HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
Embedded Files
MUSSELBURGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Friday 25 April 2025
Friday 25 April 2025
I hope you all had a lovely Easter break - it was lovely to see some sunshine.
It has been a short but busy week at school for our seniors with completing courses, including portfolios and course work being sent off to the SQA, and study leave has now officially started.
I’m sure our S1-S3 pupils will enjoy school being a little quieter for the next month before seniors return to school on 2 June for the change of timetable.
Have a lovely weekend, everyone.
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
Monday 28 April: S2 reports will be issued to pupils this week
Monday 5 May: May Day holiday
Monday 12- Friday 16 May: S3 work experience
Monday 19th May: Inset day - no pupils attend (unless sitting an SQA exam)
Tuesday 20th May: S1-3 Activities (Alton Towers/Go Ape/Blair Drummond/In-school Activities)
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
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
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.
Senior pupils arriving for exams are reminded to arrive 10 minutes before the start of the exam.
For all MGS pupils not taking exams
Can we ask parents to remind their young people that they should enter the building via the Music Department (unless they have an exam) during the exam diet. If pupils arrive after 9am, they should enter through the main front door, but are reminded to be very quiet. Thank you for your help with this.
In terms of ongoing support for exams, I hope that students are finding this revision poster helpful, and the immersion class timetable (link below) has been published. All pupils should attend their Immersion sessions (unless it coincides with an actual exam). We know these sessions are incredibly useful to pupils - it's their last opportunity to ask their teacher about anything they need assurance in.
https://sites.google.com/edubuzz.org/musselburgh-grammar-school/students/sqa-exams
S4 and S5 leavers
I held the last Headteacher assemblies for S4-S6 year groups this week to say farewell before they left for study leave which started today.
I explained that, as harsh as it may sound, I wasn’t wishing them good luck. This is not because I don’t want them to do well - we all want them to excel in these exams, but success is not down to luck. Success in anything we do, whether that be sport, music or exams is the result of hard work and preparation.
My assemblies also recognised and celebrated our S4 and S5 leavers. Every young person has to make the right choice for them about when to leave school, and staying on into S5 and S6 is not always necessary or appropriate.
Our S4 and S5 leavers, like our S6, are moving onto a wide range of destinations including college/ university, employment or training. It has been a pleasure to have them all at MGS and we hope that we have given them all the support, knowledge, confidence and ambition to move successfully into the next stage of their lives after these SQA exams and completing courses.
GOLF- 2024/25 East Lothian Schools
Order of Merit:
Congratulations to S4 student, Anna Zonova, who placed 2nd in the scratch division at the East Lothian Schools Golf Order of Merit. For the first time, two girls placed at the top of the score table.
Within the team division, Musselburgh Grammar School placed 3rd overall. A big shout out to the rest of the MGS team consisting of: Alex Glasgow (S5), Jack Cleeton (S5), James Horrell (S4), Max Elgin (S4) and Sami Hyvonen (S6).
Pos. Player Stableford Points
1. Ellie Bent, Gullane 36
2. Anna Zonova, Royal Musselburgh 34
3. Cameron Brown, Kilspindie 34
GIRLS' FOOTBALL- New Training Session:
A new football session for girls will be coached by former MGS student, Lucy Meldrum. Using her experience as a footballer, alongside her education at Edinburgh College’s Sports Coaching Course, a new girls' football session will be starting up on Tuesday 29th April. Sessions will take place at the Pinkie 3G from 4pm - 5pm weekly. All year groups are welcome to attend.
For more information, please email mlyle@elcschool.org.uk
DISABILITY- Term 3 Disability Extra Ciricular Club:
For Term 3, we are inviting local clubs and governing bodies involved in disability sport, to hold small taster sessions. Each week we will have a new activity on offer such as: football, indoor curling, boccia, archery, pickleball and tennis. We have incorporated a range of activities so the participants can access different experiences and learn about potential pathways.
Alongside the clubs and governing bodies delivering sessions, we will have our multisport ‘free play’ sessions set up for those that want to do something else.
To sign your child up, please click on the link below: https://eastlothian.bookinglive.com/.../active-schools.../
BADMINTON & VOLLEYBALL- Hall
Closures:
Due to essential maintenance work needing to be done in the sport centre, there will be no badminton and volleyball club from the 19th-30th of May. Our other after school sport clubs will be running as usual.
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: 90%
S4: 89%
S5: 92%
S6: 91%
School Uniform
We have some spare uniform items in school. Should you require anything, please drop into the Medical room and have a look.
Fisherrow Harbour Festival Saturday 10th May 11am - 5pm
Fun day out for all the family. Musselburgh Grammar School pupils playing in bands at the event.
NHS Step into Allied Health Professions Work Experience Week Tuesday 17 - Friday 20 June 2025
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
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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