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Welcome to the first newsletter of the new school year! We hope everyone enjoyed the summer - such wonderful weather. It was a fantastic first couple of weeks with pupils - it really has been wonderful to see them back in school looking so ready for the new school year. It has been particularly special welcoming our new Primary 1 children and beginning to welcome our new starts in Nursery. This always brings out the best in all of our other children as they strive to be helpful and kind to the newest people in school. A special mention must go to our Primary 7 buddies who have been fantastic at welcoming out Primary 1 pupils to school - nothing brings more joy than seeing them play together during breaktime and lunchtime!
Below you will find some information on key dates and events for this term.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch with us:
School Office: 01569 690485
Email: lairhillock.sch@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Dates for the Diary: What's happening this term?
Wednesday 7th September - 7pm - Parent Council AGM
Thursday 8th September - P4/5 Trip to
Friday 9th September - Foodbank Friday - Whole school collection
Tuesday 13th September - Roald Dahl Day (may be celebrated by your child's class - no dressing up required)
Thursday 15th September - P1 Literacy and Numeracy - Parent Workshop - 6.30pm
Week Commencing 26th September - Maths Week Scotland
Friday 7th October - Foodbank Friday - Whole school collection
Tuesday 11th October - Friday 14th October - BOOK FAIR!
Tuesday 11th October - Settling-in Parent Meetings for P1-6 - 3.30pm - 6pm
Wednesday 12th October - Settling-in Parent Meetings for P7 - 3.30pm - 6pm
Thursday 13th October - Settling-in Parent Meetings for P1-7 - 3.30pm - 6pm
Friday 14th October - End of Term 1 + Mr Murray leaves post
Monday 31st October: Beginning of New Term
Our next newsletter will feature key dates for the school's yearly calendar. You can also access Aberdenshire Council Holiday dates at the following link:
https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/schools/school-info/school-term-dates/
Celebrating Success
Celebrating Success
During this new school year, we are very keen to celebrate success in every way we can. We are gathering info about the clubs and activities that children participate in outwith school - a Google form will be coming soon asking you to provide details about your child's participation in activities out of school. We would really appreciate if you could respond - this will help to give us an overview of the wider achievement of our pupils, and where we need to target school clubs and extra-curricular activities.
Hot Chocolate Friday Returns!
Hot Chocolate Friday Returns!
We are delighted to say that Hot Chocolate Friday is returning as a reward for those pupils who are consistently going 'above and beyond' in relation to our school values. One pupil from each class is selected to enjoy a Hot Chocolate treat and a wee bit of time spent chatting about anything and everything with Mr Murray!
Industrial Action
Earlier this week we sent out a letter regarding the proposed Industrial Action taking place from Tuesday 6th - Thursday 8th September. This means that our nursery will be closed like all school nurseries across Aberdeenshire, but school will be open having assessed that we can run safely.
Parent Council AGM
Parent Council AGM
The Parent Council would like to welcome ALL PARENTS/CARERS to attend the annual AGM on Wednesday 7th September at 7pm on Microsoft Teams:
Click here to join the meeting
The Parent Council meeting dates throughout the year are as follows:
Wednesday 9th October
Wednesday 18th January
Wednesday 26th April
There will also be a further meeting for those involved in organising the first in-person Christmas Fair since 2019. The proposed date of the Christmas Fair is Sunday 27th November and it is likely a meeting to put in place arrangements will happen on Thursday 6th October - details to follow at the AGM.
At the Parent Council AGM on Wednesday, Mr Murray will also be speaking about the latest development in our quest for 'Excellent Relationships, Excellent Behaviour and Excellent Learning'. Our aim is simple: to minimise low-level disruption and maximise learning time. In order to do this we need parental support so we invite you to come along and contribute to the discussion.
Headteacher Appointment:
The 2-stage process to appoint a new Headteacher is underway, and we will let you know the outcome of this process soon.
Storehouse Foodbank
Storehouse Foodbank
We continue our partnership with the Storehouse foodbank in Stonehaven. This year we will focus on monthly, whole-school collections. We understand that many families will be under pressure at the moment due to rising inflation and astronomical energy bills, so please do not feel obliged to donate.
Settling-In Meetings
We look forward to welcoming parents/carers back into school for Settling-In meetings, giving you a progress update about how your child is settling into the school year. A separate email with booking form will be sent out to you in due course to enable you to book a slot with your child(ren)'s teacher(s).
A reminder of our rules and the positive language we use to encourage positive behaviour in all areas of the school.
The more alignment we have between home and school, the easier it is for children, parents/carers and school staff.
Lairhillock Learner Skills
As we aim to build 'meta-cognition' (essentially, learning to learn or thinking about thinking!) into our curriculum, we have developed a number of Lairhillock Learner Skills as part of the Lairhillock PRACTICE model. We are currently introducing the skills to the Primary children in assemblies and in class. Each skill is represented by an animal, and they are connected to our Lairhillock Houses. Read more about the PRACTICE model and the skills below.
The Lairhillock Learner Skills are based on cognitive learning theory, growth mindset theory and are designed to accentuate and develop practice, a positive attitude to learning, resilience and a love of learning.
Achievement Alert!
Achievement Alert!
Fresh off the back of her winning entry which saw her drawing adorn the cover of the Banchory Show, superstar illustrator Niamh in Primary 6 has won ANOTHER competition, this time for The Archie Foundation. Niamh's illustration will be featured in a book! Well done Niamh, we are all so proud of your achievements!
Primary 6 has no shortage of talented artists, and we hear that all the illustration entries will be publicly diaplayed at Union Square (date TBC).
We'd LOVE to hear about the out-of-school achievements of all of the children who attend Lairhillock so we can celebrate them!
Safety Matters:
If your child is absent, please inform the school by 9:30 on the first day of absence by calling 01569 690485 or emailing lairhillock.sch@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Please ensure your child comes to school with the appropriate clothing, and is prepared to go outdoors in all but the worst weather.
Our car park is busier than ever, please cross ONLY at the crossing to set a positive example to every child and ensure everyone's safety.
Values Leadership Groups
This term P4-7 will be embarking on Leadership Groups aligned to each of our school values - the aim is to have our pupils fully involved in the process of making our school an even better place to learn!
We will be introducing this initiative to pupils during our assembly times, and each group (of roughly 10-12 pupils) will meet fortnightly to plan activities that move the school forward. This will include taking responsibility for evaluating learning, building partnerships and organising events. This is a very exciting leap forward in terms of our curriculum and the experience for learners.
The process of improvement will be guided by the How Good is OUR School document, which gives a framework for pupils to evaluate the school experience and contribute to making it better.
The document can be found at the link below:
https://education.gov.scot/improvement/documents/hgiours-part2.pdf
Seesaw
Due to a change in Aberdeenshire guidance, the way we use Seesaw is changing. It is now stipulated that Seesaw is to be used only as a 'digital portfolio' tool to capture each child's learning. Therefore, all messages that you may previously have sent to your child's teacher must now come through the school office.
In addition, we now need all parents to sign a new Privacy Agreement. A paper copy of this will come to you on Monday.
Please note that the agreement is written in legal terminology, and sets out the risks with regard to data protection.
Lairhillock has been using Seesaw with nearly 100% of families for several years without any issue around data, but the privacy statement is a requirement of Aberdeenshire Council.
At Lairhillock, we really value as a tool to share your child's learning and achievements.
Please note, until we receive a signed Privacy form for your child(ren) we will not be able to activate their account. We would appreciate if all forms could be returned by Friday 9th September
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