New Reading Scheme

I am delighted to be able to tell you that we have bought a new reading scheme for the school. This is a modern scheme with up to date stories, pictures, characters and diversity and it fits better with the phonetic approach we take to teaching reading and spelling. A selection of the new books will be available for parents to browse at the summer fair and for anyone who feels they will miss Biff, Chip and Kipper, there will be a chance to take a bundle of the old books home! The new scheme is a significant investment for the school and it has only been possible to make the purchase due to a very generous £5000 donation from Peacehill Gas Community Fund and a further (and equally generous) donation of £500 from Parent Council.

Summer Fair and End of Year Event

The summer fair will start at 1.30 on Monday followed by the end of year event in the garden at approximately 2.15pm. All parents and friends of the school and nursery are welcome including those who Are joining the school in August.

So that cost is not a factor to children taking part, all children will be given **tokens** to play the following stalls:

Pyramid of Puzzles

Treasure Hunt

Hook the Duck

Lucky Dip

Beat the Goalie

Beat the runner

Darts

Basketball

Pirate Pete’s Treasure Island

**Please make a donation of your choice on the gate to pay for your child’s tokens**

There will be a cost for the following stalls:

Face Painting

Soak the Headteacher

Raffle

Tombola

Usbourne Book Stall

Bake Sale (being run by Parent Council

All monies raised will go to school fund to further the experiences of the children at our school and nursery.

Please bring a picnic blanket or folding chair to sit on at the end of year event. The forecast looks promising at present but we should plan for wet grass. If it rains during the afternoon, we will

Summer Reading Challenge

This starts tomorrow! Pauline visited us at Assembly today to share the details. We encourage you to get involved if you can: Click Here for Details.

Waterstone Crook Football Camps

Please click here for information.

Cafe Inc

Café Inc will be back during the summer holidays for children and young people across Fife. It is a free lunch club providing tasty, healthy meals for our children and young people while our schools are closed during the holidays. No need to book, just turn up. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult, who can also have a meal.

Cafe Inc venues will all be listed on our interactive map, which is available along with other advice and help with the Cost of Living, at our.fife.scot/gethelp

Click here for information about the St Andrews Area

On Behalf of Public Health Scotland

You may be aware that we are currently seeing an increase in the number of people getting ill with measles.

If your child is about to start P1, please read this letter.

If your child is about to start S1, please read this letter.

It’s the Newport Festival Tomorrow

Here is the programme for the day:

Parent Council Minutes

Please click here to read the minutes of the most recent meeting.

Message from Active Schools

Dear Parent/Carer,

I am delighted to showcase all of the fantastic opportunities our young people and families have across the local area to participate in sport and physical activity. The below SWAY details all of the club and partners community session information! Please click the link below to access a whole new community through sport!

 https://sway.cloud.microsoft/6dURYxOpRfvxWk8e?ref=Link

 A reminder that Active Schools are running Family engagement sessions across week 1 of the holidays too and that we are still adding to these sessions! To register click the link below 

https://forms.office.com/e/X0PbMQfKTt

 Please note our Community Use camp is now fully booked, however, we are operating a wait list. 

 Thank you,

Madison Garland 

Newport Festival

Click here for information:Newport Festival Poster

Reports

Children in their pre-school nursery year and in P1-7 will bring home their school report on Friday of next week (21^st June). Please take time to read the report with your child and complete the feedback sheet together.

Seesaw Next Year

We will continue to use Seesaw iN Nursery-P7 next year, please look out for an invitation to join your child’s journal towards the end of the school holidays.

Procedures

Ahead of next year, if your child will be in P1-7, please read the updated procedures sheet: A-Z (glowscotland.org.uk) A papercopy will also come home with the reports.

If your child will be in Nursery, please make sure you are familiar with the procedures in the nursery booklet: Balmerino-nursery-handbook-May2024.pdf (glowscotland.org.uk)

Dates

Please check you know the dates for the rest of the year:

Monday 17th June – Nursery children going to Wormit PS for Puppet Show – please take your child to the front door of the school at 9.15am. Please note that there will not be space in the car park, you should park on the road and walk into the grounds. The front door is accessed by going in the pedestrian gate off Flass Road. If you can;t drop your child at Wormit, please email lucy.jess@fife.gov.uk and I can help.

Monday 24th June – Summer Fair and End of Year Event – all parents invited to come to school for this in the afternoon. If it should rain, we will move into the hall and may need to restrict the number of parents coming. Fingers crossed it will be dry! P7 parents will hear their child’s memories whatever the weather!

Tuesday 25th June – P7s to Mountain Biking at Lochore Meadows

 Thursday 27^th June – P1-7 Woods Day – children should wear outdoor learning clothes all day. Please send them with a packed lunch from home or order a school packed lunch through iPayImpact. Please apply sunscreen first thing and send them with a hat and a waterproof coat.

Friday 28^th June – Last day of term 4 – Nursery celebration – details are on Seesaw

Message from Parent Council

Summer Sandcastle Competitions

Everyone likes a free event in the summer! Click here for information…

Tesco Stronger Starts

Just a reminder that voting for the Parent Council project to set up a school library is currently open in Dundee Tesco Store – closing at the end of June. If you are in store, please pick up a blue token and pop it in the Balmerino slot!

Message from Active Schools

Safe in the sun

From now until the end of September we recommend you apply sunscreen to your child each morning. Nursery staff can top up children if needed but P1-7 staff cannot. If you want them to, P1-7 children can bring a bottle of sunscreen in their bag and top up in the cloakroom at lunchtime but they need to be able to do this independently and you must make sure they know not to share due to allergies. Please don’t send your child to school or nursery with bare shoulders or wearing a cropped top – this includes for PE kit. I recommend longer shorts and skirts to protect the upper thighs which can also burn easily. Please remember waterbottles and sun hats too.

Madras Guidance Visits

The Madras Guidance Team will visit on Friday 17th May at 9.30am to meet the P7s and help them learn about their new school. They will also meet with Miss Diplexcito for face to face handover information.

Contagious Illnesses

Click Here to see a useful poster which has come into school regarding how long your child should stay off school when unwell. Please follow the advice on this poster if your child is ill.

Free Community Fun Day in July (SAMH mental health charity)

Message from Active Schools

I wanted to share this brilliant opportunity that Fife AC are offering our young people to participate in a series of running events:

flyer_Minitour_of_Fife_24

Madison

Dates for this term

Monday 6^th May – School Holiday

Thursday 9^th May – Inservice Training Day – School and Nursery closed to pupils

Wednesday 29^th May – Sports Day – all parents and family members welcome to join us on the pitch from 1.30 onwards

Monday 3^rd June – School Holiday

Tuesday 11^th, Wednesday 12^th and Thursday 13^th June – P7s on three-day Transition visit to Madras

Friday 21^st June – P1-7 and pre-school Nursery Children bringing reports home

***Please note this is a changed date**** Monday 24th  June – Summer Fair and End of Year Event – all parents invited to come to school for this in the afternoon. If it should rain, we will move into the hall and may need to restrict the number of parents coming. Fingers crossed it will be dry! P7 parents will hear their child’s memories whatever the weather!

Tuesday 25th June – P7s going to Lochore Meadows for Mountain Biking – more information will follow.

 Thursday 27^th June – P1-7 Woods Day

Friday 28^th June – Last day of term 4

Café Inc Easter 2024 

Cafe Inc is a free lunch club for children, and young people. It provides tasty, healthy meals
for our young people, while our schools are closed during the holidays. No need to book, just
turn up. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult, who can also have a meal.
Cafe Inc venues will all be listed on our interactive map, which is available along with other
advice and help with the Cost of Living, at our.fife.scot/gethelp

Active Schools have asked us to share this poster:

Please make sure you have a note of these dates for next term:

Monday 15^th April

– First day of term 4

Monday 6^th May – School Holiday

Thursday 9^th May – Inservice Training Day – School and Nursery closed to pupils

Wednesday 29^th May – Sports Day – all parents and family members welcome to join us on the pitch from 1.30 onwards

Monday 3^rd June – School Holiday

Tuesday 11^th, Wednesday 12^th and Thursday 13^th June – P7s on three-day Transition visit to Madras

Friday 21^st June – P1-7 and pre-school Nursery Children bringing reports home

Tuesday 25^th June – Summer Fair and End of Year Event – all parents invited to come to school for this in the afternoon. If it should rain, we will move into the hall and may need to restrict the number of parents coming. Fingers crossed it will be dry! P7 parents will hear their child’s memories whatever the weather!

Thursday 27^th June – P1-7 Woods Day

Friday 28^th June – Last day of term 4

Message from Active Schools

Upcoming Dates (March-May)

Wednesday 20th March – Parent Teacher Meetings 5-7pm – appointments are on Seesaw

Tuesday 26th March – Parent Teacher Meetings 3.30-5.30pm – appointments are on Seesaw

Thursday 28^th March – Last day of term 3

Monday 15^th April – First day of term 4

Monday 6^th May – School Holiday

Thursday 9^th May – Inservice Training Day – School and Nursery closed to pupils

Wednesday 29^th May – Sports Day – all parents and family members welcome to join us on the pitch from 1.30 onwards

Decider Skills Workshop for Parents

This workshop is aimed at helping parents & carers both recognise and support their own mental health, but also develop skills they can use with children. Mrs Purves and I have both done this course and Mrs Purves has taught of the skills to children in P5/6/7. I really can’t recommend it highly enough. Please sign up in the following form if you’d like to attend: https://forms.office.com/e/dgFzFCmVm7

Message from Families First, St Andrews

We would love for families and staff  to be able to come along on Saturday morning to support our coffee morning, it is drop in 10-12 at St Andrews Baptist Church. Also if any parents or carers would enjoy volunteering with Families First there are a number of roles available and the next round of training will be on Friday 19 April 2024. Please see the posters below for further details.  Families First is a wonderful charity supporting children and young people and their families with additional needs. We have lots of student volunteers but are seeking volunteers who are local and able to offer more stability. There are roles available during school hours and out with. We are particularly seeking volunteers who can support families and someone who would be able to help with web design using elementor/ word press. If you would like more information please email Laura Veitch vc@familiesfirststandrews.org.uk .

Rag Bag Collection

There will be a Rag Bag Collection on Wednesday 6th March.  Please can we ask that any donations are brought into school on Tuesday 5th March.  Thank you

World Book Day – 7th March

World Book day is the 7th of March, children can come to school dressed as their favourite book character.

Parentwise Survey – Last Chance if you haven’t done it yet!

Please complete the Parentwise Survey – it is open until 8th March. Click here to read more details and find a QR code to scan to go to the survey. Or click here to access the survey directly. All Fife Council Schools take part in the survey and your responses and comments will be collated and shared back to me. Staff and I will use the results to plan School Improvement Priorities for next year. We really value your feedback and I encourage you to take part.

Primary 1 Enrolments for August 2024

Just a reminder that all enrolments must be done by 15th March. You must enrol for your catchment school but can then make a request for another school if you have a preference for a different school. If this is the case you should note that you won’t hear the outcome of your placing request until the end of April. If you are making a placing request to our school, please understand that I won’t be able to give you a decision until then. Click here to complete online.