twitter @craigmountHS www.craigmount.edin.sch.uk CRAIGMOUNT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2014 After the earliest start in many years we find ourselves in the fourth week of the session and it is still early September. Our students have settled in well and are ready for the challenges ahead. UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS I shared the range of university destinations with our Parent Council. They were impressed by the quality and variety of the places secured and they felt I should share these with parents. Details are on our website but in summary places were secured as follows: Five students gained places at Aberdeen; three at Abertay; one at Cambridge; eighteen at Edinburgh; nine at Napier; six at Glasgow Caledonian; five at Glasgow; eleven at Heriot Watt; one at King’s College London; two at Oxford; seven at Queen Margaret; six at St Andrews; three at Stirling; six at Strathclyde; one at the University of the Highlands and Islands and one at the University of West London. Full details can be found here. The above does not include entries to Art, Music and other similar colleges. Our students have carved out a wonderful range of opportunities. STAFF CHANGES As you will know from my last Newsletter there have been some significant staff changes in the school. Mrs Sharon Gibson, Depute Head Teacher at Drummond Community High School joins us after the October break. Our Depute Head and Student Support coverage will be as follows: 01 & 02 Classes 03 & 04 Classes 05 & 06 Classes 07 & 08 Classes 09 & 10 Classes Student Support Mr Lynch Student Support Ms Savage Student Support Mrs Main Student Support Mrs Reid Student Support Ms Oldershaw DHT Mrs Gibson DHT Mr Rafferty DHT Mr Rafferty DHT Mr Irving DHT Mr Irving Until Mrs Gibson joins us, Miss Wallace will be Acting DHT and Mr McKnight will be Acting Curriculum Leader – Science. NEW STAFF This summer we welcome the following new staff: Ms Sam Oldershaw (previously Teacher of English and Ms Laura Savage previously Principal Teacher of Biology/Science) are our new Student Support Leaders, replacing Mrs Helen Bruce and Mrs Rosemary Morrison who retired at the end of the last term. Ms Kelly Johnstone, Teacher of Biology/Science; Teachers of PE, Mr Craig Beattie; Mr Mike Gray; Teacher of Drama, Ms Sarah Mackinnon; Teacher of FCT, Ms Lorna Tugman also joined us. We also welcome 1 Please remember the Craigmount Absence Line – 0131 338 4763 twitter @craigmountHS www.craigmount.edin.sch.uk our Probationer Teachers, Mr Liam Stewart, PE; Ms Ellen Pia, PE. We wish them all well. SQA EXAM RESULTS We have had such a complex year in the exam system with the introduction of the National Exams. The official exam analysis has not yet been published but all signs are that S5 and S6 have improved on almost all measures and have done extremely well. It is much harder to judge S4 as we have no comparisons from previous years, but the signs are very good. For a fourth year we will be running a ‘How to pass your Higher English/Maths and other Exams’ Information Evening on Thursday 2 October at 7.00 pm in the school. Parents and S5/6 students are urged to attend this event, which has been very well received in the past. MOBILE PHONES Mobile phones are now an established part of our school culture and we are much more relaxed about them than we used to be. In general, during class time, they should be turned off and be out of sight. In class they may be used with the teacher’s permission. There are some uses of the technology which might be made: Art and Craft work can be photographed Experimental Set Ups can be photographed Homework instructions can be photographed The phone diary can be used to enter homework and deadlines Information can be sought from the Internet There is a multitude of other uses which can be made. At Craigmount, we put a great deal of effort into training students in on-line safety and responsible use. We would like to use technology but also recognised the negative aspects. We are in discussion with the Parent Council on this topic and I will feed any opinions parents have on the issue of mobile phones to them. TRAFFIC MOVEMENT AROUND THE SCHOOL I have had complaints about traffic movement around the school. In order to promote safety I would ask you to l) avoid parking in areas where there are not double yellow lines; 2) avoid driving into the school car park to pick up or drop off students; 3) avoid using the school entrance area as a turning circle/dropping off point. Any parent who has a child with a permanent or temporary mobility difficulty can contact my secretary Mrs Margaret Ferguson, and she will issue a permit to drop off and pick up in the school grounds. NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL Please remember the Craigmount Absence Line – 0131 338 4763 2 twitter @craigmountHS www.craigmount.edin.sch.uk As notified earlier in the year, all Newsletters can be accessed at our website at www.craigmount.edin.sch.uk . On the website I will post latest news from the school. For future newsletters this year, I will alert you by text or e-mail that a new Newsletter has been published. Hard copies will be made available for those who do not have access to an electronic version. To keep in contact, please update us if there are any changes in your mobile phone number or e-mail address. We will be sending out the data we hold as part of the Government’s School Census exercise. Please let us know if there are any omissions or inaccuracies. STUDENT HOMEWORK PLANNERS Every S1 student has been issued with a Student Planner. Used properly, this helps organise a typical teenager’s busy life. The Planner contains much useful information e.g. term dates, study skills, contact numbers and a record of when homework is due. It would be of enormous benefit to every S1 student if you would ensure that he/she is using the Student Planner effectively ensure that he/she is bringing it to school every day talk to him/her about what he/she is learning in school Contact the relevant Student Support Leader if you have concerns. STUDENTS WHO ARRIVE EARLY A small number of students arrive in school before 8.00am each morning. We would ask parents to note that staff are not available to supervise students in the corridors or school grounds very early in the morning. Parents should realise that we cannot be responsible for students at these time. VALUABLES IN SCHOOL I would like to remind parents that the school is not responsible for valuable items brought in to school. Items such as mobile phones and bicycles are brought to school at the student’s own risk. DATES FOR THE SESSION The school and the City of Edinburgh Council advise strongly against students taking time off during term time for family holidays. The dates for the session will help you to avoid doing this. Dr John Campbell Head Teacher Please remember the Craigmount Absence Line – 0131 338 4763 3 twitter @craigmountHS www.craigmount.edin.sch.uk DATES FOR THE SESSION AUTUMN TERM Monday 11 August 2014 - Staff resume (Six In-Service days for all Sec schools) Tuesday 12 August 2014 - Staff only (Six In-Service days for all Sec schools) Wednesday 13 August 2014 - Pupils return Schools closed Monday 15 September 2014 - Autumn Holiday Tuesday 16 September 2014 - All resume Friday 10 October 2014 - Mid-term, All break Monday 20 October 2014 - Staff resume (Six In-Service days for all Sec schools) Tuesday 21 October 2014 - Pupils resume Friday 19 December 2014 - Term ends SPRING TERM Monday 5 January 2015 - Staff resume (Six In-Service days for all Sec schools) Tuesday 6 January 2015 - Pupils resume Friday 13 February 2015 - Mid-term, All break Monday 23 February 2015 – Staff resume (Six In-Service days for all Sec schools) Tuesday 24 February 2015 – Pupils resume Thursday 2 April 2015 - Term ends The Easter break incorporates the following holidays: Monday 3 April 2015 – Good Friday Monday 6 April 2015 – Easter Monday Monday 20 April 2015 – Spring Holiday SUMMER TERM Tuesday 21 April 2015 - All resume Monday 4 May 2015 - May Day, schools closed Tuesday 5 May 2015 - All resume Thursday 7 May 2015 - Staff Only (Six In-Service days for Sec Schools) Monday 18 May 2015 - Victoria Day, schools closed Tuesday 19 May 2015 - All resume Friday 26 June 2015 – Term ends Please remember the Craigmount Absence Line – 0131 338 4763 4
© Copyright 2024 ExpyDoc
