|
Dear Parents and Carers, As we approach the holidays can I thanks all our parents and carer for their continued support. It has been a busy term but also a really positive one. Mr Neil Ewing Acting Head Teacher Today’s update contains 8 notices 1. Inset days and October holidays 2. Parent Council 3. Family Fridays @KGS 4. Breakfast@KGS 4. E-sgoil Study support for senior pupils 5. Maths for S1 Parents 6. Attendance 7. S1 Parents Evening 8. S4-6 pupils: SQA Additional Assessment Arrangements for pupils who need additional support in SQA exams. 1. Inset days and October holidays KGS will be closed to pupils on Thursday 6 and 7th of October for Inservice days and then from Monday 10th October Friday 21st for the October break. 2. Parent Council The Parent Council AGM will take place on Tuesday starting at 6pm in the Conference room. All KGS parents are welcome. Prior to the official part of the meeting there will be a short presentation from the Schools Careers Service. The PC is keen to recruit new members and we have a desire to fill the post of Secretary or Treasurer. 3. Family Fridays @KGS Over the course of this session the Parent Council would like to invite parents into KGS on Friday mornings for school visits. The visits would be in small groups and run between 10am and 11am. Each visit would include a tour of the school in action, a chat with the Senior Leadership team over a cup of coffee, and a visit to some classrooms. The next visit will be on Friday 28th October and parents can email [email protected] by Wednesday 26th October to book a place. 4. Breakfast@KGS Breakfast is available for pupils from 8.20am. The breakfast menu is on the school website and includes toast and cereals with hot food such as filled rolls and scrambled eggs available on demand. Securing the Best Outcomes (Mr McCall) 4. E-sgoil Study support for senior pupils A reminder that Webinars in Maths, English, Social Subjects and Science subjects have started More details can be found here https://www.e-sgoil.com/media/2745/twitter_study-support-overview-sept-2022-copy.pdf All other subject webinars will start in the week beginning October 31st. Registration for Evening Webinars will be via the link below. (Pupils must log on to Glow before accessing the link to the registration form, and should check the timetable carefully before choosing the webinars they wish to attend.) https://www.e-sgoil.com/study-support/ 5. Maths for S1 Parents Roz McMahon, our Acting PT of Maths, launched the first of our Maths information events last week and the session is available here: http://www.kgsorkney.com/ The second online meet will be on Wednesday 5 October 7.30pm to 8.30pm on Vscene and will cover: Number and how we teach it Join here: https://app.vscene.net/r/uYOoVaC7XL Promoting Positive Behaviour and Relationships (Mr Harvey) 6. Attendance As well as regular study both within and out with school, other factors have a direct impact on a pupil’s success in school. Included in this are attendance and timekeeping. As you may be aware, we have mechanisms in school to track both in line with OIC guidance. The table below outlines the procedure we follow to support young people and families with regular school attendance:  We do work hard to ensure that we are aware if there are valid reasons for a pupil being absent or late, and where this is the case, support our pupils to catch up.
However, there is no doubt that poor attendance may significantly impact on achievement, as does poor timekeeping. We would ask that parents and carers are particularly mindful of this and continue to support us in ensuring that absenteeism is kept to a minimum, where possible, and that pupils are in school on time. 7. S1 Parents Evening This week we had a very successful S12 Parents Evening in school. It was fantastic to welcome the parents/carers of our S1 into school to meet with their child’s teachers face to face for the first time in a couple of years. There was a lovely atmosphere, and we hope that S1 parents/carers enjoyed the event. We look forward to welcoming the parents/carers of other year groups as the year progresses. Securing the Highest Level of Universal Support (Ms Devlin) 8. S4-6 pupils: SQA Additional Assessment Arrangements for pupils who need additional support in SQA exams. School staff are in the process of having discussions with S4-6 pupils with a learning difference, eg. dyslexia and ASD regarding special arrangements needed for their Prelim examinations in January 2023 and SQA examinations in May 2023. At National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels staff can make a request to SQA for the following:
Your child’s class teacher needs to provide the SQA with evidence that the special arrangement (known as an accommodation) is needed on a day-to-day basis in school to access class activities, tests and assignments and that it has made a significant positive impact on their attainment. In addition, the KGS Curriculum Support department needs to provide the SQA with evidence of a specific learning need, for example dyslexia, visual impairment, ASD etc. Please ask your young person if they feel they need these accommodations to discuss them with their class teacher. If your young person is unsure if they meet the SQA criteria, please ask them to speak with Ms Marie Phillips in room GO38. Dear Parents and Carers, It has been short but very busy week and I hope everyone has an enjoyable and restful weekend. Thank you for your continued support. Mr Neil Ewing Acting Head Teacher Today’s update contains 7 notices 1. Family Fridays @KGS 2. Breakfast@KGS 3. E-sgoil Study support for senior pupils 4. Maths for S1 Parents 5. Attendance 6. S1 Parents’ evening 7. Senior Phase Tracking reports 1. Family Fridays @KGS Over the course of this session the Parent Council would like to invite parents into KGS on Friday mornings for school visits. The visits would be in small groups and run between 10am and 11am. Each visit would include a tour of the school in action, a chat with the Senior Leadership team over a cup of coffee, and a visit to some classrooms. The next visit will be on Friday September 30th and parents can email [email protected] by Wednesday 28th September to book a place. 2. Breakfast@KGS Breakfast is available for pupils from 8.20am. The breakfast menu is on the school website and includes toast and cereals with hot food such as filled rolls and scrambled eggs available on demand. Securing the Best Outcomes (Joe McCall) 3. E-sgoil Study support for senior pupils There is an opportunity for students to attend additional study support online. Colleagues at E-sgoil have put together a schedule of events as per the link below. A wide variety of topics and SQA levels are supported by these webinars. There are various start dates to note in diaries, with webinars scheduled throughout the autumn and winter. Pupils are encouraged to engage with all the support available throughout the school year, as they prepare for the Prelim exams in January and the SQA exams scheduled for the spring of 2023. Webinars in Maths, English, Social Subjects and Science subjects will start in the week beginning September 26th. More details can be found here https://www.e-sgoil.com/media/2745/twitter_study-support-overview-sept-2022-copy.pdf All other subject webinars will start in the week beginning October 31st. Registration for Evening Webinars will be via the link below. (Pupils must log on to Glow before accessing the link to the registration form, and should check the timetable carefully before choosing the webinars they wish to attend.) https://www.e-sgoil.com/study-support/ 4. Maths for S1 Parents Roz McMahon, our Acting PT of Maths, launched the first of our Maths information events this week. There were some technical issues with Vscene but the session was recorded and will be available on the KGS website early next week. The second online meet will be on Wednesday 5 October 7.30pm to 8.30pm on Vscene and will cover: Number and how we teach it Join here: https://app.vscene.net/r/uYOoVaC7XL Promoting Positive Behaviour and Relationships (Mr Harvey) 5. Attendance As well as regular study both within and out with school, other factors have a direct impact on a pupil’s success in school. Included in this are attendance and timekeeping. As you may be aware, we have mechanisms in school to track both of these in line with OIC guidance. The table below outlines the procedure we follow to support young people and families with regular school attendance:  We do work hard to ensure that we are aware if there are valid reasons for a pupil being absent or late, and where this is the case, support our pupils to catch up.
However, there is no doubt that poor attendance may significantly impact on achievement, as does poor timekeeping. We would ask that parents and carers are particularly mindful of this and continue to support us in ensuring that absenteeism is kept to a minimum, where possible, and that pupils are in school on time. Securing the Highest Level of Universal Support (Ms Devlin) 6. S1 Parents’ evening We are looking forward to meeting our S1 parents to their first KGS parents’ night next Wednesday. We met many of you at the P7 Parents’ information evening but are pleased to be able to meet you again. The Guidance team and Curriculum Support team will be attending the evening also, and the Senior Leadership Team will be available too, in case you have any queries. The KGS Parent Council provide refreshments, so do take this opportunity to chat to them and ask any questions. We are grateful to our S6 helpers who have volunteered to help with refreshments too. We hope you enjoy the evening and find it useful. Remember, if you have not had the opportunity to speak to all your child’s teachers at the evening and would like to find out more, please get in touch with their Guidance teacher. S1 Tracking reports will be issued Our online booking system remains open until Monday 26 September at 3.30pm. 7. Senior Phase Tracking reports Senior Tracking reports have been issued to S4, S5 and S6 pupils today. Dear Parents and Carers,
It has been an unusual week with the news dominated by preparations for the Queen’s state funeral and the announcement earlier in the week of the public holiday on Monday. I hope everyone has a restful weekend and we look forward to welcoming all our pupils back to school on Tuesday. Mr Neil Ewing Acting Head Teacher Today’s update contains 10 notices 1. School closure Monday 2. Family Fridays @KGS 3. Breakfast@KGS 4. Maths for S1 Parents 5. S1 Parents Evening 6. Celebrating Success 7. Attendance policy changes 8. Safe Islander event for S1 pupils: Thursday 22nd September 2022 9. S2 Hoy Outdoor Education activity trips May/June 2023. 10. Applying for Free School Meal 1. School closure Monday KGS will be closed on Monday, 19 September, for the national bank holiday for Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral. 2. Family Fridays @KGS Over the course of this session the Parent Council would like to invite parents into KGS on Friday mornings for school visits. The visits would be in small groups and run between 10am and 11am. Each visit would include a tour of the school in action, a chat with the Senior Leadership team over a cup of coffee, and a visit to some classrooms. The next visit will be on Friday September 30th and parents can email [email protected] by Wednesday 28th September to book a place. 3. Breakfast@KGS Breakfast is available for pupils from 8.20am. The breakfast menu is on the school website and includes toast and cereals with hot food such as filled rolls and scrambled eggs available on demand 4. Maths for S1 Parents Roz McMahon, our Acting PT of Maths, is putting on a series of Maths information events this session. The first online event will be on Wednesday 21 September, 7.30pm to 8pm on Vscene - Introduction to Maths and will look at the topics covered in S1, available resources, Assessments in S1 and Maths progression in the BGE and beyond. Both sessions will be recorded and will be available on Join here: https://app.vscene.net/r/V3x9LacmRa The second online meet will be on Wednesday 5 October 7.30pm to 8pm on Vscene and will cover the following: Number and how we teach it Join here: https://app.vscene.net/r/uYOoVaC7XL Promoting Positive Behaviour and Relationships (Mr Harvey) 5. S1 Parents Evening At Kirkwall Grammar School we use an online booking system for our Parents’ Evenings. We will be using this system for the S1 Parent’s Evening on Wednesday 28 September 2022. The system will be open to take bookings from Monday 19 September at 8.00am until Monday 26 September at 3.30pm. We advise that you log on and make your appointments at your earliest convenience as bookings cannot be made after the deadline. A letter including full instructions will be sent to you today. 6. Celebrating Success At KGS we want to recognise the efforts of our pupils regularly. Pupils are awarded House Points in class for effort, good work and behaviour. Each week we publish the weekly House Totals in our bulletin and the Tutor Group who have received the most House Points are awarded a prize. We also want to recognise those pupils who receive large numbers of House Points and this week have started sending home Certificates to pupils when they reach 20 House Points. These certificates are emailed to both the pupil and the parent/carer. 7. Attendance policy changes School communities – from head teachers to parents and carers - are being asked to help support attendance at schools throughout Orkney. If your child is absent due to illness, please phone the school office before 9.00am and leave a message on the answer machine - explaining the reason why your child will not be in school. Parents will be expected to phone and inform us on each day of illness unless it is a planned absence. Where the school has not been informed of a pupil's absence, a text message will be sent to the main parental contact number (usually a mobile telephone number) asking them to contact the school to explain why their child is not in school (at this stage choose option 3 and speak directly to a member of the office staff). Parents/guardians/carers are asked to respond to these texts promptly, as there may be a serious reason why a pupil has not reached school in time to be registered. If we haven't heard from parents or carers at this stage, we will then try to contact you by phone to confirm that your child is absent with your permission. Securing the Highest Level of Universal Support (Ms Devlin) 8. Safe Islander event for S1 pupils: Thursday 22nd September 2022 Safe Islander event reminder: it is organised to help young people become more aware of personal safety; react appropriately to dangerous situations; and understand the role of the emergency services and how and when to contact them avoid becoming a victim of an accident or crime Exact details of when your young person will attend during the school day will be shared with them directly nearer the time. 9. S2 Hoy Outdoor Education activity trips May/June 2023. All parents/carers of S2 pupils should have received information via email about the S2 Hoy Outdoor Education Trips, for which the sign-up has now opened. The Hoy trip is open to every second-year pupil at KGS. If you have not received the email, or if you have any questions, please ask your child to speak to Mr Memmott or let the school know. Full costs are yet to be confirmed, but if your S2 young person would like to go, and you are concerned about costs, please contact Mr Memmott via the school office. 10. Applying for Free School Meals We are really keen that any parent or carer who thinks that they may be entitled to Free School Meals for their child does so. It helps the school to support our pupils too. Please see the financial support section of the school website for further details of financial support for families and young people. Eligibility for Free School Meals You can apply for free school meals and clothing allowances if you are receiving:
If you are aged between 16 and 18 years old and receive any of these benefits in your own right, you can claim free school meals and a clothing allowance for yourself. You may also be eligible for assistance if you are caring for a formally ‘Looked After Child’ (LAC). |
Archives
October 2024
|
- HOME
-
About KGS
- FACT FILE
- CANTEEN MENU
- CATERING
- CONDUCT
- DRESS CODE
- HOLIDAYS
- HOMEWORK
- HOUSE SYSTEM
- POLICIES
- LOST PROPERTY
- MOBILE PHONES
- PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
- REPORTS & PARENTS' EVENINGS
- SCHOOL ACTIVITIES & CLUBS
- SCHOOL DAY
- School Handbook
- SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
- SCHOOL MAP
- SCHOOL TRANSPORT
- STAFF LIST
- STANDARDS AND QUALITY REPORT
- DEPARTMENTS & CURRICULUM
- Pupils
- Parents
-
STAFF
- STAFF CALENDAR
- GLOW
- ILEARN
- Supporting the Mental Health of Young People
- Mental Health Guidance for Orkney Education Staff
- Child Protection Resources
- ABOVE & BEYOND STAFF NOMINATIONS
- ABOVE & BEYOND PUPIL NOMINATIONS
- RISK ASSESSMENT
- ScreenR Tutorial
- Dyslexia Referral
- DYSCALCULIA OVERLAY ASSESSMENT
- IN-CLASS SUPPORT REQUEST >
- ON THE BUTTON
- OIC HR POLICIES
- ORKNEY THEATRE CALENDAR
- MYVIEW
- WEEBLY
- SUPPORT & HELP
- FINANCIAL SUPPORT
- Contact
RSS Feed
