There are many practical issues young people will be worrying about when thinking about coming in to school tomorrow. Where will I eat? How do I get in? Where are the toilets?
Attached is a quick FAQ document for parents to help answer young people’s questions… Everything will also be covered tomorrow period 1.
A reminder that the ‘Form’ to apply for S1 Buddy and Prefect posts is open until Monday 10th and we need your help to make a success of the 2020-21 session. If you were a prefect in 2019-20, please reapply as well.
Thanks to those who have done this already.
Further info is on the Form itself- click below…
INFO FOR ALL
As you will know, the Scottish Government announced last Thursday that all schools should plan for a full return to school from next week. Further information will follow later this week to all families regarding arrangements for the return to school. We are working hard along with Moray Council to meet all Government guidance and requirements. I just wanted to issue some initial information and reassurances until all further guidance is ready as I know many of you will have questions.
All pupils will start back on 12th August at KGS. Settling in information will be gone over with pupils in their first period class. Timetables will be issued by post this week.
S1 transition activities will take place on the first day. S1 pupils will be greeted and have designated ‘quiet’ areas with staff and buddies available. A separate letter about S1 transition has been sent out. In addition all S1 pupils were added to House Teams which should show up in your Glow account. A transition website is available on the Team with lots of guides, videos, tours etc. The website needs to be accessed via your Glow account as it is not publicly available.
School wear requirement in term 1 is simply clean, plain black/ white items where possible. We want everyon eto feel able to come back to school and not feel pressurised to shop for new items when this may not be possible for various reasons.
Transport information is due to follow, directly from the Public Transport Unit.
Cold school lunches will be availabe from the first week with more information to follow.
There will be one way systems in place around the building and masks can be worn if people wish. Hand washing and sanitising will be important and all information about any special arrangements will be coming home in parent and learner guides later this week.
Please get in touch if you have any immediate concerns on our email address:
admin.keithgrammar@moray-edunet.gov.uk
SENIOR PHASE INFO
SQA RESULTS
This email address can also be used to get in touch regarding any queries about SQA results or you can phone our office on 01542 882461 and a message can be passed on to a member of staff who can help. Some pupils may be feeling that their results are unexpected and they will need to discuss this with a DHT or PTG in the first instance. Nicola Dall, our SDS Careers Adviser, can be ocntacted on the SDS Elgin number which is 01343 344006 and any messages can be passed on to her.
College pupils
At this stage, we are still waiting to find out when pupils will be able to go to Elgin for their college class on a Wednesday. Nevertheless, college courses will not start up again on the first day of term. Instead, college pupils will attend the classes that they would usually miss on a Wednesday. The timetable for all college pupils has been altered so that everyone knows which class they should attend throughout the day.
In addition to this, all college pupils need to enrol for their courses again. Each student should have received information about how to do this via email. There is also information on the Keith Grammar School Microsoft Team.
Senior phase timetables
On Monday 10th August, school staff will be looking at the timetables of our senior phase pupils to make sure that all pupils are doing the required number of courses. We will also be looking at whether any changes need to be made to a timetable, as a result of SQA results. School staff will let you know via telephone, if you have been allocated a meeting with the relevant Principal Teacher of Guidance on Tuesday 11th August. This will allow any potential changes to be made.
Similarly, should there be any gaps within your timetable, you should contact the school in order to make an appointment with your Guidance Teacher on Tuesday 11th August.
I can’t wait to see everyone next week and want to reassure everyone that we will go over expectations, routines and practicalities when you get here.
It will doubtless, take some time to get used to the new ways of working but we aim to be responsive, caring and above all SAFE as we return to our core business of learning together.
Kind regards
Liz Bain
Acting Rector
Here are links to the Moray Youth Engagement Team Blog and their social media pages. They will be promoting weekly challenges throughout the summer holidays and there are also links to interesting websites and information. It will also allow young people to access a youth worker direct during the summer.
Engagement team Blog
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/my/engagementteam/
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/Morayyouthwork
https://twitter.com/morayyouthwork
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/morayyouthwork/
Tiktok
https://vm.tiktok.com/JdxrTwL/
Young Scot Moray Page
The latest and last Banter of the session is here! It includes lots of information about next session and our award winners. Have a great summer folks and we hope to see you all soon!
As we have been in lockdown we haven’t been able to hold our usual selection process for student leadership posts. However, we need young leaders like YOU more than ever to help us get the school up and running again, welcome our new S1 and lead the school forward in the coming session. Selection for the posts will be based on applications and teacher consultation as a form of ‘reference’ as we are unable to conduct the usual interview process at this time.
There are various posts and you can apply for as many as you want. Please read the descriptions below to help you decide. We need prefects, S1 buddies, senior and head prefects as well as house captains. Please apply even though it is holiday time. Applications will close on the 10th August but please apply NOW.
Don’t think you are not a leader or ‘the prefect type’: there is no ‘type’. You are unique and that is why you have so much to give and also to gain from the experience. Training will be given which will also benefit you.
Prefects- help with events when required, represent the school, make the school a safer and welcoming place while involved in the duty rota and show a leadership example at all times.
Senior Prefects- prefects but also run committees such as fundraising, publicity, lunchtime events.
Head Prefects- prefects but also overseeing committees, representing the school at formal events, consulting and reporting to SLT.
House Captains- consult and report to PTsGuidance and help to organise house teams, events, assemblies, contribute to house ethos and publicity.
S1 Buddies- help introduce S1 pupils to the school in transition events and guide them during the first week at KGS and beyond.
The form can be found here:
We know that things are a little different right now, and you may be wondering how this affects you. Set your course for the future this September by joining us at our online open day on Wednesday 5 August. We will have people available across the region to talk to you about our further and higher education courses, funding, student support and careers advice. #thinkuhi
Did you know that you can contact Moray EPS as a parent during this COVID19 period?
Details below…
Moray Educational Psychology Service know that school staff are working hard to provide quality information to parents to help their children’s wellbeing and education. As these are unusual and challenging times we would like to provide a wider service to families to help support this work. If you would welcome the opportunity to chat about any social, emotional or educational concerns about your child with our link Educational Psychologist, Kirsty MackIntosh, they can be contacted via email on Kirsty.MackIntosh@moray.gov.uk or a telephone message can be taken on 01343 550999. Parents/carers that already have, or have had, involvement with the service can, of course, make contact in the same way. It is helpful if any emails received contain a preferred phone number for follow up.
I have received news from Moray Council and the Macpherson family regarding our Rector, Jamus Macpherson.
As you know, he has been absent from Keith Grammar School for a year now and the news is that he has now retired. I am sad to wish Jamus farewell and have passed on the best wishes of all in our school community to him and his family. It is particularly hard as we cannot see him to wish him well.
We will mark the huge contribution he has made to Keith Grammar School and the occasion of his retirement in due course. In the meantime, if anyone wishes to pass on their regards, please send them to Keith Grammar and we will arrange for them to be forwarded.
Attached is the statement issued by Jamus and Jane Macpherson.
Mrs Bain
Please complete this short questionnaire to let us know how you are coping with home learning, how you feel about how we are communicating with you and setting work.
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