Dear Parents/Carers,
We are now roughly halfway through term 1, and things are getting into full swing. I’ve been delighted this week to see how well settled in to their ‘new’ classes pupils are and how much progress in learning is being made. Please see our weekly update below.
Soccer 7s – Postponed
Please note that the Soccer 7s event due to take place this Saturday has been postponed due to an unplayable pitch and forecast of very poor weather.
In-Service
Next week will be a shorter one for pupils as the school is closed to children on Monday (16th) and Tuesday (17th) for in-service. During this time school staff will be undertaking training and will be working towards our School Improvement Plan priorities.
School Improvement Plan and Standards & Qualities Report
Our new School Improvement Plan (SIP) can be found on our website. This plan sets out the school’s priorities for improvement during 2024-25 and was created taking account of the views of staff, pupils and families. Our three improvement priorities for this year are:
- Literacy: Raising attainment through embedding writing training and ensuring consistent approach to phonics and spelling instruction. Also improving our approach to supporting learners with persistent literacy difficulties/dyslexia.
- Assessment & Moderation: improving staff confidence and increasing consistency in judgements of CfE levels.
- Health & Wellbeing and Learning for Sustainability: Implementation of new Relationships Sexual Health and Parenthood project, and continuing eco action.
The SIP can be downloaded from the following link: https://portreeprimary.wordpress.com/our-school/school-improvement/
Scholastic Bookfair
We are excited to be running a bookfair in our school next week. Pupils will have the opportunity to browse and buy books during school time on Wednesday-Friday. Please see the following link for some of the ‘highlights’ of the available books: scholastic-primary-invitation-autumn-2024-2270926.pdf
If you would like to attend the Bookfair with your child, then you would be welcome to attend at the end of the school day on Friday (12.45pm). You can make payments by cash, or online via a QR code displayed at the bookfair.
You may also purchase vouchers for your child online so that they do not have to take cash to school. You can do this by following this link: Book Fair Gift Vouchers – Scholastic Book Fairs.
We have one £5 gift voucher to give away for each class, so all classes will be running a competition to determine the lucky winner.
Meet the Teacher
We would like to invite parents in for an informal ‘Meet the Teacher’ session on Wednesday 18th September between 3.30pm and 4.15pm. This is an opportunity for you to see your child’s new class and say hello to their new teacher.
Pupil Success
Well done to Alisha in P6 who undertook a sponsored walk during the summer holidays. Alisha’s efforts raised well over £2000, which has been very kindly donated to the school’s Parent Council. Fantastic effort Alisha.
Well done also to Freya in P7 who recently competed in the Staffin triathlon and finished first girl in her category and second overall – a great achievement!
Dyslexia Masterclass for Parents
Dyslexia Scotland will be running a Masterclass for parents/carers of children with dyslexia on Thursday 26th September 6 – 7.30pm at Portree High School. This is a free event, delivered by Sharon Hall of Dyslexia Scotland. It looks at what we know about dyslexia and what parents might see at home, also some of the barriers that can be experienced inside the classroom. Sharon discusses the processes to identify dyslexia in schools and looks at support at home, giving tips and ideas of things that can help.
Please see poster at the end of this update for more information.
Late Arrivals
I would like to remind parents of the importance of their child arriving on time to school. The school day starts at 9.06pm, with pupils lining up in the playground at this time. Those pupils who arrive late may miss out on important morning routines and learning. Thank you for your support with this matter.
Behavioural reminders
I have spoken to pupils this week in assembly about some minor behavioural issues which have cropped up and would ask that parents and families reinforce these where relevant:
- Noise on bus – we have had complaints about the very high noise level on the bus.
- Football kits in school – we ask that pupils do not wear club football kits for PE, though they may wear national team kits.
Key Dates for this term
| Date | Event |
| Saturday 14th September | |
| Monday and Tuesday 16th and 17th September | School closed to pupils. Staff in-service. |
| Wednesday 18th September | Meet the Teacher 3.30-4.15pm. |
| Wednesday 18th-Friday 20th September | Bookfair. |
| Wednesday 25th September | School Photos. |
| Thursday 26th September | Dyslexia Masterclass for parents at Portree High School. 6.30pm. |
| Tuesday 1st October | Visit from Andy McKechnie ‘Readers are Leaders’ workshops. |
| Saturday 5th October | Soccer 7s festival 2. Venue and time tbc. |
| Friday 11th October | Last Day of Term 1. School closed from 14th October, re-opening Monday 28th October. |
portreeprimaryschool.com 