April 2015

 

Dear Parents and Children,

Welcome back to our summer term which has got off to great start weather wise. How splendid were our Easter holidays? I didn’t manage to spend quite so much time with the Grandchildren, Arianna and Isabelle as I had hoped but got a sufficient “fix” of cuddles, smiles and grandma time to keep me going.

I will keep this newsletter brief as Miss Smith has already issued a very comprehensive overview of the term (see home/school folders.) I felt quite exhausted as I read it and I know the children will be working very hard again. As always though they are up for it and are raring to go!

 

I hope you all enjoyed reading the children’s reports as much as I did as once again they captured the true essence of the children as learners at Inveravon. I felt both humbled and proud as I read them and there was often a tear in my eye. Can I gently remind you all to complete the parent comment at the back of the report and return it to us as we love to know what you are thinking too.

 

Over the holidays we had a new Smartboard installed in the Active Play room with a view to moving into it over the summer holidays. A wee change of environment will refresh us all and will also provide as with a fully functioning board in each room. The new whiteboard is amazing and will support our classroom activities and the children’s learning brilliantly.

Currently the Active Play room is looking a tad forlorn as we are gradually sifting through many years of accumulated “resources” and keeping only what is relevant and useful. (It’s in a right redd up to be honest) For someone who has been in the school for a long time (i.e. me ) there is a wee bit of nostalgia at times as I consign yet another folder of “stuff which I used to use” to the recycling bin! It’s all in the name of progress!

 

Fundraising

  May is just around the corner and with it the need for our annual “dander down the line” in the form of a sponsored walk. I have issued a sponsor form per family along with this letter and hope that you will be busy over the next few weeks collecting sponsors from far and wide. The date we have chosen is Thursday May 28^th starting as usual at Cragganmore Station at 9.15am. Family members are welcome to join us along with pets but they must be kept on a lead. (The pets that is not family members J) We will have a snack at Blacksboat and then walk back to Cragganmore where Colin will take us back to school.

 

Groundforce Day   Sunday May 17th 1.30 – 4pm

I am compiling a wee list of things which we need to achieve together on the day (well actually is a not quite such a wee list) and am hoping for a really good turn out of willing volunteers. Skills required will be sweeping, digging, cutting, weeding, strimming, hammering, raking, planting, sorting, painting along with many I haven’t thought of yet no doubt. All of this will of course be liberally sprinkled with laughter, humour and fun as we work together to improve the learning environment for all our children. We will even provide some refreshments. Please indicate on the attached note if you are going to be able to join us for a wee while that afternoon.

 

Sporting Events

Our annual joint sports afternoon with Glenlivet Primary is set for Friday June 12^th 1.30pm at the Glenlivet Hall Field. Parents and families are most welcome to join us at this event to cheer the children on.

An addition to the calendar this year is a Highland Games event at Knockando primary along with the children from Glenlivet on Tuesday June 16^th which I am sure the children will all enjoy. This will take place in the morning and we will be back to school in time for lunch.

Of course I am very confident that the sun will shine on both those days but in the event of rain then the Highland Games will just be cancelled but the backup date for the Glenlivet sports is Tuesday June 16^th. It could be a busy day for us all!

 

Over the next few weeks we will be carrying out some detailed self-evaluation activities with the children about the impact of the school improvement plan and what they feel the school’s next steps should be with regard to curriculum development. To make sure you don’t feel left out I am sending you a wee survey which I hope you will take a wee time together with your children to chat about and respond to. Don’t feel that you need to complete the whole thing but if you could comment as much as you can it would be really helpful for us. Thank you so much for your support with this.

 

On that note I will finish this newsletter with the wish that life is treating you well and that you are looking forward to all that spring and summer promise us. I have also added an updated dates for the dairy page for you to keep safely for future reference.

 

Kindest Regards

 

 

Mary Smith

Head Teacher

 

 

 

March 2015

 

Dear Parents and Children,

 

Here we are at the end of March and I can’t quite work out whether it “came in like a lamb and is going out like a lion” as the old saying goes or if it is the other way round as I seem to recall it being a bit chilly at the start of the month too. Hopefully the sunny days are just around the corner, although it is beautiful today, and we will all finally be able to shake off the persistent coughs and snuffles which have worn everyone down over the past few months.

 

 

It has been another busy term and we really enjoyed celebrating the children’s learning with you at the open afternoon yesterday and through our annual reports. On reading the reports I felt enormously proud of the children as their motivation and enthusiasm for learning came shining through each and every one. Of course we see this on a daily basis as the children come into school smiling and keen to get going and it is so rewarding to hear them speak about their time in school with us as positively as they do. I am sure you all enjoyed reading the reports too as they were particularly awesome! On behalf of you all I would like to thank the staff team for the hard work, commitment and care they devote to the children and to the life and work of the school. Inveravon is a purposeful and happy place and even as I write this newsletter I hear laughter ringing down the hall.

 

Our open afternoon went well and the children yet again rose to the occasion and gave us a very enthusiastic and comprehensive overview of their learning. Like many in the room I was quite astounded by how quickly they have learned and then performed a song which they sang in mandarin. What also struck me was the confidence with which the children all stood in front of us and talked about what they know. They have the ability to engage with their audience with ease and the whole afternoon had a natural flow and sense of harmony. Thank you to everyone who came along and took part.

We have enjoyed many visits and visitors to the school this term which the children have really appreciated and learned so much from. I won’t list them all as the best people to ask about who has been in are the children themselves but highlights have been Polly Burns from the Spey Fisheries board talking about pearls in peril, Brian Robinson explaining about electricity, Mr Finlay discussing oil production, Derek Bird informing us about the War grave commemoration, Julia helping to extend our German vocabulary and most recently Bella who has been introducing the children to Mandarin. Grateful thanks go to all who have supported the children’s learning and shared their knowledge and expertise with them. All of our visitors have commented on the variety of very good questions our children ask, their good behaviour and the very positive vibe in the school. Well done Inveravon.

 

In the last newsletter I mentioned that we are installing a new interactive Smartboard which we have decided to put into what is currently the active playroom. We will have quite a bit of moving of resources to do which is is not altogether a bad thing as we do need to have a good clear out, however it is a tad daunting so we will do it gradually over the next term and through the summer holidays so that everything is ready for the start of the new session in August. If the budget allows then we will have a look at how we can spruce up the classroom as well.

I also mentioned that we will be taking the children swimming on Fridays on a weekly basis for as long as we can next term but we will have to wait for Speyside High School to draw up their new timetable before we can say for certain how many sessions we can provide. The children are really looking forward to this and we are delighted to be able to make it happen. Time will be a bit tight so if everyone can practise drying and dressing themselves as quickly as they can over the holidays then they will be well prepared and we will get back to school in time for lunch.

 

Hopefully the warm days are just around the corner and we will manage to cast off the winter gloom and benefit from the spring air and sunshine. The playground is looking a bit forlorn at the moment but we hope to get out to start sprucing it up and bringing it back to life next term. We desperately need help with maintaining the garden area as the weeds seems to grow twice as quickly as everything else so if you feel you could help us out then please come along and do what you can. Mrs Lawson and the children struggle valiantly every year to get the planters filled with flowers and to keep on top of the weeds whilst trying to get vegetables to grow and she would really appreciate another pair of hands on a Tuesday afternoon. There will still be plenty to get stuck into on our Groundforce day so please keep that date free and come along to give us even just an hour of your time. I will issue a list of things we have identified that we need your help with after the holidays and no doubt we will soon have the problem of cheeky rabbits to contend with too………………any ideas?

 

Whilst it was great to see so many of you yesterday afternoon I appreciate that not all of you could manage along so I will take this opportunity on behalf of all the staff at Inveravon to wish you a Happy Easter and hope that you have an enjoyable holiday time together. I plan to spend some time with my two little grand daughters as I have not been able to see much of them recently.

 

 

Kindest Regards

 

 

 

Head Teacher