Embedded Files
HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
Friday 13 December 2024
Friday 13 December 2024
It's always a pleasure to share all the good things that our young people are doing in and out of school so
please read on to see what Chloe and the Gardening Wider Achievement students have been up to.
With best wishes for the weekend.
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
Senior Christmas Dance - Tuesday 17th December, 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Christmas Concert - Thursday 19th December
🎄 TICKETS AVAILABLE ON SCHOOLPAY NOW. Please book in advance - last year was a sell-out!🎄
S1/2 Christmas Ceilidh - Friday 20th December
Christmas themed dress down day - Friday 20th December
Term ends - Friday 20th December
January 2025
Term starts for all pupils and staff - Monday 6th January
Senior Phase reports issued to pupils - week beginning 13th January
S2 Parents Evening 5-7pm - Tuesday 21th 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.
Parents’ Evenings dates
All Parents’ Evenings are in person 5-7pm. We will notify parents nearer the time to allow you to book appointments with teachers.
Tuesday 21 January: S2
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: 88%
S3: 90%
S4: 90 %
S5: 92%
S6: 92%
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
Pay it forward Fund
This January, look out for a new initiative that 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 SchoolPay. 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 all our pupils.
Course Choice
Pupils in S2, 3, 4 and 5 have been hearing about the course choice process in assemblies and PSE this week. The course choice sheets are published on the school website for all to view, under the curriculum tab and the Pathways section of the website will be updated next Wednesday to reflect any course changes.
Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) information was available at the S3 Parents’ Evening and pupils will receive their invites (to their Edubuzz email address) to attend FA presentation on the 8th January. We will also be recording a one-off FA podcast next week to answer some questions about these courses.
Staffing
An appointment was made from the PE interviews for the temporary full time post. Congratulations to Mr Plenderleith who will commence on Thursday 9th January.
Ms Lyle, Active Schools Co-ordinator, starts on Tuesday 7 January.
Interviews for the Business Education post will take place on Tuesday 17 December.
Pupil success
Chloe Beecher, 2C1, attends a Police Scotland youth volunteer group every Friday afternoon. They were asked to bring in donations for the Cat and Dog home.
Chloe donated various things but then decided to coordinate it herself and reached out to the Musselburgh community to see if anyone was willing to help out. The donations of dog and cat food, collars, leads, treats and pet beds have been overwhelming and she extended the collection for another week. Carol Edmond who runs an over 50's club donated a £200 cheque, pictured here with Chloe. Chloe’s family and her teachers are so proud of her for doing this, and the total raised is £300. Well done Chloe!
Christmas Fayre
Thanks so much for all the support with the fayre - it was a fantastic morning and the pupil stalls were incredible.
Winners
Best Presented Stall - Aggie and Ellie 1P3 (Game and range of small Christmas items)
Highest Quality hand made item - Jacob and Keira (Hama beads and decorations), Ava (decorations)
Most Innovative Idea - Kaleb and Josh (Reindeer sleighs)
Best overall product - Finlay and Ben (Wooden Trees and Decorations)
Wider Achievement Gardening Group
Mrs Scott’s Wider Achievement Gardening Group has been busy . They are normally based in school tending our own garden but we have taken our tools into the community this week. We are helping out at The Hollies where, alongside Musselburgh Horticultural Society, we are hoping to help create a wonderful outdoor environment for the community to use next year.
The first job was to make a start on clearing the weeds.... Well done to Liam Batten, Jack Fower, Reece Gibson, Jamie Lawson, Lewis Turley and Calum Weir for all their hard work. It was a great effort all round which was much appreciated by the Hollies, so much so that they posted their thanks on Facebook and it was picked up by Radio Saltire and the office of Chris Murray MP! They'll be back next week!
Borders College Open Day
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.
SQA Exam Diet 2025
Please follow this link to see the SQA Exam timetable for Spring 2025: Exam timetable and learner apps - SQA
Medical
S3 pupils should have received a polio/dip/meningitis form this week. Please return to school as soon as possible. Vaccines will take place in March 2025.
Pupils who have Asthma should carry their inhaler with them at all times.
If you feel unwell during the school day, please go to the medical office. As a school we have a duty of care and pupils should not leave the school building without permission.
Lost Property
Please pop in and have a look to see if anything on the lost property rail belongs to you. Anything not claimed will be recycled at the end of term.
Head Team
Hi everyone!
We hope that all the seniors did well in their prelims and are now taking a well earned break from studying!
Thank you to everyone who wore Christmas jumpers on Monday and brought in a charity donation, everyone looked really festive and the money raised will go to a great cause. This week we visited the Burgh Primary school and spoke to the P7's about the transition from P7 into S1. They were very good listeners and had a lot of questions about the school which we were happy to answer. We hope that these visits will help make coming to High School less daunting and will help them fit into the school quickly when they come up in August.
We also have been busy creating a notice board for our school events and what we as the Head Team have been up to throughout the year. It is located on A floor right outside Music Department so please go and check it out!
Have a great week,
Katie, Ailsa & Summer
Reminder
If you don't already, please encourage your child to bring a water bottle with them - there are water fountains around the school for pupils to refill bottles.
Page updated
Report abuse