Talented Children!

The children had a great time at the Valentine’s disco which the Parent Council organised. We have some very talented dancers with children winning prizes for their dancing at both the infant and upper school discos. We are all really looking forward to this year’s XA Factor which the House Captains have organised for Thursday 22nd February. I’m sure that judging this will be very difficult.

Staffing

At the beginning of the month Mrs Duncan, following competitive interview, was appointed as Principal Teacher in Cross Arthurlie. We wish her well in this permanent post.

Primary 1/1 parents will also now be aware that Mrs Burnett is pregnant and will be going on maternity leave soon, probably after the Easter holidays. I don’t have any definite arrangements for covering P1/1 during Mrs Burnett’s absence, at the moment but will letter parents as soon as possible once I have this information.

Improvement Planning

We are continuing to make progress on supporting children in building their resilience with their learning through Building the Learning Power. This month we have also had a focus on developing staff and children’s skills with IT. Internet Safety Day on Tuesday 6th February and assembly on the 7th ensured that all children are well informed about the potential dangers of being on-line and ways in which they can keep themselves safe.

We are very fortunate to have received a class set of Virtual Reality headsets from East Renfrewshire Council. As part of the in-service day staff learned how to use these and discussed ways in which children’s learning could be extended with this latest resource.

Chinese New Year

As a Confucius Hub we are very keen that our children become familiar with Chinese culture in addition to learning Mandarin. The 16th February was Chinese New Year and this year it is the Year of the Dog. Miss Thomson has organised an art competition for the school with children completing a drawing to celebrate this, with Mrs Chu being the judge for the completed entries.

On Tuesday 20th Feb Miss Thomson will also be going to Edinburgh with 15 children to visit the zoo and be part of the opening of the Confucius Hub there.

Many of the after school clubs this year have been linked to Chinese culture. Clubs such as table tennis, gymnastics and badminton have been possible due to additional resources which are part of being a Hub school. Next term we are very excited about our plans for family Chinese cooking . Make sure you look out for further information on this.

Parent Council

The Parent Council support the school with fundraising and as a mechanism for gathering parent views on matters which affect the school. They are looking to collect bottles prior to the Ladies Night, as usual any glassware should be dropped off at the school office.

Dates of next meetings: March 6th & May 1st (Barrhead High) and June 5th AGM at Cross Arthurlie

Events coming up: 3rd March : Ladies Night; 19th May: Spring Fun Day; 12th June discos : 21st June: Leaver’s Dance

Being Active!

We had fantastic learning and play last month when the snow covered the grassed area at the back of the school. Children in a range of stages throughout the school took their learning outdoors and had great fun measuring, estimating, discovering the properties of snow and experimenting and testing what made the most effective slides and why.

Please ensure that all children are suitably dressed for the weather to ensure that they can fully participate in all aspects of learning, both indoors and out.

Open Afternoon and Parents’ Nights

You will all have received information about the Open Afternoon on Tuesday 27th Feb and Parents’ Nights in March. We are really keen to gather parents views on Homework and the priorities for next year’s School Improvement Plan and are looking to do so during the Open Afternoon and Parents’ Night.

We are hopeful that by gathering your views at a time when many folks are already in school you will be able to contribute to the decisions, particularly as the issue of homework can have a direct impact upon family life.

Primary 5 Charity

Primary 5 are planning a ‘Wacky Hair Day’ on Friday 23rd February to raise money for the Royal Hospital for Children. Pupils can come to school on this day with wacky hair, for a small donation to this very worthwhile hospital. Pupils should wear their school uniform as normal on this day.

VIP Assembly

We had our third monthly VIP assembly last Wednesday celebrating the school value of respect. The following children were awarded VIP certificates : Eva Sellyn, Finn Shepherd, Grace MacDonald, Emily Kay, Lacey Miller, Alex McEleney, Lucie Johnston, Daisy Aird, Lau-en McKinnon, Niall McInally, Adam Wilson, Amy Docherty, Marley McEwan, Eve Hamilton, Ismail Haq, Calvin Brennan, Anna Dove, Kelly Rocks, Kyle Bone, Gilen Smith & Jack Girvan.

We also celebrated a range of achievements out of school:

Dancing: Mitchell Bryce; Football: Max Morrison, Lewis Murray and Zac Davidson.

Fiona MacDonald

Head Teacher

Welcome Back

Welcome back and I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year, and were able to enjoy the festivities despite the colds and flu that have been doing the rounds.

It was great to hear from the children about the time they spent with friends and family and of course the presents many of them received.

Making a Difference

As I said at the Christmas service one of the most fabulous attributes of the Cross Arthurlie community is their generosity. This was clearly evident in both the volume and range of items collected for the local foodbank. Mrs Burnett and Mrs Powell had to use both of their cars to transport all the items we received and from speaking to the children in Primary 1 they were very aware of why they were collecting such items and the difference that they could be making to many people’s lives.

Improvement Planning

Working with staff from Hillview and Carlibar Primaries and Barrhead High we are looking to improve the teaching and encourage children to become more confident and resilient learners. Part of this is encouraging children to work through things for themselves and using different ways of helping them get ‘unstuck’ and to help their perseverance in tasks which they find challenging.

We have also all been working on improving our writing through ‘Big Writing’. You may be aware that BBC Radio 2 run a competition for children aged 5-13 to write a story. This competition is open for children to write anywhere and entries can be submitted by home or school. More details can be found at: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00rfvk1.

Road Safety

East Renfrewshire Council is embarking upon a focussed campaign around road safety. As you know at Cross Arthurlie we have a number of children who walk or cycle to school. If you choose to drive instead please remember causing congestion or obstruction near schools is selfish and dangerous. Parking is restricted in the following:

•  School keep clear and zig zag lines
•  Double yellow lines
•  Single yellow lines
•  Parking on a pavement or verge
•  Double parking and dropped footways
•  School bus bays
•  Pedestrian crossings
•  Parking in disabled bays unless you’re a blue badge carrier

Parent Council

As you know the parent council have been raising funds for new sports kits for children to use at various sporting events. They have been very proactive in gaining sponsorship for some of the kit. Our thanks go to the following local companies: Co-op foods; Moodies funeral directors; McCabe opticians, Excel Training International and Maple Joiners. Look out for photographs in the Barrhead News. The dates of the next meetings (to be held in Barrhead High School ) are : 06/02/18; 06/03/18; 01/05/18; 05/06/18 (AGM in Cross Arthurlie)

Events next year :7th February : Valentine’s Disco 3rd March : Ladies Night; 1st May: Spring Fun Day; 12th June discos : 21st June: Leaver’s

Sports Kit

We are really looking forward to wearing our new sports kits as we participate in the follow-ing competitions this term :

Inter Cluster Football (boys) —25 January

Soccer 7s — 26 January

Inter Cluster Football (girls) – 22 February

Sportshall Athletics—23 February

Cross Country—27 February

Primary Dance —14 March

Primary Netball—22 March

P4 Swimming

P4 will be swimming this term. As part of our commitment to reducing the cost of the school day and to ensure that all children can participate in learning this important skill, we have decided to use P.E.F. funding to support this activity.

P1 Muddy Movers

Primary 1 are really looking forward to developing their learning outdoors through the ‘Muddy Movers’ programme. This will involve the children working together the move large items outdoors and develop their skills and abilities in problem solving.

VIP ASSEMBLY

We had our second monthly VIP assembly this Wednesday celebrating the school value of loyalty. The following children were awarded VIP certificates : Lewis Murray, Havana McManus, Amirah Gad El Karim, Hollie Clarkson, Tegan Smith, Brandon Grant, Rebecca Browning, Jayden Kinnear, Sophie Clynes, Jane Denovan, Natalia Teo, Jack Laing, Michaela McClelland, Lewis Lester, Robbie Wallace, Poppy Aird, Jack Morrison, Emily Wade, Kaitlin McArthur, Jihan Khorchid.

We also celebrated a range of achievements out of school:

Dancing: Dylan Quinn,

Ballet: Lacey Miller, Medals: Rhuaridh MacLeod, Jude McCusker-Young & Arlo Morrison: martial arts, Isla Carruth: Art, Freya McGuire & Grace Todd: dancing,

Aeryn Thomson, Leigha Harvey & Lucy C Rae: dancing, Freya Davidson: swimming, Sara Todd: Panto, Lachie Douglas-Kellie: swimming, Kyden Madziwa: learning, Lucy McGrellis & Freya Quinn: dancing, Bo Hamilton: catching the ball at Chelsea game, Aimee Williamson: netball.

Fiona MacDonald

Head Teacher

I am really looking forward to celebrating my first Christmas at Cross Arthurlie. The school is currently buzzing with the sounds of children rehearsing for the Christmas Concerts and Nativity. They are sound-ing great at the moment and are really looking forward to performing to a live audience.

Christmas Concert

Hopefully you’ll all now have collected your tickets for the Christmas concert next Wednesday and Thursday evenings 13th and 14th De-cember.
Children from P3-7 should come into school via the P1 & P2 classrooms adjacent to the car park.

 P3 & P4 — Room 1
 P5 & P6 — Room 2
 P7 – Room 3

The gym doors will open for parents at 6:30p.m. We are very conscious that Christmas can be a very expensive time of year for families and in order to keep the costs down, have agreed that children should wear their school uniform plus a Christmas object such as a Santa hat, Christmas headband or other such item, to help us get into the festive spirit.

Nativity

The children in P1 & P2 are very excited to be performing their show ‘The Nativity’ on Friday 15th December in the morning. Doors will open at 9:15a.m.

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner for the children will be served on Wednesday 13th. If your child has a Christmas jumper and you would like them to wear it instead of a school cardigan or sweatshirt, they can do so on that day. Other than the days of their party, children should wear school uniform as usual.

Christmas Parties

The Christmas parties will take place on the following days:

Friday 15th—P6 and P7

Monday 18th—P4 and P5

Tuesday 19th—P1 & 2 and P3

Children may bring party clothes to change into for their party, which will be in the afternoon.

Parent Council

I’m sure everyone appreciates the hard work of the Parent Council in organising the Christmas Fair and Movie Night recently. The funds from these events are used for specific purposes which benefit the children and we are very grateful for the support of the parents who commit to being part of the Parent Council and all who volun teer to put on events for the children.

The dates of the next meetings (to be held in Barrhead High School ) are : 06/02/18; 06/03/18; 01/05/18; 05/06/18 (AGM in Cross Arthurlie)

Events next year :7th February : Valentine’s Disco 3rd March : Ladies Night; 1st May: Spring Fun Day; 12th June discos : 21st June: Leaver’s Dance

Primary 1 Christmas Charity

Primary 1 is aiming to raise awareness of poverty and help stop hunger. This Christmas, we are looking for donations for our local food bank. The local food bank would be grateful for donations of sugar, fruit juice and toiletries such as soap, shampoo and shower gel. If you are able to donate, please ask your child to bring the donation to either Primary 1 classes by Friday 15th.

VIP Assembly

We had our second monthly VIP assembly this Wednesday celebrating the school value of honesty. The following children were awarded VIP certificates : Max Morrison; Holly Simpson; Poppy Aird; Bruce Hannah; Anna Lagan; Freya McGuire, Freya Reynolds, Kaci Wales, Lyla Winning, Jessica Ferguson, Lucy Johns, Max Moultrie, Ben Weir, Lucy Stewart, Sam Ed-monstone, Alfie MacDonald, Zac Davidson, Leon McDougall, Robbie Wallace, Ashton McKechan, Declan Smith.

We also celebrated a range of achievements out of school:

Football : Jack Laing; Max Mouldrie; Scott Hendrie; Harry Johns

Judo : Lachlan Douglas-Kelly

Karate : Arran Junner; James Gribble

Brass : Souroush Uthmani, Marley McEwan

Dancing: Dylan Quinn

 

Fiona MacDonald

Head Teacher

V.I.P. Assembly

This Wednesday we had our first of what will become a monthly celebration of success known as the “V.I.P. assembly”.  We will award one V.I.P. certificate each month to one child in each class who, for the past month, has demonstrated one of the school values.

This month the focus was on our school value fairness and certificates were presented to the following children:- Evie Downs; Zack Kenny; Eva Maclaren; Jack Kivlehan; Kaiden Hendrie; Freya Wilson; Isla Carruth; Freya Davidson; Inaya Sharif; Ruby Maclaren; Brooke Lenaghan; Greig Murray; Aaran Meikle; Yunis Amin; Oscar Smith; Emi-y Kay; Kyle Bone; Armanj Korchid; Blair Dobbins; Tiffany Kane and Bruce Hannah.

During this assembly we also celebrated wider achievements out of school. The following children were given Head Teacher awards – Lyla Winning, Iona Thomson, Hannah More, Kayla Condron, Abigail Thompson-love and Leah Bryant (football), Ashton McKechan (golf), Jack Kivlehan (swimming), Millie Downs (gymnastics) and Daisy Aird (art).

The quotes from staff saying why awards have been given to specific children are on display at the front of the school. Please have a look whenever you’re in.

Primary 7 Dounans Outdoor Residential

The excitement in Primary 7 is growing as many of them prepare for their residential trip next week. I am sure the children and staff will have a wonderful time particularly in light of the wonderful example they set at Barrhead High School on Tuesday in the first of their transition meetings.

ERC Budget

East Renfrewshire Council has recently put out for consultation their proposed budget for the next three years. The Parent Council will be discussing this at their next meeting however individuals are welcome to read the proposals on the ERC website and following the address :

http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/budget  

Parent council

I’m sure everyone appreciates the hard work of the Parent Council in organising the Hallowe’en disco last Tuesday. This was a great event with children and staff having a great evening dancing and scaring the night away.

The next event is on Saturday 25th November and is the Christmas Fair. Linking with the P3 classes who are organizing a “Pudsey Sports Day” we will have a non-uniform “Spotty and Sporty” day on Friday 17th November. More details on this will follow from both P3 and the Parent Council.

The dates of the next meetings (to be held in Barrhead High School ) are : 07/11/17; 28/11/7; 06/02/18; 06/03/18; 01/05/18; 05/06/18 (AGM in Cross Arthurlie)

School photographs

The school photographer will be in school on Thursday 16th November. Following some discussion and looking into other options we have chosen once again to go with Tempest as our supplier of school photographs. Some members of parent council have very kindly offered to support us on that day in ensuring that children look their best for the photos.

Parents’ Evenings

Thanks to everyone who managed along to our Parents’ Evenings on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. It is wonderful to see the high levels of interest and support that our children are privileged to have from their families. From the numbers of smiling faces I saw, on both adults and children I know that for the vast majority, we are confident that we are ensuring that our children are working well and learning in a supportive environment.

We also know that Parents’ Night gives us the opportunity for anyone who has concerns to raise them and I am confident that any concerns raised will be addressed.

Thanks also to everyone who gave a contribution to the bucket for our school sports kits. We raised a fantastic £122 on the two evenings.

Class Assemblies

This term P7/2 shared their learn-ing on World War 2 and P6/1 on Europe. These were great mornings with the children confidently sharing their knowledge of these subjects.

Communication

We are aware that for a number of reasons some families need more than one copy of information from the school. If you are in this situation and would like copies of information to be emailed to more than one family member please contact the school office and they will be happy to add you to our mailing list.

Primary 1

We have prepared a leaflet explaining the recent changes to Primary 1. Paper copies of these are available from the school office or by email, if you would like a copy please get in touch.

Fiona MacDonald

Head Teacher

 

 

 

Always Celebrating Learning

The last month has been very busy as children and staff get to know one another better and enjoy learning together. We had great fun joining schools across Scotland for Maths Week. All classes made links between maths and the world of work as well as developing maths in different ways, both indoors and out. The children know that maths is one of my favourite subjects and I took this opportunity to teach maths in a range of classes throughout the school.

Four children also represented the school at Strathclyde University introducing a conference in Mandarin.  They were outstanding and we received very positive feedback from delegates at the conference. The following day we were visited by two Headteachers from China. They spent the morning in classes and observed the children learning. Their most memorable comment was that they noticed the children and staff were very happy in school.

September also gave us the opportunity to share our learning with yourselves during the Open Afternoon. I was both amazed and thrilled at the level of commitment shown by yourselves as parents and carers supporting your children in their learning. The children are very fortunate to have such committed and supportive families and friends around them.

The children of Primary 4 organized our first charity event with “Jeans for Genes Day”. In addition to presenting at assembly they also organised a fundraising event in their class. Well Done P4 !

Some Challenges

Unfortunately we have also been facing some challenges this term, particularly in regard to parking. Some adults collecting and dropping children off are being selfish, parking on zig-zag lines, idling their cars and parking on the pavements. This selfish behaviour is putting children’s lives at risk. The Parent Council have contacted the police who will be in the vicinity and will take appropriate action on anyone who is behaving unlawfully.

Outdoor Classroom Day

Next Thursday, 12th October is Outdoor Classroom Day. We are looking forward to taking our learning outdoors. Please make sure that your child has suitable outdoor clothing to be able to fully participate in this exciting day.

Children taking on additional responsibilities

We have a number of ways in which children throughout the school are able to take on additional responsibilities. In addition to the House Captains and Sports Committee there are also Eco Committee, JRSOs and Rights Respecting Schools committees. We have also held two House Competitions, one for maths and one for general knowledge. These are always exciting ways for children in different classes to represent their class and ensure that as many children as possible are given such opportunities.

New Sports Kit and Outdoor Learning Resources

The Parent Council have very kindly donated money , and gained sponsorship for new sports kits for a range of different sports.

They were shown to the children during a special assembly and the children can’t wait to make good use of this new kit. Samples of the sports kits are on display in the front entrance of the school.

We have received additional funding from East Renfrewshire Council recently to support us as we introduce new aspects of learning in Primary 1, particularly using the outdoors for learning. This new equipment will be stored outside in the main with children being able to make use of this equipment.

Communication

We are keen to ensure you get information from school in a way that suits you best. We currently use the school website, class blogs, Twitter, newsletters, text alerts, letters in schoolbags and homework as a range of way to communicate. If you are finding that you’re not receiving information please let us know and we’ll discuss ways of ensuring that everyone is as informed as possible about what’s happening in the life of the school.

Parents’ Night slips have been distributed to children.  Please make sure you return these as soon as possible to all times for appointments to be allocated.

Parent Council

The Parent Council are always keen to welcome new members. The Parent Council meets monthly on the first Tuesday of the month. Please come along to meet everyone and find out how you can help support your child by supporting the work of the Parent Council. In addition the parent council has a Facebook page for all parents at the school: Cross Arthurlie PC/ Fundraisers. This is a closed group for parents and will provide you with information on up and coming events.

The dates of the next meetings (to be held in Barrhead High School ) are : 07/11/17; 28/11/7; 06/02/18; 06/03/18; 01/05/18; 05/06/18 (AGM in Cross Ar-thurlie)

Events this year : 24th October : Hallowe’en Disco; 25th November: Xmas Fair; 5th December : Movie night; 3rd March : Ladies Night; 1st May: Spring Fun Day; 12th June discos : 21st June: Leaver’s Dance

Holidays and In-service

 In-service 13th October

 October week 16th –20th

 Christmas 21st Dec-3rd January

 In-service 9th February

 Mid-term holiday 12th & 13th February

 Good Friday 30th March

 Spring holiday 2nd– 13th April

 Bank Holiday – 7th May

 Bank Holiday 25th- 28th May

 In-service 29th May

 School closes for summer

 Summer holidays start 28th June

 

Fiona MacDonald

Head Teacher

Additional Teachers

Thank you everyone for the very warm welcome I have received in my first couple of weeks as Headteacher in Cross Arthurlie. There are a number of new teachers in school this year. We are also in the very fortunate position of having a number of teachers who will be teaching various groups of children at different points throughout the week. Mrs Carr, Mrs Berry, Miss Kirk, Mrs Eddie and Miss Scott will be teaching a range of different subjects throughout the school extending the children’s learning either by co-operatively teaching with the class teacher or perhaps teaching in smaller groups .

Getting to Know Everyone

As I am new to the school I, unfortunately don’t know everyone yet. I have set myself the ambitious challenge of getting to know every child in the school by Christmas. So far I have tried to master the names of five of the fourteen classes and will continue to work on the others. It has been great teaching each of the classes and building up my knowledge of the skills, abilities and personalities of the children. In general I have found them to be confident and enthusiastic learners and I am looking forward to watching them progress and develop over throughout the year.

Changes….

Primary 1

The children in Primary 1 have been enjoying learning in a different way this year building on their learning from nursery and developing their learning through play.

Remits

The Senior Management Team have changed remits. As Headteacher I have overall responsibility for the school however in addition I also have a particular focus on the children in P1 & 2. Mrs Duncan, as Acting PT , has responsibility for P3 & 4 and Miss Rice as Acting DHT has responsibility for P5, 6 & 7.

Offices

I have moved my office to be closer to P 1 & 2 and at the first assembly invited the children to create a new sign for my office door. There were some great entries with the winner being Emily from P5/2.

 

Parent Council News

The Parent Council are always keen to welcome new members. The Parent Council usually meets monthly on the first Tuesday of the month. The first meeting will be held in the school from 7pm on Tuesday 5th September and will be a cheese and wine event. Please come along to meet everyone and find out how you can help support your child by supporting the work of the parent council. In addition the parent council has a Facebook page for all parents at the school: Cross Arthurlie PC/ Fundraisers. This is a closed group for parents and will provide you with information on up and coming events.

The dates of the next meetings (to be held in Barrhead High School ) are : 3/10/17; 07/11/17; 28/11/7; 06/02/18; 06/03/18; 01/05/18; 05/06/18 (AGM in Cross Arthurlie)

Events this year : 24th October : Hallowe’en Disco; 25th November: Xmas Fair; 5th December : Movie night; 3rd March : Ladies Night; 1st May: Spring Fun Day; 12th June discos : 21st June: Leaver’s Dance.

Jackets & Uniform

We are keen to ensure that children are able to make the most of playtime and, given that we live in the west of Scotland, this will mean that sometimes when the children are out playing it may be raining. Could you please make sure your child has a waterproof jacket and that it has your child’s name on it. We encourage the children to be responsible for their belongings, but sometimes they can become misplaced and it is much easier to return lost property if items are clearly labeled.

The children are all looking wonderful in their school uniforms and although as I’ve been getting it is one of the things they would like to change I have pointed out that this is something parents and East Renfrewshire Council are very much in support of in their “Learning for Success” policy. Thank you for your continued support with this as it genuinely helps us build and develop a real sense of community and being part of something that matters.

Forms

Thanks to all the parents who have already completed and returned their child’s annual data checks. If you have not done so could I ask that these are completed and returned as soon as possible.

Bikeability

Miss Rice is once again supporting P7 children in gaining their Bikeability Level 3 awards. We are keen to continue to be health promoting and encouraging children to bring their bikes to school. Bikeability is one way of ensuring that when children are using their bikes they are doing so safely.

A new bike shelter is also gong to be fitted in the infant playground where children can safely leave their bikes.

PE and Outdoor Learning

We are looking forward to making the most of our wonderful outdoor space. In Primary 1 the children will be learning outdoors on a regular basis and will be working through a programme called “Muddy Movers” which seeks to develop their large motor skills and encourage them to work cooperatively. Could I ask if you have not already done so you drop off a pair of wellies to for your child so that they can fully participate in this activity.

Mrs Duncan is introducing a new PE programme to children in Primaries 4– 7 which will also involve the children in being outside. It is important therefore that children in the upper school also have suitable kit for PE outdoors.

PE Days

P1/1 Monday & Tuesday

P1/2 Monday & Thursday

P2/1 Monday & Friday

P2/2 Tuesday & Friday

P3/1 Thursday

P3/2 Thursday

P4/1 Tuesday & Friday

P4/2 Monday & Tuesday

P5/1 Monday & Thursday

P5/2 Monday & Wednesday

P6/1 Wednesday & Friday

P6/2 Tuesday & Wednesday

P7/1 Tuesday & Friday

P7/2 Tuesday & Friday

Holidays and In-service

• September weekend 22nd-25th
• In-service 13th October
• October week 16th –20th
• Christmas 21st Dec-3rd Jan
• In-service 9th Feb
• Feb holiday 12th & 13th
• Good Friday 30th March
• Spring holiday 2nd– 13th April
• Bank Holiday 7th May
• Bank Holiday 25th- 28th May
• In-service 29th May
• School closes for summer
• Summer holidays start 28th June

After School Clubs

Monday 3.00-4.00pm	P6&7 Football
Tuesday 3.00-4.00pm	P4&5 Netball
Wednesday 3.00-4.00pm	P4&5 Dance
Thursday 3.00-4.00pm	P6&7 Badminton
Friday 3.00-4.00pm	P3 Play Club

Fiona MacDonald

Head Teacher

 

 

As we reach the last few days of the school term there are a few items I would like to share with you.

End of Term Service

You are all invited to attend our end of term service which will take place on Tuesday 27th June at 10.30 am. Our P7 pupils will be taking part and we’ll be wishing them every success as they move to the high school.

Staffing Changes

Over the next session there are some significant changes happening at Cross Arthurlie. Mrs Kane, Mrs Fleming and Mrs Harold have already left us to start their respective maternity leaves. Miss Murdoch is also leaving us to become a parent. We would like to wish everyone all the best. Mrs Moncrieff, Mrs Turnbull and myself are retiring at the end of the session. I know I can speak for all three of us when I say it has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with some amazingly talented youngsters. Each year has brought new faces, new challenges, many laughs and some tears but we have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our many, many years here.

Mrs Fiona MacDonald , the newly appointed Head Teacher, has visited the school and is looking forward to taking up her post in August. Mrs MacDonald has sent me the following paragraph as a welcome introduction to you as the parent forum:

“I am delighted to have been appointed as the new head teacher in Cross Arthurlie Primary School. The school has a great reputation for being a place where children learn in a positive, caring and happy learning environment and I look forward to continuing to develop this. As a school we will be going through a number of changes next term as we adjust to new staff and new children. Although this can be a little daunting at times it is also exciting as we establish and build new ways of working together in order to ensure children are learning and developing to their full potential. I look forward to meeting you all in August and wish you a relaxing and fun-filled summer break.”

Session 17/18

The new school session begins for children on Wednesday 16th August at 9am. We wish you all a very restful summer and look forward to seeing you again in August.

Twitter

If you use Twitter please follow us @crossarthurlie.

Annual Reports

We hope that the summative reports you received last week offer you a helpful insight into the progress your child has made this session.

For those of you with children in Primaries 3, 5 and 7, your child’s report contains their Standardised Test score in Reading and Maths for this session.

Please remember that these scores are standardised; they are not a score out of 100. A standardised test uses the score 100 to set the standard and any score below or above 100 gives an indication of how children have performed in relation to the standardised score.

Remember also that all pupils, regardless of the groups that they work in for Reading and Maths, sit the same test so we would typically expect their attainment in these tests to reflect their groupings at school.

We need to remember that the scores generated by this process are a sample of attainment and there could be any number or reasons why any child has performed better or worse than we expected them to on the day. School staff have a great many other ways in which accurate assessment of pupil progress can be made. Please be in touch should you wish to discuss this further.

Staffing – Session 16/17

Head Teacher – Mrs Fiona MacDonald

Acting Depute Head Teacher – Miss Gillian Rice

Acting Principal Teacher – Mrs Cathy Duncan

Current Class	Class 17/18	Teacher
–	P1/1	Mrs Burnett
–	P1/2	Mrs Powell
P1/1	P2/1	Miss Lowson
P1/2	P2/2	Miss Galloway
P2/1	P3/1	Miss Reid
P2/2	P3/2	Mrs McArthur
P3/1	P4/1	Mrs Brown and Miss Rice
P3/2	P4/2	Mrs MacDougall
P4/1	P5/1	Mrs McWilliams
P4/2	P5/2	Mr Roger Wotherspoon/Mrs Scott
P5/1	P6/1	Miss Thomson
P5/2	P6/2	Mrs Britton/Miss McGoran
P6/1	P7/1	Miss Aslam
P6/2	P7/2	Miss Hamilton

We are heading closer and closer to the end of another busy school year! I trust that this update will be a helpful one.

Sports Day

Thank you to everyone who came along to support the pupils on Sports Day on Tuesday 9th May. We were very lucky with the weather and a good time was had by all that participated. The winning House on the day was Levern. Well done everyone!

Holiday Dates

The school will be closed for the Bank Holiday Weekend on Friday 26^th, Monday 29^th May and Tuesday 30^th May (In-service).  I can now confirm that the school will also be closed on Thursday 8^th June for the General Election.

Parent Pay

This system has now been up and running since October. Can I please remind all parent/carers that the office staff can no longer take payment for trips etc. This payment has to be made online or at a Paypoint and we ask that all payments are made in advance. At the present time there are a number of payments outstanding. If you have any issues with this system please contact the school office and they will endeavour to help you.

Parental Questionnaire

Many thanks to all families who completed the recent questionnaire. It is important that the school listens to all stakeholders and your comments are very much appreciated.

Confucius Hub Launch

At Cross Arthurlie we are lucky to have a Mandarin teacher, 2 days a week, Mrs Wei Chu. All pupils will have the opportunity to learn some Mandarin and explore the Chinese culture. We have invited some important guests to join us at a special assembly on Thursday 25^th May to launch our Confucius classroom.

Wear it. Beat it.

Go Red on Friday 9 June and Raise Money For Life Saving Heart Research.

Along with some other charities British Heart Foundation is one that Cross Arthurlie would like to support. On Friday 9^th June we ask that pupils wear something red and bring a donation. The money raised will be divided between the charity and school funds. As always we would like to thank you for your continued support.

Twitter

If you use Twitter please follow us @crossarthurlie.

Lost Property

Currently we have a huge amount of lost property. Please encourage your child to look for any items they are missing, or in pop for a look. These items will be sent to the clothing bank at the end of term.

Parent Council

As most of you will be aware, we have reached the point in the academic session when our Parent Council elect new office bearers for academic session 2017/18. I am very grateful to the current office bearers for all of their hard work and commitment to the work of the Parent Council, however the time has come for new office bearers to be elected and, to this end, I wanted to give you an idea of which positions need to be filled and how your interest in these positions can be expressed.

The four office bearers are Parent Council Chair, Vice Chair, Fundraising Co-ordinator and Minute Taker.  Hopefully the general duties of these office bearers are self-explanatory, however should you wish futher detail and clarification please phone the school of speak to one of our current Parent Council members.

If you are interested in fulfilling one of these roles please let me know in writing by Thursday 25th May.  Your name will be proposed at the AGM on the 6th of June at 7pm, at Cross Arthurlie, where the necessary elections will take place.  If you require any further information please don’t hesitate to be in touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I trust you all enjoyed a restful Spring Break. The Summer Term is now underway and there’s lots happening in school over these coming weeks. I trust that this update will be a helpful one.

Sports Day

We are making plans to hold our annual Sports Day on Tuesday 9th May in the field at the rear of the school. As always, this event is subject to good weather and, if in the days prior to Sports Day, the weather is inclement there is every chance that we’ll have to postpone due to the muddy nature of the underfoot conditions. We’ll contact you all at the earliest opportunity if this is the case. The plan for the day is as follows:

9.00am to 10.30am – P1 to P3 Sports

11.00am to 12.30pm – Whole School House Events

1.30pm – 3.00pm – P4 to P7 Sports.

As always, we’d be very appreciative of any parents and carers who would be interested in helping us to run the different events. If you are free for any part of the day, and would like to help, please be in touch. We look forward to seeing you all on the 9th (weather permitting).

Holiday Dates

Next week is a short school week with the school being closed on Monday 1st May due to the bank holiday and Thursday 4th May for the Local Elections. Please remember that at the end of this month there is a further Bank Holiday Weekend, with school closing on Friday 26th May and reopening on Wednesday 31st May.

General Election

As the school is a designated Polling Station we are assuming that the school will be closed on Thursday 8th June. More details regarding this decision will be sent to you nearer the time.

Red Nose Day

Our thanks go to P2 and everyone who supported this school event. We managed to raise £628.43. Well done everyone.

School Fun Day/Dress as you Please Day

The Parent Council Fun Day is being held on Saturday 20th May. More information will be sent out to families in the coming weeks. The school will have a dress as you please day on Friday 19th May.

School Improvement Planning

At this time of year we look to draft a first copy of the School Improvement Plan for Session 2017/18. Later on this week all families will receive a school questionnaire which we ask you to fill in and send back to school so that your views can be taken into account when this planning takes place. There is an attached letter explaining more about this process.

We’d very much welcome your views and will continue to consult with pupils across the school in the coming months.

 

With the Easter break approaching, I hope that this update will be helpful to you.

Parents’ Nights

Parents’ night appointments should now be with you. This is an important opportunity to speak to the class teacher to discuss your child’s progress. If you are unable to make these appointments please contact the school office.

Red Nose Day

As an earlier letter informed you, P2 are supporting Comic Relief on Friday 24^th March. There will be a Cake and Candy on the day, prices from 20p to £1. Pupils are allowed to wear something red and are encouraged to bring in a donation for this very special cause. Over the next couple of weeks, pupils can buy red noses, and guess the Easter Bunny’s birthday.

P7 Sponsored Run

P7 are holding a Sponsored Run at 2pm on Tuesday 28^th March,  at Cowan Park. Funds raised from this event will go towards their end of term celebrations. Pupils are hoping that some parents/carers will join them on the day.

Spring Service

On Friday 31^st March at 10.30am, all are welcome to join us in school for the Spring Service. We look forward to our P3 pupils performing for us. As is the usual tradition, if you’d like to donate some flowers to the school, for distribution around the local care homes, please send them to school on that day.

P5 Residential Trip

Our P5 children, and various members of staff, enjoyed a great three days at the Belmont Outdoor Centre in Perthshire earlier this month. Photographs of the children’s experience can be seen on the website and Twitter feed.

Open Afternoon

Thanks also to all who were able to be in school for our second Open Afternoon, earlier this month. Your support of this event is very much appreciated.

NASA Visit

On Friday 3^rd March we were lucky enough to have a visit from an astronaut, Brain Duffy. The children enjoyed listening to Mr Duffy and loved watching his videos of when he was commander of the Space Shuttle. Our thanks go to Barrhead Travel who organised this visit.

Holiday Dates

The school will close for the annual Easter break on Friday 31^st March 2017 and reopen on Tuesday 18^th April 2017.

National Elections

We have been notified that the school will be used as a polling station for the Local Government Elections on Thursday 4^th May. Therefore, the school will be closed on that day.

Twitter

If you use Twitter please follow us @crossarthurlie.