Category Archives: Uncategorized

Maths Resources from Nrich

This has just been sent out from Nrich – a great Maths site:

We’re really enjoying hearing from students who have been working on the tasks from our latest primary and secondary Maths at Home features. Don’t forget you can share your students’ thinking on Twitter.

If you’ve not already seen it, you may also like to take a look at our Maths Fair resources which include a variety of our favourite hands-on tasks your students can try offline, on their own or with family members.

Friday 27th Update

Well we have reached the end of a very unusual week – well done to all the parents and pupils, hopefully you have settled into a bit of a routine. Please donā€™t try to do all of the tasks that the teachers have set in a short space of time.Ā  Do what you think you can manage and donā€™t worry about trying to complete everything.Ā  This is very new territory that we are in and it will take a little bit of time to get used to! We will keep updating the website and the Teams pages. Please also follow us on Twitter. We will hopefully get to contact you all over the coming week just to check you are all fine.

The staff are amazing and have worked really hard behind the scenes to learn new ICT skills and provide learning opportunities – a big thank-you goes out to them. They are an incedible team.

Please get in touch through holmston.mail@south-ayrshire.gov.ukĀ  if you need to ask anything.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

URGENT: Pupils entitled to free school meals

If your child is entitled to free school meals and you would like a packed lunch delivered daily to your doorstep from next week, could you please email holmston.mail@south-ayrshire.gov.uk today and provide your childā€™s name and stage. Free school meals will be delivered by a central team. We will pass on your address that we have on the system.

Please also see post below about accessing free school meals from Grammar Primary for this week.

Pupils entitled to free school meals

Due to a very limited uptake, HolmstonĀ  will no longer be hub school from tomorrow for free school meals. If pupils are entitled to free school meals they can get a packed lunch from Grammar Primary. Moving forward, options are being considered for a home delivery system.Ā  Families eligible for this will be contacted shortly. If you have any questions, please email the school.

Holmston.Mail@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

 

Children Entitled to a Free School Meal

From tomorrow the Council will be moving to centrally preparing and distributing free school meals from specific primary schools.Ā  A list of all the primary schools is also available on the Council and website.Ā  Parents of primary, secondary and special school children who currently receive a free meal at school should go to their nearest primary school on the list, between 12:00pm and 2:00pm, where a nutritional meal will be available for you to collect for each of your eligible children.Ā  Holmston is a hub school.

Copy of Foodhubs – Primary Schools

What support is there for pupils entitled to free school meals?

We recognise this a challenging time for many. The health and wellbeing of local families is our priority and we understand the concern these changes will cause.

While schools are closed all pupils entitled to a free school meal and clothing grant will continue to have access to food at lunchtime.

We are working on an alternative to free school meals that will support families during this period of school closures. Packed lunches will be available in every school in South Ayrshire between 12 and 1pm. The location for the availability of lunches will be reviewed as required.

Even though school is closed, thereā€™s no need to go hungry at lunchtime. If you are entitled to a free school meal in South Ayrshire and are able to come along, make sure you pick up your free packed lunch.

Childcare Provision for Key Workers

Please see below the attached letter from Douglas explaining the arrangements for key workers and the explanation of a key worker. If your job is not included in this list please keep your child at home.

The most recent scientific advice on how to further limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear. If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.

That is why the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend. The fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.

If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.

Where all adults in the family are key workers, please ensure that this is your only option before bringing your child into school on Monday and speaking with a member of the management team. Copies of the Registration Form for provision after next week will be available from the school.Ā  It is an essential part of our national effort to combat this disease.

This service is only for children in families where all adults in the household are designated as keyworkers.

Ā Childcare provision for Key Workers – Letter from Douglas Hutchison

Registration form – key worker service

 

Friday 20th March Update

Although the school will close today, we are still waiting to hear what options are available for children of key workers that have no other child care. Please ensure that you follow all government advice to keep youself and the community as safe as possible.

I would like to thank all the school staff for the amazing effort they have put in this week despite a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. They have gone above and beyond to make sure that the children have a ‘normal’ time as possible. The children have all been amazing too.

I hope all our parents have been able to access the ‘Home Learning’ section on the website. If you are having any issues around logging in to any of the websites please email the school.Ā  This will be updated over the duration of the school closure and we will be setting up microsoft teams for each class. This can be accessed through GLOW. We will send out information about this when it is set up.

All microsoft office programmes are available to download free through GLOW. We will re-post how to do this.

If you have any comments about the Home Learning or ways in which we can support you. Please leave a comment or email in.

We will update you when we have further information. In the meantime, stay safe.

School email: Holmston.Mail@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

 

Thursday Update

As you know schools will close tomorrow. As we get more information about this will be passed on. We will shortly be sending out the password for the Home Learning tab above through the text messaging service.

Staff in school have been amazing this week in spite of all the challenges have been busy organising for educational opportunities that will be available via the website.

Please make sure that your child’s GLOW, Sumdog and P4-P7 Accelerated Reader Log-ins work and you can access these.

We are looking to set up microsoft teams for each of the classes. If this goes ahead you will also receive a text message. Please make sure your contact details are up to date.

As you can imagine we are receiving a lot of phone calls, if you have a queries about usernames or passwords or anything non-urgent you can email the school account: Holmston.Mail@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

We will still be regularly accessing emails when the school is closed and get back to you asap.

Keep safe x

 

Update

School is open today. Jotters have been given to the pupils. If you do not receive one pleaseĀ  arrange for someone who is not self-isolating to come and collect one or please use your own alternative.

We are continuing to take sensible precautions and preparing to support children who are at home with their learning. Staff are working together within and across schools in South Ayrshire with committment and heart warming support.

Your positivity and rational approach is, as always, greatly appreciated. If you have any further ideas on how we can support each other as a school community we would love to hear from you.

We will be using this blog as well as Twitter to keep you updated. The home learning section will be opened later on this week – we’re busy working on it. Keep safe and well.

Copy of changes to school events letter

 

Maths Week Scotland

This week in school we will be taking part in the Sumdog Competition for Maths Week Scotland. All the pupils have a username and password and can access this site from home.

Each day the Deputy First Minister will be posing a puzzle which we will put on line – leave a comment on the post if you have solved it.