P4 – P7: If you donated treats for yesterday’s Bake Sale or your child bought a cake then a big THANK YOU for your support!

We will count the money next week and let you know how much we raised.

Dear Parents

Find below this weeks update.

TOMORROW is Elfridges Day 2022

10:00 am – 12:00 pm December 3, 2022

Year Stage Newsletters

All year stages should have issued a newsletter today. The  P7 newsletter will be issued on Monday 7th November this is due to a technical issue that has now been resolved.

Snack Trolley Lochend Campus

This is now back up and running. Snacks are 20p and at present just 1 snack per child.

Children in Need 2022

Primary One Football

Christmas Countdown

It may be a little early to be saying this out loud but
Christmas is fast approaching! This is a magical time
in school but a very busy time too!
In order to give as much notice as possible we
We will be issuing the Christmas Countdown as soon as we have all the dates confirmed.

Dear Parents and Carers,

The weekly update will be available from this week until the end of session in June. Our apologies for the last few weeks as we were unable to provide this update.

Scottish Government – Directorate for Educational Reform

A National Discussion on Scottish Education is taking place. We are inviting everyone with an interest in the future of Scotland’s education system to join in – and we really need to hear from you.  Please see the website for more information and your opportunity to participate. National Discussion Scottish Education – Scottish Government – Citizen Space (consult.gov.scot)

Exploring the Four Capacities

Exploring The Four Capacities is a thought paper, commissioned by Education Scotland and prepared by NoTosh, compiling the views of over 150 educators and over 600 learners from across Scotland’s education system.

It offers insights to help inform the National Discussion on Education and to stimulate your own exploration of the four capacities. The paper will be useful to all educators and settings exploring curriculum rationale and curriculum design.

education-scotland-notosh-exploring-the-four-capacities-october-2022

Parent Council (DGSC) for Current P7 parents

The next meeting of DGES Parent Council will take place on Tuesday 1^st November from 7 – 8.30pm in the Conference Room (next to the School Office).  All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend.  The meeting will include a discussion on ‘Attitudes towards Maths’ led by Chris White (PTC Maths)

Resources for Parents

• ELC Young Carers Service: Who is a Young Carer? | Young Carers | East Lothian Council
• How to apply or renew free school meals and school clothing grants: https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210557/schools_and_learning/11899/free_school_meals_and_clothing_grants/2
• Resources for Parents/Carers of Anxious Students

Dear Parents

The text below is a Statement from East Lothian Provost regarding the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Community of Dunbar Primary School wish to echo the Tribute made by the Provost.

If you wish to send your own message of condolence there is a link at the bottom of the post.

Tributes to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

East Lothian Provost, John McMillan, has led the tributes in East Lothian following the announcement of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

“Today is a very significant day in the history of our nation and within our sorrow at The Queen’s passing we must also acknowledge the considerable contribution and example of public duty she made during her long reign.

“For the majority of people she was the only monarch they have ever known and her passing also brings to a close the modern Elizabethan era. Over the 70+ years of her reign she had been witness to many significant world events from the sadness of wars and conflicts to the joy of technological progress including the introduction of the Internet and major medical advancements that have eradicated previously endemic diseases such as polio.

“She was the most widely travelled monarch of all time visiting countries in all five continents but of course also retained a particular fondness for Scotland. She visited East Lothian on a number of occasions – the most recent visit was in 2016 to mark the 200th anniversary of Musselburgh Racecourse.

“During 2022, the year of her Platinum Jubilee, local communities across East Lothian including schools, businesses, community groups and individuals embraced the challenge of the Queen’s Green Canopy and planted trees in a variety of sites across the county that will serve as enduring tributes to her reign.

“East Lothian joins the rest of the nation, Commonwealth and wider world in a period of mourning that acknowledges the passing of an incredible individual whose commitment and longevity to public duty is unlikely to ever be equalled.”

Lord-Lieutenant’s message of condolence

East Lothian’s Lord-Lieutenant, Roderick Urquhart, today said: “I am deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen. I send my most sincere condolences to all of the Royal Family on behalf of the East Lothian Lieutenancy and the people of East Lothian.

“For more than 70 years, HM The Queen led a life of incomparable public service and duty dedicated to the nation. She was not just the Head of State of the UK and Head of the Commonwealth, but was also a figurehead of selfless devotion, dedication and service. She leaves a legacy which is unlikely to be matched for many generations.

“Her visits to East Lothian were many and varied over the years, and in particular I have happy memories of her visiting the Lamp of Lothian in Haddington in 2007, and joining the bicentenary celebrations of Musselburgh Racecourse in 2016.

“As Lord-Lieutenant I have been fortunate to carry out many duties on behalf of The Queen, including the presentation of Honours to local residents,  and celebrating 100th birthdays and Diamond Wedding anniversaries, as well as presenting Queen’s Awards. On each of these occasions I have been aware of the huge respect and fondness for our monarch.

The recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations highlighted the desire of people of all ages to mark the occasion. In East Lothian, the Queen’s Green Canopy Platinum Jubilee initiative has resulted in many trees being planted across the county, by school and community groups, local businesses and individual residents, all of which together will leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

“Whilst in this period of mourning, we must also recognise the succession within the monarchy, and the inheritance of the Crown by her heir, Charles. As King, Charles will inevitably be a different monarch, but one who will help evolve a new modern relevance to the monarchy, as well as being a true and confident successor to HM The Queen, in continuing the twin roles of head of state and head of the nation and Commonwealth, in the 21st Century.”

Queen Elizabeth II meets the crowds on High Street in Haddington, July 1973

Messages of condolence and the mourning period

Send your message of condolence

Send your message of condolence to the Royal Family

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to the start of the new term 2022-2023. I am delighted that we are now working without the many COVID restrictions that were in place previously and I hope that you will start to see the impact of this on your children and yourselves as we work through the year.

There will be more opportunities for you to come into school to see the pupils’ work and get involved through our BOATS (Bring Our Adult To School) Days.

Some activities will still run on-line as parents have shared that they prefer this way, it is more time efficient and allows more people to participate. However, we will review these sessions during the year to make sure we are meeting the needs of everyone in our school community.

We are really keen to work with our volunteers again; you make such a difference in so many ways and we have missed you! If you would like to get involved we will be sending out more information on a letter later in the week.

Our start to the session has been very positive, the majority of our pupils were excited to come back to school, to meet up with friends and have been enthusiastic about the learning in their new year stages. I was really impressed with the behaviour and manners shown – a credit to you all.

The Primary 1 pupils were fantastic as they made their start to their primary years.  I want to thank yourselves, our nursery staff and the P1 Team who worked hard to ensure the transition from Nursery to P1 meant the pupils felt confident, were resilient and happy to join our school.

Mrs Gillanders Head Teacher/

Read More below.

Newsletter August 2022

Frequently Asked Questions E-Coli

There has been an outbreak of E Coli in East Lothian.

Find Below FAQ regarding E-Coli.

E Coli FAQ for parents and staff

Mental Health and well-being Website

Welcome to East Lothian’s Children & Young People Mental Health and Wellbeing information point. This site is intended to provide information and support for children and young people, as well as for families and staff supporting young people. Use the buttons on the webpage to explore information most relevant for you.

Mental Health & Wellbeing (google.com)

Information from East Lothian Council

Please see the link below for information on East Lothian Council’s Devolved School Management

https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210557/schools_and_learning/12720/devolved_school_management

ELC_Devolved_School_Management_Scheme_2022_23_v5

Parents Portal

East Lothian Council has introduced  Parentsportal.scot for P1 to S6 pupils. This is a new digital service to help replace the traditional school bag run, by providing direct communication to parents through a growing set of online services, using one single login.

The portal has been developed to help provide parents with a clear insight into their child’s education and to support transactional communications between them and the school.

Registration for a Parent’s Portal customer account uses the MyGovScot myaccount service. This is a secure and trusted service provided by the Scottish Government. Most parents have already registered with myaccount to use the SchoolPay online payment system and you can use the same login details for the Parent’s Portal

Dear Parents,

Welcome Back

It has been great to see all the happy children back to school. Mrs Gillanders welcomed them back with two Assemblies last Friday.

Welcome back to school assembly J Muir 2022

Welcome back to school assembly Lochend

School Improvement Plan 2022-23 and Standards and Quality Report 2021-22.

SIP &PEF 2022&2023

Dunbar Primary School S&Q 2021 – 2022

Medication in Schools

Medicines Held in School

If your child still requires to have medication in school please complete the appropriate form from the links on our website and send it in at the start of the next term along with the medication:

• Request for school to issue short-term prescribed medication
• Request for school to issue long-term prescribed medication
• Request for school to issue long-term ‘as required’ prescribed medication
• Request for school to issue non-prescribed medication
• Request to school for medication to be carried and self-administered by pupil

Parents Portal

School Diary Dates

Year Stage dates will be on your stage Newsletter.

Tuesday 30th August Parent Council Meeting 7pm Online

Friday 16th to Monday 19th September 2022 – September Holiday Weekend
Friday 14th October 2022 – last day of term
Monday 24th October 2022 – In Service Day

School Return

The school will re-open for pupils on Wednesday 17th August 2022.

If you have uniforms to pick up both offices will be open from 9.00am on Monday 15th August and Tuesday 16th August,

You will also see below that the Uniform Bank is open at JOHN MUIR Campus for all ages from 10am till 2pm on both these dates. Many thanks to Dunbar Parent Council for organising this.

UNIFORM BANK

P7 Leavers Disco

Last night we had a brilliant return to our P7 Leavers Disco. The weather was great, the music was banging and the pupils had a ball.

Many thanks to the P7 team Shirley and Hazel in the Office, Graham and Kim the Jannies, All the support staff who decorated the hall and foyer and to David Currie for the music.  A special thanks to the Factory Shop for the discount on the balloon arch.

Dunbar Rotary Quiz

Team Two from DPS won the Dunbar Rotary Quiz and Tem one were joint 3rd. Congratulations Cameron, Naomi, Alex and Isaac for you achievement.

HMIE recovery Visit Note

Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education (HM Inspectors) have prepared this document following a recent visit to Dunbar Primary School and Nursery Class that they carried out along with officers from East Lothian Council.

Dunbar Primary School and Nursery Class self-selected for a recovery visit, which was arranged to meet the needs of their individual circumstances. Activities undertaken during the visit were discussed in advance with the head of establishment and with local authority officers. Taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic, some activities have been carried out remotely.

Read the full note here:  Visit – East Lothian Council – Dunbar Primary School – 5553024 – Publication – Updated Final Note of Recovery Visit

School Milk Payments

Two funds have now been setup for School Milk starting on 17/08/22:-

School Milk 22/23 Full Year at a cost of £47.50 (covers Term 1, 2 & 3).

School Milk Term 1 22/23 and it covers Term 1 only at a cost of £20.50.

Both funds are now open and close on 15/7/22.  If you require to pay for milk then please select only one of these funds.  Both funds will remain open until 15/7/22 and you must pay online through School Pay as no cash or cheque payments will be accepted.

If using a mobile phone and have difficulty seeing the milk fund:-

• Click on the 3 lines on the top right hand corner of the page
• Select Accounts
• Click on your child’s account

The next screen should list all the available funds and you should see School Milk 22/23 Full Year and School Milk Term 1 22/23.

Please do not pay milk to Preorder school meals as this fund is for school lunches only and payment for milk only relates to P1 – P7

Brunton Summer Activities

Depute Head Teacher Vacancy

We are looking for a permanent Depute Head Teacher to join our big team @DunbarPrimary! Click on the link below for all the details & get in touch if you would like more information #TeamDunbar #EastLothianhttps://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/east-lothian-council/jobs/depute-head-teacher-dunbar-primary-school-281914 …

Uniform bank information

Dear Parents and Carers

This school session, has seemed to last for ever, but also its over in a flash! It is hard to remember that we were still social distancing, teaching in rows and putting in our recovery programme following two remote learning periods due to COVID19.  Gradually as the year has gone on we have almost returned to what appears to be ‘normal school life’ and I have been delighted to see parents, carers and grandparents back for at Sports Days and we are able this year to mark the P7 leavers with a dance, assembly and of course our traditional ‘clapping out ceremony,’, more details of the last day at the bottom on this letter.

Recovery Visit – East Lothian Council – Dunbar Primary School – 5553024 – Publication – Updated Final Note of Recovery Visit

We requested a Recovery Visit from HMIe, we wanted to share what we are doing in school, gather valid feedback from the inspection team and use this to shape our School Improvement Plan to ensure we are putting in place the supports to enable every pupil to achieve their potential. The visit was very positive and we were able to share our next steps and receive very useful support and advice. The full report can now be found on the school website.

Meet the Teacher in August – Monday 22^nd – Thursday 25^th

After positive feedback from last year’s session we have decided to go ahead with on-line 1:1 meetings with class teachers via Google Meet. It is relaxed and informal and is an opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher and talk about your child. We want to get to know them, and you, at the start of term. More details will come to you from 15^th August.

Staffing Update

The DHT who was due to start at Lochend in August has decided to withdraw, the post has been re-advertised and we will be interviewing in early September. In the meantime I will be appointing a temporary Principal Teacher, until the new DHT starts. This will be filled internally from a member of DPS staff to ensure we have an SLT member for Primary 6 and to support new initiatives next session. Vikki Henderson is leaving the Nursery to take up a post at Law Primary Nursery.

Some of our classroom assistants and ASN staff are also leaving so we say goodbye to Mrs Murray, Mrs Fraser Mrs Wallace and Mrs Greig.  Last year the Scottish Government gave all schools funding to buy in additional support staff for 1 year to support the ‘recovery phase’ following Covid19. There were temporary posts and whilst we are very sad to see these staff leave it was always part of our staff and pupil planning.

Next session we are planning our own ‘ARCH Learning Programme’ which will enable more learners to access more life-skills training, qualifications linked to community activities and support to enable them to access class activities to meet individual needs. We will share much more about this next session.

Volunteers – Snack Trolley and Reading volunteers needed for next term

Thanks to all the parents, carers and community helpers who have supported classes on trips out recently – great to have you back as we couldn’t do them without you!  Also thanks to those who replied when we sent out an email last term for volunteers, however in order to run our snack trollies we need at least another 6 at each campus – please can you call either office to give name, day/s you can help out and a telephone number  – we will come back to you.  Reading volunteers are an essential mainstay or our school and we would like to encourage you back if you did it before or we will be running some training if you fancy helping out some of our pupils with their reading practice. Please can you contact your child’s new teacher after the summer holiday – it is so rewarding and even 1 hour can make a massive difference.

‘DPS Expectations’ -an accepted standard or a way of being or doing things in our school

Next August we will return to school (fingers crossed) without restrictions and as a staff are really looking forward to starting the year when we get back to our normal ways. Covid19 did impact on school life in the past two years, and sometimes not in a positive way.

We will be begin the session on Wednesday 17^th August as a fresh start, which will include sharing our ‘DPS expectations’ with our whole school community so that everyone is very clear about the rules and beliefs we have in our school regarding behaviour, uniform, attendance, moving around school, bikes & scooters and engagement in learning. In order that everyone succeeds and enjoys being at Dunbar Primary School as staff, pupils and parent/carers we all need to ensure that we understand what is expected, everyone is consistent in insisting on these expectations so that we can focus on the main purpose of being in school – learning.

To support our start of term please ensure the following:

• We ask that DPS school uniform must be worn at all times – we have lots of uniform that is in excellent condition so please collect from us if you need any. School colours are black, red and grey and what we accept is in on the school website. We are proud of our school and uniform is the way to show and share this.
• We will continue to ask pupils to come in their PE kit on days they have lessons, however we will now ask that they wear a school sweatshirt or cardigan during the day. A reminder that hoodies are not part of the school uniform.
• For everyone’s safety bikes and scooters cannot be ridden in the playground, all pupils and adults must get off at the gate and wheel their bike/scooter to the racks – not leaving them on the grass.
• Doors open at both campuses at 8.45am – pupils should be at school for this time; the expectation is that pupils will be in their class by 8.55am. It is a life skill to be on time and we want to encourage and instil this in our pupils; the teachers will be starting the learning at 8.55am and we need you to support us with this.

Returning to school on Wednesday 17^th August 2022

P2 pupils will arrive at school for 8.45am and will leave at 2.50pm in the usual way.                       P2 leave at 12.00 each Friday

P3 – P7 pupils will arrive at school for 8.45am and will leave at 3.10pm in the usual way.              P3-P7 leave at 12.20 each Friday

* New Primary 1 pupils will have different start and leaving times for the first few weeks of school and this will be sent in a separate letter.

Last day arrangements – Friday 1^st July

The Parent Council agreed that we would finish slightly earlier on the final day so that we are able to clap out Primary 3 and Primary 7 pupils.

Arrangements for John Muir

P3 pupils will be clapped out of school at 11.40am – P3 parents need to be waiting on the grass so they can collect their child as they leave the gates with their teacher.

P1 will then leave straight afterwards supervised by their teachers, and finally, P2 pupils will be escorted to the gates to meet whoever is collecting them.

Arrangements for Lochend

Parents are encouraged to come into the playground and line the path from the red road to the gates from 11.50 onwards.

P4-P6 pupils and teachers will form a leaving corridor from the back playground to the red road.

P7 pupils will be clapped out at 12.05 from their classrooms to the main gates, followed by P4, P5, P6 pupils.

I would like to thank you for your support over this challenging year and I hope you all have an enjoyable holiday over the next few weeks.

Finally, our Primary 7 pupils leave to start a new chapter in their lives, it does not seem five minutes since they started in Primary 1, and I have really enjoyed seeing them grow and develop and I am very proud of all they have achieved. Good luck to them and to all of our staff leaving Dunbar Primary School this year, we wish you all the best!

Mrs Helen Gillanders

Head teacher

Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education (HM Inspectors) have prepared this document following a recent visit to Dunbar Primary School and Nursery Class that they carried out along with officers from East Lothian Council.

Dunbar Primary School and Nursery Class self-selected for a recovery visit, which was arranged to meet the needs of their individual circumstances. Activities undertaken during the visit were discussed in advance with the head of establishment and with local authority officers. Taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic, some activities have been carried out remotely.

Read the full note here:  Visit – East Lothian Council – Dunbar Primary School – 5553024 – Publication – Updated Final Note of Recovery Visit