Parent's Letter January 6th
Dear parent,
I hope everyone is keeping well through these difficult times.
You will be aware that schools have been notified to close until the middle of February due to COVID19. However, parents may apply for a place for vulnerable children and children of key workers (one parent required to be a key worker) to have access to school for supervised learning. Vulnerable children include amongst others all statemented children. The school will provide access to the online learning resources that all children will have access to at home and will not provide face to face teaching. If your child falls into any of these categories and you wish to apply for a place, please complete the online form which will be text out to all parents today. The children will be supervised in protective bubbles which will be formulated each week depending on numbers. The bubbles may be organised in year groups or key stages depending on the number of children in school. The form should be completed and returned by 12 noon on Friday 8th January. Parents who have already spoken to Mrs Harbinson regarding a space for their child do not need to fill in the form.
The school has now moved to remote learning through the home school section of our school website. On Monday 11th January we plan to provide an initial two week block of lessons in Numeracy, Literacy and World Around Us. These lessons will be taught through a range of online videos, animations or short videos created by the teachers. These online resources will be backed up by work packs which will include exercises and work sheet tasks related to the online teaching. This will give the children the opportunity to be taught on line and then complete the tasks on paper. The completed workpack will then be returned to the school on Friday 22nd January when a new workpack will be ready for the children. The teachers will mark the completed work from the first pack. We would also welcome pictures, videos or other communications through our home school area.
I would encourage every parent to ensure your child engages with the remote learning and the packs should be collected on Monday 11th January.
- Primary 1-3 parents should collect their packs from 9.30 – 10.30
- Primary 4 -5 parents 11 - 12noon
- Primary 6 & 7 parents 1 - 2pm.
Parents will be able to collect packs for different classes at the same time. Please enter through the main gate and walk to the left down to the bottom playground where the packs can be collected outside weather permitting. If it is a wet day, the packs can be collected in the main hall. Face coverings must be worn and social distancing rules will apply.
The last thing that the staff wished for was another extended period of absence for the children and we are very determined to try to minimise the adverse effect that the lockdown will have on the children’s education. We would encourage parents to ensure that your child is completing the online work however, please remember that the most important thing is that your child is safe, happy and not stressed about the situation.
If your child does not have access to a digital device to assist them with their on line learning please contact Mrs Harbinson on 02838322393.
Children who are attending school as a key worker or vulnerable child will have access to their pack in school.
Please pass on the best wishes of all the staff to your child and we look forward to everyone’s return to school in February.
Yours Sincerely
Seamus McCreesh
Principal
