Category: general/ whole school

Aberdeen City Council are now producing  quarterly Neighbourhood Bulletins.

If you live or work on the Cove or Altens area it is hoped that you will find something of interest in the bulletin. Whether you are looking for information on local services, want to know about how local projects are progressing or want to know what’s happening elsewhere that might be of interest, this quarterly Bulletin aims to keep everyone informed.

The bulletins and Neighbourhood Community Action Plans can be accessed electronically at http://www.communityplanningaberdeen.org.uk/Internet/home.asp

Minutes of meeting 29^th June 2009

Present:  Elaine Webster, Lynn Meldrum, Lesley Hill, Alison Bartlett, Pam Chapla, Hazel Rose, Tracy Robinson, Shonagh Neave, Cath McLeish, Karen Paterson, Hazel Scott, Val Burnett, Tracy Leach, Sharon Toseland, Irene Weir, Scott Shearer, Karyn Webster, Michelle Monks. Teachers: Miss Kay MacDonald, Mr David Wallis

Apologies:  Alistair Gilmore

As this was the last meeting of the school year it was on an informal basis.

The disco took approximately £250 but the outgoings are still needed to be included and the profit calculated. Thanks to everyone who helped.

Karen conveyed the Parent Council’s thanks to everyone especially to those whose children are moving on to the Academy. Your input, time, help and support will be missed but we wish you and your children all the best.

Karen proposed that the Council order some reward achievement wristbands for the school to encourage the children. This was accepted by the council. Karen to take this action forward.

The evening ended with pizza & wine.

Date of next meeting:  To be arranged next term.

THE PARENT COUNCIL WISHES ALL THE PARENTS, CHILDREN & STAFF, A VERY HAPPY & HOPEFULLY SUNNY HOLIDAY!

As part of their school enterprise project, the children in Primary 1B are having a Nearly New Sale in their class area on Thursday 25^th June 2009.

Every item will be priced at 50p and we aim to buy play equipment for the infant classes, (amongst other things), with the proceeds of the sale,

We are looking for your support by asking you to donate some unwanted jewellery, toys books, etc – anything that a child might like to buy at the sale. We need these items in good, clean, nearly new condition by Wednesday 24^th June.

The sale will be open to all children from P1 – P7 so if your child could also bring some money to school next Thursday 25^th, they will be invited to come along and hopefully buy.

Thanking you in anticipation of your support,

Mrs Ritchie and the boys and girls of P1B

LOIRSTON PARENT COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting 12^th May 2009

Present:  Elaine Webster, Lynn Meldrum, Lesley Hill, Alison Bartlett, Pam Chapla, Hazel Rose, Tracy Robinson, Shonagh Neave, Alistair Gilmore, Shona Greig, Cath McLeish, Karen Paterson, Hazel Scott, Val Burnett, Tracy Leach, Sharon Toseland, Sarah Boyne, Michaela Towler, Irene Weir. Teachers: Miss Kay MacDonald, Mrs Trish Pert, Mr David Wallis

Apologies:  Scott Shearer, Michelle Monks, Fiona Watt, Angela Balloch

Welcome.  Karen welcomed Miss Kay MacDonald & Mr David Wallis, and gave them a brief outline of the Parent Council.

Teacher’s Comments.  Miss MacDonald met with Mrs McIntosh & Roddie Duthie for a handover of the school & formulated a position statement, & Miss MacDonald thinks that things are a lot better, & she is enjoying being in the school. The Education Authority has been very supportive to the school & Management team. The HMIe inspectors are due back in school on 17^th & 18^th June, & Miss MacDonald would like them to be able to say there is improvement, & the school is moving in the right direction with the hope that they would be back in a years’ time for an annual review. It is hoped that the report will have a turnaround time of less than 4-5 weeks. Miss MacDonald will put a summary of the Action Points out in a bulletin & on the blog. Three Education Officers are due in school on Wednesday 13^th May, to provide advice & support to the staff, & will return for classroom visits on 28^th May. There will be an open evening on 26^th May, with displays & a questionnaire for parent’s views.

Treasurer’s Report.  The Bank balance is standing at £4,272.57 from January 2009 statement. Scott is still having problems changing the bank from the Clydesdale to the Abbey, but will continue working on this. The bingo night made £228 profit – an enjoyable night for all.

Posh Night Update.   Volunteers were needed for the Posh Night on 19^th June, at The Thistle. Karen has the list of volunteers. A photographer is being sought for photos on the night. Miss MacDonald will inquire about someone she knows.

Upcoming Events.  The next disco is on Tuesday 23^rd June, & the volunteer list was circulated. It’ll be on a “shorts & shades” theme.

Labels need to be printed with the school name & logo for the P7 dictionaries, the numbers of which in the cupboard need to be checked – Cath will do this. Pens need to be ordered – Karen has sourced a pen & pencil boxed set & will organise this.

A.O.C.B.  Karen asked if the Parent Council would be interested in running a stall at the Cove Gala on Saturday 13^th June. Unfortunately due to circumstances, it was felt that there would not be enough people to man a stall the whole time, so we have declined – Karen will inform the Gala Committee.

The question of ante pre-school nursery morning places was raised & put to Mrs Pert. If there were places available & people had requested a morning place, then they had been offered a place.

The estimated P1 intake has dropped slightly to 55, & we were informed that there would be 13 classes again for the new school year. There are staff vacancies within the school – Mr Constable’s secondment, plus a P4 teacher to cover.

The P7s have made it through to next round in an inter school quiz, with the next round on Saturday 23^rd May – well done to them.

A request was received from Mr Anderson as the coach of the school football team for financial assistance to purchase 18 individual trophies & 3 annual trophies, at a cost of £150. This was agreed by the Council. The P6/7 team came 3^rd in the Aberdeen Primary School Football Association, and the newly formed P4 team are doing well.

What, with the publication of the HMIE follow through report and the recent press coverage, our children’s school has no doubt been a hot topic of conversation, understandably and rather unfairly, not always all objective.

Following the recent meeting of the Parent Council attended by Mrs McIntosh (acting Head Teacher) a great number of positive points within our school were highlighted, giving much needed assurance that things are definitely moving forward and that great inroads have been made. Mrs McIntosh intends to feed that information to all parents ASAP, we were pleased that since the HM Inspectors visit in December the teachers and management staff have prioritised the tasks requiring attention and are working hard to have all the points up to date before the Inspectors next visit.

As a Parent Council working in partnership with the school, we feel strongly that it is our role to support the school in any way possible and that definitely means that we will continue to ask pertinent questions and demand definite solutions to the problems highlighted in the original HMI report and in the follow through report, from the Management Team of Loirston School, The Education Department and ultimately to Aberdeen City Council.

A point raised at the meeting, and agreed by Mrs McIntosh was for the Action Plan from the previous report to be shared with the Parent Council. This would allow us to highlight ways we can directly contribute to improving our school in a structured manner, and help fulfil the actions raised. 

Not having a permanent Head Teacher and the school falling victim to much publicised ACC budget cuts, where the teachers stand to lose a large proportion of Pupil Support Assistants are both contributing factors that have exerted high levels of pressure on all the staff.

 A city wide online petition has been started and all city Parent Councils are asking ALL parents and carers to go online and sign the petition at –

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/25710.html

Both parents can sign and were possible this address can be passed onto as many friends and concerned family members and neighbours as possible. Any support on this issue would be greatly valued by all our kids’ teachers who have been working so hard to provide a positive educational experience for all our kids at Loirston.

A follow up meeting where tough questions will need answers is to be held next week. Be assured that the results will be passed on to all parents then.

Thanks

Karen Paterson

(On behalf of)

Loirston Parent Council

Primary five are creating, in pairs, a Comic Relief Game for each class. The game is based on ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’ except they designed the game themselves.  Entries cost 20p and Primary Five will be coming round on Comic Relief Day, Friday 13^th March, to each class.

We hope that you can give your child money to participate in this activity.  The prize is a crème egg to the winner in each class.  The winner is the child who sticks their red dot closest to the X on the picture when they have their eyes closed or are blindfolded.