Pencaitland PTA Newsletter – June 2019
A round up of news for all things PTA in June 19 newsletter.
Have your Say – Health and Wellbeing
The draft East Lothian Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan for Children and Young People is now out for consultation – only a few days left – closes 23/06/19: https://eastlothianconsultations.co.uk/education/draft-mental-health-action-plan
You Are INVITED
The PPS Parent Council invites all parents and carers to…..
This year, the parent council would like to invite all parents and carers, with children in PPS / Nursery to come along and take part in our Conversation Cafe. Pupils from the Rights Respecting Schools group will share with us – and PC and PTA are keen to share what we’ve been up to and to hear your views also, so we can set priorities for next session.
PPS AGM 2019 invitation Conv Cafe 2
We are delighted that we will also have David Gilmour (ELC) coming to share insights into keeping our children safe online – and Lena Hutton (Community Learning Development officer) sharing insights into the wellbeing of our children and building resilience. We will also hold our AGM, but it will be a very condensed part of the evening which everyone is welcome to stay for also.
Monday 17th June 2019
Pencaitland PS
7-8 pm.
Walkers Crisps recycle project.
Recycling at PPS
Great news – several months ago PPS applied to join the Walkers Crisps Recycle scheme – and to nominate Pencaitland Primary School PTA as the charity to support from our collection point. Any crisp packets can be recycled, but there are a few ‘no’ items too.
All has been approved now – a real collaboration for parents and carers, pupils, staff team – and the wider community too!
For more info check our facebook page or the website for Walkers Crisps/recycle.
Note: All links will take you to external pages.
The Learning Council have also been working across the primary classes on their eco-friendly project. You’ll hear more about that at the Spring Fayre!
Children in Scotland – Training events.
It’s always worth keeping an eye out for training opportunities through the fantastic calendar of CPD with CinS.
Support from the Start May Digest
Lots of useful and interesting information again this month SftS May19
Support from the Start is the network in East Lothian, of parents and carers, practitioners and professionals working in partnership to create the best start in life for our children. SftS happily shares information and awareness around events, opportunities and our own work that helps to support this. Each cluster area has an active group and love meeting new folks interested in developing ideas in their local area.
P4 Rugby
On Thursday, Primary 4 enjoyed their first tag rugby session.
Zero Waste and BIG PICK shops
MIIXER cic – The Big Pick shop (formerly Store 21) on Musselburgh High Street re-opened on 16th March, permanently.
ELC and community are working together to help our community, so schools and other parents / carers can help support families by sharing this information.
In addition to the wonderful bargains to be had daily, with pre-loved clothing, footwear and much more available in store, there is a keen desire to help families who are in particular need.
School uniforms and wellies are free every day and anyone requiring a suit for interview will also be assisted in the same way.
To help these families, on a particular day of the month, kids’ clothes/shoes will be free. This will be trialled over the first 3 months to ascertain demand – and ability to meet demand. A referral system (or similar may be created depending on result of the trial). Ask school staff for more information if you, or someone you know, may really benefit from this – and, of course, we are all encouraged to think about donating and buying in general, to help support this endeavour.
“So many of us can hit difficult times – and footwear /clothing for children is always expensive and ongoing, so it’s great to have so many recognising the problem and working together to do all that we can to manage. MIIXER, the East Lothian School Uniform Bank and Carefree Kids, along with Support from the Start’s Kindness Funds, Kindcycle East Lothian and the work of East Lothian Welcome’s Refugees volunteers, are based on the ‘old school’ way of people helping people in a neighbourly way. Many clubs and groups are keen to support members too, and ensure children and young people are never turned away through lack of funds or support. With Haddington Tennis Club a great example of the Haddington Sports Hub, supporting children, if necessary, with footwear and not just loan of racquets and providing balls and coaching. ”
Tom Reid, Head of Infrastructure ELC says; This is a third sector initiative that works in partnership with ELC Waste Services. From my perspective this is a fantastic opportunity to tackle deprivation and would welcome you sharing this opportunity to the families for whom it is most appropriate, to ensure it’s a targeted success.
Mission Pencaitland Play!
The Secret’s Out….Mission Pencaitland Play is HERE!
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it is……….
Big Hopes Big Future
Befriending Support in Fa’side. We all need a hand sometimes.
A new befriending support project running in Fa’side – Tranent Cluster started this year. This project focuses on helping children and families prepare and be ready for transition to nursery or primary school.
The project is run through Home-Start East Lothian, and the co-ordinator, Evelyn Swinton, was guest speaker at the Parent Council AGM on 25th June. (Big Hopes Big Future is being rolled out nationally, having started in England and now funded locally and in Aberdeen for families with young children, not yet in school).
Evelyn shared this short media film, made here in the Tranent cluster, which gives an indication of what the project aims to do and how it works. The joy of giving caring support at the right times, is how much it can benefit the children, not just the parents.
By providing friendly but high quality of support to families, whether new to the area or facing some particular difficulties, parents can work with their peers to help get life back on track.
The Parent Council and staff present enjoyed the presentation and appreciated Evelyn’s time in answering questions too. All hope that any local families with a young child, who could benefit from a friendly face there to help and support, will be able to be matched to the Big Hopes Big Future volunteers and also benefit from the programme.
To find out more about Home-Start or BHBF project, please contact Home-Start East Lothian.
Home-Start East Lothian
Early Years Centre,
Sandersons Wynd,
Tranent,
East Lothian EH33 1DA
Tel: 01875 616066
- Volunteers receive training and support from the East Lothian team.
- Families supported through BHBF or other Home-Start volunteers, or the Support from the Start Family Support Worker Heather, can be assured of being matched to a very caring and understanding person who will work with them to ensure the help needed is provided.
- Families and volunteers tend to report a sense of developing a real friend and having a lot of fun too.