Speakers for Schools Schedule

The schedule for the Speakers for Schools virtual talks for this week is below. The interesting talk subjects range from apprenticeships to film and animation. Don’t miss out!

DATE SPEAKER INFO
Mon 15th June 10am Baroness Lola Young, Independent Life Peer & Consultant Baroness Lola Young is joining SFS to share her life lessons and advice with a KS3/S1-3 audience and to discuss the importance of the arts in society.
Mon 15th June 2pm Julian Baggini, Editor-in-Chief, The Philosophers’ Magazine Join Julian Baggini, Editor-in-Chief, The Philosophers’ Magazine to explore the philosophy of personal identity – what makes us who we are. This VTalk would suit KS5/ S5-6 students and students who are interested in Philosophy.
Tues 16th June 10am Dan Snow, Historian and Broadcaster Why History matters? Join us as historian, author and broadcaster Dan Snow discusses the importance of studying history and the lessons you can learn.
Wed 17th June 2pm Dean Beswick, Film and animation company founder, Gorilla Gorilla! Film and animation company founder Dean Beswick is joining us for this virtual talk to discuss his career as a producer and commercial filmmaker, sharing his top 3 life lessons to help you prepare for your future.
Thurs 18th June 2pm In collaboration with Penguin Talks: Mohsin Zaidi & Jessica Kellgren-Fozard How to embrace your Intersectionality
Fri 19th June 10am Charlotte Stacey, Head of UK Apprenticeships Programme, BP Interested in learning about apprenticeships? Join us as Charlotte Stacey, Head of UK Apprenticeships Programme with BP discusses the practicalities of apprenticeships, how they’re structured, the benefits of completing an apprenticeship and the opportunities that exist at BP.

We hope you enjoy some more inspirational talks this week!

 

P7 Transition Visits to Taylor: Tues. 16 – Thurs. 18 June

We are preparing for our P7 transitions visit next week. All pupils will know their class and practical section by then. The dates and timings for the visits are listed below.

Class 1.1 – Tuesday 16th June (9.30 – 10.30)

Class 1.2 – Tuesday 16th June (11.30 – 12.30)

Class 1.3 – Wednesday 17th June (9.30-10.30)

Class 1.4 – Wednesday 17th June (11.30 – 12.30)

Class 1.5 – Thursday 18th June (9.30 – 10.30)

Class 1.6 – Thursday 18th June (11.30 – 12.30)

Pupil are asked to arrive at the main entrance at the time stated and will leave again from here. Socially distanced markings will be visible in the yard in 3 groups of 10.  Pupils will be escorted into the building by a member of staff.  On entering the building each pupil must use the hand sanitiser provided.

**ALL pupils should wear casual clothes that are easy to wash**

Please remind your child to maintain a 2m distance as they move towards the school theatre. Pupils will hear from Mr McCormick (HT), Mr McQuaid, DHT and Mr McPake (PTPS).  They will be provided with a stationery pack and a transition booklet.

Pupils will then tour the school in small groups and will be introduced to the health and safety procedures which will be implemented in August in line with COVID-19 advice. They will then have an opportunity to meet with their new classmates and socialise with them in the school canteen (the canteen will have markings to ensure social distancing). They will be provided with a hot snack, drink and a treat free of charge.

Parents / Carers should wait outside in the car park to collect their child (they must not enter the school building). Pupils will be escorted again in small groups to the front entrance and will remain in socially distanced lines until collected by a parent/carer.

If you wish your child to walk home please provide them with a note to confirm this.

If your child is displaying any of the extended list of symptoms associated with COVID-19 they must remain at home. Please contact the school (Tel. 01698 274976) and arrangements will be made to send the transition booklet and pack home.

We look forward to meeting you all.

 

Third Year curriculum choice

All parents and carers have now been issued with the most recent Second Year tracking report which was compiled just before lockdown. In addition, all parents and carers of current Second Year pupils should have received the updated Immersion Choice form for completion and return.

The member of the Pupil Support Team dealing with each class in respect of this process is as follows:

  • 2.1 Mrs. D. Connell
  • 2.2 Mrs.  J. McGuigan
  • 2.3 Mr. C. Phairs
  • 2.4 Mrs. L. A. Wilson
  • 2.5 Mrs. S. Murphy

Details of how to contact the relevant member of Pupil Support by telephone and the email address to use to return the completed form were provided in the email sent last week. If, for any reason, you have not received this email or have inadvertently deleted it, please contact the school by telephone on 01698 274976 to obtain relevant contact details. Please also see link below to the form.

Immersion Curriculum Choice Form June 2020

I would ask that these forms are returned promptly by email. Subject choices should be entered into the relevant text boxes on the form.

In addition Mrs Murphy , S3 Pupil Support teacher, may be contacted via your child’s registration class Glow team. Miss Rooney, Stage Head, can be contacted at the school.

All Pupil Support staff have a work mobile which is monitored by North Lanark Council. Please feel free to call this number (available in the email or from the school) to contact the relevant member of Pupil Support.

Please submit the completed form as soon as possible and no later than Monday 15th June 2020.

Literacy and Numeracy Activities for All!

Memo regarding New S1

Normally at this time of year the Support for Learning Department at Taylor High School would be visiting primary schools to assess identified pupils so that we can prepare individualised programmes of support. I want to reassure you that this will take place as soon as we are able to work with the pupils and the support will be provided as required. Our transition programme begins when the pupils are in Primary 6 and we already have a great deal of information which we can disseminate amongst our secondary colleagues so that those pupils who need it  are supported in class from the outset. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact me through your headteacher and I will answer your questions.

I look forward to working with your son/daughter.

Anna Robertson (PT Support for Learning, Taylor High School)

Memo regarding current S1/S2  Here is some information about Additional Support materials for Literacy and Numeracy.

Pencil PNG, Pencil Transparent Background - FreeIconsPNGRead, Write, Inc Groups

Mrs Weir has been posting work for pupils to complete via Edmodo. This is a great way to continue to practise tasks to improve literacy skills.

IDL Learning

Pupils who require additional support with literacy (including those who work on Read, Write, Inc) and those who are in Mr Dorris’s, Mr Harty’s or Mrs Bergen’s maths classes have access to IDL Learning. They can use this resource daily to help improve their literacy and numeracy skills. Even as little as 15 minutes a day will help keep them up to speed. If they have forgotten their login it is:

https://idlsgroup.com

Username: (first name, first initial of surname) then add @ml14jp

Password: taylor

Eg. John Smith         Username: johns@ml14jp        Password: taylor

 Maths Numeracy Workout (Extra maths work)

This is a great resource to help improve pupils’ mental maths and to help with various topics across Geometry and Measure, and Statistics and Probability. It is self-correcting and pupils can work through a variety of levels from basic to more advanced. Half an hour a day gives pupils an additional way of supporting their maths skills.

https://numeracyworkout.co.uk

Username: taylor

Password: circle41

Memo regarding current S3/4/5

At present work is being provided by subject teachers. If your son/daughter is finding the work challenging please contact me and I will do my best to support them remotely on an individual basis as I would have had they been in school.

Maths Numeracy Workout  (Extra maths work)

This is a great resource to help improve pupils’ mental maths and also to help with various topics across Geometry and Measure, and Statistics and Probability. It is self-correcting and pupils can work through a variety of levels from basic to more advanced. Half an hour a day gives pupils an additional way of supporting their maths skills.

https://numeracyworkout.co.uk

Username: taylor

Password: circle41

Letter from Derek Brown, Executive Director, Education and Families

Letter to Parents/Carers – 8 June 2020

Dear Parent/Carer,

I am pleased to have the opportunity to write to you to outline the progress we have made in planning for the return of children to school from August 11 onwards. It is anticipated that we will clarify arrangements in more detail in June, but what follows is an outline of our planning and a description of the steps we are taking to consult with various groups of stakeholders.

Planning Assumptions
In August, we have to plan, first and foremost, on the basis of safety. We need to ensure that your child and the staff in schools are as safe as possible and that the opportunity for viral transmission is reduced as far as possible.

In addition, due to government stipulations on physical distancing (2 metres squared, being used as a basic stipulation for schools, and anticipated guidance on smaller groupings in early years settings) it is likely that the capacity of settings to welcome children and young people will be between 40%-50% of current volumes.

We also have a reduction in staff capacity due to the continued need (under Scottish Government guidance) for staff who are part of the shielding programme to continue to work from home, as has been the case during the emergency lockdown period. It is difficult to
quantify this absolutely at present, but the service is planning on the availability of 80-85% staff being able to attend work as a basic assumption.

Therefore, as Scottish Government advice makes clear, there will need to be models deployed in local authorities and in private settings which incorporate what the First Minister has called,
‘partial delivery’ and ‘blended learning.’

Opening Schools
It likely that all young people, with the exception of the children of key workers and designated vulnerable groups will receive between 40%-50% of pre-lockdown education and childcare
provision in the recovery period.

While this is enormously challenging for staff in schools and settings, as well as for the young people and those who care for them, it is an absolute requirement if Scotland is to recover its services fully in a way that prioritises health and safety and minimises viral transmission.

In schools, most pupils will experience a partial in-school timetable, equivalent to a minimum two days most weeks, supplemented by an enhanced online digital learning offering and the potential for wider community based support. In primary, the priority will be to take a familycentred approach, overseen by head teachers. In secondary, due to the need to align the senior phase with the offering of key partners, such as New College Lanarkshire, there will be a focus
on key year groups attending on particular days.

Importantly, further consultation on how this will operate in practice will take place in June, and the precise detail will be clarified before the end of the school session, in plenty of time for August.

Early Years
In Early Years, the Scottish Government decision to pause the roll out of the 1140 Hours Expansion programme, due to the need to reduce staff:child ratios, means that it will be likely that most parents will receive 600 hours, which they are entitled to by statute.

This is based entirely on the prioritisation of critical child care for the children of key workers and vulnerable children as set out by the Scottish Government. Where local authorities make a critical childcare offer to key worker families and vulnerable families, this should be free at the point of access during the emergency response period.

To ensure settings are as safe as possible for children and staff, there is an expectation that all settings will put in place arrangements to accommodate physical distancing. This will also potentially reduce capacity within individual settings.

How this all works in the recovery period will depend on further advice and guidance from Scottish Government, due to be published on 15 June on arrangements for early years’ settings, including private funded providers. Following this, further dialogue will take place with partner providers regarding how they can adapt their settings to comply with guidance and draw down funding from the framework and further communication will take place with parents and carers.

Consultation and Communications
We hope to enlist the support of the members our representative parent groups for the approach we are advocating, which is grounded in clear national guidance and the professional
advice of our own central officer teams.

Any plans being brought forward are being done with reference to existing council policy and we will continue to communicate with you as things develop.

We understand you will have questions, many of which we are unable to answer at this point. We are working as hard as possible to manage all of the details and we will keep you updated
by letter and at http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schoolplans.

Yours sincerely
Derek Brown
Executive Director, Education and Families

Speakers for Schools Virtual Talks

 

Another week, another amazing selection of virtual talks for you to choose from. The line up for this week includes a singer/songwriter, a radio presenter and a film director! Get involved and become inspired! The schedule is detailed below:

 

DATE SPEAKER INFO
Mon 8th June 2pm CeCe Sammy, Vocal Coach & Asher Knight, Singer/Songwriter If you can speak, you can sing! Join Vocal Coach to the stars, CeCe Sammy and Singer/Songwriter Asher Knight to discuss how music has helped people overcome barriers and learn some singing techniques to help students focus too!
Tues 9th June 10am

 

Julian Jessop, Economist Should the voting age be lowered to 16? Economist, Julian Jessop will discuss the debate with students. This talk would suit any student interested in politics.
Tues 9th June 2pm Dr Funke Abimbola, Solicitor, Business Leader and Diversity Campaigner Dr Funke Abimbola is joining SFS to discuss ‘Climbing mountains’ – a session that reflects on Dr Abimbola’s personal leadership journey, her journey to becoming a senior healthcare executive and lawyer and sharing top 5 tips for success!
Wed 10th June 10am Charly Classen, Vice Chair, Special Olympics A session on how sport has the ability to impact lives with a focus on demystifying the sports sector in terms of careers and jobs available across the wider sports industry.
Thurs 11th June 2pm In collaboration with Penguin Talks:

Maya Jama and DOM&INK

How to Build Confidence

British television and radio presenter, Maya Jama, joins freelance illustrator and author of Free to Be Me, DOM&INK, to discuss what confidence means to them, the barriers to developing confidence and how we can build our own confidence.

Fri 12th June 10am In collaboration with Into Film: Sarah Gavron, Film Director British, feature film Director, Sarah Gavron, who’s film credits include the film adaptation of Monica Ali’s award-winning novel, Brick Lane, Suffragette, and the upcoming teen drama, made in collaboration with the creative team and the young people in the cast, Rocks, out later this year, will be answering questions and discussing her career, future projects and influences. Sarah has dedicated her career to accurately telling female stories and hopes to inspire more young women to enter the UK Film Industry.

We hope you enjoy some more inspirational talks this week!

 

Calling all incoming S1 parents and pupils!

We have created an S1 Transitions twitter that will provide parents and pupils with important updates and information to help prepare their child for High School.

We understand that pupils preparing to attend High school for the first time may be a little nervous and that this feeling could be heightened during the current pandemic when access to the school is very limited. We  hope to answer any questions or queries about joining Taylor High  School, and make the S1 transition as smooth as possible.


Follow our S1 Transitions page by searching ‘Taylor High Transitions’ on twitter, or click the link below:

https://twitter.com/TaylorHighTran1

 

Speakers for Schools Schedule

The Speakers for Schools virtual talks are continuing to take place with some fantastic guests! This week, the topics range from science to sports. The talk schedule can be found below:

DATE SPEAKER INFO
Mon 1st June 10am Ann Cairns, Executive Vice Chair, Mastercard In this interview, Ann Cairns will be asked about her top tips and advice for young people in preparing for their future careers.
Mon 1st June 2pm Kev O’Sullivan, Creative Director, FleishmanHillard Fishburn What does it mean to work in the creative industries? How can young people develop their personal brand and repuation? Creative Director, Kev O’Sullivan will share his insights and answer student questions!
Tues 2nd June 2pm Philippe Sands, Lawyer, Matrix Chambers & Professor of International Law The Ratline: hunting a Nazi, a story about love, lies and justice. In Philippe’s VTalk he will discuss how he came across the story of his book and podcast, The Ratline. Students who are keen on learning more about this story or any budding historians should definitely watch!
Wed 3rd June 10am

Add to calendar

 

Gisela Abbam, Chair, British Science Association In recent times, the world has learnt that public health is vital for a functioning society. Gisela Abbam, Chair of the British Science Association will discuss with students why it is so important and how students can pursue careers in the health sector.
Wed 3rd June 2pm Dan Connolly, Sports Marketing Executive, Consul Sports Club Passionate about sports? Think you’d be a great marketer or what to know more about what they do? Tune in to Dan Connolly’s VTalk to hear more about how he turned his passion into a career and what a a career in Sports Marketing could be like.
Thu 4th June 10am In collaboration with Penguin Talks: Elif Shafak, Author and Afua Hirsch, Writer, Journalist and Broadcaster

 

Students who wish to submit questions to Elif and Afua should email

inspiration@speakersforschools.org

How to challenge inequality

Award-winning British-Turkish novelist, Elif Shafak, joins writer, journalist and broadcaster, Afua Hirsch, to discuss the widening inequalities across the world how we can challenge them.

Fri 5th June 10am John Vary, Futurologist, John Lewis Partnership Passionate about sports? Think you’d be a great marketer or want to know more about what they do? Tune in to Dan Connolly’s VTalk to hear more about how he turned his passion into a career and what a a career in Sports Marketing could be like.

 

We hope you enjoy some more inspirational talks this week!

Holidays at the Hub!

 

This morning at the hub, we went on a virtual trip to France. We made passports, edible Eiffel Towers and French themed empire biscuits. Here are just some of the amazing creations.

 

Despite the weather, we also went to space this afternoon. We took part in a rocket experiment which was thrilling! Look how much fun we had cheering on the rocket in the video below.

We also did a fun experiment yesterday watching more rockets zoom up into the sky!

 

It was a very busy day for us at the Hub, as we also managed to fit in some more Van de Graaf generator fun. A hair raising time had by all as you can see!

 

We hope you all have a great holiday weekend!