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 @knoxacademy @knoxacademyHT for the latest information and updates