We’ve had a ‘four seasons’ kind of week with the weather, but our pupils have coped remarkably well with some difficult conditions. The washout on Monday meant we were all stuck inside at break and lunchtime – it’s not fun being cooped up all day, but the standard of behaviour during indoor break was generally good. The snow on Wednesday meant some higher than usual absences – and our bus pupils arriving late – but despite this, classes were very well settled and focussed on their learning. It’s great to see the children take these little changes and disruptions in their stride.
Staffing
Sadly, next week will see us bid farewell to Ms Lynn Strachan. Ms Strachan has worked in Portree Primary School in a variety of capacities over the years as a Class Teacher, Additional Support Needs Teacher, and most recently supporting pupil learning as our Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) Teacher. As Ms Strachan leaves to enjoy her retirement, we wish her all the very best for the future and say thank you for her dedication and commitment to supporting the learning and well-being of our pupils.
The PEF Teacher position is a very important part of how we support pupils in the school, so I am delighted that Mrs Katie Martin has agreed to take on this role to ensure a continuity of support. Mrs Martin will be adding this role to her existing teaching commitments in the school, joining us for an additional day per week (Tuesday) beginning 20th February.
Mrs Lesley MacDonald and Mr Kris Allan will both be joining our team of Pupil Support Assistants (PSAs) next week. We are all looking forward to working with them – it’s always great to add new faces to the team.
Our vacant Additional Support Needs Teacher (ASNT) post has been advertised, and we hope that this will be filled soon. In the meantime, we are very lucky to have Mrs Hannah Fox and Mrs Antje MacKenzie joining our teaching team on a supply basis to support our learners with ASN. I know that the experience and enthusiasm that both Mrs Fox and Mrs MacKenzie will bring to the ASNT role will be so valuable for our pupils – I’m very excited to have them on board, and grateful for their support.
Girls Football Festival
Almost all our girls in Primary 5-7 attended a football festival at Portree High School on Tuesday this week. Despite being a bit chilly, the weather held out and the girls had a fantastic time. We have some talented footballers amongst this group of girls!
Well done to everyone who took part for representing the school so responsibly. A big thank you to Mrs Deas and Mrs MacNab for accompanying the girls to and from the event, and a thank you as well to the organisers and young leaders who made it possible.
If any girls aged 10+ would like to get involved in more football, there will be an indoor 5-aside tournament at the Fingal Centre on Saturday 24th February 12-2pm. Sign-up using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15x5ixprgwTq0B3mIZ05u2ayZyDzsYQt62hfGsfyv-Mw/viewform?pli=1&edit_requested=true&fbclid=IwAR3I2YCIto29aI2YnQaiQqnSb_erPfp1lgy8X0nSMTil7NkGd2IE8TNrPjw
Sporting Success
I was delighted to hear this week that four of our Primary 7s have been picked to play for Portree Under 13s in match against Ross County U13s this weekend. Ally, Daniel, Grant and Iain will be travelling to Dingwall to feature in the squad. Being part of this squad is an amazing achievement for these boys, and I know that they have worked so hard in training to get there. Well done boys, everyone here at the school is behind you and so proud of your efforts. Enjoy the game!
Shinty
Well done to the boys and girls who played in the shinty tournament last weekend. You did a fantastic job representing the school.
Soccer 7s
We will have two teams participating in the Soccer 7s event in Portree this Saturday. The Portree Cheetahs and Portree Pumas will be taking to the field – we wish them all the
very best. Special thank you to Mr Campbell, Mr Graham and Mr King who have kindly agreed to volunteer and coach on the day.
The event starts at 10.30am, so please arrive by 10.15am. A reminder that transportation and supervision at this event is parental responsibility. Pupils will be issued their kits and a parental information letter on today (Friday 9th), I would be grateful if kits could be returned to the school on Monday.
Parent volunteers
Many of the extracurricular activities that our pupils enjoy rely on parent volunteers to go ahead. We are always happy to hear from parents who wish to volunteer their time, and we are always very grateful for this. If you would like to volunteer with us, then please do get in touch.
We are hoping to start some shinty coaching sessions at the school, supported by parent coaches. More information on this to follow.
I would like to draw your attention to some training opportunities for existing or future volunteers on the topic of child protection – please see the information leaflet attached to this email. This training is free and delivered virtually.
Radio Skye Kid Experts
Keep an ear out for Radio Skye’s ‘Kids Mix: Kid Experts’ show which will be broadcast this coming Wednesday (14th) at 4pm. Our own Finn MacLeod (P2) will be sharing his expertise on the topic of diggers with host Joni MacKillop (P5).
P5-7 Stage Assembly: Wellbeing and SHANARRI
Our assembly this week was a stage assembly for Primary 5-7. The topic of discussion was pupil wellbeing using the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators. This week we talked about Safe (ensuring that children are protected from harm) – we were thinking about how children can keep themselves safe, and who they can go to for help. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be stepping up our efforts to ensure that our children understand these wellbeing indicators and are able to talk about them.
Makaton sign of the week
‘To share’
Extracurricular activities
Please note that there is no running club this term.
- P6/7 basketball Thursdays 3.30pm-4.30pm
- Nan’s band – Tuesdays after school
- Skyedance – timetables have been published.
- P1-3 Disney playmakers football – hoped to resume after February break (more details to follow)
Soccer 7’s
Future Soccer 7s events will take place on:
| Date | Time | Location |
| 10th February 2024 | 10.30am-1pm | Portree (Astro) |
| 2nd March 2024 | 10.30am-1pm | Plockton (Astro) |
| 27th April 2024 | 10.30am-1pm | Portree (tbc) |
| 28th May 2024 **please note change of date from 18/05/24** | 10.30am-1pm | Kyleakin |
Known Dates for this term.
Please see below our school diary of events for this term.
| Date | Time | Event |
| Sat 10th February | 10.30am | Soccer 7s at Portree High School |
| Mon/Tue 19th and 20th February | / | Mid-term break. School closed. |
| Wednesday 21st February | / | In-service day. School closed to pupils. |
| Sat 24th February | 12pm | Ladies Football Day – Indoor 5-aside tournament at Fingal Centre for girls aged 10+. |
| Mon 26th February | / | Primary 6 Science Skills Workshop |
| Tuesday 27th February | / | Primary 7 Science Skills Workshop |
| Friday 1st March | 11.15am | Whole school open morning and P7 Community Café. |
| Mon 11th March | Morning | Tbc Primary 6 and 7 coding session using Scratch delivered by Silicon Croft. |
| Tue/Wed 19th and 20th March | / | Parents’ Evening |
| Wednesday 20th March | tbc | Whole School Spring Herring Project workshops. More details to follow. |
| Friday 29th March 2024 | / | Good Friday. School closed for first day of Easter Holidays. Pupils return on Monday 15th April. |
Pupils Travelling by Bus
With a growing number of pupils taking the bus, could you please ensure that you let your child’s class teacher know directly when this is the case, in order that they are dismissed on time. Bus pupils leave class at 3.25 p.m. each day to catch the bus, however, recently there have been pupils running late as staff have not been aware that they are taking the bus. Equally, the 3.25 p.m. dismissal is only for pupils who are travelling on the bus that day.
Information about Head Lice
Head Lice are a common problem in school aged children. They can’t be prevented, but regular checking ensures early detection and treatment if necessary. Parents and carers should check their children’s head once a week during hair washing. You need your usual shampoo, conditioner, and a detection comb – ask your local pharmacist to recommend a suitable one. Remember that you are looking for living moving lice, the only evidence that your child is infected. If you find a living louse, ask your local pharmacist, school nurse, health visitor or GP for advice regarding treatment.
For further information see: http://www.nits.net/bugbusting http://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk – search on head lice.
portreeprimaryschool.com 