Month: March 2021

WEEKLY NEWS FOR FAMILIES 26.3.21

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Firstly thank you for your patience whilst our front path has been renewed. It is being finished today. We will be able to go back to our usual arrangements of Pevensey Class and Arundel Cass using their classroom doors at the beginning and end of the school day. Although the path is wider than before, we would ask that you continue to observe the expectations of social-distancing. Portchester Class and Southsea Class will now be able to use the side front entrance as they were before the work on the path began.

 

COVID19

It has been brought to our attention that families are going into each other’s houses, having sleepovers and car sharing with people who are not within their family ‘bubble’. It is disappointing that school staff are trying their hardest along with many other families at our school to keep as COVID secure as possible and others are not keeping to the guidance. Only one family adult should be on the school grounds at drop off and pick up. Masks MUST be worn at all times on our school premises unless the person is exempt. Children are also not being supervised before and after school and are once again mixing bubbles. The children need to stay close to their parents.Many of our school families have become more anxious as the term has progressed due to the lack of consideration from other families.Please consider everyone in our school community when you are coming to our school.

 

PARKING

We have a number of parents parking on the ZIG-ZAG lines either side of our school. These lines are there to help keep our children as safe as possible. Concerned parents and local residents have taken photos of cars parked irresponsibly so that this can be reported. Please make sure that it is not your car that has been photographed.

 

UNIFORM

We understand that there may be an issue with school shoes fitting now, therefore trainers can be worn until the shoe shops open again (hopefully 12th April). Uniform must be worn unless it is a PE day. On a PE day, the children should be wearing trainers, a white T-shirt and a plain dark tracksuit. For children who have hair that is longer than their shoulder, this must be tied up for school. This is for safety reasons. Earrings must only be studs and must NOT be worn on PE days.

 

INSET DAYS

The last two INSET days for this year are on

MONDAY 7TH JUNE 2021 & FRIDAY 23RD JULY 2021

 

STAFFING FOR THE SUMMER TERM

We have made some changes to our staffing arrangements for the Summer term. This is in order to support the children in the best way possible as we look forward to a complete term of being fully open! I have attached the arrangements to this ParentMail. In addition, the two classes in Year 5 (Bodiam Class & Hastings Class) will work as one bubble in the same way that Lewes Class and Camber Class have been. This will enable more interaction between the two classes and the teaching and support staff. It will also help them socially as we look further ahead to September when we will need to have 3 mixed classes of Year 5 and Year 6 again.

 

NO NUTS

Please can I remind you that we are a NUT-FREE SCHOOL and therefore there should be NO NUTS in school. Thank you.

 

ROCK STEADY

Please see attached a letter from the Rock-Steady Team.

 

We look forward to seeing you back to school on Monday ready for our last four days of the term. Our last day of term is Maundy Thursday, the 1st April 2021.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care

Kim Huggett

Click here for Rocksteady signup letter March 2021
class and staffing arrangements - summer 2021
Spring Back 2 School Pupil Voice

WEEKLY NEWS FOR FAMILIES 19.3.21

Dear Parents and Carers,
 
We have had another busy week here in school as we have begun to return to our normal curriculum timetable. Our classes still remain in ‘bubbles’ as per our Risk Assessments. The children have been really good at continuing to follow the routines in place. We have had some really positive responses from the children about being back in school. Please find some of the responses attached.
 
DROP OFF AND PICK UP
Please can you remember to continue to follow the arrangements that we have made for parents/carers coming to our school:
  • ONLY ONE ADULT PER FAMILY
  • MASKS MUST BE WORN UNLESS YOU HAVE PROOF THAT YOU ARE EXEMPT
  • ADULTS SHOULD NOT BE JOINING UP IN GROUPS ON OUR SCHOOL PREMISES
  • PLEASE DROP OFF OR COLLECT YOUR FAMILY AND DO NOT WAIT FOR FRIENDS ON THE SCHOOL PREMISES
  • CHILDREN SHOULD REMAIN WITH THEIR ADULT AND NOT RUN AROUND AND POTENTIALLY HAVE CONTACT WITH ANOTHER FAMILY OR CHILDREN FROM ANOTHER BUBBLE
 
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE LEARNING REVIEW MEETINGS
The online booking window for these meetings opens on Monday 22nd March. The instructions are within the ParentMail that you have received this week. We are going to be meeting with you face to face rather than on Zoom. We are planning for these meetings to be outside. Only one adult per family will be able to attend and masks must be worn. We will send out a questionnaire on Monday for you to complete in preparation for the discussions with the class teacher. We hope that you will find these meetings helpful as we look forward to planning effectively for the children’s learning.
 
FOREST SCHOOL
We have begun our Forest School sessions again this week. It has been necessary to make some changes to the original rota due to Lockdown. Our new rota is attached.
 
STAFFING NEWS
We are delighted to inform you of the safe arrival of Raffy Samuel Bowles earlier this month. The Bowles family are enjoying their time together with their new addition.
Mrs Bayliss unfortunately is unwell. Mrs Filby-Aubrey, who has been teaching in Southsea class this week, will continue to be their teacher next week as well. The learning that will be happening will remain consistent with Pevensey and Portchester classes as normal.
Mrs Hewson, one of our lunchtime supervisors, is also unwell. Members of SLT are carrying out her role as she recovers.
Please keep these members of our school family in your thoughts and prayers.
Have a lovely weekend.
 
Take Care
Kim Huggett
FOREST SCHOOL REVISED ROTA 2021
class and staffing arrangements - summer 2021

WEEKLY NEWS FOR FAMILIES 12.03.21

Dear Parents & Carers,
 
Our Spring Back 2 School Week has been a massive success.  It has been amazing to hear and feel the buzz of learning in every classroom.  Over the next couple of weeks, the normal weekly timetable will be phased back in.  At the same time, the teachers will respond to the needs of the children in their class.
Home Learning 
Please can the children return their Home Learning exercise books as soon as possible, if they have not already done so.  The teachers are looking forward to having these books in school to help them plan the next steps of learning.
If you borrowed a School laptop during the last Lockdown, please can you bring them to the school office so that Miss Beadle can register their return.
Building Works
As you will have noticed there has not been much activity at the front of the school this week.  There has been an issue with one of the drains.  Until this is fixed the pathway upgrade is on hold.  Thank you for your patience whilst we will need to continue the drop-off and pick up arrangements that are currently in place.
Cycling To School
It is really important that those children who cycle to school wear a helmet.  They also need to be able to keep their bike secure in the bike shed during the day.  A chain with a combination code or padlock is needed as the school cannot be responsible for the security of the bikes.
Junior Bake Off
Calling all budding bakers…!  Please find attached a flyer for an exciting opportunity for children aged 9 years or older.  Channel 4 is looking for the next round of contestants for this television programme.
Chartwells Job Vacancy
Please find attached an opportunity to work with Chartwells – our catering provider.
Learning Review Meetings
We are planning to hold Learning Review Meetings with parents and carers in the first week of the summer term.  Further details regarding this will be sent out next week.
Have a lovely weekend. 
 
The children may well be very tired so we ask that they are able to relax and recharge ready for Monday.
 
Take care
Kim Huggett
Chartwells Job Vacancy

WEEKLY NEWS TO FAMILIES 5.3.21

Dear Parents and Carers 
March is here and we are ready to SPRING BACK 2 SCHOOL next week! 
Don’t forget we are celebrating World Book Day on Monday. The children can come dressed up or in their home clothes with a book of their choice.
Wednesday next week is our Outdoor Classroom Day where we will be taking our learning outside.  The children will need not need to wear their school uniform but be dressed for whatever the weather has in store for us.
MARCH PRAYER
The prayer for the month of March is on our school website.  As the new spring season begins, the prayer helps us to reflect on the theme of renewal.
TUESDAY CHAT
It has been really helpful for Mr Hughes and I to meet with families on our weekly Tuesday Chats.  These will continue for the rest of this term.  Next week’s meeting will need to be on Monday 8th March, as we have a governor’s meeting to attend.  Details of the Zoom meeting will be sent out on Monday morning.
LATERAL FLOW TESTS FOR FAMILIES
We have received some information from the DfE regarding LFTs for families.  Please see below:

Asymptomatic testing information for parents and adults in households with children at school or college

NHS Test and Trace announced earlier this week, that all adults in households with school and college age children without symptoms can now access regular rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. 
Test kits can either be collected or ordered online, as set out below. You should not give test kits to parents, carers or household members and should not order more test kits for this purpose. Secondary school and college students will continue to access testing through their school or college. 
Please share the information below with your parent networks to help answer any questions they may have.
Undertaking regular, rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing helps reduce transmission of the virus. Parents and other adults in households with children at school or college, who do not have symptoms, can now access regular, rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. This includes childcare and support bubbles. 
Tests are fast, easy and completely free. There are different ways for a household, childcare or support bubble to collect their test to take at home, twice-weekly:
  • through your employer, if they offer testing to employees
  • by collecting a home test kit from a local test site – anyone aged 18 or over can collect 2 packs of 7 tests
  • by ordering a home test kit online – please do not order online if you can access testing through other routes, this frees up home delivery for those who need it most
If you have any queries about the tests, and you live in England, please call 119 (free from mobiles and landlines). Lines are open every day from 7am to 11pm.
Children of primary school age (and below) without symptoms are not being asked to take a test. 
Testing is voluntary, but strongly recommended to all who are eligible. Alongside the vaccine, washing hands, wearing face coverings, and maintaining social distancing, rapid testing plays a vital role in reducing transmission rates. Getting into the habit of regular testing as part of our everyday lives will help us all to play our part and do what we can to protect each other. 
Have a lovely weekend. 
 
Wrap up warm if you go for a family walk!
 
Take care
Kim Huggett