Dear Parents/Carers,
We hope that you all enjoyed the long weekend and chance to get away from screens for schoolwork over the last week, despite the less than lovely weather! As you will be aware through the media and letters issued by the Council this week, P1-3 pupils will return to school on Monday. It has also been confirmed that online learning will continue for P4-7 pupils until at least the 15th of March. The next update is expected the first week of March. There is quite a bit of information to digest both in regard to the return to in school provision and to the continuation of online learning.
Return to school for P1-3
As with our return in August, the Health and Wellbeing of pupils will be our first priority. Over the next couple of weeks, staff will re-establish school routines and determine where pupils are in their learning. It is anticipated that there will be no homework issued before the 8th of March, while this takes place.
- School hours and timetables will remain as they were before Christmas.
- School Meals will continue to be provided and menus were sent out last week.
- All resources that pupils had at home for Home Learning will be required back in school on Monday.
- Parents are reminded that if they wish for pupils to have home lunches on a Friday, they must inform the school of this.
- School Transport will continue as usual and we have been in touch with the transport team and with providers to inform them of which entitled bus pupils are returning to in school provision. All pupils are required to wear face coverings when using school transport.
- PE days are unchanged and pupils are reminded to come to school dressed for PE on those days. Indoor PE is not permitted at this time which will require pupils to have appropriate clothing to take part in PE outdoors.
- We will be required to be outdoors as much as possible so pupils are reminded of the importance to have warm, waterproof clothing at all times,
- All P1-3 pupils should have a change of clothing at school. This is not required to be school uniform.
- We continue to require to increase classroom ventilation by having windows open, regardless of the weather. Pupils are reminded that they are encouraged to wear additional layers with their school uniforms.
- P1-3 pupils will be using the central playground door, rather than classroom entrances to enter and exit the school. Staff will go over this with pupils on Monday.
- From next week we are required to try to separate pupils in P1-3 from P4-7 pupils attending “hub” provision. For this reason, each group will be restricted in the area of the playground that they will be using. Staff will go over this with pupils on Monday.
- In order to limit the number of adults in school, we will be running on reduced clerical hours and there may not always be someone available to answer the phone or the doors. Please ensure that any messages for the school are sent with plenty of time to assist with this. Email remains the most effective form of communication with class teachers.
- Parents and visitors are still not permitted in the school at this time.
- Risk assessments created for the return to school in August and updated throughout the term remain in place with no further mitigations for pupils. A copy of this is attached above. Parents are advised that they are not to gather at the school gate in line with Scottish Government Advice. Due to school transport and the large number of sibling families, we are unable to stagger start and finish times and therefore ask for your cooperation with the following advice from Highland Council;
Parents should also be reminded of the need to comply with the restrictions when dropping off or collecting their children from school or ELC settings, and to ensure they maintain strict two metre distancing from other adults, and wear a face covering at these times (unless exempt from doing so).
No other restrictions are being eased in order to provide the headroom to support an initial return of some learners and therefore ensuring the right behaviours. For example, parents should avoid contacts with other parents, children and young people at the school gates, on the way to school and after school in order to try and reduce community spread/outbreaks. Schools can assist with this by, for example, having staggered start/finish times
Continuation of Remote Learning
- Remote learning will continue to take place for pupils in P4-7. While this will continue as it has been, there may be some changes required to Google Meets which teachers will be in touch about.
- In place of our whole school topics, we will be moving to individual class topics which will be explained and introduced by class teachers rather than emailed in grids as they have been.
- The PE activities issued earlier this month will continue until the end of February when a new grid will be issued.
- Art activities will continue to be issued by email on a weekly basis, the activity for next week is attached above.
Staffing
David Maclean officially joined our staff this week as ASN Teacher and will begin working with pupils online and in person from Monday. Mrs Strachan will work with Mr MacLean for a handover period over this week and next.
Keywoker/Vulnerable
Provision continues to be in place for Keyworker and Vulnerable pupils in P4-7. It is expected that these pupils will attend as per previous days and times and are asked to inform the school as soon as possible with any changes. Extra mitigations will be in place to keep these pupils separate from the P1-3 pupils and arrangements around this will be shared with parents of these pupils.
As the next couple of weeks pan out, there will, no doubt be much more information to follow. I appreciate that changes to next week will bring both enthusiasm and concern. I wish to reassure you that health and safety of pupils remains our priority during this time. We very much look forward to having more pupils back in school next week and hope that it won’t be too long before we have you all back, as the situation allows.
Please be in touch with any questions or concerns you may have.
Regards,
Sara
https://portreeprimary.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/art-lesson-g.pdf
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