It’s been a shorter week here at PPS due to our in-service day.  Next week will only be four days as well due to the holiday on Monday 6^th.  Let’s hope the spell of lovely weather holds up!

Staffing

Today is Mrs Caleigh MacDonald’s last day working in Portree Primary.  Caleigh has worked in the school for the past 8 years as a PSA, and has supported hundreds of learners in that time.  As she leaves to embark on a new career with the NHS, we wish her all the very best.

P5-7 Generation Science Workshops – Creative Coding

We are excited to welcome in the team from Generation Science next week to do some ‘creative coding workshops with pupils in P5-7.  Please see information below about these sessions.

PROGRAM A DANCING ROBOT

Get your class programming together to complete challenges and create a robot disco in

this hands-on interactive workshop. Students will use the programming language Scratch to

program Marty the Robot™ to follow commands and navigate its way around our obstacle

course. As they explore programming students will develop their logic and problem-solving

skills all with a little help from our humanoid robots.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Describe what robots are and why they are useful

• Create basic computer programs for robots to perform simple tasks

• Troubleshoot basic computer programs to identify why a robot is not performing as expected

• Recall how different sensors can be used to control a robot’s movement

• Explain the concept of a ‘loop’ when referring to a computer program

• Explain the concept of ‘if-then’ statements when referring to a computer program

Cross Country

The Skye Active Schools cross country event will take place next Wednesday 8^th May.  Representing the school will be two teams of boys and girls who were the top performers in P5-7 from our school cross country event.  Permission slips have been sent home and should be returned as soon as possible.

Assembly

Our whole school assembly this week was a pupil showcase.  It was fantastic to see a range of talents including art by Isaac (P6), Tarran (P5) and Ellie (P5), music by Lilly and Caterina (P5), storytelling by Joni (P5), and magic by Skye (P5).  There were lots of children in P1-4 who wanted to participate in showcase but we sadly ran out of time (45 minutes was not enough!).  I look forward to seeing them at the next showcase assembly.

Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP)

This term pupils in P5-7 will be receiving lessons on relationships, sexual health, and parenthood (RSHP).  This is an important aspect of our health & wellbeing curriculum.  More information on the topics covered will be shared with parents in the coming weeks.

End of Year Reports

End of year reports will be going home to parents near the end of May.  Reports will be taken home by your child.  If you require an additional copy of the report (for example in the case of parents who don’t live together), please let the school know so that we can get one to you.

Online Bullying

I was very disappointed this week to receive reports of online bullying involving some of our pupils.  There have been instances of pupils engaging in some very serious verbal abuse of others in the context of video gaming.  We will be working as a school to remind pupils that bullying is bullying – regardless of whether that is in person or online.  I would ask that parents continue to closely monitor their children’s online behaviour, as it is an environment that can leave them very vulnerable.

Parent Council

Our school Parent Council is on the lookout for new members.  Parent Council plays a key role in representing the views of parents, supporting the school, fundraising, and much more.  However, as a voluntary body it is reliant on members of the parent community offering their support.  To find out more about the Parent Council, please see the information on the school website: https://portreeprimaryschool.com/parents/parent-council/what-does-the-parent-council-do/ .

I would ask all parents to please consider supporting the vital work of the Parent Council.

Prizegiving trophies

Thank you to those who have returned prizegiving trophies.  A reminder that I require all trophies to be returned to the school by Tuesday 7^th May.

Soccer 7’s

Last weekend’s Soccer 7s event in Portree was a great success – ell done to all of the pupils involved.  We had a team from P4, P6 and P7, and each of them represented the school brilliantly.  Thank you to the parent helpers who coached the teams on the day – we can’t send teams to these events without the support of volunteers, so it is much appreciated.

We’re already looking forward to the next (and final) event of the session which will take place on Saturday 18^th May in Kyleakin (please note that this is different to the date which has appeared in the weekly update for the last few months.)  This will be a competitive tournament, with fixtures drawn on the day.

Permission slips for this event will go out next week.  I will need these returned by Monday 13^th May as I have a deadline for submitting teams of Tuesday 14^th.

Future Soccer 7s events will take place on:

Date	Time	Location
18th May 2024	10.30am-1pm	Kyleakin

Active Schools

Please see message from Sarah Ross at Active Schools, with poster at the end of this email:

ACTIVE SCHOOLS ACTIVITIES- ONLINE NOW!!

Our community activities starting from Monday 22nd are now online for booking! Please see poster attached for what’s taken place. Please make sure that you re- book your child onto activities for the new term.

All these activities will take place at the Fingal Centre. We will have more information going out to individual schools about activities happening in your local area soon.

It would be great to have some new faces along, so make sure to book your place online at https://booking.highlifehighland.com/  You do not need to be a member to come to activities, but you will need to set up a pay as you go account to register.

Information about an exciting new Shinty session will be coming soon!!

We rely entirely on volunteers to deliver and support our activities in the community and across all our schools, so if you would like to set up something new for your school/community or keen to support our current activities, then we would love to hear from you! Please get in touch with sarah.ross@highlifehighland.com

Key Dates for this term

Date	Time	Event
Friday 3rd May	/	School Eco Day.
Monday 6th May	/	School closed for May holiday (reopens Tuesday 7th).
Tuesday 7th May	Morning	Rocks and volcanoes workshop for P4 & P7 by Celeld Rocks http://www.celeldrocks.co.uk/
Wednesday 8th May	11am-1230pm	Skye School Cross Country P5-7.
Thursday 9th May	/	Generation Science Workshops for P5-7 ‘Creative Coding’.
Wednesday 15th – Thursday 16th May	/	Childsmile – fluoride varnishing.
Thursday 16th and Friday 17th May	/	Musician visit and session with all classes.  Solo LMNS cellist, Katy Bell – click here to find out more.
Saturday 18th May	10.30am	Soccer 7s – Kyleakin
Friday 24th May	/	Sports Day.  With a ‘rain date’ of 31st May.
Wednesday 29th May	/	Pupil reports to be issued to parents.
Wednesday 5th June	/	Visit from Andy McKechnie of Jammin Fitness to do the session: Olympic Street Jam – Pathway to Paris.  More information to follow.
Week beginning 10th June	/	School trips hoped to take place this week. Tbc.
Friday 14th June	Tbc	Open morning.
Wednesday – Friday 19th-21st June	/	P7 Transition visit to Portree High School.  Other classes will be having transition time ‘moving up days’ on 20th/21st .
Wednesday 26th June	Tbc	Prizegiving ceremony.
Thursday 27th June	12 noon	School closes for last day of session 2023-24.

The Easter holidays now seem a distant memory, and our pupils have settled back into familiar routines.  We’ve all enjoyed a spell of good weather this week, and most classes have managed to get in some nice outdoor activities.

A reminder that next Thursday (2^nd May) the school will be closed for the final In-service day of the year.  Staff will be spending some time evaluating the progress which has been made towards our School Improvement Plan priorities this session.

Cross Country

Pupils in P4-7 took part in our school’s cross-country championship on Wednesday afternoon, cheered on by P1-3 pupils.

It was excellent to see almost full participation from the children, they did themselves proud with their efforts.  The winning boy was Grant (P7), and the winning girl was Iga (P7) – a very impressive performance from each of them.  2^nd and 3^rd place boys were also P7s – Ally and Luka.  The 2^nd and 3^rd place girls were Ailsa and Brooke, also in P7.

This event will be used as qualifying for the Skye schools cross-country which takes place on Wednesday 8^th May.  More information on teams for this event will follow shortly.

Youth Speaks

I was delighted to be on the judging panel for P7 Youth Speaks on Wednesday morning alongside Ms Lynn Strachan (returning to the school for the first time since her retirement in February).  A wide range of topics were discussed including tourism on Skye, girls football participation, the state of public toilets, and poverty in the UK.  All the topics were well chosen and relevant, and there had clearly been a significant amount of work done in researching and preparing speeches.  I was very impressed with the overall standard of the talks, with speakers being highly engaging and very confident – well done everyone!

The overall winning talk was delivered by Anna, Nancy, and Skye – who spoke about the importance of youngsters spending more time in nature.  Their arguments were thought provoking, compelling, and were delivered expertly.  Great job girls!

Parent Council

Our school Parent Council is on the lookout for new members.  Parent Council plays a key role in representing the views of parents, supporting the school, fundraising, and much more.  However, as a voluntary body it is reliant on members of the parent community offering their support.  To find out more about the Parent Council, please see the information on the school website: https://portreeprimaryschool.com/parents/parent-council/what-does-the-parent-council-do/ .

I would ask all parents to please consider supporting the vital work of the Parent Council.

Prizegiving trophies

Thank you to those who have returned prizegiving trophies.  A reminder that I require all trophies to be returned to the school by Tuesday 7^th May.

Extracurricular activities

I thoroughly enjoyed coaching the first P4-7 girls football session this Tuesday.  We have some very motivated and talented players, and I look forward to working with them over the next two months.  There are still places available to join this group – any interested girls should let me know.  Please note there will not be a session next Tuesday (30^th April).

Tuesday evening this week also saw our first P2-4 shinty session.  I popped my head in just before the start of the session and there were lots of excited looking youngsters desperate to get stuck in.  Thank you to our parent volunteers for running this session.

I know how valued extracurricular activities are by parents and pupils, and I would like to have a wider range of them available.  However, they are fully dependent on volunteers – so if you would like to help, then please be in touch, as we are always on the lookout for helping hands.

This term’s extra-curricular activities are:

• P2-4 Shinty (Tuesday 6pm at Fingal Centre)
• P4-7 Girls football (Tuesday 3.30-4.45 on MUGA)
• Disney Playmakers football (Thursday in school gym – start date tbc)
• Nan’s Band (Tuesday)
• Running Club (tbc)

Soccer 7’s

The next soccer 7s will take place tomorrow (Saturday 27^th April) in Portree.  We have entered three teams into this event.  A final information letter with team lines and fixtures will go home with pupils involved today.

Please note that for this and future events, school kits will be distributed to pupils on the day, and then collected back in on the day to be washed in the school.  Participants will be asked to wear their own shorts and socks.  This is necessary as the distribution of kits and later collection is quite a time-consuming activity which we are unable to do in school.

Future Soccer 7s events will take place on:

Date	Time	Location
27th April 2024	10.30am-1pm	Portree
28th May 2024 **please note change of date from 18/05/24**	10.30am-1pm	Kyleakin

Active Schools

Please see message from Sarah Ross at Active Schools, with poster at the end of this email:

ACTIVE SCHOOLS ACTIVITIES- ONLINE NOW!!

Our community activities starting from Monday 22nd are now online for booking! Please see poster attached for what’s taken place. Please make sure that you re- book your child onto activities for the new term.

All these activities will take place at the Fingal Centre. We will have more information going out to individual schools about activities happening in your local area soon.

It would be great to have some new faces along, so make sure to book your place online at https://booking.highlifehighland.com/  You do not need to be a member to come to activities, but you will need to set up a pay as you go account to register.

Information about an exciting new Shinty session will be coming soon!!

We rely entirely on volunteers to deliver and support our activities in the community and across all our schools, so if you would like to set up something new for your school/community or keen to support our current activities, then we would love to hear from you! Please get in touch with sarah.ross@highlifehighland.com

Key Dates for this term

Date	Time	Event
Thursday 2nd May	/	School closed for staff in-service (reopens Friday 3rd).
Friday 3rd May	/	School Eco Day.
Monday 6th May	/	School closed for May holiday (reopens Tuesday 7th).
Wednesday 8th May	11am-1230pm	Skye School Cross Country P5-7.
Thursday 9th May	/	Generation Science Workshops (more information to follow).
Wednesday 15th – Thursday 16th May	/	Childsmile – fluoride varnishing.
Thursday 16th and Friday 17th May	/	Musician visit and session with all classes.  Solo LMNS cellist, Katy Bell – click here to find out more.
Friday 24th May	/	Sports Day.  With a ‘rain date’ of 31st May.
Wednesday 29th May	/	Pupil reports to be issued to parents.
Wednesday 5th June	/	Visit from Andy McKechnie of Jammin Fitness to do the session: Olympic Street Jam – Pathway to Paris.  More information to follow.
Week beginning 10th June	/	School trips hoped to take place this week. Tbc.
Friday 14th June	Tbc	Open morning.
Wednesday – Friday 19th-21st June	/	P7 Transition visit to Portree High School.  Other classes will be having transition time ‘moving up days’ on 20th/21st .
Wednesday 26th June	Tbc	Prizegiving ceremony.
Thursday 27th June	12 noon	School closes for last day of session 2023-24.

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.

It was lovely to welcome our pupils back on Monday for the beginning of a busy and exciting term 4.  The summer term always goes by in a flash – it’s only 10 weeks until the end of session and we will be packing a lot into that time.

Assembly

The purpose of this week’s assembly was to welcome back all pupils and set out expectations for the term ahead.  Pupils were reminded that whilst the weeks ahead will be exciting – with lots of great activities to look forward to such as school trips, sports day, etc. – there is a continuing expectation of excellent behaviour, and engagement with learning.  I spoke to pupils about:

• Following instructions from all adults in the school
• Speaking with respect to adults and peers
• Moving around the school in a calm and orderly fashion.

Illness in the school

I wrote to parents by email this week regarding illness in the school.  Please see a copy of that email below if you haven’t already:

I am writing to inform you that we have a few illnesses doing the rounds in our school at the moment including confirmed cases of whooping cough and strep A.  As both of these illnesses can be spread quite easily by close contact I would ask that you keep a close eye out for symptoms, and keep your child off school if they are unwell.

More information on whooping cough and strep A can be found at the following links:

1. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/whooping-cough/
2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/strep-a/

P7 Young Leaders

Our P7 young leaders have been running various activities at break and lunch times including sports and art.  The young leaders will now be running a weekly ‘Breakfast Boogie’ in the school gym on Fridays at 8.45 am.

Well done to the young leaders for their efforts in running these activities, which have all been very much appreciated by the younger children who have attended.

Prizegiving trophies

Could I ask that any child who received a school trophy at prizegiving last June return them to the school by Tuesday 7^th May?  Having the trophies returned to us early is very important in the organisation of this year’s prizegiving event.

Parents are reminded that they may have their child’s name engraved on the trophy if they wish.  Please make your own arrangements for this.

Extracurricular activities

Please see below a list of the extra-curricular activities we expect to have available in term 4.  If any parent would like to volunteer their time for an activity then please let me know.

• P2-4 Shinty (Tuesday 6pm at Fingal Centre)
• P4-7 Girls football (Tuesday 3.30-4.45 on MUGA)
• Disney Playmakers football (Thursday in school gym – start date tbc)
• Nan’s Band (Tuesday)
• Running Club (tbc)

Soccer 7’s

The next soccer 7s will take place on Saturday 27^th April 2024 in Portree.  We will have 3 teams entered in this event – permission slips have gone home this week, and I would ask that they are returned as soon as possible.

Please note that for this and future events, school kits will be distributed to pupils on the day, and then collected back in on the day to be washed in the school.  Participants will be asked to wear their own shorts and socks.  This is necessary as the distribution of kits and later collection is quite a time-consuming activity which we are unable to do in school.

Future Soccer 7s events will take place on:

Date	Time	Location
27th April 2024	10.30am-1pm	Portree (tbc)
28th May 2024 **please note change of date from 18/05/24**	10.30am-1pm	Kyleakin

Active Schools

Please see message from Sarah Ross at Active Schools, with poster at the end of this email:

ACTIVE SCHOOLS ACTIVITIES- ONLINE NOW!!

Our community activities starting from Monday 22nd are now online for booking! Please see poster attached for what’s taken place. Please make sure that you re- book your child onto activities for the new term.

All these activities will take place at the Fingal Centre. We will have more information going out to individual schools about activities happening in your local area soon.

It would be great to have some new faces along, so make sure to book your place online at https://booking.highlifehighland.com/  You do not need to be a member to come to activities, but you will need to set up a pay as you go account to register.

Information about an exciting new Shinty session will be coming soon!!

We rely entirely on volunteers to deliver and support our activities in the community and across all our schools, so if you would like to set up something new for your school/community or keen to support our current activities, then we would love to hear from you! Please get in touch with sarah.ross@highlifehighland.com

Key Dates for this term

Date	Time	Event
Wednesday 24th April	2pm	School Cross Country for P4-7.  Back-up ‘rain date’ will be 1st May.
Thursday 2nd May	/	School closed for staff in-service (reopens Friday 3rd).
Friday 3rd May	/	School Eco Day.
Monday 6th May	/	School closed for May holiday (reopens Tuesday 7th).
Wednesday 8th May	11am-1230pm	Skye School Cross Country P5-7.
Thursday 9th May	/	Generation Science Workshops (more information to follow).
Wednesday 15th – Thursday 16th May	/	Childsmile – fluoride varnishing.
Thursday 16th and Friday 17th May	/	Musician visit and session with all classes.  Solo LMNS cellist, Katy Bell – click here to find out more.
Friday 24th May	/	Sports Day.  Back-up ‘rain date’ will be 31st May.
Wednesday 29th May	/	Pupil reports to be issued to parents.
Wednesday 5th June	/	Visit from Andy McKechnie of Jammin Fitness to do the session: Olympic Street Jam – Pathway to Paris.  More information to follow.
Week beginning 10th June	/	School trips hoped to take place this week. Tbc.
Friday 14th June	Tbc	Open morning.
Wednesday – Friday 19th-21st June	/	P7 Transition visit to Portree High School.  Other classes will be having transition time ‘moving up days’ on 20th/21st.
Wednesday 26th June	Tbc	Prizegiving ceremony.
Thursday 27th June	12 noon	School closes for last day of session 2023-24.

We have reached the end of a busy and productive term 3.  School closes today (Thursday 28^th) at 3.30pm and will reopen on Monday 15^th April.

Reflecting on the last term there are a few things that stand out for me as highlights:

• Successful fundraising – two Community Café’s and Red Nose Day raised a combined total of over £2,500 for good causes.
• Strong parental engagement – well attended parents’ evening and open morning, and an ongoing support from parents for everything that we do.
• Pupil participation in a wide range of events – such as girls football festival, basketball festival, science skills workshops, coding, Spring Herring Project, and lots more.
• Pupil effort and behaviour – the vast majority of our pupils are polite, well behaved and engaged with their learning.

I’ve been delighted with the success of our school this term and look forward to more of the same in term 4.  Wishing all families an enjoyable Easter break.

Easter Service

The Easter Service will take place today (Thursday 28^th March), with the school attending the Free Church of Scotland (Shepherd’s Way).  The collection at the service will be for donations towards Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers.

Prizegiving trophies

Could I ask that any child who received a school trophy at prizegiving last June return them to the school by Tuesday 7^th May?  Having the trophies returned to us early is very important in the organisation of this year’s prizegiving event.

Parents are reminded that they may have their child’s name engraved on the trophy if they wish.  Please make your own arrangements for this.

School lunch price rises

There will be increases to the price of school meals.  Please see information below from catering Services:

In line with the increase to charges that was approved by Members at the 2024-2025 Council budget meeting on Thursday 29^th February 2024, the cost of a traditional school meal for the new financial year, effective from Monday 15^th April is as follows:-

• Primary School Meals –  Increase from £2.30 to £2.40 per 2 course meal – this will apply to pupils in P6 & P7 until the full roll out of universal free school meals is agreed by the Scottish Government.
• Secondary School Meals – Increase from £2.55 to £2.65 per 2 course meal
• Adult Meals –  Increase from £4.00 to £4.20 per 2 course meal

Extracurricular activities

Please see below a list of the extra-curricular activities we expect to have available in term 4.  If any parent would like to volunteer their time for an activity then please let me know.

• P2-4 Shinty (Tuesday 6pm at Fingal Centre)
• P4-7 Girls football (Tuesday 3.30-4.45 on MUGA)
• Disney Playmakers football (Thursday in school gym)
• Nan’s Band (Wednesday)
• Running Club (tbc)

Sports activities hoped to start on the second week back (w/c 22^nd April).  Permission slips and information will come out on the first week back.

Easter Fun Day

There will be a family fun day on Saturday 30^th March 10am-1pm at Shepherd’s Way Church.  Please see flyer attached to the end of this document for more information.

Active Schools Easter Programme

Active Schools will be running a range of activities during the Easter holidays.  Timetable attached to the end of this document.

All activities will be bookable through the Highlife Highland online booking system under the Schools Out – Easter activities. At https://booking.highlifehighland.com/

Soccer 7’s

Please note that for future events, school kits will be distributed to pupils on the day, and then collected back in on the day to be washed in the school.  Participants will be asked to wear their own shorts and socks.  This is necessary as the distribution of kits and later collection is quite a time-consuming activity which we are unable to do in school.

Future Soccer 7s events will take place on:

Date	Time	Location
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
Thursday 28th March 2024	10-11am	Easter Service at the Free Church of Scotland (Shepherd’s Way).  All welcome. Last day of term.
Friday 29th March 2024	/	Good Friday.  School closed for first day of Easter Holidays.  Pupils return on Monday 15th April.

Key Dates for next term

Date	Time	Event
Monday 15th April	0906am	School open for first day of Term 4
Thursday 2nd May	/	School closed for staff in-service. (reopens Friday 3rd)
Friday 3rd May	/	School Eco Day
Monday 6th May	/	School closed for May holiday. (reopens Tuesday 7th)
Thursday 27th June	12 noon	School closes for last day of session 2023-24.

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.

FRIDAY 5TH APRIL
ACTIVITY	Venue	AGE	time	Booking code	Cost	INFORMATION
Active Mini’s  (preschool age3-5)	BROADFORD HALL	AGE 3-5	10:am- 10:45am	SOE000498	£5.00/£4.25	Join us for some fun games and activities focusing on fundamental movements  for preschool children
Active Kids (p1-3)	BROADFORD HALL	AGE 5-8	11:00am – 12.30pm	SOE000520	£6.25/£5.31	Lots of fun of games and activities to get you active.
P4-7 FOOTBALL FESTIAVAL	BROADFORD PITCH	AGE 8-12	1.30pm – 3pm	SOE000502	£6.25/£5.31	Come and join in a fun football festival where everyone is mixed up and play lots of games.
MONDAY 8TH APRIL
Active Mini’s  (preschool age3-5)	Fingal Centre Portree	3-5	10:am- 10:45am	SOE000500	£5/£4.25	Join us for some fun games and activities focusing on fundamental movements for preschool children
Active Kids (p1-3)	Fingal Centre Portree	5-8	10.30pm – 1pm	SOE000501	£7.50/ £6.37	Lots of fun of games and activities to get you active.
Multisport P4-S1	Fingal Centre	8-12	1.30pm – 3.30pm	SOE000521	£7.50/£5.95	Fun sports and activities from badminton, basketball, football and many more.
TUESDAY 9TH APRIL
Active Mini’s	Fingal Centre Portree	Age 3-5	10:am- 10:45am	SOE000500	£5/£4.25	Join us for some fun games and activities focusing on fundamental movements for preschool children
Active Kids (p1-3)	Fingal Centre Portree	5-8	10.30pm – 1pm	SOE000501	£7.50/£6.37	Lots of fun of games, sports  and activities to get you active.
RUGBY 5-7     RUBGY 8-12	King George Pitch Portree   King George Pitch Portree	5-7     8-12	1.30pm- 2.30pm     2.30pm-4pm	SOE000504     SOE000508	FREE     FREE	In partnership with the Skye Rugby club join us for some FREE taster sessions focusing on basic skills through fun games and activities.
CLIMBING AT THIRD RIDGE	THIRD RIDGE	9-15   9-15	11.00-12.30pm     1.00pm- 2.30pm	SOE000515     SOE000514	£8/ £6.80	Join the Third Ridge team for a fun session at the indoor climbing wall taking part in bouldering and using ropes on the big wall. Equipment will be provided
WEDNESDAY 10TH APRIL
Active Mini’s	DUNVEGAN HALL	3-5	10am- 10:45	SOE000499	£5/ £4.25	Join us for some fun games and activities focusing on fundamental movements  for preschool children
Active Kids	DUNVEGAN HALL	P1-7	11-1pm	SOE000501	£7.50/ £5.95	Lots of fun of games, sports  and activities to get you active.
Multisports	TARGET PITCH PORTREE	P1-3   P4-S1	2.30pm-3.30pm     3.30-4.30pm,	SOE000509     SOE000511	FREE	Join us for some fun games and Multisports activities at the target pitch.
THURSDAY 11TH APRIL
CHEERLEADING	FINGAL CENTRE	5-8     9-13	10am- 11am     11.30pm – 1pm	SOE000512     SOE000513	£5/ £4.25	Come and shake your pom poms with a fun Cheerleading session. Learn cheer motions, jumps, stunts and basic tumbling skills.
FRIDAY 12TH APRIL
THIRD RIDGE	Third Ride Climbing wall	6-8     6-8	11-12.30pm     1pm- 2.30pm	SOE000517     SOE000516	£8/ £6.80	Join the Third Ridge team for a fun session at the indoor climbing wall taking part in bouldering and using ropes on the big wall. Equipment will be provided. Two separate sessions are availble.

Next week is the last week of Term 3.  The school will close at 3.30pm on Thursday 28^th and re-open at 9.06am on Monday 15^th April.

Our penultimate week of term has been busy as ever.  Please see our weekly update below.

Comic relief

Red Nose Day was a great success.  It was wonderful to see all the hard work of primary 4s coming together to make a successful fundraising day.  The final total raised was over £1600 –  an absolutely brilliant total.  Thank you to all who were so generous with their donations and sponsorship money.

Spring Herring Project P6 and P7

On Wednesday this week the P6 and P7 classes took part in Spring Herring Project – a school based arts collaboration between Skye and Lochalsh Rivers Trust, Albatross Arts and Edinburgh Napier University.  Pupils were treated to an information session which discussed the life cycle of Atlantic herring, the historical and environmental importance of herring stocks around Skye and what is being done to protect them for the future.  They then had the opportunity to take part various art workshops including salt dough, fish printing, and water drawing.  The artwork that pupils made will be on exhibition at the Community Centre today (Friday 22nd March) from 12-3pm.  All welcome.

Well done to our pupils for getting really stuck in – it was a very hands-on and informative day.  Though I don’t think the art room will ever smell the same again…

Thank you to Charlotte and Isabel at SLRT, and Alex and Sunny at Albatross Arts for all of the effort that went into the organising and delivery of our pupil workshops.

P5&6 Basketball festival

It was the turn of Primary 5 and Primary 6 to attend the basketball festival this week.  A great time was had by all.

Easter Service

On the last day of term (Thursday 28^th March) the school will be attending the Free Church of Scotland (Shepherd’s Way) for our Easter service.  The service will take place from 10-11am.  Members of the community are welcome to attend.

If you do not wish for your child to attend this service, then please let the school know.

School lunch price rises

There will be increases to the price of school meals.  Please see information below from catering Services:

In line with the increase to charges that was approved by Members at the 2024-2025 Council budget meeting on Thursday 29^th February 2024, the cost of a traditional school meal for the new financial year, effective from Monday 15^th April is as follows:-

• Primary School Meals –  Increase from £2.30 to £2.40 per 2 course meal – this will apply to pupils in P6 & P7 until the full roll out of universal free school meals is agreed by the Scottish Government.
• Secondary School Meals – Increase from £2.55 to £2.65 per 2 course meal
• Adult Meals –  Increase from £4.00 to £4.20 per 2 course meal

Extracurricular activities

An update on the plans for extra-curricular activities in Term 4 will be shared with parents next week.

Easter Fun Day

There will be a family fun day on Saturday 30^th March 10am-1pm at Shepherd’s Way Church.  Please see flyer attached to the end of this document for more information.

Active Schools Easter Programme

Active Schools will be running a range of activities during the Easter holidays.  Timetable attached to the end of this document.

All activities will be bookable through the Highlife Highland online booking system under the Schools Out – Easter activities. At https://booking.highlifehighland.com/

Soccer 7’s

Future Soccer 7s events will take place on:

Date	Time	Location
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
Thursday 28th March 2024	10-11am	Easter Service at the Free Church of Scotland (Shepherd’s Way).  All welcome. Last day of term.
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 3.25p.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 3.25p.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.

FRIDAY 5th APRIL
ACTIVITY	Venue	AGE	time	Booking code	Cost	INFORMATION
Active Mini’s  (preschool age3-5)	BROADFORD HALL	AGE 3-5	10:am- 10:45am	SOE000498	£5.00/£4.25	Join us for some fun games and activities focusing on fundamental movements for preschool children
Active Kids (p1-3)	BROADFORD HALL	AGE 5-8	11:00am – 12.30pm	SOE000520	£6.25/£5.31	Lots of fun of games and activities to get you active.
P4-7 FOOTBALL FESTIAVAL	BROADFORD PITCH	AGE 8-12	1.30pm – 3pm	SOE000502	£6.25/£5.31	Come and join in a fun football festival where everyone is mixed up and play lots of games.
MONDAY 8th APRIL
Active Mini’s  (preschool age3-5)	Fingal Centre Portree	3-5	10:am- 10:45am	SOE000500	£5/£4.25	Join us for some fun games and activities focusing on fundamental movements for preschool children
Active Kids (p1-3)	Fingal Centre Portree	5-8	10.30pm – 1pm	SOE000501	£7.50/ £6.37	Lots of fun of games and activities to get you active.
Multisport P4-S1	Fingal Centre	8-12	1.30pm – 3.30pm	SOE000521	£7.50/£5.95	Fun sports and activities from badminton, basketball, football and many more.
TUESDAY 9th APRIL
Active Mini’s	Fingal Centre Portree	Age 3-5	10:am- 10:45am	SOE000500	£5/£4.25	Join us for some fun games and activities focusing on fundamental movements for preschool children
Active Kids (p1-3)	Fingal Centre Portree	5-8	10.30pm – 1pm	SOE000501	£7.50/£6.37	Lots of fun of games, sports  and activities to get you active.
RUGBY 5-7     RUBGY 8-12	King George Pitch Portree   King George Pitch Portree	5-7     8-12	1.30pm- 2.30pm     2.30pm-4pm	SOE000504     SOE000508	FREE     FREE	In partnership with the Skye Rugby club join us for some FREE taster sessions focusing on basic skills through fun games and activities.
CLIMBING AT THIRD RIDGE	THIRD RIDGE	9-15   9-15	11.00-12.30pm     1.00pm- 2.30pm	SOE000515     SOE000514	£8/ £6.80	Join the Third Ridge team for a fun session at the indoor climbing wall taking part in bouldering and using ropes on the big wall. Equipment will be provided
WEDNESDAY 10th APRIL
Active Mini’s	DUNVEGAN HALL	3-5	10am- 10:45	SOE000499	£5/ £4.25	Join us for some fun games and activities focusing on fundamental movements for preschool children
Active Kids	DUNVEGAN HALL	P1-7	11-1pm	SOE000501	£7.50/ £5.95	Lots of fun of games, sports  and activities to get you active.
Multisports	TARGET PITCH PORTREE	P1-3   P4-S1	2.30pm-3.30pm     3.30-4.30pm,	SOE000509     SOE000511	FREE	Join us for some fun games and Multisports activities at the target pitch.
THURSDAY 11th APRIL
CHEERLEADING	FINGAL CENTRE	5-8     9-13	10am- 11am     11.30pm – 1pm	SOE000512     SOE000513	£5/ £4.25	Come and shake your pom poms with a fun Cheerleading session. Learn cheer motions, jumps, stunts and basic tumbling skills.
FRIDAY 12th APRIL
THIRD RIDGE	Third Ride Climbing wall	6-8     6-8	11-12.30pm     1pm- 2.30pm	SOE000517     SOE000516	£8/ £6.80	Join the Third Ridge team for a fun session at the indoor climbing wall taking part in bouldering and using ropes on the big wall. Equipment will be provided. Two separate sessions are available.

As usual, another very busy week for us here at the school.  Please find our weekly update below.

Comic relief

Today (Friday 15^th March) is Comic Relief/Red Nose Day.  Primary 4s have been working so hard to prepare for this and we are all very much looking forward to a day of fun and fundraising.

The sponsored walk took place on Wednesday afternoon, we managed to avoid the rain showers and had lovely sunny conditions.  Could parents who have sponsored their children please ensure that sponsorship money is in to us by Monday 18^th March?  This is when the P4s will be counting all the donations from the day.

Parents’ Evening

Please note that Parents’ Evening will take place on Tuesday 19^th and Wednesday 20^th March.  Appointments have been sent out – please let us know if there are any issues with your appointment.

If you would like to book an appointment to speak to me then please contact me directly with your preferred time: David.MacLean@highland.gov.uk.

P6 and P7 Coding

We welcomed Maria Bell of Silicon Croft to the school on Monday to do some coding workshops with our P6/7s using Scratch.  These sessions were very well received by our pupils who all engaged well.  A big thank you to Maria for her time and effort – we hope to welcome her back to the school at some point in the future.

Basketball Festival

Primary 7s enjoyed their time at the basketball festival this week – it was a good opportunity for them to meet pupils in other schools across Skye, and to put their basketball skills to good use.  I noticed quite a few red faces on their return to school – always a good sign of hard work and exercise!

Primary 5 & 6 will be involved in the Basketball Festival next Tuesday 19^th March.  PE kit and packed lunch will be required.

Down’s Syndrome Awareness Day Thursday 21^st March

Thursday next week (21^st March) is World Down’s Syndrome Awareness Day.  We encourage our pupils and staff to wear odd socks on this day.  We do this as we want everyone in our school community to celebrate the value and contribution of people with Down’s syndrome to our society.

According to Down’s Syndrome Scotland: “Why socks?  Well, a chromosome looks a little like a sock and people with Down’s syndrome have an extra copy of the 21^st chromosome.”

For more information on Down’s Syndrome please see https://www.dsscotland.org.uk/

Spring Herring Project P6 and P7

Our Primary 6 and 7 classes will be taking part in the Spring Herring Project on Wednesday 20^th March.  A parent information letter can be found at the very end of this update and will also be sent to P6/7 parents by email.

**Parents please note that during one of the workshops pupils will be asked to handle frozen herring.  Gloves will be available, but if you have any issues with this, or would like to opt your child out of this part, then please let me know.

“This is a school-based collaboration between the Skye and Lochalsh Rivers Trust, Edinburgh Napier University and Albatross Arts to educate a generation of young citizens about the history, ecosystems and protection of Atlantic herring in the waters around Skye (scottishherring.org). It’s an opportunity for the children to blend the expertise of scientists and artists in the classroom through interactive and fun workshops. The children will collaborate to produce their own herring themed art installation using environmentally friendly materials and processes.

We are planning to showcase an exhibition of the children’s artwork at the Community Centre in Portree (Camanachd Square) on the afternoon of 22nd March and are extending an invitation to everyone in the community.”

Assembly: P5-7 SHANARRI H – Healthy

Assembly this week was for Primary 5-7s.  the focus was on SHANARRI – Healthy.  It was interesting to hear the differing perspectives about the things that help to keep us heathy.  The group were very insightful about a whole range of things including mental wellbeing and positive relationships, as well as healthy eating, exercise and personal hygiene.

Extracurricular activities

Please note that there is no running club this term.

• Nan’s band – Tuesdays after school
• Skyedance
• P1-3 Disney playmakers football – hoped to resume soon.
• P2-4 Shinty (upcoming)
• P4-7 Girls Football (after Easter Break)

Shinty Training P2-4

Thank you to those who have expressed an interest in the P2-4 Shinty Training.  We hope to have this up and running soon, and will send further information out when available.

Soccer 7’s

This weekend’s Soccer 7s event is in Kyleakin.  Please see information below provided by Active Schools:

“We will be having some soccer 4s for our Nursery 4s-P3 pupils (we will split them N4+P1 pitches and P2/3 pitches) and also soccer 7s for our P4-P7 pupils again splitting if numbers allow.

The event will be in Kyleakin on the football pitch- (10am-11am for the younger sessions and 10am-12pm for soccer 7s).  We will make all the teams up on the day so everyone is welcome no prior teams required.

There is also an Spring Fair running at the hall area- poster attached so plenty fun for all (and snacks for the parent/guardians)

Although we are happy to take folk on the day it is much easier to plan and fill in forms online so please o so if possible via link  High Life Highland Activities  and the codes below.

ACT001724
Kyleakin Football Festival P4-P7

ACT001725
Kyleakin Football Festival N4-P3”

Future Soccer 7s events will take place on:

Date	Time	Location
16th March  **rearranged date**	11am	Kyleakin
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
Friday 15th March	/	Comic Relief.  Activities led by P4 class.
Tuesday 19th March	10.30am-2.30pm	Basketball Festival for P5 and P6.  Portree High School Fingal Centre.
Tue/Wed 19th and 20th March	/	Parents’ Evening.
Wednesday 20th March	/	P6/7 Spring Herring Project workshops.
Thursday 21st March	/	Down’s Syndrome Awareness Day.  Pupils encouraged to wear odd socks.
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.

The sunny weather this week has been very welcome and has really helped to brighten up the school.

Please see our weekly update below.

Community Café

Our Primary 7 class enjoyed welcoming members of the community into our school on Friday last week for the Community Café.  A fantastic total of ­£528.31 was raised on the day.  This will be donated to Cancer Research UK and Motor Neurone Disease Scotland.  A very well done to P7s and Miss MacKenzie for all the work that went in to organising this event.  Thank you also for your generosity to everyone who came along. 

Our next Community Café will be in term 4.  More information to follow nearer the time.

Open Morning

It was great to see so many parents in the school last week for our open morning.  Our pupils are always so proud of their work and keen to show it off to their parents and families, so thank you for coming in.

World Book Day

World Book Day took place yesterday (7^th March).  It was nice to see so many of our pupils dressed up.

Unfortunately, our planned author visit did not go ahead due to illness, however pupils enjoyed being able to swap some of their old books for something new to them.  Great job Primary 6 in organising this.

It was nice to come together as a school at the end of the day for a “big read”.

Comic relief

Friday 15^th March is Comic Relief/Red Nose Day.  Our Primary 4 class are busy preparing for this and have put together a fun-packed day of activities for the school.  An information letter and price list for parents will be coming home in your child’s bag.

P4s will speak to the whole school at an assembly today (8^th March) to share information about the day.

Parents’ Evening

Please note that Parents’ Evening will take place on Tuesday 19^th and Wednesday 20^th March.  Appointments will be sent out next week.

Spring Herring Project P6 and P7

Our Primary 6 and 7 classes will be taking part in the Spring Herring Project on Wednesday 20^th March.  A parent information letter will be sent to P6/7 parents by email.

“This is a school-based collaboration between the Skye and Lochalsh Rivers Trust, Edinburgh Napier University and Albatross Arts to educate a generation of young citizens about the history, ecosystems and protection of Atlantic herring in the waters around Skye (scottishherring.org). It’s an opportunity for the children to blend the expertise of scientists and artists in the classroom through interactive and fun workshops. The children will collaborate to produce their own herring themed art installation using environmentally friendly materials and processes.

We are planning to showcase an exhibition of the children’s artwork at the Community Centre in Portree (Camanachd Square) on the afternoon of 22nd March and are extending an invitation to everyone in the community.”

Assembly: Value Awards

We used this week’s whole school assembly to reflect on the successes of our pupils.  The assembly was kicked off by a fantastic musical performance by Ailsa (P7), who has been working extremely hard towards her grade 4 fiddle exam recently.  All the practice, hard work and effort is really paying off.  It’s not easy performing in front of over 130 other people, but she took it in her stride.  Well done Ailsa!

I spoke to the P7 class as well about how proud I was of their efforts at the Community Café – I commended them on their maturity and work ethic.  Well done again Primary 7s.

Makaton sign of the week

Teacher

Extracurricular activities

Please note that there is no running club this term.

• Nan’s band – Tuesdays after school
• Skyedance
• P1-3 Disney playmakers football – hoped to resume soon.
• P2-4 Shinty (upcoming)
• P4-7 Girls Football (after Easter Break)

Shinty Training P2-4

With the support of some parent volunteers, we are expecting to be able to run weekly shinty training sessions for our pupils in Primary 2-4.  We are at the early stages of planning this so do not have days and times finalised.  At this stage however it would be useful to gauge interest.  A permission slip has gone out, and I would ask that this is returned next week.

Soccer 7’s

We have received the following information from Active Schools about the next Soccer 7s event:

“We will be having some soccer 4s for our Nursery 4s-P3 pupils (we will split them N4+P1 pitches and P2/3 pitches) and also soccer 7s for our P4-P7 pupils again splitting if numbers allow.

The event will be in Kyleakin on the football pitch- (10am-11am for the younger sessions and 10am-12pm for soccer 7s).  We will make all the teams up on the day so everyone is welcome no prior teams required.

There is also an Spring Fair running at the hall area- poster attached so plenty fun for all (and snacks for the parent/guardians)

Although we are happy to take folk on the day it is much easier to plan and fill in forms online so please o so if possible via link  High Life Highland Activities  and the codes below.

ACT001724
Kyleakin Football Festival P4-P7

ACT001725
Kyleakin Football Festival N4-P3”

Future Soccer 7s events will take place on:

Date	Time	Location
2nd March 2024	10.30am-1pm	Plockton (Astro)
16th March  **rearranged date**	11am	Kyleakin
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
Mon 11th March	Morning	Primary 6 and 7 coding session using Scratch delivered by Silicon Croft.
Friday 15th March	/	Comic Relief.  Activities led by P4 class.
Tuesday 19th March	10.30am-2.30pm	Basketball Festival for P5 and P6.  Portree High School Fingal Centre.
Tue/Wed 19th and 20th March	/	Parents’ Evening.
Wednesday 20th March	/	P6/7 Spring Herring Project workshops.
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.

It’s been a short working week for us here at the school, so what follows will be a short weekly update.

I hope all parents and pupils had an enjoyable long weekend.  Smiley faces all around from our pupils as they returned to school yesterday morning was great to see!

Open Morning and Community Café

Next Friday 1^st March will be a very busy day at the school.  We will be holding both our whole school Open Morning and our Community Café on the same day. 

Parents and members of the wider community are invited to attend our Community Café which starts at 10.30am.  This Community Café has been organised by our P7 class, with funds raised going to Cancer research UK and MND Scotland – two very worthwhile causes.  The usual hot drinks and home baking will be available.

Our whole school Open Morning will take place from 11.30am (please note that this is 15 minutes later than the time previously indicated).  We look forward to welcoming families in to see their child’s pupil profile and classwork.  Afterwards parents are welcome to take their child home early if they wish – please ensure you let the teacher know that you are doing this.

Looking forward to seeing you all then.

Attendance

A reminder to parents to please let us know if your child will be missing school.  The best way to do that is to email (portree.primary@highland.gov.uk) or phone (01478 613130) the school office on the day of the absence (if it is an illness) or as soon as you know your child will be away (if it is a planned absence).  As a school we have a legal duty to keep accurate attendance records, so having good communication from home really helps.  I appreciate your support with this.

Supporting Reading & Writing at Home

On Wednesday this week there was a webinar for Highland Council parents on the topic of Read & Write. This is software that our pupils have available on their Chromebooks, but that can also be downloaded on home devices. It is used to support literacy. Parents often ask how they can better support their child with schoolwork – this is one way of doing so. This session will be particularly useful for parents of children in P6 & 7 as they have their own Chromebooks – but it will benefit other children who use technology to support their learning.

Please click here for a recording of this webinar.

Fèis an Earraich

Please see the information leaflet attached to the end of this update regarding Fèis an Earraich.  Parents who would like their children to be involved should contact fios@feisanearraich.scot before 1st March.

Makaton sign of the week

Same as last week – ‘Home’

Extracurricular activities

Please note that there is no running club this term.

• Nan’s band – Tuesdays after school
• Skyedance
• 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
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 24th February	12pm	Ladies Football Day – Indoor 5-aside tournament at Fingal Centre for girls aged 10+.
Mon 26th February	10.30am-2.30pm	Primary 6 Science Skills Workshop.
Tuesday 27th February	10.30am-2.30pm	Primary 7 Science Skills Workshop.
Friday 1st March	10.30am	P7 Community Café.
Friday 1st March	11.30am	Whole school Open Morning.
Mon 11th March	Morning	Tbc Primary 6 and 7 coding session using Scratch delivered by Silicon Croft.
Friday 15th March	/	Comic Relief.  Activities led by P4 class.
Tuesday 19th March	10.30am-2.30pm	Basketball Festival for P5 and P6.  Portree High School Fingal Centre.
Tue/Wed 19th and 20th March	/	Parents’ Evening.
Wednesday 20th March	/	P6/7 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.

Dear Parents/Carers,

As another busy school week draws to a close, pupils and staff look forward to the long weekend ahead.  A reminder that the school will be closed to pupils on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week.  Staff will be in school for in-service on Wednesday, busy with training and working on activities related to our school improvement plan.  We look forward to welcoming our pupils back on Thursday 22^nd for a very short week!

Lost Property

We have quite a few items of lost property in the school at the moment.  This includes lots of items of uniform waiting to be reunited with their owners.  Parents are invited to come in from 12pm today (16th Feb) to take a look.

We will also be organising a uniform swap before the Easter holidays.  Details to be confirmed nearer the time.

Open Morning and Community Café

Friday 1^st March will be a very busy day at the school.  We will be holding both our whole school Open Morning and our Community Café on the same day.  More details to follow in next week’s update.  Looking forward to seeing many of you in the school on the 1^st.

Attendance

A reminder to parents to please let us know if your child will be missing school.  The best way to do that is to email (portree.primary@highland.gov.uk) or phone (01478 613130) the school office on the day of the absence (if it is an illness) or as soon as you know your child will be away (if it is a planned absence).  As a school we have a legal duty to keep accurate attendance records, so having good communication from home really helps.  I appreciate your support with this.

Supporting Reading & Writing at Home

Date for diary: Wednesday 21st February 7pm.

There will be a webinar for Highland Council parents on the topic of Read & Write. This is software that our pupils have available on their Chromebooks, but that can also be downloaded on home devices. It is used to support literacy. Parents often ask how they can better support their child with schoolwork – this is one way of doing so. This session will be particularly useful for parents of children in P6 & 7 as they have their own Chromebooks – but it will benefit other children who use technology to support their learning.

Webinar can be accessed through this link: https://event.eu.on24.com/wcc/r/8000064739/9D859EB948D8C98055D6B77B5EEE5544?fbclid=IwAR2t9QT6IfCK9HTWVes8RoPw5Q_P9KTYwPXoF4zO3rxX1K7Q5vZF-JuSuLc

Soccer 7s

Portree Cheetahs and Portree Pumas took part in the Soccer 7s tournament at the weekend.  All pupils who took part represented the school very well – great job everyone.  Many thanks to our parent volunteers for their efforts on the day, we can’t send teams to these events without this help.

The next Soccer 7s tournament will take place on Saturday 2^nd March at Plockton.  Permission slips will be coming home with pupils very soon and I would ask that these are retuned to school as soon as possible.  Having accurate participation numbers helps in the planning of teams as once we’ve submitted our teams to the tournament organiser, it’s difficult to make changes.

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

Unfortunately, the Radio Skye ‘Kids Mix: Kid Experts’ show did not go out as planned on Wednesday (14^th) at 4pm.  We will share an updated broadcast date and time when this is known.

Whole School Success Assembly

Mrs Matheson stopped by this week to speak to pupils at our whole school assembly.  It was a nice opportunity for her to say farewell after her last week as Head Teacher was so disrupted by adverse weather closures.  The pupils really enjoyed hearing about Mrs Matheson’s new job in supporting lots of schools all across Skye and the West Highlands.

This week’s assembly was also an opportunity to reflect on some of the successes we’ve had as a school – from the sporting success of our footballers, to the success of our pupils in demonstrating the school values of Determination, Respect, Kindness, Enjoyment, and Friendship.

Congratulations to the recipients of our value awards:

Primary 1/2	Kit for always presenting your work neatly.  Your handwriting is showing great progress.   Cody for demonstrating improved focus during literacy and numeracy tasks.
Primary 2/3	Angus MacLeod for being a super friend to another child in the class.   Malia for being a super friend to another child in the class. You were so kind and helpful.   Katie for showing great focus when carrying out tasks recently. You are completing tasks very well.
Primary 4	Adelynn has just started playing the fiddle and is making super progress.   William for being an excellent helper and good friend to other children when visiting the Sunshine Room.   Rudy for being so kind and helpful towards canteen staff at lunchtime.
Primary 5	Fred – for completing all tasks set in good time and to the best of his ability. Caylen – has made lots of new friends Portree Primary & is making a super effort in class. Ceitlin –  for determination to do her best in all areas of the curriculum. Ziggy – for excellent work in his reading comprehension.
Primary 6	Zayne for working hard across the curriculum.  He is always willing to contribute to class discussions.   Tyler for working hard to develop his knowledge of new concepts in Maths.  He is always ready to listen to support.
Primary 7	Isla for showing a positive attitude and being a great sport at the shinty tournament.   Isla is also showing a determination to work harder in class. Harris for working hard on his writing and being kind and respectful in class.

Makaton sign of the week

‘Home’

Extracurricular activities

This Thursday was the last of our P6/7 basketball sessions with Mrs Irene Deplano.  Many thanks to Mrs Deplano for putting these on.  We have had good attendance, and our pupils have really enjoyed them.  We hope to run another block of basketball sessions in the future.

Please note that there is no running club this term.

• Nan’s band – Tuesdays after school
• Skyedance
• 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
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
Mon/Tue 19th and 20th February	/	Mid-term break.  School closed.
Wednesday 21st February	/	In-service day.  School closed to pupils.
Wednesday 21st February	7pm	Read & Write Parent Webinar
Sat 24th February	12pm	Ladies Football Day – Indoor 5-aside tournament at Fingal Centre for girls aged 10+.
Mon 26th February	10.30am-2.30pm	Primary 6 Science Skills Workshop
Tuesday 27th February	10.30am-2.30pm	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.
Tuesday 19th March	10.30am-2.30pm	Basketball Festival for P5 and P6.  Portree High School Fingal Centre.
Tue/Wed 19th and 20th March	/	Parents’ Evening
Wednesday 20th March	tbc	P6/7 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.

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 20^th 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 24^th 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 9^th), 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 (14^th) 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.