Caithness CWS - Community - Education - Hillhead Primary School - Newsletter

NOVEMBER 2005

Dear Parent,

HOW GOOD IS OUR SCHOOL?
The school has recently received two visits to see how it measures up in two key areas. On Wednesday 4th October, Mr Colin Ferguson, a Health Promoting School Accreditation Officer visited Hillhead to examine its claim for Health Promoting School status. Mr Ferguson has since written a very favourable report on the school and its health promotion activities. He awarded it a top mark of a 4 with respect to our health promoting activities. The full report can be read shortly on www.caithness.org. Full Report HERE

On Wednesday 2nd November, the nursery received an inspection by a member of Her Majestyï¿½s Inspectorate. The work of the nursery was fully evaluated and assessed. We look forward to the written nursery report, which should be available in January 2006. However we received a very positive oral report by the inspector.

WINDOW PROGRESS
Good progress has been made with the installation of new windows in the school. The asbestos was all removed during the October holidays and the joiners have now completed their windows in Primaries 3, 4,5,6 and 7. All windows have also been replaced in the administration block of the school, the general-purpose room and only one remains to be done in the hall.

THEATRE VISITS
Hillhead continues to make good use of theatre companies who are in the county. Before the holidays pupils from Primary 1 to Primary 7 visited Lyth arts centre to see The Perfect Spot. On Monday 31st October Primaries 1 and 2 went to see Katie and Morag at Wick High School. On Wednesday 10th November pupils from Primaries 1, 2 and 3 went to see a presentation of ï¿½The Snow Queenï¿½ in Pulteneytown Academy. Staff and pupils have received all the shows very enthusiastically.

GWEN MAYOR TRUST
The Gwen Mayor Trust was set up a number of years ago in memory of the primary school teacher who was killed in the shooting tragedy at Dunblane Primary School. It considers applications for funding from schools for projects which are arts based. I am pleased to

inform you that Hillhead has made a successful bid to the trust. We have received ï¿½700 to support a project making rag rugs. We hope to commence this work in the New Year

working with the Dornoch based artist Sally Orr. Due to the technical requirements of rug making, this work will be carried out with pupils in the upper primary school.

In the past there was a tradition of making rugs from rags in Wick. The school would be very interested to hear from anyone who has made such rugs or who has any memories of the process or of seeing such rugs.

VISIT TO CHINA
I have now returned from my British Council trip to China. Along with four other Scottish head teachers we visited schools in Beijing and Tianjin. Hillhead has been identified to make a link with No. 2 Primary School in Tianjin. There are considerable difficulties in establishing a link but good first contact has been made. Schools in China are very big ï¿½ the average primary school has 3500 pupils. We hope to initially involve the Chinese school in a picture exchange. Some photographs of Chinese primary schools, which I took during my visit, will be available shortly on www.caithness.org. Click Here

A typical Chinese classroom in Tianjin city. The red neckerchiefs tell that the pupil is a Young Pioneer- a member of the junior Communist party.

POPPY COLLECTION
Primary 7 pupils Chloe Graham and Paul Cameron represented the school at the wreath laying at the war memorial on Sunday November 13th. Many thanks to them and all who contributed to the poppy collection.

Chloe and Paul who laid the school wreath at this yearï¿½s Remembrance Service

SCHOOL PLACEMENTS
Mrs Alexis Stewart has been appointed to the post of Learning Support Auxiliary in Primary 1. She will work alongside Mr Colin Mackintosh in the afternoons.

Miss Laura Cole will be on placement as a classroom assistant in Primary 2 for the next four weeks from Monday to Thursday. Miss Rosie a teaching student from Aberdeen University finishes a four-week placement in Primary 4 this week.

Ms Belford returns to her post at Hillhead this week. She once again will be covering Technology and Religious and Moral Education in her lessons with Primary 4 to 7 pupils.

PUPIL MOVEMENTS
Could parents remind their children of the need to fully inform them of any place they may go after school. We recently had a pupil who disappeared on his way home from school only to be later located at the house of a friend.

Mrs Frame dealt with this matter and she would like to thank the many parents who were so supportive and helpful in their attempts to locate the pupil.

Equally please try to ensure that the pupil knows what they are doing after school. Phone calls to the School Office asking for messages to be passed on to pupils about what they should do after school should only be used in an emergency. Many thanks for your cooperation in this.

AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
Hillheadï¿½s after school clubs will start up this term.
The WRI Craft Club will meet on Wednesdays from 3.15 ï¿½ 4.15pm commencing on the 16th September.

Other school clubs will commence next week beginning Monday 21st November. They are:

Monday: CHESS for pupils in Primaries

Friday BADMINTON for Primary 7 pupils

The football, netball and French clubs will start next term.

ADVERSE WEATHER
Parents are reminded that the inside of the HOME -SCHOOL LINK books contains details of how to access the Highland Council telephone system for details about school closures. The phone number is 0870 054 6999 and the Hillhead code is 04 2200. In addition Moray Firth radio is also used to broadcast details of any school closure. The school has received information that this winter is likely to be particularly severe, so please keep these details handy.

DIARY DATES
A few important dates for this term. Further details will follow concerning the arrangements for a number of these events.

Wednesday 14th December: am Whole school to Parish Church for rehearsal.

Thursday 15th December Whole school Christmas Lunch.

Monday 19th December 1.30pm Primary 3 and 4 Christmas Party

Tuesday 20th December 9.30am ï¿½11.30am Nursery Christmas Party (no nursery session in afternoon)

Tuesday 20th December 6.30pm Christmas Service in Wick Old Parish Church

Wednesday 21st December 1.30pm Primary 1 and 2 Christmas party

Wednesday 21st December 6.30pm 8.00pm Primary 5, 6 and 7 Christmas Party

School breaks up for Christmas Holidays, normal time on Thursday 22nd December.

School resumes after Christmas break on Monday 9th January 2006.

Yours faithfully

A Budge