Newsletter: 19th March 2021

Uniform

We are aware that a lot of families have found that their children have grown out of uniform (sometimes new uniform!) during Lockdown. As I have previously said, please don’t rush to buy new items, we know that family finances might well be very tight at the moment and as a school we don’t want to add to your burden. We will move back towards usual uniform expectations gradually over the Summer Term for most children. However, FOWS (Team Woolley) are actively looking at creating an online Previously Used Uniform sales area in the near future. If your child has outgrown items that you’re happy to donate to this, please send them in to school with your child in a sealed carrier bag – we will then have to quarantine your donations for a couple of days before sorting ready for re-sale. Once the system is up and running, FOWS hope to be able to facilitate online ordering and payment in a similar way to the school’s ScoPay system for new items.

Please remember the school makes no profit whatsoever on new uniform sales, so we are extremely happy to support this alternative sales route and earn a few pounds for the PTA whilst saving you money at the same time. **School Uniform cannot be included in the Bag2School appeal*** (see below)

Bag2School

Next week is Bag2School Week! You can drop off items packed into bin bags in the holding area behind the school sign by the car park entrance at any time on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday next week. This will be collected by Sarah and the Team ready to be sent off to the Bag2School company on Thursday. If you are dropping off items, please remember to respect social distancing, particularly if children are lining up ready to come in to school. Items must be in tied up bags as we can’t accept things which become wet.  Just as a reminder, these things can be included in any donation you’d like to make:

  • Men’s, Ladies’ and Children’s clothing
  • Paired shoes (tied together or elastic band around)
  • Handbags
  • Hats
  • Bags
  • Scarves and ties
  • Jewellery
  • Lingerie
  • Socks
  • Belts
  • Soft toys
  • Household linen
  • Household curtains
  • Household towels
  • Household bedding (bed sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers)

* Bag2School reserve the right to refuse any unsuitable items

They DO NOT accept:

  • Duvets and blankets
  • Pillows and cushions
  • Carpets, rugs and mats (including bath, shower and toilet mats)
  • Soiled, painted, ripped or wet clothing
  • School uniforms with and without logo
  • Corporate clothing and workwear
  • Textile off cuts, yarns or threaded material

Preschool Sessions

Please remember if you haven’t yet booked your child in for Preschool sessions for the Summer Term you need to do so urgently. Please use this form to submit your request: https://forms.gle/hoezvcR5QLDuPj759

Parking and Arrivals

We are still seeing a significant number of children arriving before their designated time in the morning and this is causing congestion around the school gate which we are trying very, very hard to avoid. No-one wants the end of staggered starts and finishes more than me, I promise, but at the present time those are the rules we have to obey. So, to remind everyone again, these are the times your child should be arriving at their drop off point:

  • Cranford and Sunflowers: 08:45
  • Stroxworthy and Burscott Classes: 08:55
  • Ashmansworthy and Alminstone: 09:05
  • Bus and Taxi children should come straight into school and not wait out on the road

I have also received messages from parents who are finding crossing Copper Hill at the Auction Way/Manor Park junctions tricky because cars are parking over the dipped curbs which are needed for both visibility and for wheeled-access. I completely understand that until the centre of the village re-opens, parking everywhere else is even more problematic than normal, but if you could leave these key crossing points clear you will be helping ensure our children and families are safe on the journeys to and from school.

Residentials Update

Y6 Adventure International (27th June – 2nd July):

The Government is due to make a determination on Monday about when school residential centres will be permitted to re-open, but the tentative date communicated to providers already suggests the sector will be fully open, with appropriate Covid precautions, well before our Y6 visit to Adventure International is due to take place. Once Adventure International get the firm go-ahead from their authority, they will be in a position to ask us for deposits. This means that if you have a child in Y6 and are still considering sending your child, you should now go on to ScoPay and click on the Consent button for the trip but not pay any money just yet. I will be the teacher accompanying the group to Bude. If you have any questions or queries, please just drop me a line. Thanks.

Y5 London (6th – 8th July):

We are still working on the assumption that London 2021 will go ahead as planned in July. There is nothing to indicate that any of the planned activities in the Capital are at risk and NST travel company are confident all will go ahead as expected. Should the national situation change between now and then, we would move the residential for a second time and it would take place in the next academic year instead – but this is a very unlikely scenario.

Y3/4 Residential:

We are still investigating the possibility of a Y3/4 trip as providers begin to come online. Once we have some options to make an informed decision, we will let you know directly.

Loan-Out Technology

If you were one of the familes to benefit from a pice of loan out kit to support Remote Learning, we now need the items to be returned to school, please. At the moment, we are waiting for the return of 4 Chromebooks and 3 Laptops – if you could send them in next week, we’d really appreciate it, thank you.

Online Safety

Just a timely reminder that online safety remains really important and parents need to continue to be vigilant even though the period of Remote Learning has now hopefully passed.  Please remember you can get Online Safety information and support from ThinkUKnow or the NSPCC. If you have specific worries about either your own child or another child’s online interaction, you can always contact the school for help in addressing the issue. Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are myself, Sarah Oyarzabal and Sue Miles. Further information is below or on our Safeguarding page HERE.

Age Range Resources Link
Under 5s (Parents/ Carers) ThinkUKnow: keeping your child uunder 5 safe online https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/keeping-your-under-five-safe-online/
4-7 years ThinkUKnow: animations to help young children stay safe online https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/jessie-and-friends/
8-10 years ThinkUKnow: resources to help children recognise pressuring and manipulation online https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/playlikeshare/
Parents/ Carers ThinkUKnow: Advice on what to do if you think something has happened online https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/are-you-worried-about-something-that-has-happened-online/
Parents/ Carers ThinkUKnow: Parents’ advice on Personal Information online https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/parents-guide-to-personal-information2/
Carers ThinkUKnow: Advice on keeping children in care safe online https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/Looked-after-children-Specific-risks/
Parents/Carers ThinkUKnow: Explaining in-game chat for parents https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/in-game-chat/
Parents/Carers NSPCC: Advice on children sexting and sending nudes https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/sexting-sending-nudes/
Parents/Carers NSPCC: How to set Parental Controls https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/

A huge well done to our awesome learners who have really impressed their teachers this week…

Cranford Class: Monty – making a great den to trap the “Evil peas”.  Well done!; Mason – amazing progress with reading over the last few weeks.

Burscott Class: Louie – for using his lashing skills for making his kite; Mollie – for her measuring skills in maths.

Stroxworthy Class: Alfie A – for working hard on his “Romans” information booklet and helping his classmates in all subjects; Xavier – for working enthusiastically in his fractions investigations.

Alminstone Class: Harley – Trying really hard with fractions in maths; Jackie – learning and performing a poem in guided reading

Ashmansworthy Class: Megan – great contributions in class this week; Molly – wonderful creative writing in English work on The Ice Bear

As clubs and activities begin to re-open, please remember we are always very happy to celebrate your child’s achievements in our Friday assembly. Whether that’s swimming and gymnastics certificates, sports trophies or Scout badges, please just send them in on Fridays so we can celebrate in our virtual assembly!


Our condolences…

On Wednesday we received the news that after a long and difficult battle with cancer one of our mums, Becky Allmark, sadly passed away. The family have had close ties to the school for several years, with Sophie being in Year 4 and older sister Lily working in Preschool and Cranford Class as part of her Petroc training.  The children in Alminstone class were told separately yesterday (Thursday) but I am sure that as news of Becky’s passing spreads, children in other classes may well have questions or worries too. When Sophie returns to school, I am sure she will very much want things to carry on as normally as possible and not be the centre of attention. If you require any support to help your child process this upsetting news, please get in touch with Cathy Farmer in the first instance. Our thoughts, prayers and best wishes are with David, Sophie, Lily and Abbie at this time.

Matt Cole

Headteacher

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