The Parent Teacher Council met on Tuesday night to plan for school improvement, raise funds to support the school and discuss any ongoing issues. We also welcomed parents to the ‘Big Blether’ on Tuesday morning and afternoon. We appreciate the support of parents and teachers at these events.
PTC Quiz and Bingo Night
On Thursday 20th February, the PTC will host a family bingo and quiz night instead of the family ceilidh on the annual calendar. The evening will start at 6.30pm and finish at 7.45pm. Tickets will be on sale at school from Monday 17th February. Adult tickets cost £2 and children’s tickets are free.
We hope you will be able to join the PTC for this event.
There is no Valentine’s disco for pupils this year as this family event replaces it.
‘Bud’ – Poppy Scotland
The pupils in Rooms 8, 9 and 10 read ‘Letters from the Lighthouse’ by Emma Carroll during Term 1. This led to learning about World War 2 and the impact of conflict on societies around the world.
On Tuesday, we welcome Poppy Scotland’s ‘Bud’ to Heathery Knowe Primary School grounds. Bud, an 18 tonne truck, transforms into a travelling museum and classroom to help senior pupils develop their understanding of remembrance, the nature of conflict and the poppy’s role in modern Scottish society as a symbol of unity and hope.
All pupils in Primary 6 and Primary 7 will participate in an interactive learning session on ‘Bud’ and have an opportunity to explore the museum. St Louise PS senior pupils will also have an opportunity to visit ‘Bud’ and share learning with Heathery Knowe PS pupils.
You can find out more about this experience using the following link:
https://www.poppyscotland.org.uk/poppy-bud-in-full-bloom-as-major-remembrance-project-launches/
‘Bud’ will need to park on a flat area outside the school building. It will either be located in front of the office or outside the gym hall. We will ensure that the area is clearly marked to ensure pupil safety.
Scottish National Standardised Assessments
Over the next term, children in Primary 1, 4 and 7 will be assessed using Scottish National Standardised Assessments. The assessments are carried out as part of normal classroom routines. They are adaptive, which means that if a child is experiencing difficulty, the questions will get easier, and if a child is doing well, the questions will become more challenging.
The results of the Scottish National Standardised Assessments provides teachers with information about a child’s progress in numeracy, reading and writing. It is one piece of evidence about a child’s progress and is used alongside class work, teacher observations and other assessments to form a view on overall progress.
If you would like to find out more about Scottish National Standardised Assessments, please follow the link below:
https://standardisedassessment.gov.scot/parents-and-carers/
If you would like to discuss your child’s participation in Scottish National Standardised Assessments further, please contact the school office to make an appointment.
Photographer
During the Big Blether, there was a discussion about the reason for the school and nursery changing the photographer . Parents have had the opportunity to share their views using electronic consultation and we have taken the views shared into account.
The main reason for this change is to ensure that the nursery and school photographs are taken by the same company at the same time so that families only receive one set of proofs home to select from. We have chosen a company that offers a cost effective package for parents, backgrounds and poses to suit school and nursery and a date at the start of term (21st August 2020) to come into school.
Residential Experiences
During the Big Blether, there was a discussion about the reason for the school moving towards one residential in Primary 7 rather than two separate residential experiences in Primary 6 and Primary 7. The reasons for this are:
- We have been tracking the patterns of attendance at residential experiences. A significant number of pupils are electing to go to one or the other or not both. This means that pupils are not sharing the experience as a year group. When a full class of children do not attend and a significant number remain in school, this has an immediate teacher cover implication for the school which must be met through the school budget. If the class teacher attends the residential experience then a supply teacher needs to be funded to teach the children remaining at school. With a Primary 6 and Primary 7 residential, this needs to be organised and funded twice a year. The school does not receive funding for this cover from South Lanarkshire Council.
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We rely on teachers volunteering to lead residential experiences and are very fortunate that the staff team have been able to commit to two residential experiences each year up until now. Many of our teachers have young families of their own or caring responsibilities for relatives and cannot attend a residential experience. Our teachers are committed to ensuring children of Heathery Knowe Primary School have the best experiences however attending a residential experience is voluntary and takes teachers away from their own families and caring responsibilities outwith school.
- All schools have been tasked by the Scottish Government to reduce the costs associated with attending school. This is why we have chosen to use a more local residential experience at Lockerbie rather than Ardentinny and Robinwood. We have not chosen the cheapest option for the residential experience as we felt that the activities the children participated in, standard of accommodation and the chance of good weather were important considerations and have decided that the adventure offered at Lockerbie Manor was the most cost effective, high quality experience.
I understand that some pupils and parents are disappointed however I hope this clarifies the school’s reason for moving towards one Primary 7 experience.
Mid Term Break
The school and nursery are closed to pupils on:
- Friday 7th February – INSET day
- Monday 10th February – Holiday
- Tuesday 11th February – Holiday
- Wednesday 12th February – INSET day
What’s on next week?
Monday – Poppy Scotland ‘Bud’ visiting school
Monday – Head Teacher and Miss Houldsworth attending SLC Play Working Group
Tuesday- Poppy Scotland ‘Bud’ visiting school
Tuesday – Play and Enquiry Based Learning staff training
Thursday – Miss Inglis attending moderation event
Thursday – Nursery Big Blether
Friday – INSET DAY – SCHOOL CLOSED TO PUPILS
Thank you for your continued support
Kind regards
Kirsty Duff
