Embedded Files
HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
Friday 22nd March 2024
Friday 22nd March 2024
It will be an honour to give the Toast to the Burgh this evening at the Old Musselburgh Club dinner and I am likely to still be polishing my speech as you read this!
The Old Musselburgh Club is a staunch supporter of the Grammar, and have sponsored the ‘Old Musselburgh Club Art prize’ at our annual prize giving ceremony every year for many years.
I know how important preserving the town’s customs and traditions are to the OMC, as well as celebrating its history and fostering the arts and culture. Invitations like this are valuable opportunities for me to reflect upon and share the successes and challenges of Headship, as well as the values that underpin my vision for the Grammar, and the power of community in educating our young people.
Eva Hills and Charlie Devine, our Head Pupils, and Eleanor Myles and James Blakeley, Depute Head Pupils, are taking part in the celebrations at the election of the Honest Lass and Honest Lad for 2024, and will most likely be doing the Eight-some reel at the same time as I’m giving this speech!
It was the Spring Equinox on Wednesday so maybe this will be the weather breakthrough we need……fingers crossed.
Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
Wednesday 27th March: Spring Concert 7-9pm.
Thursday 28 March: term ends for Easter holidays, and is the last official day for S6.
Tuesday 16 April: all pupils and staff return to school, and Parent Council online briefing 7-8pm http://meet.google.com/krt-acan-qqj
Wednesday 17 April: S4-6 SQA Assemblies P5 in the main hall.
Monday 22 April: Study leave for all S4-S6 pupils sitting N5, Higher and AH exams begins.
Monday 20 May: Inset Day for staff only, and S1 reports sent home this is Modern Studies with Geography week.
Tuesday 21 May: all pupils return to school, and Parent Council meeting 7-9pm in school.
Monday 3 June: new timetable for S2-S6 begins.
Thursday 13 June: Summer dance for new S2 and S3 pupils 6-8pm.
Friday 14 June: S6 Prom.
Friday 14, Monday 17 & Tuesday 18 June: P7 Transition Days.
Wednesday 19 June: Sports Award ceremony 7-9 pm.
Thursday 27 June: Sports’ Day 9am-1pm.
Friday 28 June: term ends for summer holidays.
House assemblies and British Science Week
House assemblies and British Science Week
Mr Crawford, Teacher of Biology, led this week’s assemblies- with the help of several pupils.
Dynamic Earth
S2 visited Dynamic Earth this week as part of our ‘Restless Earth’ unit. All pupils took part in a volcano workshop and even got to hold part of a meteorite! As well as learn about plate tectonics, Pangea and eruptions. Pupils learned about the formation of our solar system from the Big Bang, through the ice age to the evolution of species. The highlights of the day were the ‘Supervolcano’ 360 movie and touching the iceberg!
East Lothian Young Musician of the Year Competition
On Thursday, pupils from all 7 high schools in East Lothian competed at St Mary’s church in Haddington in this year’s Young Musician Competition. There are two categories; the Soloist Competition and the Ensembles Competition. It was a spectacular
MGS was strongly represented last night with Tess Devlin (trombone) and Kira Meszaros (voice) in the Soloist Competition.
In the Senior Brass ensemble from MGS there was Esme Andre (French Horn), Hannah Scott (trumpet), Tess Devlin (trombone), Ben Naumann (trombone), Grant Myles (trombone), and Julia Scott (tuba).
CONGRATULATIONS to the Senior Woodwind Ensemble who took first place in the Ensembles competition! From MGS there was Katie Horrell (clarinet), Dan Barrett (alto saxophone), and Tom Barrett (tenor saxophone).
Special shout out to our outstanding Instrumental Music team who make nights light these possible for our pupils! Juliet Aspley (woodwind/piano), Jenn Marr (brass), Tim Cais (lower strings), Jenn Hill (upper strings), Chris Day (guitar) and Neil Wilson (drums).
‘Future Influencers’ Performance
S1 and S3 attended a performance from Rowanbank Environmental Arts and Education on Monday 18th called ‘Future Influencers’. The interactive performance aimed to educate groups about climate change and the role that young people in Scotland play in reducing our impact on the planet, as well as how they influence the actions of others. The performance used science, quizzes, an obstacle course and lots of questioning to help raise awareness of growing issues - as well as inform young people about anxiety and awareness linked to Climate Change. Following on from this, some staff will be attending a workshop on Friday on how to use our local environment to teach about climate change creatively.
Mrs Dias, Teacher of Geography.
Comic Relief Friday 15th March
On Friday 15th march 2024 we organised an event for Red Nose Day where we created/made jewellery and baked goods.
We did really well, we had people at both stalls, and we made a plan on the day for how the baked goods would be laid out. We decided by price 20p on one side worked our way up to £2.
We had a bunch of jewellery from evil eye bracelets, lgbtq bracelets, friendship bracelets, necklace and earrings.
Overall we did really well.
The baked goods were gone in no time, and we had a lot of the jewellery gone but still some left to be sold.
It was very busy. Students and teachers came down and bought baked goods and jewellery.
We raised a total of £183.35 for Comic Relief!!
By Emma Hamilton & Mme Dréon-Goold
Lost property
There are lots of items in lost property in Ms Harvey’s room . Please come and have a look to see if any of it belongs to you. If not all will be recycled during Easter break. Thank you C Harvey
Medical
All pupils who are Asthmatic please make sure you have your inhaler with you at all times. Thank you C Harvey
SQA
The SQA exam diet begins on Monday 22 April 2024 and will run until Wednesday 29 May 2024. Study leave will begin on Monday 22 April 2024.
Exam Timetables
Candidates will receive their individual exam timetables w/c 15 April 2024. They should check this thoroughly and raise any issues, errors or omissions immediately to Mrs Watson (DHT). The examination timetable and study tools are available on the SQA website, students should be using this resource to make sure that they are already planning for their exam days; it is the candidates responsibility to be at the correct exam, at the correct date/time.
Alternative Arrangement Candidates
Candidates with alternative exam arrangements will receive a supplementary timetable attached to their SQA timetable. This supplementary information will note; alternative start and finish times for examinations and the alternative rooming arrangements, as appropriate. Candidates must arrive at their examination room at least 10 minutes before the start of the exam.
Your Exams - A publication issued by SQA is available using the following link to the SQA website. Pupils will be given a hardcopy of this during SQA assemblies which will be held on Wednesday 17 April during P5 (further details will be issued to pupils during registration, after the Easter break). This document tells students about the examination room, Examination Exceptional Circumstances Consideration Service, the Appeals Service and registering for MYSQA which allows young people to access their results by text or email.
https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/100863.html
A full Easter revision programme has been published in previous HT newsletters and pupils are strongly encouraged to use this additional support.
Exam Support
Exam Support
Exam season is almost upon us again this year - please see below for Easter study support.
Exam season is almost upon us again this year - please see below for Easter study support.
Here's the link to e-Sgoil Study Support e-Sgoil Study Support
Pupil Leadership in Musselburgh Grammar
Session 2024/25 will see a change to how we approach pupil leadership in Musselburgh Grammar. Traditionally, we have looked to our senior pupils to fill these roles. Next year, we are including S3 pupils in our Pupil Leadership Team as well as S4, S5 and S6 in prefect roles and S6 in Pupil Leadership roles.
The new structure is shown below and pupils will be sent details of how to apply to positions to their Edubuzz email and year group Google classroom along with an outline of deadlines and events.
Exact roles and remits would be finalised upon appointment.
Maths Personal Finance Course 2024/25
Next academic year the Maths Department is running the Personal Finance course again, this time as a timetabled class for 4 periods instead of the Wider Achievement timetabled block of 2 periods.
We have lots of classroom content but I am looking for expertise in the community for workplace experience to add that real life aspect to a very real life course.
Topics of study include;
Ethics of money
Income and Expenditure
Different ways of storing and accessing money
The benefit system
Taxation both through PAYE and Self Employed
Insurance
Pensions
Investments (tracker funds, ISA etc)
Credit Cards
Inflation
Crimes including fraud
If anyone wants to contact me to either come into school to speak to our students or to offer an experience out of school then please email me on sharpham@edubuzz.org
Thanks,
Mr Harpham
MGS Spring Concert
MGS Spring Concert
Tickets are now available to purchase with online school payments. There is limited availability so be quick to avoid disappointment.
‘The Wrap Up, with Charlie & Eva’
‘The Wrap Up, with Charlie & Eva’
Welcome to another edition of ‘The Wrap Up, with Charlie & Eva’, we hope everyone has had a good week and is ready for the weekend!
This week the National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher drama students here at MGS have had both their practical exams, and the live performances in front of friends and family. From the quality of their performances, it was clear everyone performing had put tons of effort throughout the year and it paid off. A massive well done to everyone who took part, every one of you should be very proud of everything you’ve worked towards through the year.
This week and last week our Baristas have been hard at work making milkshakes and smoothies, bringing new experiences and life skills to them shortly before some of our S6 baristas take leave.
This week the school is celebrating British Science Week. British Science week is a 10 day celebration all about getting people interested and involved in science however they can. This year the theme has been time, so Mr Crawford and some of the school's science pupils have come together to give everyone a taste of how time is involved in their subjects during assemblies. If you’re interested in what you’ve heard from Mr Crawford and the science pupils, please consider taking a science or getting involved with sciences in some other way, there are loads of events on through the British science week website so please take a look if it interests you!
Next week is the last week before the Easter break, and for our S6's it’s going to be a big one. As Friday is Good Friday, the graduation ceremony and the trip to the lagoons that would typically take place on Friday is now going ahead on Thursday the 28th March. Please see the invite to students and parents below to come along on Thursday for some tea or coffee before the ceremony, as well as the actual ceremony taking place in the hall!
S6 Leaver Ceremony
S6 parents and carers are invited to our S6 leaver ceremony on Thursday 28th March from 09.30 to 11am.
Please complete the S6 Leaver Celebration 2024 response form to let us know if you are attending.
(NB-the form has also been sent to your email address. Please do not complete twice)
See you there!
MGS Website
We're currently working on our new school website and will be communicating with parents about this very soon. Some areas are still 'under construction', but if you want a sneak peek, you can access it via this link for now.
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