HT Update: Week-ending Friday 4th April 2025

Friday 4th April 2025

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.  Given the holiday any feedback received, and where appropriate, will be responded to and published on Tuesday 22nd April on the school website.  

Key messages from this week  

Calendar:  Significant events week beginning 21/04/25;  on Monday the school remains closed to staff and students;   on Tuesday 22nd April we reopen and begin the Summer Term;  on Thursday we’ll facilitate HPV/MMR Vaccinations, primarily with S1;  on Friday the SQA Exam Diet begins and it’s the April Dress Down Day 

Staffing:  After 24 years of service to the school James Poots,  PT Modern Languages, ‘stopped teaching’ today.  James is clear he’s not ‘retiring’ as he’s going to be as active post-teaching as he has been during his teaching career.  James is a phenomenal teacher and a genuine character.  His commitment to his subject and the young people in our school has been unquestionable.  We thanked James today at our extended break.   Congratulations to Nicola Shearer who yesterday secured a permanent post in the School Office. This week we also appointed a new Teacher of Computing who’ll join us in August.  We have no posts currently live on myjobscotland.

Parents/carers of our S6: Thank you, your children are terrific young people.  Today, due to Easter being late and the early start of the SQA Diet, it was what we term our S6 Last Day.  Students agreed with our senior staff a bespoke programme for all S6 today.  A final in-school chance to bond, make memories and have fun.  The young people conducted themselves superbly.  The morning finished off with a S1 Guard of Honour as S6 were clapped out of the building.  From my perspective working with the School Captains this year has been one of the highlights, for me atleast, of my full-time return to LHS.  Having said all that, we do expect to see them from our return after Easter to the beginning of Study Leave! 

Wider Achievement Newsletter:  The latest edition of this newsletter is live on our website and available for you to peruse at your leisure. Wider Achievement Newsletter SpringSummer 2025

Easter School 2025:  Confirmation of places at study sessions has been emailed to parents/carers. Most students have managed to secure a place in the session they requested. If students have been reallocated, this information is included in the email. 

SQA Exam Timetables:  These have been issued to students this week. Any timetables that cannot be issued, e.g., due to student absence,  will be held in Student Support for collection by students. Students can also collect a ‘Candidate Number’ card, if they would like one. It is critical that students check their personal timetables carefully and report any errors to Ms Struthers in Rm 112, or to Mr Hunter in Creative Learning.  Please be aware that most of our morning exams start at 8:40, this is to fit with the timings of the school day. It’s important that students do not follow the timings published in the SQA publications on their website.

Study Leave:  A reminder that Study Leave will run from 28th April to 30th May (inclusive). Students who have an exam on the 25th April are entitled to take an additional study day on the 24th April.

Room Displacements During SQA Exam Diet: Our School Office Team are working on SQA Exam Room Displacements.  This means that during the exam diet some of the rooms used for our S1/S2/S3 students need to be used for exams.   Students will be advised by their teachers of any room changes to their timetables after Easter.  

S6 Photos:  Portraits from last year, including leavers set showing from S1 to S6 in portraits. Can be accessed via coldwellsart.co.uk. Log in, select our school, and then choose “no” to indicate that you don’t have your unique ID. This will take you to a form where you can enter your child’s details, remember to use the exact class, then all your child’s S6 ID’s for the whole year will be displayed. Click on any ID and all the options will remain at the top of the page.  Any questions please email Coldwells directly info@coldwellsart.co.uk

Thank you:  Another busy term is over.   Thank you again for your interest in the school and for your support.  It’s appreciated, and helps us to keep moving forward.   The next HT Update will be on Friday 25th April.  

 

Feedback here

Take Care

Campbell Hornell,  Head Teacher

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