School Newsletter May 2015
Can you believe we are in the final term - no more holiday until the summer and what a busy term we have coming up. The time will certainly fly by. Lots to tell you so here goes …………. Staffing Everyone was very pleased to learn that Miss McKinnon has officially confirmed her return to school and will be back with us at the start of the new session in August. The children will be looking forward to learning how baby Bailey is doing, and will have lots of news to share with Miss McKinnon. We are very sorry that we will be saying goodbye to Mr McCann at the end of this term. The Council needs to make small adjustments to the arrangements for specialist teachers in primary schools each year. Sadly this year’s rearrangement has meant Mr McCann is moving on to other schools. We have greatly appreciated Mr McCann’s hard work and enthusiasm. Interviews for a new PE teacher will be held in June. Miss Hutchison begins her maternity leave at the end of this term. The children in P1-3, in particular, are eager to find out if Miss Hutchison will have a boy or girl. We are appointing a temporary teacher for the period of Miss Hutchison’s leave and will be interviewing candidates shortly. Mrs Broadley has been unwell and had to take time off work. She will not be back now before her maternity leave begins at the end of May. The prospect of a third Athelstaneford School baby is cause for further excitement! Mr Black, our new dinner supervisor and playground supervisor, has quickly become a familiar figure around the school. The pupils have benefited from his enthusiastic organising of games at break times.
Issue 6
We are also presently advertising for a post of auxiliary to join our support team in the new session. We have enjoyed having Miss Kemp in school, working in P1-3, and we wish her well as she returns to university next week. Building Improvements Substantial developments to the school building and its facilities will be taking place over the summer holidays. We are delighted that our colleagues in the Council have responded so favourably and so quickly to our request to upgrade the school facilities. Here is a brief summary of what we hope to achieve:
a brand new fully-fitted kitchen in the nursery. rebuilding of the nursery toilet area, increasing provision from one to two toilets. a new, much larger and better equipped disabled toilet (our current one did not meet the necessary regulations, and was not a practical proposition for a disabled pupil). increased storage area for janitorial supplies. a kitchen area in the main hall for the preparation of school dinners and washing-up of crockery, serving dishes etc. new display boarding. replacement of the older dining room furniture. a complete rewire of the school building’s electrical systems.
Although the works are considerable, clever planning has ensured that little floor area will be lost. Our return in August will be even more exciting with all these new facilities to enhance our school.
New Resources The Parent Council has kindly bought us fantastic new boxes of resources for teaching reading comprehension which are proving a hit with both staff and pupils in P 47. These are comprehensive highquality resources which will last for many years. Thank you also, Parent Council, for the new projector in our third classroom. The children noticed the difference immediately as the bright clear picture formed sharply on the screen. There was a definite ”Wow!” from the children. Sainsbury’s Tokens Thank you to everyone who brought in tokens for our collection. The final total amounted to 550. Miss Hutchison and Mr McCann have been busy browsing the Sainsbury’s catalogue, looking for useful resources. We’ll let you know what we’ve got! Water bottles Please could you ensure that your child brings a water bottle to school? We do have cups available at our water fountain. However, on warm days, the queue of thirsty children waiting to fill a cup is very long and, as a result, these children arrive late for class. A water bottle will usually last the day and avoids queueing and disruption. As the weather gets warmer the need for a water bottle will increase. Extensive research has shown that children’s concentration is much improved by regularly sipping water. Many thanks! Wee Beasties I hate to sound repetitive, but the problem of head lice is not going away. The only way to deal with the age-old problem is if all parents check their children’s hair regularly, making use of freely available nit combs. Yes, it does take up time, but as well as ensuring your own child is nit-free, it also prevents potential spread. It only takes one child not to be checked, and the problem comes round again. And again.
Walk to School Week Thank you to all the parents and children who made a special effort during Walk to School Week. The JRSOs were very pleased with the results of their survey. We are grateful to parents who made use of “Park and Stride”. Parking well away from the school (e.g. at the church or at the playing fields) and walking with your child – or letting them walk on their own if they are old enough – this has lots of advantages:
it results in less congestion around the school – this increases safety, and is also more pleasant. it’s greener and cheaper – you don’t have to drive so far.
it provides pupils with exercise at the start of the day.
it’s more fun – studies have shown that the quality of conversation between children and parents has is higher when walking together than when driving.
During Walk to School Week a number of parents still opted to drive their children right up to the school gate. They are, of course, free to do so, but we would love to see that number diminish, not just during Walk to School Week, but all year around. Most accidents involving children travelling between home and school occur very close to the school as a result of congestion. Park and Stride is endorsed by the police and road safety organisations. Why not give it a go? Garden and Grounds Day Our grateful thanks to everyone who helped out at this day, and also to Tesco’s for providing plants and sending a horticulturalist to work with the children. The children achieved a lot and learnt a lot. Previously we mentioned the plan to rope off the grass in front of the school to allow it to regrow where it had been trampled. After giving it some thought we have decided not to rope this off after all – the area is so popular with the children that it would be a shame to deprive them of it. And if we let the grass grow back, the same lanes would soon be trampled back to the way they were anyway!
Dates for your Diary
Village Hall Committee The committee which runs the village hall plays an important role in ensuring its availability to the community, its upkeep and in organising events.
May 21st 27th 28th
The committee is looking for fresh blood to help continue this important community role. Please get in touch with the school office if you would be interested in being involved in this work and we will pass on your name.
June 2nd 3rd 5th 8th
Trips, Activities and Events There are so many exciting things happening this term! We will inform you by letter of all the trips and events you need to know about, but please keep an eye on the website and take a good look at the list at the end of this newsletter for events coming up.
9th 15th 16th 23rd 24th 25th
26th July 1st 3rd
P4-7 Woodland Camping Adventure Meadowbank Athletics P7 at Risk Factory Nursery Outdoor Learning at Yellowcraigs Sports Day Parents’ Morning for P6-7 re E-Profiles P1 Parents Meeting am P1-3 Assembly at 11am P4-7 Cricket Taster Session Nursery Outdoor Learning at Yellowcraigs P4-7 Cricket Taster Session Nursery Outdoor Learning at Yellowcraigs Open Morning P7 Transition at NBHS Rag Bag Collection P7 Transition at NBHS P7 Parent’s Evening at NBHS P7 Transition at NBHS Leavers Assembly at 1.30pm End of Term Church Service End of Term at 12.30pm
Please remember to keep an eye on the school blog http://edubuzz.org/blogs/athelstaneford/ for the most up to date information. If you have any concerns or queries please do not hesitate to contact me. Iain Devereux Acting Head Teacher
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