The Parent Council communicates with parents in a number of ways:
- Classlist
- The Class Reps (via Classlist and WhatsApp)
- School email
The School will communicate with you via:
- Learning Journals
Parent Council Communications
Classlist
We share Parent Council communications through Classlist, please email us for a joining link.
It works quite like Facebook (but it’s not Facebook) and is available as an app or desktop version. The desktop version can be easier to navigate if you have a lot of typing to do or you’re creating a community event.
Click here for our guidance or visit the comprehensive Classlist help centre
Notifications
You can customise the notifications Classlist sends you very effectively, but we like to keep the Whole School feed as clear as possible to avoid too many unnecessary notifications. It’s best to ask questions of your class and Class Rep first, open out to the year group if necessary and only to the whole school if the question remains unanswered. That helps keep the whole school feed focused on whole school issues.
Groups
If your conversation could be a long-running or niche one, a Classlist group might be the way to go. “Bus Buddies in…” or “Gaelic Conversation Club…” for example. Create a group, then post to the whole school via your rep or the Chairs to let others know that it’s there and what it’s for; interested parents will find you.
Finding people
TnP is unique in the size and spread of its catchment. For families who bus in school events may be the only time they meet others in person. You can search Classlist using the name of a pupil or a parent and the Parents tab makes it easy to put faces to the names of your child’s friends and their family. There is also a map function.
Meetings and Events
The PC shares meeting details and community events through the events section; which will also allow you to create private events for birthday parties etc.
Marketplace
The Marketplace is a space where you can list items for sale or donation. You can choose whether to donate the proceeds to the school or to keep them. There is a place for lost and found on the Marketplace. Hit ‘List’ and Lost/Found will appear, you can list items there.
Classlist has a comprehensive
Class Reps
The Class Rep is an informal point of contact between parents, the class teacher, the school, and the Parent Council. The purpose of the Class Rep is to keep parents informed, and they can ask questions on your behalf. Ensure your Class Rep has your contact details to allow swift communication in all things affecting your year group or class.
Clas 1C – vacant
Clas 1D – Sofia Amalia Marinopolou
Clas 1M – Catriona Black
Clas 2Ì – Inna Yaneva-Toraman
Clas 2R – vacant
Clas 3E – vacant
Clas 3L – vacant
Clas 3/4S – Kim Chalmers
Clas 4B – Heather McGibbon
Clas 5B – Bekki Aitken
Clas 5P – Gavin Fort
Clas 6C – Helen Chung Patterson
Clas 6T – vacant
Clas 7C – Harriet Baker
Clas 7S – Thea Panter
Most classes in the school have a group chat on WhatsApp. Contact your Class Rep for a joining link, or email us
School Communications
Emails
Groupcall is the system that the school uses to communicate with parents, and the PC shares important information through it too. Emails will come straight to your inbox, or you can download the Xpressions App to be notified each time.
If you are not already receiving school emails, please contact the school office.
There is no official mailing list because the parent forum is the Parent Council and any information that the post holders/committee has to share is for the benefit of all parents. That said, the parents at Taobh na Pàirce hold a wealth of experience, knowledge and skill that is invaluable to the pupils and staff so the Parent Council keeps a database of those keen to support the school in any way they can. To be added to the Comann nam Pàrant Dùn Èideann database, please make a request via chairs@parantantaobhnapairce.org.uk
Learning Journals
Learning Journals is an app you can download to your phone or you can log in to the website. All pupils have a Learning Journal profile that you can access at any time.
Class teachers will share information on Learning Journals about what your child is learning in school, with individual updates, whole class posts, and termly overviews. Over time Learning Journals builds an ongoing profile of each child’s learning journey from Sgoil-àraich to Clas 7.
If you can’t access your child’s Learning Journal profile, contact the School Office
Comann nam Pàrant mailing list
Comann nam Pàrant (CnP) is the national organisation which offers advice and support on Gaelic medium education to parents. Comann nam Pàrant Dùn Èideann is the local group that represents parents and children across the Edinburgh and Lothians areas.
They are working with parents on the plans for the development of a new Gaelic secondary school, a second primary school and increasing the provision for early years. We encourage all families of children in Gaelic Medium education to sign up to the mailing list so that they are informed and can contribute to the discussion and decision-making.