Penicuik High School
Parental Newsletter Easter 2007
www.penicuik.info
Dear Parents and Carers
We have decided to post this newsletter to you as a means of improving our systems of communication and to ensure that you get all the necessary information that you require. We have recently received some additional funding from the Scottish Executive to help us to cover the costs of this means of communication.
I have also included a form for e-mail addresses to enable us to contact you in future using this means of communication too. I hope you will, where possible, be able to complete this to allow us to put your e-mail address on to our management system. Please note that information for both pupils and parents is regularly published on the school web site www.penicuik.info.
Parental Involvement Act
This Act requires that the school strengthens the framework for involving parents in school education. I would like to use our next Meet The Management Team meeting scheduled for 2nd May 2007 to convene a meeting of all parents to look at the desire to set up a school council to replace our school board. I will issue a formal letter of invitation to all parents and carers after our Easter Holidays. This meeting I hope will allow us to explore how you as parents can become better informed and where you wish to be, more involved in your daughter or son’s education.
I would like you to consider some of the areas that we are currently looking at in terms of increasing parental involvement and consultation.
· Translation of newsletters into languages other than English where appropriate.
· Parental focus groups.
· Parental surveys at parents’ evening.
· Production of departmental homework framework.
· A group of parents writing the school’s complaints procedures.
· Parental involvement in transition.
· Parents Conference.
· Parent mentors for pupils preparing for National examinations.
· Parental involvement in school committees
Research tells us that Parents’ involvement at home in supporting the education of their child is of huge importance in making a difference to their future academic chances.
Can I suggest that if you are interested in this area please visit the Scottish Executive’s Parentzone website www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk
Pilot Project
I am delighted to report that Penicuik High School has been selected to take part in a pilot project aimed at developing our Student Council in terms of engagement with our student body as whole. This project will be led by Professor Donnie MacLeod from Aberdeen University who is Scotland’s foremost academic in the field of inclusion within education. We are delighted to work with Professor Macleod over the coming few months.
School Dress Code
Can I once again take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of our school dress code. I can tell you that we have a very high level of support for school dress. We have not changed anything in our school dress code which is :
· White shirt or blouse
· School tie
· Black trousers or skirt
· Black shoes
· Black V neck jumper or cardigan
· All pupils should bring a bag with all necessary equipment for school.
Revised Lateness Policy Pilot Project
Punctuality is an important habit for all of us to develop. Over the last few months we have become increasingly concerned about poor punctuality amongst some students. Our lateness policy has now been revised and a pilot project will be run over the next few months to deal more effectively with lateness. Pupils who arrive late for school will be required to undertake a 10 minute detention with a member of senior management at interval. We feel that having this additional sanction will help to improve punctuality and heighten pupil’s awareness of the unacceptability of arriving late for school.
SQA ARRANGEMENTS
The final countdown to this year’s arrangements for the SQA examinations is underway.
Shortly, all candidates for the SQA examinations will be issued with a booklet published by SQA which contains helpful advice about preparation for the examinations, arrangements during the exams, and action to be taken in the event of illness. The booklet also explains the appeals process. Parents are encouraged to read the booklet.
Students will also be issued with their own personal timetable, with details of the examinations being taken – the subjects, levels, dates and times of the exams, and also room and seat numbers. Students are asked to check them carefully to ensure the details are correct. Please note that examination times listed on these timetables may differ slightly from the times posted on the SQA website. The school has discretion to adjust the times so that wherever possible examination candidates are not disturbed by junior classes at break times or lunchtimes. Students with coincident examinations also sit their exams at different times.
Students will also be issued with a laminated card on which they can write their SCN (Scottish Candidate Number). They are permitted to bring this into the examination room.
Please note that mobile phones, pagers, MP3 players, or any other electronic devices must not be brought into the examination room – whether switched on or not. Any student found to be in possession of such a device in an examination room will be reported to SQA and their result will be cancelled.
This is not an idle threat – well over 100 candidates across Scotland were affected last year. Don’t let it be your son or daughter this year.
Study Leave
Study leave for S4 will begin on Monday 30th April and end on Thursday 31st May. S4 students returning for 5th year must attend Induction days and activities on Friday 1st June. The new timetable starts on Monday 4th June. Study leave for S5 and S6 begins on Thursday 10 May, until 31st May. There is an induction day on Friday 1st June for S5 students returning to S6.
Return of Textbooks
All textbooks should be returned to the appropriate class teacher so that they can be checked and issued to the next class. Please ensure that your son/daughter returns books promptly and in good condition.
Leaving Arrangement
Students intending to leave school must collect a leavers form from the School Office and have it signed by each class teacher to ensure that text books and other materials have been returned.
Again, we would ask that parents ensure that this has been done, so that we can have a clear picture of the demand for places in senior classes.
Lastly, we wish all candidates every success in the examinations, and in their future careers.
History Department Trip to Luxemburg, June 2006
(This item was omitted from the Christmas Newsletter by mistake)
I can almost hear the old sage instructing the young: “Save the best till last and quit while you’re winning!” This year’s History trip was (from my point of view) the easiest of them all, the lucky thirteenth! We organised visits based on our experience in 1999 when the department had last based a trip on Luxemburg and this helped a lot in avoiding any time wasting delays. Going in June also avoided a repeat of the snow shower we’d had the last time during lunch at Fort Douaumont! The pupils who came this time, thirty four in total, were so well behaved that I actually relaxed and smiled at least twice, some would say that that was a record in itself!
What did we do on the trip? As always we attempted to combine a social experience, cultural visits and an overt exposure to Historical sites and events. The mix wasn’t fortuitous: it was planned. Planned in order to allow the pupils time to absorb the places they visited and planned in order to allow them to relax amidst some fairly sobering and deep-thinking experiences.
Our first port of call was the university town of Durham en route to the ferry at Hull. On then to the site of the battle of Waterloo south of Brussels. There the pupils exercised by climbing the many steps to the top of the Butte de Lion, a viewpoint which allows one to see the whole site. A very pleasant surprise awaited us when we drew into Luxemburg city and found our way to the Youth Hostel. The one we had last stayed at was gone and in its place stood a shiny new one, one which was excellent in all respects. It was like staying at a pleasant hotel. A definite plus and full of the international atmosphere of the World Cup.
Over the next days we explored the military history of both the First World War (at Verdun) and the Second World War (at Diekirch and the Battle of the Bulge). We spend quite a lot of time underground exploring Fort Fermont (one of the Maginot Line fortifications), Fort Douaumont at Verdun and Caves St Martin, where one of our party was sufficiently old and sufficiently thirsty to be gifted a pleasing share of unwanted sups of Luxemburg “Champagne”! A boat trip on the Moselle and free time in Trier, Luxemburg city and York all helped to give the pupils the impression that Big Brother wasn’t really there at all.
The visits did have their serious side too since we visited a number of military cemeteries, French, American and German. These places always have an atmosphere all their own and it is interesting to see how the different nations honour their military dead. It is also a maturing experience for those who study history in the classroom and often have understandable difficulty in linking textbook history with reality.
All trips have to come to an end and ours did with an enjoyable disco on the ferry and a spell in lovely York.
So, for me that’s was it. I can now wrap up the Trip diary for good. An especial thanks to everyone who helped this year, Mrs Tait, Mr Merson and Mrs Brown. They were ideal companions on such a venture and I couldn’t have wanted for sounder support. Thanks! Thanks too to all of you and above all thanks to the pupils who made the trip so enjoyable, so peaceful and so happily memorable.
Finally a big thank you to all the staff, past and present, who gave of their time either in accompanying History trips or in covering classes for those of us fortunate enough to be on Day Release. The experiences which our 468 pupils packed away over the last years were worth the effort and will certainly give me plenty of fond memories to warm the “Golden years”! Thanks!
D Haire PT History
Congratulations
Congratulations to all who were involved in the organisation of the Arts week . Mrs Grainger has produced a very full report on the Arts Week.
Arts Week
Penicuik High School recently held a very successful Arts Week
(Feb 26 – Mar 2).
The aim of the week was to promote Reading and Literature, (World Book Day was on Mar 1) whilst also highlighting Art, Dance, Media and Music.
The programme was a varied one and students were able to participate in workshop sessions with authors, artists, musicians and dance specialists.
Authors Dilys Rose and Ron Butlin along with playwright Bob Adams and storytellers Colin MacKay and Noel Cochrane provided the literary stimulus for the week. Meanwhile in the world of Art students enjoyed sessions on jewellery making and hat design. Many of the finished designs were quite spectacular. Some students also had the opportunity to work with a sculptor and printmaker during the week. Dance was not forgotten with professional dancer, Tess, stepping out with some of our senior enthusiasts.
The week got off to a musical start. The “Robin Mitchell Quartet”, professional jazz musicians of the highest calibre, (so much so that one of their number flew in from New York only two days prior to visiting Penicuik High School) worked with and coached our school musicians during the day. We were fortunate too in securing the services of outstanding folk musicians Pete Clarke and Wendy Weatherby (Wendy was flying to Germany the next day to perform) who also worked with students during the day. The result of all the hard work was an outstanding evening concert. The professional musicians were fulsome in their praise of our school musicians and the experience is one that will not be forgotten for some time to come.
Lunchtime activities during Arts Week were very well attended with students being spoiled for choice. “In house” talent, (namely senior management) played a very active role in the lunchtime entertainment which ranged from a juggling workshop, to recitations, a lively reading and an interesting talk on the “Art of Sport”. This was much appreciated by the students. Other lunchtime happenings included Busking, the Dance Final and Media Showcases. These were extremely well supported and in some cases it was standing room only.
Arts Week at Penicuik High School was both educational and entertaining and certainly achieved its aim. Hopefully it will become a regular feature in the school calendar.
M. Grainger
RND The Big One
Red Nose day 2007 on Friday 16th March was superbly supported by the whole school community. Pupils and staff took part in many diverse activities during the morning ranging from home baking sale, karaoke, potty sports, a dance competition, beat the goalie, soak the management team, guess the heidies birthday to a fantastic talent show. The school raised a fabulous £2,300 which will go to help support the work of Comic Relief here in the UK and in Africa.
Visit by Legends on behalf of RND
Penicuik High School were delighted to welcome former Hibernian legend Keith Wright and current Hibs ace and Scotland star Scott Brown to the school where they took part in a question and answer session with pupils on the highs and lows of life as a professional footballer. As this event was on the Wednesday before the CIS cup final we were particularly grateful to Scott for giving of his time so generously to support our Red Nose Day fund. I am sure that everyone in the school would wish to join with in congratulating Scott on his cup final win and his subsequent caps for Scotland against Georgia and Italy (well maybe not everyone, but most right thinking folks).
Have your Say
This term saw the launch of “Have Your Say” which is a lunchtime group for pupils in S1-S3 to express their opinions about current affairs and topical matters. Some of the topics covered to date have included;
Did “Big Brother” create the racist incidents to increase their viewing figures?
The rights and wrongs of animal testing!
The age of consent.
Body image and the power of advertising.
Gay marriage, same sex adoption and the Catholic Church.
Are rugby fans better than football fans?
As you can see plenty of contentious issues were grappled with by our young but very enthusiastic band of contributors. Thanks go to Miss Fleming and Miss Gifford for helping with this group.
Pure Magic
Pupils from P6 from our associated Primary Schools were treated to a Magic Show in our Assembly Hall on Tuesday 27th March. This show is traditionally our first contact with these youngsters as part of their transition from primary to secondary school. A great time was had by all.
Penicuik Centre
I was delighted to represent the school at the official opening of the new Penicuik Centre on Saturday 17th March. This new £10 million facility provides Penicuik High School pupils easy access to state of the art fitness and leisure facilities second to none in Midlothian. Our new facilities within the school will hopefully be finished and open to the pupils and staff after the Easter holidays. This will include a new staffroom, new PE classroom, changing facilities, PE staff base and a refurbished Games Hall with a new floor and roof. It was announced at the opening ceremony that Penicuik is to get a new synthetic turf pitch built in the park opposite the school which along with the skate park being built will mean that the High School will be the hub of a huge amount of services for the young people of Penicuik.
Jean Vanier
A group of our senior PRS students attended a highly inspirational talk at St David’s High School given by the Canadian spiritual writer and founder of the L’Arche communities Jean Vanier. This was given as part of his tour of Scotland as part of the 2007 Edinburgh Middle East Festival.
Malawi Nutritionists Visit
A team of three Malawian nutritionists visited Penicuik High School to explain to S2 and S3 pupils about the work that they are doing to reduce infant mortality. I was very impressed with the pupil welcome and thoughtful questions that they put to our visitors. My thanks go to Mrs Stewart who organised this visit.
Congratulations
Mrs Margaret Foster who has worked in the Bite Site for over 20 years was honoured at a Ministerial Reception at Bute House hosted by the Minister for Education Mr Hugh Henry. Margaret richly deserves the title of unsung hero for her massive commitment to and support of Penicuik High School pupils for more years than she would be happy to admit to.
Just a small reminder, as if needed, that school re-opens on Tuesday 17th April at 8.30am.
Can I conclude this newsletter by wishing you all a very enjoyable Easter break.
Mark Edie
Headteacher