Langlee Drive, Galashiels, TD1 2EB. Tel:01896757892

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010

Dear parents and carers

The days are definitely getting longer and I’m sure the children will be enjoying playing out after school now that it’s lighter in the evenings. We only have four weeks until the Easter holidays so we are all working very hard on our various projects.

P1 Farm Visit

On Monday Mrs Wilson’s P1 class visited Torwoodleee Mains Farm as part of their farm topic. The farmer, Mr Andrew Pate, spoke to the children about the animals – sheep, cows, horses – and the children got to see some new-born lambs and a calf. They learned what the animals ate and they all had a shot in the tractor, which was the highlight of the visit. The only complaint was about the cold – it was a lovely sunny day but quite chilly. A huge thank you to Lesley Mason from RHET (Royal Highland Education Trust) and to Andrew for allowing us to visit his farm.

P3 Restaurant

The P3 restaurant topic is well underway and the children are sampling food from different countries. Last week they visited Beijing Beijing for a Chinese meal and in the coming weeks they will be trying out Indian food, Italian and of course Scottish. I wish I was in P3!

Prize Winner

Congratulations to Luke Davidson in P3 who has won first prize for his age group in the Farmhouse Breakfast competition. He has won a £10 book token for himself and a £40 book token for the class as well as a farmhouse breakfast and a farm visit for the class. Well done Luke!

P1/2 and P2 Visit

On Wednesday the P1/2 and P2 classes visited Woodside Garden Centre near Ancrum as part of their topic on plants and growing things. Again they had a lovely sunny day for the visit. Many thanks to the staff at Woodside who were very helpful and accommodating. The children then visited Tweedbank Primary School where they were able to use the facilities over lunch time. Thank you to the staff at Tweedbank PS. They then had some time at the adventure playground and fed the ducks at the pond before making their way back to school. Another super outing!

World Book Day

Thursday 4^th March was World Book Day and we have been taking part in various events in school to encourage the enjoyment of reading. All the children have received a voucher which they can use to buy one of the specially published books or to get £1 off a book of their choice. The World Book Day books can be purchased at WH Smith and Tesco. Please encourage the children to make use of the vouchers.

Dress-Up Day

On Friday pupils paid 50p to dress up as their favourite book character. At assembly on Friday morning a group of P6 pupils performed a short play, Little Red Riding Hood. The money raised will be put towards the fund-raising for the earthquake in Haiti.

Family Disco

Many thanks to all those who organised and ran the family disco last week. There was some great dancing and everyone had a super time. The funds raised will help to pay for extras such as buses for school trips. We really do appreciate the support and hard work of the parents and staff involved.

Netball Tournament

Congratulations to the girls in the netball team who played in the finals of the Scottish Borders Netball tournament last Thursday along at the Queen’s Centre. The team did extremely well, coming 3^rd in their group and only being beaten by the two teams who made it to the final. As it was a P7 tournament and most of our team were P6s they did very well and for many of them they can try again next year. Well done girls!

Generation Science

On Tuesday afternoon The P1 – P3 pupils enjoyed a workshop on Day and Night. This was sponsored by Prostrakan. This is what the children had to say about it:

 I thought it was like real science.    Owen P2

The earth goes around the Sun for 24 hours.  Emma and Owen

It was good because it was funny.   Arron

We learned about the planets.      Zoe-Lee

I learned about the Sun and the Moon.   Ellie P2

I learned the Sun stays still and the Moon and the Earth spin around the Sun.    Connor P2

I just thought the Earth went round the Sun but I learned the Moon goes around too.

We are very grateful to Prostrakan for giving the children this experience.

P5 Mountain Biking

Pupils in P5 will have a number of sessions of mountain biking on Friday afternoons starting this week.

Staffing

Last week we said goodbye to Mrs Jean Reynolds who has been one of our learning support teachers since August. The post has now been taken up by Mrs Jean Westwater who will be working mainly with P1 – P4 classes.

Nursery Enrolment

Nursery enrolment has now been completed. All ante pre school children (mainly those currently attending in the afternoon) should now have handed in their enrolment forms. If you have not already done so then please do it now to make sure that your child has a place. If you know of any children who will be 3 years old before April 2010 then please let the parents/carers know that this is also the time to enrol for ante pre nursery.

Absence

Absence procedures require us to inform the Children’s Reporter if your child’s attendance falls below 80%. We also need to look at patterns of absence eg several Mondays in a row, and if that is the case then we will need to contact you. If your child’s attendance is in danger of falling below this level you will receive a letter from the school to notify you in the first instance. It is very important that you notify us as soon as possible on the first day of absence to let us know why your child will be absent from school. If your child is absent and you have not contacted the school then this is recorded as an unauthorised absence ie truancy.

Behaviour management

As you may know, break time and lunchtime detention is a feature of our behaviour management system. Staff who supervise these detentions have noticed that there are some pupils who are regularly on detention as a result of their behaviour. We think it is important that parents are informed if this is the case so that you can speak to your child about their behaviour or discuss it with school staff if necessary. Therefore, on a Friday afternoon, we will send a group call message to those parents whose children have had a number of detentions in that week. Please feel free to contact the school at any time if you have any concerns about your child.

Parents’ Evenings

You will have an opportunity to meet with the class teachers on either Monday 8 March from 6.00-8.00 or Wednesday 10 March from 3.30-6.00pm. If your child receives support from Mrs Welsh or Mrs Westwater then you can make an appointment to see them also. Please note that this is the last of the parents’ evenings this year as during the last term you will receive report cards so I hope to see all parents taking this opportunity to discuss their child’s progress. Parents of pupils in Miss Thorpe’s class will have an opportunity to meet with her in the summer term.

There will also be a book fair in school week beginning Monday 8^th March to coincide with Parents’ Evenings. The last book fair earned over £200 in commission so we could spend that money on books for the school. Your support is very much appreciated.

Head Lice

We have had quite a few cases of headlice recently so please remember to check your child’s hair every week and to treat if you find any lice. The school nurse, your practice nurse or the chemist will be able to give you advice if needed.

iPods and mobile phones

Please note that the school can not take any responsibility for these expensive items that some children are bringing to school. We would therefore ask that children do not bring these to school unless absolutely essential. Thank you for you co-operation.

Homework Survey

When you come along to the Parents’ Evenings next week you will also have the opportunity to complete a short questionnaire about homework. Please fill these in as your views are very important to us as we plan for the future.

Sandra Davidson

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Dear parents and carers

It’s hard to believe we are almost half-way through the term already. The year certainly got off to a very wintry start. However, the children are settled back into their classes after all the excitement of the holidays and the snow!

End of term service

Unfortunately we were unable to go up to the church for our end-of-term service because of the weather. However, we had a lovely service in school instead. The collection raised £50 for Shelter. Thank you for your donations.

Rag Bag Collection

Thanks to all who brought bags for this. We collected 600kg of materials and raised £192.90 for school funds. Well done everyone!

Class topics

Classes began the year with a short topic on Scotland and Scots language with all the children learning a Scots poem for the school and Galashiels area competitions.  Winners will be announced at a special Scottish Assembly on Friday when they will recite their poems and receive certificates. Children can wear something tartan or ‘Scottish’ on Friday for the assembly.

Following the focus on Scotland, each class will be starting a new topic which will include lots of different areas of the curriculum. These topics will involve the children in working in groups, making decisions, solving problems and being creative. We hope the topics will be active and enjoyable, giving the children some responsibility for their own learning. P1 will be looking at Farms and Farming, P1/2 and P2 are studying Growing Things – plants and animals, P3 are opening a restaurant! The P4, P4/5 and P5 classes are doing a ‘storyline’ about a street where new neighbours arrive and P6, P6/7 and P7 are going on a tour of Europe. We hope the children will find these topics interesting and exciting.

Nursery Enrolment for 2010-2011

Enrolment week for all nursery children is 8^th -12^th  February. If your child is in ante pre-school (3 year old) then you will need to enrol for pre-school during this week. If your child will be 3 years old during the year you should enrol now for ante pre. Nursery and office staff will be happy to advise you if your child is eligible. You will need to bring their birth certificate when you hand in the form which will be available from the office.

Head Lice

We have had quite a few cases of headlice recently so please remember to check your child’s hair every week and to treat if you find any lice. The school nurse, your practice nurse or the chemist will be able to give you advice if needed.

Family disco

Friends of Langlee are hosting a family disco sometime in February. The date is still to be confirmed. If you would like to help with supervision, teas and juice please leave your name at the office. A separate letter will be sent with more details.

School Dinners

There are still children coming in asking for dinners on a daily basis without ordering in advance.  In many cases teachers are having to fill in the envelopes with the children and this is taking up valuable teaching time. Please ensure that if your child is to have school dinner you complete and return the envelope the week before.   It would be appreciated if you could enclose the correct money as arranging change for lots of children can be a problem.

Fizzy Drinks

The children are not allowed to bring fizzy drinks to school for break or lunch time. These drinks are not good for their teeth and they can be very messy if they spill out of the can or bottle. Fruit juice or still water are fine. The best thing we can drink for our health and teeth is plain water.

Fund-raising for Haiti

I’m sure you have all seen the news about the earthquake in Haiti and the destruction it caused. After hearing about it in assembly the children were keen to do some fund-raising to help. On Friday, P7 pupils are holding a bring and buy sale, selling toys, books, bric a brac and home baking. Children can bring in items to sell and some money on Friday for the sale.

Some of the P6 pupils are also planning an event to raise funds for Haiti. Watch this space!

Parents’ Evenings

Parents’ evenings will take place on Monday 8^th and Wednesday 10^th March. You will receive an appointment time to meet your child(ren)’s class teacher(s). Please come along and find out how your child is getting on with their learning and see some of the work they have been doing this year so far. All the children have been working very hard and there is some super work on display around the school. There will also be a book fair in school week beginning Monday 8^th March to coincide with Parents’ Evenings. The last book fair earned over £200 in commission so we could spend that money on books for the school. Your support is very much appreciated.

In-Service day

The next In-service day is Friday 12^th February. Staff will spend the day working on our School Improvement Plan priorities – Active Learning, Cross-currlcular working and Writing.

DECEMBER 2009

Well, it’s that time of year again with only 23 sleeps until Christmas! Here in school preparations are well underway for the Christmas Concert so make sure you have ordered your tickets. Judging by the singing I have heard so far in the rehearsals it promises to be a super event.

Parents’ Evenings

It was good to see so many of you at our recent parents’ evenings. I hope you found it interesting and helpful to see the work your child has been doing and to talk to the teachers. I know the teachers also find it useful to hear about the children’s interests outside school. Please remember you are welcome to come in any time to discuss your child’s progress. If you missed Parents’ Evening and would still like to see your child’s teacher please contact the school to make an appointment.

Scholastic Book Fair

Thank you to all who supported the recent book fair. We hope you are enjoying your purchases. The commission will be used to provide new books for the school.

Christmas Coffee Evening

Many thanks to all who supported and helped in so many different ways. The evening was a great success and roughly £600 was raised for the school by Friends of Langlee. We will let you know how the money will be spent.

Rag Bag Collection

Thanks to all who brought bags for this. We collected 600kg of materials which is the most we have ever achieved. Well done everyone!

Breakfast Club

Each day there is toast, hot chocolate and tea all for 20p. Just what the children need to set them up for the day especially now that the colder weather is here. Breakfast is served from 8am – 8.45am.

Clothing

Now that the weather has become wet and cold it is important that children arrive at school in suitable clothing. Please make sure your child is wearing a coat as they are not allowed in to school until the bell rings (unless very wet).

Head Lice

Please remember to check your child’s hair every week and to treat if you find any lice. The school nurse, your practice nurse or the chemist will be able to give you advice if needed.

Non-Uniform day

Well done to pupils and staff who took part in the recent non-uniform day for Children in Need which raised £113.70 - a fantastic effort!

Awards For All

I am delighted to let you know that we will be receiving a grant of £9067 from Awards for All which we will use to build a trim track in the school grounds. This will be a fantastic resource for the school and the community.

Galashiels Academy Darwin event

P7 pupils were invited to take part in this event on Monday 9^th November to commemorate and celebrate the work of Charles Darwin. Pupils chose from 6 activities which illustrated how animals have adapted to their environment. For some pupils it was their first visit to the academy so they got a wee taste of what it is like.

Sportshall Athletics

On Thursday 19^th November P7 pupils took part in this event at the Queens Centre along with pupils from other primary schools in the Galashiels area. The pupils took part in a range of athletic events including relay, soft javelin, obstacle race, triple jump and standing long jump.

Flag bearers at Netherdale

Eight pupils from P7 were chosen to be flag bearers for the Scotland v Tonga rugby match on Friday 20^th November at Netherdale. The pupils were Gemma Turnbull, Joanne Nicol, Jordan Darling, Charmaine Dawson, Grant Yeomans, Rachel Elliot, Laura Skene, Cara Bertram and Mark Watkins, who, unfortunately was ill on the night and couldn’t make it. Well done boys and girls – you were a credit to yourselves and the school!

Homework club treat

Pupils who regularly attend homework club enjoyed an afternoon of swimming on Tuesday 1^st December as a reward for all their hard work.

Celebrating Pupils’ Achievements

This is a new item to celebrate the many achievements of pupils outwith school. If you think your child deserves a mention please let us know and I will be delighted to include the information in our regular newsletters.

I am delighted to let you know that Carly Taylor, P5, came first in her class (age 10 and under) at a recent Irish Dancing competition held in Musselburgh. Carly had to dance 6 dances and was first overall. She received a sash, medals and a cup. What a fantastic achievement – well done Carly!

Change of pedestrian crossing

Please note that the zebra crossing on the Melrose Road has been replaced by a pelican crossing. This means that pedestrians will now need to wait for the lights. Please help us to make sure that the  children cross the road safely.
Christmas Events

The Christmas Concert will take place on:

Tuesday 8^th December – 1.15pm (dress rehearsal – anyone who is unable to come to the evening performances is welcome to come along on the understanding that it is a dress rehearsal)
Wednesday 9^th December 6.30pm
Thursday 10^th December 6.30pm

 Tickets cost £2 – there are still tickets left for both evenings but particularly Thursday. Book now to avoid disappointment.

Please note: If you intend to take photographs or make a video recording of any part of the concert this is on the strict understanding that it is for personal family use only and that no photos or video will be published anywhere, including on the internet.

Support Centre Christmas Fun will be on Thursday 17^th December in the morning – time to be arranged.

Aladdin

On Friday 11^th December Chaplin’s Pantos will perform ‘Aladdin’. The charge is £1 per pupil. Please return the permission slip and money to school before the performance.

Christmas lunch

We will be having our Christmas lunch on Tuesday 15^th December. Information leaflets have been sent out. Please complete the dinner envelope as normal for that day.

Parties

Tuesday 15^th December        P1 – P3

Wednesday 16^th December   P6 and P7

Thursday 17^th December      P4 and P5

Nursery Events

Monday 14^th December - The Nursery play will be held in the school hall at 10.00am

Thursday 17^th December - Nursery parties

Friday 18^th December - Nursery coffee morning

End of term service

The end of term service will take place in St John’s Church on Friday 18^th December at 9.30am. Families and friends are welcome to join us for the occasion. There will be a collection in aid of Shelter.

School Return

School begins at the normal time on Tuesday 5^th January.

Newsletter 3 October/November 2009

We have been very busy in school over the last month and with only six weeks till the end of term we have a lot to do in the next few weeks leading up to Christmas. Please note dates for Christmas events in this newsletter.

Correction

First of all I need to apologise to Cara Bertram who is, in fact, one of our JRSOs this year and not Cara-Anne McDermott as I said in previous newsletters. Sorry girls –my mistake!

School photographs

Please have all photo money to school by Wednesday 11^th November.  Any orders after the 11^th should be sent direct to FOTEK.

Halloween disco

This was a very successful evening which was well supported by pupils, families and friends. To those who came along we hope you enjoyed your evening. There were many weird and wonderful costumes. (At least I think they were costumes …) A huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped at the disco making it a fun event for all. Thanks also to Dave Houston for providing the disco. As well as being good fun the disco also raised £140 which will be used to benefit the children in the school.

Blythswood Shoebox Appeal

Many thanks to all those who donated items for this appeal. We managed to fill 38 shoe boxes which is absolutely FANTASTIC. There were also some bits and pieces left over which I’m sure will be used at the collection centre to help fill other boxes. These will now travel across Europe and will give a great deal of pleasure to the people who receive them. Thanks to Miss Thorpe for co-ordinating this appeal on behalf of the school.

Robin Hood

On Tuesday 27^th October pupils were entertained by M and M Productions who performed their own version of the classic tale ‘Robin Hood’. There were goodies and baddies, music, a love story and a happy ending. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the performance and feedback from the actors was that they were a super audience.

Bonfire Safety 

Last Friday Lothian and Borders Fire Service came in to talk to P6 and P7 pupils about bonfire safety. Unfortunately they were called away to an incident before the workshop was completed. However, all pupils were reminded at assembly of the dangers of playing with fire and fireworks. Please reinforce this message at home and we can all have a safe Bonfire Night.

Parents Evenings

Parents evenings will take place on Monday 9^th and Wednesday 11^th November. You should all have received an appointment time to meet your child(ren)’s class teacher. Please come along and find out how your child is getting on with their learning and see some of the work they have been doing this year so far. All the children have been working very hard and there is some super work on display around the school.

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair will also be in school next week and will be open on Parents’ Evenings for those who wish to buy books – maybe make a start on your Christmas shopping. Children can also buy books during the week.

Christmas coffee evening – Thursday 26^th November

The Christmas Coffee evening will take place on Thursday 26^th November in the school hall from 6pm – 8pm. We need lots of volunteers to help with the stalls in half hour shifts. If you can help please fill in the tear-off slip below and return it to school. Without enough volunteers it may not be possible for the coffee evening to go ahead.
We would welcome donations of:

v      Bric a Brac

v      Toys

v      Cake & Candy

v      Donations for the raffle – things for a hamper or individual prizes

v      Bottle Stall

v      DVDs & books

 And of course all are welcome to come along on the night. Entry only 50p.

Christmas Events

The Christmas Concert will take place on:

Tuesday 8^th December – 1.15pm (dress rehearsal – anyone who is unable to come to the evening performance is welcome to come along on the understanding that it is a dress rehearsal)

Wednesday 9^th December 6.30pm

Thursday 10^th December 6.30pm

Tickets cost £2 – the letter and order form will be sent out next week.

Nursery Play

The Nursery play will be held in the Nursery on Monday 14^th December at 10.00am.

Support Centre Christmas Fun will be on Thursday 17^th December in the morning – time to be arranged.

Aladdin

On Friday 11^th December children Chaplin’s Pantos will perform ‘Aladdin’. A reminder will be sent out nearer the time as there will be a small charge per pupil.

Rag Bag

We will be taking part in the Rag Bag appeal again this year. This helps to raise money for the school so if you are having a clear out in time for Christmas please send bags in to school before Friday 27^th November.

In-Service days

A reminder that the school will be closed to pupils on Thursday 12^th and Friday 13^th November for In-service training. On Thursday school staff will be working on cross-curricular planning – creating topics that will link different areas of the curriculum and make learning more interesting and enjoyable for pupils. This is already happening in classes and we will be looking to build on the good work that has been started. On Friday we will be working on ideas for teachers to use in the teaching of writing which we hope will help pupils to improve the standard of their writing and make writing lessons more active and interesting too.

Parents’ Drop In

Parents and carers are welcome to come along to the Green Room for a coffee and a chat on Tuesdays from 1.30pm – 3.00pm. Community learning and development worker, Rita Docherty will be there to welcome you. A free crèche is provided.  Also on Tuesday afternoons parents/carers are welcome to join our weekly knitting group.

Community Library

Our library is open to the community every Wednesday evening between 6.30-7.30pm

St Andrew’s Day holiday

Please note the school will be closed on Monday 30^th November for the St Andrew’s day holiday.

Newsletter number 2 - September 2009

It seems like no time at all since I sent out the first newsletter of the year in August and now the October holiday week is fast approaching. The children have been very busy in school over the last few weeks and I’m sure they will enjoy the break next week (as will the staff!)
Sandra Davidson        Headteacher

Congratulations

To our elected School Council Members:

Glen Frizzell and Joanne Nicol, Michael House and Kenzi Mercer, Gemma Stoddart and Mahee Mustafa, Morgan Moore and Kyle Purves, Andrew Guyton and Chloe Hogg, Scott Stoddart and Myrran MartinThe school council will meet monthly and will be led by Mrs Brown.

To our elected Eco-Committee:

House Captains

 School Day/Attendance

The school day begins at 9.00am and ends for pupils at 3:00pm.  It is very important that pupils arrive at school on time at the beginning of the day. If pupils are late they often miss important information and teaching and it is also disruptive for the rest of the class. If a pupil is consistently late we will follow this up and parents/carers may be asked to come in to discuss the problem with myself or the Depute Headteacher. If your child is going to be absent from school could you please let us know as soon as possible on the first day of absence or even before in the case of pre-arranged appointments. This is partly for administrative purposes but also in terms of your child’s safety i.e. if a child does not arrive at school in the morning we know the reason for their absence. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

 Headlice

We have had one or two incidents of head lice reported by parents. I would just like to remind parents and carers of the need to check heads regularly. If you need further information about head checking or treatment please contact the school or your local Health Centre.

Road Safety
On Thursday 10^th September our two JRSOs, Jack Templeton and Cara-Ann McDermott attended their induction training at the Tait Hall, Kelso. They have now created a notice board in school to inform pupils about road safety matters. This is a very important issue as, unfortunately, two of our pupils have been involved in road accidents since the start of the school year. As we move into the dark mornings and evenings we all need to play our part in making sure that all pupils are following the Green Cross Code and behaving in a safe and sensible manner near busy roads.

Tour of Britain Cycle Race

On Monday 14^th September all the children walked down to Ladhope Vale to cheer on the cyclists taking part in this event as they passed through Galashiels. The organisers really appreciated the support shown to the participants. The children waved their flags and cheered enthusiastically as the cyclists rode past but I think they were just as excited by the police motor cyclists who rode past with blue lights flashing and sirens whoop-whooping!    

Nursery and P1 Parents’ Evenings

The meetings held for Nursery and P1 parents were very successful with a good turn-out on both evenings. It is very encouraging that so many of you came along to find out what your children get up to in school and nursery.

Parents’ Evenings for P1 – P7 pupils will be held on Monday 9^th and Wednesday 11^th November. We hope you will take this opportunity to come in and discuss your child’s learning and progress with his/her class teacher.

Parent Council

The Parent Council AGM was held on Wednesday 23^rd September. The new office bearers are as follows: Chairperson, Jane Gillie; Secretary, Carol Bertram; Treasurer, Fiona Cowburgh. The next meeting is planned for Wednesday 4^th November at 6.30pm. New members are always welcome.

Hallowe’en Disco

Following the success of the family disco for the Langlee 50^th celebrations the Parent Council has decided to have a Family Hallowe’en Disco on Thursday 29^th October from 6.30pm – 8.00pm in the School Hall.  It will cost 50p per person or £2 for families of 4 or more.

Hallowe’en Lunch

On Friday 30^th October the dinner ladies will be serving up a special Hallowe’en lunch. It will be the normal menu for that day with a Hallowe’en twist! We would like to encourage the children to have a school lunch that day.

Crucial Crew
On Friday 27^th September Primary 7 pupils travelled to Tweedbank to take part in a number of activities organised by the emergency services to raise pupils’ awareness of  personal safety.

 P6 Theatre Workshop

On Tuesday 22^nd September P6 pupils joined the P6 pupils at St Peter’s Primary School for a workshop/performance on the theme of school travel. Entitled ‘Go! Go! Go!’ it was presented by Big Wheel Theatre Company. The workshop raised pupils’ awareness of the importance of finding alternative ways of travelling especially over short distances. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining event and the P6s in Mrs Romeril’s class will follow this up with some work in class around the same theme.

 Blythwood Shoebox Appeal

This year we are taking part in the Blythswood shoebox appeal and we hope to fill shoeboxes in time for Christmas. We hope that you will help us by contributing items to make up shoeboxes as these mean a great deal to the children and adults who receive them.   

Harvest Assembly

On Friday we had our Harvest Assembly in school led by the school chaplain, Rev Jane Howitt. Thank you to those who contributed tins and packets of food for the Harvest Assembly. These have now been made up into three boxes which will be donated to various homes for the elderly in Galashiels where I’m sure they will be much appreciated by the residents.   

Additional In-service Day

Just a reminder that Headteachers in the Galashiels area have decided to have the additional In-service day on Friday 9^th October so the school will be closed to pupils that day. School staff will spend the day looking at the new Curriculum for Excellence outcomes and experiences for Numeracy.

The In-service day will be followed by the October holiday week so school will close for pupils on Thursday 8^th October and re-open on Monday 19^th October.

Theatre Visit

On Tuesday 27^th October M & M Theatre company will perform ‘Robin Hood’ to the whole school. We are asking pupils to contribute £1 each towards the cost of the perfomance.

Lost Property

We have quite a collection of lost property in school so these will be laid out in the school hall on the afternoon of Tuesday 20^th October. If you think any of these items belong to your child(ren) please come along to have a look. Any items left will given to the ‘Rag Bag’ appeal.

Staffing

Sadly, we are saying goodbye to Mr Belleville this week as he leaves us to take up his post as Acting Headteacher at St Ronan’s Primary School, Innerleithen. I have very much enjoyed working with Mr Belleville over the last few weeks and I’m sure you will join me in wishing him every success in his new post.

We have appointed Mrs Amanda Findlay as Acting Depute Headteacher and we look forward to welcoming her to Lanlgee on Monday 19^th October when we return from the holiday week.

Welcome back after the summer holiday!  I hope you all enjoyed the break with your children. I am delighted to be here as the new headteacher of Langlee Primary School. I have received a warm welcome from the pupils and the staff and I look forward to meeting parents, carers and members of the local community over the coming year. The children have all settled into their new classes and are working well.
Miss Sandra Davidson     Headteacher

 Staffing

Welcome to Mr Guthrie P6/7 who joins the staff as a newly qualified teacher and welcome back to Mr Belleville who returns to his post as DHT, after a year out as Headteacher of Glendinning Terrace Primary School.

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Wilson (Miss Runciman) who were married in the summer holidays. We wish them well for their future together.

 School Meals

The cost of a school meal is now £1.65. Can I take this opportunity to remind you that free school meals have to be applied for each year and forms are available from the school office.  Until you have received an authorisation letter from SBC to say that your child is entitled to free school meals please send your payment in the dinner envelope. If you think your child may be entitled to free school meals please apply as the number of children entitled to free school meals can affect the amount of funding the school receives.

Are you in receipt of Child Benefit?

From the 2 November 2009 Child Benefit income will no longer be included as income for Housing and Council Tax Benefit. If you are in receipt of Child Benefit complete an application form today to find out if you qualify for help with your Rent or Council Tax. How can I apply or find out more?
You can get a claim form by telephoning Customer Services on 0300 100 1800, emailing customerservices@scotborders.gov.uk or by visiting your local Council Contact Centre.
You can also try using our online benefit calculator from 2 November 2009 by visiting www.scotborders.gov.uk/benefits
What happens if I already receive Housing or Council Tax Benefit?
If your benefit entitlement changes we will automatically write to you in November 2009 and let you know how this affects you.  If you have any queries regarding your Housing or Council Tax benefit please contact Customer Services on 0300 100 1800.

School Uniform

We continue to encourage pupils to wear a school sweatshirt in maroon.  Order forms for these (with the school logo) are available from the office and cost £7.50.  Asda are selling maroon sweatshirts (without logo) for £1.75.  When pupils wear uniform it promotes belonging to a school, it ensures that unsuitable fashion clothes are not worn to school, there is no peer pressure to wear “designer” clothes which in turn can lead to bullying if pupils do not wear designer clothes.

Langlee Carnival

Langlee Carnival is on 12 September 2009 at Langlee Community Centre. Congratulations to Jamie Mitchell and Toni Barr who are Langlee Lad and Lass.  We know they will be excellent representatives of the school.  This year’s carnival includes a fancy dress parade, bouncy castle, Irish dancers, tug-of-war competition, face painting, clowns, a five-a-side football match, an acoustic set with local talent and local band ‘Strange Brew’. Please come along and join the fun!

Crèche    

Crèche will start Tuesday 26 August. 

Tuesday 9.30 – 11.15am                         Parents and children

Tuesday 1.00 – 3.00pm                                      For parents attending adult groups in the school e.g. sewing, knitting, painting, cooking or computing.
 

Wednesday 12.45 – 2.45pm                               This session is aimed at children of adults attending English conversation classes in the school.

Thursday 9.30 – 11.15am                                   This session is aimed at children of 2 and over. Parents/carers need not stay as long as the children are happy to be left.          

The crèche is run by Maggie Berrill and Heather Anderson

 Breakfast Club

 Up and running and still only 20p – great value.  Open from 8am – 8.45am and now run by Heather Anderson and Joan Martin.

 Tuck Shop

Tuck Shop will start on Monday selling a range of healthy snacks at break time. We are looking for parent volunteers to help the older pupils with the tuck shop at break time from 10.20 – 10.45 am. If you think you would like to help please return the tear-off slip to school. Volunteers would need to be disclosure checked.

 Junior Road Safety Officers

Our two JRSOs for this year are Jack Templeton and Cara-Ann McDermott. They will be keeping us informed of road safety issues throughout the year.

Personal Learning Planning

As part of our school improvement plan we will be looking at the pupils’ personal learning plans and making some changes. This term you will receive a Curriculum Overview which will give you information about what your child’s class will be learning. You will also receive the targets that your child is working towards in maths and language. This information sheet can be kept at home for you to refer to. There will be a tear-off slip at the bottom of the sheet for you to return if you have a question or comment about the planned programme of work for your child. Of course, you are welcome to contact the school at any time if you wish to discuss your child’s learning and progress.

Nursery and P1 Parents’ Evenings

There will be a meeting for parents/carers of our new P1 pupils on Wednesday 2^nd September at 6pm.

There will be a meeting for the parents/carers of our nursery children on Thursday 24^th September from 6 – 7pm.

Please do come along to these informal meetings and find out about what your child is learning at school and nursery.

Parent Council

The Parent Council AGM will be held on Wednesday 23^rd September at 6.30pm. Please come along if you can. All are welcome

 Additional In-service Day

Headteachers in the Galashiels area have decided to have the additional In-service day on Friday 9^th October so the school will be closed to pupils that day. School staff will spend the day looking at the new Curriculum for Excellence outcomes and experiences for Numeracy.

Taste of the Tattoo

On Thursday 27^th August the P7 pupils travelled to Riverside, Jedburgh to enjoy a ‘Taste of the Tattoo’. This was part of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations and pupils were entertained by Switzerland’s Top Secret Drum Corps, Highland Dancers from ‘Down Under’, A Tongan cultural troupe and massed military bands.

Blythwood Shoebox Appeal

We will be taking part in the Blythwood shoebox appeal this year and we hope to fill shoeboxes in time for Christmas. If you have any empty shoeboxes at home please send them in to school.  More information on the type of items we need to fill the shoeboxes will be sent out soon.