Dear Parent,

Rotary Club Technological Challenge Competition 2013

Musselburgh were this year’s hosts of this annual competition with 17 teams of 4 from six different schools taking part – Musselburgh Grammar, Eyemouth, Preston Lodge, Penicuik, Beeslack and St Davids. The competition was split into three categories: Junior (S1/S2), Intermediate (S3/S4) and Senior (S5/S6).The teams were asked to design and manufacture a self-propelled vehicle that would climb up an inclined path. They were given four hours to complete the task followed by the testing and judging.

All the pupils were a credit to their Schools and worked extremely well in groups and their achievements were applauded by the judging panel. Although we did not win any categories were came a close second in both the junior and intermediate categories. (Two of our pupils went off to do engineering last year at university reflecting the long history of strong Technology, Mathematics and Science teaching here.)

Our S3 Intermediate team comprised: Danny Gillies, Nathan Thomason, Rowen Davies and Keir Convey. Our  S2 Junior Team comprised: Lauren Hall, Lauren Lees, Eilidh Henderson and Chloe Shankie. Congratulations to all pupils involved.

Successful pupils

Badminton: Congratulations to Jason Cameron S3 on being selected to represent East/Mid Lothian in the Secondary Schools National Under 16 singles Badminton Championships in Perth last weekend. It is some time since we have had representation in badminton, so well done Jason.

Mathematical Challenge: Congratulations to the following pupils in the recent Intermediate Challenge. Gaining a Silver Award : Iona Linford S4, Keir Convey S3.   Gaining a Bronze award: Claire Grossart S4, Seth Allen S3, Amelia Stott S3.

Sean McCann S3 has been asked to attend a Phase 2 Talent Day training camp in Sheffield for GB Boccia – one of a group of 24 players – and the Great Britain team for the Olympics in Rio in 2016 will contain members of this group. Best wishes Sean – you are a glowing example of the successes of disability sport.

Lewis Bain, 5C3 has been picked for the Scottish Golf Academy Team to play for Scotland next week in Southampton.

Lewis Hunter in S1 was runner-up and gauged “Outstanding” in a group of 46 pupils performing in Edinburgh Piano Class last week.

Hospitality and Tourism Academy

I think I have given details about this before in a previous newsletter. We have been part of a new initiative (with Ross High School and Preston Lodge High pupils too) where we work with Queen Margaret University and Jewel College (now Edinburgh College) and firms from industry offering a work placement. The S5 pupils involved are carrying the work for this initiative on top of their 5 subject courses and have shown real commitment over the year. Plans are in place to allow those pupils to continue into Year 2 of the initiative and I know most of them are keen to continue in this area. (I spoke to the current S4 at assembly on Monday as the initiative will be repeated for them in session 2013/14.)

5 pupils from across the 3 schools were asked to show off their new found culinary skills learned at the professional kitchens at the College in the National Culinary Championships at the SECC last week in the Restaurant Flambé class. Lauren Cain and Megan Rush were our pupils involved. They performed exceptionally well and were awarded Bronze medals – outstanding when you consider they were competing against chefs from Gleneagles!

Professor Alan Gilloran of Queen Margaret University and I spoke about the initiative at a conference on Wednesday 13th March called “The Learner Journey” at Dynamic Earth.

S2 Parents

My thanks to parents of S2 pupils for their very positive comments on the reply slip for the recently issued S2 reports – it is nice to hear that pupils are enjoying secondary school, building up positive relationships with their teachers and being encouraged to aim high. It was clear that the reports were read by parents in great detail and the school will pick up some of the minor concerns which emerged in a small number of reports.

We also had an excellent turnout yet again at the S2 Parents’ Meeting on Thursday 28^th February – 78% is the second highest figure in the last 4 years. (Just for comparison –the figure for 2003 was 63%, so this 15% rise is noteworthy and testament to the increasing awareness of parents of the need to stay involved in their child’s education.)

Staffing

Mrs Robertson in Biology has gone on maternity leave and is replaced by Mrs Perez.

There is concern across Scotland about the difficulties schools are facing in filling posts on a temporary basis. Some of this may be to do with the fact that staff covering for a day or so are paid at a much lower rate than if they are covering for a full week and taking on all the duties associated with the class. This is affecting schools in East Lothian as well in both primary and secondary schools – my secondary colleagues and I have discussed it with the authority.

Despite having advertised for a temporary teacher of French and Italian twice, and in good time to fill the post, we were unable to get a teacher to cover Mrs Forbes when she left last month on maternity leave. I have taken the difficult decision to close down the S3 Italian class and pupils have been re-coursed to other subjects following parental notification and discussion. Her other classes have been covered internally within the department.

We are also having extreme difficulty attracting supply cover in Physics owing to the departure of Mr Thorbjornsen and the continued absence of Mr Sneddon. We interviewed for Mr Thorbjornsen’s post but decided not to appoint from the interviewed candidates – we will re-advertise the post with the successful candidate starting in August. Advertising it for an August start will allow the newly qualified teachers to apply. In the meantime, we are managing matters as best as we can from our own resources.

S5/6 pupils

Mr MacKinnon took the assembly for this group last Friday and stressed that the preliminary examinations are completed, so it is now full steam ahead for completing NAB tests (and a pass in these is essential along with a pass in the final examination for a full course award), completing the content of the course and preparing for the final examination.  Revision should be underway by now and the school is running Easter revision classes despite the loss of funding for this as well as the regular revision classes which have run all year. It is essential that pupils do not lose focus at this time of year and we have been giving them clear indications of their progress all year through the tracking and monitoring system. The supplementary reports will be with you later this month. I usually advise senior pupils that the Easter holiday is not a holiday for them – they need to manage their time very carefully. We expect full attendance from now until the examination diet begins in May and we do not accept that pupils claiming to study at home is a legitimate reason for absence. Staff revise and go over past papers right up until the examination diet starts.

Careers Fair for Pupils

The Parent Council approached us seeking our agreement to run a Careers Fair on Friday 7^th June, which we have agreed to and planning for this is now underway and will be part of our induction process for new S5/6 pupils on their return from examination leave. It is being designed to offer advice to pupils of all abilities, not just those who wish to apply for university. More details will follow nearer the time.

Significant Dates for the rest of this term

Wednesday 20^th March – S5/6 Supplementary Reports issued

Friday 22^nd March – school closes at 12.10 p.m. for Easter holiday

Dates in the summer term.

Yours sincerely,

Ronnie Summers

Head Teacher

Dear Parent,

Professional Engagement Visit on Health and Wellbeing Wednesday 6^th February

Our two visitors from Education Scotland spoke to the senior management team initially, then embarked on a series of meetings with individual staff holding responsibility for aspects of health and wellbeing in the school, two groups of other staff and two groups of pupils, several parents, and the Kitchen Supervisor.

Feedback at the end of the day to me was very positive. They felt the school knew its community, took very good care of pupils, including those who were most vulnerable, and was very aware of developments in health and wellbeing as laid down in arrangements for a Curriculum for Excellence. Staff were interested in their pupils and knew them well; our pupils liked being here and the younger ones looked forward to coming here and liked all the chances they had to be involved in different events. Pupils and parents knew who to contact if they needed support. They liked the variety of transition events which went beyond the traditional two day visits and handover of information. They felt the school had a strong ethos. There will be no formal individual report although their findings will be included in a document outlining good practice later on in the year.

Behaviour on buses

All schools in East Lothian have received a letter from the Transport section of East Lothian Council asking head teachers to remind pupils about the dangers of misbehaving on or near school buses. I thus remind pupils travelling on buses of the need to remain seated and not distract the driver at any time. Behaviour on the bus should be as good as in school, especially if pupils travel on a service bus shared with members of the public.  Bus passes can be withdrawn temporarily or permanently for poor behaviour and we have done this in the past. For all other pupils, you are asked to be aware of moving vehicles at all times and this especially applies when you are crossing the road listening to music on headphones – make sure you look out for traffic.

Double yellow lines outside school

There have also been concerns expressed in the authority about parking near schools. The double yellow lines indicating no parking have been reinstated after resurfacing works at the turning circle outside the school. Please do not park in the circle – buses cannot manoeuvre safely to pick up passengers when cars are parked.

S2 reports and Parents Evening

Parents of pupils in S2 will now have received their S2 reports. I am very pleased with the vast majority of the reports, but do intend to see a number of pupils who are falling behind our expectations in terms of their effort, behaviour and academic progress. I am also sending out a letter of commendation to a number of pupils who are working and achieving very well indeed.

S4 pupils

Our S4 pupils received their report cards in late January and should now be very clear about what they still have to do to improve their grades before the final examinations occur in May and June. This is a time of year when pupils will be pushing on with coursework in various subjects which must be completed to achieve a final award. Everyone should be aiming to hand in the best work he or she can manage. Revision classes are already running in many subjects and we plan to run Easter Revision classes as usual – but all pupils should already be revising their work, not leaving it until Easter, as work from S3 as well as S4 needs to be revised.

Champions at Musselburgh Grammar

The Champions in Schools programme has been very successful in all our secondary schools, but last week a session was spiced up by adding a cookery demonstration to the mix!  Kris Gilchrist, Scottish Olympian and former world champion swimmer, visited Musselburgh Grammar to deliver a workshop to a group of enthusiastic S2 pupils.  He was then joined by chef Steve Craik and the group joined in preparing (and enjoying) scotch beef fajitas, courtesy of Quality Meat Scotland.  The visit was doubly successful as Steve was then invited to speak to a hospitality class about a career as a chef. 

Mr Colin Parry OBE

We were privileged to host Mr. Colin Parry, OBE on Friday 1 February.  Mr. Parry’s son Tim and three year old Jonathan Ball were victims of the fatal Warrington bombings in February 1993, with over fifty more injured.  The event triggered a campaign for peace, with Mr and Mrs Parry working tirelessly to promote greater understanding between Britain and Northern Ireland.  They set up a Peace Centre in the town and played an active role in the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, for which Mr Parry earned an OBE in 2004.  Their centre challenges extremism and those who support acts of terrorism.  They have travelled the world convincing politicians and youngsters to learn from their tragedy and help prevent further atrocities and challenge racism, in all its forms.  An incredibly inspirational morning was had by students and teachers.  Further information and a summary of the Q&A can be found at http://edubuzz.org/blogs/mgsmag/.

And finally….

Congratulations to Sophie Bain S3 on her selection to attend the Scottish Golf Academy Development Centre where she will receive 30 hours of golf coaching and an additional 10 hours of non-technical coaching in the areas of fitness, nutrition, psychology etc. Also congratulations to Daniel Gaines S1 on finishing runner up and best handicap score at a recent Under 14 Scottish Junior Golf Tour event.

Talented footballer Lewis White in S4 has been attending Scottish football squad training sessions this year and will soon be travelling to Italy to participate in an international tournament for the A Squad – congratulations on this recognition.

Yours sincerely,

Ronnie Summers

Head Teacher

Dear Parent

Cluster Professional Engagement Visit

We have been notified that schools in the Musselburgh cluster, including ourselves, are to receive a Professional Engagement Visit on the topic of Health and Wellbeing from members of Education Scotland Inspectors and an Inspector of Nutrition will also attend. They will be in the school for one day in the week beginning 4^th February. This is a new type of visit to schools and one that should be quite interesting to be part of. I expect them to talk to members of staff and to pupils and I have alerted the Parent Council chairpersons to the meeting. They are visiting clusters in several authorities in Scotland to discover good practice and good support for pupils.

Medicines and Medical attention

The secondary head teachers recently had informal discussions about how we handle medical issues in our schools. As a result, I think it would be helpful if I clarified a number of matters around medical matters for parents and pupils.

The blue mailshot book sent to all parents by post in September has a section on this, about what to do if your child has a serious medical condition which requires the storage of and access to prescription medicines. You need to complete the paperwork for this and send it to the school along with the medication in question. Mrs Harvey can then allow your child access to medication at the correct time of the day. Mrs Harvey is not a nurse or a pharmacist, but a qualified first aider. If she is absent from school, another qualified person steps into her role.

I think most parents are aware that the school’s medical room does not stock painkillers like aspirin or paracetamol for general pupil use, but I might not have mentioned this in a newsletter for some time. Mrs Harvey will thus not give out such painkillers if pupils have headaches. Parents may choose to allow their child to carry painkillers during the day if they wish, but the school will not hold them for the pupil. (If you do want your child to carry painkillers, we would suggest that it should not be routine, and we would advise any parent only to allow their child to carry one day’s supply of painkillers. It would be prudent to have discussed with them the time intervals between taking tablets and the importance of following advice about safe daily dosages.) We are however aware that some girls can struggle with bad period pains or some pupils struggle with migraines which might mean them being sent home regularly if they are unable to take medication. We would advise parents in this position to have a discussion with Guidance staff if extensive pain will affect attendance on a regular basis. If so, we think the best way forward on this is for the procedure for prescription medicines outlined above to apply.

I would like to remind once again the importance of parents keeping emergency contact numbers up to date. We must be able to reach you in an emergency, as we may advise you that a pupil needs more professional medical advice than we are able to give, and ask you to come and collect your child to take them to the doctor or to hospital. We do not call for an ambulance routinely for a child.

My thanks as ever to parents for their prompt response to a call from Mrs Harvey about their child.

Communication with the school

Several members of staff have contacted me recently expressing surprise and concern after receiving email messages directly from parents expecting instant answers to issues. We do not publicise the individual emails of staff at the school as emails are not the preferred form of communication with the school. I know that for many people this is the normal means of communication now but this creates difficulties for us as a school and I would ask parents not to do this please. Allow me to explain why we’d like parents to approach us in a particular way.

Emails can go astray and not reach the person intended. Emails can be sent in the heat of the moment and later regretted where a letter tends to be more considered. I have also clarified with the authority that an email is regarded in exactly the same way as any other correspondence so we will respond to your concerns as we do a letter – it will not be a same day reply.

If your concern needs to be addressed by a promoted member of staff, then telephone the school and the reception staff will try to connect you to the right person – but remember that such staff have teaching commitments and prearranged meetings and may not be able to take your call. You can leave voicemails and ask reception staff for our staff to return your call, however.

If you require to communicate with us on other matters, please write to us so that letters reach the right person and that school management can monitor and log parental complaints and concerns. (There is a formal authority complaints policy and the school has to be given the chance to respond to a complaint. The matter can be raised in the first instance with a PT Subject or Guidance or with one of the Depute Heads – and then with me as Head Teacher if you are still dissatisfied. If I am unable to resolve the matter with you, it is at that point you should contact the local authority. )

Good communication between parents and school is really important – which is one reason why I try to send out general newsletters on a regular basis – and we really want to deal with issues promptly and to the satisfaction of all parties. Please help us to get it right.

Dates for term

Wednesday 23^rd January – S4 reports issued to parents

Thursday 24^th January – S5/6 preliminary examinations begin and study leave begins.

Wednesday 30^th January – 7-8pm Personalisation and Choice Information Meeting for S2 Parents

-          8-9pm Course Choice Information Meeting for S4 and S5 Parents

Monday 11^th February to Friday 15^th February inclusive – holiday week for pupils and staff

Wednesday 20^th February – S2 Personalisation and Choice package issued

Thursday 28^th February – S2 Parents’ Meeting 5-7pm

Wednesday 20^th March – S5/6 Supplementary Reports issued

Friday 22^nd March – school closes at 12.10 p.m. for Easter holiday (amended time)

Monday 8^th April – school resumes at 8.45 a.m. for pupils and staff

 Yours sincerely,

Ronnie Summers

Head Teacher

I invited parents of S3 pupils to come to a presentation about S3 Broad General education and how it would link into qualifications for S4. About 80 people attended and I said I would post the presentation when the edubuzz site came back. Here it is – it may take a little time to upload.

 CFE S3 Sept 2012screen

Mr Summers

Head Teacher

Dear Parent,

Musselburgh Grammar School website

I am sorry to say that the school websites across East Lothian remain down with the IT Department seeking a solution. It means I cannot issue any letters or supporting material for pupils electronically – though I will do so retrospectively.

Public Exhibition

I only this notice on Monday morning. Richard Jennings of East Lothian Council suggested that local schools advise parents of a public exhibition the authority is holding for a proposed residential development on land at South West Wallyford, East of Salters Road, Wallyford, which may be of interest.  The exhibition will be held on Thursday 15^th November 2012 at Wallyford Community Centre (Albert Place, Wallyford) between 2pm-8pm.

President of School Leaders Scotland

I have been a member of my professional association School Leaders Scotland for almost 20 years and was Vice-President last year. I am very pleased to inform you that I will become President on Friday 17^th November for the next 12 months. It is a considerable honour and professional recognition to be chosen by your colleagues for such a post and I am looking forward to the year ahead. My involvement with the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board means that I already know all of the leading figures in Scottish education in government, at Education Scotland, and at the Scottish Qualification Authority – which will be a help to me in trying to build partnerships nationally and locally.

This seems a logical time to stand down from the Management Board and thus one of my SLS colleagues Andy Smith now takes my place there. However, I am very confident that I will be well-informed of national developments and in fact my position gives me the opportunity to influence those national developments. I will not hesitate to speak up about developments that I do not think are in the interests of children, parents and teachers in the coming year.

Parents’ Meetings

We have had two meetings since my last newsletter – one for S4 parents with an attendance rate of 74% and one for S1 parents with an attendance rate of 82%. While we are very pleased with our figures, it still means we have a proportion of our parents not attending and we would like to see the figure continue to rise – although we are aware that other commitments, childcare and illness can affect attendance. I remind parents that if you cannot attend, you can still get information about your child’s progress by contacting his or her Guidance teacher.

School session dates 2013/2014

Please find enclosed a list of school session dates for next year. I would remind all parents that children should not be taken out of school for family holidays during session time and that parents of children in S4-S6 should be aware that no holidays should be taken during the period of SQA examinations in April-June: there are no resits and if your child is absent for a holiday we will not appeal for them.

Target-setting

I mentioned in an earlier newsletter that we were moving to a regular target-setting system with S4-S6. I am very pleased with the staff and pupil reaction to this – it has focussed attention on the difference between the current grade for work done and the future grade (the target grade) the pupil should be aiming for by the end of the year. Just as importantly, it lets staff highlight where a pupil is falling down and why – giving them the opportunity to redress this. S4 have just had their second assessment before their preliminary examinations which start on Thursday and we will complete S5/6 by the end of the month.

It is also our intention to do this with S3 after Christmas. Our reasoning is that we are approaching the end of Broad General Education and we want pupils to achieve as highly as possible before we move to National Qualifications work at Easter 2013. Their work this year lays the foundations for their level of presentation in S4.More information will follow on this to S3 parents later.

Celebrating Success

It has been a very busy time in school since my last newsletter. S6 organised a very successful Fright Night for S1-3 – super makeup and costumes on ghoulish and ghastly themes – with lots of S1 dressing up too in the spirit of the occasion. We also had our Crea8 dance event last Thursday in school, again with pupils taking on organising roles for sound, lighting organisation and performance. Finally, we had a very moving Remembrance Reflections event on Friday 9^th November organised by Mrs Bonnar and Mr Duncan – explaining to all of S1 and S3 what Remembrance Day is all about, with readings of poetry and talks when pupils visited Auschwitz and Berlin, Robyn Grant playing the Last Post, and a wreath and poppies were laid at the remembrance plaque in the foyer. The school held a minute’s silence at 11.11 that day. Our Head Boy and Girl laid the wreath in Musselburgh on Sunday morning.

Yours sincerely,

Ronnie Summers

Dear Parent,

Musselburgh Grammar School website

All schools in East Lothian are being inconvenienced at present because the council’s IT department has expressed concerns about the way the edubuzz sites are set up, wanting to make them more secure. We are awaiting developments on this and I hope we will have the service restored to the benefit of all. I’ll lodge my newsletters on it when it becomes available again. We are trying to set up a temporary site with the help of the authority.

Parent Council AGM

We had our first Parent Council meeting of the new session in late September prefaced by the official opening of the back courtyard for S1 pupils by Fiona O’Donnell our local MSP. This area has been the focus of work by the Parent Council to give younger pupils a place where they can gather and socialise. Our S2 pupils have been working with Laura Young, one of our parents, to produce a series of large artwork panels which have now been mounted on one of the walls of the courtyard and it is intended that part of the area will be used for horticulture and fieldwork in Science.

At the AGM, Louise Kirkpatrick stood down as Chair with Gaynor Allen and Veronica Rodger standing in as Joint Chairs. I’d like to express my thanks to Louise for all her work as a very meticulous and well-prepared Chair. Kate Colver also stood down as Treasurer with Sharlene Miller taking over – similar thanks to Kate for her work as Treasurer. My thanks to all new post holders for their willingness to be involved in the work of the school like this. We also had several parents of S1 pupils in attendance who intend to join the Parent Council.

S3 Parents’ Information Evening

I had about 80 parents attend this evening when I explained the arrangements for S3 pupils this year. I covered such matters as the S3 report and profile and the transition into SQA qualifications in S4. I will drop the slides I used onto the school website when it is up and running again.

P7 Parents’ Evening

This was held on Thursday 11^th October and was very well attended. We changed the format of the evening at the beginning to include three films made by a group of S3 pupils as part of their Video Editing course – the films illustrated the subjects pupils will take in S1; the type of extra-curricular visits we make each year; and a question and answer session with current S1 pupils talking about their experience of the school so far. The films were very well received by the audience who then went on to visit various classrooms over the evening, coming together at the end for refreshments and a chance to talk to senior staff more informally. The middle film, featuring Sam Elliot, has been posted on You Tube and has received a lot of hits already – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEJsS2jWb_E

S4 Work Experience

Our S4 programme was changed this year to have all pupils out in two consecutive weeks in September and October. As usual we had many positive reports from pupils on how they had enjoyed their week on placement and also many positive reports from employers – it is always pleasing to feel that the pupils have acted as positive ambassadors for the school. Many of our pupils return realising that they need to work on their “soft skills” such as working with others, initiative, organisation and communication  – and see the direct application of how they are working in class to how they will work when in employment.

Celebrating Achievement

One of our janitors Keith Gale is a keen cyclist and recently completed a Lands’ End to John O’Groats marathon cycle to raise money for the Sick Kids Hospital in Edinburgh. We took the decision to support him in this and have raised over £1300. We also took the opportunity to emphasise to pupils that achievement comes in many shapes and forms and encouraged pupils and staff to come in to school one Friday September  dressed in something that was important to them – so we had pupils coming in to school in their Army Cadet uniform for example. For S3 pupils, this ties in with work they will be doing in PSE primarily this year in preparing to complete their S3 profile. (Parents of S1 pupils will recall their children completing their P7 profile earlier.) I was taking house assemblies the week after this and was making the point to pupils that it is important to try out new opportunities as you never know where your interests may take you later – and it is all about development of the whole person over time.

This is also an opportunity to mention that Struan Ritchie of S1 took part in the British International Karate Championships recently at the Kelvin Hall arena in Glasgow and came away with a gold medal in his individual category beating a Russian in the final and with 2 silver medals, narrowly beaten by another Russian and then the Russian team. This is the highest competition that Struan can participate in at his age and is on a par with World Champion – so congratulations. 

Scholar programme

I was being asked about this programme at the Parent Council and said I would explain in my next newsletter. Scholar is a programme developed by Heriot-Watt University which is used to support pupils in their studies independently of schools and is aimed at pupils in S5/6, primarily for Higher and Advanced Higher courses. Pupils can be given passwords for access to a number of subjects – Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Modern Languages, Computing, and Business Education – through the department.  Parents and pupils who are interested could go to the Scholar website at http://scholar.hw.ac.uk/; click on the Scotland button; and go into the “Try Scholar” section to get a flavour of it.

S4 pupils

Mrs Mackie has already given S4 pupils a copy of the preliminary exam schedule to help them prepare revise for the examinations which begin on Thursday 15^th November. It is important that pupils realise the importance revision has in their final success – a lack of revision is often the reason for underperformance in May. This is the chance to get it right first time round. I also am preparing a list of useful revision sites for pupils which we will give out later this week to support them- covering individual subject sites for Scottish examinations but also more general advice on revision techniques and how to conquer examination nerves.

In September, all teachers carried out a target-setting exercise with S4-S6, so S4 pupils will be very clear on the expectations we have of them and the things they need to do to achieve those targets.

Forthcoming parental events

S4 Parents Evening – on Tuesday 30^th October from 5-7pm. Appointment sheets have been issued and a group call sent to all S4 parents reminding them of the event.

S1 Parents’ Meeting – on Wednesday 7^th November from 5-7pm. Appointment sheets will be issued in due course with a group call to parents as above. We are planning to issue an advice sheet separately to S1 parents about how the evening is organised as new parents gave us feedback last year that this would be helpful as primary and secondary arrangements are so different.

S3 Parents Evening – on Thursday 29^th November from 5-7pm.

Yours sincerely,

Ronnie Summers

Head Teacher

Dear Parent,

I hope you received the August Newsletter which was given to pupils to bring home to you right at the start of this new academic session. My apologies that you are receiving this mailshot slightly later into September than we would have liked – but we have had unavoidable staff absences in the school office which has delayed the implementation of some our usual routines. I’d like to express my thanks to the office staff who have worked even harder than usual to try and keep the school running smoothly.

We enclose information about the school in booklet format once again and I would ask you to keep it in a safe place for reference through the session. Posting all this information home is expensive but helps ensure everyone has a clear understanding of the expectations we have of our pupils and it lays out the important dates for the coming year.

We do try to duplicate all the mailshot information on the school website www.mgsonline.org.uk which continues to develop and this will tell you more about the school, the work of our departments and what our pupils are achieving and doing over the course of the year.

S3 – Curriculum for Excellence Information Evening

 I have issued a separate letter to S3 pupils to take home, inviting parents to a meeting on Curriculum for Excellence on Wednesday 19^th September at 7pm where I will speak about the experience pupils will have in S3. S3 parents were also issued in late August with a letter from Cabinet Secretary Mike Russell about this final year of Broad General Education. There is also an information leaflet called “CFE Broad General education in the Secondary School”  – download at

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/b/genericresource_tcm4725663.asp?strReferringChannel=parentzone&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-633325-64&class=l1+d140387.

Parent Council AGM

This is held near the start of every school session and this year’s meeting is on Wednesday 26th September at 6.30 p.m. when we have the opening of the back courtyard, then slide into the AGM and then into the first meeting of the Parent Council. We will set dates for meetings for the rest of the year at that point. Details of the work of the Parent Council including a report from the Chair Mrs Kirkpatrick is enclosed in this mailshot. There are vacancies on the Parent Council and we would particularly welcome interest from parents of new S1.

Assistance with sports teams

We are looking for parents / friends / family members to help with school football teams.  Football has a strong tradition at Musselburgh Grammar but staffing is now becoming an issue and we are at risk of having to pull some of our teams out of the leagues.  If you have an interest in football and could help out in any way please contact our Sports Coordinator Stacy Ramsay on sramsay@elcschool.org.uk or 0131 665 4278 to discuss.                                                           

Pupil safety

The authority has made the area around the school a 20 mph zone when pupils are arriving and leaving the school and most drivers take heed of this. However, pupils also have responsibility for their own safety by walking on the pavement and only crossing the road when it is safe to do so. Fortunately, it has been some years since we have had any accidents of this kind.

I also have reminded pupils not to walk through the school car park when they get off the bus in the morning and when they are leaving at the end of the day. I also remind all parents that they should drop off and collect their child a distance away from the school to ease congestion.

Bus passes

All pupils who live in Wallyford and Whitecraig should have a bus pass issued by East Lothian Council and these passes must be carried every day: the bus driver can charge pupils for transport if they do not carry a pass. If the pass is lost, the pupil must reapply for another pass. The pass must not be marked or defaced in any way – the photograph must be clearly visible and match the card-holder.

Pupil Planners

All pupils in S1-4 were issued on the first day with a pupil planner to record homework and planners for senior pupils were delivered soon afterwards – our supplier had a problem. Research tells us the issuing and completion of homework is a significant factor in pupil performance. Homework is not just written work – it can be revision, research, projects, watching a particular TV programme or surveying family members. I would ask parents to write to me to let me know if their child does not seem to be getting homework – (though I would ask you to check that the child is simply not entering it in the planner first!)T he planner should be carried every day in a bag and we would encourage parents to check planners. A pupil’s timetable should have been copied in to the planner.

SQA Results

Like every other year in Musselburgh Grammar, there were some superb individual performances from pupils, including several S4 pupils who picked up 9 Grade 1 passes – i.e. a top pass in every single subject in S4 and several pupils in both S5 and S6 who achieved 5 Higher passes in a single sitting. Just as importantly to us, many pupils had worked really hard and conscientiously to reach the grades we expected of them and we were just as delighted to see their success. Sad to say, despite all the support and prompting from teachers and Guidance staff, a group of pupils did not reach the goals we set for them – but have returned in S5 determined to do better this year. We are initiating a target-setting scheme for S4-6 this year – more about this in a later section of this letter.

I confess myself very irritated listening to radio and TV programmes on the day the SQA results are announced and people start blethering about easier examinations. Feel free to go on to the SQA website and look at Credit and Higher examination papers. I’d really like some public acknowledgement of the fact that teachers and pupils work hard together to get as good grades as possible knowing that it’s a challenging world out there and few people walk into a job or university place.

We continue to have a lot of success in many ways – almost every pupil achieves an award at Grades 1-6 in English (up now to 97%) and Mathematics (96% – up again this year). (It does not reach 100% because a number of pupils do not maintain good attendance and either have to be withdrawn from presentation or do not turn up for the examination in May.) The number of pupils getting at least 5 passes at Grades 1-6 again stayed consistent at 93%, the same as the last three years. It is important to realise that we are a very comprehensive school and some of our pupils have real learning difficulties – for them, a pass at Access 1 and 2 is just as challenging a target as a Credit grade will be for our more academic pupils.

The number of pupils achieving 5 or more passes at Grades 1-4 rose to 71%, a rise from last year… This figure is important as I want more pupils to achieve General awards and I was very disappointed with last year’s score, so we are heading in the right direction. Most S4 are back in school for S5 as so few pupils left school over the summer and many are honest enough to admit that they need to work harder to achieve the grades they want for employment, college or university.

24% of pupils managed to achieve 5 passes or more at Grades 1-2 - down 4%, though subject appeals may raise this figure later on, as we have a large group of pupils on 3 or 4 Credit passes. A lot of pupils did work very hard after their preliminary exam results to achieve this, as we only had 15% in this position in November. We explained how their target grades in their S3 reports would only be achieved by steady work, solid revision and good preparation for the November prelim. I spent time personally with a large group of pupils capable of achieving 5 Credit passes and I was pleased to see many come through in the end. There were some excellent performances from pupils in this group which will have prepared them well for the Higher Grades they will sit this year.

For S5, many did well with some very good individual performances.  33% passed one or more Highers, which is a rise from our usual performance at 30%. Our Credit pass rate dropped last year, so we suspected that our 3 or more Highers figure might drop a little – but in fact 18% managed to get to this benchmark – up 3% on the year before. 6% of our S5 pupils, about our usual number, achieved 5 Higher passes and are obviously now very well-placed when applying to university or college for places. Our initial reaction was that we had achieved more Grade A and B passes than expected too, not just bare passes at C

As in S5, we have very many more pupils back for S6, with many different ambitions for grades, but all wishing to improve their qualifications. As a result, we have many more pupils accumulating 3-5 Highers in total over their S5 and S6 and just as many attempting to pass Higher Grade in S6 after passing Intermediate 2 in S5. However, our Advanced Higher pass rate dropped to 8% from 14% the year before – often explained by the fact that more pupils are choosing to sit more Highers in S6 rather than specialise at Advanced Higher on the advice from university admissions officers. Those who chose to do Advanced Higher did very well, with our most able group passing 3 Advanced Highers in a single sitting.

I am always interested to see how pupils have done at the end of their school career rather than just at the end of S4 and S5, because many of our pupils take more time to reach their potential. So for example 47% of pupils have reached the 5 Credit passes level by the end of S6 – i.e. double the S4 figure; 40% of pupils have achieved one Higher, 27% of pupils have achieved 3 Highers and the number of pupils with 5 Higher passes has trebled from 6% in S5 to 18% in S6.

Senior school – rules about presentation for SQA examinations

The pass rate for examinations is 50%. As in previous years, we have told pupils that if they do not get 35% or more in their preliminary examination in February, then we will drop them down to the next level – i.e. from Higher to Intermediate 2.

Given that the pass rate for Higher examinations is 50%, this is a generous cut-off mark. It still means that pupils will need to work very hard to achieve a pass in May. We see no point in presenting pupils for a subject at a level when they have no chance of a pass, and the preliminary examination is a good indicator of likely success. We much prefer to see pupils get a pass in a subject rather than study for the whole year and leave with a No Award. We will not, however, be allowing pupils to drop subjects in the early stages of this term – they have to persevere and work at their learning. The argument that they will “drop a subject to concentrate on the others” cuts very little ice with us – pupils just do less work, in our experience. Pupils also must pass the NAB tests as well as the final examination to be given a course award: these are national tests for pupils in every school. Some parents asked me about this last year so I am happy to clarify this early on.

I spoke at assemblies to S4-6 pupils about setting targets. Staff will always have talked to pupils through the year about what grades they expected them to get, but we wished to make this a much more formal and intensive process. Teachers will be talking to pupils one-to-one about their current working grade and what grade they expect them to get – and we will track progress three times a year. As adults, we know how challenging the economic climate is and that pupils need to realise there are both adults and school pupils seeking employment and college/ university places. All pupils need to achieve their potential if they are not to find themselves left behind – and that would be a huge shame because our pupils have lots to offer.

Up-to-date contact details

The mailshot includes a form which parents should return to the school giving up to date contact details which are logged onto our data system. This information is important as we have to reach you if your child is absent from school, but essential if we have to reach you in a medical emergency. Please return the form as soon as possible.

Mobile phones and electronic music devices

I made clear in a newsletter some time ago that there is no requirement for pupils to bring mobile phones or music devices to school as part of their learning. They are brought at the pupil’s own risk and we will not accept responsibility for damage or loss to these devices.

I wish all pupils a successful year and remind parents that we are here to help – we want pupils to be happy at school and achieve their best. The first port of call is usually your child’s Guidance teacher and I would encourage you to make use of their skills and knowledge. If you are unhappy about something in school, the authority’s complaints procedure is very specific that you must contact the school and give us the chance to resolve your complaint – which can be raised initially with the Guidance Team or Depute Heads and then with me if it remains unresolved. Only if you remain dissatisfied after my intervention will the authority become involved.

I look forward to another successful year for the school.

Yours sincerely

Ronnie Summers

Head Teacher

Dear Parent

Welcome back after the holidays to everyone connected with the school.

I intend to put out a fuller newsletter in the mailshot in early September, but there are a couple of general issues which I’d like to cover in this first newsletter.

Parking

A reminder that we ask you not to park at 3.50 in the turning circle outside the school if you are collecting your child  –  it obstructs the school bus and service bus from parking properly so that our pupils can get on safely. The whole area is double yellow lined for this reason.  We also ask you not to come in to the school car park at the beginning and end of the school day as we have the potential for accidents with people coming both in and out – pupils are perfectly capable of walking out of the school to be collected nearby. I also have pupils who must be picked up by taxi each day and they must be able to come in and park.

If you have business in the school between 9.00 and 3.15 you are of course welcome to park in the visitor spaces provided in the bottom car park, as it is safe to do so.  I would also encourage you to have your child walk to school – we are in an urban area with broad well-lit pavements: it gives children exercise.

Lunchtime

All pupils have been issued with smartcards which they can load up with money to buy food in the dining hall at break and lunchtime. The Parent Council and the school are keen that pupils use the dining hall to eat a healthy lunch rather than go to fast food outlets down the street with older pupils. You can load money onto the card remotely – see the council website. Pupils are not allowed to leave the school at breaktime

MGS Parent Council AGM

The Parent Council is always pleased to welcome parents of new pupils onto the Parent Council. Our constitution is flexible enough to admit many members and we are not full. The AGM is on Wednesday 26^th September at 6.30 p.m. in the School Library. Any proposed amendments to the constitution have to be submitted to Mrs Kirkpatrick  the Chair of the Parent Council two weeks before the AGM – so by Wednesday  12th September. Amendments in writing  can reach her in a sealed envelope given to the school office which will be placed in the Parent Council folder for her to collect.

Transport

Bus passes are arranged by the authority not by the school. All pupils are expected to behave well on the buses, especially when they are sharing the service with the general public. The school has removed passes from pupils in the past as both a short-term and permanent sanction after bad behaviour. All pupils must carry their pass each day and show it to the driver if asked – the company has the right to ask for payment if it is not carried. The pass is non-transferable. If it is lost, the parent must make arrangements for a replacement. If a pupil going to Whitecraig misses the dedicated school bus, they should return to the school for arrangements to be made to get him or her home safely. No pupil should be walking home, since it involves crossing the road at several points.

Staff

We welcome back Mrs Douglas to Support for Learning and Mrs Wilkinson to Guidance after maternity leave. A reminder that Mrs Taylor is covering for Mrs Jardine in Grange Guidance. We welcome new staff – Ms Edes and Ms Milne in Music, Mrs Laird in Home Economics, Ms Forster and Ms Yates in English, Mr Nicolson in PE, Mr Geary in History, Mrs Burke and Mrs Ferguson in Business Education, Ms Taylor in Geography, Ms Storrie in Support for Learning  and Ms McKendrick in Biology.

Pupil planners

All S1-4 pupils in the school have been given a planner to record homework. (There has been a delay with our S5/6 planners but I am promised them very soon. I would like to stress to parents that we would encourage you to monitor this planner – it is not a personal diary for pupils and you are quite entitled to see what homework is being set by staff and take an interest in when your child is doing their homework. We expect the planner to be carried in a bag along with other materials every day.

Assemblies

I held an assembly for every yeargroup on Thursday to welcome them back and remind them about the standards of work and behaviour we expect of them in the school. I was pleased to see almost everyone in uniform on their return. We also welcomed back our highest ever number of senior pupils this year – over 360. Many were absolutely delighted at having done so well in their SQA examinations – but also know how hard they will have to work to get the very best results they can in the current difficult economic climate.

I wish every pupil success in the coming year and we look forward to establishing positive working relationships with parents of our new pupils and continuing positive relationships with those in S2-S6.

Yours sincerely,

 Ronnie Summers

Head Teacher

Dear Parent

Olympic Torch Relay

I imagine nearly all parents will be aware that the Olympic Torch passes through Musselburgh on Thursday 14^th June. We have chosen not to be involved in the various choirs on the course, but Mr MacKinnon and Ms Ramsay have been making arrangements for a group of our Sports Leaders and elite athletes to be present at the route with a large banner identifying the school and wishing the Olympics well.  Ms Ramsay has also been involved with the primary schools in having our own torch passing from school to school in the cluster.

I am well aware that this event may cause significant congestion along the route and might make it difficult for our pupils to be able to watch the torch relay and get to school on time safely. I have thus notified the pupils via registration (and parents via a groupcall message) that pupils can watch the relay if they wish and then come up to school and sign in at the foyer, and that we will suspend late detentions for that day. The school will open at the usual time for others.

Staffing

Several members of staff are about to retire after long service to education.

Mrs Booker retires as Depute Head Teacher after a long association with the school as pupil (and former Dux) and teacher. She has been a reliable loyal and wise member of the Senior Management Team in my time here and I have always valued her willingness to go the extra mile for pupils when she ran Seton House, her organisational ability as SQA co-ordinator, her technological expertise in IT systems and our management systems, and not least, her sense of humour and perspective when problems arose. I wish her a long and happy retirement with her husband.                                       

Four other staff are retiring at this point also. Mr Barclay PT in Support for Learning has taken a keen interest in ensuring our less able pupils settle quickly into school and has worked closely with many pupils on the Successmaker programme to help them develop their basic literacy and numeracy skills. He has also been a huge supporter of schools football and will be missed in that capacity also. Dr Strain has headed up the Computing Department for many years, although he originally trained as a Physics teacher. That subject has become more and more important to many pupils over the years and many staff have reason to thank him for his willingness and patience in resolving problems which arose with hardware and software around the school. Mr Clark has been PT Physical Education for many years and has kept a very firm hand on the complexities of running PE across 3 sites in this school – our own facilities, Musselburgh Sports Centre and Pinkie Playing Fields. His legacy is to leave behind a group of highly committed staff attuned to his belief that sport and exercise should play an important part in young people’s lives. Mrs Ford, teacher of English, also retires at this point, having been teaching a reduced timetable in the last 3 years and sharing her classes with Mrs Neill. A teacher here since 1984, her contributions to the English department will be missed by colleagues and staff alike. To all four, my sincere wishes for a happy retirement.

Ms Bovill PT English will also leave us at the end of term to take up a position at Moray House Initial Teaching Centre, part of Edinburgh University. She will be working now as a trainer of student teachers. She has been part of the school since 1996 and we will miss her expertise, particularly her wide knowledge of literature. Interviews for her replacement will take place before the end of this month.

A number of teachers joined us in August for their one year stay as newly qualified teachers. As a group of staff, they have been excellent this year and we are sorry to say goodbye to Mr Jarvie (Chemistry), Ms Donaldson (Biology), Ms Miller(Geography), Mr Johnston (CDT) and Ms McBrierty (PE). Ms Cargill will remain with us to fill a vacancy in Physics. Ms Halliday has been covering a vacancy in Music and also leaves at the end of this session. We wish all these staff well in finding a permanent post elsewhere.

Several interviews have taken place in the last month for vacancies in the school. Mr Duncan will join the History Department and Ms Edes will join the Music Department on a permanent basis. Mrs Jardine, PT Guidance in Grange House, leaves on maternity leave at the end of June and Mrs Taylor, teacher of Home Economics in the school, will be Acting PT Guidance until she returns.

Ms Forster will join the English Department to cover Mrs Ford’s timetable and that of Mrs Neill who is going off on maternity leave. Ms Storrie will join us to cover Mr Barclay’s timetable in Support for Learning. Mrs Marshall of Business Education is also going on maternity leave and her classes will be covered by another person.

A group of new teachers will join us in August and I will provide details of this later.

Changed session dates

The Cabinet Secretary has given East Lothian Council permission to allow secondary schools (but not primary schools) two further in-service days next session for work on Curriculum for Excellence. Thus the school will have three in-service days at the beginning of the term (adding one on Wednesday 15^th August) with pupils returning on Thursday 16^th August; and a further day on Tuesday 18^th September after the holiday date of Monday 17^th September.

Mobile phones and responsible use of social media

This has been the focus of discussion both at the Parent Council, Senior Management Team meetings and at the meeting I have had with the cluster primary schools. There is concern that pupils are being distracted in school by mobile phones and more seriously, that pupils do not seem to understand the dangers of revealing personal information and being in contact with strangers through social websites such as Twitter and Facebook. There are advantages to technology too and we need to help pupils use such technology responsibly. Mr MacKinnon is going to lead a working group of staff and parents on this with a view to looking at a common approach to the use of mobile phones in all cluster schools; revisiting when pupils can use phones during the day; sanctions when pupils do not follow the school policy which was devised with pupils some years ago; and building in more and more effective advice on the internet and social media sites.

SQA examinations

This year’s examinations are now complete and S4 and S5 pupils returned to school on 6^th June to start the new timetable. As I am sure you appreciate, the organisation of the examinations is a huge affair for Mrs Booker – invigilators to arrange, seating and rooms to arrange, special arrangements for some pupils, digital examinations for others, displacement of S1-S3 classes when special facilities in rooms are needed. There were very few hitches this year and those that occurred were swiftly resolved.  I would remind parents that there are no resits for SQA examinations and that you should not be taking your child on holiday from mid-April until the end of the first week in June.

Pupils will receive their results by posted certificate or by electronic communication on 7^th August. Mr Burns will be in school from 10 a.m. on 9^th/10^th August if pupils need to change their subjects.

S1 Health Day

Mr Fruish organised this in late May just before the new timetable started. Pupils were allocated to various sessions across the day, including trampolining, drugs awareness, judo, relaxation, zumba, Red Cross, cooking, smoking etc. In this Olympic year, it is important that we all stress to children the importance of a healthy active lifestyle. Good habits in childhood set the pattern for good habits in adult life.

Raspberry Pi

I am grateful to Mr Sean Elliot one of our parents who has made a donation from his company to the school to allow us to purchase a number of the new Raspberry Pi devices to help children develop their programming skills. It is my intention to find some funds to increase the number of these to a class set of 20 now that our IT department have given us the go-ahead to use them.

Uniform

There is no change to the school uniform since the last notification in the mailshot in September. Can I clarify that when it says “black footwear” it means just that – plain black shoes or trainers with no coloured flashes or white edges and with plain black laces. Pupils need to bring a change of kit, including shoes for PE. Ties should be worn if you wear a shirt and all pupils in S3 upwards should be in a plain white or blue shirt and school tie. Ties can be bought from the school office.

Celebrating Success

Three Musselburgh Grammar School S3 pupils have just received notification of their success in a national design competition run by BT Openreach.  Pupils from all over the UK were set the task to design the graphics that would cover the new BT Openreach Control Hubs, which are currently being installed in all our local town streets.  There were only eight winners in the whole of the UK with Hamzah Arif being the only Scottish winner.  Katie Ferguson and Abbie Thomson were both given runners up awards with the rest of the class being praised for the very high standard of work entered by the school.  All three pupils and their parents have been invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the awards ceremony, which takes place in the BT Tower London on Saturday 23 June.  Hamzah’s winning design will be showcased upon the new Hub, situated outside the Brunton Theatre, in the near future.  Very well done all three for some exceptional work.

Stuart Blair of S5, a member of Royal Musselburgh, reached the last stage of the prestigious and highly competitive Lothian Boys’ Golf on Friday, losing narrowly in the final to Callum Cochrane of Marriott Dalmahoy. This is a step beyond his performance last year in the same tournament – congratulations on getting so far and commiserations on falling at the final hurdle.

Our Summer Concert takes place on Thursday  21^st June at 7.30 pm – come along to hear our outstanding musicians at a cost of only £1.

This will be my final newsletter of the year – it has passed by very quickly as ever. I wish everyone connected with the school an enjoyable summer break in good weather.

Yours sincerely,

Ronnie Summers

Head Teacher

Dear Parent,

SQA Examinations

At the time of writing, S4 pupils have already sat a significant number of their examinations and S5/6 are now on study leave since their examinations occur later in the SQA diet. We wish all candidates well for the rest of the examinations and for success when their results are announced in August.

As ever, I am immensely grateful to Mrs Booker for her meticulous preparation and organisation for this very important event in the school calendar. The logistics are formidable – to ensure departments are presenting all pupils for the right examination; to generate individual pupil timetables; to seat all pupils correctly; to make special arrangements for extra time, readers and scribes for a large number of candidates; to have the correct number of invigilators; to displace classes elsewhere in the school when we need to use rooms beyond the Assembly Hall; and many more things. She will be sorely missed when she retires this year for her attention to detail and her determination to ensure that none of our pupils are disadvantaged.

New National Qualifications

I mentioned in my last newsletter at the end of March that the SQA were due to release the final set of papers from National 2 to Higher at the end of April. They have kept their word and documents have now been published online on the SQA website. These documents are available for all to see – so parents, not just teachers, can see the papers too. There are a lot of documents for each subject area – 20 for English, for example – so staff will be spending time familiarising themselves with the new arrangements which we will start to use from Easter 2013 with the current S2 yeargroup.

I will be seeing each PT Subject before the end of June to discuss how the new qualifications mesh with the outcomes and experiences of a Broad General Education for S1-S3 pupils and what changes there are from the existing SQA subject arrangements. We want the transition from one set of examination arrangements to be as smooth as possible.

Having briefed parents on the arrangements for S1 and S2 in previous years, it is my intention to hold another briefing evening in September for S3 parents explaining what the year will hold, including our plans for the S3 profile and S3 report. The date will be announced in my next newsletter in June.

Staffing

Ms Howie, after nearly 6 years in post in the History Department left last week to take up a new post in Edinburgh. We wish her well. I have advertised full-time permanent posts in History and in Music and temporary posts in English, Physics and Business Education.

SAFE event

On Wednesday 29^th March, we held an event in collaboration with a number of other agencies for parents of our prospective P7 – over 100 people came to the meeting. Led by Mr O’Connor, one of our Guidance staff, the event was aimed at pointing out the opportunities and difficulties for young people in Musselburgh as they grow up over the next few years. PC Smith and Heather Fleming from Community Learning and Development were present along with representatives from the nursing service, the Parent Council, community wardens, ABEL, the police and the Integration Team. There was also a marketplace for providers to talk to visitors. We are pleased to have been able to run this in association with our colleagues – it helps the transition to secondary school and to being a responsible citizen in the community.

Parent Council Spring Newsletter

You should have received the Parent Council’s Spring newsletter from your child. It is also published on the MGS Parents section of the school website – http://www.mgsonline.org/.

Fostering Fortnight – 14^th-28^th May

We have been given a number of leaflets advertising the need for foster carers in East Lothian. There are times when a child can no longer stay with their parents or next of kin and it is far better for the child to stay in their local community rather than face the upheaval and challenges of a new school elsewhere. Ask for a leaflet at the school office if you are interested or phone 01620 827643 or visit www.eastlothian.gov.uk/fostering.

Youth Engagement Officer

PC Dougie Smith – a familiar face to many in Musselburgh over the last 7 years – is taking on a new role in the community, working with primary and secondary age children in the cluster. He is already a frequent formal visitor to the area’s schools, delivering talks on personal safety, Personal and Social Education and drug misuse. The purpose of his new role is to work closely with children at risk of being drawn into criminal behaviour into other more positive activities and we are delighted to see him spending more time with children in the community.

Dates for the remainder of the term

Thursday 17^th May – S1 Reports issued

Friday 1^st June – S3 reports issued

Monday 4^th June – holiday for pupils and staff

Tuesday 5^th June – now a holiday for pupils and staff

Wednesday 6^th June – start of new timetable for all pupils S1-S5

Tuesday 12^th and Wednesday 13^th June – P7 visits

Thursday 21^st June – Summer Concert

Wednesday 27^th June – School Prizegiving

Friday 29^th June – End of term for pupils and staff

Yours sincerely,

 Ronnie Summers

Head Teacher