An online STEM resource with various events running until September.

https://www.theogtc.com/culture-of-innovation/stem/inspire20/

From Monday 8th June to Sunday 14th June it is the annual Carers Week awareness campaign which recognises the vital contribution made by unpaid carers who care for someone. This year the campaign takes on extra significance as due to Covid 19 many carers, both adult and young carers, in East Renfrewshire are taking on even more caring responsibilities. So now more than ever it is important to underline the challenges that carers are facing and for carers of any age to know that there is support available to them here in East Renfrewshire. If anyone would like to find out more information about accessing carer support our contact details are as below:

Tel No: 0141 638 4888

Website: www.eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk

Facebook – @EastRenfrewshireCarersCentre

Twitter – @eastrencc2 or alternatively just type in East Renfrewshire Carers Centre in twitter search engine. 

During the spring/summer months the fire service would normally run a water safety campaign highlighting the various hazards and Dangers associated with being around water.  Please have a look at the presentation which can be found here and details the serious hazards around water.

East Renfrewshire Director of Education, Mrs Mhairi Shaw’s letter to all parents and carers can be accessed here.

S3 biologists have captured beautiful biodiversity images as part of their introduction to the Life on Earth topic. To celebrate biodiversity week as part of their remote learning, pupils in S3 biology classes have had the opportunity to engage in fun and interactive video lessons with Glasgow Science Centre. All material can be accessed here: https://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/gsc-at-home

School leaver webinar – Preparing for Interviews
We understand everyone is facing challenges just now and your plans may have changed or seem unclear due to the current situation. We want to let you know that our SDS careers advisers are still here to help and provide you with the career information and guidance you need for your future.
Join advisers, Hilary and Erin for the second session Thursday 11th June at 3pm on:
Preparing for interviews-
• General hints & tips (phone & video)
• Understand how Skills Development Scotland can help you
• Get actions and links to resources that you can do yourself
• Get involved with questions and comments
• Find out what future webinars to look out for

Click the link to join –

CareerJam 2 – Interviews

Missed the first session? Don’t worry, a recording of ‘Acknowledging the situation and how your careers adviser can help you’ will be available soon on
www.myworldofwork.co.uk/pupils

Some information from the University of Aberdeen:

The Medicine Open Day will be a virtual event and will take place online on Saturday 13^th June, 11:00am – 2:00pm. Registration is now open to all prospective students at this link. Further details about Open Days for all subjects will also be available in due course at abdn.ac.uk/openday.

The Medical Schools Council has also produced information for prospective Medicine applicants. For students who may be concerned about sourcing relevant experience or shadowing, they have produced this informative document. 

A series of informative videos about choosing a course and university, writing your personal statement, and funding information are available here.  These videos can be viewed at any time and students can ask questions relating to any these talks at our June and July Unibuddy Live sessions, which are scheduled on our Virtual Events page here. 

We will also be attending the UK University Search Virtual Fair on Wednesday 17^th June, and staff will be available throughout the day to answer questions from prospective students. Details about this event and how to register for students/teachers can be found here.

Please find below a copy of the email issued to S1-S5 parents this afternoon.

Dear parent,

As you will be aware, the First Minister announced the phased reopening of schools in her speech last week, allowing for some transitions work to take place with next year’s S1 cohorts in the latter part of June in addition to Hub provision for vulnerable pupils and the children of keyworkers.  All schools will reopen on 11^th August and pupils will attend school in a blended learning model with children spending part of the week in school and part of the week learning at home.  Tuesday 11^th and Wednesday 12^th August will be in-service days, with pupils returning from Thursday 13^th August.  We are now finalising the details for our August return, including timetables and practical arrangements, and I hope to be in a position to provide you with fuller information about your child’s return to school within the next week or two.  In the meantime, the following may be of interest.

NETHERLEE HUB

Pupils currently attending Hub schools will return to their base schools with effect from Monday 8^th June.  My thanks to Netherlee Primary School for their hospitality over the past ten weeks.

GOOGLE CLASSROOMS

Pupils’ engagement with Google Classrooms and the quality of the work they have been producing has been impressive, and your support in encouraging your child to engage fully in learning is greatly appreciated.  As you will be aware, staff in all subjects ask that pupils formally submit a piece or work each week to allow staff to gauge pupils’ engagement and progress.  Should a pupil repeatedly fail to engage with the work set, parents will be contacted to make them aware of any concerns.  I would remind you, however, that pupils are not expected to be online continuously during normal school hours.  A number of tasks are ‘open-ended’ and pupils can spend as much time on them as they choose.  If you find that your child is spending too long on Google Classrooms each day, please contact the relevant pupil support teacher who will be happy to offer advice.

A blended approach to education provision will be adopted when pupils return, with learners spending part of their time in school and part of their time learning at home.  Online learning will therefore continue to be a key feature of pupils’ learning.  This blended approach is likely to continue until the end of the calendar year at least.

Please remember that GLOW (and Google Classrooms) is a platform for pupils and teachers only and should not be accessed by parents or other family members.

P7 TRANSITIONS

For those of you with children in P7 who will be joining us in June, I am pleased that a limited transition experience will be able to go ahead.  During the final two weeks in June, pupils will be invited to visit the school in small groups to meet with their year head and pupil support teacher and to take part in some classroom lessons.  Mrs Gibson will write to you tomorrow to invite your child to take part.

SQA

We have completed the process of producing estimate grades for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher candidates in all subjects, ranking candidates based on evidence gathered over the course of the session.  SQA will now consider all of the statistical information available to them and remain committed to publishing examination results as planned on Tuesday 4^th August 2020.  I have attached some information for parents published by SQA which summarises the process.   https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/93825.html

RENEGOTIATION OF SUBJECT OPTIONS

Each year, following publication of SQA results, some of our pupils wish to change their subject options for S5 or S6.  We would usually set aside a particular date during the last week of the summer holiday for pupils to come to school to discuss any options changes.  This year, pupils will be asked to request changes to their subjects by email.  Those who require advice from pupil support staff or from our careers advisers will of course still be able to access that advice as normal.

VOCATIONAL COURSES

Senior pupils who secured places on ERC vocational courses will be advised of decisions affecting those courses as soon as the information becomes available from the colleges involved.  I understand that the Level 8 Human Body Structure and Function course will begin online learning in the next few weeks.  Mrs Sinclair will contact the relevant pupils directly with further information.

HEAD BOY / HEAD GIRL ELECTIONS

Campaigns for these positions will take place in June, and depute positions will be allocated in August.  Our new S6 pupils should continue to follow the S6 Google Classrooms page run by Mrs Sinclair where full information will be posted.

TIMETABLE CHANGE

Our final yeargroup to change timetable is S1.  S1 pupils will follow their S2 timetables with effect from Monday 8^th June.  Google Classroom codes will be posted on the school website as usual, and on the S1 yeargroup Google Classroom page.  Pupils should remember to join Google Classrooms (or Teams in the case of DAT) for their new rotation subjects as detailed below:

* Please join the appropriate social subject as follows:

I shall be in touch before the summer break with provisional details of our August return.  In the meantime, please pass on my best wishes to your children and let them know that we are very much looking forward to seeing them soon!

William Inglis

Head Teacher

Williamwood High School

The following information may be of use to pupils who have recently left school and who have applied for University or College.

Below are details of virtual fairs for pupils who are currently exploring their options for 2021 UCAS options for the University of Glasgow. 

Science and Engineering Faculty Fair, 3 June, 1-3pm

www.channeltalent.co.uk/event/science-engineering-online-he-faculty-fair-with-glasgow-warwick-uea/

UK University Search Virtual Fair, 17 June, 12 -6pm

www.ukuniversitysearch.com/fair-signup/virtual-fair-2

• Student Room, how can studying English make the world a better place?

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6510724

• Summer reading suggestions from the School of Humanities:

www.gla.ac.uk/schools/humanities/research/historyresearch/welcome/#

For information about how the University’s research community is responding to the Covid crisis:
www.gla.ac.uk/news/coronavirus/headline_714460_en.html

 For information about how the University is supporting its students – including those due to commence their studies in September- during the Covid crisis:

www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/news/coronavirus/

Details of Summer Internships can be found here.

Children’s Parliament is engaging children in conversations about their experience of Coronavirus and the lockdown. They have now launched the JUNE edition of their national wellbeing survey How are you doing? The survey is here bit.ly/Coronavirus_Kids

This survey is for pupils in S1 and S2.   Pupils can complete the short survey on their own or with their parents.  More information is also available on their website.

Our LBGT+ students and allies are celebrating Pride month during June. Image courtesy of LBGT Youth Scotland.

Please find the latest Health and Wellbeing update here.