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HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
Friday 21 March 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
Mr Donnelly held House Assemblies this week to share with pupils the progress we have made from achieving Bronze as a Rights Committed School to an evaluation in June for the Silver Award of being a Rights Aware school.
Well done to Mr Donnelly and his team, as well as staff and pupils across school for helping our school get to this point.
Unbelievably there are only two weeks until the Easter holidays and every minute in school counts for our young people in S4-S6 preparing for SQA exams and completing courses.
Further information on the running of SQA exams will be shared with all seniors by Mrs Watson, DHT SQA, in the next few weeks, and also with parents.
With best wishes for a sunshine filled weekend.
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
Wk Beg 31.03.25: S456 SQA estimate report distributed to pupils (information on working grade and target grade only. No effort/behaviour/homework ratings)
Friday 4th April: S6 Leavers Celebration (further information later in the newsletter)
Monday 7- Monday 21 April: Easter holidays
Tuesday 22 April: all pupils, including S4-S6, and staff return to school
Remember you can find all events on our school calendar, and you can add the calendar to your own too.
Reporting on pupil progress
Reporting dates
There are several reporting stages coming up. Please note reports will be issued to learners at the following times:
Year Report type Issue date week beginning
S4,5,6 SQA estimate only 31st March
S2 level and rating only 28th April
S1 level. rating and comment 19th May
An explanation sheet for S4/5/6 reports (issued to pupils this week) has been sent to all parents/carers. Please contact the school office if you do not have one at admin@musselburghgrammar.elcschool.org.uk
Parent Council Meeting dates
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
Last formal day for S6
Parents and carers will be invited to join us on the morning of Friday 4th April for a celebration for S6 leavers followed by coffee and pastries.
The timings will be
08.45 - 09.00 Students and parents/carers assemble in the hall
09.00 - 10.00 Leaving ceremony
10.00 - 10.30 Coffee and pastries with students, families and staff
10.30 End of ceremony
S6 students will be dismissed from school at the end of the event.
Can families please complete this form by Friday 28th March to let us know if you are attending? Thank you
N5 Barista Skills course
Our Baristas have been completing the final element of their N5 qualification this week by making delicious smoothies. Our 4 barista classes have spent the year learning practical barista skills and the theory behind it. Pupils have a social enterprise whereby staff make regular coffee orders that are fulfilled by the pupils as part of a barista service. Alongside this pupils create a presentation of their theory work and put practical skills to the test by serving from the barista cart at school events such as parents evenings throughout the year.
We have been delighted by the enthusiastic and motivated attitude that our pupils apply to this course and are pleased to hear pupils reporting back about how the course has helped them in pursuing part time employment as it has taught them transferable skills and built confidence. This year some of our pupils have even managed to set up small barista machines at home, with their families benefiting from their new skills too!
Congratulations to our 2025 Baristas on your achievements this year!
Barista Team (Mrs McElhaney, Mrs Neill, Miss Ritchie, Mrs Dias, Mrs Donnelly, Mrs Orsi)
Maths Trip
On Wednesday we had Constance C, Melissa T, Caelan C and Dan B compete in the UK Maths Trust Junior Team Challenge held at Loretto. It was a great day out with lots of fun puzzles and challenges. Well done team Musselburgh! - Miss Berrick
S1 Dodgeball
We hosted a House Competition this week for our S1 pupils, who battled it out to gain the most house points.
Pupils took part in a Dodgeball Competition with Grange being the victorious house - well done Grange!
In total the points gained were:
Caird: 16
Grange: 30
Moray: 21
A massive thank you to Keira in S6 for organising the event and pulling off such a successful competition!
Go Ape! Trip
All pupils who returned the parental consent form for Go Ape! (20th May) have been allocated a place. Payments have been added to iPay and are due by 20th April.
10 places still remain on the trip. Please come to D7 (Mrs Dias) for a letter if you are interested, places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis
SQA Exam Diet
The SQA exam diet now commences on Friday 25 April, not Monday 28 April https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/nq-2025-exam-timetable.pdf
SQA’s learner booklet – Your Exams – is available to download from their website. The booklet contains important information for learners sitting National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams. It also highlights the rules that learners must know and follow to ensure they are not penalised. Please encourage your child to download and read the booklet. If you have any problems accessing the booklet please ask your child to speak to their pupil support.
Download Your Exams booklet: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/100863.12732.html
A link to this booklet has already been made available to pupils in their google classroom.
SQA Assemblies will take place for pupils week beginning 31st March 2025.
Easter revision programme
There are only 2 short weeks until the Easter holidays, and 3 days in school after those holidays before exams start.
I am aware that some senior pupils aren't aware of the school’s study support poster so am including it here again, will email it all pupils on their edubuzz accounts, and re post in year group Google classrooms.
E-sgoil is offering revision classes over Easter- more information and to sign up with a GLOW password e-sgoil.com/senior-phase/e…
MGS Revision Resource Poster.pdf
MGS Easter Revision Study Support
The Easter Revision Programme offered by MGS teachers is now available in pupil google classrooms and on our school website, using the student > study support tab: https://sites.google.com/edubuzz.org/musselburgh-grammar-school/home?authuser=0 . Please complete the google form you would like to attend any of the available sessions.
Pupils must note that sessions will run from 10am - 12pm and 1pm to 3pm. Pupils must arrive 10 minutes before the session begins to gain access to the building and they must remain for the duration of the study session. Late admission will not be permitted.
We will review the sign up forms and may withdraw sessions that do not have enough participants.
Beating exam stress
Coping with Exam Stress & Your Mental Health:
A Guide for Students
Musselburgh Grammar School
Pupil Voice Equality group
While the cause of exam stress is in the name, there can be many different reasons as to why you may be struggling with your mental health. Whatever the reason, stress or mental health difficulties can have both physical and mental effects on your body.
These struggles can affect people in many different ways, including, but not limited to:
Feeling anxious or down.
Getting irritable or angry.
Struggling to sleep.
Changes in your eating habits.
Having negative thoughts about yourself or your ability to succeed in an exam.
Worrying about the future and things you can not control.
Losing interest in activities that you normally/used to enjoy.
Having difficulty concentrating.
Feeling unwell, e.g. experiencing headaches, feeling sick, or feeling tired.
While it is expected that most people will feel stressed about sitting exams, that doesn’t mean you are expected to ‘just deal with it’. Therefore, this guide aims to give you ways of coping with exam stress and your mental health, charities and organisations that provide helpful advice, and about who to tell if you are struggling due to exam stress or your mental health.
Strategies to Help You Cope with Your Mental Health and/or Exam Stress:
Talk About How You’re Feeling -
Telling someone else how you are feeling. Voicing your worries and concerns, as well as anything else that is troubling you, can help in many ways. Letting it all out can feel like a weight off your shoulders, or the other person may be able to offer you some advice or consolation.
People you can talk to about exam stress or your mental health include:
A parent/ carer/ guardian.
Other family members, e.g. an aunt or a sibling.
A friend.
A teacher or your Pupil Support Leader.
The doctor (GP).
A trusted adult.
Each of these people can help in different ways, and if your mental health or exam stress is particularly difficult to manage, then it may be best talking to the doctor.
Living Healthily -
While getting enough sleep can be easier said than done when it comes to feeling stressed or struggling with your mental health, eating and drinking the correct food and drink can be very beneficial.
This is because eating and drinking the right kind of things fuels your body, meaning it can cope better with the effects that stress has on your body.
Keeping in Contact with Friends and Family -
Making sure you check in with your friends and family is really important when you're struggling with exam stress or your mental health.
If your friends are preparing to sit exams too, then chances are they feel the same way, which means you can both lend a sympathetic and understanding ear.
Try Relaxation Techniques -
There are many types of relaxation techniques, some which are breathing exercises or grounding techniques. These can help curb stress and anxiety, as well as distract you from how you are feeling.
Examples of relaxation techniques include:
Deep breathing - a relaxation technique where you concentrate on breathing in relaxation and breathing out stress. It is scientifically proven to lower your blood pressure and reduce stress levels. Here is a YouTube video of deep breathing exercises that you can try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acUZdGd_3Dg
Progressive muscle relaxation - this involves tensing and then relaxing your muscles, one by one. This helps you release physical tension from your body and feel more relaxed. Here is a YouTube video that guides you through progressive muscle relaxation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=912eRrbes2g
Meditation - meditation is the focusing of your attention to bring about feelings of calm and increased energy. It increases your calm feelings, concentration, and awareness. Here is a YouTube video that guides you through meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyy0ra2WcQQ
Engaging in Hobbies and Activities You Enjoy -
Taking part in hobbies or activities you enjoy can make you feel happier. Whether you enjoy reading books, playing video games, or taking part in a sport, setting aside as little as 10 minutes a day for your enjoyed activity/ activities can improve your mood and reduce stress.
Exercise -
Staying active in some form is great for your physical and mental health. It can help your body stay strong and cope with the effects of stress or poor mental health.
However, playing sports isn’t for everybody, so even just going for a walk or doing some stretching/yoga can be nice, relaxing, and low-intensity exercise.
Strategies to Help You Cope with Exam Stress:
Ask for Help -
If you struggle with a subject, it’s always a good idea to ask your teacher or tutor for advice, or to go to them with questions that you have.
You could also ask teachers or other students for advice on how to juggle revising for all of your subjects, and if they have any tricks and tips for revising.
Getting advice from people who know your subjects well and have been through it before can be very beneficial. It can make you feel more confident and prepared, which therefore can lessen your stress.
Attend Study Support -
Attending study support for your subjects, especially any that you struggle with, can help you learn how to study effectively and get help when you need it.
Revise Little and Often -
Revising smaller chunks of a subject can make it less daunting and more manageable. Making sure you study the subjects you struggle with the most more often can help you feel more confident about them.
If you find it difficult knowing what you should study and when, or if you have a habit of only studying, making a revision timetable might help. This way you know which subjects to study on certain days, and you can schedule time to see friends and relax.
Resources You Can Use:
If you’re struggling with exam stress or your mental health, there are charities and organisations that give advice for how to cope.
Some charities and organisations are:
Student Minds ( https://www.studentminds.org.uk/ ).
Young Minds ( https://www.youngminds.org.uk/ ).
BBC Bitesize study support ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/study-support ).
MYPAS ( https://www.mypas.co.uk/ ).
Some apps that can help are:
DARE: Anxiety & Panic Attacks.
Stresscoach: Reduce Anxiety.
Rootd - Anxiety & Panic Relief.
Finch: Self-Care Pet.
Health Physics Technician Apprentice
We are excited to welcome apprentices to our Health Physics Monitor Apprenticeship Programme!
A Health Physics Monitor also known as a Radiation Protection Technician, helps to protect people and the environment from the adverse effects of ionising radiation and contamination by providing radiation monitoring services.
During the course of this 2-year Apprenticeship, you’ll learn from our industry-leading experts and gain valuable experience, whilst studying for Level 2 qualifications in Radiation Protection. You can expect on-the-job training and the kind of practical experience you simply can't get in a classroom.
https://careers.edfenergy.com/job/health-physics-technician-apprentice-in-dunbar-jid-348
Donation request
In S4 core RME we are supporting a local charity called The Trussell Trust, which supports people in food poverty.
Did you know that in Scotland 9% of adults suffer in food poverty? Across the entire UK 7.2 million people suffer from food insecurity.
We ask that if you can please donate canned foods and long shelf life foods to us so we can help the Trussell Trust with their intake and things that they can give to people in need. If you can donate canned foods such as beans, fruit, soup, sauces and long shelf life foods such as pasta and rice that would be so appreciated.
Please don't feel the need to donate if you are not in the place to!
Please drop all donations to Mrs Craig in D1
SQA Assessment and Assignment calendar
Almost all N5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses require pupils to complete an Assignment, Dissertation, practical performance or other assessment before the SQA exam diet.
These assessments must be completed and deadlines cannot be missed.
To help pupils and parents/ carers see what is required over the next few months and plan out study time accordingly, we have collated these in a spreadsheet for all parents and pupils. This can be found on our website under 'Students', also in 'Musselburgh Learns/SQA' and will be posted in the S4, S5 and S6 Google classrooms - so you can't miss it 😀.
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: 91%
School Office
We would like to remind pupils that if they arrive in school after 8:30am to please sign in with the QR code or with a member of the office team to avoid unnecessary messages home.
Medical
HPV VACCINE
All S1 and also some catch ups will take place on Tuesday 3rd June 2025. Please return your
form back to school asap.
MMR VACCINE - Catch ups (only if you received a blue form) will be vaccinated on Tuesday
3rd June 2025
Reminders to parents:
We are in the process of updating our medical records. If we have contacted you to return a form, or to provide information, please do this asap. It will ensure we are able to help your child if necessary. Without the correct form in place, we may not be able to administer emergency medication.
We are unable to hold antihistamines in school, unless your child has had them prescribed.
If your child requires an inhaler, this must be carried with them at all times, and we must have received your asthma consent form.
Infection Control - if your child has had vomiting/diarrhoea, they should not return to school before 48h after the last episode. This helps limit the spread of any bugs - thank you for your co-operation.
MGS website and School Handbook for parents
Our website can be accessed here MGS (google.com), and it also contains our School Handbook.
School Policies
All of our policies can be viewed on our website
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