February News EXTRA
Dear Parents and Carers, 21st February 2012
Learning at home and Curriculum for Excellence
Thank you for supporting our school to review our arrangements for homework. Your feedback has helped the school to devise a set of guidelines to tell you about what types of learning activities or tasks will be set and the suggested amount of time required for completion. Homework is an important aspect of learning and helps us to keep you informed about your child’s progress throughout the year. Your child’s class teacher will make arrangements with the children in their class. I do hope you find the information leaflet that we issued to be helpful. Further hints and tips from Miss Gray can be found on the homework section of our school website. (www.newmains.n-lanark.sch.uk)
We are also planning to share with you our new way of profiling your child’s learning at the Parental Consultations on Thursday 22nd March. This is in line with guidance from Building the Curriculum 5 and Curriculum for Excellence.
Peer Tutoring Project for Mathematics
Our Primary 5 and 6 classes will be participating in a special peer learning project. Your child will be involved in working in pairs to do their work. The expected benefits include raised achievement, improved motivation, increased confidence and improved teamwork. Mrs Donnelly and Miss Keating will be using this form of teaching in some lessons in the next few months.
Staffing News
Mrs Brown is expected to start her maternity leave and finishes on Friday 24th February. I have been advised by Learning and Leisure Services that Ms Wilson will be the replacement teacher for our Primary 3/4 class. As always, I will keep you up to date with information when I receive it.
Health Matters
I write to seek your support to discourage your child from buying energy drinks from the local shops at lunchtime. These drinks are not suitable for children and can impact on your child’s readiness for learning at school.
Book Fair
We plan to host our annual Book Fair week beginning Monday 5th March. Please can you help us by giving some of your time? Contact Mrs Johnston for more information.
Supporting Good Causes
We are planning to hold a ‘Denim day’ and have a bit of a ‘boogie’ on Friday 24th February to raise fund for Diabetes awareness. Please support us by donating a £1 to this good cause.
Kilbowie
The residential experience for our Primary 7 children is planned for week beginning 26th March. Please help us to ensure arrangements are in place by completing forms and sending in payment as soon as possible. There will be an opportunity to view a DVD presentation in Room 2 at the Parental Consultations on Thursday 22nd March. I will also be around to answer any questions you might have.
Sporting News
Some members of our Primary 7 class will be taking part in the annual Swimming Gala held at Clyde Valley High School on Thursday 23rd February.
Some of our P6 and P7 children will be attending a Football Tournament with
Paul McArthur (our Janitor) at Ravenscraig Sports Centre on Friday 16th March. Some members of our Cross Country team will also participate in the finals on Wednesday 28th March at Coatbridge Outdoor Centre.
A Little Reminder:
Please ensure items of clothing are marked with your child’s name on them.
Children must also remove all items of jewellery before taking part in Physical Education. Please ensure your child leaves these valuable items at home on their gym days.
Travel to School
Please remember that your child should only travel on the buses if they are in possession of a valid bus pass. Your child is not insured to travel on the bus if they don’t have a pass. Health and safety matters to us and we all need to do our a bit to ensure our children are safe and protected.
As always a good standard of behaviour is expected at all times.
Yours sincerely,
E CLINTON
Head Teacher
Parent Council News
The date of the next meeting is Tuesday 6th March at 630pm in the Staff Room. We look forward to seeing you there!
The next disco is planned for Tuesday 20th March. Tickets cost a £1.
P1-P3 children 6.30-7.15pm P4-P7 children 7.30-8.30pm
Here at Newmains Primary we are always:
“Trying our very best to ensure everyone achieves success”
Newmains Primary School Blog
Dear Parents and Carers, 1st February 2012
Where is the time going? We are always very busy here in our school. I am delighted to tell you that we had a very positive enrolment week, with early indications of around 35 children who will start Primary 1 with us in August 2012. Our Primary 7 children are beginning to prepare for their residential week at Kilbowie in Oban. Please note that our school website (www.newmains.n-lanark.sch.uk) is continually being updated with the latest news about our school and nursery class.
What your child is learning this term….
Our children’s learning experiences are planned using the experiences and outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence. As well as learning core skills in Language and Mathematics, they also experience two hours of high quality Physical Education. This is line with national advice. Our children also learn through topics and themes. I thought we should share this information with you:
P1- The Five Senses P4/5- Significant Scots
P1/2- Me, Myself and I P5- Tobacco Lords
P2/3- The Egyptians P6- Exploration & Discovery
P3/4- The Egyptians P7- The Caribbean
Late Coming and Attendance
We have recently been doing an attendance check and we would urge you to send your child to school every day, when at all possible. You know that if we have any concerns we will contact you. Please give your child the opportunity for teaching and learning each day. Regular attendance at school is vital for continued progress.
Parent Council News
Our next Parent Council meeting is on Tuesday 7th at 6.30pm in the staffroom. Please come along and join us! The trim trail is now being installed. More details to follow soon!
In-Service days and holidays
School will be closed on:
Thursday 9th and Tuesday 14th February In-service days
Friday 10th and Monday 13th February Holiday
We will re-open on Wednesday 15th at 8.55am. We hope you have a good holiday weekend.
Curriculum for Excellence
On the In-service days our staff will be receiving further training from Lynda Keith about the latest developments and teaching approaches in Mathematics and Numeracy. We will also be exploring Building the Curriculum 5 to ensure our assessment arrangements and procedures reflect local and national advice.
Parental Consultations
We will be holding our meetings with parents on Thursday 22nd March from 3.15pm onwards. Teachers will be sending out letters soon to arrange appointment times with you towards the end of this month. Please do let us know if you can’t manage along on that date, as it helps us to time meetings better. Thank you.
Book Fair
Our annual Book Fair will be running from 5-8th March. The children will have the opportunity to look at the books and buy some, if you wish, from a good selection in the bookcases. We are looking for helpers for the book fair, so if you are disclosed and have some time during that week, please call Mrs Johnston in the office and she will include you in the parent rota. Thank you.
I’m sure the children will enjoy this event.
Buses
Please can you help us to ensure your child is safe whilst travelling to and from school? Responsible behaviour is essential to ensure that this happens. Parents and carers are responsible for their child’s conduct on the bus. Please take time to talk to your child about the need to ensure everyone is safe on our buses. Thank you for you help and continued support.
Vue Cinema- Rewarding Positive Behaviour
Primary 1/2 and Mrs Govan recently visited the Vue Cinema in Hamilton to see Puss in Boots. This was trip was to celebrate success and reward positive pupil behaviour in line with school policy.
Passport Applications
At this moment in time I am sorry to inform you that no member of our teaching staff or senior management team are able to countersign passport
applications. This is line with advice for data protection procedures.
Promoting Wider Achievement- Out of hours learning
Please encourage your child to come along to events organised for P2-P7 this term! Learning out with school hours matters too and promotes wider achievement in line with council’s continued commitment to Raising Achievement for all. * see below
Generation Science
We have planned an exciting Science workshop in line with Curriculum for Excellence (Make and Keep Sound) for our Primary 1 children. This will take place in the school on Tuesday 20th March 2012.
Disclosures
If your disclosure is nearly out of date or if you would like to be disclosed to help in the school, could you please contact Mrs Johnston in the office who will organise the process with you? Disclosures only last for 3 years, so please re-apply if yours is coming to an end.
Can you help us?
Are you able to help us by providing spare clothing for boys and girls aged 5-7 years. We need extra: * trousers *socks and *underwear.
Thank you!
Please remember to contact the school office if you have a new telephone number or have moved house. It is important that we are able to contact you for care and welfare matters.
Every child in our school matters!
Yours sincerely,
E CLINTON
Head Teacher
Newmains Primary School Out of Hours Learning Activities 2011/12
17th January 2012
Dear Parent/Carer,
I am delighted to tell you that we are able to offer the following after school activities for the children this term.
Please note that due to budget constraints the school cannot offer transport to take the children home from these events.
I thank you for your continued support of our work and I appreciate your cooperation by ensuring your child is collected from all of these very worthwhile activities.
Yours sincerely,
E CLINTON
Head Teacher
Activity Day Date(s) Time(s) Provider(s)
Dance P2-P3
(max 15) Mondays 30/1/12, 6/2/12, 20/2/12, 27/2/12, 5/3/12 and 12/3/12 3-4pm Stacey Whisker (NLC Active Schools)
Football
P6 and P7 girls Tuesdays
31/1/12, 7/2/12, 21/2/12, 28/2/12, 6/3/12 and 13/3/12 3-4pm Mr McArthur, and Gary Dempster
Basketball P4-P5
(max 12 children) Wednesdays 1/2/12, 8/2/12, 15/2/12, 22/2/12, 29/2/12 and 7/3/12 3-4pm Gary MacDonald (NLC Active Schools)
Adventure Club P6 and P7
(max 12 children) Wednesdays 29/2/12, 7/3/12, 14/3/12 and 21/3/12 3-4pm Scot Roger:
Spotty Dog Adventures
Cross Country P5-P7 Thursdays 19/1/12, 26/1/12, 2/2/12 and 8/2/12*
*due to INSET day 3-4pm Mr McArthur, Mr Quilter and Gary Dempster
Adventure Club
P4 and P5
(max 12 children) Thursdays 1/3/12, 8/3/12, 15/3/12 and 22/3/12 3-4pm Scot Roger:
Spotty Dog Adventures
* Spotty Dog Adventures brings outdoor learning to our school. Further information can be obtained from www.spottydogadventures.co.uk.
Dear Parents and Carers,
Happy New Year and best wishes for 2012. May it be a peaceful and prosperous year for everyone. A new year also allows us to reflect on our progress so far. As you know we are all ‘Trying our very best to ensure everyone achieves success’ at our school.
Staffing News
We now officially welcome Miss Allan to our school. She was the successful candidate at our recent interviews for the position of Class Teacher. Miss Allan is now a permanent member of our teaching staff. She will continue to teach Primary 2/3 for the remainder of this session. Mrs Queen also joins our team as a permanent teacher and she will teach Primary 7 for the remainder of this session too. I anticipate that Mrs Lilly will continue to teach Primary 1 until Mrs Stevenson returns from her maternity leave. As always, I will aim to keep you updated.
Registration of Infant Beginners for August 2012
Next week we will be enrolling children starting school in August. All children who will be 5 years old between 1st March 2012 and 28th February 2013 should be registered with their local school. Our sessions are: Monday – Friday, 16th – 20th at 10.45-11.45am and 1.30-2.30pm.
If you have a child who will be starting school in the new session, please come along and bring the child’s birth certificate and proof of address.(Council Tax Bill) If you know of a child who is due to start school, please pass this information to the parents. Thank you.
Nursery Applications for Session 2012/13
All children in the school term following their third birthday are entitled to a free nursery place of 5 x 2 1/2 hour sessions per week. Applications for children due to start nursery at any time in session 2012/13 should be completed and submitted to the nursery of your choice no later than 3rd February 2012. Application forms can be collected from any establishment with a nursery or by visiting North Lanarkshire Council web site (www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk.) Application forms contain details of all establishments in North Lanarkshire, which offer pre school education.
Health Matters to us!
We encourage our children to choose healthier options at playtimes and lunchtimes as a health promoting school. In line with council policy for Diet and Nutrition 2008-2012 we discourage children from dinking drinks that are high in added sugar or those that are caffeinated should be kept to a minimum. Caffeinated drinks are diuretics, which can increase fluid loss through urine. Sugary drinks should be kept to a minimum and are best consumed with meals rather than between meals, to minimise risk of dental decay.
Breakfast Club: Hungry for Breakfast
DID YOU KNOW? Research has shown that children who eat breakfast have a greater attention span than those who don’t or those who eat the wrong type of breakfast. Here at Newmains Primary we offer a breakfast service for 20p per day before the start of school so children can have a healthy and nutritious start to the day which fuels them to face the challenges ahead, helping them be more awake, alert, and ready to learn. At the same time the children can mix with their friends in a safe and welcoming environment. On arrival, a breakfast supervisor (Mrs Dempster and Mrs McMillan) will welcome them, help them to register and give them a bright, positive start to the day. Catering staff, having prepared and chilled everything in advance, are on hand to help each child make a healthy choice from the range of available options. It is the policy of North Lanarkshire Council to offer foods which meet national guidelines set out by the Hungry for Success initiative reducing the amount of sugar, fat and salt in the diet whilst increasing the intake of fruit, vegetables and fibre. We also recognise that some children have special dietary needs. Please let your school’s catering manager know and they will make every effort to accommodate your child’s needs. If you have any specific concerns orequests, for example, if your child needs a medically prescribed diet, e.g. Coeliac disease or peanut allergy, please contact the Head Teacher or Catering Services who will assist.
Primary 7 Transition Forms
These forms will be issued to your child this week. Can I remind you that if you wish to make a placing request the placing request form must be send direct to our headquarters at Kildonan Street, Coatbridge ML5 3BT.
Parent Council News- Survey of Parental Views
Our Parent Council conducted a survey of your views about current arrangements for lunchtime. From the results obtained and discussions at the last Parent Council meeting (6.12.11) the school is planning to make changes to these arrangements from August 2012. The changes are as follows:
Session 2012/13- Children in Primaries 6 and 7 will be able to use the local shops to buy their lunch. Written permission from a parent/guardian will be required each time your child leaves school at lunchtime.
Session 2013/14- Children in Primary 7 (only) will be able to use the local shops to buy their lunch. Written permission from a parent/guardian will be required each time your child leaves school at lunchtime.
A breakdown of the results of the survey can be obtained from members of the Parent Council.
Adverse Weather
Please could I ask you to:
make sure that we have your up to date contact numbers – including mobile numbers – as we can text all mobile numbers with emergency information should the need arise
discuss arrangements with your child about where they should go if the school has to close in an emergency
ensure that your child has a change of socks and shoes they can use in school if their feet get wet
be prepared to take children to or collect them from the nearest main road bus stop in case the buses can’t get into the minor roads
be extra careful with parking near the school
give us a call if your child is absent
Thank you
I am very grateful to you for your continued support of our school. A fantastic sum of £798.55 was raised for our School Fund. We also donated £158.18 from our Church collection to the British Red Cross.
Yours sincerely,
E CLINTON (Head Teacher)
