Dear Families and Friends of Crossmichael and Gelston Primary Schools,

 

Happy New Year!  I hope this newsletter finds you well and I wish you all the best for 2022.

 

Covid-19 Update

You will be aware that the number of positive cases of Covid-19 has risen over the festive period.  In the week ending 26th December there were 872 confirmed positive cases in our region and by the week ending 2nd January there were 2825 cases.

This will have an impact on schools as pupils and staff are required to isolate at different times.  We ask for your patience over the next few weeks as we try our best to ensure that schools can be kept open.  There may be some occasions where a class may have to be sent home if we are unable to locate staff to cover but this would always be a last resort.

 

Yesterday, The First Minister’s announcement gave us some optimism as she explained changes to testing and self-isolation periods.  I will summarise the information below:

Testing

· If you have no symptoms but record a positive lateral flow result then you do not need to have a PCR. Immediately follow self-isolation rules and ensure you record test results online for contact tracing to commence.

· If you have symptoms, you should book a PCR test and follow self-isolation rules.

 

Self-Isolation

· If you record a positive lateral flow test then you should isolate for 10 days. You have the option to end isolation after 7 days if you have no fever and have recorded a negative lateral flow test on day six and no sooner than 24 hours later, on day seven.

· Close contacts (including household contacts) who are either under 18 years 4 months old who are older and are fully vaccinated (e.g. are double jabbed and have had one booster) need not self-isolate as long as they record negative lateral flow results on a daily basis for the next 7 days.

· For those close contacts over 18 years 4 months who are not fully vaccinated, they must isolate for 10 days and take a PCR test.

· People who tested positive before midnight on 5th January are still bound by the previously stated self-isolation and testing rules. They must have a PCR and isolate for 10 days.

 

It would be helpful if your child could complete regular lateral flow tests to keep them and others safe but this is entirely voluntary.  Thank you to those families who have been in touch to say that their children are isolating.  We wish you well and hope that you make a speedy recovery.  We hope that things start to settle down over the next few weeks.

 

Learning and Isolation

You will understand that it is not possible for teachers to provide work for pupils to complete at home whilst also teaching a class full time.   Therefore, if your child needs to isolate at any time then they should locate generic learning activities found on the ‘DG Learning at Home’ tile within GLOW.  (Your child has a GLOW username and password.  When they log in they click on the ‘Dumfries & Galloway Council’ tile then the ‘DG Learning at Home’ tile to access materials.)

 

In addition to this, your child has a ‘SumDog’ username and password to enable them to complete numeracy and maths activities at home.  Teachers also post spelling words on either the closed class Facebook pages or on Microsoft TEAMS.  These can be accessed each week.

 

Classes

We have had to rearrange classes to accommodate several new enrolments.  This now means that our school roll is sitting at 98 pupils.  We continue to have four classes but have re-named the P3/4 class to accommodate P2 pupils.  Classes are as follows:

P1/2  – Mrs Marschieder (Mon-Thurs) and Miss Holman (Fri)

P2-4 – Miss Drummond

P4-6 – Mrs Glover

P6/7 – Mrs Stevens

 

Please get in touch if you require any further information.

 

Best wishes,

Mary Cruickshanks

Headteacher