Welcome Back, I Do Hope That You All Had an Enjoyable Break
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BANCHORY PRIMARY SCHOOL BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2013
Dear Parents/Carers
Welcome back, I do hope that you all had an enjoyable break.
We welcome Niamh and Jenna Ellison (P5D), Katie Bruce (P4S) and Zoe Bruce (P2/3) and Maisie Strachan (NGB). We hope they have settled in well and are enjoying their new routine.
We say goodbye to Michael Rennie (P2D). We wish him well in his new home and school in Houston, Texas.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Let’s Grow Vouchers We are currently in the process of counting up all the vouchers that you have kindly been sending into school and have over 2000. Please send any remaining vouchers to the school by Friday 8th November.
Aberdeenshire life Education Centre (ALEC Bus) The ALEC Bus visits again for the next 2 weeks. All classes will visit the bus and undertake work shops that draw attention to aspects of their health and well being. You have received an invitation to attend a parents’ workshop on Wednesday 13th November at 9.00am.
No Car Day – Friday 8 th November This Friday pupils are encouraged to come to school by alternative means other than by car. Let’s see if we can raise our overall percentage of none car users again.
CHARITIES
Poppy Appeal 2013 Banchory Primary School Charities Committee will be selling poppies as usual this year to support the annual appeal. The money raised supports ex servicemen and women in Scotland. Last year we dug deep and raised a fantastic £217.55, we would love to improve on this with our donation this year. Children from the charities committee will be going class to class on Monday 4th November and Tuesday 5th November during the morning selling poppies for a donation. Poppies are available at other times from the school office and in the nursery.
Children in Need 2013 – Banchory’s Got Talent This year to celebrate and raise money for the annual Children in Need appeal, we will be running a ‘Banchory’s Got Talent’ show in school on Friday 15th November. The P6 and P7’s are given the opportunity to audition their talents and the best will be picked to perform on the day for the rest of the school to watch. Everyone is invited to pay a donation to ‘dress to impress’ on the day. There will also be Children in Need wrist bands available for sale in the week leading up to the event at £1 each, more information on specific times to follow.
Rotary Shoebox Appeal We will once again be taking part in the Shoebox Appeal organised by the Banchory Rotary Club. For several years now the appeal has run successfully and we thank you for your kind efforts and really hope to make another generous contribution this year. The charities committee would like - 1 - to encourage you to consider filling a shoebox to send to those less fortunate than us in Eastern Europe. Shoeboxes can be filled for children or families and make a big difference to those who receive them. The shoeboxes will be available for your child to collect from the P3/4/5 area at playtime on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th November and a small supply will be available in the office.
PTA NEWS
This December, the PTA is running their annual secret Christmas room, where the children can purchase a secret gift for a loved one or friend. The money raised from this will go towards Helambu this year. You will receive further information regarding the secret Christmas room after the in-service days in November. We hope you will support this, as the children love it!
PARENT COUNCIL
A message from our Parent Council
Parental Involvement in School life is of paramount importance. Education is a partnership between pupils, teachers and parents.
As your child attends Banchory Primary School, you belong to the Parent Forum. The Parent Council is your representative group of parents who join with school staff and co-opted members (members of our community who are not currently parents). Our Local Councillors and the Head Teacher attend our meetings as advisers to the Parent Council. We identify areas where we can work with the school to take forward matters where parental involvement will help the School and our children’s education. Your comments and input can influence our areas of focus.
Together we enable parents to make a positive contribution to their children’s education.
Following our first meeting, this year the Parent Council will focus on four areas.
Homework, we are working with the school to review its homework policy to reflect Curriculum for Excellence.
Communication, we are continuing to work with the school to continue to develop this. One element is to look at the Parent Council website content and blog.
Health and Wellbeing we are looking at starting up more clubs and opportunities for new experiences.
Parental Skills and Business links we will gather information and create a ‘Directory of Skills’ which class teachers may use to enhance the Curriculum for Excellence.
We welcome your ideas, and, volunteers to help develop these areas. If you have suggestions or are interested in helping with a sub group, who can meet at a mutually convenient time to gather ideas, please contact the Parent Council on our new email address.
Our second meeting will be held on Monday the 18th of November, please let us know using the above email address if there are any areas you would like us to raise or discuss.
- 2 - ACTIVE SCHOOLS
After School Golf for P2-P7 Golf Professional Steven Chalmers from Banchory Golf Club and Active Schools are working in partnership to offer golf sessions to P2-P7 pupils in November and December 2013. Pupils will have the option to sign up to the club on a Monday and Friday after school, starting on the 4th November and 8th November 4-5pm on both days. If you would be interested in your child attending, forms are available on the Banchory page of the Active Aberdeenshire website.
Football
100 FREE TICKETS FOR BANCHORY PUPILS TO ATTEND ABERDEEN V HEARTS ON 9th OF NOVEMBER.
FREE tickets available for the Aberdeen v Hearts game on the 9th of November 2013. Children must be accompanied by parents/adult as Active Schools will not be in attendance.
Tickets are for parents/adults and children. Adults must have minimum of 1 child with them.
Please contact Susi McLarty for your free tickets NOW.
Running Club at Banchory. Active schools in partnership with Banchory primary parents are looking to start a lunchtime running club at Banchory Primary School. This would be excellent training for the Balmoral Run weekend where Banchory always have a fantastic turn out.
If you think your child would be interested in attending please contact Susi McLarty on [email protected]
Young Leaders Following the training of all the primary seven pupils, a large group continue their work as Young Leaders on Mondays and Thursdays in the school this term, delivering and leading games with the younger pupils at lunchtimes.
PARENT INFORMATION
ParentMail ® We send communications from school by email, whenever possible. Please keep this information up to date and check your email’s regularly in order that you are kept up to date with what is happening at school. In order to do this, we require you to complete a separate permission form to allow your email address (up to 3 can be given per family) to be added to ParentMail®, so if you don’t think you have done so already, please contact the school office to complete this form. By giving your email address via the Pupil Data Check Form does not allow us to transfer this information to ParentMail®, without your written permission. Thank you for your co-operation.
- 3 - BPS Calendar 2013-2014 The blue calendar that was received by all families at the start of this school session has extensive information about the activities in school. This is also available on our school website. Please do keep a check of these activities on a regular basis so that you do not miss out on sharing your children’s learning/social experiences within BPS.
Soft Starts This week you have the opportunity to come into school on the dates identified on the calendar to share a numeracy lesson with your children. We welcome your involvement in your children’s learning on these occasions.
Adverse Weather It is time to remind you of our Emergency Information Telephone Service. In the event of severe weather you can contact this service on 0870 054 4999 followed by our pin number 021300. This will update you on any possible school closure. Reports will also be provided on Northsound and Radio Scotland (FM 93.8).
As winter approaches please remind your children to dress appropriately for the conditions and to wear a coat or jacket.
Pupil Safety As part of our BE SAFE BE SEEN campaign our Junior Road Safety Officer, Rachael Steven, aims to encourage all children when out at night or coming to school on dark mornings wear something bright and to keep themselves safe.
Rachael wishes to ask all parents to encourage their children to wear reflective clothing – Be bright at night and BE SAFE BE SEEN.
School Office Lunchtime The office staff take their lunch between 12.50pm and 1.30pm. Can parents please avoid coming to the office or phoning the school at this time unless it is URGENT.
Calls to School Office The office is receiving an increasing number of calls very close to bell time when parent/guardians are delayed in collecting their child/ren. Could we please ask you to notify the school office as soon as you are aware of your delay to allow the message to be passed to your child/ren in plenty of time.
Please remember the school office is the extremely busy hub of our school and the staff will always deliver an urgent message to your child. However, please do not ask them to leave the office on an errand for you that is not of an urgent nature.
Staff In-Service Our School will be closed for pupils on Monday 11th November and Tuesday 12th November when the staff will be working on The Curriculum for Excellence and how we continue to take this forward in Banchory Primary School. On Monday and Tuesday a number of staff will join the staff at Tullynessle School to undertake training around Philosophy for Children (P4C). Others will be attending training in Aberdeen on Monday around the Pedagogy of Assessment and on Tuesday work as a team as to how this will effect our assessment procedures in Banchory Primary School and how these are embedded within the curriculum
Canteen Christmas Lunch - Wednesday 11 th December The date for the school’s Christmas lunch will be announced shortly. Should your child/ren wish to have lunch on that day they should either bring along a dinner ticket, or £2.00. - 4 - Christmas Show A Christmas show will be performed by all the children in P1 to P7. Dates: Thursday 12th December at 9.30am – Primary 1 to Primary 7 Thursday 12th December at 1.40pm – Primary 1 to Primary 7 Friday 13th December at 9.30am – Primary 1 to Primary 7 Friday 13th December at 1.40pm – Primary 1 to Primary 7
Initially tickets will be restricted to two per family and a waiting list will be in operation for those who wish extra tickets. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday 26th November at 9.15am in the School canteen. Further details will follow.
Christmas Letter We will shortly send out a ‘letter that will give further details of all of our Xmas activities and arrangements. This will keep all the information in one place.
OTHER NEWS
Banchory Primary website
Our new website acts as our first port of call for parents and staff who wish to find out about our school and is full of useful information. There is no facility to contact the school directly through the website, but should you want to discuss anything please feel free to contact us on 01330- 823351. Please take time to explore our new website and give us some feedback.
The new address is: banchory-pri.aberdeenshire.sch.uk
Our ‘Giving’ Assembly Friday 11 th October
Our thanks to you all for your donations for the Aberdeenshire South Foodbank., 293 cans and 96 packets of food were collected and taken to the Foodbank.
We received a letter of thanks:
“Thank you all very much for donating this to the Aberdeenshire South Foodbank. The generosity of the staff, pupils and their families is much appreciated’
Now that the Foodbank has been up and running for a few months, we are giving out food each week to people across a wide area. These people, including families, are trying to cope with a crisis where they have no money for food, so what we are able to provide for a few days is greatly welcomed.”
Yours faithfully
Rosée Elliott Head Teacher
- 5 - …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Banchory Primary Comments Slip November 2013
The November Bulletin is now available on our website:
banchory-pri.aberdeenshire.sch.uk
Please use this slip to make any comments that you would like to share on the contents of our Bulletin.
Signed: ………………………………….. Children……………………………………..………….
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