Category: Calderwood Chronicle

Calderwood Chronicle 29_11_24

 

Calderwood Commitments: 

• Christmas Lunch: Orders are now closed for Christmas lunch. If you did not order a lunch for your child, they will be required to bring a packed lunch from home.
• Panto: Cost £1.50 per child: iPay open 20^th November-3^rd December.  Please let us know if you require support with this.
• Primary 1 Christmas Show: iPay is open for Primary 1 families for donations towards the Primary 1 Christmas Show. Donations support the purchasing of costumes and tea, coffee, mince pies at the shows.

Calderwood Calendar: 

• Updated: 2024-25 Calendar
• You can find details of all up and coming events in Christmas Countdown Calendar

 

Calderwood Communication:

• Book Week Scotland at Calderwood: We had a very successful Book Week Scotland with all clans having a focus on a literacy context for learning. You can find out more about your child’s learning on our blog, Twitter and Seesaw.
• Please find links to Christmas Social Stories: Christmas Party, Christmas Lunch and
• If your child requires medication, please ensure this is handed into the office and the correct forms are completed. Children should not carry medication in their school bag.
• Champions: Miss Brown, our non contact teacher who was covering Mrs McGarvey’s maternity leave will be leaving us at the Christmas holidays. A huge thank you to Miss Brown for all she has contributed to Calderwood. Mrs McGarvey will return at the end of February and will teach non contact time.
• In snow or icy conditions access to the school will be through the front door, we will alert parents/ careers/ children to this. During these times there will be no supervisors in the playground. You can find our safe route here.
• Parent Council Christmas Prize Draw

Calderwood Compliments:

• Burns Clan presented their ideas for how to use our participatory budget to Miss Burton & Miss Stark at the Dragons’ Den. They demonstrated so many creative ideas, based on research and how to make Calderwood more equitable.
• Thank you to our Literacy Champions for organising our Book Week Scotland events.
• This week our Primary 5 clans were very excited to go to Edinburgh to watch the Panto, this will support them to put on their own show in the new year. Thank you to everyone who made this trip a success.
• Linlithgow had a fantastic Connects, sharing their learning about Book Week Scotland.
• This week Blair, Bramble, Thistle and Muir shared their learning with their literacy learning with their families.

 

Calderwood Chronicle 15_11_24

 

Calderwood Commitments: 

• Christmas Lunch: Christmas Lunch should be pre ordered on iPay by 25th November, unfortunately no orders can be taken by the kitchen after this date.

Calderwood Calendar: 

• Updated: 2024-25 Calendar
• Christmas Countdown Calendar
• 22/11/24: Dress Down Day – Book Week Scotland Theme (No donation required) – Change to date
• 22/11/24: 9:15-10:15am: Clan Connects: Linlithgow. Doors Open 9:05am. An opportunity for your children to share on stage their learning in the Arena and then you can look at their jotters in the café. 2 adults per child.
• 28/11/24: 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Sharing the Learning: Blair, Bramble, Thistle, Balmoral, Muir and Mackintosh. A visit to the clan room to find out about their literacy context for learning and to look at your child’s jotters. One adult per child please. Please meet in the playground 1:50pm-2:00pm and enter through the Glenshee Gate (Nethershiel Road gate). If you arrive after 2pm please enter through the office.

Calderwood Communication:

• Parent Council: Christmas Fayre
• Christmas Jumper Bank
• Careers Rights Day: 21^st November
• Book Week Scotland Costume Ideas
• Book Week Scotland at Calderwood: Click here to find out more about our Book Week Scotland Activities. You can also find out more information here on how to use your P1 Book Bug Bag and P2-3 Read, Write, Count Bags.

Routines;

• Can you please remind your child that they should not have a phone or be using a smart watch in the playground in the morning or at the end of the school day. If your child is bringing a phone to school they should hand that phone to their champion in the morning to put in the device box, as they are not permitted to use it during the school day. If a child has a smart watch that is not on school mode, this should also be handed to their champion in the morning. (Children in Primary 6-7 clans who have permission to use Bring Your Own Device, also put their device in the box in the morning).

Winter Ready Messages:

• Groupcall is the way that schools will inform parents and carers about closures, any change to arrangements and information about their child’s learning provision in Seesaw (ELC – P3) or Teams (P4-P7). This information will also be shared on the council’s website at https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/schoolclosures and via social media channels. Please ensure we have up to date contact details.
• In snow or icy conditions access to the school will be through the front door, we will alert parents/ careers/ children to this. During these times there will be no supervisors in the playground. You can find our safe route here.
• In the event of school closure, pupils should continue to access learning activities through Seesaw (ELC – P3) and Teams (P4-P7) which are used regularly as part of the current learning provision in school. Please ensure you are aware of your child’s log in for these platforms.
• If your child develops vomiting and/or diarrhoea symptoms, please ensure they remain off school until they have been symptom free for at least 48 hours to avoid passing the illness onto others.
• More information is available at: https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/47224/Winter-Ready-for-Schools

Calderwood Compliments:

• Thank you to Veolia for their workshops with our Primary 6 Clans.
• Thank you to the businesses who are sponsoring our Parent Council events this year.
• Burns Clan had a fantastic connects, telling us all about the cost of the school day.
• The fire services came in to speak to our Primary 6 and 7 clans about Bonfire Safety.
• Thanks to Ray from Stirling Developments who came to work with a focus group of learners about a new play park that will be built in Calderwood in the not-so-distant-future! The learners will now work on measuring and pricing up equipment.
• On Monday, our Calderwood Chiefs represented the school by going to a ceremony in West Calder for Remembrance Day.
• There was a lovely atmosphere in Tummel, Ben Lawers, Ben Lomond and Schiehallion for Sharing the Learning this afternoon! Thank you so much to all family members who came along!

Calderwood Chronicle 01_11_24

 

Calderwood Commitments: 

• Christmas Lunch: Christmas Lunch should be pre ordered on iPay by 25th November, unfortunately no orders can be taken by the kitchen after this date.
• Poppies on sale: Poppies will be on sale for a donation week beginning 4^th November: Monday – Primary 6 & 7, Tuesday – Primary 4 & 5, Wednesday – Primary 3 & 2, Thursday – Primary 1, Friday – Any poppies left over will be sold at the Cafe at break time.

 

Calderwood Calendar: 

• Updated: 2024-25 Calendar
• 4/11/24: Term 2 Learning Letters & Homework Grids
• 8/11/24: 9:15-10:15am: Clan Connects: Burns. Doors Open 9:05am: An opportunity for your children to share on stage their learning in the Arena and then you can look at their jotters in the café. 2 adults per child.
• 14/11/24: 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Sharing the Learning: Tummel, Ben Lawers, Ben Lomond and Schiehallion. A visit to the clan room to find out about their ‘Book Week Scotland’ context for learning and to look at your child’s jotters. One adult per child please. Please enter the playground through Glencoe (carpark) Gate. Staff/ House Team, will meet you there to show you to your child’s clan.
• 22/11/24: Dress Down Day – Book Week Scotland Theme (No donation required) – Change to date
• 22/11/24: 9:15-10:15am: Clan Connects: Linlithgow. Doors Open 9:05am. An opportunity for your children to share on stage their learning in the Arena and then you can look at their jotters in the café. 2 adults per child.

 

Calderwood Communication:

• Parent Council Meeting Minutes: Please click here.
• Parent Council: Christmas Fayre
• This school year we have been focusing on our school values. You can find out more information here.
• Our PE days for term 2 have remained the same as term 1

 

Calderwood Compliments:

• Thank you to our Parent Council and to the parents who volunteered to help, for our Primary 1 – 2 Halloween Parties, P3-4 and P5-7 Halloween Discos. The children really enjoyed them!
• Leven, Tay and Rannoch hosted our second sharing the learning event, find out more here.
• Thank you to everyone who contributed to our West Lothian Food Bank Collection.
• Thank you to our parents who supported the Primary 7 Football Festival.
• Thank you to the businesses who are sponsoring our Parent Council events this year.

 

Calderwood Chronicle 11_10_24

 

Every fortnight we will issue our chronicle to families via email and our blog.

All other information about Calderwood is on our blog and on Twitter we highlight our achievements.

Calderwood Calendar: 

• Updated: 2024-25 Calendar
• 14/10/24-21/10/24: School closed: October Break (Nursery open)
• 22/10/24 – 24/10/24: West Lothian Food Bank Collection: Click here for more information.
• 24/10/24: 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Sharing the Learning: Leven, Rannoch & Tay: A visit to the clan room to find out about their Literacy context for learning and to look at your child’s jotters. One adult per child please. Please enter through the Glencoe Gate (car park gate) and meet in the playground. If you are running late please report to the office.
• 25/10/24: Halloween Dress Down Day: All clans: No masks please and school age-appropriate costumes. Primary 1 – 2 Clans Halloween Parties: See more information here.
• 28/10/24: After School Club Block 1 (P5-P7) starts: Successful applicants will receive a letter to notify them of a place.
• 29/10/24: Parent Council Halloween Discos P3-4 clans: 5:45-6:45pm – P5-7 clans: 7:00-8:00pm: See more information here.
• 30/10/24: Flu Vaccinations
• 01/11/24: 9:15-10:15am: Clan Connects: Doune: Doors Open 9:05am: An opportunity for our Doune children to share on stage their learning in the Arena and then adults can look at their jotters in the café. 2 adults per child.

 

Calderwood Communication:

• Parent Council: Halloween Sweetie Bags Fundraiser
• House Meeting: This week we had our first House Meeting. Find out more about it in this blog post.
• Financial Education Sessions in P3-7: Last week Money Advice Scotland visited our clans to support our numeracy curriculum. Click here to find out more.

 

Routines:

• Parking: There are spaces in our carpark for blue badge holders, only those with a blue badge should park in this space, and leave room for families to enter and exit their vehicle. There is no parking along the side of the building on the Nethershiel Road.
• Bikes/ scooters: A gentle reminder that the school cannot be held responsible for the safekeeping of bikes and scooters.  We would recommend that bikes and scooters are locked during the school day. The community police team are visiting after the holidays and they will speak to the older clans about respecting others property.

Calderwood Cares:

• Sustainability Station & Community Cupboard: In our foyer we have a range of school uniform items and household supplies. You can find out more here.
• Blair Clan had our first Clan Connects of the session all about the Cost of the School Day and how we will use our Participatory Budget. A huge well done to Blair Clan for sharing their learning on this important theme.
• Find out more about what we do to reduce the cost of the school day here.
• Calderwood Couture purchasing options: Click here to find out different options on how to purchase our school uniform.
• Thank you to our Parent Council for organising a Halloween Costume Bank.

 

Calderwood Compliments:

• We had a Connects all about our value of Integrity! Ask your child what integrity looks like in Calderwood.
• Thank you to our Parent Council for purchasing new PE equipment for us through the Magic Miles fundraiser.
• Thank you to our Calderwood Chiefs for presenting our term 1 update, at our Parent Council meeting last week.
• We loved seeing such a big turn out for Champion Conversations this week. Thank you to all our P5-7 children for supporting the event, and to our partners who joined us. We are very grateful to everyone who purchased a book, money raised from this will go to topping up our clan libraries, novels collection and Discovery Den.

Calderwood Chronicle 12_09_24

Every fortnight we will issue our chronicle to families via email and our blog.

All other information about Calderwood is on our blog and on Twitter we highlight our achievements.

Calderwood Commitments

• Please ensure you have registered your child on parent portal and that your details are up to date. West Lothian Council are now using this system for our annual data checks and EE2 forms for excursions. You can find advice here. The details you used on enrolment must be the same as the details you enter to enrol on parent portal, we recognise that a lot of families are requiring support with this and the office champs are working through emails and voice messages.
• Primary 6 Clans: A reminder about P6 Young STEM Leader applications to be in by Friday 20^th Link is here: https://forms.office.com/e/YbVMGynwPJ
• 23/09/24 – 09/10/24: iPay open for Term 2 milk order: Milk orders will not be available after date.

Calderwood Calendar: 

• Updated: 2024-25 Calendar
• 13^th, 16^th, 17^th September: School closed for September Break.
• 26/09/24: 2:00-3:00pm. Drummond Clan Sharing the Learning: A visit to the clan room to find out about their numeracy context for learning and to look at your child’s jotters. One adult per child please. Please enter through the Glenshee Gate (Nethershiel Road) and through the Drummond Cloakroom.
• 01/10/2024: 6:00-8:00pm: Parent Council Meeting 1: In the Arena or on Zoom
• 04/10/2024: 9:15-10:15am: Clan Connects: Baird Doors Open 9:05am. An opportunity for your children to share on stage their learning in the Arena and then you can look at their jotters in the café. 2 adults per child. Please enter through the front doors.
• 07/10/2024 – 08/10/2024: Tempest School Photo Days (note the change that this is now two days) Please ensure your child wears school uniform and no PE Kits. We can lend P7s ties, Primary 7 ties for those who would like to wear one for the photo. If parents have a PVG we are looking for volunteers to support with the running of this.

Calderwood Communication:

• Loose parts and sewing request.
• Thank you for everyone who attended our Meet the Clan/ Champion event this week. We would invite you to complete this short form about the event.
• Our Primary 6 clans are going to create a podcast as part of their young STEM group, if you have experience of this and could speak to the group, please let Miss Connor know via the office.
• Primary 4-6 clans have been learning about descriptive writing, you can find out more about their learning here, in their blog posts.
• Primary 1 – 3 Seesaw: Seesaw is place for champions and children to share their learning and process between home and school. It is not a platform for direct communication with champions, this should be done through the school office.

Routines:

• Parking: There are spaces in our carpark for blue badge holders, only those with a blue badge should park in this space. There is no parking along the side of the building on the Nethershiel Road.
• Smart watches: Children should please have smart watches in school mode during the school day, they are not permitted to take photos, use it to communicate, etc.
• Lunches: Please ensure you have ordered your child’s lunch at home using your iPay log in. Families who want their child to have a sandwich pack lunch from the school kitchen on a Friday, should order this by 9:30am on a Thursday. Primary 6 and 7 lunches cost £2.20. You can find out more information here on how to use iPay. Due to severe allergies in school we request that you do not send foods with nut ingredients for break and lunch time snacks.

Advice:

• Cost of the School Day: Find out more about how we try to lower the cost of the school day by clicking here.
• West Lothian Parent Dyslexia Master Class

Calderwood Compliments:

• A huge congratulations to our new house and vice captains!
• Last Friday we had our final Primary One adult and child STEM workshop. A huge thank you to Miss Connor for running these sessions.
• Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Primary 7 fayre last week, there will be a blog post coming soon of photos and the total amount raised.

Every fortnight we will issue our chronicle to families via email and our blog.

All other information about Calderwood is on our blog and on Twitter we highlight our achievements.

Calderwood Chronicle 30_08_24

Calderwood Commitments

• Please ensure you have registered your child on parent portal and that your details are up to date. West Lothian Council are now using this system for our annual data checks and EE2 forms for excursions. You can find advice here. The details you used on enrolment must be the same as the details you enter to enrole on parent portal, we recognise that a lot of families are requiring support with this and the office champs are working through emails and voice messages.
• 06/09/2024: Primary 7 Fundraiser: iPay will be open for donations from 2nd to 6th Sept or children can bring along change for donations for activities on the day. Find out more information here.
• Please complete and return the NHS immunisations forms that were sent home last Friday.

 

Calderwood Calendar: 

• 2024-25 Calendar
• 02/09/2024: Term 1 Learning Letters posted on the blog, you can find them here.
• 06/09/2024: Primary 7 Fundraiser: All children can dress down (no football tops or crop tops please) and can take part in the fundraiser. iPay will be open for donations from 2nd to 6th Sept or children can bring along change for donations for activities on the day. Money raised will go towards the cost of their hoodies/ leavers’ events. Find out more information here.
• 10/09/24: 5:00pm to 5:45pm or 6:00pm to 6:45pm: Meet the Clan & Champion: Your child will take you on a tour and show you their clan room, their champion will also be there. Please no more than 2 adults per family. Prams can be left downstairs. Find out more here.
• 13^th, 16^th, 17^th September: School closed for September Break.

 

Calderwood Communication:

• Champion update: This week we have welcomed Mrs Learmont as a full time pupil support to our team. Mrs Castillon-Intriago is moving on to pastures new and her last day with us with be 20^th A huge thank you to Mrs Castillon-Intriago who has supported our younger clans, we appreciate all the support, care and nurture she has given to our children and clans, we wish her lots of luck on her new adventure.
• Dalguise Presentation link for Primary 7 clans.
• Parent council communication channels: Please click here for more information.
• Primary 7 plea for business funding: Please click here for more information.
• Seesaw: Information for Primary 1 -3.
• Loose parts and sewing request.

Routines:

• Parking: There are spaces in our carpark for blue badge holders, only those with a blue badge should park in this space. There is no parking along the side of the building on the Nethershiel Road.
• Morning Gates: As children arrive to drop off their bikes for breakfast club they can open the gates to access the bike shed (they are closed but not locked). At morning drop off there are staff in the playground and on the gate from 8:25am – 8:45am, please do not enter the playground before or after this time.
• Wet morning arrangements: When there is heavy rain in the mornings, there will be no champions on the gate as they are all supervising clans inside. Your child should enter the building during the playground/ STEM (corner door) and adults can walk their child up to the door. Children arriving after 8:45am should go to the office as normal.
• Smart watches: Children should please have smart watches in school mode during the school day, they are not permitted to take photos, use it to communicate, etc.
• Friday: A reminder that on a Friday school finishes for P1, P2 and Doune at 11:55am and at 12:00pm for the other clans.
• Lunches: Please ensure you have ordered your child’s lunch at home using your iPay log in. Families who want their child to have a sandwich pack lunch from the school kitchen on a Friday, should order this by 9:30am on a Thursday. Primary 6 and 7 lunches cost £2.20. You can find out more information here on how to use iPay. Due to severe allergies in school we request that you do not send foods with nut ingredients for break and lunch time snacks.
• School Office: Our school office opening hours are 8:20am-3:30pm (12:15pm on a Friday). Outwith these times you can leave a voicemail or send an email which will be picked up between 8:20am-3:30pm
• Electric Scooters: A reminder that E-scooters can only be used on private land with the permission of the land owner.

School Improvement:

• Poverty proofing statement: Please click here to find out how we try to reduce the cost the school day.
• School Improvement Plan: Click here to find out about our improvement actions for this year.

Advice:

• Young Persons Free Bus Travel Scheme: Click here for information.
• Fire Drill Social story: Please find a social support your child in the case of a fire drill or unwanted fire alarm.

 

Calderwood Compliments:

• A huge congratulations to our new Calderwood Chiefs!
• At Calderwood it our tradition to share a first day photo of your child. Over the next week our champions will add the photos to this blog post.
• Thank you to Leven Clan for helping with our connects all about our value of
• Thank you to our Parent Council for providing our fruit bowl for those children who have forgotten their snack.