Hello everyone and welcome back to a new school year. I hope everyone had a great summer and an opportunity to enjoy the glorious weather we had! It certainly helped the building work on the new extension, which is well on schedule, with the roof and windows going in over the next two weeks.

It was great to see all the children again, looking so smart in their uniforms and so full of enthusiasm!  We were also delighted to welcome our new Primary 1 girls and boys, who have been with us for the full day as part of SLC’s flying start. Mrs Kelly tells me she is really pleased with how well they have settled into school life, with no small thanks to our super Primary 6/7 Buddies, who have been doing a splendid job of supporting their young charges.

Mrs Wong has begun her maternity leave and Mrs McKie will start hers soon! We also have 4 new members of teaching staff, Miss Mackle who is teaching P2/3, Miss McEwan who is team teaching with Mr Hall in P5/6/7 and Mrs Iles who will deliver teachers’ class contact time throughout the school. We also have Miss Walker with us on a temporary basis and she will deliver a raising attainment timetable across all stages while she is here. We are delighted to welcome them and hope they have enjoyable time working in the school. St John’s also welcomed three new families to the school and the children have settled in well because of everyone’s friendly welcome.

This week I would ask you to please check bags for the envelope containing annual permissions and contact details. We would be very grateful if these could be returned to the class teachers or the school office as soon as possible.  The Yearly Calendar will also be with you soon, outlining the main events throughout the year. St. John’s App has already been updated with some of the important dates for this year. This will be added to as events arise. This is free to download on Apple or Android devices and is good way to keep up with news and  events in the school. You will also receive a letter this week regarding paperless communication. We are going for our 4th Eco Flag this year and as part of this we have to report on how we plan for sustainability and meet our targets.

The Breakfast Club begins this week. This will be overseen by Mrs Gormley, who will prepare breakfast and Mrs Birtles and Mrs Carty, who will supervise the children. Children, who have been signed up for this should arrive no later than 8.30 a.m. If you want any information about the Breakfast Club, please contact the school office. We will also begin our Daily Mile on Monday for P2 to P7 with P1 joining us from September, when they finish their soft start.

Finally, I look forward to working with you once again to ensure all of our pupils have a happy, successful and positive school experience this year.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Mrs McCart