August 2018 Newsletter

Blacklands
Primary

Newsletter

August 2018/No6

Remember to click to download and read our digital newsletter.
Read on to find out more about what’s happening at
Blacklands!

Head Teacher Message




Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back to session 2018-19.

Both staff and children enjoyed a relaxing summer holiday
and now look forward to the session ahead. We would like
to welcome back Mrs McKenzie who will be teaching P4/5
from Monday-Wednesday and Mr Graham who will be
teaching P5/6. We also welcome Miss O’Brien who is our
Modern Apprentice in our Early Years Class.

Read on to find class information with details of gym,
homework etc and dates for your diary for the year ahead.

It has been a busy start to the term already with clubs
starting, our first discussion dinner and ‘Meet the Teacher/
Stay and Play’ sessions. We hope that you are able to join
us throughout the year for a range of planned activities
and experiences.

In partnership,

Elaine McNeil
Head Teacher

Message from the Office




Dear Parent/Carers

It is a really busy time of year in the office. Thank you to
our families who have returned the many forms we have
issued. If you have not returned these please do ASAP.
These forms are annual and previous forms have been
shredded and cannot be used. This means that your
child will not be in any pictures, be able to go on local
visits or trips and, more importantly we may not have up
to date contact details for you in case of emergencies.

Can we remind parent/carers who drop off children to
our breakfast club that staff are unavailable to meet at
this time unless an appointment has been made in
advance.

A reminder, that the office hours are 8.30am-4pm
Monday-Thursday and 8.30am-3pm Fridays. The
phone will not be answered out with these hours.

Kind regards
Mrs Smith

Welcome to P1

Welcome to Primary 1 at Blacklands Primary School! My name is Miss
Pursley and I will be your first point of contact for any queries you may
have regarding your child’s learning experience. The class had a great first
week and are already starting to settle into the routines of Primary 1.
 
Literacy and English
Children have already started learning phonics; we introduce an action and
song to go with each sound and we encourage children to practise regularly.
They will soon receive a picture/discussion book. Books with words will
follow when the children become more confident with reading words.

 

Numeracy and Mathematics
                                                                         
In class we are learning to recognise and form numbers. We are also
looking at pattern and sorting through a variety of practical activities.
 
Homework
Children will receive homework to consolidate what they are learning in
school. There will be an activity to go with every sound that we learn.
Children will gradually receive a word list to go over daily. Numeracy tasks
will be issued each week. Please note homework issued on a Monday will not
be collected in until Thursday. Tasks are expected to take no longer than
5-10 minutes at a time.
 
Gym
Gym days are Wednesday and Thursday. Thank you to those of you who
have already provided gym kit with names on them.
Reminder: No jewellery to be worn on gym days please.

 
Miss Pursley

Welcome to P2
 I am delighted to be working with your child in P2 this year. I
look forward to developing a positive relationship with you as
this is the best way for your child to feel supported in their
learning. Please feel free to contact me about any matters
concerning your child and I will return your call or arrange a
meeting if required.
 
Homework will be issued on a Monday and should be returned
on a Friday of each week. I would appreciate your support in
helping to ensure that homework is completed and is handed
in, whenever possible, on time. Please feel free to contact me
if you need any help with resources or clarification of how to
complete tasks.
 
Our gym days are Wednesday and Friday. If your child wears
earrings, please ensure that these are removed on gym days,
or if that is not possible, please cover them with plasters or
micropore tape. Your child should always have a gym kit in
school, consisting of shorts, t-shirt and gym shoes. This will be
sent home at the end of each term to be washed and shoe
sizes checked. It would also be extremely helpful if you could
ensure that all school clothing is clearly labelled to help
identify any lost items.
 
Kind regards,
Mrs T Weeks

Welcome to P3/4

Welcome back after a lovely sunny summer holiday and I hope
you are all ready for the new school year ahead. 

 
Our P.E. days are Tuesday and Thursday.  For safety, if your
child wears earrings please ensure these are either removed on
gym days or covered with plasters or micropore tape.  Your
child should always have a gym kit in school, consisting of
shorts, t-shirt and gym shoes.  This will be sent home at the end
of each term to be washed and to allow for shoe sizes to be
checked.   It would also be extremely helpful if you could ensure
that all school clothing is clearly labelled to help identify any
lost items.

Homework will be issued on a Monday and should be returned on
a Friday each week.  I would appreciate your support in helping
to ensure that homework is completed and handed in.  Please
feel free to contact me if you need any help with completing
homework tasks or accessing resources.

We do like the children to have access to fresh drinking water
during the day so please provide your child with a labelled water
bottle. Water is the best drink to have in class as it does not
leave a sticky mess when spillages happen!

I am looking forward to meeting you to discuss your child’s

progress at our Learning Conversation on Thursday 20th

September.  In the meantime, however, if you need to contact

me please call the school office and I will get in touch as soon as

possible. Mrs Taylor

Welcome to P4/5

Firstly, we would like you to know that we are delighted to be
teaching your child in the P4/5 class this year!  We are excited
about the year ahead and are committed to creating a happy,
safe, kind and purposeful learning environment, where all children
are valued and supported to give of their best.  We have high
expectations of all our learners, and look forward to working
together with you to help your child make the most of this year
with us.  We would ask for your support in reinforcing with your
child the importance of following school rules and routines.

Please read on for important information about our class, which
you will hopefully find useful!

Mrs McKenzie teaches the class from Monday to Wednesday, and
Mrs Wilde teaches on Thursday and Friday.

Our gym days are on a Monday and Friday.  Please ensure your
child has PE kit at school, which includes gym shoes, shorts and T
shirt, although children may wear their school polo shirt. Gym
bags are provided in school.  Kits should be kept at school and
taken home at the end of term for washing. 

Homework will be given out on a Monday, and should be returned
every Thursday.  This will consist of a literacy and numeracy task,
and one other variable task, such as topic based research,  a
family challenge or perhaps a life skills activity.  Please
encourage  your child to complete homework and sign their
completed work.

Research shows that children do best when there are strong links
between parents/carers and their school.  Over the year, we look
forward to welcoming you along to a number of family learning
events, details of which will be given nearer the time. Whilst we
understand that work and other commitments sometimes prevent
parents and carers from being able o attend such events, we know
how much it means to our pupils to have any family members or
friends come along to share in their learning experiences and
activities.   We would also hope that, should you or the school
have any concerns about your child we would be able to work
together to resolve any issues. 

We love to celebrate the achievements of all our children, and
not just those earned in school or the classroom.  If your child
has been recognised in any way in the wider community, please
encourage them to bring in any photographs, certificates, medals
etc, so that their commitment, talent and hard work can be
recognised and celebrated in our class and school community.  

We want your child to enjoy their year with us and we will be
working hard to make their learning experiences as fun and
interesting as possible, while at the same time helping them to
understand their responsibility in making the most of their
learning opportunities.  We look forward to seeing you at our
Stay and Play afternoon, or our first Learning Conversation on
20th September. 

Kind Regards,   Mrs McKenzie & Mrs Wilde

Welcome to P5/6

My name is Mr Graham and I will be the class teacher this year. I
will be your first point of contact for any queries you may have
about your child’s year ahead. Please do not hesitate to get in
contact via a note in homework jotter, letter or leave a message
with the office staff and I will reply as soon as possible. This year
is all about building confident, positive and enthusiastic learners who
are ready to take on any challenge. We have got off to a good start
and are settling in to the routines of Primary 5/6.

 

Literacy and English

This year we will be exploring a wide range of areas within Literacy
and English. This term the children will start to recall and apply
their prior knowledge and learning in a range of activities which will
build on their confidence in the subject. They will be using reading
strategies to explore a range of texts. The children will have
individual reading books and participate in group reading circles and
class novel discussions. Daily reading time also takes place to
encourage an interest in reading and develop their confidence.

 

Numeracy and Mathematics.

This term children will be revising the four number processes of
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They will be
applying these in a range of activities, challenges and problem
solving experiences. Daily mental maths challenges will develop their
accuracy and speed in mental calculations. We will also be exploring
measure both in and out of the classroom - remember to send
children with a jacket for our unpredictable weather!

 

Homework

Children will be receiving homework to consolidate and enhance their
learning in school. Homework will be comprised of weekly spelling
activities, reading and a numeracy related task. Tasks are designed
to take around 10-15 minutes each and will be due on different days.
A detailed note will be put in the front cover of homework jotters
to explain expectations of the weeks tasks. All tasks will be issued
on a Monday.

 

PE

Our PE days are Tuesday and Thursday. A storage area is provided
for all children to keep their PE kit in to ensure kit is always
available and not left at home. Please ensure that all kit has names
clearly marked on them to reduce the time spent looking for the
correct item.

Reminder: No jewellery to be worn on gym days for safety. Items
must be removed to participate in the lessons.

 

I look forward to the year ahead and working with parents and
carers to enhance the Children’s learning.

 

Mr Graham





Thank you to everyone who has been on time
this session.

Howver, there have been 40 children late for
school since school started 2 weeks ago. This is
really disappointing. These statistics are held by
NAC and schools are accountable so we would
really ask that all families make an extra effort to
be on time. Being late is not only disrupting your
child’s learning, it is disrupting the whole class.

BREAKFAST BOUNCE

Our ‘Breakfast Bounce’ is proving to be very
successful. This is free for all families.

8.20-8.40 - Breakfast
8.40-9.00 - Activities and games
** P1-3 children must ALL be signed in by a

parent/carer on arrival. **

Dates for your Diary 2018-2019

SEPTEMBER

Tue 4th Parent Council Meeting

Thu 6th Whole School Arriba Familia session 1.45pm
Family Learning Homework Club wk 2

Fri 7th P5/6 & P7/6 Stay and Play & Meet the Teacher
2-3pm

7-13th Sept Sumdog Math Week

Thu 13th Roald Dahl Day - Dress up optional
Family Learning Homework Club wk 3

Thu 20th Learning Conversation 1 3.30-5.30 & 6.30-8.30pm

Mon 24th Inservice Staff only

Thu 27th Family Learning Homework Club wk 4

OCTOBER

Mon 1st Dyslexia Awareness Week
Challenge Poverty week

Thu 4th Family Learning Homework Club wk 5

Wed 10th Harvest Service 10.45am in school

Thu 11th Whole School Arriba Familia Session 2 1.45pm
Family Learning Homwork Club wk 6

Fri 12th Fun Friday Fundraiser
School stops for October Holidays

Mon 22nd Pupils Return EYC-P7

Mon 29th World Kindness Week

Wed 31st Halloween - Dress up optional

Mon 12th NOVEMBER
Thu 15th Anti-bullying Week
Flu immunisations 9am-3pm
Fri 16th Whole School Arriba Familia session 3 PM
Mon 19th School Holiday
Tue 20th School Holiday
Scottish Book Week starts
Mon 3rd
Tue 4th DECEMBER
Wed 5th Hour of Code Week
Tue 11th P1-7 Trip to Gaiety Ayr (PANTO)
Wed 12th School Christmas Lunch
Thu 13th P1-3 Nativity 6pm in school
Fri 14th P1-3 Nativity 2pm in school
Mon 17th P4-7 Christmas Show 7pm in school
P4-7 Christmas Show 2pm in school
Tue 18th EYC Parties (AM & PM sessions)
Wed 19th Burns Poems issued
Thu 20th P1 and P2 Party (PM)
P3/4 and P4/5 Party (PM)
Fri 21st Christmas Service in school 9.30am
P5/6 & P7/6 Party (PM)
Christmas Fayre 9-11am
School stops 2.30pm

JANUARY

Mon 7th Pupils Return EYC-P7
Mon 14th P1 Registration
Thu 24th Learning Conversation 2 3.30-5.30 & 6.30-8.30pm
Mon 28th EYC Registration week

Thu 7th FEBRUARY
Fri 8th Whole School Arriba Familia session 4 1.45pm
Mon 11th School Holiday
Tue 12th School Holiday
Thu 14th Inservice Staff only
Mon 25th Parent Council Valentine Disco TBC
Thu 28th Fairtrade Fortnight
Digital Learning Day
Mon 4th Discussion Dinner 6.15-7.30pm
Thu 7th
Mon 11th MARCH
Thu 14th Attendance Focus Month
Thu 28th World Book Day- Dress up optional
Fri 29th British Science Week
Arriba Familia session 5 1.45pm
Mon 15th Learning Conversation 3 3.30-5.30 & 6.30-8.30pm
School stops 2.30pm

APRIL
Pupils Return EYC-P7
Term 4 plans due

Thu 18th Easter Service Abbey Church 9.30am
Daffodil Tea Fundraiser in school (PM)

Fri 19th School Holiday

Mon 22nd School Holiday

MAY

Thu 2nd New P1 Parent Induction (AM)

Mon 6th School Holiday

Tue 7th iCycle starts

Mon 13th-Fri 17th Health Week- Daily Mile launch at KSC
Digital Learning Week TBC

Thu 16th Day Outdoors at Eglinton Park

Thu 23rd New P1 Transition Activity 1 (AM)

Mon 27th Inservice Staff only

Thu 30th New P1 Transition Activity 2- Teddy Bears
Picnic (PM)

JUNE

Tue 4th Sports Day (PM)

Thu 6th New P1 Transition Activity 3 (PM)

Fri 7th Sports day (RESERVE)

Tue 11th New P1 Transition Activity 4 (AM)

Thu 13th P7 at Leavers’ Trip Colour-splash TBC
Discussion Dinner 6.15-7.30pm

Fri 14th-Sun 16th P7s at Dalguise Residential

Tue 18th EYC-P7 Summer Trip TBC

Thu 20th P7/S1 Induction 1 at Kilwinning Ac.
Fri 21st New P1 Taster Lunch

Mon 24th P7/S1 Induction 2 at Kilwinning Ac.
Tue 25th Class Bump Up (PM)
Wed 26th Reports Out
Thu 27th
Fri 28th Prize giving rehearsal (AM)
Summer Concert rehearsal (PM)

P1-7 Prize Giving (AM)
Blacklands Got Talent- Pupils (PM)

EYC Celebrations AM & PM

P1-7 Summer Concert 10.30am & 6.30pm

Summer Service at Abbey Church 9.30am
School closes 1pm

Club update

Parent Council update

Photos of ‘Roald Dahl
Day’

Attendance focus