October 2022

HEAD TEACHER'S UPDATE 28 OCTOBER 2022
Published: 27 October 2022

Staffing 

Grant Haggart will start as our new Rugby Development Officer on 14 November.

Jane Burns has been appointed to the teaching post at Meadowpark. Kimberley White and Karolina Kazmierska have been appointed as temporary ASN Auxiliaries.

Two temporary ASN Auxiliary Posts will be advertised soon at Meadowpark

Parents’ and Pupils’ Information

Scottish Dyslexia Awareness week 30th - 5th November 2022

We will be celebrating all the creative, interesting and frustrating traits that come with being dyslexic during this week.  There will be information and activities to try at registration and we are holding a virtual twilight session for parents/carers on Wednesday 2 November 4.30pm.  During this session we will look at different strategies that can help when dyslexic.

If you are interested in this session and haven't already expressed an interest then please email jwright@knox.elcschool.org.uk.

You can find further information, help and advice plus lots of ways to empower people to reach their full potential here.

S4, S5 and S6 Prelims

Parents and pupils will receive a letter today about the arrangements for prelims this year and the timetable will be issued early November. Those young people who have Alternative Assessment Arrangements (AAA) in place will be supported with these during their prelims too. There are lots of study sessions available to support senior pupils and I would encourage them to attend these to help them prepare for these and their final SQA exams.

Senior Phase Study Support

As well as our in-school study support sessions, E-Sgoil is also offering evening study support sessions (which commenced on Monday 6 September 2021), targeted support for learners, and, looking ahead, provision during the Easter holidays is already being planned.  A significant number of our young people have already signed up to the evening study support sessions but it would be good if we could encourage all senior phase pupils to do this. Spreading study across the year is more advantageous than last minute cramming for exams. If your young person still needs their GLOW password please ask them to contact the school office who will be able to provide them with this. Thank you.

Parents’ Information

S4 Reports

S4 Reports were issued to all pupils during Registration on Wednesday 26 October 2022. 

Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment/Hayward Review

The public consultation for the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment/Hayward Review is now live. I would encourage as many parents/carers as possible to respond to this as this is about the future of National Qualifications which will affect many of your young people and the generations to follow. The link is here.

S1 Ties

We are still working with our supplier to get these for our S1 pupils but this has taken a lot longer than predicted. We do hope to have them this term. Apologies.

Lost Property

The office has a large amount of pupil clothing that has yet to be claimed.  If your young person has lost any items, please ask them to enquire at reception to allow the items to be reclaimed.

Pupils’ Achievements

Well done to Elvie Kerr (S1) who won three silver and one gold medal at the District Swimming Gala at Leith Academy last weekend.

Congratulations also goes to Morven Kenny (S1) who won a silver medal at the Scottish Relay Championships at Cumbernauld last weekend. Morven was part of Team East Lothian and this is her first national level medal in athletics.

We are also very proud of Orla Winn (S5), who is currently flying the flag for Great Britain at the IWWF World Cable Wakeboard and Wakeskate Championships in Thailand. We will look forward to hearing how she gets on.

Dates for your diary:

Wednesday 9 November                               Pupil photographs

Thursday 24 November                                S3 Parents’ Consultation (in school) 4.30-6.30pm

Friday 25 November –                                  S4/5/6 Prelims

Monday 12 December

Tuesday 6 December                                    Dasher's Dance BGE (S1-S3): 7pm-9.30pm

Wednesday 14 December                             Christmas Concert

Thursday 15 December                                Blitzen's Ball Senior Phase (S4-S6):  7pm-9.30pm

Our school calendar is updated regularly and should be used to access all information throughout the year and allows you to plan ahead too.

Sue Cook

Parent Council

The Parent Council has requested a footer on my HT’s update that remains there year round and which offers quick links to remote learning resources, course choices, supported study and careers news. Clicking on these headings takes you straight to these pages.

Please also look at our website for lots of other information. Please also follow us on Twitter for up-to-date news on a day to day basis.

Please also remember to follow us at: www.ka-net.org.uk 96D4F7EE for the latest information and updates

 

HEAD TEACHER'S UPDATE 14 OCTOBER 2022
Published: 14 October 2022

This week we have had House Group assemblies on the success that good attendance and being on time can bring. These have been led by our Pupil Support Leaders. It would be great if parents/carers can support these with discussions at home using the linked documents. Thank you.

 In preparation for our Diversity Evening celebrations on 9 February 2022 we are asking parents/carers to engage with their young people over the holidays to do a genealogy activity so we can explore the diversity within our community. We are asking you to do a family tree of your ancestors and where they lived around the world.  I am sure there will be a wet weather day during the holidays where this will be a great family activity. When pupils return after the holidays we will invite pupils to plot these places on our World Map and use this information to help plans some of acts from around the world for our show on that evening. This PowerPoint should also help you with this activity,

 

Parents’/Carers’ Information

Reports – S4

These will be issued the week after the October break and report on your young person’s achievement of a level, their effort, behaviour, home learning and give a few comments on next steps in learning. The Curriculum section of our website will detail the content of courses to allow parents/carers to be able to see the work being covered in each term rather than reports going in to this detail. Any feedback you have on the reports would be most welcome via the tear-off slips included in the reports.

Morning Drop-Off/End of Day pick-up

If you are dropping off/picking up your young person, parents/carers must not stop on double yellow lines, or the yellow box in front of the main entrance, as this is causing severe traffic congestion in the morning as well as compromising the safety of our young people.

Please drop your young person off round the back of the school and ask them to walk the last section on to the school premises. I appreciate that if the young person has such things as a broken leg/injury the need to drop them off on school grounds but this is extenuating circumstances. Staff and school buses/taxis should really be the only groups accessing the route into the school at the start/end of the day and are asked to do so at 5mph to ensure everyone’s safety.  Thank you.

Communication

We are really keen to support our young people and parents/carers. If you do need to contact the school for advice/support/questions about your young person the first port of call should be your young person’s Pupil Support Leader or House Team. For those parents who have young people in S1/2 this is quite a different protocol from primary schools where the teacher or Head Teacher would be contacted in the first instance. The Pupil Support Leader (and House Team) will be able to support you directly in most instances but some questions you have may require them to liaise with other staff too. It would also be appreciated if you do wish to meet with the House Team that an appointment is arranged in advance as if parents/carers arrive at the school without an appointment we cannot guarantee that we will be able to see you at this time. Thank you for your support with this.

We will be issuing our updated Communication Policy after the October break which sets out timelines for responses; usually 48hrs to acknowledge emails/letters and five working days to respond. Staff are not expected to respond to emails over the weekend or during holidays if contacted during these times. House Teams will do their best to respond to all parental contacts as timely as possible. Contact emails are as follows:

Ms Adam/Mrs Falconer (Garleton) garleton@knox.elcschool.org.uk

Mr Meekison/Mr Russell (Lammerlaw) lammerlaw@knox.elcschool.org.uk

Mrs Doig/Mr Illingworth (Traprain) traprain@knox.elcschool.org.uk

Information Session on Scholar for Parents and Carers (S4-S6 pupils)

SCHOLAR has been delighted with the positive response to our recently advertised Information Session for Parents and Carers webinars. As well as running additional sessions to meet the demand, we are also happy to provide links to a recording of the session which took place on 28th September 2022 and to the short PowerPoint presentation used.

Link to webinar recording

Link to PowerPoint slides

Further information

School Dances

Pupils who were interested in attending these should have now registered this interest via a Google Form, which was sent directly to their school email accounts.  Parents/carers should have received an e-mail with a link to the IPay system to allow them to make the payment for £3.00.  If your young person has registered and you have not received an e-mail, please contact admin@knox.elcschool.org.uk.

Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme

A new marketing campaign, launched by the Scottish Government, is encouraging more people under the age of 22 to take up free bus travel. Across TV, digital, radio and outdoor channels, the campaign promotes the benefits of free bus travel to those that may not have considered choosing the bus before.

Young people can use their Young Scot National Entitlement Card or National Entitlement Card to sign up.

Homepage - YPTS (freebus.scot)

Parent Council Meeting

The next meeting is on Wednesday 26 October 2022 at 6.30pm (virtual meeting).  This meeting will take place online. If you would like to attend this meeting please email our Chair of the Parent Council to gain access to our meeting code, parentcouncil@ka-net.org.uk. It would be great to see as many people attend as possible.

Charity Fund Raiser

Wear a Flash of Purple for Polio (donation appreciated on the day) – Thursday 27 October 2022

Each year there is a World Polio Day which this year is on 24th October. On this date however Knox Academy will still be on holiday.

Knox Academy is playing our part in supporting “End Polio Now” by creating an awareness day.

In conjunction with Rotary Haddington, we are inviting all pupils to wear a ‘flash of purple’ on their uniform on Thursday 27th October.

The Arts

To assist with future planning, East Lothian Council Arts Service and The Brunton Theatre Trust are carrying out a consultation into East Lothian residents’ views about participatory arts activities at The Brunton in Musselburgh and also out in the community, across East Lothian. This consultation is taking place in order to get residents’ views and to make sure activities respond to identified interests and needs.

Individuals and groups are being encouraged to complete a survey accessed on East Lothian Council’s consultation portal, linked to here. Hard copies of the survey are available to pick up in East Lothian libraries and from The Brunton box office counter. The survey will be available to complete until 10 December. The results of the consultation will be used to develop plans for arts activities going forward. (Charlotte McMillan, Development Officer, Community Arts)

Parent Council – reminder

The Parent Council is keen to get your views on a variety of issues as parent/carers of young people at Knox Academy. The questionnaire will take no longer than 5-10 minutes to complete and they would really appreciate your input.  The link to the questionnaire is here. Please can parents/carers respond to it by Friday 14 October? Thank you.

Pupils’ News

S1 Elective –Diversity

Over the past few weeks some S1 pupils have been involved in creating “Around The World” presentations for their Elective.  The presentation involved decorating a “stall” with flags, dressing in their given Country’s colours, teaching us how to speak the language, telling us about the culture and history.  They even brought into foods for us to sample (including homemade churros) and taught us a local dance.  This was a resounding success and all pupils loved being involved.  Other teachers were invited into class to watch the presentations and were very impressed. (By Mrs E Reynolds)

S2 Outdoor Education/Storytelling

Unfortunately our “Under the Stars” camping trip was postponed due to adverse weather however some Outdoor Education leaders came into school and took the group out of school to the river where they practised building fires, putting up tents and even enjoyed a hot chocolate and some delicious s’mores.  Everyone is now suitably knowledgeable and excited for the trip which will go ahead in the New Year! (By Mrs E Reynolds)

Pupils’ Achievements

Well done to Morven Kenny (S1) who won a bronze medal at the recent Scottish Athletics Road Race.

I hope you all have a lovely October break with your young person/people and we will look forward to welcoming them back to school on Wednesday 26 October at 8.28am.

Dates for your diary:

Monday 17 – Tuesday 25 October            School holiday for pupils (staff return on Tuesday 25)

Wednesday 26 October                               Pupils return (8.28am)

Our school calendar is updated regularly and should be used to access all information throughout the year and allows you to plan ahead too.

Sue Cook

Parent Council

The Parent Council has requested a footer on my HT’s update that remains there year round and which offers quick links to remote learning resources, course choices, supported study and careers news. Clicking on these headings takes you straight to these pages.

Please also look at our website for lots of other information. Please also follow us on Twitter for up-to-date news on a day to day basis.

Please also remember to follow us at: www.ka-net.org.uk 96D4F7EE for the latest information and updates

 

HEAD TEACHER'S UPDATE: 7 OCTOBER 2022
Published: 07 October 2022

It was great to welcome P7 pupils and their parents/carers to Knox Academy last night. After a short introduction to the school they spent most of the evening visiting subject departments/faculties, meeting staff and trying some of the activities they had set up. Thank you to the Prefect Team for showing groups around and answering questions from a pupils’ perspective.

Staffing
1 x Class Teacher ASN Provision

3 x ASN Auxiliary (Permanent and Temporary posts)

1 x Teacher of Biology (Part time) – to be advertised soon

Diversity Celebrations – Thursday 9 February 2023 (can you help?)
Knox Academy plans to host its 1st Diversity Evening on 9 February 2023 from 5 - 9 pm.

The aim of the evening is to celebrate the diversity in our local community through four exciting opportunities which all parents, pupils and staff can be involved in: Food Hall, a Market Place, Workshops and a theatrical/musical show.

Food Hall
We are looking for any local food merchants who would be happy to run a food stall between 5 - 7pm in the school's food court. There will be no charge for providers to have their stall at the market and providers will be able to use our HE department if they require a preparation area. Providers are asked to donate 10% of their profits to the school's inclusion fund. Those purchasing food will be able to enjoy this at the dining tables in the Food Court.

This will be a great opportunity to showcase the huge range of cuisines on offer in and around our local community.

Market Place

  1. We are looking for any local artisans to come along and sell their products. This can range from art work to aromatherapy to Eco Friendly alternatives. The only request is that the products show off the theme of diversity in some way. The market place will take place in the school's Games Hall between 5 - 7pm. The school can provide tables and chairs for all stalls. Providers are asked to donate 10% of their profits to the school's inclusion fund, however, there will be no charge for providers to have their stall at the market.
  2. We are looking for local charities to come and advertise the diverse work they do within our local community. There will be no charge for providers to have their stall at the market and we would encourage donation boxes for those attending to be able to give something to your charity on the night. We would hope the charities would help to highlight the diverse nature of our community and the wide range of people they support within it.

Workshops
We are looking for anyone with a specialist skill within our community to run one or two 45 minute workshops between 5 - 5:45pm and/or 6 - 6:45pm. This can range from British Sign Language to Pasta Making to Samba Drumming. Or maybe you have a skill in martial arts or calligraphy? We want to show off the diverse range of skills and abilities within our community so we would be grateful to hear from you if you can support us.

We are also looking for anyone who would be willing to come along to do a short talk during these sessions on a variety of different themes such as Gender Bias Jobs (perception), Women in STEM, LGBT Rights. The possibilities are endless and we are open to suggestions.

A Theatrical/Musical Show
The night will end with a show from 7 - 8/9 pm approx. Therefore we are looking for theatrical and musical performers who would be willing to be part of this show and have a diverse theme or ‘act’ from around the world. Timings can vary so we are open to suggestions in terms of what sort of length of an act you are able to offer. It would be great to have a range of performers and performances so please do come and discuss your ideas with us.

If you feel you would be able to contribute to any of the above please contact Hannah McBride at hmcbride@knox.elcschool.org.uk

Let’s really pull together and celebrate the amazing diversity in our community and make this an event to remember.

Diversity – October break task for pupils and parents/carers to work together on:
During the October break we will be asking everyone to think about their heritage and where there family were born/lived across the years -  whether that be Haddington and the surrounding areas or further afield in Scotland, the UK, Europe or the wider world.  Where ever it is we want to hear about it and celebrate the cultures and traditions that are associated. Please have a conversation with Parents/Carers /Grandparents/Aunties and Uncles and let’s see how far we can get! This will be followed up in registration when we return and all the places plotted on a World map in our library. We will then work to explore more about our school’s diverse population.

Curriculum/Learning and Teaching

New Foundation Apprenticeship in IT: Software Development
East Lothian Works, the department in ELC responsible for the Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs), are delighted to announce the introduction of a new FA framework, starting June 2023. The IT: Software Development framework will allow S4-S6 students the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the IT industry, and gain knowledge of software development.

In the first year of this two year programme, students will learn about Applications Development, Authoring a Website, and Software Design and Development. In the second year, students will study Health and Safety in IT and Telecom, Data Modelling, and Customer Requirements, amongst others. This will be alongside the ample amounts of work experience and employer engagement that students have come to expect from the Foundation Apprenticeship programme.

For students interested in a career in IT, or who have a passion for the subject, this is a fantastic course to undertake as it will give you a significant amount of understanding and knowledge of the subject, but will also provide work placements that will give you experience working in this industry and in a professional workplace.

Keep an eye out for the IT: Software Development FA when course choicing comes around, and be sure to mention to your Guidance Teacher if you are interested. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch at akerr3@eastlothian.gov.uk.

Dyslexia
It is the Scottish Dyslexia Awareness week from the 31 Oct - 6 Nov.  During this week we will be raising awareness of Dyslexia and the positives and challenges that dyslexia presents.  

On Wednesday 2 Nov at 4.30pm, Mrs Wright (Learning support) will be holding a virtual twilight session for parents of dyslexic pupils or those who are dyslexic themselves.  During this session we will discuss strategies to help with learning and IT aids that can help with revision, notetaking, reading and writing.  If you wish to attend this session, please email Mrs Wright (jwright@knox.elcschool.org.uk) to register your interest.

Pupils’ News

Wear a Flash of Purple for Polio (donation appreciated on the day) – Thursday 27 October 2022
Rotary is one of the world’s largest and most successful global membership and humanitarian service organisations with 1.2 million members in 35 thousand clubs, in over 200 countries, supporting globally and locally those who need it most e.g. helping Ukraine and Pakistan and other major disasters.  Rotary Haddington is the local club, supporting these major disasters but also supporting the local community.

What is Polio?

  • Polio is a highly infectious disease which mainly affects children under the age of five.
  • It can spread from person to person typically through contaminated water. It can affect the nervous system and in some instances lead to paralysis.
  • Although there is no cure for polio, there is a safe and effective vaccine.
  • In 1985 there were over 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries.
  • Rotary International and the World Health Organisation therefore launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and since then this has been a key element of Rotary’s humanitarian work.
  • Several years later in 2009 the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged 355 million dollars to the initiative and also issued Rotary a challenge grant of 200 million dollars. This challenge was reached ahead of schedule in 2012.
  • 2.5 billion Children have been immunised worldwide and polio cases have been reduced by 99.9%.  If however the campaign- “End Polio Now” - ceases it would take less than 10 years for polio to return to pandemic levels with up to 200,000 new cases of paralysis every year in countries who for years have been free of the disease.

We must therefore continue with the campaign. It costs 20p to immunise a child and for every £1 raised by Rotary, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have agreed to donate £2.   Rotary Haddington, through their fundraising activities, continually supports the campaign and also creates awareness by planting purple crocuses in various areas of the town. We have another 4000 crocus bulbs to be planted this autumn!!!!

Each year there is a World Polio Day which this year is on 24 October 2022; however on this date Knox Academy will still be on holiday.

Knox Academy is playing our part in supporting “End Polio Now” by creating an awareness day.

In conjunction with Rotary Haddington, we are inviting all pupils to wear a ‘flash of purple’ on their uniform on Thursday 27 October 2022.

NeLO/e-Sgoil Study Support Programme for Senior Phase Pupils
The NeLO/e-Sgoil evening Study Support programme for 2022/23, is starting now. Study Support comprises live, interactive webinars focussed on Senior Phase courses. Webinars are delivered by experienced, GTCS registered teachers. 50 different webinars are on offer each week during term time, covering all the larger subject areas as well as an extensive range of other subjects. The service is focussed on delivering equitable access to all learners in Scotland and is completely free. 

The following links give you more information about this offer: Nutshell guide for learners  ; FAQ document ; Short promotional video ; 2022 – 2023 Evening Webinars Study Support timetable 

Registration is now open. The link to the registration and information page on the e-Sgoil website is here 

Parents’/Carers’ Information

Morning Drop-Off/End of Day pick-up
If you are dropping your young person off at school in the morning parents/carers must not stop on double yellow lines, or the yellow box in the school, as this is causing severe traffic congestion in the morning as well as compromising the safety of our young people. Please drop your young person off round the back of the school or use the school car park at the far end of the school for drop offs/pick-ups. Thank you.

ELC Consultation
East Lothian Council is seeking views on the draft proposal for a shared pedestrian and cycle path at Tynebank Road, Haddington. This proposal is something which could enhance safety, improve access around the area for those who walk, wheel or cycle and, crucially, offer a safer route to school for children attending the campuses based nearby.

A map of the proposed route can be found here, which shows it connecting Mill Wynd to Meadowpark via an off-road path to be built on the eastern side of Tynebank Road. This will not result in any changes to the existing road. 

Consultation is now live via the following link. Consultation closes on Friday 14th October.

Parent Council – reminder
~The Parent Council is keen to get your views on a variety of issues as parent/carers of young people at Knox Academy. The questionnaire will take no longer than 5-10 minutes to complete and they would really appreciate your input.  The link to the questionnaire is here. Please can parents/carers respond to it by Friday 14 October? Thank you.

Information Session on Scholar for Parents and Carers (S4-S6 pupils)
Scholar is holding an online information session for parents and carers on Wednesday 9 November 2022 to provide an overview of SCHOLAR and how it can support their young people in S4-S6, as well as answer any questions. Click here for details of this event and how to register for it.

Pupils’ Achievements
Good luck to Isla and Phoebe Hamilton and Jamie and Dylan Pearman who are heading off, with Scottish Squash, to play in the British Closed squash competition. This takes place over 4 days from the 27-30 of October in Sheffield and is the biggest squash competition in the UK. We wish them all the very best and look forward to hearing how they got on.

Dates for your diary:

Monday 17 – Tuesday 25 October - School holiday for pupils (staff return on Tuesday 25 October 2022)

Wednesday 26 October - Pupils return

Our school calendar is updated regularly and should be used to access all information throughout the year and allows you to plan ahead too.

Sue Cook

Parent Council
The Parent Council has requested a footer on my HT’s update that remains there year round and which offers quick links to remote learning resources, course choices, supported study and careers news. Clicking on these headings takes you straight to these pages.

Please also look at our website for lots of other information. Please also follow us on Twitter for up-to-date news on a day to day basis.

Please also remember to follow us at: www.ka-net.org.uk 96D4F7EE for the latest information and updates