September Newsletter
It was lovely to see many of you at our recent open afternoon on 31st August. We enjoyed welcoming you all back in to school and showing you the different learning environments and resources we use to support teaching and learning. There will be further opportunities for this type of experience throughout the session.
Thank you,
Mrs Horsburgh
Attendance
If your child is unable to attend school for whatever reason, please contact the main school office using telephone phone number 018907 81350 or send us a message using Xpressions. If your child is absent from school please notify the school office as soon as you can. If not you will receive a Groupcall message. If your child is booked in for a lunch on ParentPay please ensure the meal is cancelled online, or you may be charged.
Please ensure your child arrives at school on time each day.
ParentPay
Please make meal choices for your child before 8.30am on the day you wish to make the booking. If you are experiencing any problems accessing ParentPay please contact Mrs McAskill in the office.
Annual Data Check Form
Annual Data Check forms have already gone home and should have been returned by now. We are still waiting on a few to be returned, please ensure these are checked and returned ASAP.
Facebook Page and Blog – Ayton Primary School
Please ‘like’ and ‘follow’ our school Facebook page, it is a great tool to allow us to share the children’s learning experiences with you. The page also features up to date information on events, news updates and the monthly newsletter. We regularly display photos of the children as well as their learning activities.
Also, our blog can be found at <aytonprimary.com> where you can find our newsletters, handbooks and information about the school.
Safety of Pupils
Please ensure you close the gates leading to the playground on entrance and exit.
Unauthorised Absences
If you take your child out of school during term time, this will be recorded as an ‘unauthorised absence’. We would encourage you to contact the school office and ask for a holiday request form in these circumstances.
Break time snacks and water bottles
Please remember to provide your child with a healthy snack at break time, a piece of fruit for fruit fix in the afternoons plus a water bottle for use in class throughout the day. Water bottles should be labelled with your child’s name and must be filled from home. We are a health promoting school and would ask that bottles contain water and not juice, thank you.
Uniform/PE Kit
ALL items of school uniform should be labelled, there are a number of jumpers on our lost property table already. Please ensure that children with long hair have their hair tied back and NO jewellery is worn on PE days. If your child is unable to remove their own earrings, they must bring medical tape in from home to cover them.
NHS Flu Vaccination Form
Please return this form completed and signed in the brown envelope provided by Monday 4th September.
JRSO
The P6-7 JRSOs attended the JRSO conference on Teams on Wednesday 30th August. They enjoyed their training and have brought lots of great ideas to share with the other P6-7 children who this year have formed a ‘P6-7 JRSO Committee’ so they can all be involved.
Parent Friends Association
There will be Parent Council Forum meeting held in the school on Thursday 14th September 6.30pm-7.30pm. All parents and carers are welcome to attend.
Curriculum Overviews
Curriculum Overviews will be issued to parents / carers on Friday 1st September.
P6-7 St Abbs Science Festival
On Friday 22nd September P6-7 at Ayton have been invited to the first St Abbs Science Festival. Schools in the area are attending this event free of charge. St Abbs and the Berwickshire coast are special and unique known for their rich biodiversity, wonderful flora and fauna and stunning geology. The Science Festival will place emphasis on our natural surroundings, with participants including St Abbs Marine Station & Edinburgh University, British Geological Survey, NTS St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve, Berwickshire Marine Reserve, Butterfly Conservation East Scotland, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Berwickshire Rocks (geology), and Dynamic Earth will be attending with their mobile planetarium. There will be lots of amazing activities to get involved with and we look forward to this fantastic learning opportunity. EV2s and a letter will follow with further detail in due course.
Please note the festival is running at the weekend and workshops are available to book online for the Saturday. Please follow the link to booking and check out the Festivals Facebook page for more information. St Abbs Science Festival | Eventbrite
P5 Rugby and P6/7 Hockey Festival
The P5 Rugby and P6/7 Hockey Festival will be held on Tuesday 26th September, 10.00 – 12.00 noon at Eyemouth High School. EV2’s will be issued nearer the time. Pupils will have lunch on their return. Please provide a water bottle and snack and ensure your son/daughter comes to school dressed in their PE kit for outdoor sports. A bus will be provided and the children will be accompanied by Mrs Lannagan and Mrs MacLeod.
Harvest Assembly
There will be a harvest assembly on Friday 6th October in the school hall. We would be grateful for donations of non-perishable items. These will be passed on to a local food bank for families in need. Thank you.
Medication in School
Please remember it is your responsibility to ensure medication/medical supplies in school for your child are within their expiry dates. Should your child need medication to be administered during the school day, please ask Mrs Windram for a form which must be completed in advance. Medication to be administered within school MUST be prescribed and labeled with your child’s name.
Wet Weather
If we are experiencing wet weather in the mornings, children should arrive from 8:20am and go to the door from their classroom which exits out on to the playground/shared outdoor learning area.
P1 to P7 Parents Consultations
Our next Parent Consultation will be held on Tuesday 3rd October, 5.00pm to 7pm and Wednesday 4th October 3.15pm to 5pm. Consultations will be held in school and appointments should be made through the Parent Evening Booking System online.
The system will go live on Monday 18th September at 08:00am and will close on Tuesday 26th September at 3.00pm. To book your 10 minute slot, go to: https://www.parents-booking.co.uk/aytonps PLEASE NOTE: You need to type this address into your website browser’s ‘address bar’. Do not try to ‘Google’ this website address or use a search engine as that will not work. This is a common mistake on phones and tablets especially. You will need:
- Your email address (must match those we have on record for you)
- Your child’s first name, surname and date of birth
Once you have logged in, we suggest you use the ‘Automated Booking Wizard’ to make your appointments. You will be shown your child/children and their teachers, and asked to enter your availability. Our wizard will use this information to calculate the best order for your appointments, allowing you to navigate the teachers in the quickest and most efficient manner.