I received some very concerning news at the end of last week. Overall, the condition of the children’s teeth in St Bartholomew’s means we’re in the bottom twenty schools in North Lanarkshire. Given that North Lanarkshire has the poorest dental statistics out of all local authorities, this probably means we’re one of the bottom schools in the whole of Scotland. The dental nurse has been in school every day this week to support us with our daily tooth-brushing. However, tooth brushing alone will not be enough to tackle this serious problem: the main culprit is sugary snacks and both school and home will need to work together to reduce these in the children’s diet. To begin with, please can I encourage all parents and carers to consider replacing some sugary play-piece/packed-lunch items with healthier alternatives and to try to avoid fizzy juice completely. Small changes can make a huge difference.

The children are all set for their February treat. Last month, it was a whole-school samba workshop; this month it’s a visit from the Zoo-Lab team. The boy and girls will have the chance to learn about different creatures and even get to handle some of them. Have a super day, everyone!

Finally, please remember that this is the holiday weekend. St Bartholomew’s will be closed to pupils on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which is an inservice day. Enjoy the break, boys and girls, and see you on Thursday morning.