Milton Primary School

Good evening everyone,

Please find the topic grid attached as promised. We’ve made the activities as accessible as possible for Primary 1-7 as we hope siblings will be able to work together on some tasks.

These activities are completely optional. Your child may want to engage in some, all or none of the suggested tasks. 

Class Teachers do not require anything from this grid to be handed in, however, if your child does complete a piece of work and they’d like to share it with their Class Teacher then please feel free to e-mail us. Likewise, if you have any questions about any of the tasks, then e-mail us too. We are still ‘here’ to help although it’s not in the School building, in person.

I hope you are all staying safe and well. Don’t forget to look out for contact from a Milton Primary member of staff about your child’s Google Meet next week. This call will come from a private number. If we are unable to reach you, we will do our best to leave a message.

Any questions at all, please get in touch.

IDL Grid

Please find below a document outlining how to access Google Meet. If you have any difficulties please send us an email and we will do our best to help you.

Google Meet Guide

I hope that you’ve all been enjoying some time out in the sunshine.  

I would like to thank everyone for engaging with either the blog or Google classrooms over the past week.  It’s been lovely to see all of the work and fun going on.

In line with new Highland Council policy, myself or Mrs Christie will continue to phone families who are not engaging every three days to see how we can support you.  New guidance has been issued that we must follow.  I will post details of this soon.

We have now set up Google Meet groups for all pupils at Milton P.S. Your child has been allocated a group with a staff member and other pupils in their class. The staff member in charge of your group will phone you with the details before the end of the week. They will tell you the unique group code, time and date of the meet. P4-7 already have access to Google regularly but this may be new for parents from nursery – P3. I have attached a ‘How to’ guide for you to follow. Your child’s group leader will phone you this week to give you the details for your child’s group.

The expectation is that your child is able to join their group each week at the same time for a short, informal chat with their friends and to see a friendly adult’s face from school. All of us are very excited to be able to see you as we’ve missed you all.  

Thank you for your support,

Suzanne Callander

Bring your bag to the Mercat between 12.00pm-3.00pm and access their fantastic pop up shop.

Good Morning Everyone

What a beautiful day. I do hope you all manage to enjoy this fantastic weather going out for your daily exercise or having some time in the garden. We definitely need to make the most of it as we never know how long the sun is going to stick around for. Don’t forget to dig out the suncream. It doesn’t have to be ‘hot’ for skin to burn. Remember to hydrate too!

Registration must be completed by 3.00pm at the very latest. Home learning tasks are flexible and can be completed at any time throughout the day but we ask that all children make a very good attempt at tasks. If this is not possible, please e-mail us. Although we are not there in person, we are still here to support you and your child(ren) in this very surreal situation we find ourselves in. Please don’t panic if you or your child is finding things difficult, that’s why our emails are provided. Don’t hesitate to get in touch. You are not alone.

Primary 6/7 appear to enjoy their meme of the day so here’s one to try today as well as an inspirational quote.

Have a good day everyone. Your topic grid should be with you tomorrow morning to give you some ideas to further support home learning.

Stay safe and well. Happy Monday!

Good Evening everyone,

We hope you are all adapting to the new way of learning at Milton Primary and Nursery. We are SO impressed by the responses we’ve had to learning tasks. It’ll take time for all of us to get used to this new way of working so it’s OK for it to take a little time to feel normal. Class Teachers had their first collegiate session via Skype today! It was great to catch up but we’d obviously much prefer to be back in the school building.

If your child has not been able to engage in learning tasks set for them this week, for whatever reason, please ensure you contact Mrs Callander to let her know as we are still required to report on attendance and learning engagement.

Please see below some guidance from Highland Council. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you require more information/support/guidance. There’s no such thing as a silly question and we are here to help.

Information for Learners and Parents

It might be helpful for schools to share the following guidelines with learners and their Parents regarding expectation for engaging with Distance Learning Activities

Guideline for Learners on Distance Learning

• Dedicate appropriate time to learning as guided by your teacher/s.
• Regularly check either Seesaw or Google classroom for information on classwork.
• Identify a comfortable and quiet space to study/learn.
• Try to complete all the learning activities posted by your teacher.
• Ensure you look after your own health and wellbeing. Don’t worry if you can’t do everything that your teacher has set. Pupils can contact their class teacher/Guidance teacher through email or Seesaw.

Guidelines for Parents on Distance Learning

• Parents know their own child best and individual circumstances will dictate the pace and type of learning which is appropriate
• Support their child/ren in their learning by:
• Providing an environment to support learning (access to technology if possible, safe and quiet space during daytime).
• Engaging your children in conversations on posted work.
• Monitoring time spent engaging in online and offline learning.
• Support health and wellbeing by providing plenty of time for physical activity, conversation and play.
• Parents can contact the school if they have any queries around virtual learning.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mrs Christie

 

Free school meals FAQs

Who is entitled to receive the voucher?

Following Scottish Government guidance, vouchers can be given to children in P1-P3 who receive School Clothing Grants and all children in P4 – S6 who are entitled to Free School Meals.

Children in Early Years who are eligible will also be supported during this time.  Further details will be issued to families shortly

I think I am entitled for School Clothing Grants and/or Free School Meals.  How do I apply?

If your circumstances have changed, or you have not previously applied for a School Clothing Grant or Free School Meals, then you can apply online at: –

https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/899/schools_-_grants_and_benefits/10/free_school_meals_and_assistance_with_clothing

 How much is paid?

£15 per child per week.

What is an e-voucher?

An e-voucher is a digital voucher that you can use to pay for food. It is sent to your e-mail address.

How are e-vouchers issued?

They are sent via e-mail to the main contact e-mail address provided by you to the school.

What can they be used for?

For food and everyday supplies. Exclusions include alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets and fuel.

How do they work?

You can either print the voucher, use the e-mail in store or take a screen shot using your smart phone.

Where can they be used?

They can generally be used in any of the following retailers: Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencers and Morrisons.

(The exception is for vouchers issued through “PayPoint” for those the most remote areas of the Highlands where they can be used at retail outlets that offer PayPoint).

Who are they issued to?

They are sent via e-mail to the main contact e-mail address provided by you to the school.

What do I do if my e-mail address has changed?

Please e-mail School.FoodVouchers@highland.gov.uk the following information:

• Current main contact e-mail address
• New main contact e-mail address
• Main contact name
• Home address
• Post code
• Contact telephone number
• Name of school/s attended by your child/children

What do I do if the Council has written to me for my main contact e-mail address?

Please e-mail School.FoodVouchers@highland.gov.uk the following information:

• Current main contact e-mail address
• New main contact e-mail address
• Main contact name
• Home address
• Post code
• Contact telephone number
• Name of school/s attended by your child/children

Will the Council phone me to ask me for my e-mail address?

No, never.  The Council will write to you seeking this information if required and you will be asked to respond to: –  School.FoodVouchers@highland.gov.uk

I do not have an email address, what can I do?

If you do not have a contact email address that we can use, please contact us via the HC Helpline on 0300 303 1362.

I have not received an e-mail or a letter from Highland Council, but my children already get Free School Meals.  What should I do?

Please contact us via the HC email : School.FoodVouchers@highland.gov.uk

I have not received my voucher?

Some vouchers could go into your Spam/junk e-mail. Please ensure you check before e-mailing School.FoodVouchers@highland.gov.uk 

How often are vouchers issued?

We intend to issue fortnightly payment in advance with the next vouchers due to be issued during the week commencing 13 April 2020, and on a fortnightly basis thereafter.

Can I get change if my shop is less than the value of the voucher?

No cash/change is available from these vouchers. If your spend is less than the value of the voucher, then the balance can be used on your next shop with that same retailer, and the total value of the voucher is to be used within 3 months of the date of issue of the voucher.

There are some exceptions to this and in these circumstances,  payments will be issued through “PayPoint” for those in the most remote areas of the Highlands.  Paypoint vouchers are exchanged for cash at retail outlets that offer PayPoint.

Does the voucher need to be spent in the one transaction?

No. If your spend is less than the value of the voucher, the balance can be used on your next shop with that retailer, and the total value of the voucher is used within 3 months of the date of issue of the voucher.

For vouchers issued through “PayPoint” for those in the most remote areas of the Highlands, the vouchers expire after 1 month.

If you have any questions, please contact School.FoodVouchers@highland.gov.uk

 

Good Morning everyone,

Welcome to Day 2 of Term 4. Thank you and well done to all of the children who engaged with home learning tasks yesterday. We appreciate this is a really unsettling and strange time for everyone but we hope that some learning tasks will help you all to structure your ‘school’ day.

That being said, we understand that you may have already established a new routine as a family. The tasks set are very flexible and can be completed at any time throughout the day unless stated otherwise on teacher’s daily timetables. For example, if the weather is nice and you’d like to make the most of the time in the garden then please do.

However, we urge you to register your child’s attendance/encourage your child to register with their class teacher by 3.00pm at the very latest. Mrs Callander and I will be following up absences by phone today/tomorrow as per Highland Council protocol so please ensure you’ve checked in.

If you have any questions or there’s something you’d like to discuss with your child’s class teacher then feel free to send an email. We are available to answer between 9.00am-3.00pm.Likewise, we would love to see what the children are getting upto so any photographs you’d like to forward would be fantastic to see! The Early Level Class blog is looking fantastic.

Stay safe everyone and have a great second day back!

Good Morning all and a very warm welcome back to Term 4. It may not be the first day back of term we were expecting but nonetheless our teachers are ready and waiting with online learning for you all.

Just a reminder of our expectations:

Nursery and Primary 1-3 parents should comment on their child’s class blog post each day so Mrs Forth, Mrs June, Miss Robinson and Ms O’Shea can note your attendance.

Primary 4-7 should log on to their Google Classroom and let their CTs know they are present and well on their registration post.

The work set is for the day so please feel free to find a time that’s good for you and your child to work on learning tasks but you must register attendance with staff by 3.00pm at the very latest.

If your child is feeling unwell and is unable to complete the work set for that day, please email Mrs Callander: suzanne.callander@highland.gov.uk

We will be following up absence calls throughout the week if your child has not engaged so please do get in touch. More information to follow shortly.

Enjoy day 1 of term 4 everyone 😊

Good evening all,

Apologies for disturbing you on a Saturday night but unfortunately it has come to our attention that there is some confusion in the community following the Prime Minister’s announcement last week. Please see the screenshot below taken from the Government website which clearly states what is currently expected from us which is to STAY AT HOME.

While we appreciate that these circumstances are difficult for everyone, we urge you to follow the advice from the Government. One form of exercise per day, outdoors, is fine but this should only be carried out with members of your household. We are very aware your children will be eager to spend time with their friends out in the community throughout the holidays but this should be heavily discouraged.

We hope you are managing to enjoy some time together as a family throughout this Easter break. Take care and stay safe.