Teaching staff recruits welcomed to BHS
STAFF Changes The start of the spring term brought some new recruits to the teaching staff. Miss Fiona Robertson has taken up her post as Depute Headteacher.
Ms Robertson was previously a Principal Teacher at Arbroath Academy.
At assemblies last week she revealed to pupils and staff some of her secrets, including being a fan of Motherwell FC! She is the permanent replacement for Mrs Long who retired last summer. The school is indebted to Mr Steve Cargill for his work as acting depute from the start of this session until the arrival of Ms Robertson.
The school is also delighted that they have been able to recruit a new Home Economics teacher, Ms Retha Coetzee.
Ms Coetzee has joined from a school in New Zealand, though she comes originally from South Africa. She is joined by another colleague from Germany, Ms Heike Schroeder, who has taken up the post of teacher of Modern Languages.
They have both travelled significant distances to be at the school and have been made very welcome.
Artist in Residence
The school is looking forward to the arrival of the third Artist in Residence, Jonathan Claxton. Jonathan is an international artist and sculptor and has worked in Lapland, Russia and Poland. He will be building on the work of the first two artists, MC and Emil Thomson, on the theme of identity. It is planned to have a celebration of the pupils' work in the summer term.
China Trip
In September 2005, an education delegation from Yantai visited Angus. Prior to that, provisional arrangements had been put in place to twin three Angus secondary schools and one Angus primary school with sister schools in Yantai.
The Angus schools identified – Brechin High School, Montrose Academy, Webster's High School and Kinloch Primary School – had all volunteered to participate in this way.
It is proposed that an education delegation from Angus will visit Yantai between March 11, 2006, and March 18, 2006.
It is further proposed that the delegation should comprise one representative from each of the four Angus schools noted above, one Quality Improvement Officer with a remit for international links and the Convener of the Education Committee.
During the visit it is hoped the personal links already established between two of the twinned sister schools can be built upon and that similar personal links can be established with the other two pairs of sister schools. It is also hoped that the links already made with Education Committee officials in Yantai can be further developed.
MP3 players and mobile phones
It is clear many pupils have received MP3 players and mobile phones for Christmas! Although these are now very important items for today's teenagers, they can cause some problems in school, when they are misused.
The school believes pupils should be focused on their work in class and need to be able to listen to their teacher and their peers. To allow all pupils to concentrate on their work, they ask pupils to switch off all MP3/iPods and remove all earpieces and store them away safely.
Similarly, they would like to remind all pupils mobile phones should be switched off during classes and stored away.
Keeping in touch with parents
To help maintain links with parents about school attendance, the school has installed an automated system called TruancyCall that makes telephone calls to parents, informing them that their son or daughter is not in school.
There is an option for parents to leave a recorded message. Calls would only be made to parents of pupils who had not contacted the school about the absence. In case of no contact being made with parents, the call will be repeated during the day.
The system has proved very successful in other schools, and Brechin High believes it will allow them to monitor the attendance of pupils in an effective way. The automated telephone system will also provide an early warning system should a child go missing from school. As always, children's safety is the main concern. Further details will be issued to parents next week.
Study Support and Senior Prelims
Study Support has been organised for the next two weeks in preparation for the Senior Prelims which start on Friday, January 27. Pupils are encouraged to take this opportunity to help prepare them for their forthcoming exams.
Key Dates
January
Tuesday 24, S4 Parents' Evening; Friday 27, S5/6 Prelims start.
February 2006
Wednesday 1, S2 Make it in Scotland event Forfar/S2 Choice of Course Evening; Tuesday 7, S2 Parents' Evening; Thursday 9, S2 Course Choice interviews begin; Wednesday 15, Evening session for parents on Assertive Discipline; Thursday 16, In-service Day; Friday 17 and Monday 20, Mid-term holiday.
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Weather for Brechin
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
