St Fillan’s Parent Council

Minutes of Meeting

Monday, 3 September 2012

Present

Audrey Harrison (AH)Parent Council Member (Chair)

Marie Sprat (MS)Parent Council Member

Anne McGinley (AM)Parent Council Member

Stephen O’Donnell(SD)Parent Council Member

Suzanne McGregor (SMG)Parent Council Member

Catherine Penman(CP)Head Teacher and Adviser to the Council

Elizabeth Nugent (EN)Staff Representative

Margo Brennen (MB)Community Representative

Elizabeth Stewart (ES)Clerk to the Board

In attendance

Ciara Henderson(CH)

Martin Murray (MM)

Apologies

Liam Coyle (LC)Parent Council Member

Shirley McIvor (SM)Parent Council Member

Monica McNulty (MMcN)Church Representative

Brian McGuigan (BM)Parent Council Member (Vice Chair)

Agenda /

Action

1. / Opening prayer:
The meeting was opened with the school prayer.
2. / Welcome and apologies
AH welcomed everyone and in particular the new head teacher, Catherine Penman. CP said she was delighted to be appointed to St Fillans, a school with great staff, great children and parents. She is looking forward to working in partnership with everyone to take the school forward.
EN advised that as her role has developed within the school, she felt it was time for a new staff member to come on board and she planned to step down. Ciara Henderson (CH) has agreed to take her place. AH thanked EN for her contribution over the years and CH was welcomed on board.
Apologies were received from Julia McKeown (a former chair of the parent council) who was hoping to attend.
3. / Approval of Previous Minutes
11 June 2012 – minutes approved. Proposed by SD and seconded by AH.
4. / Review of activity tracker
Review of tracker took place and updates marked up. See attached.
5. / Head Teachers Report
CP explained that during her first few weeks, she has been carrying out observations including a risk assessment in relation to fire regulations and safety of pupils, staff and visitors to the school. CP is concerned about security of the building and the number of people coming through the building and grounds, eg children being left unsupervised in the foyer prior to the breakfast club opening. The breakfast club opens at 8.00am and children should be taken round to the glass doors in the hall and a register will be taken. After school club parents should collect their children from the hall by entering through the glass doors in the playground.
Children should not be dropped off in the car park and from now on the car park gates will be shut at 8.45am and again at 3.00pm. The janitor will also supervise the car park at these times.
Parents should not enter the yard at any time and the grounds should not be used as a cut through by older children or parents. Dogs should not be in the yard or by the exit gates. There is an ongoing problem with the number of cars in Crompton Avenue and the community police are trying to come out as often as they can. Children should be encouraged to walk to school were possible.
Health and safety of all children and staff is paramount and Glasgow City Council rules must be followed.
MM asked when these changes would be communicated to parents and CP said a note would go out in the next day or two.
To help alleviate congestion at 3.00pm, CP is considering staggered exits with the lower school coming out 5 minutes earlier than the upper school. The PC agreed that this would be helpful and should be piloted.
CP is working with staff on the School Improvement plan and in particular new planners for literacy and maths to help teachers with planning, and then review methods of tracking attainment and achievement.
It is proposed that Personal Learning Plans will be sent home each term with targets agreed between pupils and teachers marked up. Parents will then be able to see their child’s targets and how they are getting on with reaching these. CPintroduced these types of plans in her previous school and they were well received by parents. Jotters will also be sent home each term for review by parents.
Other activities CP is planning to introduce include, speak to teacher drop in sessions perhaps once a month; parent workshop in relation to particular topics such as writing, maths, etc and this week the school is holding the first “meet the teacher” event where parents come into the school and meet the class teacher and talk about class aims, etc. On this occasion, CP will address the audience at the start. CP will also mention security during her introductory talk at the meet the teacher event.
CP is planning to hold assemblies on ‘celebrating success’. Timing for these has still to be worked out, as each class has now been timetabled for the required 2 hrs of PE so space and time availability is limited.
CP confirmed the school role is 480 and 40 nursery children in both am and pm sessions. There are three primary 1 classes (75 children). Two children did not turn up for Primary 1 and therefore the next two children on the waiting list were offered places.
CP would like to tighten up the school uniform and as it raises the bar for the school. It was agreed that parents will be consulted and a gradual implementation of uniform standards introduced. CP also suggested sharpening up the colours in the badge and tie and SD agreed to assist CP with this. CP has worked with the National School Wear Shop (Trutex) in her previous school and found them to be helpful. AH advised the National School Wear Shop at present make a donation to the school for any St Fillan badged item purchased from them. AH will add this to the parent questionnaire for distribution at the parent’s nights in November. / CP
CP/SD/AH
6. / Communication
6.1Incoming comms – AH received communication from parent over entering the breakfast club. This has now been resolved.
Training for recruitment and selection – if interested please sign up – details in email sent out by ES.
Scottish Parent Council Forum offering training on running a parent council, committee roles etc. AH will send on email if anyone is interested in attending the courses.
Scottish Parent Council Forum’s annual conference takes place on Saturday 6 October in Bishopbriggs. AH has details and if anyone is able to attend please let her know.
InsideoutTheatreSchool is starting up at Langside Collect on 15 September with classes for children from 6 to 18. Full details are on the school website.
The parent council box in reception is not being used and it was agreed that a sign should be put on it. SD to action.
6.2Web content – CP advised that, in time, each class will have a page on the website. EN is hoping to start up the ‘movie club’ again and perhaps some of the children involved can up other classes with their pages, particularly the infant department. CP agreed to look into starting up the head teacher blog again.
6.3Holyrood PC – New head teacher in place. Role increased from 1992 to 2059 and growing. Uniform high on agenda and introducing compulsory blazers for all. Holyrood is now an SFA Football academy – first 18 pupils started in August.16 S5/6 pupils forward for the Caritas Awards. Another Malawi charity has been launched within the Holyrood Community, “Classrooms for Malawi” (Tony Begley and John Duffy) and will be providing a similar experience to teachers, former pupils and parents as is currently in place within the school S5/S6 – this will present funding challenges within the community/parishes. / AH
All
SD
CP
7. / Any other business
7.1Events/Dates for PC stand – volunteers required for parents nights on 13 and 14 Nov. Evening of 13th Nov – MB and SMcG will attend. Afternoon of 14th Nov – AM and AH will attend. Others most welcome.
MB advised that a meeting at been held on the site of the proposed flats at Manse Brae and then at the City Chambers – no word yet on outcome. SMG’s company involved as Quantity Surveyors on project and she will see if she can find out anymore information.
CP is hoping to be able to take a year group at a time up to mass in Christ the King on a Friday. AH suggested that this could be a joint activity with St Mirin’s and CP will speak to HT at St Mirin’s to see if they would like to do this and also to Fr Peter about logistics.
AH asked if there was shortage of resources for Pr 4 classes. EN advised that this is the first year of three Pr 4 classes and additional books are probably on order.
CP was impressed with an online resource called ‘Espresso’ and is looking to trial this.
7.2Next meeting – Monday 1 October at 7.15pm. / CP

E Stewart – 5 September 2012

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