December 2020

KEY DATES
Friday 18 December – school closes at 12.20pm for Y1&2;
12.40pm for Y3-5 and
1.00pm for Y6&7
Monday 21 December – Monday 4 January (inclusive) – Christmas Holiday.
Children return to school on Tuesday 5 January 2021.
All key dates are available on the school website (www.gibsonps.co.uk – under Parents - School Closures).

Breakfast Club - We are planning on re-opening our Breakfast Club on 5 January. As usual this service can be accessed on a daily basis staring at 8am costing £1.50 per day or a maximum of £6 per week payable upon entrance. Each ‘bubble’ will be located in their own area ensuring the safety of our pupils. We will review how this works before considering restarting our After School Provision.

Christmas Dinner will be served on Thursday 10 December and costs £2.60 for those not entitled to free meals. This can be booked, like all dinners, through the School Money App by Monday 7 December.

Christmas Arrangements – Santa still plans on visiting school in the build up to Christmas. It is hoped that he will be here on Thursday 10 December, but unfortunately he will not be able to come in for Christmas Dinner with us! We would encourage all pupils to wear a Christmas Jumper or something festive as this will be a non-uniform day. We would also request that each pupil brings a minimum donation of £2 which we will be donating to charities including the Children’s Heartbeat Trust and the Shoebox Appeal.

Christmas Cards and Presents – As you know we have actively discouraged pupils from bringing items in from home to try and reduce the potential spread of Coronavirus. This has implications for Christmas! Unfortunately, we are requesting that NO Christmas Cards or Presents are sent to either pupils or staff. As a staff we are extremely grateful for your thoughts and gifts at Christmas, however your good wishes are all that we require!

Christmas Performances – Each class is filming a short performance which we will be putting on our website in the build up to Christmas. We will notify parents when these go online.

Year 1 Admission – Admission for Year 1 now takes place online and runs from 7 January until 29 January. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold our usual Open Night, however we will be pleased to meet with parents and pupils individually. We also have a range of videos on our website which give an insight into life at Gibson. If you know of anyone interested in enrolling, please direct them to our website and get them to contact school.

Poppy Appeal – Many thanks for your support for our annual Poppy Appeal. Previously we have raised approximately £500 each year, however this year we managed to raise £1,156 which was greatly appreciated.

Emergency Closures – Hopefully we will not need to close the school or send pupils home, however, if a child or a member of staff tests positive, we will be required to advise all close contacts to self-isolate for 14 days. If you are contacted by school, this effectively means that your child will have to be collected immediately and remain at home for two weeks. I would therefore encourage all parents to have an emergency childcare plan in place.

COVID 19 – If your child has any symptoms (high temperature; a new continuous cough; a loss of taste or smell) they must stay at home and get tested. We are aware that lots of pupils are suffering from a head cold. If this is their only ailment and they are otherwise capable of attending school, please send them as normal. If you are unsure, please consult our Quick Guide or contact the school.

Flu Vaccination – An additional session has been confirmed for Tuesday 8 December for those pupils who were due to have the flu vaccine administered but were absent. If your child was due to receive the vaccine and your circumstances have now changed, please contact the school by Friday 4 December.

School App – Thank you to all those who have already downloaded the app. We are now sending letters, newsletters and permission slips via this. It is therefore essential that all parents download this. If you require assistance or further details, please contact the school.