Heathery Knowe Head Teacher's Blog

 

Thank you for the many generous donations for the sponsored walk. Despite the rain, pupils had a fabulous time and enjoyed raising funds for the school and local charities.

Summer Fayre

Thank you to everyone who supported the PTC Summer Fayre. The fayre raised the fantastic amount of £569.23.

School Sports 

The school sports will go ahead on Tuesday 11th June at the Ally McCoist complex. We have decided to opt for competitive sports this session, encouraging resilience and celebrating sporting success through the event. Each pupil will have an opportunity to run in a flat race and a novelty race. Each year group will choose between a sack race or ‘spud and spoon’.   Thank you to the Health and Wellbeing Team (Mrs Hughes, Miss Houldsworth, Miss L. Harris and Miss Meek) for organising the event.

Races will start at 1.15pm and the event will be completed by 2.50pm.

The school sport award ceremony will be the following morning. The parents of medal winners will be invited to attend.

Please note, children will not be able to attend without a completed EV5 permission slip.

Classes 2019/2020

We are on track to issue letters to pupils informing them of their class next session on Wednesday 12th June. These are final class lists and a great deal of consideration has been given to the academic and social groupings.  We do not expect any changes after this date however the school is still receiving new registrations and will continue to do so until the new session starts.

Playground Procedures 

We are reviewing procedures in relation to the school playground and I would like to take the opportunity to inform you of an important change to the system currently in place.

The priority for all is the wellbeing of pupils and ensuring parents know that once pupils have entered the school gates they are safe within the care of Heathery Knowe PS staff.  From August 2019, Heathery Knowe Primary School playground will be staffed by School Support Assistants from 8.45am and will offer supervision and support to pupils on their arrival at school. Staff members will greet children at each of the access gates into the playground in the morning. Children will then be able to come into the school grounds under the care and supervision of our staff. Primary One pupils will be escorted from the gate and into the Flower Pot Garden by senior pupils and supervised by a member of staff. We will no longer have access for adults in the morning and would ask that you say goodbye to your children at the gates as they start the school day. If you would like to speak with someone or have something to drop off then please speak to the staff member at the gates or come around to the office to make an appointment.

School Building Procedures 

The safeguarding procedures are reviewed in school annually.  The Senior Leadership Team have been reviewing procedures this week to ensure the safety of pupils and security of the school building is of utmost priority.   We welcome the many visitors and volunteers who assist us in school and add richness to the educational experience of pupils. In line with South Lanarkshire Council guidance, the following procedures outline the way in which adults are welcomed in Heathery Knowe Primary School whilst ensuring the environment is safe and secure for learners.

• All visitors to the school building must sign the visitor book and wear one of the Heathery Knowe PS visitor badges provided at reception.  All staff and pupils are aware that if an unfamiliar adult is in school, they will be accompanied by a member of school staff and be wearing a visitor badge.  If you attend school for a meeting or as an adult volunteer then we will ask you to follow these procedures.
• When you have an individual arrangement to collect or drop off a pupil or meet a member of staff, please wait in the foyer area and staff will be happy to assist you. We will be putting up new signs to direct visitors to the waiting area and signpost the areas that are only for staff and pupil access.
• Mobile phones should not be used by visitors within any pupil areas.

I trust that you understand that these steps are taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils.

Mobile Phones 

Many of our pupils now bring mobile phones to school. Whilst we recognise the many benefits of technology, we believe that building friendships and social communication skills is a priority in school and we do not encourage pupils to use them during the school day. The following guidance outlines our expectations in relation to pupil use of mobile phones.

• Pupils should keep their phone in their bag (turned off or on silent) during the school day. Please do not make arrangements to text or telephone your child directly as they will not be able to respond. The office is the quickest and most reliable way to contact your child.
• Pupils take individual responsibility for their phone. Whilst we would assist any pupil in finding their phone, we are not able to take responsibility if the telephone is lost or stolen. Staff will not take the responsibility of keeping a telephone safe for a pupil.
• Staff will not take responsibility for confiscating a phone. If your child chooses to take their phone out to use during the school day then we will ask a parent to arrange to collect the phone and it should not be returned to school until you are satisfied that your child understands the school procedures.

Pupils will be made aware of these procedures during assemblies in June and on their return in August.

 What’s on next week?

Tuesday – Nursery Graduation
Tuesday – Sports Day 1pm
Wednesday – Letters issued to parents regarding classes for 2019/2020
Friday – Moving on morning – all pupils in new classes 9-10.30am

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

 

 

 

We hope pupils enjoyed a short but busy week at Heathery Knowe and have a fun filled long weekend planned.  The staff at school used the school closure day on 23rd May to prepare for next session. We used the opportunity to review the resources, ensuring that any outdated or damaged resources are disposed of and replaced. Our pupils deserve high quality resources and it was a good opportunity to take stock. In preparation for changing stage and classroom, teachers will continue with this task in the coming weeks.

Summer Lunch Club 

Our school was selected as a pilot school for a Summer Lunch Club. This is a joint initiative with St Louise PS and led by Youth, Family and Community Learning Services. Pupils who are returning to us and receive a free school meal have been offered a place at the Summer Lunch Club first and any additional spaces were offered to pupils on an individual basis. This is a free club running from 10am-2pm each day. Breakfast and lunch will be served and pupils will have an opportunity to engage in a wide range of sports and arts and crafts. There will be visiting speakers and pupils will gain an accredited Hi Five achievement award. If you have received a letter, please let us know if you are taking up the offer of a space as soon as possible. This will enable us to offer the space to someone else if you do not need it.

Thank you

On behalf of the school and PTC, I would like to thank parents for their generosity and kind donations for the PTC Summer Fayre. We received a huge number of donations and greatly appreciate your support in ensuring the fayre’s success on Friday evening.  The forecast is for a dry (although not sunny) evening and we hope as many people as possible join us at the event.

Library Review

We are continuing to promote literacy in school and instil a life long passion for reading in every pupil. Unfortunately many of our library books are outdated and do not reflect the interests of pupils. We would be delighted if each pupil could donate a book they have enjoyed but are finished with from home to add to our library. Each pupil bringing a book will have an opportunity to complete a book donation card and stick it inside the book to let other pupils know they have donated it and why they enjoyed it. This way, pupils will inspire other pupils to read for enjoyment. Next year’s Primary 7 pupils will be leading the transformation of the school libraries and it would be hugely motivating for them if they have some book donations to get started with in August.

Playground Improvements 

Next session, we will introduce play zones into the outdoor play space. Some of these areas will be adult led activities and others will be free play. This will enable staff to teach traditional playground games. For example, one staffed zone may offer skipping games and an adult will be able to teach pupils how to play a range of games. Another zoned area may offer a table tennis league using our new all weather table tennis tables or pavement chalk drawings. We hope this will help our pupils learn new outdoor play skills. Free play zones will still remain in the playground to promote independent play with friends.  If you would be available between 10.15 and 11am one day a  week next session (for a block of 6 weeks) and would like to volunteer to be an adult play leader within  a zone, please contact Mr Scott who will be able to note your availability, the activity you would offer and ensure PVG checks are completed and any resources are ordered.

Resource Showcase 

On Thursday afternoon, our new resources will be available for you to see in the hall. The hall is open from 1.45-2.45pm and we will have new maths and literacy resources available along with the playground equipment. There will be a chance to view nurture resources and visit our nurture room upstairs. Mrs Byrne, our Specialist Support Teacher will be available to show some of the resources that she uses to support learners. I would anticipate that it would take around 15-20 mins to see our resources and chat to some teachers who are available to showcase them. This is not an open afternoon and there is no opportunity to see your child working in class.

What’s on next week?

Monday – HOLIDAY
Tuesday – New Public Health Nurse for Calderglen Learning Comminuty visiting
Tuesday – PTC Thank You Event
Tuesday – Parent Evening at Calderglen High School for P7 parents
Thursday – Resource Showcase 1.45-2.45
Friday – Summer Fayre 6.30pm

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

The pupils have enjoyed the warmer weather and there have been plenty opportunities for outdoor learning across the school.  Next session, we hope to increase outdoor learning opportunities in all  weather. Our Nursery pupils already have access to outdoor learning every day (unless it is dangerously icy) and this will be extended into Primary 1 from August 2019. If you have a pupil starting Primary 1, please bear this in mind when purchasing school shoes and jackets. Shoes need to be flat and sturdy with good grips to enable pupils to play and learn safely. Jackets should have hoods and be warm enough to spend periods of time outdoors in winter.

PTC Summer Fayre 

The PTC members are beavering away in the background to organise a summer fayre for everyone to enjoy. The event will be held on Friday 31st May. There will be a wide range of activities including tombola, face painting, tuck shop and a bouncy castle. The PTC work tirelessly to support the school and raise funds which make a difference to the pupils’ learning experiences. Some of the recent donations have included replacing footballs and netballs, purchase of computer tablets, topping up a book order and buying ties for our children transitioning to new schools. Please come along and support the summer fayre and help raise funds for next session.

PTC Shorts and Shades Disco

The annual Shorts and Shades Disco will be held on 20th June. Tickets can be purchased from the school during the week beginning 17th June. This is the first year we have sold disco tickets in advance and it has proved to be successful in reducing the waiting time to get into the hall.

PTC and School  Primary 7 Celebration Event 

We are very grateful to the PTC for supporting Primary 7 pupils to run the Mothers’ Day shop which partly funds their end of term celebration.  The PTC also makes a donation to this event. In previous years, pupils have visited The Time Capsule for swimming, skating and lunch. Last year the pupils chose to visit M & D Theme Park. Over the next week, our current Primary 7 pupils will be making suggestions and voting for their choice of trip. The venue must be  approved for day excursions. This means the activities and venue have been risk assessed as suitable for a school excursion. Unfortunately it does mean that the pupils are unlikely to be able to select some popular but higher risk activities (e.g. trampoline park) however Mrs Gray and Mrs McGee will work with the pupils to ensure it is as close to the pupils choice as possible.

Primary 7 Transition Updates

Calderglen: Information evening for parents on 28th May. Induction days are on 12th and 13th June. Pupils will be informed of their S1 register class during the first day at Calderglen High School.

Duncanrig: Induction days are 22nd and 23rd May.  23rd May is a school closure day for Heathery Knowe PS however pupils attending Duncanrig transition events should still attend.

Unless you have received confirmation that a placing request has been granted then pupils must attend the transition events for the catchment secondary school. Calderglen and Duncanrig High Schools cannot offer transition events to pupils with pending placing requests or placing requests not yet submitted.

Primary 1 Transition Updates 

We will welcome our new Primary 1 pupils on 6th and 13th June from 10-11.30am. On 6th June, parents are invited to attend to hear more about our school and there will be short presentations from Head Teacher, PTC, Credit Union. On 13th June, there will be no presentations. Parents are welcome to wait in school or leave their child and return at 11.30 to join their child for a school meal.

The nursery graduation ceremony is Tuesday 11th June. We are looking forward to celebrating the children’s learning as they transition into Primary 1.

Class Update

Last week I outlined the process for allocating pupils to class groups. We have received a number of letters requesting pupils are grouped together with specific friends. Please be assured that class teachers know the pupils well and social groups are taken into account along with literacy teaching groups. Pupils may not be grouped with their closest friends from this year but they will not be placed in a class with no social group. As you know, young children change their friendship groups often as they grow up and their interests change. We encourage pupils to make friends across the year group and often anxiety about entering a new class in August changes to friendships very quickly.

Our staffing is not finalised for next session and I am still waiting for confirmation about the number of teachers allocated to the school. I must stress that the only teachers finalised for a specific stage are Miss A. Harris and Miss Houldsworth who are teaching Primary 1. No other stage will be confirmed until the final allocation of teachers is made.

What’s on next week?

Tuesday and Wednesday – Mrs French is attending National Nurturing Schools Training.
Tuesday – Summer Holiday Lunch Club parent meeting (You will receive an invitation if this is relevant to you)
Wednesday – Room 3 pupils visiting Kelvin Hall and Kelvingrove
Wednesday – Room 6 pupils visiting New Lanark
Wednesday / Thursday – Duncanrig Transition Days
Thursday – School closed to pupils
Friday – School closed 

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

 

We have come to the end of another short but very busy week for pupils and staff. All pupils were issued with an annual report card which provides information on progress and achievement. The response sheet allows both parents and pupils to provide feedback for the school and we would appreciate if these could be returned next week.

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.  Many parents have already approached me to ask if classes / teachers have been identified for next year. We are working through the process for this and I anticipate class groups will be shared by 12th June. Please bear in mind that teachers move between stages and it would be helpful if you could discourage your children from assuming who their teacher(s) will be based on the stage they are teaching this year.

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.
• The identification of teachers taking Primary 1 classes is always shared earlier so that visits to partner nurseries and induction processes can take place. Miss Houldsworth and Miss A. Harris 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

Team Teaching Mathematics

Next year there will be a change to the way numeracy and mathematics is taught across the school.

Where a year group is made up of more than 33 pupils, two teachers will be assigned to the year group to teach maths. Children will be organised into working groups (children working at a similar pace and level) and each teacher will have responsibility for two groups. Please note that we are setting maths groups within a cohort (e.g. all Primary 3) but will not be setting across multiple stages (e.g. P6 will not be taught with P7).

There are many benefits of this approach to support attainment in numeracy and mathematics:

• Each teaching group will be smaller than the total class size. For example, your child may be in a class of 33 pupils but a maths teaching group of 25 or less.
• We recognise the differences in pupil attainment in literacy and maths. A pupil who is placed in a class because of their attainment level in literacy has access to the challenge or support of a different maths group.
• Teachers have increased teaching time for each group.
• Pupils will benefit from a structured timetable for mathematics and progressive teaching resources and can move between groups if they make accelerated progress or require additional support.

Further information will be provided before the end of term through a parent information leaflet.

What’s on next week?

Tuesday – Learning Community Meeting (HT out all day)
Thursday – Mrs Spence and 4 pupils attending Singing Day
Friday – Primary 3 attending Scottish Opera

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

 

 

With only 8 weeks left until the summer break, teachers are reflecting on  children’s progress over the session, reviewing learning and providing reports on each child’s attainment. Pupil reports will go home to parents on Friday 10th May.

Staffing Update 

Mrs McKay (office) has reduced her working days and now only works Tuesday and Wednesday at school. Mrs Robertson will work in the office alongside Mrs Neary on a Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Communication with Parents

We have consulted with a number of parents, both formally and informally, about the communication between home and school. I would like to take this opportunity to update you on some aspects of the communication strategy going forward.

• Twitter will continue to be used by most classes to share learning experiences. Our pupils are delighted when their learning is recognised by parents, other schools in the learning community and more widely. This session Heathery Knowe Primary School has been tweeted by Sir Tim Peake, Judy Murray and Jeremy Strong. This builds the ambition of our pupils and ensures that no careers are out of reach. Parents will be asked for consent to share their child’s photograph on the website and twitter again in August. This consent can be withdrawn at any time by contacting the school office.
• Going forward, we will set up email groups for each class. All information (letters, link to the blog etc) will be shared via email. Over the next few weeks we will be requesting an up to date email address for each family. If you are happy to receive information using this method then you will stop receiving paper copies of letters unless it requires a signature from August 2019. This will reduce costs and increase the time Support Staff have to work directly with pupils.
• The Big Blether will continue on a monthly basis with sessions running at 9.15am and 5pm. The Big Blether is an informal opportunity to share views of the school and consult on aspects of school improvement.

Snapshot Journals 

Pupils have brought home their jotters for families to look through and comment on. We have reviewed the value of this through a PTC meeting along with ‘Big Blether’ (parents) and  ‘Wee Blether’ (pupils) discussions . From this it was evident that pupils and parents enjoyed sharing their learning at different points in the year.

Teaching and Learning approaches have changed considerably over the past few years and we feel that the jotters do not capture all of the learning that takes place in our classrooms. Next session pupils will keep a Snapshot Journal. Pupils will select pieces of work or photographs that they are proud of and they will be collated into a Snapshot Journal. Journals will replace jotters coming home and they  will be sent home each term. This means that pupils are able to choose the work they would like to share from across the curriculum and captures the wide range of activities that takes place in school.  All jotters will be available for parents to  look through at open afternoons or at any point in the year by making arrangements directly with the school.

Lockerbie Manor 

Current Primary 5 pupils will have the opportunity to attend a 5 day residential experience at Lockerbie Manor from 2-6th November 2020 whilst in Primary 7.  I hope the parents who attended the information evening found it helpful.

The maximum cost for the experience is £245. Primary 5 pupils are starting to fundraise and this will be used to pay the bus and then any further profits will be used to reduce the cost for each pupil. The deposit is £50 and we are finalising the date for this with Manor Adventure next week. The final balance will be due on 17th August 2020. Different payment options will be issued next week.

I will confirm a date and cost for current Primary 4 pupils as soon as we can secure a date with Manor Adventures.

What’s on next week?

Monday – Bank Holiday (School is closed)
Tuesday – Inservice Day (School is closed to pupils)

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

 

 

 

We are continuing to plan for a busy summer term and I would like to take this opportunity to update you with some additional dates in the calendar. New dates have been added in bold.

6th May – Holiday
7th May – Inservice Day: Nurture Network UK
10th May – Reports issued to parents
16th May – Primary Singing Day: Mrs Spence and 4 pupils
17th May – All Primary 3 attending ‘The Opera Factory’ at Theatre Royal
22nd May – Primary 4 excursion to New Lanark
22nd May – Primary 2 (Room 3) excursion to Kelvin Hall and Kelvingrove
23rd May – School Closed to Pupils for European Election 
24-27th May – Holiday weekend
28th May – PTC end of year ‘thank you’ event
29th May – Sports Day (possibly at sports centre)
30th May – New Resources Showcase 2pm 
31st May – Summer Fayre

3rd June – SLC Authority awards ceremony
4th June – Sports Taster Session
5th June – Sponsored walk for Kilbryde and St Andrew’s Hospice
5th June – Teddy Bear Picnic for St Andrew’s Hospice
6th June – Induction Day 1 for new Primary 1 pupils
10th June – Primary 6 Leadership Presentations
11th June – Nursery Graduation
11th June – Election of New House Captains for session 2019/2020
12th June – Provisional Date for informing parents and pupils of classes *
13th June – Induction Day 2 for new Primary 1 pupils
13/14th June – Primary 7 two day transition event at Calderglen High
14th June – Moving on session (pupils attending new classes)
18th June – Mrs Spence and 4 singers at Townhouse Showcase event 
19th June – P7 Leaver Assembly 1.30pm
21st June – Heathery Knowe PS annual awards ceremony
24th June – HKPS Helper end of year ‘thank you’ event
27th June – Summer Service (at church)
28th June – School closes at 1pm

Outdoor Classroom

We are developing outdoor learning opportunities within our school grounds. The Flower Pot Garden area will be used as an Early Level outdoor classroom for Nursery – Primary 1. This will allow us to fully develop the space and provide our youngest learners with opportunities  for exploration and enquiry based learning.

We are looking for resources for our farm topic and we would appreciate donations of:

• crates for milk / juice bottles
• large cardboard boxes
• lollipop sticks
• small world play resources (small cars / farm animals etc)
• Milk / 2l Juice Bottles
• Outdoor Sand Pit
• Outdoor Toys (small bikes / trikes / balance bikes)
• Straw and old adult size clothes (for making scarecrows!)

If you are able to help us resource this area in any way, it would be appreciated.

The Opera Factory

Primary 3 have a fantastic opportunity to participate in ‘The Opera Factory’ project run by Scottish Opera. We are very lucky to have been allocated enough spaces at Theatre Royal to take along all Primary 3 pupils. Children will learn about opera beforehand and learn a song so that they can join in whilst watching the performance. This is a free performance for pupils with only the cost of the bus being required.

Uniform Donations

In preparation for the new session, we will have have uniform rails available throughout the month of June. If you have any uniform that your child has outgrown and you would be happy to donate to the school, please hand it in throughout the month of May.

Mrs French along with pupil leaders will ensure that the clothes are organised and available each day. Parents are welcome to peruse the rails and take any items that they can use.

Primary 1 Induction

Miss Amy Harris and Miss Nicola Houldsworth will start to visit Heathery Knowe PS Nursery Class and Partnership Nurseries over the next few weeks as we prepare to welcome our new Primary 1 children to school. Placing request outcomes have been issued with a guide for what to do next if the request was unsuccessful. Once we have a finalised Primary 1 pupil list, parents will be invited to attend  ‘preparation for school’ meetings.

Annual Parent Calendar 

The staff met last week to agree dates for the annual calendar. The Parent Council will be consulted on these dates at the meeting on 30th April and this will then be issued to all parents before summer break. This will include dates for Parent Consultation meetings, open afternoons, report cards etc.

What’s on next week?

Mon- Wed – Primary 7 pupils attending Robinwood
Tues – Big Blether 9.15am / 5 pm (previously Parent Engagement Group)
Tues – PTC – 6pm
Thurs – Lockerbie Manor information session for current P4 and 5 pupils 6pm
Fri – P7 French Cafe at Calderglen High

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

 

 

 

We welcomed the children back from Spring Break and it was lovely to hear the news of their adventures whilst school was closed. We have another short week coming up with school reopening on Tuesday 23rd April.

European Election School Closure

The UK Government has advised that elections for the European Parliament will now take place in May 2019 that arrangements are required to be put in place by the Council to host these. The European elections will take place on Thursday 23 May 2019.

The Election Office has advised that our school will be used as a Polling Station on Thursday 23 May 2019 which therefore means that the school will be closed to pupils on this day.

This is the day prior to the May week-end holiday. I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but as you are probably aware public buildings and some schools are used as local polling stations during elections.

A letter will be issued to all pupils on Tuesday.

 

Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSA)

Across Scotland, pupils in Primary 1, 4 and 7 are assessed using Scottish Standardised National Assessments. These are digital assessments and gather information on each child’s progress in literacy and numeracy. We are starting SNSA next week and the process should be completed by 10th May.

If you would like to find out more about SNSA, please use the following link:

https://standardisedassessment.gov.scot/parents-and-carers/

Outdoor Learning and Excursions 

The pupils have a range of opportunities to learn outdoors within our school grounds. When pupils are leaving the school grounds, the necessary permission slips must be completed. We are not able to take children outwith the school grounds with only verbal permission. Recently, some pupils have missed an excursion because they have not brought in the completed form.

Religious Observance 

On Thursday all pupils and staff visited South Parish Church for an Easter service. 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”.

The children benefited from participating in a whole school event including the opportunity to visit a religious building, hear about the beliefs of Christians and meet the minister. 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.

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 following link provides the curriculum guidance used to support the review:

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

Cost of the school day

We are currently reviewing the cost of different activities and events at Heathery Knowe Primary School and Nursery Class to ensure that it is affordable and to reduce the risk of pupils missing out on experiences.

A position statement will be shared with the Parent Council in May and then all parents and carers in June.

What’s on next week?

Monday – HOLIDAY
Tuesday – Big Blether
Tuesday – Primary 7 classes working with staff from Calderglen High
Friday – Mrs French and Mr Scott are attending a Leadership Conference.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kirsty Duff

 

I would like to take this opportunity wish all pupils, families and members of staff a restful Spring break. School re-opens on Monday 15th April at 9am.

Magic Moments and the HK Cup

This week we started celebrating ‘Magic Moments’ at assembly. A range of photographs are collected from learning and activities during the week. The focus is noticing pupils who are engaging well with learning, upholding school values and choosing kindness. We have also asked pupils to write a short note for the class envelope if they notice another pupil showing kindness and being a good friend. The photographs and statements are then collated into a powerpoint presentation that is shared at assembly and uploaded to the television screens in the dining hall and reception area for the following week. Pupils are very keen to feature on our ‘Magic Moments’ and it is a lovely way to share learning and activities with the school community.

We recently introduced the Head Teacher’s HK Cup to recognise pupils who go ‘above and beyond’. As part of our approach to promoting positive behaviour, staff are all committed to noticing pupils who are settled and engaged in learning. The HK Cup is awarded weekly at assembly. The children are very excited about the award and we are noticing many pupils going the extra mile, showing good manners and demonstrating commitment to learning. Well done to Karli, Eliie (Room 6) and Tyler (Room 11) who have won the award so far.

HMI Report 

The HMI report has now been published and can be accessed using the following link:

https://education.gov.scot/inspection-reports/south-lanarkshire/8531129

We are pleased to have received the report and the many positive comments about the progress the school and nursery are making this session. HMI recognised the staff, parents and pupils’ commitment towards improvement and this is the firm foundation needed as we continue the journey of ensuring the pupils have the highest quality learning experiences.

Thank you to all parents who completed the survey or attended a focus group during the inspection process.

Parental Involvement

We are already beginning to think about electives / masterclasses for next session. This provides an opportunity for personalisation in learning and an opportunity to learn new skills. We are hoping to extend the range of activities offered to pupils by involving parents, businesses and the local community. If you have a skill or talent that you would like to share with our pupils then please let us know. For example, if you are able to give up a couple of hours to teach guitar, web design skills, chess, arts and crafts or gardening then please let us know. We are also planning to extend this to involve community activities such as visiting community groups to play board games, sing or chat with the older members of our community.

What’s on week beginning 15th April?

• Tuesday – Hanen Training:  Mrs Kerr, Miss Harris and Miss Houldsworth
• Tuesday – School Improvement Parent Meeting 6pm
• Tuesday – Big Blether 9.15am
• Wednesday – Ardentinny Showcase for P6 Parents 10am
• Wednesday – Primary 1 visiting Glasgow Science Centre and Primary 3 (Room 5) visiting Vikingar
• Thursday – Easter Service at South Parish Church 9.30am – all parents welcome
• Friday – Holiday

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

 

With only a week to go before Spring break, all classes are working hard to complete learning tasks and summarise their learning over the term. Most pupils have participated in standardised maths assessments this week and the results of the tests support teacher judgements about each child’s progress. All teachers are in the process of writing report cards for pupils and it is great to read so many comments about the positive attitude and commitment to learning that our pupils show every day. Reports will come home to parents on or before the 10th May 2019.

WAS Events: The Greatest Showman Interactive Party

A wee reminder that tickets for the PTC family fun night will be available for sale during the Parent Contact afternoon/evening. The event takes place on Thursday 18th April. During the event, WAS events will entertain the audience using a ‘Greatest Showman’ theme and lead family party games and dancing.  Tickets cost £3 each or a family ticket is available for £10

Mothers’ Day Shop

Once again, the PTC have organised a secret shopping experience for pupils. Pupils are invited to make a purchase from the Mothers’ Day shop next week. All gifts are £2 or £3 and are gift wrapped prior to purchase. Funds raised from this will be used to support pupil experiences in the summer term.

Big Blether

Our Big Blether last week focused on supporting positive behaviour in school. It was a busy session and I would like to thank all of the parents who attended and shared their views

Part of the discussion focused on using the existing house system to recognise positive behaviour and providing a system for pupils to encourage each other and work as a team. Following the meeting, Mrs French sourced a token collection unit and tokens so that pupils can be given a token for their house when staff notice exemplary behaviour and pupils upholding the values of the school. This was funded through the profits from the pupil Christmas card orders. The PTC have paid for each pupil to receive a coloured pin badge to wear as part of their uniform next session so that a child’s house can be easily identified and to build a sense of community across the school.

This is a good example of how families and the school can work together to share ideas to make improvements. Thank you to all parents who have contributed to the fundraising by organising events or buying cards, attending fayres etc. Without this team work, it would not have been possible to take forward this initiative as quickly.

HMI Publication 

I anticipate the school’s inspection report will be published early next week. All pupils will bring home a copy of the letter which outlines the key strengths and areas for development. I will post a link to the Summarised Inspection Findings on the website and twitter. This is a longer and more detailed document about our strengths and next steps. On 16th April, there will be a parent session at 6pm for any parents who are interested in hearing in more depth about the inspection report and next steps for our school.

Diary Dates

We have a few extra dates to add to the summer calendar:

17th April- Primary 3 (Room 5) are visiting Vikingar
3rd -7th June – Pupil song writing competition. All pupils will be invited to work in teams or individually to create a new school song by writing Heathery Knowe song lyrics to a backing track of their choice. Pupils will perform their song on Friday 7th June and pupils will vote for a winner.
4th June – PTC and School partnership event: Sport fun day (Cost £2). This is not the annual sports day. It is an opportunity for pupils to participate in fun sports taster sessions over the course of the day.
5th June – Sponsored Walk for Kilbryde Hospice and St Andrew’s Hospice for P3-7
5th June – Teddy Bear Travels picnic to raise funds for St Andrew’s Hospice for Nursery and P1/2.

What’s on next week?

Mother’s Day Shop open Mon –  Thurs
Tuesday – Parent Consultation Evening
Wednesday – Parent Consultaton Afternoon
Friday – The Hive Parent event (only for parents of pupils attending The Hive with Miss Wharton and Mrs Summers)
Friday – 2.30pm closure 

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff

Mrs French turned her attention to interior design this week as we created a new space in the school for pupils to use. The Glass Room is located on the upper floor and at the corner of the building above the main entrance. The Glass Room is a pupil meeting room space with soft chairs and furnishings. We felt it was particularly important to have a special place in the school to celebrate children’s success and to meet with pupils to plan events and share ideas for learning. Mrs French’s keen eye for detail has ensured this is a very welcoming space for learners to use. Most importantly, this space is reserved as a positive space for pupils and will not be used as a reflection space or to speak with any pupils following an incident of unsettled behaviour.

Superstars and Champions 

Over the course of last week, pupils who achieved Superstar or Champion status were awarded their certificate at the end of the day. Mrs French and I have enjoyed meeting with pupils to celebrate their success and award their certificate. Using a daily award time, we have more time to speak with pupils and recognise their achievement than we previously did during weekly assembly.

At the weekly assembly, all Superstars and Champions are asked to stand up so that the school community can applaud and recognise their success. Superstars and Champions will then be invited to take up ‘the best seats in the house’ with a row of chairs in the assembly hall.

Protecting this time to recognise the achievement of learners and those pupils who have been exemplary citizens of the school is part of the positive school culture we are continuing to develop.

Red Nose Day 

The pupils in Room 8 did a fantastic job organising Red Nose Day for the school and nursery class. They have been busy selling red noses throughout the week and held a bake sale which raised £647.47. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this fantastic total. The pupils in Room 8 also led learning by teaching the other pupils in school about the history of Comic Relief and the impact that a small donation can make to a person’s life. They shared the impact of donations in the UK and overseas.

A huge thank you to Room 8 pupils and Miss Harris for leading learning on Global Citizenship at Heathery Knowe PS and Nursery Class.

GIST 

The GIST Road Safety Roadshow will take place at school next week. Primary 4-7 pupils will participate in a two part session.

The indoor presentation includes guidance on how children can stay safe on the roads. This is part of the Health and Wellbeing Curriculum and links classroom based learning with skills for life and work.

During the outdoor presentation, children are given an opportunity to explore inside the cab of the vehicle and get to see first-hand the view from the driver’s seat. The presenter will conduct a practical demonstration, putting the theory learned in class  into practice. They will discuss stopping distances and driver blind spots with the children in a safe and controlled environment.

Following the visit, the school will be supplied with Gist high-visibility vests for the children, a classroom activity pack and a selection of bonus Gist accessories. The high visibility vests will be kept in school and used for walking trips etc in the local area.

Learning outwith school

The pupils have many opportunities to learn outwith the classroom environment. During these sessions, pupils have opportunities to see the application of learning in real life contexts, deepen their understanding of learning and make connections across curricular areas.

• Following an in depth block of classroom based learning, Primary 5 are visiting Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway. They will have opportunities to explore the local area and it will deepen their understanding of the Scottish Studies they have been undertaking.
• Primary 7 are visiting the Sky Academy. The pupils have been developing skills in working collaboratively on this project. The groups have already created story boards and shared ideas. Sky Academy will provide a real life context for learning and an opportunity to find out about a career working in the media.
• Primary 4 visited Pizza Express last week as part of the learning they have undertaken in Health and Wellbeing. They made connections with maths through measure and learned about a career working in hospitality.

What’s on next week?

• Monday – Room 7 pupils all day excursion
• Tuesday – Primary 7 visiting Sky Academy
• Wednesday – Big Blether – all parents welcome
• Wednesday – Open Afternoon
• Wednesday- Dance Competition (evening performance)
• Thursday – GIST Showcase
• Friday – GIST Showcase

Thank you for your continued support

Kind regards

Kirsty Duff