Dear Parent / Guardian,
S4 Parents’ Evening
This evening was held much earlier this year, on 4th November, rather than in February after the preliminary examinations and the issue of the S4 reports. We felt a lot of parents would welcome the chance to talk to teachers about their child’s progress before the preliminary examinations – and so it proved, with our highest attendance for a number of years. Many thanks to S4 parents for their response to the change of date.
S4 Preliminary Examinations
These will take place from Thursday 18th November to Friday 3rd December inclusive. Pupils were issued with their timetables last week. S4 pupils have been granted study leave from Monday 22nd November to Friday 26th November to prepare for these examinations. As the results of the examinations can be used to support appeals later in the year, good preparation for them is important, and we would expect S4 pupils to have started their revision by now.
Pupils should come in school uniform for their examinations and no mobile phones should be brought into the examination area in accordance with SQA instructions for national examinations in May and June. Pupils should aim to arrive outside the examination room at least 5 minutes before the examination paper is due to start.
School Board Elections
A reminder that Richard Parker, Principal Officer School Support Division, needs to have 30 letters from parents by 6th December in order to call an election for the School Board, and both Roger Knox, Acting Chair of the School Board, and I are keen that this happens. Writing to request an election takes place does not mean that you have to stand as a candidate yourself! Mr. Knox and I are very happy to talk to any parent about the election process.
PTA Quiz Night/ Disco
The PTA is organising the above
event which will take place (for adults only) on Friday 4th February
at the Masonic Hall in Musselburgh from 7.30 – 12.30. Supper will be provided
and the cost per ticket is £7.50. Mrs. Slight can be contacted for tickets on
665- 4070.
Playstation Football Tournament
Mr. Fruish took a squad of S3 pupils to Glasgow on Monday 1st November for the above tournament and his players did very well, only being beaten in the final by St. Andrews High School of Paisley. Both schools will now be invited to represent Scotland in the national finals, which take place in London later this year.
School trip to Poland and Prague
Recent visitors to the school website www.mgsonline.org.uk will have seen references to our trip to Krakow and Prague during October, including a visit to Auschwitz concentration camp. The trip went very smoothly, although we were unable to develop the interactive feature of our website because of technical difficulties. The pupils knew a great deal about Auschwitz because of the preparatory work of the last 12 months (including a visit to the school by Ernest Levy, a survivor of the camp, who now lives in Scotland). The visit to Auschwitz itself will live long in the memory of all who were there. Our own pupils also met Polish pupils with whom they have corresponded over the last year.
Scottish Parent Teacher Council
Richard Parker has asked that I pass on details of this organization – telephone number 0131 226 4378/1917, and their website address is [email protected].
Timekeeping and registration
I notice from our daily attendance printout that the number of pupils arriving late for school has been higher than usual this session, with a number of pupils adopting a very casual attitude. I expect all pupils to be in school before the warning bell is rung at 8.40 and present for registration which runs from 8.45 to 8.55. Similarly, pupils should be in school by 1.25, the time of the warning bell and starting to move to classes for arrival at 1.30. Any future employer will expect his or her staff to arrive for work on time – this is an important life skill.
Pupils who are persistently late are given detention by Guidance staff who have the task of tracking latecoming.
Several pupils have also been reprimanded for arriving in school late and not signing in on the sheets outside the reception area. This is a serious health and safety matter since we must be able to account for everyone in the building in case of fire. Anyone arriving late must sign in.
Pupil car parking
A note has gone out to S6 pupils reminding them that school policy is unchanged – they are not permitted to park in the school car park, which is for the use of staff and visitors to the school. There is a car park nearby at the Sports Centre.
Debbie Givan memorial
On Friday 29th October, we unveiled a memorial, following a short ceremony in the central courtyard, to Debbie Givan, one of our pupils who was taken from us by cancer last May. The central courtyard will be returned as a social area to pupils at the end of the building works, so pupils will have the opportunity to inspect the memorial more closely in due course, though it can be clearly seen from the corridors.
Restructuring of promoted posts
A number of whole school appointments have been made in the last 6 months, with the final two interviews held on Tuesday 9th November. The successful candidates are Mr. Gallagher – PT Performing Arts; Mr. Connolly – PT Mentoring; Mr. Brown- PT Outdoor Education;
Ms Atkinson – PT Health Education; and Ms Park - PT Partnership with Parents and Pupils. The other PT Subject appointments are: Mrs Craigie – English; Mrs Lyall – Mathematics; Mr Plimer – CDT; Mr Barclay – Learning Support.
Yours sincerely
R I SUMMERS
Head Teacher
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