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HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
Friday 26th April 2024
Friday 26th April 2024
Week One of exams has gone very smoothly with no absences or late arrivals and S1-S3 pupils have been very respectful of the need for silence around exam venues. A reminder that all pupils in school for exams or immersion should wear uniform for security purposes.
I hope that all our senior pupils are studying hard and looking after themselves, and that S1-S3 pupils are enjoying the space around the building and the last few weeks of their timetables.
With best wishes for a restful and sunny weekend.
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
Monday 6 May: May Day school is closed.
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.
Staffing
We bid a temporary farewell and best wishes to Dr Brown in Biology who leaves us today for maternity leave. Dr Brown’s classes will be taught by Science colleagues until the summer holidays.
We appointed Ms Ritchie to the post of Business Management Teacher earlier this week and pending completion of recruitment paperwork, she will begin with us at the change of timetable on 3 June. Ms Ritchie was a probationer teacher with us a few years ago so it will be a pleasure to welcome her back to the team permanently.
School session dates consultation
East Lothian is consulting staff, pupils and families on the draft School Session Dates for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 and the consultation will be open on the Council’s Consultation Hub from 17 April 2024 until 30 April 2024.
The consultation on the draft school session dates for these two school sessions is to seek stakeholder views. Our neighbouring authorities, City of Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council have set, or are in the process of setting their dates. The East Lothian Council draft dates 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 have taken cognisance of our neighbouring authority dates and very much align with City of Edinburgh Council dates.
A copy of the draft dates have already been emailed to all families.
The link to the consultation is: Consultation on the draft School Session Dates for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 - East Lothian Council - Citizen Space (eastlothianconsultations.co.uk)
Parent Council Chairs have also been directly informed of the consultation.
School Leavers
If your young person is intending to leave school at the end of this term, please remind them they must come to the office to collect a leaver's form. They can do this any time from now on, and the form needs to be returned by May 31st.
Employability Programme 2024
If your son/daughter is part of the Employability Programme during the month of May they will need their consent form returned in order to take part. Paper copies can be obtained from school reception if required.
Home to School Transport
Does your child use the home to school transport program to travel by public bus?
Look out for an email from school explaining some changes from August 2024 and important action you need to take before then.
Pupils who receive funded home-to-school transport by public bus should use their young person’s under 22 free bus pass from August 2024. This is via either their National Entitlement Card or Young Scot Card. The Scottish Government-funded pass allows free travel on any bus, not just public buses for journeys from home to school.
We encourage all young people/families who have not yet signed up for under 22 free travel to do so before August. You can do this via https://getyournec.scot/nec/ or your school or local library will also be happy to support families to apply. Please apply in plenty of time.
We understand that some families may feel their young person is not ready to have the freedoms of national free travel. Please contact your school or Transport Services on hometoschool@eastlothian.gov.uk as soon as possible with any enquiries and to make arrangements.
Please note this only applies if your child travels to school using public transport. If they are on a contracted home-to-school bus service, they will continue to receive a pass for travel.
Details of eligibility for home to school transport can be found on our website: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/schooltransport.
SQA Arrangements
Mrs Watson, DHT in charge of SQA exams held an assembly on Wednesday for all S4-6 pupils sitting exams: her slides are below for all parents and carers information too. An email has been sent out to parents explaining about exceptional circumstances.
Pupils are expected to attend immersion classes where possible, feedback from previous years has found these classes extremely helpful.
All pupils are also reminded that from Monday 22 April the backdoors at the dining hall should be used to access and exit school in the morning, interval, lunch and end of day. The main front doors are only for S4-S6 pupils sitting exams that day.y for S4-S6 pupils sitting exams that day.
Exam Stress
Feeling Stressed about Exams?
Have a wee look at the Mental Health Youth Work’s site on Exam Stress here: Mental Health & Wellbeing - Exam Stress (google.com)
Or listen to their podcast on stress here: Mental Health & Wellbeing - Podcasts (google.com)
Immersion May2024
Parental support
NHS Lothian Apprenticeship Information Session
NHS Lothian would like to invite young people/parents/service providers to an Apprenticeship Information Session, to find out about all the great apprenticeship opportunities NHS Lothian have to offer.
NHS Lothian - Apprenticeship Information Session (15th May 2024 - 5.30pm) (office.com)
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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