Newsletter 7 - December 2007 - Lochaber High School
Newsletter 7 - December 2007 - Lochaber High School
Newsletter 7 - December 2007 - Lochaber High School
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Dear Parents<br />
<strong>Lochaber</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>December</strong> <strong>2007</strong><br />
Dear Parents/Carers<br />
I am sure that you are as pleased as I am that Her Majesty’s Inspectors have recognised the progress made in<br />
<strong>Lochaber</strong> <strong>High</strong>. There is clear evidence that we have made significant improvements in many aspects of the<br />
school’s culture and performance. This is the result of a lot of hard work by staff and pupils supported by you, the<br />
parents. Thank you for the part you have played so far and for what I hope you will do in the future if this very<br />
good school is to become an excellent one.<br />
A major concern is still, of course, the state of our buildings and I am pleased to report that our building<br />
modernisation project has made considerable progress over the last few weeks. New proposals for alterations to<br />
the layout of the school have been drawn up by architects SMC Parr, working in close consultation with the school.<br />
SMC Parr will now draw up phasing plans for the works and the costs will be checked against the project budget.<br />
The proposals will then be exhibited to the whole school community. The <strong>High</strong>land Council has appointed Heery<br />
International Ltd as Project Managers. Their job is to manage the whole modernisation project, including setting<br />
timescales and managing communications between the consultants, the school and The <strong>High</strong>land Council officers.<br />
You can see from this newsletter that we have had another busy term with lots of opportunities for pupils to<br />
enhance their learning with activities outside the classroom. Please encourage your children to take full advantage<br />
of these opportunities. A highlight for me was the school’s production of ‘Burke & Hare’ – Mr Young and all those<br />
involved in the production really put on a fantastic show; nights to be remembered!<br />
Information has been sent home to all parents giving details of Winter Weather Arrangements. If you haven’t<br />
received this, please contact the school for a pack which gives details of the helpline and winter weather website.<br />
Please note that, if you are unsure about sending your child to school in the event of bad weather, you should<br />
always make their safety the top priority. Please do not contact the school office but call the helpline (0870 054<br />
6999; PIN 04 1150), check the website: www.schoolclosures.highlandschools.org.uk or listen to local radio<br />
stations.<br />
Our Parent Council AGM was held on 15 th November and 14 Parent Council Members were elected with Dr Moira<br />
Tregaskis continuing as Chairman. The next meeting will be held on Thursday 24 th January (fundraising meeting at<br />
7.00 pm and main meeting at 7.30 pm). Both meetings are open to all parents and I do hope that you will be able<br />
to come along.<br />
So far this year, fundraising has been very successful with our annual ‘<strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Hike’ raising over £9000<br />
allowing us to order a new minibus for delivery around Easter. However, our extensive range of extra-curricular<br />
activities is not cheap so ongoing fundraising is necessary. The Parent Council has sent raffle tickets to all families<br />
and already, many parents have sold these. If you are able to sell tickets, please return counterfoils and money to<br />
the school by Monday 17 th <strong>December</strong>. The draw will be held in the school on Wednesday 19 th <strong>December</strong>.<br />
Thank you again for all the support you have given the school this year and best wishes for a Merry Christmas and<br />
a Happy New Year!<br />
Jim Sutherland<br />
Acting Head Teacher<br />
businessdynamics<br />
On Thursday 25 th and Friday 26 th October a group of Sixth Years from the Business Management<br />
class went on a businessdynamics course in the Council Chambers in Fort William. When we arrived<br />
we were all shown into the Chambers where we met the activity leader, Mrs MacDonald, and<br />
several other senior pupils from Ardnamurchan <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. After getting settled, we heard<br />
presentations by different speakers from businesses around <strong>Lochaber</strong> including the Crannog, Alcan and HIE. The<br />
speakers explained their individual role in the business and what it is like from their perspective. As the course<br />
progressed we had opportunities to take part in several team activities and on the Friday afternoon we had the<br />
chance to run our own production business. With the new knowledge we had learned over the two days, we split into<br />
different departments such as operations, marketing, finance and human resources, and were observed by the<br />
management team. The businessdynamics course was a very worthwhile experience which gave us a deep insight<br />
into the business world, not just in theory, but also the practical side. We would strongly recommend this course to<br />
anyone who has an interest in studying business management or in running their own business. Katie Jones 6S
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