October/November 2019
Welcome to our second newsletter this session – a little later than expected. How has term 1 passed so quickly! Pupils are in full flow in school now and I am pleased with how well they have settled into the routine of their new classes. At present, we are tracking progress and development in order to prepare for interim reports and parent appointments. Academic progress is positive and we have set extremely high standards and targets for end of session. Our performance is scrutinised by education managers and directors and I am proud of our achievements and attainment to date. We must ‘keep up the hard work’!
Homework
It has come to my attention that some parents are unaware of their own child’s homework expectations. In September I sent home a fairly detailed explanation and account of how homework would be managed this session. I am disappointed to hear that some parents have not received this. Every pupil in school was given one. I am in the process of producing more homework packs, please do let me know if you require a copy.
Attendance
It is crucial for your child to come to school every day. Our attendance throughout the school has slipped a little and this is not conducive to purposeful learning and development. Children can come to school with a cold or a cough. If your child is unwell at school we will contact you either to come and collect, or to ask your advice on how best to manage the situation. Often children feel much better once they get into school and they become focused on something in class.
Interim Reports and Parent Appointments
Interim reports are being prepared for all pupils. These will be given out week beginning 11th November. Parent appointments will be held on the 26th November. You will be allocated an appointment time to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss their progress. Please do bring pupils along with you as we will have some activities available for them to work on.
In addition, we will organise appointments with interpreters the following week. Information about this will come to our parents/carers with that requirement.
P.E. Kit
It is very important that all pupils bring PE Kit for PE days. Some pupils also take part in gym hall activities at lunchtimes and so need kit on those days too. If pupils do not have appropriate kit, they cannot take part in activities in the gym – this is for safety and insurance purposes. Please see below for class gym days.
P2/1 Tuesday and Friday
P3/2 Tuesday and Thursday
P4/3 Wednesday and Thursday
P6/5 Tuesday and Thursday
P7/6 Monday and Friday
P7 Tuesday and Friday
Healthy drinks and snacks
We continually try to pass messages of healthy eating and drinking onto pupils. Pupils can drink water at school. During class time pupils can drink plain water. Research proves that this actually enhances performance in the classroom – class teachers will encourage this. Pupils can bring flavoured water (eg lemon lime, strawberry) for break times although we do try to dissuade them from this as there is some sugar contained. We also try to encourage pupils to bring healthy snacks to school. A piece of fruit or chopped vegetables are excellent choices. Pupils are rewarded for making healthy choices in eating and drinking and can win a special active treat if their good choices become consistent.
I am always disappointed when I see pupils coming to school eating sweets and drinking fizzy drinks. I’m not sure if parents and carers know pupils are doing this but I would encourage you to speak with your child about this.
Christmas
The time has come to mention that ‘C’ word! Time is flying past so quickly and we have made lots of exciting plans for pupils throughout this period. All pupils will go on a Christmas outing, they will all go to the Science Centre Christmas activities. In addition all pupils will have a class party and our choir will be out and about ALL over Glasgow raising money to pay for some of these activities! I am in the process of finalising dates and numbers and will give you more detail in the December newsletter.
Parental Engagement
As a change to our past plans, all classes will be identifying their own way of engaging parents in school life! This makes the process more meaningful for all. More information on specific class dates will follow soon.
NSPCC
We will welcome Richard from NSPCC (protection for children) in to work with pupils in school on the ‘Speak out, Stay safe’ programme on the 15th November. Pupils will engage in presentations and workshops focused on personal safety and self-protection.
Owl Magic
On the 6th November we will welcome in ‘Owl Magic’ to work with our younger pupils. Pupils will hear the story of Owl Babies and get the opportunity to see real owls and learn a little about their habitat.
Out To Play
Some time ago I applied for a competition to win some sessions with organisation ‘Out to Play’. We won!! Out to Play organisation deliver a programme of 6 weeks outdoor learning to pupils and link this in with environmental aspects in addition to drama! It all seems very interesting and, now in week 2, pupils seem to be enjoying the activities.
CityWise
Around 13 pupils have embarked on the CityWise programme this term. CiityWise group is made up of volunteers who are university students. The volunteers are studying in a range of different subjects and wish to work with younger people, sharing their story and trying to foster increased ambition and aspiration in them. We always look out for opportunities to increase our pupils interest and spark enthusiasm for the world of work. Our target is that 100% of our pupils reach positive destinations at the end of their compulsory education.
Extra In-service Days
Teachers across Scotland are being given 2 additional in-service days this session. The first one is on 29th November and the second is 7th February. School will be closed to pupils on these days, in addition to our regular in-service days.
In addition I have just been informed that the school will also be closed to pupils on the 12th December. This school will be used as a polling station for the up and coming elections.
Christmas Festival and Light switch on
Rosemount Development Trust are again organising an exciting event for Christmas this year. They will be having a formal ‘Christmas Light Switch On’ and celebrating their 30th Anniversary with a parade of light. We are hoping to be involved in this with dance and lights! I will share more detail when I have it.
Connect 2
This session we have managed to secure additional staffing so that we can create an additional classroom. This can be used by pupils from any stage. Mr Thomson and Mrs Young will be focusing solely on health and well-being in their classroom called Connect2. At times, pupils find classroom expectation very challenging for a variety of reasons and they need a calm space to re-focus and reflect on re-integrating into classroom life. Connect2 has been fairly busy as we welcome pupils back to school, with some pupils finding it overwhelming. We will soon have a policy statement uploaded onto the school website to give you a clearer idea of the aims and justification for such a space.
Snapshot Week 18.11.19
Feedback last session on snapshot week was very positive and so we have planned these in again for this session. During snapshot week your child will complete all tasks in a particular jotter. At the end of the week your child will bring this home and will need around 20-30 minutes with a parent/carer to speak about their learning. Please do make time for this. We know that when parents/carers engage in their child’s learning and development, their progress will be much better. It will also give you an insight into their work in school and what they get up to during the 6 hours per day they spend in Royston Primary!
Parent Council
We are actively seeking out some willing volunteers to join our parent council. Our parent council are a small group at present but would like to be bigger! Parent council have monthly meetings and look for ways to support school developments, as well as raise issues for discussion around school practice. This is definitely a great way to become engaged in your child’s learning. If you would like more information please get in touch with me and I can link you up with our parent council chair person who can discuss aspects of their work with you.
Jane McShane
