Dear Parents/ Carers,
I am writing to confirm arrangements for the safe return of all pupils to school on Wednesday 12th August. Firstly, I would like to apologise for the lateness of this communication, but schools only found out yesterday that ALL pupils were returning on 12th August. Therefore, I did not have all the information to be able to share it with you. We are still working with the Local Authority this week to ensure that arrangements are in place for the safe return of staff and pupils.
Drop Offs/ Pick Ups
Parents/ Carers are not to enter the school playground apart from our new P1 parents/ carers. Pupils should be dropped off at the school gate and we would like to remind adults to follow the 2m social distancing rules.
Separate Entrances/ Exits for Each Class
Each class will line up at a different entrance:
P1-3 (Miss Drummond) – Meet at the main entrance at the school office
P4-7 (Miss Reid & Mrs Maxwell) – Meet at the entrance at the other end of the school beside the P4-7 classroom.
Each child will use hand sanitiser as they enter the building. Coats and bags can be hung on the usual coat hooks. Handwashing will be encouraged at the start and end of the day as well as at any transition points such as before/ after playtimes.
Visitors by Appointment Only
All visitors must make an appointment before arriving at school. You can do this by telephoning or emailing the school office, or by telephoning the Headteacher’s mobile: 07741 686730. On arrival at school, you will be asked to sanitise your hands and a member of staff will deliver items to your child if necessary.
Items from Home
Please keep this to a minimum. Pupils may bring a school bag and coat. They can bring their own stationery and should bring a snack. Each child should have a change on indoor shoes (plimsolls/ trainers) to be kept in their trays at school. On days where your child will be learning outdoors or participating in PE outside, then the class teacher will communicate this with you in advance and make the necessary arrangements. (There will be no indoor PE lessons at this time.)
School Dinners
School dinners will be available for each child but it is likely that this will be a cold option to begin w:ith. I continue to liaise with catering managers to decide on the safest way of distributing lunches to all pupils. All pupils in P1-3 are entitled to free school meals. The cost of a meal is £1.90 for P4-7 pupils and details about payment will follow as we may not be able to handle cash. We are not yet able to provide you with a link to the D&G school dinners menu until this has been decided by the Local Authority.
You may provide a packed lunch for your child in a container clearly marked with their name.
The School Day:
The school day is divided as follows:
09:00-10:30 in Class
10:30-10:50 Morning Break
10:50-12:30 in Class
12:30-13:15 Lunch Break
13:15-15:00 in Class
Pupils are not required to socially distance from each other so they will be able to play with their friends. Adults should maintain a 2m distance from pupils and from each other. Relevant risk assessments are being put in place.
Phased Entry
Some parents have been in contact with the school to discuss a phased entry for their child. If you wish to discuss this option then please get in touch.
Further Information
If you require any further information then please refer to the letter and link below:
https://supportdg.dumgal.gov.uk/article/20769/Schools-and-childcare
20200804 Director Letter to Parents and Carers – Return to School (1)
The guidance is constantly evolving so I will endeavour to keep you updated as soon as possible. If you have any questions then please contact the school via telephone or email.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child back to school and I look forward to seeing all of you.
Best wishes,
Mary E Lidstone-Scott
Headteacher
