Dear Family and Friends of Crossmichael and Gelston Primary Schools,

 

I hope that you are well. Over the last week we have made some progress in thinking about what the return to school may look like for our pupils but there are still several issues requiring clarity.  I will continue to keep you updated.

 

 

 

Staffing in August

We are still working through a number of vacancies across the partnership schools.

 

At Gelston, we are delighted to announce that Miss Scott is expecting a baby in October.  We wish her and her family well.  Due to the current circumstances it is unlikely that she will physically return to the building, but she will continue to prepare work from home until her Maternity Leave commences.  I am delighted to announce that we are welcoming Miss Nicole Drummond to the partnership as a full time, permanent member of staff.  She will teach P1-3 in Gelston next year.

 

I am also pleased to announce that Mrs Stevens will be increasing her contract to five days a week on a full time, permanent basis.  She will be based in Crossmichael next session.

 

We are advertising a full time, temporary vacancy for the 4^th teacher Crossmichael and I hope to conduct interviews before the end of June.

 

Congratulations to Miss Campbell (Clerical Assistant at Crossmichael) who is expecting a baby in September.  Lovely news!  This temporary Maternity cover post of 16.5 hours is now advertised.

 

 

 

Classes in August

In August 2020, our classes are going to be:

 

Crossmichael  (Roll = 83 pupils)

P1/2 = Vacancy (currently advertised)

P2-4 = Mrs Burton (4 days) and Vacancy (1 day)

P4/5 = Mrs Glover

P6/7 = Mrs Stevens

 

Gelston  (Roll = 37 pupil)

P1-3 = Miss Drummond / Miss Scott (from home until Maternity Leave commences)

P4-7 = Miss Reid and Mrs Maxwell

 

(I will be contacting parents/carers who have children in P2 and P4 at Crossmichael to discuss classes.)  It is worth noting that it may be some time before children attend their normal registration classes and I will explain this further when I provide an update on the re-opening of schools.

 

 

 

An Update on the Re-Opening of Schools

I completed a walk around of the school buildings on Friday along with three people – H&S, Property Services and Clerk of Works.  They were looking at the layout of the building and have put up signage and cordoned off areas to ensure we are following social distancing guidelines.

 

It is now possible for staff to return where necessary to carry out risk assessments in their own rooms and in communal areas.  One of our priorities is in looking at the capacity of our classrooms.

 

It will not be possible or prudent to enable all pupils to return to school each day.  We are looking at a mixture of learning in school and learning at home.  Unfortunately, I am unable to state what this will look like and await confirmation from the Local Authority.

 

We need to maximise the number of pupils who can attend school each day whilst maintaining social distancing.  We are also aware that it makes sense for siblings to attend on the same days.

 

We envisage that each classroom will contain a group of approximately 10+ pupils.  Each group will contain a mixture of pupils from different classes and siblings will be together.  Your child may not be taught by their class teacher until things return to normal.

 

In terms of learning, we are aware that our children will need time to adjust to being back in school again and that there is now a new ‘normal’ for them to get used to.  They will need time to reconnect and socialise in new groupings.  Once they are feeling more comfortable, we will begin learning through a topic-based approach.  This will enable all learners to be appropriately challenged based on their own needs and will make the planning of learning and teaching more manageable.  Once things become a bit more settled then we can begin targeting individual pupils to reduce the attainment gap in Literacy and Numeracy.

 

Our teachers will not have the capacity to teach in schools and prepare materials for home at the same time, so we are trying to find a solution together.  It is likely that your children could complete some follow-up activities based on their ‘topic’ at home.  Also, Education Scotland have produced resources to support learning from home.

 

It is understandable that we have many questions but until I receive clarity from the Local Authority it would not be helpful to speculate.

 

 

 

Parent Council Meeting

Crossmichael Parent Council are meeting at 7pm tonight (Monday 8^th June)  via the ZOOM app.  Please email crossmichaelparentcouncil@gmail.com to request a user ID and password.  You can also forward any questions that you have about the reopening of schools prior to the meeting.  The agenda will be:

1. Apologies
2. Attendees
3. Approval of minutes of previous meeting
4. Matters arising
5. Chairperson’s Report
6. Headteacher’s Report
7. Treasurer’s Report
8. Arrangements for P7 Leavers and Leavers’ Assembly
9. Members of staff who are leaving
10. Crossmichael Community Rainbow Snake
11. Update on portacabin
12. Update on return to school
13. AOB
14. Date of next meeting

 

 

Gelston Parent Council are meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 9^th June) via the ZOOM app.  Please contact Mrs Abby Tuchewicz by emailing gelstonprimaryschoolparentcouncil@outlook.com to request a user ID and password.  Please send us any questions that you have about the reopening of schools prior to the meeting.  The agenda will be:

1. Attendees
2. Approval of minutes from previous meeting
3. Chairperson’s Report (including thanking P7 parents)
4. Headteacher’s Report
5. Treasurer’s Report
6. An Update on the Return to School
7. P1 and P7 Transition Arrangements
8. AOCB

 

Support for Parents

You will find further information for parents. including links to surveys, here:

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/dg/crossmichaelpc/2020/06/08/information-for-parents-and-links-to-surveys-08-06-2020/

 

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/dg/gelstonpc/2020/06/08/information-for-parents-and-links-to-surveys-08-06-2020/

 

 

 

End of Year Pupil Progress Reports

At the end of June, we will be sending you an electronic copy of your child’s school report.

 

 

 

Transition

We hope that our new Primary 1 pupils will have the opportunity to visit their school prior to the summer holidays for a tour of the building.  Where possible, pupils will meet their teacher.

 

We will be recording a P7 Leavers Assembly and will upload it to the Blog in the last week of term.  Our P7s are preparing short video clips of their leavers’ speeches to be included in the assembly.  I also have gifts to present to pupils on their doorsteps.  This is not the way that we had hoped to mark the end of their time at Primary School but we are so proud of our children and want to mark the occasion.

 

Online transition has begun with Castle Douglas High School and P7 children are now able to talk to their new classmates via Microsoft Teams.

 

Please contact me if you wish to discuss anything further.

 

Best wishes,
Mary E Lidstone-Scott
Headteacher

Dear Family and Friends of Crossmichael and Gelston Primary Schools,

 

I hope this newsletter finds you well and that you were able to enjoy meeting up family and friends in the sunshine at the weekend.  Whilst the lockdown restrictions begin to gradually lift, we must still remember that things will not go back to normal for some time.

 

Update on the Reopening of Schools

Last Thursday, you may be aware that the Scottish Government published guidance on reopening schools.  This document aims to clarify how schools can be reopened safely, and in a phased way, whilst still maintaining some consistency across Scotland.  There are many questions that we need to work through to ensure that pupils can return as soon as it is safe to do so.

I have included the document here for your information:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-re-opening-schools-guide/pages/overview/

 

On Friday, I am meeting with Health and Safety representatives, the property team and trade union representatives to carry out extensive risk assessments at both Crossmichael and Gelston Primary Schools.  Once this has been completed, I will be able to open the school to staff, following social distancing rules and risk assessment requirements.  This means that schools will be open for staff from 8^th June on a carefully planned and managed basis.  National advice remains that it is safer to work from home where possible.

 

The Local Authority is preparing a Local Phasing Delivery Plan which will outline local plans regarding the reopening of schools.  The first step for this is to prepare for the reopening of school buildings throughout June.

 

I understand that we all have many questions about the expectations throughout June and the reopening of schools in August.  The Local Authority will work together with our school community to ensure a smooth transition for all pupils.

 

I would recommend that you send any questions to our Parent Council via email.  The email addresses for each are:

crossmichaelparentcouncil@gmail.com

gelstonprimaryschoolparentcouncil@outlook.com

Crossmichael Parent Council are meeting on Monday 8^th June at 7pm using the ZOOM app.

Gelston Parent Council are meeting on Tuesday 9^th June at 7pm via the ZOOM app.

 

P7- S1 Transition Arrangements

We will be publishing a pre-recorded assembly for our P7 leavers.  This will include a short speech from each P7 pupil and input from staff.  I will present each child with their gift on their doorstep whilst maintaining a safe distance.   I have included information about the transition to Castle Douglas High School on our partnership schools blog.

 

N- P1 Transition Arrangements

Ideally, I would like our new P1s to have the opportunity to visit the school before the summer holidays.  I will be in contact with parents as soon as I know if this is possible.  I will be sending out P1 packs to parents and will encourage them to read information on our school website.  We have not yet set up a ‘buddy’ system as we are unsure of how this would work remotely.

 

Staffing and Classes

I am still awaiting confirmation of our staffing in August.  We have several vacancies across the partnership schools.

When pupils return, it will be on a phased basis and they are likely to have some time in school and some time learning from home.  This is referred to as ‘blended learning’.

Pupils will not necessarily be attending classes along with peers from their own class.  We will need to consider accommodating siblings on the same days to make this manageable for our families.  This will also make it easier for us to maximise the amount of children that we can safely have in the building in order to receive teaching input.

 

I thank you for your patience and understanding as we try to find the safest and most effective way of reopening our schools.  Please contact your Parent Council with any questions in advance of the meetings happening next week.  The Local Authority will be consulting with us as they develop their Local Phasing Delivery Plan.

 

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Dear Family and Friends of Gelston Primary School,

 

Keeping in Touch

I hope this newsletter finds you well.  Thank you for encouraging your children to complete the ‘Pupil Health and Wellbeing Survey’ by Friday of each week.   This is very useful for us because we can quickly see how children are getting on and we can identify pupils and families who need our help.

Last week, 73 / 120 pupils completed the survey and we contacted several families to ensure that you are being supported.  I hope that you are finding this useful.

All parents/ guardians have been emailed the link for this week and older pupils will receive it via their own email addresses.  Please encourage your child(ren) to complete the survey.

 

A National Update on the Re-opening of Schools

The First Minister has announced, that the Scottish Government is currently planning for the reopening of Scottish schools on 11th August 2020.

The route map document can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-framework-decision-making-scotlands-route-map-through-out-crisis/ 

This document provides information about the re-opening of schools and Early Learning and Childcare: https://www.gov.scot/publications/excellent-equity-during-covid-19-pandemic-strategic-framework-reopening-schools-early-learning-childcare-provision-scotland/

We understand that this will be an anxious and uncertain time for many people, including parents and carers. For that reason the Scottish Government have produced a Q&A document to support parents and carers at this time.  This document covers some of the key questions that parents will have with regard to the safe reopening of schools and ELC settings.  This information has been published on the Scottish Government’s Parent Club website and can be accessed here:  www.parentclub.scot/easing-restrictions-in-scotland

 

I will keep you informed of any further updates.  Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

 

Best wishes,
Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

Headteachers across Dumfries and Galloway met online this morning with the Director to progress plans for children and young people to return to school after the summer holiday. The First Minister announced yesterday that it is expected that pupils will return to school on 11 August with measures in place to keep children and staff a safe distance from each other and make sure everything is kept clean and hygienic, so that children can return safely. The national information from Parent Club is available https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/reopening-schools.  Locally, there will soon be a Dumfries and Galloway webinar about our Local Authority plans for schools and nurseries– we will share this with parents when we have the details.

However, while the schools are reopening, they won’t be going back to the way they were before. The reason for this is to make sure that children and staff are in as safe an environment as possible.  This is likely to mean that not all children can be in school building at the same time – we will balance this with learning outside and at home.  This might mean that pupils will take it in turns to go into school for a few days or a week, and then learn at home for the rest of the time. Pupils will start to spend more time in school as soon as it’s safe to do so.  At the moment we are planning what this blend of school and home learning will look like, taking account of the needs of pupils and families, as well as practical arrangements like cleaning and transport.

We will be preparing a list of Frequently Asked Questions which we will put on our school website and I will share more detail as soon as I have more information available.  Until then, we will still be learning with you at home – keep in touch with me and your child’s teacher to make sure you and your child have the help they need.

Keep safe and well.

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Keeping in Touch

Learning at Home

As the school closures continue I understand that parents/ guardians are anxious that their children are going to ‘fall behind’ academically.  Please let me reassure you that we will be able to support your child in closing the gap in their attainment when they return to school.  I know that this will not be a ‘quick fix’ but we will do this and your child will continue to make good progress.  The increase in our attainment levels over the last 12 months shows that we can do this!  In the meantime, we are in contact with families and we are trying our best to put small, manageable programmes of work in place for those individuals with additional support needs.

I meet regularly with staff and we discuss how best to support your child at home without overwhelming you.  Feedback from families is varied with some families asking for more online activities and others struggling to get their child to engage with any of them.  We need to get the balance correct.  I would like to reassure you that the advice from Scottish Government is that we are not ‘home schooling’ our children.  We are trying to encourage our children to ‘engage in learning’ – whatever that may look like.  It will be useful for your child to access some of the materials prepared by the school because each is set at your child’s curricular level and it is there for you.  Please keep in touch with your child’s teacher by email and they will advise you and support you.

Some families are finding it difficult to navigate through pupil activities and many are printing off all activities because of this.  This is costly and unnecessary.  I have had a discussion with teachers and we are trying to minimise the activities that require ‘printing’.  (Often the PowerPoints are to be accessed on screen and it is not necessary to print them.  Most of the activities can be done using a pencil and paper too.)  Please get in touch with your child’s teacher via email if you are having difficulty in accessing materials online.

Some parents/ guardians have told us that they are spending a significant amount of money on ink cartridges and other materials for their child to learn at home.  I have offered to provide packs with jotters, paper and pencils in them that can be collected from the school.  I believe that it is the cost of ink that is causing the largest expense.  Therefore, I will be raising this at the next Primary Headteachers Strategy Group meeting to see if it is possible to find a way to support you with these costs.  In the meantime, please limit the amount that you print off and do not print in colour.

CONNECT (Scottish Parent Teacher Council) Information Sessions

Connect is hosting two online sessions with Enquire, Scotland’s advice service for additional support for learning, on Thursday 21 May. Parents are invited to share their experiences and ask questions. Places are free, booking is essential. You can choose from 2 sessions, 2-3pm and 8-9pm.  Please see below.

Connect is also hosting a FREE online information session for parents on Tuesday 26th May.  It is titled, “Q&A with Skills Development Scotland Next steps: young people’s options for education, work and training.”  Please see the link below.

Please continue to stay at home and stay safe.  I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Dear Families and Friends of Gelston Primary School,

Keeping in Touch

Good afternoon.  I hope that you are safe and well.  Once again, thank you for keeping in touch with us via email, telephone or class Facebook pages.

One of my responsibilities is to provide safeguarding for all pupils.  This can be challenging when staff are not seeing children every day.  Therefore, I have created a short and simple Microsoft Form questionnaire for pupils to complete.  It will tell me how your child is feeling, how they are getting on with learning activities at home, if they have done any exercise,  if they need a member of staff to contact them, and enables them to add any other comments about life during lockdown.

A weekly link to this questionnaire will be emailed to all parents.  I would appreciate it if parent/ guardians of pupils in P1-3 could complete it for each child by 3pm on Friday.  Pupils in P4-7 will be able to access the link to the questionnaire via their GLOW emails and should be able to complete it themselves.

 

Access to Internet and Devices

I enjoyed delivering Chromebooks to those families who said that they were having issues connecting to the Internet or had a limited number of devices at home.  I hope this has been helpful.  We are very grateful to the Drax Group for purchasing the seven laptops for our schools.

 

Dumfries and Galloway Council – COVID-19 Website

Dumfries and Galloway Council have created an updated COVID-19 information page that can be accessed here:

https://supportdg.dumgal.gov.uk/

There is a tab specifically for Schools and Childcare.

 

NHS Support for All

The NHS have a website dedicated to mental health and wellbeing and coronavirus.  There are also a number of resources available to support you in talking to your child about Coronavirus.  I have also attached resources to support you with mental health and domestic abuse.  Please find these resources below.  I will upload them to the Partnership Schools website.

https://www.nhsdg.co.uk/mental-health-and-wellbeing-and-coronavirus/

COVID-19 Resource Pack Unders – It’s ok to worry about coronavirus How to Talk to Children about COVID

 

Transition Arrangements

Normally, in May,  parents/ guardians of non-catchment pupils would receive a letter informing them if their child has been granted a space in their non-catchment school.  Parents/ Guardians of catchment pupils do not receive a letter and are automatically granted a space if the school can accommodate them.

We usually begin the P1 transition arrangements once these letters have been received by families.  This year, things are different because of the pandemic and it is looking increasingly likely that schools may not return before the summer holidays.

Transition arrangements will have to be done differently this year.  It is my intention to make up P1 packs to send out to pupils in June.  I will also be speaking to staff to think of ways of introducing pupils to staff, the layout of the school building and each other.  I have not yet allocated buddies to our new P1 intake but this is something that we will consider in the next few weeks.

Having a Portacabin at Crossmichael will enable us to have another classroom and teacher there.  Soon, I will be meeting with John Thin to discuss staffing arrangements for the Partnership schools.  Once I have clarity on this, it will be easier to commence with transition arrangements for pupils.

We will need to consider what the return to school will look like for our pupils as we continue to maintain social distancing.  The return to school is not likely to involve all pupils returning at the same time.  We need to think about the health and safety of our school community.  We are not yet in the position to be able to provide detail on what that may look like.

Our P7-S1 transition arrangements have also changed.  It is my intention to liaise with Castle Douglas High School to have our P7 pupils return to school for their Leavers Assembly.  We plan to continue with the prize giving at this time too.  We also hope to have a ‘Leavers Meal’ at some point.  This will be dependent on advice from Scottish Government.

I would hope that P7 pupils from other schools will have an opportunity to ‘meet’ each other via GLOW groups if they are not yet able to meet in person.  I am sure that our secondary colleagues will be in touch about arrangements in the next few weeks.

 

Thanks to Our Staff

It is worth noting that several of our teaching and non-teaching staff are doing two jobs at the moment.  They are planning learning for our children whilst also volunteering to work shifts at the Emergency Childcare Hubs in Dalbeattie and Kirkcudbright.  (These Hubs are open at weekends and over school holidays.)  Many of them also have their own families to consider and are juggling work and trying to teach their own children.

Mrs Clifton has also travelled to Dumfries to collect ‘Literacy Ladders’ resources, has made up learning packs and has distributed these to the pupils whom she has been supporting with the ‘Closing the Literacy Gap’ materials.  Thank you.

Our staff have gone above and beyond what is expected of them and I would like to thank them for everything that they are doing to support us.

 

 

 

 

As always, please get in touch via email (gw08scottmary01@ea.dumgal.sch.uk) or telephone (07741 686730) if you wish to discuss anything further or if you need someone to talk to.

 

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Dear Families and Friends of Crossmichael and Gelston Primary Schools,

I hope that you are safe and well.  Thank you for continuing to keep in touch with us via email, class Facebook pages or telephone.

A Problem Shared…
In my conversations with some parents this week, some common themes have emerged so I thought I would share them with you.

“I’m not doing enough!” 

I know that some parents are finding it difficult to get their children to complete the weekly class activities for a variety of reasons.  This can be because families are sharing devices or because the connection is slow.  Sometimes families are not able to print or do not have the required resources at home.  Sometimes our children are struggling to settle into doing school work from home.  Parents are also feeling under pressure to get their own work done.

lease do not worry if your child cannot manage the weekly tasks!  The national expectation is for our children to continue to engage in learning.  This can be completing online activities set by their teacher, which are differentiated according to your child’s needs, or this can be participating in a variety of other learning situations at home.  Try to aim for 1-2 hours a day where your child ‘engages in learning’ but do what is manageable.

“What is ‘learning at home’?”

One of the main things that you can do to support your child is to teach them how to be resilient and healthy.  Your child learns from watching how you deal with situations.  Play games with them and show them that it is okay to lose!  We learn from our mistakes.  When your child is upset or angry, listen to them, cuddle them and teach them what they can do to help themselves feel better.  We are all learning to find our way through this difficult time together.

“We don’t have enough devices/ Our connection is slow.”

For those families who are having difficulty accessing online materials because of a lack of devices, I have managed to source Chromebook tablets for you.  I will contact you individually to arrange delivery.   For those who have a poor Internet connection, we are testing the dongles to ensure they work before distributing them to your home.  We are able to make up paper copies of learning packs for some children  but there can be a delay as we need to do this at Dalbeattie Learning Campus Childcare Hub.  Please let me know if you require this service because you cannot access resources online. 

 

 

“My child is missing family and friends.”

Many of you are worried about your children because they are missing their friends and family.  Last week, I uploaded a variety of resources created by our Educational Psychologists and Clinical Psychologists to support you in having difficult conversations with your child about Covid-19.  They can be found here:

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/dg/candg/advice-page-coronavirus-support/

I also explained how important it is for us to keep in touch with each other.  Some parents are arranging video calls between children.  Although teachers are not yet permitted to engage in video links with classes, I am trying to find a way around this.   This is a national decision (not just D&G) but it would be good to have the option to set up small group online meetings to share news and activities.  I will keep you posted with any updates.

 

Crossmichael Parent Council AGM – Monday 11th May at 7pm

I know that some of our pupils will be moving to Crossmichael Primary School after the summer holidays now that we have been given permission to have a Portacabin erected to accommodate all catchment pupils.  I thought that you might like to attend our AGM.

Crossmichael Primary School Parent Council is having its AGM via the ZOOM app at 7pm on Monday 11th May.   Anyone is welcome to attend.  If you wish to join us then please email our Chairperson, Gilli Hodson, by Saturday, 9th May: gallowaymusicschool@gmail.com and she will send you the link and meeting ID.

 

Please take care of yourselves.  Here are some photos of pupils from both schools.

Gallery of Crossmichael and Gelston Pupils – 4th May 2020

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone- Scott

Headteacher

Dear Parents, Carers and Families of Crossmichael and Gelston Primary Schools,

 

I hope that you are well and that you have made the most of the beautiful weather this week whilst exercising and maintaining social distancing.  We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful area.

 

I was sorry to hear about the devastation caused by the grass/ forest fires near Mossdale.  I was thinking of some of our families who live out with Laurieston area and I am glad that the fires were eventually brought under control.

 

In this newsletter, I provide advice about learning at home, information about keeping in touch, share your concerns and provide information about targeted pupil plans.

 

 

Scottish Government Publication – Learning at Home in Term 4

Last week the Scottish Government published guidance for learning at home during Term 4.  Some of the key points from the publication are:

• Key goals are in supporting wellbeing and maintaining engagement in learning.
• Approaches will vary depending on home circumstances, ages groups of children, differing levels of digital technology, etc.
• Not all learning will be done online.
• Pupil Equity Funding can be used to help support pupils who are at a disadvantage (E.g. digital devices, etc.).
• All partners in the education system will work together to support parents of pupils with additional support needs.
• Schools will be considering news ways to support learners with transitions.
• Parents and carers are not expected to home educate in the formal sense.
• Useful links for parents are ‘Parent Club Scotland’, ‘Parentzone Scotland’, The National Parent Forum for Scotland’ and ‘Enquire’.
• School staff must consider their wellbeing too.
• A variety of resources will be available nationally and locally for school staff to use.

The full publication can be found here:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/supporting-pupils-parents-teachers-learning-during-term-4/

 

 

Keeping in Touch

Please remember to keep in touch with us.  You can email your class teacher, contact me via telephone (07741 686730) or keep in touch via the class Facebook pages.

 

Older pupils should be emailing their class GLOW groups at least once every week to maintain contact with their teacher and each other.  Parents/ carers of younger children should email their teacher once a week or upload photos to the class Facebook page.

 

Each week, I will be checking in with families who have not been in touch just to make sure that you are okay and that you are able to access the various platforms to communicate.  Please remember to contact us if you are having difficulties with engaging your child in learning or if you need any other support, or a blether!  We are available during normal school opening times.

 

Some parents have arranged for video calls between friends.  This is a lovely idea and enables pupils to see each other.  Unfortunately, due to safeguarding restrictions, school staff are not yet able to host video calls with their class.  Some of our teachers have recorded short video messages for their class instead and the feedback from parents has been very positive.  We cannot underestimate the need to connect with each other.  Please keep in touch.

 

 

Parental Concerns About School Work

I have spoken to several families over the last week and everyone has expressed the same concerns.

 

Firstly, many of our younger pupils are displaying anxiety and having ‘melt downs’ when being asked to do anything associated with school.  Children cannot learn if they are feeling anxious or worried.  Please look at the resources that I have uploaded to the Partnership Schools website to support you with this.  I have found them useful as a parent.  The health and wellbeing of our children is more important than anything else.  Once they are feeling more settled then try to do activities together at their pace.

 

Secondly, many parents/ carers are feeling pressurised to home school their child(ren).  I do not expect you to teach your child in the same way as we do at school.  You already teach your child every day.  You are teaching them how to cope with uncertainty, how to build resilience and how to reduce their anxiety.  They are learning key life skills from you.

 

Thirdly, many of you are concerned that your children are not completing the work set by teachers.  Please rest assured that we do not expect pupils to complete every task, however, we would like it if pupils could aim to spend 1-2 hours a day engaging in learning.  This can be learning set by teachers or learning experienced with you.

 

Please encourage your child to contact their teacher weekly via email to let them know what they have been doing.  (Parents of younger pupils may choose to email the teacher or upload photos to the class Facebook page.)

 

 

 

Diary Dates

Friday 8th May is a non-pupil day (May Day holiday) and Friday 29th May is also a non-pupil day (Staff Inset Day).

 

 

 

Targeted Pupil Plans and Child’s Plan Meetings

Several pupils receive targeted support and have individual pupil plans.  We normally meet every 6-8 weeks to review targets on these plans.  It is my intention to continue with these meetings although targets will need revised to reflect the current situation.  I will be in touch with individual families to discuss how best to approach this whether that is by telephone, video call, via email or a combination of all three.

 

 

 

Please keep safe and as always, get in touch if required.

 

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Dear Families and Friends of Gelston Primary School,

 

At this time I would normally be writing a newsletter to welcome you back and to give you a list of diary dates for Term 4.  Although this term is not what any of us expected, I would like to thank you for your support.  We are learning to adjust to a new way of living and working.  It is not easy but I think we are doing a good job so far!  I am particularly proud of our children for coping so well under the circumstances.  Thank you.

 

Learning from Home

The class Facebook pages have proved popular with most families able to access information.  It has been lovely to see photographs of you and your children having fun and enjoying the beautiful weather whilst also following advice on social distancing.

The GLOW groups have also been well used by children and staff despite some teething problems in the beginning.  I have enjoyed looking over pupils’ work and seeing photographs of families learning new things together.  Thank you for these.  We are all learning to work in new ways and I thank you for your ongoing support.

The Council has asked me for updated details of any family who is having difficulty accessing online learning due to WiFi access/ devices so that we can support you.  Please reply to the text message I sent to you at the weekend.

 

Resources to Support Emotional Wellbeing and Welfare

Our Educational Psychologists and Clinical Psychologists have come together to produce resources to support pupils, parents and staff with our emotional wellbeing and welfare.   There are useful resources to help you support your child in managing anxiety, managing change and in coping with bereavement.  I will upload documents to our Partnership Schools Website.

One particularly good resource is a free story book written for children explaining the Coronavirus:

Coronavirus book for children Axl Schleffer

It is also worth mentioning that our Educational Psychologist and Educational Visitor telephone consultation service is available for parents, carers and staff.  Please see the poster below for details:

Telephone consultation service for staff carers parents

 

Dalbeattie Learning Campus Childcare Hub

I am fortunate to be part of the team involved in setting up and running the emergency childcare hub which moved from Castle Douglas Primary School to Dalbeattie Learning Campus at the end of last term.  I have been overwhelmed by the volume of staff who have volunteered to work in the Hub including cleaners, catering staff, facilities assistants, Learning Assistants, Early Years staff, Teachers and members of the Senior Leadership Teams in schools.  We have also had a number of volunteers from out with schools.

This Hub is available for families who have one parent/ carer who is a key worker and where all other childcare options have been exhausted.  It is also available for vulnerable children who may need childcare for a variety of reasons.

It is available seven days a week from 7am – 8pm and was open during the school holidays.  We are fortunate that parents and carers have been very sensible about using this facility and the numbers have remained relatively low.  This is vital for the safety of everyone in the Hub.

To register, please contact Dalbeattie Primary School on 01556 613130.

Children have opportunities to play and learn outside and indoors whilst being reminded to follow rules about social distancing.  There is designated time for pupils to access online learning provided by their teachers too.  Each child has access to free school meals when they attend.  It is satisfying to know that we are supporting our key workers.

 

Diary Dates

Friday 8th May is a non-pupil day (May Day holiday) and Friday 29th May is also a non-pupil day (Staff Inset Day).

 

Targeted Pupil Plans and Child’s Plan Meetings

Several pupils receive targeted support and have individual pupil plans.  We normally meet every 6-8 weeks to review targets on these plans.  It is my intention to continue with these meetings although targets will need revised to reflect the current situation.  I will be in touch with individual families to discuss how best to approach this whether that is by telephone, video call, via email or a combination of all three.

 

Keeping in Touch

Please continue to keep in touch with your child’s teacher via email or through class Facebook pages.  We are working from home.

I am available via email: gw08scottmary01@ea.dumgal.sch.uk or via telephone: 07741 686730.  I would be delighted to hear from you.

Please feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss anything further.  I will be sending you regular updates as I receive them.  Please keep safe and be kind to yourselves.

 

Warmest wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher (and Mum trying to home-school and work at the same time!)