Dear Parent,
Staffing
Mr Wishart has taken over Miss McIntosh’s remit as Interim Acting Depute Head Teacher, with Miss Morton joining Miss Wilkinson in Caird House and dealing with the pupils in Mr Wishart’s Guidance group.
Several members of staff will be staying with us as permanent members of staff in August – Mr O’Connor in English, Ms Young in Geography, Ms Armstrong in CDT and Ms McGregor in Biology.
PTA Car Boot Sale ( from 10 o’clock until noon)
A reminder that following the successful event earlier this year, another car boot sale is planned for Saturday 22nd April – first Saturday after the Easter holiday, so plenty of time to clear the attic and the garage! Admission is free to customers, with a charge of £5 for sellers with cars or £7 for vans.
HMIE Report on Musselburgh Grammar School
The report has been written: the official release date is Tuesday 28th March. All parents will receive a copy home via your son or daughter along with an accompanying letter from me. I think parents will be very pleased with the contents of the report.
Easter Study
Mrs Mackie is finalising the Easter Study programme for this year, and information should be reaching S4-6 pupils quite soon. Parents should realise that staff involvement in the Easter Study programme is entirely voluntary and that not all subjects will be involved. Parents should encourage their children to sign up for the relevant sessions as they are a very effective way of improving a pupil’s knowledge, skills and exam technique.
SQA Examination Schedule for Diet 2006
We issue personalised timetables closer to the start of the examinations. However, all pupils in S4 – S6 should have started on their revision programme at the start of March.
To help you know the running order of examinations, you can find out the dates and length of subject examination papers by going to the SQA website. The address is: www.sqa.org.uk. Click on the “Who are you?” box as a pupil and GO, click on “Exam Timetable 2006”, and click on “Access the Personal Timetable Builder”. If pupils enter the subjects they are taking they will get their own timetable.
Please note that the actual start and finish times of examination held in the school may vary from the SQA details – go by your personalised timetable. (The Art Practical Examinations occur before the first listed examinations and will be notified to you on your timetable.)
Detentions for Latecoming
The Senior Management Team and Guidance staff have become increasingly concerned at the number of pupils strolling into school well after 8.45 p.m. and decided some action was required. Good timekeeping is an important life skill and poor timekeeping will not be tolerated by employers – nor by us.
When a pupil arrives after 8.55 (thus completely missing registration) they are being handed a detention slip unless they have a very good reason for being late. Detention takes place from 12.45 to 12.55 that same day under SMT supervision in the Hall. We pursue pupils who claim to “forget” they have been set detention.
Having now operated this system for a week, we are seeing a decline in the numbers of latecomers. Where a pupil is persistently late, we are asking to see parents.
If your child has a medical or dental appointment which means they will arrive late, it would be very helpful if you could provide a note so that your child is not set detention.
Course Choice Forms
S2 pupils should now have submitted their course choice forms for next year: they are being processed and we will soon begin to identify problematic course choices and be in touch with pupils.
S5 and S6 pupils are approaching the deadline for submission of forms along with their signed Senior School Contract form. S6 pupils should be carefully considering their option choices in the light of their performance in their preliminary exams: the interim reports have just been issued to parents.
End of term events
The Easter Service will take place on Thursday 30th March. The Senior Pupils are running a Talent Show competition on the morning of the last day of term Friday 31st March. Pupils and staff return to school on Tuesday 18th April at 8.45 – I wish everyone connected with the school an enjoyable holiday.
Ronnie Summers
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