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Schools & Education

Hillhead Primary School - Newsletter

Dear Parent,

Welcome back to the start of another calendar year at Hillhead Primary School. I hope the year will prove to be a happy and healthy one for you and your child. It promises to be another busy term at Hillhead with lots of things happening.

HIGHLAND YEAR OF CULTURE
2007 is the Highland Year of Culture. We have yet to finalise a full timetable of activities but hope to receive one shortly from the authority. In addition the school will also be organising a number of activities independently which we hope your child will enjoy and learn from. The school has always seen the importance of bringing in professional artists to work with the pupils and this will be a major feature of the year of culture. Two items which the school has booked and confirmed are: a visit to the nursery for two days in early March by paper making arist Joanne Kaar. Joanne will be helping the nursery pupils create fused silk pictures over her two visits. We hope to be able to frame these so do keep a space free on your wall.

We have also engaged the services of Mrs McAdie who teaches Scottish dancing to the visitors at Ackergill Tower. Pupils in Primaries 4, 5, 6 and 7 will receive the benefit of these lessons each Friday this term commencing on January 26^th. However we are also hopeful that the younger pupils may also get an opportunity later in the year to try some Scottish dancing.

HEALTHY HIGHLAND WEEK
The week commencing January 15^th is Healthy Highland Week. The school would like to aim for every single pupil in the school having a piece of fruit for tuck on Wednesday so do encourage your child to see if we can get a 100%. of pupils having fruit that day.

The school kitchen will be providing a special Healthy Highland lunch on Tuesday 16^th January  which will consist of mince and tatties or if preferred a fish pie.

Look out for details of the school Burns lunch which will be held on January 25^th. An alternative of pork sausages will be available to those who don’t like haggis.

WICK ACADEMY CHRISTMAS CARD
Primary 5 pupil Erin MacDonald won the Wick Academy Christmas card competition. Erin’s design was chosen as the picture on the local football team’s card for Christmas 2006. As well as her design being used, Erin also became the team mascot for the day at Wick Academy’s home match on December 23^rd.

Two other Primary 5 pupils also did well in the competition. Ashleigh Dunnett obtained 2^nd place and Emma Plowman was 3^rd  in their age group. Both received Wick Academy match tickets.

CHRISTMAS LUNCH PRAYER
For the first time, pupils from Primary 3 to 7 were asked to write a prayer for the school Christmas lunch held on Thursday December 14^th. Primary 3 pupil Iona Ferrier wrote the winning prayer for the infant lunch. The winning entry for the upper primary school lunch was written by Primary 4 pupil Beth Crawford. Both girls will receive a small prize at the whole school assembly on Monday 15^th. 

PARENT FORUM
Parents received some information about the new parent forums and parent councils before the Christmas holidays. Look out for details of a meeting to discuss the way forward for Hillhead with respect to this new legislation.

STAFF CHANGES
Mrs Begg will return to work for one day a week commencing on Friday 12^th January.

Student teacher  Miss Fisher is currently placed with Primary 4 and will be with us almost until the end of term.

FEIS ROS
Pupils in |Primaries 5 and 6 will be learning about traditional Scottish music over the next four weeks. Heather the tin whistle player will be visiting the school to work with the pupils in these classes.

BRING and BUY SALE
The annual Bring and Buy Sale will take place on Thursday February 1st. The Primary 7 pupils organise and run this event. We would be most grateful of any donations of items. The pupils absolutely love this event and items are sold very reasonably. Do ensure that your child is able to participate in this fun by having some pennies with them. All profits go towards the cost of the York trip. I will try to show some pictures of the delight which the pupils have at picking up a bargain in our next newsletter.

PARENT/CHILD ACTIVITIES
There is an increasing understanding of the importance which parents can play in the education of their child. The general knowledge quiz is only one way in which we try to encourage parent/child interaction at Hillhead. Parent/child activities were strongly encouraged by the education authority which I visited in Canada last session. They published a monthly list of activities.  As it is the first month of the year, I thought I would try to produce such a list for the first three months of this year. If parents find these ideas useful we will then continue with them. January’s activities accompany this letter.

AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
he following after school clubs will take place starting the week (January 16^th) apart from the craft club which will operate from Wednesday 24^th.

Monday Chess 3.15 – 4.00pm with Mr Henderson, Mrs W.Mackay and Miss Gray.

Tuesday Netball for pupils in Primary 6 and 7 with Miss MacDonald.

Wednesday French club for pupils in  Primary 4 and 5 with Mrs Sinclair and Mrs Falconer.

also

WRI Craft  Club: For pupils in Primary 6 and 7 with Mrs Bruce (retired secretary), Mrs J. Cormack. Mrs F. Mackay and  Mrs K.Mackay. This club will commence on Wednesday 24^th January and names of interested pupils will be gathered next week.

Thursday Football with Hymie. Primary 6/7 one week, Primary 4/5 the next. Classes will start with Primary 6/7 on January 18^th.  Music with Mrs Elder Primary 4 and 5.

Friday lunchtime reading club for Primaries 6 and 7 with Miss Angus.

Badminton for pupils in Primary 7 with Miss Mowat and Mrs Frame.

The rugby club will start after the Easter holidays.

TERM DATES
Long week-end Thursday 8^th February 2007 (school closed to pupils for in service day) School closed Friday 9^th and Monday 12^th February

Easter holidays: School closes Friday, 30^th  March 2007 

Monday 16^th April  (school closed to pupils for in service day) 

School resumes Tuesday, 17^th April 2007.

School closed May Day Monday 5^th May 2007

Summer holidays: School closes Thursday, 28^th  June 2007  Monday 13^th August  (school closed to pupils for in service day) 

School resumes: Tuesday, 14^th  August 2007

October holidays: School closes Friday, 5^th  October 2007 

School resumes: Monday 22^nd October

Monday 19^th  and Tuesday 20^th November, school closed to pupils for in service day.

Christmas holidays: School closes Thursday, 20 December 2007

School resumes: Monday 7^th January 2008     

Yours faithfully,

A Budge
Headteacher