December 2023
November 2023
We’re thrilled to share the wonderful success of our recent Read, Write, Count Bookbug Gifting Event held on Thursday 23rd November. Our pupils were delighted to receive a special bag filled with captivating books and engaging games, igniting their excitement for reading and learning. Parents and children actively participated in a range of interactive games and activities meticulously designed to enhance and support your child’s educational journey. It was a fantastic opportunity for families to bond and discover innovative ways to support their child’s learning. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event an enriching and memorable occassion.
October 2023
September 2023
We will be looking for all our stakeholders to be involved in a consultation to refresh our current Education Vision and Strategy, Our Children, Their Future. In November Argyll and Bute will begin to gather views from all those who are involved in education. This includes our young people, staff, parents and carers and our partners. There will be lots of ways to be able to give your views and more information will be available in November on how you can be involved. To the view the letter, please click here.
This is the first edition of our annual calendar containing dates throughout the year. This should be read in conjunction with our monthly newsletter for further information. We will endeavour to stick to the dates and times identified, however please remember, we may have to update events. Please remember to check for updates on a termly basis. Please note – Any events called ‘Creativity Inspiring Learning Showcase’ are open events for parents and carers to attend.
For Armed Forces Families, here is some information from our Service Pupil Advisor, Emer Flett. Please click here.
The Argyll and Bute Psychology Service has a new webpage available. Click on the link to find out more information: Argyll and Bute Psychology Service
August 2023
2022-2023
June 2023
May 2023
March 2023
February 2023
The Rights Respecting Steering Group presented an Assembly on our campaign for refugee children to access their rights and what we have been up to over the last few months. We also discussed what we are planning for World Book Day 2023. To see our presentation, please click here.
If you missed the World Book Day 2023 email that was sent to all families of the school and ELCC, please click here to find out.
January 2023
November 2022
This afternoon, parents and their children attended school for the P1-3 Literacy and Numeracy Event to learn about different literacy and numeracy activities that they can do at home. P1 pupils were gifted the Book Bug bags and P2 and P3 pupils were gifted the Read, Write Count bags, with even more tasks to complete at home. Parents were also able to find see and use Numicon and Number Rods to complete different number problems with their children. Problem Solving games were enjoyed and challenged pupils and their parents.
The Pupil Council has been very busy in the school since we started Citizenship Clubs. In Assembly, they presented what they have been up to so far and the major change that will be happening in the playground over the next few months. Click here to find out what they have been up to.
Mrs Smith presented our SHANARRI Assembly this week on ‘Achieving’. To see what we discussed and how it links with Rights, please click here.
October 2022
This month we looked at ‘Healthy’ as part of our SHANARRI Assemblies. To see what the school discussed and how it links with Rights, please click here.
September 2022
August 2022
For families who use Seesaw, please read Seesaw UK Privacy Notice for information on your personal data.
2021-2022
May 2022
Mrs McGuire, Miss Kingaby and Miss Nubour have been part of the Northern Alliance group, to research the benefits of learning through play and active learning. This video forms part of our report.
TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT WAR AND CONFLICT
Guidance from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/talking-to-children-about-war.pdf
BBC Newsround, information for children
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/13865002
Guidance from Forces Children’s Education
https://forceschildrenseducation.org.uk/speaking-to-children-about-conflict-and-war
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PRIORITIES
NEW SCHOOL HANDBOOK
COVID GUIDANCE DEC
ARGYLL AND BUTE EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURES
You will be aware that there is consultation about to begin about school leadership structures within Argyll and Bute. Below is the timeline. All stakeholders will be asked for views in these consultations.
SCHOOL MEALS
We have now had 4 weeks of our new school lunch menus. We would be grateful for feedback from pupils and parents about the new options. The catering team at Argyll and Bute will be reviewing these over summer and all feedback will be gratefully received. Please email the parent council or myself with your or your child’s feedback.
TRANSITION
Transition meeting for parents of pupils moving to P1 will all take place on line and dates and links will be sent out to those parents involved. There will also be a ‘Come and Play’ session, details will be sent out. Transition meeting for parents of pupils moving to Hermitage Academy are also online and again relevant parents have that information. If you have mislaid this information do not hesitate to contact school and we can sort this out for you.
50 YEARS KILCREGGAN PRIMARY SCHOOL
It is unfortunate that we cannot have a big celebration of 50 years of KPS this term. Perhaps before Christmas 2021 a community celebration will be possible. In the meantime we are going to have a street party style outdoor lunch for all staff and pupils on Thursday 27th May. Mrs Jamieson will provide a picnic/ buffet style lunch and tables will be set outside. Each class will decorate their own tables with the 50 years theme in mind. While pupils will still be in bubbles we will be able to be outside together and enjoy a whole school celebration.
Our Celebration book is now at the printers and will hopefully be available to purchase very soon.
The A4 colour printed book will be available to all families at a cost of £9 per book.
SPORTS DAYS
These will not take the usual form as it seems less fun without an audience.
We are going to have a grand sporting Event on Friday 18thJune. This will be the end of the national daily mile challenge (to clock up enough miles to get to Tokyo and back) that pupils are currently participating in. We are going to run a celebration mile from school to a point on Barbour Road and back again. Pupils will undertake challenges along the way. Further details will be sent out nearer the time. Nursery pupils will not take part in this but their own fun sports event. Details and date to follow.
END OF YEAR CELEBRATIONS
Again it looks like it will not be possible to have a whole school gathering. Nursery pupils moving to P1 will have an in nursery graduation and will then bring home a celebration box or bag so you can have your own at home marking of the event. P7 pupils moving to S1 will have an in house presentation towards the end of term. Again we will share pictures and details with families.
INSERVICE DAY AND MAY BANK HOLIDAY
School and ELCC will be closed to pupils on Friday 28th May and Monday 31st May 2021. Pupils will return on Tuesday 1st June.
REPORTS and PARENTS MEETINGS
Reports will be issued on Friday 4th June and parents/teacher meetings will take place on Thursday 10th June for anyone who wishes to discuss reports. Teachers are as keen to meet with you as you are to meet them. They feel removed from face to face contact with parents this year. We will be in touch nearer the time to advice about the format of these meetings.
COVE PARK
Cove Park are delighted to welcome you back to their outdoor Saturday Studios. These workshops for children run one Saturday per month and are guided by artists working in an array of disciplines. Our workshops are free but require booking on eventbrite. This month you can join them in a workshop led by Florence Dwyer to create your own Miniature Garden. This workshop is running for children in Primary 3 -7 and will be held outdoors to abide by Covid-19 regulations. Click on the link below to find out more and to make a booking on eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/hands-on-cove-park-1120614372
New numeracy homework strategy P 4-7
In the upper school P4-7 we have created a new home learning numeracy website. This website will have weekly differentiated work carefully designed to help promote development of memory for strategy learned in numeracy lessons. This is also supported by the KPS STEM website which has video content, constantly being updated, to support reinforcement of learning at home.
Our new numeracy homework strategy is based on the theory of retrieval practice. This is all about improving links between long term memory and working memory, ultimately improving pupils ability to retain and use the knowledge and strategies they area learning. If you would like to know more there are some outlines below of the methodology involved.
Retrieval practice is a strategy in which bringing information to mind enhances and boosts learning. Deliberately recalling information forces us to pull our knowledge “out” and examine what we know. For instance, recalling an answer to a science question improves learning to a greater extent than looking up the answer in a textbook. And having to actually recall and write down an answer to a flashcard improves learning more than thinking that you know the answer and flipping the card over prematurely. Often, we think we’ve learned some piece of information, but we come to realise we struggle when we try to recall the answer. It’s precisely this “struggle” or challenge that improves our memory and learning – by trying to recall information, we exercise or strengthen our memory, and we can also identify gaps in our learning.
Interleaving is a process where students mix, or interleave, multiple subjects or topics while they study in order to improve their learning. Blocked practice, on the other hand, involves studying one topic very thoroughly before moving to another topic.
NEW SCHOOL HANDBOOK