We have moved!
Finally after many years of anticipation we are in our new school building. It is very bright and seems very, very big compared to our previous home. I have to say though, that the wait was well worth it. The children are super excited to have so much space as each classroom has a breakout area where they can work quietly in small groups and a very big playground that is much easier to monitor. The children love the decking and being able to bring each class into their own cloakroom will prevent so many problems of missing coats and crowded corridors.
We took a photo of everyone on the last day in the old school and another one on Wednesday 22nd March outside the new school. This week sees our official opening and by the time the parent/teacher meetings come around in March it will look and feel like a ‘real’ school.
The Big Pedal
Now that we are in our new school, we’d like to encourage each other to cycle or scoot to school – there are lots of spaces to lock up your bike or scooter at the main entrance. We’ll be logging how many scoots and cycle journeys are made on 3 special days in March to take part in The Big Pedal. See Mrs Hull for details.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
The school is really starting to feel Christmassy now. We have a real tree in the dining hall.
and an even bigger tree in the Institute hall, though sadly it isn’t a real one.
The classes are all busy making things to decorate the dining hall for the Christmas dinner tomorrow, which will be served by teachers and accompanied by Christmas music. Every class is rehearsing songs for the end of term service and all is going to plan. We are all hoping that the snow and gale force winds stay away as we really don’t want any disruptions to our plans for next week, which is to be a really, really busy one.
Breakfast Club
Our new breakfast club is a great success, and I have to say the smell of toast wafting through the school first thing in the morning is a delight to come in to. The breakfast club was initially for P1-P3 but has recently been extended to include P4-P7.Â
Breakfast for children in P1-P3 is free and those in P4-P7 have to pay a nominal cost of 50p each day. Breakfast includes toast or cereal from an extensive range, fruit juice, milk or water to drink and a choice of fruit, yoghurt or fromage frais. Very good value for 50p
It starts at 8.15 am in the morning. Unfortunately we cannot allow pupils into the school prior to that as there is no facility to supervise them, so it’s best not to send them out too early. Last entry to breakfast is at 8.30 am to allow the children time to finish their food before the bell goes.Â
If your child is interested in attending breakfast club at any point please collect a form from the school office or check our Information for Parents page where a downloadable copy is available. Attendance does not have to be every day or even every week, though if you could let us know roughly which days suit you that would be helpful.
125th Birthday Open Weekend
On Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th september our school was open to the community and general public including pupils past and present. All the pupils and staff in the school had worked really hard on displays and the gathering of information about school life 125 years ago when the school was first opened, as we tried to make the visit as interesting as possible. This was combined with photos and memorabilia that had been handed in by members of the community and gathered from West Lothian archives, as well as teachers’ own personal belongings.
Both days were very busy and it was a wonderful experience to be part of, listening to memories being shared and revisited combined with answering questions about the new school and the plans for the future. Here are a selection of photos taken over the weekend.
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The Primary 2 classroom
The new school
On Friday 26th August Mrs Brockbank and the teaching staff were lucky enough to visit the new school, along with the architect for the project, and have a guided tour of the inside. The staff were amazed and delighted by how it looked, especially the size of the hall, which seems huge.Â
In preparation we all needed to wear safety footwear, high visibility vests and hard hats but it was well worth it. Hopefully there will be another visit nearer the completion date, which we will share with you if we can. Below is a selection of photos from the visit.
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