Please return your Data form

All pupils have received their “current data” forms to take home, check with their parent/guardian and return to the school office. If you have not seen one of these and signed it, please contact the school on 01479 872649 or grantown.grammar@highland.gov.uk so we can run you off another one.

There are a number of pupils that have not returned these and it is essential we have accurate information should we need to contact you in an emergency.

If your child has an allergy or food intolerance, although this information is held on their school file for medical reasons, we also need this Special Diets form for the canteen service to have on their system and be aware of any issues when preparing food.

Covid update from Highland Council

Letter from Donna Manson, Chief Executive of Highland Council.

Covid update – letter issued 10/09/21

Paperwork Reminder

Please can I ask Parents and Guardians to check with their child for the following paperwork that we need returned to school office;

GGS Annual Data/Information Form – Please return these even if there are no changes, it is essential we have up to date contact information.

Flu Vaccination consents – Non mandatory but NHS are collecting them tomorrow so they can then set a date for the clinic.

School Photograph Order Forms – Orders get sent away from the school next week, but you can order online if you prefer.

University Information Sessions

The North of Scotland Universities Collaborative Project will be hosting a number of events this autumn supporting school pupils from across the region in thinking about future careers and pathways. We will be hosting 11 events this autumn, including information sessions for students interested in careers in Medicine, Healthcare, Business Studies, STEM, Rural subjects and subjects relating to Veterinary medicine. We will also be offering UCAS, personal statements and parent/ carer sessions.

Pupils can register individually for as many events as they’re interested in. Our first event is a Parent and Guardians session on Tuesday 14^th September.

Dates and the booking form can be found here: https://gck.fm/dnklk

All pupils, as well as their parents and guardians, and school staff are welcome to attend these sessions.

Mind Us Conference

Are you interested in improving and having your say in young people’s mental health in The Highlands?
Highland Youth Parliament are having a virtual conference ‘Mind Us’  on September 16th and 17th, specifically aimed at young people. 

If you’re interested in attending or want to know more, please get in touch with your guidance teacher or Fraser Morrison at 07884 731 364 / fraser.morrison@highlandschools.net

GGS Parent Council

artwork by Jo Crane, former pupil.

Grantown Grammar School Parent Council are meeting (virtually) on Tuesday 7 September at 7.30pm, please email them on grantown.grammar@highlandpc.co.uk to get the link and join in. 

The Parent Council is a great way to support the school, share your views and help improve all aspects of the school for your child/ren.  Feel free to get in touch with them to see how you can get involved.  Also attached is their last newsletter and minutes for your information.

GGS Parent Council welcome letter- issued 02/09/21

GGS Parent Council newsletter- June 21

GGS Parent Council minutes – 25/05/21 21

Considering a Gap Year?

Project Trust will be delivering a presentation on Tuesday afternoon at Grantown Grammar for S5 and S6 pupils. If you are interested in hearing about volunteering abroad, you will be able to pick it for this Tuesday afternoon option.

If you are aged 17-25 and live in the UK, Ireland, or Europe then a Project Trust adventure could be your opportunity to challenge yourself, explore the world, and be a positive force within it.

Spending up to 12 months on placement means you will have a positive impact within your host community and share your learning and understanding. In doing so, you will develop your confidence through teaching, learning, and sharing skills – whilst building lasting friendships.

Project Trust has 50 years’ experience of providing Gap Year opportunities for young people. Now it’s your turn to empower yourself, explore your potential, and discover how you can have a year with no gaps.

https://projecttrust.org.uk/

Snowsports Trip ’22 update

It is with regret that we have had to make the decision not to go ahead with the upcoming Snowsports Trip in January 2022. 

The current guidance from both the Scottish Government and Highland Council is not to allow international school trips at this time. Although it is possible that this guidance might change, the expected update to the Scottish Government guidelines has not been published yet. Given this delay together with rising Covid numbers across Scotland, we feel that it is unlikely that International trips will be allowed in the coming months. 

Last week, Mrs Knight was in discussion with Skibound and Highland Council Outdoor Education, as well as our colleagues in Kingussie High School. We have a number of concerns regarding going ahead with the trip, including increased costs for each pupil to cover Covid testing, the possibility of pupils contracting Covid, either traveling or in resort, and the subsequent issues with isolation and quarantine. We therefore feel that we would be unable to offer the same quality of experience and trip that we usually do. For these reasons, we have initiated discussion with Skibound about either postponing or cancelling our booking. 

The managers of Skibound are not available this week, and are going to look at our request on the week beginning 6th September. At the end of this week, we should be able to make definite plans regarding the trip. We will then contact each family to discuss how you would like to proceed. At this point, we are unable to request a refund of our deposits, but will be discussing this with Skibound as soon as possible. Any other payments that you have made above the deposits paid to Skibound are held with the school currently. Pupils who were booked on the original trip (2021 trip) have paid £400 in deposits to Skibound, and those who joined us for the 2022 booking have paid £250 in deposit to Skibound. 

We wanted to let all families know this sad news as soon as we could. If you could please bear with us until 10th September, we will have more information regarding deposits and if there is a possibility of re-booking for January 2023. We will get in touch with families as soon as possible after the 10th September but if you have any urgent queries before then, please contact Mrs Rachel Knight at the school.

Lunch Clubs

Extra Curricular Lunch Clubs-21/22

Grantown Grammar School are currently able to offer a wide selection of lunchtime clubs for pupils.
Every week, teachers, volunteers, parents, leisure centre staff and even some of the pupils themselves, give their time to offer these extra curricular activities for pupils. Pupils can keep an eye on the TV Screens in corridors for updates on existing and new clubs throughout the school year.

High-life Highland also provide information on local clubs that meet at the Craig MacLean Leisure Centre, here in Grantown-on-Spey and at various other locations within the community.

Information update

All pupils have been issued with their Annual Data Update Form.  This is the information that we hold on your child/children and it is vitally important that it is up-to-date.  During these changing times it is essential that we can contact you quickly in an emergency, for example if your child should become ill or get injured.  Please take the time to check the information, amend, sign and return to the school office, even if there is no change at least we know you have checked it. Please return these to the school office by Friday 3 September.

I would also like to draw your attention to the Highland Council’s Special Diets Form, should your child have an allergy or food intolerance then the canteen needs to have this form completed.  Although the school notify key personal on medical issues, these are not shared across the 2 different systems. https://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/65/special_diet_request_form 

If you are unable to complete this form online, then contact the school and we can provide a printed version to your child.