Mearns Castle High School P 7 Parents Information

Mearns Castle High School P 7 Parents’ Information Evening 21 June 2021

Presentation Structure • Welcome (Mr. Clark) • Induction Days (Mrs. Mitchell) • About Mearns Castle (Mr. Clark) • Support for Pupils (Ms. Cartledge) • Pupils’ Experience • Parental Support • School Uniform

Induction Days An opportunity for: • • New classes / New friendships New teachers Finding their way around the school Building confidence Meeting with House Group Reference: School Website

S 1 Classes • • • With someone else from primary school Not with ‘best friend’ Opportunities to make new friends It can take time to settle Give it time – but get in touch if there any major issues

S 1 Classes are based on the following: Information from Primary Schools Classes – gender / schools / ability Different groupings for different subjects Alpha class, 1 A etc. – French, Social Subjects Point class, 1. 1 etc. – Practical Subjects English and Maths classes – Alpha classes for Induction Days – organised according to assessment information for August • PSE, RMPS, Citizenship – House groups • PE – 4 classes together (boys and girls) • • •

Timetable The structure of the school week: • 33 period week • Mon, Tues, Thurs 8: 45 am ‐ 3: 35 pm • Wed, Fri 8: 45 am ‐ 2: 45 pm • 50 Minute periods • Registration in all classes • Information about the arrangements for the start of the new session in August will be issued in due course.

Getting To School • By Bus – ERC – Organised by ERC ‐ apply for Bus Pass each year – Waterfoot/Eaglesham • Buses supervised in Car Park • By Car – Drop off in laybys – not in school grounds please • Cycling? Walking?

Lunchtime Under normal circumstances • 12: 20 pm – 1: 05 pm • S 1/2 not allowed off campus • Can bring a packed lunch • Can buy lunch in Dining Hall/Open Area – ERC website • Parent Pay –information to pupils during Induction Days • National Entitlement Card and PIN for Cashless Catering – issued 1 st Day of school in August – Cash or Parent Pay

About Mearns Castle High School Mr. Clark

Our Vision The Mearns Castle High School community will work together to sustain a safe, inclusive and high quality learning environment that enables us to develop fully our capacities as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society

Our Values • • • Respect Inclusion Integrity Responsibility Ambition Achievement

About Us We are a school that sets high standards and holds high expectations in: – Behaviour • In class, around the school, in local community – Work Ethic • Try your best, work hard – Uniform • Be proud to be a Mearns Castle pupil – The School Community • Give some thing back to the school

Secondary Stages • Broad General Education S 1, 2, 3 • Senior Phase S 4‐ 6 • S 1 – coverage of all 8 curricular areas. • S 2 – coverage of all 8 curricular areas. Pupils choose 8 subjects at end of the year to take forward into • S 3/S 4 ‐ Pupils working towards their first National Qualifications. At the end of S 4 pupils choose 5 subjects to take forward into S 5 • S 5 ‐ pupils choose a minimum of 3 subjects to study in S 6

Subjects in S 1 – 8 Curricular Areas Language Literacy and English French Numeracy and Mathematics Social Subjects Geography History Modern Studies Health and Wellbeing Physical Education

Subjects in S 1 – 8 Curricular Areas Expressive Arts Art & Design Music Drama Technology Business & computing Design & Technology Food Health & Technology Science RMPS Citizenship PHSE

S 1 French Dictionaries We are very grateful to our Parent Council / PTA who have funded the purchase of a French Dictionary for every S 1 pupil.

MCHS Response to COVID – Session 2020 ‐ 21 • A very different year for staff and pupils but we are confident that we have looked after our school community and that our health and safety protocols were robust. • We are very proud of how we managed our online learning through the period of lockdown, with all pupils receiving live lessons in all subjects. • Online platforms will continue to be utilised going forward:

ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORMS Departments in the school utilise either Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams to facilitate online learning and enhance the experiences and digital literacy of our pupils. Both of these platforms can be accessed through the Glow launchpad It would also be beneficial if pupils could download the mobile/desktop apps to their devices for starting in August. Class teachers will add pupils to the appropriate Classroom/Team in August. They will also explain how this will be used in class and to access and submit work from home.

Please note that pupils usernames for each of these platforms are different. LOGGING IN TO ONLINE PLATFORMS – Microsoft Teams username is: glowusername@glow. sch. uk – Google Classroom username is: glowusername@er. glow. scot When the above usernames are input to the apps it will redirect to the glow login page where the glowusername and password should be used to access the app.

Pupil Support What support do we offer? – Pupil Support – Pastoral – Pupil Support –Personal Development – Pupil Support – Learning – DHT / Year Group Head – Class Teachers – S 6 Academic Family – S 6 Peer Buddies

Model of Support Current Principal Teachers Pupil Support remain with their caseload from S 1 – S 6 The Year Head for S 1 next session will be a split responsibility between two Depute Heads ‐ Mr. Sorley and Mrs. Nicklin. DHT follows Year Group from S 2‐S 6

Pupil Support ‐ Pastoral Ms. Cartledge

Welcome to Mearns Castle Pupil Support Presentation to P 7 Parents

How are your children feeling? • • • Excited Enthusiastic Nervous Scared Ready How are you feeling?

AIMS • To introduce your child’s Pupil Support teacher/ Head of House • To explain how we will support your child • To help you feel more confident about your child making the transition from Primary to Secondary School

Moving from P 7 to S 1 Major change for pupils and parents Used to having 1 class teacher to contact Your child will now have 12 teachers! Role of Pupil Support Teacher is to be the main link for you and for the pupils • Allows you a main point of contact • • SO HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?

Mearns Castle House System • • • Pupils are organised into House groups by surname Pupils from the same family are in the same Houses have own colour, badge, flag, notice board Works on points system – encourages competition! Led by Pupil Support Teachers who work with same pupils from S 1 until they leave in S 6

Mearns Castle Houses Surnames Head of House A, C, Mac, J B, D, E, F G, H, I, K M, N, O, R Mc, S L, P, Q, T‐ Z Mrs Hamilton Mrs Crilley Mr Gooch Mrs Brophy Miss Oram Miss Cartledge Caledonia Balmoral Gleneagles Ramsay Sutherland Wallace

Pupil Support Advisors Mrs. Hamilton Caledonia (A, C, J, Mac) Mrs Brophy Ramsay (M, N, O, R) Mrs Crilley Balmoral (B, D, E, F Miss Oram Sutherland (S, Mc) Mr Gooch Gleneagles (G, H, I, K) Miss Cartledge Wallace (L, P, Q, T-Z)

Worries… n o ti a s i n a g Keep r o in g up w ith wo Teac Who hers rk will h elp?

Role of Pupil Support Pastoral • • • P 7 Transitions input/induction days Help pupils settle into school Pastoral meetings in September Help with any pastoral issues affecting school Liaise with staff Monitor attendance, time keeping, behaviour Teach PSE Guidance on subject choice, careers, future plans Link to external agencies as required

Finally… Keep us updated on any events/changes outside of school that may affect pupils in school • If you have specific issues you’d like to discuss about your child, please contact their Pupil Support Teacher by phoning the school office Other useful contacts: Support for Learning – Mrs Houston Personal Development – Miss Crosby •

Pupil Support ‐ Learning Principal Teacher Mrs Fiona Houstoun

Support for Learning The Sf. L department help pupils in a variety of ways, depending on their individual needs. This support takes many different forms, including: • Transition support for our new S 1 pupils • Classroom support – co‐op teaching/PSA support • Providing classroom teachers with information and strategies on the needs of each pupil through the Confidential File • Groupwork: Organisation Group / John Muir Award / Paired Reading etc • Lunch and break club • Study skills and homework support

Transitions Throughout this session Support for Learning staff have: • Visited all P 7 classes a number of times to get to know the needs of the pupils • Ran extended transition groups • Met with Primary staff to pass on information about pupils with ASN • Attended review meetings • Gathered a huge amount of information about pupil needs to add to our Confidential File at Mearns Castle • Even before the new S 1 pupils join us in August, their class teachers will be fully aware of their needs and strategies to best support them across the curriculum

Working Together As a department we work closely with our Educational Psychologist, Outreach teacher, Sensory Support teachers, the Personal Development Department and with our Pupil Support Pastoral colleagues. You can contact Support for Learning by phoning the school office.

Welcome new S 1 s A big “Hello” from the Personal Development Department Pupil Support ‐ Personal Development Ms. Wendy Crosby – Principal Teacher

• The PD Department helps support pupils in lots of different ways‐sometimes in classes, sometimes individually or in small groups. We are here for you when things get tricky and we work with your Pastoral Support Teachers and Support for Learning staff too. bout a d e it u exc ? o y e So, ar to MCHS d to g e comin very excit re We a ou! y meet

The Pupils’ Experience Life at Mearns Castle High School

UPBEAT ‘on colour’ Incentive Scheme U P B E A T = = = What does UPBEAT stand for? Uniform Prepared for class - homework Behaviour Effort Attitude Time keeping

Wider Learning • Clubs – Wide variety on offer for S 1, including • Running, Table Tennis, Hockey, Netball, Dance, Football, Gymnastics, Cricket, Fitness Training, Girls Football, Debating, Rugby, Volleyball, Badminton, Dodgeball • Junior Concert Band, Chamber Group, Jazz Band, String Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Woodwind Ensemble, Junior Choir, School Show • Debating, Knit and Knatter, Amnesty International, Philosophy, Jewellery and Textiles, Chinese Club, Warhammer, Chess, Code‐breaking Club • There will also be information coming in the near future advertising on‐line extra‐curricular activities that pupils can get involved with.

Colours For many years we have taken great pride in recognising pupil achievements through the school’s Colours programme. The fields we recognise are: • Sport • Expressive Arts • Citizenship • Enterprise Application forms on the website

How we keep in touch • Parental Updates • Letters – as appropriate • S 1 Reports – 1 Tracking Report ‐ during the first term – 1 Full Report (May) Parent Meetings: – Curriculum Evening (October) – Parents’ Meeting (November) • Texting • Email • Phone Calls – DHTs, Principal Teachers – not class teachers • Website / twitter (check these regularly)

Log Book Pupils should take a record of ‐ homework ‐ timetable ‐ assessment results Parent Partnership: - Please sign the Log Book regularly and use the Logbook to communicate with teachers

Support from Parents • • Homework log books Attendance/late coming Uniform Extra curricular activities

Home Learning • Promoting Partnership working • Understanding how to best support your child. • Also a good source of information fro parents in the current circumstances

Our School Uniform The Way Forward • We are confident we now HAVE VERY HIGH STANDARDS OF school uniform • Procedures to maintain these standards • Monitoring – checks before school and Period 1 • Parents to be sent a text • UPBEAT Demerits Off colour losing privileges

Our School Uniform Retailers • Stevenson’s, Muirend • Academy Uniforms, East Kilbride • Acceptable to purchase the correct items of uniform from any supplier • We will offer to support parents’ who are having difficulty providing items of school uniform

Any questions? • Should you have any questions following tonight’s presentation please contact the school office via email: • School. Mail@mearnscastle. e‐renfrew. sch. uk • And mark it for the attention of your child’s Pupil Support Teacher