Wishing You Well

Over the next few weeks, my main priority is ensuring that we are safe and well.   It will take some time for us all to adjust to the changes we are experiencing.  It can be overwhelming for pupils, families and staff.   Teachers will be sharing learning activities with you and your child(ren) in the ways highlighted below.  We hope that you find this communication useful and we welcome your feedback.  Thank you for your patience as we find ways of supporting each other during this difficult time.

Communication

• Communication with parents/ carers – Generic information is communicated via the school website and blog by the Headteacher.  Teachers are communicating with parents/ carers either by email or via the class Facebook page.
• Communication with pupils – P1-3 Teachers are communicating via the parents/ carers (as above) as the children are too young to access GLOW groups. P4-7 pupils are communicating via GLOW groups.

I would like to reassure you that staff are on hand to provide support between 9am and 3pm.  Please feel free to email us directly, message us via the class Facebook pages and older pupils can email us via GLOW groups.  You can also contact me directly on my work mobile: 07741 686730.

Emergency Childcare for Critical Key Workers

Castle Douglas Primary School has been opened as a hub providing emergency child care to children of critical key workers.  It is important to keep the number of children in school and private childcare sectors to the absolute minimum, as mentioned in the First Minister’s statement yesterday, in order to contain the spread of the virus.

More information can be found using the D&G links below:

https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/media/22755/COVID-19-Schools-Statement-22-March-2020/pdf/Schools-Statement-COVID-19.pdf?m=637204861129170000

https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/media/22754/Childcare-Information-for-Key-Workers/pdf/Childcare-Information-for-KEY-WORKERS.pdf?m=637204856199970000

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you wish.

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Key Worker Update

All parents/ carers received a text message yesterday from the Skills, Education and Learning Directorate asking those who are key workers in Health, Social Care, Emergency Services and Social Work Services to complete a form.  Further clarification was included in a letter sent to parents today by the Directorate.

202003201607_20200320DirectorLettertoParentsandCarers

By Thursday 26th March, it looks like local ‘hubs’ will be set up to assist key workers with child care.

I will be updating you as much as possible over the next few weeks and I wish you safe and well.

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

I would like to take the opportunity to thank pupils, parents and staff for their understanding and patience at this time.  We were unable to inform pupils about the school closure information before they left school today.

I met with teachers after school today to discuss arrangements from now until the Easter holidays.  We will receive advice from the Local Authority but in the meantime, we have come up with a plan to support our pupils and families.

Please remember that teachers will be working from home from Monday and they are contactable by email during the day.  Their email addresses are:

gw08gloverkim@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

gw13burtonaileen01@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

gw08stevensrosslynn@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

gw08bielinskisusan@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

gw19seivwrightjess@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

gw13scottkatie3@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

gw08reidnicola@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

gw08maxwellnorma@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

We have decided that teachers will set up a closed class Facebook page so that they can share information about learning and teaching activities with you.  No pupil details or photographs will be included on this page. It is only for teachers to share weekly learning activities and ideas with you for your child.

If you wish to be added to your child’s class Facebook page then please email your child’s teacher directly using the teacher’s email from the list above.    You can provide up to two email addresses to be added to the group.

Anyone who would prefer not to join a Facebook page can email your child(ren)’s class teacher to let them know and the teacher will send you information via email instead.

We have discussed making up physical ‘learning packs’ for pupils but due to the nature of infectious diseases and cross-contamination, it may not be in pupils’ best interests.

We will be taking into account those pupils who may not have internet access and their families will be contacted separately.  (We do this already.)

You will be aware that due to the unprecedented nature of this situation, we are trying to find the best way of supporting our whole school community.  I am sure that the Local Authority will be providing us with further information in the next few days.  Until then, we thank you for your support and remind you that you may contact us at any time.  (My work mobile number is:  07741 686730)

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Soctt

Headteacher

MESSAGE TO PARENTS FROM DIRECTOR SKILLS, EDUCATION AND LEARNING

Dear Parents

Covid19 Pandemic

I wanted to write to all families to confirm the message from the First Minister earlier this afternoon that schools and nurseries across Scotland will close from Friday.  I will provide more detail on how we plan to support you and your family during this very difficult time as soon as this information becomes available.

We will send all information directly to Headteachers and will ensure that all Council communication channels (Website, Facebook and Twitter) are updated with the latest information for you.

If you are a worker within Health and Social Care or the Emergency Services, or if you have a senior phase pupil preparing for exams, targeted information will follow.

We ask that you continue to remain in contact with your school and your Headteacher if you have any concerns at all.  Thank you for your support as we work through this difficult time.

Yours sincerely

Dr Gillian Brydson

Director Skills, Education and Learning

Dumfries and Galloway Council

Headteachers have been updated with information from the Local Authority.  At the moment we plan to keep schools open to support pupils and families, as well as our local emergency response.

This is an uncertain time for us all but we know that children and young people benefit from routines and support from adults that they know and trust.  We continue to have discussions with pupils about their worries and provide them with information about how to prevent the spread of the virus.  Here is some useful advice:

a) For Children

https://young.scot/campaigns/national/coronavirus

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51896156

b) For Adults

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51873799

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

I will let you know tomorrow of any further updates.

As always, please get in touch if you wish to discuss anything further.

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Coronavirus (Covid 19) and School Measures

We all need to take precautions to protect ourselves against Coronavirus (Covid 19).  I have been trying to take a ‘common sense’ approach and follow D&G advice.  Please can I remind you that if you or your children have a cough or fever then you should be taking NHS advice and self-isolating for seven days.

I have decided to cancel all gatherings between now and Easter. The following gatherings have been cancelled:

• Lockerbie Manor Information Evening (for current P5s and P6s) tonight
• Parents’ Evening on Wednesday 18^th March
• School Shows
• Easter Services
• School assemblies
• After school activities

We are now limiting visitors in school and ask that all parents do not enter the school building unless it is an emergency.  Unfortunately, this includes our valuable parental helpers too.  (We have removed the ‘sign in’ book and Clerical staff will sign essential visitors in to school instead.)

Other measures that we are taking include:

• We continue to remind everyone to wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds when entering the building and before eating/ drinking in addition to after using the toilet.
• Limiting the times that pupils gather together by having staggered lunches and no longer having weekly assemblies.
• After schools clubs are cancelled from today.
• I have contacted the Local Authority for clarification about the Galloway Activity Centre P6/7 trip planned for 18^th and 19^th
• All sporting events out with school including P4 swimming tomorrow are cancelled.
• We are propping open internal doors (risk assessed against fire safety regulations) to minimise the amount of times people touch them.
• We will wipe down surfaces, computers and door handles with anti-bacterial wipes at regular intervals throughout the day.
• We will not be providing play dough, water play or sand.

I know that this is an uncertain time for us all but at the heart of all of this are our children.  We need to keep them safe and reduce their worries.  We will do whatever we can to support each other over the next few weeks.  As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you wish to discuss anything further.

On an upbeat note… WE HAVE TONS OF TOILET ROLLS!!! If all else fails we could sell it and make a profit for the schools!   Our new Enterprise project?!!!

KEEP SMILING!!

Best wishes,

Mary Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Text Messages

Our average monthly bill for sending text message reminders to parents is £90.  We use this service for emergency announcements such as road closure updates or schools closure information.  We notice that we have been sending texts to remind parents of sporting events or to remind them of deadlines for payment.  Please  look at the blog or contact the school for further information to help us reduce the need to send text messages in the future.

James Clerk Maxwell Family Science Festival

Please see the link below for further information about  a science festival being held this Saturday in  honour of a local scientist with links to Parton.

https://gallowayglens.org/james-clerk-maxwell-family-science-festival-14th-march/

Projected Roll for August 2020

We have capacity for 75 pupils in school and our projected roll for August 2020 is 83 pupils.  We need to think creatively about how to accommodate these additional catchment pupils.

The Parent Council are arranging a meeting in the next few weeks to discuss this further.

Coronavirus Advice from the Local Authority

All schools are being issued with hand sanitiser and antibacterial soap.  We continue to encourage thorough hand washing.  Please see the previous post for more detail from the Local Authority.

What’s on this week?

• Monday 9th March – P6&7 pupils to Curling
• Tuesday 10th March – P5-7 Rugby, Cross Country Practice after school, Headteacher out of school all day
• Wednesday 11th March – P5-7 Rugby and Headteacher out of school all day
• Thursday 12th March – 17:30-19:30 Parents’ Evening

Primary 4 Curricular Swimming

Primary 4 pupils will be attending swimming lessons every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 17^th March until 2^nd April.  Transport is provided.

Bikeability Training

Every year we provide training for our P7 pupils so that they are safely able to ride their bicycles on the road.  A tutor is able to deliver training for parents to enable them to become ‘Bikeability’ instructors.  The tutor will also come to the school and work alongside parents until they feel confidently able to work with small groups of pupils.  The more parents who are willing to participate in this, the safer our children will be on the roads.

We really  need to train up a new cohort of parents.  Please see the attached letter for more information.

REMINDER OF UPCOMING BIKEABILITY SCOTLAND TRAINING COURSES BELOW

Diary Dates:

Please note the change to the Show Show Date.  We have had to move it to Tuesday 31st March at 6.30pm in Crossmichael Village Hall instead.

We decorated potatoes as our favourite characters from a book for World Book Day on 5th March.

Best wishes,

Mary E Lidstone-Scott

Headteacher

Coronavirus advice poster – Education – 4 March 2020