Dear Parents and Children,

Well we got another good day for the sponsored walk as it was neither too hot nor too cold and most importantly it stayed dry! A brisk pace was kept up and everyone completed the walk with a cheery smile and a great sense of satisfaction. Well done! The children came back into school looking a wee bit tired though but happy with it.  It was great to see some parents and some pets joining the children too so thanks to those of you who came along. Many thanks also to Colin for providing the transport for us yet again.

We have over £100 in sponsor money so far so please be sure to bring it in as soon as possible. Thank you.

A few Sundays ago we managed to work wonders on the playground and really smartened it up ready for the summer days. A huge thank you to everyone who came along and contributed their time, muscle power and resources…..we really do hugely appreciate it and the school looks so much smarter as a result.

Life in the polytunnel is fairly picking up and there is a lot of growing going on. The children are conducting experiments at the same time which look at different growing conditions and the speed of plant growth and development. They are extremely proud of the cucumber which has just emerged although it’s a bit tricky to measure at the moment as it is just SO teeny weeny! However I am sure that it will grow well and cucumber sandwiches will be the order of the day soon enough!

All we need to do now is to persuade the rabbits to dine elsewhere and we will get the sweet peas and some vegetables transplanted to the newly dug over beds and borders.

Our In-service days were productive and we spent some time auditing our curriculum to ensure that we are providing the best possible experiences for the children. The feedback from the reports and also the wee questionnaire we sent out indicate that you are all happy with what is happening here.  (If you haven’t already returned the parental comment section of the reports or the questionnaire can I gently remind you to do this and get them back to us.)

The staff from Dyke primary school also joined us for an afternoon as they are interested in how we are developing Interdisciplinary Learning.

It was great to welcome colleagues and to share our approaches with them. It’s just a wee shame that the children weren’t around to speak to them about it as they are the best ambassadors for Inveravon and the way we do things here. The children refer to the school as “Inverawesome” which is indeed a great recommendation!

The big “Clear Out” is still ongoing and we have all spent many hours sorting through resources and deciding what to keep and what to put out. Gradually though we are beginning to win the battle and the GP room is slowly emptying. We plan to remove shelves so that we can create a child friendly/interactive learning wall and will then get a new carpet fitted. The barer the room gets the more obvious the need for redecoration becomes. In fact I can’t remember that room ever being painted in all the time I have been in the school (a year or two…..) so it is long overdue. I will purchase paint and am looking for one or two volunteers to give over a couple of hours to help with the painting. Give me a call at the school if you think you can help with this and we can try to arrange times etc.

Transition time is upon is and the P7s are out and about meeting and greeting future classmates at various locations throughout Speyside and are looking forward to the three days planned at Speyside High.  The new intake of P1 children, Rosie and Joel, will be joining us here at Inveravon on Thursdays 4^th, 11^th, 18^th and 25^th of June from 9am -11am on each of the days where they will get a flavour of what it will be like for them when they join the class after the summer holidays.  They are of course most welcome to join us for the treasure hunt, sports day and leavers assembly.

Sports Day is set for Friday June 12^th at the Glenlivet Hall Park. You are all very welcome and indeed actively encouraged to come along and to cheer the children on. Start time is 1.30pm and you will get a form from Mrs Bassett soon to indicate whether you will be taking your child home from the sports or otherwise. (The back-up date for the sports in the “unlikely” event of rain is Wednesday June 17^th.

You will all be donning your thinking caps on Friday June 19^th as you try to solve the clues on the Treasure Hunt which Mrs Lawson and myself will be making up for you to enjoy. It was great nights last year followed by the barbecue so do please try to come along and join in the fun and just spend time with us all in the school community. The children always really enjoy such events and like to do them with their parents.

Hankies will be at the ready on Tuesday June 30^th as we get together for the last time with our P7 children James and Rebecca for our Leavers Assembly. No doubt it will involve a trip down nostalgia lane for many of us as we recall the good times we have shared over the years! You are all very welcome and teas / coffees will be available at 10.30am if you would like to join us for that prior to the assembly starting.

Our summer trip this year sees us heading to the Highland Folk Museum on Wednesday July 1^st. The children will need a packed lunch and they will all be home together with Colin on the 3.15pm bus. I just know that the sun is going to shine that day, but in the event that it doesn’t please make sure the children have sturdy footwear and a waterproof jacket. This is Scotland after all!

The session ends on Thursday July 2^nd at 2pm with all children going home at that time

I leave you on this slightly cool and pretty unseasonable May afternoon with best wishes for a great weekend. Remember there is no school on Monday as it is a local holiday!

Kind Regards

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