SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER 2023
Dear Parents/Carers
The children have all had a busy start to their school year and engaging well in learning. We hope you are enjoying updates on Seesaw. Our new children have all settled in well. It has been a quick term and hard to believe it is almost the October break.
Dates for your diary are included at the end of the newsletter. We hope to see you in school for some of our planned events.
Warm wishes,
Mrs Jacqueline Thompson
Headteacher
Attendance and Punctuality
To ensure our pupils achieve the best possible outcomes we are currently striving to improve the level of attendance and punctuality at school.
Our target for this session is 93.6% and this session’s current pupil attendance is 91.93%.
Unbroken attendance at school is important for learning and progress. At times absence is unavoidable especially when children are unwell. If your child is unwell and needs to be absent from school please contact the school office via telephone, groupcall text (07860 003737) or Parent Portal.
School Meals and Milk
School Meals are free to all children from nursery to P5. For children in P6 and P7 meals are priced at £2.40. Milk is priced at 25p. We encourage parents to pay for school meals on Ipay impact or Parent Portal. If you require any support with this, please contact the office. Milk can still be paid in cash, please send an envelope with your child’s name and class at the start of a week or at the start of term. The cost of milk for one week is £1.25 and for Term 2 it will be £10.50
Breaks and Lunches
Children have their morning break at 10.40am-10.55am and lunch from 12.35-1.25pm.
Uniform
It is expected that all children will wear full school uniform to school. Children should always bring a warm and waterproof coat. *Please label and mark all clothing & belongings with child’s initials or name and class* We have a large collection of lost property at the front office. Please feel free to check this.
Gym days
P1/2 – Wednesday
P2/3 – Wednesday
P3/4 – Monday / Outdoor learning every 2nd Tuesday
P5/6 – Tuesday & Thursday
P6/7 – Tuesday
P7 – Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
Breakfast Café
Breakfast café will continue to provide a free breakfast to pupils, from 8.30am in the dining room. We gently encourage children to try and come before 8.50am so they can eat their breakfast with others before going to class.
Care Inspectorate Success
Our nurseries were inspected last session, and the report is now available. The inspection highlighted very good education and care. The grades from the inspection were as follows:
How good is our care, play and learning? 5 – VERY GOOD
How good is our setting? 5 – VERY GOOD
How good is our leadership? 5 – VERY GOOD
How good is our staffing? 5 – VERY GOOD
We are proud of the inspection report and grades. Well done to the team and thank you to all involved. You can read the report on The Care Inspectorate website.
Water Bottles
We ask that children bring a water bottle each day. Children have regular opportunities to be active in school so need to be well hydrated.
Parent Questionnaire
We would like to seek your views on the school improvement priorities for this session. Please look out for the link sent to you via Groupcall.
Soft Finish
All parents/carers are invited to join us for a soft finish on 6th October from 2.15pm – 3.00pm. This is an opportunity for parents/carers to spend some time in the class with their child sharing their learning.
Seesaw
Feedback from parents about Seesaw has continued to be very positive. It is now one of the main ways we communicate with you. Your child’s personal learning targets will be uploaded on 22.9.23. Please look out for these and discuss them with your child. Examples of your child’s learning will be posted regularly to share your child’s progress with you. If you have any difficulties accessing Seesaw, please let us know.
Weekly Assemblies
Every Friday, P1-4 and P5-7 will come together for their weekly assembly. At these assemblies we like to celebrate children’s achievements inside and outside school. Please encourage your child to share their special achievements with us.
Positive Behaviour and Relationships Policy
Our Positive Behaviour and Relationships Policy is now in draft format, and we are putting this out for consultation with parents. Please see email.
Dysart PS Positivity Postcards
Last session we asked all parents, children and staff to take part in creating our new school values. Following the pandemic, we felt it was essential to create a new vision for our school moving forward. Ready, Respectful, Safe were chosen as new values and will underpin everything we try to achieve at Dysart. We want to encourage children and all members of the school community to demonstrate these values in the life of the school. For this reason, the children have helped to design a Dysart PS Positivity Postcard. Staff will give children a postcard to bring home to parents/carers whenever they are spotted showing our values.
House Captains/Vice House Captains
Children in P6 and P7 made their speeches ahead our school election for our new House and Vice House Captains. Well done to all children who put themselves forward for the role. The speeches were inspirational. Congratulations to our new House and Vice House Captains.
- St Serfs House Captain – Laila Higginson Vice – Leyton Cairns
- Frances House Captain – Ruby Carson Vice – Lexi Forbes
- Pan Ha’ House Captain – Lottie Robertson Vice – Ness O’Donnell
- Tolbooth House Captain – Keir Ramsay Vice – Kayn Higgins
Pupil Council Applications
All children from P1-P7 are invited to complete an application to be their class Pupil Council Rep. Please see application form in your child’s bag on Friday.
After School Clubs
Currently we have the following After School Clubs available. If you wish your child to take part, please contact the office staff.
- Ballet Monday 05pm – 4pm (P1-3) 4.05pm – 5pm (P4-7)
- Football Friday 05pm – 4pm (P1-3) 4.05pm – 5pm (P4-7)
- YMCA Play Rangers Thursday 05pm – 5pm
School Photographs
School Photographs have been rearranged for 8th and 9th November with Ian Mitchell Photography. This is kindly organised by Dysart Primary Parent Council. More information to follow.
Communication with the school
We would encourage you to get in touch if you have any questions, feedback or concerns. You can get in touch via a range of communication methods.
- Seesaw – you can message your child’s keyworker or teacher on Seesaw with anything non-urgent. The keyworkers and class teachers check these messages regularly. The class teachers will often post class information on here, for example, gym times, changes to timetables, trip information, etc. Class Teachers check these messages between 3 and 5pm normally so if you wish to pass on urgent information this is best done via the office.
- School Office – please contact the school office if you would like to discuss anything with your child’s keyworker, class teacher or Principal Teacher/Headteacher, this can be done via phone (01592 583426) or at the school reception.
- Email – email the office directly at enquiries@fife.gov.uk
- Groupcall – the school office sends regular communications through Groupcall. This will come to your mobile phone as a text message or your email address. Please keep these details up to date with the office.
Dates for your Diary
- 22nd September Learning Targets uploaded to your child’s journal on Seesaw – please share these with your child
- 6th October, 2.15-3pm Soft Finish P1-P7 – all parents are invited to spend time in your child’s class to share in the learning
- 6th October School closes at 3.05pm for the October break and reopens on Monday 23rd October at 9am
- 27th October 5-7pm Halloween Disco/Fun – more information to follow from Parent Council
- 2nd November 3.30-4.30pm Parent Council meeting in school – all parents invited to attend
- 8th and 9th November School Photos
- 10th November Learning Targets uploaded to Seesaw
- 10th November IN SERVICE Day – school closed to pupils
- 13th November Anti-Bullying Week
- 16th November, 2.15-3pm Soft Finish P1-P7 – all parents invited to spend time in your child’s class to share in the learning
- 16th November P6s to experience Curling Sessions at Kirkcaldy Ice Rink
- 1st December Christmas Fayre – more info to follow from Parent Council
- 13th December The Little Mermaid Panto at Adam Smith Theatre
- 14th and 15th December Christmas Concert – Nursery to P7 – parents/carers invited to attend
- Week of 18th December Class Christmas Parties
Finally, our Parent Council have donated £2,000 towards the purchase of new PE equipment. I am sure the children will benefit greatly from these added resources. Thank you to the Parent Council and all families who supported fundraising events.
