Re-opening Letter from Mrs Breslin
Dear Parents/Carers,
As you will all be aware, Christ the King school re-opens to all children (except Nursery/Reception children, who have been sent separate letters informing them of their specific attendance dates) on Thursday 3rd September 2020.
I understand that many of you may be worried about a return to school, particularly if your child(ren) have not attended school since March. However, I wish to reassure you that all staff at Christ the King will do everything in their power to ensure a secure, calm return and ask that you prepare your children positively for a happy, exciting year ahead. They have no doubt missed their friends, along with the daily routines and educational/social experiences we all need to keep life balanced.
Timetable for return to school on Thursday 3rd September –
School start time:
Years 1-6 return to school between 8.30-8.40am through main car park entrance OR lower entrance on Danesbury Crescent.
School finish times:
KS1 (Years 1 and 2) – finish at 2.55pm – pick up from lower Danesbury Crescent exit gate
KS2 (Years 3-6) – finish at 3.05pm – pick up from main car park entrance/exit gate
If your child needs medication, such as an inhaler, please ensure it is in date and clearly named.
The Government has stated that primary aged children do not need to wear face coverings. Research has shown they could actually increase the risk of infection for children and hamper their learning. We therefore ask that you do not send your child to school with a face covering.
Please note:
It is expected that all primary pupils will return on the dates directed, to school. Gavin Williamson (Education Secretary) has made clear that he intends to reintroduce fines for parents who do not return their children to school from September, stating… ‘It is going to be compulsory for children to return back to school unless there’s a very good reason, or a local spike where there have had to be local lockdowns.’
As a school, we are not allowed to authorise holidays in term time… so please don’t do this. Your children have missed enough time, they need to return on the date stipulated and be in school EVERY DAY if they are to be given the best opportunity to ‘catch up’. However, I must also remind parents that if your child is unwell or displays any symptoms of coronavirus (temperature, cough, loss of taste etc.) then they should not attend school. If you feel your child has symptoms of coronavirus you should speak to you GP to arrange a test. Your child would need isolate for 10 days and any other household members for 14 days. If we do have any cases within school, then bubbles may need to be closed to allow for isolation.
Please refer to my letter dated 17 July 2020 which outlines further details of what will happen when your child(ren) come back to school. It is of paramount importance that you adhere to the expectations laid out in this letter if we are to keep both children and staff as safe as we possibly can. It is essential that now, of all times, we strongly work together as a school community.
School Planners
Pupils planners for the next academic year have not yet arrived in school. When they do, each child will be given theirs, as usual, upon which we ask all parents to complete the mandatory home/school agreement/emergency contact and medical details. Please note that, due to the circumstances, in order to reduce the possibility of cross contamination, staff will only stamp/sign the planners on a Monday and Friday. As the planners are our main source of communication, we ask that should you wish to communicate anything to the class teachers from Tuesday to Thursday, a member of staff on gate duty in the morning/home time may be able to help you – or alternatively, you can leave a message with them to pass on to your child’s class teacher who will get back to you at a convenient time. Please do not ring the school office unless it is urgent…office staff cannot cope with an influx of phone calls with questions that are answered on the school website or which could wait until the morning/afternoon. Please look at the school website for regular updates/information that may answer your question. Also, visitors to the school office will be tightly managed for obvious reasons. Therefore, no more than one person at a time will be allowed entrance into the school foyer. If you ring the entrance bell once upon arrival, a member of the office staff will buzz you in, one at a time. (Please wear a mask if planning to enter the office foyer). I understand that this is not ideal, but it is a precaution, minimising time/contact, therefore reducing risk. This is more important than a little inconvenience. Thank you for your consideration, in advance.
Whilst your child will be bringing home a reading book, due to the sanitising measures we will be taking, it may take a little longer than usual to change your child’s reading book. For this reason, we will ensure that your child has books available to them to access online through their ‘Bug Club’ account so that they always have something to read.
Similarly, we will not be able to facilitate the children from Year 2 upwards doing their daily times tables practice on ‘Times Tables Rock Stars’, therefore we would ask that they log on at home each night to complete their 1 minute ‘Garage’ game.
Uniform
The school office will be open on Tuesday 1st September and Wednesday 2nd September between 10am-1pm to collect ordered uniform. Please ensure all uniform is collected on these days ready for the first day at school on Thursday 3rd September.
School Dinner Price Increase
School dinner price increased on the 1 April to £2.40 per day/£12.00 per week. For nursery full time children the price is £2.10 per day/£10.50 per week.
Dinner Debts
If you have not paid your dinner arrears for this academic year, please ensure you provide your child with a packed lunch until your debt is settled. All relevant parents have been contacted.
We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday 3 September!
Mrs Breslin
Head Teacher
Government Guidance
Below are the links for the government's advice on the coronavirus and school settings for your perusal:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/