Highland Council have put together some frequently asked questons and answers to help parents/carers plan for their children returning to school next week.  Please use the link below to access this.

Please see the attached letter for important information regarding the return to school on Wednesday 12th August.

Dear Parents/Carers

At the end of term we would usually be able to sell donated uniform.
With this in mind we would like to give you the opportunity to buy donated uniform bundles. These contain jumpers, polo shirts and trousers/skirts and are organised in age ranges 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12, male or female. Examples of the bundles are pictured.

Each bundle will contain approx 5 jumpers, 2 polo shirts and 1or 2 pairs of trousers/skirts, all for £5.

With current restrictions in place payment will be accepted only by bank transfer and collection will be only be available on the 11th August (in service day). Additionally I am not able to itemise bundles however they are split into male or female.

Stock is limited if you are interested in a bundle please email claire.fisher@highland.gov.uk

Have a safe and happy holiday

School’s out for summer!  Thank you children for a fantastic year full of memories and experiences to learn from and treasure.  You are all our heroes!  We are so incredibly proud of every single one of you! Continue to shine like the stars you are.

Thank you parents/carers and community for your kindness and continued support throughout the year and more significantly during our last term. We can definitely prove, now we have reached the end of this session, working together in partnership truly allows us to get it right for all our children. Thank you for your kindness, support, love, generosity, and trust in us to educate and care for your most treasured gift. We will continue to always do our best for our Lochardil family and community.

Enjoy a fantastic holiday.  You have all certainly earned this one! Stay safe and have fun.  Love from Mrs Kellacher x

Welcome to our virtual talent show. Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry what a great end to a crazy term. Have a wonderful holiday. All the videos have been posted to our classrooms.

Click here to see P2’s Video : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kW0Or_UeL-4iRopX9M0dGrxcXJmuHcZH/view?usp=sharing

Click here to see P5 – P7 Video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PPKx96p05UIm329qT_LJhtXRsscbvJvR/view?usp=sharing

• Please check out the Highland Council ‘Back to School’ webpage which has now been updated and is live: https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/878/schools/930/back_to_school

P7s should keep their Chromebooks and carry forward to the IRA. The Highland Council safe use policy that they signed is still active.

Please see the attached letter for further information for returning to school in August.

At the bottom of the letter there is also the Contingency Plan if we cannot return to school 100% in August (after the DFM announcement in late July)

Learning Pathway Progress & Performance Summary (school report) for pupils are being emailed out this week. Please keep a look out for this in your email box. As we are sure you will appreciate this will be a very time-consuming task, so please be bear with us as we work through this.

Thank you.

Good morning,

Just a reminder over the summer, primary aged pupils will continue to have access to Google Meet, Google Chat and Google Classroom .

What this means in reality is that pupils will have the ability to create their own Meets to allow them to speak to other pupils over the course of the five week break, as well as to continue to communicate via Google Chat .

Whilst the way that G-suite is set up, pupils are unable to communicate with anyone outside of the Highland Domain, it does mean that they could continue to communicate with other pupils without direct supervision from school staff, so we just wanted to make you aware.  

In terms of Classroom Stream, children will be able to access the work but will not be able to comment as this function will be turned off.

We are very aware that many pupils do rely some of these tools for their social interaction but it is important that you are aware of what the settings mean. 

Please see the letters below regarding the classes for session 2020-2021. These are being emailed to all parents today.

Some may have received their email already, so please note the Primary 3 information has been changed.

Information is being emailed on a class by class basis, so if you have more than one child in the school, you will receive a separate message for each child.

Emails will be going out this afternoon with information about new classes for next term, including class allocations. Please check your email inboxes regularly for this information.

This week has been DISNEY WEEK in P6B and what an end to Disney week it was! Here is George demonstrating the fabulous BSL skills that we have been learning and having lots of fun! A perfect end to the week. Hakuna Matata – It means no worries.

Reminder- ‘You Matter, Let’s Natter’ session today at 9.30am.  Link shared on your child’s classroom as usual.  See you there.

Message from Mr Gunn at the IRA to please make sure you access the IRA transition classrooms.

You will find introduction clips from the various departments so pupils are able to know the teachers faces.

There are science experiments, an example timetable, maps of the school and other transition information.

Keep an eye on the classroom as more clips and activities will be added in the coming weeks.

We are using our voice to spread some important messages during Refugee Week.

Today, The Highland Council’s approach to a phased reopening of schools and Education Learning and Care (ELC) settings in the Highland region was discussed by Members at the Recovery Board.

Guided by the national framework, Highland Council will look at the local and individual circumstances of each of it’s 203 school and ELC settings to provide the safest and most valuable learning experience possible to its 50,000 children and young people when term resumes in August.

Newly appointed Executive Chief Officer for Education and Learning, Paul Senior, has commissioned a programme management office (PMO) to ensure the effective delivery of this programme of work. The PMO, comprised of 11 sub-groups, consists of a range of local area partners, stakeholders and providers, meeting weekly to develop operational plans, risks assessments and develop a shared approach to progressing matters. These 11 Sub Groups cover the following areas:

• Transport
• Communications
• ELC
• Catering
• Facilities Management
• People
• ICT
• North Area Project
• West Area Project
• Mid Area Project
• South Area Project

Executive Chief Officer for Education and Learning, Paul Senior, said: “Wellbeing and safety is a top priority for all our children, staff and communities. There are 203 schools in the Highlands, all with different sizes and configurations in response to the needs of their respective communities. We will continue to work with our key partners, stakeholders and providers to ensure our educational settings are safe but also positioned to provide the best possible Learning and Teaching experiences for our children and young people, taking account of the restrictions presented by the Covid-19 crisis”.

Chair of the Education Committee, Cllr John Finlayson, added: “The Recovery Board has discussed the many areas needed for deliberation to safely get our young people back to school. Future plans and risk assessments will take account of children’s educational outcomes, equal opportunities, social and emotional needs and their rights.

Communication with parents is key and plans at individual school level will, of course, be informed by national guidance, authority guidance and very importantly local circumstances.  We all want to get our young people back in the school setting as soon as possible, but this needs to be done as safely as possible”.

Chair of the Recovery Board and Depute Leader Alasdair Christie said: “The Recovery Board welcomed the proposals put forward today for the return of Education in Highland. We will all be working together with parents and communities to ensure that the arrangements are as smooth as possible and in line with government guidelines.”

As we now have access to the school building we are now in the postition to organise the cancelled Lion King Trip refunds having received our refund from the company!

Parents / Carers please check your emails and reply with who you would like the cheque made payable to.  Many thanks.

Highland pupils to receive free school meals during summer holidays

Following the First Minister’s announcement on Tuesday, 16 June 2020, eligible school pupils are to receive free school meals during the summer break to help tackle food poverty.

In Highland, P1-3 pupils entitled to school clothing grants and P4-S6 pupils who are eligible for free school meals have been receiving £15 per pupil, per week, which is paid fortnightly using a voucher system.

Councillor John Finlayson, Chair of the Education Committee said: “I very much welcome the announcement by the First Minister which will enable the Council to continue provision of free school meals between the end of June and when the schools return in August. I am delighted that the Scottish Government has been able to provide such vital funding. 

He added, “Given the financial pressures facing the Council, this important income stream will help us to provide the much needed support for the most vulnerable families in our communities, particularly at a time when so many are juggling a drop in their incomes and are already worrying about the costs of keeping their kids amused during the holidays.”

All lower income families who haven’t already claimed free school meals and school clothing grants are being encouraged to do so as quickly as possible using the Council’s Apply Once online application form which can be accessed at https://www.highland.gov.uk/a_to_z/service/561/apply_once_-_find_out_what_benefits_youre_entitled_to

The Council’s Welfare Support Officers are on hand to complete the application form on behalf of families.  They also carry out benefit checks to ensure that all eligible benefits are being claimed according to a household’s individual circumstances.  To access their help, email welfare.support@highland.gov.uk or call 0800 090 1004. All calls from landlines and mobiles are free.

Around 4,500 Highland pupils have benefited from the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 funding package since lockdown began. By the time the summer school holidays begin, 67,500 vouchers will have been issued across the Highlands, amounting to more than £1m.  

Council Leader, Councillor Margaret Davidson, also welcomed the news and said: “We have 32,200 people in Highland who are furloughed which is equivalent to 27% of our workforce.  This targeted ongoing financial support from the Scottish Government for free school meals will help our children and young people to access nutritional food during what is an expensive, and all too often, a worrying time for parents.” 

She added, “We estimate that since March this year, we will have paid £1m for free school meals by the time pupils return to school in August.  This is money being spent in our local supermarkets and food stores which also helps to support local businesses and the Highland economy.”

Please see attached letters for information from Nicky Grant, Head of Education

A snapshot of another week of exciting learning and inspiring experiences at Lochardil.

We have been asked by Highland Council to share the letter below with our families. 

They would particularly like to hear from families in receipt of Free School Meals Allowance and familes who find they have difficulties with connectivity or access to devices.

Please complete the survey by clicking on the link in the letter

Please check the google classrooms for this week’s meeting link for our ‘You Matter, Let’s Natter’ google meet drop in session for parents/carers only . This week’s session will be held on WEDNESDAY.

Mrs Kellacher & Mrs Prentice will be here on Wednesday this week at 1045- 11:15 for a chat and to say hello. Please note we will host more sessions like this if useful so do not worry if today’s time doesn’t suit. There will be other opportunities.

We are so proud of each and every one of our pupils and school community. So many quality learning experiences have been happening in lockdown, enabling everyone to inspire each other to learn and develop further and empowering learning at all levels. Thank you all for your hard work, positive outlook and support.

Well Done Team Lochardil!

Following the success of the “You matter, let’s chatter” session last week, we are holding another session today at 10.45am.

Mrs Kellacher and Mrs Murray will be available to chat on the google meet drop in session. Please use the special link shared on the message stream of your child’s google classroom.

You will need a google account to access or you could borrow your child’s just for this short time. You will need to access through a Chrome browser rather than Safari or Internet Explorer.

We look forward to chatting with you.

We would really appreciate you taking the time with your child/ren to discuss the following questions and respond to support us to plan for a positive transition back to our school campus when we re-open in August, and have input to our approach to “blended learning”.

You can find the questionnaire on the following link:

https://forms.gle/vD1cXbuJmUYjfJN86

Thank you for your continued support.

Issued Tuesday 2nd June – return date Friday 5th June

On Thursday 21st May, all of the pupils at Lochardil Primary joined in with Outdoor Classroom Day 2020 from home. Click below to see our wonderful book of what we got up to, and to see our boys and girls dressed up in their nature costumes.

Outdoor Classroom Day 2020

Click to read this book, made with Book Creator

https://read.bookcreator.com

As we now enter our 9th week (1 week pre-Easter holidays and 8 weeks of term 4) of our virtual learning school, we thought it would be lovely to share just some of the vast range of learning and experiences that have been taking place during the closure of our school building.

We have used the ‘Learning Across Four Contexts at Lochardil Primary Virtual School’ template to capture just a tiny snapshot of the fun! We will be using the headings each week to share photos (minimal text) of examples of work shared across all classes which will then form content for our online celebration of achievement book. To us, every single one of you are deservedly star of the week/month at the moment as you are all doing the best you can to be the best you can be! So a huge well done to you all. I am so proud of you and would urge you to stop and take a moment to recognise and be proud of yourselves.

So from all the staff, a huge thank you for all you are doing and achieving during this time when we cannot be physically together but do remain so strongly virtually connected. We very much look forward to being back together from August 2020 (all details will be shared asap of how and what this will look like) and we will come back stronger!

Keep up the incredible effort and hard work, live and breath our school values, have fun, be good, and stay safe and well throughout.

Mrs Kellacher

Just a reminder that our 2nd live quiz will be held this morning . The Questions will be shared on a live screen on the google meet and children will input their answers using www.kahoot.it. It will work best if pupils have a mobile device/ 2nd device with www.kahoot.it open to input their answers and they will be able to see the questions on the google meet at the same time. If only one device available, pupils can simply go between the two tabs.

Please check google classroom for the links and details .

28 May 2020

For immediate release

Back to school and learning – ‘carefully and gradually’

The Highland Council is assessing the implications of the First Minister’s announcements made on the 21st May about the first stage relaxation of lockdown, concerning teachers and other education staff returning to the workplace during June to prepare for the return to school and settings on 11^th August.

Highland Council’s Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “The return to workplace and Highland schools for our Education staff will have to be undertaken carefully and gradually.

“I understand the desire for parents and pupils to know what plans and preparations will be put in place to enable the start of term on 11^th August; and that is exactly what our Education staff will be working on in the coming weeks.

“While I understand parental and pupil anxieties, especially for those starting at school – at this stage and ahead of formal engagement with local head teachers, parent forums and communities it is too early for the Council to provide any finalised plans or proposals on what the return to school will look like for Highland families. It is important that the local circumstances of each school will need to be considered along with consultations with key stakeholders. As soon as that information is available schools and the Council will promote this widely.”

Paul Senior, Executive Chief Officer Education & Learning added:

“There is a huge amount of preparation underway to return schools and our education settings in line with government guidelines. Before teaching and education staff can return to school, there are a number of measures we will be deploying to ensure that the views of Highland’s head teachers, parents, carers and communities inform our plans.

“These will include rigorous risk assessments that will need to be carried out, to ensure that safe distance working practices and other risk prevention measures can be adhered, to that will enable staff to return to the workplace safely in environments that are as safe as possible to minimise the potential for risk.

“Then, as soon as jointly agreed, risk assessed back-to-school plans are in place, the Council along with our schools and settings will provide information to parents, carers and pupils on what the new normal will be like.”

Pupils and parents should keep an eye on the news page of the Council’s website at: www.highland.gov.uk/news/archive; and the Council’s Twitter  https://twitter.com/HighlandCouncil or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/highlandcouncil/ for updates on back-to-school information.

Last week, during Mental Health Week, our Playground Champion, Layla made this guided meditation video to help and encourage you to take 5 minutes time out of your busy day to relax. Let us know what you think and how this makes you feel in the comments of the video.

Mrs Brown is our playground supervisor. She works closely with our Playground Champions and has been supporting them in their Be Kind to Your Mind project. Here she is reminding us of one of our school values: PRIDE and how important it is to be proud of the person you are.

Parents/Carers – Are you free to join our “You Matter, Let’s Natter” google meet drop-in session for parent/carers only at 10.45am today?

Please use the special link shared on the message stream of your child’s google classroom to enter the meeting. You will need a google account to access, or you could borrow your child’s just for this short time (you will need to access through a Chrome browser rather than Safari or Internet Explorer)

Mrs Kellacher and Miss Melville look forward to seeing you there for a chat and to say hello.

Please note that we will host more sessions like this if useful, so do not worry if today’s time does not suit you. There will be other opportunities.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Mrs Kellacher

We may not be in the school building but we can still join together and support the Highland Hospice on Wear Yellow Day,

So…….. look out your brightest yellow outfits and wear them in the house, to the class hangouts, to the quiz sessions on Friday, or when you are out for your daily exercise.

As many of you will be aware, Miss Clare Mackenzie, our Childcare Manager, was due to take part in the Highland Hospice Strictly Inverness competition this year, but this has been postponed until it is safe to run these type of events.

We can still show our support and help our own Miss Twinkle Toes to raise as much money as possible. The link to Miss Mackenzie’s Just Giving page is below. Any amount you can donate, no matter how much will be greatly appreciated.

If you are able, please support Miss Mackenzie & the Highland Hospice

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/clare-mackenzie3?utm_id=124

Here is Flora, in her chill out space, reminding us that we have the right to have our voice heard and to be listened to so remember to share your concerns or worries with someone you trust. This will help us to stay calm and happy.

Tomorrow morning we will be hosting a LIVE quiz for all of our pupils. This is an optional,fun activity. Pupils should log into google meet (link on google classroom) at the appropriate time. ELC -P3 1030 and P4-P7 1130 .

The Questions will be shared on a live screen on the google meet and children will input their answers using www.kahoot.it. It will work best if pupils have a mobile device/ 2nd device with www.kahoot.it open to input their answers and they will be able to see the questions on the google meet at the same time. If only one device available, pupils can simply go between the two tabs.

We are hoping as many pupils as possible can take part and join in the fun.

Reminder: Please mute your mics when joining the google meet to ensure best connectivity for everyone.

Today, Olivia, our playground champion talks about emotion words, triggers and tips and tricks she uses to stay happy.

Friday 29th May – Wear Yellow Day in support of Highland Hospice – more details to follow

Monday 1st June – In Service Day

We are on day 3 of The Playground Champion’s project to help you BE KIND TO YOUR MIND. Here is Lilly, one of our playground champions sharing her advice about how we can recognise our emotions through body sensations and regulate our emotions using regulation strategies. Lilly talks about when we may feel sad, angry or stressed and what we could do to help.

Here is Layla, one of our playground champions with her advice on how to ensure you can switch off and relax.

EXCITING NEWS On Wed at 9.30am, the fabulous Amy Gallagher from High life Highland will be streaming LIVE across Highland with her “Wake-Up and Shake” dance session!

Any child with a Highland Google account can join this amazing event! To join, click the google meet link below, just before 0930 on Wednesday.

http://stream.meet.google.com/stream/f0b34fd

We may not have a playground at the moment but our playground champions have been creative in thinking of new ways to support our school. This week, some of our playground champions have put together some ideas to support our mental health and wellbeing whilst we are at home. We will share these throughout the week.

The playground champions have been using the Emotion Works cogs as inspiration and guidance.

To report an absence or if you have a query please contact the school office.

Mobile 07788 387590
or email
lochardil.primary@highland.gov.uk

This is a reminder that today is the final day for you to complete the Continuing Learning at Home parent / carer questionnaire. Your voice is important to us and we value your opinion to help us build on and improve home learning opportunities. To complete the questionnaire, click on the link below. Thank you for your time.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV2NNRIG7CGxkBRoA5_XkOW99HSgylByDC_2EuG9H_BzBUzQ/viewform

Reminder that tomorrow Friday 8th May is the May bank holiday that coincides with the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, VE Day.

Please note that the Just Ask Enquiry Line will now be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4pm .

This enquiry line is for our parents, carers, children, young people, and those who work with them. Staff usually available are-

Dietitians, Educational Psychologists, Preschool Home Visiting Teachers, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Primary Mental Health Workers, Speech and Language therapists, School nurses, Autism Practitioner, Community Learning Disability Nurses.

Number:  07785477686

Your voice is important to us! As mentioned in today’s parent/carer letter, this is an opportunity for us to capture your views as a parent/carer during this time of school closure, and help us to build on and improve the experience of our online learning provision to continue to support you with your child’s learning at home. Please click on the link below to complete our online survey. Thank you for your time.

Please find below a link to a letter for parents and carers from Mrs Kellacher.

Please be aware Highland Council have taken the decision to disable G-mail (e-mails) for pupils in Primary School, with immediate effect to support online safety. Pupil’s work should be submitted on Google Classroom where they will be able to contact the class teacher as well as on Google Hangouts.  Please continue to use our communication channels that we have been using to date. Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Tomorrow is Earth Day, but the children at Lochardil are loving the outdoors every day at the moment. These great outdoor messages were created as part of our Big Thank You videos.

You can view the videos using the links below. How are you getting outside this Earth Day?

Thank you to our P6B parent for sharing this with us. Please let your child join in with this if you have a Facebook account:

LIVE Mini First Aid Kid’s Workshop

?When:Thursday 23 April at 11am

?Where:Mini First Aid Facebook LIVEhttps://www.facebook.com/minifirstaid

?What’s it all about:What to do if you find someone unconscious.

Your child will need a willing helper (adult or sibling)or a soft toy to practice on, the bigger the better!
This session is aimed at primary school children and shares important life skills

As yet we have had no further information with regards to Loch Insh.  Loch Insh had shared possible options  but no return of funds at present.

Mrs Kellacher will virtually meet with other Head Teachers to discuss further this week and we will up date in due course.

Well done to P6s who submitted poems to Miss MacDonald to contribute to the Book Creator project. Book Creator have asked If they can publish the book on their website. Well done everyone !

Please click on the link below to access a collection of thoughts, opinions and feelings put together from some of our P6’s work this week.

Public urged to keep eyes and ears open for children at risk during COVID-19 With the closure of schools and nurseries during the COVID-19 crisis, a national child protection group is urging everyone to keep their eyes and ears open for children who may be at risk during this time. Child Protection Committees Scotland, a national grouping of child protection professionals, supports all efforts by the Scottish Government, local authorities and the third sector to keep children safe from harm during the enforced break in normal routine. Highland Child Protection Committee recognises the impact a significant change in day-to-day life may have on vulnerable children. “Schools and nurseries in Highland play a central role in contributing to the safety of all local children, especially those who may be at risk of abuse and neglect. When children are not at school we lose the ability to monitor their wellbeing on a daily basis, and we are making every effort possible to support those children and families who may need it during these demanding times.” However, Highland Council stresses the need for the public to join efforts to protect potentially vulnerable children during the Coronavirus outbreak. Chief Social Work Officer, Karen Ralston urges everyone to play a part to keep local children safe: “The onus of care has now shifted from schools to local communities, and we’re asking everyone to keep their eyes and ears open. Local people always provide a significant protective factor for children and that’s even more important at a time when families may be under significant additional stress. If you’re at all worried about a child’s welfare, it’s much better to say something than do nothing.” Highland Child Protection Committee urges everyone to take action if they’re concerned about a child or young person. If you’re worried don’t hesitate to seek help. Full contact details for social work and other professionals are available on the website www.hcpc.scot. If you are worried a child or young person may be at immediate risk of harm, please phone 999.

Highland Trading standards advice and guidance on COVID-19 and scams The Highland Council’s Trading Standards is providing advice and guidance to businesses and consumers affected by COVID-19 at www.highland.gov.uk/tradingstandards David MacKenzie Trading Standards Manager said: “We are currently providing information for consumers and businesses on cancelled bookings for accommodation and services; hand sanitiser products; and financial protection for small businesses at present. We will add to our website as more intelligence and information becomes available to us.” Cancelled bookings for accommodation and services Many Highland tourist businesses face the problem of cancelled bookings. Consumers are unable to travel due to the COVID-19 restrictions and many businesses are forced to temporarily close. These are uniquely difficult times for Highland businesses, and we want to ensure that they are aware of all the options available to assist in these situations. We think that it is reasonable for businesses to make their customers aware of these options. For example: • If the consumer has paid using a credit card and the amount is over £100, they may be able to claim their money back from their card provider under “Section 75” equal liability rules. • If the payment was by debit card, the consumer may be able to make a claim from their card provider under the banking system’s “Chargeback” provisions. • The consumer may be able to make a claim on holiday insurance, e.g. an annual policy, more information is available from the Financial Conduct Authority • Any dispute that a consumer has with a financial company over insurance, credit cards or debit cards can be raised with the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is a free-to-use and highly regarded dispute resolution system. • It may suit both consumer and business to arrange a rebooking for a later date. • Detailed information for tourist businesses can be accessed from VisitScotland. Hand sanitiser products (not soap-based etc.) • Hand sanitiser products are in huge demand and some products are no longer available. Demand has led to some businesses (e.g. spirit distillers) diversifying into producing hand sanitising products. Products which are manufactured with the final intention of “destroying, deterring, rendering harmless, preventing the action of, or otherwise exerting a controlling effect on, any harmful organism” are currently controlled under the European Biocidal Products Regulations 2012 under a category defined as Product-type 1: Human hygiene. Biocidal products in this group are used for human hygiene purposes, applied on or in contact with human skin or scalps for the primary purpose of disinfecting the skin or scalp. • Trading Standards enforce these regulations in shops, but the current rules surrounding the manufacture and approval of these products need to be checked with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) • Hand sanitisers made for your own personal use are excluded from the Regulation, however if it is supplied to third-parties then the law applies, and advice should be sought from the HSE. • Soap-based or hand softener gels and creams with an antibacterial effect are regulated under cosmetic regulations. • Advice from the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association. Financial protection for small businesses • Individuals buying goods or services over £100 and less than £30,000 using a credit card are given additional protection if there has been a breach of contract under “Section 75” equal liability rules. Businesses who use ordinary (non-business) credit cards facilities may also benefit from the same protections even if it is in relation to items or services bought for the business. Card users should speak to their provider if they wish to make a claim. If a business has a right to make a claim and this is not honoured by the card provider, small businesses may be able to raise this matter with the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Scottish Government has also issued general advice to businesses, visit: https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/coronavirus-advice

Highland Council to launch e-vouchers for free school meals Highland Council will be providing e-vouchers to families to support access to free school meals from week commencing 30 March 2020. This innovative and easy-to-use service will ensure over 4,000 school children will continue to receive support for school meals while schools are closed. For the majority of pupils, this will be delivered digitally through e-vouchers for food in local supermarkets. Enabling choice will provide flexibility and also help to reduce waste, as food can be purchased according to need or preference in the household. Some restrictions do apply as the e-vouchers cannot be used to purchase age restricted products such as tobacco, alcohol, lottery tickets and fuel. The impact of Coronavirus has caused many vulnerable families additional hardship and this process will ensure that the most vulnerable children can get food. Highland Council continues to investigate other ways of providing food across the Highlands for vulnerable groups within the rapidly changing environment. This includes working closely with High Life Highland, Eden Court and our many partners including the Third Sector. Further information will be provided in due course. Cllr John Finlayson, Chair of the Education Committee, said: “The provision of school meals is a priority service that we are committed to delivering including during when schools are closed in the current times. I applaud the Highland Council staff who are working hard to implement this service as quickly as possible and for e-vouchers to be issued next week”. A helpline number has been set up for anyone who is struggling and needing urgent help during this crisis. The single line number – 0300 303 1362 – will connect callers to relevant Council specialist teams and will operate Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. All calls are free.

Good morning/afternoon Please ignore this email if it does not concern you The ELC DD will be collected next week as normal and then suspended until further notice. If you are a voucher payer please do not transfer any further funds at this time we will be in touch in due course.

Well done to all our families who took part in the round of applause for our NHS tonight. Please share your photos and videos on our twitter page @LochardilPS using #lochardillove #clapforourcarers #goal3goodhealthandwellbeing

If/ when any of our pupils are allocated a place at the Key Worker Hubs being set up within Highland, can you please ensure they take along their learning pack provided by us, device (if possible) and materials to write with. We also ask children to continue to register as they have been doing on their Google Classroom each day. Parents/ carers can you please email the school on Lochardil.Primary@highland.gov.uk to let us know if/ when your child is allocated a place for our information.

Thanks to every one of you for supporting us with helping to provide continuity for your child’s education and ensure their safety.

Following the information we received from the First Minister last night 23.03.2020, all free meals will be cancelled from today (Tuesday). We will be in touch soon with further guidance and information.

Following the information we received from the First Minister last night 23.03.2020, all free meals will be cancelled from today (Tuesday). We will be in touch soon with further guidance and information.

If your child is unable to register daily online, please report the absence by email lochardil.primary@highland.gov.uk or phone the school mobile on 07788 387590.

Reminder regarding free school meals for next week for any of our pupils entitled to this provision.

This is the extract from the letter posted on our blog on Friday. Please share.

Free School Meals
For the week beginning Monday 23rd March, a takeaway ‘Grab & Go’ option will be available for all young people who are entitled to a free school meal. This includes all P1-P3 pupils and all other pupils from P4 and above who are already entitled to this. These will be available from the local Secondary School for your Associated Schools Group (i.e. Inverness Royal Academy for our area) and can be collected between 11am and 2pm.
The plans for how this will look after the Easter break will be communicated to you separately, once further arrangements are in place.
There is no need to reapply but for new applications please see the link -www.highland.gov.uk/info/899/schoolsgrants_and_benefits/10/free_school_meals_and_assistance_with_clothing.

Please see the link below for information on managing care for children of key workers.

https://www.highland.gov.uk/keyworkers

Please see a copy of the letter that was sent home today through school bag mail.

With the announcement of school closures from today, Friday 20^th March, our commitment at Lochardil Primary School continues to be the education and safeguarding of all our pupils, and to sustain strong links with our learners, parents/ carers, and local community during this time.

We have worked to provide a system which will support continuity of education, and in line with Highland Council provision to support this.

Thank you everyone for your continued support for our Lochardil family, keep in touch & stat safe!

Thursday, 19 March 2020
Highland Schools will close at end of school day on Friday 20 March
As communicated by the First Minister yesterday, we can confirm that all schools in The Highland Council region will close at the end of the school day on Friday 20th March. Pupils should not return to school on Monday 23rd March.
The Chief Executive of The Highland Council, Donna Manson said:
“Having received a letter from the Scottish Government at 2:45pm today, immediate and extensive work will be required to make sure that we can assess the implications of the Government’s requirements in terms of the provision of learning and care for the children of key worker groups. It is hoped that these arrangements will be in place from Friday 27th March.
“Further information will be communicated as the Council engages with a range of partners to ensure that we support the Highland effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus and the work of the emergency services as set out in the Civil Contingencies Act.
“Another key piece of work will be the continued and adapted provision of food, care, support and protection to our vulnerable children.
“With regards to the week beginning Monday 23 March, I am confident that our education staff across the Highlands are in a position to provide families with an education package for all our children at home, during this first week of school closures in these exceptional circumstances.
“Schools have been in contact with parents and the Council has set up access to online resources via the educational improvement team at: https://www.highland.gov.uk/digitalschoolshub .”
“Any parent or carer enquiries should be directed to schools on Friday 20 March. From Monday 23 March Highland Council Education Helpline details will be communicated publicly in helping parents and carers with enquiries.
“Your support in these unprecedented times is greatly appreciated.”

With the recent announcement of school closures from Friday our commitment at Lochardil Primary School continues to be the safeguarding and education of our pupils, and sustain communication with our learners, parents/ carers, and local community. Home learning packs have been sent home today with each pupil. The contents within each pack will support your child to continue to learn during this school closure period. A letter to fully explain how we plan to provide and support our learners with their education through these packs and our digital Google Classrooms for every class from ELC – P7, will be shared tomorrow when we can include the support also provided from Highland Council. Our online classrooms will commence from Monday 23rd March – Friday 27th March. We will enjoy a break during our school holidays as planned then re-open online from Tuesday 14th April until further notice. A parent/ carer or nominated contact of any pupil that has been absent from school can collect their pack between 2pm-2.30pm or arrange for this to go home with a friend to collect from. Please email Lochardil.Primary@highland.gov.uk if you need support with this. Please check the blog tomorrow for updates. Thank you for your strength, support and understanding at this time.

18 March 2020 For immediate release Highland Council focuses on delivering statutory services The Highland Council is planning for greatly increased staff absence levels over the coming days and weeks. National modelling estimates that councils will see absences of at least 50% over the months ahead. We are no longer operating under business as usual, in order to focus on priority and statutory services. Today (18 March 2020) a number of Highland Council staff who are at a higher risk from coronavirus (COVID-19), have been advised to follow self-isolation measures, in line with current government advice. This group of people include those who are pregnant or have a specific underlying health condition. Anyone with any of the coronavirus symptoms is also advised to stay at home for 7 days and their other family members for 14 days. In addition to this group, many Council staff are also parents and staff will have additional child care responsibilities, due to the national decision to close all schools and nurseries from the end of this week. All these factors will significantly impact on the Council’s and our partners’ capacity to carry out our core functions and we ask that everyone is patient and understands that we have urgent priorities in resilience. The Council will continue to focus on our statutory duties under the Civil Contingencies Act. To enable this, the Council is suspending responses to enquiries or complaints about our current service provision and will instead be focusing our efforts to prioritise our statutory services, caring for the vulnerable, cooperating with our Resilience Partners and supporting economic recovery. We are aware that many people are keen to do what they can to support communities, within the constraints of the complex and unprecedented situation we are in. We are awaiting further national community resilience guidance and will ensure this is promoted to communities so that people are clear where to get help and how they can help themselves. In the meantime, Highland Council, along with partners and the voluntary sector, are engaging with community councils and other groups to assist the coordination of support to vulnerable people within Highland communities.

The First Minster has just made an announcement closing schools after Friday this week. Donna Manson, Chief Executive of The Highland Council said: “Highland Council will need time to assess the impact of this announcement on our workforce, and our communities as well as on the provision of support for our young people. “Further information will be forthcoming tomorrow, and please be assured that our central education team have been working extensively on providing learning materials for use at home. “More detail will be given to parents and carers and pupils from the Council later this week. “As was intimated by the First Minister, details about free school meals will again be forthcoming in the days ahead. “Thank you for your understanding on this matter. “We are expecting further information from the Scottish Government on what will be happening for older pupils regarding exams and the Council will provide further updates as they come. “Thank you for your understanding on this matter.” Regards Donna Manson Chief Executive The Highland Council

Cancelled Loch Insh trip – Please know we await an update on further information on this with regards to payments/ refunds/ rescheduling of dates. There are a number of schools in a similar situation due to the current situation, so we will update parents/ carers as soon as we find out the information. Thanks for your understanding at this time.

Latest Update from Highland Council It has been announced by the UK/Scottish Government that as of 16 March anyone developing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, however mild, should stay at home for 7 days from the onset of symptoms as per existing advice. In addition, it is now recommended that anyone living in the same household as a symptomatic person should self-isolate for 14 days. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are recent onset of new continuous cough and/or high temperature. Information for the public on COVID-19, including stay at home advice for people who are self-isolating, can be found on NHS Inform. Further, people are advised to take social distancing measures to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. In particular, this is strongly advised for people aged 70 or over, people with underlying medical conditions and pregnant women. Further advice on these measures will be available on NHS Inform shortly. The Highland Council, local education authority and Highland Schools are following national government and public health guidance. For further information please refer to the national guidance: www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/ For school closures in Highland please refer to the schools closures website at www.highland.gov.uk/schoolclosures

We received our Aldi Sports Kit today. It included bibs, cones, balls, beanbags, relay batons, finish line and “eggs” with spoons!

Thank you to everyone who donated tokens for this collection. Looking forward to sunny weather to enjoy this bag of goodies!

In line with the latest guidance from The Highland Council as a precaution all parents evenings and afternoons have been postponed until further notice, as have school trips, including off-site lessons such as swimming.

For us at Lochardil School this means that for the foreseeable future our clubs that are held after school will be cancelled:

OJ Sports

Glee

Cross Country

Gymnastics

Highland Youth Theatre (performance due to be held 20.03.20 also cancelled)

Netball

Football coaching

Lion King Trip to Edinburgh

P3 UHI trip

McRobert Cup & Baillie Cup Sporting Events

Loch Insh Residential Trip

Apologies but due to the current restrictions in place in light of the coronavirus outbreak we are CANCELLING the Parent Council meeting on Thursday 19th March. We hope to go ahead with the next meeting as planned on Wednesday 13th May. Many thanks for your understanding. The Parent Council Committee

Please see the current guidance from the Highland Council which we are now following . Thank you for your support. It is much appreciated at this time.

Please see below information recieved this afternoon.

POSTPONEMENT OF MCROBERT CUP CROSS COUNTRY EVENT 2020 You will be aware the First Minister announced that the Scottish Government is advising that as of next week, gatherings of more than 500 people should be cancelled. High Life Highland is aware that the Scottish Government will be issuing further guidance over the weekend, however having given the matter serious consideration a decision has been made that the McRobert Cup will be postponed until a future date. This decision has not been easily reached; however HLH is of the view that to leave the decision until the start of next week, pending the additional information from the Scottish Government would not be fair to those participating; family members; supporters and helpers. We hope you will appreciate at this stage we are unable to give any indication as to when any rescheduled event will be held but we will be back in touch once we have a clearer understanding of when business-as-usual is re-established and we can look to put the event back in the calendar. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to you, your family or organisation but hope you will understand that in the current climate circumstances are very much out with our control.

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Friday) pupils can bring £1 and dress in sports wear or as their favour sports person to raise money for Sport Relief. Mrs Fisher will be leading a Zumbathon at lunchtime for anyone who wants to join in .

A reminder that our Science event is today 4pm-5:30pm please pop along between this time to try out our science activities and learn the importance of science within the early years.

We enjoyed a walk around our local area yesterday and we looked at many different styles of houses. Lochardil House Hotel was very interesting and we were able to work out how old it is. We passed many of our own houses and ones where other members of our family live. Fortunately we missed the rain showers!

The open morning scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday 11^th March, has been postponed.  A new date will be advised in due course.  We look forward to welcoming you to the classrooms soon.

Open Morning – our school open morning, which was due to take place tomorrow, has been postponed.

Sports Relief – on Friday the school will be raising money for Sports Relief. Children are welcome to come to school in sports clothes for a donation of £1. A Zumbathon will also be taking place on Friday lunchtime with Mrs Fisher!

Learning Pathways – all learning pathways are due to be returned by Wednesday 11th March.

Thank you for your continued support. Mrs MacLelland.

Staff, students and pupils who have returned from Category 1 risk areas for COVID-19 within the last 14 days should self-isolate, and NOT attend education or work for 14 days, even if they feel well.

You can find information about affected areas on the HPS website: www.bit.ly/HPS-coronavirus

Staff, students and pupils who think they have been in contact with someone infected with coronavirus should NOT attend education even if they are well, but should first contact their GP or NHS24 (111) for further assessment and advice. See www.bit.ly/NHSinform-coronavirus

You are invited to come in to school on Wednesday 11th March 09.20 – 10.00 to have a look around your child’s classroom.

We will have a second hand uniform stall in the reception  area where you can purchase uniform items at rock bottom prices!