22nd May 2020 - Update 8

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope you have all had a lovely week and enjoyed the sunny weather, following the social distancing rules of course!  I am writing this in school,  but it doesn’t seem like the usual St Michaels’s as we would know it. There are signs reminding us all to wash our hands, a screen at the reception area, markers on the playground for adults to stand on, hand sanitizer stations. We have moved the desks so that they are 2m apart, toys have been removed from the classrooms as they are difficult to clean, leaving out only surfaces or items that can easily be wiped down. The main corridor has been cordoned off in two so that we can only go in single file in one way. It has to be done, there is no choice- its school, but not as we know it!

Thank you so much for getting back to us in regard to whether you will be taking up a place for your child in YR, Y1 and Y6 from 1^st June. We are busy sorting out our “bubbles” of 15 children. I do have to stress that as our staffing has been arranged we cannot accept children in for an odd day off or odd day on. The expectation is that if you would like your child to come to school in those year groups then they are in every day. We will review this on a weekly basis as we have to adhere to the bubble of 15 children. To add more children would mean an extra bubble and reorganisation of staffing which can only be done on a weekly basis not a daily one. YR (reception classes) will be in on alternative weeks as we need the use of the whole unit for each bubble as the children need room to move, need to be with the adults that they know and we need to try and encourage social distancing. To have every YR child in every day of every week would mean over spilling into the Key stage 1 classrooms which are not suitable for 4 and 5 year olds and they are being used by Year 1 children anyway. Again each arrangement will be reviewed every week as numbers of children change. Indeed, the Directive from the Government might even change so we wait and see…

This is not about socialising or seeing friends, the children will be in self contained bubbles and may not be with their friends or their teacher!  I don’t envy any parent having to make the decision that you are being asked to make.  My children are grown up now thank God but I still worry for their safety! I do understand how difficult this must be for you all but we will respect whatever decision you make and know that safety will be yours and our priority. Safety comes first both for your children and for your families.

Stars of the week

• Mrs Brown- Hubert
• Miss Holmes- Karol
• Miss Thompson – Teanne
• Miss Smart- Daniella
• Mrs Sliney- Zaya
• Miss Green-Maisie R
• Miss Daniels- Salvia
• Mrs Stanczyk –  Anastazja
• Mr Seale- Caleb
• Miss Ryan-   Lucas
• Mr Donnellan- Ola
• Mrs Morgan- Kyan
• Miss Harding – Dominykas
• Mrs Fenton- Finnley
• Mrs Dix- Jakub

Thanks again for all the work that you are completing with your children. From 1^st June we will be scaling down the home learning. We are still doing it but it will be more consolidation of basic rules to prepare the children for next year. There will be more practice and consolidation. Maths and spellings and SPAG will be included which will be quite worksheet based and repetitive but it will be easier for the children to work independently and “relearn” rather than tackle new learning.

From 1^st June some of the teachers may be asked to supervise the children of key workers so that means that they will not be able to monitor and mark the work that you submit to them via email. They will of course still do it, but not as promptly as they would normally as they will be in school and not working from home

There will be no “on line learning” for next week as it is half term and we all need a break, please have a good rest and again don’t forget “stay alert, control the virus, save lives”.

Katharine Sexton

headteacher