Dear Parents and Carers,

A brief update for you this week.  As it has been a shorter week, we have less information to share with you.

Bank Holiday

Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, it has been decided that all schools in Highland will be closed on Monday 19^th September.  The school will re-open again on Tuesday 20^th September at 9am.

After School Shinty – Monday 19^th September

Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, The Highland Council is observing the period of national mourning which has now commenced and will last until the end of the day of the State Funeral. As a mark of respect during the period of mourning, after school shinty has been cancelled this Monday 19^th September.

Parent Council AGM

The Parent Council are a vital part of the successful running of our school and all parents are encouraged to consider taking part in this. The Annual General Meeting of the Parent Council will take place on Wednesday 21^st September at 6.30, here at the school.

Makaton

As part of our whole school initiative to learn Makaton, we will continue to practice four different signs each week. The Makaton signs of the week for next week will be no/don’t, yes, work and teacher.

Have a lovely weekend.

Iain

We have enjoyed another busy week at Portree Primary School this week and there are a few updates to share with you.

New Bus Route

We are continuing to look at ways to reduce the congestion around the school at the beginning and end of the school day. We recently contacted Stagecoach to discuss the possibility of extending the bus route to include an extra stop and they have very kindly agreed. The new extended route will include the bus stop at the top of Woodpark Road, near the Dental Surgery.  Stagecoach have asked us to give them an indication of how many pupils are likely to use the bus to ensure they provide a bus with enough seats for everyone.  Please see below a link to further information and a short questionnaire for parents to complete.  Your input is very much appreciated and we would encourage parents to consider this option for travel to and from the school.

https://forms.gle/z6wCJFVZ1Yj7QqZM9

WOW Certificates

Please continue to notify us of all of the many achievements being made outside of school no matter how small.  If they are important to pupils, they are important to us.  Each of these is recorded on a WOW certificate and 5 house points given out.  As many out of school activities resume, we love to hear what everyone is up to!

Dathes Diner

The P7 enterprise was a great success on Wednesday.  The P7 class provided toast for many of our pupils at breaktime and they plan to do this each week this term.

Childsmile

Childsmile forms have been issued to pupils this week, can all forms please be returned to class teachers or the school office by Friday 16^th September.

PE kit and Football Strips

Just a reminder that with the exception of National Strips, Football colours are not to be worn in school.  We appreciate that pupils are keen to wear these but thank you for your understanding that these are not permitted during the school day for PE etc.  We are still asking that pupils come to school in their kit on PE days but also remind parents that school jumpers must still be worn.

Water Bottles

It remains essential that all pupils have a water bottle with them each day.  Please note that only water is to be consumed in classrooms throughout the day.  While juice is permitted at lunch and snack time, bottles in class should contain water only.

In Service Days

The school will be closed to pupils on Monday 12^th and Tuesday 13^th September for staff in service days.

Have a lovely weekend,

Iain

It has been announced by Buckingham Palace that Her Majesty The Queen has died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

The Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Bill Lobban expressed his deepest sympathies to The Royal Family, he said:

“On behalf of The Highland Council and communities of the Highlands, we join the nation in mourning for Her Majesty The Queen. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to all members of The Royal Family and Household and honour Her Majesty The Queen’s long service and duty to the country.”

The Highland Council will observe a 1 minute silence as a mark of respect for Her Majesty The Queen, tomorrow, 9 September 2022 at 11am.

Dear Parents and Carers,

As another busy week draws to a close, I have a shorter update to share with you this week.

Soccer 7s Tournament

The Soccer 7s tournament which was due to take place in Broadford last week has been rescheduled to take place on Saturday 1^st October.  Adult volunteers are required to coach the teams on the day and we would be delighted to hear from parents or carers who are available to help with this.

Childsmile

The Childsmile Team hope to visit the school in the coming weeks to carry out fluoride varnishing with our P1-P4 classes.  Consent forms will be issued to pupils next week.

Flu Vaccine Forms & Annual Data Checks

Thank you to those of you who have returned both these forms.  Can all those parents who have not yet completed the Annual Data Check form or the Flu Vaccine form please kindly return both to class teachers or the school office next week.  Parents and carers can choose not to give consent for the vaccine if they wish but it is helpful for the School Nursing Team to have a completed form from each pupil which clearly indicates whether or not a pupil should receive the vaccine.  This ensures things run more smoothly when the team visit the school to carry out vaccinations.  Misplaced or damaged forms can be easily replaced, please contact the school office if you would like a duplicate form.

Swimming

Swimming lessons begin again for our P3-P7 classes from next week, the swimming days and times for each class are listed below.

Labels on Belongings

A reminder that all belongings should be labelled.  Many items are placed in our lost property cupboard with no name labels on them making it impossible to reunite them with their owners. Staff do their best to return items to pupils but this becomes impossible if items are not labelled.  Thank you for your help with this.

Have a lovely weekend,
Iain

Dear Parents and Carers,

As the second week of term draws to a close, there are just one or two reminders to share with you.

Homework

As our classes begin to settle into their new routines, individual class teachers will be in touch to confirm arrangements for Homework for this term and to provide confirmation of PE Days and Swimming slots.  A reminder that children should continue to come to school in their PE kit and their school jumper on PE days.

Absence Reporting

All absences should be reported to the School Office by 9.30am each day.  Parents and carers can phone the office on 01478 613130 or email portree.primary@highland.gov.uk to let the staff know pupils will not be attending school.  Teaching staff do not have regular access to emails through the school day therefore absences should be reported to the office and not to class teachers.  Absences are recorded and monitored so it is important a reason for absence is given.  Thank you for your co-operation with this.

Pupils Travelling on School Buses

The school bus leaves the school at 3.25pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.  Bus pupils leave classes slightly early to board the bus.  It is important class teachers know which pupils are due to travel on the bus to ensure everyone gets to where they need to be in time. Where possible, changes to collection arrangements should be given to class teachers in good time, preferably in the morning.  Classes are involved in various activities throughout the school day and It is not always possible to get messages to teachers or pupils quickly.  It can be particularly tricky to share information with classes late in the afternoon.  Information was shared with parents earlier in the week in connection with the bus stop at Urquhart Place.   Can those parents of pupils who plan to start using the Urquhart Place bus stop please notify class teachers or the school office.  We really appreciate your support as we continue to address issue of congestion around the school.

School Car Park

A reminder, the school car park is for the use of school staff only.  In the interests of keeping everyone safe, can we ask that parents do not take their vehicles into the school car park at the beginning and end of the school day. There are many pedestrians in the car park at those times, including pupils, school staff and parents collecting pre-school children, it is important they can move around safely. Thank you.

Annual Data Checks and Flu Vaccine Forms

Thank you to everyone who has returned the Annual Data Checks and Flu Vaccine forms.  Annual Data Checks ensure we have the most up to date information for all our pupils including contact numbers in case of an emergency.  Any misplaced or damaged Annual Data Check forms can be easily replaced,  please don’t hesitate to contact the school office to request a duplicate. The school nurse will visit the school to collect the flu vaccine consent forms shortly.  Again the nursing team are happy to reissue forms to anyone who has misplaced or damaged the original.

Swimming Lessons

We hope to start swimming lessons for pupils in our P3-P7 classes during the week beginning 5^th September.  Due to staffing changes this year, we require some help with the supervision of the pupils during the walk to and from the swimming pool.  Swimming lessons are a really important part of the curriculum and provide many benefits to pupils.  We can only continue to provide access to the pool for pupils with some extra help from parents and carers.  It is hoped if we receive enough support, volunteers will not have to cover every week.  Any parent or carer who is able to help with this, should contact class teachers or the school office.  

After School Shinty P5-S1

After school Shinty will begin again on Monday 29^th August from 5-6pm at the KGV for pupils in P5 – P7.  Can all the parents and carers of pupils who are interested in taking part please complete a Google permission form which is available here : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10tFwiwcW97TrTPlHwavuRCmezDxcc-Uf_eEWEfF8xkM/edit?usp=sharing

Safe, Strong And Free

A follow up session with Ellen from the Safe, Strong and Free project will take place with our Primary 1 class next Wednesday morning.

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Have a lovely weekend,

Iain

Dear Parents and Carers,

As the first week of the new school year draws to a close, I wish to thank you all for your patience and understanding as we navigated our way through the uncertainty around class structure for the term.  It is wonderful to have all the pupils back in school and they are all settling in well to their new classes.  I also wish to extend a warm welcome to our new P1 parents.

There are a few updates I wish to bring to your attention this week.

Parking, Pick Up and Drop Off

The school day begins at 9.06am and pupils are permitted to be in the playground from 9am each morning.  Classes finish at 3.30pm on a Monday to Thursday and at 12.45pm on a Friday.  Congestion continues to be an issue on Blaven Road and areas neighbouring the school at the beginning and the end of the school day.  It would be helpful if parents could ensure they spend as little time as possible in the areas around the school at pick up and drop off times.  A reminder that the designated drop off point for Portree Primary School is the car park at Portree Community Centre. Parents should not park in Marsco Place and Glamaig Place.  Residents have been in contact with the school to raise concerns about the safety of pupils, other pedestrians and road users as parents continue to use this area for parking.  There is particular problem at the junction between Glamaig Place and Blaven Road.  Parking on the pavement and in the bell mouth obstructs visibility for cars entering and exiting the Glamaig Place and causes a risk to the pedestrians using the pavements.  When dropping off and collecting pupils from school, please be considerate of other road users and our neighbours to ensure everyone is safe in the areas around the school.

Free School Meals

A reminder to all parents that pupils in P1-P5 are entitled to receive a free school meal.  Parents of pupils in P6 and P7 can apply for free school meals on the Highland Council Website.  For those of you who are new to our parent community, you may not be aware that a clothing grant for school uniform is also available to families on a low income.  Parents P6 and P7 pupils can apply for both by completing the form on the website.  Parents of P1-P5 pupils who wish to apply for a clothing grant should also complete the form on the website.   A link to further information and the application form is below.  If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to get  in touch.

https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/899/schools-grants_and_benefits/10/free_school_meals_and_assistance_with_clothing

Annual Data Checks

Annual Data Check forms have been issued to pupils this week.  All parents should check the information on these forms carefully and make amendments where necessary.  Forms should be returned to class teachers by Friday 26^th August.

School Uniform

School uniform can be purchased from Andrew Hyde Schoolwear, a link to the website is below and school kilts are available from Schoolwear Made Easy a link to this site is also below.

Andrew Hyde : https://ahyde.co.uk/collections/portree-primary

School Kilts : https://schoolwearmadeeasy.com/products/winterbottoms-tartan-kilt-blue

Medication Forms

A reminder to parents and carers that a medication form must be completed for all medication at the start of each school year.  School staff cannot administer medication to pupils without one.  This also applies to pupils who carry their own medication.  Any parent who requires a form should contact the school office. 

Crossing at Home Farm Road

There will be no crossing patroller at the crossing on Home Farm Road next Wednesday afternoon (24^th August).

Have a lovely weekend,

With kind regards,

Iain

We have a brief update to share this week.

Prize Giving

Prize giving will take place in the school on Tuesday.  Invitations have been sent to parents of pupils who have been nominated to receive prizes on Tuesday.

Free School Meals and Clothing Grant

A reminder to parents this is available and any parent who wishes to apply can do so by following this link;

https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/899/schools-grants_and_benefits/10/free_school_meals_and_assistance_with_clothing

All pupils in the P1-P5 classes currently receive free school meals and do not need to apply.  However, the clothing grant is also available to families on a low income and the application for this is available by following the link.

Last Day of Term

Our Summer break begins next Thursday.  The school will close at 12pm for all staff and pupils.  Pupils travelling on buses will leave Portree Primary at 11.45 on Thursday and it is expected all buses will depart from the High School at 12pm.

Have a lovely weekend.

Regards,

Iain

Dear Parents and Carers,

As the end of term draws ever closer, there are just a few updates to share this week.

Transition Days

The P7 transition days to the High School are scheduled for next week.  Our P7 class should not attend PPS and should go to the High School on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We hope they enjoy their visit.  Transition for our P1-P6 classes and Nursery pupils will also take place on Thursday and Friday next week.  Highland Council have not yet confirmed staffing arrangements for the next academic year, once this has been confirmed, we will be in a position to share information about class teachers with parents.

P7 School Trip

A reminder the P7 school trip takes place Tuesday 21^st June.  Please ensure consent forms are returned to Mrs Constant by Monday 20^th June.  Pupils should take a packed lunch and a swimming kit with them.  They do not require any spending money. Pupils should wear a school jumper but it is not necessary to wear full school uniform.

Prize Giving

We are delighted to share we can hold a Prize Giving this year!  This will take place on Tuesday 28^th June.  Invitations will be issued to the parents of prize winners early next week.

Last Day of Term

The High School and Stagecoach have confirmed arrangements for the last day of term, (Thursday 30^th June).  The school will close at 12pm.  All pupils travelling on buses will depart Portree Primary at 11.45am, this will ensure all buses are ready to leave the High School at 12pm.

Thank you,

Iain

Dear Parents and Carers,

Parent Council

The final Parent Council meeting of the school year will take place at the school on Wednesday 22^nd June.  The Parent Council are a vital part of the successful running of our school and we wish take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to them for their support this year. Carol Campbell and Margaret MacDonald will be stepping down from their roles as Chairperson and Secretary at the end of this term and we wish to thank them for all their hard work during their term as council members.  The Parent Council will reconvene in August.  Any parents who wish to become members of the Parent Council are very welcome to join and all parents are encouraged to consider taking part in this.

Absence Reporting

A reminder to parents and carers all absences should be reported to the School Office by 9.30am each day.  Parents and carers should phone the office on 01478 613130 or email portree.primary@highland.gov.uk to let the staff know pupils will not be attending school.  Teaching staff do not have regular access to emails through the school day therefore all absences should be reported to the office and not to class teachers.  All absences are recorded and monitored therefore a reason for absence should also be given.  Thank you for your co-operation with this.

Disposables

With effect from 1^st June, Highland Council will no longer be purchasing disposable dinnerware in any setting.  All pupils should carry a refillable water bottle to school for use in their classrooms as we are unable to continue to supply disposable cups to pupils without a water bottle.

P7 Sailing

A reminder to our P7 pupils to return the permission slips for the sailing taster sessions which are due to take place on Tuesday 14^th and Wednesday 15^th June.

Bikeability Training

The next stage of Bikeability training will begin on Wednesday 15^th June.  Parents and carers have been contacted regarding pupils bikes and the equipment required to complete this stage.  If any parent or carer has any queries about this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Parents Appointments

A reminder that parents appointments will take place on Tuesday 14^th June and Wednesday 15^th June.  Appointments with class teachers will take place online after school on these days.

Have a lovely weekend,

Iain

Dear Parents and Carers,

The weeks continue to fly past and we find ourselves at the end of May!  As the busy term continues, there are several items to share with you in our update for this week.

Soccer 7s

The next round of the Soccer 7s Tournament takes place tomorrow morning in Broadford.  The pupils involved have been given strips today.  The teams should meet at the pitch in Broadford at 10am with water bottles, a snack and shin guards.  The tournament begins at 10.30am.  Pupils should return their strips to the School Office on Monday please.

Cross Country

Our PPS Cross Country event took place in school this morning.  It was wonderful to see so many of our pupils participating in the race!  The Isle of Skye Cross Country event is scheduled to take place at Portree High School on Tuesday 31^st May and some of our pupils will be invited to participate in this event.

Parents Appointments

Following the success of the online parents appointments earlier in the year, parents evenings will take place online again this term on Tuesday 14^th June and Wednesday 15^th June.   Parents are invited to book online appointments with class teachers using the Parent Booking system.  The booking system will open to parents from 9am on Monday 30^th May until 3.30pm on Thursday 2^nd June.  Parents can access the system by following this link:

https://parents-booking.co.uk/portreeprimary

To login you will need to enter:

• Your first name and surname
• Your child’s first name, surname and date of birth

The login details you enter must match those we have on record for you.

A guide to the video call system is attached.  Should you have any queries or issues with the booking system, please don’t hesitate to contact the School Office.

School Trips

School trips will take place this year with our P1-P6 classes going out on trips on Thursday 2^nd June.  The P7 class trip is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 21^st June. Permission slips and further information about individual class trips will be issued to pupils by class teachers.

Jubilee Celebrations

A reminder the school will be closed to pupils and staff on Friday 3^rd of June to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.  As class trips are scheduled to take place on the 2^nd of June, pupils and staff will celebrate this occasion on Wednesday 1^st of June with a party afternoon.  The canteen will not serve the school meals menu that day, instead pupils will be offered a picnic lunch of sandwiches, sausage rolls, pizza and other treats.  This will be followed by an afternoon of singing and dancing. Pupils are invited to wear party clothes on this day.

Upcoming Dates

1^st June – PPS Jubilee Celebrations

2^nd June – P1-P6 Class School Trips

3^rd June – Jubilee Holiday

6^th June – Pupil Reports P1-P7

7^th– 10^th June – P7 Raasay Trip

14^th & 15^th June – Parents Appointments (online)

14^th & 15^th June – P7 Sailing

15^th – 17^th June – Bikeability P7

21^st June – P7 Class School Trip

22^nd – 24^th June – P7 Induction Days PHS

23^rd June – P1-P6 Transition Afternoon

24^th June – Nursery – P6  Transition Morning

25^th June – Soccer 7’s Portree

30^th June – Prize Giving

Have a lovely weekend.

Iain