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Mount Pleasant Index

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MOUNT PLEASANT PRESS
Visit us at www.mountpleasant.highland.sch.uk

10 JANUARY 2006

Welcome back to the spring term.  Thank you to everyone who gave Christmas cards and gifts at the end of last term.  I hope you all had a happy holiday with friends and family and wish you all good health for 2006.

DATES FOR TERMS 3 and 4

January Sale                                  Friday, 13 January

Open Meeting with Mrs Farmer         Tuesday, 17 January

Burns Lunch                                   Wednesday, 25 January

Primary 7 Coffee Morning                Saturday, 28 January

Primary 7 Sponsored Walk               Wednesday, 1 February

Nursery Reading Workshop 1           Wednesday, 15 February

Pupil Council Cake Day                    Friday, 17 February

Nursery Reading Workshop 2           Wednesday, 22 February

Swimming for P4-7starts                 Wednesday, 1 March

P7 Edinburgh Trip                           Monday, 24 to Friday, 28 April inclusive

Sports Day                                      end of May, date to be confirmed

P6 Trip                                           Monday, 12 June

HOLIDAY DATES ARE LISTED AT THE END OF THE NEWSLETTER
ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

LOST PROPERTY
Please note there were a considerable number of items left in the Lost Property Box at the end of last term, as I forgot to issue a wee reminder to parents to come in and check for missing items I did not empty the box over the break.  The items will be laid out on the stage this week and anything left on Friday will either be binned or donated to a local charity shop.  Any items of uniform will be washed and added to our second-hand stock.

SCHOOL HANDBOOK
Please note the school handbook has been updated in preparation for the annual enrolments.  If any parent would like a copy, please contact the school office and Hilary will arrange for one to come home via school bag mail.

ADVERSE WEATHER/EMERGENCY CONTACT
By now all parents (P1-7, Nursery 3 & 4 and SEU) should have received information regarding the 0870 number to be used if you think the school may be closed due to adverse weather.  We still have not had all the return slips.  If you have lost/misplaced/don�t think you received on, please contact the school office immediately to arrange for a replacement.  It is essential parents have this information available to them.

It is also extremely important that all emergency contact details held by the school are kept up to date.  Please think carefully and inform us immediately of any changes to phone numbers etc.  Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

NURSERY PLAYGROUND WORKS
The work on our new Nursery playground had to be postponed last term due to the storm damage to the school roof.  I expect this work to begin again shortly and will issue a note to Nursery parents with specific details in due course.

As children in P1-7 will have to walk past the works area to access their playground, can I ask all parents to remind their child(ren) of the dangers of entering a building site.  This will reinforce the message we will be giving them in school.  Thank you.

SAFE, STRONG AND FREE
There will be series of Safe, Strong and Free workshops for Nursery pupils and parents.  These are due to begin on Tuesday 17 January.

DOUNREAY 50TH ANNIVERSARY CALENDAR
We have a small number of calendars available from the office priced 75p.  All monies from their sale will go to support the Caithness Science Festival organised by Professor Iain Baikie.  Children may buy the calendars first thing in the morning when they are booking school lunches or at morning interval.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
A Drama club for P3 pupils will run for a 5 � 6 week block at lunch times this term.  David Hunter, Outreach Worker for Eden Court, will take this.

I will be continuing Craft Club this term for P6/7 pupils after school on Wednesdays.  The children from last term�s group who have still to finish items will be able to do so on Wednesdays at lunchtime.

Badminton will start again on Tuesday, 17 January with Hilary and Alison Henderson.

Football training is due to start again shortly.

Separate notes will be issued for each group with further details of times etc.

BURNS LUNCH
The School Nutrition action Group are organising a Burns Lunch on Wednesday 25 January.  We hope as many children as possible will attend the lunch.  A booking slip showing menu choices for that day will be issued shortly to allow Agnes time to organise the ordering of food for that day.

CHRISTMAS RECYCLING
CHAS, (Children�s Hospice Association Scotland) the charity we support with our collection of ink cartridges also collect mobile phones.  If anyone was lucky enough to get a new mobile this Christmas, please consider disposing of your old one by donating it to this charity.  We will be collecting mobile phones until Tuesday, 31 January.

We will also be collecting old Christmas cards for recycling up to Friday, 20 January for recycling.

HEAD LICE - Please be vigilant and check children�s heads regularly!
Schools are no longer permitted to issue alert letters to all parents.  If we become aware of anyone having head lice we will only contact the parent/carer of that child. This will be done by letter or a personal telephone call.

ENROLMENT
Adverts will be appearing in the local press soon informing parents of the enrolment arrangements for P1 and Nursery 3 & 4 pupils for next session.  Please watch out for these and pass the information to anyone you know with children of the appropriate age.

EDINBURGH TRIP � FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES
P7 pupils and parents will be participating in two fundraising activities this term in preparation for our residential trip in Term 4.  The first fundraiser will be a Coffee Morning to be held in Thurso Town Hall on Saturday, 28 January.  This will be followed by a sponsored walk to Scrabster and back on Wednesday 1 February � weather permitting.

If parents from other classes would like to help out in any way please contact the school office to make arrangements.  We will have a general sponsor form at the office for anyone wishing to support the P7s by sponsoring me to complete the walk.  After over indulging at Christmas I think I need to walk twice the distance!!

SCHOOL BOARD
Copies of School Board minutes are available on the school website and also on the notice board outside the office.  The next meeting will be held on Monday, 23 January at 7.00 pm.

PTA NEWS
The next meeting will be an EGM and the date is to be set.  The PTA will issue information regarding this shortly.  Copies of PTA minutes are available on the school website and also on the notice board outside the office.

COLLECTION ITEMS
We continue to collect:

         Empty ink cartridges.

          Stamps

          Persil Stars

          Nestle Box Tops

HOLIDAY/IN-SERVICE DATES

School Closes (at the end of the school day on)             School Opens (9.00 am on)

Wednesday, 8 February 2006                 Tuesday, 14 February 2006

Friday, 31 March 2006                           Wednesday, 19 April 2006

Friday, 28 April 2006                             Tuesday, 2 May 2006

Friday, 30 June 2006                             Tuesday, 15 August 2006

Friday, 6 October 2006                           Monday, 23 October 2006

Friday, 17 November 2006                      Wednesday, 22 November 2006

Thursday, 21 December 2006                  Monday, 8 January 2007

Wednesday, 7 February 2007                   Tuesday, 13 February 2007

Friday, 30 March 2007                             Tuesday, 17 April 2007

Friday, 4 May 2007                                  Tuesday, 8 May 2007

Thursday, 28 June 2007                           Tuesday, 14 August 2007

Friday, 5 October 2007                            Monday, 22 October 2007

Thursday, 20 December 2007                           Monday, 7 January 2008

Wednesday, 6 February 2008                           Tuesday, 12 February 2008

Thursday, 20 March 2008                           Monday, 7 April 2008

Friday, 27 June 2008                                                      Tuesday, 19 August 2008

ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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