Happy New Year to all of our families.  We are looking forward to welcoming the children back tomorrow.
We hope that you have had a happy and healthy festive preiod and are ready to work hard in the new term.

We have a number of updates which we would like to highlight:
We would appreciate your help with the following as both our clerical staff are absent unwell and we will have limited capacity to cover the office during the school day.

1. ​​​​​​​Let the school know before 9:30 if your child will be absent from school.  It would also be helpful that any reported absences cameto the school email address: eaLoanhead.PS@eastayrshire.org.uk
2. Reminded the children that it is important to bring a jumper/cardigan as well as a waterproof jacket every day.  (Windows are kept open in classrooms to aid ventilation and we do not want them to feel cold.  Layers are the best way to keep warm)
3. Ensure the children know who is picking them up from school before they come to school in the morning.

Due to what has been delivered to the kitchen please note that some changes to choices have been necessary.  These are:

• Thursday – instead of roast pork it will be roast turkey
• Friday – instead of a cheese panini it will be a cheese toastie

Roadworks – There will be road works starting on Victoria Bridge beginning on the 10th of January for an initial 8 weeks.  This may impact the roads around the school and the ease of travel from Queens drive through the traffic lights passing the Wellbeck chip shop and on the road crossing near that.  We would encourage you to walk to school or park and stride (park a few streets away and walk in to the school) where possible to avoid congestion around the school.
Further to this we will be asking the children from P5, 6 and 7 to enter and exit the school grounds carefully from the pedestrian gate on Loanhead Street as of Monday 10th January.  Please speak with your senior school children about safely using the pavement next to the school car park when making their way out of school.  This will not be a change for P7 but will be for P5 & 6.  P3 & 4 children will now exit the main gate on Dick Road and P1 & 2 will exit the gate next to the PEACE building as normal. This will potentially reduce the number of parents waiting on Dick Road and therefore allow for more space between adults and allowing the children to stay on the pavement. Please note this will start on the 10th January when we have been back to school and spoken to the children about this.

We are returning with 9 staff across the whole establishment (in a variety of roles) who are unwell and absent from work.  This may impact the teacher/support your child will have, however we are currently in a very fortunate position of being able to cover all classes from the ECC through to P7 either with a familiar teacher or Early Years Practitioner as appropriate.

Please be reassured that I will continue with our contigency plans to ensure the children and staff are able to attend school with appropriate mitigations, risk assements and cleaning all in place for the safety and health of all.

Thank you all for your continued support.
Amanda Milne
Head Teacher

Please find below the letter of invite to the virtual meeting on Tuesday 7th December from Kilmarnock Academy.  The children have already enjoyed visits from Mr Rose, Mrs Wallace, and staff from both modern languages and social studies.

P7 Virtual Parents Evening