Good afternoon everyone.  I have been working on a newsletter so that you still kept up to date with vital information.  Please click on the link below to download it and have a look.

April 2020

There is important information about Free School Meals during school closure.  In order to sign up for this, you must have given your most recent and up-to-date contact details.  There are more instructions on how to sign up for Parents’ Portal.

I have also included an update on our Digital Learning programmes and blogs.  Please do take a look at them and use them to help engage your children in Learning and encourage them to keep in touch with their teachers.

I hope you are all well.

Mr Thomas.

North Lanarkshire are offering a new service to ensure that, in the current situation, all children who are entitled to a Free School Meal receive it.  This will come in the form of a VOUCHER which will most likely be texted or emailed to you.  HOWEVER, WE NEED YOUR CORRECT CONTACT DETAILS AND MANY OF YOU HAVE NOT KEPT US UP TO DATE!

The voucher will be redeemable at any PayPoint Shop and will be to the value of £20 per child, per week.

TO UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION WITH US, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW ON HOW TO SIGN UP FOR PARENTS’ PORTAL.

Information about this new system can be found on the NLC website by clicking HERE.

The school office is not staffed just now, so you may not get someone on the phone to help you.  You can contact us using office@johnpaul.n-lanark.sch.uk

Signing up for Parents Portal will give you access to lots of the online services we currently offer and more in the  future.  You can:

• Update your personal information/address/phone number – this means you will receive up to date information and we can contact you if necessary
• Report an absence
• Read reports
• Use the payment system
• Book an appointment for Parents’ Night

This is all under ONE password and user name!

Download the instructions below…

Accessing the Parent Portal

Happy Monday to everyone!  I hope that you are all keeping well and are following the guidelines to keep healthy.  I wanted to give you an update on what I have been up to in the last week!

The past week has been a very busy one for myself and all of the other Head Teachers in our area.  Our school is now a Hub School for the Bellshill Locality, which includes Viewpark, Tannochside and Birkenshaw.  The schools involved are…

Cardinal Newman, St. John Paul II, Holy Family, Sacred Heart and St. Gerard’s.

Bellshill Academy, Lawmuir, Noble, Mossend, Aitkenhead, Tannochside.

Laburnum Family Learning Centre is also a hub and is taking in children from the area too.

St staff of St. John Paul II were the first to offer their services in setting things up to ensure that all children and families were made to feel at ease and welcomed in a strange school with new faces and new routines.  Thank you to all of them.  True professionals, as always.

Going forward, staffs from all of the schools have been put on a rota to work which enables us all to keep healthy and safe.

The children who are attending the Hub are children who’s parents/carers are BOTH Keyworkers in either Category 1, 2 or 3.

INFORMATION FOR KEYWORKERS:

The Bellshill Locality Hub at St. John Paul II offers the following care options:

Lunch is offered for children from 12:30pm.

 If you have any questions regarding this, please call the school.  The office is not always staffed, but those in school will try to help if they can.

Please see a letter with information from NLC which Head Teachers have been asked to circulate.

Parent&Carer Letter 22nd March

Please download the information for children attending school.  This applies from Monday 23rd March 2020.  As you will be aware, the situation is changing at a fast pace and so more information will be coming from NLC in the coming days.

Keyworker Info 1

A form has been circulated by North Lanarkshire so that they know who is attending school and when.  This came out after Mr Thomas issued the form asking similar questions.  Even if you have already complete the St JPII form, you are still required to complete the NLC form.  Apologies for this duplication.   This should be completed by Parents/Carers who are sending their children to school.  Copies will be available for you when you drop your child at school.  Or you can download and print it yourself.  Click on the link below.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU COMPLETE A FORM.

Key Workers Pro Forma 2

Please click on the link below to gain access to practical information about what arrangements are in place for arrival and collection at school among other things.

Thank you for your co-operation!

Keyworker Info 1

Please complete the Form below to register your child(ren) for attendance at school.  It is important that we have this information for planning purposes.

Take into consideration all of the advice given by the First Minister and also North Lanarkshire Council.  This is obviously not “business as usual” and every effort should be made to minimise the need for children to be at school.

If you need any support or further advice, please contact Mr Thomas by email on  ht@johnpaul.n-lanark.sch.uk

Please watch the video and have a read at this page as it clearly explains the plans for Monday morning and all the key worker categories. Please note, as is mentioned in the video, that you should only bring your child to school if it is absolutely necessary.

Key Workers Information

INFORMATION FROM NLC TO BE CIRCULATED TO PARENTS/CARERS

Please click on the link below to read information from NLC about school provision from Monday 23rd March 2020 and also a letter from Mr Thomas to all Parents and Carers.

Coronavirus Update 20th March

More information to follow.

From:  Derek Brown, Executive Director

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED ON FRIDAY 20TH MARCH 2020 AT 2PM

Dear Parents /Carers

Following advice from the Scottish Government to close educational establishment today, we fully recognise that from today children and young people may be at home for a long period of time and we have produced a suite of materials to support their learning – further information about materials will be sent to you in due course.

Understandably, this is an unsettling time for children, young people and their carers and many people will be feeling anxious about the current situation and the impact that it may have on the health and wellbeing of family, friends and colleagues.

For this reason we have also included information to help you reassure your child.  Many of these resources have been developed in collaboration with South Lanarkshire Council.  The attached document provides some advice and guidance.

We will continue to up-date this resource and ensure that it is widely available online.  You will be notified of these updates next week.

Thank you for your on-going support during these challenging times.

Regards

Derek Brown

Executive Director

Click on the link below to access the document.

EDUCATION & FAMILIES Supporting Children Interactive