Pencaitland Primary School – Parent Council

Spring is coming –

– and so are the Spring and Summer term dates for Parent Council meetings.

Please contact your class rep if you would like to join any of these meetings – you will be very welcome , or if you would like any matters raised / clarified / discussed. Meetings are being held on Zoom this year.

Monday 15th March 7:30 pm

Monday 10th May     7:30 pm

Monday 14th June    7:30 pm – AGM

Current reps are – Sarah Campbell, Jessica Macdonald, Emma Pearce, Kim Wells, Catherine Ramsay, Erica Burberry, Loreen Pardoe, Paula Baillie, Lydia Macdonald & Papiya Russell. Annie Rankine is also a co-opted member.

You can also email parentcouncil@pencaitland.elcschool.org.uk directly.

Connect (formerly SPTC) Annual General Meeting 2021

Connect AGM & Annual Lecture

Save the Date: 18th March 2021.

All parents and carers of children in PPS are invited to the Annual General Meeting and celebration of Partnership Schools in Scotland.

It is free to join Connect and access all the resources housed on website – and, once possible again, through attending events organised and hosted by Connect in different areas.

Over the past year, Connect have adapted and offered a regular and specific programme of events online, collected the views of parents and carers and then shared this to Scottish Government through avenues open to them and tailored their offer of events to meet needs shared by parents, carers and parent councils.

Connect Members! Join our online Annual General Meeting on 18 March 7.30-8pm, followed by an online event to mark the end of our unique Partnership Schools Scotland pilot, supported by Skills Development Scotland (8-9.15pm). We’ll be sharing some really important findings from research by Stirling University, carried out in 2020, into parental engagement and its positive impact on schools that are bucking the trend, plus stories from the Partnership schools.

To attend the event, register as an individual (PPS PC is a member) and book through Eventbrite using the link above.

Christmas Cheer

Christmas Carols and Songs

You are invited to join Pencaitland Community Choir celebrate the festive season with Christmas Songs and good cheer.

Christmas Songs and Tree Lighting

We can’t all meet in person this year, and we can’t all enjoy singing together at the annual Tree Lighting event, or around the village and care home, but we did want to connect and join together in a cheery Christmas Chorus – all across the village and beyond.

Don’t worry about how good you can carry a tune, no-one else will hear you, so come along join in the fun. (Only one ticket needed for each household, if using 1 device – maybe grandparents will want to join in too.)

 

All you need to do is,

reserve your family space by booking on Eventbrite (event is on zoom),

get comfy,

wear your xmas jumper or have jingle bells at the ready –

then join us at 4pm on Sunday 13th Dec. for the virtual Tree Lighting and Christmas Chorus.

 

 

Can you crochet?

Crochet Enthusiasts required.

Skipper
Meet Skipper

Crochet-pattern-for-Skipper (small)

Crochet-pattern-for-Big-Skipper

(Download the pattern from links above).

Skipper info

If you can crochet, maybe you could help? (Or maybe you know someone who could).

A new rolling programme will start in PPS after October break. It’s called BUILDING RESILIENCE and it has a wonderful main character called “Skipper”.

Head teacher, Sarah, has asked for mini crocheted Skippers x9 and has a pattern you can download and follow as well as wool and stuffing

                                             – so just willing helpers needed now.

Can you help?

Keepers of the flame

Just a lovely little post to share, as we look for ways to continue to build our school community to be a strong partnership, supporting each other as we support our children (and they support each other and all of us).

Huge thanks to the staff at the school, particularly for the huge effort, collaboration and dedication as the school closed and we all went into lockdown – and to all who have been part of the parent council in the past. Especial thanks to our retiring members – and particularly to our former Chair, Erica Burberry, who has been a joy to work alongside.

Welcome to newest PC member too, Sarah.

This link will take you to an external site – but we hope you enjoy.

 

 

School Payments – the Easy Way.

What? Signing up to SchoolPay system.
Why? Parents / Carers, Schools and ELC are working in partnership to cut down unnecessary expense and to streamline payments easily for parents – improve efficient use of staff time and maximise resources at school and council level.
How? Follow link on PPS Edubuzz home page – and follow the information in this clip above. (viewers will be taken to external You Tube link for ELC channel).

Please sign-up if you haven’t already done so and help us to use the school budget and staff time far better – not to mention the ease of paying for most families.

School Closure and School Hubs

SCHOOL CLOSURE and SCHOOL HUBS – SCHOOL MEALS

With the unprecedented events occurring to help combat the impact and spread of COVID-19 – Corona Virus, schools around the UK closed on Friday 20th March.

Information around essential key workers accessing child care through the six Children’s Hubs in East Lothian was shared – and forms shared to all parents / carers for completion and return.

These forms must be returned to Pencaitland Primary – by emailing to admin@pencaitland.elcschool.org.uk on or before Monday 23rd March. If anyone needs help to email this in, please ask for help through a friend / neighbour or Cncllr Shamin Akhtar.  Mob: 07975 543406

EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL STATEMENT – SUPPORT DURING SCHOOL CLOSURES

East Lothian Council has today (20 March 2020) issued an update from Lesley Brown, Chief Operating Officer (Education) to parents and carers on its plans to continue supporting children and young people during the national closure of schools as a result of the Coronavirus.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday the Education Secretary, John Swinney, confirmed that:

  • Councils will be taking measures to protect vulnerable children who rely on schools for hot meals or a safe and supportive environment.
  • Children of key workers will have continuing access to learning or childcare.

The update includes information on:

    • Children’s Hubs – Pencaitland’s cluster hub is Sanderson’s Wynd (Tranent)
    • Key Workers
    • Vulnerable Children
    • Remote Learning
    • Statement from Lesley Brown

The Full Update from Lesley Brown – Supporting our Children and Young People

KEY WORKER CHILDCARE SUPPORT – RETURN DATE 23 MARCH 2020

As you may be aware, the First Minister announced yesterday that the children of key workers should have continuing access to appropriate learning and childcare, potentially beyond the normal school day, that allows their parents/carers to participate in the national response to Covid-19.

In response to this, East Lothian Council will be providing learning and childcare for the children of keyworkers who are registered in local authority schools and early learning and childcare centres. This provision is for key workers who do not have a trusted adult at home to care for their child/ren whilst they are at work.  This provision will be delivered through a Children’s Hub located in each of our six largest communities in East Lothian.  Where possible, parents/carers will be expected to transport their child/ren to their Hub.

School meals will be provided for those who are currently eligible for free school meals or clothing grants and families wishing  to receive this meal entitlement should order online and collect from Sanderson’s Wynd Primary School 11.30 – 12.30 Mon-Fri.

Scottish Government have identified key workers in three categories:

**Priority will be given to families in Category 1 initially**. 

  • Category 1 – Health and Care workers directly supporting COVID-19 response, and associated staff, Health and Care workers supporting life threatening emergency work, as well as critical primary and community care provision; Energy suppliers (small numbers identified as top priority already); staff providing childcare/learning for other category 1 staff.
  • Category 2 – All other Health and Care workers, and wider public sector workers providing emergency/critical welfare services (e.g. Fire, Police, Prisons, Social Workers etc.) as well as those supporting our Critical National Infrastructure, without whom serious damage to the welfare of the people of Scotland could be caused.
  • Category 3 – All workers without whom there could be a significant impact on Scotland (but where the response to COVID-19, or the ability to perform essential tasks to keep the country running, would not be severely compromised).

If you are a Keyworker and require support with childcare please could you complete the Keyworker Childcare Form (this is an editable PDF which you can enter text and then save) and email this information back to admin@pencaitland.elcschool.org.uk no later than 5pm Monday 23 March, 2020 with the subject heading ‘KEY WORKER SUPPORT’. Once this information has been collated by East Lothian Council we will contact you regarding the learning and childcare support we can provide for your child/ren.

Unless a place is confirmed, no children should attend any school.

 

Realising the Ambition – Being Me

Realising the Ambition: Being Me

What is this?

Realising the Ambition: Being Me builds upon the original principles and philosophy of Pre-Birth to 3 and Building the Ambition.

This refreshed early years national practice guidance for Scotland presents key information about the characteristics of child development based on research and evidence.

It explores the range of interactionsexperiences and spaces we need to provide for babies and young children to help them learn and grow best from their earliest days through to being a young child in early primary school.

In essence, ‘Realising the Ambition: Being Me’ increases expectations of high quality but still provides the necessary support for all who work in the early years sector and beyond.