Update 18 December 2020

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all from the staff and students at Dunbar Grammar School!

If your child / young person tests positive for Covid-19 during the holiday period please email the details to covidinschools@eastlothian.gov.uk

If you have no access to email then call East Lothian Council on 01875 613921

Update from ELC

Please find attached a letter from Lesley Brown (Executive Director Education and Children’s Services) with the arrangements for next term: DEC 2020 PARENTS UPDATE

Extended Assessments

Please see the attached update: Extended Assessment Update Letter Dec 2020

Senior Phase Information Evening

The following presentation from the Senior Phase Information Evening has been emailed to all parents/carers of S4-6 students on today: Senior Phase Parent Information Evening

Christmas at DGS

Monday 21st December Christmas Treats on sale from Charities Committee
Tuesday 22nd December Dress Down
Christmas Treats on sale from Charities Committee
PERIOD 5 – S6 Christmas Surprises
PERIOD 7 – Gunge a Teacher (Led by Student Council).  Screened live to all classes

Vaccinations – DPT Boosters / Meningitis C

Paperwork will be given to students in January for return, for the vaccinations on Monday 1 February.

To Parents and Carers of ASN Students

We would like to gauge your interest for an exciting new pilot project East Lothian Council has recently procured. The Inclusion & Wellbeing Service has been working with a third sector group, Animate to enable this new project entitled ‘Radical Redesign: Parents as Partners in Effective Collaboration for Better Support for Learning for Children and Young People with Additional Support Needs’.

 The aim of the project is to consider and take forward recommendations from the national Additional Support for Learning implementation review and is part-funded by East Lothian Council. Further details of the project can be found in the attachments but I would like to highlight one element of the model which is the establishment of an action inquiry group, made up of key stakeholders and facilitated by Animate in order to support solution-focused, effective, collaborative working between parents and the professionals involved where a child/young person has Additional Support Needs.

We are currently looking for representation from parents/carers (along with education and other relevant services) to be a part of the action inquiry group and we are keen to hear from anyone who might be interested. There are up to four places available on the group for parental representation and we would like to ensure we have a broad range of experiences represented within the group. This model is a key piece of work in improving our approach to support for learning and inclusion in East Lothian.

Animate would like to lead the first action inquiry group session in February 2021 (date to be confirmed) therefore Liz Hardy from the Animate team would be happy to answer any questions in the meantime and discuss the project with you in more detail if you are interested. Please contact Liz directly to forward any notes of interest or highlight any queries/concerns. Liz Hardy – lizziehardy@gmail.com

Stars of the Week

The winners for this week are below:

Staff

Pam McIntosh (Pupil Support) RESPECT, INCLUSION, SUPPORT and EFFORT

  • She is always here for you and respects people
  • She has the patience of a saint, how she remains bubbly and jolly each day is truly amazing.
  • Mrs. McIntosh works so incredibly hard for everyone in the school every minute of every day. She never ever gives up on young people and gives them unconditional support, nurture and challenge. She is amazing!
  • I think Pam is DGS to the core! She is so unbelievably kind, caring and relentlessly positive.  She is always thinking about the needs of students and staff.  Pam is so solution focused and really kept us all going throughout the last year – she has a nothing is impossible approach. She is also slightly mad and loves a good laugh.  Her lockdown videos were something else! She always brightens everyone’s day.  I hope she knows how appreciated she is – we love you Pam!

Eric Fraser (PE) SUPPORT and RESPECT

  • Despite having already donated money for a poppy, Mr Fraser selflessly donated a £20 note to the Scottish Poppy Appeal. He is someone who thinks of others before himself.
  • If support was a person it would be him
  • He respects everyone and is good.
  • He is really good at his shouts.
  • Mr Fraser is a really good PE teacher and he is funny and nice
  • I feel so bad that we can’t do social dancing this year.  Mr Fraser loves it and he must be missing it.  He is so enthusiastic and is brilliant at organising the dances.

Students

Claire Gillespie (S6) SUPPORT

Claire has been an invaluable help to me since August. She comes to the same class 3 days and helps those students who need it who I cannot come around and see. She has also been a fantastic support in the school office.  Claire is so helpful. Pro-active, mature and supportive.  She gives so much back to the school and she  is a true star!

Kai McEwan (S1) SUPPORT

I am so happy to have Kai in my class! He is always the first to arrive, helps spraying and wiping desks, so that they are clean when they classmates arrive.  He has such a positive attitude towards German, always has his hand up and a smile on his face, when he knows the answer, and always has a nice story to share. If there would be a prize for engagement in class, he would definitely be one of the winners! A real role model for support and engagement!

NHS Lothian Children’s Services website

NHS Lothian is working to create a new website for Children’s Services and all child health information for families living in the Lothian area.  The site will focus on information for children, young people, parents, carers and families about our hospitals, clinics, treatments and conditions, etc. helping empower them with information about their health care, and reduce anxiety by giving young people a place to understand about coming to hospital for an admission, tests, or for a clinic appointment.  The site will launch in 2021 and will also include information about the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.

An online survey is open for children, young people and their parents and carers to help shape the design of the site by sharing feedback on some of the styles the website might take.  The survey is anonymous and will only take 5-6 minutes to complete.  Thank you

Other Information

Online Learning Information

Attendance

Please email attendance@dunbargrammar.elcschool.org.uk  with student absences/appointments.

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Update 11 December 2020

Update on Prelims

This week, the Deputy First Minister announced that Higher and Advanced Higher examinations in May would be cancelled.  The SQA statement can be found here SQA comments on Deputy First Minister’s decision to cancel Higher and Advanced Higher exams – SQA

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