August 2013

Dear Parents and Children,

Welcome back to you all!

What a lovely summer we have had and the children are all glowing with good health. I was really excited about seeing them all again and it was just great to see them coming through the door this morning. It certainly brought a smile to my face.

I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with my granddaughter during the holidays. It has been fascinating to see her growing and learning and its hard to believe that she is almost nineteen months old already. Amongst other words she knows she has learned to say “no” which is highly amusing although once or twice she has had to have one of my special “grandma looks” which seem to have worked so far! She is very entertaining though and is coming to stay for a weekend soon which I am very much looking forward to.

New Arrivals

We have a few new faces again this term and we extend a very warm welcome to James Grant as he starts his school life in Primary 1. James came into school this morning just as though he has always been here and has settled brilliantly.

Miss Smith has been in school quite a lot over the holidays and already feels very much at home here. She has been really looking forward to meeting the children and getting to know them all and yourselves too. Miss Smith is a very experienced teacher and has lots of exciting things planned for the children so we are all in for a great year.

Mrs Reid has joined us as classroom assistant and is also really looking forward to being part of the Inveravon community. She too brings a lot of experience and we are all lucky to have her.

In order for us all to get to know each other we are arranging a meet and greet open afternoon on Tuesday September 10^th at 2pm where you can come along and have a coffee and a chat with the staff and children together. It will be very informal so please try to join us.

Fundraising

Although we still have funds in the school fund I am keen not to let it dip too low so we are going to organise a fundraising event soon to keep it topped up. This will enable us to get out and about on field trips with the children to extend their education beyond the immediate school environment and also to buy in Pamela Ralph for dance again next term. It would  be good to have another few sessions of Earth Time as well so it is imperative that we keep fundraising. I will get back to you about this but in the meantime  if you have any good fundraising ideas please let me know.

Visiting Teachers

PE – Our PE slot has changed from Friday to a Wednesday afternoon. Mrs Elunid Mitchell will continue as our specialist PE teacher but the children should always bring their PE kit into school on a Monday as we do various activities throughout the week.

ART – Mrs Bremner will come to school every Monday afternoon to work with the children as they develop their art skills. She is very popular with them and they always produce splendid works of art under her careful eye.

After School Clubs

Please note that there will be no Junior Badminton until after the October holidays as both Mrs Lawson and Mr Shewan have sustained injuries. We wish them a speedy recovery and hope that they are not in too much discomfort in the meantime.

Information will follow with regard to the Lego Club

Over the next few weeks and months if there is anything you need to know or discuss with myself or Miss Smith please don’t hesitate to contact us at the school. You are always welcome and you know that I am always delighted to see you.

I hope you continue to enjoy these fine sunny days and that life is treating you well.

Kind Regards

Mrs Mary Smith

Head Teacher

Inveravon Primary

Session 2013/14   Term 1

Welcome back to the start of a new school year! It was great to see so much sunshine in our Summer Holidays and I am sure you all enjoyed the rest.

We welcome James into P1 this session. Both James and I look forward to getting to know everyone at Inveravon Primary School and quickly becoming part of the school.

Personally, I am very much looking forward to working with your children here at Inveravon. I have previously visited the school and was impressed by its character and warmth of welcome.

I would like to extend the same warmth of welcome to you. Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you need advice, information or just to chat about your child. I value the importance of maintaining strong relationships with parents and intend to keep in regular contact via this home/school folder.

I look forward to getting to know you all!

Rachael Smith

Principal Teacher

Well here we are with another school year drawing to a close! I can barely believe we have only two weeks to go as in my head it feels like we are just back from the Easter holidays. Ah well they do say that time flies when you are enjoying yourself and luckily for me I do very much enjoy coming to work.

All Change
Most of you will have been wondering what is happening staffing wise for next year and I am glad to say we are finally at the end of what has been a long and drawn out process since January when Mrs Ducrocq first informed me that she would not be returning to Inveravon.

I am really delighted to be able to tell you that Ms Rachael Smith currently Principal Teacher at Aberlour Primary wants to come and continue her role as a PT at Inveravon. Having worked with her in the past I know that she will be a great asset to the team and I am really looking forward to working with her again.

This means that Mrs Mailer will return to her substantive post at Dallas Primary after the summer where I am sure she has been missed by all the children, parents and staff.

On your behalf I would like to extend a warm thanks to Mrs Mailer for her hard work and commitment to Inveravon Primary over the last year and we wish her all the best for the future. I hope she will take away many happy memories of her time with us at Inveravon.

Mrs Ferguson has been so inspired by what she has seen going on in the classrooms at Inveravon that she has applied to Aberdeen University to begin a Post Graduate Course in teacher training so it is with great regret that I have to tell you that she too will be leaving us at the end of term. Over the four years that she has been a member of staff Mrs Ferguson has contributed greatly to the life and work of the school, especially in her role as Eco Leader. The children have also benefited enormously from the support provided by Mrs Ferguson in class and it has been obvious for a long time that she is a “natural” teacher. I was delighted when she told me about her plans and very much look forward to her joining the teaching profession. Thankfully she assures me that she has no intention of “really leaving” Inveravon and promises to come back regularly to visit us and help us with our Eco work etc. I will hold her to that!

Mrs Joan Reid will take over from Mrs Ferguson as classroom assistant after the summer. Mrs Reid currently works at Knockando and was affected by the reduction of classroom assistant hours identified in the Council budget cuts. Mrs Reid has a wealth of experience and is a popular and well liked member of staff who will be sorely missed at Knockando. However I am delighted to have her on the team at Inveravon.

Fundraising
Our sponsored walk eventually took place last week and the sun shone! (As indeed it should have done the first time!) It was lovely to see so many mums and dogs joining us and everyone had a happy “dander down the line.” You have all been very busy getting sponsors and so far we have raised approx £467 which is really fantastic. Thank you all very much indeed and can I just remind anyone who still has sponsor money to get it in to the school as soon as you can please.
If anyone has any new and novel ideas for raising money next session please let me know as I am always on the lookout for different things to do.

Pictish Party June 20th
Mrs Lawson asked me to include a wee mention of the event taking place this Thursday evening at the church to celebrate the Pictish Stones. Music, Talk and Eats 6.30 for 7pm. All welcome.

Fun Night Friday June 21st
The Parent Council are organising this again and I am really looking forward to seeing you all for what will be our last social event of the school year and we can enjoy a bit of midsummer madness together.
Starting at 6.30pm teams comprising an adult and a child will hop, skip, jump, catch, and birl their way through a variety of fun activities in a bid to become the supreme winners of the much coveted first prize. It really is an event not to be missed with the added attraction of a tasty barbecue so I hope you can all come.
There will be a small entry fee for each pair of competitors.

School Trip July 2nd
We have decided to make our way to Landmark once again this year as it provides such a fun and enjoyable day for everyone. The children will need to wear their school sweatshirts so that we can keep an eye on them but otherwise they are free to wear casual clothes….with the exception of combat/camouflage trousers and jackets.
A packed lunch will also be required. If anyone has season passes for Landmark please let us know as they can be used.
We will be back in time for all children to go home on the bus with Colin at 3.15pm.

Leaver’s Assembly Thursday July 4th 11am
Amidst all the excitement of an end of school session there is also the realisation that we will be losing our P7 pupils which is always a wee bit sad. This year we say farewell to John and Neil who, like others before them, are heading off to Speyside High School after the summer. I have every confidence that they will continue to be great ambassadors for Inveravon Primary and hope that they will remember their primary school days here as happy, carefree and successful.
End of Term Arrangements
The school will close for the holidays on Friday July 5th at 2pm prompt.
In true Inveravon Style we will have our usual water fight although it will start at 11.45 till lunchtime and the children will be in their PE kits. They will need to bring dry underwear, socks and a towel as they will have to get dried and changed for lunch and the afternoon. A plastic bag for the wet clothes will also be needed. We always aim to make sure the children take home all their belongings on the last day and I am ever hopeful that this might just be the year when we are not left with a pair of gym shoes, or a single sock, or a pair of gloves or a PE kit!

Finally can I just say how privileged I feel to be the head teacher of this wonderful wee school set on the hillside above the Spey. Given the current economic climate and the various reviews etc that are being carried out I have no doubt that we are facing some interesting times ahead and a future which I cannot even start to predict. What I do know however is that some of the happiest days of my life are spent within these four walls and I wouldn’t change a minute of it. At the end of another school year we are a strong and supportive community which can adapt to change, take it all in our stride and still stay smiling.

The bell will ring at 9.05 on Tuesday August 20th and your wonderful children will once more fill these walls with laughter, learning and happiness reminding us all once again that
“A School is four walls which surrounds the future”