Sandiway Primary School Newsletter

Newsletter 2 Wednesday 9th September 2020 Autumn Term 2020

www.sandiway.cheshire.sch.uk admin@sandiway.cheshire.sch.uk
Beginning and end of the day help ease congestion – don’t However, for a morning club, if it is
After a few minor adjustments and forget to set a good example a wet day, it would be wise to send
making sure that there is no with social distancing. an extra pair of socks/spare shoes
vehicle movement at the beginning • Please drive very carefully to change into to save children
and end of the day, I am really around the entrance to school – sitting in wet clothes all day.
pleased with how our staggered there are cars and pedestrians
starts/ends are working. I am using the same space. I have Meet the Teacher meetings
particularly impressed with our put yellow cones out to help In previous years, we have invited
youngest children who have really separate people and traffic. parents in to meet with the new
taken starting school in their class teachers – this has helped
stride. Millennium Gate establish routines and ensure that
I am grateful for your prompt As a means to further ease consistent messages get home.
timekeeping – I have asked school congestion both on foot and in Obviously, I cannot repeat these
staff to be equally prompt to make cars/with parking, I will be opening meetings this year, however, I
sure everything flows smoothly. As the Millennium Gate from this have asked each of the teachers to
time passes, we may be able to afternoon (Wednesday). I am record a short presentation that
modify times to make it more asking that all can be available to watch through
convenient for all – at the parents/carers/children take YouTube.
moment, we are all getting used to responsibility for social distancing, The links for the meetings are -
it - thank you again for your walk on the left and give way to Reception:
patience. I may be able to slightly others at pinch points or where https://youtu.be/p64Qghkpx9o
modify timings as the weeks pass – children are queuing to get in/out
please watch out for updates in of school. Year 1:
this newsletter. Using this gate will allow parents https://youtu.be/7aNEPXjIA00
Can I please remind to walk to/from school with
parents/carers: greater ease, reduce congestion on Year 2:
• Please keep your children with other narrow pavements and use https://youtu.be/JoMuPiYaqM0
you when waiting, preventing the Village Hall carpark and walk
them from playing on the last bit. Year 3:
playground equipment or Its success relies on respecting https://youtu.be/d5PLRGPbKVA
running around with friends; and following the conditions I have
there is no school supervision at outlined, please. Year 4:
this time, so I don’t deem this to https://youtu.be/6lnd5Brw8os
be safe or appropriate. PE Days
• The pathway from the Village I have already indicated PE days – Year 5:
Carpark is one-way onto the children may wear their kit all day. https://youtu.be/NDFLb0vq5zg
playground; please leave via the If you or they forget and come in
front of school and through the the wrong clothes, no-one is going Year 6:
staff carpark – plenty of space to get ‘told off’ and the children https://youtu.be/vILOacljWLk
for more people passing each don’t need to worry – it’s not a big
other problem. Bags
• I am asking the children to walk If your child is staying for a Sports We are finding that children are
through the staff car park Club with Mr Ault, children may needing to carry a few things
to/from school – I don’t want also wear their PE kits all day, even to/from school. I am still asking for
any tripping/slipping accidents – if the rest of the class is not a MINIMAL amount to come into
please reinforce this for me. wearing a PE kit – this will mean school, but I am now saying that a
• Please avoid hanging around they are ready for the club without school bag is now acceptable, if
and chatting with friends to the need to get changed at school. you feel it is needed. I ask this is a
bag ‘just big enough’ to carry
lunch, drink and homework. It may
be that it isn’t needed every day,
just when there is more to bring in.
Please be mindful that some
classrooms have very little space
with bags needing to be kept by
desks in some cases. The Year 5
and Year 6 classrooms are
especially full as the
desks/chairs/children are bigger!
Their cloakroom areas are also
being used for space for the
children to work. Thinner book-bag
style bags will be better here –
they are less of a trip-hazard for
the children/teachers. The
teachers will guide the children
and suggest if something isn’t
working to keep classrooms safe
(trip hazards, etc).
Some of the teachers have
explained bags a little more in the
‘Meet the Teacher’ meetings
where their classrooms are more
challenged for space.
Procedures for suspected COVID-
19/positive COVID-19 and other
illnesses
One of the main changes the
Government made to the guidance
for schools over the Bank Holiday
weekend was regarding time
scales and procedures for COVID-
19 cases. I attended a Public
Health England (PHE) meeting last
week which explained the
procedures for schools in the event
of a suspected, positive and
negative test; also discussed were
other illnesses. This is a complex
matter, which I am trying to make
simpler for us to manage as a
school community. Attached to the
newsletter email is a 2-page
summary of what to do. Please
read through in the event of
having to take action. This
information is also shared with
school staff so we all follow the
same procedure. As I said last
week, my priorities are safety and
education. If I can keep the school donations. All donations will go
open as long as possible, we can directly to Macmillans.
provide a high-quality education.
If in doubt, please contact me by And finally…
email – there are no silly questions We are looking for new members
and I am happy to help to achieve for the school’s Local Academy
our goal of keeping our school Board (LAB) – this is the new name
open, making it safe and ensure for the ‘governing body’ as an
high-quality education for all. academy school. We have
vacancies for parent members and
Hand sanitizer for co-opted members. Parent LAB
Children have supervised use of members obviously have to have
hand sanitizer that we have children in the school. Co-opted
purchased. There is no need for LAB members can come from our
children to bring their own in, local community and are often
however, if they do need a slightly people who would like to ‘give
different type due to skin allergies, something back’ to school, or feel
etc, I am happy for this to come that they have skills that the
into school and stay in the school would benefit from. If you
classroom. This should be clearly would like more information, or
labelled ONLY for their use. I you are interested, please make
repeat, there is no need to send contact with the school. I will be
any in (I don’t want 30 bottles in sending out full information for
each class to manage), but I am parents shortly which will include
aware of a few individual cases nomination forms.
that I can support.
Chris Priddey
Attending multiple settings
I would like to remind parents and
carers of the Government advice
about children attending multiple
childcare/education settings. The
guidance states: ‘…parents and
carers should be encouraged to
limit the number of settings their
child attends, ideally ensuring their
child only attends the same setting
consistently…’ The idea behind this
is that children should limit the
contact with other groups of
children – as can also happen in
football teams, training sessions,
out of school care, with child
minders etc.
Macmillan
Sharon McDermott, from the
White Barn, has asked if I can
circulate a fundraiser for
Macmillans. Please find attached
to the newsletter email a colouring
sheet with a QR code for