Thorntree Primary School Newsletter August 2014

THORNTREE PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2014

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope you managed to come to the school for our “Meet the Teacher” hour. There will be other chances to come to the school over the session – at parent/carer’s evenings, special assemblies and to participate in activities with your child. In response to those parents who sent in their evaluation sheets at the end of the session, we will try our best to improve communication between home and school.We were delighted that of the 101 responses we received 94 told us that our school was EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD. We don’t want to rest on our laurels and will be working to improve our practice over the year. Help us to do better by regularly communicating.

We asked parents if they agreed with our school values which are

HARD WORK, HONESTY, ACHIEVEMENT, KINDNESS, CITIZENSHIP, RESPECT AND EQUALITY.

All who responded thought these were important. Each month children will be working towards demonstrating these values and some children from each class will be chosen as Children of the Month. They will receive a special certificate and have their photograph taken as a reward for trying hard.

We have had a full refurbishment of the senior girls and boys toilets. Photographs will be put on the web site for you to see and we will give you a tour at parent’s night in November, by this time the infant toilets will also be completed. When they are finished, the work in our school will be complete. We have been refurbishing since March 2013! The school is looking fabulous and we are all working hard to keep it that way.

As this is still our birthday year we have a few events until the end of 2014 to celebrate this. The Massai Warriors from Kenya will visit in September, an event for the Council and 4Rs project people in October, A Ceilidh for parents and children in November and our fantastic Christmas celebrations in December.

This year we will be organising the children in HOUSES. Each house will be named after a tree in keeping with our name. Children related to one another will be placed in the same house. House points will be awarded for various reasons during the week, term and year. We hope to have this up and running by the September weekend.

We have a new teacher with us in P2. His name is Mr Hyslop. He is working in room 5 with Mrs McGowan on a Friday. He will work with Mrs Colquhoun from September when Mrs McGowan goes on maternity leave. Mrs McGowan will go off in September to have her baby and another teacher will come to our school at this time.

Miss Beattie has stayed with us and she is working in room 4.

Mrs Hainey, one of our PSAs, will come back in September from her maternity leave. She had a baby girl.

The name changes for our newly married teachers are – Miss McGowan is now Mrs McGowan – Murdoch she is in Room 7 and Mrs Hendry in room 9 is now Mrs Johnston.

Each class will be putting on a Special Assembly where parents are asked to come to see what their child learned during that term.Parents/carers can visit the class afterwards. We will let you know in good time when this is, usually a Monday or a Friday from 1.30 p.m.

We will be holding a Family Ceilidh this year where you and your children can come along to the school in the evening of the 27th of November and enjoy the music of a LIVE BAND and have a good laugh trying out the dances you learned at school – The Dashing White Sergeant, Strip the Willow, The Gay Gordons etc. Don’t worry if you can’t do these – we will be holding two sessions to get you dancing again. The Parent Council are partnering up on the planning and organisation of this event. Please support us by coming along.

The PTA and the Parent Council are always looking for new members. The PTA meet on the first Wednesday of the month at 9.00 and the Parent Council usually meet in the evening. The next meeting is at 5.30 on the 17th of September. To help on outings etc. you will need a PVG membership. If you are willing to support us by volunteering to help at any stage of the school we will pay towards your membership. Please contact the school to talk about this if you are interested.

Most parents are continuing to abide by the law regarding not stopping on the zig zags at the front and rear of the school. PLEASE CONTINUE TO ASSIST US IN KEEPING ALL OUR CHILDREN SAFE BY STAYING CLEAR OF THE ZIG ZAG AREA.

Once again this session we will host our enjoyable “Get Thorntree Reading” afternoons. The first is on the 17th of September and is a chance for parents/carers and children to come to the hall, have a tea or coffee and a snack and swap books, hear stories and spend some quality time together. The event takes place from 2.30 until around 3.30 p.m.

P7 will be going off on their Outward Bound week in the new year. The children will be trying to raise money for the week by taking part in a sponsored West Highland Way Walk on the 7th of October. Those children not going will also benefit from the fund raising. There will be a meeting for P7 parents/carers about the week away early in September.

P1 Parents – watch out for information about Play-A-Long Maths which will be starting this term.

P1/2 PARENTS/CARERS PLEASE NOTE;- CHILDREN ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE GRASS BEFORE 9.00. PLEASE DON’T CALL YOUR CHILD OVER TO YOU AT THE FENCE AS THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR YOUR CHILD TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

We are excited about the challenges of the new school year and we are sure your children will have an interesting and enjoyable time at Thorntree. If there is anything you would like to discuss with us, please don’t wait until parent’s/carer’s night. You can phone, make an appointment and visit in person or email me.

PLEASE KEEP THIS NEWSLETTER AS IT CONTAINS LOTS OF IMPORTANT DATES. A COPY WILL BE ON THE WEBSITE –IN CASE YOU LOSE IT.

IMPORTANT DATES

22.8.14 Meet the Teacher

25.8.14 After School Hockey

29.8.14 Children of the Month – focus was on Hard Work.

1.9.14 P1 children in school full time 9-3p.m.

2.9.14 Room 11 to the City Halls

3.9.14 The Osiligi Massai Warriors from Kenya

9.9.14 Lunchtime football skills sessions

9.9.14SSPCA visit to school.

10.9.14 Scripture Union Club at lunchtime for P6/7

17.9.14 GET THORNTREE READING PARENT VISIT 2.30 -3.30

18 &19 SEPTEMBER IN SERVICE DAYS AND POLLING DAY

22.9.14 P7 to Dalmarnock Pr. for Goethe Institute Day

22.9.14 Children of the month – focus was RESPECT

25.9.14 Women’s hockey champion Ailsa Wyllie visiting Room 11

26&29 SEPTEMBER – HOLIDAY WEEKEND

3.10.14 P5 Get Ready to Run

4.10.14SATURDAY CAR BOOT SALE

7.10.14P7 Walk the West Highland Way

9.10.14 HARVEST SERVICE – 9.30 Parents/carers welcome to attend

10.10.14 END OF TERM ONE. School closes at usual time Roll of

Honour Letters come home – Yellow this term.

20.10.14 BACK AFTER OCTOBER WEEK

29.10.14 Halloween Disco

31.10.14 Children of the Month – focus was on HONESTY

4.11.14 FLU VACCINATION PROGRAMME

6.11.14 PARENTS NIGHT 5.30 – 8.30

11.11.14 – PARENTS NIGHT – 3.30 – 6.00

24.11.14 – Whole school focus Financial Week.

27.11.14 – FAMILY CEILIDH (We will be holding dance lessons for parents from after the October week to get you up to speed for the night. 3.30-4.00 and 5.30 -6.00 on two nights dates to be confirmed)

28.11.14 – Children of the Month the focus was on EQUALITY

10.12 14 – Christmas Fair

16 &17.12.14P1 NATIVITY AND P7 SHOW

19.12.14 CLOSE AT 2.30 FOR HOLIDAYS – Roll of Honour

Letters home they are green this term.

5.1.15 RE-OPEN AFTER CHRISTMAS