Following the update from North  Lanarkshire Council regarding schools return for the new session I have revised our planned return model to incorporate Scottish government and local authority advice. As always this is subject to change should government advice alter. I am meeting with the parent council tomorrow night  and I wanted to share my planning with you all prior to that to allow for any subsequent questions.

I have tried to make as few changes as possible to the recovery planning outlined in June and have also included again the playground and building diagrams you saw then to refresh everyone’s memory.

I know many of you will be feeling nervous about this move to full time schooling and I want to reassure you that we are well prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Our risk assessment for full return is also incuded in this post.

We are all looking forward to welcoming the children back next week and working with you and the local community again albeit at a social distance. Until then please contact me at my email address if you have any issues you would like to discuss.

ht@holyfamily.n-lanark.sch.uk

Return to school parental information updated HF Covid 4.8.20

Coronavirus-HOLY FAMILY PRIMARY SCHOOL -Education-Families-Return-of-Schools-11th-August-2020 UPDATED 4.8.20

HF Coronvirus-nursery-environment-risk-assessment.updated 4.8.20

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/nl/public/holyfamily/uploads/sites/26107/2020/06/14071025/20200611135844844.pdf

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/nl/public/holyfamily/uploads/sites/26107/2020/06/14071057/20200611135903482.pdf

Welcome to my final weekly update of session  2019/2020. I want to take this opportunity to thank all our families for the support they have given the school by working in partnership with us over these last few difficult months. Your feed back in our questionnaire in particular has been vital in planning effectively for the children in a way that also meets your needs as working adults. I know how challenging remote learning is and the strain of juggling home schooling with the demands of your own workload can only add to that so thank you for your commitment and support.

Moving forward in the new session as you know your child will have a minimum of 2 days face to face class teaching but hopefully this will only be a temporary measure if the covid 19 threat continues to reduce.

We have managed to accommodate sibling groups and linked in with the nursery too to create a similar pattern of days. The groupings were also planned to take into account working groups and allow for high quality, ability focused teaching while meeting the class size restrictions based on the 2 metre rule. As a result the days your child has been allocated are not open to change. While I appreciate this may be challenging the capacity of the classrooms does not allow us to accommodate more than 50% so I would physically not have space to change the allocated days.

READING CHALLENGE

I have been contacted by NLC with details of the summer reading challenge in a new format.

This year, the national Summer Reading Challenge is online!  Silly Squad was launched last Friday, with a host of authors and celebrities helping to promote this to families all over the UK.

Alongside this, Culture NL Libraries are hosting a ‘Silly Staycation’ with our local celebrity, panto favourite Sheepie fronting our summer campaign; check it out here!

https://www.facebook.com/477014162333709/posts/3237642849604146/?sfnsn=scwspmo&extid=RNdHpf6xdI5xkN6Y&d=n&vh=e

Follow the links to get the kids signed up for a Silly Staycation!

CASH PAYMENTS

From August, cash can no longer be accepted in schools and parents/carers will be asked to use cards via the online payment system to pay for things like school lunches etc.  Children will not be able to bring cash into school to top up their lunch cards.  North Lanarkshire Council will be in touch nearer the time to notify parents of this and will advise them to use the online payment system.

SUMMER HUB PROVISION

An enormous thank you to our Holy Family Primary and Nursery Volunteers who have worked so hard in our hubs to support our vulnerable children and the children of key workers, as always you are stars.

Please note

Current hub provision will end on Wednesday 24^th June 2020 at 8pm and will move to a new community based hub model.

The following 9 venues have been identified as summer community hubs:

• Garrell Vale Community Centre in Kilsyth
• Broadwood Leisure Cumbernauld
• Iain Nicolson Centre, Chryston
• Airdrie Leisure Centre
• Coatbridge Community Centre
• Sir Matt Busby Leisure Centre
• Ravenscraig Regional Sports Centre
• Wishaw Sports Centre
• Shotts Leisure Centre

Staff from Community Learning and Development, Culture Leisure NL and Active Schools will collaborate to lead and manage these hubs. Hubs will operate Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm.

Any key workers looking to access a placement should do so using the following link: www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/keyworkers

I will be in school over the holidays and will also be available by email so please get in touch with any concerns or questions you may have.

If there is any change to school plans due to updated government guidelines I will inform you straight away by text.

Boys and Girls – Have a lovely summer holiday and put those school books down for now.

Stay safe, be kind and take care of yourselves and those around you. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing you all back in school in August, I have missed you so much.

God Bless

Mrs Wilson x

Please click on each of these links to view the most recent update from North Lanarkshire Council regarding return to school in August. You will be informed of your child’s pattern of days on Monday 22nd June by text.

Parent-Carers_Letter_19.6.20

Update Education FAQs

This is the ninth of our weekly posts that I am creating to keep you all as up to date as possible with all the proposed arrangements for returning to school in August. This will be a busy week again as our new Primary 1 are coming into the building in very small groups throughout the day  for a short transition visit on Monday. On Tuesday we have a visit to our nursery from the support officer for Early Years to review our plans for reopening in August. On Thursday and Friday you have all been given a slot to return your school books and collect your school reports from the front yard.This is really important as we will need these to create learning packs for next year’s children. I know they might look a bit tired by now but that’s great as it shows you have been using them so don’t worry. Any old reading books etc. from previous years will also be gratefully received and no questions will be asked as to where they have been hiding ! We are also having our fire risk assessment updated on Thursday as well as preparing the classrooms and moving furniture so lots to keep us busy.

I have created an information guide which should contain answers to the many questions I know you all have. I have tried to explain the logic behind our planning which is led by current government and local authority health advice. I have attached the draft plans of our school building and grounds as I feel it is easier to look at  and understand visually than for me to describe only in words.

These site plans are what I have submitted for approval to North Lanarkshire Council and what they will use as their guide for painting and signage of our building and grounds during the holidays. In my role as site manager I will be in school at this time with Mr Crielly to assist with this process.

Please click on the link below to view the information document and associated site plans.

Return to school parental information HF Covid 13.6.20

Return to school estate plan – written

Please note the diagram below will form the basis for the signage to be painted in the school yard  during the summer holidays.

20200611135844844

20200611135903482

This is the eighth of our weekly posts I am going to put out on the Monday of each week of term time to keep us all connected and let you know what I have been up to. Again this time it is a really early as I need to be in the hub on Monday and on Tuesday with the other Holy Family Staff Volunteers to take care of the children of the key workers.

Boys and girls last week was really busy as Mrs Le Blond and I were back in school getting ready for you all and completing risk assessments, signage requests and ordering fresh resources that we will need to give you each an individual learning pack. This will come complete with all your own resources so that you wont need to share anything with other pupils and can reduce the risk of spreading the virus that way.

I had a big meeting using Microsoft Teams with all of our staff so that when some of them come back on Monday they will know all about the procedures for sanitising their hands  as soon as they approach the building and then AGAIN once they have touched the door handle. They know that all the classroom doors have to be wedged open to avoid handle touching and they even have been given a toilet list so that only certain people use that toilet and reduce the risk of spreading the virus that way too – isn’t that clever ?

The staffroom only has 6 chairs in it now and no kettle either so everyone is bringing in their own drinks and packed lunch so they can eat in the classroom or outside as we can’t have too many people close together because of the virus.

This Friday 15th June we will be sending you out your text as to who your new teacher is going to be, that’s always an exciting day especially as one class is getting a brand new teacher Mrs Preston,who is joining us as a permanent member of our Holy Family Team.

The week after that we will be giving  each class a set time to drop off the textbooks at the front gate they have used this year so that we can clean them and prepare the learning packs you will all need for August. The good thing is that the virus can’t live on paper for more than  48 hours so we know all the individual books you will be given will be safe for you to put in your individual learning pack . When you come up with your books we will have your school report ready for you to take away. Mrs Crawford and Mrs Dillon have been printing them all off and putting them in envelopes – that was a big job believe me !!

Although I am still waiting for North Lanarkshire Council to tell us which recovery model the schools will be using ( that means the pattern of days each group or bubble of children will be able to come in for ) I sent out a questionnaire to your families this week that asked for their views about the way we have been trying to support you and what would suit you all best for August. I have put the feedback in the photos below so that you can look at this together as a family.

The comments sections are really useful for us and I am planning to put out a school response to those comments and suggestions once I have shared them with the staff too for their feedback. Enjoy reading and discussing them together.

Have a great week and please keep practising that social distance. Remember if you are close enough to pop someone else’s bubble then that means you are TOO close !

I hope you’re all keeping well and looking after yourselves and one another. I’m still missing you all very much.

Stay safe, stay happy, and stay kind. I hope you all have a lovely week.

God Bless

Mrs Wilson and all the team at Holy Family Xx