26 August 2021
Dear Parents/Carers
I hope that you and your family are keeping well and looking forward to the pupils returning to school next week on Wednesday 1 September. All pupils will return on a fulltime basis, with the exception of our Primary 1 pupils, who have been given their own individual start dates.
St. Joseph’s will begin the new term with a cautious approach, and continue with many of the practices and procedures in place during the Summer Term. To mitigate the spread of COVID19 and ensure the health and safety of our school community remains paramount, please refer to areas of importance below.
Restart Arrangements
Individual class arrangements will be communicated to you directly by your child’s class teacher through your Seesaw account. Your cooperation in following these procedures will be greatly appreciated. All school news and notices will be communicated through the news section at http://stjosephsps.co.uk/ and the accompanying iClass app. If you have not already done so, please download and create an account to keep up to date with the latest information.
Drop-off and Pick-up arrangements
We will continue with staggered start and finishing times, with designated entrances and exits for all pupils.
- All the ‘A’ classes will arrive between 08:45 and 09:00
- All the ‘B’ classes will arrive between 09:00 and 09:15
- Parents with children in both ‘A’ and ‘B’ classes may arrive at the later time.
- P1A, 2A and 3A will finish at 13:45
- P1B, 2B and 3B will finish at 14:00
- P4A, 5A, 6A and 7A will finish at 14:45 (including Friday)
- P4B, 5B, 6B and 7B will finish at 15:00 (including Friday)
School grounds will be open during these designated times to encourage social distancing, ease traffic congestion in the car park/Holland Drive and ensure families arrive punctually. Any children arriving late should proceed to the School Office, using the Holland Drive entrance to the school.
If a parent wishes to communicate with a teacher, please contact him/her directly via SeeSaw or leave a message with the office. An appointment will be arranged should you wish to speak in person.
Hygiene and Physical Protection
As health and safety is our number one priority, the following measures will continue to be normal practice:
- Everyone entering the school will sanitise their hands.
- Children will wash their hands thoroughly on arrival to class and will be asked to do so repeatedly during their time in school.
- Protective bubbles, with consistent membership, will be used throughout the school day.
- Movement around the school will be limited.
- There will be designated areas in the playground for break and lunch.
- Parents/carers will be contacted immediately if their child is displaying symptoms or feeling ill.
Please do not send your child to school if your child, or anyone you live with, has a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss of or change in sense of smell or taste. If your child or anyone in your household has any of these symptoms you should get a test for Covid-19.
Stationery/Classroom Resources
This year,we are requesting donations of £10 to school funds. Teachers will provide all essential stationery in bulk for the class. A payment item will be set up on ParentPay to facilitate this. Please contact the school office if you need advice on this.
Teachers will be in touch with you if any other additional equipment is needed. School bags are now permitted to be kept in school. Please ensure your child/children’s lunch box/bag and a water bottle are all clearly labelled. Medication e.g. inhalers should be brought into school on the first day back; these then will be kept in school in a sealed bag.
Break/School Dinners
All pupils will eat their break and lunch at their desk and will play together in designated areas of the playground. This year, we are promoting healthy school break. We would like to encourage the pupils to eat either a piece of fruit, yogurt or bread based snack. School dinners will be served in the school canteen and can be booked using ParentPay.
Please remember to avoid sending in any products that contain or ‘may contain’ nuts.
PE and School Uniform
All pupils should wear full school uniform including a school tie from 1st September. On designated PE days, the children may arrive to school in their PE uniforms. Please ensure that all clothing is clearly labelled. For more information on uniform purchases please click here.
Breakfast, Waiting and Kidz clubs
The Breakfast, Waiting and Kidz clubs will operate in September. For more details on this please contact Caroline in the school office. There will be no other after-school clubs in September.
And finally…
At the beginning of this school year, we are maintaining many of the procedures and routines that were established last year. Our priority is to reassure pupils and continue to provide the high standard of education that they deserve, in a safe and secure environment. I have no doubt that with continued cooperation between home and school this can be achieved.
Kind regards
Mr Donaldson