Please see the attached letter which has gone out in school bags today.

Christmas Events Letter

Dear Parent/Carer,

As you know, the Scottish Government has now introduced a system of new protection levels to help stop the spread of COVID-19, and Renfrewshire has been placed at Level 3.

This means some extra guidance for schools to help keep everyone safe, and we’ve listed what that means for you below:

• we can now resume indoor PE for pupils when the appropriate safety measures are in place. We are currently working on this and will let you know as soon as this able to go ahead.
• currently, school staff keep a two-metre distance from pupils as normal practice, but staff will now wear a face covering wherever this is not possible. This will apply from Primary 2 and above. We are conscious of the impact of this on our pupils – where children require additional support, we will identify a different approach which balances safety and quality of communication.
• school staff will wear face coverings in all communal areas of the school and will explain to our pupils why this is important.
• visitors, parents and carers should wear a face covering when entering the school or playground and at pick-up and drop-off. We also ask you wear a face covering at any busy pick-up or drop-off points outside school.
• the national advice is good airflow within schools is important to minimise spread of the virus. As we approach winter and colder weather, we will make sure classrooms are safe, warm and comfortable. However, we ask parents and carers please provide warm clothing, such as a jumper or fleece, in colder weather. Please contact the school directly if we can be of assistance with this.

All of the above is in addition to the existing safety measures in our school, which follow the national guidance and are already of a very high standard. These include:

• thorough cleaning within the school, very good handwashing regimes, physical distancing between staff and between staff and pupils wherever possible; and good hygiene when catching coughs and sneezes.
• staggering school start/finish times, breaks and lunchtimes, maintaining class groupings and good ventilation of buildings.

We would also like to remind parents and carers that all children should wear a face covering when travelling to and from school by school bus, unless they are exempt.

More information on what we are doing to keep schools safe is available on the council website, as is a guide to what to do if you suspect or have coronavirus.

We know the ongoing situation is very challenging for everyone, but we are doing all we can to keep our school safe and maintain a welcoming and nurturing learning environment for pupils.

The response from our pupils has been fantastic and we cannot thank you and them enough for your continued support.

Please stay safe at home and follow the latest public health advice. If there is anything else you wish to discuss with us, please contact the school directly.

Reminder: register your 🧒 child for primary one before Monday 9 November.

If your child has their 5^th birthday between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022, you should register them for school this week – and we’re asking you to do this online.

Go to www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/p1registration anytime between Monday 2 and Monday 9 November. 

 You’ll need to have a few things ready to upload:

1. a copy of your child’s full birth certificate
2. proof of address – Council Tax and Child Benefit Statement (or Driving Licence, utility/bank statement showing last 3 months transactions)
3. Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate (if applicable)

If you can’t register online, please phone your local catchment school to arrange an appointment. This is really important – please do not turn up at school without an appointment.

Our 8.45 soft start has been working very well, but recently there has been a number of children arriving in the playground before this time.

We are keeping pupils in consistent class and year groups throughout the day. This is to minimise the numbers identified as close contact and having to self isolate should we have a case of COVID within the school.

Children who are spending time in the playground, unsupervised and mixing with other classes and year groups, could potentially have an impact and increase the numbers having to isolate.

Therefore please help us by ensuring your child only arrives in the playground between 8.45 and 9.00a.m.

Also a reminder that the guidance has been updated and face covering should be worn by parents in and around the school premises, including at drop off and pick up.

The Scottish Government had launched Face Covering Exemption card. Those who are exempt can apply here.

Once again we thank you for your support as we work hard to keep our whole community safe.

Infant registration for the August 2021 Primary 1 intake opens today.

Registration is online this year and can be accessed by clicking here.

The updated guidance for schools, published  on the 30th October 2020, on face coverings now states:

“Face coverings should be worn by parents and other visitors to all school sites (whether entering the building or otherwise), including parents at drop-off and pick-up.”

We appreciate that there are exemptions to this but if you are able to, please wear a face covering whilst on the school site including the playground.

Thank you for your cooperation in this.  Our aim is to keep our whole community as safe as possible.