Pounds for Primaries – This is the final week to collect the special tokens from The Courier/Evening Telegraph.  Please send any tokens into school by Monday 10th March.

World Book Day – Thursday 6th March – World Book Day 2025 arrangements – Please note the Book Fair is open after school on Monday and Wednesday.

Pupil Progress Meetings – 13 and 18 March – a reminder email will be sent today on how to book you pupil progress meeting.  So far 72% of families have signed up for a teacher meeting.  If you have any issues just phone the school office.

Tempest Individual/Sibling Photo reminder – Tuesday 11th March – all children should wear full school uniform regardless of it being a gym day or not.  All P7s will also have their photo taken as a year group by teachers for submission to The Courier so please ensure they are wearing their Leavers’ Hoodies.

Celebrating our Special On TRACK Certificate winners from  for term 4 awarded at Learn to Learn last Wednesday :

Online Behaviour – in school we use our school values to support children in making positive decisions around learning and behaviour.  We have heard of a few incidents recently of undesirable online behaviour out with school, particularly sharing photos [in some cases screenshots of children have been taken from their parents’ social media accounts].   If your child uses social media please monitor closely, ensure all settings are private and insist on responsible and kind online behaviour.   Digital parenting advice can be found on our website: click here.

P1 Applications for August 2025 close on Monday 17th March information here.

Playground update – You might be aware that we have made some changes with regards to our playground based on the feedback from children at House Captain Surgeries.

• The playground is now divided in half (vertically) with P1-4 and P5-7 alternating daily.
• We have also introduced basketball for the P5-7 children in the caged off area. Each class take it in turn to use this resource and 8 children are allowed in the area at any one time.
• Other playground equipment has been purchased with the Pounds to Primary money we received, and this is accessible in one area of the playground.
• The benches at the bottom of the playground are now a designated quiet P1-7 communal area where children can sit and socialise with anyone from across the year groups.
• Free Choice Friday is still happening. This is where the PSAs play some music, and children can choose to go anywhere in the playground.
• Several lunchtime clubs are in operation. These are led by pupils for pupils whilst supervised by a few class teachers who have kindly given up some of their lunch to do this.

Scholastic Book Fair arrives on Thursday this week.  You are under no obligation to purchase a book. 

• All classes will visit the book fair on Friday 28th February.  Children will write down the name of a book they are interested in and its price.
• Each child will then bring home a small brown envelope with this information and you will have the choice of ordering online click here or by paying cash.  Cash should be put into the named brown envelope and returned to school no later than Wednesday 5th March.
• All children will receive a £1 book token and this is enclosed in the small brown envelope.  If ordering online remember to deduct £1 and return the voucher.
• Another alternative is for you to visit the book fair with your child on either Monday 3rd or Wednesday 5th between 3:00 – 3:45 pm.

World Book Day arrangements were shared last week here they are again: World Book Day 2025 arrangements

Pupil Progress Meetings – please book your parent/carer meeting as soon as possible.  Details on how to do this were emailed Monday 17th February.  If you are having any issues with this please call the office to arrange.

School lunches update – please note that there is a permanent change to Thursday [week 1] dinner options.  The change is to beef mince pie instead of steak pie.

International Day – School Lunch – Thursday 13th March –

is available on I-pay.  It would be appreciated if you could pre-order now.

Arrangements for P5-7 Shaper Caper Drama Workshops – details will be emailed to P5-7 families this week.

Congratulations to our P7 Rotary Quiz team who took first place at round one on Tuesday 11th competing against other Taybridgehead schools! They demonstrated great general knowledge and team spirit and are looking forward to representing Tayport

• Please check your Spam/Junk email folder for school emails .

Dates for your diary to the end of term 3:

Friday 21 February – P1-7 House Games run by the House Captains – everyone can earn points for their house by taking part! School uniform as usual.   PC Fisher to speak to P6s about being safe online.

Monday 24^th February – P7 Cluster League – Netball team @ Madras – 3:45 pm

Tuesday 25^th and Thursday 27^th February – all classes visit Tayport Library

Wednesday 26^th Feb – 5^th March – Scholastic Book Fair in school – further details will be emailed.  

Monday 3^rd March – MAD groups – 2 – 2:45 pm

Thursday 6^th March – World Book Day World Book Day 2025 arrangements

Tuesday 11^th March – Tempest individual and sibling photos in school

Thursday 13^th and Tuesday 18^th March – Pupil Progress Meetings –  further details on how to book will be emailed this week.

Thursday 13^th  and 14^th March – Shaper Caper Drama Workshops for P5-7 around the theme of “Our World”.  Short performance on Friday 14^th March at 2:30 pm – each child can invite one adult.

Tuesday 26^th March – Reading Café 3 hosted by Community Champions and Health Hub – invites will be emailed

Thursday 3^rd April – 6pm – Parent Council Bunny Drive – more details to follow.

Friday 4^th April 3pm – School closes for spring break reopening Monday 21^st April

Pounds for Primaries – please continue to collect tokens for us!

Safer Internet Day – Tuesday 11th February –  from Nursery to P7 we have been learning about staying safe online.  More tips for parents/carers.

Mid-term break reminder:

• Wednesday 12 February – Inservice day – school closed to pupils.
• Thursday 13 and Friday 14 February – Holidays
• Monday 17th February – 9am – school reopens to pupils
• Ferryport Nursery is closed to children on Wednesday for inservice but open, as usual, on Thursday and Friday.

An impressive 56% of school families responded to our Christmas Panto short survey – thank you.  The results were:

Pounds for Primaries – Last year we were one of the big winners in the Courier Pounds for Primaries competition.  This has allowed us to buy new playground equipment, sports tops, and other school sports equipment.   Please support us by asking all your family and friends to start collecting the special tokens, which will appear in The Courier/Evening Telegraph from Monday February 3 to Saturday March 8 2025.   

Every school that collects a minimum of 250 tokens will get at least £100 each.

Date change:  Due to a very busy term 3 calendar we have had to move Reading Café 3 from Thursday 6 March to Tuesday 25th March.  We will send an email to the Health Hub and Community Champion MAD group families.

Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Group Programme for Children: Please find below a link to our 2025 Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Groups programme for children, young people and families.   These groups are open to anyone, no need for a referral:  Emotional Wellbeing Groups for Children, Young People and Families – January to December 2025

We hope all our families are safe and well following storm Eowyn on Friday!  As a result of our unexpected closure on Friday we have rescheduled the following:

• Burns Day Special lunch menu – this will now happen on Thursday 30th January.  A separate email will be sent to you with full details.
• P3-4 Scottish Afternoon – the performance will be this Friday, 31st January, 2 – 2:45 pm.  All arrangements re: tickets remain the same.  Again an email with full details has been sent to P3 and P4 families.

Christmas Panto Trip – December 2025 – Following last week’s Parent Council meeting we agreed to send out a very short parent/carer survey regarding the Christmas panto trip.  As you are aware this year the trip was heavily subsidised by the Parent Council and school as well as other generous donations.

We anticipate that the costs will remain similar for next year however, we cannot guarantee the same level of subsidy  for next Christmas so we are asking families: if the cost is higher should the panto trip continue?  Please respond as your answer will support the final decision [we need to book seats at the panto before summer!]      Click here to respond.

Final reminder – Nursery applications from August 2025, close on Friday 31 January.

Reminders:

Parent Council meeting tonight (Monday 20 January) at 6pm at Tayport Primary School.   All welcome.

Change to school dinner menu this week only:

• Thursday – Bubble fish
• Friday – Special Burns’ Day menu [please pre-order if possible]

Ferryport Nursery applications for 2025/26  closes on 31 January.  More information can be found on Fife Council’s website by clicking here.  Please apply early if you are new or wish to change to term time or an alternative AM/PM place.

P1 applications for August 2025 are now open and close 17 March.  Please apply promptly.  You can access more information here.

Class learning overviews for term 3 are now available on our website, click here and then select the relevant class.  Please use the learning overview as a useful tool to talk with your child about their learning throughout the term.  Remember that the teacher’s email address is also on the learning overview.   Please email them any news of your child’s successes from out of school.

P1 applications for August 2025 are now open.  Please apply promptly.  You can access more information here.

Headlice – already this term we have had a few cases of headlice reported.   Please note:

• A head lice infection cannot be diagnosed unless a living louse has been found on the head.
• Anyone with hair can catch head lice, meaning that the problem, whilst often more prevalent in children, is not unique to them
• Regular checking of children’s heads is important, but it is a parental responsibility.
• Insecticide treatment should never be used as a preventative measure as the use of insecticidal products on a regular basis may result in insecticidal resistance. Insecticide lotions should only be used when a living louse has been found on the head.  NHS advice.

Please refer back to last week’s update for dates for this term.

A warm welcome back to school, for what is sure to be another busy action packed term!

If you missed the roundup of term 2’s class learning showcase please take a look by clicking here and then selecting your child’s class.  Remember to email teachers news of achievements out of school.  We can only share photos if you have completed and returned the general permissions paperwork.

Ferryport Nursery applications for 2025/26 opened today [6 January] and closes on 31 January.  More information can be found on Fife Council’s website by clicking here.  Please apply early if you are new or wish to change to term time or an alternative AM/PM place.

Pupil Wellbeing – this term our whole school building resilience focus is “Have a goal”.   For more information on how to support this from home here is the “Have a goal” Parent/Carer leaflet:  here.

Scooters and bikes –  please remind children that they must dismount scooters and bikes as soon as they enter the school gate, this includes at the end of day walking their bike/scooter through the playground until outside the school grounds.  We have had a number of very close calls near the side door with pupils on scooters!

Dates for your diary –  please refer to our school calendar on the website: click here.

• Monday 20th January 6pm – Parent Council Meeting at Tayport Primary – all welcome.  Parent Council information
• Friday 24th January 2:00 pm – P3 and P4 Scottish Afternoon Presentation to families.
• Wednesday 12th February – Inservice day 4.  School closed to pupils
• Thursday 13th and Friday 14th February – mid-term holiday
• Friday 21st February – House Games run by house captains
• Thursday 6th March – World Book Day and Reading Café 3 run by Health Hub and Community Champions.
• Thursday 13th March and Tuesday 18th March – 3:30 – 6:30pm – Pupil Progress Meetings.
• Friday 4th April – 3pm – end of term 3.

Sharing our learning – the end of term 2 learning showcases are now ready for you to enjoy.  Click here and then select the relevant class.

Christmas parties – Wednesday 18th December  – children can come to school wearing party clothes however please remember that they will still be outside for morning break and lunchtime so usual coats/ hats/ shoes will be required.  For P3-7 who will walk to and from the Larick Centre sensible footwear is a must! Final detail:

• P3s and P4s walking to Larick Centre at 10:30 am.  They will be back at school by approximately 12:15 pm.  P1s and P2s will have their party at school during this time slot too.
• 12:15 – 1 pm – lunchtime for all classes.
• 1:05 pm – P5, P6 and P7 walking to the Larick Centre.  They will be back at school before 3pm.

Christmas Cheer – Friday 20th December at 9:30 am – everyone is welcome at the church for a short festive gathering.  Rev Humphries has asked that we share upcoming local Christmas services:

School closes on Friday 20th December at 3pm and reopens Monday 6th January at 9am.

Related to cost of living support, please find attached North East Fife festive opening times for various venues:  NE Fife Festive Opening Times 2024-25