It has been lovely to welcome everyone back to school this week. Over the coming weeks and months we are looking forward to having parents come into school to work with us. We are giving ourselves an aim that every child will have at least one parent come into school for an activity at least once before Christmas. In the next week or so, you will receive a survey to tell us the times of day that are best for you and the sort of activities you would like to come into school to do.

Data Check and General Permissions – for action by all parents

These forms are coming home today. The data check shows the information we currently hold – please check it is still up to date and make any changes by hand using a coloured pen if possible (it helps us spot the changes if they are not in black!) Please sign the data check on both pages to confirm it is correct. The general permissions form needs to be completed so that we know we are following your wishes while your child is in our care. Please send both forms back in by end of day on 29th August at the latest. This will help us get all systems up to date.

Dietary Requirements Form

There have been changes to the school lunch menu. If your child has dietary requirements, you should check the menu (available here) and resubmit the form if any changes are needed – the form and information is available here.

News from Nursery

All the returners and our new pupils have settled well. There have been lots of learning opportunities both inside and out and the children have enjoyed playing together – Sharing Our Learning will start coming home next week.

Shoes at School (P2-7)

Please send your child to school in their school shoes (preferably black) each day. They should also bring a pair of shoes (preferably trainers – we recommend old ones) in their bag each day – they will wear these for outdoor PE and for playing in the garden if they might get muddy. They should bring these to and from school each day to avoid clutter and so that they can use them out of school. These are the only shoes they need for school this term.

Next term (after the October holiday) they will also need a pair of gym shoes or clean trainers to wear in the hall for PE. They will only need to bring these on PE days so they can also be worn at home or at indoor clubs.

We know that shoes are expensive and so are keeping the shoes needed for school to a minimum and not asking for them to be stored in school.

PE Kit 

P2-7 children should bring their kit to school on their PE day. We aren’t keeping the kits in school to avoid clutter and so that you can check them for washing and have the clothes at home for out of school time.

PE kit is: t-shirt, joggers or similar (not jeans), a hoody or fleece

PE days are:

P2/3/4 – Tuesday and Friday

P5/6/7 – Monday and Friday

Please can every child bring a waterproof coat with a hood to school each day. We play outside even if its a bit wet!

Outdoor Learning

P2/3/4 will do outdoor learning each Monday from 29th August

P5/6/7 will do outdoor learning each Tuesday from 30th August

Please send your child with outdoor learning clothes to change into at lunchtime. They need old trousers, t-shirt, jumper and a waterproof jacket. They can wear the trainers they bring to school anyway or wellies. They will come home in their woods clothes.

Outdoor learning will take place in the school garden, Waterloo Woods or Brownie woods depending on the content of the lesson.

Nursery parents will get information about Forest Kindergarten once arrangements have been finalised.

School Improvement 

At assembly today, we have shared our school improvement priorities with the children. They are:

• We are becoming a French Speaking School.
• We are becoming a Writing School – we know our strengths and next steps.
• We are becoming an Outdoor School – we know what subjects we are learning when outdoors and how our skills are building.
• Our Parents know about our Learning and they can help us Learn.

More information will come  home to parents about this in due course. The Nursery team and I will be also be engaging with Early Learning Documents around quality assurance and Personal Planning to ensure we continue to maintain high standards and follow national advice for our youngest learners.

Also at assembly, we reminded the children of our school vision, values and aims, our playground charter and how to get help with friendships. Click these links to find out more, it would be great to talk about them at home as well:

Our School. Our Future: Vision, Value, Aims

Playground Charter

Stand Up! Get Help!

It feels like a while since I have sent a weekly information sheet or an Assembly report. As you know this has been a busy term and I was off sick for a couple of weeks. We have sent a lot of emails because we felt you needed some information directly and quickly, rather than through the weekly sheet. This is a round up of what has been happening and is going to be happening before we break up for the summer.

Things we have done:

• Nursery have visited the library in Newport and the Urban Beach in Dundee to enhance their learning experiences. They have had a block of work at Balmerino Beach (thank you to parents who supported with transport).
• P1/2 and P3/4 have continued with regular forest visits to enhanced the curricular delivery through using the outdoor space.
• P7 have had three transition days to Madras.
• P1-6 have had a transition session where they met their new class and worked with their new teacher.
• 10 P6/7 pupils attended a football tournament at Leuchars PS where they competed against other pupils and lived our school values to the full.
• 8 P5/6 pupils attended a mountain biking competition at Lochore Meadows doing extremely well.
• We all thoroughly enjoyed Sports Day and Parent Council and Pupil Council supplied refreshments to raise funds.
• A P3-7 multi-sports club and a P3/4 football club have been running after school
• Pupil Council (supporting by Mrs Napier and Miss Diplexcito) have been running an Art Club and a STEM Club at lunchtimes.
• Our Girls Can (an initiative to encourage girls to continue to participate in sport) has been running in P5/6/7.
• P5/6/7 boys have been working on team building with P3/4.

Things we are looking forward to:

• Our Trip to Craigtoun Park – all permissions have been received and all relevant info has come by email.
• Another P1-6 (moving into P2-7) transition day to be held on Tuesday.
• Meeting Mrs Robertson who is joining the staff team next year and will work with P2-7.
• Our open afternoon (an email came about this last night)
• End of term celebration on 29th June – information has come home by email. Don’t forget your child does not need uniform (1960s clothing and/or bright colours are invited) and they will need a packed lunch.
• Fundraising – please send tombola and raffle donations in by Monday 27th June
• Nursery end of year celebration – a chance to celebrate the learning from this year and say goodbye to friends who will be moving onto new settings.
• Finding out who has won the House Cup!

Assemblies

P1-7 assemblies have continued each week and we have celebrated those children who have been spotted living our school values and they have brought certificates home. When I have not been able to attend assembly, the teaching staff have taken ownership and kept this going. We have also used Assembly to make sure the children know all the arrangements for our events this term and for next year. At the Queen’s Jubilee, P5/6/7 shared their learning on the events of the last 70 years in a timeline.

Parental Feedback

We have gathered P1-7 parents feedback on target setting and use of Seesaw. The results are collated here: Target Setting and Sharing Learning Survey 2021-22

Wednesday 1st June

Sports Day for Nursery-P7

Parents are invited to join us on the pitch from 1.30 onwards to spectate

The School Kitchens are serving a Jubilee Picnic Lunch which the children will eat in the school garden (weather permitting). Please order their picnic through iPayImpact or send them with a packed lunch. There will be no hot meals on this day.

Friday 3rd June

Additional Holiday for Jubilee. All children will bring home a flag and a crown on the Thursday to help with any community celebrations. We will have talked about the life of the Queen in school through the week.

Monday 6th June

School Holiday

Wednesday 8th June

Some P6/7 children will be attending a football tournament at Leuchars PS. You will receive separate information if your child is involved. This was going to be our back up day for Sports Day in case its rains on 1^st – we can’t use this day for sports now that it’s the football tournament. We’ll hope for a dry day on 1^st and if we can’t go ahead we’ll give you plenty of notice for a new date.

Tuesday 14th- Thursday 16th June

P7s to Madras for Transition Days

As long as staffing has been confirmed for next year, there will be some transition activities this week for current P1-6s.

Wednesday 22nd June

School Outing to Craigtoun Park. Your child will need to wear clothes suitable for a day outside and bring a water bottle, snack and a packed lunch. If you want them to have a school packed lunch, you must order it in advance. You will receive a text with details of how to do this. Please pay £5 contribution per child on iPayImpact making sure you choose the ‘trip fund’ not the ‘school dinner fund’. A consent form will come home next week.

Friday 24th June

Reports coming home (pre school Nursery Children and P1-7)

Wednesday 29th June

End of Year Events

During the morning, the children will run and take part in an Enterprise Fair. We will have a picnic lunch in the garden and then parents are invited to join us on the pitch at 1.30pm for our End of Year Assembly. There will be a raffle and tombola to raise funds for the school and nursery.

Your child should bring a packed lunch on this day or you should order a school packed lunch for them in advance. There will be no hot meals. You will receive a text with details of how to do this.

All staff and pupils are invited to come to school wearing bright colours or 1960s themed clothes on this day. No school uniform required.

Thursday 30th June

Last day of term – school and nursery finishes at 3pm

Ukraine Fundraiser

The girls and boys have smashed their 200 miles for £200 challenge. They walked a total of 354.8 miles and have raised a whopping £595 for the Disasters Emergency Committee. The Just Giving page will remain open for a few more weeks should anyone else wish to contribute.

Dates for Your Diary

Tuesday 17th May – a photographer from the Courier will come to take the P7 photo for the paper. As you have all given permission in the past, your child will be included in the photo unless you email me at lucy.jess@fife.gov.uk to request otherwise.

Wednesday 18th May – Madras Guidance staff visiting P7

Friday 27th May – P1 Eye Tests

It was a busy Assembly today!

200 miles for £200

We have got started on our walking challenge today and everyone in counting their miles. We have already reached our £200 fundraising target and are well on our way to £300 which is amazing! If you haven’t sponsored the school team yet, and would still like too, its definitely not too late. You can make a donation here or scan the QR code on the sheet that came home.

Community Links

The Community Council have been in touch to remind us all of the importance of wearing cycle helmets and hi-viz and about being very careful on the roads. I have advised the children only to cycle on the road if they’ve talked to a parent about it first.

Summer Fair

I have asked the children to think about stalls we could run at our school summer fair at the end of June (a Save the Date email came to parents last week). It would be good to discuss this at home too.

Stars

Our star learners have been living our values of perseverance, effort and enthusiasm this week. Well done to Ava C, Luca and Annie

House Points

The totals stand at:

Peacehill – 1223

Logie – 1251

Little Inch – 1435

P7 Parents – would your child like to get more involved in the community? Being an Ambassador could be great for them. Click here to find out more: Youth ambassador poster

Dates for Your Diary

Wednesday 27^th April – P1 dental inspection.

Monday 2nd May – School Holiday

Thursday 5th May – In-service Day – school closed to pupils for staff training

Friday 6th May – Rag Bag collection

Wednesday 18th May – Madras Guidance Staff Visiting P7

Wednesday 1st June – Sports Day for Nursery-P7 (parents will be invited – details to follow)

Friday 3rd June – Additional Holiday for Jubilee

Monday 6th June – School Holiday

Wednesday 8th June – Back Up Sports Day (in case it rains on 1st!)

Tuesday 14th- Thursday 16th June – P7s to Madras for Transition Days

Wednesday 22nd June – To Be Confirmed – School Outing

Friday 24th June – reports coming home (pre school Nursery Children and P1-7)

Thursday 29th June – End of Year Assembly for Nursery-P7 (parents will be invited – details to follow)

Friday 30th June – last day of term – school and nursery finishes at 3pm

200 Miles for £200

In week beginning 9th May, we are going to hold a fundraiser for The Disaster and Emergency Committee to support their work in Ukraine and with Refugees. We will be working as a team that week to walk at least £200 miles in total between us with an aim of raising £200.  All children from Nursery – P7 will be taking part with everyone walking what their legs can manage! We have set up a Just Giving Page so that everyone who would like to donate can do so – no forms or cash required! You can access the Just Giving page here: 200 Miles for £200 or by scanning this QR Code:

Please feel free to share the page link with any family and friends who might support our fundraising effort.

I will be going over this with the children at the start of next week but am sharing it now in case you want to discuss it with your child at home in advance.

Message from Active Schools

Dear Parents,

Assembly Today

Well done to the stars who were celebrated at Assembly today: Jack, Howie and Fergus M.

Spring Fling Tomorrow

P1-7 parents, please don’t forget to send a packed lunch tomorrow (unless you pre-ordered a school packed lunch last week). The weather doesn’t look as good for tomorrow as it is today but I think it will still be good enough for us to go to the woods. Don’t forget woods clothes – no uniform needed.

I would also like to share few things for you to know about ahead of next term:

Drop Off/Pick Up – Parents on School property

I have not yet had confirmation from Fife Council that we can invite a greater number of parents onto school property so at this point, I need to continue to ask that only Nursery, P1, 2 and 3 parents come into the grounds and at this point we can’t routinely invite you into the building. I am hopeful that this will ease into next term and I will communicate this to you when the change can happen. But for 18^th April, please assume this mitigation is still in place – I won’t contact you in the holidays with a change, only once term has begun.

Pupils Zones before 9am

We no longer need to maintain bubbles and so there is no longer any need for children to wait in a class ‘zone’ before the bell. It is fine for them to mix with pupils from other classes before 9am. This being said, we don’t supervise children before school and can’t take responsibility for them before the teacher brings the line in at 9am – they are in your care until then. I recommend that your child arrives at school as close as possible to the bell and 8.45 at the earliest. This is not to do with Covid, it will be my advice long term.

Face Coverings/Social Distancing on School Property

For 18^th April, please assume these mitigations are still in place.  My understanding is that once the legal requirement for face coverings in public places is removed, there will remain contexts (including schools) where the guidance will be that face coverings should still be worn. I am expecting, therefore, to need to advise you to keep wearing a face covering on school property (including at drop off and pick up) and I will continue to ask you to maintain distance from any adult or pupil not in your household.

Ukraine Fundraising

We are going to hold a fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees next term. Details will follow but I am letting you know about this now because I know many of you might want to discuss this with your child before it is discussed in school. Our discussions will be about how we can help those who have needed to leave their homes, we won’t focus on warfare or the political situation in any depth.

School Events/Sports Day

Outdoor events, including sports day, will go ahead next term and we expect to be able to invite parents to attend – we will set and share a date for sports day early in the term to give you good notice. We are also hopeful that we may be able to invite parents into school for an indoor open event, with mitigations in place. We are awaiting guidance about this and will share further details early next term, when we can.

I am going to post these details on the school website for reference. I am sending them today so that there is time for you to come to me with any questions before term ends on Friday. I will be in touch with updates on or soon after 18^th April.

I wish all our families a happy holiday, when it comes, and would like to extend a sincere thank you to you all for your support of the school and understanding during the Covid period. While guidance and mitigations remain in place, I am very hopeful that things will ease next term and I look forward to being able to meet many of you and get to know your family a bit better.

Kind regards

Lucy Jess

P1/2 next week

The class will do PE on Monday instead of going to the woods so please send them in uniform with PE kit.

P1-7 on Tuesday – Spring Fling

There are no hot lunches as we are taking packed lunches to the woods. If you haven’t already ordered a school packed lunch, you will need to send a packed lunch with your child. Please don’t order a lunch on iPayimpact for Tuesday – the ordering was done in advance and your child is either marked as ‘school packed lunch’ (if you ordered one) or packed lunch from home (if you didn’t). We will be leaving school mid-morning to walk to the woods and will be back by 3pm. All children should come in suitable clothes – no uniform required!

Nursery on Tuesday – Spring Fling

There will be an Easter Egg hunt lead by P6 in the school grounds. The children will be served lunch as usual.

Child Protection – for information 

On the in-service day, all staff had child protection refresher training. Our updated policies and procedures are available here. We are going to be sharing the ‘It’s Everyone’s Job’ leaflet with all families and friends of the school – look out for it coming home.

Covid Restrictions Easing – for information (all families)

All parents received a copy of the latest letter from Jason Leitch yesterday. In light of restrictions easing there will be changes next term and I will communicate these to you from next week onwards.

Trees

All our trees have been allocated now and we are looking forward to seeing the photos of them! If your family has a tree, please send your photo to me as soon as possible and please also bring in your thank you letter for the village hall committee.

Fire Evacuation

Everyone did REALLY well last week when we had to evacuate the school due to an electrical overheat. We are going to keep doing fire drills so that everyone continues to know what to do.

Stars

Our stars have been living our values of effort, teamwork and enthusiasm. Well done to: Sebastian, Melissa, Edith, Hugo and Ola.

House  Points

The current totals are:
Little Inch: 1161

Peacehill: 868

Logie: 957

But there is everything to play for and lots of chance to win points next week at the Spring Fling and the Quiz!

Today P1-7 and staff met inside, in school, altogether for the first time since I became headteacher. It is lovely to see the Scottish Government restrictions easing and lovely to have in person assemblies in the school lunch hall.

We welcomed the P6/7s back from Dalguise and shared the news that they had worked hard and all lives our school values everyday.

We shared the news about our school trees. They have been allocated to the selected families who are busy planting them. Once  you have planted them, please return the pot and also send a photo of your tree for the school website. Many thanks!

We celebrated stars who have been living our school values of effort, respect and independence. Well done to: Ruari, Evie and Kaia.