Over the coming weeks and months Craighouse visitors will begin to see an increased level of activity on site. Clearbell have launched a website that hopes to provide information on the work scheduled and other news.
You can view the site at www.craighouse-edinburgh.com and you can see some interesting drone photos on their Flickr page.
SGN will be commencing major gas works on Comiston Road on Monday 23rd May 2016. They’re replacing 800m of ageing gas pipes and a one-way traffic system will be put in place for a number of weeks to prevent the need for temporary traffic lights.
SGN have supplied a document which lists all the details and you can see the new traffic flow below. A representative spoke to the Parent Council at our meeting last Monday and assured us that disruption to the school day will be minimised – he confirm there would be no drilling outside the school until after the end of the summer term.
Apparently, some of their workforce will be able to invest a bit of time helping out with school playground projects – sorting out the flower beds was specifically mentioned. We’d be happy to pass on ideas from parents for how else they might help!
Our acting Head Teacher, Mrs Morgan, has asked us to share some of the main points of the National Improvement Framework (NIF) with you.
The NIF comes from the Scottish Government and builds on the frameworks that are already firmly established in Scottish schools, Curriculum for Excellence and GIRFEC. The vision of the NIF is Excellence through raising attainment: ensuring that every child achieves the highest standards in literacy and numeracy and the right range of skills, qualifications and achievements to allow them to succeed; and Achieving equity: ensuring every child has the same opportunity to succeed. The Scottish Attainment Challenge will help to focus our efforts and deliver this ambition.
Gathering evidence is a key part of the NIF. There are six key drivers of improvement: school leadership, teacher professionalism, parental engagement, assessment of children’s progress, school improvement and performance information.
These six key drivers for improvement will be instrumental in achieving the key priorities which are:
You can read more about the NIF in this detailed presentation.
P7 Code Club is coming soon to South Morningside Primary! Parents of current P7 pupils only have until Wednesday 23 March to note their interest for an expected summer term start.
If you’d like to get your child on the list please email code-club@sm-pc.org with your child’s name and class. If the club is over-subscribed, selection will be made via a ballot.
Code club is on the lookout for more parent volunteers to help run the club and is also looking for donations of old flat screen monitors, keyboards and mice. If you can help, please email code-club@sm-pc.org.
A webcast of the council meeting on February 4, 2016 is available online. You can watch the deputation made by two South Morningside parents which starts around 9 minutes into the broadcast.
This isn’t specifically related to any school matters, but we thought it might be of general interest to the parent community.
The council are consulting about the possible redevelopment of several sites in the Morningside/Bruntsfield area, one of which is the Deanbank/Oakland Care Home area.
https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/bruntsfield-morningside-town-centre/consult_view
The council are looking for feedback. You can email Emma Fitzgerald, the Planning Officer, or you can attend a public consultation event on Tuesday 19 Jan 2016 (14:00 – 17:00) and Saturday 23 Jan 2016 (11:00 – 14:00).
There are some vacancies in the parent community that we are looking to fill – you don’t need to be a parent council member or have prior experience. What we’re looking for is enthusiasm!
Visit our new Situations Vacant page for full details and contact chair@sm-pc.org if you need more info or want to volunteer. Please share with your parent friends!
https://sm-pc.org/more/situations-vacant
We have all been moved by the various scenes of the refugee crisis throughout the summer. This crisis continues and they now face an added challenge – freezing cold. Many refugees are moving through Europe wearing the clothes they took from their hot climate. A local group from Edinburgh called Team Humanity Van, working with an aid agency called Humanitas, are making a trip to the Balkans next week with two supply vans of medication and winter-wear. They have asked the parent council if we could arrange a collection of as many children’s wellies and boots as we can.
It’s really short notice but we will be leaving a container near the main entrance of the main school for one day only: tomorrow, Wednesday 25th November. If you have any wellies or other winter footwear that you can donate, we’re making you to please bring them along with you at drop off or pick up time and leave them in the container. They will all be collected around 5pm tomorrow.
The footwear can be old or new, it doesn’t matter – anything is better than nothing!
Our annual Winter Fair is taking place on Saturday 5 December, 12pm – 2.30pm. This is one of our largest fundraising events so we’re asking all South Morningside Primary parents (and their friends and families!) to come along and join the fun!
As always we’re looking for helpers on the day. If you can spare some of your time we’d really appreciate it. Full details for how to volunteer, as well as details on how to buy tickets for the shows, can be found on the Winter Fair page:
Last week the 42-year-old temporary huts were finally demolished. Here’s a fantastic time lapse video of the big event.
South Morningside Parent Council 