Letter to Parents/Carers from Headteacher 18 May
Dear Parent/Carer,
I hope that this communication finds you and your families safe and well. We are incredibly grateful to you for the level of support you are providing at present and also for the feedback that you are regularly giving us. With this in mind, we are hosting a virtual Wellbeing Week for S1-S3 learners, this week (w/c 18.05.20). This ties in with Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 and our Guidance and Health and Wellbeing Teams will provide a series of activities and mini-projects for our learners – these daily overviews are attached to this email, although they will also be published daily on twitter, sent out by email and can be found on the School App and the website. There will also be opportunities for young people to check in with their Guidance Teachers and Registration Groups at set times, throughout the week. Additionally, Subject departments will provide opt in activities in which young people can choose to take part in. Subject teachers are missing the young people incredible amounts so will always be 'on hand' should you require. The new S5/6 learners will continue their current format of subject-specific studies.
Next week (wc 25.05.20), we will move to a more project-based style of learning for S1 and S2 and young people will be able to develop their leadership, communication and teamwork skills, as well as developing transferrable skills across departments and faculties. We feel that this style will support learners and, alongside the new channels on Microsoft Teams, will help to reduce anxiety in this virtual world. This week, we will conduct a survey with S3 learners to establish whether they would prefer the project-based approach or whether they would prefer to begin preparation for their chosen S4 courses – we will be in touch in due course with further details, as the learner survey for S3 will close on Wednesday.
Finally, our three Depute Headteachers/Heads of Year, Mrs McIntyre, Miss Petty and Mr Reddington, will send out a virtual communication to all yeargroups on Monday 18 May 2020. This provides our Senior Leadership with the opportunity to engage with learners and for our young people to stay in touch with their Link Depute, as well as providing information they may have previously given out at assembly. For your information, owing to these unprecedented times, we have decided that in order to provide learners and parents/carers with as much consistency as possible, our Depute Headteachers will remain with their current yeargroups. This would mean:
Current S1 (New S2): S1 learners will officially move into S2 on 08.06.20 and Mrs McIntyre will, again, be their Year Head for the entirety of S2.
Current S2 (New S3): S2 learners will officially move into S3 on 08.06.20 and they will not move to Miss Petty. Instead, Mrs McIntyre will now be their Year Head for the entirety of S3 to provide consistency.
Current S3 (New S4): We are consulting S3 learners this week about whether they would prefer to move into S4 on 25.05.20 or 08.06.20. Either way, Miss Petty will, again, be their Year Head for the entirety of S4.
Current S4 (New S5): S4 learners are currently completing preparation work for S5 courses. IN S5, they will not move to Mr Reddington. Instead, Miss Petty will now be their Year Head for the entirety of S5 to provide consistency.
Current S5 (New S6): S5 learners are currently completing preparation work for S6 courses. They will receive a communication from Mr Reddington, our new Depute Headteacher, on Monday where he will introduce himself. Mr Reddington will be working with this yeargroup for the entirety of S6.
The communications from the Heads of Year are as follows:
Mrs McIntyre: https://sway.office.com/
Miss Petty: https://sway.office.com/
Mr Reddington: https://sway.office.com/
Should you have any feedback, questions or queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our Guidance Team or through the school email address.
Best wishes,
Mrs Debbie Aitken
Rector