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HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
Friday 29th November 2024
Friday 29th November 2024
And just like that………it's almost December!
The terms have flown by, with so much going on so far, and lots more to look forward to including an activity programme for S1-S3 in May 2025 before they change timetable and move up a year, and the first international trip since before the pandemic to Rome for the Italian and Classics students. Huge thanks to the staff involved in the trips committee for making all of these opportunities possible.
For those of you with children sitting exams I hope the experience has been smooth and as positive as possible. Prelim results will be given to pupils in the week beginning 9 December, and progress reports for Senior Phase will follow after the Christmas holidays.
Happy weekend everyone.
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
Prelims end - Friday 6th December
MGS Christmas Fayre - Saturday 7th December, 11am - 1pm
Christmas Jumper Day - Monday 9th December
S3 Parents’ Evening - Wednesday 11 December
Senior Christmas Dance - Tuesday 17th December, 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Christmas Concert - Thursday 19th December
S1/2 Christmas Ceilidh - Friday 20th December
Christmas themed dress down day - Friday 20th December
Term ends - Friday 20th December
Remember you can find all events on our school calendar, and you can add this calendar to your own too.
Staffing
Interviews for the temporary Teacher of PE post are likely to be held towards the end of next week.
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.
Wednesday 11 December: S3
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: 92%
S2: 89%
S3: 90%
S4: 90%
S5: 93%
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
S1 - S3 Activities Days 2025
We are delighted that we are running an activities programme on Thursday, 29 May and Friday, 30 May 2025. These activities are open to all pupils in S1, S2 and S3.
At this time we are looking to get interest for the trips that each pupil would like to attend. From there we can allocate places and open up Ipaye for deposits and collect in consent forms. Spaces will be limited on some of the trips but we will try our best to ensure that pupils get one of their choices on each day.
Please take the time to discuss options with your child as cost vary. You should look through this form together and make your options. Please note that prices are an estimate at this stage and that young people that are receipt of free school meals or are care experienced are entitled to 50% reduction in cost.
We have extended the completion date to Monday am.
The form link can be found on pupil year group classrooms.
S1 MetaSkills Event
8 organisations came in last Friday to deliver a full morning of hands-on, fun activities for the S1s. The focus of this day is meta-skill development in growth sector employment sectors. The workshop activities provided pupils with the opportunity to learn, use and develop their meta skills. The S1’s had a great morning and we look forward to running the S2 Metaskills event in May 2025.
Winter Fayre 2024
Winter Fayre 2024
S1 pupils are busy in Digital Enterprise preparing their stalls for Saturday 7th December. There are so many enterprising ideas with great teamworking and creativity being displayed. Please pop in next Saturday from 11am to support all the amazing work the pupils have been doing.
The Honest Thread social enterprise is hoping to have a pop up winter clothes stall - if you can donate any winter items such as coats, hats, gloves etc before Friday 6th it would be very much appreciated so that they can be displayed and reused by others. Please hand these into the office for the attention of Ms Ritchie.
Inclusion and Nurture
Raffle for Winter Fayre
This year the Inclusion and Nurture department will once again be running the raffle at the Winter Fayre. We are still asking for donations from parents/carers and local businesses and have already been lucky enough to receive donations from Blueberry Gifts and Cards, Baynes, Luca’s, Ravelston House and Mo’s. We also have a lovely food hamper to raffle and the contents have been bought from staff donations. If you can donate anything it would be much appreciated. All donations can be handed into the school office, just let them know it’s for the school raffle. Thanks in advance - Mrs McLean and the Inclusion and Nurture team 🙂
MGS Young Musician of the Year Solo Competition
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our own MGS Young Musician of the Year Solo competition on Wednesday 29 January at 5pm. All instrumentalists and vocalists are invited to sign up! If you take lessons, be sure to speak with your instructor!
There will be four categories: Junior Vocalist, Junior Instrumentalist, Senior Vocalist and Senior Instrumentalist. There will be first place and runner up prizes in each of the categories.
We are delighted to invite Rob Stewardson, music director of Loretto School, who will be our judge.
If you are interested and would like to sign up, please complete the short Google Form. Sign ups will close on 20 December.
https://forms.gle/vNwn3oCbewadFaMPA
SfL Workshop @ the CITY ARTS CENTRE in Edinburgh
in co-operation with SALVESON MINDROOM.
Some of our young people were chosen to attend an Ink Print Art Workshop in the City Arts Centre this week. It was an amazing opportunity to see some fine arts and find out about jobs that are available within the Art Industry.
Eco Club
The school has successfully retained its Eco-schools Green Flag award which is valid until 2026. Well done to all of the pupils involved for their hard work and dedication in making this happen.
.Senior Christmas Dance
Art & Design
The Art & Design department were very lucky to have Grahame Smith, an award-winning East Lothian based photographer, in to work with our NPA Photography class this week. Graham spent time sharing his insights and expertise in photography and showing pupils how to experiment with lighting to create interesting portraiture images. A huge thanks to Grahame for his time.
Pupil Leaders Combat Challenge outing
We have rescheduled our Pupil Leader team building trip to Combat Challenge to Friday 13th December.
We are asking all prefects and leaders, junior and senior, to attend. The trip leaders on the day will be Mr Jordan, Ms Craigie and Mrs Hannan. Faculties have been asked to avoid assessments on that day so there should be no conflict with academic work and all details can be found on Google classroom as well as a new permission form.
If your child is unable to attend, please email the school with the reason for this at admin@musselburghgrammar.elcschool.org.uk.
New copies of the trip consent form are attached. We only need the second page signed by you and your parent/guardian. Please hand these to the school office by Monday 9th December (Christmas jumper 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.
Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day
Time to look out those Christmas Jumpers, dust off the antlers and fluff up your Santa hats!
MGS is linking with Save the Children for Christmas Jumper Day. Ours will be on Monday 9th December. Pupils will be asked for a small donation on the day: one third will be donated to our school hardship fund, one third to the Trussel Trust foodbank and the remainder to Save the Children.
The last day of term will be a Christmas themed dress down day. Again, we will ask for a donation to go towards the places named above.
To all our school community: if you have any teen or adult sized jumpers which are no longer needed, we would be most grateful for any donations which can be offered/passed on to pupils in school.
Please hand in to the school office, Ms Craigie (SLT) or Mrs McElhaney (C9) before Friday 6th December and help to spread a little Christmas cheer. Jumpers can also be dropped off at the Christmas Fayre on the 7th December.
Extra Curricular clubs and Study Support Sessions
Extra Curricular clubs and Study Support Sessions
We have added links to our website with information on all lunchtime/after school clubs, and also our Study Support sessions. You can find it all in the ‘Student’ section of our school website.
Candy Cane Kindness
Send a festive message to your friends or your teacher, to be delivered by Santa and his Elves the last week of term.
Send your message via the link (or QR code on the poster) and pay at the desk in the Canteen every Monday / Wednesday / Friday breaktime. You can also give money to Mrs McElhaney (C13)
Payments taken from 27/11/24
Money made will be split evenly between a chosen charity and school funds.
Link to send a candy cane:
Medical
The Flu vaccinations will take place on 12th and 13th December 2024. If you did not receive a form please go and see Ms Harvey in the Medical room. All forms must be returned to school as soon as possible.
All pupils who have Asthma please have your inhaler with you in your school bag at all times
If you are unwell during the school day please go and sign out with Ms Harvey. As a school we have a duty of care for pupils. Do not leave the school building on your own and go home without permission. I will call your parent/carer
C Harvey
School Medical Assistant
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.
MGS website and School Handbook for parents
Here is the link to our website, and it also contains our School Handbook.
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