Please see the attached letters giving the current advice on COVID symptoms and testing in children.

Should a child present with any one of the 3 symptoms in school, we will contact you and advise that you arrange a test. As noted in the letters some of these symptoms are not specific to COVID and may be related to other illnesses. However, in order to ensure the health and safety of all, if a child presents with any one of these symptoms we will be in touch and ask you to follow the appropriate medical advice.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Coronavirus – Jason Leitch Letter on testing and common colds – 31

August 2020 2020 DFM Letter

A reminder that the guidance is once again changing, and from Monday 31st August all children over 5 should wear a face covering on School Transport, bringing it in line with all other public transport.

If your child is wearing a disposable face covering they will dispose of it appropriately when they enter the building.  If it is a reusable one, please make sure they have something to store it in.

If a child forgets their face covering we can provide them with one before they board.

If for any reason this is not appropriate please get in touch to let us know.

The following opportunity is open to applicants of all ages.

REN05282 EARLY LEARNING & CHILDCARE MODERN APPRENTICE (6 POSTS) (FIXED TERM)

The above post is now live on MJS..

Closing Date:   Friday 04 September 2020

Please see below link to MJS:-

https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/renfrewshire-council/jobs

In our original communication we asked that pupils come to school in footwear appropriate to wear outdoors to avoid the need for changing and we said that we would revisit this when the weather turned for the worse.

Obviously we didn’t expect that to be so soon into the new term. We had hoped for a spell of reasonable weather for a few more weeks yet.  Unfortunately the weather has been more unpredictable than ever and although we have had some very sunny spells, we have had a lot of very wet weather too.

In light of this we will be allowing pupils to change their shoes in the cloakroom areas of the school. If they wish to leave their wellies or similar in school please send them in a bag, labelled with their name,  that can be hung on their peg so that they are not left on the floor or taken into the classroom.

We will be continue to go outdoors for play and learning even if the weather is wet. However safety is our first priority and on days like today where gusts of wind of 40 mph or more are forecast pupils will remain indoors.

I appreciate that this is early in the session to be making changes but we are all getting used to working under the new COVID guidance and protocols. The safety of our pupils and staff remains our top priority.

Please remember if you have any concerns over symptoms of COVID to follow the advice for schools on Renfrewshire Council website. 

This guidance is regularly updated and is the best place to find information specific to schools.

You can also find information on the  NHS Inform website. 

The weather today is looking very wet. Please make sure that everyone comes prepared for being outdoors.

Thank you to all of those who have shared their end of the day arrangements with us. It has been really helpful for the teachers to know each pupil’s plans.

If you have not already done so please complete the short online form by clicking on the link below. It will allow the teacher to point your child in the right direction if they happen to forget their arrangements.

Things are becoming smoother at the end of the day as we all get used to the new routines.

However, we have noticed an increase in the number of adults in the playground and this is contributing to the lack of physical distancing on the Ashy Path and at the gate on Old Greenock Road.  Please remember that the general rules on adult social distancing still apply.  There should not be groups of more than 15 adults from 5 households in any space. All adults from different households must stay 2m apart.

The guidance also states that in places where the 2m distancing is difficult adults should consider wearing  a face covering.

For those who absolutely need to collect from the playground we kindly request that only one adult enters the premises and that all physical distancing protocols described above are observed.

Please remember if a child or any member of the household displays  COVID-19 symptoms, everyone should stay at home, book a test and follow the advice from NHS Inform.

If you are worried about yourself or your child’s wellbeing, Renfrewshire Education Psychology service are here to help.

You can contact the school for a referral or self refer using the email address below.

reps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Today was the first day we had all the pupils back in the building and it was so great. Although much of our time this week has been spent learning new routines and washing our hands, it was nice to be getting back into a level of normality. Everyone seemed really happy to be in school and it was a joy to hear the sound of the pupils playing and laughing in the playground.

Our routines in the morning seem to be working very well and this will continue for the foreseeable future.

As we have added more pupils in each day we’ve assessed the situation at the end of the day and have been making adjustments to make it run more smoothly.

On a positive note I would like to thank the parents and older pupils who have organised multiple pick ups and walking buses. It has been great to see our older pupils taking their responsibilities so seriously and taking such good care of younger siblings and friends. This has been working really well. It would be great to see more of this.

To help improve the flow, if we could stick to only Primary 1 parents in the infant playground, that will help to avoid any confusion between the Primary 1 and Primary 3 classes.

To help P1 exit more swiftly, teachers will send older siblings down to the infant playground to collect their siblings or meet the adult collecting them.

P2-7 parents, if they absolutely require to be in the playground, should stand  surnames A-L in the middle and M-Z in the upper playground.

To help facilitate this P3 teachers will also bring their pupils to the middle playground. There is no need for P3 parents to stand outside the classroom doors.

P2-7 pupils will be dismissed at 3.15. It would be very helpful if pupils were aware of their arrangements and the direction they should be heading. Many pupils have not quite gotten into the new routines yet and have forgotten the agreed arrangements by the end of the day,

When this has happened teachers have for safety held on to the pupils until the arrangements are confirmed.

The Ashy Path still seems to be the main area where adult physical distancing (2M) is an issue. Please keep moving in this area and stay as far from the person in front as possible. It might also be sensible to wear a face covering in such a confined space.  Please be mindful of the safety of all members of the Bishopton Community, especially our  elderly and vulnerable neighbours.

We are still working on developing other solutions to alleviate the congestion in this area.

Today was our first day at full capacity.  Thank you for all your comments and suggestions as to what has gone well and what we can still improve on.  I am sure as we all become more confident in the routines, the process will run much more quickly and smoothly.

Once again thank you for all the support. I hope you all have a relaxing weekend and enjoy the forecast good weather,

See you all again on Monday.

It was great to welcome more of our pupils into school today.  It was so nice to see our pupils skipping in this morning with a smile on their face.

Tomorrow (Friday) is a big day when we finally welcome all of our pupils back to school.

In the morning the Ashy Path is still a pinch point and we would ask that adults continue to follow the social distancing protocols and stay 2m apart. I know that this is difficult on such a narrow path and queuing may be required. Please move on as soon as your child is in the school grounds to avoid overcrowding. Also please try to leave the gates clear so that those pupils walking on their own without an adult have clear sight of the gate.

In such a confined space adults may wish to consider a face covering for the safety of others.

We are working with our partners to find a solution to this. In the meantime if we work together I’m sure the process will get quicker over the next few days as we all get used to the new routines.

There was some confusion at the end of the day today. It is the first day and so this is understandable.  In the letter posted previously it stated that the pupil day finishes at 3.15.  P1 only will bring their pupils into the playground at 3.00 and will be dismissed from that time as the adults arrive. There is no  need to arrive before this time.

The preferred option for P2-7 is still as few adults as possible in the playground.  A number of P1 pupils have older siblings and these pupils may be released to their parent before 3.15 if the parent is already there.

P2-6 will be dismissed at 3.15. Please make sure your child is aware of the arrangement for making their way home.

We are all getting used to these new routines and there will be teething problems but we will iron these out as we go. This is a new normal for us all and we wont always get it right first time.

As always safety is at the centre of all we do.

P5&6 we can’t wait to have you back.

P5M and P5R should enter via the middle doors and make their way upstairs to Rooms 6&7.

P5C should enter via the upper door and make their way round to Room 9b.

P6 should make their way to the original huts in the playground.

Firstly, it was great to see all of our P1 and P7 pupils back today. We could not have wished for better weather.

All pupils were very happy and settled well into the new routines.

A reminder that moving forward we would ask that only one adult enter the playground when dropping off or picking up P1 pupils.

Doors will be open for a soft start from 8.45 onwards.

P2,3&4 pupils are due back tomorrow. Staff will be on hand at the gates and in the playground to point pupils in the right direction.

P2 will all enter through the middle playground doors and will exit the same way at the end of the day.

P3 will enter through their own classroom door down in the lower infant playground and will exit this way at the end of the day.

P4 will enter through the upper doors closest to Old Greenock Road and will leave through these doors at the end of the day.

Please make sure that your child knows their end of day arrangements to allow us to dismiss the pupils as efficiently as possible at the end of the day.

A reminder that if any parent needs to collect  from the playground that those with surnames A-L should stand in the middle playground. M-Z in the upper playground.

Adults should at all times maintain 2m social distancing . We have had complaints from our neighbours today,  who are concerned about groups of adults standing in and around the school closer together than 2m.  For the safety of the whole Bishopton Community please stay 2m from all adults outwith your own household at all times.

Active travel or park and stride is still very much the preferred option.

The weather for Thursday is looking good so remember your hat and sunscreen. We can’t wait to have you all back.

We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming everyone back to school over the next few days.

Doors will be open from 8.45a.m for pupils to enter the classrooms.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) P7C and P7H should make their way to the new huts in the playground. P7M should enter through the door opposite the gate Old Greenock Road gate and make their way round to Room 9a opposite the main office.

P1 can take some time to get some first day photographs before pupils enter through the same doors as their induction days.

Staff will be on hand at the gates and in the playground to make sure everyone goes in the right direction.

See you tomorrow P1 and P7.

P2-6 we will see you in the next couple of days.

Please see attached the following information for those travelling to school on public transport.

Back To School 2020 A4

We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back to school next week.

Please find attached a letter regarding the arrangements. If anything changes between now and Wednesday this post will be updated.

We hope you have had a great summer and are as excited about the return as we are.

Parent return to school letter Aug 2020

For those who are concerned about the return Jason Leitch has produced the following video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQ5PKfY33I

If you need to get in touch the school office will reopen on Monday 10th August from mid morning onwards. Staff will be involved in in-service training first thing.

Please see the attached letter from Renfrewshire Council regarding the return to school  for all pupils on a phased basis from Wednesday the 12th August.

School specific arrangements will be communicated to parents and carers before this date.

The school office will be open from  Monday the 10th August. Please phone first before coming into the school as access to the building is still restricted at this time.

The school number is 0300 300 0147

We are all looking forward to warmly welcoming our pupils back into school from Wednesday the 12th.

Letter to parents – schools returning Jul 20

Please click here to see the latest information on the reopening of schools.
A final decision will be made next week and information will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

Please see the link to Renfrewshire Council’s announcement regarding the statement made today by the Deputy First Minister.

Information will be updated as soon as it becomes available.

I hope you are all enjoying the well needed break.

http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/schoolsupdate16July

Here is the link to our end of term video.

Thanks to all who supported the school throughout this extraordinary period of time.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back into the school in August.
In the meantime stay safe and have a lovely summer break.

https://youtu.be/VkIUqAh4WsY

As we reach the end of our session 2019-20, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all their efforts and supports throughout this year. This has not been the year any of us could have imagined when we all stepped through the doors in August 2019. However, the abrupt halt to face to face teaching in March has not stopped us from continuing to work together as a strong school community.

Although there has been a number of things we were unable to do and a number of big disappointments for our pupils, I am extremely proud of all the things we did manage to keep going.

Our online learning platforms were up and running on the 11th March. Pupils and staff were very quickly trained in the last few days at school. Staff who were self isolating at home added content to the sites and supported those pupils who were also at home. They developed training materials and delivered them remotely to staff over lunchtimes. Staff supported each other, and continue to do so, as we learned more about Teams and the possibilities for our pupils.

We have managed to take a large number of our activities online including our PATHS pupil of the day and check in. Our toilet roll challenge, online sports day and talent shows were also a huge success. Teachers have used Team meetings to provide opportunities for discussion with their pupils and the Chill Out Zones have provided our pupils with a platform to keep in touch with each other albeit remotely.  Our current P7s and our new P1s were able to visit us briefly and we were delighted that this was able to happen.

The community has also shown a great deal of strength and support. You showed our support by displaying rainbows, Easter Eggs and other examples of work in your windows. You shared videos and pictures that helped to ensure we still felt connected to your children’s learning.  Also we are now the proud owners of our rainbow of hope painted for us by one of our neighbours. The stone snake out side the school continues to grow and puts a smile on our faces daily.

Our parent council has been meeting regularly through zoom to help  keep  the flow of information between home and school going.

As a result of our continued hard work throughout this and over the last few years we have managed to secure 2 awards as recognition of this. We are now a PATHS Worldwide Model School and have A Renfrewshire Nurturing Relationships Approach Amethyst award. Both of these we are very proud of and we will continue to grow and develop in these areas over the coming session.

And so I’d like to say a few thank yous. Firstly to all of our staff in all departments. They have shown great team spirit throughout this terrible situation. They have worked tirelessly to support pupils and  each other and I could not be more proud to have such a wonderful team working in Bishopton Primary.

Also to the parents and carers, I can’t begin to imagine how difficult home schooling must be when you are juggling this with all the other demands that life throws at us. You have been supportive and diligent in your task and for that we are all truly  grateful. Your children have continued to make great progress and that it down to the way you have supported the efforts of the teacher through this.

My final thanks must go to our fantastic pupils. The hard work and resilience shown has been second to none. You have made us laugh, cry, gasp in amazement but most of all beam with pride. This has been the most extraordinary time and you have all coped brilliantly.

So, as the term ends, we’d like to make sure that we keep up our end of term tradition. Our oldest and youngest pupils always ring the bell to mark the start of the summer and this year will be no different. Watch below as Forbes and Lewis mark this occasion.

Please now take the time to relax and recharge over the summer break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in August. The final details are still unclear but please keep checking the blog for any updates.

Enjoy a more relaxed time with your family and fingers crossed the weather holds up.

Best wishes and love to all in our school community.

Mrs McNaught

Letters will be sent today to your child’s GLOW email address detailing the days they should attend when school starts back in August.  Their class letter for the session 2020-21 will also be attached.

If you need assistance in accessing the GLOW email please let us know.

The letters will be sent throughout the day. If you have not received your letter by Tuesday 23rd please get in touch.

More information regarding the return to school will be sent at a later date. Please keep watch on this blog for regular updates throughout the summer break.

Please see the attached letter regarding up to date information for pupils returning to school.

Parent Update Letter

When planning for a return to school in August, where possible, Primary School and Nursery age siblings will be allocated the same days in their respective establishments.

To help up to plan for this we would be grateful if you could inform us of any nursery age  siblings and the nursery that they currently attend or will attend in August 2020.

Please do this by emailing the details of your child and the name of the nursery they attend.  This will be of great help and will ensure we liaise with each nursery as appropriate.

Please send the email to bishoptonenquiries@renfrewshire.gov.uk

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

The parental questionnaire closes today. We really value your feedback. If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes today to share your thoughts with us.

Thank you once again for your continued support.

Earlier this month, Renfrewshire Council asked parents and carers to submit their questions on schools and nurseries. Thank you to everyone who took part, there was a phenomenal response with more than 1,000 questions.  

Your most-asked questions were put to Steven Quinn, Director of Children’s Services, which you can see at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/coronavirus-schools. You can also find answers to many more questions there too. 

Thank you for your continued patience and support during this difficult time. We hope to see you back in our school as soon as it is safe to do so.