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HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
Friday 10 January 2025
Friday 10 January 2025
Welcome back!
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas Holiday, and all Grammar staff wish our school community a happy and healthy new year.
It was lovely to welcome all pupils back to school and to 2025 in House assemblies this week.
I spoke about the importance at New Year of reflecting upon what we have each done well and being proud of our achievements and then what we could get better at, rather than just focusing on a new year’s resolution to change.
Our bee keeping course featured in a recent newsletter has attracted a great deal of attention. As well as being published in the Musselburgh Courier and Scottish Sun, STV News are visiting us after the Easter Holidays to film and interview our bee keepers at the apiary for a news feature! We’re buzzing (I know, sorry)....!
There are unbelievably only a few short weeks until the February break and then time seems to speed up as we approach Easter and imminent SQA exams so the focus is upon finishing course work and completing assignments over the next 12 weeks. Further information will follow on these dates as well as study resources.
With best wishes for a lovely weekend.
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
January 2025
Senior Phase reports issued to pupils - week beginning 13th January
S2 Parents Evening 5-7pm - Tuesday 21st January
Parent Council online briefing 7-8pm meet.google.com/vnh-jkwe-kkd - Thursday 23rd January
Remember you can find all events on our school calendar, and you can add this calendar to your own too.
S2 Pupils
Tuesday 21 January: Parents' Evening 5-7pm in school.
The link for booking appointments will be available early next week. Parents/carers will be notified in advance.
Wednesday 22nd January - S2 Coursing appointments
Course choicing is being run slightly differently this year. All S2s have been sent their appointment times via edubuzz, and parents have been emailed this information too. Please read the letter issued on 09/01/25 which contained information on course choices, and how parents can help their S2 make their choices. S2 pupils have been issued with a paper course choice form, but information is also available on our website.
Pay it forward Fund
The initiative reflects the school’s commitment to ensure every student has the chance to access experiences that enhance their education and broaden their horizons. Parents and carers will have the opportunity to contribute to this fund via School Pay which has now gone live.
The fund will support opportunities beyond the classroom, such as school trips, cultural events, and extracurricular activities—experiences that build confidence, inspire ambition, and create lasting memories. For some families, the financial cost of these activities can be a barrier. Through this fund, we aim to bridge that gap and ensure every young person has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of financial circumstances.
We would like to emphasise that contributions to the Pupil pay it forward Fund are entirely voluntary. There is no obligation to donate, and any amount—no matter how small—will make a meaningful difference. Your generosity will go directly toward supporting pupils to access valuable opportunities.
Together, as a school community, we can help every pupil access the full range of experiences Musselburgh Grammar School has to offer.
Thank you for considering a contribution to this Pay it forward fund and for supporting widening opportunities for our pupils.
Parent Council Meeting dates
Thursday 23 Jan: MGS PC Online briefing 7-8pm meet.google.com/vnh-jkwe-kkd
Thursday 13 Mar: MGS PC full meeting – in person, in school 7-9pm
Tuesday 20 May: MGS PC Online briefing 7-8pm meet.google.com/tkd-rakc-dor
Monday 16 June: MGS PC full meeting – in person, in school 7-8pm
Staffing
Welcome to Mrs Lynch in Art, Mr Plenderleith in PE, Mrs Uysal in Business Education and Ms Lyle, Active Schools Coordinator.
Mrs Tudor’s Maths maternity leave post is now advertised nationally, as is the permanent full time Pupil Support Worker role for the Inclusion department.
Foundation Apprenticeships
On Wednesday S3-5 pupils had the opportunity to hear about Foundation Apprenticeships as part of their course choice for next year, around
100 pupils attended the sessions. We had external speakers for; Social Services, Children and Young People, Business Skills, Scientific
Technologies and IT Hardware and Software. Further to this, this week, we have a special FA Podcast available, where pupils and a parent give insights to their experience of the FA courses.
Mobile Phone Use
We continue to be concerned about the misuse of mobile phones in classes and the significant disruption to learning and teaching they cause.
All pupils are expected to have phones switched off and in bags unless they are specifically given permission to use them by teachers.
Parents and carers will be notified by text each Friday about the number of times and in which subjects across school their child/ren have not
followed the school’s phone policy of putting their phone on the teacher's desk after a warning not to use it.
College places for January starts
If you require help in applying for any of the above courses, please call into B16 to make an appointment with A Hoffman or S Dalton.
School College Partnership Courses 2025/26
Schools College Partnership (SCP) offers a wide range of part-time college courses for S4-S6 pupils and provides greater choice in a variety of subjects which may not be available at school. SCP courses count as one of your column choices which can be added into your existing timetable. Pupils study their college course on two afternoons per week; Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
Doing a college course while at school will provide you with additional skills and qualifications to boost your employment prospects and enhance your CV or college/university application(s). Edinburgh College applications for next session (2025-26) will open online on Monday 13th January.
https://www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/courses/for-school-pupils
The above link will be live on Monday
If you are in S3, S4 or S5 and would like to take a SCP course as one of your options next year, please use the link below on Monday to check which courses are available. Pupils in East Lothian are only permitted to take courses at Milton Road or Midlothian campuses.
https://www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/courses/for-school-pupils
If you wish to find out more about vocational or higher courses available next session and need help to apply, please see Mme Dreon-Goold in B22 or Mrs Hoffman in B16. Alternatively, both teachers will be available on Tuesday’s periods 6 or 7 in room B32 and Thursday’s periods 6 or 7 in room AT1 to help with advice, personal statements and to complete applications online.
A help sheet to write your personal statement will be uploaded to your PSE Google classroom.
Full Time College Courses for Summer Leavers 2025/26
Edinburgh College applications for next session (2025-26) will open online on Monday 13th January.
https://www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/courses/for-school-pupils
The above link will be live on Monday
Pupils considering leaving in the summer of 2025 should complete college applications as soon as possible. This would be advantageous for pupils applying to University, Employment or Training, as a backup option, as well as for pupils who would like to pursue Further Education as their first choice.
Please note that full time college courses can be allocated on a first come, first served basis therefore early applications are advisable. Some courses interview applicants and pupils need to be prepared for this.
Advice and guidance is available from Shereen Dalton (SDS advisor), Ms Hoffman and Mme Dreon-Goold in school.
Pupil Voice
On Tuesday, two of our four Pupil Voice groups met up; School Improvement and House. This was well attended, with 18 pupils present. The other two groups; Learning and Teaching and Equalities met in December, with 27 pupils in attendance. This week, the School Improvement Group spent time working on updating the pupil news system, discussing ways in which to implement positive wider recognition for pupils in school. Not least, discussing strategies to improve the toilets. The House group spent time working on their system to celebrate individual house points and discussed how to make the allocation of house points more consistent. All four groups have a deadline of 28th February to have implemented their plan and will share this progress at assemblies after the February break. All of Pupil Voice are meeting next Wednesday as a whole group, to share their updates with each other and check in.
SQA Exam Diet 2025
Please follow this link to see the SQA Exam timetable for Spring 2025: Exam timetable and learner apps - SQA
Year group attendance
Improving attendance to improve attainment is one of our school improvement priorities this year and we expect pupils’ attendance to be at least 90%. We are tracking pupils’ attendance carefully throughout the session and more information about our attendance strategy will follow. I hope parents and carers find this weekly update on each year group's attendance useful.
S1: 91%
S2: 89%
S3: 89%
S4: 90%
S5: 92%
S6: 91%
Medical
Polio/Dip vaccinations
S3 Boys and Girls plus catch ups will take place on Thursday and Friday 20th/21st March 2025.
Please return all forms to school before the 17th January 2025.
If you are Asthmatic, please have your inhaler with you at all times.
Lost Property
2 silver bracelets found this week: see Ms Harvey if they belong to you.
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