Dear Parents and Carers,

• Wednesday was European Day of languages. We have twenty nine languages spoken by our children in school. All the languages are celebrated by each class and are represented on the welcome signs on their doors.
• P2 pupils finish their four week block of yoga this week. If you would like to know more about what they have covered, please contact the P2 class reps who have a summary of each class. Thank you to the Parent Council for funding this.
• Neighbours of the school have requested drivers of cars, who collect their children from the school, to please stop blocking them in. Even if it is for a few minutes, it is frustrating for them.
• Boroughmuir High School Primary 7 Open Afternoon is on Friday 26th October 2018, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Invites have been emailed to all P7 parents and carers.
• P3 and P4 pupils celebrate Harvest at our Service at Barclay Viewforth Church on Wednesday 10 October at 2pm and the whole school celebrate together on Friday 12 October at our School Assembly.
• Each Harvest we provide food for the homeless in Edinburgh via one of the many charities. Please help us by donating any tins of fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, custard, sponge puddings, rice pudding or packs of instant mash potato, biscuits, snack bars, UHT or powdered milk, sugar or cartons of fruit juice. We shall gift all you donate to the Salvation Army this year, who will distribute in food parcels to families from their Gorgie Road branch. Thank you.

You asked about:

• P1 Assessments: All primary schools follow the same advice from The City of Edinburgh Council on the Government’s  Scottish National Standardises Assessments (SNSA). The Council are aware of the concerns from schools and we are awaiting advice and next steps on this. As soon as it comes to me, I shall share with you.
• Packed lunch on Fridays: If you do not wish a packed lunch on a Friday, please let your class teacher know. The office staff will consult Parent Pay and find out how we do this through their system. I have fed back your suggestion of no water bottles, of any sort in packed lunches. Children refilling their own makes complete sense.
• Soap Dispensers: we lowered some of the soap dispensers to just above the wash hand basins to allow our youngest children to reach them. We shall remind everyone to choose the one which is best height for them. In addition, the janitors have ordered additional soap dispensers, which they will place at the side of the wash hand basins to see if this helps our youngest pupils reach them comfortably.
• Competitions: all information about competitions is passed to class teachers. If there is one you know of to be particularly good, please let the class teachers know directly. Similarly, feedback on any which should be avoided would be helpful too.
• Extreme Weather: hopefully we won’t have many extremely bad weather days, but when we do, pupils may remain in school during break and at lunchtime. In the event of extreme weather (severe gales or danger from snow or ice) in the mornings, P1 and P2 children may come in through Door 1 (on the East side of the school) and go to the Dining Hall from 8.40am where they will be supervised. We do, however, ask parents and carers to say goodbye to their children in the playground in order to minimise congestion at the door P3 – P7 children are asked to wait in the shelter which is closest to their line and remain there until the teacher comes for them. In bad weather, it is best to arrive just before the bell and to wrap up warmly.
• Parent Council Office Bearers for 2018-2019: an email has gone out with names and contacts and the Parent Council invite you to join in and help at any of their events.
• Events to watch out for: P5 and P6 Hallowe’en Party on Tuesday 30 October and a ‘Pub Quiz’ on Thursday 08 November, details to follow.

Please contact the class teacher, a member of the Leadership Team or myself, if there is anything at all we can do to help.

Kind regards,

Carol Kyle