Author: hilarysnaith

Notes from Parent Council meeting on 5 June 2024

23 June 2024: The JGHS Parent Council meeting on Wednesday 5 June and discussed a number of issues, including:

a brief report on Parent Council activities since the previous meeting in March 2024;
the Empowered Learning strategy and use of digital tools in teaching at JGHS, presented by DHT Laura Stewart;
an update from HT Neil McCallum including details of the recent Equally Safe at Schools survey, and the attainment of pupils at JGHS and their onward destinations

Copies of all the presentations are now available (all links open as pdfs):

Report from the Parent Council June 2024

Presentation from Laura Stewart on Digital Learning at JGHS

Headteacher’s update by Neil MacCallum

If you have any comments, please get in touch with the Parent Council via email:

Email the Parent Council

Many thanks to all parents and carers for your support and engagement over the past year. We hope that you have a restful and restorative break over the summer, and look forward to welcoming you our meetings again next session. Dates and further details will be posted here once confirmed.

Welcome to the new S1 students

17 June 2024. It was great to see so many of the parents of the incoming S1 students at the P7/S1 transition event at JGHS today.

A copy of the slides presented by our co-chair Hilary Snaith are available below. They give information about the role of the Parent Council at JGHS, some details about the activities we have been engaged with over the past year, and information about how you can get invovled.

Welcome to the JGHS Parent Council (opens as pdf)

Our first meeting of the new session will be Tuesday 3 September – we hope to see you there!

If you have any questions at all, or if you have feedback you would like to share, please get in touch by email:

Email the Parent Council

Parent Council meeting Wednesday 5 June

3 June 2024: All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend the last meeting of the James Gillespie’s High School Parent Council for this academic year on Wednesday 5 June. The meeting will be held in the school library at 7 pm.

Agenda

Short report from Parent Council co-chairs – Tiziana Basciani, Hilary Snaith
PC Treasurer’s report – Kirstin Leighton
Presentation on the Empowered Learning Strategy at JGHS – Laura Stewart, DHT
Headteachers report – Neil McCallum
Questions and comments from attendees

We look forward to seeing you there!

50th anniversary of Women’s Liberation Movement conference at JGHS

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Liberation Conference that was held at James Gillespie’s High School in Jly 1974. The event was an important part of the history of the Women’s Liberation Movement in Scotland as well as part ofEdinburgh’s local history.

To mark this important milestone, members of the University of Edinburgh are leading and facilitating a daytime workshop for the students of James Gillespie’s High School on 21 June, which will be followed by an evening celebration event.

Celebration event

The evening event is part of the exciting “Women’s Liberation: 50 Years On” project, which will also take place at James Gillespie’s High School from 5.30 – 7.00 pm on Friday 21 June. The event will include a reception, as well as a panel discussion focusing on Legal and Financial Independence of Women.

This is a free event and is open to everyone!

Please register on Eventbrite

Find out more

Follow GENDER.ED on twitter/X

Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities

Women’s History Scotland

Chat survey – closing soon!

The childhood and teenage years are important in how we support our children to become the kind of young adults we want them to be. When it comes to learning about relationships, their bodies, or issues like consent or sexual health, what do you want your child to know or understand or be able to do?

The Chat national survey for parents and carers is now open. https://thechat.scot – closing date 3rd June 2024.

Recording of PC meeting 19th March now available

24 March 2024: Many thanks to everyone who was able to attend the meeting of the JGHS Parent Council on March 19th.

The recording of the meeting is now available on YouTube:

JGHS Parent Council 19 March 2024

You can also download an update from the JGHS PC Chair, a presentation about the teaching of the English curriculum, an update on the A+ Group’s activities to support pupils of colour and their families, and the headteacher’s report. There is also a supplementary report on lesson plans for Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenting (RSHP) that the headteacher shared, after interest was shown in the meeting.

PC Chair Update

Teaching the English Curriculum at JGHS

Activities of the A+ Group

Headteacher Update

Lesson Plans for RSHP

N.B. For more information about the A+ Group, please see this recent PC Post, from November 2023. The next A+ meeting will take place on March 27th. Please contact A+ Group Coordinator Zaki El-Salahi if you are interested in participating.

Updates from Locality meetings in February 2024

16 March 2024: The City of Edinburgh Council ASN Mainstream Locality Meeting was held on 22 February 2024, and the NE/SE Locality Meeting was held on 28 February 2024.

Minutes and presentations from these meetings are available below.

ASN Mainstream Locality Meeting

Meeting minutes – ASN

NE/SE Locality meeting

Meeting minutes – NE/SE

Inclusion Review Update – Lynne Binnie

Maximising School Attendance – Jennifer Connell

Parent Council meeting on Tuesday 19th March

The next meeting of the JGHS Parent Council will be held online on Tuesday 19th March at 7 pm. We warmly welcome all parents and carers to join with us.