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 (2nd 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. 2nd and 3rd place boys were also P7s – Ally and Luka. The 2nd and 3rd 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 8th 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 7th 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 (30th 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 27th 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.