HT Update: Week-ending Friday 8th November 2024

Friday 8th November 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 on Monday afternoon on the school website.  

Key messages from this week  

Calendar:  Significant events week beginning 11/11/24;  our S4 return from Work Experience on Monday,   we’ll hold our Remembrance Assemblies with S4 and S6, as well as a school wide Minutes Silence at 11.00am;  on Tuesday I’ll work with our Student Voice group to formulate a student response to the Midlothian Budget Consultation, we also have a Higher Geography Fieldwork Trip and a trip to the Scottish Parliament,  in the evening it’s our Parent Council Meeting;  on Thursday we’ll issue our S1 Report, hold BGEd House Assemblies and it’s also the S4 Student Voice Year Council  

Staffing:  On Monday, we are pleased to welcome Amy MacFarlane as a Learning Assistant in Creative Learning. 

S4 Student Progress Consultation Evening (SPCE):  We are aware of a significantly higher level of technical difficulties around Wednesday’s S4 SPCE.  In all honesty we are not yet, at this stage,  certain of the cause.  It was not a consistent system wide issue and not something we’d experienced, to this extent, before.  We know it was disruptive and I would like to apologise for that.  On Thursday we worked with ‘Parent Booking’, our on-line system provider,  and will continue to work with our staff and Midlothian Digital Services to resolve this issue. S4 parents/cares who require information on their child’s progress as always should contact the relevant Student Support House Team in the first instance, click here for details.  In addition, we have our regular evaluation aimed at S4 parents/carers, your response to this could also be helpful in establishing the cause and supporting our learning, please access the evaluation here.

S5/6 Student Progress Consultation Evening (SPCE):  This evening is scheduled for Tuesday 19th November.  A website post was published this week, click here.

Google Guardian:  It’s great to see so many parents have accepted the invite to Google Guardian. If you’ve missed the email invite, and would like to be added,  let us know and we can resend an invite to you. Meantime, we have some FAQs that may support you if you have other questions connected with using this application. Google Guardian FAQs

Study Timetable:  Our current Senior Phase study timetable was published on our website this week, click here.   This timetable is subject to change – and likely to have additions as we move towards the final exams. You can also find out about other study supports in this week’s website story, including offers from E-sgoil and Achieve.

Study Week:  In addition to our weekly timetable we are also planning to run a ‘Study Skills Week’ for all seniors week beginning 18th November, to prepare them for the first assessment window. Students will be able to sign up for classes to learn  about effective study techniques and try out new methods for revision. Details will be shared via year group Google Classrooms next week.

Creative Industries Showcase:   This event is now a well established part of our school.  It is one of the highlights of the year where we showcase and celebrate creativity.  Details were posted on the website earlier this week, click here.

Social Media Accounts:  We are aware that there are a few social media accounts circulating, specifically one that a number of S2 students are accessing, on TikTok, that contain inappropriate images and very offensive comments about other people.  Please be aware that Police Scotland are involved and will support us in taking action against those posting, following or liking any content from this account or others like it.

School Uniform:  Earlier this term through this Update I was asked about extending the range of Borders Embroideries options to include more ‘fitted’ items.  These are now accessible online Lasswade High School  

Attendance:  Parents and carers are reminded that it is essential that you report your son or daughter absent if they are not going to be in school.  As part of our safeguarding procedures, we send a text message home by 9:30am to alert you of any unexplained absences and we ask that you respond to these as quickly as possible.  If we do not get a response, our Pupil Care and Welfare Officers will phone parents/carers and then emergency contacts to establish the reason for absence and the safety of your child.  Your support with this is much appreciated.

Curriculum Survey:  Please take the time to complete this short survey.  We are working with our Associated Primary Groups, ASG, who ‘send’ primary pupils to LHS at the end of P7.  Our aim is to align and update our curriculum a wee bit more.  All ASG schools will ask our parents/carers the same short survey across November.  Click here for access. 

Parent Council 2: Our second Parent Council Meeting will take place on Tuesday 12th November, in-person at LHS from 7.00pm. Further details are available on the website, click here.

Reminder, Midlothian Budget:  As you may be aware, Midlothian Council has a projected budget gap for 2025/26 estimated to be £9.406m and, moving forward, there will be difficult decisions to be taken to enable Midlothian to continue to deliver statutory and non-statutory services. At a Full Council meeting on Tuesday 8th October Elected Members agreed to commence a public consultation seeking to understand the impact savings proposals will have on you and inform their final decisions.  The proposals will potentially have a significant impact on all schools.  The public consultation is now live on the Council’s website and I encourage you to complete the survey in order that your views are considered.  The consultation closes on Wednesday 20th November. Consultations – Tell us how our savings proposals would impact you | Midlothian Council

 

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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