News
Friends of Loretto
November 2021
Hurray we have finally had a team meeting and are hosting small events and making plans for 2022!! It’s been so frustrating having to cancel the Greek night and not being able to have fun parties but we have our fingers crossed that 2022 is going to be a very social year.
It's been great to make contact with our new Loretto families and help you settle in and feel welcome.
The team have organised walks and coffees at Newhailes, The Restoration Yard, The Rocketeer and Croallas . Afternoon teas have been enjoyed at Carberry Tower and it’s Christmas Wreath making for some year groups early December. We have had a pot luck supper for Form 2 and our biggest event to kick things off this term was the Yellow Craigs beach party attended by families across all year groups for rounders, football, paddle boarding, spike ball, sausage sizzling and picnic sharing.
Hopefully lots of you are busy signing up for tables at Prestonfield House for the Burns supper on Thursday 20th January in aid of Prostate cancer.
We are looking at a group theatre booking and are making enquires for year group meals at local Musselburgh restaurants in the spring term as well as working on a plan for a Hog Roast and then a big summer family party to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee on the beach. A cricket & tennis cream tea and another quiz night are also on our to do list. We can’t wait to be back on campus.
Joining the year group What’s app chat and looking out for information on ENews and Loretto Facebook is the best way to keep up with what is planned.
If you have ideas for an event or would like to get involved please do get in touch via friendsofloretto@loretto.com
I’d like to thank the team and let you know who your year group reps are
Chairperson Sarah Lang
2nd Form Karen Johansson
3rd Form Nicola Kay
4th Form Sonia Lee
5th Form Karen Stanford
Lower 6th Jen Lucas
Upper 6th Clare Bone
Food Committee reps: Sonia Lee & Clare Bone
Uniform Committee reps: Elspeth Lamb
The recent meeting brought up several topics that the
Headmaster is addressing and will be communicating to all parents about
- The reopening of the CRC – now reopen
- The reopening of Chapel – awaiting government guidance
- The Christmas Feasts and 6th form Ball – all info now on the calendar & pupils getting excited
- Charity events, the colour run, themed meals and pupil events – to be published in Spring term calendar
- Concern about girls sport – Dr Hawley is committed to providing the best opportunities for girls and boys and we have a talented pool of coaches both specialist and academic members of staff who are committed and proficient in their sports. This half term Miss Rachel Abbie strengthens our hockey provision.
- No Catering at sports fixtures – more creativity please
- What’s on the Lifeskills curriculum ? An update on the programme will be published
- The role of governors and an insight into what they do – watch this space
- The roles of staff on the senior leadership team –
- Dr Mike Topping = Assistant head (academic), timetable, curriculum, assessments
- Mrs Madeline Bonner = Assistant head (pastoral), Child protection, medical centre, housemistresses & housemasters
- Dr Jonathan Idle = Assistant head (co- curricular & organisational), school discipline school calendar & events
Communication – parents feel this is poor – school are currently interviewing for the post of Head of Marketing, Admissions & communications
- Computing – Mr Dan Lee will take over from Mrs Fiona Miller from January
- School house and how it is operating – the role of Schoolhouse housekeeper is currently being advertised to support the heads of year.
- Guidance/counselling and mental health We have a school counsellor; elements of positive mental health and wellbeing are delivered via Life Skills. A speaker, James Shone, has been invited to address children and, separately, parents in February. Date will be communicated early next term.
- Songfest and concerts – Wassail at end of current term and Dance show to be filmed
- Changing rooms – these are now open
- Sports match reports from team captains please
- The role of the new Creative director – Mr Andrew Henshaw is in post. He produced the Remembrance video and will produce the Dance show video and an end of term musical event for pupils and delivers the LAMDA programme
- New staff member introductions and appointments
- Mr Dan Lee - Computer Science arrived in November from Portsmouth Grammar School
- The big news is that we will be introducing a parent form probably along the lines of the junior school format - work in progress but aiming to launch in January 2022.
For information regarding your son or daughter ‘s daily routine and their academic work their tutor is always your first point of contact
If we can help or you’d like to meet do get in touch by contacting us at friendsofloretto@loretto.com
To receive the ENews please click on this link https://www.loretto.com/
All the very best
Sarah Lang
April 2021
We hope that your children are now settled back into school after the strangest of years and that we will be able to chat on a touch line, the side of a pitch, in chapel, at a school event or in the theatre in the not too distant future. We are really missing seeing you all and welcoming new families to the school.
I would like to introduce our Friends of Loretto team who are going to be arranging some coffees and walks in line with government guidance in and around East & Mid Lothian soon. Details to follow on this webpage. Friends of Loretto Calendar - Friends of Loretto Calendar 2021 (loretto.com)
Please do get in touch with your rep to ask any questions or arrange to meet as we know how important a friendly face is.
For families from far away do let us know when you are visiting school and we can say hello and introduce you to your children’s friend’s parents.
Chairperson: Sarah Lang
2nd Form: Nicola Kay
3rd Form: Sonia Lee
4th Form: Karen Stanford
5th Form: Jennifer Lucas & Sarah Williams
Lower Sixth: Clare Bone
Upper Sixth: Catherine Goldsmith
Food Committee Representatives: Sonia Lee & Clare Bone
You can contact us via friendsofloretto@loretto.com and we have year group What’s app chats that you can join
For problems or queries about your child & their academic work their tutor is always the first point of call.
If you’d like to join the team please also get in touch
All the best
Sarah Lang
The Greek Night
The event has been postponed due to the coronavirus restrictions on social gatherings, we can refund your tickets if you get in touch to friendsofloretto@loretto.com. We would love to host this event as soon as we are allowed to and we will keep you informed.
The Haggis Hop
The inspiration behind the lovely event on Saturday 11th January was for as many Loretto families as possible to learn the Reel of the 51st Highland division because Lieutenant Jimmy Atkinson of the 7th Arglls and a former Lorettonian created and originated the dance whilst he was a prisoner of war following capture at the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940.
His idea of a reel with a Saint Andrew′s Cross in its key formation was intended to symbolise Scotland and the Highland Division, in adversity. Atkinson's letter home with instructions for the dance was intercepted by the German security service, the Abwehr, who spent the rest of the war trying to break the code. However, another version of the dance reached Scotland where it was published while Atkinson was still a POW and became instantly popular.
So, the Friends of Loretto team decorated Linkfield Hall (the CCF and Pipe band building) with lots of tartan bunting, fairy lights and candles and pulled together a team of dance experts, an accordion player and booked a local caterer. Lots of laughter, patience from our instructors, toes being trodden on, spinning kilts, clapping, giggling and fun ensued and the whole room was a blur of spinning bodies and we now have some confident 51st Reelers.
Thanks so much to everyone who came along, for our young pipers Charlie, Harry and Benji, Stuart on the accordion, Ben, Isla, Mark, Jamie, Chris and Emily for the expert tuition, Angela, Alan and Stevie for helping set up the Hall and Barbarella Beets who served wonderful food all night. Well done to The Kinloch Andersons for supplying all the tartan off cuts for Lizzie’s amazing bunting and a big thank you to the FOL team.
We are planning to give any money raised to The Loretto Pipe Band to buy branded travel bags for all their kit as they fly the flag for the school from Edinburgh to Lords and locally.
To see more pictures of the event, please check our Facebook post, and click here for a short video.
Our next event big is Greek Night on March 21st so look out for information and please come along!
Merry Christmas from the Friends of Loretto x
Thanks so much for coming along to our Christmas coffee on Friday 6 December 2019 and having a go at making a seasonal pomander and an aromatherapy roller. Sonia Lee and Lizzie MacRae our creative experts helped us enjoy a festive morning and a big thank you to Mint Fig for supplying delicious mince pies. See more on Facebook.
Also, it was so nice to see so many parents at Lana Thai our local Musselburgh restaurant while the children enjoyed their Christmas Feasts, the food was delicious and it was a lovely chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
Remember to get your Haggis Hop tickets: on sale on Friday 13th before chapel in the Red Hall
Dates for your diary:
- Haggis Hop 11th January 2020
- Greek Night 21st March 2020
Scottish Borders parents gathering
Nicola Peddie from the FOL organised a lovely gathering for Loretto’s Scottish Borders parents on Friday 27 November 2019 at The Buccleuch Arms in St Boswells. 28 folk had a fun, social time in the Boardroom and there was a festive buzz with chatter around the Christmas tree. The food was excellent and families are looking forward to meeting up at the Christmas coffee, Haggis Hop and the next Borders gathering.
Mobile Phone Policy Focus group
On the 22nd of November 2019, a focus group was invited to join Dr Hawley to discuss mobile phone use at school following lots of discussion amongst parents & in the media.
We help Keep Scotland Beautiful on World Oceans day
On Saturday 8 June 2019, the Friends of Loretto volunteers set off to Keep Scotland Beautiful on World Oceans day. Bin bags and tongs at the ready, the group went on a 'Litter Pick Walk' and filled 11 large bags.
A successful first evening event
The Friends of Loretto hosted their first evening event on Friday 26 April 2019 in the Senior School's Red Hall and welcomed about 80 competitors.






