Minutes - Parent Council and Parent Association Meeting and AGM - Wed 4th May 2016

Present: Mrs Wilson, Mrs Cochrane, Miss Morrison, Jen Gaskin, Kate Murray, Carol McLelland, Debbie Simmers, Nicole Paton, Aileen Dunlop, Shona Cooley, David Caulfield, Diane Kennedy, Lee-Anne Johnstone, Kerry Sharp, Alison Spiers, Carol Blackmore, Pamela Young.

Apologies: Linda Lamberton, Colette Fowler, Emily Bennett, Claire McGrath, Donna McBurnie, Lee-Ann Dalziel.

Parent Council Meeting

  • Head Teacher's report
  • Welcome to Miss Morrison at her first meeting
  • 16th May - high speed broadband should be installed
  • £2 million has been agreed at cabinet for DPS extension
  • 2016-17 - 180 pupils - 8 class structure - classes to be confirmed but likely to be P1, P2a, P2b, P3, P4, P4/5, P6, P6/7.
  • Improvement Plan Priorities:

Imbedding active literacy - in-service day in May working on this

Relationships, sexual health and parenting - will be addressed next session

Substance misuse - more info to follow

Children and Young People connected communities - Learning Partnership (our cluster schools) will be looking at internet safety.

  • School trips - buses will be paid for from school funds - £1100.
  • P1 will start full days from first day of term, 17th August.
  • Prize giving - changes to prizes this year:

P2 - P7 - Excellence in Maths and Numeracy

P2 - P7 - Excellence in English and Literacy

P6 - Rosemary Thomson Award - speeches

P7 - George Robinson Cup - maths

P1 - P7 Citizenship

P1 - P7 Creativity

P7 Dux

Jubilee Sports

  • ECC Report
  • ECC ballot took place on 4th May. All places allocated - 30 morning places and 24 afternoon.
  • From 2021 provision of early learning and childcare will change - increase from 660 hours to 1140 hours. £2 million has been allocated between four nurseries in our cluster to effect the changes. No further information yet regarding the format. As soon as school know more we will be informed.
  • Huge thank you to all PC members and PA helpers.
  • Class Reps - hasn't worked out as well as hoped. All classes are represented in the current Parent Council body so it was agreed Parent Council to become more visible - photos of PC members to be taken for a notice board within the school.

Parent Association Meeting

  • Gala Day - joint PA/toddler group stalls
  • Following a discussion it was decided that too many school PA helpers were already volunteering elsewhere at the Gala - Scout tea tent, fancy dress etc
  • It was suggested that Toddlers could organise the stalls etc and keep all profits and the PA would post on FB to encourage volunteers to come forward.
  • PA donations to school
  • Camembear has been ordered.
  • £550 bus to Barcaple
  • £5 a head for P7 school party
  • school ties for ECC graduation
  • school ties and dictionaries for P7s
  • 400 water bottles for sports day
  • 187 packets of sweets/ice poles
  • End of term event
  • Kids Disco - split P1 - P4 and P5 - P7. Further info to follow. Post on FB for helpers

Parent Council AGM

  • Ratification of minutes from 2015 AGM
  • Proposed by David Caulfield and seconded by Kate Murray
  • Resignation, nomination and appointment of Parent Council members and office bearers
  • Office Bearers continuing in post
  • Linda Lamberton and Colette Fowler resigning
  • Daniela Young nominated by Jen Gaskin and seconded by Carol McLelland
  • Lee-Ann Johnstone nominated by Alison Spiers and seconded by Carol McLelland
  • Chair's Report
  • This academic year has seen 5 meetings so far totalling 7.5 hours.
  • Last year we increased Parent Council from 10 to 12 members. The PC still has space for two co-opted members from the community - suggestions of who could be approached welcome.
  • The Chair and Vice Chair attend the East Ayrshire Parent Council steering group meetings - if anyone else would also like to attend, please let Jen know.
  • Thank you to everyone who suggests agenda topics.
  • Next session the PC and PA will aim to improve communication - we appreciate not everyone accesses Facebook so we will continue to upload minutes to the school blog and promote this. We wish to keep paper communication to a minimum. Any other ideas to help communication are welcome.
  • Hope everyone feels that their views are heard.
  • The Parent Council thanked Jen.

Parent Association AGM

  • Ratification of minutes from 2015 AGM
  • Proposed by Kate Murray, seconded by Kerry Sharp
  • Chair's Report
  • Fundraising Activities - Fun Run, Christmas Coffee Morning, Tea Towels, Ceilidh, Halloween Party, Bags2School. All well supported by parents, children and school and wider community. Sincere thanks to all helpers, need to continue to encourage and support others to help.
  • Race - the PA recognises the significant contributions from local businesses. We appreciate we run a number of events and don't want to over burden small businesses with requests for prizes so, although we plan to organise the race again in Sept 2016, we do not plan to ask for prize donations.
  • Coffee Morning - the date will be brought forward to avoid clashing with the craft fair.
  • Ceilidh - the event helpers particularly appreciated the extra help in the form of glass collectors and heated pies by Merito.
  • After-school clubs - Geraldine, Eilidh and Charlotte - well done to them all - the self-funding clubs have received excellent feedback and we hope they will be able to continue next session.
  • Treasurer's Report
  • 2015 - £2587 spend

Whiteboard Projector £817

P7 bus trip £475

Reading scheme books £640

P7 and ECC ties £136

ECC jackets £159

Prize Giving books for P1 £66

P7 prizes £65

Christmas books/gifts £153

Sports Day £46

Panto £30

  • Bank balance - £5142 plus outstanding deposits
  • £1560 expected spend to year end 31st Dec 2016

PA insurance £120

Education City £680

Christmas books £150

End of year prizes £65

P7 party £135

P7 dictionaries £135

P7 ties £110

ECC ties £70

Sports day £70

Panto £35

  • £1500 expected yearly running costs 2017
  • £2082 available
  • AOB
  • School suggested that with the increased availability of free online resources that the Education City subscription could be cancelled, saving £680 this year.
  • It was agreed that the PA will again part-fund the P7 Barcaple bus at a cost of £550, expense to be added to 2016 expected expenditure above.

Next meeting - Wednesday 22nd June, 7.30pm in the school. All welcome.