Week 3 menus coming up.  Please remember that P.6 & 7 pupils should add funds to their lunch card BEFORE  ordering food.  If you forget, your child will still be fed but they will come home with a note of money owed.  This should be paid as soon as possible.  Thank you.

PLAYGROUND SAFETY

Please remember that we have a few rules we ask all adults to stick to in and around our school grounds to keep your child safe:

• No dogs should be brought into school grounds.
• In line with all NLC properties, there is no smoking or vaping allowed in school grounds.
• Adults should not come into playgrounds in the morning before school.  School staff will ensure the wellbeing of children at this time.
• Playgrounds open at 8.45am when school staff start work.  If your child needs to come earlier than this, they are welcome to attend Breakfast Club in the dinner hall.
• Please avoid parking or dropping off in the staff car park or zigzag yellow lines.
• Please park legally, a short distance from the school gates.

Thank you for your help in working together for the wellbeing of all our pupils.

SPORTS DAY

Many thanks for all the supporters who came to cheer on our upper school athletes at Sports’ Day this week.  Once again, we can’t thank Mr Sharp enough for his enthusiasm, skill and passion for learning that drove us all to ensure everyone had a ball!  Scottish weather will not beat us!

TRANSITION

Transition activities continue as we look ahead to the new school session.

• Nursery Induction visits took place this week, with new and familiar families coming to explore our playrooms.  Thank you to everyone who took part.
• Nursery visits continue, with school staff getting to know our new P.1 pupils even better before the summer break.
• As we finalise classes for next year, we are looking forward to sharing new class information with you on Monday.  All pupils will also get the chance to move to their new classrooms and spend time with their new classmates and teachers.

NURSERY GRADUATION

Our Nursery Graduations take place next week, with families being invited to join us on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Our youngest learners have been pracitising hard and can’t wait to perform for a big audience for the first time!

P.7 LEAVERS

Our oldest learners are also hard at work, getting ready to host their Leavers’ Assembly on Monday 27th June in the afternoon.  Invitations will come home directly from your own young people.

HOMEWORK SURVEY

Huge thanks to the many families who have already completed our latest questionnaire.  If you can spare a few minutes of your time, it will help us to gauge the general opinion as we plan for next year.

Click here to complete the survey

Remember, we close for the holidays on Wednesday 29th June.  School will close at 1pm, but the nursery session will run as always until 2.50pm.  If nursery families wish to collect pupils early that day, this can be arranged directly with the nursery staff team.

Menu 2 for next week, with a Wimbledon Theme Day planned for Thursday 16th June, including:

• corn on the cob
• cheese pizza
• BBQ chicken and rice
• strawberries and cream

LEAVERS HOODIES!

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Huge thanks to our Parents Council for organising our Leavers Hoodies once again this year.  Everyone is delighted to be able to wear them for last few weeks of term.  Don’t we look smart?!!

SHARING LEARNING

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Each week at Assembly, we are delighted to welcome different classes to share some recent learning with the rest of the school.  This week was no different.  It is so encouraging to see Kirkshaws pupils demonstrating that they are Confident Individuals, Successful Learners and Effective Contributors on a weekly basis!  This week we also handed out our Responsible Citizen certificates.  Well done, everyone.

EDUCATIONAL EXCURSIONS

This year we had 5 classes who had been unable to take their learning out of school due to ongoing COVID restrictions.  This week we were delighted that these classes managed to take their learning to 2 very different locations!  Rooms 5 & 16 went to Hollywood Bowl, while Rooms 1, 2 & 3 visited Calderglen Country Park.  Many thanks to the adult helpers who volunteered to accompany each of these trips.  We look forward to reintroducing more regular trips as we move into the next session!  Happy days!

TRANSITION OPPORTUNITIES

For those pupils transferring to St Andrew’s High School after the summer, they have 2 induction days coming up.  We know they will make the most of the opportunity, enjoying 2 days of lessons in their new school.

Our new nursery pupils also have a visit planned for next week.  We look forward to welcoming our new families to join us on Tuesday afternoon to explore our playrooms and get to know staff!

SENIOR SPORTS – LAST CHANCE!

Here’s hoping for some drier weather next Thursday afternoon (16.6.22).  Mr Sharp is all set to organise the senior sports day once again after we were rained off a few weeks ago.  The fun and games will kick off at 1.30pm.  Parents and Carers are welcome to join us on the pitch as always.

Week 1 menus coming up next week for both our school and nursery.

Please remember pupils in P.6 & P.7 should ensure funds are on lunch cards BEFORE they order a meal.  We have some pupils who owe money to the catering staff that has been due for some weeks now.

HOLIDAY

Remember we are not at school and nursery for the next 2 days due to the Jubilee holidays.  I hope you enjoy the long weekend, whatever your plans!  We look forward to welcoming you back at the normal times on Monday 6th June.

TRANSITIONS

We were delighted to welcome all our new P.1 pupils to visit us on Monday.  It was lovely to meet so many family members too.  We look forward to seeing you back with us next Monday, 6th June.  This time we will meet in the morning and invite an adult to enjoy lunch with each child before you leave.  If, for any reason, you have not given us a note of what you would like for lunch that day, please call the school office and let us know.  We have an excited group of senior pupils ready to give you a tour of the school and some visitors have been invited along to speak to you too.  Your children will once again have the opportunity to  spend time in Room 1 and also some time in the playground with our current P.1 pupils.

FOOTBALL FESTIVAL

We are delighted that our football team is getting another opportunity to take part in a sporting festival next week.  This time we are playing against more local teams at St Ambrose.  Good luck, everyone!  We will be sure to update you on the results next week.

FUNDRAISING

You will be delighted to hear that our total for our Sponsored Family 1K has now risen to £616.30!  Many thanks to everyone who got involved.  Every penny will go towards making your children’s learning experience more exciting!

KODALY MUSIC

Kodaly Music will start again next week in P.5.  This is the first time we have had this musical input in more than 2 years, so we are delighted to welcome Miss McGregor back, even if it is only for a few weeks this time.  We hope this support will continue into next session.

I hope you have a lovely long weekend and here’s hoping the sun shines for us a little bit!

Week 3 menu coming up!

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND PEF SURVEY

Many thanks to everyone who contribute to our survey last week.  It is now closed and the results can be seen here:

Responses to Parental Survey, May 22

This will help us to form our school improvements for next session.

HEALTH WEEK HIGHLIGHTS!

I can’t tell you how delighted we were to invite  families in to join us with Health Week once again this year.  It certainly makes it more memorable for our pupils when they see members of the community taking part.

Our 1K Sponsored walk went down a treat with 102 family members joining us throughout the day.  5 pupils had this guess on their sponsor forms, so Mrs Quinn had to make a prize draw from the correct forms to select the winner of the gift cards.  Aaron McG in P.4 was the lucky one who had the correct guess on his card!  So far you have raised a total of £566.30!  We will be happy to accept any further donations over the coming weeks.  Thank you all!

We may not have had glorious weather for our Sports’ Days, but that didn’t dampen the spirits.  All infant classes, including our nursery,  took part in the wide range of activities set up on the pitch with great enthusiasm and bags of energy. Unfortunately our Senior Sports had to be cancelled as the rain kept coming and the grass was too slippy to go ahead!

Many thanks to the adults and older brothers/sisters who came along to play in the adults vs pupils netball, basketball and football matches.  Tight matches every day, with all teams being able to hold their heads high at the end…superb sportsmanship by all!

But there was also so much going on all week that families may not have seen!  We have had a Health Fair, an amazing obstacle course, new sporting resources, a cooking room, a Health assembly and a First Aid post all set up in school this week, with every class timetabled to take part.

We will never be able to thank Mr Sharp enough for all the work he puts into Health Week to make sure we all have a ball!  He truly is AMAZING!

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TRANSITIONS

Our P.7 pupils spent 2 full days at Coatbridge High School this week.  They had the chance to meet their new classmates from all the local primary schools and work with their new teachers in a wide range of subjects.  In addition, our P.7 staff had the opportunity to work with colleagues from the high school to moderate classwork and ensure we all have shared expectations at this stage of the learning pathway.

We can’t wait to welcome our new P.1 pupils on Monday afternoon to visit their new classrooms too.  All families have been invited to join us on Monday afternoon at 2.00pm.

JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

Next week we will be joining in with the Active Schools plans for the Platinum Jubilee.  On Monday we will Jump for the Jubilee, on Tuesday we will Jog for the Jubilee & on Wednesday we will Jive for the Jubilee! So we would suggest all children wear sports kit on Monday & Tuesday and comfortable clothes for all kinds of dancing on Wednesday! 💃 🕺

PARENT COUNCIL

Our Parent Council AGM took place on Monday evening.  Thank you to everyone who continues to support this work.  If you would like to be involved, please contact me through the school office and I will connect you with some of the members.

SCHOOL GROUNDS REMINDERS

It has been some time since we were able to welcome parents and carers into our playgrounds and as a result it has been a while since I’ve sent out reminders regarding our general code of conduct for all adults in and around our building:

• no smoking or vaping within the grounds, including the car park.
• no dogs inside the boundary fence please.
• please be mindful of the language you use, especially around children (we have had some instances of young children overhearing and repeating swear words they have heard adults say in the playground or at the gate).
• no parking or dropping off in the staff carpark; we do not have the space.

Thank you for your support in this.  Working together, we will keep our children safe.

Remember school & nursery are closed tomorrow for the local holiday, then off again next Thursday & Friday for the Jubilee holidays!

Week 2 of our new menu coming up!  Please take time to read the options each day with your child.    We are finding some children don’t know what to pick as their usual choices have gone.

NEXT THURSDAY IS ANOTHER THEME DAY IN DINNERS!  This time we are having a Platinum Jubilee Day!  Look out for menu details coming home early next week.

PARENTS’ NIGHT

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for our first in-person Parents’ Night in over 2 years.  It was lovely to see so many families joining us.  Many thanks to everyone who took part in our online survey.  If you missed it, here is the link to share your opinions:  Parental Survey, May 2022  The questionnaire will remain open over the weekend.

HEALTH WEEK

Remember we are ready for our annual Health Week, starting on Monday!  Don’t forget our Family 1K on Monday and Sports Days on Tuesday and Thursday.  REMEMBER, pupils should come to school wearing their sporting gear each day next week as they will be involved in a range of active pursuits daily.

I also look forward to seeing some of you taking part in our pupil/adult sporting events after school next week!  I think I’ll need to get some training in this weekend!!

If you want to be included in our competition, please make sure all sponsor forms and money are in by Monday morning.  We will welcome any more sponsor money after that date, but you won’t be eligible for the competition unless you have it in by Monday morning – for obvious reasons!  Good luck!

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Please continue to be vigilant for any symptoms of COVID-19 or any other common childhood ailments.  Please follow any medical advice to help keep us all safe.  If you need advice regarding recommended isolation periods for common conditions, our office staff can help.  We would also recommend checking your child’s hair for head lice frequently as we know these can spread quickly when children play closely together.

TRANSITION

Our P.7 pupils will be visiting Coatbridge High School next week, on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Please remember – you should wear your Kirkshaws uniform on those days!

Don’t forget there will be another opportunity for parents and carers to visit the high school on Wednesday evening.

FUNDRAISING

Our Parent Council have been very busy over the past few weeks, kickstarting their fundraising activities.  Thanks to you and your support, they had raised £482.74 from the raffle and cafe last night.  This will help them get set up for their usual events next session – and maybe some new ventures too!  THANK YOU.  Congratulations to all our raffle prize winners.  Due to your amazing generosity we had 6 hamper winners and 3 small-bag winners drawn at Assembly today.  All winning families have been informed – as our pupils may need a lift home with such HUGE hampers!

PARENT COUNCIL AGM

Your Parent Council will meet again on Monday 23rd May at 7pm.  This will be a virtual meeting using WebEx.  If you wish to attend please speak to a member of our Parent Council or call the school office.

LOOK AT OUR NEW MENUS STARTING NEXT WEEK…!  Remember to take time with younger children to talk about the new options and what they might enjoy each day.  PLEASE NOTE, as detailed below, catering staff will not have sandwiches and baked potatoes every day.

If you want to see the full 3-week menu, you can visit the council websites:

NLC Primary School Menu

NLC Nursery Menu

Please remember that Nursery to P.5 pupils automatically receive a free lunch, but P.6 & P.7 pupils should ensure £3.10 is added to their payment card before they purchase food, unless they are in receipt of a free meal.

NUT-FREE ZONE

Please remember that our school and nursery remain nut-free zones.  We have a number of pupils who could have a severe allergic reaction if they come into contact with any type of nut-based product.  Please be aware of serial bars, snacks or spreads that you pop in packed lunches which include nuts.  These should not be brought into school, but enjoyed at home.

PARENT PORTAL DROP-IN

As you know, we continue to encourage all families to sign up to the Parent Portal.  If you would like a helping hand – why not pop into the school office any morning next week and Mrs Quinn or Mrs McGrath will help you set it up.  The ladies will make themselves available each day between 9.30am and 11.00am to help with this.

PARENT COUNCIL

Our Parent Council look forward to meeting many of you for the first time next week!  As always, they will be set up in the dinner hall during our Parents Evening on Thursday.  Why not pop in to say hello, find out what they are all about and maybe grab a cuppa while you’re there.

Don’t forget their AGM will be held on-line on Monday 23rd May at 7pm.  If you are thinking about coming along, chat to them  about it on Thursday and find out what to expect.

RAFFLE

Many thanks for all your donations for the Parent Council Raffle. We now have plenty of impressive hampers ready for our lucky winners!  Tickets, costing 20p each, will go on sale to pupils on Monday and Tuesday of next week.   For younger pupils it would be best if you popped money in an envelope with a wee note of how many tickets they should buy.  You can also buy tickets from Parent Council members on Thursday evening at their stall in the dinner hall.  Good Luck!

NURSERY FUNDRAISER

Nursery Sponsor money continues to flood in – we can’t thank you enough!  At the moment the grand total is sitting at £892.50. THANK YOU ALL!! 😍

PARENTS’ NIGHT

We are looking forward to welcoming you back into the building for our first face-to-face Parents’ Night in over 2 years!  If you haven’t yet booked your appointment, the booking system will remain open until Monday evening.  Please call the school office if you need assistance.

WALK TO SCHOOL WEEK

Next week is National Walk to School Week.  This year’s theme is POWER-UP with daily challenges to attempt.  To find out more visit the Living Streets website here!

We look forward to seeing more people make active journeys in the coming weeks as the weather improves   😉

LOOKING AHEAD

Don’t forget Health Week starts on 23rd May, with an opportunity for you to join in our Sponsored 1K.  Huge thanks, as always, must got to Mr Sharp for organising such an action-packed week!  Keep filling that Sponsor Sheet for a chance to win a £10 gift card.

Our P.7 pupils who are moving to Coatbridge High School will spend 24th and 25th May at the high school, taking part in classes.  Pupils should report to Kirkshaws each morning and we will travel together by bus, both there and back.  Full Kirkshaws uniform for P.7s those days!

Remember we are closed on Friday 27th May for our usual local holiday.  Then closed again on 2nd and 3rd June for the Queen’s Jubilee.

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Look at these amazing bottle-top pictures created by our Playground Committee – wonderful work!

Menu 1 planned for next week.

Unfortunately we have had some issues with a broken fryer over recent weeks; resulting in some menu changes.  Thank you for your patience as we get this repaired.

PARENT PORTAL

Have you signed up for the Parent Portal yet?  It’s worth taking a look!  If you need help, please call our office staff who will be happy to help you.

PARENTS NIGHT BOOKING

As you know, we plan to hold our Parents’ Night in-person on Thursday 19th May.  It will run from 3.20pm until 9.00pm.  We will use the same online booking system we have successfully used over recent years.  Bookings will be scheduled to open at 8pm on Monday 9th May and will remain open until 7pm on Monday 16th May.

An email will be sent on Monday with all the information  you need.

INTER-HOUSE DANCE COMPETITION

What a treat we had today, with SO MANY pupils performing in front of the whole school.  Every class took part and each act was unique and amazing!  Mr Sharp is still counting up the House Points, and I’m sure he’ll update us early next week!  Here are just a few photos taken on the day to give you a flavour of the talent on display!

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FUNDRAISING

I cannot thank you enough for your support of the recent Nursery Sponsor Event.  You raised a grand total of £701.50!!  THANK YOU ALL.

If you have not contributed to the Parent Council Raffle yet, you still have a few more days to bring in your donations.  Please remember…every little really does count.  One small donation from each family will help create an impressive set of hamper prizes!

PARENT COUNCIL

A wee reminder that the Parent Council AGM will be held on Monday 23rd May at 7pm via video link.  Call the school office or contact a member of the Parent Council for more information.

HOLIDAY DATES

Looking ahead, remember we have a number of holidays over the coming weeks when school and nursery are closed:

FRIDAY 27/5/22 (Local Holiday)

THURSDAY & FRIDAY 2/6/22 & 3/6/22  (Queen’s Jubilee Holiday)

SCHOOL CLOSES WEDNESDAY 29/6/22 AT 1PM FOR THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS.