Bothwell Primary School Today’s SMARTER learners, tomorrow’s SMARTER leaders!

Newsletter: January-February 2020

Dates for your Diary

Burns’ Celebration – Friday 24th January at 1.15p.m.

Parent Council Meeting - Monday 27th January at 6.30p.m.

World Book Day at BPS – Friday 6th March

Lockerbie Manor Residential Talk for P7 and parents – Monday 16th March at 3.15p.m.

P5 Swimming starts – Thursday 12th March

Mothers’ Day Stall – Friday 20th March Parents’ Evening – Thursday 26th March

Dress Down Day – Friday 3rd April

Spring Break – Close Friday 3rd April at 2.30p.m. and re-open Monday 20th April

Lockerbie Manor – P7 residential Tuesday 26th – Friday 29th May

Assemblies - 9.30a.m. R11 – 6th February

R6- 28th February

R3 & R4 – 13th March

R10 – 27th March (please note this date has been changed from the calendar issued in August)

Dear Parent/Carer, Welcome to our first newsletter of the new decade! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a healthy and happy New Year! We had a lovely end to 2019, with the arrival of a beautiful baby girl to Mrs McNally and we are also excitedly waiting for the imminent arrival of Mrs Jamieson’s first baby! In the next few weeks both Mrs Morton and Miss O’Neill will be heading off to have their babies – very exciting times at Bothwell Primary! We wish all families much joy with their new little additions to their families. As a result, there are some changes afoot regarding our staffing; as previously advised, Mrs Montgomery has joined us as Acting Principal Teacher in Mrs Jamieson’s absence and we are awaiting confirmation of the teachers who shall be covering Mrs Morton and Miss O’Neill. Parents of their respective classes shall be updated as soon as we are informed. Sadly Mrs Crossan is off sick but we are delighted to welcome Mr Frame as Acting Depute Head. Both Mrs Montgomery and Mr Frame have made an excellent start to Bothwell Primary and we are delighted to have them!

P1 Enrolment Unbelievably, we have reached that time of year again! P1 enrolment is running from Monday 13th to Friday 17th January, in the school. If you know of anyone who has a child who shall turn 5 between 1st March 2020 and 28th February 2021, please advise them of the enrolment dates. A full birth certificate and two proofs of current address should be brought along by the parent who is enrolling their child. I look forward to meeting all those registering!

Scottish Celebration – save the date! Our annual Scottish Celebration is due to take place – on Friday 24th January. We look forward to being entertained on that day by our finalists reciting their class poem, talented

groups and individuals showing us their talents and also the whole school singing some Scottish songs. This is always a wonderful event and if your child is selected to perform their poem, you shall be invited to attend this event. Unfortunately, as a whole school event, health and safety restricts our numbers and so we cannot open this event to all. If your child is performing individually, you will receive an invitation on Monday 20th January, so please save the date of the 24th January at 1.15p.m., to enable 2 guests of your child to attend. We apologise for the late notice of the inviting, but the finalists are being selected on the 20th to allow as much time to practise as possible before the semi-finals take place! Good luck to all those participating in the Burns’ Competition!

World Book Day - This year World Book Day is on Thursday 5th March and we have great plans to celebrate this the following day, on Friday 6th March. For the first time, this event shall be led by our Literacy Ambassadors and their committee. There shall be organised activities for the whole school to participate in, but in addition, this year we are also inviting parents to come in to the school and read their favourite children’s story to our pupils. If you are able to come along, please fill in the slip at the end of the newsletter and send it in to the office. As usual, children are invited to dress up as a book character or bring along a prop from their favourite story on this day. In addition, this year we are introducing “curl up with a book”, so if children wish to wear their pyjamas or onesies instead of a costume, they may do so. Alternatively, remember the option of simply bringing their favourite book is perfectly sufficient.

No Smoking and No Dogs please! – A little reminder that smoking is not permitted within council grounds. Council policy also dictates that dogs are not allowed within the school grounds. Please support us in ensuring the health and safety of all by adhering to this guidance.

Cost of the School Day – As a school we are conscious of the expense involved in sending your child to school, whether it is outings, uniform or even lunches and snacks. As such, and in line with South Lanarkshire Council’s guidance, this session we have been reviewing and reducing such costs where possible. Our plan is part of the school’s position statement, which aims to reduce the costs for families in sending children to our school. To date, here are our steps taken in session 2019-20, towards reducing the cost of the school day for you as parents and carers and in creating equity for all our learners:

Class trips remaining at one per school session, but are now subsidised by the school if going above £10.

Support offered to families for assistance in paying trips, particularly residential outings. Option to seek such support is offered on reply slip and is treated in confidence.

P5 swimming is continuing to be subsidised by the school.

Writing materials are provided by the school to all stages and P1 book bags are gifted to our new entrants.

Extra-curricular clubs have been encouraged to take place during lunchtime, rather than after school, to save the cost of double-running for families returning to collect children from after school clubs.

“Homework Heroes” club is being set up during lunchtimes, for children to voluntarily attend and be encouraged to achieve their maximum potential.

“Swap-shop” is being introduced for school uniform, Hallowe’en costumes, Christmas jumpers etc.

Options offered for dress-up/dress-down days, which do not result in spending e.g. see World Book Day options.

Free Breakfast Club runs daily.

The uptake of free meal entitlement is promoted and encouraged.

Fruity Friday every month, enables all children to experience an exotic fruit in addition to an ordinary piece of fruit, at no cost to the child.

In addition to reducing the costs for children in Bothwell Primary, we are always mindful of those who are less fortunate and so every year, the school has one charity for whom we raise funds. The charity is one which has a personal meaning, to someone or several people, within the school. Each year we donate several thousand pounds to our chosen charity. At fundraising events, the amounts suggested as donations are kept to a low amount, to enable all pupils to participate.

P7 trip to Lockerbie Manor – It is unbelievable that we have already reached the point of preparing for the P7 residential! On 26th May, our P7s will be heading off for 3 nights at Lockerbie Manor, a highlight of our P7 year! There shall be a parent meeting on Monday 16th March at 3.15p.m. in the school, to hear all about the trip and get information regarding clothing and any other requirements. If you are a parent/carer of a P6 pupil and wish to hear information in advance of next year about the residential, please also feel free to come along.

P7 Transition - On 28th January our P7 pupils will participate in the Superheroes event at Uddingston Grammar and the following day, P6 will enjoy their first transition event this term with a visit to the Grammar library. P7 have had some visitors from the Grammar in recent months and these are due to increase over the rest of the session. On all occasions, our pupils are presenting themselves in a very positive light with their future teachers. Well done to our seniors! Please note that there will also be a P7 parent meeting at UGS, also on Tuesday 28th January, from 4.30-6p.m. All are welcome!

P1 Transition – We shall once again this session, be entertaining some little visitors from the Montessori Nursery with paired reading, led by our P6 buddies. Every year, both sets of children thoroughly enjoy the experience which proves beneficial to all! We look forward to these visits from Bothwell Montessori and other nurseries over the coming months as part of our P1 Transition process.

The school leadership team regularly meets with all the schools and nurseries in Bothwell and Uddingston to prepare for the transition of Early Years’ children to Primary One. These meetings prove very insightful and enable us to give your children the best start possible at Bothwell Primary. In May, the BUGs event takes place, to enable all new P1 pupils to meet their peers in an activity morning. This event was held for the last two years, here, in Bothwell Primary and it was a tremendous success. This year, the event shall be taking place in St Brides Primary, on Thursday May 28th between 10a.m. and 12 noon. We look forward to seeing our future pupils and their parents at this event.

Poppy Appeal I would like to take this opportunity to thank your children (and yourselves) for the contributions to our Poppy Appeal collection. A significant sum was raised and will go to a very worthwhile cause, the Earl Haig fund. As a school, we observed a minute’s silence on Monday 11th November, for all staff and pupils, to allow time for personal reflection.

Nativity - P1-3 “wowed” their audience with yet another exceptional Nativity when they performed “Prickly Hay” this year. The children’s acting, singing, dancing and enthusiasm was second to none – and once again it astounded me how much our children, particularly our P1s, have blossomed in their time in our school, to have the courage and confidence to perform to such a high level in front of such a huge audience. As always, your presence and support as parents is the catalyst to bring those strengths to the fore – and for this I thank you. Well done to all our little stars (and their parents!)

PTA- Many thanks to all of our parents who regularly come along to provide tea and coffee to those attending our assemblies. A hot cuppa certainly helps on these cold winter mornings! If you wish to come along and help, please check the annual planner for the dates of the assemblies and come along and meet your fellow parents. Many thanks also for donations and ideas which are given in the suggestions box at these times, we appreciate all that is shared!

Christmas Fayre - The P.T.A. worked tirelessly as ever this year for the school Christmas Fayre which is our major annual fundraiser. This fabulous group of parents constantly suggest new ideas for this big event and work so hard to make the day a huge success. This event alone, this year raised £3898.82, which is a fantastic sum and an increase of £600 on last year’s total! The money raised every year is an enormous boost to the school’s funds and goes directly into enhancing your children’s learning experiences. We cannot thank the P.T.A. enough for their hard work and invaluable contributions. There was an enormous array of prizes – too many to mention, but congratulations to all of our lucky winners! Many thanks also to our P7 pupil helpers who showed such maturity and ability in manning stalls and supporting Santa on the day! Many thanks also to Mrs Jamieson and our talented parent helper Mrs Wallace, who coached our choir to so beautifully entertain everyone at the Christmas Fayre with a selection of Christmas songs. The children thoroughly enjoyed this experience and we are sure you all did too! Well done singers and their leaders! Finally, I also wish to thank parents, pupils and staff for coming along in great numbers and supporting the P.T.A. at this event. We couldn’t do it without your support!

Special Thanks for Donations - We would also like to sincerely thank all those businesses and friends of the school who so generously donated to the Christmas Fayre, these donations make an enormous difference to the competitions and stalls we can offer. Thank you to: Chapterhouse Café, David Corbett, Mackie Opticians, Paolo’s, Shanghai Teahouse, The Bothwell Deli, Co-op, Cricklewood, CUT, Da Luciano, Riva, Rosso, Jan Allan, Plato, Hope Jewellers, Julie Lamont, 71 Main Street, Canapé Wines, The Hidden Tearoom, The Bothwell Salon, The Goodie Cupboard, Tunnock’s Bakery, Mesart, The Olympia, Mr and Mrs Deans, Mr and Mrs McGavin, Mrs Haldane and Mrs Hopcroft. Every year we receive many personal donations and we are not always aware of the donators. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank anyone who has handed in a donation of any type to the Christmas Fayre – we really appreciate your contribution, which makes a valuable difference to our end total. Thank you!

P.T.A. – This year the sum of £4000 given to the school by the P.T.A. has been spent, as detailed previously, on iPads and software and other resources to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy. However, the funds have also paid for treats such as Hallowe’en parties, school discos, and a treat of ice-cream when the Baldy Bane Theatre Group came to visit plus subsidising outings in order to keep costs down for families. Very sincere thanks for the hard work of the P.T.A., but also to all of our families in the school who donate so readily to support school fundraising events.

Mothers’ Day Stall - Our hard-working PTA are again holding a stall, on Friday 20th March, with goodies for children to buy for Mothers’ Day. Any child who wishes to participate should bring along an item for the stall and they will get the chance to purchase a gift for their mum. Gifts do not need to be expensive, prices start at 50p. The children love coming to this treasure trove of treats and the PTA always raise funds for the school. Many thanks to all who participate in this venture, whether as a helper, buyer or one who donates.

Parent Council – Please note the next meeting shall be on Mon 27th January at 6.30p.m. Please come along, share your ideas and meet other parents. All welcome!

Safety in the Snow! – Winter seems to have been gentle on us so far this year, but in the event of snow, please be kind to Mr Doyle our janitor, who works hard to clear the snow to let us get a clear pathway into the school. Sadly, Mr Doyle is not allowed to clear the car park and has only authority to clear the playground once we have a safe entry and exit of the school building. Please don’t give him a hard time, he’s only doing what he is permitted to do – and what a great job he does too!

We continue to welcome feedback and suggestions which you feel would make a positive impact on the school and your child’s education. If you feel you have expertise in any of the areas we are addressing and wish to offer your services, please contact the school as we are always delighted to have your involvement. I wish you all a lovely (hopefully bright!) spring term and look forward to seeing you at Parents’ Evening in March, if not before! Yours sincerely, P Ross Head Teacher January 2020.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Book Day – Friday 6th March 2020

I am able to read to children on Friday 6th March at (please state time of day which best suits) : ______________________________________________________________________________________ Child’s name and class: ________________________________________________________________ Own name: ______________________________ Date: _______________________ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bothwell Primary School, You suggest it - We listen!

Suggestion or comment:_________________________________________________________________

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Please return the slip in your child’s bag, or email your comments and suggestions to: gw14bothwellpsoffice@glow.sch.uk

Achievements January 2020

Well done everyone! R1

Evie Simpson Rosettes for horse-riding

R2

Whole Class Everyone was on Santa’s good list!

R3 Myla Bonnar Fraser Black Sam MacFarlane Jack Menzies Millie McCaig

Dancing Swimming 3 metres Football trophy Football trophy Karate trophy

R4 Nieve MacFarlane Zak Cunnington Alfie McCorquodale Katya Moore

Dancing trophy Yellow belt Tae-Kwon-Do Yellow belt Tae-Kwon-Do Gymnastics badge and certificate

R5

Grace Fox Blake Langford Millie Dow Alistair Thomas

Certificate at the Christmas show for ice-skating Certificate at swimming for front crawl A medal and certificate for dancing Achieved his yellow belt at Tae-Kwon-Do

R6 Harrison Murray Toby Connell Eilidh Kinney

Football medal Football medal Gymnastics trophy

R7 Ella Stewart Matthew Lauchlan Anna McEachran Freya Davidson Cooper Mackie Cara Robertson Tyla Kennedy Olly Markey

Placed at 3rd twice, 5th twice and once in 4th place at horse riding competition Moved up to orange level at tennis club Moved up to orange level at tennis club Achieved Honours and commended for ballet exam Moved up to orange level at tennis club Medal and certificate for dance show Moved up to grade 1 in ballet Medal for football achievements

R8 Bethany Arbuckle Felicity Deans Evan Fox Charlotte McGavin

Completed Santa Dash Honours in ballet, commended in tap dancing Football trophy Ballet exam results

R9 Anum Tahir Brownies badge for becoming a Brownie

R10 Ava McCallion Logan Marks Joshua Arbuckle

Go-karting medal for 3rd place Played Cinderella in drama class 9 athletics medals from Australia

R11 Leila Davidson Rhea Yershov Rory Cunningham Eoghan Goodman

Passed grade 2 ballet exam Passed grade 3 ballet exam and has progressed to pointe Silver award achieved – moved from Cubs to Scouts Achieved blue belt in Tae-Kwon-Do

R12 Freya Slater Passed ballet exam grade 3.