Botriphnie Blether Hallowe'en Special 31 October 2008
Botriphnie Blether 6 October 2008
Botriphnie Blether 23 September 2008
Botriphnie Blether 25 August 2008
Botriphnie Blether 3 July 2008
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Botriphnie Blether 29 January 2008
Botriphnie Blether 29 November 2007
Botriphnie Blether 29 October 2007
Botriphnie Blether Hallowe'en Special 2 November 2007
Botriphnie Blether 8 October 2007
Botriphnie Blether 3 September 2007
Botriphnie Blether 11 June 2007
Botriphnie Blether 21 May 2007
Botriphnie Blether 23 April 2007
Botriphnie Blether 12 March 2007
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Botriphnie Blether 8 January 2007
Botriphnie Blether 4 December 2006
Botriphnie Blether 6 November 2006
The Botriphnie Blether 28 September 2006
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The Botriphnie Blether 12 June 2006
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The Botriphnie Blether 29 August 2005
botriphnie blether Hallowe'en Special
Our Hallowe’en Party will take place on Friday 31st October in the village hall. The party starts at 6.00 and will finish around 8.00 but certainly no later than 8.30.
Children are encouraged to wear fancy dress but of course they are still welcome to come along without a costume. There is no particular theme for the costumes. Just surprise us!
The costumes will be judged in three groups, Pre School, P1-3 and P4-7. There will be prizes and certificates for first, second and third in these categories.There will also be a “neepie” lantern competition. There are two categories for this. Prizes will be awarded for the best carved lantern and the other for the best novelty lantern. Andrew and Billy Stewart have very kindly agreed to help by providing turnips, which will be taken home on Tues 28th at the end of the school day.
The lanterns will be placed on the tables in the hall and lit for judging. The school usually has a supply of tea lights so don’t worry if you can’t find a candle.
Please do not bring lit lanterns into the village hall.
Parade of costumes and prizes
Judging lanterns and prizes
Photo shoot Dave McWilliam
Games
Table top games
Dookin for apples
Jammy doughnuts
Children’s & parents’ refreshments
Collect balloon and goody bags before going home
Parents are welcome to stay or you can simply drop off the children and collect them later. There is a lot more space in the village hall so we will be able to fit everyone in.
If you have no transport to take your child to the party please contact the school and hopefully I can arrange something. All the children look forward to this and it would be a pity if anyone were to miss out.
Children must be collected by parents at the end of the party.
There is a cost of £1 to help meet the cost of the party and prizes. Please send £1 up to the school before the party on Fri 31st October.
The botriphnie blether
SCHOOL CALENDARS
You should have received one of these by now. I hope you find it useful. Please use it to add any dates which have not already been included on the calendar.
If you wish to order another calendar for Christmas please put up a note or phone the school. The cost of extra calendars is £3.HALLOWE’EN PARTY
There was a misprint on the calendar. The party will be on Friday 31st October from 6.00-8.00ish. More details on separate letter.PARENT COUNCIL
Following last week’s AGM which was well attended the following office bearer’s were elected for the coming year.Chairperson: Fiona Metcalfe
Vice Chairperson: Patricia Howie
Secretary: Joan Ross
Treasurer: Shona CockillThe next meeting takes place on Tuesday 28th October at 6.30.
Remember one person from each family is entitled to attend and all parents are members of the Parent Forum.
OCTOBER 200 CLUB WINNERS
1ST £50 No. 41 - Laurence Findlay
2ND £30 No. 21 - Christine Forbes
3RD £20 No. 160 - Mary BonnymanCROSS COUNTRY
Well done to all the children who took part. It was great to see everyone involved either in the running or the power walk. No medals this year but a lot of very fit youngsters who all completed the course.
Congratulations to Rebecca Metcalfe who completed the course with a broken arm.
Now that deserves a medal!PARENT APPOINTMENTS
These take place tomorrow after school and your appointment time is in your communication packet.
The new communication packets and money pockets seem to be working well. Thank you for you cooperation.STUDENT TEACHER
Last week we were joined by Miss Tracy McConnachie who is training as a primary school teacher. She rejoins us for 4 weeks on Monday 3rd November and then returns for 4 weeks on January 5th. She thought the children were lovely and well behaved. She will be in the P5-7 class.SWIMMING AND STAY AND PLAY
This is the last week for both these activities. Many thanks to the parents who went along to the swimming and also to those who helped out at the Stay and Play.
Next term PE will restart on Mondays for P5-7 and Fridays for P1-4.BODYSHOP & TUPPERWARE PARTY
This takes place on Wed 19th Nov from 6.30-8.30. Please come along and bring as many friends and relatives as you can! More details to follow nearer the time.HOLIDAYS
The school closes on Friday for the October Break. I am having eye surgery on Friday for a cataract and will return to work when I am able. Mrs Tommie Gross will cover the class in my absence.
The botriphnie blether
CANTEEN MEALS
Keith Grammar school has been in touch to say that:
THERE WILL BE NO LUNCHES TOMORROW
Packed lunches should be provided from home as previously advised. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.`SMARTBOARD DISPLAY
Our two new Smartboards are up and running and we would very much like you to come along to see what they can do.
This will take place on:Wednesday 1st October at 6.00 in the school.
Please come along and bring the children as we would like them to be involved in showing you how they are using and learning from the new ICT.
There will be refreshments and nibbles.
Following this at 7.00 there will be the AGM for the Parent Council to which everyone is invited.PLEASE come along and get involved and support your children. We promise not to make you do anything you don't want to do!!!!
PARENT APPOINTMENTS
Our first parent meeting of the year will take place on Tuesday 7th October. Can you please complete the attached sheet to identify a preference for the time of your appointment. You will then receive an exact time to meet and discuss your child's learning and how we can work together to support your child in his/her learning.
SOUP AND SWEET
This went incredibly well thanks to the hard work and commitment of so many parents, staff and friends of Botriphnie.The amount raised was £603. There is a donation to the North Church Hall to pay and also an advert.
This was a great effort from everyone and it is particularly rewarding to see parents involved and enjoying the event.
Those who had their lunch were very complimentary and positive about the event so I'm sure we would all like to go ahead and do it again next year!
The botriphnie blether
Welcome to the first blether of our new school session. All pupils have returned rested and raring to go. Our anticipated role of 29 has increased to 33 and this includes a new pupil at the P1 stage. We are delighted to welcome Danielle at P7, Dillan and Jessica at P5 and Tom at P1. They have settled in really quickly and I’m sure they will enjoy their time at the village school.
STAFFING
Due to Mrs McGookin’s continued absence the school is once again without a HTR (Head Teacher Relief) and a SfL teacher (Support for Learning Teacher}. The post of SfL will continue to be covered by Mrs Calder and Mrs McKenzie. Mrs Gross is joining the staff later this week to cover the post of HTR. Mrs Beverley Ross is covering the post of SfL auxiliary on a supply basis.
CLASS FORMATION
This session Miss Simpson is taking the P1-4 class and I am taking the P5-7 class.
The class numbers are as follows:
P1-1, P3-5, P4-8, P5-10, P6-5, P7-4. There are currently no P2s.
COMMUNICATION PACKET
This session I am trying a new method to ensure that all notes actually reach home. Any correspondence will go home in a plastic folder which should be emptied and returned to school the next day. Children who return packets will be awarded a try-point for being responsible. I have also included a supply of money pockets which you may find useful when sending money up to school. Just ask when you require more.
JULY 200 CLUB WINNERS
1ST £50 No. 153 - J Ricketts
2ND £30 No. 196 - N Theodoreson
3RD £20 £20 No. 18 - D RossCABRACH PUPILS
Cabrach Primary School currently has 4 pupils at the P1-4 stage and they will be joining in with our P1-4 pupils for PE on a Tuesday.
BIRNIE VISIT
Today the P5-7 class visited the Birnie Dig. I shall update you in the next newsletter if we found any hidden treasure!
There will be an open day at the dig for the general public on 7th September with talks at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.SWIMMING
Pupils in P4 and P5 will receive swimming lessons beginning this Friday up until the October Break. Please remember swim wear and a towel this Friday.
FRUITY FRIDAY AND HEALTHY SNACK
This continues to be popular with pupils and parents. Everyone seems more than happy to contribute 30p towards the cost of this every Friday. If you forget simply send it up when you remember.
SCHOOL RULES OK
At the end of last term all pupils and staff came together to review our school rules. The outcome was that we added a third rule to our two existing rules.
Botriphnie pupils have agreed to be
· KIND
· RESPONSIBLE
· RESPECTFUL
BUS PUPILS
There seemed to be some confusion last week when pupils were asked to produce bus passes. If anyone has lost/mislaid their bus pass can you please let us know and we shall arrange for a new one.
BUS BEHAVIOUR
This is always a bit of a headache and I would ask for your co-operation in talking to and reminding your child/children about good behaviour on the bus. Hopefully if school and home work together we can get this message across.
ANNUAL SCHOOL CALENDAR
The photos for our annual school calendar will be taken on the afternoon of Thursday 4th September. Hopefully all pupils will be present on that date and looking smart in their school uniform.
RAG BAG COLLECTION
Our next Rag Bag collection takes place on Mon 1st December in the afternoon. This is sometime away but it’s good to get plenty warning so that you can spread the word and start laying aside and storing any unwanted items. The following items are accepted.
CLOTHING SHOES BAGS HATS BELTS TOWELS CURTAINS BED LINEN
Bags will be sent home nearer the time. Supporting this helps us in our work to become an Eco School.
RECYCLING
Please remember that there is a paper recycling facility at the school which you are welcome to use. It is the large green bin nearest to the school. The small green bin can also be used for all types of cans.
FREE BOOKLETS
The school has received a large number of leaflets on all aspects of health which have been sponsored by a local business. They deal with many health issues including drugs, smoking and alcohol. If you wish a copy please let me know.HOMEWORK
Formal homework starts in September and class teachers will put out individual letters explaining how you can help and support you child over the coming session. If you have any issues regarding homework why not come along to the next Parent Council Meeting where you can discuss this, or any other issues or concerns you may have.
FLOWER BEDS
Many thanks to parents and pupils who came along and watered and weeded the flowerbeds this summer. They are looking very colourful and welcoming.
PARENT COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday 26th August
6.30 School hall
Remember all parents are members of the Parent Council and one member from each family is very welcome to attend the meetings.
At this first meeting we shall be discussing the proposed Soup and Sweet in the North Church Hall on the 20th September.
Please come along.
The botriphnie blether
SUMMER FAIR
A huge thank you to all those who supported and helped at the fair. There was a good turn out and an enjoyable evening was had by all. A fantastic £810 was raised; £100 of which will go to WWF and the Red Cross Disaster Fund, the remainder will be put into the school fund to help pay for equipment, trips and treats for the children.
TEAM READ
This takes place at Keith Library over the summer holidays and I would urge all pupils to take part. You have to pick up a membership card, fold-out chart and stickers. Then read your way through bronze and silver levels to get your gold medal.
WATERING GARDENS
Thank you to all those who volunteered to help out with watering the garden. Please see duty rota below.
SCHOOL GARDENS ROTA
Week beginning Saturday:July 5th July 12th July 19th July 26th August 2nd August 9th Fiona Metcalfe Patricia Howie Shona Cockill Fiona Metcalfe Miss Findlay Shona Cockill NEW SCHOOL LUNCH MENU
Please find attached new menus for school lunches. There will now be a choice of soup and a main course or main course and a pudding. The cost of a meal is going up to £1.85 - £18.50 for a book of 10 tickets. This is still excellent value for money as can be see from the menu.
LANDMARK
The bus will be leaving at 9am sharp so please don't be late or you will miss out!
The bus should be back at school for around 4.30(please note change of time) and all children should be collected from school. If the weather is really bad and we have to come back early I will contact you to let you know.
JULY 200 CLUB WINNERS
1ST £50 No. 178 J. Thain
2ND £30 No. 203 V. Grant
3RD £20 No. 54 A. Cameron
Wishing you all a happy and sunny summer break. See you all too soon!
The botriphnie blether
MORAY MUSIC FESTIVAL
This now seems a distant memory but a very happy one. We were really successful for a small school and our school choir excelled themselves to gain a first place and a distinction certificate for their performance. This success was followed up with a first in the violin for Brooke and a first for our violin group. Well done to staff and parents for their support in preparing pupils to such a standard.
Iona, Brooke and Emma recently took part in the Scots Fiddle class in the Elgin and Strathspey music festival where they played well and received good marks for their performances. Unfortunately our violin group had to withdraw as our three senior players were all absent that week.
STAFFING
I am very pleased to welcome Mrs Cockill to the post of Playground Supervisor and Lunchtime Auxiliary. She has settled in very quickly and I hope she enjoys working at Botriphnie as much as the rest of the staff.
Ms Normand has returned to the post of Head Teacher Relief on a supply basis to cover the continued absence of Mrs McGookin. Mrs McKenzie and Mrs Calder are covering Support for Learning.
GARDENING
This term we plan to convert the log garden into a recycled garden. For this I am looking for items that could be used as plant containers. If you have anything which you think we might be able to use please contact the school. We don’t wantany old rubbish so we shall be quite selective in what we use!
RAG BAG COLLECTION
This takes place on Wednesday 21st May. Bags can be taken to school before then. If you want to leave delivery till the last day then the village hall will be open on the morning of the 21st May to receive your collection
Please spread the word to family, friends and neighbours. This is an ideal opportunity to spring clean or to have a good, “redd oot!”
We will be paid 30p per kg which is £300 per tonne.
Any large plastic bags can be used.
MAY 200 CLUB WINNERS
1ST £50 No. 48 J. Mark
2ND £30 No. 154 N. Theodoreson
3RD £20 No. 72 G. CockillYou will shortly be asked to renew your membership for this. I hope you feel you can. If you are not already a member, please consider joining. Most of our membership if from outwith the school and these kind donations provide much needed funding which benefits all the children of Botriphnie.
ART EXHIBITION
A primary and secondary art exhibition is taking place at the Elgin Library for two weeks beginning 16th May. There are two entries from each primary and Mrs Clark has selected a piece of work from Iona and one from Brooke. If you are in Elgin why not pop in past the library. You can also visit Cooper Park and there are also very tasty home bakes in the library cafe!
ABERNETHY WEEK
This year our P7 pupils joined up with Keith Primary School for this week. Nextyear it is planned to offer this to all P7 pupils who will be transferring to Keith Grammar School. This has already been booked to accommodate all 80 P7 pupils.
Keith Primary will be sending out a letter in June asking if your child wishes to take part. The Botriphnie school fund will pay half of the cost of the trip and the remaining half can be paid in instalments.
BOOK QUIZ
Congratulations to Kieran, Katriona, Iona and Brooke who beat off stiff opposition from Mortlach and Craigellachie to make it through to the next round of the competition. Unfortunately this was only open to P6/7 pupils, so due to my misinterpretation of the rules we cannot take part in the next round. The good news is we can legally enter next year!
WOODWIND TUITION
A couple of parents have returned forms indicating an interest in tuition. Mr Fryer will look at the returns and will then carry out a test to see if pupils have an aptitude for music. Successful pupils may then be offered tuition on a woodwind instrument. Lessons for this will begin after the summer holidays.
TRANSPORT TO SCHOOL BY CAR
This is for your information only.
All schools have been asked to remind parents of the correct guidelines for transporting children to school by car. Police are concerned about the number of pupils being dropped off, who are not keeping to the guidelines for seatbelts and booster seats. There is also a worry about people stopping on the yellow zig- zag markings outside schools. Police are monitoring this at all schools throughout Moray.
WALK TO SCHOOL WEEK
This takes place on the 19th May. The majority of pupils travel to school by bus but this could be an opportunity for parents to consider enterprising ways of building in an element of walking e.g.
Walking to the next pick up point for the bus.
The bus dropping off pupils at the end of the village and then walking up to school.
Parents and pupils walking to school.
All of the above activities must be accompanied by an adult and must take place with parental consent.
Please see attached letter and complete if you wish to be involved in some way in incorporating an element of walking into your child’s journey to school. I appreciate many pupils already walk to road ends and you could simply use this as your walking plan.
TOPICS
Our topics for this term are
P4-7 Explorers
P2/3 Nature
Perhaps you could enjoy exploring somewhere the children have never been before and discover what nature has to offer at this special time of year as spring turns in to summer.
IN SERVICE DAYS
The school will be closed next Thursday and Friday for two in service days. Staff will be involved in work related to the new Curriculum for Excellence which is currently being embedded throughout all Scottish schools. This new curriculum is designed to produce -
Confident Individuals
Successful Learners
Effective Contributors
Responsible Citizens
The botriphnie blether
Our Burns’ Supper takes place tomorrow. There is nearly a 100% uptake for this. If you have forgotten to respond to the invitation then please let us know first thing tomorrow, if you intend coming along. It starts at 6.00 in the school hall.
This has been quite a big undertaking and I am very grateful to Patricia Howie for the excellent idea and to those who have rallied round to help and those who have donated items for the evening.
This is an informal evening and children should not wear school uniform. Of course I am happy for the children to wear a bit of tartan. Sammy certainly looked the part last Friday when he gave his kilt an outing on the occasion of Burns’ birthday on the 25th January.STAFFING
I was very disappointed to hear that Susan Johnston is planning to leave us. As you know Susan is a sports coach and she has been offered more work in this area. Susan will be a huge loss to the school, where she has been such an enthusiastic helper, a willing volunteer, and a friend to all. Susan is leaving on Friday but we hope to see her back at the school in her role as sports coach.
The post will be advertised but in order to release Susan, Mrs. Shona Cockill has stepped in to cover the post until an appointment is made.
Two new members of staff have been in school covering Mrs McGookin’s absence. Mrs Annabel Calder is currently covering the HTR post each Friday and Mrs Elma McKenzie is covering the SfL post on Monday and Tuesday.
The following message has been posted on the School’s Information Line.
In the event of severe weather, which may affect the opening of the school, or bus arrangements for those who travel by bus, then this message will be updated by 7.30 am on the morning when this may be a concern.
If this is the message you hear then the school is open!
SNOW CLEARING/GRITTING
Since Mrs Gordon retired there is no longer anyone available to clear the snow or to put down salt and grit in the morning. I understand that there is an arrangement in place for 2.5 hours a week, for ten weeks, which runs from January to mid March. Payment is made even if the weather is fine. If anyone is interested in this position, please contact the school.
JANUARY 200 CLUB WINNERS
1ST £50 No. 109 Philip & Louise Stewart
2ND £30 No. 72 Gillian Cockill
3RD £20 No. 44 Loretta HutchisonOnce again we have a few spare numbers. Can you help?
FUNDRAISINGApologies but the correct amount for the Christmas Hamper raffle was £293.50 and not £392.50 as stated in the last newsletter. It was still a fantastic amount!
Do you order items on-line?
If the answer is yes and you would like to help us raise even more money, please have a look at the following site:
www.easyfundraising.org.ukThere are many companies who have registered with this fundraising site who will make a small donation to the school every time you order as long as you go through www.easyfundraising.org.uk first - and it won’t cost you a penny!
Give it a try! (Remember to nominate Botriphnie Primary as the organisation you support)
COURSE ATTENDANCE
I shall be out of school this week from Wednesday to Friday. I am attending a course on Visionary Leadership in Elgin. The P4-7 class will be covered by Mrs Calder on Wed and Thurs and Ms Cathy Francis on Friday.
PARENT APPOINTMENTS
These take place on Wed 13th and Thurs 14th next week. Your appointment times will be with you next Monday. They will begin after school at 3.00 for P1-3 and 3.15 for P4-7. If anyone requires a specific time, either earlier or later, please pop a note into your child’s homework jotter.
MID TERM
The dates for mid term are Fri 15th and Mon 18th February.
SCHOOL ROLL
Unfortunately there were no enrolments this year. This means that there will be no P1 or P2 pupils next session. This of course may change.
PUPIL COUNCIL
Our new Pupil Council has been established for 2008 and our first meeting took place on Friday under the guidance of Mrs. Ross. I am very grateful to Mrs Ross for taking on this role.
The following pupils make up this year’s Pupil CouncilP7 Sam, Katie and Kieran
P6 Sammy
P5 Iona, Brooke and Rebecca
P4 Amber and Jamie
P3 Shaun and GracePlease see attached sheet for minutes of the meeting.
FORTH COMING EVENTS
Salmon to school week beginning 18th Feb
Youth Music Initiative P4 at Keith Primary on 22nd Feb, 11.00
P7 morning of badminton on Fri 22nd Feb at St Thomas followed by visit to KGS to see Rock Challenge presentation.
Drummuir 21 AGM Sat 23rd Feb in school 10.00-12.00
Rotary Quiz Tues 26th Feb at Keith Grammar School 7.00
World Book Day Thurs 6th March
Sportshall badminton challenge Thurs 20th March, P3-5 10.00-12.00
Pupil Council Meeting Minutes
1st February 2008
1. A vote was taken to decide on how long the Chairperson and Secretary would hold their titles.
The choices were a) to keep them all year or b) to change them for each meeting. A majority of 8 votes to 3 votes decided that they would keep them the same all year.
A secret vote was taken to elect the positions and the results wereKatie Morrison as Chairperson and
Kieran Stewart as Secretary.2. a) There is a problem with children going behind the sheds and the playground supervisor cannot see them. It was pointed out that there is the same problem with the tree.
All agreed that no-one should go behind the sheds or beside the tree for safety reasons. Cones did not stop anyone as they jumped over them. To help the playground supervisor it was agreed that any playground helpers in P6 and 7 would help to monitor these areas and report any problems.
b) Balls are always going over the high fence.
It was suggested that on windy days that no balls were allowed out. It was agreed that playground supervisor and the P6 and 7 playground helpers would discuss if balls were not to go out.
If balls go over the fence the person doing this would have 5 minutes "time out" to be monitored by playground supervisor or a prefect.
Balls being kicked onto the P4/7 area was a problem.
It was agreed that the P1/3 would be given 2 chances and get the ball back but if it happened again, the ball would stay at the bottom until end of break.
3. There was feedback on the packed lunch people being asked to eat their lunch in order.
The Council felt that it made sense to start with sandwiches (sausage roll, sausages or similar) and then be left to eat the rest in any order. This was carried unanimously.4. There has been some silly nonsense on the bus and it was felt that a new seating arrangement would help.
Kieran and Sammy are to make up a new rota and discuss it with Miss Findlay.
5. Date of next meeting Friday 8th February 2008.
The botriphnie blether
Welcome to the first blether of 2008. I hope everyone had a peaceful and relaxing holiday and that the resolutions made are still in place!
FUNDRAISING
In the run up to Christmas there was a great deal of effort to raise money for the school fund, which allows the children to experience a wide range of activities.
I am extremely grateful to all those who involved themselves in fundraising. Many thanks and well done to everyone.Bag packing at Tesco £440
Christmas concert £68.50
Christmas Hamper £392.50
Stationery sale (staff) £41
Webb Ivory £60
SCHOOL TEA TOWELS
This enterprise project was undertaken by the P4-7 pupils as part of their topic on printing. Our profit margin was very small so as to reduce the cost to you. One hundred were printed and we need to sell them all in order to make a profit. There are still a few left for sale.
SCHOOL ROLL
I am always sorry when pupils leave and it was sad to say farewell to Luke and Jack Playle who left at the end of last term. This week we say farewell to Danielle and Dylan Stewart. We have enjoyed them being with us and wish them all the best in the future.
I am however very pleased to welcome Jordan Turner who has joined us at the P3 stage.
This will take the roll down to 32, 12 pupils in the P1-3 class and 20 in the P4-7 class. If the roll remains the same it is likely that next year’s class formation will be P3/4 and P5-7.HOMEWORK
This will restart during the week. Class teachers will send home information on the types of homework you can expect, and how you can support your child in their work.
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES TOPICS
P1-3 will be learning about
Our Industries
P4-7 will be learning about
The Highland Clearances
SCIENCE TOPICS
P1-3 will be learning about
Materials
P4-7 will be learning about
The Structure of the Earth
HEALTH TOPICS
P1-3 will be learning about
Head Lice
P4-7 will be learning about
We are special
JANUARY 200 CLUB WINNERS
1ST £50 No. 148 P. Reid
2ND £30 No. 102 C. Forbes for S. Mitchell
3RD £20 No. 54 J. McIntosh for A. CameronSCHOOL CLOSURES
The number to call when there is adverse weather is 08700549999 followed by the school PIN which is 031130. An announcement may also be made on Moray Firth Radio. If you bring your child into school on a snowy day please remember that it is your responsibility to collect them at the end of the day.
MORAY MUSIC FESTIVAL
This takes place in March. All pupils will be involved in the small schools music making section. Our violin group will be taking part and some of our violinists will be playing solos. More details nearer the time.
PE KIT
Children have Physical Education every Tuesday afternoon. A number of children forget to bring in their PE kit, which is simply a pair of shorts, a T-Shirt and a pair of trainers or slip on plimsolls. Children can leave this in school on their peg. Can I please ask for your support in ensuring your child is prepared for this important area of the curriculum. Many thanks.
BUS PUPILS
Most of our pupils travel by bus. If there are any changes to this it would be helpful if the school were informed. If you pick your child up at the end of the day perhaps you could simply tell the bus driver that you are taking your child home.
LUNCHTIME ARRANGEMENTS
With a drop in the school roll and the loss of a member of support staff I have decided to have the packed lunches in the hall at the same time as the cooked lunches in the canteen. We tried it last week and it seems to be working well.
ENROLMENT WEEK
This is enrolment week for those beginning school in August 2008. My understanding is that there are no pupils due to enrol this year. This means that it will be likely that there will be no P1 or P2 pupils next session.
CULLODEN VISIT
This will take place on March 10th. We will also be visiting Fort George on the same day. We shall be leaving early in the morning and probably arriving home late but you will receive more details nearer the time. In the meantime if you have any resources to help us with our topic on The Jacobites we would be happy to receive them.DRUMMUIR 21
Pond dipping and pancakes on the Upper Isla Pond next to the hatchery. Saturday 2nd February, 10.00-12.00.
D21 AGM, Botriphnie Primary School, Saturday 23rd February, 10.00-12.00.
BURNS NIGHT
The school is to host a Burns Night on Tuesday 5th February. A group of parents are organising this and the children will be involved with the entertainment. The evening is for children and adults and it sounds like a lot of fun.
More details will be with you shortly.
Bonnie Charlie's Noo Awa
It is a little known fact that when Bonnie Prince Charlie died his bones were returned to Glenfinnan, where he raised his standard. At the time a shepherd was building a dry stane dyke and hid Prince Charlie's remains in the stones. This is the background story behind the song Bonnie Charlie's noo a wa'.Sorry but I couldn’t resist this one!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Friday 15th Feb - Occasional day holiday
Monday 18th Feb - Mid term holiday
Friday 21st March - Good Friday holiday
Term ends - Friday 28th March
The botriphnie blether
Well we have celebrated St Andrew's day and Sam's birthday and now we are heading in to December, which of course means that Christmas is not too far away.
December is a busy one for everyone and the school is no exception.
Monday 10th Dec is the date of our "Christmas Story in Song and Verse". This will take place in the village hall at 6.30. Entry is by ticket. Tickets can be bought from the school on Monday at a cost of £1 for adults and 50p for secondary pupils. There is no cost for pre school children. Tickets will be numbered and will be entered into a raffle. After the concert, refreshments will be served in the school. There is no cost for this as it is included in the price of the ticket. We hope to see you there along with family and friends.
Christmas lunch will be held next Friday, 7th Dec. This is rather early but it is the only day KGS can accommodate every school. All children are welcome to attend the Christmas lunch. It would be helpful for numbers if you could complete the attached form indicating your preference. The price of a lunch is £1.80.
Bag packing at Tesco's will take place on Saturday 22nd December. I cannot give exact times for this until I know how many helpers are available. The hours we do are entirely up to us. We could begin at 10.00 and finish at 2.00 or we can start earlier or finish later. To help in the organisation of this can you please complete the attached form.
A huge thank you to everyone who donated towards the Christmas hamper and to the three mums who came along to make them up. They were able to make up four hampers plus a children's one.
One P5 pupil has been very enterprising and thanks to her wonderful letter writing, we have also secured a hamper from Baxter's and one from Walker's. Congratulations to Brooke and to her mum for supporting this.
Our violinists will be playing at St Rufus on Sunday 16th December. The Christmas Songs of Praise starts at 7.00. More details nearer the time.
PTO to read some of our stories about our trip to Aberdeen.
Please complete and return as soon as possible
Child's/Children's names
Number of tickets for Christmas concert èè
Adults
Children
My child/children will be having a Christmas lunch on Friday 7th December
Please tick èè
Yes
No
Bag packing at Tesco's on Saturday 22nd December
I am willing to bag pack at Tesco's on Sat 22nd December 2007èPlease tick
YES
NO
ê
ê
Please complete the section below ê ê
If your answer is no are you happy for your child to help? Children must be in the P3-7 age group. See box 3 below. ê
1. Please indicate your preferred times e.g., morning, afternoon, anytime etc
2. Please indicate number of hour sessions you are prepared to help with the packing.
3. If your child is in P3-7 can you write their names, if they can help either with you as a parent, or with a member of staff or another adult from the school.
Our Day Out
To begin with we went to the Maritime Museum. We saw a clock and I saw a boat. After that we went for our lunch. It was a good day.
Ryan Furborough P4
The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
We went to His Majestys Theatre in Aberdeen to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was absolutely phenomenal because it was so loud and colourful and musical. Botriphnie School sat together.
Mrs McGookin found the music too loud. On the way back home Katie Morrison was singing songs from Joseph when Mrs McGookin said "Shhhh!"
Katie said "Party pooper".
Luke Playle P5
JOSEPH On Thursday, 1st November the whole school went to see Joseph in Aberdeen. The show didn't start for ages but the pupils didn't mind. There were lots of other people there.
It was a perfect show. It was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
During the show there was a break. It was a long break. When it came back on
everyone started to scream as loud as they could because it was starting again.
I really enjoyed the finale because Benjamin and all his brothers as well as the rest of the cast came out and jumped about.
Emma Riach P4
Escape From School
On the first of November we went to visit the Maritime Museum. We had no lessons from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Maritime Museum was in Aberdeen beside the harbour.
At the museum we were put into nine groups and we were all taken to three different levels.
On the second level we learned about all the dangers of digging for oil. Some of the techniques used for digging for oil sounded quite scary.
The pupils in my group learned about different cargo ships and fishing boats and that old fishermen who are no longer at sea, walk to and fro on the quay, just as they did when they were on the decks of their old fishing boats.
Then we went to the third level and it was brilliant because we got to control an underwater camera that was in a big deep fish tank. You could actually see your friends in it.
As you can see we had a brilliant time and learned a lot about different cargo ships and digging for oil. We would recommend it to anyone because it’s great.
Sammy Mitchell P6
The botriphnie blether
Thankfully we had some lovely weather for the October Break and I hope that the children have come back refreshed and ready to settle down to some hard work.
Following discussions during the Parent Appointments I know that you are all keen to be involved in your child’s learning and I appreciate the support you give in encouraging hard work in school and at home.
P4-7 pupils will now be undertaking maths games for homework and P7 pupils will be doing more formal maths homework. The P7 pupils also have a new homework diary, which will help with their transition to KGS.
Miss Simpson will keep parents of P1-3 pupils informed about homework.
JOSEPH
On Thursday we are heading off to Aberdeen to see the musical Joseph. In the morning we are visiting Aberdeen Maritime Museum. Joseph starts at 2.00 and I imagine we will be back in Drummuir at about 5.30. Children on the Edintore road and the main Drummuir to Keith road will be dropped off at their usual dropping off point. The rest of the pupils will return to the school to be collected by parents. I can provide transport for any pupils who have transport problems. Just let me know.
I will update the school information line when we leave Aberdeen giving our expected time of arrival.
08700549999 PIN 031130
Children need to bring a packed lunch. Those ordering a packed lunch from the canteen at KGS have given their order to Mrs Ross today.
School uniforms should be worn.
HALLOWE’EN PARTY
As you know this takes place on Friday in the village hall. Support staff will be decorating the hall on Friday morning and if any parents are free to help, you are very welcome to come along. Just turn up at the school at 9.00. If you have any Hallowe’en decorations, please bring them along.
If you have not already done so, could you please send up £1 towards the cost of the party.
Neeps will be dropped off at the school on Wed 31st. Please bring up a carrier bag to take one home.
PoBS
Parent Councils Open Space Event
Lossiemouth High School
Wed 21st Nov. or Wed 28th Nov.
7.00 - 9.30I shall be going along to this and two parents are also invited to attend. Please let me know if you are interested in representing the Parent Council. It should be a useful and informative meeting about the running and setting up of the new Parent Councils.
CROSS COUNTRY
The children who took part in the cross country at Keith all did very well. A special mention must go to Shaun Howie in P3, who finished 2nd in the P3 boys’ race and Sammy Mitchell in P6, who finished 5th in the P6 boys’ race.
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
Are you interested in running a club after school?
Have you a skill, which you could pass on to the children?
Do you play chess?
Are you musical, sporty or arty-crafty?
Are you a computer wizard?
Do you like drama?
If you have an interest, hobby or skill, which you would like to share with the children, please get in touch. The school would be happy to provide any materials, which you might need.GRID CLUB & SUPER CLUB
Ms Normand supervised this lunchtime activity and now Mrs Ross has very kindly agreed to get this up and running again. These computer clubs are very popular with the children but unfortunately they are no longer free. Having discussed this with the children we have decided to meet the cost from school funds but the children have agreed that they will charge you for the Christmas concert and will run a raffle in order to raise the funds they need! These clubs run at lunchtime and if we have some parent volunteers we can run them over more lunchtimes than at present. Let me know if you are able to supervise this over a lunchtime.
NOVEMBER 200 CLUB WINNERS
1ST £50 No. 35 M. Bannerman
2ND £30 No. 129 I. Wilson
3RD £20 No. 135 N. RendallWe have lost a number of members since the summer. There are now 10 numbers available. It would be great if you could help out by twisting a few arms in order to keep our membership up to 200. Can you help out? You pay £1 a month or you can pay annually. Better odds than the lottery!
ORAL HEALTH WORKSHOP REPORT
This was a very successful morning and well presented by the children. Sharon Royan who organised the event was most impressed with the children’s presenting skills and the way they had prepared and worked together in their teams.
It was good that some parents managed to come along. Hopefully the message of avoiding sugary snacks is filtering through and this is reinforced by our own initiative of Fruity Friday and Healthy Snack Friday, which is so well supported by parents and children.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
This is pencilled in for Monday 10th December. It will take place in the village hall and will start at 6.30.
CHRISTMAS CARDS
The children love giving and receiving Christmas cards. It is perhaps a little early to be mentioning this, but can I ask that cards are not taken into school before Tuesday 11th December.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
The date of the Christmas party is Tuesday 18th Dec.
WINTER WEATHER
According to the Press and Journal today we are going to have a bad winter. The RSPB reports large numbers of siskins flying in from Europe, which is a sign that the weather is going to be bad.
The number to call when there is any possibility of the school being closed is 08700549999 followed by the school PIN which is 031130.
WORKMEN!
Last Tuesday I was woken by a phone call at 7.55am. The voice at the end of the phone informed me that they were running a little late and they wouldn’t be in school until 8.30. I informed them I didn’t know they were coming into school at anytime, but assured them I would be there to let them in. I arrived at 8.33. It normally takes me three hours to get myself ready in the morning so this was a bit of a record! It did however take a little longer today!
The workmen undertook draught proofing by inserting a silicon resin around some of the doors and windows so hopefully the draughts will have disappeared and the school will be cosy when the north winds blow.
botriphnie blether Hallowe'en Special
Our Hallowe’en Party will take place on Friday 2nd November in the village hall. The party starts at 6.00 and will finish around 8.00 but certainly no later than 8.30.
Children are encouraged to wear fancy dress but of course they are still welcome to come along without a costume. There is no particular theme for the costumes. Just surprise us!
The costumes will be judged in three groups, Pre School, P1-3 and P4-7. There will be prizes and certificates for first, second and third in these categories.
There will also be a “neepie” lantern competition. There are two categories for this. Prizes will be awarded for the best carved lantern and the other for the best novelty lantern. Andrew and Billy Stewart have very kindly agreed to help by providing turnips, which will be taken home on Wed 31st at the end of the school day.
The lanterns will be placed on the tables in the hall and lit for judging. The school usually has a supply of tea lights so don’t worry if you can’t find a candle.
Please do not bring lit lanterns into school.
Programme for the Evening
Parade of costumes and prizes
Judging lanterns and prizes
Photo shoot
Games
Table top games
Dookin for apples
Jammy doughnuts
Children’s and parents’ refreshments in the village hall
Collect balloon and goody bags before going home
Parents are welcome to stay or you can simply drop off the children and collect them later. There is a lot more space in the village hall so we will be able to fit everyone in.
If you have no transport to take your child to the party please contact the school and hopefully I can arrange something. All the children look forward to this and it would be a pity if anyone were to miss out.
Children can be taken home from the hall when parents are ready to take them home.
There is a cost of £1 to help meet the cost of the party and prizes. Please send £1 up to the school before the party on Fri 2nd November.
The botriphnie blether
STAFFING
I am pleased to welcome two new members of staff to the school.
Miss Linda Simpson was appointed to the P1-3 post and is looking forward to teaching at Botriphnie School. She has already been in for two days and will be teaching again this Friday prior to taking up the permanent post on Mon 29th October.
Mrs Ray McGookin joined us on the 10th Sept filling the vacancy for the posts of HTR (Head Teacher Relief) and SfL. Mrs McGookin has a wealth of experience in teaching and SfL.
I am positive both staff will enjoy teaching at Botriphnie Primary.
Ms Normand is leaving on Thursday and I am very grateful for the commitment she has shown since stepping in to cover the P1-3 class.
CYCLING PROFICIENCY
Congratulations to all the children who took part in this. All children gained in their knowledge of road safety and cycling skills and were awarded passes at green, amber and red. The children were guided through this by Mrs June Andrew, the road safety officer, who commented frequently on the good manners and excellent behaviour of the pupils. Many thanks go to Mrs Ross for her input and Mrs Shona Cockill and Mrs Fiona Metcalfe who have been awarded the SPH (Star Parent Helpers!). This award also goes to Mrs Jan Low, Mrs Shona Cockill (again!) and Mrs Carol Riach for helping with the swimming.
Kerry Main plans to do some cycle outings with these children in the summer term. This should be fun.
Oral Health Workshop
Last week the children in P5-7 received a very good educational talk from Sharon Royan and her team members on oral health and these children will be presenting a workshop to the rest of the school and parents, on this very important issue.
ORAL HEALTH WORKSHOP
Thurs 11th Oct
9.00 - 10.30
BOTRIPHNIE PRIMARY
PARENTS NEEDED
PLEASE COME ALONG
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
Following two occasions when the bus left without pupils I have put in place measures to ensure that this does not happen again. It would also be really helpful if you could let me know when you make alternative arrangements for children going home after school. This avoids the bus driver heading up a remote country road only to discover that the pupil isn’t on the bus!
STAY AND PLAY
This week’s Stay and Play will now take place on Thursday. This is the last week of Stay and Play.
CURLING
P6 and P7 pupils are getting the opportunity to go curling at the Moray Leisure Centre ice rink. This takes place in the morning so there will be no change to your child’s usual travel arrangements. It sounds like great fun.
JOSEPH
As indicated previously the whole school is going to the musical Joseph on the 1st November. The school is paying for the transport and will partly subsidise the cost of the tickets. Could you please send up £5 if you have one pupil at the school, £8 if you have two pupils at the school and £12 if you have three pupils at the school. More information for the day’s activities will be given out at the start of next term. There are some spare seats so if you would like to come along let us know ASAP.
CALENDARS
These should be with you by the end of the week. They are normally issued for the start of October but the taking of the whole school photo was cancelled a couple of times due to pupils being absent. On receiving copies of the photos it has been necessary to swap some heads around so that everyone in the calendar is looking handsome!
There is no cost for the calendar but you may, if you wish, make a donation of £1 towards the cost of printing. If you would like an extra calendar, these can be purchased at a cost of £3.
ATTACHMENTS
Along with the school newsletter you will find information about Parent Appointments and the Hallowe’en Party.
BIG WILD READ
It was great to see so many children taking part in this. Well done to both the children and the parents who supported the children by taking them to the library. There was a very good photo in the Banffshire Herald last week, just in case you missed it.
READING CHALLENGE
This is ongoing and most children are very committed to it.
Congratulations to Katriona and Iona who have completed 40 books and are now on to their third reading challenge of 60.
SCHOOLBAGS
Can you please check these regularly. I know it can be quite spooky delving into the depths of a child’s schoolbag but there are often quite important communications, which may need a response. Remember that we have a paper recycling facility at the school. Please read first, digest the helpful information, and then recycle!
PoBS
There have now been three of these meetings since the start of term. It is encouraging to see new faces coming along to the meetings and I would encourage as many parents as possible to get involved. Remember you are all members of the Parent Forum and parents voted that one
