I thought it was appropriate to further update parents and carers as we move into our 5th week of school closure.

Again I have sent this directly to all parents (main contact) whose email address we hold on our system. I will also signal it on Twitter. If you  have not received it directly, please update your email address with the school office for future use.  If you are aware of other parents who have not received the email directly, please ask them to do the same.

Mrs Morrison has produced a Newsletter to help convey some of the achievements we would normally flag up in school at assemblies, etc. I think you will find it an interesting read.

I hope you are all keeping well at this time and coping with the demands of life in shut down.

Mr Sinclair

UPDATE Week beginning 4th May

Pupil newsletter 04.05.20 with links

For many young people, the online work has been progressing well. However we are aware that this is not the case for all. Please do keep in contact with us  and we will look to support you.

The main vehicle being used by teachers for the online work is Google Classroom and this is proving to be the best. Teachers are uploading work on to Google Classroom as assignments, and pupils need to look on each classroom for their work and instructions each day. (It appears that some pupils have not realised they need to check Google Classrooms).

Pupils have been using these Google Classrooms all year, and are familiar with how to use them. We have added a helpful guide created by one of our Cluster colleagues from Carlibar Primary School. It is written with primary in mind but is equally applicable to secondary pupils (and parents). Thanks for the share!

Google Classroom Pupil Guide 1

Mr Herd has also created a help sheet  to remind pupils how to submit an assignment if it is done on computer, or how to upload a picture of jotter or paper work.

How to Upload An Image of Work

Parents may well be more familiar with Show My Homework (parents cannot access Google Classroom directly). We have asked teachers to indicate on SMHW from now on when a deadline has been set for an assignment so parents can see this directly. However the main pupil work will still be on Google Classroom.

Mr Sinclair

Social Work have passed on the following message:

With the closure of schools young people are being seen less and this means that we are not as able to identify those who are, or are at risk of, being harmed/neglected as we normally would. Whether you’re a parent, family member, neighbour or member of the community, if something doesn’t feel right, call and report it.

If you are worried about a child that you know, please call us confidentially on 0141 577 8300.

 There has also been a rise in domestic violence over the last six weeks. Please also look out for friends, neighbours or family who you think might be suffering at the hands of a partner – whether it be physically, emotionally, sexually or financially.  

Women’s Aid East Renfrewshire can be contacted on 0141 404 0015 and the 24-hour national abuse helpline is 0800 027 1234.

Stay safe and thank you for keeping your eyes open.

S3 DOFE Students only

A number of changes to the Duke of Edinburgh Award have recently taken place to allow students to continue with their award at home.

Non-completion of a section

If students haven’t fully completed a section(s) – and don’t think it is possible to complete a section(s) due to current lockdown restrictions – then their DOFE can now be done at home.

In short:

1. Volunteering – Students can now undertake volunteering hours to help their extended family.
2. Physical – your daily walk or run can count as a new physical activity (just record your walk/runs on strava/mapmyrun app)
3. If you can’t undertake a section, then you can change your section and count previous hours as well as any future time spent on the new activity. This would require the student to have two assessor reports.
4. Note: that family members cannot be an assessor for a student. If students require to undertake a new activity to allow them to complete their DOFE then they should make Mr Boag aware. It is likely that your new assessor will be one of the DOFE staff within school.

DOFE Messages

Can I highlight to all students the messaging system within eDOFE.  The DOFE Manager has sent all students an important message highlighting the changes above and also two social media accounts that may be of interest:

Messages can be accessed by logging into your eDOFE account and looking at the top right-hand corner of the screen (See image below. Image taken while accessing eDOFE using a laptop)

Social Media Accounts

I would urge all DOFE students to follow the two social media accounts below:

1. DOFE Facebook account – DOFE EastRen is East Renfrewshire’s DOFE account. This will be updated regularly with all changes that are taking place, but also some fun and mindfulness techniques that may relieve some boredom (even for a while).
2. Instagram account – CLDEastRen brings together a number of services within East Renfrewshire (formerly Young Persons Services & the Communities Team)

Expeditions

Normally, DOFE expeditions take place in June and September. With current social distancing rules in place, it is not possible to have students out on any DOFE expeditions. Having discussed this at length with the DOFE Manager, it is likely that current S3 DOFE students will complete their expeditions in June/Sept 2021. I will make students aware should this change.

Finally

Most S3 DOFE students should have photo/text evidence that they can upload to their eDOFE accounts.  If students have completed a section, then they should contact their assessor and ask for a report. Students should encourage their assessor to complete their report online by following this process:

1.  Ask your assessor to access the DOFE Assessor’s website.
2.  Students should give their assessor their DOFE ID number (student’s unique seven-digit number), their level (Bronze) and the section (physical, skill or volunteering)

Assessor’s can then type their report into the website and submit it to me for approval.

As ever, if students need further advice or guidance, then please get in touch using the DOFE Google Classroom.

Mr Boag

DOFE Coordinator

S4 DOFE Students only

All S4 Duke of Edinburgh students have completed their expedition section and should have all the information they need to finish the Bronze Award.

A number of you had evidence to upload or were waiting on an assessor’s report and I thought this would be the ideal time to get these tasks finished off.

S4 DOFE students should take the time they have available to obtain any outstanding assessor reports and have these, along with any further evidence, uploaded into their eDOFE account.

Expedition Section

All students should complete the expedition section (and then submit for approval) using the following information:

Start & End Point: PA15 4HU

Date: 25th & 26th Sept 2019

Journey & Exploring times should add to 6 hours per day.

Wild Country tickbox should be UNTICKED

Students that have completed their DOFE presentation should upload the PPTX file as evidence.

 Non-completion of a section

If students haven’t fully completed a section(s) – and don’t think it is likely that they will finish their section(s) due to current lockdown restrictions – then their DOFE can now be done at home.

In short:

1. Volunteering – Students can now undertake volunteering hours to help their extended family.
2. Physical – your daily walk or run can count as a new physical activity (just record your walk/runs on strava/mapmyrun app)
3. If you can’t undertake a section, then you can change your section and count previous hours as well as any future time spent on the new activity. This would require the student to have two assessor reports.
4. Note: that family members cannot be an assessor for a student. If students require to undertake a new activity to allow them to complete their DOFE then they should make Mr Boag aware. It is likely that your new assessor will be one of the DOFE staff within school.

DOFE Messages

Can I highlight to all students the messaging system within eDOFE.  The DOFE Manager has sent all DOFE students an important message highlighting the changes above and also two social media accounts that may be of interest:

Messages can be accessed by logging into you eDOFE account and looking at the top right-hand corner of the screen (See image below. Image taken while accessing eDOFE using a laptop)

Social Media Accounts

I would urge all DOFE students to follow the two social media accounts below:

1. DOFE Facebook account – DOFE EastRen is East Renfrewshire’s DOFE account. This will be updated regularly with all changes that are taking place, but also some fun and mindfulness techniques that may relieve some boredom (even for a while).
2. Instagram account – CLDEastRen brings together a number of services within East Renfrewshire (formerly Young Persons Services & the Communities Team)

Finally

Most S4 DOFE students were almost finished all sections of the award, and I am aware that Mrs Kirkpatrick has been contacting a number of you to encourage to get the award completed as soon as you can. I am, therefore, not expecting wholesale changes to sections other than where it is simply not possible to complete the award without such a change.

As ever, if students need further advice or guidance, then please get in touch using the DOFE Google Classroom.

I issued a statement about school trips just before Easter and indicated then that I had hoped to have some resolution to this within a couple of weeks (I should have known that was a risky statement!).

In practice, the companies are still not cancelling the trips and insisting that we will face cancellation charges if we do so at this point. Although any possibility of the trips going ahead is becoming increasingly unlikely in theory (and even more so in practice), we are continuing to work to ensure that we can receive full refunds and be able to return all monies to parents.

This is being addressed at ERC level as well as school level and is affecting all schools. Rumours of some schools having received full refunds have proved unfounded.

I apologise that I have not been able to respond individually to all parents who have contacted to enquire about refunds, but I would assure you this is continuing to be at the forefront of our attention and would ask for your patience for a bit longer. I hope that the end result will make it worth waiting for.

I will let you know as soon as we have a result.

Mr Sinclair

This year’s S6 have finished their school days in some of the most difficult times that we have known but it’s times like these we learn to live, give and love, maybe more than any other.

Take all the memories and these lessons with you into the new day rising before you.

Best wishes to each of you from all the staff of Barrhead High School.

https://youtu.be/Ha92_1RlDl0

Our Parent Council meeting will take place on Monday, 11th May 2020 from 7pm.

All parents and guardians are welcome to attend.

We have provided this service for the children of Key Workers over the past few weeks and will continue to do so as required. Due to the small numbers, all such children and young people from the Barrhead area (secondary & primary) are being accommodated in Carlibar Primary. If there are Barrhead High pupils present, there will be a member of BHS staff supervising. There are usually one or two from BHS.

I am now seeking further requests from eligible parents for in-school provision  over the next 3 weeks and have emailed directly to our parents who have already identified as Key Workers.

I would stress the guidance from the Scottish Government aiming at reducing the number of people at work at this time. We will still make provision for the children of Key Workers who are in the front-line of tackling the coronavirus. However I would ask you only to consider sending in your children where this is specifically required to allow you to continue to be at your work and only on those days that you are working. The Government have also set the expectation that if one parent is not a Key Worker then they will take responsibility.

We are conscious that this requirement and the eligibility for it may well change depending on your working circumstances. If you do fit into this category and have not received the email relating to it, but now require the support, please email me at the school.

schoolmail@barrhead.e-renfrew.sch.uk

Thanks
Mr Sinclair.