P7 Transition 2021

Please click on this link for information about the P7 transition next year.

P7 Transition letter

Thank you.

Mrs Burgess

Depute Head Teacher

Parent/Carer – Message – Midlothian Council 18-12-20

Dear Parent/Carer

Please click on the link for an update from Midlothian Council from Friday 18 December.

Message to Parents from Midlothian Council 18-12-20

Further updates will be sent as/when we have them.

Thank you

Further update COVID

Dear Parent/Carer

Please follow the link below for information on schools and other council services.  Schools and ELC settings remain open tomorrow and Tuesday.

Midlothian Council will update families with information on the return to school in January on Tuesday 22 December.  Information will be shared via our website and Twitter pages on Tuesday.

Please contact the school office if you intend to keep your child at home tomorrow and Tuesday.

Please CLICK HERE for the latest update from Midlothian Council.

LATEST UPDATE COVID

Please click link below for  latest COVID update.  A further update will follow today Sunday 20 December at 4.30pm.

https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/200296/coronavirus/626/latest_updates

 

Covid-19 Arrangements Over Christmas and New Year – 17/12/2020

In order to ensure we are able to support families who may test positive over Christmas and New Year, Midlothian Council have put in place arrangements that will allow us to work with Health Protection Lothian to identify potential close contacts in schools. In order for this to be most effective, we are asking you to support us.  The information below details the processes to be followed should your child test positive for Coronavirus over the holidays.

 

ALL SCHOOL SETTINGS (Early Years, Primary, Special and Secondary)

• Please report any absence to your child’s school so we can keep our records up to date
• If your child is symptomatic with any of the following symptoms, please do not send them to school
  • a new continuous cough.
    • A new continuous cough is where you have a new cough that’s lasted for an hour have had three or more episodes of coughing in 24 hours and are coughing more than usual.
  • and/or a fever/high temperature
    • A high temperature is feeling hot to the touch on your chest or back (you don’t need to measure your temperature). You may feel warm, cold or shivery
  • a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
    • This means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

 

• During the school holidays, if your child has had a positive test result for Covid-19 please email edu-contact-tracing@midlothian.gov.uk with the following information:
  • Name and DOB
  • Symptom Onset
  • Date Last in school
  • School name & year group

SECONDARY SCHOOLS ONLY

• Over the Christmas period if your child is symptomatic, they will be asked to identify who their close contacts were within a set timescale by the Test and Protect Team.
• As this may mean looking at days your child was in school, we will be asking them to note the names of their close contacts in every class on Monday 21^st and Tuesday 22^nd of December only.
• On Monday 21^st and Tuesday 22^nd December your child will be asked to record the names of those pupils who are their immediate close contacts. They will bring this information home with them and this will be required for you to use with them should the Health Protection Team contact you.
• If your child does test positive, they will be asked to identify the close contacts on their lists. This depends on the day they first displayed Covid-19 symptoms. This will support the team to contact other pupils and staff who may need to self-isolate.
• PLEASE, can you support us and your child by checking with your child(ren) that they have brought the information home with them and it is kept in a safe place for easy access.

 Thank you for your continued support.

Yours sincerely,

Craig Biddick

Acting Head Teacher

SQA Update for parents

A message for parents and carers from SQA

Wednesday 16 December

On 8 December, the Deputy First Minister cancelled the Higher and Advanced Higher exams for 2021. This also means that coursework will not be marked by SQA, however it can still count as evidence of your child’s learning. We understand that you want to know what this means for your children.

The National Qualifications 2021 Group continues to meet weekly and is now working through the finer details of how Higher and Advanced Higher courses will be awarded in 2021. These courses will broadly follow the model we recently announced for National 5 results, where teachers and lecturers will use their professional judgement of your child’s evidence, subject to quality assurance.

Your child’s teacher or lecturer will be able to use subject guidance and assessment materials to help them gather evidence of your childs performance. SQA will publish these documents early in the New Year to support learning and teaching.

We understand that your child may have already sat prelims or they may be due to sit prelim exams for Higher and Advanced Higher courses early in 2021. Whilst there is no requirement for schools and colleges to hold these exams, it is a school or college decision whether or not to conduct them. Results from prelims which have already been carried out or which are planned may count towards evidence of your child’s learning.

Teachers and lecturers may use various methods to measure the depth of subject learning of your child including class tests, marked assignments as well as more formal style assessments. All of these can be used as evidence to support your child’s provisional result. The school or college will decide on the best assessment approaches for gathering evidence of your child’s learning.

To stay up to date on National Qualifications in 2021, visit www.sqa.org.uk/NQ2021 where we will regularly provide additional information to support you and your child during the course of this school year.

The National Qualifications 2021 Group

The National Qualifications 2021 Group is represented by the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES), Colleges Scotland, Education Scotland, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), School Leaders Scotland (SLS), the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS), Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), the Scottish Government, National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS), and the Scottish Youth Parliament.

 

Penicuik High School Virtual Christmas Concert

The music department have been busy creating a virtual concert for us all to enjoy on Monday 21st December.  A link will be emailed to parents on Monday so you can all watch the wonderful performances.  We aim to start the concert at 7pm.  We hope you enjoy it! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

SQA Senior Assessments

Please click on the links to see the letter and timetable issued to S4/S5/S6 students today.

Student SQA Letter 14-12- 20

JANUARY SENIOR ASSESSMENT TIMETABLE 2021 STUDENT

Thank you.

Teenage Booster Vaccinations

These vaccinations will take place in school on Tuesday 19 January 2021.  If your child has not yet returned their permission form, please ensure they do so by Monday 21 December.

Information from NHS –

Teenage Booster and Meningitis ACWY Vaccinations

• Consent packs for vaccinations from NHS Lothian are out now for pupils in S3 (and in S4 – S6 who have not yet received their vaccinations).
• Every year, pupils in S3 are offered the Teenage Booster to complete their lifelong protection, through Routine immunisations against tetanus, diphtheria and polio.   Any pupils in S4 – S6 who have not yet received this vaccination will also be offered this.
• In addition to the Teenage Booster vaccination, all S3 pupils are recommended a Meningitis ACWY vaccination. This protects against several strains of meningitis.   Any pupils in S4 – S6 who have not yet received this vaccination will also be offered this.
• Please read the letter in the consent pack, discuss the vaccinations with your child and return completed and signed consent forms to school by 21 December 2020.

 

Change to isolation period

Please click on this link for an update to the contact isolation period.

Contact isolation period change 13-12-20

Thank you.

Mr C Biddick

Acting Head Teacher