Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/parents
The free access code is parentstwinklhelps
Dear Parents/Carers,
Please see feedback from Mrs Holt on her time in school with the children accessing the emergency childcare provision last week.
I’ve been privileged to have been in school all week supporting the team from EdStart and Technola, who have been providing expert care for those children needing somewhere safe to be.
I thought I’d do a short write up of our strange and unusual, but great fun, week to give you all an insight into how St Luke’s childcare provision has been working.
First the health and safety bits... The children all sanitise their hands upon entering the building and go straight to the big hall, where they each have a seat, spaced out with the regulation 2 metres front, back and sides. The children’s water bottles have been sourced from their classrooms for use in the hall and are cleaned in the dishwasher every night. They each have their own set of equipment, an iPad, guitar, football, tennis racquet, badminton racquet, tennis ball, shuttle cock etc, which are marked with their initials. They use only their own items and after each session, these items are sanitised. Hand washes are done at all transition points of the day; before and after all activities, whenever groups change rooms, before and after eating and before leaving for the day. The children are being gently reminded to keep a 2 metre distance from others. I’ve asked them to imagine Mr Rolt lying down on the floor between them at all times! The children all display a very human desire to be close to their friends and it’s really heartbreaking having to keep reminding them to keep their distance, but our reminders are working and by the end of the week, most are managing their social distance conscientiously and independently. If I can speak as a parent, I have absolute confidence that our children can access this provision and have fun whilst being kept safe and separate. The staff also are all adhering to distancing guidelines. We have arranged it so that no more than 2 people are in the staff room at any one time and standing 2 metres apart has become second nature to us all. The caretakers and cleaners are working so hard, constantly wiping down doors and handles and all touchable surfaces and the rooms we use are all cleaned with the specialist equipment the school purchased in the wake of the Norovirus breakout. I’ve felt very safe being in work and want to thank everyone for working together so thoughtfully and responsibly.
Now the fun bits... For the most part, we’ve had 2 roughly equal groups, one from the upper school and another from the lower. In the mornings, one group goes into the community room and the other outside, there is then a short period of ‘free time’ when the children are together in the hall and the equipment is cleaned. Then the groups swap over. Another period of free time precedes lunch and then the same rotation happens again in the afternoon.
In the community room we have been doing all sorts of fun activities. We’ve learned about building in Minecraft, done treasure hunts, taken guitar lessons, printed patterns with grated chalk and water and then made butterflies with our patterned paper, made frozen chalk from cornflour, water and food colouring which we played with outside and observed how it changed states. We’ve made bird feeders and painted a huge rainbow on the window to share happiness and support with our community. We’ve made (and scoffed) pizzas and created a bug hotel after taking a nature walk outside, around the school. We’ve used graphic design programs, music making apps and had fun with the Spheros. As well as doing some extreme colouring and collage.
I’m bound to have forgotten things we’ve done, but you get the idea... it’s been so lovely to be able to do so many varied and interesting things with such small groups who have appeared at all times stimulated and engaged.
Outside on the yard there has been football and tennis, badminton, basketball, dancing, exercise challenges, races and competitions. Judging by how sweaty and in need of a drink the children are when they finish, everyone has been enjoying the physical activities and getting plenty of exercise. The children have all been doing daily challenges and have enjoyed being videoed, like proper YouTube stars!
The children in our care have all been extremely well behaved and considerate to each other. I’ve been especially moved by how siblings have looked out for and supported each other. What wonderful families we have at our school! All the children have arrived and left each day with big smiles on their faces, which is, when all’s said and done, what it’s all about.
It’s been incredibly strange and weird being at school, but not really being at school, but our amazing children have taken it in their stride and have established new routines and a new kind of normalcy. I don’t know how long this situation will last, but so long as it does, I can offer absolute reassurance that the children who access St Luke’s’ emergency childcare provision will be kept safe, stimulated and happy.
Much love to you all, and to your families at this bizarre time.
Mrs Holt
Hello parents,
I am a governor at St Luke's.
Please encourage your children to do some work each day. The staff have worked hard to make it possible for your children to continue to work during these very difficult times. If we all follow the guidance given and do what we can at home, we should come through this difficult period so much the stronger.
If you have games like Monopoly, snakes and ladders, draughts or chess, etc. these could give children lots of entertainment and teach them skills.You may have other games which would help.
Please keep safe and avoid contact with other people just to keep safe.
Many thanks for reading this.
Best wishes.
Alan Thew, Foundation governor.
Dear parents , carers and children |
Dear Parents/Carers,
Free School Meals
Due to the extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in, the government has enabled a facility where by we can provide parents/carers with a voucher for the value of the free school meals your child would normally receive.
This is a new system for our staff that has been implemented very quickly so we will work with you on this.
Our understanding is that if you are currently in receipt of benefit led Free School Meals you will receive a text asking you to select a preferred supermarket from those who have agreed to the system. Please read the instructions that will be sent to you very carefully. The company will then purchase the vouchers on your behalf and issue you a voucher via text. (Please note this scheme does not cover Universal Free School Meals that are given to Reception, Year One and Year Two).
Please note the text messages will be sent to the numbers we have for you in school. The first voucher will be for a value of £27.60, which is for 12 school days backdated to Thursday 19thMarch.
Any questions you have regarding this please email us at parentsupport@stlukesbury.co.uk.
Thank you for your continued support.
Kind Regards
Miss M Michael
Headteacher
Dear Parents/Carers,
Please do not worry about your child not getting enough work. Teachers will be updating work every day using Twitter and class pages. There are some fantastic websites available that teachers will be sharing - work will not run out!
Please remember to email pictures of work to the class email addresses.
Thank you
If your child needs to reset their password for Mathletics, Purple Mash or Reading Eggs, please email passwordreset@stlukesbury.co.uk
We will reset the password within 48 hours Monday to Friday.
If your child was off school last week and you would like to collect the work that your child did not receive, please be advised you can come to the school office between: 9am and 10am, 12 - 1pm or 1.30 to 2.30pm tomorrow.
Thank you.
Dear Parents/Carers,
Please see letter below sent out last week in relation to emergency childcare. If you are a key worker and you require childcare please email keyworkers@stlukesbury.co.uk as soon as possible. The emergency childcare is being run by our sports provider, Edstart and our IT and Music provider, Technola.
If you requested emergency childcare but no longer require it can you please let us know by emailing keyworkers@stlukesbury.co.uk as soon as possible. Thank you.
Kind Regards
Dear Parents and Carers,
Early today we received further guidance for schools maintaining educational provision. The Government clearly states that: ‘If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading. That is why the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.’
The Government has also stated we should all follow the following principles:
The Government has also asked that schools remain open to provide a safe and secure place during the day for children of key workers, children with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) and/or Social Worker if you need it and do not have alternative child care provision.
The list of key workers has now been clarified by the Government. The list includes people who work in health and social care; education and childcare; key public services; local and national government; food and other necessary goods; public safety and national security; transport; utilities, communication and financial services. It also appears to indicate that these guidelines apply if only one parent is a key worker. A full list can be found below and at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision
Health and social care
This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.
Education and childcare
This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.
Key public services
This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.
Local and national government
This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.
Food and other necessary goods
This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).
Public safety and national security
This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.
Transport
This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
Utilities, communication and financial services
This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.
If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.
If you are a key worker, and you are unable to make alternative childcare arrangements, please complete the following ideally before 3:00pm today but definitely by the end of today (Friday 20thMarch) to help me in making suitable arrangements for St. Luke’s:
We will contact parents and carers of children with a Social Worker or those with an EHCP directly as soon as possible.
Please note, if you and your child are already in isolation, then your child may not attend school until 14 days have passed.
Children who do not fall in to these groups should stay at home with appropriate care.
Once we have made a complete list of the children who fall in to these categories, we will inform you of the arrangements for attending school. Please note your child will only be allowed to attend school if they fall in to one of the keyworker groups and you have registered them as such.
Thank you for your continued help and support.
Kind Regards
Miss M Michael
Headteacher
Dear Parent/Carer,
Please be advised that ONLY the children of families that have requested and been offered emergency childcare will be admitted into school tomorrow. School will remain closed to all other children. School is running on a skeleton staff based on the number of children that have been given places.
Thank you for your continued support during this very difficult time.