Dunbar Grammar School

Important Information Out This Week

No school hockey on Saturday 2nd December

Prelim Timetable
Please see the prelim booklet link below which contains key information about the prelim diet in January 2024.  Please read the information carefully.  If you have any questions please see Mr White or Mr McBride as soon as possible.  Also attached is the slides from the assembly delivered by Mr White on 30^th Nov. Please note if your young person is absent from school on the day of an assessment please let the school office know in the usual way. We have set aside Tuesday 23^rd January for students to catch up with missed assessments due to absence. Please note in the SQA diet from April onwards there is no opportunity to catch up exams, they must be sat on the day allocated by the SQA.
Prelims 2024 – Pupil Booklet v1
Prelims 2024 Assembly Slides

ACHIEVE – Additional Study Resource
Achieve gives students access for 51 ACHIEVE courses at National 5 and Higher level.
When signing up for an ACHIEVE account, students should enter the School Code 34udpWiJ.
ACHIEVE Student Support Pack Dunbar GS

Vaccinations
Teen Booster and MenACWY forms for S3 and catch up S4 – S6 will go home with students on Monday (4th December).  Please return to school by Friday 15th December.

S1 and S2 Parent/Carer Consultation Evening Feedback
We recently held our first two parent/carer consultation evenings of the year and we would welcome your feedback to help us learn from your experience and continue to improve these events in the future.Feedback on Parent / Carer Consultation Evening (google.com)

Dunbar Grammar School Council
The DGSC is a group comprising parents, the Headteacher, Deputy Head teacher and Teacher representatives, Pupil representatives, Local Councillors and Clerk. Meetings are open invitation and take place either in the school or online.  The next meeting is online on Monday 18th December.

DGS Christmas Calendar

Please see the week ahead.

Each Friday in December, students will be able to wear their uniform with a ‘festive touch’ (Christmas jumper, tinsel, festive headwear etc.).  Staff will also be encouraged to embrace Festive Fridays

Please see the full calendar here

Christmas Dances

Tickets cost £3.50 and are payable in SchoolPay.

• S5/6 Christmas Dance on Thursday 7^th December from 6:30 – 9:30pm
• S3/4 Christmas Dance on Monday 11^th December from 6:30 – 9:15pm
• S1/2 Christmas Dance on Wednesday 13^th December from 6:30  – 9:00pm

Young people in receipt of Free School Meals are not required to pay for a ticket and should let their PE teacher know if they wish to attend.

Dalguise Trip for S6 Cohort (current S5) in May 2024
Reminder please pay the initial non-refundable deposit of £40 by the end of November. Please see the attached letter regarding a Dalguise Trip in May 2024 for our new S6 cohort (current S5) Dalguise Letter November 2023 (002)

Bistro Menu 2023 – 2024 Bistro Menu

Assembly – Week beginning 4 December
Monday – S4 Mr McBride
Wednesday – whole school assembly – Mrs Slowther online

For parents, carers and families who are worried about money
We have a dedicated team of Guidance staff here at DGS who want to help your young person make the best of their time at school. Money should be no barrier. If you are worried about the cost of school, please get in contact with us via pupilsupport@dunbargrammar.elcschool.org.uk
It’s OK to ask campaign
There is also a national campaign to help: Its Okay to Ask – Child Protection Scotland

S6 YearBook
The fund is now available in SchoolPay for parents/carers of our S6 students to purchase the Yearbook. Please note the fund will close at the end of January.

Extra-Curricular Clubs and Study/Revision Sessions 2023 – 2024 – updated
Please note some of the clubs require students to sign up in advance

Extra-curricular clubs 2023-2024

2023 – 2024 Study Clubs Booklet

Student Information Sheets 23-11-28 Plasma Info Sheet

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
We are now accepting EMA applications for January starts, pupils turning 16 between 1st October and 28^th February.
EMA is a weekly Means Tested payment, paid directly to eligible young people aged 16-19 years old who are planning to continue in full time education.  If you are 16 years of age between 1 October and 28 February 2024 you may be eligible for an EMA from the beginning of the January Term.  Information on eligibility and income thresholds can be found online www.eastlothian.gov.uk/ema.
Please complete the Online Application Form . The final cut-off date for processing Application Forms for academic year 2023/24 is 31 March 2024.  We are unable to process any applications after this date.
 Please note a new application must be made each academic year.
 Further advice can be obtained from the EMA Team at the following email emas@eastlothian.gov.uk or by visiting our website www.eastlothian.gov.uk/emas .

Free school meals and school clothing grants

https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210557/schools_and_learning/11899/free_school_meals_and_clothing_grants/2

If you are unable to complete online application forms please ask for a paper application at the school office. If you have any queries or having difficulty completing the form please email freeschoolmeals@eastlothian.gov.uk

Active Schools

We are looking for any S4-S6 Girls who would be interested in becoming #AndSheCycles ambassador for DGS.  If you are interested please speak with Mr Marnoch in the PE office.

More info of the programme can be found here: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/projects/2023/scotland/andshecycles-ambassador-programme/

All our other DGS Sports Clubs are up and running, to book your child’s place at a club use link below:
https://eastlothian.bookinglive.com/home/active-schools/active-schools-dunbar-grammar/
For any questions on this please email our Active School Coordinator Scott Marnoch smarnnoch@elcschool.org.uk

Careers/Opportunities/Further Study

City of Glasgow College Open Days, find out more here.

January courses for winter leavers at Edinburgh College.
Further course information can be found here https://www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/courses/january-courses

SAAS Funding Information Sessions for Students and Parents/Carers

East Lothian Works Vacancies Job vacancies – East Lothian Works | East Lothian Council

Scotland’s Rural College SRUC | Open Days

Community Information

What to do if you are worried about a young person

If you have any safeguarding or child protection concerns about any young person please contact one of the Designated Members of Staff (DMS) for Child Protection.
DGS Child Protection Poster

Contacting teachers/Queries
Please email admin@dunbargrammar.elcschool.org.uk or pupilsupport@dunbargrammar.elcschool.org.uk

Getting in touch
We are really keen to chat to our parents and carers.  If you would like to discuss anything with a member of the Senior Leadership Team, we are happy to chat over the phone, via Google Meet or in person.  Please email admin@dunbargrammar.elcschool.org.uk and we will be in touch to arrange a meeting

Senior Student Study Resources

• Scholar UK
• Achieve
• e-Sgoil/NeLO  Study Support 2023  Home Page | e-Sgoil
• National E-Learning-Education Scotland | Education Scotland
• SQA website

Important Information Out This Week

Pupil Support Update
Suzanne Reid is our preferred candidate for the Guidance role.

DGSA
Thank you to everyone who attended/supported the very successful  Christmas Market on Thursday 23rd November.  The DGSA have raised over £1200 from this event.

Dunbar Grammar School Council
The DGSC is a group comprising parents, the Headteacher, Deputy Head teacher and Teacher representatives, Pupil representatives, Local Councillors and Clerk. Meetings are open invitation and take place either in the school or online.  The next meeting is online on Monday 18th December.

DGS Christmas Calendar

Please see the week ahead.

Each Friday in December, students will be able to wear their uniform with a ‘festive touch’ (Christmas jumper, tinsel, festive headwear etc.).  Staff will also be encouraged to embrace Festive Fridays

Please see the full calendar here

Christmas Dances

Tickets cost £3.50 and are payable in SchoolPay.

• S5/6 Christmas Dance on Thursday 7^th December from 6:30 – 9:30pm
• S3/4 Christmas Dance on Monday 11^th December from 6:30 – 9:15pm
• S1/2 Christmas Dance on Wednesday 13^th December from 6:30  – 9:00pm

Young people in receipt of Free School Meals are not required to pay for a ticket and should let their PE teacher know if they wish to attend.

BE Uniforms Black Friday 2023

From Wednesday 22^nd November until midnight on Sunday 26^th November there is 10% off all online school uniform orders at checkout with code BESCHOOL10. This offer applies to all school uniform; the code can also be used on items which are currently in our clearance sale

Christmas Tree Decorations Wanted
This year we will have not one, but FOUR Christmas trees in the Atrium! Each House will have a tree!
We are looking for students to bring in any old Christmas decorations in HOUSE COLOURS.  Registration classes will also be making decorations too.

The House Colours are
Castle – Red
Lauderdale – Green
Victoria – Blue
Winterfield – White

The STARS of the week are……..

Staff
Gillian Williams (Maths)
Nominations said…….
‘Miss Williams continues to go over and above supporting both staff and students across the school. Her classroom is always buzzing with positivity and is open to students both at lunch time and after school. She most definitely goes over and above for our school. Miss Williams will give up her time to support other staff with classes and is a great team player.’
‘If there was an option for all RISE values, I would’ve chosen that in a heartbeat. Miss Williams is a very kind, patient, honest and lovely teacher who goes out of her way to make Charity Committee and Pudsey day one of the best days ever! She is very inclusive and makes everyone feel valued and welcome. She always helps me with my maths homework no matter how silly the question may sound. I would absolutely love her to get Star of the Week as she’s just an overall star in general!’
‘Miss Williams is an inclusive and amazing teacher who loves supporting you and helping you out if you have any issues. Miss Williams cheers me up when I’ve had a bad day and she absolutely deserves Star of the Week for all the things she has done :]’
Gillian– you are a DGS Star, thank you for all you do!

Students
Victor Velikov (S1) Effort
Victor spent many hours on a Halloween decoration for my classroom, which can be found hanging on my door. He sketched a skeleton and all its joint and bones have been pieced together to allow them all to move independently. He wanted the skeleton to be holding a parental alert as he doesn’t think there is much scarier than that! The detail, time and effort that went into this piece of art is super impressive and I think he deserves to be recognised for his talents and humour.

Holly Schoen (S1) Effort
I would like to nominate Holly for her effort in RMPS. Every lesson she goes above and beyond what is expected in class and is always willing to push herself in everything she does. Holly can be relied upon to attempt challenges to the best of her ability and to give everything a go with a positive approach and a smile on her face. Well Done Holly you are a DGS STAR!

Dalguise Trip for S6 Cohort (current S5) in May 2024
Reminder please pay the initial non-refundable deposit of £40 by the end of November. Please see the attached letter regarding a Dalguise Trip in May 2024 for our new S6 cohort (current S5) Dalguise Letter November 2023 (002)

Flu Vaccinations.  
There is a mop up session on 29th November.

Bistro Menu 2023 – 2024 Bistro Menu

Assembly – Week beginning 27 November

Thursday – S4, S5 & S6  Prelim Arrangements with Mr McBride (online)

N5 Assessment Calendar
In order to support students to plan their revision as well as understand what is required of them in terms of coursework for SQA courses we have created an Assessment Calendar.  Guidance teachers will be working with students to engage with the assessment calendar and provide support to students as required.  The calendar can be found on the year group Google Classroom.
Assessment dates are always under review depending on the ‘live’ progress being made by groups of students.  For this reason the calendar is only to be used as a guide and assessment dates may change depending on the judgement of the teacher.  Where assessment dates change sufficient notice will be given by the class teacher.
Some assessments are either class tests, SQA units or Assignment deadlines.  If there is any uncertainty about what type of assessment is taking place then please encourage the student to speak to their class teacher.
Some assessments will take place during the prelim diet in January.  However, for simplicity, these are not listed.  Prelim timetables will be issued later this term which will provide more information on the assessments taking place during that two week period

S6 YearBook
The fund is now available in SchoolPay for parents/carers of our S6 students to purchase the Yearbook. Please note the fund will close at the end of January.

Extra-Curricular Clubs and Study/Revision Sessions 2023 – 2024 – updated
Please note some of the clubs require students to sign up in advance

Extra-curricular clubs 2023-2024

2023 – 2024 Study Clubs Booklet

Student Information Sheets 23-11-21 Plasma Info Sheet

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
We are now accepting EMA applications for January starts, pupils turning 16 between 1st October and 28^th February.
EMA is a weekly Means Tested payment, paid directly to eligible young people aged 16-19 years old who are planning to continue in full time education.  If you are 16 years of age between 1 October and 28 February 2024 you may be eligible for an EMA from the beginning of the January Term.  Information on eligibility and income thresholds can be found online www.eastlothian.gov.uk/ema.
Please complete the Online Application Form . The final cut-off date for processing Application Forms for academic year 2023/24 is 31 March 2024.  We are unable to process any applications after this date.
 Please note a new application must be made each academic year.
 Further advice can be obtained from the EMA Team at the following email emas@eastlothian.gov.uk or by visiting our website www.eastlothian.gov.uk/emas .

Free school meals and school clothing grants

https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210557/schools_and_learning/11899/free_school_meals_and_clothing_grants/2

If you are unable to complete online application forms please ask for a paper application at the school office. If you have any queries or having difficulty completing the form please email freeschoolmeals@eastlothian.gov.uk

Active Schools

We are looking for any S4-S6 Girls who would be interested in becoming #AndSheCycles ambassador for DGS.  If you are interested please speak with Mr Marnoch in the PE office.

More info of the programme can be found here: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/projects/2023/scotland/andshecycles-ambassador-programme/

All our other DGS Sports Clubs are up and running, to book your child’s place at a club use link below:
https://eastlothian.bookinglive.com/home/active-schools/active-schools-dunbar-grammar/
For any questions on this please email our Active School Coordinator Scott Marnoch smarnnoch@elcschool.org.uk

Careers/Opportunities/Further Study

City of Glasgow College Open Days, find out more here.

January courses for winter leavers at Edinburgh College.
Further course information can be found here https://www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/courses/january-courses

SAAS Funding Information Sessions for Students and Parents/Carers

Discover STEM Day, which will take place at the University of Dundee on Wednesday 30 November 2022, running from 10am – 2.30pm.  Spaces are limited, please sign up using Discover STEM 2023 | University of Dundee, UK

BBC Early Career Schemes Higher and Graduate Apprenticeships

Scottish Government Procurement Apprenticeship

East Lothian Works Vacancies Job vacancies – East Lothian Works | East Lothian Council

Scotland’s Rural College SRUC | Open Days

Borders College Applications for full-time courses starting in August 2024.  Applications will open from 12 January 2024

Community Information

What to do if you are worried about a young person

If you have any safeguarding or child protection concerns about any young person please contact one of the Designated Members of Staff (DMS) for Child Protection.
DGS Child Protection Poster

Contacting teachers/Queries
Please email admin@dunbargrammar.elcschool.org.uk or pupilsupport@dunbargrammar.elcschool.org.uk

Getting in touch
We are really keen to chat to our parents and carers.  If you would like to discuss anything with a member of the Senior Leadership Team, we are happy to chat over the phone, via Google Meet or in person.  Please email admin@dunbargrammar.elcschool.org.uk and we will be in touch to arrange a meeting

Senior Student Study Resources

• Scholar UK
• Achieve
• e-Sgoil/NeLO  Study Support 2023  Home Page | e-Sgoil
• National E-Learning-Education Scotland | Education Scotland
• SQA website