Mr Thomas' Blog

Click HERE for a video invite to the Sacraments Meeting for parents/carers of children in P3, P4 and P7.

Here are our award winners for this term so far! 🌟

Please see the image below for all the information you need for our school photographs this coming Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Please note: Sibling Photos will only be taken for those who have registered for them.

If you have still to register for Sibling Photos, you still have time to do so by following the link below.

CLICK HERE

Registration Deadline is Monday 16th September at 20:00

We were very happy this afternoon to welcome Stuart Aitchison from North Lanarkshire Council to present our school with an Enterprising Schools Award for 2024. This was achieved through the hard work of our pupils and staff through various enterprising activities. Thank you to our parents and friends who also helped during our Developing the Young Workforce week. We are very proud and hope to continue our journey this year!

Have you been keeping up to date with all of the recent posts on our Website?  There have been a number of posts with important information for all Parents/Carers.  Please scroll down the website home page to see them and to ensure you have followed links and completed forms.

By way of a reminder, you should see the following below:

• School Photographs:  There is a link to sign up for Sibling Photos.  Please read the information within that post!
• Homework Opt Out:  There is a link to let us know if you DO NOT wish your child to receive homework.  Please make sure you read over this information.
• Curriculum Showcase:  Thursday 19th September from 6pm (for P1 only) and from 6:40pm (for stages – P1 – P7).  There is a link for information and to sign up.  Please sign up if you intend to come so that we can plan ahead!
• Sacramental Preparation Meeting:  Tuesday 17th September at 6pm (First Confession in P3), 6:30pm (First Communion in P4) and 7pm (Confirmation in P7).  Both Father Bogan (St. Columba’s) and Father Morris (St. Gabriel’s) will be hosting all three meetings in their own churches.  You should attend the meeting in the church which you attend.
• Flu Immunisation:  You should either have returned the form or called the number to register your child.  Contact the office if you are unsure!
• Data and permission forms: Various forms have been sent to you for returning to the school.

Please scroll down and complete any returns we have asked for ASAP, if you have not done so already.

Our School Photographer will be visiting St John Paul II Primary next week on Tuesday 17th – Thursday 19th September 2024.

If you wish to have Sibling Photographs, can you please complete the Registration form, accessed using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/r/SnaTi5s8Jy

Please note, requests can only be made for children who attend: St John Paul II Primary School, St John Paul II Nursery or those who have a sibling in Laburnum Nursery. Requests cannot be made for any child who does not attend one of these establishments

This form is to request sibling school/nursery photographs for between 2 – 4 children only.

Please do not complete this form to request individual photographs of your children. These will be taken automatically.

Due to time restrictions and to ensure minimal disruption to learning please only submit sibling requests for direct family members (i.e brother/sister).

Registration Deadline Date: is Next Monday, 16^th September 2024 at 20:00

At St. John Paul II, we place great importance on the value of homework.  This not only consolidates what learning is taking place in the classroom, but it gives Parents/Carers an insight into their child’s learning.  Our Teachers are keen to prepare homework for children and would want to encourage the completion of homework in a positive way.  However, we know that homework is not for everyone.

As with last year, we are asking parents/carers to indicate if they DO NOT want their child to be given homework.  Many families do not return homework and this can be for a number of valid reasons.  If you DO NOT want your  child to receive homework, please click on the link below and let us know.  Please note that, if your child is involved in First Confession, First Communion or Confirmation, their workbook will still come home and the expectation is that Parents/Carers will do this as part of the child’s preparation.  This is not considered homework!

If you opt out:

• We will not waste resources by sending them home never to be used or seen again!
• We will not ask your child to submit homework with the rest of the class.
• The teacher will not prepare things for children which will not be used.

HOWEVER – if you DO want your child to receive homework, please ensure that it is completed and handed in on time!  There is a very poor return rate for homework across all stages and this is from those who have chosen to receive homework for their child.  Last year, around 20% of those who said they wanted homework sent it back regularly!

If you do not complete the form using the link below, we will presume that you DO want homework for your child and we will be closely monitoring the completion and return of homework.

PLEASE COMPLETE BY MONDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER 2024.

Click HERE to opt out of homework.

We are offering Parents/Carers the opportunity to come along and hear from our Teachers!  You can find out about our Literacy and Numeracy Programmes and resources plus some other fantastic initiatives in our school…. Please come and support this event!

Workshop for P1 Parents/Carers ONLY:  6pm

Workshops for ALL Parents/Carers (including P1):  from 6:40pm

Click HERE for more information and to register for this event

ONLINE PHOTOGRAPH PERMISSION 2024-2025

As always, we are updating our records and we ask that if you DO NOT WANT your child’s photo to appear on our website, newsletter, Teams or Social Media to please let us know by completing this short form.  You only need to complete this if you DO NOT want us to use your child’s photograph.  Those who are happy for us to use their photograph need not fill the form in!

Please click HERE to complete the form by Monday 2nd September 2024.

ANNUAL DATA UPDATE AND PARENTS PORTAL – Action Required!

The Office Team have been busy preparing some information to send out to you.  There will be some forms to complete and some of these will be sent back to school.  Some of these will be completed online.

1. Parents Portal information/iPayment and Fusion sign up – please ensure you are signed up for this to receive annual reports, log an absence, give permission for trips, make payments, book appointments, etc.  Our office staff can assist with. 
2. Local Excursion Permission –  this form should be completed and sent back to school.  We use these paper copies so that staff can take them on trips with them and this gives them access to medical and allergy information as well as emergency contacts.  These forms also give us permission to take children out on local walks and short trips (for example to church, the library, local park.)
3. Annual Data Check – Those who are on Parents Portal are asked to ensure we have the most up to date contact information, medical information, etc.  You can do this online.  If you are not already on Parents Portal we will send a paper copy to you and you should complete this ASAP.

THE SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHER

Chris McIntyre Photography will be in school from 17th – 19th September 2024.  We will circulate more information about this.  He will take the following photographs:

1. Individual  Photos (all children)
2. Sibling Photos (children St. John Paul II Nursery and Laburnum FLC are welcome to join older siblings)
3. Primary 1 Class and Primary 7 Class Photographs will also be taken.

Full school uniform should be worn on these days.

FLU IMMUNISATION

The Flu Immunisation takes place on 5th December and forms have been sent out about this for most children.  HOWEVER…  The  Primary 1 forms have not yet been delivered to school.  We will send these out as soon as we have them. 

If you’ve just recently moved to the area or have just joined our school, your details will not have been with the NHS for St. John Paul II and so Mrs Cummings has sent a letter home this week in your child’s bag.  If  the letter has been lost or hasn’t arrived home, please call and we can give you the details of who to contact!

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION – TUESDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER

If your child is due to make one of the following Sacraments, you are invited to attend a meeting with your Parish Priest.  All meetings take place in St. Gabriel’s and St. Columba’s on the same day, but you should attend the meeting in your own parish:

• Primary 3 – First Confession – 6pm
• Primary 4 – First Holy Communion – 6:30pm
• Primary 7 – Confirmation – 7pm

All meeting take place on Tuesday 17th September 2025 at the times above and in the church you attend.

IMPORTANT:  Your attendance at these meetings is essential and is your way of enrolling your child in the Sacraments.  If you cannot make the meeting and you cannot send a representative, you should call your Parish Priest.

Father Bogan at St. Columba’s:   Phone: 01698 813311   Email: stcolumba@rcdom.org.uk

Father Morris at St. Gabriel’s:    Phone: 01698 817609  Email: stgabriel@rcdom.org.uk