Mr Thomas' Blog

The end of term is always busy, and we had lots of happy and sad events to celebrate this week.

A message to all our nursery children and P7 pupils, who are moving onto their new adventures (and their families!) We hope you have enjoyed your time with us here, and that you’ve learned lots! We have been privileged to have been part of your journeys and we wish you all the best! As Mr Thomas always says to anyone leaving – if you take one thing from your time here, remember you were loved!

And to everyone in our school community – a huge big thank you! We have had an amazing, busy, fun-filled year. We appreciate all your help and support. Have an amazing summer and we’ll see you all in August.

It may be last few days of term, but they are jam packed!! Loads happening, so here is all the information you need.

We are on Week 2 for lunches this week. Monday and Tuesday are as the menu. Wednesday will be snacks to go only (we finish at 1pm!) and will be a mix of sandwiches. We will look to order these on Tuesday.

On Monday, your child’s report will be available on Parent Portal. If you haven’t yet signed up for Parent Portal you will not receive this report. Please contact the office if you need any support with this.

On Monday afternoon we will have  a “House Party” for the children in Lourdes who won the house points this year. Looking forward to celebrating!

Monday night is our P7 graduation and we are looking forward to celebrating with our fabulous P7 children .

On Wednesday we will all attend the 10am Mass at St Columba’s. This will be our final celebration of the year. Our P6 children will receive their ties, our Pope Francis Faith Awards will be presented to those P7s who have worked on them and we will bid farewell to some staff members. You are all welcome to join us.

School closes at 1pm on Wednesday, please ensure you have made plans to have your child collected at this time.

See – jam packed! 😂

As you know, our reports are being issued via Parents’ Portal this year.  If you have not signed up, you will not receive your child’s report.  We will have over 100 children whose parents have still NOT signed up for Parents’ Portal.

We realise that there could be a number of reasons for this.  We are happy to help!

Please sign up by contacting the school office.  The staff have helped so many Parents/Carers to get started with it and are very happy to do this.  We offered drop in sessions twice recently and only 6 people made use of this service.  We have been advertising this for months now!  Please get in touch to sign up.

If you want to try signing up yourself, please click HERE for the last post we put on our website to help.

Well, what can we say about our amazing drama club??? Our children were amazing! Here are some photos of them all ready to perform! Superstars, every one of them!!!

I just wanted to send out a few reminders in this second last week of term!

JUNE NEWSLETTER

You will see lots of information about upcoming events in our school if you take a look at the June Newsletter which was issued a week ago.  Click HERE to see the Newsletter.

MONDAY 17TH JUNE

We will have our Drama Club Dress Rehearsal today and all of the staff and children will be invited to see the show in the afternoon.  It is looking and sounding amazing!

Drama Club will take place from 3pm – 4pm.

TUESDAY 18TH JUNE

Our Mini Vinnies are visiting Carfin Grotto with hundreds of other Mini Vinnies from around the Diocese of Motherwell.

Our Drama Club Show is at 7pm.  Please contact the office to reserve tickets which are now available to everyone.  All remaining tickets are first-come-first-served.

WEDNESDAY 19TH JUNE

This is the deadline for P7 Parents/Carers to follow the link to order their initial tickets for Graduation.  After this, the tickets will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.  Click HERE to complete the order form.

At 2pm we will have a performance from our School Choir and Brass Instrumentalists.  We have extended this to our Drama Club, who will also perform a couple of numbers from their show.  Please let us know if you intend to come along by clicking here.  We are not handing our tickets, we are just monitoring numbers.  Fr Bogan has also extended an invitation to parishioners.

THIS WILL TAKE PLACE IN ST. COLUMBA’S CHURCH as Laburnum Family Learning Centre are using our school hall for their Graduation.

FRIDAY 21ST JUNE

Our own Nursery Graduation will take place in the afternoon.  Information has already been sent out by Nursery Staff.

Thinking ahead to the new school year…

To apply for Free School Meals (P6 and P7) and also a Clothing Grant (P1-P7), please click HERE.

FRIDAY 14TH JUNE 2024

To celebrate the start of the Euros and to show support for our Scotland International Team, children can wear something Scottish (like a Scotland top or t-shirt) or they can add something ‘Scottish’ to their uniform.  Alternatively, they can come in uniform as normal.  No charge!

PRIMARY 5 SHOULD STILL WEAR THEIR UNIFORM FOR THEIR TRIP:  This makes the children easily identifiable when out and about and in crowds.  It is a health and safety precaution.

SCHOOL CHOIR & BRASS INTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE

The children of our School Choir have been working all year round with Mrs McGregor.

The children who receive Brass Instrumental Tuition have been working with Mr Kane.

We want to showcase their talents!

Wednesday 19th June 2024 at 2pm 

Please note the change of venue:  This will now take place in St. Columba’s Church!

The children will perform as part of an Assembly and we invite parents, carers and family members to join us.

NO TICKETS REQUIRED but please follow the link below to tell us how many people we can expect!

Click HERE to let us know how many seats you require.

BEACH PARTY DISCO

Tickets will be on sale from the office from tomorrow, Thursday 6th June.

The St John Paul II Parent Council BEACH PARTY DISCO is next Thursday 13th June 2024

Primary 1 – 3:

6.00PM to 7.15PM

Primary 4 – 7:

7.30PM to 8.45PM

Tickets are £1.00 each. A tuck shop will also be available on the night with Drinks from 50p and Sweets/Crisps from 30p

The children are welcome to come dressed in beach themed clothes.

Click HERE to RSVP before 9am on Wednesday 19th June.

Children should wear school uniform (shirt and tie) for the Mass/Ceremony and can bring a change of clothes for the celebrations afterwards.

We are looking forward to our Health and Wellbeing Week for 2024!  This is always a week packed with fun activities which focus on the various areas of physical, social, emotional and mental health.  We will have various visiting coaches and sessions planned.

We ask that the children wear their PE Uniform every day.  This means:

• Black shorts/joggers/leggings
• School Polo Shirt
• School Sweatshirt/cardigan/jumper
• Trainers – more and more children are wearing Crocs to school for PE.  They will not be permitted to participate if wearing crocs!  This is not suitable footwear.

Children should not wear other garments or football strips/track suits during this week.  PE Uniform only.

FOR EVERY CHILD WEARING PE UNIFORM A BONUS HOUSE TOKEN WILL BE AWARDED – Every day.

• Children will be working both indoors and outdoors and should have an appropriate jacket in case it rains!
• Children should bring a water bottle with them each day.
• Children are encouraged to eat a Healthy Snack during Health Week.

FRIDAY 7TH JUNE IS SPORTS DAY: 

• Weather permitting, Parents/Carers will be invited to attend our Traditional Races in the afternoon. 
• These will commence at around 1:50pm. 
• If the weather is not looking good, we will have our races inside, which means there will be no space for Parents/Carers.
• We will update you ASAP regarding any changes.  Please keep an eye on our text system and social media platforms.

Relationships & Moral Education (God’s Loving Plan)

During Health and Wellbeing Week the children will participate in their annual God’s Loving Plan Lessons.  Information regarding this is below…

Please read over the introductory letter:

God’s Loving Plan (Whole School) March 2023

Below, you will find some further information which you may wish to read through regarding the content of lessons, etc.

GLP Parents 1

GLP Parents 2

God’s Loving Plan (Vocabulary Guide)

We have received a complaint from the factor company which manages Heather Gardens.  Residents are complaining about children using their property at the flats as a thoroughfare, which is causing damage to the grass and the shrubs in their communal grounds.  Children are also pressing the buzzers both in the morning and at the end  of the school day.

The children will see this as fun, but they have no idea if the person is elderly, unwell, on night shift, or whatever!  I have spoken to all of the children and asked them to let me know if this continues.  I have asked them to remember that we are all about Respect – of others, ourselves and property!  This extends to before and after school when they are wearing our uniform!

I will be monitoring the area from time to time to ensure that the children do not cut through the private grounds.  It is not a short cut and involves them climbing over the wall/fence to get back out and onto Laburnum Road.

If your child walks in this direction, please ask them to kindly stay OUT of the grounds of the flats and to refrain from buzzing the residents doors.  We have no idea what distress this could be causing.  They have walked through the shrubs so much that they have cause irreparable damage to them, with some of them dying.

Please let me know if you see children not adhering to these instructions either before or after school.

Thank you for your support with this.

Mr Thomas.