Dear Parents,

I hope everyone managed to stay safe and well during the extended break, we did have a number of positive cases, during the closure, showing that Covid is still affecting our school community. A number of staff and children continue to self isolate.

 

We need adults to now more than ever follow the rules and take precautions during drop off and pick up : 
 

• keep a 2 metre distance from other adults at all times. This has been poor to date, with parents chatting in groups and not social distancing. So it is time to be more mindful.
 

• It is strongly recommended all adults wear a face mask, when near or on the school site. Again to date, we have a small number of adults wearing masks, you may be outside in the fresh air, but if you are close to another adult chatting, you are taking a risk.

 

• Drop and run: break the habit of loitering outside the gates waiting for other parents for a chat. Be sensible and leave immediately once your child has been safely dropped off.

 

• P1-3 parents must stay behind the yellow markings on the ground at all times. Once your child has been dropped to the correct entrance door, do not stand watching them going into the building, this is preventing us from letting the next year group enter the gates and that is the reason we have a build up of children and adults on the footpath. 

• Teachers cannot speak to parents at drop off and pick up, if you need to speak to them follow the guidance and send a seesaw message, they will get back to you when they are free.

• Cars are still a HUGE issue on Glasvey Drive. Take the sensible approach, park at the church and walk to the gates. that road is narrow and has become a bottle neck, so why put yourself through the stress of not being able to move your car because you have been blocked in! 
 

Our commitment to remote learning during self isolation:

 

If your child has to self isolate teachers will prepare daily work for Seesaw. It is important you set aside time for your child to complete all tasks. Please follow the guidance from the teacher, as to how to submit and or correct the work.  

We recommend that you set up a space at home for them to follow a school day. Here is an example of how a school day should look: 

 

9:00-10:00 Literacy tasks

10:00-10:30 reading 

10:30 - 11:00 break time

11:00-12:30 numeracy and mental maths 

12:30-1:15 lunch break 

1:15 -2:15 topic work 

 

Ensure the children also get fresh air in the garden.

We fully understand this is a very difficult time for you as parents, but my staff are working very hard to keep life as normal as possible during the day. The children are coping so well with life in a bubble, we are ensuring that bubbles don’t mix, as they go to the toilets at set times, during playtime bubbles have their own area and in the canteen tables are socially distanced. We have our cleaning team in school full time each day, they are keeping all touched surfaces and toilets cleaned on a rota throughout the day.

 

We are trying our very best to ensure whilst in school, the children and staff are following rules and routines, but we cannot control outside the gates, that is over to you the parents to ensure that you are playing your part.

Unfortunately Covid has further impacted our new build, with contractors self isolating, a number of positive cases of Covid and Woodvale having difficulty with deliveries of materials coming from abroad. 

 

Therefore the decant date for February has now been put back until Easter.

 

The February mid term break dates are as follows: Monday 15th until Friday 19th February. 

 

I will confirm the Easter holidays once I get confirmation from the construction team. 

So please work with us, together if each of us play our part, we can get through this difficult time and fingers crossed we can enjoy Christmas with our loved ones.

Keep safe

 

Claire Robinson