XMPC Minutes 16th November 2020

 

 

Crossmichael Parent Council Meeting

Monday 16^th November 2020 7pm via Zoom

1. Attendees: Mary Lidstone-Scott (Head Teacher), Gilli Hodson (Chair), Shani McMiken (Treasurer), Debs Nelson (Secretary), Kim Glover, Sarah Cooper, Heidi Gunther, Zara Gell, Jackie & Derek Kernahan.

 

2. Apologies: Emma McCracken, Lucy Wilson, Lindsay Smith, Rachael Mair.

 

3. Minutes of last meeting: From 5^th October Agreed as correct record of the meeting. Proposed – Shani McMiken, Seconded – Gilli Hodson.

 

 

4. Matters Arising:
   1. Grace & Favour places on transport – now all granted and working well. Thanks to the school for communicating about this.
   2. Pupil Groups and Pupil Council – not yet re-instated as it is very difficult to form a group with respresentation from across the school while the classes are not allowed to mix.
   3. Community Woodland – a repeat request from Crossmichael Community Council (CCC) for help from all families associated with the school to help with maintaining the community woodland and/or lending equipment for maintenance of the newly renovated community woodland, especially around the picnic areas.

 

5. Chairpersons Report

Hope everyone enjoyed the October break, Thanks to Sarah for the Halloween Scramble fun activity for the holidays. Thanks also to Mary and the whole team at school for keeping up with all the changing guidance, the implications of such on school arrangements and for supporting the children, keeping them safe and settled. Teatowel fundraiser now underway – more on that later.

D&G Parent Council Forum meeting on Zoom on Weds night if anyone can attend to represent Crossmichael, please contact Gilli for the meeting details – there will be a speaker detailing the investment from D&G Council in ITC.

 

6. Treasurers Report

Opening Balance – £11,369.13 (including reserve funds from Blackcraigs)

Income – Donation £55, Halloween Scramble – £155, Teatowels – £715 so far, more to be collected

Expenditure – First news Subscription – £202.83

Closing Balance – £12,091.30

Internet banking now up and running which is great.

 

7. Headteachers Report

New enrolments – 3 new at Crossmichael – so now 87 pupils

Gelston – 40 now with new starts throughout last term

 

Events have been enjoyed by the children – Halloween afternoon including themed games and activities and a yummy lunch

Bonfire night – firework safety including a talk provided by the Fire Service

Remembrance day – 2m silence and bugle in the playground

P6/7 took poems they had written to the war memorial, other classes painted stones

Health & Safety Updates – see blog for up to date details every week – face coverings being well accepted, in winter-time the likelihood of positive cases in school is increased so a whole class may need to isolate. To reduce the chance of more than one class needing to isolate, cross-over of pupils is being minimised  – with time in the playground and lunch being within class/year groups. In the dining hall classes sit separately and tables are wiped down between groups. Learning assistants are not going into the classrooms themselves to collect the children they are working with, so as to minimise the number of children having contact with them each day. Indoor PE now allowed, with some equipment and activity rules in place which should help with the seasonal weather now.

CD High School have appointed a Stewartry Cluster Covid recovery teacher. Block of a few weeks in each of the school – 3 weeks from government funding – resilience HWB.

Managing expectations – Trying hard to make people feel safe, staff and pupils are following protective measures really well. Recovery curriculum continues at present and although we still have a school improvement plan, it is not a key focus at the moment. Staff continue to be committed to literacy and numeracy, HWB, emotional and mental health. The children have settled in well and taken back by how well they were doing. As time goes on the reality of impact on anxiety levels, senior management have put in place management strategies and referrals also made to agencies out with the school as part of the pupil individual plans.

 

Mrs Clifton working at Gelston for few weeks – back to XM in Feb. Settled at XM with staffing. Gelston Principal Teacher on long term absence, hopefully will return soon. Mrs Lidstone-Scott now needs to spend more time there. Increased time for individual learning plans for Mrs L-S and Support for Learning Teacher.

 

Outdoor learning shelter is fabulous, amazing!  Thank you for applying for the funding yet again. LA Mrs Cowan has worked with the children repainting wooden birds and butterflies that were found in one of the sheds, and they look great.

 

ITC Equipment – updating in D&G for better connectivity and Windows 10 and devices to link in with school. Internet to link in Portakabin – existing laptops are not linking to network properly. Funding for laptops would be wonderful, so if anyone can think of applications for funding to buy new technology that would be great.

 

Parent consultations – via email at the moment due to ongoing restrictions and for more information parents will reply to the teacher by email

 

Christmas – staff meeting this week about plans to keep Christmas as magical as usual, given the different situation this year things will not happen as they usually do but alternative ways will be found and the excitement and fun will be there for the children.

 

8. Fundraising

Thanks to Sarah for the anagrams, amazing total (£155) for a fun activity.

Friday was the deadline for orders for Teatowels – need all orders in by Thursday this week – 19^th at the very latest – Shani will collect last few orders once quarantined.

 

9. Update on Outdoor Learning Shelter – Building is now finished and looks brilliant. Path is now the next step for the development and Shani had applied to the CCC for £500 donation towards the path development and they have asked for more details about the path route and materials. Mary and Kim to liaise with Shani regarding the position of the gate and path and we need to clarify with the CCC plans to maintain the route proposed with the bridge as it currently is not suitable. Clip on the door, no lock. Plan for the shelter to be locked during the time and the bookings can be made for community use and events for the whole village but it won’t routinely stand open. Padlock with a code to be purchased by school and put in place asap.

 

10. Update on Safer Routes to school – Lindsey has written to Peter McCormick. Heard back from him that he will look into it but no word as yet – Gilli to discuss with Lindsay.

 

 

11. ITC – Wifi – Parent Council are happy to support in any way needed if resolution to connectivity issues in the portakabin are not being addressed

Funding re ITC equipment – Mary has contacted the council, but all to keep eyes and ears open for funding routes

 

12. Christmas – Online/streamed panto is an option, would need booked for a certain date, funding for the panto, glen urr icecream/snacks from Parent Council and plan to have Christmas themed clothing on same day. Food bank donations instead of Christmas cards as cannot be passed around the classes as usual – DN to speak with Nicola. Zara to look at Christmas in booker and Zara able to wrap things if required

Christmas meal in school – still have and keep same class group and have crackers etc with each other – Gilli and Zara to look at crackers too

Plans for Christmas are still in development, with covid safe practices and will be shared with the school community probably via video, understandably, to keep everyone safe

 

13. AOB – paying online for school meals – still not possible but council report laptops for kitchen teams in new year, Zara offered help in any way if required

 

Meeting re School Meals – some other local primary schools are meeting with the council regarding the decrease in quality of ingredients used and the impact this is having on uptake of school meals has gone down. New branding for catering will be discussed, as will staff morale and waste. We are unaware of issues at our schools but Shani to contact Wilma to discuss and Mary will discuss with Clare at Gelston. Meeting 1.30pm on Thursday if anyone can attend on our behalf once we hear the staff’s views and feedback.

 

Parton Photo Competition – celebrating the life and work of James Clerk Maxwell who is buried in Parton. Two age categories, details in newsletter last week. Closing date 5^th December– outdoor exhibition in Parton over winter months. For more information contact………….

 

Solway orienteering on 25^th November – free entry for anyone local, link to go onto blog for parents and children to attend.

 

14. Date of Next Meeting –February 1^st