Whilst visiting S2 classes this week I was particularly struck by the need for pupils to transfer skills across their learning.  I visited the Home Economics Department where I witnessed pupils making lentil soup (must remember that it’s the carrot that I check to see if the soup is done).  Later on in the week I headed up to Science where the pupils were doing an experiment and the teacher told them to “follow the recipe” – I had never really thought of it like that and it was interesting to see some pupils who had been very organised in their soup making being less so when it came to a science experiment.  Perhaps it’s all in the words we use to get our point across, and helping pupils to make connections between the different things that they learn.  That said, the pupils were working independently and learning from their mistakes, which is surely one of the best lessons for life beyond school.

I was delighted to welcome Sir Garth Morrison, the Lord Lieutenant of East Lothian into school on Tuesday for a brief meeting.  We talked of many things and it is one of my aims to get more members of the community into the school to see what we do and to learn why we do them.

The Parent School Partnership met for the first time this session on Wednesday night.  The issues discussed were diverse, ranging from the hand driers in the boys’ toilets and dress code to the recent exam results.  As problems with the Edubuzz platform persist the PSP website is inaccessible.  Please do not unsubscribe from it and if you need to get in touch with the PSP feel free to send correspondence to the school (either on paper or via email) and we will make sure that the message gets through.
 

Reminder: the school will be shut to all for the September Holiday on the 17th, and to pupils on the 18th as it is an in-service day for staff.