Author: Mrs Burns

Dear Parent/ Carer,

Please see below, information about how each class can support the  West Lothian Food Bank Appeal 2022.

Thank you.

Foodbank Appeal Letter 22

Message from Corporate Communications Team

The council has a wide-ranging campaign underway to provide advice for those residents (and businesses) who require support with the rising cost of living.

Called Help With Costs, the campaign has sought to pull together advice and information on a number of key areas. These areas can be broken down into energy (business and residential), benefits/financial support and help with school costs. Work to target key audience groups has already begun and officers from several services have helped develop the content.

A leaflet and business card have been created and are both available within public reception areas (Libraries, Partnership Centres, Civic Centre). We also provided a QR code to scan in Bulletin, which householders are encouraged to keep and check regularly.

However, given the ever-changing landscape, our main focus is to direct customers to the online Information Hub. This will be updated as and when required and will aim to capture the advice and support being provided by the council, partners and national bodies.

Cost of Living Hub West Lothian – West Lothian Council

Should any service want to update this Hub with relevant information, please contact communications@westlothian.gov.uk

Primary-7-Transition-Information

We are also delighted to share with you a  fantastic new School Uniform and Clothing Exchange Directory.  This resource offers a web page full of links to local uniform banks and exchanges

Please see below a link to school uniform and clothing banks

https://connect.scot/resources/school-uniform-and-clothing-banks

Mrs Burns and the staff of St Joseph’s would like to wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  We hope that you enjoy this special time, surrounded with family and loved ones.  May you all stay safe and well.

Thank you for your continued support throughout this term.

To our wonderful children, We hope you have a magical Christmas.  We will see you all when you return to school, on, Thursday, 6th of January, 2022 and Nursery on, Wednesday, 5th of January 2022.

Have a Happy and Holy Christmas

From all the staff at St Joseph’s Primary

return to school letter 16.8

Dear Parent/carer,

We are looking forward to the return of our P4-7 pupils on Monday 15^th March.  Our initial focus will be on health and well-being, re-establishing relationships and building confidence.

We have safety as our main priority and have procedures in place to keep everyone safe.  Staff have access to Lateral Flow Test kits, will be wearing face coverings and adhering to the 2m distance advice. Pupils will work in their groupings and have allocated seats in the classroom, dining room and on school transport.   Regular handwashing will be encouraged and hand sanitizer stations are in place in each class and in social areas.  Pupils will have access to disinfectant surface wipes to wipe their resources and work space after use.  Pupils travelling on school transport are requested to wear face coverings unless exempt.

In the morning, Primary 4-7 pupils will enter the playground through the main gate in front of the school and enter the playground at the side.  Access to the Breakfast Club will be through the senior playground.  Pupils can play in their zone until the bell rings at 8.45 am.   They will be collected by their teacher and enter a class at a time.    At the end of the day, classes will be dismissed a class at a time and brought to the main gate by staff. Parents should wait on the footpath opposite the school. This is the same process we used between August and December.    Please remember to wear a face covering and stay 2m apart from others.

PE will be outside, so please ensure the children are dressed for the weather conditions.  Rooms will be well ventilated and pupils may wish to wear a fleece or extra layer on colder days. Please do not sent the children to school if they are unwell or if a family member has booked a test or is awaiting test results.

There is no parking for parents at the school, please park in neighbouring streets and walk to the school.  Please consider access for local residents and refrain from blocking driveways.  The fenced area in front of the school is for staff parking only and should never be used to drop off/pick up pupils from nursery or school.

We are busy preparing for the children’s return and look forward to seeing them on Monday.

Yours sincerely

Frances Burns

Dear Parent/carer,

We are delighted to be able to have our ELC and P1-3 children return on Monday 22^nd February.  Our focus will be on health and well-being, especially building relationships and confidence.

Separate guidance is being issued to the parents of ELC children to support their safe return.

We have safety as our main priority and have procedures in place to keep everyone safe.  Staff have access to Lateral Flow Test kits and will be wearing face coverings and adhering to the 2m distance advice. Pupils will work in their groupings and be allocated seats in the classroom, dining room and on school transport.   Regular handwashing and hand sanitizer stations are in place in each class. Pupils travelling on school transport are requested to wear face coverings unless exempt.

In the morning, Primary 1, 1/2, and 2 children will enter the playground and play in their zone until the bell rings at 8.45 am.   They will be collected by their teacher and enter a class at a time.    At the end of the day, classes will be dismissed a class at a time in the order P2, P1 then P2/1.   Parents should wait in the wait zones near the car park, then come forward in order, to collect their child and exit through the main Infant gate.   This is the same process we used between August and December.    Please remember to wear a face covering inside the school grounds and stay 2m apart from others.

The breakfast club is open only for the children of key workers and those who have been attending since Christmas. PE will be outside, so please make sure the children are dressed for the weather conditions.  Please do not sent the children to school if they are unwell or if a family member has booked a test or is awaiting test results.

We are busy preparing for the children’s return and look forward to seeing them on Monday.

Yours sincerely

Frances Burns

Healthcare Quality & Improvement Directorate
Jason Leitch CBE, National Clinical Director
T: 0131-244 5176
E: jason.leitch@.gov.scot

FAO: Parents/carers of children returning to ELC and P1-3

I know that many parents and carers will be pleased that their children are able to return to their early learning and childcare (ELC) setting or to school next week.
Some families might have concerns about safety. I’ve been asked to write to you to explain the reason for the decision to enable younger children to return to ELC and schools.
As always, this decision has been informed by a range of scientific and clinical evidence. One key finding is that younger children are less likely to get or pass on the virus. Because of this, and the measures that are in place, we know that ELC settings and schools are low-risk settings for these children and school staff.
Evidence and advice
It is natural to be nervous about the return to ELC and school, especially with the news of different variants of coronavirus. We want to reassure you that the decision to allow more children to return was based on very careful consideration of the risks and benefits by experts on the Chief Medical Officer’s Advisory Sub-group on Education and Children’s Issues. You can find out more about this group and see their published advice here.
The sub-group reviewed evidence on: the state of the pandemic in Scotland; transmission among young children and in ELC settings and schools; and the wider impacts of the current restrictions on children and families. The evidence continues to show that younger children are less likely to catch or pass on the virus than older children and adults. The decision to prioritise the return to ELC and early primary also reflects the role that those very early stages play in supporting children’s development, and the challenge of delivering this crucial support remotely.

Reducing risk at schools and ELC settings
With the return to ELC and P1-3, our national guidance has been updated, and ELC settings and schools will be reviewing their risk assessments and may be enhancing some of their own measures. Our key focus is on reducing the risk of adult-to-adult transmission, as well as wider community transmission. We know that we need to continue to reduce contact between adults, including both staff and parents/carers

There are some important steps that you can take to support the safe return to ELC and P1-3.
1. Wear a face covering, both at drop off and pick up time, but also if there are congested areas nearby
2. Reduce congestion at pick up/drop off time. Please limit it to one adult at drop off/pick up time.
3. Keep 2 metres away from other adults, whether you are waiting for your child or walking to or from school or nursery and avoid gathering in groups with other parents. (Even if you can maintain 2 metres distance you may create congestion that makes it difficult for others to keep a safe distance when they pass.)
4. Avoid car shares and limit use of public transport.
5. Be vigilant for any symptoms in your household, and follow the Test and Protect guidance if anyone displays symptoms.

I know that your schools or ELC settings have their own plans to reduce risk, so they may have specific instructions that they’d like you to follow.

Reducing risk at home
It is important that we don’t treat the return to school/ELC as an indication that we can relax the rules elsewhere, as this could lead to an increase in community transmission. While children are mixing at their ELC settings or school, it’s still important that they don’t start having indoor play dates at home. We know it is important for children’s wellbeing to be able to play with friends, but, for now, it’s really important that this is outdoors.

There are two reasons for this:
1. We need to take things slowly. With some children returning to ELC and school, we will be able to monitor the impact this has. If we go back to ‘normal’ we risk increasing transmission to levels that mean we need to close schools and childcare settings again.
2. Household mixing in our home environments is likely to be higher risk than mixing in ELC settings or schools, where adherence to strict guidance is monitored. Simply put, children are more likely to pass on the virus to each other in the home environment.

Please also remember that return to school and childcare does not mean that you should stop working from home, if you’re able to do so.

Older children
If you have children in P4-S3 then they won’t be returning to school on 22 February, with the exception of key worker and vulnerable children who are already attending when necessary. We are unlikely to have more children return to school before 15 March, at the very earliest.
If your child is in S4-S6 you will be aware that a very limited number of senior phase learners will return next week on a part-time basis for essential in-school practical work only. There will also be small increases in children and young people with additional support needs attending school where there is a demonstrable and immediate need but it remains too soon to make any further commitments regarding all other in-person provision. Schools will be in touch about what this means for individual pupils.

Support and advice
This is hard for all families, but the continued restrictions at home and across society are enabling us to reopen ELC and P1-3 from 22 February. I appreciate your support in keeping community transmission rates down.

If you have questions about the arrangements in your own school or setting, please contact them or your local authority directly.
The Scottish Government’s Parent Club team are working incredibly hard to ensure that the information about school and ELC is up to date, so please check there for further FAQs and other helpful information.
Yours faithfully
PROFESSOR JASON LEITCH