22^nd January 2008  Dear Parent, 

School Photographer

 The school photographer will be in school on Tuesday 5^th February.  This year individual and/or family group photographs will be taken. The organisation of this day is a fairly major undertaking and your co-operation would be greatly appreciated in returning the attached slip by Thursday 31^st January.  The returning of this slip will allow us to timetable the taking of the photographs.  We want the experience to be as enjoyable as possible with minimal disruption to learning.  Please try to return the slip by Thursday. The collation and organisation of the returned slips will be done, and approximate times given to those who wish pre-school children included.  Please help us by returning this slip by 31^st January. It should be noted that family groups refer to children and DO NOT INCLUDE parents/adults. This letter is issued to the oldest child in each family.  Only one form should be filled in for each family. Thank you for your co-operation and I look forward to seeing the finished products.  Yours sincerely, M. S. MCPHEE Depute Head Teacher             Names of Pupil(s)               Class(es)                  N.B.    if Nursery please state                                                                                                a.m. or p.m. ____________________   __________ ____________________   __________ ____________________   __________ ____________________   __________   Please tick 1 of the following:- 

  N.B.    Family groups with a pre-school child (i.e. a child not at Loirston Nursery or primary school) will be taken in the morning therefore it will be necessary for afternoon nursery children to be brought in the morning if they are to be taken as part of a family group.  This must be returned by Thursday 31^st January so that arrangements canbe made and a time returned to you for family groups on Tuesday 5^thFebruary. Thank you for your co-operation.

17/01/2008Dear Parents and Carers As you will be aware Mrs. Thom is absent on sick leave and I have been asked to support the school during this period. I would like to say thank you to everyone at Loirston School for the warm welcome I have been given.  Over the coming weeks I will be working with the staff in school as we begin the process of moving forward after the visit from Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education. One of my first tasks will be reviewing Health Safety and Security in school. Staff in school have begun the process of reviewing security and I am aware that there is a pilot running currently regarding the sale of lunch tickets. I intend to monitor this and will be consulting with pupils, school staff and catering staff on the pilot arrangements. In order to safeguard your child parents who use a cheque book should please send a cheque with their child in a sealed envelope with their child’s name, class and the amount clearly marked on the outside on Mondays. I am aware that a few parents who do not operate a cheque book are concerned about their very young children being responsible for cash. I have suggested to them that they bring the money to the school office in a sealed envelope. We will pass the envelope to catering staff who will issue tickets to the child. I would welcome any other comments or suggestions from parents and carers on this issue.  Regards   June Stewart

9^th January 2008    Dear Parents,  

Applications for Enrolment to Nursery and Primary 1 for Session 2008/2009

  Application forms for Nursery may be requested from the School Office any time from 21^st January and should be returned to school by week ending the 15^th February at the latest.  An application MUST be completed again for all children who already attend Loirston Nursery.  When you return the application form, please bring the child’s birth certificate with you. You can still apply for places after February and your child’s name will be added to a waiting list for the 2008/2009 academic year. Enrolment for Primary 1 takes place during the week 14^th – 18^th January 2008.  Please bring the child’s birth certificate with you when you come to complete the enrolment forms and report to the School Office.  There are quite a number of “official bits” to complete but I should be available during that week to assist you.

 Please ensure that you enter the school by the main door.

   Yours sincerely, 

TRISH PERT 

Depute Head Teacher 

9^th January 2008

Dear Parents,

Mrs Thom has been unwell since Tuesday 20^th November and continues to be absent from school.

Following the recent H.M.I. inspection, Mr Alistair MacKay, Service Manager, Schools and Children’s Services, Neighbourhood Services (South Area), has arranged for additional support to be given to school and the management team as a result of Mrs Thom’s continued absence.

Mrs June Stewart has been seconded from her substantive post as Head Teacher at Hazlehead School by Aberdeen City Council to support Loirston School during this period.

Yours sincerely,

M. S. MCPHEE

Depute Head Teacher

Dear Parents,

It has been necessary to review procedures relating to maintaining a safe and secure environment for pupils.  It is a school responsibility to know who is in the building at any given time.  Following concerns, Mr. R. Duthie, Education Officer, visited school on Friday to consider the issue from a new perspective.

It was decided, in consultation with senior management and catering staff that the following pilot will operate for six weeks from January 7^th 2008.

• School lunch tickets will be sold on Monday mornings in classroom areas.  Since menus are issued well in advance, this will help you and your child identify which days they will have a school lunch.  It would be most helpful if you could purchase a book of tickets and issue them to your child as necessary.  For younger pupils a purse or box placed in the schoolbag with the number of tickets required would be appreciated by catering staff.
• Single tickets will be available for purchase at lunchtimes after pupils with tickets are served.  This obviously means that pupils will have money in school for which they will be responsible.
• All pupils should enter school by their respective unit door which will open at 9.00 a.m.  Parents of the younger pupils in the red unit are asked to say their ‘goodbyes’ before the pupils enter school.  The doors will then be closed at 9.05 a.m. and pupils arriving late should enter by the main school door.
• Parents of Nursery children should use the Nursery door to enter and exit the building.  I understand that a number of parents collect Nursery pupils and then wait in the school foyer for children who do not finish class until 3.15 p.m.  If this is the case, you are requested to walk round the building to the front of school and then leave to meet your child at the respective unit door at 3.15 p.m.
• All parents should enter school by the main door and identify themselves to office staff who will attend to their enquiry.

I do hope you appreciate the need for the above measures and if you are unclear about a particular situation, please ask.

I will write to you at the end of the 6-week pilot time to give you an update.

Thank you for your co-operation in this very important matter.

Yours sincerely,

M. S. MCPHEE

Depute Head Teacher

 c.c.      R. Duthie (Education Officer)            K. Watt (Schoo

Dear Parents,

The donations for the Shoebox Appeal have been arriving at a fast and furious pace.  The shoeboxes have all come wrapped and filled so there will be no need for parent helpers this year.

Many thanks for all your generous donations.

Yours sincerely,

R. CONSTABLE

Class Teacher