Author: Mr Byers

The Christmas Lunch for all pupils will be held on Thursday 9th December in the school canteen. On the morning of the lunch the canteen staff will be very busy with additional duties. As a consequence it is important to note that:

• Only the pod will only be open at the morning break
• Pupils are required to load their card with money as no cash can be used to pay for lunch on the day of the Christmas lunch.
• No pin numbers will be issued so please make sure pupils have their pin number to hand

A gentle reminder that pupils must wear your mask at all times in the canteen unless you they are exempt due to a medical condition.

To help increase the uptake of the flu vaccine in children aged 2 to 5 (not in school) NHS Lanarkshire is holding drop-in clinics for this age group. Details are published on NHS Lanarkshire’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please attend the drop-in clinic in the area where you live. Children must be aged 2 years or older on 1 September 2021 to be eligible.

 

We are looking forward to the online S1 Parents Evening Event starting at 4pm today.

Unfortunately, due to absence the following staff will not be available this evening.

• Miss Anderson – Home Economics
• Mr Henderson – Technical

Reminder that bookings for the S1 Parents Evening close at 10pm tonight. Bookings cannot be arranged after this time.

If experiencing any issues with bookings, please email Mrs McGuigan on nlmcguiganl@northlan.org.uk

• Meetings will be open for up to 4 minutes at which point they will automatically close. There is a 1 minute buffer built in between appointments to allow staff and parents to prepare for their next meeting
• The video technology in use requires that participants have a web cam and microphone. This should be tested to the meeting starting
• Chrome (internet browser) is recommended for use on a laptop/PC/Tablet or smartphone as it’s best for connectivity. Safari (internet browser) is recommended for iPhone/iPad.
• Microsoft Teams, Zoom or any other software that may have control over your microphone/webcam should be closed before joining the parents evening video meeting
• If you encounter a grey screen where you expect a video meeting it is an indicaion that your device/computer cannot connect to the video meeting server. If possible, we recommend trying a different internet connection or even a different internet browser. If still unsuccessful and if you have access to another device then it should be used.

Video help guides are available in a previous post should you require further assistance.

As we navigate through the winter months the threat from Covid 19 remains as dangerous as ever. With the protection of all our pupils, parents and school staff in mind it is important that we remind ourselves of the requirements should you suspect or be aware that a pupil or parent may be suffering from Covid-19.

In summary if any member of your household has tested positive or is awaiting a PCR result then the pupil(s) should remain at home until they themselves have taken and received the results from their own PCR test.

If the result is negative and they are feeling well then they should return to school. Lateral flow testing should remain as part of their routine while in weekly attendance at school during this time.

If positive, the pupil should remain at home for a time specified by Public Health Scotland. In this instance contact should be made with the pupil(s) Pupil Support teacher to inform them of the positive test and the length of time of the absence. 

As a reminder it is important to note that face coverings remain compulsory in school and they play a very important part of the mitigation protocols in place. We ask that you ensure your child comes to school with a mask to help with enforcing these government measures .

Although we will provide a mask for pupils who forget we are concerned there are a growing number of pupils who arrive daily without a mask and although they are provided with a paper mask they return at interval and lunchtime for another? Clearly this negative approach is detrimental to the measures we are legally obliged to implement but also to the environmental agenda we are all trying hard to push.

Unfortunately, due to ongoing covid restriction it is not possible for the upcoming S1 Parent’s Evening, scheduled for the 2nd of December, to take place in the school building.  However due to the importance of the event taking place we are proposing that the meeting will now happen online via our “Parents Evening Booking + Video” meeting system.

This will only be the second time we have used this online system and while we realise that this is different to your past experiences of meeting your children’s teachers in person we hope that it will be just as informative and beneficial in allowing you to further support your children with their education at Cumbernauld Academy.

With regards preparing for the meeting parents I have attached a link inviting S1 parents/carers along and detailing the timeline for booking and attending. Please click on the link below.

Parent-Video-Meeting-Invite-Letter-S1

I have also placed a link to a step by step guide and to a short video that give instructions on how to access the online system, book time slots and meet with staff via the digital platform on the night. These links can be accessed below.

Booking Information for Parents

Video Call Information for Parents

We anticipate that this evening will run smoothly and to further support its success important information is listed below;

• Teachers will be available from 4.00-6.20pm to undertake appointments. Only appointments that have been pre-booked up until 10pm on 1^st December can be taken.
• Meetings will be open for up to 4 minutes at which point they will close automatically. This will allow you to make appointments for a maximum of eight subject teachers. There is a 1-minute buffer built in between appointments to allow staff and parents to prepare for their next meeting. Remember some staff teach several classes. Further details are provided below.
• Subjects in Humanities are delivered in a rota basis. The teacher who best knows your child from Rota 1 will take the meetings and are linked to the subjects as described on the teacher list.
• The video technology in use requires that participants have a web cam and microphone. This should be tested prior to the meeting starting.
• Chrome (internet browser) is recommended for use on a laptop/PC/Tablet or smartphone as it’s best for its connectivity. Safari (internet browser) is recommended for iPhone/iPad.
• Microsoft Teams. Zoom or any other software that may have control over your microphone/webcam should be closed before joining the parent’s evening video meeting.
• If you encounter a grey screen where you expect a video meeting it is an indication that your device/computer cannot connect to the video meeting server. If possible, we recommend trying a different internet connection or even a different internet browser. If still unsuccessful and you have access to another device then it should be used.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS	ANSWERS
When will I receive details on how to access the parents booking site?	The address details for the site are given on the Parent Video Meeting Invite Letter that accompanies this post.
When will I be able to access the online site to begin booking time slots?	The online site will open for bookings from 10pm on Wednesday 24th November 21
How long will the booking site remain open?	The booking facility will close at 10pm on Wednesday 1st December 21
How will I gain access to the booking system?	You will be required to input information that matches the information we store in our system to gain access.
How many appointments can I make?	You can make appointments with a maximum of 8 teachers.
Can I amend or cancel a booking?	Once booked there is a facility to cancel or amend booking(s).
Can I use my mobile device to meet with teachers?	You can access the system via PC, laptop, Tablet or mobile device.

Please click on the link below to view the S1 Teacher and subject list

S1 Parents Evening -Teachers

 

The supported study timetable for this session is available to view in a separate screen by clicking the link below.  It is also available to download from our school app.

 CA Supported Study 21-22

Last night we held our first online parents evening through our Parents Booking- Video call portal.  In order to fully evaluate its effectiveness and plan for improving future events we would really appreciate if you could dedicate 5 minutes of your time to complete the questions in the survey below. All responses would remain private and unseen by other viewers.

S5/6 Parents Evening 10th November Survey