Welcome back to our returning families and a big welcome to our new families who have joined us in August. We are delighted to be back with you and the pupils have settled in beautifully to their new classes and are already very busy! This newsletter will outline some of our plans this year as well as a couple of reminders for you all. I hope you find it useful.
in this newsletter
- School updates
- Events coming up
- Parent Council Information
- Stars of the week for August
- Methods of Communication
School updatE
School Attendance
I would like to remind you of the importance of good school attendance and the affect this has on your child's education. Did you know that a pupil with an average of 90% attendance from P1 onwards could miss the equivalent of an entire school year by the time they reach S3? SLC have a new Attendance campaign and you can find out more by clicking HERE.
If you child is unwell and unable to attend school please call before 9.30am and leave a message on our absence line (option 1) or email the school office office@newfield-pri.s-lanarkshire.gov.uk.
PE Days
PE has been timetabled and the PE Days for each class are as follows: Room 1 - Tuesday and Friday, Room 2 - Wednesday and Thursday, Room 3 - Tuesday and Wednesday, Room 4 - Monday and Thursday, Room 5 - Monday and Tuesday, Room 6 - Wednesday and Thursday, Room 7 - Tuesday and Wednesday, Room 8 - Tuesday and Thursday, Room 9 - Monday and Thursday.
Please note: Weeks beginning 1st and 8th Sept: Room 8 PE is Wednesday/Thursday and Room 6 PE is Tuesday and Thursday. This is due to Active Schools Leadership Training for our P7 pupils.
On PE Days pupils should bring a CHANGE OF SHOES to wear in the gym hall, jewellery should not be worn and long hair should be tied up. Teachers may have to limit the activities your child takes part in during the lesson if there are any safety concerns due to long hair being worn loose or jewellery not being removed.
Sharing the Learning
Each term our staff create a Termly Newsletter detailing the learning and subjects being covered in class. These can be accessed on our school website by clicking on the link HERE or by visiting www.newfield-pri.s-lanark.sch.uk.
We are no longer using X (Twitter) to share the learning that takes place in our school. Over the last few months we have been looking for an alternative and trying out different options. We have found a solution which we will share with you in the next few weeks. We are currently confirming permission from SLC and hope to have it up and running very soon!
Safety Round the School Grounds
We would encourage all our pupils to wear helmets when they are using scooters or bikes, especially when travelling to and from school round the busy streets. A reminder that electric scooters are not permitted and will not be allowed in our grounds if brought from home.
A polite reminder for all motorists who drop off and pick up outside our school. Please be considerate to our neighbours and not block driveways and house access. Also ensure that speed is kept down for the safety of our pupils and those who live around the school. We encourage our families to 'Park and Stride' this involves parking at the Lifestyles Car Park and walking the rest of the way to school. Rules have been introduced by SLC about parking on pavements, these rules will be enforced by Parking Attendants in the coming weeks and months.
Items in School
The pupils are all looking very smart in their uniforms, thank you for this. Please ensure that names are on all items of clothing, packed lunches and water bottles as they can be easily returned to the owner if lost. Please remember to pack a small snack for your child for playtime and encourage toys to be kept at home and not brought to school.
As the weather begins to become wet, please ensure your child comes to school EVERY DAY with an outdoor jacket. A reminder that we operate a pre-loved uniform shop so if you require any items please get in touch.
Please ensure you keep your contact details up to date and complete all permissions that have been sent out at the start of the year. If your details change through the school year, please let us know quickly so we can update our records.
events coming up
School Improvement plans 25/26
We are delighted to share with you our School Improvement Plan Priorities for 25/26. Please see below for details. We also shared our achievements from session 24/25 with you in June. If you would like to look at this please click HERE.
Learning Showcases
Each class will hold a Learning Showcase again this year. This is an opportunity for parents to come into the school and see what the pupils have been learning. This will take different forms depending on the age and stage of the pupils. Some classes may operate an exhibition style event where the pupils act as tour guides, other classes may have a more traditional assembly type event. All will give you the chance to find out the learning and interact with your child. P1-6 Learning Showcases will take place at 9.30am and will run for approximately 1 hour.
The dates for these events are as follows: Room 7 - 28th October, Room 3 - 26th November, Room 2 - 4th March, Room 9 - 11th March, Room 4 - 18th March, Room 6 - 25th March, Room 5 - 1st April, Room 1 - 27th May.
The P7/Room 8 Learning Showcase will take the form of a Burns Supper and will take place on 29th January at 1.30pm.
Dress Down Day Themes
The pupils have decided on their Dress Down Day themes for this year and they are as follows. September - Outdoor clothes, October - Crazy hair, November - Bright clothing, December - Christmas jumper, February - Back to Front and Odd Socks, March - Pyjamas and comfy clothes, May - Sports and leisure wear, June - Shorts and Shades.
Dress Down Day is the FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH. There is a suggested payment of £1 per Dress Down Day and this can be payable on ParentPay. All monies go towards events and activities in school.
Outdoor Days
Following the success of our Outdoor Day last year, the staff have timetabled four Outdoor Days, one for each term. The pupils, in their house groups, will take part in a variety of outdoor activities across the morning. Please ensure pupils are appropriately dressed for all weathers on 5th September, 7th November, 6th February and 1st May.
Parentsportal School Calendar
We are currently populating the school calendar with all the important events for this school session. Please make sure you are regularly checking this. If you are having any problem registering for ParentsPortal please get in touch with Mrs Hughes in the school office.
Ready Steady Learn Booklets
A reminder to all our parents/carers to sign the Ready Steady Learns when they come home from school. It is really important that we know you have had a look at the comments written by the staff and the pupils. This is our main method of communication between class and home
A reminder that if you are having a clear out you can bring your preloved clothes, shoes, handbags and blankets to the school to put in our yellow recycling bin.
Important Dates Coming Up
SEPTEMBER WEEKEND - SCHOOL CLOSED Friday 26th/Monday 29th September
PARENTS NIGHT - Thursday 9th October
OCTOBER HOLIDAYS - SCHOOL CLOSED - Monday 13th - Friday 17th October
parent council information
The first Parent Council meeting of the session will be take place Wednesday 17th September at 6pm in the school. Please contact a member of the Parent Council if you wish to attend this.
Our Parent Council also operate a Facebook page 'Parents of Newfield Primary (Scotland)' which shares useful information about their work and how they support the school. It is also a useful place to ask any questions or be reminded of events coming up. Please request to join the group if you have pupils at our school.
Stars of the Week for AUGUst
Room 1: Christopher Dickie, Haiden Paterson, Alvey Reid, Jessica Grant.
Room 2: Lily Gardner, Santiago Santos, Harris Forrest, Hunter Cunningham.
Room 3: Murray Neilson, Blake Douglas, Hollie Guthrie, Haven McGarry.
Room 4: Jake McConnell, Robyn Kennedy, Jocelyn Baillie, Charlotte Maley.
Room 5: Ethan Smart, Peyton McGarry, Oliver Harrigan, Harper Reilly.
Room 9: Cailin Stewart, Orlagh McKenna, Iyden Biggar, Aylah Doyle.
Room 6: Lewis Guthrie, Lochlan Anderson, Kayleigh Neary, Sophie Derrick.
Room 7: Millie McIntyre, Esmond Sobok, Devon Reid, Ava Dickson.
Room 8: Jayson McGill, Isla Teape, Reice Snodgrass, Madeleine McBride.
methods of communication
It is important that we have effective communication with our parents/carers and there are many ways you can keep up-to-date with events and let us know if you have any concerns.
- Ready Steady Learn Books: Please write notes and comments in here for the teacher and we encourage discussion at home about your child's learning.
- Website: www.newfield-pri.s-lanark.sch.uk
- Please sign up for ParentsPay and ParentsPortal to ensure you keep up to date with school events.
- School telephone number: 01698 792084
- School email address: gw14newfieldpsoffice@glow.sch.uk or office@newfield-pri.s-lanark.sch.uk
We are always looking for new and innovative ways of making communication with parents/carers easier. Please let us know if you have any suggestions.
Thank you for your continued support,
Laura Horn, Headteacher