Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 12th February 2021
Date: 12th Feb 2021 @ 10:52am
Half Term Holiday!
We have made it to the end of a very long half term! I think that everyone involved in our school community should feel incredibly proud of all that they have achieved so far this year – at home, at work, in school, wherever you have been and whatever you have been doing to manage the current situation in the best way possible. Life has been incredibly hard for everyone but we are full of hope for positive announcements from the government on 22nd February so that we can all move forward from where we find ourselves at the moment.
Blakemere’s Christian value is hope and their bible verse is, ‘Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.’ (Psalm 31:24): better days are coming but for now, rest and relax for a week.
We wanted to recognise the hard work of those who have engaged in the remote learning over these last six weeks as well as those who have worked hard in school. As we said, things haven’t been easy and there have been families who have battled through and consistently sent work to the teachers. We hope that you will find what drops through your letter box or comes home with your child a sign of our appreciation for all that you have done to get your child’s work to their class teacher during difficult times. As you know, we are obliged to keep a daily record of engagement by the children and these postcards have been sent home to those who have managed to engage with at least 50% of the set remote learning. We are hoping that there will be just two more weeks of remote learning after the holiday - keep going and if you haven’t been able to consistently engage, please do so, so that your child is not disadvantaged on return as learning has moved on.
For contact tracing purposes of those in school, you should notify us via positiveresult@overstjohns.cheshire.sch.uk if your child receives a positive test result up until 3pm on Sunday 14th February so that we can track back the 48 hours previously to notify anyone necessary of the need to isolate for 10 days. This address should continue to be used during term time if you get a positive result for your child outside of school hours.
Half Term Support for Families in Cheshire West
As mentioned in a blog a few weeks ago, with lockdown continuing across the country, the Council has pulled together a list of support available to families over the half term break, including information on community food support and financial help through the Winter Grant scheme.
Read the full press release and a list of useful resources and information for the half term can be found on the Council’s website – www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/halftermsupport
Information from Public Health England Regarding Restrictions over Half Term
All schools have been asked to share the following reminders with their school communities:
As half term approaches and you look forward to a well-deserved break, please can we ask you to remind staff and communicate with parents/carers and pupils as appropriate, that they should not mix with people outside of their household (or support bubble). This includes not mixing in the household of pupils they are in a bubble with at school.
We are still in a National Lockdown and as a reminder:
You must not leave or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:
- shop for basic necessities for you or a vulnerable person;
- go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home;
- exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person (in which case you should stay 2m apart). Exercise should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area;
- meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one;
- seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse);
- Attend education or childcare - for those eligible.
If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay in your local area.
#WakeUpWednesday
To support this week’s Safer Internet Day, National Online Safety have teamed up with the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Cyber Crime Unit to help people get wise to some common online offences. Do you know how to spot a phishing email? Can you trust public WiFi? And what should you do if a young person becomes interested in hacking? Find out with their special #WakeUpWednesday guide.
You can take a big step to reinforcing your online safety by downloading the National Online Safety app from Google Play or the App Store, and put a wealth of resources at your fingertips.
Confirmed Dates for the Spring Term 2021
Friday 12th February: School closes for half term at usual bubble times
Monday 22nd February: School closed for INSET
Tuesday 23rd February: School re-opens for those currently in school at usual bubble times
Thursday 1st April: School closes for Easter with bubble closure times as follows:
Blakemere at 1:45pm
Linmere at 1:45pm
Oakmere at 1:50pm
Delamere at 1.55pm
Sandymere at 2pm
Hatchmere at 2.05pm
We look forward to seeing those currently in school when we reopen on Tuesday 23rd February 2021 at the usual bubble times.
I would really like to show my appreciation to you all for the continued positive messages that the staff have received on a regular basis during this difficult half term. As I have said previously, all of those that are sent in are shared with everybody and they have really gone a huge way to lifting spirits and keeping everyone positive and the positivity of the staff was noted during a virtual visit from the Local Authority recently. I think that it is definitely time for us all – at school and at home – to down tools for a few days and enjoy some time with our families.
Thank you so much and take care,
Mrs E Snowdon