Category Archives: Letters

Free Schools Meals and Autumn Hardship Payment

For families in receipt of free school meals on an income basis (so not all P1 to P4 children), there will be an Autumn hardship payment in October (£160).

Families will need to have applied for free school meals in order to get the payments – they won’t be made retrospectively.  If you think you may be entitled to free school meals on an income basis, but have not applied because of the universal free school meals for P1-4, please apply in order to receive these payments.   More information and a link to the online application are here:  https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/Freeschoolmealsandclothinggrants

For those who qualify for free school meals on an income basis (so not all P1 to P4 children), there will be a payment of £11.25 per child for the October break.

Place2Be

Hello Cochrane Castle Families,

Welcome back! It has been so wonderful seeing your wonderful children back in the school. These past few months have been such a whirlwind and it’s totally understandable if you find yourself having a lot of mixed emotions about the return to school.
The Place2Be counselling program on West Johnstone Campus has resumed. Including our work with parents, one-to-one counselling, and our lunch time self-referral service called Place2Talk, which was hugely popular last year with students.

Last year signed permission slips were required for students to be able to use the Place2Talk service. This year we are moving to a negative consent. Meaning that if you want your child to have access to this service no signed permission slip is required, just do nothing. How simple is that!

If you DO NOT want your child to have access to this service please contact me or the school (via email, phone, or morning drop off), or print off the negative consent form below and we will remove your child from the approved list. You can change your consent at any time.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me or your head teacher. I am so excited to be working with your kids this upcoming academic year.

Attached at the bottom of this post is the negative consent form as well as a FAQ sheet about the Place2Talk program.

Click the link below and the file will download. If you have any trouble viewing the document please contact me, and I can send you a copy via email or home with your child.

Place2talk Negative Consent Letter-WJSC

Claire Blaney (School Project Manager)
Claire.Blaney@place2be.org.uk

Pupil Resource Packs

Good morning everyone and a Happy New Year!

Online learning will begin on Monday 11th January, as a result, we have prepared pupil resource packs that can be collected from the school today.  The resource packs contain paper, jotters, pencils, login details and other essential requirements for your child to participate fully in online learning.

The packs can be collected from outside the pupil entrance to the school and will be arranged in class groupings.

To stop over congestion in the playground we are allocating a time slot based on the first letter of your surname.  We have also included an open collection time in case your allocated slot is not suitable.

A to H   1pm – 130pm

I to O   130pm – 2pm

P to Z   2pm – 230pm

Open Collection   230pm – 3pm

If you or your child are unable to collect a pack at any of these times then please contact the school to arrange an alternative time to collect  your child’s resource pack.

Please note that any pupil who was required to self isolate during last term has already received their pack.

A text will also be sent to all main contacts confirming collection times.

 

A further letter detailing all arrangements for online learning will be posted online today with a link to the letter sent via text as well.

 

Kind regards

Mr G T Mothersole

Acting Head Teacher

Christmas News Items

This year due to the current restrictions pupils will not be able to exchange Christmas cards in the school.  They are, however, going to be creating a  class digital message to be shared throughout the school.

Our Christmas Lunch is being held on Thursday, 10 December, pupils can wear something Christmassy (hat, tinsel, hair band, jumper etc) to make things even more festive.

The Joint Campus Christmas Jumper Day is being held on Friday, 11 December.  Again, pupils can wear something Christmassy, it does not necessarily have to be a jumper.  As explained above it can be a hat, tinsel etc.

 

Christmas Lunch – Thursday 10th December (CCPS)

02/12/20

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are delighted to inform you that we will be offering our traditional Christmas Lunch to pupils next week.

Option 1 – Turkey and all the trimmings
Option 2 – Steak Pie
Option 3 – Vegetarian Christmas meal
Option 4 – Sandwiches (Choice of ham/cheese/tuna)

Some important information:

  • Christmas lunch will be available to pupils in Cochrane Castle Primary School only on Thursday 10th December (On this day, pupils in St David’s will only have a sandwich option)
  • Christmas lunch will be available to pupils in St David’s Primary School only on Friday 11th December (On this day, pupils in Cochrane Castle will only have a sandwich option)
  • Christmas lunch will be served in the Dining Hall – lunches will be staggered and seating plans will be created by staff to ensure the safety of all during this time. Pupils will be served at the table to avoid any queuing situations and entry/exit will be controlled via a one-way system.
  • Pupils are still welcome to bring a packed lunch on these days if they prefer.
  • Christmas lunches must be pre-ordered. Please discuss the options with your child at home and help them to choose their preferred option. We will take orders from pupils this Friday, 4th December, in school.

If you have any questions about the information in this letter, please get in touch with the school via the usual method.

 

Free school meal payments for Christmas holiday period

Free School Meals Payment December 2020

I am writing to advise that the Council will be making free school meal payments over the Christmas holiday period for pupils whose parent(s) or guardian(s) are in receipt of certain benefits which entitles their child to a free school meal.

Currently all children in primaries 1-3 receive a free school meal due to Scottish Government policy. However, only those families who would be eligible for a free school meal because of the benefits they receive will be able to get the payment. We would encourage anyone who thinks they may be eligible to apply for this payment as soon as possible.

To find out if you are eligible to apply, please visit the web page below:

https://tinyurl.com/yyhth6ms

All applications should be made no later than Thursday 10 December 2020 in order to receive payment in time for the Christmas holiday period.

The payment made for each child whose family qualify for free school meals will be £2.25 per day of the holiday period which based on 12 days holiday, amounts to £27 per child.

Please note, if you have already made an application for a free school meal in the 20/21 academic session then there is no need to apply again.

If you have any queries in relation to applying for free school meals, please contact 0300 300 0300.

Yours sincerely
Steven Quinn
Director of Children’s Services