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As we come back to school and nursery this week, I know you have many questions and I agree it is all very confusing as local and national messages have changed several times, even over the past few weeks. Thank you for your patience as we try to identify any potential problems before they occur and look for ways to avoid any unnecessary risks as we all return to school and nursery.  Risk Assessments are completed in school regularly.  Each time we plan a new activity or outing, we consider all the possible hazards we may encounter and put in place any necessary control measures to minimise the risk.  That is what we are doing here.  I know you may not see the point of some of the changes we are putting in place, but in each case it is being done to prevent any possible incident or accident from occurring.

Every precaution we are taking is to protect your child, your family and our staff team.  As we go through the next few weeks we will undoubtedly need to modify some of these arrangements and in some cases we may be able to return to more ‘normal’ arrangements if anticipated problems don’t actually occur.  I will continue to keep you updated through our normal means of communication: School app, website, texts and, where appropriate, Twitter.

Please see below a summary of information, correct on 10th August 2020.

STARTING BACK

Our nursery pupils will attend nursery 5 days over a 2 week period.  This rota was shared with parents before the summer holiday and remains unchanged.  Our nursery will operate from 8.45am until 3.15pm each day.

Across North Lanarkshire the following arrangements are in place for all primary school children. Pupils will return on the following dates:

Wednesday 12 August: Primary One, Primary Two, Primary Three. Thursday 13 August: Primary One, Primary Four, Primary Five, Primary Six, Primary Seven.                                                                                From Friday 14 August: All pupils.

Although the Scottish Government has made the decision that primary school-age children do not need to distance from each other, adults still need to ensure a 2m distance is adhered to whenever possible.  This means the lane at the back of the school has been assessed to be suitable for use by our nursery families only. As a result, all school pupils must enter and leave from the two gates on Old Monkland Road. In order to allow adults to socially distance here, we are operating a staggered start and end to the school day. This will be reviewed weekly and altered as necessary.  Please remember, if your family has a problem with this you should contact me directly to discuss a plan to suit your needs.

8.50am – 2.50pm Room 1, Room 5, Room 16

9.00am – 3.00pm Room 2, Room 8, Room 14, Room 15

9.10am – 3.10pm Room 3, Room 4, Room 9, Room 10

Pupils should arrive at their designated gate as close to this arrival time as possible.  Gates will not open before 8.45am. Pupils will be met in the playground by staff and escorted to their classrooms.

Both gates will remain open and be manned by school staff until 9.15am.  If your child arrives a little late, they should still enter through their designated gate.  In the exceptional circumstances that your child arrives after 9.15am, they should enter through the main entrance and report to the office.

Pupils continue to be encouraged to walk to school or to travel by bike or scooter.  Your child can make use of the bike racks beside the front door, but please note adults are not allowed within the perimeter fence.  If your child wishes to chain up their bike, school chains will be available on request and a member of school staff will help if required.

On Wednesday, our Primary 1 pupils should arrive at school any time between 9.30am and 10.00am.  This staggered start will allow us to welcome each child individually as they arrive.  As soon as you arrive at the pitch gate, your child will be escorted to the playground to ensure there is not a gathering on the pavement.  I know this is a huge event in your child’s life and you want to share this with others, but families are asked to limit the number of adults accompanying a P.1 child to school on their first day to 2 at the maximum in order to minimise the congestion on Old Monkland Road.  FOR WEEK ONE ONLY, one adult will be allowed to accompany a P.1 child into the playground at the start of the day.  Please note, as explained in June, NO ADULTS will be allowed to join their child in the classroom.  Collection arrangements, plus the plan for Thursday and Friday, for P.1 pupils will be explained in person when we meet you on Wednesday.

UNIFORM

There has been no change to our school uniform.  Shared cloakrooms will not be used.  Your child’s jacket or blazer will be kept on the back of their own chair during class-time.

Pupils should not bring a PE kit to school to change into.  Government guidelines are clear that PE should be carried out outdoors during Term 1.  You will be informed of PE days over the next few weeks.  On these days your child should come to school dressed in an outdoor PE kit with a school sweatshirt, jumper or cardigan on top.  There will be no need to change clothes during the day.

VISITORS TO SCHOOL

In order to maintain the safest environment for our school community, any visitors to our school and nursery will be kept to a minimum.  Nursery parents have new routines for sign in and collection which will be explained in detail in person during induction visits and first sessions back this week.

Parents of our school pupils are not permitted within the building or perimeter fence, unless they have made a prior appointment.  If you wish to speak to a member of staff, please telephone the school office on 01236 632054 and, in most instances, a telephone appointment will be arranged.  Face-to-face meetings will only occur in exceptional circumstances.

Any adult visiting the school will be required to wear a face-covering and provide contact information for Test & Protect.  This includes parents, visiting contractors or staff from other NLC departments.

BREAKFAST CLUB

Our Breakfast Club will start back as normal from Wednesday 12th August.  Pupils should use the main entrance as normal and meet Mrs Stewart in the dinner hall.   A member of staff will meet  you at the front gate from 8.15am when Breakfast Club opens.  No parents will be allowed into the school building. Pupils will be given the opportunity to sanitise their hands as soon as they arrive and before they leave to go to class.

Pupils attending Breakfast Club will be seated together with children from their Zone (see below) and stay in the dinner hall until they are due to go to class.  As with all pupils, they will not have the opportunity to play in the playground before school starts.

Any tabletop games used during Breakfast Club will be cleaned before they are used again.

Click here for further NLC Breakfast Club Information

HYGIENE

Pupils, staff and visitors will all be expected to follow thorough hand-washing routines.  Where washing is not possible, sanitiser will be available.  Sanitising or hand-washing will occur when your child arrives at school each morning, before and after every break, before and after eating, after using the toilet, before leaving for home and at any other key points throughout the day.  Pupils will also be reminded how to use tissues correctly.

Enhanced cleaning procedures are in place, with cleaning on-going throughout the school day.  There will be a focus on touch-points, surfaces and any equipment in use.

Pupils will have their own tray of resources, including stationery and textbooks, where appropriate. These resources will not be shared with any other children.  Movement around the classroom will be kept to a minimum to cut down any possible transfer of germs.

There is no requirement for pupils or staff to wear face-coverings under normal circumstances; however, no one will be discouraged from wearing this if they wish to do so.  Where adults cannot maintain a distance of 2m and are working face-to-face for 15 minutes or more, face coverings are advisable.  If staff are required to carry out intimate care or first aid, some PPE such as gloves and apron will be used.  Masks will be available if required.

ZONES

The school building and playground has been organised into 3 distinct Zones.  On your child’s first day back, considerable time will be spent explaining how these will work. P.1-3 pupils will largely remain in Zone 1, P.4 & 5 in Zone 2 and P.6 & 7 in Zone 3.

Learners in our nursery will also be organised in groups.  Nursery arrangements will be explained in full to parents and carers in person.

INTERVAL & LUNCHTIME

In order to limit and reduce any possibility of germ transfer, playtime breaks will be staggered for both pupils and staff.  This means a maximum of 2 classes would be playing together in each of our 3 playground Zones.

Pupils from P.4-7 will now have their lunch-break at the earlier time of 12 noon to 12.45pm, seated within their Class groups and Zones in the dinner hall, our outdoor seating area and an overflow packed lunch area in the gym if necessary.  Tables and chairs in the dinner hall will be cleaned before our P.1-3 pupils come in for second sitting.

Pupils are not encouraged to go home for lunch, but if this is a problem, please contact the school to discuss personal requirements.

FOOD & DRINK

Pupils can bring a snack to school for morning break.  However, please remind your child that under no circumstances should this be shared with a friend.  There will be no school Tuck Shop operating.

All children are encouraged to bring a FILLED water bottle.  Water dispensers are still available in school, but use of these will need to be closely monitored and may be restricted.

Your child can bring a packed lunch to school.  This can either be brought in a disposable bag or a lunch-box.

School meals will continue to be offered and served in the dinner hall.  This will consist of a reduced menu at the moment.

The council is aiming to eliminate the use of cash being handled in school.  School meal payments should be made using the iPay Impact system.  For those families who have not previously registered with this service, Mr Sharp will send home a reminder of log in details with your child on their first day back in school this week.  Please remember that pupils moving into P.4 must pay for their lunch, unless you are receiving free school meals.

Information regarding applications for free school meals

Please click here for an updated menu for August 2020

PERSONAL BELONGINGS

All equipment your child needs to use in school will be provided for them.  There is no need for your child to bring a pencil case as they have their own designated tray in school where they can keep pencils, ruler, sharpener, etc. all provided by the school.  For this reason, please consider if your child needs a school bag on their first few weeks back. No personal belongings, such as toys or games should be brought from home. Transfer of items between home and school will be kept to a minimum.

HOMEWORK

Homework will not start until September at the earliest.  A decision will be made at that time whether we issue paper-based tasks or keep home-learning on Microsoft Teams on Glow.  New Class Teams will be set up over the next few weeks.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

We will not meet together as a whole school for our regular Celebration Assemblies.  Instead we are looking at a digital solution where we can meet together using video conferencing, linking all our classes together remotely using Glow.

After school clubs will not run during Term 1.  This will be reviewed in October.

ILLNESS

Should your child become ill in school you will be contacted and asked to pick them up.  If they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 you should follow the national guidance, including testing and self-isolation. A safe space has been identified in school where your child can wait until you arrive.

If anyone in your household is showing COVID-19 symptoms, your child should not attend school but they should self-isolate along with the rest of your household.

The most common symptoms to look out for are:

• a new continuous cough
• a fever or high temperature
• a change in sense of smell or taste

If  your contact details have changed, please ensure you notify the office staff.

I trust this answers most of your questions, but remember you can also access the council’s FAQ online. 

 

I look forward to welcoming your child back to school and to hearing the corridors and classrooms filled with laughter and chatter once again.