Team Cawdor Newsletter

Transcription

1 Team Cawdor Newsletter December 2016 Term 2 A really busy term with all pupils achieving a great deal in their learning journeys. P4-7 have been studying the countries of the world that attend the Olympic Games and the younger classes have been reading The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark. From Nursery to P7 pupils are getting much better at setting their own goals and monitoring them. Our PAL (Peer Assisted Learning) approach has helped greatly in this with learning buddies working weekly with younger children. At assembly we are looking at ways we can take more responsibility for our own learning. We have discovered that very often it is a tough job when you need to just stick at it! Festive Maths!! Next term we will be undertaking the Curriculum for Excellence set of computer assessments and outcomes will be recorded in Learning Journey folders. This will be the last time we will be doing these particular tests as Education Scotland is currently devising a national assessment framework due to start in 2017/18. Well Done Nursery! Very recently our Nursery had an unannounced Care Inspectorate inspection. It was very thorough and specifically focussed on the care and support given to pupils. These proved to be areas of real strength which reflected in Level 5s (Very Good) being awarded. The report will be forwarded to the school and made available for parents. Great job everyone in the Nursery - we are so proud of you all. THANK YOU PARENT COUNCIL The Parent Council have very kindly bough us another set of ipads which arrived in school today! These ones have bigger memory and can take more complex apps. We can now have two classes researching and using the ipads at any one time, although they are in constant use across the school in all classes including the Nursery. Thank you! Parents Evenings Many thanks to all who came along to Parents Evenings it was good to see you. We are grateful you also took the time to comment on our strengths and things we need to get better at. One comment was to meet earlier in the year and we plan to have a Meet the Teacher social evening at the start of each session so parents can have a look at all that is going on in our classrooms and get to know staff.

2 Meanwhile if you would like to have another look at your child s Learning Journey folder, or would like to discuss an issue further, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us. Cawdor Choir We are really delighted and much obliged to Mrs Cowie for starting up a lunchtime choir. An enthusiastic group have begun rehearsing for a number of performances in the run up to Christmas and on into the New Year. First outing will be at the Christmas Fayre this Saturday so come along, give them support and enjoy the music. ICT Football Fitness Thanks go to Inverness Caley Thistle who have been training our P4-7 pupils over the last few weeks to achieve personal bests. We have certainly enjoyed it! Big thanks go to our football coaches who have been taking our teams to weekend events in Inverness and Dingwall we appreciate your commitment. Engineering Pupils have been taking part in an engineering competition this term thanks to STEM Engineer Rhodri Lucas who has been inspiring great design. Pupils were first given an interesting talk about what an engineer does and how they work. Rhodri then spent time in all classes on problem solving activities and he will be returning to look at and support the developing ideas. Whole School Activities Afternoon We have been struggling for some time to run various activity groups finding time the main problem. After thinking about this we are now holding termly Activity Afternoons where there is a sign up to a number of working groups Eco, Garden, SNAG, JRSO, Learning Group and the Pupil Council. Our first one was very successful and we managed to achieve a significant amount of work with pupils taking responsibility for a number of projects. Great job! Eden Court Drama Thanks to Eden Court Outreach worker Mrs Hemmings for drama workshops with P1/2 and P5/6 inspiring and thought provoking! Children in Need Day Spots, pyjamas and lots and lots of colour were the order of the day for Children in Need on 18 th November. We had great fun and raised 216 for the cause. Well done everyone and special thanks to the Pupil Council who did a great job of advertising and organising the day. FUND RAISING In the weeks running up to Christmas we are taking part in quite a number of charity events. They seem to have all come at once. As a result we do not want you to feel out of pocket, especially at this time of year. Perhaps it would be a good idea to pick one to contribute to but take part in and enjoy in them all. Friday 9 th Jacob Day we are raising funds to support an expupil who is in Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow. We will be supporting him in his learning during his road to recovery. Thursday 15 th Nativity donations to refresh our costumes. Please stay for a cup of tea. Monday 19 th Heads Up for the Highland Hospice wear a Christmas jumper day. Friday 23 rd End of term service collection for Alzheimer Scotland. With the exception of the Nativity, these other events have been organised by the Pupil Council.

3 Winter Along with this Newsletter is an information sheets about arrangements during severe winter weather. Please read this and keep the contact numbers handy. Also please ensure your child has a coat each day they come to school. They will be out and about whatever the weather. Welcome Cawdor welcomed its new Minister Rev Robert Brooks - on 11 th November. He has paid a visit to the school and is keen to get to know us and will be spending some time in class helping with our learning. We hope he enjoys his new post. Recent Successes Rachel Forbes proudly holding the Silver Cup after winning the best cow and calf in the Nairn Show J & LM Forbes, Lochdu. She exhibited the 3 week old El Macho. Rachel and her sister April have since exhibited Aberdeen Angus calves in Aberdeen! Rachel is determined to make a career for herself in farming go Rachel! Megan Bromham represented the school at the Highland School Swimming Championships in November. She took part in two events Freestyle and Backstroke and did extremely well in both races coming in 7 th out of 18 and 3 rd out of 17 respectively. A fantastic achievement! Pollaidh Astley and her team won silver in their age category at the Scottish Beginners Gymnastics Championships in Perth recently I know these girls train amazingly hard and all their efforts are certainly paying off. Well done to Pollaidh and her team. Lucy Stephenson and her team (also Forres gymnastics) also won a Team Silver at a recent competition in Inverness well done; we are really proud of you! Thanks from Nairn Academy It was very pleasing to meet so many P6/7parents from our ASG at our Open Afternoon on Thursday 10 th November. We value these opportunities to support parents, and young people, on their first steps transitioning into secondary school. Our next event is the Teach The Parents evening on Tuesday 17 th January where parents will have an opportunity follow a short timetable and experience life in the classroom again and be taught some valuable lessons, both curricular and extra-curricular! Children are also welcome to attend and enjoy some team building games or attend classes with their parents. More details to follow.

4 100 Club The 100 Club draw for October & November have been lucky for: Oct: Nov: 1. Christine Mackintosh 2. Sheena Taylor 3. Fiona Forbes 1. Paula Forbes 2. Julie Robert 3. Graham Green House Points After a nail-biting end to Term 1, competition had been really strong and every point has been hard won. One morning a beautiful double rainbow was the backdrop to our morning exercise. Ospreys Kestrels 15, , 223 Useful Information Breakfast Club 3.80 ( am) School dinner 2.30 Snack Toast 15p - Juice 30p - Milk 35p Music tuition Chanter Mondays Brass Friday am Strings Friday pm Swimming every Wednesday for P4 from Jan to March. Come and enjoy the Christmas Fayre Tomorrow Saturday 3 rd December 10 12pm Pupil s Calendars on sale 8

5 Dates for your Diary December Sat 3rd Sun 4 th Tues 6 th Thurs 8 th Fri 9 th Tues 13 th Wed 14 th Thurs 15 th Mon 19 th Tues 20 th Christmas Fair 10am to 12.30pm P1-3 football at Dingwall Nursery and P1-3 to sing for Coffee Club P6/7 to Christmas Celebration at Nairn Free Church Supporting Jacob Day PJ and movie afternoon P2s and P3s to Simpsons 6.30pm Village Carol Singing Christmas Lunch Nativity P1-3 and Nursery Nativity 11am Heads Up for Highland Hospice Day Christmas jumpers Pantomime at Eden Court **Later back about 5pm P4-7 Party Wed 21 st Thurs 22 nd Nursery Party P1-3 Party Fri 23 rd End of Term 2 10am Church Service Christmas holidays January 2017 Mon 9 th Start of Term 3 Wed 11 th Start of P4 swimming block Thurs 12 th P5-7 Football Club Fri 27 th Burns Supper P4-7 Wee Hansel + Gretel P1-3 April Wed 5 th Easter holidays Mon 24 th Start of Term 4 May Mon 1 st Thurs 11 th Fri 12 th Thurs 25 th Sat 27 th June Mon 5 th Mon 19 th Tues 20 th Fri 23 rd Mon 26 th Fri 30 th May Day holiday Cawdor Health Day School Cross Country event Reports issued Sports afternoon Parents Meetings pm Inter School Sports In-Service Day school Closed Loch Insh Week for P7 P7 to Academy for 3 days Nursery+ P1 Transition day Whole School walk P6/7 to Landmark Prize Giving Service Start of Summer holidays Session Term 1 August 15 th to 6 th October Term 2 October 23 rd to22 nd December Term 3 January 8 th to 28 th March Term 4 April 16 th to 29 th June 2018 February Mon 20 th Tues 21st Wed 22 nd Mid Term holiday Mid Term holiday In-Service Day March Thurs 9 th P6/7 Health Ed Meeting