Student Support Update – February 2021

Tuesday 16th February 2021

As Lockdown continues, our Student Support team continue to work hard to make regular contact with all Lasswade families.  It is vital that what we are doing works for parents, carers and students and, in response to feedback, we are refining our current procedures to ensure that check-ins are happening in a proportionate and meaningful manner.

 

How Will We Contact Students and their Families?

• To take the two-week timetable into account, check-ins will now be taking place on a fortnightly basis for most students. We will aim to make telephone contact with students or their parents/carers once a fortnight to check in on young people’s wellbeing and to find out how they are progressing with e-learning on Google Classroom. As and when concerns or problems are raised by parents/carers or the students themselves, these will be referred directly to the student’s Student Support Teacher who will follow up as quickly as possible.

 

• As part of these calls, we will pass on brief overall feedback from teachers about engagement levels with e-learning. Students can contact their teachers easily through the Google Classroom and our teaching staff are working hard to support young people with their learning. Please be aware that you may be contacted by subject Principal Teachers or your son or daughter’s Student Support teacher where there are concerns that lack of engagement is impacting on expected progress.

 

• We are continuing with our normal reporting schedule and both full and interim reports will be emailed to you in line with our normal procedures. Our S1 Parents’ Evening will be carried out by telephone on 17^th

 

• We are also continuing with our course choice procedures for S3, S4 and S5 students. Coursing will take place via telephone appointment and parents/carers will be contacted to make coursing appointments with either a Depute Head Teacher or a member of the Student Support team prior to the dates below:
  • Current S5 Students: Week beginning 22^nd February
  • Current S4 Students: Week beginning 1^st March
  • Current S3 Students: Week beginning 15^th March

 

How Will We Support Vulnerable Students?

• We take our additional responsibilities towards Vulnerable Students very seriously. Students in this category include Care Experienced young people, identified Young Carers and young people currently or recently on the Child Protection Register. We have also used our professional judgement to identify additional students who we feel would benefit from the additional support and structure that comes with attending school regularly.

 

• We continue to offer in school provision for identified students and our Youth Workers are providing Wellbeing Walks to identified students.

 

• For identified students, the allocated key contact will make contact by phone weekly.

 

How Can Students Contact House Teams?

• For the duration of the school closures, it is crucial that young people and parents/carers are able to contact the Student Support Teams easily to access support as it is required.   Students can email directly requesting contact from their Student Support Teacher.  These mailboxes will be checked regularly and we aim to reply to messages within 36 hours of receiving the initial email.

 

• Our new Mental Health Google Site includes a plethora of useful information for our school community and includes a self-referral form for students who would like additional support with their mental health. We continue to work with MYPAS and YourSpace to offer counselling services and drop-in sessions are available several times a week as required.  You can access our Mental Health Google Site by clicking on the following link: https://sites.google.com/mc.glow.scot/lasswadementalhealth

 

• There have been a number of staffing changes in our Student Support team. We bade fond farewell to Mrs Margaret Muirhead who retired in January after 24 years service to the Lasswade High School community.  Mrs Shaunie Sharp was appointed as her permanent replacement and is remaining in Mount Esk house until she goes on maternity leave Easter.  Mr Ryan Charters has been appointed as Acting PT Tracking & Monitoring in St Leonard’s House.

 

• We are delighted to welcome back Miss Hazel Moar who returns to St Anne’s house as Head of House following maternity leave. Mr Craig Dewar will continue to support in St Anne’s house until Easter when he will move to Mount Esk on a permanent basis.

 

• Mrs Jill McLaren will be going on maternity leave at Easter and Mr Jamie McQueen will replace her as Head of House. Miss Emma Helm has been appointed as Acting PT Tracking and Monitoring in Mount Esk House and will take up her post in April.

 

Melville House

Mrs Jill McLaren

Mr Jamie McQueen

MEWellbeing.Lasswade@mgfl.net

 

Mount Esk House:

Mrs Karen Hughes

Mrs Shaunie Sharp

MKWellbeing.Lasswade@mgfl.net

 

St Anne’s House

Miss Hazel Moar

Mrs Sarah Wilkins

Mr Craig Dewar

SAWellbeing.Lasswade@mgfl.net

 

St Leonard’s House

Mrs Claire Main

Mr Ryan Charters

SLWellbeing.Lasswade@mgfl.net

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