Dear Parents/ Guardians,

Please see below the most recent guidance on the wearing of Face Coverings for Foundation Phase children.

 

As regards primary schools, the extant advice and guidance from the Welsh Government Chief Medical Officer is clear. The Technical Advice issued on 26 August states:

“There appears to be little additional value of face coverings in children under age 11, as the evidence points to low rates of symptomatic infection and transmission in this age group. On safety and wellbeing grounds, children under age 2 should not wear face coverings”.

Furthermore, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF advise (to paraphrase) decision makers to apply the following criteria for use of masks in children in areas where there is known or suspected community transmission of Covid 19 and in settings where physical distancing cannot be achieved.

 

Essentially, children aged up to five years should not wear masks and for those between six and 11 years of age, a risk-based approach should be applied taking into account the intensity of transmission in the area; available evidence on the risk of infection and transmission in this age group and social and cultural considerations plus the child’s capacity to comply with the appropriate use of masks and the availability of appropriate adult supervision; the potential impact of mask wearing on learning and psychosocial development and any additional considerations for specific settings such as sport or for children with disabilities/underlying conditions.

 

On Home to School Transport,

we believe that the position is clear. Face coverings must be worn by youngsters aged 11 or over – circa 2800 pupils across the County Borough of secondary school age.

Dear Parents,

We are so looking forward to seeing you and all next week. Just a few important pieces of information. Evidence shows our youngest learners are in the least at risk group. We want school to remain open, so please work with us to reduce transmission. Please remember to be vigilant and be safe. Should your child display any symptoms of COVID-10; high temperature, dry persistent cough, loss of sense of smell or taste, keep them home to isolate, anyone who lives with someone displaying COVID -19 symptoms must also self isolate.

Please also help your children by reminding them how to wash their hands thoroughly.

When? Year 1,2 and Reception will start back Thursday 3^rd September.

Reception Children- phased return

To ease Reception children into fulltime education and maybe to stop them sleeping the afternoon away-

• Thursday 3^rd and Friday 4^th the session will end at 1:00.
• Monday 7^th – Friday 11^th the session will finish at 2:00.
• Monday 14^th onwards 8:55- 2:55.

 

Staggered Approach

We will as far as possible keep them in their class bubbles. To do this we will stagger the start, lunch, end of the school day.

 

Class	Arrival	Lunch	Pick Up
Y2 AW	8:45	11:55	2:45
Y1 ST	8:55	11:45	2:55
Y1/R JJ	8:55	11:35
Reception EM/KT	8:55	11:35	2:55
Nursery AM	9:00	–	11:30
Nursery PM	12:15		2:45

 

*For those children with siblings we will be flexible

 

Social Distancing for adults

Please remember to use the One Way system for drop off – up the lane behind Norman Street and exit the lane to  Norman Street. Please drop children to the side yard where they will line up in their class bubble.

 

Uniform as usual

Please could children wear uniform daily. Fresh clothes daily is advisable to reduce transmission. (PDG grant form available to down load from website). Mrs O’Callaghan has a large stock of good quality uniform in the Church Nearly New Shop, she will be opening on Saturday 29th August 10-12 noon.

 

School Meals Service

We will be adapting our School Dinner service to provide a combination of 2 Hot Grab Bags Tuesday and Friday, 3 Cold Grab Bags and hot meals. Please use Parent Pay. If your child prefers to eat packed lunch, please use a SMALL lunchbox. Please NO backpacks. Please send water in a bottle you’re your child’s name on it.

 

Fruit will continue daily. Please send £2 in the envelopes that we will provide in September(Before handling it will be left for 72 hours).

 

Working Together

Remember that it will be vitally important to update your contact details.

Dear Parents,

Nursery Provision

We want your children to keep safe, whilst having the very best start to school Nursery life.We are very much aware that our Nursery children have missed valuable learning time during the Summer Term, which is a time when school routines are embedded. To give our Nursery children extra adult  support to help them settle into school life and routines, we have decided to divide the class into 2 in the first instance.

We will run two sessions in the first term:

Morning Session: 9-11:30  for children born up until and including March 2017

First day back will be Thursday 3rd of September.

 

 

Afternoon Session: 12:15-2:45 for children born April – August 2017

To ease these children into school life we would like to bring them into school in 2 smaller groups, one on Thursday afternoon, one on Friday afternoon. We hope for all Nursery to be in school by Monday 7th September. A reminder text will follow.

Be assured that when your child has settled, both groups will join together during Term 2.

 

Keeping in touch

Please contact school if you have changed your mobile number as we use a texting service to share vital information.

We understand that this might be difficult time for you and your family, be assured we are here to help. Staff will be in school from Tuesday 1st September should you wish to talk.

 

Best wishes,

Ms Beaumont and staff of St Joseph’s Infant School