Dear Everyone
I hope you are all well and not finding the lockdown too difficult. It is a different way to live and I am sure we have all been going through a week of readjustment this week. My husband (who is also working from home) keeps suggesting all the jobs that we can get done and I am now finding that the reason all those jobs do no get done is not just because I do not have the time - I really just do not want to do them!
I hope the children are all managing their work well and it is not proving too much of a challenge to motivate them to do it. It is a period of re-adjustment for them as well and it may take some of them longer to adapt to their new routine. Remember if you do need any support with their learning you can contact all the teachers by email. Please do not come to the school for support. We do have a skeleton staff in school to provide childcare for critical and key workers but we need to keep these numbers as low as possible to enable us to manage this horrible virus.
I am sure that many of you, like me, joined in with the national clapping to show our appreciation of all the NHS workers who are at the front line in fighting this virus. It made me feel quite emotional to hear all the noise and I hope they do feel appreciated. I also feel that we should show our appreciation for all the people who are continuing to work at this difficult time such as shopkeepers, delivery drivers and cleaners. I know the list is much longer than this but without all these dedicated people the country would fall apart and we do not need that at this critical time.
Keep yourself safe and remember to keep washing your hands and observe social distancing.
Friday 27 March 2020
Friday 20 March 2020
I am not going to include much in my blog this week because
I have already shared many communications with you. These are indeed
extraordinary times and they are certainly circumstances that I never expected
to find myself in but then everyone is feeling like that. I do not know when
the school will be open as normal again but let us hope that it is soon. I
think it is only today that it has really hit home to the children that school
is actually going to finish and whilst some of them appear excited at the
prospect I know they are going to miss being here and we will miss seeing them.
We have sent many communications out about the work that we
are going to provide for them so I will not discuss it again but do try to get
them into a routine so they are completing some work every day. This will
ensure that they maintain good learning practices for when they return to
school. Staff can be communicated with by email (during normal school hours
which are 8.20am – 3.20pm) but please remember that the work will not be
exactly the same as they do in the school because the teachers are not there to
teach them in person. Also remember that reading is very important and so it is
also important that they read something every single day.
We will be sending you regular updates about the situation
so please keep checking the website. I will see a few of you next week but to
everybody else I hope you all keep well and I look forward to seeing you all
again in the not too distance future.
Friday 13 March 2020
Looking out of my window today it looks like I am working in
a sports centre as everyone is dressed in sportswear. As you all know it is
Sports Relief Day which explains the clothes and the children have been taking
part in extra sports activities today which I would like to thank Mr Mills for
organising. I would also like to thank you all for the donations that you sent
in. We have not got the final total yet but I will let you know how much we
raised next week.
My week started early as I was at the Albert Hall on Sunday
with some of the choir members. It was a very impressive event and all the
children really enjoyed performing in such an impressive venue. Although it was
an early start for everybody for a Sunday (8.00am) the children all did
themselves and the school proud – it was a pleasure to be with them for the
day. I would like to thank Mrs Lawrence, Miss Bradford and Mrs Robinson for
preparing the children for the event and for supporting them on the day.
The Coronavirus has been dominating the news again and has
entered into our school community again. Public Health England are now advising
people with flu like symptoms to self-isolate and I have sent a letter home
about this today. As I have informed you I am following Public Health England
advice all of the time and I will contact you if anything needs to change about
the way we are responding to the Coronavirus.
Fortunately, the children in school appear to be unaffected
by the situation caused by the Coronavirus and are going about their daily
lives in the usual way. We finished second in the Potters Bar School Indoor
Athletic Tournament this week and the girls have got a football match against
Brookmans Park next week. We also have the Year 2 assembly taking place next
week so there is plenty to look forward to.
All these events will take place unless we get guidance advising us not
to do so.
I hope you all have a great weekend. I look forward to
seeing you all again on Monday morning.
Friday 6 March 2020
The big excitement in school this week was ‘World Book Day’.
All of the children looked really great in their costumes and we have put some
pictures up on our webpage so you can see them. All of the staff followed a
theme this year in that we all wore t-shirts with quotes from books that we
have enjoyed reading. The idea for ‘World Book Day’ this year was to share a
million stories as they want everyone to share stories they have enjoyed with
their families and friends. Hopefully, by us all sharing quotes from books we
have enjoyed we will encourage the children to extend their reading selection.
Next week is another exciting week in school because it is
Science Week. We are staring off the week with children all planting trees
around the grounds on Monday morning. They will need some outdoor footwear such
as wellingtons as it will probably be muddy due to all the rain we have had
recently. On Thursday all the classes will be taking part in a ‘Science CSI’
experience where they will be using scientific investigational approaches to
solve problems. They will also be carrying out a number of other STEM
investigations in class. We believe in promoting science because it encourages
children to find solutions to problems through investigation which is a great
life skill to have.
Next Friday is Sports Relief Day and all the children can come
into school in sports kit if they make a contribution of at least a £1 towards
the Sports Relief fund. All classes will also be taking part in a fitness
circuit to help celebrate the fact that it is ‘Sports Relief Day’.
I would like to take this opportunity to mention how we are
responding to the Coronavirus outbreak. As I mentioned in my letter earlier in
the week no-one associated with the school had contracted the Coronavirus. We
will keep you up to date with any developments but it has been made clear to
all heads that no school can close unless directed by Public Health England –
even if there is a case of Coronavirus in the school. We have also been asked
to point out that most people who contract the virus will only suffer mild
symptoms and that children are least affected by it. We have been told that the
symptoms are very similar to having flu. Also remember that the best way to
stop the spread of the virus is through good hand hygiene and using and
disposing of tissues when you cough or sneeze i.e – ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill
it.’
I hope you all have a pleasant weekend. I am going with the
choir to the Albert Hall on Sunday and I am very much looking forward to that
as are the children – it will be a wonderful experience for all those taking
part.
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