You will no doubt have seen that our schools and nurseries will close to pupils at 3pm on Friday 20th March.

Whilst this will cause huge changes to learning and your child’s education it does not mean that you are to be left alone and without support as families.

Some basic materials were issued today and these can be collected from the school office at any time this week if your child was absent.

Our teachers are committed to providing ongoing support and input to make learning at home as straightforward as possible. We are aware there will be password problems for some and guidance will be needed for effective engagement with online platforms.

Tomorrow, we will issue ( as email, paper copy and blog link) further guidance on how to access and make the most of online activities. There will be an ongoing need to regularly issue more materials and guidance and we will do this as a matter of course and in response to any problems you encounter along this difficult journey we all face together.

You will feel acute pressure to ensure your child is fully engaged in constant learning throughout every day of school closure. We would ask you not to feel this way. If you (or those caring for your child) can  provide various points of engagement in learning throughout the day then you will be doing the very best for your child. Remember that during each school day our curriculum is broad. We engage with literacy, numeracy, music, art, drama, science, ICT, physical activity, cross-curricular topic work, religious education, break time, lunch time, and challenge and praise. We also socialise and have fun, you’re allowed to have fun too.

Our school day is a complex and intensely planned experience and we’ve had lots of time to try to perfect it. Please, if possible, simply enjoy spending time with your child in what is likely to be a completely unique and never repeating (please God) set of circumstances. We know many parents will have no choice but to continue to go to work, for the benefit of our community. We, as teachers will also continue to work and face the same challenges and juggling act as many of you.

To surmise, the school may close but our committed, talented and caring teachers will continue to work to support domestic confinement. We will change and adapt just as this current crisis does. Please don’t think of Friday as an end point but as a new phase of how we engage with our families and pupils.

Stay safe together as families and God Bless from all at St. Patrick’s Primary.