ST.ANDREWS PARENT COUNCIL

 

 

‘It takes an entire community to raise a child'

 

MINUTES

 

Meeting held on Monday 11 May 2009

at St. Andrews Primary School

 

 

MEMBERS OF PARENT COUNCIL PRESENT:

 

Peter Cairns , Stacey Drever, Marlyn Firth,

 

IN ATTENDANCE

 

Head Teacher: Thelma Holt

Councillors: Cllr Russ Madge, Cllr Andrew Drever

Member of public: Sheena Laughton    

 

APOLOGIES

 

Louise Graham, Margaret Kirkness, Ernie Skea, Kevin Handcock, Marilyn Richards.

 

MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

 

Proposed by: Marlyn Firth

Seconded by: Peter Cairns

 

MATTERS ARISING

 
•  Mary's Meals and The Back Pack Project

 

The bags have been uplifted with extra boxes of numerous items donated.   Ken Amer came and took photographs for the ‘Orkney Today' newspaper.

 

•  Have Sum Fun

 

Peter Cairns has photographed all the games to compile a catalogue,   which is going to be put onto the school website, and also create a hard copy for use by families who do not have easy access to the internet.

 

•  Mr Welbon

 

Peter has not been able to contact Mr. Welbon.   Thelma Holt has offered to speak to him when he comes into school to help with cycle training.

 

 

 

•  Constitution

 

Stacey is still awaiting a response back from Sheila Tulloch in the Legal Department.   Cllr Russ Madge offered to chase this up.

 

•  Safety Of School Children Crossing The Road

 

Thelma expressed a concern about the school children crossing the road at the new houses opposite the school.

Cllr Andrew Drever came to the meeting with a proposed plan to make a change to the pathway to establish a safer crossing of the road.  

Thelma Holt informed the members that teachers have been crossing the children across the road as they felt it was unsafe for them to do so themselves.   Cllr Drever said that it was the parent's responsibility to ensure the safety of their children crossing the road, as it came under the ‘Responsibilty of Care'.   Cllr Drever suggested that Thelma Holt spoke to the parents concerned and asked them to cross their children across the road safely.   It was felt that school staff should not be made responsible for the children crossing the road and that insurance would not cover such an undertaking.

 

Cllr Drever said that he would try to access the smiley face to place on road adjacent to the school, to see if it would deter motorists from driving so fast.

 

•  AGM

 

The AGM has been set for Monday 8 June at 7.30pm in the school hall.  

Invitations are being sent out to all parents by 25 th May through the school.   Peter Cairns is going to make posters and place them in local shops, and e-mail radio Orkney with details to be broadcasted on their radio show. Thelma will put out letters to parents informing them of the forthcoming AGM.   It was decided not to hold a crèche for the AGM.   Pupil Council members are to be asked to attend the AGM.

 

Marilyn Richards will be giving a brief talk on the new 'Curriculum for Excellence' to inform parents / members of the public of the changes taking place.   Thelma stated that St. Andrews School is already using this in planning.

 

•  Penny Project

 

The school received some project books devised by Janice Ross for parents to use for home tutoring to peruse. Thelma showed the members the books and it was decided that the Parent Council would do some fundraising to enable the school to purchase some of these books as they fit very well with the Curriculum for Excellence.

 

•  Sun Hats

 

Sheena Laughton had come to address the Parent Council members to speak about the importance of using sun hats and sun screen on the children.   This follows the letter that she sent to the Director of Education and Parent Council's making us aware of the risks of children contracting skin cancer form the suns rays.   Sheena pointed out that the harmful UV rays are also present on cloudy days.

 

Sheena has also written to the Holm and St. Andrews Community Councils informing them also of the suns dangers and asking them if they would be interested in helping financially towards the cost of sun hats for the children of the school.

 

Sheena has been to John Kemps draper shop in Kirkwall to ascertain how much it would cost to have the school motif put onto a yellow legionnaire type sun hat.   It would have to be a minimum order of 150 at a cost of £1.90 per hat.

It was felt that some more universal/gender type hats should be offered to the children as well.

Peter suggested that samples were made available to the school and that the Pupil Council could arrange to have a voting system made for all children to have access to giving the children ownership of their decision regarding sun hats and what typed they would like to have.   Sheena is going to liaise with John Kemp to see if she can get samples for the school.

 

CORRESPONDENCE

 

Scottish Office

 

Peter has received correspondence from the Scottish Office inviting a representative to attend a meeting at Hampton Park , Glasgow on 13 th June 2009 , ‘Views on a National Representative Body for parent Councils'.   It was felt that this letter had been sent too late to expect anybody to arrange time off work to attend the meeting.

 

Peter had also been sent an invitation to attend a meeting at the Ayre Hotel on 20 th may for ‘chairs' of Parent Councils and head teachers – which he has arranged to attend.

 

FORTHCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS

 

 

AOB

 

Stacey asked the members how they felt about having the logo on top of the Parent Council minutes.   It was felt that it was a good idea but the logo would need to be made bigger and have the words form the caption on the headed paper that was devised.   Stacey will make this template up on the next minutes.

 

Disclosure Scotland

 

It was discussed whether all Parent Council members needed to have a Disclosure Scotland check.   Stacey is to speak to Personnel regarding this.

 

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

 

TBC