Menu

Kymin View School

Where every child is valued

Welcome

Return to School - January 2022

5th January 2022

 

Dear Parents Guardians and Carers,

 

Happy New Year to you all.  I trust you are safe and well and have enjoyed some quality time with your family.

 

We are all looking forward to welcoming the children back to a new term at school.  As you are probably aware the Welsh Government have provided us with new guidelines for the start of this term.  The main changes are staff are being asked to always wear masks/visors while on site and are being asked to complete LFD tests three times a week.  If a member of staff tests positive, they will need to go for a PCR test.  This can often be at very short notice and the ability to cover the class with suitable staff or supply is proving to be very tricky across Wales. 

 

We will endeavour to cover in the least disruptive way possible, however there is a strong possibility that cover may not be available.  On these occasions learning will go online.  Staff will pop the daily learning overview on Dojo and any explanatory video clips.  They will also make sure you have the children’s online usernames and passwords to access the digital platforms that we use such as IXL, Purple Mash or Hwb.  You will be notified of this arrangement by Dojo as soon as the decision has been made, so please check your Dojo regularly.  There might be occasions when we need to close a class at very short notice in the day, therefore we request that you ensure we have your most up to date contact numbers in school. 

 

If a class, or classes, are asked to work remotely there will be a hub available in the hall for children of critical workers (as outlined by Welsh Government) or children that are identified on our vulnerable list.  The hub will be available 8am – 3.30pm for those children eligible and they will follow the same online learning that the class teacher sets via Dojo, supported by designated learning support assistants from within school.  The teacher will monitor the work uploaded and be available to answer questions throughout the working day.

 

Despite the option to have a staggered start we have decided as a school to continue with the dropping off and picking up process already embedded.  The only difference is when KS2 pupils enter the main front door and go to the KS2 yard they will now go straight into their classes through the pod and their class teacher will be waiting for them there from 8.50am.  The arrangements will therefore be Nursery pupils will start at 9am and will enter through the Nursery class door and will be collected from the same door at 11.30am.  Foundation Phase class doors will be open from 8:50am for you to escort the children via the pods to their class teacher before 9am.  Key Stage 2 pupils will continue to enter through the main reception door at the front of the school from 8.50 – 9.00am.   They will go direct to their pod and enter their classroom where their class teacher will greet them.  We kindly ask that when you enter the school site you wear a mask at all times (unless you are medically exempt), also when you have dropped your children off that you leave the school site promptly.

 

The end of the school day arrangements will remain as before Christmas; Foundation Phase will be released from their pod doors to their parents at 3:15pm.  Key Stage 2 pupils will be brought to the front office door and released by their class teacher at 3:25pm either to parents or to walk home independently if previously stipulated.

 

School lunches are available to order as usual or alternatively you can provide your child with a packed lunch.  All children will be timetabled throughout the dinner break to eat their lunch in the school hall unless their class has several confirmed cases and have been put into isolation.  On these occasions their dinner would be served in their classroom.  Care will still be taken to minimise interactions with other classes while eating in the hall.  Also, please can you provide a labelled water bottle and a healthy snack for break time.  Pupils in the Foundation Phase will be offered milk during their morning break time.  We would also like to remind parents and children that additional items (show and tell items or toys) should not be brought into school – we will provide all stationery.

 

Breakfast club will be resuming from tomorrow Thursday 6th January – should you wish your child to attend please book their place in the usual way through ParentPay.  This service runs from 8:00am until the start of the school day.  Please bring your child to the hall side entrance if this service is being utilised.

 

Each class now has a CO2 monitor.  However, we are still advised to have good ventilation, therefore the windows and possibly the door will be open throughout the day.  We therefore advise that you send your children to school dressed for the weather, plenty of layers and a warm coat too.  On times the classrooms get very cold, so if your child is cold, they will be permitted to wear their coats indoors.  

We are encouraging school uniform but will fully understand if you are unable to layer this up sufficiently and you send your children in with additional clothing. 

 

By the end of the first week your child’s class teacher will provide a newsletter and topic web to inform you about the expectations within their class, what they are hoping to learn about and when they would have PE.  We ask that you send your child to school in their PE kit the days that PE are planned, to again reduce items from home and maximise our learning time with the children.

 

In line with the new guidance, we are not anticipating whole cohorts of children to be asked to isolate if a positive Covid case is identified within the class.  If there is one confirmed case in your child’s class, you will be informed.  If there are two or more confirmed cases in their class, you will be advised to use a LFD daily for 7 days (staff and children 5 and over).  If the test is negative your child can continue to come to school, provided they don’t have any symptoms – temperature, headache, continuous cough or lack/change of taste and smell.  If your child is showing any Covid symptoms as outlined by Wales Gov, please book a PCR test and keep them home until either fully recovered or you have received a negative test result.

 

As you are aware we have needed to move our INSET day from January 4th after the Welsh Government announced we need to have two planning days to look at our risk assessment and form a contingency plan.  This has now been rescheduled to February 4th 2022.  I trust this change will allow you adequate time to make childcare provision as there will be no hub available during INSET days.

 

If you have any concerns or questions prior to your child starting this term, please don’t hesitate to email me on Sally-AnnWright@monmouthshire.gov.uk  and I will get back to you as soon as possible.  Thank you for helping us all stay safe together.

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

Sally-Ann Wright

Executive Headteacher

Federation of Kymin View and Llandogo Primary School

 

 

Top