Minutes of Parent Council meeting 13th June 2012
Roslin Primary School Parent Council
Minutes of meeting 13 June 2012
1. Present: Shelley Kay(SK), John Phillips(JP)(Chair), Anna Hulton(AH), Suzanne Rowe(SR), Claire Witney(CW)(Minutes), Annie Douglas(AD), Jennifer Allison(JA), Laura Cameron(LC), Pam Stewart(PS), Angela Newton(AN), Sarah Keer-Keer(SKK), Caroline Findlay(CF), Pat Brack(PB). Welcome to new member Zoe Fergie(ZF).
Visitors: Margaret Mckenzie(MM), Isabel Phillips(IP), Matthew Witney(MW)
Apologies: Teresa Reid(TR), Sam Hamilton(SH), Mairi Needham(MN), Lynn Harrower(LH), Kim Blair(KB)
1a) Margaret Mckenzie(MM) – Area Catering Manager for Schools
Uptake of school meals is less in Roslin than in other schools and MM wanted to get a feel for our view and what could be changed/improved. Comments/suggestions:
– pupils like to eat and run so queue for hot meals puts them off
– insisting pupils have a vegetable they don’t like results in refusal of school dinners
– food overcooked like rice making it unappetising.
– request for more adventurous menus eg: lamb curry.
– pupils with special dietary requirements (eg:gluten free) not being catered for
– request for a raw vegetable/salad bar
MM will take all comments on board and will work with school to improve the facility and range of food and was particularly keen to meet with SKK to review the new menus for next session and identify appropriate foods/options for pupils with allergies.
1b) Isabel Phillips(IP) and Matthew Witney(MW) – Pupil Learning Council
MW and IP gave a brief talk about the new Learning Council. Members of the current Pupil Council will be involved and work with PB looking at ways to improve lessons and ways of learning. The first focus will be numeracy.
2. Minutes of meeting on 9th May accepted
3. Matters arising
a) SR had a very successful and enjoyable session with children from nursery, P1 and P2 to decide the layout of the new play equipment which will be installed over summer. A 3piece will go on P1 grass with a larger piece at the grass near the P3 end. Gary Cormack is still to discuss the final option for the 2 nurseries with appropriate staff.
b) Homework and Behaviour surveys went live online but there was a poor return of only a combined total of 18. It was agreed the survey should be opened again for a further week with a paper copy being sent to all parents as well. JA to action.
c) The ceilidh raised ₤280 which will go towards instruments for all pupils to use.
d) The sponsored walk has raised ₤1100 so far and some of this will be put towards establishing a new library within the middle area for the whole school to use.
e) P7 camp has had very positive feedback from both parents and pupils. It will be the same format next year but the meeting will be brought forward to allow parents more time to save toward the cost. Mauricewood and Roslin may hold a joint meeting and plan an activity day prior to the camp to allow pupils to befriend each other before going away.
f) Sports day was generally very successful and enjoyed by spectators and participants. A meeting of the sports day working group will be held early next session to look at ways of improving the event eg:more running lanes to allow increased participation, review of catering timing etc. JA to organise. The winning team will have an extra playtime at the park and the PC agreed to pay for ice-creams. CW to supply on the day.
It was agreed that the team split within school should continue for sports and other events and JA will liaise with pupils to decide on team names.
g) Roslin and Bilston Community Council are unable to sponsor the sports t-shirt at this stage but are willing to review this as their fundraising situation improves. CW suggested possibility of company sponsorship and will explore further.
h) Bilston bus will leave school at 12:30pm on a Friday.
4. Uniforms
CW has approached two companies in Loanhead regarding supply of the school uniform from next session. PPA and Caledonian Clothing provided their prices, PPA being the more competitive. They already supply to local schools and have the facility to take individual orders when required. They also sort into individual orders before dispatch to school. LC’s brother works for Academy Uniforms and has quoted a price for t-shirts for sport competition. CW will explore this further and obtain samples before a decision is made. CW to action.
5. Helpers P7 trip
JA requested an additional helper for the P7 trip to M&D’s on Tuesday 19th June.
6. Pavilion
JA advised that school would like the opportunity to use the Pavilion on certain occasions but at ₤60 per day (as was paid during Health Week), it is too expensive. JA suggested the PC may petition the Council to obtain free use of the facility. SK said charity groups in Bilston use their Pavilion free of charge – just apply on the let application. JA and JP will explore further.
7. PC planning for next session
JP referred to the ever growing A.O.C.B item on the agenda and asks all members to inform CW of any agenda item before the meeting wherever possible. CW advised that the agenda is written one week in advance and to email any items prior to this date for inclusion. Any issues which occur after this can be raised at the meeting or included in the next meeting as appropriate.
CW provided a break down of most of the activities and fundraising events which take place each term and encouraged people to volunteer early to be involved. The first event is the Roslin Fun Day on Saturday 8th September. PS has agreed to run a bookshop for the occasion. JP will liaise with Fun Day committee and confirm this.
It was suggested we have a separate fundraising meeting at the start of next session to make further arrangements for events and set dates for example the Christmas sale (preferred option 1st December).
8. Dates of PC meetings next session
Meetings planned so far are the 5th September and 7th November. It was suggested we review the choice of day and a doodle poll be set up for all members to log their preferred option. JP to action. JP agreed to investigate options of meeting being held in Bilston again either at Bilston Miners or the Pavilion. Action JP.
9. Communication – nil
10. A.O.C.B
-SKK queried the P6 teaching staff split for next session. JA advised that Darren Swan requested to go part time and Miss Dunnigan was recruited to work job share with him. The split in teaching is as per the letter sent out to all pupils and will be 50:50. Miss Dunnigan spent time at Roslin during her teacher training. JA advised that although she usually values and requests input from PC members on recruitment of staff, there is no obligation to do this for general teaching staff and time was limited on this occasion therefore senior management handled the recruitment as per their remit.
-SKK asked about the reallocation of the budget which was for one of the music specialists this year. JA advised that there was no set budget for teaching specialists, only class teachers. However, a budget for non contact time for class teachers from P3 to P7 is provided and it was decided this would be spent on the music specialists this session. Next session Grant Alexander from Dalkeith High School will continue to provide music lessons but now from P3 to P7. Evelyn Blackhall will continue with PE. Liz Steven did singing with P3 to P7, assemblies and non contact cover for Bilston nursery teacher. Alison Herd will now take singing and JA will cover assemblies. Dorothy Denham has been taken out of class to help provide increased support for children and families who have specific needs. SKK stated it was very useful to hear the reasoning behind decisions and she respected the outcome and was in no way meaning to be critical.
Date of first meeting next session is Wednesday 5th September at 7pm (venue to be confirmed)
