Welcome to Sandhead Primary School December 2020 Information at a Glance School Information The School Day School Address The school playground is open from 8.45am with the school day beginning at 9am. All children have a 15 Sandhead Primary School minute morning break and 45 minutes lunch. The Sandhead, Stranraer, DG9 9JD school day ends at 3pm. Telephone: 01776 830 256 In wet weather during Covid 19 restrictions, please Email address: drop your child off as close to 9am as possible or take shelter in our wooden hut/play sheds. When Covid 19 [email protected] restrictions are lifted, the children can wait in the gym Parent Council Chairperson: Kenny Milroy hall from 8.45am via the front door. Head Teacher Mrs Nicola Henry Sandhead Early Learning Centre School Roll Primary 71 We operate a flexible start and finish time to suit the Nursery 15 needs of families within your entitled hours. We are Denomination Status: Non-denominational able to take children from 8.30am until 3.30pm. We are Status of Gaelic: No Gaelic teaching happy to discuss this individually with parent/carers. School Staff: Communicating with home If you have general enquiries (such as missing clothing, Senior Management Team: lunches, transport appointments/absences and uniforms) Headteacher Nicola Henry Please contact the school office. Please call by 9.30am if Principal Teacher Rachel Frew your child is going to be absent for any reason Nursery Manager Sharon Muir (Tel 01776 830 256) Teaching Staff If a parent has any aspect of their child’s learning that Miss Rachel Frew, Mrs Carole Topping, Miss Rebecca they wish to discuss, they should contact their teacher McMaster, Miss Paula Douglas, Mrs Katie McCulloch, via email or telephone message, so that the appropriate Mrs Barbara Campbell, Mrs Patricia Campbell member of staff can help. Sky Room - Miss Frew Additional Support for Learning Teacher [email protected] or Mrs Susan Archibald [email protected] Auxiliary Staff Wave Room - Mrs Topping Learning Assistants Mrs Jan Gibson [email protected] Miss Laura Dickson Seashell Room - Miss McMaster Clerical Assistant Mrs Shirley Service [email protected] Janitor/Playground Ocean Room - Miss Douglas Supervisor Mr Lee Forrest [email protected] or Catering Manager Ms Lynda Bryden [email protected] Catering Assistant/Cleaner Mrs Sue Wawrzyniak General Assistants Parental Involvement information: Ms McColm, Mrs Torbet, Miss Law http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/schools Sandhead Early Years Centre https://www.parentclub.scot/ Nursery Manager Mrs Sharon Muir Early Years Practitioners Parentzone Scotland: Miss Sandra McNeil, Mrs Victoria Anderson, https://education.gov.scot/parentzone Miss Rosie Blair School term dates can be found at: http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/article/15239/ School-term-and-holiday-dates Welcome from the Head Teacher Aims Dear Parent / Carer Our aim is to put learners and their families at the heart of everything we do and work towards ensuring that all A warm welcome from everyone at Sandhead Primary children are: Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, School. We hope you find this handbook helpful and Responsible, Respected and Included. that it gives you a flavour of what we aim to achieve for your child. We aim to safeguard and promote children’s understanding of the rights to which they are entitled Our clear vision, values and aims, developed by our to and provide experiences that enable them to families and staff, demonstrate that we are all working become: successful learners, confident individuals, together as one team, striving to ensure that every responsible citizens and effective contributors. single child leaves us equipped with the necessary skills to achieve their goals and dreams. We want all of our Meet our Values Crew team players to look back on their time in our school with fond memories, knowing that they were cared for, respected and valued every step of the way. Our pledge to you is to remain committed to these aims every single day. I look forward to working in partnership with you at Sandhead Primary and supporting your child to blossom and succeed. Yours sincerely Nicola Henry Head Teacher School Aims, Values and Ethos “Step aboard our ship Come join our crew Leading the ship in its journey We all sail together towards achieving the goals To make you the best YOU!” and dreams of our learners, is Captain Arrchi! He is a Vision successful starfish created by the children, who works Our vision is that all of our learners leave the South alongside the crew on our ship. Rhins Partnership with the skills, values and attributes Each crew member will support to choose – and excel in - pathways for life, learning and inspire your child to use and work. their characteristics and skills Values to achieve, whatever that may look like for them. We embrace At South Rhins Primaries, we value: uniqueness and individuality! • Respect • Resilience • Confidence • Happiness • Love of Learning Contact Us behaviours. The wider impact of challenging behaviour is always acknowledged and positive solutions to move The school welcomes suggestions and enquiries from forward are supported. parents and carers. We celebrate success and real-life examples of learners If you need to find out something displaying our school values in a variety of ways. Our We can be contacted by e-mail, telephone, group call school reward system, Class Dojo, is aligned with our text messages or face to face. Where it is not possible values, as is our “HT’s Wee VIPs” monthly award, and to resolve enquiries straight away, we will make children are fully aware of why the reward has been arrangements to follow up as necessary with the most given. appropriate member of staff. Every 5 Dojo Points earns children 1 merit which translates to 1 house point, which we update at shared If you have a comment or concern assemblies. Exciting treats are offered at the end of A comment might be some brief feedback about how each term to the winning house, as suggested by the we have handled a situation or delivered a service. It is children. We also give children opportunities to take best to pass a comment straight to the school so that the lead on their learning including Buddy Systems, we can take any necessary action. leading lunch time clubs, forming working parties and If you are not happy with the response you receive attending committees such as Pupil Council. or a decision that has been made, you can Ask us to Look Again. You can do this by contacting School uniform [email protected]. At this point an Officer will contact you and discuss the issue and share All Dumfries and Galloway schools have a dress code directly with you the outcome of this work. which encourages pupils to dress in a way appropriate to attendance at school. www.dumgal.gov.uk Remember you can also access Dumfries & Galloway Have Your Say at http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/ Ensuring our learners wear school uniform is very article/17349/Have-your-say important to us as it creates a sense of community and belonging to our “crew”. Sandhead Primary School and Nursery uniform consists of grey/black skirt/pinafore/ How the School Works trousers, White/navy polo-shirt and red sweatshirt/ hoody/cardigan/fleece jackets. We also allow gingham Class Organisation dresses in the school colour of red. We currently have four multi-composite classes. Our learners co-created sea-faring class names: We also require that a change of indoor shoes are kept in school, e.g. trainers, plimsoles, slippers etc – Class 1 = Sky Room something comfortable and easy to change. We would Class 2 = Wave Room prefer no jewellery, make up and/or false nails for health and safety reasons. Class 3 = Seashell Room For PE, a change of clothes is required e.g. shorts, Class 4 = Ocean Room tracksuit bottoms, leggings, tshirt. Sports related Positive Behaviour and Celebrating Success merchandise is not permitted e.g. football/rugby tops. We promote positive behaviour through our Positive Polo-shirts and sweatshirt/hoody/cardigan/fleece jackets Relationships policy, which was co-created with with the school emblem design can be ordered directly learners, staff, parent/carers and community, and is online or on the phone from: based on Respect for All: The National Approach to WBS Signs Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People Unit 3, Culmore Industrial Estate, policy, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Stoneykirk and Getting It Right for Every Child. Stranraer All behaviour is communication so we believe the most DG9 9DX successful way to promote positive relationships is to Tel 01776 830555 create an ethos where we try to understand behaviours Web site: wbssigns.co.uk through restorative practices and give appropriate Email: [email protected] support where needed, referring to the Principles of Nurture throughout. Staff are trained in these theories and show compassion and patience when managing School Transport Free school transport is available for some school children attending primary or secondary school if they live within the school catchment area and if they meet certain criteria. For more information and guidance visit http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/article/15245/Free- school-transport Attendance It is your responsibility as parents to ensure that your child/children attend school regularly. For the safety of all children it is important for you to telephone the school office prior to/at the beginning of the absence. Absences School Clothing grants are recorded in class registers and frequent or irregular The award of clothing grants is to assist with the cost absences not supported by a reasonable excuse, will be of school clothing for families who are on a qualifying notified to parents and the matter may be referred to benefit or on low income.