RIGSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL PARENT COUNCIL NOTES of MEETING HELD on 20Th JANUARY 2016
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RIGSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL PARENT COUNCIL NOTES OF MEETING HELD ON 20th JANUARY 2016 Present: Leeann Gladstone (LG), Carol Ann Fitzgerald (CAF), Linda Ferguson (LF), Kerry McLaughlin (KMcL), Laura Mitchell (LM) Apologies: None Item Comments Welcome Members were welcomed to the fourth meeting of the Parent Council for session 2015/2016 and thanked for their attendance. The meeting scheduled on 6th January 2016 was postponed at the eleventh hour due to unforeseen circumstances. This meeting (20th January 2016) was the re-arranged date to suit key stakeholders. A draft agenda had been prepared and it was agreed to follow that order. Treasurers Report The bank balance of Parent Council fund at 5th January 2016 was £155.78. There is circa £323 with the Treasurer in petty cash. £15 from the sale of balloons was submitted at this meeting and a further £15 from the sale of Christmas cards from school orders is due. A cheque will be prepared (from the School) for this amount payable to the Parent Council in due course. There are no further commitments anticipated at this time. Matters Arising a. Feedback on Attainment bid – Ms Trisha Lennon, a Scottish Government employee, has been appointed as attainment advisor for schools within the South Lanarkshire catchment. Ms Lennon visited Rigside Primary School on 20th January as part of an initial review meeting. She will be returning in the next couple of weeks and will support Rigside Primary School in working towards the attainment targets outlined in the bid submitted. The school has been successful in securing additional funding and although the amount of the award is unconfirmed, it is a substantial five figure sum. The money will enhance resources and training needed to meet the attainment challenge. The specifics of spending the money awarded need to be fully monitored so that the internal financial processes of South Lanarkshire Council are adhered to. Some of the award will have to be spent before the end of the financial year (March 2016). In working towards the attainment challenges, Miss Munro and Mrs Telfer will be involved in training w/c 25th January to be able to lead the Rainforest Class. Also, w/c 18th January, Mrs Telfer was involved in “Catch Up” training which enables her to better support children who need additional help with reading on a weekly basis. All teaching staff will also be involved in North Lanarkshire Literacy training in the coming weeks. b. Transport to Lesmahagow (Tesco bag packing) - Volunteers are needed to help with the fundraising effort in Tesco, Lesmahagow on 20th February 2016 from 10:00 to 16:00. A letter from the Parent Council will be prepared and sent to families as soon as possible so that the logistics of transport and bag packing cover can be organised in advance. If enough adult helpers are available, a tombola can also be arranged and set up at the front door of the store. If the response to the letter is less than needed, a decision will have to be made about contacting the store to advise if we will be attending on that date or not. c. Deposit paid for Summer Treat (21st June) – A deposit has been paid to secure our places for the summer trip to Heads of Ayr Farm Park. Enquiries have been made regarding the cost of transport, and it was agreed that the Stuarts Coaches should be booked, as it was the cheapest option. It is hoped that the Parent Council funds will subsidise the cost of the bus (up to £300). Parents will be asked to pay £10 per child to cover the costs of the tickets. LM will mention the trip in the forthcoming newsletter and advise that parents who wish to pay the £10 in instalments in the coming months can do so through the school office. Update from School A school newsletter sent to all families is a key source of useful information and includes dates for forthcoming events. Provisions for Burns Day: Parent Council members were asked if funds could be provided for Haggis, Neeps and Tatties for the Burns event on Monday afternoon (25th January 2016). It was agreed at this meeting to fund this request and LG and LF will source the requirements in time for Monday. 1 Item Comments School Fund Committee: Schools are required to have a School Fund Committee. A meeting took place on 13th January 2016 where a Constitution was agreed and post holders appointed. The Constitution of the School Fund Committee was shared with members present at this meeting. The Postholders of the committee going forward are: Chair – Laura Mitchell Secretary – Nathan Purton Treasurer – Ruth McCallum Parent Members – Leeann Gladstone and Louise Johnstone Key points of the constitution outlined were: the approval processes and clear spending arrangements. Expenditure up to £50 can be authorised by the Treasurer and Chair; between £50 and £150 will require authorisation by the School Fund Committee. More than £150 of expenditure will require input / agreement from the committee and the entire staff team, following in-depth discussions. As part of the School Fund Committee meeting it was evident that the school bank balance is very low and fundraising efforts need to be increased to facilitate purchase of resources for the benefit of the children. A school fundraising meeting will be convened on Tuesday 2nd February at 9:15. LM re-iterated previous comments that she hoped fundraising would remain a joint effort with parents and school working in partnership. It is hoped that this initiative could encourage more parents to become involved in fundraising for the school. No one present at this meeting wanted to increase financial pressure on families by repeatedly asking for money but members are mindful that ultimately it is for the benefit of all of our children. Eco Update: Prior to June 2015, Rigside Primary School applied to Eco Schools Scotland for a repeat of the Green Flag Status. There have been some internal re-organisation at Eco Schools Scotland and this has delayed feedback on our applications. LM has received notice that the inspectors will visit Rigside at the end of February and carry out an assessment, where it is hoped our Green Flag will be awarded again. Diary Update: Particular activities mentioned at this meeting listed are below: w/c 18th January: Money week at the school and this has been incorporated into lessons throughout the week. As part of Money week, representatives from Blantyre and South Lanarkshire Credit Union will work with each of the classes in the school on 22nd January. 21st January: P5/6/7 will visit Science Centre in Glasgow as part of the Discover the Douglas Water project. Fish will be brought back to the school and released in the Douglas Water at a later date. 25th January: Burns event in afternoon. Children will perform a variety of songs and poems to celebrate Burns day. At the end of the event a Credit Union representative will speak to the assembled parents / families and advise the group about the forthcoming re-launch of the Credit Union in the school. 25th and 26th January: Miss Munro and Mrs Telfer will be attending training (as mentioned in the update above). 27th January: Holocaust Memorial Day – a pupil and staff assembly will be held in the school to commemorate this anniversary. 1st February: Credit Union training will take place for pupil tellers / supervisors and parent helpers. 2nd February: School Fundraising meeting at 09:15 5th February: Unicef Day for Change – this is one of the School’s chosen charities and an event will take place, with donations requested from parents / families. 8th / 9th February: Half Term holiday 10th February: In-service day; children not at school 11th February: Credit Union relaunch 19th February: Football tournament at Blackwood 20th February: Parent Council - Tesco Bag Packing 3rd March: World Book Day – activities will be planned in the school 2 Item Comments AOB Co-opted Member: Within the Constitution of the Parent Council, there is scope to co-opt up to 2 members to assist with carrying out the functions of the Parent Council as long as the number of parent members is always greater than the co-opted members. It was proposed at this meeting that Nicola McAllister become a co-opted member of the Parent Council until the end of session 2015/2016. Members present agreed that this would be a good addition to the group. DONM The date of the next parent council meeting is scheduled for 19th February 2016 at 1:30pm. All welcome. 3 .