Good morning Clockhouse

I hope you are all well and are having an enjoyable weekend however you have spent it. A lovely week was had at school last week with more children returning to Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. It continues to never cease to amaze us all how adaptable and resilient children are.

Well done to all those who supported the Havering Hurricanes over the last three weeks, you contribution has definitely contributed to the success of the Havering Hurricanes. Thank you also to embracing Maths Week, we hope you all enjoyed the activities that were on offer to you. If you have any feedback from this, please do let us know. We are always eager to improve and your feedback is so important in this.

What you all need you know:

• There will continue to be school staff in school every day on a rota system.
• The best way to contact teachers / school staff continues to be by messaging via Class Dojo.
• 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 1, 2, 3 and 5, as other lines will not be manned due to the reduced work force each day.

• 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’. Although it is highly unlikely that there will be any further capacity prior to the Summer Holiday, we will continue to review our provision as we go.

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 working with you virtually again this week.
• For the last three weeks of the school year, we have decided to try to change things a little as we realise that it is only getting harder to keep motivated. Therefore for the next three weeks each week will have a different theme linked to things that we would normally be doing at this time of the year. This week the theme is ‘Let’s get to know each other’ and will provide the children with the opportunity to get to know their new teacher and their new teacher get to know them. Different challenges linked to the theme will be posted every day. Your new teachers (except Year 6 who will be working on their own transition work) as well as current teachers will be looking at this work so time to impress!
• With increased children in school this week there will obviously be increased staff. This means that on days where 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 but with more children returning this week this may vary.
• Our plans for our virtual ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions via Zoom are taking shape and we will be communicating these with you shortly as well as the clear expectations about using this platform. Please be assured these will be on days when the children are not in school unless your child is part of Class Hawaii.

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

• We cannot wait to see more of you back at 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 will be accessing a part time timetable as below. Please note there are some time changes to those already back at school. As I am sure you can understand this is due to additional families needing to get onto and off site and making this as swift as possible:
  • Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday (you know your days) – Nursery (Drop off 8.45 – 9.00 / Pick up 11.30 – 11.45 or 3.15 – 3.30). Entrance via the Driveway, exit via the front playground – follow the orange arrows.
  • Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday (you know your days) – Reception (Drop off 8.45 – 9.00 / Pick up 3.15 – 3.30). Entrance via the Driveway, exit via the front playground – follow the green arrows.
  • Monday and Tuesday – Year 2 (Drop off 8.45 – 9.00 / Pick up 3.15 – 3.30). Entrance via the Driveway, exit via the front playground – follow the blue arrows.
  • Monday and Tuesday – Year 4 (Drop off 8.50 – 9.00 / Pick up 3.05 – 3.15). Entrance and exit via the back gate.
  • Monday and Tuesday – Year 5 (Drop off 8.40 – 8.50 / Pick up 2.55 – 3.05). Entrance and exit via the back gate.
  • Thursday and Friday – Year 1 (Drop off 8.45 – 9.00 / Pick up 3.15 – 3.30). Entrance via the Driveway, exit via the front playground – follow the blue arrows.
  • Thursday and Friday – Year 3 (Drop off 8.50 – 9.00 / Pick up 3.05 – 3.15). Entrance and exit via the back gate.
  • Thursday and Friday – Year 6 (Drop off 8.40 – 8.50 / Pick up 2.55 – 3.05). Entrance and exit via the back gate.
  • School will only be open on a Wednesday for cleaning and for Key Worker children
• The arrangements for waiting, queuing and circulation continue to apply. If you are newly back this week, you will get used to it and we will all be there to help you along the way.
• 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.
• When dropping off and picking up we ask that you ‘keep moving’ and maintain social distancing by using the #ourclockhousefamily markers which have been sprayed on the floor. Any communication with staff will need to be via Class Dojo or via phone and only one parent will be allowed onto site.
• You will not be permitted into the building and please do stand back from the door socially distancing 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. 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), a packed lunch (should they be bringing one from home) and a pot of moisturiser will be the only things that will be permitted in school. Please leave book bags etc. at home.
• 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. The menu will be the same as last week. Lunches will be in the classrooms. The lunch menu remains the same as the last two weeks.

We continue to learn the new regime together and this week sees another new phase of the school re-opening so please to bear with us. Thank you so much for your on-going understanding.

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 miss you all so much and truly cannot wait see some more of you this week. This is not how school and education should be and none of us entered this profession to do it like this. Your resilience during this time as parents / carers is admirable as has the children’s resilience been. This time continues to remind us 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.

As always, 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