manageability of tasks    Teachers will aim to differentiate and streamline tasks for all pupils

 

Please note that, as last year, Microsoft Teams will be the online learning platform we will use.

 

The attached documents will be emailed to all pupils today and we would request that parents and carers take time with children to ensure that these are read and understood.  Lessons will start from 0840 on the morning of Monday 11 January. Please contact your child’s Pupil Support Leader to let us know of any barriers to your child’s online learning.

 

As with any new way of working there are bound to be areas that are unclear and there will be teething issues as we settle into new and unfamiliar routines.   This is as true for teachers as it will be for you as parents and pupils. There will be some issues you can resolve at home but others will need input from school staff. Please continue to communicate with us; we will do everything we can to help. We plan to evaluate our online learning programme at the beginning of February and will email you at that time to gather your views.

 

Many teachers, like you, will be working to deliver this online delivery from home and will have young children and other dependents that they remain responsible for. That means that while teachers will be available to provide support during each lesson we cannot promise an instant reply service. If the teacher is called away from their computer to deal with something they will respond to questions from pupils when they return. We ask that S3 to S6 pupils, wherever possible, ask their teacher questions during the allocated ‘live’ interactions which will be scheduled by the teacher after the ‘live’ lesson has taken place. We know from previous experience that working for long periods on a computer is more tiring than working in class. That means that teachers need to take screen breaks and so do pupils. Wherever possible, we would encourage pupils to work offline.

 

And finally, these next few weeks are going to be challenging. Online learning is different and, in many respects, more challenging than being in school in the classroom. I am aware that for you as parents, online learning will add to the pressure of what you are already having to cope with. Nevertheless, given the uncertainty around SQA arrangements and when pupils can return to school we are deliberately raising expectations of pupils and teachers in relation to our online programme in 2021. In a classroom, a steely stare is sometimes enough to get a pupil back to work but that is a little more difficult through a computer so can I ask you, as much as you can, to provide that stare if it is needed and help keep your child(ren) engaged with the work being set?  Having teachers and parents working in partnership is crucial in normal times but even more so in the coming days.

 

My quote for this week: ‘If you only carry one thing throughout your entire life, let it be hope. Let it be hope that better things are always ahead. Let it be hope that you can get through even the toughest of times. Let it be hope that you are stronger than any challenge that comes your way. Let it be hope that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now, and that you are on the path to where you are meant to be...because during these times , hope will be the very thing that carries you through. " –(Nikki Banas)

 

Wishing all a peaceful and safe weekend.

 

Donald

 

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

Friday 18 December

1. 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.
2. The Parent Council meeting this week covered changes in arrangements for SQA assessments, with a very informative presentation by Mr Shankland.  You can catch up with it at: https://youtu.be/mtpVkQj0zSA
3. The S6 Group Photo is available to view and order from the Tempest website - http://htmp.st/JamesGillespieHS.  Click on the photo and enter your email address and child’s name. If orders are placed before Friday 8th January 2021 they will be delivered free of charge to the school.  Any orders after that date can be posted to your home address but a £5 postage will be charged.
4. Thanks to all in our School community who are working on gaining School accreditation for ‘Rights Respecting Schools’. https://jghsrrsa.wordpress.com/
5. Thanks to pupils in S1, S2 and S4 who, as part of their Mandarin classes this week, have made bilingual Christmas cards for the homeless in Edinburgh. These cards will be delivered by the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, along with their winter relief packs for the homeless.
6. We are currently involved in fundraising on three fronts. Thanks to all who have contributed to these.
1. Parent Council Fundraising (See previous correspondence)
2. Children 1^st (Shopping vouchers) (Over £1,000 raised)
3. Save the children (Xmas jumpers on Friday 18 December) (£225 and rising!) www.tinyurl.com/jghscjd 

7. Well done to:
1. Reuben Murdoch (S1) who passed his Grade 3 piano this week.
2. Carla Brunelli Bonet (S1) who has been accepted as cellist in the Junior National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and
3. Alberto Brunelli Bonet (S3) who has passed his Grade 8 Violin exam (ABRSM) with distinction.
4. Isaac Murdoch (S3) who achieved his Chief Scout Gold Award in November, after completing many challenge badges and an expedition along the John Muir Way - a remarkable 55 mile journey on foot and bike from South Queensferry to Dunbar in the October holidays.   

8.       Please continue to share stories of pupils’ achievements with us so we can share with our wider school community.

9.       This term will finish at midday on Tuesday 22 December.

10. Police Scotland will be offering a bike marking session at JGHS on Wednesday 3rd February from 7.30am to 8.30am. This is an great chance to get any new bikes marked. Due to social distancing measures staff/pupils will need to book a timeslot in advanced. To book a time and collect a form, please see Ms Dolan in 2.07 or the maths base.
11. As always, do email or phone the school (please speak slowly and clearly if you are leaving a message) 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.
12. Thanks to everyone who has helped prepare pupils for the JGHS Christmas Live Lounge. Staff have thoroughly enjoyed hearing you rehearse and getting a sneak preview of all your wonderful videos! It is lovely to be able to provide a platform to celebrate the work everyone has been doing. Follow this link below to see the full playlist on the school’s YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGOcpQEAoNPsIj3bC-8skjD2NMXTK6pit

 I’d like to wish all of our families a lovely Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.

 My quote for the week: “And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent … ‘’ (Taylor Caldwell)

 

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

Friday 11 December

1. 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.
2. Please remind pupils to bring their own face coverings to school. We have a small supply of spares for those who genuinely forget or lose theirs.
3. A reminder that the next Parent Council meeting will be held online on Tuesday 15^th December at 7pm. It will be focusing in particular on arrangements for assessments for SQA certificated subjects.  A link for the meeting will be circulated via school email at the beginning of next week. Any questions can be sent in advance to the PC at jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com and where possible these will be included in the updates. A recording of the last PC meeting on 18^th November is available at: https://youtu.be/YICdgNAxPTk and the Q&A from the meeting can be found on the PC website at: http://jghscouncil.btck.co.uk/Minutesandfiles.
4. The S6 Group Photo is now available to view and order from the Tempest website - http://htmp.st/JamesGillespieHS.  Click on the photo and enter your email address and child’s name. If orders are placed before Friday 8th January 2021 they will be delivered free of charge to the school.  Any orders after that date can be posted to your home address  but £5 postage will be charged.
5. We are currently involved in fundraising on three fronts:
1. Parent Council Fundraising (See previous correspondence)
2. Children 1^st (Shopping vouchers)
3. Save the children (Xmas jumpers on Friday 18 December)
6. Well done to:
1. Toby Ward (S6), who was runner up in the Nevis Ensemble Christmas Carol Competition where he had to set his own music to the words of 'In the Bleak Midwinter'.  The Nevis Ensemble's vision is music for everyone, everywhere.  He has won a composition masterclass with the composer Stuart MacRae and
2. Rosalind Orr (S6), who has been accepted as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland (Jazz) as a saxophonist. All being well by summer, the orchestra will have a week’s residential at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye, before going on tour, probably in the UK.
3. Anna Maria Tomala (S2), who passed her Grade 5 Piano exam (ABRSM) with merit results.
4. Katrina Cochran (S6), Maja Cochran (S6), Felix Hagdorn (S6) and Bronwen Stahl (S6) whose Advanced Higher German work featured in this month’s Napier University's award-winning online magazine. https://issuu.com/edinburgh_napier_languages/docs/wwn6
5.  

7.       Thanks to Kayleigh and Liane of Marchmont Hardware for their efforts in putting this YouTube video together.  This heart-warming alternative replaced the annual community carol singing event round the Christmas Tree.

8.       Please continue to share stories of pupils’ achievements with me so I can share with our wider school community.

9.       This term will finish at midday on Tuesday 22 December.

 

My quote for the week: “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate”

(Albert Schweitzer)

 Wishing all a happy and peaceful weekend.

 Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher

Friday 4 December

1. 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.
2. Please remind pupils to bring their own face coverings to school. We have a small supply of spares for those who genuinely forget or lose theirs.
3. The next Parent Council meeting will focus on exams and assessments and will be held online on Tuesday 15^th December at 7pm. Any questions ahead of the meeting can be sent to the PC at jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com and where possible these will be included in the updates. If you would like to catch up on the last PC meeting on 18^th November, it’s available to watch at: https://youtu.be/YICdgNAxPTk. The Q&A from the meeting can be found on the PC website at: http://jghscouncil.btck.co.uk/Minutesandfiles.
4. We will be doing a virtual music concert this year – more details to follow.
5. We would like to make parents/carers aware of the new school counselling service that opened in November. Our counsellor, Ana, works Monday to Thursday and is able to offer pupils between 6 and 12 sessions. We want you to know that the support Ana provides is here to help young people who are struggling and feel they would benefit from speaking to someone about this. If you think that your child may benefit from this service, we’d encourage you to talk to them about it and get in touch with their Pupil Support Leader (PSL) to find out more. Pupils can self-refer through the school website  here or through their Pupil Support Leader
6. Horticulture Club news Huge thanks to Amanda Killen (Pupil Support), Joel Hather (S1), Charlie Henderson (s1) and Kirsty Johnson (S5) for helping (last Friday) with the greenhouse clean-up and the clearing of the raised beds in preparation for planting in 2021.
7. The Parent Council is leading a festive fundraising appeal to support its Small Sums Fund.  The Fund is distributed to assist projects run by staff in the school, and to buy extra equipment that improves the educational experience for all pupils.  This money is particularly vital to support the Pupil Equity Fund, nurture groups, and therapy resources. This year, we have not been able to raise income through our usual events and fundraising activities, but many of our pupils have an even greater need of the extra services our funding can support.  We know this is not an easy time for many families, but if you feel in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to the Parent Council this festive season.  You can donate to the Small Sums Fund through the Parent Council Fundraising button on ParentPay.  Your support will be greatly appreciated!
8. We are pleased to announce that two-way video lessons for SQA candidates can now take place with IMS instructors who are unable to be in school due to COVID-19 restrictions.  If your pupil is in S3-6, taking Music as a subject, and has tuition with Ms Melrose (double bass/bass guitar), Mr Anderson (piano) or Mrs Collins (clarsach) then we require you to complete the following form.  Pupils must complete a pupil version which their instructor has issued on Microsoft Teams. Please read all information in the attached document carefully before completing and submit as soon as possible.  Lessons can take place from Tuesday and permission must be given before any two-way video can take place. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=af6sSGo3tUKfacnke7-5xNAzN55ZVE1Lkn_57qKoJ8BUQk4zQVFOSlRUNlFKTzBDRlAwRE1DMFNYRS4u
9.  Orders for S1 & S6 photographs from Tempest Photography have been delivered to the school.  Please ask students to collect from the Classroom Assistants’ Office in Bruntsfield House.

10.   We will be operating classes as ‘normal’ right up till and including the last day. Staff will be asked to maintain seating plans and continue to ensure that registers are accurately recorded. Additionally, I will be asking pupils and staff to not exchange ‘real’ Christmas cards this year.

11.   Well done to Daisy Adams (S3) who started making some jewellery a few years ago to help fund a school trip she was hoping to go on. Daisy is now advertising online and Is keen to hear from anyone who would like to discuss potential Christmas presents! https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/divinebydaisya?ref=shop_sugg

12.   Please continue to share stories of pupils’ achievements with me so I can share with our wider school community.

13.   This term will finish at midday on Tuesday 22 December.

 

My quote for the week: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”(Henry Ford)

 

Wishing all a happy and peaceful weekend.

 

Donald j Macdonald

Headteacher