Welcome to our first weekly newsletter of the new school term and the first using this new format.

Please feel free to contact me with feedback, queries and concerns.

Lucy Jess (lucy.jess@fife.gov.uk)

New Website

This newsletter is part of our school website. If you haven’t already done so, please take time to explore the links above to find information about the school.

Message from the Office

Please check your child’s bag for forms coming home! P1-7 Parents – please return your child’s Flu Vaccine consent form by 3rd September. P2-7 Parents, please return the data check form as soon as possible.  All Parents, please return the general permissions form as soon as possible. The milk fund will be open for another week so that any parent having a teething problem with their account will still have time to order.

Staffing

Click Here to see a full list of current staffing for session 2021/22. Use the back button to return to this page afterwards.

Update on Our Refurbishment

The Nursery Refurbishment is completed and we are delighted with the new learning environment it has given us. All classroom areas now have new, double glazed windows giving us better insulation and ventilation. The P7 area has been refurbished and the walls re-insulated and painted. The rest of the classroom areas will likely have this work done during next year’s summer holidays.  Work to extend the Nursery Garden will begin around the time of the October holidays. There is a further, unavoidable delay to building the modular unit and at this point it is likely that this will be completed by August 2022.

 

Here are some photos of our new Nursery:

Polite Reminder

Please don’t walk through the school carpark at any time as there is always a risk of moving vehicles.

PE and Uniform

Your child does not need PE kit yet though it is likely that we will start changing before the end of this term. Even though we are not changing, all children should remove earrings and tie back long hair for PE lessons. If your child can’t remove their earrings, please send them with tape to cover them. If your child has long hair, please make sure their have a bobble with them each day so that they can tie it back. All children should have a school jumper (navy or red) with them each day so that they can be warm in class. They can wear a fleece or hoody over this if it gets cold but not instead of it, please.

Covid Restrictions Easing

We are beginning to be able to ease our restrictions. From today, P1 and P1/2 will be able to mix and play together in the playground and all children will be able to move seats within their classroom as needed to support teaching and learning and socialisation – we no longer need to stick to a fixed seating plan through the day and week. Further changes will be introduced gradually and I will keep you up to date.

Gauldry Gala

The Morison Duncan Hall Committee are organising a Gala to be held on Saturday 4th September on the pitch beside the hall in Gauldry. The Historical Enactment group will be hosting an archery tuition session on Saturday morning. This will be led by qualified and experienced instructors and is open to pupils of Primary school age. Those who take part in this will be invited to act as an “army” during one of the afternoon sessions. Bows and arrows will NOT be required for this!  More details will follow.

Entries are invited for the Primary schools’ Baking Competition. Pupils are invited to bake either 3 Gingerbread People or 3 Butterfly Cakes.  Entries (on a plate please) should be brought to the hall on Saturday morning between 9.30 and 10.30 with a note of the details (including age) of the baker. Judging will take place at 11am.  This competition is open to pupils of both Balmerino and Wormit schools.

 

Message regarding Beavers/Cubs/Scouts

I have been asked to share the following message. Please contact Jonny Tepp directly (details below) if you are interested:

As we move out of lockdown things are becoming more normal and in many areas Scout, Cubs and Beaver Groups are now operating where there are parents and volunteers willing to lead activity.

I am writing this to all parents and contacts of the group to update and ask for help or suggestions.

Please read to the end of this email – I would be happy to chat with anyone individually so please get in touch!

The Group relies on volunteers.

We have a good Scout hut recently redecorated, a good stock of equipment, and a healthy financial situation.

We have a set of annual accounts, a hut risk assessment, and safety certificates, and insurance in place.

We subscribe to Online Scout Manager to help us administer scouting locally.

Ideally a Scout Group needs the following in addition to a meeting place to operate

A Group Scout Leader – currently me Jonny Tepp

A Parents Committee (min Chair – vacant, Treasurer – Eddie Dunkerley, Secretary – Vacant)

Section Leaders ? (Scout Section has been meeting and led by John Innes, Cubs & Beaver Sections currently inactive)

Section Assistants ? (Scout Section has been meeting, Cubs & Beaver Section inactive)

The Group Scout Leader has an overall responsibility for Scouting and needs a committee Chair that he/she can work with.

The Parent Committee can probably do most of their work through zoom or email.

They are legally the trustees if the 34th Fife Scout Group SC032710. They need to hold an AGM and take responsibility for the Scout Hut and group finances/accounts and for meeting the requirements of OSCR (the Office for the Scottish Charity Register).

They are required to be ‘appointed’ by the Scouts Association for which they need to apply, get child protection CVG check, and complete an online intro to Scouting module to ensure they understand the fundamentals of scouting (all this probably takes 2-3 hours to complete).

Section/Assistant Leaders are the lynchpin of Scouting as they deliver activities aligned to the National Scouting programme.

They are required to be ‘appointed’ by the Scouts Association for which they need to apply and be interviewed after get child protection CVG check and completing online training. In addition to the intro to Scouting module there are modules on child safeguarding, and data protection (all this probably takes 4-5 hours to complete).

Leaders develop and deliver the programme week by week which is essentially one of encouraging fun learning by doing outdoors as much as Scottish weather allows! In my experience (and we are all different) to run a weekly programme required a commitment from me of about 4 hours per week (2 hours prep, 2 ours at the Hut)

There are plenty if resources out there providing a menu of material so that the challenge is identifying activities that you will enjoy and feel able to deliver (classic activities which I have enjoyed include)

Beavers, Cubs & Scouts

• Camping
• Cooking
• Fires
• Singing!
• Knots and ‘Pioneering’
• Hiking
• Map reading
• Codes
• Problem solving
• Games!
• Visits to Observatories, Boat trips, Skating,

Camping for ‘new leaders’ is done at national camping centres where trained leaders can deliver activities that you might not be qualified to do. If you stay in Scouting for any period of time you can develop or get accredited to deliver different activities.

I have knowledge of how Scouting and Scout group admin works which I am willing to share.

I am happy to keep supporting the local scout group in any way I can and to ‘oversee’ scouting by making sure that we as far as possible adhere to the expectations of the Scout Association

I live near to the hut and so have been happy over the years to ensure that the hut is looked after (with help obviously).

HOWEVER, I cannot do this alone and I cannot run the programme of activity that needs leaders with energy and enthusiasm for our young people.

If any of this sounds like fun to you, albeit hard work, get in touch and let’s talk!

Jonty

GSL 34th Fife SC032710