HELPING YOUR CHILD EVENINGS
Many thanks to parents and carers who attended our two Helping Your Child Evenings this week, with very positive feedback. We are keen to understand how we can support more parents and carers engaging with the school through events like these and will shortly ask for views on how we can do this in the future.
S1 PARENTS’ EVENING
We will have S1 Parents’ Evening on Wednesday 30 October 2024 from 4.15 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. in the Assembly Hall. Information on booking appointments with class teachers through the online system will have been shared with the Main Contact email address we hold on our system.
SCHOOL UNIFORM
The standard of students presenting to school in School Uniform remains very high. A reminder that acceptable dress for school is plain black trousers, leggings or skirt with tights and either school polo, sweatshirt or hoodie (with school polo or t-shirt underneath) and/or shirt and tie with optional blazer.
Designer clothing, fashion jackets, tracksuits, shorts, and cropped tops are not acceptable for school. Next week we will resume daily contact with parents and carers where there are issues, or where students are not in any identifiable form of uniform to ensure improvement.
MOBILE PHONE POLICY
In August, the Scottish Government gave Head Teachers the power to put a ban on students using mobile phones in the school environment. Our policy emphasises responsible use, given that mobile technology is an everyday part of work and life. However, this week I reminded students of the need for mobile phones to be off and away in bags during lesson time and between classes, unless specifically permitted by staff for learning.
Recently I asked the Parent Council to strengthen our approach and gained approval on the part of our policy which involves mobile phones being confiscated from students where they are misused, are a distraction to learning, or being brought out in and around the school when not required. We will put this into place over the coming weeks to support our focus on young people learning together and achieving together.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT CONSULTANT
I would like to make parents and carers aware that I have commenced a piece of work alongside the leadership team with Gerry Lyons on a consultancy basis and he will be visiting the school across the coming weeks. Mr Lyons is a highly regarded and experienced colleague, currently interim Head of Education at Renfrewshire Council and former Head of Education at Glasgow City Council. He is a also formerly a very effective Head Teacher in two successful Glasgow secondary schools.
Mr Lyons will be working with us on priorities in our School Improvement Plan and associated activity and will engage with young people throughout his time. I know from his initial engagement day on Wednesday this week he was very impressed by our young people and their commitment to the school community.
CELEBRATING SUCCESS – SWAY
It has been a very busy start to the school year since we returned nine weeks ago. Look out for our mid-term Celebrating Success SWAY newsletter coming soon which will be packed with lots and lots of really exciting photos and snippets of our young people’s successes and achievements to date.
ASSEMBLIES
This week we commenced this half term’s assembly programme led by Principal Teachers of Pupil Support and the House Captains. Next Tuesday is Head Teacher Assemblies where I will ask students to reflect on the meaning of the School Value of Kindness, which will be a focus this term.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
As part of this I will share a little ‘quote of the week’ for us all to reflect on as part of the School Update – this week’s is below and was never truer.
“Kindness – it costs nothing but means everything”
Best wishes
David Falconer
Head Teacher
