November 2017
Dear
Parent/Carer
We
are now well into the school term and pupils have returned and settled in after
the October break. We have a very busy schedule right up to the Christmas break
and I hope you find the information detailed below useful and informative.
Staffing
Update
Maths
Ms
Purdie continues to be absent and until last week, Mrs Ustun was covering her
classes. Mrs Ustun has now begun her maternity leave. We secured short-term
supply cover which has now ended and we continue to seek more supply cover. To
ensure pupils get as much access to subject specialists as possible there will
be some changes to Maths classes. Further details will follow.
Physics
We
have successfully appointed Mr Chasomeris to replace Mr Nugent who left us last
month.
Drama
We
have successfully appointed Ms Vidotto who will take up the 2 day-a –week
vacancy that has existed since the start of term. The start date is yet to be
confirmed.
Art
We
have successfully appointed Ms Saez-Martinez who will cover for Ms Shannon’s continued
absence. We are hopeful that she will be able to take up post very shortly. In
the meantime, classes and timetables have been altered to ensure that senior
classes are getting as much access to subject specialists as possible.
English
Ms
Flannigan has left us to take up a full-time permanent post as Pupil Support Leader
at Forrester High School. We wish her well and thank her for all the hard work
over the last three years at Gracemount High School. We are currently in the
process of recruiting her replacement.
Mr
Swan continues to be absent and in the meantime, Mrs Morrison is working on a
supply basis to support the English faculty.
Social Subjects
Mrs
Corsar has taken up a fixed-term post as Pupil Support Leader at Castlebrae
High School. Mr Nolan has been appointed to fill the vacancy.
Pupil Support
Assistants
We
welcome Ms Devine and Ms Laing into post.
School Support Assistants
We
welcome Ms Donaldson and Ms Galbraith into post as School Support Assistants.
Supporting
the School Dress Code
Recently
we have witnessed a decline in the standard of dress. A small number of pupils
are not wearing the correct footwear and/or a school tie. There is also concern
with some girls who are not wearing leggings with skirts as per school policy.
We
are very proud of our school and our dress code contributes to a positive and
safe ethos. We ask again for your support in ensuring your child is suitably
dressed for school and is adhering to the school dress code.
Opportunity
Fund - Financial Assistance
The
school is committed to ensuring that no pupil misses out due to poverty related
issues. Our opportunity fund is designed to support young people and their
families and we ask that parents contact their child’s Pupil Support Leader in
the first instance should they have an issue regarding purchasing items for
school.
It
is important to note that school clothing grants are now paid directly into the
parent’s bank account, which gives the family greater choice about where they
shop and the school has pre-loved uniform that can be purchased at a
significantly reduced cost.
We
will continue to do all we can to support all our young people and ensure an
equitable provision of education across the school.
Sponsored
Walk
Our
very first sponsored walk took place on Friday 6 October. This was a hugely
successful event and almost all of the school participated in the 12km walk
around Edinburgh. The pupils and staff were fantastic as were the parent
helpers who came along with us. We were very well supported by local businesses
who provided food and water for our walkers.
To
date we have raised just over £1600, which is an incredible effort from our
young people and our community. We are so thankful for all the support we
received and delighted that we were able to have so many young people
positively contribute to the school community. We very much hope this will
become an annual event.
Rights
Respecting Schools
We
continue to promote our Rights Respecting Ethos and our aim to achieve the
Rights Respecting School level 2 award is on track. Our Rights Respecting
School Ethos is promoted across all levels of the school and permeates all our
work within and beyond the classroom. Part of this includes our Respect Week
initiative detailed below.
Respect Week
Our
annual Respect Week takes place week beginning Monday 13 November. A number of activities are planned during the week
which will help to promote our Rights Respecting School Ethos.
We
will be launching our updated and revised anti-bullying policy. We decided to
focus on this for the coming session in light of pupil feedback from last year.
Please look out for the new policy which will go live on the school website.
Leaflets will be available to collect from the School Office and pupils will be
informed during assemblies.
We are holding a staff training event on Friday 17 November to familiarise the new policy.
Latecoming
(mornings)
A
revised approach to promoting punctuality and skills for life, work and
learning has been launched this week and all parents/carers should have received
information about this.
We
are asking for your support in ensuring that all young people arrive to school
on time. This helps them get a positive
start to the school day.
There
are 3 bells in the morning as follows:-
1.
8.27am
- (Warning Bell) – we encourage all pupils to be in the vicinity of the school
building at this time.
2.
8.30am
– This bell indicates the start of the school day. All pupils should make their
way to registration or assembly.
3.
8.32am-
This is our late bell. Any pupil who arrives after this bell will be recorded
as late to school.
Any
pupil who is late twice in one week without a reason will receive a below
expectation detention. This will be completed at lunchtime on the day they are
late for the second time. Pupils who are late more than twice in a week will
receive a detention each time they are late in that week.
Magic Breakfast
- TOA5T
We
are delighted to announce a forthcoming partnership with Magic Breakfast, which will enable us to provide food and snacks
for pupils across the school in the morning. This is not your typical breakfast
club and we aim to make it as inclusive as possible so all pupils will have
some form of access.
In
the meantime, we continue to provide a breakfast option in our HE departments (TOA5T
club) and any pupil can attend and access a range of breakfast food and drinks.
Reporting
On
the back of national advice from Education Scotland this session, we have
launched a new style of report which we hope is easier to understand. Our aim
is to report more frequently on the progress of all our young people and the
new style of report is the start of this process. Reports have gone home for
both senior and S2 pupils and as I write this blog S3 reports are due to be
issued on Friday 17 November.
Mentoring
(Senior School)
This
session we have 2 forms of mentoring taking place as follows:-
1.
Positive
Intervention Programme (PIP) is aimed at S5/6 pupils who are studying 3
Highers. The Senior Leadership Team is leading this initiative and a range of
pupils have been allocated a mentor from the Senior Team who will meet up to 4
times per session with the pupils. Two meetings have already taken place in
preparation for the forthcoming formal assessments.
2.
Learning
to Learn Mentors – this programme is aimed at S4 pupils. 10 staff have been
assigned a mentor role and will mentor 5 targeted pupils each throughout the
session. A parent engagement session is planned for Wednesday 15 November and we very much hope parents can make it
along. All parents invited will have received a text message and email from the
school.
Pupil
Achievements
Football
Congratulations
to Abigail
Hunter (S1) who has been playing for Hearts ladies under 13s. She has been
playing an age banding above her own because she was shining in her own age
group. Abigail's league recently finished and they achieved a second place
finish.
Abigail was spotted by scouts and
has recently participated in trials for the Scotland girls under 13 team.
We will find out if she has been successful in the next fortnight. Good luck
Abigail.
Brandyn Bain (S3) has been on trial
at Hearts under 15s. Brandyn played five games on trial with some strong
performances in goals - most notably Brandyn saved a penalty in a victory over
Rangers. After these strong performances, Brandyn is set to put pen to paper
and join the team.
Brandyn also successfully trialled for the Edinburgh under 15 select squad and has played in two of the qualifying fixtures in the nationwide competition.
Brandyn also successfully trialled for the Edinburgh under 15 select squad and has played in two of the qualifying fixtures in the nationwide competition.
Our Senior Football team remain unbeaten
in the league and are top of the Lothian’s Under 16’s league. This is a great
effort and the boys are now playing in the new strips funded by Gilmerton
Grocers. A huge thank you to them for supporting the school and helping us to
purchase the strips for the boys.
Active Schools - Girls Day Out
4 girls from S3, Anna Munro, Nicole
Gilroy, Rachel Forbes and Erin Neave took part in 6 workshops; dance, step,
boot camp, yoga, health and wellbeing and clubbing.
Sports Ambassadors
Maja Majerowicz and Amy Dickson from
S4 have been appointed as our sports ambassadors and they are working hard to
promote participation in a range of sports across the school.
Princes Trust Programme
Congratulations to Mitch Mitchell and Brandon Bova
who completed the Achieve Level 4 Programme at the Princes Trust programme.
Both boys demonstrated real commitment to achieve the overall award and we are
very proud of them.
Robert Burns World Federation
Congratulations to Luke Alexander who received a
certificate of distinction for his work, which was entered in the RBWF writing
competition. Luke received his
certificate at assembly on 7 November.
Edinburgh Schools Rock Ensemble
Congratulations
to Jamie Aquino
who has been selected to sing a solo as part of the Edinburgh Schools Rock
Ensemble concert.
Lessons from Auschwitz
Samantha Foggo and Cara Wood Conway both visited
Auschwitz as part of the lessons from Auschwitz programme.
Winter Windows Competition 2017
Congratulation
to Amie Cowan who has won the Winter Windows Competition. Amie will attend a celebration
event at the National Gallery on Friday 24 November.
Future Chef
Congratulations to Meryn Parsons and Gary Watson who
won the school heats in the future chef programme and will now compete in the
local final at Edinburgh College on 4 December. Good luck to both pupils.
Important
Forthcoming Dates for your Diary
13
November Respect Week
16
November Gracemount does
strictly
20
November Formal assessments
(Higher Pupils Only)
20
November Parent Council
(6.30pm School Library)
1
December S1 Tracking
Report issued
12
December S2 Parent
Consultation Evening
15
December Senior Tracking
Report 2 issued
18/19
December Gracemount High School
Dance Academy Show
22nd
December School term ends
Please
note the school will be holding its very first Burns Supper Event in
Partnership with Edinburgh Food and Wine. The event will take place on Thursday
25 January. A number of tickets will be made available to parents and
communication regarding this event will follow in due course. We hope to see
you there.
Kind
regards
Ross Hunter
Head Teacher
