I hope that this finds you very well. It has been a busy fortnight since my last update and there is lots to report and celebrate but I will try to be concise!
Staffing
As many of you will now know, we will reach the end of the era in June as our longest-standing staff member and much-loved clerical assistant and school stalwart Shona Nelson will be retiring in the summer.
We will be in touch soon about how we will mark this but in the meantime, may I ask that you circulate the following advert as widely as possible:
https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/argyll-bute-council/jobs/clerical-assistant-327942
You may also be aware that Miss Fraser has been appointed to a permanent 0.7 class teacher post in Glassary Primary School, following interview on 18th April. We are delighted that she has gained permanence in Mid-Argyll and offer her our congratulations. She will continue to cover Mrs Dixon’s maternity leave until June, to provide consistency for the pupils in the P4 to 7 class.
Floating Classroom Visit
Our P5, 6 and 7 pupils had the opportunity to take part in the fantastic floating classroom workshops with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust on Friday 28th April and literally had a whale of a time. The staff on the Silurian helped us learn a huge amount and we had perfect weather for the visit. The pupils’ behaviour and engagement was exemplary and the children were an absolute credit to the school and their families. Photos will follow soon.
Garden working party
We are extremely grateful to the party of volunteers who came and helped tidy the garden and school grounds on Sunday 23rd April. The trees at the kitchen window have been cut right back and the planters have been re-composted (there are lots of plants in the new shed for the children to plant). All the flower beds under the windows have been cut back and tidied up. The ELC outdoor table has been painted and the ELC now have clearance all the way around their building to the compost bins. You can check out some photos of the lovely tidy grounds in the Gallery section of the website here: https://www.tayvallich.argyll-bute.sch.uk/garden-working-party/
May I remind all families about my message in the last update about the school site being put of bounds outside of school hours as this will help us to keep the grounds and garden lovely for the children.
We are hoping that the contractors who have been working in the village for Scottish Water will gift some of their time, resources and expertise towards helping improve the school site further before they finish their project.
We also have a consultation visit on 22nd May from Carol Murdoch from Love Outdoor Learning. This is a charity which works with schools across the UK to help them make best, creative, fun and safe use of their outdoor spaces. This will link perfectly with the work that the parent council has been doing over recent months and the work that staff have been doing with the P7 pupil council and Active Schools co-ordinators around fun and play and games.
P7 to S1 Transition
Following the Google Meet with Mr Turnbull last term, the next transition activity for our P7s will be a visit to the High School on the afternoon of Tuesday 9th May. Permission slips will be issued this week.
You can find all the other key dates and information issued so far by the High School by clicking the links here:
http://www.tayvallich.argyll-bute.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/letter-13-03.pdf
http://www.tayvallich.argyll-bute.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/sample-menu.pdf
http://www.tayvallich.argyll-bute.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/welcome-booklet-for-P7s.docx
Seesaw and communication
You may be aware that the direct message function in Seesaw has been switched off at Local Authority Level. GDPR issues mean that Seesaw must only be used for communication with class teachers about teaching and learning and homework.
Homework or class tasks can still be assigned to your child so that you can see them, as long as you are logged in to see work for your child using the access code you have been sent. Announcements can be sent to you by the class teacher, however you can no longer messages or respond to announcements.
If you have any messages or information that you need to share with school you must use the following channels to do this:
Absence:
If your child has an unplanned absence from school (for example due to illness) we require you to let us know this and the reason for the absence, either by telephoning the school office on 01546 870220 and speaking to someone or leaving a voicemail or by sending an email to enquiries-tayvallich@argyll-bute.gov.uk before 9.15am on the day of the absence.
If your child is going to be off for a planned absence (for example a medical appointment), please telephone or email about this with as much notice as possible.
Any other information:
If you need us to know about any changes in your child’s life that may affect them at school or have questions or queries about something that has happened or is going to happen in school, please contact me by phoning 01546 605049 to speak with me or leave a voicemail, or email lena.carter@argyll-bute.gov.uk.
I will always endeavour to respond to you within 2 working days and ensure that key information is shared with other staff as required.
If you require urgent assistant or have an emergency involving your child during the school day, please be aware that school may not be able to respond immediately.
Please consider calling your GP, the emergency services or Children and Families Social Work for help.
School photos
It has been agreed with the Parent Council that school photos will be taken this term by Mr Stephen Carter, local photographer and (disclaimer) my husband. Steve will offer his services as a volunteer and has been checked by Disclosure Scotland for this purpose. There will be no cost to the school or families for this service and the school will provide each family with digital copies of the photos of their child so that you can then order prints from a provider of your choice, if you wish. More information and dates to follow.
Coats
Although we are delighted that Spring and better weather are here, may I please remind you that your child should bring a raincoat to school in case we are outside for play or PE activities.
Parental feedback
This is a polite request that you complete this term’s feedback survey (link issued with the previous update) by the end of this week May 5th. So far we have only had 3 responses. We look forward to hearing your views on how we are doing as a school. We will soon be working on our improvement priorities for next session and your feedback will be very important in shaping this work.
