Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to our first newsletter of this session. It has been lovely to see the return of your children after a long Summer Break. Your children look incredibly smart in their school uniforms and I would like to thank you for your assistance in this area. We look forward to an exciting year ahead, filled with lots of engaging experiences for all our children. As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if there are any issues you wish to discuss. As ever, let us all keep Working Together for Excellence. Kind regards, Shirley May Carr ST ANTHONY'S AUGUST 2023 NEWSLETTER HEADTEACHER'S WELCOME Absence Arrangements In line with North Ayrshire’s Attendance Policy, please see below the procedures to follow if your child is absent from school: · If your child is ill, please phone the school by 0930. · If for some reason we have not heard from you, then we will send a text message for you to contact us. · If we do not hear from you by 1030, we need to take further action e.g. phone our Area Inclusion Worker. · Our priority is that all our children are SAFE. Article 28 I have the right to an education
Medical Details Please remember to inform the school of any changes to your child’s medical details. To ensure the best care of your child, we need to know of all medical needs. Article 24 I have the right to good quality health care, to clean water and good food Personal Possessions In order to avoid lost possessions, everything belonging to your child that is brought to school must be labelled with their name. Please label shoes, sweatshirts, polo shirts, bags, jackets and packed lunch boxes in particular. Article 27 I have the right to have a proper house, food and clothing Animals in the Playground A reminder that no pets can be brought into the school playground and car park. Whilst it is nice to have the family pet waiting for the children at the end of the day, it unfortunately causes a health and safety concern. Thank you for your co-operation with this matter. Article 19 I have the right to be protected from being hurt or badly treated
Rights Respecting School Award Saint Anthony’s is proud to be a Silver – Rights Aware School. This recognition from UNICEF celebrates our whole school community’s work on children’s rights and their ambition to further develop this to make positive changes in our world. As we progress into Session 2023/24, our application for Gold accreditation has been submitted and we await news of our approval visit. We will continue to work collaboratively to increase our knowledge of children’s rights and champion the realisation of these rights within our community and beyond. Our children are the change makers of the future and we want to empower them to help make our world better and equality to reign. Each week, our children will learn about articles from the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) and develop their understanding of the realisation of rights across the world. Additionally, our staff will engage with learning on children’s rights through our collegiate sessions. Families can enhance their rights knowledge through discussion of weekly focus articles shared via Seesaw. Article 1 Everyone under 18 has these rights Article 2 All children have these rights
Water Bottles Please ensure that your child comes to school with plenty of water that they can access throughout the day. Our water fountains are accessible and will be used when required. We ask that children do not fill their water bottles which are accessed during class time with diluting juice. Article 24 I have the right to good quality health care, to clean water and good food P1-P3 All pupils from P1-P3 must be collected by an adult at the end of each day. P2 and P3 pupils can also be dropped off and enter the school via the upper end cloakroom in the morning. Article 3 Adults must do what’s best for me PEF Funding Pupil Equity Funding continues for the coming session and we are pleased to inform you that St Anthony’s qualifies for £71,050. Using this, we have identified the following areas for support: Staffing of Additional Support Needs Classroom Assistant Support Article 3 Adults must do what’s best for me
School Improvement Priorities The School Improvement Plan is a document which helps to identify our priorities for the coming session. When writing this document, we take into account a number of factors: -Scottish Government priorities and directives -North Ayrshire Council priorities and directives -Development needs of our own school Here are the areas we have identified as a school to focus on this session: To raise attainment in numeracy and mathematics through improved approaches across learning, teaching and assessment Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing Article 28 I have the right to an education Parent Council AGM Our PArent council AGM will take place on Thursday 7th September at 1830. This will take place in the school. Our Parent council is a great way for parents to help support our school. This meeting is open to all who would be interested in joining. Article 15- I have the right to meet with friends and to join groups
DIARY DATES FRIDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER WHOLE SCHOOL WALK FRIDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER HOUSE CAPTAIN SPEECHES TUESDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 1000 MASS P7L AND P7M WEDNESDAY13TH SEPTEMBER ROALD DAHL DAY FRIDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER VICE CAPTAIN SPEECHES FRIDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 1430 POPE FRANCIS FAITH AWARD RITE OF PRESENTATION IN SCHOOL P6A AND P6M MONDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER PUPILS OFF SCHOOL/STAFF IN SERVICE TUESDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER NATIONAL CODING WEEK BEGINS WEDNESDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 1800 RECONCILIATION MEETING IN SCHOOL WEDNESDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 1830 CONFIRMATION/COMMUNION MEETING IN SCHOOL MONDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER MATHS WEEK SCOTLAND BEGINS TUESDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER E UROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES FRIDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER STAY AND PLAY P1-4 MONDAY 2ND OCTOBER DYLSEXIA AWARENESS WEEK WEDNESDAY 4TH OCTOBER 1700-1900 PARENTS’ EVENING THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER 1515-1715 PARENTS’ EVENING FRIDAY 6TH OCTOBER WHOLE SCHOOL WALK MONDAY 9TH OCTOBER RIGHTS FOCUS WEEK BEGINS THURDAY 12TH OCTOBER HARVEST ASSEMBLY P2 FRIDAY 13TH OCTOBER SCHOOL CLOSES FOR OCTOBER HOLIDAYS MONDAY 23RD OCTOBER STAFF AND PUPILS RETURN TO SCHOOL FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER STAY AND PLAY P1-4 TUESDAY 31ST OCTOBER HALLOWE’EN CELEBRATIONS WEDNESDAY 1ST NOVEMBER ALL SAINTS MASS 0930 LED BY P7M FRIDAY 3RD NOVEMBER WHOLE SCHOOL WALK TUESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER 1000 MASS P6A AND P6M FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER REMEMBRANCE SERVICE LED BY P6M AND P6A MONDAY 13TH NOVEMBER RIGHTS FOCUS WEEK MONDAY 13TH NOVEMBER BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND TUESDAY 14TH NOVEMBER 1000 MASS P5, P4 AND P3/4 (P4’S ONLY) WEDNESDAY 15TH NOVEMBER REMEMBRANCE MASS 0930 LED BY P7L THURSDAY 16TH NOVEMBER ROAD SAFETY WEEK BEGINS FRIDAY 17TH NOVEMBER SCHOOL CLOSED TO STAFF AND PUPILS MONDAY 20TH NOVEMBER SCHOOL CLOSED TO STAFF AND PUPILS FRIDAY 24TH NOVEMBER STAY AND PLAY P1-4 THURSDAY 30TH NOVEMBER ST ANDREWS DAY CELEBRATIONS LED BY P7L AND P7M THURSDAY 30TH NOVEMBER P3 FIRST RECONCILIATION AT 7PM FRIDAY THURSDAY 1ST DECEMBER WHOLE SCHOOL MASS AT ST MARY’S 1000 P5 TO LEAD MONDAY 4TH DECEMBER P5 CHRISTMAS PARTY TUESDAY 5TH DECEMBER P6 CHRISTMAS PARTY THURSDAY 7TH DECEMBER P7 CHRISTMAS PARTY MONDAY 11TH DECEMBER P2 CHRISTMAS PARTY TUESDAY 12TH DECEMBER P3 CHRISTMAS PARTY THURSDAY 14TH DECEMBER P4 CHRISTMAS PARTY FRIDAY 15TH DECEMBER INFANT NATIVITY 1000 FRIDAY 15TH DECEMBER P1 CHRISTMAS PARTY FRIDAY 22ND DECEMBER SCHOOL CLOSES FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS MONDAY 8TH JANUARY STAFF AND PUPILS RETURN TO SCHOOL FRIDAY 12TH JANUARY WHOLE SCHOOL WALK TUESDAY 16TH JANUARY 1000 MASS FOR AND P3, P2 AND P3/4 (P3’S ONLY) TUESDAY16TH JANUARY 1800 FIRST COMMUNION MEETING IN SCHOOL THURSDAY 25TH JANUARY BURNS DAY
DIARY DATES FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY STAY AND PLAY P1-4 FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY BURNS SUPPER P6 AND P7 FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY TASTE OF SCOTLAND P1-5 WEEK BEGINNING 28TH JANUARY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK BEGINS THURSDAY 30TH JANUARY SCOTTISH ASSEMBLY THURSDAY 1ST FEBRUARY CHURCH VISIT 10:30 FOR P1 AND P1/2 FRIDAY 2ND FEBRUARY WHOLE SCHOOL WALK MONDAY 5TH FEBRUARY CHILDRENS’ MENTAL HEALTH WEEK BEGINS TUESDAY 6TH FEBRUARY SAFER INTERNET DAY TUESDAY 6TH FEBRUARY CONFIRMATION FOR P4 PUPILS 1900 AT ST JOHN’S CHURCH WITH ST. JOHN’S PRIMARY FRIDAY 9TH FEBRUARY SCHOOL CLOSED TO STAFF AND PUPILS MONDAY 12TH FEBRUARY SCHOOL CLOSED TO STAFF AND PUPILS TUESDAY 13TH FEBRUARY SCHOOL CLOSED TO PUPILS/IN SERVICE DAY FOR STAFF WEDNESDAY 14TH FEBRUARY ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES P1-3 1000 P3 TO LEAD P4-7 1030 P7 TO LEAD WEDNESDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 1700-1900 PARENTS’ EVENING THURSDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 1515-1715 PARENTS’ EVENING FRIDAY 1ST MARCH WHOLE SCHOOL WALK MONDAY 4TH MARCH RIGHTS FOCUS WEEK THURSDAY 7TH MARCH WORLD BOOK DAY FRIDAY 8TH MARCH BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK BEGINS WEDNESDAY 13TH MARCH DAFFODIL TEA THURSDAY 21ST MARCH WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY FRIDAY 22ND MARCH STAY AND PLAY P1-4 WEDNESDAY 27TH MARCH EASTER CELEBRATIONS LED BY P4 AND P5 THURSDAY 28TH MARCH SCHOOL CLOSES FOR EASTER HOLIDAYS MODAY 15TH APRIL STAFF AND PUPILS RETURN THURSDAY 18TH APRIL PRE FIRST COMMUNION MASS AT 1330 FRIDAY 19TH APRIL WHOLE SCHOOL WALK FRIDAY 26TH APRIL STAY AND PLAY P1-4 SATURDAY 27TH APRIL FIRST COMMUNION 1000, 1200 AND 1400 FRIDAY 3RD MAY WHOLE SCHOOL WALK FRIDAY 3RD MAY P1 INDUCTIONS-HT PRESENTATIONS MONDAY 6TH MAY MAY DAY HOLIDAY THURSDAY 9TH MAY ASCENSION THURSDAY MASS LED BY P6M FRIDAY 10TH MAY P1 INDUCTIONS- PARTNER AGENCIES THURSDAY 16TH MAY SPORTS DAY 1 FRIDAY17TH MAY P1 INDUCTIONS- MEET THE TEACHERS MONDAY 20TH MAY SPORTS DAY 2 (BACK-UP) MONDAY 20TH MAY WALK TO SCHOOL WEEK MONDAY 20TH MAY WORLD OF WORK WEEK TUESDAY 21ST MAY SPORTS DAY 3 (BACK-UP)
FRIDAY 24TH MAY SCHOOL CLOSED FOR PUPILS/IN SERVICE MONDAY 27TH MAY SCHOOL CLOSED FOR STAFF AND PUPILS FRIDAY 31ST MAY WHOLE SCHOOL WALK FRIDAY 31ST MAY P1 INDUCTIONS- QUESTION TIME MONDAY 3RD JUNE P7 TO ARRAN RESIDENTIAL TRIP FRIDAY 7TH JUNE WHOLE SCHOOL WALK FRIDAY 7TH JUNE P1 INDUCTIONS- MEET THE CLASS TEACHER MONDAY 10TH JUNE RIGHTS FOCUS WEEK THURSDAY 13TH JUNE ST ANTHONYS DAY MASS LED BY P6A FRIDAY 28TH JUNE SCHOOL CLOSES FOR SUMMER BREAK WORKING TOGETHER FOR EXCELLENCE FEEDBACK LAST SESSION WE UNDERTOOK AN EVALUATION EXERCISE WITH STAFF, PUPILS AND PARENTS AND CARERS. BELOW ARE SOME RESPONSES THAT HIGHLIGHT WHAT PEOPLE THINK MAKE ST ANTHONY’S SPECIAL: It feels like one big community children throughout the primary’s make connections and I feel stepping up primaries won’t feel so daunting for children as they have connections with their peers The environment - where every person is valued and respected regardless of age or opinion ARTICLE 29 I HAVE THE RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION WHICH DEVELOPS MY PERSONALITY, RESPECT FOR OTHERS’ RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
HERE ARE SOME RESONSES TO WHAT PEOPLE THINK THE SCHOOL DOES WELL: Good communication so parents are up to date with what their child has done at school. Welcoming everyone who sets foot in the building and a desire to promote the well-being and the basic needs of every child. WE ASKED WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL WHEN SUPPORTING ALL PUPILS. HERE ARE SOME RESPONSES: Listening to parents and pupil, appreciating the individual’s learning style and behaviours, understanding the value of a good education for all the school is aware of the professional support [eg psychologists etc] which the school never fail to offer children who need special help WE ASKED WHAT THE SCHOOL COULD IMPROVE ON IN RESPECT OF SUPPORTING PUPILS. HERE ARE SOME RESPONSES: Continue to support these children to raise attainment Further opportunities all key staff supporting children to meet, evaluate and discuss targets. ARTICLE 12 I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE LISTENED TO AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY