BANCHORY PRIMARY SCHOOL BULLETIN FEBRUARY 2013

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1 BANCHORY PRIMARY SCHOOL BULLETIN FEBRUARY 2013 Dear Parents/Carers FAMILIES We welcome James Chomba (NBA) and Konnorscott Freelove (P5D). We hope they are settling in well and are enjoying their new routine. We say goodbye to Ben Morley (P6D), Vittorio Mastroberardino (P6S), Murron Fraser (P4D) and Poppy Fraser (2D) and wish them well at their new schools. PUPIL ACHIEVEMENTS Scots Verse Competition Our external judges Mrs Rowena Brand and Mr Ian Hendry commended all finalists for their hard work in preparing for the competition. They were impressed with the continuing very high standards of performance. The winners from each class are as follows: P1/2 Fern Struth P1D Fraser Paterson P1S Flynn Rogie P2D Connor Huff P2S Elliott Hookway P3D Stacey Anderson P3/4 Otto Ball P4D Gonzalo Bryce P4S Hannah Jaypalan P5D Rhona Bowie P5S Angus Rodger P6D Cameron Matthew P6S Kyle Scott P7D Katrina Murray P7S Mary Jane Duncan The winners performed for their parents at a coffee morning on Thursday 31 st January. PARENT INFORMATION Box Top Book Vouchers So far we have only collected 115. Keep eating your Nestle cereals and sending in the Box tops vouchers to the school office. Comic Relief The 2013 Red Nose Day, on the 15 th of March, is held to raise money for Comic Relief and at Banchory Primary School we like to get involved! We will be selling red noses and this year they are Di-nose-saurs and come in three different designs. They will be sold in classes and at the office in the run up to Red Nose Day for 1 each. More information about the day and more specific information on when the noses will be available to buy will follow in the next bulletin. Health On many days over the last 2 weeks, 10% of our pupils have been absent: pupils each day. This current viral infection has resulted in high temperatures, sore heads and throats and has been difficult to shake off. Considering this, we are reminding children to wash their hands - 1 -

2 properly after visiting the toilet and prior to snack time and lunch time. Also when they sneeze or cough to cover their mouths. We would appreciate you sending a box of tissues to school with your child to support hygiene levels in the classroom. Please remember to notify the office before 9.00am, of any child s absence from school each day they are away. Water bottles in School Please fill your child/rens water bottles with water. Please do not send your child to school with fruit juice or diluted cordial. Pupils can refill their bottles from the water fountains at breaktime/lunch during the school day. Healthy snacks and outdoor play In line with the above, we are encouraging our pupils to bring a small healthy snack for playtime a piece of fruit or plain biscuit that can be easily eaten. This will enable our children to enjoy playing/socialising with their friends outside in the playground unencumbered by 2 or 3 items of food. Healthy Eating in Schools A reminder that as a Health Promoting School we are unable to give out sweets or homemade cakes that children have brought in to share with the class. (Health Promotion & Nutrition) Scotland Act 2007 and the recent Scottish Executive document Healthy Eating in Schools: A Guide to Implementing the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations We are duty bound to follow these documents and as a result would ask parents to support us in our continued health and wellbeing quest. World Book Week Monday 4 th Friday 8 th March 2013 This year each class will chose a book to share together during the week. The pupils will choose how to celebrate creative/personal/functional writing watch out for further information after we return from our half-term holiday. HEALTH AND WELLBEING Our Learning & Teaching Environment Your children may have told you that they have been working in a different classroom for a couple of days over the last 2 weeks. We are delighted that Aberdeenshire Council, Education Learning & Leisure have funded new carpeting in every classroom in our school. We have asked for carpet tiles so that should there be an unfortunate accident, the damage will be rectified easily. In order to protect the 15K investment, we have explored options to eliminate the damage that our Scottish weather and playground conditions may have. Our thinking around growing and developing feet eliminates the pupils wearing gym shoes or trainers all day. So our pupils have brain stormed/problem solved and suggested that there is a check on footwear as they enter the building. If footwear is muddy they will get to change into alternative footwear (gym shoes). At P1-4 this decision may well be influenced by the class teachers! Please will you ensure that your child/ren bring alternative footwear in their PE kit bag. We will appreciate your co-operation in helping us to maintain a high quality working environment

3 Travel Plan Message It is the schools aim to reduce the volume of vehicles on the school run and cars parked near the school so: Don t use the car, if it isn t far By not using your car this will improve parked car hazards in the streets around the school. PTA PTA Ceilidh Thanks to all who helped out at the Ceilidh - a thoroughly enjoyable night was had by all. Gardening We are still looking for names of volunteers to come along to the school grounds at 11am on Saturday 2 nd March. This is part of our partnership work - with school Eco and Forest Schools groups. We will be serving soup for lunch, and the ethos will be casual, with families "mucking in" to do a general tidy up around all the garden areas of the school. If you're interested, please let me know - murray.traceya@googl .com - as we need an idea of numbers for catering. Recipe book fund raiser We plan to produce a recipe book to be sold at this years extravaganza in May. You will be invited to submit your favourite healthy recipe to school before February 18 th. Categories are snacks, starters, mains and puddings. We are hoping that the children will get involved with choosing recipes and submitting drawings for the book. More info on this will come home with the children next week. ACTIVE SCHOOLS The Big Pedal Leave your car at home! As it s climate change week (4 th -10 th March) we will be entering Sustrans The Big Pedal on Friday 8 th March An epic schools cycle and scoot race across the UK. We need as many pupils, staff and parents to cycle and scoot to school so that we have a better chance of winning. We will be entering a single stage race day. How it works Pupils, staff and parents cycle or scoot to school to complete each of the Big Pedal Stage (a bit like the Tour de France) The more people that cycle or scoot to school, the faster our school finishes the stage. The Big Pedal winner is the school that completes the stage in the quickest time. Why the Big Pedal matters The Big Pedal inspires around a quarter of a million children to make fun, active and sustainable journeys to school. It does this in a safe and rewarding way that brings big benefits to children s health, confidence and independence. What s more it s simply great fun and will get the whole school buzzing. For more information about climate change week visit: For more information about The Big Pedal visit:

4 Bikeability 3 Primary 7 Mr Redmond and Mrs O Donovan are going to trial running Bikeability 3 in term 3 and 4. It will be a mixture of classroom and road sessions starting on Wednesday 20 th Feb after school ( or 5pm). Running on Wednesdays (except 20 th March) until 8 th May (Total of 9 sessions). Numbers limited to 6 pupils. Bikeability Level 3 training will teach you the skills to tackle a wider variety of traffic conditions than on Level 2. When you reach Level 3 standard you will be able to deal with all types of road conditions and more challenging traffic situations. The course covers dealing with hazards, making on-the-move risk assessments and planning routes for safer cycling. Normally you will do this once you have started secondary school. You will be trained in a small group of up to three cyclists. Once you ve completed your Bikeability Level 3 and been awarded your green badge, you ll be able to cycle almost anywhere and: Make a trip safely on any roads Use complex junctions and road features such as roundabouts, multi-lane roads and traffic lights Filter, to keep moving through stationary traffic Plan your route Interpret road signs Forms will go out to Primary 7 on the week beginning Monday 4 th Feb and can interested pupils please return them by Friday 15 th Feb. SCHOOL POLICY REMINDERS Staff Car Park AGAIN! This is for use of the staff and school contract buses/taxis only. There is no drop & run zone. If bringing your child by car please park away from the school and encourage your child/ren to walk to the designated lollipop crossings. (Parking away from the school also includes not parking in School Lane which runs down the side of our playground to the Academy, as we have been warned that this causes a safety risk for emergency access). Do not park on the zig-zags or yellow lines or across residents driveways or garages. DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES In-Service Days Tuesday 12 th February and Wednesday 13 th February During our In-Service days, staff will be working on the Quality Indicator of Self Evaluation on Tuesday 12 th February and on the Literacy/Reading area of the Curriculum on Wednesday 13 th February. School will be closed for half term from Friday 8 th February Wednesday 13 th February inclusive and will re-open at the normal time of 9am on Thursday 14 th February. Reminder of Special Assemblies Friday 22 nd February at 9.10am P3/4 Friday 1 st March at 9.10am P7D Friday 15 th March at 9.10am P3D - 4 -

5 Thursday 28 th March at 10am Easter Service West Church Joyning the Learning Open afternoon Friday 15 th March at 2pm P1, P2 and P5 - P7 Yours faithfully Rosée Elliott Head Teacher.. Banchory Primary Comments Slip February 2013 The February Bulletin is also available on the school blog website: Please use this slip to make any comments that you would like to share on the contents of our Bulletin. We value and consider your feedback, but we regret that individual acknowledgement is not normally possible. Signed:.. Children

Cycle Friendly Primary School

cycling.scot CYCLING SCOTLAND SCOTTISH CHARITY NO.SCO29760 Cycle Friendly Primary School Champion s Handbook Contents 3 Introduction 4 How to become a school cycle champion 5 Cycle parking 5 Changing facilities