This week we have our Infant and ECC Nativities. At each performance there will be a last opportunity for parents and friends of the school to purchase any tickets for our Grand Raffle (£1 a strip) and Hamper raffle (50p each ticket). There are 4 prizes in the Hamper Draw, ranging from the largest basket down to various smaller hampers. In the Grand Raffle there is a wide variety of super prizes ranging from jewellery to afternoon tea vouchers, restaurant vouchers, toiletry sets and a huge number of assorted bottles!! The draw for each raffle will take place next Monday, 16th December. Any other P3-7 parents who wish to purchase tickets can send the appropriate money in an envelope with their name, contact details and number of each tickets required.

With Christmas fast approaching, we are all more mindful than ever of the effects of poverty on the lives of families in our area.   Some families may feel under pressure to show their appreciation to staff in the school through bringing in expensive gifts.

Last year the BBC ran a feature about this with the simple message that thank you is enough. We want to share this message with you this year to reassure any parents that are worried about affording a gift for a teacher in the run up to the Christmas break.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46580014

I would like to reassure you that there is no ban on bringing gifts for staff, but that a thank you, a card, a handmade token of appreciation and the thought behind these small gestures, is more than enough for us.

Wishing you all the best this festive season,

Julie McKee
Head Teacher

Gargieston went all CSI during some in-house STEM training with staff participating in a Fun with Forensics course. Here at Gargieston we are committed to delivering more interactive, engaging and exciting lessons to inspire and spark interest in the STEM subjects. Learning about Forensics is just one of many opportunities we have planned.

We really enjoyed learning the music.

Arran and Miller.

The ECC boys and girls had a fabulous day today with our visit from Santa and his 2 magical reindeer.

On Wednesday pupils in Primary 1, 2 and 3 had an exciting time. Shirley Husband, author of the McCoo books, who is a regular visitor to Gargieston, launched her brilliant new book ‘Angus McCoo and the Starry Night’. Shirley brought Maurice Hynds, who does the fantastic illustrations, and the Harris McCoo mascot along to see the pupils too. We also were very lucky to have two members of staff from the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory with their inflatable planetarium. Pupils all got the opportunity to go inside the planetarium and learn lots of facts about the planets.

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to making our Christmas Fayre a huge success last Thursday. At the end of the night over £3600 had been counted and we know there is more money still to come in. Huge thanks to the P7 pupils, parents, grandparents and members of school and ECC staff who willingly gave of their time to man the stalls, tearoom, Santa’s Grotto and more.

Thanks also to the parents who came in to school on the days leading up to the Fayre to help us get everything ready. A huge thank you to everyone who donated prizes and the hundreds and hundreds of you who came along on the day itself, who helped to create a super atmosphere and  get all our school Christmas festivities off to a smashing start!!

Well done to Ross Black (P4)’s mum for guessing the weight of the cake.

As we know not every family is able to make it to the Fayre, we will continue the Grand Raffle (tickets £1 a strip), Hamper raffle (50p a ticket) and Guess the Teddy’s birthday at the Infant and ECC Nativities which take place in school next week and the following week.

If you would like to purchase any raffle tickets and will not be at any of these performances, please send in to the school office an envelope containing the appropriate money with your name, contact details and how many of each ticket you require and we will return the tickets to you so that you do not miss out on all the super prizes, including family tickets to the Galleon, afternoon tea at Seamill Hydro, a Longhouse voucher, lots of bottles, toiletries and gifts!

The final draw of the Grand raffle and Hamper raffle will take place on Monday, 16th December.

My Place Photography

Due to lack of parent helpers, we unfortunately have to cancel the P7 outing today.