Darnley Primary
and
Visual Impairment Unit
Newsletter – October
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome to October’s newsletter and the end of the first term. It has been a very busy and quick start to the school session and I’m sure before we know it we will be immersed in preparations for Christmas! However, we aren’t quite there yet with lots of events and activities to keep us busy and learning until then. I hope everyone has a very enjoyable and safe October holiday.
Dates for your Diary
Date / Event / Time / LocationWed 1st October / Internet Safety Workshop / 6.30pm / Room 13
Open Evening / 6.45pm / Hillpark
Friday 3rd Oct / Lochgoilhead deposit due
All P5s to Great Scottish Run / am / Glasgow Green
Monday 6th October / Harvest Service / 1.30pm / Darnley United Free Church
Parents’ Nights Appt Slips Issued
Tuesday 7th October / Desperate Journey Display of Knowledge / 2pm / P7/6
Wednesday 8th Oct / Display of Knowledge / 2pm / P6
Friday 10th October / Onesie Day for PPWH / Bring £1
Parents’ Night Slips back
Finish for October Break / 3pm
Monday 20th October / Return from October Holiday / 9am
Wednesday 22nd October / Parents’ Night apt issued
Thursday 23rd October / Childsmile Tooth Varnishing / All day / School
Darnley Community Meeting / 3.30pm / St Angela’s
Friday 24th October / Childsmile Tooth Varnishing / All day / School
Hallowe’en Disco / 6.30-7.30 P1-P4/3
7.30-8.45 P4-P7 / School Hall
Monday 27th October / Book Fair arrives
Thursday 30th October / After School Club for P6 Badminton starts / 3-4 / Community Centre
Parents’ Night / 3.15pm – 9.30pm / School
Harvest Service
This year’s Harvest Service will take place on Monday 6th October at 1.30pm in the Darnley United Free Church. The children will be relaying the message of Harvest through stories and songs and we would be very pleased if you could join us there. We are asking for donations of tinned food for the Glasgow South East Foodbank this year as it supports people in our local area. The children can bring donations for the Foodbank into the school until Wednesday 8th October.
Onesie Day
This year we are again supporting the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice Brick by Brick Appeal to build a new hospice in Glasgow. This takes the form of a Onesie Day where all children (and staff!) can pay £1 and come to school in a onesie. We are always keen to support Glasgow charities and hope you can help us to raise as much as possible for a very worthy cause.
Enrolment
As you know from last year the annual registration date for P1 children has been brought forward. The annual school registration week will take place during the second week in November. An advert will be placed in the press week beginning 06 October 2014 to advise parent/carers of the additional registration week.
The earlier registrationdate allowsschools and the authority the opportunity to more effectively manage the allocation of children to schools particularly for those living in the catchment area.
Parent/Carers of children due to start school in August 2015 are invited to register their child here during registration week which this year runs from 10th to 14th November 2014.If you know of anyone who is thinking of sending their child to Darnley Primary, please pass this information along. Flyers will be sent to all of our feeder nursery schools too.
It is customary for children to attend their local school. As is usual practice, parents can make placing requests but need to register at their local catchment school. Our catchment area has changed significantly since the Consultation and if (potential) parents/carers aren’t sure, please contact the school and we can advise!
A further advert will be placed in the press on week commencing 5 January 2015 inviting parent/carers who have not yet registered their child at the catchment school to do so between the 12th to 16th January 2015.
Uniform
Uniform has been the subject of more than a few discussions at the Parent Council, and with the change of head teacher imminent, there was a decision to leave the consultation with children, parents and staff about uniform until this term. The Parent Council have drafted a questionnaire which will be available for completion on Parents’ Night or, on request if this isn’t suitable. The Learning Council is also devising a questionnaire for children on their views about uniform. I hope to publish the results along with a definitive uniform list and suppliers/stockist later this year.
Standards and Quality Report
Each year a Standards and Quality Report is published by the school as part of one of the many ways we report to parents/carers about how well the school is doing. It covers areas such as achievements, how well our children are making progress, how they are supported and a little detail about our improvement priorities for the next session. You can find our Standards and Quality Report on the school website in the Parents Zone Section under Information. If you require a paper copy, please contact the School Office.
Activities
Lots of classes have been experiencing different events and activities both in school and out in the wider community:
· Four children and Mrs S. Campbell attended Junior Global Entrepreneurial Leaders’ Summit in Edinburgh
· P4 and P5/4 had a talk from a female fire fighter about challenging stereotypes at work.
· The whole school were transfixed during the story of The Story Baton told by local story tellers
· P7/6 learned about weaving by taking part in a workshop at the Burrell Collection
· The Junior Road Safety Officers, accompanied by Mrs Welch, attended training in the City Chambers
· P7 attended Hillpark for a Curriculum for Excellence Day and returned with a glowing report.
· P6, led by a Countryside Ranger, looked for flowering and non-flowering plants in Dams to Darnley
· Glasgow City Girls football team spoke to P4 and P5/4 about girls in sport and led a coaching session
· P6 visited the People’s Palace and saw first hand how people used to live in single ends as part of their learning about the Highland Clearances.
Parent Council
Parent Council events for October
Halloween Disco 24th October
P1 to P4/3 6.30 to 7.30
P4 to P7 7.30 to 8.45
Entry is £2 and there is also will be a tuck shop (loose change preferred) There is a tea room open during the P1 to P4/3 disco for parents/carers with tea/coffee and a biscuit for 50p.
Parents’ Night 30th October
Parent Council will have a stand at Parents’ Night. We will have a suggestions board for any comments or ideas you want us to raise.
We will also be carrying out a questionnaire on behalf of the school regarding school uniforms and would appreciate your help by taking a couple of minutes of your time to give your views.
Lastly, "nearly new" school jumpers will be sold on the night at £3 each, and the school still stocks a large amount of new school jumpers too which will also be on sale.
Dyslexia Meeting
There is a Dyslexia Scotland Roadshow at Renfield St Stephen’s Church, 260 Bath Street , Glasgow G2 4JP for anyone looking for more information about dyslexia. It is a free drop in event which lasts from 1pm until 7pm with information, advice and resources available For more information email .
Health and Safety
We would ask that you keep us up to date with any medical conditions your child may have. In addition, if your child has to take medicine for a short period of time, please come into the School Office to complete a form which allows us to administer that.
We are also a nut free school as we have children who are allergic to nuts. Please don’t send nuts or sweets with nuts in them into school. Thanks you for your support with this.
VI News
Debbie Wallace from University of West of Scotland is meeting with staff to discuss opportunities for repeating the drama programme of last year. Mr McDonald and I are meeting with Dominic Everett (RNIB) with a view to developing further our partnership working. Watch this space for more details!
If you would like further information regarding any item in this newsletter please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Kind regards,
Emma Nicholson
Headteacher
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