Mrs. McLaughland, Mrs. Beveridge and Amr El Zanati from P1B who told last week’s assembly about how he celebrates the Muslim festival of Ramadan. Thank you, Amr.
Headteacher’s Blog – June 2017
Welcome to my June Blog. It is hard to believe another school session is nearly over and the summer holidays are only a few weeks away. This week has been SO successful! Following a lot of hard work we have gained our Dyslexia Friendly Gold Award. Huge thanks should go to Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Lawson who have led from the front, to Mrs. Wright who started us on this journey and especially the children who have contributed so much, and who made the tour around our school such a pleasure for our assessors. At the end of May, using money raised by parents at our Christmas Fayre, the whole school enjoyed our Hopscotch “Think Global Act Local” show and P5 and P6 pupils took part in workshops led by Hopscotch Theatre Company. Feedback from pupils was very positive with many clearly motivated to learn more about Global Citizenship issues around the world. With this in mind and, thanks to an approach from a P3 parent, we are planning a special charity event on the last day of term. Sal’s shoes is a charity which encourages school pupils to donate their old school shoes which can then be donated to a pupil in Africa who has no school shoes. The idea is that pupils leave their shoes on their desk as they leave school on the last day of term and walk out of school barefoot to symbolise the many children in countries of Africa who leave school barefoot every day. These shoes will then be gathered up by a group of Gargieston parents, donated to the Sal’s shoes charity and shipped to Africa. We sincerely hope you will agree with us that this would be a lovely gesture by our pupils and would round off all of this session’s global citizenship activities beautifully. We would ask that as many pupils as possible to take part.
Recently we held a very successful digital learning week where pupils took part in lots of innovative activities throughout the week linked to digital technologies. Some examples were a P6 visit to local web design company Microtech, P7 making radio adverts about internet safety with the help of staff from Vibrant Communities, P2 filming their outside art lesson work on ipads and P4/5 writing an e-book in collaboration with Annanhill Primary School. Weeks like this really engage and motivate our pupils and help to develop skills which will be crucial throughout their school education and beyond.
P7 had a very successful residential trip to Arran in a week of beautiful weather. A very big thank you goes to our school staff, Mrs. Mackie and Mrs. Bloomfield and our 2 parents, Mr. Falconer and Mrs. Goldie who very kindly gave up their time to accompany the children. Our P7’s have had lots of experiences of visiting Grange Academy throughout this session already, such as a “Getting to Know You Day” and a PE day. They have 2 Transition days on the 8th and 9th of June and a Science Fair on the 16th June to look forward to in preparation to beginning there in August. A very big step for our P7’s as we all know!
I would like to say thank you to all parents and pupils who completed our recent online Blog questionnaires. Your views are very important to us. They help to drive our self- evaluation and continual improvement and, as a whole staff team, we will look at your views, discuss them and take action where possible next session.
Next session will see a continuation of our 13 class structure and, as a result of uneven numbers at primary class stages, only 2 of these classes this year will be composite classes, a P1/2 and a P5/6. Teachers will be allocating pupils to classes early in June and parents and pupils will be informed of classes for next session ahead of “Bump Up Day” on Friday 9th June, when children will find out about and experience their new class for next session.
As we head towards the holidays there is lots to look forward to. Our football team are in the semi-final of the Dunlop Cup and, on the evening of the 9th June, in the final of the Ayrshire Cup. A huge achievement! We also look forward to activities such as Sports Day at the Ayrshire Athletics Arena, Scottish Orienteering Championships, to name but a few. Pupils are looking forward to their school trips to places such as Pollok House, Kelvingrove Art Galleries and Park and Culzean Castle have all been organised. In the final week will be our Closing Service in St. Marnock’s and St. Andrew’s Church at 10am on Tuesday 27th June. The term will end on Thursday 29th June at 1pm.
We don’t know how we are going to fit everything in !!!!
Thank you, Eileen McLaughland
Mrs. McLaughland standing beside our new portable Active Promethean Board. Staff and pupils will be learning how to use it very soon. We will even be able to use it in our assemblies!!
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter and is enjoying the lighter nights and better weather. Just before Easter we had a very successful Global Citizenship Week. One highlight was our Fairtrade Coffee morning to which about 120 people attended. Both Morrison’s and Co-Op, Galston were very generous in their donations which contributed to its success. Senior pupils wrote thank you letters to both supermarkets. So far, we have raised over £130 for UNICEF. During that week we also began a clothes collection for Refugee Action. We had lots of donations which the Rights Respecting Schools group categorised and about 70 bags of clothes, shoes, toiletries and bedding were taken away by lorry at the end of term ready to be shipped to Calais and then dispersal throughout Europe and the Middle East. This experience, and all of the learning in classes throughout the week, has enabled our pupils to develop into Global Citizens of the World. In the last week of term, we had a special “This is your Life” assembly to say goodbye to Ms. Harvey. We had some special guests, including Mr. Jim Ellis, a much loved former teacher at Gargieston who entertained the assembly with some funny stories about Ms. Harvey. Pupils also presented a very generous cheque for £324 from the pupils and parents within the school. At the end of term we also had our official MUGA Launch which was superbly organised by Jo Clark, our Active Schools Co-Ordinator and a class of NC students from Ayrshire College. Every class in the school had a time slot of activities both in the MUGA and in the playground. The whole day ran like clockwork and was a big success. On the final day of term we had the P4/5 and P5 Easter assembly which was on an “Easter Bake Off” theme. The children’s singing and acting was super and the whole event was ably led by Mrs. Beveridge with help from Miss Caldow. At the end of the assembly we presented a commemorative glass ornament each to Mr. Cogswell, Ms MacKay and Mr. Neilson who have worked tirelessly on our behalf to help our school MUGA become a reality. We cannot thank them enough. Throughout the term there were lots of sporting opportunities for our pupils, including hockey with Miss Davidson, DanceFest for our P6 and P7 girls, both girls and boys football tournaments including a P2 football tournament at Rugby Park to name but a few.
At the end of term, having consulted with teachers and parents, I submitted the Gargieston Pupil Equity Fund bid and outlined our proposed plan for spending the £22,600 extra funding from the Scottish Government. Our proposals are to have an additional full-time classroom assistant and an additional teacher one day a week specifically for support for learning. We also have set aside money for 72 hours of supported study where, out with normal school hours, experienced teachers from within our own staff, would provide enhance learning through small group tuition. In this way we hope to reduce the attainment gap in numeracy and literacy and improve the quality of pupil experience for the targeted group of children and other individuals.
The Senior Management Team is beginning to look at class structure for next year. At the moment we are expecting 51 new P1 pupils and, at present, are looking at a continuation of a 13 class structure. This would make our projected school roll for session 2017-18, 330 pupils. In our final term we have much to look forward to 42 of our P7 pupils will be off on their residential visit to Arran on May 8th and will be accompanied by Mrs. Mackie and, in place of Ms. Harvey this year, Mrs. Bloomfield, who has a particular interest and expertise in outdoor education. Ayrshire Schools Orienteering evening practise and P6 cycling proficiency has begun and Mr. Smith is organising Ayrshire Cup matched for the school football team. We also have Evan Kenny and Max Young representing our school at the Scottish School’s Badminton Championship. We wish them all the best. On the afternoon of 1st June we will be visited by our Dyslexia Gold Award assessors for our final assessment. Fingers crossed we might be successful. The week beginning 15th May is Digital Learning Week, during which there will be a wide range of visitors to the school and activities related to digital technologies. As part of a whole Base topic on Egyptians, Base 3 is currently being turned into an Egyptian pyramid. Base 3 pupils will take part in Egyptian workshops at the Dick Institute, some on Thurs. 18th May and others on Wednesday 24th May. We have our Global Citizenship theatre production “Think Global – Act Local” and follow up workshops in the week beginning 22nd of May, our P1 and 2 Fashion Show for pre-school parents on Tuesday 6th June and our Sports Day on 12th June at the Athletics Arena to which parents are invited to join us in the afternoon. These are just some of the events organised throughout this final term. Our very busy session will end with our Closing Service in St. Marnock’s and St. Andrew’s Church on Tuesday 27th June.
Mrs. McLaughland
Early Childhood Centre
Thank you for participating in our recent home learning task over the Easter holiday, the children have enjoyed sharing their initial sounds, rhymes and colour boxes with their peers. We will look to use these regularly within group times with the children and continue to build upon them.
Our play days last week were very successful, we appreciate you taking the time to come and join in and from your comments it seems that you liked having an insight into your child’s day.
Our handmade bags seem to be going well and it is nice to see some of the children using them for their library books. We are still collecting in some money but will let you know how much we raised when we have a final amount. Thank you for supporting us.
In our collaboration with UWS we have benefitted from a lovely new trolley for us to transport resources to our outdoor area more easily. It was designed for us by a student and made by EME in Sanquar. Look out in the blog for a photo.
Gillian Johnston
March Blog
March already and it’s great to see the days getting longer and the mornings getting lighter! In school we have a busy month ahead with some of the many highlights intimated below.
In the week beginning 6th March every class and Base within the school will be finding out about different countries of the world and, the sometimes very difficult issues they face as part of our Global Citizenship Week. Some of the other highlights planned include our Fairtrade Coffee Morning on Thursday, 9th March between 9.30 – 11.00, to which family and friends of the school are cordially invited. In order that we have advanced notice of numbers attending, the preferred way to buy ticket is to pre-order through Parent Pay on the Blog. However it is possible to pay at the door. Members of the Rights Respecting Schools group and the Pupil Council have been delivering flyers to homes surrounding our school so that this, we hope, can be a real community event. All profits will be sent to UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund which works to improve children’s lives around the world. We also plan to begin a good quality second hand clothes collection which, through Re-Act, (Scottish Refugee Action), will be sent to help refugee families in places throughout Europe and the Middle East, such as France, Greece and Lebanon to name but a few. At our Friday assembly we also hope to have a volunteer from the Glasgow Refugee Centre who can speak of their personal experience of making the journey to Scotland. We look forward to all these learning opportunities.
All teachers are busy writing pupil reports at the moment which will reflect where your child is in their learning and their next steps. These will be sent out to parents on the 24th March ahead of the Parents’ Night on Tuesday 28th March and Parents’ afternoon on Wednesday 29th March. The ECC will be open on the parent afternoon for ECC parents to drop in too. Mrs. Hart, our EAST support teacher will also be available on the Wednesday afternoon to see parents whose children receive support for learning. Parents will be able to book a suitable appointment via the Blog from the 6th March. You will notice that the report format is shorter this year as has been instructed to all schools by the Education Authority. A completely new format throughout all East Ayrshire schools will be in place next session. Please remember parents can also find information about their child’s learning by accessing their e-portfolio.
All of our new starts in the ECC are in now and staff are beginning to organise Play Days for next term. In January the ECC had a visit from the Care Commission who carried out a thorough inspection. The feedback to Mrs Johnston and her team of Early Years Practitioners was superb with the quality theme of care and support for children being awarded a 6 – the highest possible rating! This is an outstanding achievement for which all involved should be congratulated.
As you may have heard, from April, the Scottish Government is providing additional funding to schools which is to be targeted at those children most affected by the poverty related attainment gap. Schools will have the autonomy to decide how best to use this additional funding. Gargieston Primary is to receive £26,000 and, as a whole school and ECC establishment, we will give careful consideration to how best to use this very welcome additional funding. An e-mail will be sent to you with further information.
As well as our Fairtrade Coffee morning we have some other fundraising events to look forward to. The GFG, along with Mrs. Lawson, are organising a Race Night which will be held in the school on the evening of Friday 10th March at 7.30. It promises to be a fun social event, with a little “ flutter on the horses” thrown in! On Wednesday 23rd March there will be our Spring Disco to which pupils can dress in their Spring finery. All these events will be advertised on our Blog.
As ever sport features highly on the Gargieston agenda with P6 and P7 girls taking part in the DanceFest show in the Palace Theatre on Wednesday 15th March. We wish them well for their performance. Although it has been used since the beginning of the year we will be holding an official launch event for the MUGA on Thursday, 30th March which will be run by Miss Harvey, Jo Clark, our Active Schools Coordinator and students from Ayrshire College who will organise a programme of activities in the MUGA which will involve every class in the school. Let’s hope for good weather! We are delighted that Evan Kenny in P7, an outstanding badminton player, has been successful in gaining entry to the Glasgow School of Sport at Bellahouston Academy. We wish him well.
On a sadder note for our school, at Easter, we will say farewell to Miss Harvey, our P.E. expert and friend, who will begin, what we hope will be a very long and happy retirement. I am sure you will join with me and all my colleagues in thanking her for her 20 years of devoted service to Gargieston and to improving the P.E. skills, health and fitness of all our pupils, past and present.
Mrs. McLaughland
February Blog
February already! We are pleased to say all children are back in the swing of school. A clear example of this is that Mrs. Lawson reports that the vast majority of our pupils are back on Bug Club and working hard. This week we have our P7 Burns Supper and the whole school is looking forward to our Scottish Week. There will be a wide range of activities in every classroom throughout the week. Every class has produced art with a Scottish theme to decorate classrooms and corridors and, as I walk around the school, I have heard fantastic recitations of Scottish poetry which will culminate when each class winner performs in our Scottish assembly on Friday 10th February. This Wednesday, Mrs. Mackie, Mrs. Smith (parent) and 3 P7’s will be attending an event which aims to look at ideas to help schools with traffic congestion and parking issues. This continues to be an issue for us. We have recently received several phone calls from residents living near each of the school gates expressing their concerns. Last week we had a visit from EAST team assessors who came to give us a progress report on our journey towards gaining gold status in the Dyslexia Friendly Schools Programme. We were given a very positive report and some guidance on aspects we should work on. The assessors were particularly impressed by our pupils’ work in their e-portfolios and the way older pupils are supporting younger pupils to set up their e-portfolios and help them record their learning both in and out of the classroom. Thanks to Mrs. Campbell for her knowledge and leadership in DFS. Our school has recently purchased a new maths resource, Heinemann Active Maths which provides a wide range of resources for teachers and stimulating active games and activities to ensure both enjoyment and progression for our pupils in maths. Under the leadership of Mrs. Beveridge, staff are receiving in-service training and many of our children are already accessing fantastic ICT games within classes and as part of their maths homework tasks. Thanks also to the group of parent helpers who are giving up their time to laminate game boards and clear seal our new maths textbooks.
We also continue our journey towards Level 1 of the Rights Respecting Schools award. Ongoing is our Article of the Month, with our current article being Article 27. “You have the right to have a good enough standard of living. Your family should have the money they need to bring you up.” It is our hope that these articles generate discussion both at home and in school. Please watch the Blog for information about our Global Citizenship Week which will take place week beginning 6th March when, among other activities, we plan to have a Fairtrade Coffee morning in aid of UNICEF to which parents, grandparents and friends of the school will be invited.
At the beginning of term we had a visit to the ECC from Mrs. Dobson from the Care Inspectorate. Mrs. Johnston, the ECC team and parents who were interviewed were able to talk about super learning experiences that the youngest members of our school community enjoy every day. We look forward to her report being published.
I’m sure you’ll agree there is lots going on and lots to look forward to. Your continued support is, as always, much appreciated.
Mrs. McLaughland
January 2017
Happy New Year to all families connected to Gargieston Primary and Early Childhood Centre.
As you will be aware, I have taken on the role of Acting Headteacher of Gargieston Primary and Early Childhood Centre until Easter ’17 while Mrs. Wright supports another school within East Ayrshire.
Primary staff
Until Christmas both Mrs. Lawson and Mrs. Beveridge were released from class one day a week each to share the role of Acting Depute Headteacher. However, this meant the school was running below its full staff complement. In the New Year we will be fully staffed and welcome Miss McColl and Mrs Marshall back from maternity leave. From January 2017 until Easter, Mrs. Kelly will release Mrs. Lawson 2 days each week on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Mrs. Vallely will cover Mrs. Beveridge for 2 days each week on Thursdays and Fridays until the 2nd of February, at which point Mrs. Marshall will return from maternity leave and take over this role in P4/5. We are also delighted that Miss Jackie McColl is returning from maternity leave and, as parents will be aware she will be working in P2 with Mrs. Baird.
We are very fortunate that all of these teachers are very experienced practitioners who already have a very good working relationship with the school and who, with guidance and collaboration from both Mrs. Lawson and Mrs. Beveridge, will be more than capable of maintaining the curriculum focus within each class. On Wednesdays only, beginning 8th February until Wednesday 29th March, Mrs. Marshall will cover Mr. Smith in P3/4 to enable him to carry out curriculum development in P.E. within the school.
ECC staff
We are delighted that Miss Sheree Bryden will be working with us on a full time basis from January 2017 and Miss Sophia Bechelli will be full time until Summer 2017. As a result of this there will be some changes to groups and the creation of a new pink group.
All staff are looking forward to the term ahead and in working in collaboration with all parents and stakeholders to provide the very best for all the young people in our care.
Mrs. Eileen McLaughland
November 2016
An opportunity has arisen to support another school in our local authority and I have agreed to the request made by the Head of Education to act as Head of Catrine Primary School until the Spring Break 2017. I will maintain close links with Gargieston and will be in the school for one day per week and at other times as needed. This will allow the experienced Gargieston management team to expand their remits during this time and experience additional responsibility. I anticipate that this temporary transfer will begin as of Monday , November 7th. Through the course of the remainder of this week I will put arrangements in place to ensure continuity for Gargieston. Our staff team are looking forward to expanding their roles and we anticipate this arrangement will build capacity of all staff, including me, which will benefit Gargieston PS & ECC in the longer term. I know you will give your full support to our management team who, in turn, have my full confidence and support in driving forward our improvement plan.
September 2016
Mrs Seymour came to visit staff and children today and we were all delighted to see her. Mrs Seymour is currently not at nursery and we all have missed her cheerful smile. It is with her permission that I can share this information with you. Mrs Seymour has Multiple sclerosis (MS) and at this time her symptoms are preventing her from working. We explained to some children today that MS is a neurological condition. That means it affects your nerves. It’s caused when your immune system isn’t working properly. We recognise that this has been a very difficult time for Mrs Seymour and her family and I am sure you will want me to pass on all your best wishes from the Gargieston community. The children from the pupil council suggested that the Multiple Sclerosis society should be the charity we support this session.
August 2016
The sun is shining and we have all enjoyed our first day back. A special welcome to our Primary 1 pupils. Today was also the first day for 5 new pupils throughout the school, 2 teachers and 1 Early Learning and Childcare Practitioner. I was delighted to see children displaying our value of ‘friendship’ to new pupils. Mr McDowell and Miss Meechan both said their first day with their new classes went very well. Mrs Rutherford is new to our Early Childhood Centre however she already knows many staff who she has worked with before. This session our Primary staff and ECC staff will be working together with children from the ECC learning and playing in base 1. This has been our practice over the last few years but we are looking to extend and improve on the work we have already done. Our numbers in the ECC have been increased for this year (2016/2017) and Mrs Rutherford has been assigned to us for that reason. It is our intention to have ‘meet the teacher sessions’ in the primary and ECC staff have planned individual settling meetings with new parents. Parents will be emailed shortly with more information.
June 2016
As we approach the summer holidays I thought it important to give you a staff update. This evening (Friday) I got confirmation from Human Resources on this staff list and I’m now able to share it with you.
In August, we welcome Mr McDowell and Miss Meechan to the staff team. Mr McDowell moves to us from Glencairn Primary in North Lanarkshire and Miss Meechan is currently at Mauchline Primary. The children in their classes have had a chance to meet their new teacher. Miss Meechan attended bump up day and Mr McDowell went on the P5 school trip.
Miss McColl recently came into school and at this time it is her intention to return to school on a part time basis. When Miss McColl returns she will be in P2 sharing the class with Mrs Baird.
I would like to remind parents that people’s personal circumstances do change and if this impacts our classes I will inform parents.
Base 1
P1 – Mrs Campbell
P1 – Mrs Bloomfield
P1/2 – Miss Ferguson
Base 2
P2 – Mrs Skelton
P2 – Mrs Baird / Mrs McLaughland
P3 – Miss Meechan
Base 3
P3/4 – Mr Smith
P4 – Miss Davidson
P4/5 – Mrs Beveridge
P5 – Miss Caldow
Base 4
P6 – Mr McDowell
P6/7 – Mrs Lawson
P7 – Mrs Mackie
We wish Miss Arneil and Mrs Young all the very best as they move on from Gargieston. After her probationary year with us, Miss Arneil has a permanent post in Glasgow. Mrs Young is moving to EAST (East Ayrshire Support Team) and she may in the future come to support learning in Gargieston.
May 2016
Transition
While our Primary sevens are at Grange next week we have planned a ‘bump up’ for children on Thursday 9th June.
All staff at Gargieston are keen to support children and every child should reach their full potential through our core values; which are happiness, motivation, friendship and respect. As a school we will ensure we create an environment, and ethos, which reflects our values. At this time I would ask that you work in partnership with us. As parents we want the best for our children and I would like to avoid the misconception that some classes are better than others.
We would like to offer a parent information session on composite classes and the structure of our curriculum. We have planned a workshop on Tuesday 7th June at 6.30pm (prior to our Parent Council meeting). Parents who can not make this session are invited to our usual drop -in on Wednesday 8th June at 3.15pm – 4.15pm.
My hope is that these sessions will mean that Gargieston Parents will have the relevant information and facts. We have talked to the children about moving onto their next class and the criteria we use when allocating classes. Working together we can support each other and avoid causing anxiety which often happens when people are misinformed.
Although many of the children may meet their teachers for next session we are in the process of recruiting new staff. Many of our classes do not have their class teacher confirmed. Next week children will meet their new class but not necessarily their new teacher. Our proposed structure for next session is as follows:
Base 1
P1
P1
P1/2
Base 2
P2
P2
P3
Base 3
P3/4
P4
P4/5
P5
Base 4
P6
P6/7
P7
April 2016
As the summer term begins we look forward to many exciting activities. This is a very busy time and staff will be working together to look at our class structure and groups in the Early Childhood Centre.
As in previous years, we will have opportunities for you as parents to learn more about the process of implementing East Ayrshire Council policies and procedures at our weekly Wednesday drop-ins and future parent workshops which will be advertised on the blog.
This is a collaborative process and the staff are very keen to create a structure that best suits the children’s needs. We want all children and parents to be happy however, realise that ballots for places and sessions for the ECC can cause concern.
I’m sure you would be delighted to hear that Eva Marshall made her first visit to Gargieston this week. 
March 2016
Last weekend many of our staff joined other East Ayrshire colleagues to attend a residential field trip to Millport. Seaweed, sound maps and sticky boards were all part of the learning! We look forward to sharing what we learned with the children and help them to connect with nature. As we make positive changes to our playground and outdoor space we look forward to children and adults working together to achieve the John Muir Award and make our school grounds the best they can be.
The John Muir Award is an engagement initiative which encourages people to connect with, enjoy, and care for outdoor areas and wild places.
It’s an environmental award scheme for people of all backgrounds – groups, families, individuals. It’s non-competitive, inclusive and accessible.
Feb 2016
Mrs Marshall finished with us on Friday to start her maternity leave. We wish her all the best and look forward to hearing her exciting news. Mrs Young takes over in Primary 4/5 however before Mrs Marshall left she did complete the school reports for the children in P4/5 and the children she taught for Maths. Mrs Marshall had plenty of time to liaise with Mrs Young who will speak with parents on parents’ night. We will issue the report cards for this class earlier than initially planned.
You may be aware that we do, like all schools and Early Childhood Centres, have from time to time staff absences. Miss Harvey, who broke her arm recently is on the mend and we look forward to her returning when her arm is better. Absences can be unavoidable and it is not appropriate to write to parents every time a teacher or Early Learning and Childcare Practitioner is off. Children’s learning is a high priority and supply staff or the senior management team cover classes. Mrs McLaughland and I thoroughly enjoy teaching days and we often team teach with staff. Obviously we don’t want anyone to be absent due to ill health however regularly teaching classes ensures we have an overview of the learning in the school and helps to drive forward our improvement plan.
10/1/16
Staff and pupils welcomed Mrs Young to Gargieston Primary. Mrs Young (on the left) will be working with children in base 3. Mrs Young will cover Mrs Marshall’s maternity leave. This month Mrs Young looks forward to working with all the children in base 3.
Miss Ferguson has been working in base 1 and she now takes over from Miss McColl. We were delighted to see Miss McColl and baby Euan at our nativity. 
15/12/15
Last Friday we held interviews for a third Principal Teacher post. Mrs Beveridge was the successful candidate and we are delighted that she will join the management team on a permanent basis. In the New Year we will look at our roles and remits and as a team, continue to drive forward our improvement plan.
We intend to have regular opportunities for parents to speak with the management team and we plan to hold a new weekly drop in cafe. Parents and carers will be able to speak to a member of the management team during this time. We intend to cover a range of topics and by holding these sessions on a Wednesday after school, there will be the opportunity for your child to attend the homework club. More information will be posted on the blog.
Our plans also include parent workshops for the Early Years and as we implement East Ayrshire’s Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education programme we will have information sessions for parents. If you have any comments or queries please feel free to contact the school.
24/11/15
Staffing information – We are looking forward to welcoming new staff to Gargieston. Miss Ferguson and Mrs Young will be joining our team.
Miss Ferguson starts in base 1 on Thursday 3rd December. She will be working alongside Mrs Campbell, Mrs Bloomfield and Mrs Baird. Miss Ferguson is a new permanent member of our teaching staff and to begin with she will be in base 1 supporting groups of pupils and getting to know staff and children. Parents will have the opportunity to meet Miss Ferguson in the near future. Miss Clark from our Early Childhood Centre is also in base 1. Miss Clark is working alongside our classroom assistants supporting individual pupils and planning purposeful play activities that match children’s needs. This week parents and carers from our ECC have been invited into play days to share a session with their child. Our plan is to have drop ins throughout December and into the new year for parents who have children in the Early Years. These sessions, open to P1 and ECC parents, will describe our organisation and give you a chance to see what and how our children learn. Further information will be emailed to parents and will appear on the blog.
Mrs Young starts work in Gargieston after the Christmas holidays. It is our plan that she will be in base 3 supporting groups, team teaching and getting to know staff and pupils. After this, Mrs Young will cover Mrs Marshall’s maternity leave. Mrs Marshall and Mrs Young will have plenty of time to liaise. Staff feel it is in the best interest of the children if reports for P4 are completed earlier in the session by Mrs Marshall.
5/11/15
Last week we welcomed many new starts to Gargieston ECC. We hope all the children and their families feel very welcome. Thank you to Ali’s mum and gran who helped me learn to pronounce “welcome” in Urdu.
20/10/15
As we look forward to this very busy term we wish Miss McColl all the very best in her forthcoming maternity leave. To ensure a smooth transition we welcome Mrs Baird to Gargieston. Mrs Baird will be working alongside Miss McColl over the next couple of weeks on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Mrs Baird has worked in Gargieston before and is delighted to return. Some of our current P7 children remember Mrs Baird who taught them in P1. During this time both teachers will be working together in P1 giving Miss McColl time to share information and plan for our children.
Last session we were delighted to earn our Sports Scotland gold award. Following this Ms Harvey has the opportunity to work for Sports Scotland promoting high quality P.E. within East Ayrshire. Ms Harvey will be based in Gargieston and although there will be times when she is working in other schools she will continue to deliver one period of PE for all classes at the end of the week. This secondment provides the opportunity for Ms Harvey to work alongside our class teachers in a coaching role for the other PE lesson. Our aim is to ensure sustainability and have all staff involved in teaching high quality PE sessions.
This is where I will share information about what is happening in and out of school. Children in Primary 6 who made a class blog last year are going to help update this site. We look forward to working and learning together.
I’ll look forward to your blogs Primary 6!
Mrs Lawson
Me too!
Well done and congratulations to Mrs Beveridge!
Well done Miss beverage and welcome miss Young.
That’s a fantastic idea by the pupil council! Well done 😄👏👏