Welcome to Bonaly Primary School

 

Arrangements for School – Week beginning 22nd February

Dear Parents, Carers

As you are aware it has been confirmed that Nursery to P3 children will return to school on Monday. Woohoo 😊

Our priorities in the next few weeks will be supporting the children in returning to school with a focus on literacy, numeracy and Health and Well Being. We have timetabled additional support for classes through Pupil Support Assistants.

Those of you in P2a will be aware of an email earlier this week with the lovely news that Mrs Lillie (Principal Teacher, Support for Learning) will be on maternity leave from around June. Health restrictions mean that she will not be able to be in school, but she will be working behind the scenes. Mrs Harris will be teaching P1a full time for the rest of this term to allow Miss Mulholland to have increased SfL teaching time.  We will also be recruiting a temporary additional teacher for an in-school replacement for Mrs Lillie. We will also have a new part time member of staff, Miss Barker, who is part of the city wide Closing the Gap Team.

There are a small number of children in school from P4-P7. There is a rota of staff who are covering this. On the days that teachers are in school there will not be available for the daily drop ins on-line. The remote learning through Teams will continue on those days.

All children in P4-P7 will hopefully soon be also able to return to school. As you will be aware, before this happens, the transmission and infection rates have to be reduced. According to information shared by John Swinney to headteachers, schools returning increases community transmission impacting on the R value by 0.2.

Therefore, the procedures that we had in place prior to Christmas will continue. All of these with the intention of minimising potential transmission of Covid-19. (Not all of these apply to Nursery)

1. Drop off and Pick Up

• Classrooms open from 8:45 with teachers starting the “school day” as usual from 8:55. P1 and P2 will be dismissed at 3:00 and P3 at 3:20.
• Maintain 2m distance between yourselves and staff, other children and adults.  Please ensure you wear a face covering at all times.
• Adults should not go near the classroom door and should drop their children off at least 2 metres from the building.
• If there are any messages for the school please email admin@bonaly.edin.sch.uk / phone us 441 7211. Please do not linger at the classroom entrance or in the playground – these are pinch points and are the area of greater risk to staff of community transmission.
• If a child is being collected out with pick up / drop off times then please contact the school office in advance and meet your child at the main entrance.

2. In School Mitigations

• The same regime of frequent hand sanitising and hand washing will be in place
• Breaktimes / Lunchtimes will be staggered with classes allocated to zones.
• Lunch will be eaten in the classrooms
• As much as possible staff will maintain 2m physical distance between themselves and children. Where this is not possible face coverings will be worn.
• Face coverings will be worn by staff in corridors
• Windows and doors will be kept open as much as possible – please provide your child with additional layers.
• Physical Education will be outside – as before, a bag with a change of shoes and socks and waterproof outerwear are recommended for PE in our wet Scottish weather.

3. Staff will, on a voluntary basis, be undertaking Asymptomatic Testing.

Thank you in advance for adhering to these mitigations and also for your understanding – we will all get through this!

We look forward to welcoming back our Nursery to P3 children on Monday.

Kind regards,

Peter
 
Peter Gorrie | Head Teacher | Bonaly Primary School | 57 Bonaly Road | Edinburgh | EH13 0FJ | Tel 0131 441 7211
| admin@bonaly.edin.sch.uk | www.bonaly.edin.sch.uk | @BonalyPrimary 

Keyworker families and information for January

Dear Parents / Carers,

Following on from the announcement regarding school return dates in January please see the email sent to all parents Tuesday 22nd December…

There will be a further communication direct from City of Edinburgh Council this afternoon.

Please use the flowchart and definition of keyworker from Scottish Government.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-school-re-opening-arrangements-for-january-2021/pages/children-of-keyworkers/

Please read these before completing the on-line form to determine if your family meet these criteria. All school staff and school-based FM staff are considered by City of Edinburgh Council to be Category 1 and 2 Key Workers and therefore any staff with children in a City of Edinburgh Council establishment may apply for childcare at their own child’s school, if they meet the criteria on the flowchart.

Wednesday 6^th January – Friday 8^th January Extended school holiday with  childcare provided by school staff for Keyworker children only (Usual school / nursery hours)

Monday 11^th January – Friday 15^th January – Blended learning with In-school / nursery learning for keyworker children only (Usual school / nursery hours). Further information regarding blended learning will be shared on / by Friday 8^th January.

The link to the on-line form for keyworker families at Bonaly, that meet the criteria in the definition and flowchart, is

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=af6sSGo3tUKfacnke7-5xIKyc590SpJCucLNuoelakhUQVpINUZEVTQwNUVPTTA2N0g3N1NPRzQ5MS4u

This form should be completed by 11.45 p.m. on 3^rd January 2021.

Thank you all for your understanding in our unprecedented times!

Wishing you all a lovely Festive season.

Peter
 
Peter Gorrie | Head Teacher | Bonaly Primary School | 57 Bonaly Road | Edinburgh | EH13 0FJ | Tel 0131 441 7211
| admin@bonaly.edin.sch.uk | www.bonaly.edin.sch.uk | @BonalyPrimary 

School Handbook – available for downloading

bonaly-school-handbook-2020-2021-Download

Scarecrow Festival Winners

What an incredibly difficult task Mrs Miller and Mr Gorrie had in choosing the winners!

Thank you to all who took part.

After much deliberation the winners are

1. Harry Potter (36)
2. Jimmy Haystacks (17)
3. Mr Potato Head (38)

1.-harry-potterDownload

2. Jimmy HaystacksDownload

3. Mr Potato HeadDownload

Bonaly Scarecrow Festival

SCARECROWS!

The Bonaly Primary School fundraising team have had to get more inventive due to the pandemic, so we have arranged a Scarecrow Festival, which starts today and lasts until 4pm 29th November (if the scarecrows stay standing, that is!). The scarecrows will be positioned in people’s front gardens, to be visible from the pavement, and are dotted over the school catchment – this map shows you where they can be found. They can also be viewed on this online gallery (more pics to be added, there were 62 scarecrow entries!).

If they’ve made your lockdown walk a bit brighter, and you’d like to donate to Bonaly Primary School, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bonalyprimaryscarecrowfestival

Thank you and we hope you enjoy the Scarecrow Festival!

P1 Registration (August 2021)

The registration website for P1 starting school in August 2021 is now live. Please use the link below.

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/p1registration

Please complete all fields and ensure you have clicked ‘submit’ or your application will not be processed.  Photos or scans of any required documents can be uploaded and will be passed onto the school for verification.

Starting P1 in August 2021 ?

Website for new families starting P1 at Bonaly Primary August 2021

Posted on 28th Oct 2020by Bonaly

https://startingp1atbonalyinaugust2021.wordpress.com/

Website for new families starting P1 at Bonaly Primary August 2021

https://startingp1atbonalyinaugust2021.wordpress.com/

Social Media Apps – Advice for Parents and Carers

Attached are 4 one page documents on Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok and Discord, some of the apps that a number of young people are using daily. They are each designed to provide important advice and information for parents and carers.

parents-guide-instagramDownload

parents-guide-tiktokDownload

parents-guide-whatsappDownload

parents-guide-discordDownload

These have been shared by Police Scotland.

Letter from Jason Leitch re Covid-19 testing and info on Common Cold symptoms

Our standard absence procedures therefore apply for children displaying symptoms of Common Cold (or any other illness) ie.

Should your child be unwell, unfit for school please phone the school absence line letting us know that they will not be in school.

If they are not well enough to attend school,  provision will be made on their return to catch up on the core learning they have missed.

jason-leitch-letter-common-cold-coronavirus-testingDownload

Guidance should a child be unwell with Covid-19 symptoms or other respiratory illnesses (runny nose, sore throat, sneezing)

nhs-cec-flowchart-guidance-related-to-children-symptoms-of-respiratory-conditions-or-covid-19Download

Starting School – Reference Documents

Return To School Letter – Bonaly (council template)

Returning to Bonaly School in August Guidance for Families

Dear Parents, Carers

I hope that you have had some semblance of a summer, it has certainly been quite a few months.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming the children back to school next week. I totally understand there will be a range of emotions on the part of yourselves, children and staff – having been away for such a considerable period of time. Our aim is to make this transition a smooth a possible, we are however having to do things a bit differently, these are detailed on the 2 documents attached. It goes without saying that we are following local and national guidance. This has been a fast moving week with a range of information coming to yourselves (and schools) – thank you for your understanding.

Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any queries and we will do our utmost to address these.

Many thanks

Peter Gorrie
Headteacher

Nursery Return Arrangements

NURSERY UPDATE City of Edinburgh Council will confirm with schools on Wednesday 5th Aug, the model of nursery attendance that we can offer, following the Scottish Government’s guidance being published last Friday. We will be in touch with you as soon as we can to confirm this.

Returning to school Wednesday 12th August

We are looking forward to the children returning to school next Wednesday, the 12th August.

There is information and guidance to come in the next few days from City of Edinburgh Council and this will then be implemented to meet the context of Bonaly Primary. More details will be shared ASAP.

Building Resilience – Back to School 

With t children returning to school we know many families will have lots of questions and mixed feelings over the next couple of weeks.  The Health and Wellbeing, Parent and Carers Support and Psychological Services teams have been busy working with the Parent and Carer Support Collaborative to produce training and resources to support the wellbeing of parents, carers, children, young people.

Back_to_school_tips_guides – this document which may be useful to discuss with your child.

 

City of Edinburgh – FAQs Updated 24th July

Schools_FAQs_24.07.20

Above is the link to the latest FAQs regarding school reopening for children on August 12th.

 

School Opening August

13th July Update

Bonaly Primary school is scheduled to open to all pupils on Wednesday 12th August. Monday 10th, Tuesday 11th August are staff In-Service days.

Links to City of Edinburgh FAQ documents regarding reopening

About_childcare_and_children_YP_families_support_9_July_2020

About_cleaning_protective_infection_measures_9_July_2020

About_curriculum_9_July_2020

About_getting_to_school_and_physical_distancing_ 9_July_2020

About_support_for_staff_9_July_2020

Arrangements_for_reopening_schools_9_July_2020

1140 Hours Nursery

parent_carer 01042020 copy

Please see the above link to the City Council letter regarding 1140 Nursery Hours.

 

March 19th – City Council Letter on Covid-19

Please see letter from Chief Education Officer, Andy Gray. Covid-19 Letter to ParentsCarers 190320

March 17th Coronavirus (Covid-19) School Update

Home learning – website resources

 

Dear Parents, Carers

 

You will appreciate the measures to counter the spread of the Coronavirus have been widened significantly. Advice from the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland continues to guide the city council response, and therefore school actions. The health and wellbeing of all our colleagues, pupils and service users is of paramount importance.

 

I realise this is a very worrying time for everyone but please be reassured that the Council and school is doing all it can to protect and support our communities.

 

 

Staying at Home / Health Guidance

 

The most common symptoms are recent onset of a new continuous cough and/or high temperature. NHS advice is available from https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19

 

In a household isolation situation:

 

• The person with symptoms should stay at home for 7 days.
• Others in the same household should stay at home for 14 days whether they have symptoms or not.
• If others develop symptoms they should stay at home for 7 days – even if that leads to a stay at home for more than 14 days in total.

 

The full extract from NHS advice is:

“Those with symptoms who live alone should remain at home for 7 days after the onset of their symptoms (see “ending self-isolation” below). This will reduce the risk of you infecting others.

If you live with others, then the person who has symptoms of COVID-19 (new continuous cough and/or fever/high temperature) should stay at home for 7 days from the start of their symptoms and all other household members who don’t develop any symptoms should stay at home for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day illness began in the first person to become ill. If others in the household develop symptoms within the 14 days, then they will need to stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms began, even if this takes them over the 14 day isolation period.

It is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or may already be infected. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community. Staying at home may be difficult and frustrating, but there are things that you can do to help make it easier.”

 

Parents/carers of children and young people with underlying health conditions should seek advice from NHS Inform and consider self-isolation.

 

If you’re your child is off school could you please email admin@bonaly.edin.sch.uk / leave a detailed phone message (0131 441 7211) explaining the reason for the absence. We are being asked to record / code reasons for absence very specifically.

 

Everyone needs to continue to observe the recommended hygiene advice and avoid personal contact.

 

School Impact

 

In addition to the information shared yesterday, we have been informed that all school trips, including day trips and residential events/experiences arranged up until the end of the session, will be cancelled.

 

Should there be teacher absence the following cover order will be applied – (Mrs Miller is currently teaching this week). The priority is ensuring there is a teacher for each class.

 

 

1. Miss Mulholland and Mrs Lillie support for learning teachers will teach classes and support for learning groups / support will be cancelled.

 

1. Depending on numbers in the nursery – Mrs Harris will teach a class

 

1. Mrs Jeffrey’s PE teaching commitment will be suspended and Mrs Jeffrey will teach a class.

 

1. 1. The children will still have PE, but delivered by their class teacher

Mrs Jeffrey’s teaching commitment provides cover to teachers for contractual non-class contact requirements.

 

1. As a last resort classes would be split – meaning that groups of children could go into other classes (again within national guidelines on class sizes)

 

 

Going forward …

 

I am sure you appreciate that teachers are planning and preparing lessons for children who are in school. Therefore we do not have capacity for individual pupil learning to be sent home. However attached are some educational websites , resources which could be used should the children be at home.

 

There are also measures being taken to made available further learning activities for use at home should the government advice change / individual school circumstances mean that schools have to be closed.

 

 

 

Obviously, this is an extremely dynamic situation which is under constant review and I will update you should any advice change.

 

I appreciate this is an uncertain time for everyone but please be reassured that the Council and school is doing all it can to minimise any impact.

 

Thank you for your understanding.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Peter

Peter Gorrie | Head Teacher | Bonaly Primary School | 57 Bonaly Road | Edinburgh | EH13 0FJ | Tel 0131 441 7211
| admin@bonaly.edin.sch.uk | www.bonaly.edin.sch.uk | @BonalyPrimary

16th March 13:00 Covid-19 Update

Dear Parents, Carers

 

In light of the evolving situation regarding Coronavirus the city council has taken the following decisions for schools

“As part of our efforts to delay the spread of the virus, school events where there is a close concentration of people should be cancelled.  Such activities would include concerts, school assemblies, as well as any non-urgent meetings where large groups of staff would be in close proximity.

Parent consultation evenings should be cancelled in order to reduce the spread.

Pupils should not be exposed to malleable products such as Play-Doh, as well as dough, sand/water.  Any planned bake sales should not be allowed for the time being.”

For Bonaly this means the following postponements / cancellation

• Parent consultations this week
• The P7 show will be postponed
• End of term whole school attendance at Colinton Church

We would hope that the Parent consultations and P7 show will be able to take place after Easter, however at this point new dates have not been identified. I am sure you appreciate this is an everchanging situation.

At school level the following precautions have already taken place

• Increased handwashing in school – 4 times per day
• Working with Mitie staff to ensure appropriate supply and replenishment of soap and towels
• Assembly last week on how to minimise the spreading of germs (PowerPoint Link on school website – https://bonalyprimaryschool.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/germs-hand-washing.pptx ) . This message is being backed up by class reminders.
• Children telling the kitchen staff what they want for lunch – ie No longer using lunch tokens for identifying which meal the children are having at the counter.

 

For convenience I am also including below the latest advice from Health Protection Scotland which was updated as recently as yesterday evening (Sunday 15^th March).

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19

What should I do if I have symptoms

If you have symptoms of recent onset (within the last 7 days) of a continuous cough and/or high temperature, however mild, stay at home and do not leave your house for 7 days from when your symptoms started. This advice is designed to help people prevent the spread. You do not need to be tested for COVID-19. Self-isolating for 7 days will be enough to prevent spread. Please visit NHS Inform for further guidance and information.

What should I do if my symptoms are worsening

Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is worsening. If it’s not an emergency, contact NHS 24 or your GP. If it is an emergency and you need to call an ambulance, dial 999 and inform the call handler or operator that you may have coronavirus (COVID-19).

What are the typical signs and symptoms of COVID-19

Common symptoms include:

• new continuous cough

and/or

• high temperature

 

Contact with a case of COVID-19

No actions are needed for asymptomatic individuals who have contact with a case of COVID-19. Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 should follow the guidance for people with symptoms in section 1.1

Thank you for your understanding in this situation.

Kind regards,

 

Peter

Peter Gorrie | Head Teacher | Bonaly Primary School | 57 Bonaly Road | Edinburgh | EH13 0FJ | Tel 0131 441 7211
| admin@bonaly.edin.sch.uk | www.bonaly.edin.sch.uk | @BonalyPrimary

 

Covid-19

As a school we are following all advice and guidance coming from the City Council and NHS services.

Edinburgh City Council – Covid-19 information

NHS Inform – Covid 19 information.

In school time is being set aside for hand washing. Thursday’s assembly had a focus on preventing the spread of germs. The link to this is germs hand washing . 

 

 

December 2019 eNews

This eNews contains information on

 

Staffing

Christmas Fair

Health and Safety

Wider Achievement

End of term

 

Staffing

 

Mrs Adair and Mrs Borthwick, Pupil support assistants,  are retiring at Christmas. They have both given many years of wonderful service to the children and families at Bonaly. Mrs Borthwick for 19 years and Mrs Adair for 25 years. They have seen many changes to their role and within the school during this time. They will be missed ! We wish them a very healthy and happy retirement.

 

We welcome, starting in January,  Miss Rebecca Steel, Miss Nicole Robertson, Mrs Jackson Dyke and Mr Patterson in providing additional support for our learners.

 

Following Dr Walker leaving in October we have recruited a new Support for Learning teacher. Miss Mulholland was successful in being appointed to this post. From January, at least till Easter, Miss Mulholland will be working full-time as SfL post. This is usually a 0.5 post however this acknowledges that there was a reduction from Oct to Christmas. Following further recruitment, P6a will be taught by Miss Smith who taught P5a for an extended spell in October and November.

 

 

Christmas Fair

 

A huge thank you to all those who supported the school Christmas Fair. A phenomenal £3,027 was raised. As a school we hugely appreciate this it provides additional opportunities and resources for the children. Theses funds will go towards Christmas Parties, Visiting pantomime and additional laptop computers.

 

It is also good to see the children taking responsibility for stalls. A great learning opportunity. The nursery, P4, P6 and P7 between them raised nearly £800. The other stages have their opportunity at the summer fair.

 

However the school fair would not be the success it is without the many many volunteers who help out and give of their time. In particular huge thanks to Ailsa Veitch and the team who organised the fair.

 

Health and Safety

 

Health and Well-Being – Head Lice

 

“It’s thought that up to one in three children in the UK may get head lice at some point during the year. A head lice infestation isn’t the result of dirty hair or poor hygiene. All types of hair can be affected, regardless of its length and condition.” (NHS)

 

As a school we follow Scottish Government / Local authority guidance regarding head lice. I would therefore appreciate if you were regularly able to follow the detection / treatment (if appropriate) advice from NHS (http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Head-lice/Pages/Introduction.aspx  ) Detection combing is the best way of finding head lice.

 

Keeping in Touch – Contacting the School

 

I am sure you appreciate that for health and safety reasons all visitors / parents coming to the school must report to the office at the main entrance. This applies to both within school hours and out with these times. For general enquiries, reporting absences, and to arrange appointments please contact the school office on 0131 441 7211 or by email on admin@bonaly.edin.sch.uk . We will always try to respond to any queries as soon as possible but I am sure you appreciate that first thing in the morning staff are preparing for the upcoming day, similarly there will also be end of the day commitments.

 

Road Safety

 

It is unfortunate that I continue to receive concerns from parents and local residents regarding inconsiderate and illegal parking. Ultimately, we wish to minimise the chance of accidents – however there are still a small minority of adults dropping / collecting children who show little consideration of potential dangers caused by their road use. Can I please urge you to consider whether it is necessary to bring a vehicle and if so could you park 5 minutes away from the school – thus avoiding potential dangers where there are larger volumes of pedestrians. Thank you!

 

Severe Weather

 

Last week saw cosmetic damage to the flashing on the angled wall near the main school entrance. Temporary exit / entry arrangements were put in place for nursery and the school. The next step is for this to be replaced so that the school is back to looking a splendid as ever. Thank you for your understanding with this.

 

Wider Achievement

 

Congratulations to our Sportshall Athletics team who are through to the final in January after winning their heat earlier this month.

 

Many of our children have contributed to the Robert Louis Stevenson inspired art work in Colinton Tunnel. This is well worth a visit if you haven’t done so already.

 

P6 led an assembly sharing important messages around bullying during anti-bullying week.

 

Our P1 and P2 last week showed great talent in performing the nativity story.

 

End of Term

 

Just a reminder that school closes on Friday 20^th December at 12 Noon.

School opens to children on Thursday Jan 9^th. (Tuesday 7^th, Wednesday 8^th are INSET days for staff)

 

I hope that you all have a very happy and enjoyable festive season.

 

 

Best wishes,

 

 

Peter Gorrie

Peter Gorrie | Head Teacher | Bonaly Primary School | 57 Bonaly Road | Edinburgh | EH13 0FJ | Tel 0131 441 7211
| admin@bonaly.edin.sch.uk | www.bonaly.edin.sch.uk | @BonalyPrimary

Starting Primary 1 in August 2020?

Was your child born between 1^st March 2015 and 28^th February 2016?

If you are in the catchment of Bonaly Primary School and would like to apply for a Primary 1 place starting in August 2020, registration is taking place w/c 4^th November.

You will need your child’s birth certificate, your most recent Council Tax bill and an additional proof of address (e.g. utilities bill) dated within the last 3 months.

Please sign up to one of the time slots at the school office or phone on 0131 441 7211.

You will have the opportunity to fill out the relevant paperwork, be given a guided tour of the school by our senior pupils and meet Mrs Miller, our Depute Head Teacher or Mrs Harris, our Principal Teacher.

City of Edinburgh Council School Open Day

The City of Edinburgh council also promote a school open day – this date is Wednesday 30th October at 11:00 or 1:30 and you will have the opportunity to have a tour of the school. It is not necessary to come to this if you are signing up to to the above P1 registration slots. Please contact the school on 0131 441 7211 if you intend to visit us.

Thanks, Peter Gorrie, Headteacher

Walking Bus

The Woodfield Avenue Walking Bus is looking for new members to join. The Walking Bus is a safe, convenient and fun way to travel to school every morning. Meet at the bus stop at the top of Woodfield Avenue at 8.25am with a view to leave at 8.30am. We make a stop at the bottom of Bonaly Road to pick up again and leave at 8.40am. Parents of children on the walking bus must volunteer to walk at least one morning a week. For more information contact anouskacurzon@gmail.com.

The Bonaly Blether

The Bonaly Blether (Issue 1)

I am delighted to share the work of some of our P7s who have shown some terrific desktop publishing skills in producing “The Bonaly Blether” which has a sample of some of the learning from different classes across the school from this term.

 

Norovirus Advice

Please see below that all schools have received today from NHS.

By following this advice we can minimise the likelihood of an outbreak at Bonaly.

 

UPDATE ON DIARRHOEA AND VOMITING IN SCHOOLS

 

A number of schools across Lothian have reported an increase in pupils with vomiting and/or diarrhoea.  The symptoms are suggestive of viral gastroenteritis (also known as norovirus or winter vomiting disease) which is known to be currently circulating in the community.  It is usually a short lived self-limiting illness from which children and adults recover quickly.

 

Further information about norovirus and its prevention can be found at https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/norovirus

 

 

Therefore to minimise the likelihood of developing norovirus

 

• If your child develops vomiting and/or diarrhoea please ensure they remain off school until they have been symptom free for at least 48 hours.  This advice applies at all times.  So for instance if your child becomes unwell over the weekend they should not attend school on Monday even if by then they feel well.

 

• Ensure that all members of your family wash their hands frequently using warm water and liquid soap, especially after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food.

 

 

 

 

Peter Gorrie