Category: Parents

Parental information for returning to school Aug 2020

I am both delighted and very excited to be welcoming all of our children back on Wednesday 12th August. Our planning and organisation is in place and our staff are spending both Monday and Tuesday this week in school finalising our readiness for learning and teaching to get going again inside Giffnock Primary.

This has been a hugely challenging time for all of our community and I know that many of you will be continuing to feel the wide ranging ramifications of the pandemic. Nonetheless, I am sure that we all feel that getting our children back into school and their learning therein is a highly significant step forwards and we intend to take this positivity into the coming weeks and months in school.

We have put together a detailed overview for you which I hope will provide information and answers to many of the questions that you may have. In addition, our Director of Education has also written a letter for your further information.

GPS Parent Guide Returning to School August 2020

Letter to ParentCarers Director of Education ERC August 20

Never more have our partnerships across the school been of significance in our children’s learning. Whilst we are not be able to have as many face to face conversations as I would ordinarily hope for, strong communication lies at the heart of all that we will continue to do at Giffnock. Therefore, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Kind regards,

Rob Lawson

Head Teacher

Giffnock Primary School

Our new children P2-6 August arrangements

We welcome our new families with children (not in Primary 1 as they have other arrangements) to join us at Giffnock Primary on Wednesday 12th August 2020 at 9.15 am.

As we are of course observing social distance guidelines between adults and the school road area is likely to be extremely busy; we would like to invite you to come along to the main gates outside of the school building for 9.15 am. This means we will be able to avoid a lot of traffic and other adults passing.

Our Depute Head Teacher Ms Rawley will meet with you at the school gate (socially distancing) and help you with enrolment documents which you may need on your first day with us. She will then take the children into school and give them an introduction to our school before taking them to class.

In the past we have taken adults round the school too however at this time we are not allowed to do so. I know you will understand this is a matter of health & safety and not how we would wish to do this.

Could we also remind you to provide your child with a packed lunch to start with until pupils are all on our online lunch system. We very much look forward to meeting you all.

Google Classrooms

We intimated on the 19th June that we intended to archive existing Google Classrooms on Friday 26th June. Following a number of requests from parents, we have decided to keep our Google Classrooms open until Monday 10th August. This will allow those who wish to access existing links and documents within the Classroom to do so over the summer period. Please note that the Google Classrooms will not be monitored by staff during this time, therefore we will be switching off the ability to post on the stream and to comment on existing posts at the end of day tomorrow.

Please note that when the Classroom is archived on the 10th August, your child still retains access to all the files and documents they have been working on by going in to their Google Drive. This can be accessed from the Glow Launch Pad or within any of the Google programmes. If you need to sign in to this, please use the child’s Glow username followed by @er.glow.scot

Last Day of Term

Dear Parent / Carer

We would like to remind you that although the school is open and staffed until 3:00pm on Friday 26th June for our Key Worker children, the school office will close at 1:00pm and you will therefore be unable to make telephone contact after that time.

We hope you all have a wonderful summer and we look forward to welcoming you back in August.

Mrs Carney to take early retirement

Dear Parent / Carer,

I am writing to inform you that our long-standing colleague and friend Mrs. Dot Carney will be taking early retirement at the end of this school session, with her last day with us being Thursday 25th June.

Mrs. Carney has been with Giffnock Primary School since Giffnock and Robslee merged schools in 2011/12. Her expertise, care and professionalism have made a hugely significant impact on the school and we are extremely sad to lose Mrs. Carney’s knowledge and insight. A very wide range of our children have greatly benefitted from her time at Giffnock and I know that you will also be very sorry to see her go.

I am sure that you will join me on behalf of the whole school community in wishing Mrs. Carney every happiness for the new, exciting road ahead.

Yours sincerely,
Rob Lawson Head Teacher

Whole School Google Classrooms

As we approach the end of term our current class Google Classrooms will be archived at the end of day on Friday 26th June, meaning your child will no longer be able to access them after then. We are in the process of setting up new Google Classrooms for the start of next school year and will share links and information for these in due course.

Parentsportal

PRIMARY 1 – PRIMARY 6

Please find attached a letter with information on how to join Parentsportal – this will be a key source of information on your child in the future.

Parentsportal Letter Giffnock

Please note for the purposes of linking your child, you must use their current year group 2019-20  if you sign up before the end of term (26th June) and we will endeavour to authorise the link before the end of term.  If you are unable to sign up before the end of term our “turnaround” process for pupils moving year groups takes place during the summer and from 6th July you may have to use your child’s year group for session 2020-21.  It may therefore be advisable to wait until after 17th July 2020 when the turnaround process will definitely have been completed.  Also, if you are not sure if the school has a record of your child’s middle name, please omit it when you are attempting to link your child to your account.

As Primary 7 pupils become leaver as at 26th July we would ask any parent/carer with a Primary 7 child NOT to link them to Parentsportal at this time.  You will be able to link your younger children but you should wait for the High School to issue further instructions for your Primary 7 child when they join in August 2020.