Dear Family and Friends of Gelston Primary School,
Our Return to School – Wednesday 12th August
I hope you are well. There is great excitement in the air at Gelston Primary School as we prepare for the return of all pupils tomorrow (Wednesday 12th August)! We are really looking forward to seeing you all and hope that all pupils settle as quickly as possible.
The Council has two webpages which set out general guidelines and procedures.
- Re-opening of Schools
https://supportdg.dumgal.gov.uk/article/21014/Re-opening-of-schools
- Frequently Asked Questions Re-Opening of Schools https://supportdg.dumgal.gov.uk/article/21023/FAQ-s-Re-opening-of-Schools
Schools have some flexibility in how to meet these guidelines. Here are a few more updates before tomorrow.
The Start of the School Day/ Wet Weather Arrangements
To avoid congestion at the school gates, pupils should make their way to their assigned classroom door when the bell rings.
P1-3 (Miss Drummond) – Main school entrance
P4-7 (Miss Reid and Mrs Maxwell) – Entrance beside classroom at the side of the building
In the event of wet weather, pupils should still make their way to their designated door.
Parents in School Grounds / Contact with the School
The Council Website states that no parents will be allowed inside school grounds with the exception of new Primary 1 pupils. I would also like to make an exception for parents of newly enrolled pupils and also parents of pupils who have additional support needs. You may enter the playground.
If you wish to contact the school then please contact us via telephone or email before arriving in person. All visitors to the school building will be asked for their contact details according to the Test and Protect guidance. Hand sanitiser will be at all entry points to the school and should be used by all visitors. This would include when handing items in to the school office for example.
School Car Park
I am aware that it can get quite congested at the school gate so I would ask that adults maintain 2m distancing at all times. Please remind pupils to maintain a 2m distance from adults too.
Parents should not park in the school staff car park. Please try to park further down the road and walk up to school.
School Meals and Water Bottles
Pupils will have school meals in the dining hall in two sittings:
P1-3 from 12.15pm-1pm
P4-7 from 12.45pm – 1.30pm
For the first three days, only a cold option will be available with a choice of a sandwich/ wrap with a meat filling or a vegetarian filling. We will return to the normal D&G School meals menu from Monday 17th August. The full menu can be located using this link:
School meals are free for P1-3 pupils and cost £1.90 for P4-7 pupils. We will provide each family with school dinner money envelopes. You should send any money in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, class and amount.
Your child is welcome to bring a water bottle to school. Please label it with their name and ensure it is filled at home. We cannot provide cups in school.
In the Classroom
Face coverings (or masks) do not need to be worn by pupils when they are in school or in the school playground. Any child within the school wishing to wear a face mask can do so.
Hand sanitiser and wipes will be available in all classes and other areas throughout the school. Pupils will wash hands when entering/ exiting the building, after using the toilet and before and after meals.
Pupils should bring a pair of indoor shoes with them and their outdoor shoes can be stored in a plastic bag within their school bag. Your child will be provided with their own stationery to use in class and they can bring a packed lunch and snack for playtime from home.
School reading books will go between home and school with strict cleaning measures in place to ensure that they are disinfected before and after entering school.
Pupils can share resources and we will be cleaning them regularly and encouraging pupils to wash hands.
Windows will be kept open for ventilation so you may wish to send your child to school with a jumper.
In the Playground
Pupils can play with each other in the playground. We have decided to stagger break and lunch times to enable staff to have their breaks whilst maintaining a 2m distance. Timings are:
P1-3 from 10.15am – 10.30am
P4-7 from 10.35-10.50am
Pupils will wash hands before and after break times.
Communication with Class Teachers
In the next two weeks, teachers will provide you with a class newsletter detailing key information about learning, homework, routines and any other relevant information such as outdoor learning days.
We will continue with closed class Facebook pages and teachers will be setting these up shortly. These are for sharing information from school. If you wish to contact your child’s teacher then this should be done via email instead of on Facebook.
Please email your child’s teacher if you wish to be added to the new Facebook groups.
Miss Drummond gw16drummondnicole@ea.dumgal.sch.uk
Miss Reid gw08reidnicola@ea.dumgal.sch.uk
Thank you
Once again, thank you for your patience as we try to adapt to new ways of working. Please keep in touch and let us know if routines are working for you and your children. The office email address is: gw08officegelston@ea.dumgal.sch.uk and the school telephone number is: 01556 502415. My Headteacher’s mobile number is: 07741 686730.
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Best wishes,
Mary E Lidstone-Scott
Headteacher
