If this is your first child to join us in Millington, we welcome you as parents and look forward to a happy and successful association over the coming years. To those of you who already have children here, we are pleased to renew the links between us.

This booklet aims to provide some information about the school, its aims, curriculum and activities. Confidence in a school comes from knowing and understanding what is happening within it. We hope you will extend your knowledge through contact with myself and members of the staff, and take advantage of the consultation evenings and time set apart for parent/teacher interviews.

In Millington we have always considered that the education of children is a partnership between school and home so it is important that mutual understanding and trust should be the basis of our shared responsibility for your child.

The information in this booklet is correct at the time of publication. However, it cannot be assumed that changes will not occur in school organisation during the course of this year or in subsequent years.

D.M. Holden,

Principal.

Discipline is an important part of school life and good discipline is essential if we are to fulfil our school policy and aims.  In the past discipline was often thought of as a series of punishments for when things went “wrong”.  This however is not the case in Millington, where we consider it to be a carefully thought out plan that will help develop self-discipline within each child.  Self discipline not only in terms of behaviour but also with regard to work and attitudes to others. Our school Creed begins - “This is our school” and our discipline policy is based upon this simple statement.  All of us share responsibility for how things are done within the school and how we treat one another.  Children are encouraged by example and explanation to value and respect themselves, other people and the things around them.  High standards of behaviour are expected from everyone.  This includes the staff, the pupils, visitors to the school and parents when they are in the school.

To help everyone understand what is expected of them we have drawn up a set of guidelines and these are printed below.  Readers should note that they apply not solely to the children but to everyone in the school.

Besides these guidelines there are normally class rules as well as school routines and traditions that everyone in the school gradually learns as they settle in.  These are introduced to the children as they progress through the school and staff spend time explaining what is and what is not suitable behaviour for people in Millington.

If someone falls below our standards of behaviour they are spoken to and reminded of our expectations.  Repeated or deliberate misbehaviour however, has to result in some form of sanction or punishment.  After discussion it was agreed that the children should be asked to write out some of the Guidelines in order that they would better understand what standards are expected of them.  Additional school work will not be used as we wish children to enjoy and value their work and never see it as a punishment.  This Guideline work might be done at a set time in school (never after school hours) or at home.  If this work is sent home parents are asked to sign the completed work so that they know what has occurred and what guidelines have to be written out.

A repeat of unsatisfactory behaviour would be reported to the Principal and if it persists parents would be invited in to discuss the situation.  A child might then be placed on Daily Report.

Daily report is a system where the pupil has to keep a notebook with details of their daily activities and work.  The staff write appropriate comments in the notebook, which is then shown to the parent, who signs it to show he or she has seen it.  The following morning the notebook is shown to the Principal or Vice-Principal in order that they can monitor the child’s progress.

If a serious breach of guidelines occurs then the school may, using the procedures recommended by the Southern Education and Library Board, suspend a pupil.  The Governors also maintain the right, within the accepted procedures, to expel a pupil should they consider it appropriate.

Whilst the governors must maintain the above procedures in order to safeguard the pupils within the school, parents should be aware that our policy is a positive one where good behaviour is the norm and is praised by staff.  Unsatisfactory behaviour is quickly identified and corrected.  Through understanding what is expected of them we hope everybody in the school maintains our high standards and through this understanding each person is able to contribute to the caring atmosphere within the school.

The programme of parental evenings has been evolving over a number of years and we hope will continue to do so. The arrangements for the year normally include the following.

PRIMARY ONE EVENING

The school traditionally holds an evening during the first term for the parents of children in the Primary One classes. On these evenings staff give short talks about our approaches to teaching and then parents are invited into the classrooms to look at and also try some of the activities that go on in the classroom.

PRIMARY SIX AND SEVEN EVENINGS

On this evening senior staff from Clounagh Junior High School talk to parents about the transfer of pupils and their induction into Clounagh.

NEW PUPILS MEETING

During the final term parents of children due to start school in September are invited in to hear about our induction arrangements and given the opportunity to meet their child’s teacher and look around the school. Traditionally children accompany their parents on this day so they also meet their new teacher and see their new classroom.

-ooOoo-

Besides the meetings outlined above the school also invites parents to a variety of other events. These have included open evenings, “trip” evenings, summer sales and concerts. We try to vary the activities and hope that during the time your child is with us you will find time to join us in a number of them.