05.05.2022
Dear parents and carers
The Schools Parent Council are in the Bargain Box this week. Our S3 pupils were in on Wednesday morning to help provide cover for a slot. They are hoping to improve the schools Common Room which has been shut since the start of covid and hoped their stint at the BB would help raise some money for this. The Parent Council very kindly allowed us a slot during their week – Thank You. Please come along and support the Parent Council and our Secondary pupils.
When they left to return to school in the afternoon, there were 4 great prizes in the raffle, and another promised:
· Blossom Hill Gin Fizz
· A Wicks of Westray reed diffuser (they last for ages)
· A four pack of miniature bottles of gin
· A small bottle of Deerness Distillery Into the Wild Vodka.
· A raffle prize from Charlotte's Body Shop collection will also be on offer.
The first box of pens for recycling was picked earlier in the week by Charlotte Harvey who will be sending the pens to Ryman Stationery. The Ryman Website states "We offer pen recycling in all our stores. We've collected over 1,000,000 pens which we convert into charity donations." Please keep the pens for recycling coming, they can be dropped off at the schools reception.
Earlier this week we took delivery of our new 3D printer, located in our Science department. Dr Hill applied for funding and was given a grant towards purchasing it. This week the department has managed to construct and print a test-tube holder and our S3 pupils have been designing Chess pieces. The S3 are currently designing interlocking
tools to advance their engineering skills. We would like to thank our previous Head Teacher Dr Simon Hall for providing Dr Hill with the link to the funding.
Our S4 pupils had two exams this week, French and Maths and next weeks sees Music, Health and Food Technology, English and Physics.
Primary news
This week the school had a visit from Brazilian Samba Drummers Oli and Colin. They held drumming sessions for P3 -S3. The lower primary got a peedie taster session too. Our pupils showed a natural talent for drumming during their sessions. The upper primary was so enthusiastic they shook mugs out of the cupboard in the community room!
Pupils have enjoyed engaging with their new STEM resources, including Kapla blocks and Makedo resources. There has been plenty of opportunities to practise skills in problem solving, cooperation and engineering.
The upper primary enjoyed a visit from marine planners this week, who were seriously impressed by the children’s knowledge of local sea life.
The lower primary had a fantastic trip to Papay on Wednesday. It was such a treat after all the restrictions over the past two years. The weather was great, and they enjoyed activities in and around the school, including a visit to the market garden. Everyone came home with a lettuce! The middle and upper primary classes plan to go on a trip to Papay soon.
Nursery news
We have been writing letters to other Nurseries this week so that we can explore sounds and mark making while we make Orkney connections. This then led into some story writing. Our potion making has developed this week with the addition of smells, we used spices to make smelly potions and next week we will be looking at plants that smell.
We are delighted to be able to have parents in for Stay and Play again! Nursery covid guidance hasn't altered very much in the last 2 years so this change has been very much welcomed. We love to work in partnership with our families when developing children's learning journeys.
Information and dates for diaries:
Gemma Mackay from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will be visiting WJH on Thursday 12th May and will be working with our S1-S3 pupils.
The pupils will be running a ‘Sponge the Teacher’ event to raise funds for their Common Room. We will also be saying a fond farewell to our S4 pupils on Tuesday 24th May. More details to follow 😊
The WJH Sports Day will be happening on Monday 30th May, weather permitting. More details to follow nearer the time.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Don Hawkins
Head Teacher
Dear parents and carers
The Schools Parent Council are in the Bargain Box this week. Our S3 pupils were in on Wednesday morning to help provide cover for a slot. They are hoping to improve the schools Common Room which has been shut since the start of covid and hoped their stint at the BB would help raise some money for this. The Parent Council very kindly allowed us a slot during their week – Thank You. Please come along and support the Parent Council and our Secondary pupils.
When they left to return to school in the afternoon, there were 4 great prizes in the raffle, and another promised:
· Blossom Hill Gin Fizz
· A Wicks of Westray reed diffuser (they last for ages)
· A four pack of miniature bottles of gin
· A small bottle of Deerness Distillery Into the Wild Vodka.
· A raffle prize from Charlotte's Body Shop collection will also be on offer.
The first box of pens for recycling was picked earlier in the week by Charlotte Harvey who will be sending the pens to Ryman Stationery. The Ryman Website states "We offer pen recycling in all our stores. We've collected over 1,000,000 pens which we convert into charity donations." Please keep the pens for recycling coming, they can be dropped off at the schools reception.
Earlier this week we took delivery of our new 3D printer, located in our Science department. Dr Hill applied for funding and was given a grant towards purchasing it. This week the department has managed to construct and print a test-tube holder and our S3 pupils have been designing Chess pieces. The S3 are currently designing interlocking
tools to advance their engineering skills. We would like to thank our previous Head Teacher Dr Simon Hall for providing Dr Hill with the link to the funding.
Our S4 pupils had two exams this week, French and Maths and next weeks sees Music, Health and Food Technology, English and Physics.
Primary news
This week the school had a visit from Brazilian Samba Drummers Oli and Colin. They held drumming sessions for P3 -S3. The lower primary got a peedie taster session too. Our pupils showed a natural talent for drumming during their sessions. The upper primary was so enthusiastic they shook mugs out of the cupboard in the community room!
Pupils have enjoyed engaging with their new STEM resources, including Kapla blocks and Makedo resources. There has been plenty of opportunities to practise skills in problem solving, cooperation and engineering.
The upper primary enjoyed a visit from marine planners this week, who were seriously impressed by the children’s knowledge of local sea life.
The lower primary had a fantastic trip to Papay on Wednesday. It was such a treat after all the restrictions over the past two years. The weather was great, and they enjoyed activities in and around the school, including a visit to the market garden. Everyone came home with a lettuce! The middle and upper primary classes plan to go on a trip to Papay soon.
Nursery news
We have been writing letters to other Nurseries this week so that we can explore sounds and mark making while we make Orkney connections. This then led into some story writing. Our potion making has developed this week with the addition of smells, we used spices to make smelly potions and next week we will be looking at plants that smell.
We are delighted to be able to have parents in for Stay and Play again! Nursery covid guidance hasn't altered very much in the last 2 years so this change has been very much welcomed. We love to work in partnership with our families when developing children's learning journeys.
Information and dates for diaries:
Gemma Mackay from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will be visiting WJH on Thursday 12th May and will be working with our S1-S3 pupils.
The pupils will be running a ‘Sponge the Teacher’ event to raise funds for their Common Room. We will also be saying a fond farewell to our S4 pupils on Tuesday 24th May. More details to follow 😊
The WJH Sports Day will be happening on Monday 30th May, weather permitting. More details to follow nearer the time.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Don Hawkins
Head Teacher
29.04.2022
Dear parents and carers
It's been another busy and productive at WJHS. I am pleased to report that the first SQA exams since 2019 have started. We had two exams this week, Geography and Chemistry. We wish all our S4 pupils the best of luck. They have worked so hard and we are very proud of them. We also want to thank our younger pupils for being quiet and supportive whilst the exams are on - they are doing a great job.
In my last letter I reminded parents and carers to keep an eye on our website and Facebook page. This week we posted an important update regarding a joint message from the Scottish Government and SQA giving advance information on the Scottish Government’s public health guidance, which is set to change in Scotland from 1 May.
From 1 May, people with symptoms of respiratory illness in Scotland, including COVID-19, will be asked to follow general public health guidance which will be available on 1 May. In terms of children and young people the guidance will say:
When children and young people with symptoms should stay at home and when they can return to education
Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting.
Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend.
Children and young people aged 18 years and under who have a positive test result
It is not recommended that children and young people are tested for COVID-19 unless directed to by a health professional.
If a child or young person has a positive COVID-19 test result they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day they took the test, if they can. After 3 days, if they feel well and do not have a high temperature, the risk of passing the infection on to others is much lower. This is because children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.
Children and young people who usually go to school, college or childcare and who live with someone who has a positive COVID-19 test result should continue to attend as normal.
Primary and Nursery department news
On Wednesday the primary department enjoyed a visit from Laura McCafferty, National Education Officer for Raising Aspirations in Science Education (RAiSE). The whole day was spent outside in Euan’s wood enjoying the beautiful weather and taking part in activities. Laura also provided after school training and resources for the primary department.
On Thursday the primary pupils and staff enjoyed taking part in the 10th anniversary of the Daily Mile. Everyone enjoyed walking, jogging and running the mile together wearing the daily mile t-shirts.
Please check your emails today for class letters detailing what is happening in each room during the final term.
Nursery
These last two weeks has seen the nursery bairns go on a tip to Hooshans beach, toasting marshmallows on fire pits and making petal potions. Our trip to Hooshans happened last week where we collected beach treasures (including an old spoon!) and made nature art from these on the beach, then watched the sea sweep them away shortly after! We spied a swan close up in the bay and watched the scorries swoop around us.
Later in the week saw us toasting marshmallows on our peedie fire pit in Euan’s Wood, identifying different flowers and made leaf boats for the peedie pond. Back at nursery in the afternoon we used the big fire pit called a HABA for the first time. We have this on loan from the toon so we had a shot to toast more marshmallows on that.
This week has seen us make petal potions, exploring water channelling and natural resources. For this, we used leaves, petals, water, pippets, syringes, funnels, pipes, jugs and beakers and called it our petal perfume factory!
Dear parents and carers
It's been another busy and productive at WJHS. I am pleased to report that the first SQA exams since 2019 have started. We had two exams this week, Geography and Chemistry. We wish all our S4 pupils the best of luck. They have worked so hard and we are very proud of them. We also want to thank our younger pupils for being quiet and supportive whilst the exams are on - they are doing a great job.
In my last letter I reminded parents and carers to keep an eye on our website and Facebook page. This week we posted an important update regarding a joint message from the Scottish Government and SQA giving advance information on the Scottish Government’s public health guidance, which is set to change in Scotland from 1 May.
From 1 May, people with symptoms of respiratory illness in Scotland, including COVID-19, will be asked to follow general public health guidance which will be available on 1 May. In terms of children and young people the guidance will say:
When children and young people with symptoms should stay at home and when they can return to education
Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting.
Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend.
Children and young people aged 18 years and under who have a positive test result
It is not recommended that children and young people are tested for COVID-19 unless directed to by a health professional.
If a child or young person has a positive COVID-19 test result they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day they took the test, if they can. After 3 days, if they feel well and do not have a high temperature, the risk of passing the infection on to others is much lower. This is because children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.
Children and young people who usually go to school, college or childcare and who live with someone who has a positive COVID-19 test result should continue to attend as normal.
Primary and Nursery department news
On Wednesday the primary department enjoyed a visit from Laura McCafferty, National Education Officer for Raising Aspirations in Science Education (RAiSE). The whole day was spent outside in Euan’s wood enjoying the beautiful weather and taking part in activities. Laura also provided after school training and resources for the primary department.
On Thursday the primary pupils and staff enjoyed taking part in the 10th anniversary of the Daily Mile. Everyone enjoyed walking, jogging and running the mile together wearing the daily mile t-shirts.
Please check your emails today for class letters detailing what is happening in each room during the final term.
Nursery
These last two weeks has seen the nursery bairns go on a tip to Hooshans beach, toasting marshmallows on fire pits and making petal potions. Our trip to Hooshans happened last week where we collected beach treasures (including an old spoon!) and made nature art from these on the beach, then watched the sea sweep them away shortly after! We spied a swan close up in the bay and watched the scorries swoop around us.
Later in the week saw us toasting marshmallows on our peedie fire pit in Euan’s Wood, identifying different flowers and made leaf boats for the peedie pond. Back at nursery in the afternoon we used the big fire pit called a HABA for the first time. We have this on loan from the toon so we had a shot to toast more marshmallows on that.
This week has seen us make petal potions, exploring water channelling and natural resources. For this, we used leaves, petals, water, pippets, syringes, funnels, pipes, jugs and beakers and called it our petal perfume factory!
22.04.2022
Dear Parents and Carers
It's been a very busy start to the new term at WJHS as our S4 pupils start counting down to their SQA exams.
We would like to confirm that all S4 pupils will be on Study Leave from Tuesday 26 April until Tuesday 7th June. During study leave, pupils can come into school to seek help, guidance and advice for their SQA exams. Teachers will also be offering S4 pupils study opportunities and focus days to help them in their studies.
Attached to this letter is a summary of the SQA exams for WJH pupils and a draft schedule of exam focus days for your information.
The primary department has taken full advantage of the lovely weather the first week back and managed to complete the daily mile outdoors every day! We are all looking forward to the big event next Thursday celebrating 10 years of the daily mile. If you are passing the school on Thursday 28th then look out for lots of bright pink daily mile t-shirts.
We are regularly updating our website at www.westrayjuniorhighschool.co.uk so please try to keep an eye out on these pages as well as our Facebook page for regular updates.
We have had a couple of phone calls at the school seeking clarity on whether the school would be open on Monday 2nd May which historically would have been the May public holiday. I would like to confirm that the school will be open on 2nd May but closed on the 2nd and 3rd of June due to the Queens Platinum Jubilee. The school will also be closed to pupils on Monday 6th June for a Staff In-Service day.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Don Hawkins
Head Teacher
Dear Parents and Carers
It's been a very busy start to the new term at WJHS as our S4 pupils start counting down to their SQA exams.
We would like to confirm that all S4 pupils will be on Study Leave from Tuesday 26 April until Tuesday 7th June. During study leave, pupils can come into school to seek help, guidance and advice for their SQA exams. Teachers will also be offering S4 pupils study opportunities and focus days to help them in their studies.
Attached to this letter is a summary of the SQA exams for WJH pupils and a draft schedule of exam focus days for your information.
The primary department has taken full advantage of the lovely weather the first week back and managed to complete the daily mile outdoors every day! We are all looking forward to the big event next Thursday celebrating 10 years of the daily mile. If you are passing the school on Thursday 28th then look out for lots of bright pink daily mile t-shirts.
We are regularly updating our website at www.westrayjuniorhighschool.co.uk so please try to keep an eye out on these pages as well as our Facebook page for regular updates.
We have had a couple of phone calls at the school seeking clarity on whether the school would be open on Monday 2nd May which historically would have been the May public holiday. I would like to confirm that the school will be open on 2nd May but closed on the 2nd and 3rd of June due to the Queens Platinum Jubilee. The school will also be closed to pupils on Monday 6th June for a Staff In-Service day.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Don Hawkins
Head Teacher
01.04.2022
Dear Parents and Carers
We’ve enjoyed all sorts of weather during our final week at school. Our final day has been filled with April fools and le Poisson d’avril (French tailing day).
Primary News
We were sad to say goodbye to Miss Booth on Tuesday. The lower primary celebrated her time in WJHS with an afternoon tea including cakes, fruit and top hats. Miss Booth starts her new job in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire with a P7 class at The Bramble Academy. We wish her all the best in her new job! We are delighted to welcome Mrs Groat back into WJHS on a supply basis for term 4.
The daily mile is 10 years old in April. The primary classes take part in the daily mile as much as possible and really feel the benefits from a brisk walk or run during the day. We recently applied for daily mile t-shirts, and they arrived this week. We plan to wear them on April 28th to join with pupils all over the world as they take part in the daily mile.
Secondary News
Some of our S4 pupils had a transition visit to KGS and Papdale Halls of Residence (PHoR). This appears to have been very successful with pupils enjoying both visits. As always PHoR staff and KGS staff were very welcoming. Westray pupils were a delight to accompany on this transition visit.
S4 pupils are reminded about the Easter Online Study School they have signed up for via e-Sgoil which runs during the Easter holidays. Information can be found in previous HT letters and the e-Sgoil website.
All secondary staff would like to congratulate the S1-S4 pupils on a successful term 3 and thank them for their hard work and positive attitude as we navigate through this more unusual academic year.
School meals update
A ten pence increase in the price of school meals in Orkney will come into effect following the Easter break.
From Tuesday 19 April, a two-course school meal will cost £2.70 for primary pupils and £2.80 for secondary pupils.
This is in line with a council decision, taken when setting the budget for 2022 to 2023.
Nursery children through to those in P5 are entitled to universal free school meals. Others may qualify for free school meals and clothing allowances depending on circumstances. Applications can be made online via MyOrkney at www.orkney.gov.uk/School-Benefit or call 01856873535 for a paper application form.
The school will close at the usual times today. Teachers and pupils will return to school on Tuesday 19th of April.
I hope you all have a lovely Easter holiday.
Louise Harcus
Principal Teacher
Dear Parents and Carers
We’ve enjoyed all sorts of weather during our final week at school. Our final day has been filled with April fools and le Poisson d’avril (French tailing day).
Primary News
We were sad to say goodbye to Miss Booth on Tuesday. The lower primary celebrated her time in WJHS with an afternoon tea including cakes, fruit and top hats. Miss Booth starts her new job in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire with a P7 class at The Bramble Academy. We wish her all the best in her new job! We are delighted to welcome Mrs Groat back into WJHS on a supply basis for term 4.
The daily mile is 10 years old in April. The primary classes take part in the daily mile as much as possible and really feel the benefits from a brisk walk or run during the day. We recently applied for daily mile t-shirts, and they arrived this week. We plan to wear them on April 28th to join with pupils all over the world as they take part in the daily mile.
Secondary News
Some of our S4 pupils had a transition visit to KGS and Papdale Halls of Residence (PHoR). This appears to have been very successful with pupils enjoying both visits. As always PHoR staff and KGS staff were very welcoming. Westray pupils were a delight to accompany on this transition visit.
S4 pupils are reminded about the Easter Online Study School they have signed up for via e-Sgoil which runs during the Easter holidays. Information can be found in previous HT letters and the e-Sgoil website.
All secondary staff would like to congratulate the S1-S4 pupils on a successful term 3 and thank them for their hard work and positive attitude as we navigate through this more unusual academic year.
School meals update
A ten pence increase in the price of school meals in Orkney will come into effect following the Easter break.
From Tuesday 19 April, a two-course school meal will cost £2.70 for primary pupils and £2.80 for secondary pupils.
This is in line with a council decision, taken when setting the budget for 2022 to 2023.
Nursery children through to those in P5 are entitled to universal free school meals. Others may qualify for free school meals and clothing allowances depending on circumstances. Applications can be made online via MyOrkney at www.orkney.gov.uk/School-Benefit or call 01856873535 for a paper application form.
The school will close at the usual times today. Teachers and pupils will return to school on Tuesday 19th of April.
I hope you all have a lovely Easter holiday.
Louise Harcus
Principal Teacher
25.3.22
Dear parents and carers
It's been another busy week at WJHS, and we are delighted to end our week with a visit to the Screen Machine. The Nursery, Primary and Secondary departments have all chosen to watch WALL.E.
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Nursery News
This week in nursery we have been exploring Easter and the range of new life brought to us during Springtime, including wildlife and spring flowers. We set up an Easter interest table and created lots of Easter pictures. We have made a start to our Spring window display so keep an eye out for more blooming across our windows!
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Primary News
We'd like to share with you another photo from Red Nose Day. Mr McEwen and the middle primary organised a fantastic Beat the Teacher event. James kept score while the pupils aimed at the red nose targets. Despite his efforts, Mr McEwen was beaten by his class which resulted in a complete soaking at the end of the day.
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Weeks of hard work paid off in the upper primary this week as pupils in primary 6 and 7 delivered presentations about different aspects of World War 2. They all did extremely well and should be very proud of themselves. Pictured is just a sample of some of our fabulous presenters.
Secondary News
The first SQA exams take place in school today. Three pupils from S4 will take part in their practical music exam with a visiting SQA examiner.
We'd like to remind parents of S4 pupils about their transition day at KGS next week. Please see Madame Rendall's separate email with details of travel and hostel arrangements which was sent home on March 16th.
Madame Rendall is delighted to announce that the grant application she filled in for sponsorship from Cooke Aquaculture has been successful. Staff and Pupils at Westray Junior High would like to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to Cooke Aquaculture Orkney for their incredibly generous donation of £4434.75 towards the cost of new play equipment for our pupils, and some storage. There is a specific list of equipment that the money will be used to purchase including skipping ropes, racket ball sets, netball hoops etc.
Next Friday S1/2 Pupils will be having a visit from Dan Lee | Lifelong Learning & Outreach Archaeologist who will be talking about a launch event for the Tombs of the Isles project.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Louise Harcus
Principal Teacher
Dear parents and carers
It's been another busy week at WJHS, and we are delighted to end our week with a visit to the Screen Machine. The Nursery, Primary and Secondary departments have all chosen to watch WALL.E.
A large group of people sitting in a roomDescription automatically generated with low confidence
Nursery News
This week in nursery we have been exploring Easter and the range of new life brought to us during Springtime, including wildlife and spring flowers. We set up an Easter interest table and created lots of Easter pictures. We have made a start to our Spring window display so keep an eye out for more blooming across our windows!
A board game in a carDescription automatically generated with low confidence A picture containing windowDescription automatically generated
Primary News
We'd like to share with you another photo from Red Nose Day. Mr McEwen and the middle primary organised a fantastic Beat the Teacher event. James kept score while the pupils aimed at the red nose targets. Despite his efforts, Mr McEwen was beaten by his class which resulted in a complete soaking at the end of the day.
A picture containing sky, person, outdoor, groupDescription automatically generated
Weeks of hard work paid off in the upper primary this week as pupils in primary 6 and 7 delivered presentations about different aspects of World War 2. They all did extremely well and should be very proud of themselves. Pictured is just a sample of some of our fabulous presenters.
Secondary News
The first SQA exams take place in school today. Three pupils from S4 will take part in their practical music exam with a visiting SQA examiner.
We'd like to remind parents of S4 pupils about their transition day at KGS next week. Please see Madame Rendall's separate email with details of travel and hostel arrangements which was sent home on March 16th.
Madame Rendall is delighted to announce that the grant application she filled in for sponsorship from Cooke Aquaculture has been successful. Staff and Pupils at Westray Junior High would like to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to Cooke Aquaculture Orkney for their incredibly generous donation of £4434.75 towards the cost of new play equipment for our pupils, and some storage. There is a specific list of equipment that the money will be used to purchase including skipping ropes, racket ball sets, netball hoops etc.
Next Friday S1/2 Pupils will be having a visit from Dan Lee | Lifelong Learning & Outreach Archaeologist who will be talking about a launch event for the Tombs of the Isles project.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Louise Harcus
Principal Teacher
18th March 2022
Dear Parents and carers.
Another week has flown by but the weather certainly appears to be improving so let's hope for a sunny and enjoyable weekend.
Nursery News
The Early Years Department have been enjoying their new woodwork area. They have designed, planned, listened carefully to instructions, taken risks, problem solved design faults and much more. The children have then taken their creations to the art area to decorate to their taste. Mrs Rendall and Miss McCracken have seen aeroplanes, photo frames, shelves, cars and we can't wait to see what the children come up with next.
If anyone has any interesting beach wood they would like us to transform, then please send it into the Nursery.
Primary News
This week the Primary department have been busy getting ready for Red Nose Day. The Lower Primary have been baking, the Middle Primary have been practicing their ball skills in preparation for their Beat the Teacher event and the Upper Primary have been making beautiful, beaded jewelry. We’d like to say a big thank you to the Nursery and Secondary HFT department for their baking donations. So far, we have raised £529.65 for Comic Relief.
Secondary School News
Some of our pupils are leaving their school laptops in the bathroom, which is not a great idea considering that if there is a community event, the toilets can be used by members of the public. All pupils have been told where to safely store their laptops so can I ask for your help to gently remind our young folk to not leave their laptops in the toilets – Thank You.
A huge thank you to the community for supporting our pupils in their fundraising efforts to raise money for the Save the Children Ukraine appeal. Our S1 to S3 pupils did a sponsored silence and managed to raise £312.71. We would also like to say thank you to the Community Association for their generous donation of £133.
S4 Work Experience.
It is unfortunate, but work experience for our S4 pupils will not be happening this academic year. Due to the constant changing in Guidance and Legislation, we weren't sure if we could proceed with arrangements and now there is not enough time for effective and meaningful work experience in the run up to exams.
SQA Exam Revision and Study Offers
A reminder that all our S4 pupils are registered for the e-Sgoil Easter Study Support Programme. This can be found at https://www.e-sgoil.com/study-support/ Please scroll down to the heading ‘Easter Study Support 2022’, and then click on the green link "here". Every week e-Sgoil also offer online Study Support Webinars, which is different and in addition to the e-Sgoil study programme. These have already been posted on our Facebook and Website for easy access and information.
SQA Exam Timetable and Study Leave Arrangements
For pupils at WJH, the SQA exams start on Wednesday April 27 with N5 Geography and finish on Friday 20th May with N5 History. All S4 pupils will be on Study leave from Monday April 25th. Revision classes and subject focus days will be offered to pupils during study leave to help them with their revision and studies and all pupils are welcome to come into school to study and make use of our facilities during study leave as required.
More details on the focus days will be issued to all pupils at the start of next term.
Please see two separate attachments to this letter which are communications from OIC re the policy and procedures for monitoring and tracking attendance in schools which we hope you find useful and informative.
THESE ATTACHMENTS CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE DOCUMENTS SECTION ON THE WEBSITE. THEY ARE CALLED:
EXEC SUMMARY FOR PARENTS-FINAL and FINAL-GUIDANCE FOR MONITORING AND TRACKING ATTENDANCE.
We hope you have a restful and enjoyable weekend
Mr Don Hawkins
Acting Head Teacher
Dear Parents and carers.
Another week has flown by but the weather certainly appears to be improving so let's hope for a sunny and enjoyable weekend.
Nursery News
The Early Years Department have been enjoying their new woodwork area. They have designed, planned, listened carefully to instructions, taken risks, problem solved design faults and much more. The children have then taken their creations to the art area to decorate to their taste. Mrs Rendall and Miss McCracken have seen aeroplanes, photo frames, shelves, cars and we can't wait to see what the children come up with next.
If anyone has any interesting beach wood they would like us to transform, then please send it into the Nursery.
Primary News
This week the Primary department have been busy getting ready for Red Nose Day. The Lower Primary have been baking, the Middle Primary have been practicing their ball skills in preparation for their Beat the Teacher event and the Upper Primary have been making beautiful, beaded jewelry. We’d like to say a big thank you to the Nursery and Secondary HFT department for their baking donations. So far, we have raised £529.65 for Comic Relief.
Secondary School News
Some of our pupils are leaving their school laptops in the bathroom, which is not a great idea considering that if there is a community event, the toilets can be used by members of the public. All pupils have been told where to safely store their laptops so can I ask for your help to gently remind our young folk to not leave their laptops in the toilets – Thank You.
A huge thank you to the community for supporting our pupils in their fundraising efforts to raise money for the Save the Children Ukraine appeal. Our S1 to S3 pupils did a sponsored silence and managed to raise £312.71. We would also like to say thank you to the Community Association for their generous donation of £133.
S4 Work Experience.
It is unfortunate, but work experience for our S4 pupils will not be happening this academic year. Due to the constant changing in Guidance and Legislation, we weren't sure if we could proceed with arrangements and now there is not enough time for effective and meaningful work experience in the run up to exams.
SQA Exam Revision and Study Offers
A reminder that all our S4 pupils are registered for the e-Sgoil Easter Study Support Programme. This can be found at https://www.e-sgoil.com/study-support/ Please scroll down to the heading ‘Easter Study Support 2022’, and then click on the green link "here". Every week e-Sgoil also offer online Study Support Webinars, which is different and in addition to the e-Sgoil study programme. These have already been posted on our Facebook and Website for easy access and information.
SQA Exam Timetable and Study Leave Arrangements
For pupils at WJH, the SQA exams start on Wednesday April 27 with N5 Geography and finish on Friday 20th May with N5 History. All S4 pupils will be on Study leave from Monday April 25th. Revision classes and subject focus days will be offered to pupils during study leave to help them with their revision and studies and all pupils are welcome to come into school to study and make use of our facilities during study leave as required.
More details on the focus days will be issued to all pupils at the start of next term.
Please see two separate attachments to this letter which are communications from OIC re the policy and procedures for monitoring and tracking attendance in schools which we hope you find useful and informative.
THESE ATTACHMENTS CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE DOCUMENTS SECTION ON THE WEBSITE. THEY ARE CALLED:
EXEC SUMMARY FOR PARENTS-FINAL and FINAL-GUIDANCE FOR MONITORING AND TRACKING ATTENDANCE.
We hope you have a restful and enjoyable weekend
Mr Don Hawkins
Acting Head Teacher
11th March 2022
Dear Parents and carers.
Once again, I would like to start this update by thanking you for your continued support and hope you find this weeks communication useful and informative.
Primary News
The lower primary children were delighted to receive letters from children at Orphir Community school. This week they have been busy writing letters back to their new penpals.
Children in the upper primary have completed the final component of their Big Data Show workshops in which they have learned all about data and how to be safe and responsible digital citizens. We are hoping to receive certificates for successful completion, later in the term. They have all done very well in what has been at times quite a challenging course of work. Included is a picture of the motorised emoji they built in workshop 1.
Children in the middle primary have been working on their entries for the Show Racism the Red Card competition. This project has been in collaboration with Mrs Gibson who has led the art component. A poetry writing session then followed to accompany the art.
Secondary School News
To raise funds for Ukraine, our Secondary 1-3 pupils went silent for the day on Tuesday 8th March. We have received donations totalling £307.71 which will be paid to the Save the Children Ukraine Appeal. We would like to send a MASSIVE THANK YOU to our local communities of Westray and Papay for their extreme generosity once again.
Caroline Adams from Action for Children has not been able to visit Westray this week to deliver the Bounce Back programme due to covid. We hope to reschedule Caroline's visits very soon.
We know that we are living through challenging times; Covid, war in Ukraine, and then "normal life" stresses i.e. studying for exams. We would like to remind everyone about the website https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/ . You will find information, help, and support for all ages and stages.
Easter Revision and SQA News for our S4 Parents and Carers.
All our S4 pupils should now be registered for the e-Sgoil Easter Study Support Programme. This can be found at https://www.e-sgoil.com/study-support/ Please scroll down to the heading ‘Easter Study Support 2022’, and then click on the green link "here". Every week e-Sgoil also offer online Study Support Webinars, which is different and in addition to the e-Sgoil study programme. These have already been posted on our Facebook and Website for easy access and information.
The SQA have also published revision support to help learners prepare for this year’s exams, given the significant disruption to learning and teaching they have experienced due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The revision support is now available on the SQA website for all courses that have an exam. By following this link pupils will find information including:
· Advance notice of content that will or will not be in the exam - For some courses, the SQA have published information on which broad topics, contexts or content will or will not be in this year’s exam. This will help learners to plan their revision and focus more on the parts of the course that will be in the exam, though learners can still use their knowledge of other parts of the course when developing their answers to questions.
· Study guides - For some courses, the SQA have published study guides to help learners practise answering exam questions. These give hints and tips on how to approach different types of questions, including how to gain marks.
· Study notes (learners’ own) - In a small number of courses, learners will be allowed to prepare a short study note that they can take with them into the exam.
Follow the link at www.sqa.org.uk/nqsubjects , click on the subject then level and look for 2022 Revision Support for Learners. You can then click on the subject, then the level ‘National 5’, and look for ‘2022 revision support’.
The parents and carers of our S4 pupils will be offered an appointment to attend the S4 Virtual Parents evening to discuss their child’s learning with a focus on SQA examinations. The Parents Evening will be on Tuesday 15th March 6 to 8pm. Appointments and links to Vscene will be issued to all S4 parents and carers early next week.
A message and a Thank You from Mr Harvey
It has been necessary for me to return to my post at Kirkwall Grammar School on a full time basis so my time in Westray has come to an end. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with and for the school community over the past few months. Everyone I met or worked with whether they were pupils, staff, parents or members of the community have been hugely supportive and friendly. Thank you to everyone!
We hope you have a great weekend
Mr Don Hawkins
Acting Head Teacher
Dear Parents and carers.
Once again, I would like to start this update by thanking you for your continued support and hope you find this weeks communication useful and informative.
Primary News
The lower primary children were delighted to receive letters from children at Orphir Community school. This week they have been busy writing letters back to their new penpals.
Children in the upper primary have completed the final component of their Big Data Show workshops in which they have learned all about data and how to be safe and responsible digital citizens. We are hoping to receive certificates for successful completion, later in the term. They have all done very well in what has been at times quite a challenging course of work. Included is a picture of the motorised emoji they built in workshop 1.
Children in the middle primary have been working on their entries for the Show Racism the Red Card competition. This project has been in collaboration with Mrs Gibson who has led the art component. A poetry writing session then followed to accompany the art.
Secondary School News
To raise funds for Ukraine, our Secondary 1-3 pupils went silent for the day on Tuesday 8th March. We have received donations totalling £307.71 which will be paid to the Save the Children Ukraine Appeal. We would like to send a MASSIVE THANK YOU to our local communities of Westray and Papay for their extreme generosity once again.
Caroline Adams from Action for Children has not been able to visit Westray this week to deliver the Bounce Back programme due to covid. We hope to reschedule Caroline's visits very soon.
We know that we are living through challenging times; Covid, war in Ukraine, and then "normal life" stresses i.e. studying for exams. We would like to remind everyone about the website https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/ . You will find information, help, and support for all ages and stages.
Easter Revision and SQA News for our S4 Parents and Carers.
All our S4 pupils should now be registered for the e-Sgoil Easter Study Support Programme. This can be found at https://www.e-sgoil.com/study-support/ Please scroll down to the heading ‘Easter Study Support 2022’, and then click on the green link "here". Every week e-Sgoil also offer online Study Support Webinars, which is different and in addition to the e-Sgoil study programme. These have already been posted on our Facebook and Website for easy access and information.
The SQA have also published revision support to help learners prepare for this year’s exams, given the significant disruption to learning and teaching they have experienced due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The revision support is now available on the SQA website for all courses that have an exam. By following this link pupils will find information including:
· Advance notice of content that will or will not be in the exam - For some courses, the SQA have published information on which broad topics, contexts or content will or will not be in this year’s exam. This will help learners to plan their revision and focus more on the parts of the course that will be in the exam, though learners can still use their knowledge of other parts of the course when developing their answers to questions.
· Study guides - For some courses, the SQA have published study guides to help learners practise answering exam questions. These give hints and tips on how to approach different types of questions, including how to gain marks.
· Study notes (learners’ own) - In a small number of courses, learners will be allowed to prepare a short study note that they can take with them into the exam.
Follow the link at www.sqa.org.uk/nqsubjects , click on the subject then level and look for 2022 Revision Support for Learners. You can then click on the subject, then the level ‘National 5’, and look for ‘2022 revision support’.
The parents and carers of our S4 pupils will be offered an appointment to attend the S4 Virtual Parents evening to discuss their child’s learning with a focus on SQA examinations. The Parents Evening will be on Tuesday 15th March 6 to 8pm. Appointments and links to Vscene will be issued to all S4 parents and carers early next week.
A message and a Thank You from Mr Harvey
It has been necessary for me to return to my post at Kirkwall Grammar School on a full time basis so my time in Westray has come to an end. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with and for the school community over the past few months. Everyone I met or worked with whether they were pupils, staff, parents or members of the community have been hugely supportive and friendly. Thank you to everyone!
We hope you have a great weekend
Mr Don Hawkins
Acting Head Teacher
24th February 2022
Dear Parent / Carer
The Scottish Government have this week issued new guidance which supersedes the previous guidance in place during the 2021/22 academic year to date. It represents the next step in the phased approach to easing mitigations, while maintaining the focus on doing so in a way that supports wellbeing, learning and teaching.
The key changes contained in the guidance includes:
· Removing the requirement to wear face coverings in secondary school classrooms, while maintaining existing provisions in communal areas or when in close contact with others.
· Removing the remaining restrictions on assemblies
· Transition visits can now resume fully if appropriately risk assessed
These changes will come into force from Monday 28th February.
Face coverings in secondary school classrooms
Pupils and staff in secondary schools are no longer required to wear face coverings in classrooms. However, any young person or staff member who wishes to still wear a face covering in the classroom should be fully supported in doing so.
Face coverings should continue to be worn by secondary school pupils and all adults in indoor communal areas. Further, in line with the existing position in primary schools, face coverings should continue to be worn in classrooms by adults wherever they cannot keep physical distance with other adults and/or children and young people.
Large gatherings, including assemblies
All remaining restrictions on assemblies are now removed.
Schools use a variety of spaces / rooms for holding assemblies. While taking account of both the specific context of such spaces as well as the number of people gathering, schools should continue to employ the relevant mitigations such as physical distancing, ventilation, and the use of face coverings where appropriate. As with the existing policy, school examinations remain permitted provided they are held in accordance with local authority and school guidance.
School visits
Guidance on school visits was relaxed in the previous Guidance. New guidance emphasises the importance of enabling such visits for the purpose of supporting positive transition experiences for children and young people entering P1 or S1. This means that transition visits can now resume if appropriately risk assessed.
School visitors
In recognition of the positive impact on the wellbeing of children and young people, supply staff and other professional visitors can continue to visit schools. This includes visiting teachers, psychologists, nurses, social workers, youth workers, outdoor learning specialists, Higher Education Institution tutors, SQA staff and appointees (e.g. visiting assessors and visiting verifiers), Education Scotland staff (including HMIE) and those providing therapeutic support.
The Scottish Government guidance states that staff and visitors / customers should be encouraged and supported to distance safely. The World Health Organisation recommends keeping a physical distance of at least 1 metre from others.
School attendance
The new guidance from the Scottish Government is clearly welcomed as we enter the new phase of living with covid in our society. The move away from remote learning to full time face to face teaching will benefit our pupils greatly. As a school we have a responsibility to provide your child with as much support as we can to help them get to school and to ensure that when they are here they are happy, safe and learning.
As a parent you are legally responsible for making sure that your child is educated and once you enrol your child in school the law says that your child must attend unless you, the parent, carer or guardian, have permission from the education authority to withdraw your child.
We hope you find this short summary and guidance useful but should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Yours faithfully
Mr A. Harvey and Mr D. Hawkins
Acting Headteachers
Dear Parent / Carer
The Scottish Government have this week issued new guidance which supersedes the previous guidance in place during the 2021/22 academic year to date. It represents the next step in the phased approach to easing mitigations, while maintaining the focus on doing so in a way that supports wellbeing, learning and teaching.
The key changes contained in the guidance includes:
· Removing the requirement to wear face coverings in secondary school classrooms, while maintaining existing provisions in communal areas or when in close contact with others.
· Removing the remaining restrictions on assemblies
· Transition visits can now resume fully if appropriately risk assessed
These changes will come into force from Monday 28th February.
Face coverings in secondary school classrooms
Pupils and staff in secondary schools are no longer required to wear face coverings in classrooms. However, any young person or staff member who wishes to still wear a face covering in the classroom should be fully supported in doing so.
Face coverings should continue to be worn by secondary school pupils and all adults in indoor communal areas. Further, in line with the existing position in primary schools, face coverings should continue to be worn in classrooms by adults wherever they cannot keep physical distance with other adults and/or children and young people.
Large gatherings, including assemblies
All remaining restrictions on assemblies are now removed.
Schools use a variety of spaces / rooms for holding assemblies. While taking account of both the specific context of such spaces as well as the number of people gathering, schools should continue to employ the relevant mitigations such as physical distancing, ventilation, and the use of face coverings where appropriate. As with the existing policy, school examinations remain permitted provided they are held in accordance with local authority and school guidance.
School visits
Guidance on school visits was relaxed in the previous Guidance. New guidance emphasises the importance of enabling such visits for the purpose of supporting positive transition experiences for children and young people entering P1 or S1. This means that transition visits can now resume if appropriately risk assessed.
School visitors
In recognition of the positive impact on the wellbeing of children and young people, supply staff and other professional visitors can continue to visit schools. This includes visiting teachers, psychologists, nurses, social workers, youth workers, outdoor learning specialists, Higher Education Institution tutors, SQA staff and appointees (e.g. visiting assessors and visiting verifiers), Education Scotland staff (including HMIE) and those providing therapeutic support.
The Scottish Government guidance states that staff and visitors / customers should be encouraged and supported to distance safely. The World Health Organisation recommends keeping a physical distance of at least 1 metre from others.
School attendance
The new guidance from the Scottish Government is clearly welcomed as we enter the new phase of living with covid in our society. The move away from remote learning to full time face to face teaching will benefit our pupils greatly. As a school we have a responsibility to provide your child with as much support as we can to help them get to school and to ensure that when they are here they are happy, safe and learning.
As a parent you are legally responsible for making sure that your child is educated and once you enrol your child in school the law says that your child must attend unless you, the parent, carer or guardian, have permission from the education authority to withdraw your child.
We hope you find this short summary and guidance useful but should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Yours faithfully
Mr A. Harvey and Mr D. Hawkins
Acting Headteachers
22 February 2022
CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID-19 IN REGISTERED CHILDCARE SETTING –
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND CARERS
This letter is to inform you that there is a possibility of COVID-19 being in our school community. Should your child come into contact with someone who has had a positive test result, there is no need for your child to isolate unless you are contacted separately by Test and Protect and asked to do so. If you are contacted by Test and Protect please follow the guidance that they provide you with.
The public health judgement that these types of contact are low risk is based on a range of factors, including vaccination rates, evidence about transmission from children and young people, and the low risk of direct health harms to children. There is no reason for the setting to close in this instance and your child should continue to attend if they are well. All registered childcare settings are following Scottish Government COVID-19 guidance and have control measures in place to limit the risk of onwards transmission within the setting.
If your child develops any symptoms of COVID-19, they must not attend the childcare setting. They must isolate and you must book a PCR test through www.nhsinform.scot or by phoning 119 if you cannot book online. The cardinal symptoms of coronavirus (COVID 19) are recent onset of: new continuous cough; high temperature; or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia).
Please be reassured that for most people coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
Children are at particularly low risk of illness from coronavirus infection and, although our understanding of the Omicron variant is evolving, there is no evidence of a higher risk at present. Vaccination, including a booster dose, is highly effective at preventing severe disease. Children are at particularly low risk of illness. www.nhsinform.scot provides further information on all aspects of COVID-19.
To help reduce the risk to your family and to the childcare setting, you can support your child to take a test LFD test before returning if you and they wish to do so. This is not required but can provide you, your child and the childcare setting with reassurance. There is no need for your child to continue to test regularly as part of attending the setting.
If your child is attending school-aged childcare and is in secondary school, they should take a test before returning wherever possible, and continue to test regularly (twice-weekly and before social mixing) thereafter. Your child should continue to participate in in routine asymptomatic LFD testing, including testing in schools.
Version 2.3 10 January 2022
Free at-home LFD test kits are available for you and your children by collection from COVID test centres or pharmacies, or delivery by ordering online. More information can be found at: www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/pages/no covid-symptoms
Please ensure that all test results, whether positive, negative or void, are recorded on the online portal at: www.covidtest.scot OR by phoning 119.
Ensure everyone in your household is up to date with their vaccination, including the booster. If you or anyone eligible in your family have not yet been vaccinated. www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine. Vaccination is our best defence against COVID-19 causing anyone to become seriously unwell.
Adopt additional caution over the next 10 days if meeting with friends or family who you know to be at higher levels of risk by e.g. testing before you meet up; wearing a mask; or meeting outdoors.
Wear a face covering in line with guidance, keep your distance, keep rooms ventilated, and wash your hands with soap and water regularly.
You can find more trusted advice on www.nhsinform.scot.
CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID-19 IN REGISTERED CHILDCARE SETTING –
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND CARERS
This letter is to inform you that there is a possibility of COVID-19 being in our school community. Should your child come into contact with someone who has had a positive test result, there is no need for your child to isolate unless you are contacted separately by Test and Protect and asked to do so. If you are contacted by Test and Protect please follow the guidance that they provide you with.
The public health judgement that these types of contact are low risk is based on a range of factors, including vaccination rates, evidence about transmission from children and young people, and the low risk of direct health harms to children. There is no reason for the setting to close in this instance and your child should continue to attend if they are well. All registered childcare settings are following Scottish Government COVID-19 guidance and have control measures in place to limit the risk of onwards transmission within the setting.
If your child develops any symptoms of COVID-19, they must not attend the childcare setting. They must isolate and you must book a PCR test through www.nhsinform.scot or by phoning 119 if you cannot book online. The cardinal symptoms of coronavirus (COVID 19) are recent onset of: new continuous cough; high temperature; or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia).
Please be reassured that for most people coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
Children are at particularly low risk of illness from coronavirus infection and, although our understanding of the Omicron variant is evolving, there is no evidence of a higher risk at present. Vaccination, including a booster dose, is highly effective at preventing severe disease. Children are at particularly low risk of illness. www.nhsinform.scot provides further information on all aspects of COVID-19.
To help reduce the risk to your family and to the childcare setting, you can support your child to take a test LFD test before returning if you and they wish to do so. This is not required but can provide you, your child and the childcare setting with reassurance. There is no need for your child to continue to test regularly as part of attending the setting.
If your child is attending school-aged childcare and is in secondary school, they should take a test before returning wherever possible, and continue to test regularly (twice-weekly and before social mixing) thereafter. Your child should continue to participate in in routine asymptomatic LFD testing, including testing in schools.
Version 2.3 10 January 2022
Free at-home LFD test kits are available for you and your children by collection from COVID test centres or pharmacies, or delivery by ordering online. More information can be found at: www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/pages/no covid-symptoms
Please ensure that all test results, whether positive, negative or void, are recorded on the online portal at: www.covidtest.scot OR by phoning 119.
Ensure everyone in your household is up to date with their vaccination, including the booster. If you or anyone eligible in your family have not yet been vaccinated. www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine. Vaccination is our best defence against COVID-19 causing anyone to become seriously unwell.
Adopt additional caution over the next 10 days if meeting with friends or family who you know to be at higher levels of risk by e.g. testing before you meet up; wearing a mask; or meeting outdoors.
Wear a face covering in line with guidance, keep your distance, keep rooms ventilated, and wash your hands with soap and water regularly.
You can find more trusted advice on www.nhsinform.scot.
18 February 2022
18/2/2022
Dear Parents/Carers
The S4 prelims have finished, and most pupils should be aware of their results. Feedback will be shared with Parents/Carers when the S3/S4 Tracking Summary Reports are sent home on February 25th.
We would like to encourage all parents and carers to continue to visit our schools website at http://www.westrayjuniorhighschool.co.uk/ We strive to update it regularly and while it is still a work in progress, many pages carry useful and important information.
We recently added sections under the ‘Primary’ and ‘Secondary’ tabs for all future parental letters and communications, with this letter being the first under the Secondary tab 😊. Another informative page is the ‘Blog’ page which we try to update weekly. Our Early Years Nursery and Lower Primary will continue to communicate via Seesaw.
Another page to add to your favourites on the internet is our Facebook page which can be found at Westray Junior High School | Facebook. This is also regularly updated and recently we posted information about e-Sgoil, a fantastic study support programme with live webinars designed to support our pupils in most N5 subjects. It’s free and more information including a timetable of events can be found here: https://e-sgoil.com/study-support.
The school would like to ask our parents and carers to remind their children that all staff at WJH are here to help and support them. All of us, from time to time, need to talk to someone for help and/or support with whatever they may be going through. We would like to remind everyone that staff are always ready to listen and support each and every pupil in the school. We will listen and never judge. More information on the support available to pupils can be found at Orkney Support Services - Westray Junior high school
We would finally like to remind all our parents and carers that the school timetable will be changing on Monday the 21st of February to accommodate the summer Loganair timetable. Secondary pupils will be issued with their new timetable later today.
Have a lovely weekend
Mr A Harvey and Mr D Hawkins
(Acting Headteachers)
18/2/2022
Dear Parents/Carers
The S4 prelims have finished, and most pupils should be aware of their results. Feedback will be shared with Parents/Carers when the S3/S4 Tracking Summary Reports are sent home on February 25th.
We would like to encourage all parents and carers to continue to visit our schools website at http://www.westrayjuniorhighschool.co.uk/ We strive to update it regularly and while it is still a work in progress, many pages carry useful and important information.
We recently added sections under the ‘Primary’ and ‘Secondary’ tabs for all future parental letters and communications, with this letter being the first under the Secondary tab 😊. Another informative page is the ‘Blog’ page which we try to update weekly. Our Early Years Nursery and Lower Primary will continue to communicate via Seesaw.
Another page to add to your favourites on the internet is our Facebook page which can be found at Westray Junior High School | Facebook. This is also regularly updated and recently we posted information about e-Sgoil, a fantastic study support programme with live webinars designed to support our pupils in most N5 subjects. It’s free and more information including a timetable of events can be found here: https://e-sgoil.com/study-support.
The school would like to ask our parents and carers to remind their children that all staff at WJH are here to help and support them. All of us, from time to time, need to talk to someone for help and/or support with whatever they may be going through. We would like to remind everyone that staff are always ready to listen and support each and every pupil in the school. We will listen and never judge. More information on the support available to pupils can be found at Orkney Support Services - Westray Junior high school
We would finally like to remind all our parents and carers that the school timetable will be changing on Monday the 21st of February to accommodate the summer Loganair timetable. Secondary pupils will be issued with their new timetable later today.
Have a lovely weekend
Mr A Harvey and Mr D Hawkins
(Acting Headteachers)
15 February 2022
Dear Parent
On Thursday 3rd March and Thursday 10th March, Caroline Adams from Action for Children will be visiting Westray Junior High to do emotional wellbeing work with pupils from P4-S4.
Action for Children was established in 2021. Caroline will be visiting the school is to deliver an emotional resilience programme called “Bounce Back”. It is a therapeutic programme, that helps to build emotional resilience using a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) approach.
The timetable for the two days is below.
3 March –
Period 3 (10:55-11:45) – P7, S1 and S2
Period 5 (13:15 – 14:05) – P4, P5 and P6
Period 7 (14:55-15:45) S3 and S4
10 March
Period 3 (10:55-11:45) – P4, P5 and P6
Period 5 (13:15 – 14:05) – P7, S1 and S2
Period 7 (14:55-15:45) - S3 and S4
I have attached a leaflet about Action for Children to provide you with more information about the service.
If you have any questions about this or any other aspect of your child’s education, please do not hesitate to get in contact with the school on 01857 677353 or via return email on rosalind.bell@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk
Yours faithfully
Rosalind Rendall
Teacher
Westray Junior High
Dear Parent
On Thursday 3rd March and Thursday 10th March, Caroline Adams from Action for Children will be visiting Westray Junior High to do emotional wellbeing work with pupils from P4-S4.
Action for Children was established in 2021. Caroline will be visiting the school is to deliver an emotional resilience programme called “Bounce Back”. It is a therapeutic programme, that helps to build emotional resilience using a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) approach.
The timetable for the two days is below.
3 March –
Period 3 (10:55-11:45) – P7, S1 and S2
Period 5 (13:15 – 14:05) – P4, P5 and P6
Period 7 (14:55-15:45) S3 and S4
10 March
Period 3 (10:55-11:45) – P4, P5 and P6
Period 5 (13:15 – 14:05) – P7, S1 and S2
Period 7 (14:55-15:45) - S3 and S4
I have attached a leaflet about Action for Children to provide you with more information about the service.
If you have any questions about this or any other aspect of your child’s education, please do not hesitate to get in contact with the school on 01857 677353 or via return email on rosalind.bell@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk
Yours faithfully
Rosalind Rendall
Teacher
Westray Junior High
