Category Archives: Parents

Parents

Severe Weather Arrangements

In the event of severe weather conditions, Head Teachers are guided by the Education Department’s Standard Circular 10b.  Following an assessment of the situation, in consultation with relevant staff in the Education Department, a decision will be made on whether or not to close the school.  If an emergency closure of the school is to be carried out, the following procedures will take place:

  • We will contact the transport providers to ensure that the school buses and taxis will be available.  If they are not, then pupils will require to wait in school to be collected by parents.
  • We will put information on the school’s website  and Twitter account (@Mearns_Primary) about the arrangements for the closure.  There will also be up to date information on ERC’s Twitter page ( @EastRenCouncil).  It is really important that in the event of any severe weather parents and carers make every effort to regularly monitor ERC’s and the school’s websites.  The website will be regularly updated with any important information.
  • We will also text parents and carers with information on the school closure and refer you to the school and council’s websites.
  • At this point we will start to evacuate the school.
  • Parents who arrive at school will be greeted at the main entrance by a member of staff who will then arrange for their child/children to join them to be taken home.
  • Children will remain in classes until a large number have been collected by parents.  Once the numbers have reduced sufficiently, remaining children will be brought down to the Street and supervised there. At this point, if we have not heard from parents or carers of remaining children, we will attempt to contact them or their emergency contacts.
  • In very extreme circumstances, some pupils may not be able to get home and may have to remain in school beyond the school day.  This situation will be discussed with parents and, with support of senior school staff and the Education Department, pupils will be accommodated in school until arrangements are put in place for their safe transport home.

When the school has been safely closed, I will liaise with the Education Department on subsequent arrangements.  At the earliest appropriate opportunity, I will then carry out an assessment of the conditions for re-opening the school.  Arrangements for re-opening the school will be communicated to parents via the school’s website and other local media.

Should the school require to be closed for more than one day, information will be posted on the school’s website/ Twitter account (@Mearns_Primary)  to allow pupils to continue their learning.

Hopefully we will not require to put these arrangements in place.  However, I trust you will find the information helpful in discussing the issue with your child/children and putting any necessary arrangements in place in the event of an emergency closure.

If you don’t have a local emergency contact we would appreciate it if you can arrange with a neighbour or friend who could collect or look after your child/children in these extreme circumstances.  Please email this information to schoolmail@mearns.e-renfrew.sch.uk  or phone the school office.  If you would prefer, you can send a letter or put a note in your child’s homework diary.  We would appreciate being given this information as quickly as possible.  We thank you for your cooperation.

Yours sincerely

Sharon E Hunter

Head Teacher

- Pupils, Glow, Parents

Office 365 ProPlus

For all Glow users, it is possible for you to get copies of Microsoft Office 2016 to use on your home machines – PC, Mac, phones and tablets.

By having this available to you, will enable you to use a range of Microsoft products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, OneNote etc) on up to 15 home devices without cost (the 15 licences being split as 5 for PCs and/or Macs, 5 for tablets and 5 for phones).

To do this, login to Glow, from the launch pad click the Office 365 Home tile (image below) then the “Install Office apps” button and follow the instructions,

Note that if you are downloading to an iPad or iPhone the process is different, you have to download the apps from the App Store and then log in using your Glow username. There is more information from Microsoft available here

When logging in, you will be asked to enter your user name and this is your Glow user name plus the domain e.g. gw15examplejames@glow.sch.uk, once you do this, you will be transferred to the usual Glow login screen, once you enter your details here your registration is complete.

The Glow username will only activate the software for as long as that account is active in Glow.

It is also possible to download the apps from within Microsoft O365 – within O365, click on the Office 365 link in the top left of your screen and from the O365 home page, click on “Install Office 2016”

Parents

P7 Open Evening in Eastwood High School

 

Every year Eastwood High School hosts an Open Evening for P7 pupils to give you the opportunity to see the school, the facilities and see some of our young people working in classes.

We would like to invite you to the event in the new school on:

Wednesday 22nd November 2017 in the Atrium of the Main Building.

It is important that everyone is in the Atrium by 6.45 pm sharp as Mr Maxwell, the Head Teacher, will address parents at 7.00 pm.

Thereafter, tours of the departments will commence, which follow a very tight schedule, so timing is crucial.  This year the tours will allow you to visit every department in the school.

Tea, coffee and juice will be served at some point on your tour. This will be in the café area on the ground floor.

If you wish any further details about this Open Evening, please contact the school on the above number or by email.

We look forward to seeing you on 22nd November.

 

Yours sincerely

Mr Chris Morris

Depute Head Teacher

 

Parents

Survey on early learning and childcare

We are writing to let you know about a survey currently being run for the Scottish Government, and inviting you to take part in it by clicking on the link below.

 

What is the survey about?

 

The survey asks about people’s use of and views on early learning and childcare including nurseries, childminders, playgroups, or family centres.

 

The Scottish Government plans to increase the hours of free early learning and childcare available to 3 and 4 year olds, and some 2 year olds (further details can be found at www.earlylearningandchildcare.scot). This will be a really significant change for children (and their parents and carers), and to help plan for this the Scottish Government is interested in hearing the views of households with children aged 0-5. This includes parents or carers who do not currently use early learning and childcare.

 

Giving your views

 

You can complete the survey online at www.bit.ly/elc-survey.

 

Everyone taking part has the option to be entered into a draw to win one of 10 x £100 cash prizes.

 

The survey is voluntary, but your responses will help the Scottish Government plan for the increase in free early learning and childcare. If you feel that you are not the right person in your household to take part, you can pass this letter on to someone else. If you know of anyone else who might be interested in the survey, or if for example you are a member of a relevant Facebook group, please also feel free to pass on the link to the survey.

 

The survey is strictly confidential. The Scottish Government have asked Craigforth (independent researchers) to run the survey, and no-one outside Craigforth will know who has taken part or have access to individual responses.  Reporting of survey results will also make sure that no-one taking part can be identified.

 

Questions?

 

If you would like to talk to someone about the survey, or if you would prefer to complete the survey by phone, you can contact Chris Thornton or Louise Blair at Craigforth on Freephone 0800 027 2245 or email survey@craigforth.co.uk.