This week we have seen even more of our families adjust to coping with remote learning and juggling having children at home with everything else. This has felt impossible for so many of you but it really has meant that our numbers in school have fallen, making it feel safer for everyone and hopefully having an impact on transmission rates. Thank you to you all for helping us navigate through this challenging time whether your children are in school or at home - your support makes it possible.

I am so amazed by what you are managing to help your children with at home despite how hard this is and lots of you are having to cram either school work or your work into impossible hours. Even if you aren’t working or looking after little ones it is still so hard to take on the role of teacher with your own children - it’s just not the same as the children learning in school and so much harder to get them to focus at home. 

At school the pace is different and the children have such different motivations - you cannot recreate this so please don’t worry if your child is not learning too well at home. I know my own sons are really struggling to learn at home and what should take 20 minutes can take hours....and their dad used to be a teacher so give yourselves a break!

Thank you to our incredible Teaching Assistants

We have been thanking our teachers a great deal recently as the work they have done to pull off such quality remote learning whilst teaching in school has been outstanding.  This week I’d like to give a massive shout out to our TAs who have adjusted seamlessly to teaching the children in school when the teachers have needed to record lessons, email and phone families and hold zoom calls.  Not one of them has complained that their role has changed completely and they are now in very different roles.  Thank you to our amazing team of Teaching Assistants!

Collective Worship

This week we have been learning about showing courage when facing a challenge.  These words are from the Bible - ‘Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ and are the words that God spoke to Joshua when he asked him to become the leader of his people. We also learnt about Sir Ernest Shackleton and the courage he showed as he navigated his crew to safety after his voyage to travel across Antarctica went horribly wrong when his ship ‘Endurance’ got stuck in the ice. Then we shared a beautiful book donated by Peggy in Panda class about Sir Captain Tom Moore and how he took 100 steps to say thank you to the NHS for showing incredible courage at such a hard time. 

Living the Values - Courage

This week the children’s awards go to Eva and Kavell in Y1. Eva has been finding it tricky to join the Crocodile zoom calls since she has been at home but found this week she found the courage to join in and talk so confidently despite feeling worried. Kavell was finding it really tricky to say goodbye to his Daddy and this week and has been so brave and done this in such a grown-up way. The staff awards go to Mrs Marsh and Mrs Dickinson. Mrs Marsh has been amazing at just stepping in for Mr Jones this week with the Penguins in school and, despite being new to Y2 this year, she has not faltered once. Mrs Dickinson has been going above and beyond this week for the families she supports and one family in particular, and it has taken courage to do this in an unfamiliar situation. She has also supported the staff brilliantly so that they can also offer support. 

Thank you for donations

We have received some lovely books this week from Peggy, some delicious staff treats from Alice and several devices to share with our families.  Your generosity is always so appreciated, thank you.

Lateral Flow Testing for staff

You may have heard that staff and regular visitors to school will all be offered Lateral Flow Tests from Monday 25th January.  We have not yet received our testing kits but believe we will receive them on Tuesday 26th January.  The purpose of these tests is to 'detect asymptomatic cases and break chains of transmission'.  

Staff and regular visitors will be asked to take a test twice a week on a Sunday and Wednesday evening at home at approximately 5pm. They have then been asked to let me know if the result is positive immediately.  If that person has been working with children in school I will then contact you to close that class or to tell you that your child needs to isolate due to having been a close contact.  I will do this as soon as I can as it is likely to affect your critical work.

All staff who receive a positive test result are then required to book a PCR test as soon as possible - this will hopefully be quick as school staff get priority testing.  If this result is also positive then that person and any close contacts will have to continue to isolate.  If it is negative then everyone can return to school.

If you have any questions about this please contact Mrs Martin.

Overall school attendance

Nationally there were 13.9% of children attending school, up until the 14^th January 2021.  Last week, on average we had 40.8% of our children attending school.  This week we have averaged at 36% of our children attending school.

Thank you to everyone who has been able to keep their children at home, it really helps.

Hot Chocolate Awards

Each week one child from every class is being recognized by their teacher for being brilliant in some way. Well done to all the children that have been chosen for this week’s Hot Chocolate Awards. These awards will either be given to the children in school or delivered to your home address, so nobody will miss out.

• Panda: Charlie – for the great re-telling of the Three Little Pigs.
• Lion: Mara – fantastic drawing of the Three Little Pigs story map.
• Tiger: Aoife – for always trying her very best.
• Giraffe: Alfie – for being such a kind friend.
• Crocodile: Lexi – for always being such a considerate friend.
• Cheetah: Elora – for working so hard at home
• Penguin: Zach – for returning to school well and giving 100% in all lessons
• Zebra: Lucas – for excellent effort, behavior and enthusiasm in everything