The outcomes of placing requests into the school have now been shared with parents and we are delighted to be welcoming 33 Primary One learners to school in August 2023.  The staff are working together over the next week to plan classes for all children in August 2023.

Class Organisation

The teachers and leadership team are working together to organise classes for next session. There is often some anxiety about the process and questions about how we reach decisions about how a class group is made up. I anticipate class groups will be shared by 14th June.

It is planned that the school will be organised in the following way during session 2023/2024 however this may change if there is a significant change in school roll:

Room 1 – Primary 1 – Mrs MacOwan / Mrs Hughes
Room 2 – Primary 1/2 – Miss Deans
Room 3 – Primary 2 – Miss Houldsworth
Room 4 – Primary 3 – Miss Gillespie /  Mrs McGee
Room 5 – Primary 3/4 – Miss Nicol / Mrs Gray
Room 6 – Primary 4 – Miss Inglis
Room 7 – Primary 5 – Mrs Spence
Room 8 – Primary 5/6 – Mrs Kane
Room 9 – Primary 6 – Miss Grantham
Room 10 – Primary 7 – Miss Wharton

I would like to take this opportunity to provide an outline of the process at our school.

• The first step is always to review our school roll with South Lanarkshire Council. Colleagues at Headquarters advise us of the number of classes and teachers for the following session. This process takes place from January – May and often  changes as new families move into or out of the area. This year  there will be a number of composite classes with most year groups split across two  classrooms. This is outwith the school’s control.
• The identification of teachers taking Primary 1 classes is always shared earlier so that visits to partner nurseries and induction processes can take place. Mrs MacOwan, Mrs Hughes and Miss Deans will teach Primary 1 pupils next year.
• Our classes are organised initially using literacy working groups as a guide. Pupils who are attaining similar levels of literacy and working at a similar pace will progress as a group. This means pupils from two different classrooms may come together to form a group for the following year.
• We then consider how each class is made up using the size of the groups as a guide along with our knowledge of the pupils. Groups going into composite classes are not identified because children are not working at the expected levels.  For example, if your child is a P3 pupil and placed in a composite P3/2 class, this is not because they are struggling with learning and require to revisit concepts taught in P2. Similarly, if you have a P2 pupil going into a P3/2 composite class, this is not because they require the challenge of the P3 curriculum.
• Finally, we consider the draft classes to ensure no pupils are separated from all of their friends or socially isolated. Current class teachers flag up any issues using their knowledge of pupils and social groups and small tweaks are made.
• Class lists are then finalised and shared.

This process takes place every year and we spend a lot of time ensuring that the class groups are organised to provide the best opportunities for learning and teaching at each stage. I trust that you recognise that the robust process means we have fully considered your child’s learning and social needs and made a professional decision about classes.

Further information is available using the following link:

https://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/downloads/file/853/composite_classes

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

Dear Parents & Carers,

A letter was issued yesterday to parents from Mrs Duff. It read:

I am writing to advise that I will return to the role of Head Teacher of Heathery Knowe Primary School and Nursery on Monday 15^th May. I am looking forward to returning and leading the school as we evaluate the progress made this year and plan the transition into the new school session.

 Mrs French, who has been the acting Head Teacher, is now returning to the role of Depute Head Teacher. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Laura French for leading the school since January 2023. 

 South Lanarkshire Council has agreed to maintain the current teaching staff within the school until the end of the summer term to ensure consistency of teaching and learning for the children of Heathery Knowe Primary School. The provision of additional teaching staff at Heathery Knowe Primary School and Nursery also enables me to continue to provide support to the leadership team, staff and pupils of Castlefield Primary School during the period of transition to a new Acting Head Teacher.

Thank you for your continued support.

 Yours sincerely

Kirsty L. Duff

 

PTC

The dates for the next PTC meetings are:

• Tuesday 16^th May at 3.05 – 3.45pm in the school hall.
• Tuesday 30^th May will be the AGM meeting in the hybrid model at 7pm.

We are continuing to look for volunteers to help in any way they can to support our Summer Fayre on Friday 2^nd June and the Shorts ‘n’ Shades disco on Thursday 15^th June. Please contact the school if you are able to help to set up and prepare for the event or help, supervise or man a stall.

 

Outdoor Classroom Launch

Thank you to all families who came along to celebrate the opening of our outdoor classroom. Thankfully it stayed dry and everyone was able to enjoy some special treats whilst exploring our new spaces to play. Look out for photos in the East Kilbride News soon.

 

Participatory Budget Group

The children recently met up to discuss ideas and suggestions as to what they would like to spend the total sum of £3491.24 as part of our participatory budget. There were plenty of excellent ideas and these were shared at the parent / carer group meeting in school. Look out for a google form on twitter next week to cast your vote.

 

Diary Dates 

15.8.23

R7 Kids Kitchen parent session

16.3.23

P6 Bikeability

PTC meeting 3 – 3.45pm in the school hall

17.5.23

P1 Learning to read parent workshop 3.15pm in the hall

Room 2 library visit

18.5.23

Outdoor learning day

Whole school community litter pick

P5, 6 & 7 HK Football League to K park with Mr Wilson

Calderglen High school parent information evening

19.5.23

P7 French café visit to Calderglen High school

22.5.23

Dog’s Trust

23.5.23

Parent consultations

24.5.23

Parent consultations

Summer Fayre raffle tickets sent home to parents

26.5.23

Holiday

29.5.23

Holiday

New Primary one transition afternoon 3.15 to 4pm

P6/7 Football

Wacky Wednesday

2.6.23

Tennis taster session all day

PTC Summer Fayre 6 to 8pm

 

The date for the next blog will be Friday 2^nd June 2023.

 Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all pupils, staff, and parents for the support I have received in looking after Heathery Knowe Primary since January 2023. I have enjoyed each and every day.

 Kind Regards

Mrs French

Depute Head Teacher

 

Dear Parents & Carers

We were delighted to welcome the children back to school after the Spring break and we look forward to a very busy and exciting summer term for all classes.

OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Parent Presentation

We are pleased to be hosting a parent presentation from Simon Knight from OPAL on Wednesday 3^rd May from 2.15 to 3pm in the school. Simon will talk about the benefits of outdoor play and learning and share the HK journey so far. I am sure you will find it most interesting and as always, we value your opinion and suggestions for the development of our school grounds. Please come along and feel free to bring younger children. Tea and coffee will be served.

Launch of Outdoor Classroom and Forest Story House

The children were so delighted to see the outdoor classroom and Forest Story House built ahead of schedule and finished for their return to school. So far, the children have been using it for a variety of imaginative and creative play and we look forward to developing these areas over the next few weeks. We are very excited to be able to share these two new structures as well as all of our other playground developments with our HK families on Wednesday 3^rd May at 3.05 to 4.00pm. Tea, coffee and treats for all will be served. Please so come along!

Participatory Budget Parent Group

It is that time of year again that we require some parent & carer volunteers to be part of our Participatory Budget Group. Education resources at South Lanarkshire Council have confirmed their commitment to a process of ‘Participatory Budgeting’. This method allows all stakeholders to take part in spending decisions regarding the Pupil Equity Funding. The Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) supports children and families to provide the best possible opportunities for learning. It helps the school support children who experience barriers to learning and who might be falling behind or not getting the same chances in their education because of poverty or other financial difficulties. We are given a percentage of our PEF budget to spend on improving our learner’s education. We require pupils and parents to come up with ideas on how to spend the money. Pupils and parents then vote for their priority. The priority with the most votes will be funded. The last two years have been spent on the outdoor classroom and Forest Story House.

If you would like to participate and have a say in what we decide to spend the money on for the next school session, then please email me. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 10^th May at 9.15am and should take no more than 45 minutes.

PTC

Our PTC meetings are now much better attended, and we are very grateful to our new members for joining. The dates for the next PTC meetings are:

Tuesday 16^th May at 3.05 – 3.45pm in the school hall.

Tuesday 30^th May will be the AGM meeting in the hybrid model at 7pm.

We are continuing to look for volunteers to help in any way they can to support our Summer Fayre on Friday 2^nd June and the Shorts ‘n’ Shades disco on Thursday 15^th June. Please contact the school if you are able to help to set up and prepare for the event or help, supervise or man a stall.

Waterproof and Outdoor Clothing Survey.

The PTC have volunteered to make a contribution towards purchasing a supply of outdoor and waterproof clothing to keep in the school building. We encourage our children to play in all weathers unless there is a weather warning. Even in the summer term it can still be rainy and muddy so please ensure your children have appropriate clothing in school for this. If you require any support with this matter, then please contact the school. The link to the outdoor clothing survey form is available on twitter.

HK Pop Up Uniform Shop

Our pop-up uniform shop continues to be used by families. We have a selection of new and pre-loved uniforms in very good condition available to families who need them at no cost. Please take what you need when you need it. You will find it in the foyer at the main entrance. If you have any unused uniforms that are in very good condition, then we would gladly accept them.

Kids Kitchen

Room 7 have started their sessions with Chef Roberto on a Wednesday afternoon. They have thoroughly enjoyed each one so far and we look forward to welcoming parents to their final session. Details for this will follow in due course.

 P1 Rhyme Time

We would like to invite parents, carers and families to come along to our Primary 1 Rhyme Time with the children session on Tuesday 9^th May at 2.15pm to 2.45pm. The more the merrier. Mrs O’Sullivan (DHT) will lead with a lovely story.

Stage Photos

Primary 1 to 7 and nursery class stage photos have been taken by students from South Lanarkshire College on Wednesday 26^th April. Samples will be displayed at the parent consultation afternoon and evening to pre-order. We will take a second order at the Summer Fayre. The cost of each photograph will be £5. The photograph will be displayed in a professional black mount and will be delivered in a clear presentation bag.

 

Kilbryde Hospice Sunflower Walk

On Friday 5^th May the whole school and nursery will take part in the Sunflower Walk to support Kilbryde Hospice.  This will be within the school grounds.

The Hospice mascot, Hope, will come along to visit the school on 5^th May to cheer us on and for some photo opportunities. If they wish to, children can wear something yellow or gold during their walk. e.g., sunglasses, a hat or a summery top. This payment item is live on parent pay just now.

Every child from the nursery will complete 2 laps of the playground and every pupil from the school will complete 4 laps of the playground for the walk. Everyone who takes part in the Sunflower Walk shall receive a medal and a certificate from the Hospice.

The PTC have asked if families can donate any preloved teddy bears on this day.  They will then be washed, cleaned and sold at the summer fayre.  Any teddy donated will enter the child into a raffle to win a prize.

We are very keen to continue to support Kilbryde Hospice for the amazing work which they do in East Kilbride Community.

 

King’s Coronation Street Party

Our fabulous Primary 7 pupils are busy working behind the scenes preparing a spectacular street party for the whole school on Friday 5^th May. We are all looking forward to a fun day. Further details will follow from Primary 7.

 

Playground Supervision before 9am

A gentle reminder to parents that there is no playground supervision in the morning until 8.45am as this is when support staff begin their day. Mrs Summers and Mrs Gardiner are in school early to supervise breakfast club duties only in the lunch hall. We are aware that some children are being dropped off before 8.30am and are not attending breakfast club. These children are in the playground unsupervised at this point. Thank you for your cooperation.

Diary Dates 

1.5.23

Holiday

2.5.23

Inset day. Children do not attend school.

3.5.23

R7 Kids Kitchen

*Launch of our new outdoor classroom – Outdoor play and Learning presentation with Simon Knight from OPAL at 2.15pm in the hall followed by the official launch of our outdoor spaces at 3.05pm* All welcome!

4.5.23

P5 swimming

P5 Bikeability

5.5.23

Sunflower walk in school

King’s Coronation Street party organised by Primary 7.

8.5.23

Holiday

9.5.23

P1 Family Rhyme Time at 2.15pm

P5 Bikeability at 3.05pm

10.5.23

Parent & Carer Participatory Budget Group meeting at 9.15am

12.5.23

EK Track and Field event for P6 & P7

17.5.23

PTC meeting from 3 to 4pm in the hall

P6 Bikeablilty begins 3.05pm

18.5.23

Phonics parent workshop for current and new Primary 1 parents and carers

Room 2 library visit

18.5.23

HK Outdoor Learning Day and Community Litter Pick event

Calderglen High School Primary 7 information evening

P5 to P7 football league to play at K Park pitches with Mr Wilson.

19.5.23

Primary 7 French Café visit at Calderglen High School

22.5.23

Dog’s Trust assembly and class workshops

Love Autism workshop at Blacklaw Primary School for parents and carers at 9.30am

23.5.23

Dog’s Trust workshops

Parent Consultation appointments

P6 Bikeability

24.3.23

Summer Fayre raffle tickets sent home to parents.

Parent Consultation appointments

26.5.23

Holiday

29.5.23

Holiday

 

The date for the next blog will be Friday 12^th May 2023.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your continued support.

 

Kind Regards

Mrs French

Acting Head Teacher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Parents & Carers

I would like to thank you for your continued support and cooperation this term as Acting Head Teacher. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and each day fills me with pride and joy.

Drop off and Pick Up Arrangements

The outdoor classroom, forest school, storage sheds and large sandpit are due to be constructed during the holiday (two weeks later than scheduled) and will finish by 27^th April all going well. The playground zone at the MUGA pitch area will be fenced off during this time.

The main entrance / exit for children to access the playground during this time will be the entrance at the nursery side of the school. There will be no access to the school via the entrance at the dining hall during this time as this will be used for the build team. Parents can pick their children up from the playground as usual but please be aware that it will feel busier than normal. Please adhere to the following plans that will be in place.

Breakfast Club children will enter through the main entrance at the office and head to the dining hall from there. You must stay in the lunch hall until 8.45am.

The main entrance to the school will be at the nursery side at the gate. The gate at the dining hall will be closed. This will be the same for when you leave school at the end of the day.

Room 1 and Room 2 will enter and exit via the flowerpot garden and go to class at 8.45am.

Room 3 and Room 4 will enter and exit from their classroom doors.

Room 5 will enter via the flowerpot garden and exit via the stairwell door.

Room 6 and Room 7 will enter via the entrance at the toilets beside Room 3. They will exit from this point to.

Rooms 8, 9 and 10 will enter and exit via their normal stairwell door.

Playtime will remain the same for everyone but please be mindful of the smaller space and remember to be safe.

Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter of safety.

Reports

You will have received your full report for your child on Friday 24^th March 2023. Please take the time to return the comment sheet to the school.  Parent consultation appointments will be next term on Tuesday 23^rd and Wednesday 24^th May.

PTC & Parent Engagement Questionnaire

Our hybrid model meeting took place on 28^th March and was a success. We were delighted to have some new members join us in the school and via Zoom and we look forward to hearing some fresh ideas. The dates for the next PTC meetings are:

Tuesday 16^th May at 3.05 – 3.45pm in the school hall.

Tuesday 30^th May will be the AGM meeting in the hybrid model at 7pm.

We are looking for volunteers to help in any way they can to support our summer fayre on Friday 2^nd June and the Shorts ‘n’ Shades disco on Thursday 15^th June. Please contact the school if you are able to help.

Lastly, please take a quick moment to fill on the PTC parental engagement questionnaire below by clicking on the link.

https://forms.gle/S2CssHuCcrYwsHuC8

HK Pop Up Uniform Shop

Our pop-up uniform shop is now ready. We have a selection of new and pre-loved uniforms in very good condition available to families who need them at no cost. Please take what you need when you need it. You will find it in the foyer at the main entrance. I’m delighted to see some empty hangers which means that this stall has been useful for some of our families. If you have any unused uniforms that are in very good condition, then we would gladly accept them.

Primary 4 Music

Mr Beattie will be delivering music lessons with all Primary 4 pupils every Friday until the end of term. We look forward to them starting on Friday 21^st April.

Friendly Netball

Pupils from Heathery Know and St Louise will participate in a friendly netball match hosted at our school on Monday 17^th April at 3pm. We look forward to welcoming St Louise pupil and staff for this event. Thank you to Mrs Gray for organising this. The next netball festival will be held on Monday 24^th April from 10am until 2pm.

Kids Kitchen

Room 9 have absolutely loved their sessions with Chef Roberto and it was great to see so many parents come along to the final session on 30^th March where the children were able to showcase their skills. Room 7 will now participate after the holiday on a Wednesday afternoon.

Cross Country

Anya Prendi P6 and Joshua Caskie P7 qualified at the recent cross-country event in Strathaven. They were invited to participate in the final on Thursday 30^th March. We are extremely proud of their efforts. Anya came in 11^th place and Joshua was 15^th. I believe it was a very muddy morning. Well done Team HK!

 P1 Rhyme Time

We would like to invite parents, carers and families to come along to our Primary 1 Rhyme Time with the children session on Tuesday 18^th April at 2.15pm to 2.45pm. The more the merrier. Mrs O’Sullivan (DHT) will lead with a lovely story.

Stage Photos

Primary 1 to 7 and nursery class stage photos will be taken early in the next term by students from south Lanarkshire College, a date will follow in due course. They will be displayed at the parent consultation afternoon and evening to pre-order. We will take a second order at the Summer Fayre.

Diary Dates 

18.4.23

P5 Bikeability at 3.05 to 4.30pm

P1 rhyme time with parents at 2.15pm

19.4.23

R7 Kids Kitchen sessions begin.

P5 Badminton block 2 begins 3.05 to 4pm

P6/7 football competition

20.4.23

P5 swimming

24.4.23

Love Autism workshop in Mount Cameron at 9.30am

Netball festival 10am to 2pm

Kilbride Hospice and Hope their mascot to present at assembly

25.4.23

P5 Bikeability

PTC 7pm

26.4.23

Parent / Carer & Child reading café at 3.05pm

R7 Kids Kitchen

27.4.23

P5 swimming

1.5.23

Holiday

2.5.23

Inset day. Children do not attend school

3.5.23

R7 Kids Kitchen

*Launch of our new outdoor classroom – Outdoor play and Learning presentation with Simon Knight from OPAL at 2.15pm in the hall followed by the official launch of our outdoor spaces at 3.05pm* All welcome!

4.5.23

P5 swimming

P5 Bikeability

5.5.23

Sunflower walk in school

King’s Coronation Street party organised by Primary 7.

 

The date for the next blog will be Friday 28^th April 2023.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely spring break with your family and friends.

 

Kind Regards

Mrs French

Acting Head Teacher

Dear Parents & Carers

We are down to the last two weeks of our Winter term at Heathery Knowe Primary School. What a busy term it has been, and we look forward to an even busier final term.

Parent Questionnaire

We ask that parents and carers take a moment to complete the questionnaire (the link is below) to help us to continue to improve our school.

https://forms.gle/bgHYEKttC6qQNUdF9

P5 – 7 Bikeability

We are delighted to be able to run Bikeability lessons for our P5, 6 & 7 pupils in the final term. We invite all children to participate in this essential skill. If you need to borrow a bike, then please let Mrs Kerr and Mr Loveday know. Bike safety checks will take place on Tuesday 28^th March at 3.05pm. Children should bring their bikes to school with them on this date. Primary 5 will be the first cohort to begin the sessions on Tuesday 18^th April from 3.05 to 4.30pm.

P5 Swimming

P5 pupils enjoyed their first swimming lesson this week. Please ensure your child brings a £1 coin for the locker. Each swim session is £2.50 and can be paid on parent pay. The children will be walking (15 minutes) to the Dollan Aqua Centre and back so please ensure that they are appropriately dressed to do so with warm clothes or waterproofs.

Drop off and Pick Up Arrangements

The outdoor classroom, forest school, storage sheds and large sandpit are due to be constructed week beginning 27^th March (a week later than scheduled) and will finish by 21^st April all going well. The playground zone at the MUGA pitch area will be fenced off during this time. Morning break will be split into two separate times. P1 to P4 will go out to play at 10.30am and P5 to P7 children will be 10.45am.

The main entrance / exit  for children to access the playground during this time will be the entrance at the nursery side of the school. There will be no access to the school via the entrance at the dining hall during this time as this will be used for the build team.

Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter of safety.

Car Park and Disabled Parking Bays

We politely ask all parents to use the drop off areas in the car park and refrain from stopping in the middle of the car park. This causes congestion and can be a health and safety risk. Please note that disabled parking bays are strictly for blue badge holders. Thank you for your co-operation.

 

Easter Service

Our Easter service will take place on Friday 31^st March at South Parish Church at 1.30pm with Rev. Terri Taylor. We invite all parents and carers to join us for this celebration. We will walk to the church and back so please ensure children are dressed appropriately. Please fill in the permission slip on parent pay.

Dogs Trust

The Dogs Trust will be visiting the school on the 22^nd and 23^rd May to provide workshops for each class. The children will develop an important and necessary understanding about safe and considerate behaviour around the dogs they know and live with, and those they may see out and about in the community. We look forward to welcoming them along.

 

Football – K Park

Mr Wilson, our janitor has organised for the P5 to 7 football league to play a mini tournament at K Park on Thursday 18^th May. Free transport to and from will be provided. More details will follow in due course. I am grateful to Mr Wilson for providing the children with this exciting experience.

Cross Country

Approximately 42 P6 & 7 pupils will attend the cross-country competition on Tuesday 21^st March in Strathaven with Mr Loveday and Miss Wharton. We look forward to hearing of all their achievements on their return to school. Good luck!

Reports

Pupil reports will be sent home to parents and carers on Friday 24^th March. If you require an additional copy of your child’s report then please contact the school office. Parent consultation appointments will be next term on Tuesday 23^rd and Wednesday 24^th May.

PTC 21.03.23 at 3.15pm / 28.03.23 at 7pm Hybrid Model

We desperately require more parents and carers to join our PTC. Our current members have children in the upper stages and will only be with us for a short while before they move on. We value and appreciate the work they do for our children and the school community. They are holding a very short and informal presentation in the hall on Tuesday 21^st March at 3.05pm. Please come along to find out more information about what they do and if you are able to help in any way you can. A small amount of help can go a long way! Children are welcome to come along and play during this time too. We will keep them busy.

Our next formal PTC meeting will be held in the school on Tuesday 28^th March at 7pm. This will take the shape of a hybrid model of face to face and online to facilitate the attendance of more members. We do hope to see some new faces.

Kids Kitchen

Chef Roberto from SLC Kids Kitchen has been cooking up a storm with Room 9 on a Thursday after lunch. He has been teaching the children how to use a knife to cut fruit and vegetables safely and lots more. Please follow Room 9’s twitter page to see some of their marvellous creations.

HK Pop Up Uniform Shop

Our pop-up uniform shop is now ready. We have a selection of new and pre-loved uniforms in very good condition available to families who need them at no cost. Please take what you need when you need it. You will find it in the foyer at the main entrance.

 Launch of Outdoor Classroom – Change of date

Due to the delay in the build team getting started, we have changed the date for the launch of our new outdoor classroom and forest house to Wednesday 3^rd May from 3.15pm to 4pm. Simon Knight from OPAL will do a presentation to parents beforehand on outdoor play and learning at 2.15pm. Please come along for some tea and coffee, juice and biscuits, and ‘stay and play’ with us. Siblings are more than welcome to join us. We hope to see many families come along to see how our playground is developing and have an opportunity to explore the new areas. We hope it will be a sunny afternoon!

Love Autism workshop

The next parent workshop from Anne Love of ‘Love Autism’ will be held in Heathery Knowe Primary School on Monday 27^th March at 9.30am. We invite all parents and carers to come along. Tea and coffee will be provided.

 Diary Dates 

18.4.23

P5 Bikeability at 3.05 to 4.30pm

P1 rhyme time with parents at 2.15pm,

19.4.23

R7 Kids Kitchen sessions begin.

P5 Badminton block 2 begins 3.05 to 4pm

P6/7 football competition

20.4.23

P5 swimming

24.4.23

Love Autism workshop in HK at 9.30am

Netball festival 10am to 2pm

Kilbride Hospice and Hope their mascot to present at assembly.

25.4.23

P5 Bikeability

PTC 7pm

26.4.23

Parent / Carer & Child reading café at 3.05pm

R7 Kids Kitchen

27.4.23

P5 swimming

1.5.23

Holiday

2.5.23

Inset day. Children do not attend school.

3.5.23

R7 Kids Kitchen

4.5.23

P5 swimming

P5 Bikeability

5.5.23

Sunflower walk in school

King’s Coronation street party in school

 

The date for the next blog will be Friday 31^st March 2023.

Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend and thank you sincerely for your continued support.

Kind Regards

Mrs French

Acting Head Teacher

 

It has been a busy few weeks in Heathery Knowe with many opportunities for the children to engage successfully in their learning. As always, they have been safe, kind, and ready to learn.

World Book Day Thursday 2^nd March 2023

On Monday at assembly, we launched our exciting World Book Day activities planned for Thursday 2^nd March. Activities include:

• Creating a cosy ‘Book Nook’ at home to enjoy reading a story. We would love to see your photos on twitter.
• Lunch time story sessions will take place on Thursday for P3 & P4, Friday for P5, 6 & 7, and P1 & P2 had their session on Monday this week.
• Buddy reading will take place.
• Children are invited to bring in a book as part of our ‘HK Book Swap’.
• Author’s Live events will be streamed online during the day.
• All children will receive a £1 book token.
• Primary 1 visited Waterstone’s on Monday, Room 6 will visit on Thursday and Room 3 will visit on Friday.
• We will be holding a ‘Parent / Carer Reading Café’ in the dining hall and school library from 3.15 to 4pm on Thursday. Please come along with your child and enjoy some tea & coffee, juice and biscuits. Younger siblings are more than welcome too. You can bring your own book or borrow one from the school.
• The children will be taking part in our ‘HK Readathon 2023’. Sponsor forms will be sent home on Thursday 2^nd March and should be sent back to the school by the following week.

As a literacy loving school, we focus on the enjoyment of reading and listening to stories therefore we choose not to dress up on this day.

Parent Teacher Council

The Parent Teacher Council members met on Tuesday 28^th February. They are URGENTLY looking for new parents to join and help support future events in school that are thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by the children such as discos, Summer, and Christmas Fayres. Without your help these events are not able to run. Please contact the school if you can help in any way.

There will be an informal PTC meeting on Tuesday 21^st March at 3.15 to 3.45pm in the school hall with tea and coffee available. You may bring your children along as there will be things for them to do to keep them busy. The PTC will have a short presentation. Please do come along and let them know if you are able to help in any way. The next PTC meeting held in the evening will be on Tuesday 28^th March at 7pm in the staffroom.

OPAL – Outdoor Play and Learning

We are well underway with our playground developments in school. Thank you to all the parents and private companies who have donated resources to us for free. One man’s junk is another mans treasure as they say. Look out for our pleas on twitter to see if you can help us in anyway. The children are really enjoying and exploring the new areas such as:

• Reading hut
• Water wall
• Loose parts
• Social areas
• Construction and diggers
• Small world
• Playground games
• HK stage / drama area
• Music / dancing area
• Daily Mile
• Muddy Movers for P1 and P3

Future developments include building a large mud kitchen. If you are able to help with this, then please contact the school. We will be looking for pots and pans, old sinks etc. We will be developing a den building area and will require tarpaulin and other appropriate den building materials.

Please let the school know if you require waterproof clothing or footwear to support outdoor learning.

Extra-Curricular Clubs

Every day at break time there is the opportunity for all children to have taster sessions of different sports in the MUGA pitch with Mr Wilson, our janitor. The children enjoy rugby, basketball hockey, tennis, rounders and so on.

Football

There are two football leagues running every lunch time. Mr Wilson is the coach for the P5, 6 & 7 children. Mr Gow looks after the P3 & 4 league. Primary 2 will have the opportunity to play at break time under the supervision of Mr Gow starting on Thursday.

Badminton

Mr Gow is running a badminton club for Primary 5 children in 5-week blocks from now until the summer. Please return the permission slip if you wish your child to attend. You will be notified as to which block your child will attend.

Other clubs on offer each day are:

• Monday – Into Film Club
• Tuesday – Library club & Chess Club
• Wednesday – Debating Club
• Thursday – Netball club
• Friday – Library club

Active Sports Club

Craig Allardyce from Active Sports successfully ran an after-school sports club for Primary 2 children. They had taster sessions for many different sports. Craig was very impressed with their energy and stamina not to mention their excellent behaviour at each session. Primary 5 children are now attending the sessions after school every Thursday.

Outdoor Classroom Update

Our school community voted to use our participatory budget money to build an outdoor classroom in our playground. This space has the capacity to hold 55 children and the potential for its use is endless. In addition to this, a forest story house will be built that can hold an entire class of children. We will also have two large storage sheds built too. Work begins on Monday 20^th March, and it will be finished during the Spring break. We will launch our new outdoor spaces on Monday 17^th April. We invite all of our families to come along at the end of the school day to ‘Stay and Play’ with your children from 3.15 to 4pm. We hope to invite some VIPs too. There will be tea & coffee, juice, and biscuits for you to enjoy.

School Uniform

We are proud of our school and wearing a full school uniform each day creates a sense of school community and smartness. Please encourage your child to wear their uniform every day. It is getting to that time in the school year when uniforms have become well used and worn out. We will open a ‘Pop Up Uniform’ shop under the canopy at the main entrance week beginning 6^th March which will have some new and pre-loved uniforms for you to help yourself to.

Lost Property

Lost property will be put on a table at the foyer on Friday 3^rd March for you to have a look through. If items are not collected, then we will add them to the pop-up uniform shop.

Big Day Out

Parents / carers will have received a letter outlining the details for our summer ‘Big Day Out’. Each excursion will cost £12 per child and can be paid £1 weekly on parent pay between now and then.

P1 and P2 – Heads of Ayr Farm

P3 and P4 – Blairdrummond Safari Park

P5 – Summerlee

P6 – Culzean Castle

P7 – is still to be confirmed but it will take place during their celebration week.

Parent / Carer Calendar

A paper copy of the parent calendar was given to all families. This outlines all school events between now and the end of June. If you wish an electronic copy, then please contact the school to request one.

P7 Transitions

Primary 7 will attend a PE visit to Calderglen High School as part of their transition programme on Friday 10^th March. They are very much looking forward to the event and meeting some of their future teachers.

School Reports

School reports will be sent home to parents / carers on Friday 24^th March. Please contact the school if you wish an additional copy of your child’s report.

Love Autism Parent Workshops

The next session for parents will be held in Heathery Knowe school hall at 9.30am presented by Anne Love from Love Autism. The focus for the session will be ‘Coping with challenging behaviours at home’. Please come along if you are interested.

 Potential Strike Days

The next potential strike days that will affect Heathery Knowe is Tuesday 28^th March and Wednesday 29^th March. A letter to confirm these dates will be sent home in due course.

The date for the next blog will be Friday 17^th March 2023. Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend and thank you sincerely for your continued support in my new role as Acting Head Teacher of Heathery Knowe Primary. A privilege and joy.

Kind Regards

Mrs French

 

The children have settled well since returning from the Christmas holidays and are all focused and enjoying learning. I would like to take this opportunity to update you on staffing changes that are in place for the term ahead.

Primary 5 (Room 7): Mrs Spence is absent from work. Mrs Kerr, who has worked at Heathery Knowe PS for some time and knows the children well, has taken over as class teacher for Primary 5 (Room 7). Mrs Spence is hoping to be able to return to work before the Summer holidays and we would like to send our best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Primary 4/5 (Room 6): Following a period of absence, Mrs Caldwell has made the decision to resign from her teaching post at Heathery Knowe PS. Miss Hunter will continue to teach in Room 6 on a Monday and Tuesday. I would like to thank Mrs Caldwell for her contribution to Heathery Knowe PS and Nursery and wish her well in her new venture.

Senior Leadership Team; Mrs French will oversee the day to day running of Heathery Knowe PS and Nursery whilst I am supporting Castlefield PS and Nursery. I will continue to lead on all strategic developments for Heathery Knowe PS and Nursery and work closely with the Senior Leadership Team during this period. Mrs McGee and Miss Wharton will support Mrs French by sharing the role of acting Depute Head Teacher. Miss Wharton will continue to teach P7 (Room 10) Monday – Wednesday and Mrs McGee will continue to teach P3 (Room 4) Wednesday – Friday.

Supply Teachers: I am pleased to welcome Miss McLaughlin and Miss Cooper to Heathery Knowe PS on a temporary basis to cover absences. Miss McLaughlin and Miss Cooper have settled well into the school and are getting to know the children and staff.

Mrs Munn: On behalf of everyone at Heathery Knowe PS and Nursery, I extend our congratulations and best wishes to Amy and Simon Munn who celebrated the safe arrival of Miss Holly Munn in December 2022. Amy will take an extended break from work and we look forward to welcoming her back to school for keeping in touch days in the Summer term.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

 

We are reviewing our guidelines on religious observance with an increased focus on ensuring it is active, engaging, challenging and thought provoking whilst supporting children in the development of their own set of beliefs and values.

The Scottish Government defines Religious Observance as, “community acts which aim to promote the spiritual development of all members of the school’s community and express and celebrate the shared values of the school community”. We aim to provide opportunities for pupils to visit a variety of religious buildings, meet people from different faiths and reflect on their own beliefs.

The Rev Terry Taylor from East Kilbride South Parish Church of Scotland is the school chaplain and provides support and guidance to the school.

The guidance below provides an overview of the curriculum offered at Heathery Knowe PS. Parents are able to request their child opts out of Religious and Moral Education and / or Religious Observance and can do so by emailing headteacher@heatheryknowe-pri.s-lanark.sch.uk.

Opportunities for Religious Observance

Our values promote equality and respect and this forms part of the overall ethos of the school. Throughout the school year there are opportunities for religious observance. At Heathery Knowe PS, religious observance forms part of the RME /PSE curriculum in Broad General Education and encourages learners to reflect on a range of views and form their own. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on the beliefs of others and the world around them through a ‘big question’ approach and in response to current affairs.

Discussions: A range of PSE resources are available in the school and encourage learners to consider religious and moral issues affecting their local community. We support and encourage young people to reflect on their own views and engage critically with others. Our school values promote equality and respect and this forms part of the overall ethos of the school.

Personal Research; Through the taught RME curriculum, learners can research the views of others, deepen their understanding of their own views and consider differing viewpoints. There are frequent opportunities to consider conflicting views and moral issues through literature and multimedia resources.

Partnerships: Our partnerships in the local community provide opportunities for learners to engage with people whose experiences are far different from their own. We celebrate diversity across the Heathery Knowe PS community and promote tolerance and respect.

Outdoor learning: There are frequent opportunities to engage in outdoor learning which provides a natural backdrop for ‘big questions’ around each person’s place in the world and responsibility towards it.

Assemblies: Assemblies and discussions promote the opportunity to reflect on views. Assemblies are held weekly at Heathery Knowe PS.

Sacraments: We provide equality of opportunity and pupils attending Heathery Knowe PS are offered the opportunity to be supported to complete sacraments within their local parish. There are quiet spaces for children to  engage in religious observance during the school day and all individual requests are accommodated.

Christian Events: Heathery Knowe PS celebrates Harvest, Christmas and Easter with a focus on exploring and reflecting on views and considering the needs of others (e.g. Collecting for charity, food hampers etc).

The following link provides the curriculum guidance used to design the RME curriculum and observance at Heathery Knowe PS:

https://education.gov.scot/Documents/cfe-briefing-16.pdf

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

It was short but very busy week for Heathery Knowe PS pupils. Primary 6 and 7 pupils from Rooms 9 and 10 visited the cinema in Hamilton and learned how to use the U22 travel cards for free travel.  Miss Inglis and Mis Wharton accompanied the pupils and were pleased that our pupils showed respect and confidence when developing skills in travelling independently. Thank you to Mrs Hunter, Mrs Fraser and Mrs Archbold for coming along and supporting the children.

Love Autism Session

All parents and carers with an interest in understanding Autistic Spectrum Disorder are invited to attend the next workshop on 28th November at 9.30am Mount Cameron Primary School. Details of the session are included below:

Helping Your Child to Better Understand and Express Their Emotions

During this session I will talk about why autistic children find it so hard to understand what they feel and why. I’ll suggest some hints and tips that might help.
Join me (Anne Love) for a cuppa and a natter, get to know other parents/carers and leave our session with more knowledge and understanding and the confidence to give the strategies I suggest a go.” (Anne Love)

Raffle Tickets

Your child will bring home an envelope with raffle tickets next week as part of the PTC fundraiser. If you would like to purchase the raffle tickets please  retain one half of the strip and return the other half of the strip with your name / contact number written on the back and cash in the envelope provided. An accompanying letter will be sent out with the tickets.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Christmas Performance 

Your child will bring home a letter on Monday to request tickets for the Christmas performances. The content of the letter can be read below:

“I am delighted to invite you to our Christmas carol concert and nativity performance on 13^th and 14^th December. Each child will participate in one afternoon and one evening performance along with their siblings and other children in their school house group.

Date	Time	House Group
13th December	13:30	Red and Yellow
13th December	18:00	Blue and Green
14th December	13:30	Blue and Green
14th December	18:00	Red and Yellow

Each family will be allocated two tickets and may request their preferred performance time below.  You may request:

• one ticket for each performance;

or

• two tickets for one performance and none for the other.

There is no charge for tickets. A donation can be made on arrival at the performance. Raffle tickets will be sold prior to the performance to win a themed Christmas hamper.

All ticket requests must be received by 23^rd November 2022.  It is possible to enter a ballot for further tickets which will be drawn on 25^th November 2022.

Industrial Action – Teacher Trade Unions

Following a ballot of their members, trade unions for Teacher employees have informed the Council of their plans for industrial action.

The planned strike day is Thursday, 24 November 2022.

Based on the information currently available, Primary, Secondary and ASN schools will not be able to open for pupils.  This includes nursery classes in Primary schools.

The purpose of this letter is to let you know of the planned industrial action on 24 November by the teacher trades unions and that the school is likely to be closed on this day.  You may wish to make contingency plans for childcare on 24 November 2022.

School breakfast clubs will not operate on the day of the strike.

What’s on next week?

Monday – Mrs Duff attending Learning Community Meeting
Tuesday – Team of senior pupils attending netball festival
Thursday – Raffle tickets will be sent home for Christmas Fayre
Thursday – Possible school closure as a result of industrial action

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

 

 

 

 

The children and staff have enjoyed another busy week at Heathery Knowe PS and Nursery. The NHS staff commented on the good manners and behaviour shown by pupils when they were administering the flu immunisation. There will be a second date in December for any pupil who was absent and unable to receive the immunisation in school on Thursday 3rd November.

Adverse Weather Arrangements

All children will have an opportunity to play and learn outdoors during winter. However, if the weather is icy then it may be necessary to close the Nursery garden or areas of the playground. Children enjoy playing in snow and if it is safe underfoot, children may be allowed to choose to go out to play in snowy weather. Please ensure your child carries gloves, scarf, hat and a change of socks over the winter months.

The janitor’s priority is to ensure there are safe walking routes into school and these will always be gritted first. The first route is the access gate at the left hand side of the building and up to the front door. The janitor will then move on as quickly as possible to clear a route from the right hand access gate, along the side of the pitch and towards the cafeteria door.

South Lanarkshire Council has issued its updated guidance on preparing for adverse weather conditions. Every effort will be made to ensure that Heathery Knowe PS remains open to pupils. However, in cases of severe weather conditions, there may be a need to open later, close earlier or be closed all day.

A parent guide to adverse weather arrangements can be accessed using the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pM38C7gTr7-L_8T4jZvuwAFdaIcP4uXH/view?usp=sharing

A paper copy of this guidance will be issued to families next week.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff