We have launched our brand-new website. Our website can easily be accessed from any device, and alters to suit smartphones, meaning you can access all the information you need wherever you are. We hope you like it, find it easy to navigate and learn lots about all the wonderful things we get up to at Central.
https://sites.google.com/invernesshigh.org.uk/central-school/home
Happy Friday everyone!
It has been a busy and positive week. Our P1 children received their homework bags at assembly yesterday.
We are noting that the weather is changing, and it is becoming a bit cooler. Please ensure your child has suitable footwear and an extra layer of clothing.
Fruity Friday
Miss MacKintosh gave some pink lady apples from her garden which the children enjoyed this morning.
The apples were cut in half and children could look see how pink the apples were inside. We are hoping to reintroduce Fruity Friday this session.
In-service Days
Our in-service training focused on our school improvement priorities of Learning, Teaching and Assessment and Health and Well Being. The team took part in Literacy for All in a World of Diversity training and had sessions with our Education Psychologist and Specialist Dietitian. Lots of food for thought and positive actions to take forward
Baxter’s 5K
We are excited this year to be participating as a school in Baxter’s 5k. We thank Mrs Guzowski, Mrs Tracey and Mrs MacIntosh for gathering a team of enthusiasts who will represent Central School on Sunday 1st October. If you wish your child to take part, please bring the £10.00 entry fee to school by Wednesday 20th September.
ELC Learning
The children were busy practising our balance and pedalling skills using the balance bikes and tricycles. They showed interest in investigating soil and insects which live in soil.
“This is a bit silly and different”.
“This is darker and wetter”.
“This is soft”
“I ride a bike really fast”.
Playground
Thanks to the team this week for continuing to make small improvements to the playground. The big tyres are all in one area now and we will continue to work our way round the playground to make the most of our lovely spaces.
Pupil Voice
We held our first Question Time Assembly this week. The House Captains visited each class to gather questions that the children wanted to ask staff. Most of the questions this time were about our ship which is currently being repainted. The children may make some different flags over the next wee while.
Home School Parentship Learning
Each month, we are focussing on a specific social skill. In September our focus is empathy. The pupils have been creating heart charts in class to show what empathy looks like, sounds like and feels like.
To help children foster this skill, you can listen the story together and discuss about how they can show kindness and how it feels when others are kind to them. Fostering a habit of random acts of kindness is a simple way to help children become more thoughtful and caring
Little Lucas will learn what kindness means and have more understanding for others, accept differences, and show more empathy. This is a must-read for children to see how super you can become with simple acts of kindness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P-Y_M9q7RM
Dates to remember
Monday, 25th September 09:00- 10:00 Nursery Stay Play and Learn
Friday, 29th September 14:00 – 15:00 Nursery Stay Play and Learn
26th and 28th September Parents Evening
5th October Open Afternoon
Wishing you a lovely weekend
Kind regards
Central Team
Happy Friday everyone!
We have enjoyed an especially warm few days this week and been able to take advantage of the good weather with many outdoor learning opportunities.
Homework
Thank you for supporting your child with their homework. Great to see all the homework bags 😊
Our new primary one children will be given their homework bags soon. P1 parents are invited to join us for this wee ceremony. Details of time and place will be posted on google classroom.
Gates
Gentle reminder that if the big gates are not open please use the security gate.
Reception
For the time being our reception is being manned in the morning as one of our team members is unwell. We check for phone messages and emails regularly however this may be slower than usual.
Parent Council
We had a positive meeting on Tuesday this week. Some of our discussions covered:
We are delighted to have some practical help in the playground from Ms Russell and Ms Bissett 😊
Morrison Construction
Our House Captains went to visit the Morrison Construction Team on Thursday this week to formally thank them for the work undertaken to improve our playground and allotment.
Mrs Whiting and some pupils did some baking and made thank you cards which were given to the Morrison Team. We enjoyed a cup of tea and cake round one of the boardroom tables.
Book bug
P1-3 Book Club is starting at t Inshes Library next Wednesday at 4pm. Free admission.
Family Heritage Day
Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH) is hosting a Family Heritage Day on 23rd September 2023 at Dingwall Academy.
This is a free family friendly event with activities for all ages. Children will have the chance to dress up as Vikings and learn about their local heritage in a fun way.
Dates
11th – 12th September Inservice Days – school closed to all pupils
26th and 28th September Parents Evening
5th October Open Afternoon
Happy Friday everyone!
It has been a busy and positive week.
Houses
Our newly elected House Captains and Vice-Captains are:
House captains have a good attitude, work hard, are resilient and encourage positive behaviour across the school. They are caring, honest organised and keen to support the whole school.
‘’Being a vice-captain means helping others to feel safe and cared about.’’
‘’Being a house captain makes me happy. I enjoy helping others to solve problems. I have a long-term goal of rewarding positive behaviour.’’
Football
Each class has enjoyed their coaching session with Mr Tondor. The children work on their football and sportsmanship skills.
Gates
If the big gate is not open, please use the small gate. Thank you for your support and patience with this matter.
Homework bags
P1 Home Bags ceremony details will be posted on Google Classroom soon.
All children were issued a homework bag and should bring this to school each day.
Please get in touch with the school office if your child has not been given the bag.
Stay, Play and Learn
We welcomed our families to the first Stay, Play and Learn sessions of the school year. The purpose of our Stay, Play and Learn sessions are for families to come along and take part in the activities, learn new skills and ideas for learning at home through play. It provides an opportunity for families to look at their child’s learning profile and speak to their child’s key worker.
We will offer two sessions a month spread-out through the week. The family engagement calendar has been handed to all nursery families.
Social Skills
Each month, we will focus on a specific social skill. The skill will be discussed and modelled throughout the month.
September’s skill
Empathy The ability to take the perspective of others in order to understand their feelings and motivations
School Uniform
We actively promote the sense of belonging to our school by asking that all children wear uniform. If you need any specific items, please be aware that we have some recycled stock that has been kindly donated.
Eden Court
The Engagement Team from Eden Court will resume work in the next couple of weeks.
Last year we received very positive feedback from our pupils.
‘’I have learned a lot of values and being a bit more confident on preforming in front on people.’’
‘’I think i have learnt how to do a play with a certain plot and about the rights and how everyone is equal.’’
‘’All about Education. To work in a team. We are learning to express our feelings.’’
Kidical Mass Saturday 02/09 at 1.30pm at Bellfield Park
Kidical Mass North’ is the Inverness arm of the global ‘Kidical Mass’ initiative, the motto for which is ‘Space for the Next Generation’. The idea is that as many children as possible take to the streets safely on bikes, trikes, adapted cycles, wheelchairs or any other means of active travel, to powerfully communicate the need for change
There will be cakes, refreshments and fun activities at the destination. There will also be a ever-popular toy swap – children bring along any unused or previously loved toys, add them to our hessian sac and, at the end, select a new toy completely at random!
For more information, see www.kidicalmassnorth.co.uk, Facebook – https://fb.me/e/1Ojz7tCam or Twitter @kidicalmassinv
Home School Parentship Learning
Every year on September 1st, World Letter Writing Day encourages people worldwide to pick up a pen, grab a piece of paper, and write a letter.
World Letter Writing Day 2023 aims to remind people of the simple beauty of sending or receiving a letter.
There are lots of ways you can get involved and celebrate this event with your students. Here are some ideas:
Write a letter – Write a letter to someone. It could be a friend or relative that lives miles away
Read some letters – Letter writing is one of the most ancient forms of communication and documentation. Dig into history and read some letters written by the ancient Egyptians. Or you could take a look at some Aboriginal symbols or message sticks.
Start a journal – Journaling is a great brain break that can help you to relax and process your thoughts. That connection with pen and paper can be a meditative experience.
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT LETTER WRITING
Dates
5th September at 17:00 Parent Council
5th September at 16:30 Informal session on Jolly Phonics
It will be a face-to-face meeting but the link will be on posted on Google Classroom
11th – 12th September
Inservice Days – school closed to all pupils
26th and 28th September Parents Evening
Wishing you a lovely, restful weekend
Kind regards
Mrs Guzowski
Happy Friday everyone!
We have enjoyed a super week at school, albeit ending on a slightly wet note!
Playground
As you are already aware we continue to improve our outdoor learning spaces. We are excited our new benches are now ready for use. The arbours are not ready just yet as we are awaiting help to get these secured to the walls. The children suggested where they would like the benches and tables to go so, they could enjoy using them. We have all agreed that this furniture is for sitting only and not for climbing on. We trust any parents with younger children will ensure this rule is respectfully followed and thank you for your cooperation.
A gentle reminder to all parents that before 9 am and at 2.30 pm, we cannot guarantee a member of staff is available on the playground. We kindly ask parents to keep an eye on their children so that everyone is safe. Thank you.
Active Schools
Our school enjoys support from Highlife Highland Active Schools who deliver a variety of afterschool and in school clubs. In order for our children to continue to benefit from these activities, we need to recruit more volunteers. Please let us know if you have any time when you can help volunteer, just contact the school office.
Bike Club
Mrs MacBean and Mrs Mach will be getting Bike Club back up and running in the next week or so. This will be initially for P4 and P5. Details will be posted on google classroom by the class teachers.
Swimming
P7 have started their block of swimming lessons. P4-7 have a block of 10 lessons each year.
Football
Last year our upper primary children asked for help to improve sportsmanship and skills in football. We are delighted to let you know that Mr Tondor a football coach has kindly offered to volunteer on Wednesdays to support the children with this request.
Houses
Our P7 children delivered speeches today to be voted as House Captain and Vice-Captain. Our houses are Urquhart, (yellow) Ness (Red) and Cawdor (Blue). All children had a vote and results will be announced next week.
Parent Council
We are looking forward to meeting with our Parent Council on 5th September at 5pm. Please consider joining us, this is a great way for you to help and support us through sharing your skills and thoughts. Our meeting will be face to face, but should you not be able to join in person there will be a link posted on Google Classroom beforehand.
At 4.30pm that afternoon Mrs Maclennan will host a parent information session on Jolly Phonics. She will share our approaches and how you can help at home for P1 children.
In-service Training
School is closed on Monday 11th September and Tuesday 12th September for in-service training. We re-open on Wednesday 13th September.
Parents Evenings
Our parent’s evenings will be held on Tuesday 26th September from 3.30 to 6pm and Thursday 28th September from 5.30 to 8.00pm. We will post out slips nearer the time for you to give an indication of when you would like your 10-minute appointment.
Our School Improvement Plan and Standards and Quality Report will be on display and the leadership team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. Our School Improvement Plan and Standards and Quality Report will be posted on our website soon.
Open Afternoon
We invite you to come and share your child’s learning on Thursday 5th October from 1.30 to 2.20 pm. From 2.30 to 3.30 pm Mrs Harvey is offering a parental information session for all parents with a focus on Google Classroom and Google Drive. Please bring along any questions you may have.
End of Term
School closes for the October break on Friday 6th October and re-opens on Monday 23rd October.
Communication
Please remember to use google classroom and the class email to communicate with the team. If you are not sure about this then feel free to ask one of the teaching staff. Welcome letters have been posted this afternoon.
Wishing you a lovely, restful weekend.
Kind regards
Mrs Fraser
Happy Friday everyone!
We have enjoyed a very positive start to the new term. It has been lovely to welcome the children back and hear about their summer holidays. We are delighted to welcome some new families into our school community.
Our team also enjoyed their summer break and are looking forward to serving the Central School community this coming year. As you may already be aware for the first two weeks of the new school year there is a whole school focus on establishing routines. Our children are settling into these new routines well.
Google Classroom
Class teachers are in the process of setting up our new Google Classrooms for their class. The team will post welcome letters and overviews of learning for this term soon.
Lunches
We remind parents that all children from P1-5 are entitled to a free school meal. Click here to see menu.
During morning registration children make their lunch choice for the day. Where possible, it is helpful to talk about lunch choices beforehand at home.
Baxter’s
After a huge success last year, we would love to take part in Baxter’s 5k race again.
All schools, youth clubs/organisations and disability groups are eligible to enter teams into the 5K and receive reduced entry fees of £10.00 for each participant (the standard entry fee is £15). The minimum number of team members is 4.
The fee can be deducted from the sponsorship money gathered.
Race Packs
Your team leader will receive race information for their team by 27 September, stating participants’ race numbers, with a copy of our event magazine containing all race weekend information. Race information can also be found at www.lochnessmarathon.com.
Pre-Race Registration
The team leader should attend pre-race registration to collect race numbers for their team between 12:30 – 18:00 on Saturday 30 September and 08:00-09:30 on Sunday 1 October at the Event Village, Bught Park.
Entry fee includes
Commemorative finisher’s medal, t-shirt, goody bag, complimentary post-race soup & roll, and a fantastic festival at the Finish, featuring live bands, pipes & drums, food & drink stands, kid’s entertainment and much more.
Homework Bags
Primary One children will be given their school homework bag soon. Several years ago our Parent Council kindly agreed to fund a homework bag for each pupil. We give these to the children in P1 so that they have a bag throughout their time at Central School.
New children throughout the school will also be given a homework bag.
In service days
A reminder that Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th September are In-Service Days and pupils do not attend school for those days.
Have a lovely weekend and we look forward to a full school week next week.
Warm wishes
Central Team
Central School 