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October/November 2016 Newsletter
School Construction Update
Demolition of the now vacant Commercial Road building was scheduled to commence on week commencing 12 September 2016.
The main construction start date is 14 November 2016.
October Week Holiday
The school and nursery class will closeas normalon Friday 14th October for the October Holiday and reopen at 8.45am on Monday 24 October.
Staff Development Day
The school and Nursery class will be closed for pupils on Monday 21 November 2016.
Gloves and Hats
As winter sets in and the weather turns colder, we would ask that your child wears gloves and a hat to nursery. As you are aware, we go outside regularly and these will help to keep them warm.
New Focus
Many of the children have been showing a keen interest in Animals and, as a result, our new topic is ‘Big Cats.’ Please see our ‘Together We Learn’ board for news in relation to our focus. Don’t forget to write down any ideas/suggestions you or your child may have in relation to this and hand them in or place them on our ‘Together We Learn’ board in the reception area.
Photographer
The school photographer will be visiting the nursery on Monday 7November.
If you would like younger brothers or sisters to be included in the photograph, please bring them along on the day. If you would like older siblings to be included in the photograph please let a member of the nursery staff know in advance. We will then inform their class teacher. The ‘Parents Room’ will be available if you wish to change your child’s clothes.
Nursery Entrance/Security
Parents/Carers are courteously requested never to bring their cars inside the school grounds unless by prior agreement with Mr McGuire or Mrs Kirkwood (HT of Kirklandpark Primary), as this will add to the traffic flow within the area and could cause unnecessary congestion. This area is designated for staff parking only.
Parents/Carers from both establishments are asked to Park and Stride from the George Allan Car Park at the top end of Strathaven Park.
There are two points of access for children to the Nursery Class:
- The main entrance from Kirklandpark Avenue
- The pathway at the rear of the school on Lethame Road
Parents entering from Kirklandpark Avenue should follow the path to the school gates where they will cross the road and follow the route to the nursery entrance.
Parents using the footpath from Lethame Road should enter the school campus at the side of the Kirklandpark building and proceed through the school gates following the route to the nursery entrance.
I would courteously ask that parents/carers then depart the school as quickly as possible to avoid congestion.
Please use the footpaths at all times and avoid walking in the car parking areas or crossing the road at the turning circle.
Entry to the Building
Parents/Carers coming to and from the Nursery Class should enter and leave via the Nursery entrance at the side of the school building. Prior to the start of the morning and afternoon sessions parents and children should wait at the nursery entrance until the nursery staff open the door to greet children and ask parents to sign in. A controlled entry system is in operation. To gain admittance parents should press the buzzer and a member of the Nursery staff will allow them entry to the building. All visitors to the Nursery Class will be asked to sign the visitor’s book and will be issued with a visitor’s badge.
When you drop your child off at nursery it is essential that you sign the register and also let us know who will be collecting your child. The person collecting your child must sign the register when leaving the Nursery. Only responsible people of 16 years of age or over are allowed to collect children from the nursery. Please note this is a legal requirement
We would request that no parent or child opens the main entrance door. A member of nursery staff will open the door to allow parents/children to enter and exit the building.
We are sure that you will agree that the safety of your children is of paramount importance, and these arrangements have been put in place to minimise any risks to your children.
Can we remind all parents/guardians that if someone different is collecting your child from the Nursery, this information must be intimated to the Nursery staff in advance of collection. Anyone ‘unknown’ to staff will not be allowed to remove children from the premises.
Please ensure that staff have a note of any changes to phone numbers (including mobiles and work numbers) and emergency contacts.
Please remember to sign your child in and out of nursery. If an emergency should arise, please phone the school office and a member of staff will then pass the message on to us.
Thank you in advance for your assistance in these important matters.
Eco/Health/Rights Respecting Schools
We will be holding an event in nursery on Friday 14 October during which the children will become more aware of how we can all help to look after our planet and ourselves. We will be looking at recycling, saving water, healthy eating and keeping fit as some of our fun activities on this day.
Snack Contribution
A charge of 50 pence per day (£2.50 per week) is requested for snacks. This should be paid to the appropriate member of staff in the Open Area at the beginning of each week.
Thank you.
Hola!
Don’t be surprised if you overhear your child using a variety of Spanish phrases as we are learning Spanish every Day in nursery! We will be concentrating on greetings, colours and numbers.
Parent Helpers
Some parents have approached staff offering to share their talents with the children. If any parents/grandparents have any hidden talents they would like to share with us we would be very grateful. Perhaps you play an instrument or are a superb storyteller?
Parents Committee
A new Nursery Parents Committee has been established. We would like to extend a warm welcome to Mrs Wos,
Mrs Toner and Mrs Hannah. The committee provides an effective link between the parents and the nursery.
Our first coffee morning of the year took place last week and we raised a grand total of £198.10 All monies raised will go towards purchasing resources for the nursery. Thank you for your support.
Sponsored Event
In order to raise funds for the nursery we are holding a Sponsored Eventin the nursery on Friday 4 November. Pleasereturn your child’s sponsor sheet and sponsor money to theNursery by Monday 7 November. If you have any fun ideas for type of sponsored event we should hold please speak to a member of staff. Please be as generous as you can as monies raised will go towards purchasing resources for the nursery. If you or your child have any suggestions for new, stimulating resources please let us know by popping a note into one of our suggestion boxes or onto our ‘Good Ideas Wall’ in the reception area. Thank you for your continued support.
Costume Party
A Halloween Costume Party has been arranged forMonday 31October. If your child wishes to dress up on this day they may do so. We would ask that no masks are worn on this day as this may frighten some children and would also request that no toy weapons be brought into the nursery.
Nursery Open Day
We would like to invite all parents/guardians to our open day which will take place in the nursery on Wednesday 9 Novemberfrom 9.00-10.00am and 1.15pm-2.15pm.This will provide you with the opportunity to spend some time with your child in the nursery and discover some of the exciting activities on offer. Mrs Madden will also be on hand to discuss ‘Curriculum For Excellence.’
Parents Evening
A parents evening will be held for all parents/guardians on Thursday 10 November. Information regarding times will be allocated shortly.
Foodbank
The Clyde, Avon and Nethan Foodbank has been operating in Larkhall for three years. There has been concern for a while that there is a need for the benefits of a foodbank in the Strathaven Community. Strathaven Evangelical Church and the Foodbank are working together so people can access the foodbank supplies from Strathaven Evangelical Church by contacting the pastor, David Childs, by phone.
If you are aware of anyone who would benefit from the Foodbank you can refer them to Strathaven Evangelical Church, David Childs or Drew Fisher (07768 336452).
Website
The school website has been roundly praised by parents/carers and visitors for the scope and immediacy of the information available. The website contains everything you need to know about the school – policies and procedures, year calendar, newsletters and all up-to-date information relating to the school, nursery and parish. It also contains designated pages for the Parent Council and the PTA.
Please paste it into your favourites and make it your first point of contact for all things relating to our school/nursery class.
You can visit us at:
Parent Council
The AGM of the Parent Council was held in the school on Monday 5 September and the following committee was elected:
Chairperson:Mr P McGunnigal
Vice-Chairperson:Mrs P Quinn
Parent Representatives:Mrs L Brien, Mr J Fogarty, Mrs E McGunnigal, Ms A M Mitchell
Church Representative:Mrs R Gibson
Co-opted Community Members:Mr J Mulligan
Staff Representative:Mrs P Bradley
We wish the committee well in their efforts on behalf of the whole school community at this important time as we settle into our new temporary accommodation and prepare to move back to our new home.
The Parent Council will meet in the school on Monday 28 November at 6.30pm..
These meetings are open to all members of the *Parent Forum (*parents/carers whose children attend the school/nursery class).
PTA News
The PTA AGM took place in the Strathaven Hotel on Monday 12 September 2016 and the Committee for this session is as follows:
Chairperson: MrsC Thomson
Vice Chairperson:Mrs E Wos
Secretary: Mrs M Harvey
Treasurer: Mr P Brien
Staff Representatives:Mrs P Bradley, Mrs G McLaughlin
We wish the new committee well in their efforts and thank them (and all parents/guardians) for their continued support and hard work.
The school community would like to express its grateful thanks to our ‘retiring’ Chairpersons, Clare Denning and Margaret Harvey for their organisational skills, boundless energy and sterling efforts on behalf of our pupils– we are indebted to them!
- The next meeting of the PTA will be held in the Strathaven Hotel on Monday 10 October at 6.30pm As always, everyone is welcome.
- A Coffee Morning will be held in the school hall on Friday 4 November from 10.00-11.30am. As usual, donations of shop-bought cakes and prizes for the raffle will be gratefully accepted.
- A Christmas Craft Fayre will be held in the school on Saturday 19 November beginning at 10.00am and ending at 1.00pm.
Further information will be communicated to you from the PTA in due course.
Christmas Pantomime
Hopscotch Theatre Company will visit the school on the afternoon of Tuesday 20 December to perform Jack and the Beanstalk in the school hall.
The cost of the pantomime is £5.00 per pupil and as always, is being subsidised by the school.
Gastrointestinal Infection
Children who suffer gastrointestinal infection are at increased risk of spreading the infection to others. Therefore the advice given from Lanarkshire NHS Board and Education Resources is that children should remain absent from school or nursery for 48 hours after symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting have resolved. This is especially important at this time of year when bugs and viruses are more prevalent.
Communicable diseases are common in children of nursery and school age. Can I request that if your child is suffering from chickenpox or mumps that you inform a member of staff as soon as possible as these illnesses can have very serious repercussions for some of our families.
Improving Air Quality - Engine Idling Campaign
This year’s engine idling campaign will commence shortly. This will involve officers from South Lanarkshire undertaking patrols at schools. Children are more vulnerable to air pollution because they breathe 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults. Engine idling occurs in schools everyday when children are dropped off and picked up and this coincides with the time children will be concentrated in these areas.
To promote positive behaviour officers will approach non-idling drivers and reward them with a small promotional item. This will hopefully reinforce the no idling message to drivers. Idling a vehicle unnecessarily is an offence and officers will warn any driver found to be doing this. If the driver fails to turn the engine off they may be issued with a £20 fixed penalty notice.
Additional awareness raising letters have also been prepared and will be issued to our Parent Council and Pupil / Eco Council.
Head Lice
Can I remind parents that it is recommended to check your child’s head at least once a week with a detection comb.If you require further information or guidance please contact Nurse Guy at The Red Deer Centre, Alberta Avenue, East Kilbride (01355 595370).
ImportantDiary Dates
Monday 31st October – Halloween Costume Party
Monday 7th November – Photographer will visit the nursery
Wednesday 9th November – Nursery Curriculum Open Day
Thursday 10thNovember – Parents Evening
Iain M McGuire
Head Teacher
If you ever have a query or a problem, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Nursery staff, or Mr McGuire. We are here to help in any way we can and make the pre-school experiences for our children as exciting and rewarding as possible.