Good morning Clockhouse

Apologies in advance for the long message!

I hope you are all well, have enjoyed the half term break and that you are all eager and ready to get going again next week! Thank you for being so respectful on Class Dojo and allowing the staff a little bit of a break. As we move through this crisis, things are again set to change quite significantly for the school this week and for some on you who are going to be sending your children back to school to spend some time with us. Due to this, I have broken this message into parts –

• What you all need to know
• What you need to know if you are at home
• What you need to know if you are coming into school.

I hope this helps to make it easier for you.

What you all need you know:

• There will continue to be school staff in school every day. Although the rota has had to change, this system will still be in place and therefore not all staff will be in school.
• Staff will be doing training tomorrow and again on Wednesday which may mean responses to Google Classroom and Class Dojo may be a little slower than normal.
• The best way to contact teachers / school staff is messaging via Class Dojo.
• Teaching staff will be calling you this week if your child is not in school to catch up and see how you all are.
• The school phones will only be manned between 7.45am and 3.30pm. Please do not hesitate to call, even if it is only for a chat. If we cannot talk at that moment, someone will get back to you as soon as they can. Please only use option 2, 3 and 5, as other lines will not be manned due to the reduced work force each day.

• We will continue to ask for a weekly return from those key workers who may need child care for the next week, please do let us know in good time if you have not done so already.
• Should your child be eligible for Free School Meals and moving forward you decide that you need support, please alert us in good time.
• Please be aware, currently we do not have capacity to take extra children into the ‘bubbles’. We will be reviewing our provision as we go. This cycle will operate for a minimum of 3 weeks and will continue to communicate with you what might change moving forward in a timely manner.

What you need to know if you are at home (this includes days when those returning are not at school):

• We are very much looking forward to welcoming you back to school virtually this week.
• Work on Google Classroom will resume tomorrow and you will also receive the weekly learning sheet. This will be a ‘new normal’ week for you with everything coming out etc.
• Please be aware that on days when staff are in school working with children a different member of teaching staff will be manning the classes Google Classroom and Dojo. As far as is possible this will be a consistent member of staff.

What you need to know if you are coming into school:

• We are very much looking forward to welcoming some of you back to school this week.

• For those children coming to school due to parents / carers being key workers etc., separate information has been sent to you via Class Story on Class Hawaii’s Dojo.
• Each year group returning will be accessing a part time timetable as follows:
  • Tuesday (this week only)  – Nursery (Drop off 8.45 – 9.00 / Pick up 11.30 – 11.45 (part time) 3.00 – 3.15 (all day))
  • Tuesday (this week only)  – Reception (Drop off 9.00 – 9.15 / Pick up 3.15 – 3.30)
  • Thursday and Friday – Year 1 (Drop off 9.00 – 9.15 / Pick up 3.15 – 3.30)
  • Thursday and Friday – Year 6 (Drop off 8.40 – 8.55 / Pick up 2.55 – 3.10)
  • School will only be open on a Wednesday for cleaning and for Key Worker children
• You will need queue (2m apart) along Clockhouse Lane prior to coming into school. We will make this swift as possible but we will need to ask you a set of questions prior to the children coming in.
• Break times and lunchtimes will be staggered. Whilst lunchtime will be shortened, extra break times for each bubble will be implemented. Allocated areas for play will be given to each bubble.
• All movement around the school will be in an anti-clockwise direction.
• Nursery, Reception and Year 1 will enter via the driveway gate, and exit via the front playground gate and Year 6 will enter and exit via the back gate. The map attached to School Story on Class Dojo will give you an idea of what this will look like for Nursery, Reception and Year 1, but we will all be there to help you.
• When dropping off and picking up we ask that you ‘keep moving’ staying 2m apart using the #ourclockhousefamily marker which have been sprayed on the floor. Any communication with staff will need to be via ClassDojo or via phone.
• You will not be permitted in the building and please do stand back from the door and 2 meters apart from others. Please do keep away from classroom doors in order to protect the staff. Thank you for your understanding with this. The children will be ready and we will endeavor to get them out to you quickly when picking up.
• Children can come to school dressed appropriately in uniform or in their own clothes, whichever is easier for you and for them. Again please consider that they will be doing messy activities etc. Children must come to school in clean clothes each day. Government advice says that when children get home from school they should change and wash immediately and clothes they have worn to school should also be washed immediately.
• As the weather gets warmer the children will be spending more time outside. Please do ensure they have the necessary protection – hat, sun cream etc. as well as a water bottle.
• A hat, water bottle, a coat (if needed) and a packed lunch (should they be bringing one from home) will be the only things that will be permitted in school. Please leave book bags etc. at home.
• Please can you send the children in with a small pot of moisturizer clearly labelled for them to use should their hands become sore. Increased hand washing will be in operation as well as the use of hand sanitiser.
• We will be providing the children with breakfast should they want it.
• If you wish your child to have a school lunch, which will be a packed lunch, please make sure that you sQuid account is topped up. I have also posted the menu for you on School Story on Class Dojo.
• Lunches will be in the classrooms.

This is a steep learning curve for us as well as you and things may need to change as we move forward. We will get there together and will do all we can to support you whether this be in school or virtually. Thank you so much for your on-going understanding. Once our final preparations have been made tomorrow we will be launching our own virtual tour so that as far as possible you can see what the workings of the school will look like. Please look out for this.

Please keep sharing your pictures with us, we love seeing them and it really does brighten up our day. By sharing with us via class dojo or our other platforms, we will take this as your consent for wider sharing. If you do not want photos shared please do not send them.

We continue to really miss you all and truly cannot wait see some of you this week, whilst we also fully respect your decision should your child not be retuning. Whatever next week looks like for you we really are so proud of each and every one of you. This time has made us realise even more how wonderful you are, how important you all are to us all but ultimately what a privilege we have working with such a wonderful and supportive community – thank you Clockhouse.

I am sure you will want to join with me in thanking those in our community who are front line and key workers and also our great staff team. Again we are so lucky to have such an amazing community who has pulled together during this difficult time.

Please look after yourselves and each other!

We are still one community and are here for you all.

Our school – a family and a home for everyone!

Keep smiling and stay safe

Mrs Savidge