Following on from the success of the school’s ‘Royal Rockstars’ experience, Primary 4, as part of their Commonwealth topic have written and recorded their own song to spur on the Scottish team in the Commonwealth Games! The children wrote the lyrics during literacy and composed and rehearsed the tune during music time. The song was then recorded this Friday on the iPad using the free GarageBand app. During this time Room 12 was turned into a recording studio and the children not only all sang the choruses and rapped during the ‘middle 8’ or ‘bridge’, but they also sang the verses in small groups and all overdubbed percussion and handclaps. They are delighted with the results and want to share them with you all! If you click the link below (or copy and paste it into your browser), and select ‘download’ you will be able to download the song to your computer to play at home! We hope you enjoy it and look forward to your comments!

Primary 4 and Mr. MacLeod

Dear Parents,

10th June 2014

Thank you for your excellent support throughout this session. I can’t believe that I am now writing the final newsletter of this year. The school will participate in the Gala Day on Saturday 14th June as per the arrangements in the letter issued by the Parent Council.

Progress Reports

As you are aware, we are implementing Curriculum for Excellence. The format we use to report to you has changed. Your child will be issued with his/her report on Friday 20th June. Please talk to your child about his/her progress and complete the enclosed questionnaire. We do value your comments and as always I am keen to gather feedback from you to improve the service we provide for our children.

Primary 5 Parental Consultations are scheduled to take place on Thursday 12th June with Ms Barlow. An appointment time will be issued to you.

Parent Council

The final Parent Council Disco takes place on Thursday 12th June 6.30-8pm. Tickets cost £1 and are on sale from Mrs Dempster at the school. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Walker for her commitment and loyal support in the role of Chairperson. I would also like to thank Mrs Taylor for efforts in the role of Treasurer. Please note that the Parent Council will need to appoint new Office Bearers at the A.G.M scheduled for 1st September 2014. More details will be provided after the summer holidays.

School Outings

Throughout this month, classes will be participating in a range of outings. Please note that the children should wear their school uniform in line with risk assessment procedures. The maximum amount of spending money is set at £3 per child. Please note that a packed lunch is required and those in receipt of free school meals will be provided with a packed lunch.

Uniform

If you have any items of school uniform that your child has outgrown, but are still in good condition, please send them into school as we can ‘recycle’ them to other families. Thank you.

Queens Baton Relay at Newmains Primary.

This is planned for Monday 23rd June 2014. The Baton will arrive at 12.04 and depart at 12.19pm. I will issue information from the Active Schools Coordinator as soon as I have it!

Success at Shotts Highland Games

I am very pleased to announce that our school team finished 2nd at this annual event. We were awarded £100 for our efforts. I would like to thank our Janitor, Mr McArthur and Mrs Dempster for giving freely of their time to support our children. Congratulations to our boys and girls who participated too!

Primary 7- News

The annual disco for Primary 7 takes place on Thursday 26th June at St. Brigid’s Centre from 7-9pm. We join with Primary 7 children from Morningside and St Brigid’s for this celebration.

Sports Days

Our children are currently participating in a range of events at school. This is part of our arrangements to mark the Commonwealth Games later this year. I am confident that your child will enjoy the activities organised for P1-P3 on Tuesday 17th June throughout the day and P4-P7 on Thursday 12th June throughout the day. Some competitive races will take place in the afternoons. Please note all events are subject to weather conditions. Thank you to Miss Keating for all her hard work to plan both events.

Transport- School Buses

If your child is in receipt of a privilege pass, you will need to reapply for starting back in August. Please contact Mrs Burt at the School Office, if you need more information.

End of Term Arrangements

The Summer Celebration will be held in Coltness Memorial Church on Wednesday 25th June at 10am. You are most welcome to come along and join us. School will close at 1pm on Friday 27th June. The usual arrangements will apply – children who get the bus home will leave about 12.30pm and the rest of the children will leave at 1pm. Sandwiches will be served for lunch for those in receipt of a free meal or for those purchasing a lunch.

I will aim to keep you informed about our classes for next session as soon I as have our staffing confirmed. Please bear with me!

We re-open for the new session on Monday 18th August at 9am; our new Primary 1 children will start at 10am.

PVG Checks

We are as always looking for parents to be disclosed so that they can help in school. If you are able to do this, please contact Mrs Johnston at the office.

On behalf of all the staff, have a wonderful summer and may the sun shine for all of us!

Yours sincerely,

E CLINTON
Head Teacher

NEWMAINS PRIMARY SCHOOL 28th May 2014

UK Safer Internet Centre

A new portal with internet safety advice for parents was launched on 13 May by the 4 biggest Internet Service Providers in the United Kingdom- BT, Sky, Virgin and TalkTalk as part of the Government’s push on the use of parental controls in the home. http://www.internetmatters.org/ offers a lot of sound advice and practical information to parents either by issue (cyberbullying, grooming, privacy and so on), type of technology (social media, mobile, gaming etc.) or by age. Amongst its supporters are the NSPCC, Childnet, Lucy Faithful, CEOP, OFCOM and many others and is worth exploring!
Use the link above to access a wealth of information including where to find safety settings on various games consoles, mobile phone networks and operating systems. Parents will find this information extremely helpful.

Please find school holidays (including in service days and local holidays) for the school year 2014/2015.

First term:

Teachers return Thursday 14th & Friday 15th August 2014 (in service days).
Pupils return Monday 18th August 2014.

In service: Thursday 18th September 2014.

September weekend: School closes Thursday 25th September 2014, re-opens Tuesday 30th September 2014.

October Break: School closes Friday 10th October, re-opens Monday 20th October.

Christmas: School closes Tuesday 23rd December 2014.

Second Term:

School re-opens Monday 5th January 2015.

Mid-term: School closes, Friday 6th February 2015, in service Wednesday 11th February 2015, school re-opens to pupils Thursday 12th February 2015.

Spring Break: School closes Thursday 2nd April 2015, re=opens Monday 20th April 2015.

Third Term:

School closes Friday 1st May 2015 re-opens Tuesday 5th May 2015.

In service: Thursday 7th May 2015.

Mid-term: School closes Thursday 21st May 2015, re-opens Tuesday 26th May 2015.

Summer Break: School closes Thursday 25th June 2015, teachers return for in service days on Friday 14th August and Monday 17th August 2015. Pupils return Tuesday 18th August 2015.

Please find school holidays (including in service days and local holidays) for the school year 2014/2015.

First term:

Teachers return Thursday 14th & Friday 15th August 2014 (in service days).
Pupils return Monday 18th August 2014.

In service: Thursday 18th September 2014.

September weekend: School closes Thursday 25th September 2014, re-opens Tuesday 30th September 2014.

October Break: School closes Friday 10th October, re-opens Monday 20th October.

Christmas: School closes Tuesday 23rd December 2014.

Second Term:

School re-opens Monday 5th January 2015.

Mid-term: School closes, Friday 6th February 2015, in service Wednesday 11th February 2015, school re-opens to pupils Thursday 12th February 2015.

Spring Break: School closes Thursday 2nd April 2015, re=opens Monday 20th April 2015.

Third Term:

School closes Friday 1st May 2015 re-opens Tuesday 5th May 2015.

In service: Thursday 7th May 2015.

Mid-term: School closes Thursday 21st May 2015, re-opens

Dear Parents,

I can’t believe we are in the final term of the school year! We welcome back Kristin Carroll our Parent Support Worker from a period of long-term absence. You can contact Kristin on 07834312125. I am delighted to tell you that our school has retained our ECO flag status. Well done to all concerned for their hard work and continued support! The next uplift for Rag Bags is 27th May 2014.

News for P7 Parents- Keeping you informed

Transition dates for Coltness High are Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st May. Transition dates for Clyde Valley High School are Thursday 29thand Friday 31st May. The date for our P7 disco with Morningside and St Brigid’s Primaries is Thursday 26th June at St. Brigid’s Parish Centre.

Transition Nursery to P1

Our new starts have had letters inviting them to the school to share learning experiences and meet new friends. There are various interesting and enjoyable events planned for them. We look forward to meeting them all. Parents are also invited to a meeting on Thursday 29th May at 10.45am.

Partnership with Parents

During the next week or so you will receive information from your child about what they will be learning this term and what you can do to support. Watch out for this in school bags.

Parent Council News

The Parent Council need your support. Please come along to the bingo and disco evening on Friday 30th May. Tickets cost £5 and can be purchased from the School office. The next Parent Council meeting will take place on Monday 2nd June at 6.30pm in the area outside the HTs office.

Free School Meals, Clothing Grants and Transport
Learning and Leisure Services website has been updated to allow parents to access application forms for school transport. Please note the following website details: www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/freeschooltransport
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/privilegetransport
Applications for Free School Meals can be downloaded from:
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals Please note applications relating to the new session will now be accepted by First Stops Shops.

Please can you help?
Children tell us everyday what games they play at home on the computer- some even in our Primary 1 class have been telling us about games they play at home which we know are for those aged 18 or over. Sometimes, our children ‘act out’ episodes of inappropriate behaviour in the playground due to copying actions from such games. I would urge you to stop them from doing so as they are 18 for a reason.

Summer Outings.

The Parent Council have worked very hard raising money towards the cost for these events. All outings are priced at £3.50. Details for the trips are as follows: Nursery Class- Friday 13th June- Almond Valley.
P1 and P1/2- Thursday 26th June- Strathclyde Park/Amazonia.
P2/3 and P3- Monday 16th June- Strathclyde Park/Amazonia.
P4 and P5- Tuesday 24th June- Glasgow Science Centre.
P6 and P7- Thursday 26th June- Riverside Museum/Glasgow Bus Tour.

Please let us know if you are able to assist as a Parent Helper- contact Mrs Burt if you can help out. We hope the sun shines!

Health Matters

It is very important that all children drink enough water throughout the school day. Access is provided to water coolers for children to use. Please encourage your child to stay hydrated as this also aids the learning process too!

Safety Matters

Please continue to help us to keep our children safe and protected. I urge you to use the car park located at the end of School Road to drop off or collect your child from school. Please continue to remind your child about the importance of wearing their seatbelt to travel on our school buses. It is also essential that your child remains in his or her seat at all times whilst on board our school buses.

‘Ooor School Jannie’

Our Janitor, Paul McArthur, has been nominated for an outstanding Coach of the Year (Primary) award. He is one of three finalists. We are delighted that he has been recognised for his hard work and commitment to the children.

Newmains District Gala Day

Our Annual Gala Day celebrations take place on Saturday 14th June at Braedale Park. The parade starts at 11am and it will travel through Newmains until it reaches West Crindledyke Playing Fields. The Crowning Ceremony starts at 1 pm approximately.

School Holidays

Please note the school and nursery class is closed on Friday 23rd May and Monday 26th May for a local holiday. We re-open on Tuesday 27th May at the usual time.

Planning Ahead

Our staffing is determined for next session by the number of children on the school roll. We anticipate that 37 new primary one children will start in August 2014. I anticipate but cannot confirm that the classes will be: P1, P1/2, P2/3, P3, P4, P5, P6 and P7. Composite classes are formed using North Lanarkshire Council guidelines. I cannot at this time inform you who will teach each class. I will write to parents as soon as possible when I have our staffing levels confirmed by Learning and Leisure Services.

With best wishes,

E Clinton (Head Teacher)

Dear Parent/Guardian 22nd April 2014

I hope you and your family enjoyed the Easter break. I can’t believe that we are now in the final term of this school year. 95% of parents attended our Parental Consultations last month to find out about their child’s learning and progress. Thank you to our parents who gave freely of their time to help at the Book Fair. Each class has been able to buy £47 worth of books for their libraries.

Learning Matters- Reporting Matters…
As you are aware the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence has resulted in changes to the way we report your child’s progress. Our school uses a format in line with advice from North Lanarkshire Council. You should receive your child’s report for this session in June. Our Primary 7 children will also be compiling a Profile for their transition to secondary education.

Positive Behaviour Matters…
As a school, we strongly believe in our school values and work hard to put them into action across and throughout the school. We do not trivialise the importance of good behaviour. We work exhaustively to do all that we can to support improvement for all. The school uses a strategy called “Going for Gold” to raise the self-esteem of our children and to promote positive behaviour. Children are expected to follow our GOLDEN rules:
1. We will follow instructions first time.
2. We will keep our hands, feet and unkind words to ourselves.
3. We will try our very best.
4. We will stay safe.
All children are expected to earn an allocated amount of time each day. All children in our school will be able to choose a special activity each Friday afternoon and will take part for the amount of time they have earned. If, however, a child does not keep to the GOLDEN Rules, they will be sent to a member of the school’s management team for a period of time. Please note that you will be informed by letter if your child has not earned their time on more than 3 occasions each term. If we have any concerns about your child’s behaviour we will contact you via a ‘Note of Concern’ or by a telephone call.

Spring Service Collection
Our church collection £139.20 will be donated to Cash for Kids.

ROYAL ROCKSTARS
Royal Rockstars will be bringing their exciting programme to our school on Monday 28th April. All pupils will be involved and will be working towards concert performances on Wednesday 7th May 2014 at 10.45am and 1.15pm. Tickets (£5) are strictly limited to 1 per family for 1 performance only and can be purchased through the school from Monday 28th April. See enclosed sheet for more details. Thank you for your support.
Attendance Matters….
National Standards of attainment and children’s progress are framed within the levels of study in Curriculum for Excellence and regular attendance at school. Please ensure your child is able to make good progress in their learning and development by ensuring they are at school and on time. We need your cooperation and support with this matter. Absences can add up before you know it!

DID YOU KNOW?………
90% attendance= ½ day missed every week!
1 school year at 90% attendance = 4 whole weeks of lessons missed!

Our attendance for week ending 14th March was as follows:
In Primary 1 almost all pupils attended school. (99%)
In Primary 2 most pupils attended school. (86%)
In Primary 3 almost all pupils attended school. (96%)
In Primary 4 almost all pupils attended school. (91%)
In Primary 5 most pupils attended school. (86%)
In Primary 6 almost all pupils attended school. (95%)
In Primary 7 almost all pupils attended school. (94%)
Our current performance is 93%. This is up +5% on the statistics for the same time last year. We still remain 5% short of the target set by Scottish Government. (98%)

Commonwealth Baton
We recently received news that the real Commonwealth Baton would be visiting our school during its journey around Lanarkshire on Monday 23rd June. I will provide more details when I have them. The school has also planned for a visiting theatre group to perform ‘Collins Commonwealth Games’ on Friday 16th May 2014.

‘Some more Newmazing News’
Children in Primary 7 took part in a dance competition at Clyde Valley High last month. Nine schools took part. We are delighted to report that Newmains won again! Well done to the boys and girls and to Miss Keating who supported the children.
Health Matters
Please support the school to encourage your child to make sensible choices about what they eat and drink at school. As you are aware, fizzy drinks and sweets attack your child’s teeth and is a major factor in tooth decay.
The Importance of Physical Education
As you know Scottish Government guidelines are followed in our school. All children are entitled to receive 2 hours of Physical Education per week. P.E days are as follows: P1 Monday pm and Tuesday pm
P1/2 Wednesday pm and Friday am
P2/3 Wednesday pm and Friday am
P3 Tuesday am and Friday pm
P4 Monday pm and Thursday pm
P5 Tuesday pm and Wednesday am
P6 Monday am and Thursday am
P7 Monday am and Tuesday am
Safety Matters- School Buses (Transport)
Please note that you are responsible for the conduct of your child at all times when they travel on our school buses. Police Scotland visited the school last month to talk with the children about how to travel safely in vehicles. Please remember to apply for a Privilege pass for Session 2014/15. Forms can be collected from the School Office.
Parent Council News
The next meeting of the Parent council will be on Monday 12th May at 6.30pm in the school. I know the council would be delighted to see you if you could manage along. Please note that a fundraising event is planned to take place at Newmains Bowling Club at 7.30pm on Friday 30th May. We need your support!
REMINDERS- Please let the office know if you have moved house or changed your phone number. Holidays: We are closed on Monday 5th May. We are also closed on Friday 23rd and Monday 26th May. In-Service Day- We are closed on Tuesday 6th May for staff training.
Thank you for supporting all that we do!
Best wishes, E Clinton (Head Teacher)

School Security

This leaflet describes the procedures we have in place to make sure everyone is safe and secure in school. These procedures have recently been reviewed in line with Health and Safety procedures to reduce risk.

Please read it carefully and follow the procedures outlined.
When you come into the school building to see your child or a member of staff, no matter how short the visit is, please call at the office; let the staff know the purpose of your visit and sign the visitors’ book. As a visitor to our school you are expected to report to reception where a member of staff will greet you.

On most occasions our office staff will be able to help you to pass on a message, leave a bag, contact a member of staff etc. for you. If you do then have to go into the school, please wear a ‘visitor’ badge.

Should your child’s class be in the gym / dining / assembly hall, please inform the office staff, who will radio over to the hall to let the teacher know you are coming.

We realise that this may take a little more time, but I am sure you will agree, it is well spent to ensure a safe and secure school.
If you have any further suggestions or concerns about security, please let us know. (274923)

Our aim is to ensure that our school is safe, happy, welcoming and secure for everyone.

 We ask staff and children to think carefully about their own safety.
 We lock children’s entrances after the start of the school day.
 We ask all visitors to sign in and out and to wear a ‘visitor’ badge in the school or school grounds.
 We ask all staff to wear identification badges.
 We ask all visitors to follow carefully the directional signs both inside and outside the building.
 We ask you to let us know if you see anyone acting suspiciously near our school.
 We ask that all parents who volunteer to help in our school should undertake a PVG check.
 We ask you to share with us any ideas you may have to make our school safer.
And in particular
We ask everyone to be patient – good security can be frustrating!

The playground is part of the school and children need to be safe and secure in it also.

Please follow our playground code:

If you want to see or speak to your child during a break, please report in to the office and sign in. Our office staff will radio our playground supervisors to send your child in for you.

If you are accompanying your child to or from school or passing through the playground to the nursery, please do not approach other children for a chat or to give them a row.
Part of coming to school is learning to get on with other people and our children do fall out with each other from time to time.
If your child has told you of such an incident and you are concerned about it, please let a member of staff know and we will deal with it. An adult approaching another child in the playground can cause the situation to escalate.

We hope your child’s experience is a very happy and lively one in the playground.

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Head Teacher.

Thank you for your cooperation and support,

E Clinton (Head Teacher)
March 2014

Dear Parent/Guardian,

7th March 2014

Here in our school community we have around 200 children allocated to 8 classes. For the vast majority of the time they get along together very well. They learn and work together in classes, many of them eat together in the dining hall and they play together in the playground. Part of the whole school experience is social development as children acquire skills for learning, life and work. Our children learn how to communicate with each other, play games with each other, show kindness and concern for each other, help each other and solve disputes that may arise. This is all part of growing and maturing, recognising and learning how to handle feelings and emotions. As part of the children’s work within their classes, each teacher will set a social skills target on a weekly basis.

Learning Matters… Parental Consultations- Thursday 27th
In order to ensure children are fully involved in their learning, please talk with your child about their work. The children will also be able to talk with you about their work in their Progress Folders. This will be an opportunity to celebrate success and will help us to plan next steps in learning together.

Attendance Matters….
We continue to encourage children to attend school every day and to arrive on time. I would appeal to you to help your child to develop the habit of regular attendance. Attendance matters as it helps your child to make progress in their learning. Absences can add up before you know it!

DID YOU KNOW?………
90% attendance= ½ day missed every week!
1 school year at 90% attendance = 4 whole weeks of lessons missed!

We are currently monitoring absence levels and late arrivals as per guidance from North Lanarkshire Council. As you know we make contact with you to ensure absences are explained. The Attendance Officer will contact you if attendance levels are considered unsatisfactory.

Can you help us?
If you have any items of school uniform that your child has outgrown, but are still in good condition, please send them into school as we can ‘recycle’ them to
Safety Matters- School Buses (Transport)
Please note that you are responsible for the conduct of your child at all times when they travel on our school buses. We encourage your child to make sensible choices and wear their seat belt for maximum safety. Please talk to your child about how to travel safely on our school buses.

Security Matters… Our security arrangements and procedures for entry to our school are very important. Please be patient as good security can be frustrating but it remains my job to ensure everyone feels safe and protected. Please take time to read the enclosed leaflet. Please can I also remind you that if you need to use the toilet in our reception area that you let a member of our office team know?
Transition to Secondary Education- Dates for your Diary
I have been advised that the dates for Primary 7 children to visit their feeder High Schools are:
Clyde Valley High- 29th and 30th May 2014.
Coltness High- 20th and 21st May 2014
St. Aidan’s High- 10th June 2014

Parent Council News

The next meeting of the Parent council will be on Monday 12th May at 6.30pm in the school. I know the council would be delighted to see you if you could manage along. The next disco is planned for Thursday 20th March. Tickets (£1) are on sale from Mrs Dempster at the school. The Parent Council require items for their Tombola, as they will have a stall at our Parental Consultations.
Parent Council Event for Parents and Friends
The Parent Council will be selling tickets for a fundraising event at our parental consultations. This will take place at St Brigid’s Bowling Club at 7.30pm on Friday 30th May. We need your support for this very worthwhile event.

Easter Holidays
The Easter holidays are only a few weeks away; this term really has flown in! School will close on Friday 4th April at 2.30pm. (The buses will collect children at 2pm, as usual and the remaining children will leave at 2.30pm.) We will re-open at 8.55am on Tuesday 22nd April. Our Spring Celebration will be held in Coltness Memorial Church on Thursday 3rd April at 10am. Please do come along and join us!

Health Matters
As you are aware, our children’s health and wellbeing is very important.
P.E Kit: We deliver two hours of Physical Education in school each week. This is an important part of your child’s education. All children are encouraged to bring their full gym kit for P.E, but the minimum requirement is a pair of gym shoes. All children should have a change of footwear for P.E lessons as outdoor shoes can mark and damage our gym flooring. We would ask you to ensure that your child has their P.E kit with them on the appropriate days. Pupils may only be withdrawn from P.E if they bring a letter to school, signed by you, explaining why they should be withdrawn. Thank you in advance for your full support.
Head lice: Please remember to check your child’s head on a regular basis for any signs of infection. It is no longer the role of the school nurse to do this and responsibility falls to the parent. The school can no longer inform parents of any outbreaks of head lice. Advice given by the school nurse is that checks should be made on a weekly/fortnightly basis. If a child has head lice, they should be treated before returning to school. Please seek advice from your local Pharmacist or G.P about which treatments are most effective. Further information is available from www.onceaweektakeapeek.com.

Royal Rockstars Event at Newmains Primary School
The school will be working with ‘Royal Rockstars’ after the Easter holidays to record a CD and host a performance for parents. Due to health and safety tickets will be limited to comply with reducing risks. The planned date for both performances is Wednesday 7th May. More details to follow.

ECO News: We all know the three ‘Rs’ to help us reduce the amount of waste we generate – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – but we’d like to remind you about the fourth ’R’. The Fourth ‘R’ is REFUSE! REFUSE carrier bags when you can.
Please note that there are nine recycling bins in the car park beside the school- three for clear glass, two for green glass, one for brown glass, one for shoes, one for food and drink cans and one for clothes.
I do hope you have a very happy, sunny and peaceful Easter holiday.
Best wishes,
E CLINTON (Head Teacher)