Information Regarding the P7 Two Day Visit and August 2016 Start

Dear Parent/Carer 

P7 Transition, June 2016 – 2 Day Experience – Laurie Liddell Clubhouse 

Wednesday 22 June and Thursday 23 June 2016 

I am very pleased that your son/daughter has been allocated a place at Gracemount High School for session 16/17. I am writing to confirm the arrangements for the transition visit planned for June 2016. 

Please find below the arrangements for the two day visit and some other important information about your child’s start in Gracemount High School.

Our thanks go to Edinburgh University for their support in providing excellent accommodation for our use a:

Laurie Liddell Clubhouse
42 Peffermill Road
Edinburgh
EH16 5LL 

Link to map below:- http://www.ed.ac.uk/maps/maps?building=peffermill#main-content
 

The venue will provide us with top quality accommodation with both indoor and outdoor spaces to hold classroom based activities, health promoting and team building events.

The programme for the 2 days is varied and designed to ensure that the youngsters can experience a flavour of what to expect at High school and have the opportunity to meet Gracemount staff and their new classmates. Workshops will also be delivered by Skills development Scotland and Active sports. 



TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS

• Pupils should gather in Gracemount High School Car Park @8.45am
• Pupils will be transported to and from Peffermill by coach accompanied by staff and senior pupils.
• Pupils will be allocated to a coach according to their “House allocation.” It is important that your child remembers which house they have been allocated to so please check the details at the top of this letter.
• Pupils will be transported to arrive back at Gracemount High School Car Park @15.15pm

 
Parents should note that to allow the pupils safe access to the coaches there is no room for personal cars in the car park and pupils should be dropped off and collected outside the school ground.


SCHOOL UNIFORM

• Gracemount High School uniform is not expected to be worn for the two-day experience
• Pupils may wear their primary uniform if they so choose.
• Pupils may like to wear something that is of their new “House” colour as indicated at the top of this letter
• During both days of the experience pupils will be engaged in some outdoor sporting activities so should come comfortably dressed ready for all weather. (Football colours should not be worn)
• Trainers should be worn so that pupils can make full use of the facilities.

CATERING 

• Packed lunches will be provided for pupils.
• Pupils are encouraged to bring water to drink no fizzy drinks are allowed
• There are no catering facilities on site so pupils may wish to bring a snack for break and, if they prefer, their own packed lunch.
• There is a coin operated vending machine with water available on site. 

To ensure closer supervision pupils will be expected to take their lunch in the club house and stay in the venue grounds during lunch. 

MEDICAL/FIRST AID 

• We will have our own welfare/first aid staff with us at the site.
• Pupils who require medication during the school day should ensure that this is brought with them and given to GHS staff, making them aware of any action required.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR AUGUST 2016 

The school session begins for pupils on Wednesday 17 August 2016
New S1 pupils should report to the main hall at 8.30 am where they will be met by staff and senior pupils. 

SCHOOL UNIFORM 

All pupils in Gracemount High School are expected to wear school uniform. Each pupil is given a school tie on their first day with us in August. If you wish to have a tie ready for the first day they will be available for collection from the school office during the last week of term. If ties become lost pupils are required to purchase a replacement tie at the cost of £5 from the school office. Please find a link to a leaflet explaining Gracemount High School’s uniform policy here. 

Please note that in August pupils should wear plain black shoes with no coloured stripes or colours in the rim. Black leggings should only be worn with a skirt of an appropriate length. Black tops (zip-up only or with v-neck) with hoods will be acceptable, but hoods should be kept down when in school at all times and the neck line should allow the tie to be clearly visible. 

CASHLESS CATERING 

When at Gracemount High School in August pupils will find that a cashless catering system is used in the dinner hall and pupils are expected to bring and use their Young Scott card. 

This will have been issued prior to their move to High School. Pupils who receive free lunches will have the amount added to their card prior to lunch time. Any amount not used from a free lunch will be removed from the card after lunch. Below are examples of the food available from the dinner hall and their current costs but please note that these are scheduled to increase in August 2016:

Main meal £2.45 (this is the new price from August)

• Pizza £1.40 
• Sandwich £1.15
• Baguette £1.40 
• Soup with a Roll £0.85
• Baked Potato £1.40 
• Cookie/Home Baking £0.60
• Panini £1.40 
• Crisps £0.60
• Macaroni £1.40 
• Drinks from £0.45 to £0.80

Pupils will be shown how to ‘load’ money on their cards on the first day at High School. Please be aware that the machines only accept coins so do not send your youngster with notes to put on their card. 

To ensure closer supervision pupils at the start of the new session will be expected to take their lunch in the dinner hall and stay in the school grounds during lunch. Pupils who do not want to take school lunches should bring a packed lunch.

Transferring from primary to secondary school is a major event for all pupils and we aim to make it as smooth a transition as possible. Meeting the needs of the individual pupil is of great importance to us. Your child has been allocated to a House and class groups based on the information we have gathered from the Primary schools. Each house has a Pupil Support Leader or Guidance teacher who will be your first point of contact at Gracemount high school:

• The PSL for Lewis house is Mr Lewis Whale
• The PSL for Skye house is Ms Lizzi Pretswell
• The PSL for Tiree house is Mrs Emma O’Connell 

Some changes may be made to allocated groups after the visit for August. Primary staff will be informed of any changes prior to 30th June. 

Should you have any queries please contact Ms Sinclair, Depute Head Teacher – currently based at Liberton High School on 664 7514 or via our school website: 

www.gracemounthighschool.co.uk


Yours sincerely,

L Sinclair
Depute Head Teacher