Week 3 menus ahead:

If you pay for your child’s school meals, please remember to add funds to their card BEFORE they eat.  We will never let a child go hungry, but we don’t like to see families running up an unexpected bill.

PANTOMIME

Week 2 menu ahead in both the school and nursery.

Remember Breakfast Club is available for all pupils from P.1-P.7.  Mrs Stewart opens Breakfast Club at 8.15am each morning.  Pupils start by eating their breakfast, then they can play table-top games until school starts.  No need to book.  P.1-5 pupils receive a free breakfast due to the Universal Offer of free meals for this age group.

PANTO MONEY

Many thanks to everyone who has already paid for their Pantomime Tickets.  As with any theatre performance, we need to pay the tickets in full in advance.  We therefore need all tickets paid by NEXT FRIDAY. 

Please remember, if you are facing financial constraints right now, please discuss this with our office staff and we will work out a plan that works for you.  NO CHILD WILL MISS THE TRIP DUE TO FINANCIAL ISSUES.

DEVELOPING OUR YOUNG WORKFORCE

This year, we are focusing on developing the national initiative of Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) across all levels, from nursery to P.7.  This is a main strand of our Improvement Plan for the coming session.

This week several classes and pupil voice groups have launched into this with enthusiasm:

• our Outdoor Learning Committee has written letters to local businesses, explaining what they are trying to do and asking for assistance to improve our outdoor space.
• P.6 had a full day working with Matt Stewart of Entrepreneur Me, launching their Do Good Campaign.  They will now plan a venture that will have a positive impact on our local community.
• P.7 started their business plan to raise funds to partially pay for their upcoming Outdoor Learning Week in Strathclyde Park.  They began by organising their first fundraiser today; our dress-down & ice-pole day.
• Rooms 9 & 16 invited our local Community Police Officer in, to hear about his current role and quiz him on how he got there
• Room 9 visited Sky Academy; learning about the world of work within a workplace.
• our nursery pupils continue to have daily opportunities to role-play adult roles in society and develop the skills they will need to succeed.
• Pupil Voice committees are being established across the school, allowing learners the opportunity to leading initiatives, developing skills for Learning, Life & Work

I know they say they did nothing when they come home…but I assure you learning is taking place, even when school is fun!  If we can instil a joy for learning in your child’s life we are delighted.

PARENT COUNCIL

Our planned Parent Council meeting for last Monday had to be cancelled at short notice.  It will now take place on Monday 11th September at 7pm.  As always, all parents and carers are welcome to attend.  Please contact a member of the PC or the school office if you require an email invitation to join the online meeting.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

September Weekend (local holiday) 22-25th September, inclusive

October Week – we close at the normal time on Friday 13th October for one week.

Remember to keep our Calendar of Events handy as we work through the year.  This was issued in August, but you can download another copy here if you need it.

Calendar of events 2023/2024

Week 1 Menu coming up:

If your child is in P.1-5 they receive a free breakfast and lunch.  P.6 & 7 families should add money to their online accounts unless you are in receipt of free meal entitlement.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Uniforms and smiles at the ready next week for our photographs!  Remember we will have individual photos on Monday, with family shots on Tuesday.  Some children will therefore need to be dressed for their photos on both days.

Photos will be taken of children in our nursery and school only.  No younger or older siblings.

There will be no PE on Monday or Tuesday, so pupils SHOULD NOT come dressed in their gym kit.

ENTERPRISE

Entrepreneur Me will be in school on Wednesday of next week to work with P.6.  Look out for more information coming soon!

PANTO

Don’t forget, all panto money should be paid in full by 15th September to allow us to purchase all tickets.

Menus for the week ahead.

Believe it or not…we are already looking at Week 3 Menus, starting on Monday!

ANNUAL IMPROVEMENTS

In order to plan our improvements for the year ahead, it is vital that we take into account our current position.  We must look at where we are, where we want to get to and then consider how we will do this.  In order to get the full picture, we must take into account the data we have available, as well as the views of our learners, parents and staff.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed their views during our recent parental questionnaires.

You can download a summary of our improvement  report for 2022/23 and our plans for session 2023/24 here.

Annual Improvement Report 2022/23 Parent Copy

Annual Improvement Plan 2023/24 Parent Copy

A full version of our School Improvement Plan is available from the school office on request.

PANTOMINE

All money for Pantomime tickets must be paid in full by 15th September.  Please remember, if you have more than one child at our school and you require financial help here, please just phone the school office and we will work with you to come to a solution.  No child will miss out on the pantomime due to financial constraints.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Letters detailing the plans for our Photographer visit came home  earlier this week.  Please remember to return these if you wish to organise a family group shot.

FLU VACCINATION

The vaccination team will be in school on Friday 24th November.  Look out for letters coming home soon.

PE

All classes have now been informed of their PE days and an email has been sent home with the final version of the timetable.  A few things to remember:

• Please leave all jewellery at home on gym days.  There is always the chance of it being lost when you take it off.
• Earrings must be removed or covered with tape (pupils should bring their own tape, if they cannot remove their earrings)
• School polo shirts and sweatshirts are the uniform on PE days.
• Pupils can wear leggings, jogging trousers, shorts, etc. on PE days to cater for outdoor and indoor sports.
• NO FOOTBALL TOPS OR FOOTBALL TEAM SHORTS should be worn at any time.
• There is no need for branded sportswear; a school polo shirt or sweatshirt is what we would expect a child to wear.

PIRATE SHIP

Our Pirate Ship climbing frame did not pass a recent safety inspection.  as a result, we have removed it today, ready for a replacement piece of equipment.

At the moment, the ground in this area is uneven.  PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILDREN DO NOT RUN ACROSS THIS AREA OF GRASS AFTER SCHOOL.  We will keep all pupils away from this space before and during school hours.  We don’t want any falls or twisted ankles!

TRAFFIC CONCERNS

I met with Eddie Woods today, from the Kirkshaws Tenants & Residents Association this afternoon.  He shared how there are ongoing concerns locally over illegal parking and heavy traffic on the roads around the school.

If you need to drive to school or nursery, please try to park a short distance away and allow your child to walk the last part of your journey.  This will keep traffic to a minimum, reducing air pollution and the risk of accidents on our roads.

Welcome back to all our returning pupils and a huge welcome to all families who are starting their journey with us.

Each Friday I try to give you an update on our weekly newsletter which is posted here, on the school website.  Links are usually sent out by email and posted on Twitter (X) too to ensure no one misses it.

LUNCHES

Next week we will be on the Week 2 menu in both the school and nursery.  If your child is in Primary 1, you may wish to send in a wee note if  you want to suggest what they are likely to eat at lunchtime.  Pupils in the SCHOOL may bring in their own packed lunch, if they prefer.  Pupils in P.1-5 will receive a free lunch as part of the universal offer, but P. 6 & 7 pupils must pay for their lunch, unless you have applied for free meals.  All money should be added to pupils’ own on-line accounts using the iPayImpact system.

ATTENDANCE

Please ensure your child is at school every day that they are well.  Every school day really does count and we want to make sure we are providing your child with the best possible education.  If your child is ill, please phone the school office on the first morning of their absence.  The school office opens at 8.30am daily.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

This has been shared with you in various ways over the past few days.  Please keep this handy in the coming months.  We are aware some dates are most likely to change, but we will update you of any alterations as soon as we can.

Calendar of events 2023/24

MEET THE TEACHER

We look forward to welcoming you to visit  your child’s class after school on Wednesday 23rd August.  All pupils will be dismissed as usual at 3pm, then as quickly as we can we will open the doors to let all families back in to class.  Classes will remain open for around 30 minutes.  If you have more than one child simply move between the rooms when you want.  Your child will be your guide!

PANTOMIME 2023

Letters have been sent home regarding our proposed Panto visit in December.  We are heading to Motherwell to see Jack and the Beanstalk.  I know it seems very early to be talking about this, but tickets will need to be paid in full by 15th September.  If you missed the letter, you can download another copy here:  Panto 2023

PARENT COUNCIL

Our next Parent Council meeting will be held on Monday 4th September.   This is a virtual meeting, held on WebEx at 7pm.  If you would like to join the meeting, please notify the school office or a member of the Parent Council and you will be sent a link nearer the time.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Our school photographer will be in school on 4th and 5th September. Look out for a letter explaining how this will be organised next week.

NURSERY FUND

A letter went home this week reminding all families of the nursery fund and how you can contribute to this.  In order to ensure we provide a range of snacks, as well as other wee extras, we would appreciate your support in this.

I hope you have a relaxing weekend and I look forward to working with you over the coming weeks and months.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school and nursery tomorrow morning.

Week 2 menu on Monday of next week,  but a wee change of plan for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday will be a fun day menu!  Nursery to P.6 will have the choice of hotdogs or veggie sausages.  P.7 will be treated to Domino’s Pizza, thanks to our Parent Council.

As we finish at 1pm on Wednesday there will be no hot meals served.  Pack-a-snacks will be available to order.  Pupils can also bring a packed lunch, but if you would rather your child comes home to eat lunch at 1pm, that is fine too.

Please ensure all lunch bills are paid and there is money on your child’s card to cover them for the week.

SUMMER CONCERT

HUGE thanks to everyone who supported our summer concert in any way over recent weeks.  Whether you made a costume, helped a performer learn their words or bought a ticket and cheered us on…we are indebted to you!

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We put on these shows because we know how proud you are of your children and you love to see them grow in talent and confidence each year.  But on another note, it is a vital fundraising event which has helped us successfully subsidise the last of the school trips this session.  This week, thanks to you, we raised £633.00!

ROOM 5 TRIP

We had the last of our school trips last week, with P.4/3 heading to New Lanark to see what they have been learning IN REAL LIFE!  Talking to the class at the beginning of the week, they couldn’t believe they were going to the REAL New Lanark!  Many thanks to everyone who made this happen.

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SUMMER DISCOS

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Massive thanks to our Parent Council members and helpers who gave us all a night to remember last night for our summer discos and VIP party.  The sun shone and we danced and danced and danced….!  More memories made!

ASSEMBLY UPDATE

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Still sharing our learning… right to the end!

P.7 LEAVERS ASSEMBLY

We look forward to welcoming family members of our P.7 pupils next week to look back on their primary school achievements and look ahead to their bright futures.  See you on Monday at 1.30pm.

CLASSES FOR AUGUST

SUMMER SPORTS CAMPS

Please see link to the website for further details  Summer Camps (activenl.co.uk)  including a video of programme along with terms & conditions.

SUMMER HOLIDAY

Remember, we stop at 1pm on Wednesday 28th June and pupils return on Wednesday 16th August 2023.

Nursery hours next Wednesday remain unchanged, but an early collection can be arranged if this suits your family best.

Week 1 menus coming up!

We have  a number of bills outstanding.  Please ensure all payments are made in full before the summer break.  Thank you.

SUMMER SHOW

All tickets have now been sold for our Summer Shows next week.  I look forward to welcoming many of you on Monday afternoon (doors open 1.45pm) and on Tuesday morning (doors open 9.30am).

Please enter and leave by the main school entrance.  As always, we request that you do not try to take your child away early on either of these days.  Pupils will be dismissed from their usual doors at 3pm.

TRIPS

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Rooms 2, 3 & 9 had a fabulous time on their trips last week.  Room 5 are still looking forward to their day out next Wednesday, when they are off to New Lanark!

PARENT COUNCIL DISCOS

Remember, tickets go on sale on Monday for our Summer Discos.  Members of the Parent Council will visit classes to sell tickets.  These WILL NOT be available from the School Office.

P.7 LEAVERS’ ASSEMBLY

Parents of Primary 7 pupils are invited to join us on the afternoon of Monday 26th June, for their final assembly in Kirkshaws.  Hankies at the ready!!!  We look forward to seeing you at 1.30pm.

NURSERY GRADUATION

Our youngest learners are hard at work practising for their own ‘show’ next week.  We look forward to welcoming parents  on the afternoon of Wednesday 21st June to celebrate the end of a chapter in these young lives!  Doors open at 1pm.

SUMMER DATES

Remember that school closes for the summer at 1pm on Wednesday 28th June.  Nursery hours remain unchanged that day, but an early finish can be arranged with nursery staff if that would suit your family best.

We all return at the usual times on Wednesday 16th August.

Menu 3 for the week ahead.

RECENT ASSEMBLY PICS

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It is a delight to see our learners grow in confidence throughout this school year, proudly sharing their learning with other classes.  As we continue to build resilient attitudes next year, we will build on this success.

CHS P.7 INDUCTION DAYS

Our P.7 pupils will be attending Coatbridge High School for their 2-day visit next week.   There is also an open evening planned but, please remember, families are asked to ensure only 2 people attend.  This can be either an adult and a child, or two adults.  Information about this has already come home.

SCHOOL SHOW

Tickets for our Summer Show remain on sale, as they have been all week.  As always, we are restricting tickets to 2 per family initially.  From next Wednesday, 14.5.23, any tickets left will go on general sale. £2.50 for an adult and £1.50 for a child.

EDUCATIONAL EXCURSIONS

• Room 9 – Transport Museum, 13.5.23
• Rooms 2 & 3 – Calderglen Park, 14.5.23
• Room 5 – New Lanark, 21.6.23

PARENT COUNCIL DISCO

Disco tickets go on sale week beginning 19.6.23.

HOLIDAY DATES

School closes for the summer at 1pm on 28.6.23.

Nursery hours remain unchanged that day, but if any families would like to collect children early, along with siblings from the school, that can be arranged directly with nursery staff.

We all return on the same day: Wednesday 16th August 2023.