Newsletter: November/December 09 November 13, 2009
Posted by j-bar03 in : News , add a commentDear Parents/Carers
The year is running away from us all with only 5 full weeks of school term left! The preparations are underway for Christmas and there is a detailed list of activities below. It’s been a busy term as always and many thanks to all the parents who have helped out in school, been on trips and run the Pumpkin Carving Workshop. The children always benefit from more adults being in school. Can you give up a few hours? Let us know.
Congratulations
We are very proud of our P5 Basketball squad who were commended for their behaviour at the tournament this week. Two children received certificates, John Ritchie for being the Best Sportsman in the tournament and Robyn Smith for making the most effort. Well done!
New appointment
We conducted our interviews for the post of Principal Teacher Support for Learning this week and delighted to say we have a preferred candidate. We are awaiting references and Disclosure checks and hoping our new Principal Teacher will be in place by January. A huge thank you to Miss C McIntosh who has covered the post since Mrs Mack retired.
Book sale
A huge thank you to all who purchased a book from the book fair. We had incredible sales and raised £500 for class libraries from the commission.
Attendance
Thank you so much for phoning the school when your child is absent. The guidelines issued to all schools asks us to phone all emergency contacts before passing on the names of all non attending children to the attendance officer. Please phone the school by 9.15 am if possible to notify us if your child is not able to attend school, there is an answer machine on at all times when the office is unmanned. We have a number of children who are continually late for school. In an effort to improve their timekeeping children who are late three times in one week will lose 5 minutes golden time.
Texting
We are trialing a new texting service and you should have all received a text stating that the newsletters had been issued today. We will send reminders and notes home by text from now on but would really like to reduce the amount of photocopying we do by reducing the number of newsletters we send out. If we notify you that a new newsletter is on the website by text are you happy to read the newsletter there? Please complete the proforma for feedback. Parents requesting a paper copy of the newsletter will always receive one.
Contact details.
As you can see from the above items we need up to date contact details at all times. Can you please remember to let us know if you have a new mobile number or if you change your emergency contacts. Many thanks.
School Camp
Can I please remind Primary 7 parents that any outstanding balances must be paid by 30th November at the latest. Anyone experiencing financial please contact the office as soon as possible.
School Performance
We have changed the format for our Christmas production this year and instead of it being the P4 Nativity we have made it an all through school performance. We are delighted that we will be performing Joseph. We will be charging for the performance this year as agreed at the Parent Council meeting. Tickets will cost £1 each and all money will go towards costumes and props. Tickets are allocated as 2 per family and should we have tickets left over we will be selling extra tickets on a first come first served basis. The performances will be on Tuesday 15th December at 10 am and 6pm (the evening performance for adults only) and Thursday 17th December at 2pm. The annual Cracker tea for all OAPs will be on Friday 18th December at 10am. Tickets cost £1 each. Please use the order form at the back of the newsletter. If any parents have any brightly coloured or stripy material they could donate to the school we would be very grateful.
Pantomime
We are on the countdown to our “military operation” of taking 300 people to the Kings Theatre in Edinburgh. We will be going on Wednesday 16th December for the performance of Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean pirates. You will receive exact notice of pick up times for your child after the performance and all other arrangements for the day nearer the time. Could we remind you that all children must pay before they attend this event. Payment (£10) must be made by Monday 31st November. Please contact the school office if this is proving difficult.
Christmas Raffle
Our annual raffle will be drawn at the Christmas cracker tea and we are looking for donations. The Parent Council have supplied the main prize of an Ipod but we need many other prizes to make this a worthwhile fundraiser. Can you donate anything? All prizes gratefully received and can be sent in with your child. Please do not send any bottles with your child, bring them in to the school office. Raffle books will be issued shortly and we would be grateful if you could please sell as many as possible. Money raised will be used to replenish Golden Time games and activities.
Christmas Parties
This year all year group Christmas parties will take place on the afternoon of Monday 21st December.
Christmas Lunch
Tuesday 15th December starting at 12pm at the usual cost. A menu is attached.
School will close for the Christmas Break this year on Tuesday 22nd December at 3.30pm and open again on Wednesday 6th January 2011 at 8.55 am.
Information into School
Loretto School - Academic Scholarships
Loretto School is once again offering their ‘Almond Scholarship’ which will provide financial support of up to 100% towards fees for four talented state school pupils. If you are interested in your child applying for this scholarship please contact the school as soon as possible. Almond Scholarships are open to children who live in Scotland and apply for a place in September 2010. Candidates will sit an academically demanding entrance exam which tests maths, creative writing and critical thinking skills. Scholarships will be awarded based on merit and performance in the entrance exam. Entrance exams are being held at Loretto on 1st February and 26th April 2010. The scholarship booklet and application form can be obtained from the admissions department on 0131 653 4455 or downloaded from the admissions section of their website: www.loretto.com.
Vacancies
The Education Department are currently looking to recruit Supply Additional Support Needs Auxiliaries and Supply Nursery Nurses. For further information please contact East Lothian Council HR Department, telephone number 01620 827625 for an application form.
Jacqui Mackinnon
………………………………………………………………………………………
Texting:
Name of Child: …………………………………… Class: ………………………
Please tick as appropriate:
I received the text today o
I did not receive any text o
I am happy to read the newsletter on the website o
I would like a paper copy of the newsletter o
My new mobile number is ……………………………………………….
Christmas Cracker Tea - Friday 18th December at 10.00 am
I would like ………… tickets for the Cracker Tea at £1 each and enclose …..
Joseph: (maximum 2 tickets per family).
Tuesday 15th December @ 10.00 am - number of tickets required ……
Tuesday 15th December@ 6pm (adults only) - number of tickets required ….
Thursday 17th December @ 2pm - number of tickets required ……….
I enclose …………………… for Joseph tickets.
Signed ………………………………………………
Christmas Menu
Starters
Lentil Soup
Main Course
Roast Turkey, Chipolata Sausage
Roast Potatoes, Peas & Carrots
Vegetarian Course:
Macaroni Cheese
Roast Potatoes, Peas & Carrots
Sweet
Ice Cream Star
or
Chocolate Shortbread
Swine Flu May 14, 2009
Posted by j-bar03 in : News, Policy , add a commentAdvice and guidance for parents of nursery and schoolchildren on attendance, closures and the SQA examinations.
This note seeks to answer parents’ key questions about the current situation and the possibility of a flu pandemic developing. Some parents will have particular concerns about potential disruption to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) examinations.
At present we expect all schools and nurseries to be operating normally. This situation would not automatically change even if the World Health Authority declared a pandemic (WHO alert level 6). Any decisions on school or nursery closures would be made locally by the Council, school, nursery or owner of the nursery (in the case of private nurseries) on the basis of advice from local health officials or the Scottish Government.
As regards the examinations, the Scottish Government and the SQA continue to monitor the situation, with all key stakeholders, and will keep authorities, schools, parents and candidates informed of any developments. Plans are in place to deal, for example, with possible school closures.
The most accurate information on the current situation can be found here:
NHS Information Line: 0800 1513513
Latest information and advice from NHS 24
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What can I do to help?
Help your childminder, nursery, pre-school group, school or out-of-school club by making sure that they have your up-to-date contact details - your address, phone numbers (home, work and mobile) and e-mail details as appropriate. They will need to get in touch if there is a case of swine flu confirmed among the children or staff and they suspect that children may be at risk.
On attendance and school closures
Q. Should I send my child to school or nursery if they show signs of any flu-like illness?
If your child is unwell and you are concerned about their health you should first contact NHS24 (08454 242424) or your local GP by phone for advice.
Also tell the school or nursery.
Q. What if a pupil or staff member at the school is suspected of having or being tested for the swine flu virus, or is known to have it?
If this happens, the education and health authorities will liaise very closely and decide what is the appropriate action to take - which may involve temporary closure. Parents and pupils will be kept advised.
Q. What are my rights as a parent to keep my child off school or nursery if I am concerned?
If your child is at school and the school remains open, your normal responsibility to send your child to school still applies.
Contact the school though and discuss your concerns with them.
Q. Who decides when schools should close; and in what circumstances?
Some schools and childcare services may have to close in order to help stop the virus spreading. That would be a local decision taken by the authority or school or employer, but one very much based on local or national health advice.
Q. Would alternative arrangements be made for childcare if schools or nurseries are closed?
No, because the main reason for such closures would be to reduce the spread of infection by closing places where children come together in groups.
On the school examinations
Q. Are the exams going ahead as planned?
It is very much business as usual. The exams have already started and run through until 12 June. Candidates who will be taking their examinations over the next few weeks should continue to study as normal for them.
Q. What will happen if schools have to close during exam times?
The Scottish Qualifications Authority, the Scottish Government, local authorities and others are all monitoring the situation closely. Contingency plans are already in place and are being kept under ongoing review in the light of the changing situation. They are designed to minimise disruption to the examination process for all candidates. Parents and candidates will be kept advised.
Q. What if my child is ill and unable to sit an examination?
The SQA has well-established procedures for candidates who are prevented by illness or other circumstances from taking their examinations. The copy of “Your Exams 2009”, which all candidates have been provided with, explains the procedures. It can also be found on the SQA website.
Q. Would my child’s results be affected?
The SQA’s priority would be to ensure that all candidates are treated fairly and not disadvantaged and that their work would be assessed and appropriate qualifications awarded.
Newsletter, May 2009 May 7, 2009
Posted by j-bar03 in : News , add a commentDear Parent/Carer
Summer term again! How quickly time goes round. The summer term always passes so quickly with only a few short weeks before we say goodbye to the Primary Sevens and welcome the new Primary Fours. Our staff compliment has been issued and we are working out how best to meet the needs of all children within the school.
I have enclosed the term’s timetable with all the important dates noted. We start the term looking at the Scottish Homecoming and celebrating our Scottish heritage. We will then move this celebration of being Scottish to January for next session. In May we will be running our Health week and a letter regarding the Healthy Heart programme will be sent out shortly with a money bag for donations. If everyone donated even a few coins we would have a healthy sum to give to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland Charity.
School Closure
May I remind you that there is no school on Monday and Tuesday (4th and 5th May) - May Holiday and Staff In-service and again on Monday 8th June for an extra Staff In-Service Day.
Many Congratulations
Well done to the girls football team who won the John Home Robertson Trophy on Tuesday. The girls have throughout the year supported the school by displaying high quality sportsmanship and great skill. A huge thank you to Mr Spence who gives of his time willingly to coach the team.
Well Done Emma!
Emma Mack in P7M who came second in the Loretto Junior School Chanter Competition in the 12 and under section.
Bebo
We are having some problems with internet safety and Bebo at the moment. Bebo is a social network site for over 13 year olds. Many of the children within the school have their own personal site which contravenes the conditions of owning a site and as children may inadvertently put themselves in danger through this activity we strongly recommend that all sites are closed down. It is your responsibility to check if your child has a site and is under 13.
May I remind all children that they may not comment about members of staff or other children or upload pictures of staff members, under any circumstances. If any site contains such information I will take the necessary steps to close the site down and contact the police.
Please also note that no child should contact any member of staff and ask to be added to their friend’s list. I am sorry that this message has to be so strong but we have a duty to protect all from internet bullying/misconduct.
School Telephone
We have being reviewing our telephone procedures and note that some parents/carers leave messages on the answer phone regarding where children should go after school . This is not advisable as the answer machine is not always checked in sufficient time and children can be left without the correct information. Please phone again and speak to a member of staff . We accept this may cause difficulties but your child’s safety is our main concern The office telephone is not manned after 3.30 pm so messages will not be picked up until the following morning.
Farewell Primary, Hello Secondary
East Lothian News will be taking the primary 7 photographs on Thursday April 30th as part of their farewell primary, hello secondary feature.
Heriot Watt Summer Programme
Application forms for the Heriot Watt Summer Sports and Activity are available from the school office.
Breakfast
A small number of children are regularly turning up to school without a breakfast or buying unsuitable items to eat on the way to school. We will be studying breakfast in the forthcoming health week and would ask if you could ensure that children are in the best place for learning when they arrive at school and not suffering from sugar rushes or sugar lows.
Phil’s Cooking Academy
As part of change for life programme Phil Vickery has an online cooking academy where children can learn to make simple dishes. The website is: www.philscookingacademy.co.uk
Boiler Inspection
On Tuesday 26th May there will be no hot lunches available in school only cold lunches due to our boilers being switched off for their annual safety checks.
Trips & Events
See Term 4 Timetable post. There is a lot on this term and will come with the inevitable costs attached. We will let you know of costs as soon as possible. If you feel this may cause a problem please contact the school.
Isle of Eigg Theatre Production
This will be held in school on Wednesday 13th May. It shows how to care for our environment and works well into the Health week theme. The show is subsidised and all pupils only require to pay £1.50 towards the cost of the production.
Class Organisation 2009-2010 - All Change!
I am delighted to announce that we will be continuing with 11 classes next year. This allows us one additional class over our entitlement based on our school roll. We will be looking at how best to organise classes and will give you an update in the May newsletter.
Next session’s P7 camp.
We have had the initial payment request for school camp and would ask that all pupils now pay their initial deposit of £55. We do not have final price for the camp as we are still waiting for the bus quote therefore the deposit will be refundable until the final confirmation of cost. This will be done shortly and a signed agreement will be issued when all costs are in. Please remember that financial assistance is available from the Educational Trust and this can be applied for in the autumn term.
Summer Fair
Saturday 30th May - 10.00 am - 12.00 pm. Please see the note below from the Parent Council.
Last year’s summer fair was a great success and we look forward to raising even more money for the playground equipment. We hope to have the equipment purchased and children trained in June so that the playground will be an inviting place for children to play and run off their energy when they return to school in August.
Raffle Money.
£1000 was raised by the Christmas raffle held for the cracker tea. All the money was spent on equipment for the new gym hall and this has been greatly received from pupils and staff alike. A big thank you to everyone who donated prizes and bought tickets.
Jacqui Mackinnon
Headteacher
Summer Fayre
The Summer Fayre will be held on Saturday 30th of May 10am-12pm. We are hoping to hold all the usual fun events and we require your help! There are many ways to help, donate a prize for the raffle or tombola, clear out some of those old toys, home baking is always a winner or just come along on the day and have some fun.
Can you:
- Help set up on Friday 29th May
- Help on a stall or with refreshments
- Help clear up
- Provide Home Baking
Please tick which ever applies
Name ………………………………………….. Contact No………………………………………….
Child’s Name ………………………………………………… Class ………………..
School Closure - Monday 8th June March 25, 2009
Posted by j-bar03 in : News , add a commentPlease note that Monday 8th June is an extra in-service training day. Therefore, pupils should not attend school on that day.
Newsletter - March ‘09 March 10, 2009
Posted by j-bar03 in : News, School , add a commentPRESTONPANS PRIMARY SCHOOL, MARCH 2009
_____________________________________________________________________
Dear Parents/Carers
Spring is well and truly here and I am delighted to see some sunshine at last. It was fortunate we were off during the week of the snow as it meant we didn’t lose anymore school days from school closures. We have reviewed our closure procedures and now have comprehensive procedures and recording mechanisms in place for (a) normal school closure - where we can call all parents individually and (b) exceptional school closure - where we have no phone lines. It is very unusual to have to close a school and we have had an unfortunate run resulting in a number of closures. We have reviewed and learnt from our mistakes and would be happy to hear from any parent/carer with views on the following procedures.
Normal closure
We have a system in place where every parent would receive a phone call home to inform them that the school had been instructed to close. Children would not be allowed out of school until collected or a phone call from their parent authorising them to leave. Detailed paperwork would be kept, detailing who had collected your child or where they were instructed to walk to.
Exceptional closure
If we are instructed to close the school and there are no telephone lines available then children will be asked if they have a responsible adult/family member at a home in Prestonpans and children who require telephone calls.
Children would then be escorted to the adult’s house and only allowed to leave the member of staff when they were handed over to the responsible adult. We would record where your child had been placed and as soon as phone lines were back in action we would contact all parents and inform them.
If your child did not have a place of safety to go to we would contact you by the school mobile phone. This will be a slow process. Children will then be released to a place of safety under your instruction. Detailed paperwork and records of where children have been placed would be kept at all times.
Both policies and paperwork are available to be viewed in the office.
Staff
Our congratulations go to Mrs Parkin on the safe arrival of her baby boy. He arrived last week at over 10lbs!!. We welcome Michael Eagon onto our staff. He will be working alongside Mrs Hunter in P6 for the next 10 weeks.
Preparations are underway for Miss Russell’s replacement for her maternity leave to be appointed. We will be interviewing on Monday 23rd March and hope to let you know who her replacement will be before the Easter break.
Photographs Tempest
The photographer will return to take P7 class photographs on Tuesday 17th March. She will also do a mop up of individuals who were off during her last visit. We hope you enjoy your child’s photograph which was sent home yesterday.
Mobile Phones
We do not encourage mobile phones to be brought into school. If it is absolutely essential for your child to have a mobile phone in school we can take no responsibility for it being lost or stolen. Mobile phones brought into school must be switched off during school hours.
Parent/Carer consultations
Thank you so much for attending last week’s meetings. It was lovely to see so many of you and catch up on how the children are progressing. The school continues to make good progress and we have recently had our evaluation visit from Mrs Wishart, Quality Improvement officer. She was highly complimentary and could see the progress in and around the school. Thank you also for purchasing books at the book fair. We were able to purchase 6 new books for each class library and a set of new novels.
Moving on.
Building work is coming on and we can’t wait to get our newly refurbished wing. We have to pack up the P 4/5 area and move it all into the new wing before the Easter Break! We plan to move the classes week beginning Monday 30th March and would be grateful for any help the week before or during that week. An hour or two would be most useful.
WOOSH!
This term P6 have the opportunity to learn new digital photography skills. The group benefits from the expert’s input as well as Mrs Rollo’s expertise. A big thank you to Mrs Rollo for organising these sessions
Class organisation.
The class organisation for next session will shortly be agreed with staff and we hope to have a smooth transition for all.
Musical tuition.
Guitar tuition will be aptitude tested shortly to identify children who may be eligible to receive free music lessons. Piano tuition will re-commence after the Easter break.
Red Nose day.
As the P7s will be away at school camp next week our Pupil Council will be running their red nose activities on Friday 20th March. More details to follow.
Students galore.
We have recently said farewell to our 5 students who have been working alongside us in Primary 4 and 5. All students could not have been more complimentary about the school and allowed all the children to benefit from additional assistance. The children enjoyed having the students and we wish them well.
Community Centre
After continuing concerns regarding the choice of food at the Community Centre and the resulting behaviour from such high sugar intake, we have decided to phase out the children being allowed to the community centre during the lunch break. Presently only P6 and 7 are allowed to visit the centre but next session only P7 will be allowed with no one the following year. There are Health and Safety risks regarding the children leaving the school premises and I would remind parents that permission notes must be given on a daily basis before children can leave the premises.
Well Done:
P 4/5 Powwow
Congratulations to P 4/5 and their fantastic Arts Project Pow Wow. They represented the school well and their behaviour and attitude was positively commented upon both by the Arts teacher and the Head Teacher at Elphinstone where they visited to share what they had made and learnt. A big thank you to Mr Whitfield for organising this event.
Judo
Following on from successful taster sessions Destination Judo are running courses in the Community Centre on a Wednesday night.
Cheerleading.
We have our own club now after successful taster sessions for Cheerleading. It was great to see both girls and boys enjoying co-ordinated routines. Club details have been issued and more information available in school.
BBC Report
The Primary 7 pupils have been out and about visiting the BBC offices in Edinburgh. They are now gearing up to their News Day on the 26th March. Special thanks to Mr Boothman for being our mentor on this project. More details to follow
See it Bee it
Details of the animation project carried out by the Primary 4 classes are contained on the school website under Mrs Rollo’s class post of P4J.
P7 visit the Risk Factory.
P7 children had an exciting day at the Royal Highland showground. They had a series of Health and Safety tests to work through and participated extremely well.
Athletics
Our talented P4 showed their physical abilities at the Athletics competition at Meadowmill. All represented the school extremely well.
Basketball Festival
We would like to thank Miss Budge for running the basketball after school club. This term she took her team to the cluster basketball festival where the children had a thoroughly enjoyable morning.
Headlice
EVERYONE should check hair weekly to stop re-infection happening again and again.
Newsletter: November/December 2008 November 26, 2008
Posted by j-bar03 in : News , add a commentDear Parents/Carers
The year is running away from me with only 5 weeks of school term left! The preparations are underway for Christmas and there is a detailed list of activities below. Its been a busy term as always and many thanks to all the parents who have helped out in school, been on trips and run the pumpkin carving workshop. The children always benefit from more adults being in school. Can you give up a few hours. Let us know.
Christmas Raffle Books November 17, 2008
Posted by j-bar03 in : News , add a comment
Each child in the school will get issued with one book of raffle tickets. Each book contains 10 tickets costing 50p each, i.e, £5 per book.
The Parent Council would be grateful if you could send back any sold/unsold raffle books with monies in a sealed envelope.
If you would like any more books please put a note in the envelope and your child will be issued with another one.
Prizes:
iPod Nano, Children’s Bikes, Hamper.
The raffle will be drawn on Friday 12th December and all proceeds from the raffle will be used to purchase sports equipment for the new gym hall.