Please takes some time to read the following information from our headteacher. There is also a letter attached from our Executive Director of Education.

16 August 2021

Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome to session 21-22.

I am very much looking forward to seeing all of our children back safely to school.

I have listed below some information which I hope will be of help for the new session.

Entry and Exit to school

We are continuing with the one way system, where parents/ carers enter by the side gate and exit by the main gate onto Dixon Street.

The staggered start times for mainstream pupils will continue. Children can be dropped at the main gate between 8.45-9.15am. Any child arriving after 9.15am should come through the main entrance.

ASN classes will enter from 8.50am.  Rooms 1, and 10 will enter through the front door entrance where a member of staff will be there to greet them.

All adults entering school grounds must wear a face mask, unless exempt.

The staggered finish times are as below:

Rooms 2,7,9,11 and 14 will leave through the main gate at 3pm.

Rooms 6,8,12,15 will leave through the side gate at 2.50pm.

Siblings meet in the gym hall and leave in family groups through the main gate at 2.50pm.

ASN classes will leave by the front door from 2.50pm.

Breakfast Club

Our breakfast Club will resume on Monday 16 August from 8.15-8.45am. There is no charge and all are welcome. Children should enter through the side gate, where staff will be waiting to welcome them.

Label Everything!

Please label all items of clothing, bags, lunch boxes and shoes! This means that when items are lost they can be returned to the correct owner.

Changing clothes

At present children do not need to change outdoor shoes for indoor shoes or wear a full PE kit.

On PE days children should just wear polo shirt and remove sweatshirt jumper. PE is still held outside and thus a waterproof jacket is recommended.

Once the mud kitchen is timetabled classes will be informed of their day and will be advised of appropriate items to bring- usually wellies.

Food and Drinks

Children are encouraged to bring a small snack and water/ diluting juice to drink over the day. Water bottles can be refilled in classes. There is fruit available from the dining hall if a child wants it.

Milk should be ordered and paid for through ParentPay and is collected by the child in the dining room. A letter with all ParentPay details will be issued next week.

School lunches also should be paid through ParentPay. Children will be given the choices for each day and can order their selection in the morning.

Children can bring packed lunches and all parents/ carers are reminded that the school has children who are allergic to nuts and ask that no food is sent which contain nuts- especially a particular chocolate spread.

Once the children are registered next week an information pack will be sent out.

I look forward to this being a more settled year and thank you in advance for all your support in adhering to all of the guidelines to keep us all safe.

Yours faithfully,

Alison Hope.

Please follow the links below to watch our P7 Leavers’ Assembly and Presentations Ceremony.

Assembly Link

Leavers’ Ceremony

The school have recently received up to date guidance from South Lanarkshire Council on Parents/Carers attending events within school.

Unfortunately we are not permitted to have parents in attendance at Prize Giving, Sports Day or our Leavers’ Assembly. We do, however, intend to make a video of our Prize Giving and Leavers’ Assembly available to our families to watch at home.

Dear Parent/ Carer,

Proposed Classes for next year

We have been working with Council Offices to confirm the number of children coming to St John’s in August.

At present we are hoping to form 9 Mainstream classes and 5 Supported classes.

With the current numbers we have, this is the proposed class plan for next year below.

This may change due to placing request decisions or children moving into our catchment area over the summer.

When all pupil numbers are confirmed, staffing for teaching staff and Support Staff will then be confirmed as well.

When making decisions about children’s classes we use their reading and literacy scores to try to ensure that they are with a group of similar level of ability. In addition, within ASN we take into account general group dynamics. This year there will not be the usual Meet the Teacher where children and staff all move around the school. Instead children and staff can meet in the playground to get to recognise faces.

Letters will be issued on Monday 21 June informing children and Parents/ Carers of the proposed classes for next year.

Yours faithfully

Alison Hope

Headteacher

Please take some time to click on the link below and read our latest school newsletter.

Dear Parent/Carer,

Our school is taking part in Walk to School Week (17-21 May). The nationwide event is organised by walking charity Living Streets and designed to help pupils experience first-hand the importance of walking to school. Children will be well on their way to reaching their recommended 60 minutes minimum of physical activity per day before even reaching the school gates! Not only will it set them up for a positive day in the classroom, but it will also help create healthy habits for life.

Each pupil will be challenged to travel sustainably (walk, wheel, scoot, cycle or Park and Stride) to school every day for one week.

What do I need to do as a parent/carer? We would ask, if possible, to make arrangements so that your child/children can travel actively to school on w/c 17 May, helping our school reduce congestion and pollution around the school gates. Walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling all count! If you live far away from school and need to drive or take public transport, try parking the car or hopping off the bus/train ten minutes away and walking the rest of the journey. Our designated Park and Stride location is the Bent car park.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Karen Prentice

Depute Head

Dear Parent/Carer,

Parent Council Sponsored Obstacle Course

Our parent council have planned an exciting fundraising obstacle course for all our children to join in with on Friday 14^th May. We are fundraising to repair the school climbing frame in our gym hall. The climbing frame requires new ropes, fastenings and a new support bar at the base. This costs approximately £900 to make it safe to use again.

We are asking parents and grandparents to sponsor their child to complete the obstacle course by making donations through Parent pay. The obstacle course has been designed by our Primary 7 pupils & will be set out in the playground on Friday Morning.

Each class will have about 30 minutes to complete the course as many times as possible, we hope that you will be able to support this event. All donations are very welcome.

Alison Hope

Head Teacher

Please take some time to open the attached leaflet and chat to your children about it. It gives 5 useful strategies to increase wellbeing which we really like.