{"id":122,"date":"2022-02-22T15:59:58","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T15:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/crossmichaelpc\/?p=122"},"modified":"2022-02-22T15:59:58","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T15:59:58","slug":"minutes-of-parent-council-meeting-15-02-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/crossmichaelpc\/2022\/02\/22\/minutes-of-parent-council-meeting-15-02-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Minutes of Parent Council Meeting – 15.02.2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

Crossmichael Primary Parent Council Meeting 15\/2\/22 7-7.35pm. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Attendees:<\/strong> Ben Wild, Chairperson, Shani McMicken, Treasurer, Sarah Cooper, secretary, Mary Cruickshanks, Headteacher, Jackie and Dereck Carnochan, Hannah Green, Amber Dunlop-Pajo, Louise.<\/p>\n

Apologies:<\/strong> Debs Nelson, Natalie Richards.<\/p>\n

Minutes of last meeting:<\/strong> proposed by Ben and seconded by Shani<\/p>\n

Chairperson\u2019s report:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Online parent council meetings to continue until more advice<\/p>\n

D&G parent council meeting coming up if anyone would like to go ask Ben for details. Feedback from this forum on what is happening in parent councils across the region similar to what we are doing: online meetings, representing parents views, fundraising, involvement in school direction and values.<\/p>\n

Treasures report:<\/p>\n

Opening balance \u00a31751.21<\/p>\n

Income: \u00a376 Halloween Quiz, \u00a3180.20 D&G council (payment from last year), \u00a3177.60 D&G council<\/p>\n

Expenditure: \u00a347.26 Halloween party, \u00a3132.50 and \u00a353.45 for Christmas parties, crackers and presents, \u00a3176.47 Lockerbie Manor Bus<\/p>\n

Closing balance \u00a31773.33<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Headteachers report:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Updates<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Approaching Christmas, the number of confirmed cases was increasing but we were still able to enjoy Christmas parties and our Christmas dinner.\u00a0\u00a0 We wish to thank the Parent Council for donating tubes of sweets to the children and for paying for Christmas crackers and party prizes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our pupils across the partnership schools created a \u2018Christmas Around the World\u2019 performance that was shared with parents via a link to the recording.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

School re-opened as normal on Friday 7th<\/sup> January.\u00a0 By the middle of the month, Gelston Primary was impacted by an increase in positive cases.\u00a0 Luckily, the school did not have to send any classes home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By the start of February, pupils and staff at Crossmichael Primary began to test positive and several classes were sent home for a few days as we struggled with staff shortages.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On Thursday 10th<\/sup> February, 9 members of staff were absent and supply staff were in high demand so it was not always possible to find cover for teachers or Learning Assistants.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pupils continue to engage in instrumental tuition lessons via computer \u2013 guitar, saxophone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Active Schools have been running lunch clubs and are scheduled to work with some classes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Feis Rois have been working with our P2-4 children completing a programme on body percussion, jigs and reels.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lockerbie Manor re-Scheduled<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Over a third of pupils across the partnership had Covid and would have missed out on the trip to Lockerbie Manor so we arranged for the trip to be re-scheduled from 7th<\/sup>-9th<\/sup> February to 2nd<\/sup>-4th<\/sup> March.\u00a0 Although we are unable to attend with Lochruttn, Hardgate and Springholm there are plans for us to engage in transition activities later in the year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Staffing<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

In Term 2, Mrs Marscheider became Acting Principal Teacher (PT) at Gelston from Mondays-Thursdays to cover Miss Reid\u2019s absence.\u00a0 She continued to teach P1\/2 at Crossmichael each Friday.\u00a0 Miss Holman taught the children on Fridays.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In January, Miss Reid returned to Gelston but Mrs Maxwell had retired leaving a vacancy for a PT every Friday.\u00a0 For the first half of Term 3, Mrs Marscheider taught P1\/2 for four days and was Acting PT at Gelston on a Friday.\u00a0 Miss Holman taught P1\/2 Monday-Thursday.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This week, Mrs Marscheider has agreed to return to teaching P1\/2 at Crossmichael on a full-time basis.\u00a0 It is hoped that this will give more continuity for pupils.\u00a0 We thank Miss Holman for teaching P1\/2 and wish her well as she swaps to teach P4-7 at Gelston each Friday.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I have taken the decision not to appoint a PT at Gelston on a Friday for the rest of this session.\u00a0 There are several reasons for this.\u00a0 Firstly, the recruitment process would involve offering the position to an existing teacher within our partnership schools which would cause further upheaval to classes.\u00a0 If no one was interested\/ suitable then we would need to advertise externally.\u00a0 This process would take several weeks and would mean the P4-7 class at Gelston having a supply teacher for that time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One permanent supply teacher was appointed to the Stewartry Cluster schools \u2013 Dalbeattie, Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright.\u00a0 We have allocated Miss Ross a Cluster each day and then timetabled her within those schools over the weeks until July 2021.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Snapshot of Attainment Data for D&G Council<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

On 11th<\/sup> February, D&G Council asked us to submit data to show which pupils were on track\/ not on track to achieve their expected Curriculum for Excellence Levels by June 2021.\u00a0 The national expectation is:<\/p>\n