Tuesday 5th June Jubilee Day
Please note that Tuesday 5th June is now a holiday and the school will be closed, DGS will reopen as usual on Wednesday 6th June. As a result there has been amendments to the induction programme, please see below.
S5/S6 Induction Day and New Timetable
Wednesday 6th June is a half day Induction for the new S5/6 students, then they will be joining the whole-school Olympics Rich Task in the afternoon. Students should arrive for 8.40am as normal. On 7th June a motivational speaker will be coaching students in teambuilding, leadership and aspirational thinking skills. Students should arrive at 8.40am. Thanks to Mr Simpson and Ms Taylor being ahead of the game, we are now able to launch our new timetable on Monday 11th June.
Transition Visit for New S1s
Next year’s S1s will be visiting the school next Friday 25th May, as part of the transition programme.
S2 “Broken Bodies” Visit
This week a group of 27 second year students from Dunbar Grammar School took part in a morning of activities at Queen Margaret University, in association with the Edinburgh International Science Festival. The ‘broken bodies’ morning consisted of three real life scenarios: treating a knee injury, a stroke and diabetes. Students were able to practise treating a patient using: keyhole surgery, toe nail removal and an ECG. All the students who took part thoroughly enjoyed their morning being trainee medical professionals and really engaged with the activities as well as continually asking excellent questions. Their only wish was to take part in all three activities rather than just two. Well done to all who took part.
Dunbar Grammar 2012 Olympic Rich Task
On Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th June we will be running a two day cross curricular Rich Task event based around the Olympics. This will involve sporting activities, an official opening ceremony, Olympic torch relay about Dunbar and activities on the history and motivation behind the Olympic Games.
Wednesday 6th will start with an Olympic Torch around Dunbar on the route shown: We will be leaving DGS at 9:15 with the aim of passing the John Muir Campus of Dunbar Primary at 10:15 and back to DGS by 10:30.
The rest of this day will be spent with studying Olympic aims and values then our opening ceremony between 2 and 4pm on the school playing fields. At our opening ceremony there will be drama, dance and musical performances as well as an opening address by our two Young Sports Ambassadors, Ailsa MacKenzie and Jenny MacMillan.
On Thursday 7th of June, students will all take part in a selection of Olympic sporting events including archery, cycling, cyclo-cross, fencing and giant heptathlon, racquetball, handball and hockey, tennis, volleyball, boccia and tug-of-war. We are particularly excited to have the assistance of Keith Cook, the British Fencer (who competed in the Beijing Olympics and who is hoping to qualify for London 2012 this week) showing our students the skills involved in fencing.
Inter-house competitions will be encouraged over these two days, and each house has chosen their own country to represent. Students will be able to take part in fancy dress, design their own house mascot costume to wear or in house colours.
- C1 Winterfield Oceania New Zealand
- C2 Victoria Europe Russia
- C3 Cromwell Africa Kenya
- C4 Castle Americas Mexico
- C5/6 Lauderdale Asia Japan
Other activities/events
A range of other Olympic based activities and lessons have already been delivered in curriculum time. For example, all S2 core Art & Design classes have studied depictions of the ancient Olympics and made Olympic themed sculptures. Classes have also had a go at making medals, drawing ancient vases and are currently working on creating a collage of the London skyline. Personalisation classes have made London 2012 posters after studying posters from past Olympics.
In addition to this Home Economics and Art & Design will be running activities with an Olympic theme for S2s during Activities Week (Monday 28th May – Friday 1st June).
Home Economics will be holding an Interhouse/Intercontinental cooking competition in which students will cook dishes from their House’s chosen continent/country.
Art & Design will have students creating a composite tile piece, making an Olympic dress and creating a huge mosaic based on the ancient games.
Parental consent forms (PC1s) for the Olympic Rich Task were issued to students at registration today. These MUST be returned by Thursday 24th May to take part in this exciting event.
Football Result – Well Done!
Cameron McAlpine 2C4 and Jack Cooke 2C2 played in the Scottish Cup Final at Airdrie’s Stadium on Sunday the 13th May.
Their team Hutchison Vale under 14′s beat Dundee United 2-0 with the first goal scored by Cameron McAlpine. Congratulations boys!
Schools Sports
Students who are interested in competing in the Schools Sports should contact the PE department before Friday 25th May. Parents/carers are warmly invited to watch the Sports Day finals which will take place on Friday 15th June from 9am on the school playing fields.
Battlefields Update
If you wish the school to exchange student’s pocket money into Euros (at a very competitive rate), the sterling must be handed in to the office by 9am Monday 21st May.
Thereafter, it must be handed in in Euros before Thursday 24th May.
DGSA Ladies Night
DGSA are organising a Ladies Night at the British Legion on Friday 25th May 2012, 7.30pm for 8.00pm. More information can be found here: Ladies Party Night 2012
Piping and Drumming Workshop
ELPDT are holding a five day piping and drumming workshop at Cockenzie and Port Seton Royal British Legion from Mon 30 July – Fri 3 August. For more information, please follow this link: ELPDT Summer School 2012
Parent Council Meeting
The next Parent Council Meeting is taking place on Wednesday 23rd May, previous minutes can be found here.
Dates for Your Diary
| S3 Rural Skills | Tues 22nd May |
| Social Science Rich Task Day | Wed 23rd May |
| School Holiday | Mon 4th June |
| Jubilee Holiday | Tues 5th June |
| Senior Induction | Wed 6th June |
| Leaver’s Ceremony | Fri 8th June |
| Battlefields Trip | 27th May – 1st June |
| Dalguise Trip | 28th May – 1st June |
| Activities Week | 28th May – 1st June |
| S2 Expressive Arts Rich Task Day | Tues 12th June |
| Olympic Rich Task | Thurs 7th June |
| Duke of Edinburgh Bronze | 7-8th June |
| Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Assessed Expedition | 14-15th June |
| Duke of Edinburgh Silver & Gold Expedition | 22-26th June |
| S6 California Trip | 21st June – 6th July |
Change in Guidance Teacher
Letters went home with students last week giving details of their new Guidance Teacher due to Pam McIntosh leaving us on the 5th June 2012. If your son/daughter has not received a letter, please assume there has been no change to their Guidance Teacher. As always, if there are any issues please contact your child’s Guidance Teacher in the first instance.
Reading – What’s my role?
Saturday 16th June, 10.00am – 3.00pm, Hilton Hotel, Glasgow
The Literacy Team at Education Scotland is hosting a free conference for parents/carers and would be grateful if you could make this information available to parents/carers.
Once children have mastered the basics of learning to read, many parents are concerned about how best to develop their child’s skills and encourage a love of books. The conference will support parents in helping children to successfully negotiate an information rich world and to become readers for life.
Nicola Morgan, the award-winning author, will deliver the keynote address. The conference will explore some of the perceived barriers to reading and discuss how parents can best support their children.
If there is sufficient demand, limited creche facilities may be available.
Click here to register for the event or call Margaret McGuiness on 0141 282 5064.
Further conferences are being planned to take place in Edinburgh and Inverness later this year.
Trophies
Please can trophies and shields from last year’s Award’s Evening be returned to Mrs Leslie in the school office as soon as possible.
Dalguise Trip Update
PC1 forms and the peach coloured student contracts need to be handed in ASAP.
A reminder that the final payment for this is trip wais now due. Cheques made payable to “East Lothian Council” please.
2012 Scottish Survey of Literacy & Numeracy (SSLN)
14 S2 students have been randomly selected to take part in the 2012 Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy in May 2012. Letters went home with students on 25th April with further information, please find copy Literacy and Numeracy Survey. If you DO NOT wish your son/daughter to take part in this survey, please inform the school office.
Please also see the latest Information Sheet for updates on:
- Boxing
- Girl’s Football
- Tennis
- Lunchtime Clubs
- MTB Racing
