Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 28th January 2022
Date: 28th Jan 2022 @ 11:43am
Regular COVID Testing and Signs and Symptoms
I would like to encourage all families to undertake twice weekly LFD testing at home. There are a number of ‘bugs’ going around which can also be signs and symptoms of COVID such as headaches, tiredness, sore throats and being sick. If your child is unwell, please carry out an LFD with them. They can return to school once they feel well enough if they have had a bug and a negative result.
Parking
I know that I have raised this as a concern quite recently, but I have had this brought to my attention again this week. Please may I remind everyone of the importance of parking safely outside school? There have been incidents reported to me of dangerous parking and driving, particularly by the shops next to the cross and the safety of all the children and adults is vital. If any of you have any concerns, I would encourage you to raise this with our local PCSO who will be able to monitor the traffic outside school at peak times. Thank you.
Pupil Consultation Evenings
The booking system for the Spring Term Pupil Consultation Evenings has now gone live to enable you to book your appointment to see your child’s teacher. For those adults of children in Sandymere, you will receive an alternative date after the half term holiday to see Mrs Bettley as Miss Marsh is currently teaching the children in Sandymere and so further details for this will be sent out after half term.
Smart Watches
We have had a few children coming to school with Smart watches recently, which in itself is fine, but if they have the ability to share photographs or receive notifications, I would ask that these stay at home instead, for safeguarding reasons. Thank you.
Current COVID Guidance Summary – Reminder
People who are fully vaccinated, or children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years and 6 months, identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, should take an LFD test every day for seven days and continue to attend their setting as normal, unless they have a positive test result or develop symptoms at any time. They should also arrange for a PCR test between day 3 – 5 of close contact with the case.
Children under 5 are not being advised to take part in daily testing of close contacts. If a child under 5 is a contact of a confirmed case, they are not required to self-isolate and should not start daily testing. If they live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 they should limit their contact with anyone who is at higher risk of severe illness if infected with COVID-19 and arrange to take a PCR test as soon as possible. They can continue to attend an education or childcare setting while waiting for the PCR result. If the test is positive, they should follow the stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19 infection.
There is now no longer any requirement to go for a PCR test following on from a positive LFD test result for someone with no symptoms. You should begin isolation straight away from the positive LFD result and count this as Day 0.
With the day of a positive test LFD with no symptoms, or the first day of you having symptoms being day 0 (whichever comes first), from Monday 17th January, individuals may now take LFD tests on day 5 and day 6 of their self-isolation period, 24 hours apart. Those who receive a negative test result each day may end their self-isolation immediately. If the result of either of their tests is positive, they should continue to self-isolate until they get negative results from two LFD tests on consecutive days or until they have completed 10 full days of self-isolation, whichever is earliest.
Anyone who is unable to take LFD tests or anyone who continues to have a temperature will need to complete the full 10 day period of self-isolation.
Better Health Food Scanner App
The new national childhood nutrition Better Health Food Scanner App campaign has been launched and focuses on using the Food Scanner App to help families make healthier food swaps.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID, formally Public Health England) has provided a comprehensive programme of resources for schools and families. The resources help pupils to explore what is in their food and how to make healthier food and drink swaps using the NHS Food Scanner App.
Resources for you to use at home include:
- A take-home leaflet that encourages families to download and use the NHS Food Scanner App.
- Sharing with families toolkit to enable schools to spread the word about the NHS Food Scanner App with parents.
You can find out more information in the attached leaflet.
#WakeUpWednesday
The first YouTube video (of co-founder Jawed Karim at San Diego Zoo, trivia fans) was uploaded in April 2005. Since then, YouTube has grown into an absolute colossus of the online world: 2.3 billion users, watching an average of almost five billion videos between them every day – with 300 hours of footage being uploaded to the platform every minute. Truly astounding figures.
Anywhere that such a mountain of users encounters an ocean of content, however, are the crashing waves of risk. Youngsters discovering the diverse delights of YouTube can be jeopardised by other people’s toxicity, unsuitable ‘recommended’ content and dangerous online challenges. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has everything you need to know about YouTube.
School Dinners
School dinners cost £2.34 per day, £11.70 per week. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive free meals as part of the government’s Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) scheme. Dinner money must be paid in advance via School Spider.
If you are in receipt of benefits and think that you may be entitled to free school meals, please click here for more information and support and how to apply. It is very important to apply for free school meals whatever year your child is in, even if you receive the UIFSM in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, as the school receives a sum of extra money to further help support your child and their education.
Absence During Term Time
Please may I remind you that schools are not allowed to authorise pupil holidays in term time. Any child going on holiday in term time will receive an unauthorised absence. Our registers are regularly checked by the Education Welfare Service and parents may be issued with a fine from the Local Authority for unauthorised absence, which is currently £60 per child, per parent and this rises to £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days.
Confirmed Dates for the Spring Term 2022 – new dates highlighted
Tuesday 15th February: Pupil Consultation Evening 4pm – 6pm (not Sandymere)
Thursday 17th February: Pupil Consultation Evening 3.15pm – 5.15pm (not Sandymere)
Friday 18th February: School closes at the usual time for half term
Tuesday 1st March: School re-opens at the usual time
Wednesday 9th March: Read With Me Zoom session 7pm – 8pm
Wednesday 30th March: Write With Me Zoom session 7pm – 8pm
Friday 1st April: Easter Service at 9.15am
Friday 1st April: School closes at 2pm
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon