As you may already know, Monday 13 November is the start of this year’s BBC Children in Need Appeal Week. Our school is excited to be joining with many others around the UK to participate in the fundraising programme, the Big BBC Children in Need Spotacular.

The Big Spotacular will help your child learn about the lives of disadvantaged children across the whole of the UK.

We will be taking part in spotty-themed fundraising by wearing something spotty on November 17th.  This could be something as simple as a spotty tie or pair of socks alongside your child’s normal school uniform.  In class we will find out a little more about how the money raised helps children in the UK.

We’d love to see as many of you as possible taking part and we will be collecting all optional donations made on the day, which should be brought in with your child if you so choose.

Thank you for your continued support.

We always want to encourage children to enjoy reading for pleasure and that’s why we’re holding a Book Fair on our parent/teacher evenings on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th November.

The Travelling Book Company Fair will be held in the Library and there are hundreds of exciting titles to browse through with your child. We get commission from every book that is bought and this commission enables us to buy new books for the library, for class topics and for class reading.

The Travelling Book Company brings a fantastic range of great children’s books right into the school for the children to explore. The range contains a balanced mix of fiction, non-fiction and activity titles, carefully put together so that there will be something for everyone. On the shelves you will find humour, action, drama, intrigue and mystery.

Children will be given a leaflet which gives an idea of the range and price of books, but there are lots more to see on the night!

We hope that you and your child will enjoy the leaflet and looking at the books on Wednesday or Thursday.

Happy reading!

East Kilbride Rep Theatre Club is presenting Beauty and the Beast for their annual pantomime this year.The show will run in late November and early December. See the attached leaflet for full details.

Beauty and the Beast

Dyslexia Scotland

Glasgow East Ren Branch

Parents, Pupils and Teachers are welcome to our OPEN MEETING on Tuesday 7th November 2017

We will show a BBC3 documentary entitled:

‘Don’t call me stupid’, a documentary by actor Kara Tointon.

Suitable for all ages.

7.15pm-8.15pm Mearns Castle High School,

Newton Mearns G77 5GU

www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk

Helpline phone number: 0344 800 84 84

helpline@dyslexiascotland.org.uk

http://www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk/your-branch/glasgow-east-ren

dyslexiascotland.er@gmail.com

Dear Parent/Carer

Please find attached an invitation to experience our “Come along Cookery time”.

GPS Oct Cookery Parent Letter

We have organised some fun sessions based on families cooking together.

If you are interested please complete the form and bring into the school office. Alternatively we have some paper copies available in the school office if this is easier for you to do so.

There will be new school menus after the October holiday. These will be updated soon on East Renfrewshire Council’s website: http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/article/2788/Nursery-Primary-and-Isobel-Mair-lunch-menu

The menus can also be downloaded here:

Primary 1-3 Menu Oct 17 – April 18

Primary 4 -7 Menu Oct 17 – April 18

East Renfrewshire Council is consulting on its budget for 2018-2021.   Your responses to this consultation will help shape councillors’ decision making about how our budget will be spent over the next three years.

The Council’s budget covers a huge range of services, including education, schools, early learning and childcare, social care, roads, cleansing and housing.

While the Council does not yet know its exact budget, with the Scottish Government not due to confirm the annual grant settlement until December, ERC is expecting to have to make savings in the region of £26million between 2018 and 2021.  This is in addition to £37million of savings the Council has already made since 2012.

A range of proposed savings to meet the £26million shortfall has been published for consultation and is available at www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/budget.   Parent Council Chairs have been invited to a series of meetings as part of the Budget Conversation, but we are keen to hear from as many parents as possible on the savings proposals set out in the Budget Booklet, a small number of hard copies of which are available in schools or at this link.

The consultation will be open until 28 November, with the final budget being decided by elected members at a meeting of the full council on 8 February 2018.

Many Thanks,

East Renfrewshire Council

We are looking to set up a Chill-Out zone in the playground on some lunch times. We are asking for donations of certain pieces of equipment to use solely in this zone. If you have any of the following and would be willing to donate to school, they will be gratefully received and be put to good use.

• A pop-up tent

• Working personal CD players

• Comics

• Jigsaws

• Lego or another type of building bricks

If you can help us with either of these requests, please contact Mrs Carney, Support for Pupils, through the school office.

We would like to remind you that with the old £1 coin not being accepted from 15^th October, the cash (reval) machine will be switched off as it will not accept the new £1 coin and will be removed from school.  Pupils will not therefore be able to bring money into school for lunch or snacks after the holiday and you should use ParentPay to top up lunch accounts as necessary.

Dear Parent /Carer

We would like to remind you that the school and nursery will be finishing at the usual time tomorrow (Thursday 12^th October) and will be closed to pupils on Friday 13^th October for In Service training for staff and the following week for the October holiday.  Pupils will return to school on Monday 23^rd October at the usual time.

As usual all parent /carers are warmly invited to the Church Service on Thursday 12^th October which will be held at 1.30pm in Orchardhill Parish Church.

Dear Parent /Carer,

As part of our ongoing work on supporting diversity and inclusion we are celebrating the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ national initiative in school on Friday 6th October 2017.

We invite our children to dress in red for the day to show their support for the charity with a small donation if they can.

We ask that children do not wear jeans or football related clothing

Show Racism the Red Card Parent Information Sep 17

We have been advised by the school kitchen that there will be a menu change on the above day – please see attachment for details.

Scottish Day Menu Change Thursday 14th September 2017

On Thursday 14 September 2017 at 8.50 am approximately, we will have a visit from Clyde 1 Radio’s Boogie Bus. One of our P5 pupils has won a competition to get a ride to school in this.

On the morning of the 14th September we would advise, where possible, that you plan to park safely further away from the school premises as the street will be very busy. We have appropriate plans in place to cordon off a parking area for the bus and therefore there will be limited space available in the parking bays to the front of the school on Academy Road.

This is an exciting event for our children and we hope they enjoy the experience.

We appreciate your co-operation in this matter.

Dear Parent / Carer

Re: Measles, Chicken Pox and Shingles

Please may we ask for your co-operation in this important matter.

One of our pupils is receiving medical treatment for a tumour that puts them at risk from measles, chicken pox and shingles. If they come into contact with anyone suffering from these conditions the pupil requires to be given some protection against them. Unfortunately this has to be given within 72 hours of the contact.

We would ask you therefore that if your child develops measles, chicken pox or shingles that you inform us immediately so that appropriate action may be taken.

Your child is not at any risk from this situation; however the health of our pupil does depend on your co-operation in this important matter.

Dear Parent/Carer

We have had a report of head lice within school.  Please be vigilant in checking your child’s hair on a regular basis and treat as necessary if required. Your co-operation would be very much appreciated.