Author: Mr McGurn

Message from Mr Gilchrist

Dear Parent/ Carer,

Please note that school closes for Easter at 12.30pm on Friday 1 April and will re-open for pupils on Tuesday 19 April at 8.45 am as normal.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your tremendous support over this term, not only in keeping everyone as COVID safe as possible but also in ensuring our children and young people attend school whenever possible and prepare thoroughly for their assessments during what have been very challenging weeks for everyone.

Parents/carers of S4, S5 and S6 pupils: Remember that we have a full Easter School programme during the holidays, so please encourage your son/daughter to attend if at all possible. Details are available via our School App.

All senior pupils have been advised on how to prepare for their examinations through the preparation of a well-structured study timetable. It would be most helpful if you could talk this through with your son/daughter to ensure that he/she has a personalised study timetable of their own.

Experience shows that young people who prepare in this way have a much greater degree of success in examinations.

Please also note that your son/daughter will be informed of their estimate grades for each of their National Qualifications before the examination itself. These estimates have been based on clear evidence of performance gathered over the course of the session.

Finally, I would like to wish all of our young people and their parents/carers a lovely, safe and happy Easter

Best Wishes

P. Gilchrist

Parental Empowerment

We are looking for any parents or carers who would be interested in joining other like-minded adults in participating in our Parent al Empowerment Programme. This programme is a joint venture between the school and other East Ayrshire council partners.

The Parental Empowerment Programme is the key to unlocking the potential held within us. It provides scope to develop our skills and qualities whilst enhancing our self-esteem and confidence. Training and volunteering opportunities out-with the Parental Empowerment Programme will be available. Opportunities will be provided for community led projects or ideas. The attached flyer has more information on what options are available to participants.

If you would like to take part, all you have to do is express your interest by emailing the school at: eaRobertBurns.Ac@eastayrshire.org.uk

Please mark this for the attention of Mr McGurn, we will then contact you to talk through the stages of the programme, by emailing us, you are not signing up to the programme.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Parental Empowerment Leaflet (3)

The Cost of the School Day-

At Robert Burns Academy (RBA) we are fully committed to supporting all of our children and families to feel included in every aspect of school life and feel part of the school community. We consistently promote equity across all areas of the school and aim to ensure that all young people have equal opportunities to become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens. More than 1 in 4 children across Scotland are officially recognised as living in poverty.
Consequently, RBA continues to monitor the resources pupils need for school and the cost of the school day in order to ensure that none of our young people are at risk of missing out on opportunities or feel in any way disadvantaged, excluded or unhappy. Staff are sensitive to the issues and challenges that families face, particularly families affected financially by Covid-19 and the increasing cost of living. We encourage parents to inform Pupil Support Staff if they are experiencing financial difficulty in any matter. This will be treated in the strictest confidence and staff will do all they can to offer support.
Please read the policy below for more information on how to access this support.

Ukraine Appeal- Please donate via Parent Pay

Good morning

We would just like to amend a detail regarding our dress down day this Friday. Any pupil who wishes to make a donation will need to do so via Parent Pay. This is now active on our Parent Pay system, if you do not have a Parent Pay account set up you can still donate by asking your child to collect a letter containing a bar code from the downstairs office. This will allow you to make a contribution without signing up to Parent Pay.

Thank you for your support with this worthy cause.

Ukraine Appeal

We have all seen the images of the dreadful situation people of all ages are experiencing in Ukraine and I am sure we all share the desire to help in any way we can. My information is that the best way to do this is to send money rather than supplies.

I therefore invite all staff and pupils of the Barony Campus to wear blue and yellow on Friday 11th March and make any donation as you see fit towards this cause. Collection buckets will be circulated around the campus for staff to make a donation to support the children and families at this difficult time.

 

We are also very proud of one of our own pupils, Lochlan Murdoch, who has his own charity, Lochlan’s Legacy, that he is using to help the people of Ukraine. Type One Style are leading a collection for supplies for people with diabetes that can be sent to T1D warriors in Ukraine and Lochlan wants to collect as many supplies as he can for them.

 

More information on Lochlan’s legacy and their appeal can be found below.

Lochlan’s Legacy Overview

Ukraine Lochlan’s Legacy

Trauma Informed Contact and Care

Dear Young People, Parents/Carers,

 

Robert Burns Academy will become part of Trauma Informed Contact and Care from March 2022.

 

Trauma Informed Contact and Care (TICC) is a unique Police and Education early intervention safeguarding and wellbeing partnership, which supports children and young people exposed to domestic abuse.

 

Being part of Trauma Informed Contact and Care means that our school will receive a notification from Police Scotland before the start of the next school day when a child or young person in our school has been involved in or exposed to a domestic abuse incident in the previous 24 hours.

 

The information is given in strict confidence to one of two school designated contacts, who will be the Head Teacher, Depute Head Teacher or Child Protection Co-ordinator. This will enable support to be given dependent on the wellbeing needs and wishes of the child.

 

The designated contacts in our school are Amanda McPheator, DHT and Carrie Smith, PTG and they have received an additional briefing about Trauma Informed Contact and Care and the impact of Domestic Abuse on children and young people.

 

This notification process will be subject to an evaluation process at the end of the school term and should you wish any further information please request this from one of the above designated contacts.

 

Trauma Informed Contact and Care supports us to get it right for every child.

 

Yours sincerely

 

P Gilchrist