Dear Parent/Carer
It has been another incredibly busy
and rewarding term. It is almost impossible to keep track of all the
activities/events in school. If you can, please keep up to date with all
our school events via our school website www.gracemounthighschool.co.uk
I would like to draw your attention to two very important matters which I believe really matter:-
1.
Dress Code – our school dress code is well established and something
which I am very proud of. Visitors to the school always compliment us on
our school ethos. The positivity that surrounds our school does not
happen by accident and we all work incredibly hard to develop an ethos
in line with our school vision – placing young people at the heart of
all we do and ensuring the school is a safe, happy and Rights Respecting
environment. A significant contributor to this is our dress code.
I
ask you to continue to support our dress code by purchasing the correct
clothing, especially footwear. We expect all young people to be
suitably dressed for school and I have attached our dress code leaflet
as well as a letter from our Parent Council who very much support our
approach. We will revisit our expectations with young people in the new
year. Your support in making this happen is crucial and I thank you for
your continued efforts. Our uniform leaflet can be downloaded and viewed here.
Should you need any advice on
where to purchase school clothing or where to access school clothing
grants, please contact your child’s Guidance Teacher in the first
instance.
2. Attendance – young people must attend
school regularly in order to achieve and attain. A key part of our job
is to support young people and their families to access education,
especially those who, for various reasons, find access to education more
demanding. We are absolutely committed to ensuring the best outcomes
for every young person and the more they engage with the school the
better the outcomes are likely to be. Please play your part by ensuring
your son/daughter comes to school punctually and as prepared as
possible. Liaise with us if you feel you or your son/daughter need
support and be assured we will work together with you.
We
have set a school target of 95% attendance this year and to date the
percentage attendance is 89% which is well below the average for
Edinburgh schools. It is an area we must improve on and we can only do
this by making attendance a priority and working in partnership with you
and our partner services.
Formal Assessments
Senior
pupils who are sitting Highers have completed their first set of formal
assessments and teachers are using these to ensure that pupils are
receiving high quality feedback to support their learning. Our next set
of formal assessments for all senior pupils in S4-6 begins on Monday 29
January and we aim to support them in ensuring they are ready for the
final set of examinations next April/May 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 18 December – Dance Show
· Tuesday 19 December - Dance Show
· Friday 22 December – last day of term (finish 12 noon)
· Monday January 8 – Inset day training for staff
· Tuesday 9 January - pupils return to school
· Wednesday 10 January – Options Evening and Careers Event
· Tuesday 16 – Thursday 18 January – S3 Personal Development Week
· Tuesday 23 January – Senior Phase Parent Consultation Evening
· Monday 29 January – Formal assessments begin
Option Evening and Careers Event for S2-5 Pupils and Parents
After
a very successful evening last year, our options evening will be held
on Wednesday 10 January. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with
teachers and partners of the school to discuss next steps for your
son/daughter. We have secured representation from over 30 local
employers who will be present at the evening and will be on hand to
discuss relevant career pathways for your child. We are thoroughly
looking forward to this event and hope it will be very beneficial for
everyone involved.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to the school and further details will follow after the Christmas break.
STAFFING
Science
At
the end of this term we will be saying farewell to Dr Burt who is
retiring from teaching. Dr Burt has worked at Gracemount for over 5
years and during this time has taken the Science faculty from strength
to strength. She will be very much missed by colleagues and pupils and
we wish her well in this new phase of her life.
We have
appointed Mr Robert Mackenzie to the post of Curriculum Leader for
Science. Mr Mackenzie is well known to many and has just returned to
Gracemount having worked during a career break at an International
school in Egypt for two years. We are now subsequently looking to
appoint a teacher of Biology.
Social Subjects
Ms
Diana Barry will leave us at the end of term to take up a post at Ross
High School. We wish her all the very best and she will be missed by
many in our school community.
We are currently in the process of recruiting her replacement in the History Department.
Maths
We are in the process of recruiting for a vacancy in Maths and hope to fill the post before the end of term.
English
We continue to seek a replacement for Ms Flannigan
Pupil Support Officer
I
am delighted to confirm that Mrs Hurd, a well established member of
staff, has been appointed to our new role of Pupil Support Officer. Mrs
Hurd will continue with many of her current duties, however, this role
recognises the considerable input that Mrs Hurd makes to the school in
supporting our staff and young people.
Last Day of Term – Friday 22 December
Please note pupils will be dismissed from school at 12 noon.
Finally…...since
taking up post 3 years ago I have always felt very privileged to work
in your community and support your children. Gracemount High School is a
wonderful school full of talented and ambitious young people and very
committed staff. The overwhelming support we receive from our parents
and carers makes a huge difference to what we do each day in the school.
I want to thank you for your continued support and may I
take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy, safe and peaceful
holiday.
Kind Regards,
Ross Hunter
Head Teacher
