Newsletter: 18th June 2021

Posted on June 18, 2021 | By Mr Cole

Sports Day

We are very sad to have had to withdraw arrangements to allow families to come and watch our Sports Day on Monday. Mr Davies has worked tirelessly to put together a full day of celebration, both of Sport and of our community coming back together, but sadly this is no longer possible with Government restrictions remaining in place. We will be taking lots of photos and videoing main events and races: these will be added to our Blog so you can share some aspects of the day with your child when they get home and celebrate their individual achievements.

The nature of Sports Day will also change, with the school operating in separate bubbles for their activities in order to maintain our Covid security.

Ashmansworthy Class have been working very hard on a grand opening ceremony as our Sports Day is planned to have a strong Olympic theme. This ceremony will also be videoed and shared and we are also hoping to incorporate it into the Leavers’ Assembly at the end of term, by which point we expect to be able to invite Y6 parents and carers in to watch.

Rather predicatably, the forecast for Monday is looking pretty wet. Mr Davies will make a decision on Monday morning on whether to proceed or not and we will send out a message to all parents at about 8am. If we do have to postpone, the reserve date is the following Monday, 28th June (which will also mean postponing the Burscott Class visit to Burford Woods)

Beginning and End of the Day

With cases popping up in other local schools this week, we are very aware that the Covid situation is very much changed from just a couple of weeks ago. At the present time, we won’t be re-introducing face coverings for adults collecting and dropping off children but this may change over the coming days so please keep an eye out for announcements from the school. I have asked staff to re-visit our Covid measures with children this week and would ask that you do the same: things like not allowing your child to school before their allocated time and keeping two metres’ distance from other parents is now a crucial line in our defence. I know we have all experienced some level of fatigue with these arrangements which have now been in place over a year, but it is vital for the good of our school community that everyone plays their part so please, please observe the rules we have set out.

Should it be necessary to close a bubble here at school, we will need to let you know very quickly. Please could you ensure that emergency contact details are up to date for your family so that we can contact you through the ScoPay system. If you have received notification of today’s newsletter via text or email, that will be the route you will hear about any in-day closures of bubbles, so if that message isn’t getting to the correct device, please contact Tina or Sue in the Office and they will update your details.

Finally, it remains very important indeed that you do not send your child to school if they have any Covid-like symptoms. Please inform us straight away if there is a confirmed case (by either Lateral Flow or PCR test) in your household. This allows us to put measures in place here at school and also identify with Public Health England at a very early stage if there is an emerging cluster in our school community.

Year 6 Transition Days and Moving Up Morning

Bideford College have already taken the sensible decision to move this year’s transition arrangements online. This means that the planned visits to College for the Y6 children transferring there will not now take place. We have also just heard that likewise, GTS have cancelled their face to face transition visits as well, which were due to take place next week. They will be placing information about transition on their Website so please check there if your child is going to GTS next year.

Similarly, we have cancelled the “moving up morning” planned for Friday 2nd July when children would have met with their new teachers. This is because the morning would have involved breaking all of our bubbles which we had thought would have been ended by then. The only exception is for Preschool children joining in Reception next year, who will still be able to come down and spend time with Mrs Oyarzabal and Mrs Harding as they are a single bubble and will not be mixing with the current Cranford Class.

Trips and Visits

At the moment, planned trips and visits can still take place as we have enhanced Covid safeguarding measures in place here at school and at the venues we visit. For the time being, we are asking any parent volunteers who help with any of these activities, including coming in to help with Forest School this half term, to take a Lateral Flow test the day before your involvement with the school, and to share that result with the teacher in charge. This can be done by forwarding the NHS Covid-19 Notification email which is generated when you report your result to the teacher’s school email address. The email will be retained on our systems until the end of this term, when it will be deleted. Lateral Flow tests can now be ordered by anyone at this website: https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

Uniform

We are anticipating returning to our full uniform requirements in the Autumn Term, including children once again bringing PE kit into school.

We are now taking orders for all items of uniform ahead of September. To ensure stock arrives in time, please make sure you use the form below by 1st July 2021. Orders placed after that time are very unlikely to be in school before the start of term on 7th September.

To order new items, please click onn this link: https://forms.gle/p1cKM4Vc6aWDzPef9

Please also remember that Team Woolley (FOWS) are selling quality previously used uniform at very good prices. You can order items online at https://www.pta-events.co.uk/teamwoolley and items will be given to your child once they have been prepared for you.

Don’t forget that when you’re moving your children up a size, or if your child is leaving the school, we are always grateful for donations of uniform items for re-sale. Please remove any name labels and send them in to the Office in a clean, laundered state. Thank you.

We have a vacancy for a mealtime assistant from September. This can either be 5 days per week in term time, or we would be open to splitting it into two jobshare posts of 2 days/3 days. Hours (assuming we’re out of Covid Bubbles by then) will be 12 noon to 1.15pm.

Please speak to Sue or Tina in the office if you are interested in joining our team. Thank you.

Class Photos

The Class Photos and Leavers’ Photo taken a few weeks ago are now ready for orders. To view the photos and to place an order, please see the instructions below from Tempest:

Dear Parent/Carer,

The recent Group photographs are now ready to view and purchase at  http://htmp.st/WoolseryPrimary

There will be a “deliver to school” option open for approx. 14 days, otherwise home delivery is available for £5 postage and packing.

If you need assistance please call 01736 751555 (option 3) or click on contact us on the home page.

Tempest Photography 

Woolfest Update

The Family Fun Day and Beer Fest currently being organised by FOWS has had to be posponed due the extension of lockdown rules. It will definitely go ahead, though so please watch this space for more news as everything is re-booked.

Well done to everyone who has been presented with a Headteacher’s Award in our virtual Assembly today:

Cranford Class: Thomas and Hugo – for working out their number bonds independently

Burscott Class: Louie – for excellent teamwork during sports day practice; Lyonie – for trying her very best in English when writing about the identification of reptiles

Stroxworthy Class: Bea – an excellent plan using high level vocabulary for her story; Wenty – working very hard writing up his story and for working together with others.

Alminstone Class: Bailey – overcoming challenges on his own this week; Finley – showing a great work ethic in all areas

Ashmansworthy Class: Hope – sharing her sporting achievement in a mature way; JJ perseverance with his activities in all subject really well.

With best wishes,

Matt Cole, Headteacher

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