Supporting mental health and emotional well-being

These past months have been very challenging for many of us, and our children. The CAMHS-resources website has been created by an NHS professional in the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust to make it easy for young people, parents, carers and professionals to access the wealth of helpful resources across the internet to support their mental health and emotional well-being needs.

You can access a range of downloadable self-help guides and information – some are aimed at adults but the ideas and suggestions in them can still be relevant for young people and parents.

CAMHS resources website

CAMHS downloads page

Seeking your views on Scotland’s assessment system

23 November 2021 – update: The Parent Council wants to hear from parents on the issues raised in the current Scottish Government education consultation on the replacement of the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the reform of Education Scotland.

The Scottish Government has made a significant proposal for reform, and the complex consultation requires knowledge of the roles of different educational bodies, and an understanding of Curriculum for Excellence.

A summary of the consultation is presented here

We recognise that not everyone will have time to deal with all the issues raised. Therefore to simplify this consultation, the Parent Council is asking for views on the single question below.

What would you like Scotland’s secondary education assessment system to look like in the future?

Please submit your comments here

All responses can be submitted anonymously, but you if you would like us to contact you about your response, please leave your name and email address.

We are asking for comments by midday on Wednesday 24 November 2021.

The Parent Council will collate parents’ comments and send them on to the consultation.

Respond directly to the Scottish Government consultation

We are disappointed that greater steps have not been taken to make the consultation more accessible to parents and will be making that point in the consultation response.

If you are able, please also submit your own individual response to the consultation.

Details can be found here along with further information on the background, including CfE, Education Scotland and the SQA, and links to the OECD reports.

Education Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority: consultation

The consultation deadline is Friday 26 November 2021

Contact the Parent Council

As always, the PC can be c ontacted by email.

Next Parent Council meeting on 30 November 2021

19 November 2021: The next meeting of the JGHS Parent Council meeting will be held online on Tuesday 30 November at 7pm. We will send out the link before the meeting via the school email.

At the meeting we will hear from:

Donald Macdonald (HT) – overview and parents’ questions
Bob Shankland (DHT) – review of SQA assessments in 2020/21 and look forward to 2021/22
Ian Porter (DHT) – supporting children’s mental health
Eliot Ambrose (Active Schools Co-ordinator) – Active School update

There will be the opportunity on the night to ask questions via the Q&A typed chat facility, but if you want to raise an issue in advance please email the PC and we will try to include it in the updates:

Email the JGHS Parent Council

You can find info about previous meetings of the PC on 7 September and 13 October here:

JGHS Parent Council meeting 7 September 2021

JGHS Parent Council AGM Q&A 13 October 2021

Minutes of JGHS Parent Council AGM 13 October 2021

Recording of Annual General Meeting now available

15 October 2021: Many thanks to everyone who was able to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Parent Council on Wednesday 13 October.

Meeting recording

If you were not able to join us, the recording of the meeting is now available to view on YouTube.

Recording of AGM on 13 October 2021

The minutes and responses to the Q&A will be posted once we have the final versions.

Welcome to our new committee members

We are also very pleased to welcome the new committee members who joined this year. All our members are now listed below:

Sarah Scott (Chair)
Kirstin Leighton (Secretary)
Ros Ingle (Treasurer)
Laura Bird (Communications co-ordinator)
Hilary Snaith (Communications co-ordinator)
Nicolas Boyes (Committee member)
Chris Brickley (new Committee member)
Karen Burke (Committee member)
Anna Christal (Committee member)
Graeme Davis (Committee member)
Cath Downie (Committee member)
Rob Dunbar (new Committee member)
Vera Eory (new Committee member)
Ruth Fowler (new Committee member)
Orla Hobson (new Committee member)
Sarah Jordan (new Committee member)
Ailsa Macintosh (Committee member)
Lynne Mackintosh (Committee member)
Aileen Nimmo (Committee member)
Cressida Peake (Committee member)
Vikki Plant (Committee member)
Katy Ruggeri (Committee member)
Steffi Schultze (new Committee member)
Lisa Sutherland (Committee member)
Penny Tarsia (Committee member)
Charles Warlow (Committee member)

The committee can be contacted at: jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com

Parent Council AGM tonight Wednesday 13 October!

The Annual General Meeting of the JGHS Parent Council is tonight Wednesday 13 October at 7 pm.

The meeting will be held on MS Teams and all parents and carers will receive the link via the school. We would be delighted if you are able to join with us.

Agenda

Chair’s Report and update – Sarah Scott
Treasurer’s Report – Ros Ingle
Appointment of Parent Council and post holders
Head Teacher’s Report – Donald j Macdonald
Questions and answers (via Q&A chat)

Parent Council annual reports

More information about what we have been doing over the past year can be found in the annual reports from our Chair and Treasurer.

2020/21 Chair’s Annual Report from JGHS Parent Council

2020/21 Treasurer’s Annual Report from JGHS Parent Council

Get in touch

If you have any questions that you would like to ask in advance of the AGM, or if you would like to join the Parent Council, please get in touch with us via email:

Email the Parent Council

If you missed it – Q&A from the Parent Council meeting 7 September 2021

Update 12 October 2021: If you weren’t able to make the last Parent Council meeting on 7 September, the minutes and the text of the Question and Answer session are now available.

Minutes from Parent Council 7 September 2021

Q&A from Parent Council 7 September 2021

You can also catch up on a recording of the full proceedings on YouTube.

Recording of Parent Council Meeting 7 September 2021

Annual Reports for AY 2020/21 now available

30 September 2021: In preparation for our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 13 October, the Annual Reports from the Chair and Treasurer of the Parent Council are now available for the past academic year 2020/21.

You can also view a copy of the audited accounts for FY 2020/21.

2020/21 Chair’s Annual Report from JGHS Parent Council

2020/21 Treasurer’s Annual Report from JGHS Parent Council

Audited JGHS Parent Council Accounts for 2020/21

If you have any comments on the reports or the accounts, please get in touch with us before the AGM.

Email us at jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com

Advance announcement for the AGM

Our next Parent Council meeting is our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 13 October.

Join the Parent Council

As we are still unable to meet in person, please email us at jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com ahead of the AGM if you would like to join the Parent Council or would like to find out more about what the PC does.

Membership is open to all parents and carers within the JGHS community and our role is to represent parents’ views and to work with the school to create a school which is welcoming for all parents and pupils. We’d love to work with you!

Catch up on our last meeting

To hear the discussions from our last meeting on Tuesady 7 September, a recording of the meeting is available on youtube.

Recording of the JGHS Parent Council Meeting 7 September 2021

Recording of Parent Council meeting on 7 September now available

Many thanks to everyone who attend the meeting of the parent council on Tuesday 7 September. It was great to see many people at the first meeting of the year, and to have engagement on such a wide variety of topics.

For those who were not able to join us, or who would like to listen to any of the meeting again, the recording is now available on YouTube.

Recording of the JGHS Parent Council Meeting 7 September 2021

We will post the meeting minutes and the summary of Q&A once these documents have been finalised.

And a quick reminder that you are warmly invited to attend our AGM on Wednesday 13 October – we will send further details in due course.

Results of Parent Council survey now out!

At the end of the last school year in June 2021 the Parent Council consulted with the parent/carer body at James Gillespies High School.

We asked what you thought we should be focusing on in 2021/22, and what topics were particularly important to you in the coming year. Over 180 people responded, with a broad range of views across a variety of topics.

We have brought together the results and comments in a report.

R eport on 2021 JGHS Parent Council survey

In summary

About Parent Council meetings

Parents generally liked the online format of meetings which is more accessible and allowed more people to attend than in the past. There was also an appetite for this format to be continued in the future – for at least part of the PC’s work.
Some responses also pointed out that meetings online led to lack of spontaneity and did not allow for networking, and there were also suggestions about ways to improve the meeting format.
Parents preferred receiving notification of meetings via the school email and wanted dates and times of meetings circulated well in advance.

About our priorities and participation

Health and well-being, rising rolls and SQA arrangements were identified as key priorities for the PC for the future.
Specific concerns were raised in relation to particular areas, such as rising rolls, mental health and SQA arrangements.

About Fundraising and socialising

Most parents supported the idea of fundraising for school activities, and also felt that it was important that a social aspect was included in any activities. There was also support for direct donation through Parentpay for those for whom that would be easier.
Concern was also expressed by some, however, that parents would have to fundraise to cover activities/items that would normally be covered by Council funding.

Get in touch

If you have any feedback on the survey itself, or if you would like to send any other comments about activities in the Parent Council, please email us at jghscouncilcomms@gmail.com