JANUARY 2019
A very warm welcome back to school for all children and their families. The children have returned refreshed after their Christmas break. They have presented well in their uniforms, can I remind all Parents/Carers that children can only present in their school uniform – no fashion clothing or football colours. Please check with your child if they require new gym shoes – a letter will be in your child’s bag when these need to be replaced. Gym shoes have to be worn at all times during the school day and not just for PE.
I would like to give a special thank you to all the children for making our Infant Concert and Carol Concert a big success this year once again. The Primary 1 children did very well performing their Nativity in the Church. I would also like to thank all Parents/Carers for their generosity during the festive season, kindly donating to St Andrews Hospice, the School Enterprise and School Fund. All money received will go towards various outing and events throughout the year for your child.
Primary 1 intake August 2019
Children who attain the age of 5 years between the 1st March 2019 and 29th February 2020 should enrol for school week beginning Monday 14th January 2019 – enrolment times are Monday and Tuesday 10.00 – 11.30am and Wednesday and Thursday 1.00pm – 2.30pm. Please make sure that you enrol at the catchment school of your address and bring your child’s birth certificate and this year’s council tax letter.
Social Media
In recent months it has become increasingly concerning for staff and myself that, across our school, many children are engaging in the use of social media and messaging systems in an inappropriate way. In a number of instances, children have been using texting and social media forums and message boards to send content which has been hurtful to others and has led to incidents within school.
As a result, much time is spent in school investigating these incidents as the knock on effect is that we as a school find that arguments and disagreements are carried into class and the playground. Furthermore, we are also now dealing with parents who become involved in online disputes, bringing this into the school community also. I am sure that you will agree that this much time spent focused on an issue which is primarily happening within the home is not a good use of educational time and that such incidents can be very easily tackled by families at home.
In school we regularly discuss appropriate and safe online activity and have had visits from the SPCC and Police Scotland in order to promote this very important issue. Staff in school are very much aware of the need to monitor this but are obviously not in a position to reinforce this message outwith school hours.
Therefore, we would very much appreciate if parents and carers worked with us to encourage all of our children to use social media and messaging in sensible and appropriate ways. In some instances we would ask that families take more care to monitor their child’s online activity more vigorously as this will ensure that such behaviour does not enter the school.
Thank you for your cooperation with this.
School Main Entrance
If you collect your child from the main entrance at 3.00pm, please wait until the class teacher calls your child’s name, as some parents are taking their child out from the line and the teacher is unaware of this. I have become aware that the same children are arriving for school late every morning, the school starts at 8.55am, all children should be in the playground and in their class line for the bell going. Persistent late coming by children disrupts the teacher when they have started lessons in the morning.
Contact Telephone Numbers
If during the Christmas break you received a change of telephone number can you send this to the school by return, this also includes emergency contacts. All numbers require to be up to date in-case of any emergencies.
Improving Pupil Attendance
Clerical Staff send text messages to Parents/Carers notifying of children’s absence, they will then update the register if a call is received to the school office with an explanation of the child’s absence. Where attendance falls below 90%, letter 1 is sent to the Parent/Carer drawing attention to their absence rate with a copy of the attendance attached. Attendance will be monitored closely by Clerical and SMT. If your child’s attendance does not increase at the next termly review, letter 2 is sent to the Parent/Carer, further highlighting the attendance rate and inviting the Parent/Carer to the school for a GIRME meeting. A plan will be devised at this meeting with targets in place to support the child. A review meeting will be scheduled for the next term to review targets and monitor attendance rates. If your child’s attendance continues to fall, letter 3 will be sent notifying you that a formal Request for Assistance will be sent to the appropriate agencies
Sickness
The exclusion criteria, set by the NHS, for children who have Diarrhoea and/or Vomiting is 48 hours from the last episode. Children should not return to school during this period or Parents/Carers will be called and asked to collect their child from school.
Primary 7 Kilbowie Outing
Primary 7 children will be visiting Kilbowie Outdoor Centre from Monday 28th January until Friday 1st February 2019. On Monday 28th January all children should be at school for no later than 8.30am. All payments for Kilbowie must be paid to the school by Tuesday 22nd January. A letter giving further details has already been given to your child to take home.
Ash Wednesday – Wednesday 6th March 2019
Children will be attending Mass at 9.30am in St Ignatius Church. All Parents/Carers are welcome to attend at this time. During Lent all Masses will be held in St Ignatius Church at 8.20am.
Worries and Concerns
If you have any worries or concerns regarding your child please contact the school office and make an appointment with myself or Mr Fionda to discuss your concerns.
School Uniforms
Please put your child’s name on all items of clothing. Already we have items unclaimed – jumpers, cardigans etc. It makes it so much easier to return lost items if names are on clothing.
Many Thanks
Mrs Anne Marie Pearson
Head Teacher
Dates for your Diary
PTFA Tuesday 5th February @ 6.00pm
Tuesday 5th March @ 6.00pm
Pr 1 Enrolment Week beginning Monday 14th January – times above
Kilbowie Monday 28th January – Friday 1st February
Holidays School closed Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th February
In Service Wednesday 13th February
Pr 7 Football Commences Thursday 14th February at 3.00pm until Easter
Ash Wednesday Wednesday 6th March – details above
Parents Evening Thursday 28th March from 3.00pm – details will follow
Easter Holidays Monday 1st April – Friday 12th April
Good Friday/ Friday 19th April and Monday 22nd April – school closed
Easter Monday
