It’s been a while since since our last class assembly, but the big day has finally arrived for Primary 4 to take to the stage. The boys and girls will be doing a presentation on their recent Space topic and are the lucky class who will get to try out our brand new sound system and stage lighting for the first time. As usual, the children will host a reception for invited guests in their classroom afterwards. The assembly begins at 2.00pm.

As you can see from the photographs below, I received some visitors from Primary 5 yesterday afternoon. With Burn’s Night falling this week, the children have been looking at Scottish poetry and decided to have a go at writing their own. The finished pieces were absolutely fantastic, so I thought I’d share a short phrase from each poem with you this morning:

Ma breeks are squelching wet!
Maw, where’s ma troosers?! You’ve chucked them on ma heid!
A hiftae gan tae sleep.
Whit a sight she wis!
Ma breeches were blowin aboot.
The rain came peltin doon.

Well done, Primary 5! You made me smile!

Tickets are now on sale for the Valentines Disco which takes place on Thursday 12th February. Tickets are priced £1.50 and, as usual, are available from the office.

Whilst doing their last few jobs in the hall, the electricians uncovered two alcoves at either side of the stage, left by an old sound-system at some point in the school’s history. I scratched my head over the weekend wondering what we should do with them. Simply board them up? Use them to display statues or trophies? However, I had a brainwave on Sunday night and I can now share this with you as the idea is about to become a reality. St Ambrose Art Department have very kindly agreed to work with some of our pupils to produce two stained glass window panels based on our school colours of red, black and white. These will be back-lit by lights which the electricians will fit in the alcoves just before they leave this week. The panels will provide a beautiful finishing touch to our refurbished hall. We didn’t have a clue that the alcoves were there, but they’ve turned out to be a very welcome find!

Finally, as you can see from the photographs below, the boys and girls thoroughly enjoyed sharing a healthy breakfast together yesterday morning as part of National Breakfast Week. There were some delicious breakfast items brought in including porridge, pancakes and fresh fruit. Thank you to Mrs Bolland and the Health for Life group for organising this fun and healthy treat.

Snow is forecast for Coatbridge later today. Should the snow be persistent overnight, please remember to make the North Lanarkshire Council website, the Head Teacher’s blog, Twitter and local radio your first ports of call tomorrow morning. Although it is not expected to be the case, announcements will be made on all of these if the school is forced to close due to adverse weather. Please can I ask once again that, if at all possible, you avoid telephoning the school office to ask if the school is open as it is vital we keep the lines free to receive and make essential calls. If there are no announcements on the Head Teacher’s blog, Twitter or the North Lanarkshire website, the school is open.

The Parent Council met last night and there were a variety of topics discussed around the table. However, before any final decision is made on the priorities the Parent Council will take forward, the views of all parents and carers will be sought. As P1 Rockets and P2 parents will already know, a questionnaire is being distributed class by class during the course of this term to all parents, and the data and comments from these will help inform and shape Parent Council priorities. Parents and carers will also have the opportunity to submit their views and suggestions at a special Open Evening in April which the Parent Council will host. This event will give everyone interested in the school the opportunity to explore the refurbished building and see some of the fantastic learning spaces and resources St Bartholomew’s now has. Further details will be sent out in due course.

Our new stage lighting and sound system have now been fitted in the hall and both are absolutely fantastic! The photographs below don’t really do the new equipment justice, but this new kit will definitely have the WOW! factor when P4 try it out for the first time during their class assembly on Friday. You really would struggle to find a more professionally-equipped stage in a primary school and I’m sure the new lighting and sound will bring out the very best in our already talented pupils.

Primary 7 are off to Townhead Primary this morning for their next ‘Divided City’ rehearsal. I popped my head into the last week’s rehearsal and the children were looking and sounding great. We will try to get some photos on Twitter today to give you a taste of this very exciting project.

As mentioned on Friday’s blog, Mark Millar hosted a special preview showing of his latest film, Kingsman, at Cineworld last night with all proceeds going to St Bartholomew’s. It was encouraging to see so many people retweeting announcements about the event on Twitter yesterday including Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue) and John Gordon Sinclair (of Gregory’s Girl fame). The money raised last night will pay for the children’s trip to the pantomime next Christmas. A huge thank you, Mark, for your ongoing friendship and support! It was lovely hearing you mention St Bart’s on STV’s Riverside Show Friday teatime!

A lady called Kate Corrigan made contact with the school on Friday to let us know about a proposed Youth Club/Community Hub behind the shops on Leven Road where the previous community centre used to be. Kate is very keen to hear from parents and carers via a Facebook page which has been set-up called ‘Cairn Connect’. Indeed, all Townhead residents can find out more about the proposed centre and post their views on this Facebook page.

Contractors are due to begin the internal painting of the school today. The electrical work is only a day or so away from being completely finished and the start of the painting means we’re now on the home-straight in terms of our building refurbishment. Please keep an eye on the blog for regular updates on how the painting is progressing.

Mark Millar is hosting a special preview of his new film, Kingsman, this Sunday night at Cineworld in Glasgow with all proceeds going to St Bartholomew’s Primary. The film is rated 15, so won’t be open to any of our pupils. However, please spread the word about this special viewing and direct family and friends to the link below (also posted on Twitter). I was fortunate enough to attend the film premier last week and it really is fantastic!

http://forums.millarworld.tv/index.php?/topic/105489-im-hosting-kingsman-preview-in-glasgow-this-sunday/

Primary 4 had a fantastic day at the Science Centre yesterday. They learned lots about both last term’s space topic and this term’s topic on the human body. Check out the P4 class page to find out more about their trip.

Contractors are making excellent progress on the new stage lighting and sound system. All the preparation work is now complete and the new lights will start to go up today. The main wiring is in place for the sound system and the new speakers, microphones, etc. will be fitted tomorrow.

There was a great turnout at the Royal Rockstars concert last night and I know that everyone there had an absolutely fantastic time. A huge well done to all the boys and girls for their energetic performance… and a special well done to rapping mum, rapping dad, rapping granny and rapping grandpa for being brave enough to get on the stage (although I don’t think you had much choice!).

Primary 4 are off to Glasgow Science Centre today. The boys and girls are in for a fun-packed and educational day. Have a great time, everyone!

Finally, the children have loved being out in the snow this week and it’s been great to see them out enjoying the fresh air. Here are a few photos of St Bart’s fun in the snow!

Please remember that the Royal Rockstars concert takes place at 6.00pm this evening in the school hall. Tickets are still available from the office, priced £5.00. Pupils taking part in the concert should arrive for 5.45pm and proceed to the Music Room.

As you may remember from the blog a couple of weeks ago, a competition was held to design the cover for the new Spring/Summer dinner menu. I’m delighted to announce that the St. Bartholomew’s winner going forward to the authority-wide stage is Mairead McNally from Primary 6. Mairead wins a brand new bike to the value of £200. Well done, Mairead!

Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning, launched the Scottish Education Awards last week. These annual awards provide an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the great work that goes on in schools across Scotland. Angela Constance wrote to all schools yesterday and asked that the poster below be displayed in all establishments.

Please remember that as well as the Head Teacher’s daily blog, St Bartholomew’s is now using Twitter on a regular basis to share special events and various pieces of the children’s learning. Twitter can be downloaded as an app on most mobile phones and can also be accessed on a computer. We have added a link to Twitter next to the HT Blog on the website homepage.

Primary 1 enrolments took place last week and I’m absolutely delighted that, once again, St Bartholomew’s will be welcoming a very healthy number of children into P1 this coming August. We will be submitting our projected 2015/16 school roll to Head Quarters this week so if you did not happen to enrol your child for P1 last week, it’s essential that you do so today. Thank you.

Our ‘Royal Rockstars’ concert takes place in the school hall tomorrow at 6.00pm. Tickets are available from the office, priced £5.00, and the CD we recorded last week will be also be on sale at the concert. Pupils should arrive for 5.45pm and go straight to the Music Room.