What’s On – Friday 5th March

Dear all,

We are all ready for the children's return on Monday and we cannot wait to welcome them! Please ensure you have read the full details of our Covid procedures. We are still in lockdown, and even from Monday you may only socialise with one person outdoors, so please ensure that you maintain social distancing at drop off and pick up, keep your children with you and arrive and leave promptly. We all want to avoid having to isolate bubbles when the children have only just got back!

I would like to thank you again for the fantastic work that you have done supporting your children with their remote learning. I know it has been extremely challenging, involving a lot of juggling of roles, but you have done an amazing job - please never forget the role you have played! I would also like to congratulate the children for how well they adapted to the new normal way of learning - they have been absolute stars, in every way, and I am genuinely proud of each and every one of them. Last but not least, I must thank our wonderful staff: the teachers have taught the children of our key workers full time in addition to supporting children and families remotely and our Learning Support Assistants have been so flexible and assisted in the many thousands of calls we have made to keep in touch with our families.

Please do not think our support disappears because the children have returned. If you would like a phone call from one of our team if you need to talk about anything please let us know and your child’s class teacher will contact you when they are able. Please do bear in mind they are teaching back in class full time during school hours.

You will receive a cancellation message for assemblies from 12th March in your child's Google account. Assemblies will continue remotely in school, but as all the children will be back they do not need to be linked at home.

As you know the government is offering tests for asymptomatic adults in households or support bubbles of school children. The tests are not for the children - this is government policy. It is also important to stress that if you or your child is symptomatic then the household must isolate and test as usual. The school does not need to be informed of negative lateral flow test results, only positive results, but you do need to register the result online. You can collect testing kits from the test sites at Anglia Ruskin University and Sandon Park & Ride or order them online if you are unable to make the journey. We strongly encourage you to participate in this programme to help keep the whole community safe.

Yesterday was World Book Day and each year group marked the day with lots of stories and reading activities, details below. The children will all receive their £1 tokens on their return to school next week. Can I give you advance notice that Friday 19th March is Red Nose Day and we will ask children to come to school in spots or stripes for a donation to Comic Relief (suggested £2).

Ducklings Nursery have seen many cases of chickenpox this term and we have had a couple of cases in school. If you child hasn't had chickenpox, please be aware of the symptoms and keep your child at home if the tell-tale spots appear. Children can return to school once their spots have all scabbed over. It takes 1 to 3 weeks from the time you were exposed to chickenpox for the spots to start appearing, so you will often find that siblings develop chickenpox during this period if they haven't already had it.

Finally, we are looking for another parent governor to be part of our governing body. Should you be interested please contact me and we can discuss the commitment involved.

I look forward to seeing you all on Monday. Early bedtimes this weekend…..?

Helen Castell