Email to parents from Mrs Farley-Hills 09/06/2020

Dear Parents/Carers

As we are sure you are aware, the government has relaxed many of the restrictions that were in place over lockdown and many more parents will soon be able to return to work.

At St Peter's, we have been delighted to welcome back children from our Year R, 1 and 6 classes plus the children of those classified as key workers; it has been wonderful to have the school filled with the sound of their happy laughter. However, we now need to plan our staffing for the next few weeks and therefore  need to know who is intending to send their children back to school from the specified year groups. We must stress that the safety of the children and our staff is paramount and therefore we are maintaining social distancing at all times in line with government advice. This 2m distance considerably limits the number of children we can safely accept at any one time, as a result we are currently operating on a 2 week rota for all, where each child attends for one week a fortnight. 

Please can you email the office today if your Year R, 1 or 6 child does not currently attend school but you are considering sending them in before the end of this term. Could you also email the school if you require your child to attend school as you or your partner are key workers (as listed in the DfE guidance) and can provide proof in the form of a rota.

If government guidance remains the same and many more parents wish to send their children into school we may have to adapt our rota to allow for more children or restrict the year groups we can accept each week. We will confirm any new arrangements by Friday,

Kind regards

Claire Farley-Hills

Message to parents:  05/06/2020

Please note that with effect from next week, the school will be closing every Friday at 1 pm.  School lunches will be catered for.  You are free to collect your child from the rear of their classroom from 12.30 pm to 1 pm.  All children to be collected by 1 pm.  This school closure is to allow a weekly deep clean in line with Government Guidance.  Staff will also be vacating the site.  Thank you.

Further details provided to parents in an email sent on 18 May 2020 by Mrs Farley-Hills

Dear Parents/Carers

We hope you have had a lovely weekend and are enjoying this gorgeous sunny weather - I know I am. Thank you to those of you who have raised queries regarding the further re-opening of the school. I have set out below a response to these questions and a confirmation of some aspects of the planning:

• As long as the Government's advice remains the same, the school will be open from 1st June for 15 children of Year R, 1 and 6 for one week full time; the remainder of the children from these year groups will be attending the following week.  We will send out names of the children in each each group on Wednesday. We await Government advice regarding the return of children in other year groups. 
• Uniform is not compulsory; clothes should be laundered in between wearing and so, if you do not have enough uniform that can be washed overnight, please send children in wearing fresh non-uniform clothes each day.
• Please send in packed lunches in disposable bags with disposable drink cartons - nothing will be sent home at the end of the day.
• When dropping off or collecting children, only one adult should accompany the child - ideally from the pupil's own family who can reassure us that the child and their family are well and not showing any signs of ill health.  Younger children or siblings, who are not attending school that day, are welcome to accompany the pupil being dropped off if there is no alternative safe place to leave them.
• Whilst we encourage as many children as possible to come to school, we appreciate that there may be reasons why you may wish to keep your child at home to continue their learning with you. That is your choice and you will not be fined for this. Please inform the school if this is the decision you are taking each week by emailing admin@st-peters-sittingbourne.kent.sch.uk.
• For children who are working at home, you will be directed to either 'BBC Daily Bitesize' lessons or the Government's 'Oak National Academy' - these sites have been created in response to Covid 19 to provide a broad and balanced  curriculum designed to be followed at home. The lessons are tailor-made for each year group and include videos, worksheets and activities.  
• As everyone -  children, parents and staff have been working so hard for so long - no work will be set over half term. 

I hope this answers all the questions raised so far, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further queries. 

Kind regards

Claire Farley-Hills

27 March 2020

Dear Parents and Carers, 

This has been the most difficult fortnight for us all. As a school, we have been open to provide childcare support for essential key workers and for identified vulnerable children and have been overwhelmed by your kind words and acts of support. The number of children has varied from 1 to 6 per day but they never cease to amaze the staff with their resilience and continued love of being part of the St Peter’s family.

We are all navigating our way through these uncertain and often stressful times and have appreciated your patience over the last two weeks.  One of our staff members has had to self-isolate and I am pleased that she is not displaying any related symptoms.

What is most important for all of us, our children, our staff, our families and our loved ones, is that we support each other through this difficult time. Above all else, what your children need is to feel comforted and loved. Not only are they seeing and hearing all sorts of information around them that they cannot necessarily interpret but they can sense our tension and anxiety too. Their well-being and the well-being of all our families has to come first.

Sadly I have to share with you that I have been made aware that some parents, whose children are registered for Free School Meals, have been approached via text and/or e-mail in relation to Free School Meal arrangements in light of Covid-19 (Coronavirus).   They have been asked to provide their bank details and personal information about children who are eligible, including names and dates of birth, with a promise that money will be sent to them directly.  I must stress that this information is not accurate and further information will be available from the government later in the week which will confirm it is the school who will be managing the voucher system in consultation with a government’s identified provider. Therefore, please do not respond to any messages you receive unless they come directly from the school.

Last week the focus of our staff team was on setting up home-learning opportunities in a short amount of time ensuring you have resources, ideas and web site links for you to access.

Staff have been impressed with the art, homework and photographs you have been uploading on our school Healthy & Active Club Facebook group and Seesaw Apps. You are obviously working very hard to ensure your children are enjoying their home learning experience, please continue to post photos of the learning that your children are proud of. On our school website, there is a folder labelled ‘Home Learning Covid 19’ these have a huge range of activities for your children which have already been set up. As from Monday, these will be updated daily to ensure your children do not become bored. There is also a link to a homework email for each of your classes so you or your child can post queries or questions about homework directly to them, alternatively you can email admin@st-peters-sittingbourne.kent.sch.uk and your email will be directed to the appropriate member of staff. It is heart-warming to see the St Peter’s community coming together at this time.

We will not be setting more homework over the Easter break, so you and your families can have a well-earned break from us. We will start restocking the Home Learning pages as from April 20^th. In the meantime enjoy the time as a family playing games, keeping or writing a diary, reading a book or watching a film together, baking a cake or exercising in some outside space.

St Peter’s will be closed from Thursday 2^nd April to Monday 20^th April when we will re-open at the St Edwards’s site for the children of key workers and vulnerable children.

Please continue to hold our St Peter’s family in your thoughts and prayers and I wish you all the best for a safe and healthy Easter.

Kindest regards

Mrs Wakefield