MOSSTODLOCH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Laurence FindlayElizabeth Rennie

CorporateDirector Head Teacher

Education and Social Care Garmouth Road Mosstodloch

IV32 7JB

/ Tel: 01343 820476Fax: 01343 821394
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Newsletter 2: 20 September 2016

Dear Parent/Carer,

It is hard to believe we are already in Week 6 of the new session. It is good to see both pupils and staff settling into their respective new classes. The weather has been excellent allowing for many of our outdoor learning experiences to be undertaken in great conditions.

Staffing and Classes

Following an interview last week, Miss Jennifer Innes was appointed to the post of Class Teacher (0.6fte) Job Share.

Miss Innes will teach in Primary 6 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Miss Anderson will teach on Thursday and Friday. We are delighted to welcome Miss Innes to the staff team on a permanent basis and wish her well in the coming weeks and months. Miss Innes will continue on a long term temporary basis as class teacher in P3/4 on Fridays.

There are currently 153 pupils on the school roll, with seven classes formed.

During the course of the session we are sometimes asked to host students and other work experience placements. This term we welcome Mr Black, who hopes to take up a teacher training course and will be observing in classes; Miss Ogg, on placement at Milne’s High School who will be observing in Primary classes and after October holidays we will welcome back Mrs Chin, post graduate student from Aberdeen University who will undertake a month long placement in Primary 7.

Additional Support Needs (ASN) Consultation

Can I draw your attention to a Moray wide consultation which is currently underway looking at how ASN needs are met in our local authority. The consultation process aims to seek the views of pupils, staff, parents/carers and stakeholders with a purpose of aiming to provide the most effective, consistent and fair service delivery for all pupils with additional support needs. I will be working with a sample group of pupils, teaching staff, support staff and Parent Council members looking at the principles and structures that make the most efficient use of resources, leading to the best possible outcomes for our pupils. Parents/carers with children who have Additional Support Needs are invited to complete a survey online using the link below. The survey is open until 28 September.

Provision of School Meals – Food Allergies

Can I please ask all parents/carers to please inform the school of any allergies or food intolerances which a pupil may have or suffer from. For pupils who may have an allergy, there are pro formas for recording information available from Mrs Morrison in the School Office. This information will be shared with the School Catering Service. From next session School Data Capture Forms will be updated to include information about any allergies a child may suffer from and also parents are encouraged to notify the school of any changes to their child’s health or medical conditions.

Thank you for your cooperation with this matter.

Emergency Contact Details

Please find attached to this Newsletter an Emergency Contact Information Sheet which we ask you to complete and return to school as soon as possible. It is important that the contact information we hold for your child is current and up to date. I recognise that mobile contact numbers can change and ask you to please keep us informed of any changes so we can update the school’s information system. We are looking to use a Text Messaging service in the near future. I will keep you informed of progress with this matter.

Mosstodloch Early Learning and Child Care Centre – Breakfast Club

There is now a Breakfast Clubrunning in the Early Learning Centre which is open to Primary age pupils. The session begins at 8.00am and costs £3.50 per session. Any parent/carer who is interested in using the facilityis invited to contact Jessica Myers, Centre Manager on 01343 821188or by email:

Learning and Teaching

We have had a brisk, busy start to the session with classes enjoying a rich variety of learning experiences. Outdoor learning continues to be a feature of our learning with all classes working outdoors at some point in the week. The whole school continues to participate in ‘The Mosstodloch Mile’ initiative with all classes going out a minimum of three times in the week to record their mile! Class studies this term include:

P1/2 Ladybirds and Bumble Bees - Under the Sea. Stimulus for this topic included a visit to Macduff Marine Aquarium early in the term which was much enjoyed by all and has encouraged much creativity and knowledge of marine life.

P2/3 Butterflies – The World of Beatrix Potter. As well as learning about the famous author and her stories in this centenary year, the class have been learning about woodlands and nature by visiting the local woods for activities on Wednesday afternoons.

P3/4 Beetles – Olympics and Paralympics. A very topical subject, the class have been learning a little bit of the history and geography of the Games as well as looking at the different sporting disciplines. P3/4 also had a visit to The Spirit of Speyside Book Festival to hear from author Pamela Butchart.

P5 Grasshoppers – Coastal Classrooms. In contrast to the learning last session on Woodlands, P5 have had the opportunity to participate in Coastal Classrooms – where they have been on weekly field trips to our local shores at Kingston, Spey Bay and Portgordon. There was much excitement after Monday’s lesson because Dolphins were spotted! P5 also visited The Spirit of Speyside Book Festival.

P6 Dragonflies – Planet Earth. Social subjects and Science are the key curricular areas here as the class learn about formation of mountains and location of mountain ranges. In science they are learning about the properties of different materials.

P7 Owls – Wolf Brother. A book study based on the novel by Michelle Paver which takes the pupils back thousands of years to stone age times with opportunities for learning in literacy, history, geography and science as well as outdoor learning. This first term is incredibly busy for P7 as they take on leadership roles in the school, enterprise activities and also prepare for the first class led assembly of the term – Harvest Festival on 30 September.

‘Our Mosstodloch’ – Wall Hanging Craft Project

We have embarked on this exciting project which will be ongoing throughout the year. Each class has been tasked with designing a picture of ‘Our Mosstodloch’ – representing what the school means to us - for Friday 30 September. Working along with our team of Craft Volunteers, the pictures are going to be used to create a collage wall hanging. From October through to May, Mrs Scott, Mrs M Reid and Mrs J Reid are going to work with each class to create their material collage. All seven pictures will then be mounted onto a material backdrop to create our wall hanging. We will keep you posted about progress of this whole school project. As we work on developing the context of our curriculum as part of Improvement Planning, this wall hanging will help remind us of the context of our individual school. It will encourage us to learn lots of new skills also.

School Improvement Planning Work

I am keen to consult with and involve parents/carers and friends of the school in the many aspects of our School Improvement action plan work for the coming session. With this in mind please find attached a sheet asking for support with the following areas:

  1. Database of Volunteers – We are fortunate to have a good number of parents and friends of the school who accompany pupils on visits/trips/outdoors activities and support other initiatives such as Friday Activities and Library times. I am keen to update this database. If you feel you can help – please sign up!
  2. The Playground Experience – I am keen to form a working party with pupils, staff and parents/stakeholders represented. We will be looking at refreshing the Positive Playtimes and Lunchtimes Behaviour policy; Looking at the sustainable use of the School Grounds and considering health, safety and wellbeing for all. Please indicate if you are willing to be part of this working party.
  3. School Website – The drive is on to finally launch our website. Mrs Barron and Miss Bond will be out of class completing this preparation work on 6 October. Please can you confirm consent for your child(ren) to be in photographs which will appear on the website. The website will allow us to share all communications – class blogs, newsletters etc keeping the whole school community informed of our work.

School Toilets

Pupil behaviour in our school is generally good. This is often commented on by visitors who come to school including School Inspectors who have noted this in recent published reports. Occasionally we have times when incidents seem to occur in our school toilets. This can be in the Infant toilets, Middle stage toilets and Senior stage toilets. Currently we are awaiting a replacement toilet and cistern in one of the Infant bathrooms – all because a cistern top had been cracked and was leaking. The whole toilet must be replaced. Another Infant toilet was reported as being chipped yesterday. Footprints on toilet seats can often be seen where pupils are standing on toilets to hang over the cubicles to speak to someone in the next cubicle. We have had to investigate large quantities of water on floors and wet ‘spludges’ of paper being thrown on the walls and roof. Unfortunately, our Cleaners have reported urine spills where we would not normally expect to find those. Clearly there are important health and safety concerns around such incidents. In addition – we are dealing with repair expenses which could well be avoided. We have been reinforcing positive messages about behaviour expectations when using the school bathrooms. I would appreciate if you could also reinforce with your child the need for very sensible use of our facilities to ensure we can focus in school on excellent learning and teaching – our key priority. Thank you for your support with this.

Dates for your Diary

Thursday 22 SeptemberP6/7 Touch Rugby FestivalBuckie High School

Monday 26 SeptemberP5 Coastal Classrooms Week 5

Tuesday 27 SeptemberMobile Library

P5 Orienteering Festival for ASG Schools Mosstodloch Woods

Wednesday 28 SeptemberP2/3 Woodland Walks

Friday 30 SeptemberHarvest Festival Assembly led by Primary 79.15am in Hall

Monday 3 OctoberP5 Coastal Classrooms Week 6

Thursday 6 October Parent Council DiscosP1 – P3 at 6.00 – 7.00pm

P4 – P7 at 7.15 – 8.30pm

Friday 7 OctoberEnd of Term Assembly with School Chaplain9.15am

Rag Bag Collection picked up today!

School Closes for October Holidays

Monday 24 October School reopens at the normal time 9.00am

Tuesday 8 NovemberScholastic Book Fair arrives

Pupil Progress Meetings6.00 – 8.00pm

Wednesday 9 NovemberPupil Progress Meetings4.00 – 6.00pm

Monday 14 NovemberIn Service – School closed to pupils

Tuesday 15 NovemberIn Service – School Closed to pupils

Group of Pupils to entertain at Bellie

Church Guild Meeting 7.30 – 8.30pm

Friday 18 NovemberParent Council Christmas Craft NightDetails to follow

Monday 28 NovemberWhole School St Andrew’s Day Celebration

Wednesday 14 DecemberChristmas Concert – afternoon and evening

Thursday 22 DecemberSchool closes for Christmas holidays

Monday 9 January 2017School reopens at the normal time9.00am

Yours sincerely

Elizabeth Rennie

Head Teacher

Mostodloch Primary School

Supporting our School Improvement Planning Work 2016 – 17

  1. Database of Volunteers:

I would be willing to volunteer to help in the following ways: ______

(Accompanying school visits/trips; Library Rota; Craft Activities; Sports Activities; Gardening and School Grounds activities etc)

Name: ______

Signed: ______

  1. The Playground Experience:

I would be willing to become part of a Working Party to look at:

  • Refreshing the Positive Behaviour Policy for Playtimes and Lunchtimes
  • Look at developing the use of the School Grounds
  • Take into account appropriate Health and Safety requirements

The Working Party will be made up of pupils, staff representatives and parents/carers. Please indicate days of the week when you may be able to attend meetings of the group.

Name: ______

Best times for meetings: ______

Signed: ______

  1. School Website Permission

Name of Pupil(s): ______

I give consent for photographs of my child to appear on the website YES/NO

I give consent for my child’s work to be included in articles on the website YES/NO

Name of Parent/Carer: ______

Signed: ______Date: ______