Thank you to all parents/carers that attended our recent course choice evening. We hope you found the evening helpful and informative, if you were unable to attend please use the links below to access the course choice information video and the FAQs from the evening.
The course choice process will begin following the February break. To support students through the process there will be time in PSE to discuss options with their teacher, this will be based on their knowledge of the student and coursing advice from teachers. Students will then bring this information home and if you feel changes need to be made you can do so at this point.
For further information please see the course choice section on our website where you can access our curriculum map and get more detailed information on all of the courses available. To support us continuously improving our events please take a few minutes to complete our feedback form below.
Feedback
Support Resources
Course Choice Video and Curriculum Map
On Thursday 29th February 2024 between 4.30pm and 7pm, the online S1 Parents’ Evening will be taking place. The system that we use for S1-S6 Parents’ Evenings is called ‘ParentBooking.com’ (see website https://www.parents-booking.co.uk/lasswade).
Dates for your diary – the booking system opens at 7pm on Sunday 18th February and will close at 10am on Monday 27th February.
You will not be able to log in to your account before this time.
We are continuing to trial opening the booking system in the evening to improve our service for parents/carers who have found accessing the booking system during normal working hours challenging. As a result, please be aware that our admin staff will not be able to respond to any issues, or respond to any communications until Monday morning.
All of our Parents’ Evenings are now fully online (video call), so if you have not taken part in an online Parents’ Evening at Lasswade HS before, please read the Parent/Carer User Guide ahead of the evening or watch this useful video Video Meetings Demo, with Troubleshooting.
Each student can book a maximum of 10 appointments. Each appointment lasts for 4 minutes (on screen timer) with a minute in between consecutive appointments.
If more than one parent/carer wishes to join the video call, the identified ‘main carer’ (person who makes the appointments) must be the person to share the joining details with the other parent/carer.
Response to feedback submitted from HT Update week ending 26/01/24. We had a functions enquiry which I’ve passed to our Business Manager. He’ll progress that directly with the relevant parent/carer.
| My Question | Comment | Suggestion related to the school this week is: | HT’s Response |
|
Apologies, I missed the communication on the website and last weeks headteacher bulletin about the Senior Course Choice evening or I would have attended. My fault entirely, but just a note on the comms, I didn’t receive the joining details on the Monday either. |
I’ll speak with Miss Petrie this morning. She led on the evening. She’ll contact you directly. |
| I wondered if you could on one of your dress down day support Midlothian Community hospital mental health ward. Roselane ward. I would love for our patients to be able to interact in more activities. Thank you for all you do. | I’ll speak with Mr Chisholm, he is S6 Year Head. He will meet with the Charities Group to discuss this idea. Essentially all our Dress Down Days are student led. Mr Chisholm will contact you following his meeting with the students. |
This concise weekly HT Update is generally published every Friday afternoon. It’s 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 each Monday on the school website link.
Key messages from this week
Calendar: next week’s significant events; on Tuesday a selection of S2/3 students from our Vex Club will be attending a robotics competition at Heriot Watt University, also on Tuesday the school will be represented at the Energy Training Academy opening of their Net Zero Home, on Wednesday we’ll be involving S3/4 students in an Intermediate Maths Challenge#.
Staffing: We would like to welcome Katharina Strobel who starts with us on Monday in the Modern Languages department. She will cover Mrs Innes’s maternity leave.
Toilets & Students Out of Class: Thank you for your support, our data shows we have seen a reduction in the number of students out of class during lessons and this has lessened poor behaviours associated with corridor ‘wandering’. A couple of departments have also fed back that this has created a more settled atmosphere in classrooms. We are encouraging students to make use of toilets, if necessary, at break and lunch. If a student needs the toilet at other times, i.e., during class time, toilets remain open on the ground floor with accessible toilets on each floor. We want our students to be in-class during class time.
Medication in School: A reminder that last week I advised that our PCWOs can only administer prescribed medication in school. We are not able to store or administer un-prescribed medications for specific students. This includes paracetamol, ibuprofen or antihistamine tablets that have been bought over the counter.
Break and Lunchtime: We have reminded students, and ask parents/carers to reinforce the following. Students should not bring energy drinks or hot food purchased outside school into the building. In addition, the consumption of food should only be happening in the Atrium area.
Burns Supper: Congratulations to all involved in what was a highly successful S6 and staff Burns Supper held last night in the school.
If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below
Take Care
Campbell Hornell, Head Teacher
No feedback received from the HT Update posted last Friday.
This concise weekly HT Update is generally published every Friday afternoon. It’s 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 each Monday on the school website.
Key messages from this week
Calendar: next week’s significant events: on Tuesday there is a drop-in session on an upcoming Midlothian consultation from 5.00pm, see below, it’s also our Senior Phase Course Choice Information Evening, from 6.00pm, see below (please note this is an on-line event); on Thursday we’ll hold our S6/Staff Burns Supper; Friday is a Dress Down Day, we also expect to have completed our S2/S3 Course Choice process by Friday.
Staffing: Congratulations to Scott Cairney, PT Melville House, and his wife on the arrival of their baby boy, Ruari, this week. Congratulations to Grace Watson for securing the permanent youth worker position at LHS after successful interview.
Parent Council: Thank you to those parents able to meet with us last night, via Zoom, for our fourth Parent Council Meeting of the session. The meeting lasted just under one hour and the main focus was on how parents/carers could support learning at home. Miss Whittingham presented on this. Click here to access her slides. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 19th March.
Music Success: Congratulations to our performers who represented the school in the Dalkeith Rotary Club young musician of the year competition on Monday evening. The standard was excellent and there were outstanding performances from Alex Mason on Electric Guitar and Morgan Murphy on Piano, Maggie Goodall was awarded first prize in the vocal category. Maggie will perform in the next round of the competition in Musselburgh next month.
Medication in School: Please be aware that our PCWOs can only administer prescribed medication in school. We are not able to store or administer un-prescribed medications for specific students. This includes paracetamol, ibuprofen or antihistamine tablets that have been bought over the counter. Our PCWOs will be in touch to return all un-prescribed medication next week.
S1 HVP Vaccinations: The S1 HPV Vaccinations, scheduled for April, are intended for all S1 students and those students who may have missed this vaccination previously. Consent forms will be sent home with students over the next week, please complete and return to the school office before the February break.
Senior Phase Course Choice Evening (S3-5): On Tuesday we have our on-line Senior Phase Course Choice Evening from 6pm to 7pm. Students, parents and carers will be guided through the process which starts after the February break. We have live presentations from our partners at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh College and Skills Development Scotland (SDS) who will highlight the range of exciting pathways open to students. Joining details will be sent on Monday, if you do not receive them and wish to attend please e-mail lasswade_hs@midlothian.gov.uk. We look forward to seeing you there.
Midlothian Consultation: A reminder that information was posted on our website last night regarding a Midlothian consultation focussed on Beeslack and Penicuik. It affects us due to the proposal that Loanhead and Paradykes primary schools are re-zoned to Beeslack when they get their new school. Click here to access the website story.
If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below
Take Care
Campbell Hornell, Head Teacher
Midlothian Council would like to share information on the proposals that it is planning to take forward in a full statutory consultation beginning on Monday 19th February. The proposal below in bold will impact our school.
Prior to formal statutory consultation we are holding informal information drop-in sessions which will be attended by representatives from Midlothian Council who will be available to discuss the proposed plans and answer any questions you may have. Our initial session was postponed due to Storm Jocelyyn. It will now take place on and is open to members of the public:
The proposals that will be included in the formal statutory consultation are listed below:
More information, including the impact on siblings and transitions will be shared in full in the formal statutory consultation document that will go live on Monday 19th February.
If you have any questions/queries, please email our consultation mailbox at EducationConsultation@
Our fourth Parent Council Meeting of the session is on Thursday 18th January. This was highlighted in last week’s HT Update. As we are now in the midst of darker nights and winter weather the meeting will be held via Zoom. We’ll begin at 7.00pm and end no later than 8.30pm. Our learning from last session was that Zoom meetings usually last closer to an hour.
As part of the meeting there will be discussion on
All parent/carers on will automatically be sent joining instructions for the meeting, via email, on the morning of Thursday 18th January. All are welcome to ‘attend’.
Please send in any questions, via email and with ‘FAO Parent Council’ at the top of message, to
Or, post a question to the Parent Council Facebook page
All questions should be submitted no later than 1.00pm on Thursday 18th January.
Apologies for the delay in posting. Nevertheless, no feedback requested from HT Update week-ending 12/01/24.
Senior Phase Course Choice: Online Information Evening – 23/01/24
On Tuesday the 23rd of January we are holding an online Senior Phase course choice information evening. This will run from 18:00-19:00 and is designed to guide parents, carers and students through the course choice process. A link will be sent via e-mail to all parents and carers on 22/01/24, if you do not receive this and wish to attend please contact us at lasswade_hs@midlothian.gov.uk.
Further information on our courses, and the process can be found here. All key information will be shared on the website following the event. We look forward to seeing you there.