Dear
Parent/Carer,
It’s
been another incredibly busy and rewarding term at Gracemount High School. It
is almost impossible to keep track of all the activities/events in school and
our twitter account remains as active as ever. If you can, please keep up to date
with all our school events via twitter @GracemountHigh or via our school
website www.gracemounthighschool.co.uk
Changes
to Scottish Education are coming thick and fast and I will share key
information with you in my first blog of the new year.
Formal Assessments
Our
senior pupils completed their first set of formal assessments and teachers are
using these to ensure that pupils are receiving high quality feedback to
support learning. Our next set of formal assessments begin on the 22 February
and will further support our senior pupils in ensuring they are ready for the
final set of examinations in April/May of 2017.
Winter Weather
To date the winter weather has been very kind
to us, however, we are well aware that Scotland can experience all seasons in
one day and we do have procedures in place if the weather takes a turn for the
worst. As always the safety of our staff and students is at the heart of all
our decisions and we will keep parents and students fully informed about our
ability to open during poor weather via Radio Forth, our website and text
alerts. Please help us to keep in touch by ensuring we have up to date contact
details, particularly mobile numbers and email addresses, so that we can
contact you at all times.
Key Dates
·
Monday 19
December – S1 reports issued
·
Thursday 22
December – last day of term (finish 12 noon)
·
Monday January 9
– Inset day training for staff
·
Tuesday 10
January pupils return to school
·
Wednesday 18
January – Options Evening
·
Monday 23 January
Senior reports issued
·
Thursday 26
January S3 Parent Consultation Evening
Option
Evening – S2-5 Pupils and Parents
After a very successful evening last year, we
have arranged to hold another one on Wednesday
18 January. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with teachers and
partners of the school to discuss next steps for your son/daughter.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to the school and further details will follow after the Christmas break.
Staffing
At the end of this term we will be saying
goodbye to Mr Gribben and Ms Corrigan from the Maths department. We wish them
every success in their new posts.
I am delighted to say that Mr Hamish Gordon, currently
working at St Thomas of Aquins, has been appointed to one of the vacancies in
the Maths Dept and will take up post on 9 January. I am also interviewing next
week for a Maths Development Officer on Tuesday 20 December. I hope to have a
successful candidate in place who will take up post very shortly after the
start of the new term.
Miss Kennedy, a long serving member of staff,
has successfully been appointed as Curriculum Leader in Social Subjects at
James Gillespie’s High School and will take up post in January. We are
currently advertising for a replacement for Miss Kennedy and hope to appoint
very soon. We wish Miss Kennedy every success in her new role.
Miss Morven Boyd has been appointed as teacher
of Learning, Inclusion and Achievement and will work 2 days per week in that
role as well as continuing in her role as a Pupil Support Assistant.
Miss Lauren Flannigan, English Teacher, has successfully been appointed as Pupil
Support Leader for 1 day a week (Friday) at Forrester High School.
Congratulations to Miss Flannigan. We are currently looking at how we fill this
vacancy and more information will follow.
We are currently advertising for a temporary
teacher of Music as Ms Kirsty Hirst will begin her maternity leave very
shortly.
We are looking forward to welcoming Mrs Yvonne
Gerrie who will join our school support assistant team. We are also currently
looking for 2 additional Pupil Support Assistants to join the Support for
Learning team.
Last
Day of Term – Thursday 22 December
Please note pupils will be dismissed from school
at 12 noon.
Finally…...since
taking up post 2 years ago I have always felt very privileged to work in your
community and serve your children. Gracemount High School is a wonderful school
full of talented and ambitious young people and the overwhelming support we
receive from our parents and carers makes a huge difference to what we do each
day in the school.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a
very happy, safe and peaceful holiday.
Kind
Regards
Ross
Hunter
Head
Teacher
