This week I have visited classes around the school and it is lovely to see pupils settled in their new classes and making new friends. Our Primary 1 pupils are now confident in school routines and are making good progress in learning. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress in learning or how well they have settled into the new school year, please get in touch with the school and we can arrange to meet and discuss how to move forward.
Role Play, Puppetry and Drama
We encourage children in Nursery and Primary School to participate in role play through drama lessons and play activities. It helps to develop skills in listening and talking, confidence and peer relationships. If you are able to help with the donation of any clothes or props, it would really be appreciated by the school.
The items we need most include:
- Puppets
- Costume jewellery (no brooches with sharp pins please)
- Hats and Bags
- People who help us costumes (Police, Fire, Doctor etc) and accessories
Toy Appeal
We would also appreciate the donation of toys and games that are no longer needed to restock our wet interval boxes and play based learning areas. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.
Fancy Dress Exchange
Many of our families choose to dress up and celebrate Halloween. The PTC Halloween disco is on Wednesday 30th October and children are invited to wear fancy dress to this evening event.
To support families, we are offering a fancy dress donation / exchange service. If you have any fancy dress costumes that no longer fit your children or are no longer needed then we would be delighted if you could donate them to school by Friday 20th September. We will then make pre-loved costumes available to all families to choose from during the parent consultation events.
Google Classroom Pilot
Primary 7 pupils in Room 10 are piloting a digital approach to homework and collaborative learning outwith school. Google Classroom enables teachers to set homework digitally and pupils are able to upload their work to the virtual classroom and ask for help from one another or the teacher. This is an exciting step forward for our pupils and helps to prepare them for the digital approaches used in most secondary schools.
Miss Wharton and I team teach the virtual classroom and we have the responsibility of monitoring the comments made within it. This ensures it is a safe and positive digital learning and communication space for pupils.
We will evaluate the pilot project at the October break with parents, pupils and staff. Following on from this, we will make a decision as to whether we extend this to other classes.
Christmas
It may seem early but we are already planning for Christmas using the feedback received from Christmas 2018. In partnership with the PTC, we are taking all Primary school pupils to East Kilbride Village Theatre to watch a performance of ‘Jackie and the Baked Bean Stock’. This experience is being funded jointly by PTC and School and the cost of the bus is included in the Christmas token (see below). I would like to say a huge thank you to the PTC and their fundraising efforts throughout the year that makes this possible.
- Last year all pupils designed a Christmas card in class which they brought home and parents made the decision as to whether they ordered their child’s design as a pack of cards made at SLC Print Room. 48% families wanted to continue with the option of pupils designing a Christmas card. However, 40% felt this was an additional and unnecessary expense and there was pressure to purchase cards as all children had designed a card in class. In response to feedback, we will run an after school card design session. If families would like the option of buying a card this year then parents need to sign children up to attend the after school craft session. Within the session, pupils will create their design and bring it home for parents to make a decision about purchasing a pack of cards. Parents who do not sign their children up to the session will not receive a design home. We hope this compromise meets the needs of all families. Card design sessions will run from 3.05-4.00pm. Primary 1/2 will attend on 28th October, P3-4 will attend on 29th October and P5-7 will attend on 30th October.
- In response to feedback, we will be collecting any donations for hampers before the end of October this year. Each class makes up a themed hamper which is raffled during the Christmas shows. The hampers are always beautifully presented and well received by visitors to school. Classes have already chosen a theme for their hamper and a letter will come home over the next week. Money raised from the hampers is used to support school activities and events and pupils benefit greatly from the funds raised.
- Last year, families provided feedback that there were too many individual costs during December. In response, each pupil will be able to purchase a Christmas token from October onwards. The cost will be £5 for one child, £8 for two children and £10 for three or more children. The Christmas token will cover:
- Christmas Party
- SLLC ‘Big Story’ performance
- Transport to Pantomime at East Kilbride Village Theatre
- 2 tickets per family to our school show (additional tickets can be purchased at a cost of £1.50)
- The feedback received last year highlighted that families required more tickets for our show than could be accommodated within the hall. We are adding one more performance this year to assist with this. On 17th December there will be an afternoon and evening performance. On 18th December there will be an afternoon performance only. Two tickets will be reserved for each family until Friday 6th December after which all additional tickets will go on sale.
What’s on next week?
Mon-Fri – Mrs French, Mrs Gallacher and Mrs Duff visiting all classes
Wed – Head Teacher reporting to Elected Members at Area Committee regarding HMI report
Thank you for your continued support
Kind regards
Kirsty Duff
