This concise weekly HT Update will be published every Friday afternoon with a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update. Feedback received, where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoons on the school website link.
Key messages from this week
Calendar: Upcoming significant events next week include flu vaccinations on Monday and Tuesday and S3, S4, S5 and S6 values based assemblies.
Staffing: This week saw the departure of Miss Hazel Hanratty from our Art & Design Team. Hazel is looking to work for herself for the immediate future. We thank her for her work within our school and wish her well. Recruitment has also progressed with an appointment made to replace Hazel. Details to follow once all HR matters are addressed.
P7 Open Evening: This annual event, aimed at our 2023/24 S1 students, will be taking place in-person in the school building on Wednesday 26th October 6pm-7.30pm. The event is a great opportunity to welcome our new families into our school and marks the beginning of our P7/S1 Transition programme. Mrs Brown leads on this aspect of our school work.
School Improvement Plan: Our school 2021/22 Standards and Quality Report and 2022/23 Improvement Plans are now live on our school website click here and follow the link on the webpage. We are currently finalising a series of podcasts to try to make this document more ‘accessible’ for those not ‘steeped’ in the profession. Details to follow with an expected ‘launch’ just after the October break.
Parent Council: A reminder that our next meeting will be held on Monday 10th October at 7.00pm in the school. Details on our website next week.
If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below
Take Care
Campbell Hornell and Ali Mitchell, Head Teachers
no feedback submitted from HT Update week ending 23/09/22; only a lovely message for Mr Henderson wishing him well and good luck in his new role
This concise weekly HT Update will be published every Friday afternoon with a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update. Feedback received, where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoons on the school website link.
Key messages from this week
Let’s Talk Scottish Education: The Scottish Government is inviting everyone who has an interest in the future of our education system to join the National Discussion. This is an opportunity to have your voice heard and help develop a vision for the future of education in Scotland. What kind of education, skills, knowledge and support do you think young people will need 20 years from now? To find out more and complete the survey click here The consultation closes in early December. Please note that at our most recent Parent Council Meeting we completed a similar exercise and will use this to inform our Lasswade HS response.
SQA 2022 Attainment Meetings: Since our return in August our subject teams have been reviewing their SQA 2022 results. Next week we will begin meetings with teams. We have consistent key focus points for discussion at each meeting with the HT, DHT link, PT and teaching staff in attendance. The purpose of the meeting is to explore areas of strength and improvement. Thereafter, we confirm with teams associated action on a ‘Stop/Continue/Start’ basis.
SQA 2023 Timetable: Please note that this week SQA updated the 2023 Exam Timetable. This followed an error in the initial publication relating to the length of the Fashion and Textile Technology Higher on Friday 19 May. The 2023 exams diet starts on Monday 24 April and finishes on Thursday 1 June. Results Day will be Tuesday 8 August. The timetable and dates for all exams can be viewed on the SQA website click here
Senior Phase Awards Ceremony 2022: On Thursday we celebrated the achievements of some of our S4-S6 students. 75 of our 107 award winners were able to attend (the challenge is the availability of last year’s S6, many of whom are now away at university) and nearly 150 awards were handed out in person. There were outstanding performances by the school Ceilidh Band, Senior Guitar Group, a range of talented soloists as well as a special performance by the Academy of Performing Arts students. We also thank Gavin Oattes for his superbly judged Keynote Speech on the importance of values and ‘doing the right thing’. Senior Art & Design students also shared some of their exhibition pieces. Our School Captains expertly compared the entire evening. News reports will follow on our website next week and in the meantime please have a look at our social media for some footage of the evening.
Calendar: Upcoming significant events next week include activity related to Maths Week Scotland and the European Day of Modern Languages. S5/S6 students will have SQA Assessment Calendar Assemblies on Wednesday afternoon. Next Friday is a Dress Down Day with students asked to contribute what they can for this privilege. Monies raised from staff and students goes to our identified charities and the School Fund.
Staffing: This week saw the departure of Mr Scott Henderson from our Creative Design team. Scott has secured a well earned promotion and takes up a Principal Teacher post at Hawick High School. We thank him for his work within our school and wish him well.
If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below
Take Care
Campbell Hornell and Ali Mitchell, Head Teachers
no feedback submitted from HT Update week ending 16/09/22
This concise weekly HT Update will be published every Friday afternoon with a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update. Feedback received, where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoons on the school website link.
Key messages from this week
HT Role: Please note that from Tuesday until the October break Ali Mitchell will be Head Teacher on a full-time basis. This short term measure will allow me to complete a ‘time pressured’ piece of work for my Midlothian role. I’ll be in the building each week but not necessarily working on Lasswade matters. Associated back-fill arrangements are in place.
SCQF: SCQF is the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Part of its role is to help make sense of the range of qualifications available to learners as they progress through school and into college, university, training and the world of work. To find out more on SCQF click here As part of our work on SCQF we are asking parents/carers to complete a short survey. Your participation will add to our ‘evidence’ for Silver SCQF status and give us an idea of parental understanding to work from. To access the 5 minute survey click here
LHS Art Mag: As we continue to improve our school/home/school communication please note we have added a new section to our website. This brings together all our recent LHS Art Mag publications. To access these publications and view the excellent work of students click here
Parking: Please avoid parking in the disabled spaces near the main entrance, unless of course you have a ‘blue badge’. We regularly receive complaints from parents/carers and centre customers with a ‘blue badge’ who cannot secure a space. They usually cite the end of the school day and parents/carers collecting their children. We have no authority to move cars/drivers who are parking their inappropriately and rely on individuals doing the right thing. However, we do liaise with our ‘Campus Cop’ and he is able to organise periodic checks around those waiting in disabled bays.
Calendar: Upcoming significant events next week include House Assemblies for Mount Esk, an S2 ‘Smashed Live’ presentation and our Senior Phase Award Ceremony on Thursday evening.
September Weekend Holiday: A reminder that Monday 19th September is a school holiday. Students should not attend. School reopens on Tuesday 20th September. As Monday is now also a Public Holiday the entire Centre is closed; no Library or Sports Centre.
Travel Survey: On Wednesday our students completed our annual Hands Up Survey on how they travel to school. The survey showed that 64% of students walk to school, 20% come by bus and 13% are driven/dropped off. Interestingly, just under 3% ‘park and stride’. This means they are driven most of the way but walk the last part. If this is possible, and students would still be on time, it might be a healthy option for parents/carers who drive their children to school to explore.
If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below
Take Care
Campbell Hornell and Ali Mitchell, Head Teachers
SCHOOL LOCKERS AVAILABLE TO HIRE FOR ALL STUDENTS
With many extracurricular activities back up and running and the re-introduction of changing rooms, we’re aware of the excess weight which will now have to be carried about by students. To give them a chance to offload this excess weight, store their possessions safely and help teach them the importance of looking after their belongings, school lockers are now available to all students. Instead of hiring a locker for one year, students in S1-4 will have the opportunity to hire a locker for all the years leading up to S4 without re-hiring each year.
Pricing:
| Year Group | Years Hired | Cost |
| S1 | S1-S4 | £16 |
| S2 | S2-S4 | £12 |
| S3 | S3-S4 | £8 |
| S4 | S4 | £4 |
| S5 | S5 | £4 |
| S6 | S6 | £4 |
If students choose to stay on and continue their education for a 5th and 6th year at the end of S4, they will then rehire the locker each of the following years.
Payments will only be accepted using ParentPay, if you have not activated your parent pay account yet, please contact the school office at LasswadeHSoffice@midlothian.education.
Once the student has completed the google form the school office will add a payment their parent pay account. Once the payment has been received, a locker key will be issued by the school office. For those who have completed the google form and made payment, initial distribution of keys will begin week commencing 19/9/22. Any students who wish to hire a locker at a later stage can still do so by completing the google form. Please note – prices will not be reduced to take into account the later hire and there will be no refunds or changes
Students can fill out the google form to apply via the attached link using their google workspace account: https://forms.gle/uxUqkpgPKoYFaYFm9
| My Question | Comment | Suggestion related to the school this week is: | HT’s Response |
| Just checking when the school lockers will be available to hire | Will be available from this week, website post and Google Year Group classroom post Tuesday/Wednesday
|
HT Update: Week ending 9th September 2022
This concise weekly HT Update will be published every Friday afternoon with a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update. Feedback received, where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoons on the school website link.
Key messages from this week
Queen Elizabeth II: Following the sad events of yesterday the school is now following protocols agreed with all local authorities. This morning all of our flags were removed and later today a Union flag will be raised and then lowered to half mast as a mark of respect. A Book of Condolence will also be placed in our Library, and is available for students, staff and members of the public. We expect further information over the next few days regarding expected actions/protocols and we’ll keep you informed as we get information.
GroupCall: Please note that we did not Groupcall parents/carers last Friday regarding this update. Today will be the last regular Friday Groupcall to alert parents. Rest assured we’ll still publish the Update and Feedback/Response weekly on the website.
Calendar: Discussions are continuing with Midlothian Council regarding our Whole School Calendar and temporary arrangements on our website. Upcoming significant events next week include House Assemblies for Melville, St Anne’s and St Leonard’s, Senior Phase Award Ceremony rehearsals and Student Voice Year Council Meetings.
September Weekend Holiday: Please note that Friday 16th and Monday 19th September are school holidays. Students should not attend. School reopens on Tuesday 20th September.
Parent Council: Thank you to those who attended our Parent Council Meeting on Tuesday this week. It was lovely to see so many new attendees as well as those more established Parent Council members. It was our first in-person meeting for some time. The main item of what was a lively discussion was on the Purpose of Education and what we need to change/improve to meet that purpose in what is a changed, changing and uncertain world. Please note that our next meeting has been rescheduled to Monday 10th October. All Parent Council dates for the session are accurate on the relevant website page click here
Attendance: We are pleased to see our overall attendance levels return to figures closer to those typical of pre-pandemic times. The figure we ‘pulled’ from the system placed our attendance levels at 92.3%. Unauthorised absence is at 2% and this is what we ‘chase-up’ with students and families to establish a reason. Please be proactive and contact the school if your child is off. Good attendance and good timekeeping are great habits for young people to establish with research clear on the link between high attendance levels and those achieving and attaining well at school.
S1 Assembly: I’m disappointed to report that on Thursday morning we held an extra-ordinary S1 Assembly. This followed several incidents of immature and inappropriate behaviour by S1 students. While the vast majority continue to do the right thing we felt it important to remind all students of our Core Expectations and behaviours we expect to see.
If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below
Take Care
Campbell Hornell and Ali Mitchell, Head Teachers
no feedback submitted from HT Update week ending 02/09/22
This concise weekly HT Update will be published every Friday afternoon with a simple opportunity for you to also feedback/ask questions via the link at the bottom of each Update. Feedback received, where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Monday afternoons on the school website link.
Key messages from this week
Staffing: We have welcomed a number of new staff to our school this session. A full staff list is available on our website click here
Parent Council: A reminder that our first Parent Council Meeting of the session will be held on Tuesday 6th September. The meeting will be our first in-person one for a while and begins at 7.00pm. The Parent Council is a crucial part of our school and I’d encourage as many parents/carers as possible to attend. A news story was posted on our website earlier this week giving additional details click here
Senior Phase Awards Ceremony This important celebration in our school calendar takes place on Thursday 22nd September. Mrs Brown leads on it. She uses SQA data to identify the subject related recipients with staff nomination and other school data taking care of those in receipt of an award. Student rehearsals are an inevitable part of our preparations but rest assured we’ll aim to keep disruption, i.e., time out of class, to a minimum.
SQA Appeals: Today is the deadline for appeals. As you’d expect we have progressed appeals in line with the SQA’s guidelines and timescales. Around 350 appeals are being submitted. Priority appeals were submitted earlier as these candidates are relying on them for places at college and university. SQA have informed us that they will confirm the outcome of these priority appeals to schools on Monday 5th September, and will notify UCAS by Tuesday 6th September. The results of all other, i.e., for those students still at school are scheduled to be issued to schools by the end of October 2022, with new certificates posted to students by mid-November 2022. However, the SQA has informed schools it may be necessary to extend these dates, depending on the volume of appeals they receive.
School Uniform: Thank you again for your support regarding school uniform. In the first three weeks many minor issues have been resolved. From next week we enter a new phase in monitoring uniform compliance with details highlighted in a recent website post click here The website post does include details on our ‘Lasswade Wardrobe’ initiative designed to offer support to students and families. In addition, the Scottish Government is currently consulting on school uniform and I’m aware that there are a range of views on the topic and that people may want to have their say. The consultation closes in the middle of October and can be assessed via this link click here
Assembly: On Monday morning all S1 students will attend an Extra Curricular/Sports Assembly during period 1. The Assembly will help to set the scene and encourage sign-up at our Extra Curricular Fair on Thursday of next week.
Scottish School Football Association: We were delighted to learn this week that we have been recognised as the ‘School of the Year’ by the SSFA. This is largely a recognition of our on-going work that has built our School of Football programme over recent years and was undoubtedly helped by two of our teams securing Scottish Cup success. Congratulations to all the players, coaches and parents who provide on-going support and encouragement.
If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below
Take Care
Campbell Hornell and Ali Mitchell, Head Teachers