This week is Maths Week Scotland.  Although maths is a focus for us every day in school, Maths Week Scotland helps us to be more aware of maths around us and how we use it in our daily lives.

This week your child will be taking part in maths activities outdoors.  Keep an eye on the class blogs to see what they get up to!

This year the school is also delighted to have been selected to work with the independent charity National Numeracy on an exciting project which encourages children and families to do maths together.

As part of the project, we will be introducing National Numeracy’s Family Maths scrapbooks and activities. These activities help children and families to explore everyday maths at home together. They link the maths that children are learning at school with life outside the classroom.  Your child will come home with their scrapbook this week and some activities to complete with you at home.

You don’t need any special knowledge or equipment to work on the activities. Just talking about everyday maths can help develop children’s maths confidence. You might like to take photos, draw pictures, write calculations or create diagrams in the scrapbooks – it’s up to you!

National Numeracy has provided a scrapbook for every child in the school. We encourage all families to support their children’s learning by getting involved with the activities.

Later in the year, there will also be a chance for parents and carers to attend a workshop led by National Numeracy on supporting children to develop positive attitudes towards maths. All parents and carers will also be offered access to National Numeracy’s free online learning tool for adults, the National Numeracy Challenge.  More details on this will follow soon.

Throughout this week I will be gathering your views on maths, giving helpful tips on supporting your child at home and encouraging positive mindsets to maths.  Be prepared for some cheesy quotes like these ones I have on my office door!

‘Believe in yourself.  There is no such thing as a ‘maths’ person.  Everyone can reach the levels they want, with hard word work.’

And in the words of Ed Sheeran:

Please email me with any questions you have about supporting your child at home with maths and look out for some more posts throughout the week.

Mrs Schendel

ParentPay will be unavailable from Sunday evening until Monday lunchtime. Therefore, please ensure your child’s lunch is ordered for Monday 27 September by Sunday afternoon. If you have any issues ordering your child’s lunch, please contact the school office or mary.mcdicken@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

Thank you.

‘Active Schools are looking to recruit some new volunteers to help with the delivery of sport and physical activity. Please see the poster for further details. No experience is necessary as support will be provided. If you are interested please fill in the smart survey via this link:

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Volunteer-AuchinleckCluster/

or by the QR code on the poster. Further contact will be made from there. Thank you!.’

Please click on your child’s class blog to see their Term 1 overview.  It highlights what they are learning about in each curricular area throughout this term.

Make sure to visit their class blog regularly to see great photos and reports about their learning and activities.

You’ll be amazed at how busy a school day is!

We have been notified of a positive pupil case within Catrine PS.  Please click on the links below for advice and guidance.

As always, please phone or email with any concerns or questions.

Wishing you all a lovely, relaxing long weekend.  Mrs Govans

01290 551436       judith.govans@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

FAQs for parents – return to school and ECC- 13.08.2021 – FINAL

Catrine PS 16.09.21

A reminder that both Catrine PS and Catrine ECC are closed on Friday 17th and Monday 20th September for the September holiday weekend.

I hope you all have a lovely  long weekend!  Mrs Govans

Unfortunately a Catrine PS pupil has received a positive COVID 19 PCR result. Please click on the links below to find information about how this affects your child.

To clarify – your child only needs to self isolate if they are contacted by NHS Track and Trace.

Catrine PS 14.09.21

FAQs for parents – return to school and ECC- 13.08.2021 – FINAL

We appreciate that this is a worrying time for everyone so please read through the guidance and don’t hesitate to contact the school on 01290 551436 or email judith.govans@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

Take care.  Mrs Govans

Every week each class will have two PE times, although our teachers will also make the most of lovely weather by taking their learning outdoors when they can.  We will continue with PE sessions outside until further notice.

On your child’s PE days, they should come to school wearing their school uniform on top (polo shirts, shirts, sweatshirts, school hoodies, cardigans etc) and a pair of shorts/trackies or leggings, with trainers.  This means they can take a full part in any outdoor PE activities.  Please ensure any jewellery (especially earrings) is removed before coming to school.

PE Days for Catrine PS – September 2021

Primary 1 – Tuesday and Thursday

Primary 2 – Tuesday and Friday

Primary 3 – Wednesday and Friday

Primary 4 – Monday and Thursday

Primary 5/6 – Monday and Friday

Primary 6/7 – Tuesday and Thursday

‘Active Schools are starting up Catrine Mini Kickers football sessions for P1-3 pupils in partnership with Catrine Games Hall.

Further details are on the poster and sign up is essential via this link:  https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Catrineminikickers21/

Your child has come home with another letter to be completed and returned – this time from the NHS for their flu immunisation programme.  NHS Scotland are hoping to collect the returns from Catrine PS on Thursday 2nd September so it would be great if all completed envelopes were back tomorrow or Thursday please.

Also, another online pupil permission form has been uploaded onto GLOW – see the previous post.   Please take the time to complete and submit your responses to allow your child to access digital learning technology at Catrine PS.

In summary, each child needs three paper permission forms completed and returned to school and two online permission forms completed.  I appreciate that these take time to complete but it’s EAC policy that all parents/carers provide this information for their children so your support is appreciated.

Thank you.  Mrs Govans

Throughout the school year our pupils are encouraged to use a wide range of digital learning technology to enhance the breadth of their learning.   Please complete the online form below to allow your child to use these facilities within Catrine PS this year.

During the school year we love taking photos and videos of our pupils taking part in their many activities and events to share with you on our class GLOW blogs.

Please complete the form below to allow us to take photos and videos of your child throughout session 2021/22.

Thank you.  Mrs Govans

PS – please remember to order your child’s school lunches

PPS – please remember to complete and return the two permission slips that have been sent home.   🙂

All classes (apart from P5/6 who will receive their letters on Monday) are coming home today with two important forms to be completed.

The Annual Data Check is where you let us know about any changes to addresses, telephone numbers, emergency contacts and medical issues.  It is really important that all of the above information is kept up to date for your child.

The second form is an EV5 permission slip to allow your child to participate in outdoor learning walks around our village throughout the year.   Please note that each child needs to return a completed EV5 to be permitted to go on the class walks so it would be great if they were all returned quickly so that we can make the most of the lovely weather over the next few weeks.

Have a lovely weekend.  Mrs Govans 🙂

What a wonderful first two days of Term 1 we’ve had, with our pupils starting their new classes with positivity and enthusiasm.  As for our new Primary 1 pupils – they were a wee bunch of superstars!!

A few wee things to highlight as we move into our first full week back at school …

• please remember to order your child’s lunch online via Parentpay.  Our brilliant kitchen staff, led by Catering Manager Shelagh Sloan, are also preparing lunches every day for Catrine ECC, Muirkirk PS and ECC and Ochiltree PS so they need as many dinners ordered in advance as possible to help with their planning and preparation.
• Our playground is supervised by staff from 8.45am – it would be great if no pupils were in the playground before this time.
• Every day our pupils will exit in the same format, with the younger pupils leaving first so that they can be collected by their parents/carers, freeing up the main gate/entrance for the next class of pupils.
• The order will be – 3.00pm: Primary 1, Primary 3 then Primary 5/6 and at 3.10pm: Primary 2, Primary 4 then Primary 6/7.
• It would be appreciated if parents/carers could stand away from the main gate/entrance until their child’s class is making their way down through the playground towards the gate – this would ease congestion and help with social distancing guidelines which should be followed at all times.
• We are delighted that the School Streets parking restrictions are still in place around our school between the hours of 8.30-9.20am and 2.30-3.20pm – it is making the start and end of our ECC and school days much safer for everyone.

Thanks, as ever, for your continued support.  Mrs Govans

We’re busy getting organised for our pupils starting back at Catrine Primary School after a brilliant summer, so there’s lots of information coming your way …

ECC decant – with our ECC taking over our infant end of the school, ALL Catrine PS pupils will enter and leave by our MAIN pupil gates.

Start and finish times – we’re continuing with our staggered start and finish times at the moment with

Primary 1, Primary 3 and Primary 5/6 starting at 9.00am and finishing at 3.00pm.

Primary 2, Primary 4 and Primary 6/7 starting at 9.10am and finishing at 3.10pm.

Please note that parents/carers should wait outside of the school gates for their child, following social distancing guidelines.

Staff will always be in the playground at the beginning and end of each day to ensure our pupils’ wellbeing and to show them where to line up.

Parking – after our successful School Streets trial last term, the parking restrictions are still in place around Catrine PS during term time dates.  The restricted times are between 8.30-9.30am and 2.30 and 3.20pm.  Thanks to everyone for supporting us with this scheme as it’s making such a difference in keeping our pupils safe at the beginning and end of the school day.

Lunches – we are delighted that our Primary 1 to Primary 4 pupils will be eating their lunches in our dinnerhall, with our P5/6 and P6/7 pupils continuing to eat their lunches in their classes for the time being.  Please remember to book your child’s lunches in advance.

What to bring – for the time being PS pupils don’t need to bring a school bag or a PE kit to school.  They can bring their packed lunch bag and a water bottle.  We will continue to have PE outdoors for the next wee while, and will update you when we start having PE indoors.

INFORMATION FOR NEW PRIMARY 1 PUPILS  🙂

On Thursday 19th and Friday 20th August, our new Primary 1 pupils will be in school from 9.30am to 2.30pm.

On Thursday, one adult should bring them into the main playground at 9.30am where we will ensure that you get the chance to take some special photos to celebrate their First Day at School.

At 2.30pm our staff will walk our Primary 1 pupils down to the main gate to be collected by one parent/carer.

Our Primary 1 pupils will be in school from 9.00am to 3.00pm from Monday 23rd August.   We can’t wait to welcome them to Catrine PS!

I hope I’ve covered all of the bases but if you have any further questions please email me at judith.govans@east-ayrshire.gov.uk or phone the school on Tuesday or Wednesday between 10.30am and 12.00pm.

Looking forward to a brilliant school year at Catrine PS and ECC.

Mrs Govans

What a year it has been!

We are so proud of all our children, families and staff who have been such superstars during this extraordinary year.  We have faced lots challenges but we have faced them together and achieved so much despite the obstacles in our way.

We have had such a fun week this week to end the year with walks to the park, skimming stones in the river, board games, outdoor games, escape rooms, movies and so much more! Mrs Govans has really missed being with us but she has been enjoying seeing photos and videos of what we have been up to.

P7 enjoyed their fun day on Wednesday and boogied the day away in their disco dome.  We wish them the best of luck as they head to the academy and look forward to hearing how they all get on next year.

We say goodbye to Miss Feighan, Mrs Stewart, Mrs O’Hare and Miss Robertson and thank them very much for all their hard work.

We are delighted to welcome Miss Edmond as our P3 teacher next year, I’m sure she will have a great year at Catrine Primary School.

Please keep a look out over the holidays on our blog and school app for all the arrangements for coming back in August.  Pupils return on Thursday 19th August.

I wish you all a very happy summer holiday.  Keep safe and I look forward to seeing you in August.

Mrs Schendel