Dear Parents/ Carers,
It is a privilege and a pleasure for me to continue to share with you all that is happening in the school this term.
Parents’ Evenings
Parents’ Evenings are scheduled for Wednesday 8th March and Thursday 9th March. We will be utilising the online booking system which will be ‘live’ from 16th February until 3pm on Sunday 26th February. Please go to https://ourladyofthemissions.parentseveningsystem.co.uk/ as soon as possible to ensure that you get an appointment time that suits you.
Catholic Education Week
The Catholic Education Week theme this year has been Developing as a Community of Faith and Learning. All stages dedicated their learning to this during week commencing 12th-18th February and pupils were involved in the 10am Mass at St Joseph’s on Sunday 19th February. Primary 4 led an insightful assembly focused on recognising the valued contribution pupils make to our school.
Lent
During Lent any donations for Missio and SCIAF via the ‘wee boxes’ in each classroom will be most gratefully received. The children have been asked to carry out small deeds, works of charity and raise small donations during Lent.
Standardised Testing
Children at Primaries 3, 5 and 7 are sitting Standardised Tests in Reading and Mathematics. These can assist in assessing children’s progress and identify next steps in their learning but are only one aspect of a wide range assessments which are carried out on an on-going basis throughout the year at all stages in the school. The scores for each child, along with information about what the scores mean will be included in the end of year reports.
Fair Trade
Our Fairtrade Committee was very busy in organising The Fairtrade stall and raised £2509 to donate to Rainbow Turtle.
World Book Day – Thursday 2nd March
World Book Day will be celebrated here in our school on Thursday 2nd March. Children and staff are invited to dress up as their favourite book character for the day or dress casually. Children should bring in their favourite book and a comfy cushion to participate in a Readathon during the day. The children will be entertained with visits from children’s authors, Paul Murdoch and Jane Burns, as well as a visit from St Ninian’s school librarian.
East Renfrewshire Cross Country Competition.
We wish our P5, 6 and 7 pupils well at this event on Thursday 2nd March 2017.
Parent and Staff Association
The next meeting PSA meeting takes place on Thursday 2nd March at 7pm in the school. Mostly all stages in the school are benefitting from Generation Science Workshops kindly funded by the PSA. Thank you!
Ceilidh Band
Our newly formed Ceilidh Band has been entertaining pupils throughout Scots Fortnight. The band will be performing on Monday 13 March at 3.15pm in the Royal Concert Hall in Class 213. We wish them well in this exciting venture!
Diocese of Paisley Youth
Four of our P7 pupils attended the launch of Paisley Diocese’s Youth Launch ‘The Adventure of Mercy’. Working together as a school and parish community we are encouraged to work together to help the poor and those who feel lonely or abandoned.
Choir
Our choir meet every Monday after school and are led by Miss Kane and Miss McKenna. They did a wonderful job performing at the school nativities and they were widely applauded for the standard of their performance, their professionalism and dedication. The choir regularly perform at Care Homes in the local community. The choir will be performing at the Glasgow Music Festival on Tuesday 14th March and we wish them every success.
Photographs
Tempest photographers will take individual/family photographs on Tuesday 14th March and Wednesday 15th March. Pupils should wear formal uniform including shirts and ties on these days.
Miracle Man
Tickets will be priced at £3.50 for our P6 Easter Cantata Miracle Man, which will be staged in Eastwood Theatre on Wednesday 22nd March. P6 pupils have been rehearsing for this performance as we journey through Lent together. Further details to follow.
P4 Reconciliation
Primary 4 pupils will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on the following dates:
- St Joseph’s – Tuesday 14th March at 7pm
- Holy Name – Thursday 16th March at 7pm
- St Vincent’s – Monday 20th March at 7pmWe ask that you keep our P4 pupils and families in your thoughts and prayers at this special time.
God’s Loving Plan
God’s Loving Plan replaced Education for Love as the ‘relationships education’ programme for pupils from P1-P7. This programme will once again be taught after Easter and it is important that parents are aware of the content in order to discuss matters further in advance of lessons being taught, particularly at P6 and P7 where issues regarding maturation will be dealt with in more detail. The material will be available during the forthcoming Parents’ Evenings for anyone who wishes to look at the content.
Newspaper Club
Our newly formed newspaper club has been busy putting together the first edition of the OLM Observer. The Club has met with a reporter from the Extra, John MacInnes, and has been receiving a master class in photography from one of our parents, Mrs Karen Kelly. Alison Hannah, another parent who is a Sports’ journalist, has also met with the Sports’ reporters! The group are now working to a deadline for going to print. Please look out on Parents’ Evenings for the first edition of the school newspaper!
P7 Cluster Working Visits
Our P7 pupils have been enjoying a busy and exciting year as they continue to make their transition to Secondary School. Secondary staff and pupils, including Mr Docherty Head Teacher of St Ninian’s High School, have visited the P7 classes and given an introduction to secondary school life. P7 pupils are in the process of making three half day visits to St Ninian’s High School where they are designing and making a pull-a-long toy and visiting a number of departments. P7 pupils have also attended Mass at St Ninian’s on Thursdays at 8.25am and this too has allowed them to familiarise themselves with the fuller life of a secondary school.
Parent Council Meeting
The next Parent Council meeting will take place on Thursday 23rd March at 7pm in the Junior School.
The recent newsletter issued by the Parent Council highlighted the diversity of work being carried out by the Parent Council on behalf of the school community and we thank them for their commitment to the wider life of the school.
Our Lady of the Missions Football Club
OLM FC received their Quality Mark Award at Hampden recently. Thanks to John, Denis, Brendan and Michael for all their hard work!
Nil By Mouth
As part of the P7 Enterprise Day at Christmas P7 pupils donated £500 of their fundraising money to Nil By Mouth. The pupils’ commitment to anti-sectarianism was featured in an article praising their efforts. Please log onto http://nilbymouth.org/2017/thornliebank-kids-dig-deep-for-nil-by-mouth/ to read all about this great achievement.
PedalWise
March is going to be the last month of the Walk Once a Week challenge. In acknowledgement of the effort pupils have made to travel actively during this challenge the school is being presented with the Pedalwise Wheel Change Award in March. Well done to all who have contributed to this award through committing to walk to school on a more regular basis and achieving a Travel Tracker badge.
Glasgow Crazy Creatures Competition
30 of our pupils were successful in creating a crazy creature character and writing a 100 word short story about their character. Their stories now form part of the Glasgow Crazy Creatures edition and copies of the book can be purchased when published. Watch this space for our budding authors!
Badminton
Good luck to our school badminton team who will play in the Scottish Primary Schools Badminton Finals on Saturday 25th at Wishaw Sports Centre.
Head Lice
Schools no longer send out regular letters to alert parents that a child in the school has head lice. There are a few reasons for this. Most schools are likely to have a few children with head lice at any one time. On that basis, ‘alert’ letters could potentially be required every day. ‘Alert’ letters also frequently lead parents to attempt to treat their children preventatively, which is neither effective nor advised. Head lice infection cannot be prevented, and overuse of insecticide treatments may lead to resistance. The best detection method is wet combing. Parents and carers are encouraged to check their children’s hair once a week during hair washing.
Easter Break
School will close at 2.30pm on Friday 31st March for Spring Break and re-open on Tuesday 18th April.
Yours sincerely,
Josephine McGrotty
HT Acting
| February | |
| 21st ,22nd, 23rd | P1 and P7 Dental Inspections |
| 24 th | ASN Drop In, every two weeks |
| March | |
| 1st | Ash Wednesday |
| 2nd | World Book Day |
| 2nd | East Renfrewshire Cross Country Competition |
| 2nd | PSA Meeting at 7pm |
| 3rd | P7 First Friday Mass |
| 8th | Euro Quiz |
| 8th | National Identity Card- P7 |
| 8th and 9th | Parents’ Evenings |
| 11th/12th | P4 Communion Enrolment Mass – St Joseph’s |
| 13th | Ceilidh Band performing at Royal Concert Hall, 3.15pm |
| 14th | P4 First Reconciliation – St Joseph’s |
| 14th | Choir performing at Glasgow Music Festival |
| 14th and 15th | School Photographs- individuals/families |
| 16th | P4 First Reconciliation – Holy Name |
| 16th | P3 Stage Mass |
| 20th | P4 First Reconciliation – St Vincent’s |
| 22nd | P6 Easter Cantata |
| 23rd | Parent Council Meeting at 7pm |
| 28 th | Schoenstatt Retreat P7 |
| 29th | P4 school trip – Edinburgh Zoo |
| 31st | School Closes – 2:30pm |
| April | |
| 3rd – 14th | Holiday |
| 17th | Easter Monday Holiday- school closed |
| 18th | School re-opens |
| 26th | St Mirin’s Confirmation |
| 30th | Holy Name Confirmation |
| May | |
| 1st | May Day Holiday |
| 4th | Election Day- school closed |
| 5th | First Friday Mass – P5 |
| 6th | First Communion – St Joseph’s
P4a/d – 10am, P4b/c – 12:30pm |
| 6th | First Communion – St Vincent’s – 10am |
| 7th | First Communion – Holy Name |
| 8th | St Vincent’s Confirmation |
| 14th | First Communion – Holy Name |
| 18th | P2 stage mass |
| 18th | Parent Council Meeting, 7pm |
| 24th | Sports Day |
| 26th and 29th | Holiday |
| 30th | In-service Day – pupils do not attend school |
| 31st | School re-opens |
| June | |
| 1st | PSA Meeting, 7pm |
| 2nd | First Friday Mass – P4 |
| 3rd | Summer Fayre |
| 11th | Matthew Carney Memorial Tournament |
| 12th | Leavers’ Mass, 7pm |
| 19 th | Leavers’ Ceilidh, 7pm |
| 27th | School Closes – 1pm |
