HT Weekly Update: Week-ending Friday 12th January 2024

Friday 12th January 2024

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.   My last post of 2023, generated a few positive comments around our Christmas Pantomime.  Thank-you to those who took the time to submit some kind words.

Key messages from this week

Return to School:  As you’ll be aware we have had a very difficult first week back related to building and facilities issues.  All issues relating to our heating, hot water and ventilation are, I’m pleased to report, now complete.  I’d like to pay tribute to our staff who showed remarkable resilience under very difficult circumstances last week and also to the contractors who worked tirelessly to try and resolve what was a complex situation.  I’d also like to thank you, the parents and carers, as always we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding when things don’t go as we’d expect.

Happy New Year:  Best wishes to you and all your family for 2024.   

Calendar:  Next week is our first full week of 2024 for students:  our Ski Trip to Austria leaves today and returns on the 19th;  on Monday we’ll hold a values based S3 Assembly,  S2 hold their Assembly on Tuesday and S1 on Wednesday;   across the week we’ll also hold Student Voice Year Councils for each year group;  on Thursday our S2 Alert Report is issued via email, in the afternoon we’ll hold a S3 DYW Horizons Event to support the course choice process and Parent Council 4 will be held via Zoom from 7.00pm

Staffing:   A very warm welcome to Sara McDermott who has joined us as Head of House in St Anne’s House, replacing Hazel Moar who has started her secondment. We also welcomed Sophie Histead back into our Science Team following her maternity leave.

S3 Teenage Booster Vaccinations:  The S3 Teenage Booster Vaccinations are scheduled for 5th March 2024, intended for all S3 students and those students who may have missed this vaccination previously. If you have not done so please ensure the completed consent form is returned to the school office on Monday 15th January.

Lost Property: We again have a large amount of lost property at Student Reception, please encourage your child to collect anything they may have lost (parents/carers are welcome to come and have a look too).  The current collection will be disposed of at the end of January.

Child Protection and Safeguarding: Updated guidance was issued to schools in December. The most significant change is that Child Protection procedures now apply to all children and young people until the age of 18. This does not change our procedures in school and any safeguarding concerns should be reported to Suzanne Yule, DHT, who is our Child Protection Coordinator.

If you have any feedback/questions relating to this update please submit them via the link below

Feedback here

Take Care

Campbell Hornell,  Head Teacher

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