Activities for Gaelic medium pupils

Bòrd na Gàidhlig, as in the initial lockdown, are to produce a timetable of online Gaelic events. These events are being organised by several Gaelic organisations during the current school closures.

Each week the timetable under the banner #cleachdiaigantaigh will be posted on Comann nam Pàrant's Website - http://parant.org.uk/index.php/ - and appear on our social media channels. We hope the information will be a useful resource which for Gaelic Medium parents and can help support their pupils’ learning experience in the home.

Scholar

New SCHOLAR video- Information for Parents and Carers

To give parents and carers a sense of the variety of engaging activities available, SCHOLAR have produced a new 3 minute video, “Information for Parents and Carers”, aimed, primarily, at parents and carers of learners in S3-S6.

Our new video is available at https://bit.ly/ParentsAndCarersInfo

Best wishes,

SCHOLAR Team

https://scholar.hw.ac.uk

 

 

As schools across Scotland are closed to the majority of pupils, Skills Development Scotland careers advisers will continue to provide careers information and advice by phone and digitally.

Our advisers will contact pupils who were scheduled to have a face-to-face appointments to make alternative arrangements.

Subject Choices

If your child is choosing their subjects, their school careers adviser will be providing support over the coming weeks to help them think about their choices, including a one-to-one conversation. There’s also the opportunity for you – as a parent or carer – to join the conversation and discuss where their options might take them in the future. As current government guidelines don’t permit these conversations to take place in person, we’ll seek to make alternative arrangements by phone or video conference.

You’ll also find lots of helpful tools and information to help with subject choices, on the careers service website, My World of Work. Visit www.myworldofwork.co.uk/subjectchoices

Please be aware that career information and advice is available online for anyone who needs it at My World of Work.  You can also contact your local centre to speak to an adviser or call the SDS helpline on 0800 917 8000.

Message from Highland Council Headquarters

As you know, the First Minister announced at the weekend that there will be some changes to the way schools return after the Christmas break. Tomorrow (Tuesday 22 December) a letter will be issued to all parents and carers of children and young people in Highland schools to give you the key information about this. Please do not contact the school today about the new arrangements, to allow School leaders and staff to focus on planning for the new term.

We expect to have information from the Executive Chief Officer for Education for staff and parents by close of play today. We will share this by email and social media.

In English, after reading in Roald Dahl’s autobiography of a local confectioner sending chocolates to his school to sample, S1 pupils were inspired to write to chocolate companies around Scotland to offer their services as Expert Chocolate Tasters. They were delighted when three companies responded. Tunnocks; The Tobermory Chocolate Company and Iain Burnett, Highland Chocolatier from Pitlochry sent the class samples, whereupon each expert was to taste and to give their considered opinion. Words failed us to express the culinary delights of those lessons, but here is a very small ‘flavour’ of the responses:

Tobermory Chocolate Co

“I wouldn’t change a thing”

“It was like heaven in a chocolate”

“An amazing burst of flavours with an orange and tropical tease”

“The fudge snowman was chocolate paradise at the beginning followed by a taste of caramel crossed with fudge and a hint of coffee at the end”

Tunnocks Caramel Crème

“It’s just plain epic. I can’t describe it other than that!”

Iain Burnett’s

“‘The strawberry Velvet is the best chocolate I’ve tasted!’ - Seasoned chocolate tasting veteran – 2020”

“This is the flavour I have been dreaming about – the Velvet Praline”

So, if you are still looking for a last minute Christmas present, the S1’s might tell you where to look. And I bet you wish you were the teacher…

 

The Pupil Council have decided to have a (free) festive clothing day (Wear Red, Christmas
jumpers, etc.) on Thursday 17th December. This is also the Christmas lunch day.
 

Ard Christmas shinty 6’s tournament is now on Friday afternoon from 1.30 – 3.30pm

Families on low incomes in receipt of free school meals can apply for a COVID winter hardship payment from Scottish Government

 

Families with children in receipt of free school meals due to reasons of low income are eligible for a £100 per child Covid winter hardship payment from the Scottish Government.

There are no restrictions on how families choose to spend the additional payment. The payment is per child not per household. However, P1-3 pupils receiving free school meals due to universal provision, not due to low income, are not eligible.

In Highland, the Highland Council will administer this payment on behalf of the Scottish Government. Eligible households do not require to apply for this payment, the Council will contact those families directly with payment details.

Households who think they are maybe eligible for the Covid winter hardship payment and have not received notification of an award by Monday 21 December 2020 should contact the Councils Welfare Support Team on or email

welfare.support@highland.gov.uk

Who is eligible for free school meals due to low income?

Families with children in receipt of free school meals due to reasons of low income are eligible for the Covid winter hardship payment. Eligibility for Free School Meals based on low income, is where the household is in receipt of:

• Income Support

• Universal Credit (where the monthly earned income does not exceed £610).

• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance

• Any income related element of Employment and Support Allowance

• Child Tax Credit, but not in receipt of Working Tax Credit, and your income is less than £16,105 (as assessed by the HMRC)

• Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit and an income below £7,330 (as assessed by the HMRC)

• If you are 16 to 18 yrs old and receive any of these benefits in your own right, then you can claim for yourself

• If you are an asylum seeker receiving support

• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

The payment for the £100 per child Covid winter hardship payment will be made prior to Christmas for those who were in receipt of free school meals due to low income on 30 November 2020.

Households who apply and awarded free school meals due to low income after

30 November 2020 will be eligible for the Covid winter hardship payment up until 22 December 2020. Those eligible families will be notified, and an award will be made no later than 15 January 2021.

A cash payment via PayPoint voucher will be made to eligible households. Vouchers will be redeemable at local PayPoint outlets. A small minority of households will receive payment via Post Office Pay-out and will be advised in their notification.

 

 

Please see the link to events running locally.

Our first masterclass is with well-respected musician and tutor Seylan Baxter. Seylan, a cellist, will host her session “Playing by Ear” on Thursday 10th December at 7.30pm via Zoom. It’s open to all ages, levels and instruments, and tickets are subsidised thanks to our funding.

We are also running a theatre project called “1943 Classic B&W” Although we have started the project, there are spaces for anyone from AHS to join in as it is currently remote, digital rehearsals. There is no cost to join in and it’s open to all ages 11 -to adult.

https://www.facebook.com/events/833319257515963

Please see the link to events running locally.

Our first masterclass is with well-respected musician and tutor Seylan Baxter. Seylan, a cellist, will host her session “Playing by Ear” on Thursday 10th December at 7.30pm via Zoom. It’s open to all ages, levels and instruments, and tickets are subsidised thanks to our funding.

We are also running a theatre project called “1943 Classic B&W” Although we have started the project, there are spaces for anyone from AHS to join in as it is currently remote, digital rehearsals. There is no cost to join in and it’s open to all ages 11 -to adult.

https://www.facebook.com/events/833319257515963

Congratulations to our newly appointed Highland Youth Parliament/Scottish Youth Parliament Representatives

Kayla Gordon – Member of Scottish Youth Parliament

Mitchell MacPherson – Member of Highland Youth Parliament

Angus Dunn – Member of Highland Youth Parliament

 

Unfortunately, After school Shinty and Football are cancelled this week, Tuesday 8th December, due to work on the floodlights.

MA Primary Education with Gaelic (Fluent & Learner Pathways)

Acting on feedback from last year, we have created two different slots for our online information sessions:

8^th December from 2pm – 3pm 

9^th December from 4pm – 5pm

Please also note that we offer two pathways.  A pathway for fluent speakers and a pathway for learners.  The learner pathway is open to all pupils who have an interest in education and language.  They do not need to have studied Gaelic at any level.  The information sessions will provide more information on both pathways.

For event registration, please follow this link - https://www.ed.ac.uk/education/news/event-registration

 

Hi,  The Pupil Council have announced that Monday 30^th November, St Andrew’s Day,  will be a ‘Dress Up in Tartan Day’ in aid of Children First.

 

The usual applies in that:

Pupils who dress down:  contribute £2

Pupils who dress up in tartan:  contribute £1

Pupils who wear dress code:  No contribution required

 

Thank you.

For S1-S6 Parents and Carers

SDS would like to promote an online Information Session to Parents which will outline the support available to both pupils and parents. The session will be led by Careers Advisers from the region and will give the opportunity for parents to ask questions. Invitations and more information has been sent to parents by email.

The event is scheduled for Thursday 10th December at 6.30pm

DYW are organising an NHS event on the 25th November (1-2pm). This will broadcast via Zoom and will focus on current jobs within NHS Highland in the Administration, Personal and Social Care and Support Service areas.

All information about the event can be found at https://www.dywwesthighland.org/join-teamhighland/ and young people can sign up FREE via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../nhs-careers-insight...

From Monday 23^rd November, e-Sgoil will expand their programme of weekly Study Support webinars that will span 19 of the NQ courses

available on SCHOLAR.

 

The table below shows the full timetable for e-Sgoil’s weekly sessions (correct as of 20^th November). For up-to-date information on the

availability of e-Sgoil Study Support webinars, please visit the e-Sgoil website or Twitter page.

 

SCHOLAR will send our next update email if there is a substantial change to the programme, or to let you know when study sessions to

support additional SCHOLAR courses become available.

 

e-Sgoil Study Support Live Webinar Lessons
	5pm	6pm	7pm
Monday	National 5 Mathematics*   Higher RMPS   Advanced Higher English*	National 5 Physics*   Higher Business Management* Higher Human Biology*   Advanced Higher Physics*	National 5 Computing Science*   Higher Physics*
Tuesday	Higher Music   Advanced Higher Modern Studies	Higher Spanish*   Study Skills
Wednesday	National 5 Gaelic Learners**   Higher French* Higher Health and Food Technology Advanced Higher Spanish*	Higher Mathematics*   Advanced Higher Chemistry*	Higher English*   Advanced Higher Mathematics*
Thursday	Higher Gàidhlig Advanced Higher Biology* Advanced Higher French*	Higher Chemistry*	National 5 English* Higher History

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blythswood Collection

Thanks to all in the Community who donated Blythswood boxes for the Christmas Appeal. Thanks to Ardnamurchan High, Strontian Primary schools and community we have assembled a nice pile of boxes towards the collection.

Congratulations to all our young engineers who took part in the Scottish Engineering Leaders Award competition this year!

Most successful were

Sally Patterson who was selected as a winner in her category for the Scotland region and will receive prizes including a pair of Virtual reality Goggles she can use to view the Virtual Gallery

and

Mya Carmichael whose entry was graded Distinction and whose entry will appear in the Virtual Gallery https:/leadersaward.com/2020-online-galleries/

Other Distinctions awarded were for:

John Blackley (shortlisted)

Mairi-Ann MacGillivray (shortlisted)

Holly Cameron (shortlisted)

Merits were awarded to:

Stuart MacLennan

Aaron Lavin MacPhail

Duncan Cameron

Liam Cameron

Megan Curtis

Big well done to all who took part!

Congratulations to Freddie Patterson and Lisa Ford who have been nominated as Shinty Ambassadors for 20/21

Over the coming weeks, e-Sgoil will be delivering a programme of regular, weekly Study Support webinars that currently spans 16 of the NQ courses available on SCHOLAR.

 

The table below shows the full timetable for e-Sgoil’s weekly sessions (correct as of 30^th October). For up-to-date information on the availability of e-Sgoil study support sessions, please visit the e-Sgoil website or Twitter page.

 

SCHOLAR will send our next update email if there is a substantial change to the programme, or to let you when study sessions to support additional SCHOLAR courses become available.

 

	5pm	6pm	7pm
Monday	National 5 Mathematics   Higher RMPS	Higher Business Management National 5 Physics Higher Human Biology	Higher Physics Higher Computing Science
Tuesday	Higher Music   National 5 Eachdraidh	Higher Spanish
Wednesday	Higher French Higher Gaelic Learners   Higher Health and Food Technology Higher Mathematics Advanced Higher Spanish	Higher Mathematics	Higher English
Thursday	Higher Gàidhlig Higher History Advanced Higher French	Higher Chemistry Higher English	National 5 English National 5 Mandarin

              e-Sgoil are offering live webinar sessions that complement SCHOLAR’s e-learning resources

              for over a dozen National 5 and Higher courses.

Upcoming online webinars from e-Sgoil:

e-Sgoil Study Support
Day	Date	Time	Subject	Level
Monday	26/10/20	5pm	Mathematics	National 5
Monday	26/10/20	6pm	Business Management	Higher
Monday	26/10/20	6pm	Physics	National 5
Monday	26/10/20	7pm	Physics	Higher
Monday	26/10/20	7pm	Computing Science	Higher
Tuesday	27/10/20	6pm	Spanish	Higher
Wednesday	28/10/20	5pm	French	Higher
Wednesday	28/10/20	5pm	Gaelic	Higher
Wednesday	28/10/20	5pm	Mathematics	Higher
Thursday	29/10/20	6pm	Chemistry	Higher
Thursday	29/10/20	6pm	English	Higher
Thursday	29/10/20	7pm	English	National 5
Thursday	29/10/20	7pm	Mandarin	National 5

Please note: For e-Sgoil webinars, advance registration is required. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

For more information on how to take part in upcoming sessions, please visit SCHOLAR's Online Tutor Sessions.

Best wishes,

 

SCHOLAR Development Team