January 2023 Newsletter
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Blackfriars January Newsletter
Dear Parent/Carer,
I hope you all had a fantastic winter break and I would like to welcome you and your children back in 2023 at Blackfriars Primary. New Term! New Year! The staff here in Blackfriars are looking forward to a hardworking 2023 helping our pupils to be the best they can be.
A BIG “Thank you!” to all the wonderful parents/families for engaging so well with our monthly math challenges on Seesaw. It would be great if you all could have a go! Sumdog is being used a lot more throughout the school and at home too. Sumdog is really beneficial for pupils developing their maths’ skills. You will see your child grow in confidence at maths.
What’s Going On?
Mr McCormick and Miss Houston have secured a variety of opportunities for our pupils this term. Here is what we have on offer:
Monday - After School – Football at the Glasgow Club, Gorbals for P3
Tuesday-Morning/ Afternoon Curriculum- Determined to Dance for P3
- Lunch Club- Dance for P5-7
Wednesday- Lunch Club - Play and Games P1-3
- After School- Bridges and Barriers P6/7
Thursday-After School-Play and Games P4-7
- After School- Tennis at the Gorbals Club for P1/2
Friday- Morning Curriculum-Football for P5-7
- Lunchtime- Football for P1
- Afternoon Curriculum-Football for P2
Homework Clubs
To help support pupils (and parents!) with homework we have a number of clubs running.
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Tuesdays
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P2 – lunchtime
P4-7 – after school
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Wednesday
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P1 - after school
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Thursdays
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P3 – lunchtime
P4-7 – after school
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If your child doesn’t attend and you would like them to be considered, please contact Mrs McHutchison.
P7 residential Trip
Great News! P7 are able to go on their residential trip this session. We have secured 5 days at Blairvadoch Outdoor Centre. The trip leaves on the 20th of March. Exciting! A big “Thank you” to our staff members who have volunteered to go along and make this happen for our pupils. I can’t wait to see all the photos and hear all about it.
BLACKFRIARS PRIMARY-Every Day Counts!
Please remember that if you intend to take your child out of school for a holiday or an extended break it is important that you complete our “Extended Leave” form. Please be advised that a holiday or an extended break during school time will have a negative impact on your child’s attainment. Holiday absences are recorded as unauthorised and will be included in your child’s attendance statistics.
Please ensure the school office has your current mobile telephone number as we may need to contact you in an emergency or over the winter if there is inclement weather. We can’t contact you if we don’t have your number so please do not expect text updates and emergency calls if office staff don’t have your most up to date mobile number! We really need to have an emergency contact for your children also…just in case we can’t reach YOU! We are still getting “unobtainable” for quite a few mobile numbers with no alternative numbers provided by yourselves.
In the event of adverse weather please listen to local radio who will inform you of any school closures. Our School App and our school Twitter feed will also provide relevant information.
Targeted Intervention
Our targeted Intervention Team continue to work with our pupils in a bid to help them “catch up” after COVID 19. Our EAL learners are getting support from Mrs Laing and Mrs Wilson. Mrs Boyd and Mrs Marsh are helping class teachers to “catch up” with Numeracy whilst Miss Taylor and Mrs Veitch do likewise for Literacy.
If your child is lucky enough to be offered extra help from the targeted Intervention Team please try to get your child to school every day as we don’t want them to miss out on the extra help!
Literacy
Burns Week, where we will be celebrating the Scottish language and Robert Burns’ poetry, will take place on the week beginning 23rd January. The children will take part in a poetry recital competition and other Scots language classroom activities. In addition, look out for a variety of fun home learning tasks on Seesaw during this week!
Thursday 2nd March is World Book Day. There will a range of exciting activities, including online live author events, competitions, children and staff sharing their favourite texts around the school and fun Seesaw tasks.
Expressive Arts
This term we are expanding our Baby Strings programme throughout our whole school! P6/5, P6, P7a and P7b will be learning violin, viola or cello on Wednesday afternoons this term and the other classes will continue to have Baby Strings lessons on Fridays. P1 families are invited in this term to help their children make their own cardboard instruments in preparation for learning a real one next year – look out for a letter and on Seesaw for this date to be confirmed. Citizens Theatre are back in with us this term after a wonderful performance with P7 in December! This term, Citizens Theatre will be creating a performance with the help of P4 and P5/4 on Tuesdays. Streetlevel Photoworks will be returning this year to work with some of the children on a photography project. They will also be hosting a screening at the school for the families of the children who worked with them on the last project, before it was interrupted by lockdowns.
Food Pantry
As always, we are so grateful for our families donating food to our pantry. We have now established strong links with Morrisons, the Co-Op and Aldi.
Our trolley goes out on a Friday morning at 9:00am and we invite any families who need a wee bit of help to take what they need. If you require extra help please contact Mrs McHutchison who will be happy to help.
Child Protection
We have very robust procedures already in place to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our pupils in Blackfriars. These procedures will not change. However, as we continue to “Get It Right For Every Child,” please remember your first point of contact if you have any concerns is Mr McCormick P2-7 and Mrs McHutchison P1.
Care Experienced Co-ordinators
Our Care Experienced Co-ordinator is Mr McCormick P2-7 and Mrs McHutchison P1.
Outdoor Learning, Family Gardening and Eco
Several classes have planted out kale and spinach seedling they grew in class, so we are looking forward to making kale crisps! This term we’ll be getting our first early potatoes in and will be running a whole school tattie growing competition! Class newsletters now have some family outdoor ideas in them so you can have some outdoor fun with your child. Teachers have had some training and have banks of Outdoor Learning ideas so all classes should be getting outside to learn.
Our Family Gardening Club will be starting again on Friday 13th January at 1.45pm. All parents/carers are welcome. Come dressed for the weather!
Our Eco Committee are spying on classes to see who is saving energy by switching appliances off! The best class will receive a prize. This Term our enthusiastic Eco Committee will be working to reduce single use plastic in school. We already recycle plastic pens and encourage reusable bottles. We are planning a Litter Free Lunch Day, a reusable water bottle competition and writing letters to try and have less plastic in our dinner hall.
All weather play
It is important that our pupils get the opportunity for fresh air and light in the long winter months. We also encourage as much learning outdoors that we can. Therefore, your children may be outside on cold, wet, miserable days. Please ensure you send your child to school dressed for poor weather conditions. This will help keep them warm and dry as they play and learn.
Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHRE)
The children in school learn about sexual health and relationships in Term Three as part of their broader learning in Health and Wellbeing. This session we are piloting the new national RSHP (Relationships Sexual Health and Parenthood) resource in our Primary One classes only. If you have any queries or concerns about your child’s learning in this area then please feel free to contact Mr McCormick via the school office.
Internet Safety
We are having a lot of problems at the moment with children using APPS and the Internet inappropriately. We will do our best to teach the children what is acceptable and unacceptable use of the internet but we need your help. Many of the problems are happening on apps that primary school age children simply shouldn’t be using! There are age limits on APPs for a reason.
If you child is experiencing negative interactions on line please remove the APPs and monitor their contacts.
Please read this information page from the NSPCC. It is important:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/social-media/
This article has fantastic advice for parents and how to keep children safe online.
Please note the AGE Ratings for a selection of APPS. They have an age rating for a reason. Basically, we should not have Primary Age children using these APPS.
Facebook-Age 13
Instagram Age 13
Snapchat-Age 13
TikTok – Age 13
Twitter-Age 13
Wink- Age 13
Please help to keep your child safe online!
In the meantime we do communicate by twitter. Please add us on twitter - 
@BlackfriarsP
Have a look at our website - www.blackfriars-pri.glasgow.sch.uk
or download our excellent Blackfriars’ App. – Scot Ed .png)
- Search for Blackfriars Primary School
Each class uses Seesaw for communicating and homework – 
Ask the teacher for your child’s login details.
Please ensure we have your phone number so we can text you and please check your child’s school bag for paper information leaflets and letters.
If you do NOT have access to any of the above means of communication please let us know and we will happily send out information by traditional “letters in bags”.
Kind Regards,
Mrs Henderson
Provisional Dates for your Diary 2023
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P2A Assembly and Blackfriars Blether
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9am 26th January- Blether
9.45am P2a Assembly
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P6/5 Assembly and Blackfriars Blether
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9am 2nd February- Blether
9.45am P6/5 Assembly
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P3b Assembly and Blackfriars Blether
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9am 23rd February- Blether
9.45am P3b Assembly
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Parents’ Nights
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Wednesday 15th March 5.30-7.30pm
Wednesday 22nd March 3-5.30pm
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Primary 7s to Blairvadoch Residential Centre
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20th March
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P4 Assembly and Blackfriars Blether
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9am 23rd March- Blether
9.45am P4 Assembly
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Sports’ Afternoon (weather permitting)
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PM-Wednesday 7th of June
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Reserve Sports’ Afternoon (weather permitting)
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PM- Thursday 8th of June
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Primary 7 End of Term Assembly
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Week Beginning 19th of June-TBC
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School Holidays 2022/23
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2023
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Mid Term Break
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Monday 13th February
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Tuesday 14th February
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In-Service Day 4
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No children at school-Wednesday 15th February
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Spring Break
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School Closes @ 2.30pm on Friday 31st March
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Children Return
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Tuesday 17th April
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May Day
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Monday 1st May
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Coronation Public Holiday
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Monday 8th May
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In-Service Day 5
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No children at school-Thursday 25th May
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May Holiday
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Friday 26th May
Monday 29th May
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Summer Holidays
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School Closes @ 1pm on Friday 23rd June
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In-Service Day
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Monday 14th August
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Tuesday 15th August
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Children Return
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Wednesday 16th August 2023
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