We have taken full advantage of the lovely weather this week with many learning activities taking place outdoors. Children have enjoyed speed spelling using chalk on the ground, experiments and mental maths activities. At this time, classes are particularly encouraged to use outdoor spaces for learning to ensure as much access to fresh air as possible.
Update from Coronavirus meeting
One representative from each group of staff met together to evaluate the school’s processes and routines to reduce the risk of Coronavirus transmission in school. Mrs French chaired the meeting and next steps were identified. These include:
- ensuring disposable face coverings are available at the entrance to the school and nursery for any visitors to use when speaking with staff or entering the building.
- setting up classroom delivery trays for messages to be left in to reduce the number of adults entering rooms.
- setting up classroom visitor books to track adults entering and leaving classrooms.
- requesting automatic hand sanitising dispensers so that children and staff do not need to manually operate the dispenser.
- adults working across the school will wear face coverings in corridors and classrooms
(Classroom visitor book and delivery tray)
Social Distancing
Please remember that adults from different households must remain 2m apart. If possible please wear a face covering in the school grounds. If adults are less than 2m apart in the school grounds then staff may approach you to remind you of the requirements. Please be assured this step is being taken to keep the school community safe.
Public Health
To date no-one from the Heathery Knowe PS and Nursery community has tested positive for Coronavirus and the ‘Trace and Protect’ process has not been implemented in relation to the school.
I would like to use this opportunity to let you know that if there ever is a positive case within school this would be reported to NHS. Public Health Scotland would take the lead in both tracing close contacts and asking them to self isolate and providing any communication for the wider school community as required. We would share information with families as soon as possible however this will be as advised by Public Health Scotland.
As always, information would be made available via Twitter and the school website.
Accessibility
The Head Teacher’s blog and website now have the option to translate to other languages. When the blog is opened as a web page there is an option to translate to other languages at the right hand side. The website has a similar option to translate the page to languages other than English. We hope this makes the school news easily accessible to all families in our community.
Pupil progress reports can be provided in large print and additional languages as required.
Journalism Award
We were delighted to receive an award this week on behalf of the Primary 7 pupils from 2019/2020.
The children participated in a the School Mock Court Case Project. This is a cross-curricular project which uses a court case to encompass a range of class room subjects – from art to journalism, debating and writing skills, to name just a few.
We were thrilled to accept the journalism award for P7 Pursuer in the project for Hamilton Region. We hope we can share this with pupils (currently S1) in the future when we can hold a leavers’ celebration.
Play Award
Primary 4 pupils each received a medal for participation in the Play Award. Mrs Gallacher presented the awards outside in a short ceremony. Photographs will be uploaded to twitter next week.
Well done Primary 4!
Google Classroom
Reminder: All pupils should now be able to log into Google Classroom. Each child should have access to their own register class and the whole school classroom.
Mrs McGee will upload a fault reporting form next week. If you have any difficulties logging in, please complete the form and Mrs McGee will be in touch.
This is particularly important as Google Classroom is the contingency plan in the event of class self-isolation, short term or long term closure.
Thank you for your continued support.
Kind regards
Kirsty Duff
