October 2020

KEY DATES

Wednesday 28 October – Monday 2 November (inclusive) – Hallowe’en Holiday.

Tuesday 3 November – Pupils return

Monday 21 December – Monday 4 January (inclusive) – Christmas Holiday.

All key dates are available on the school website (www.gibsonps.co.uk – under Parents - School Closures).

Breakfast Club - We are continuing to review our provision on a monthly basis. At present Breakfast Club and After School Club are not open. I will be providing a link to a survey regarding the demand for Breakfast Club and After School provision. Once I have this information we will be in a position to outline if and when these services will be returning.

School Dinners still cost £2.60 per day / £13.00 per week. These must be booked and paid for via School Money. This also applies to those entitled to free meals. Please note bookings must be completed by midnight each Sunday for the week ahead. The new dinner menu has been sent home and is on the school website.

If you think your child may be entitled to a free school meal you must apply even if you were in receipt of a free meal last year. There can be a delay in applications being processed, it is therefore essential you apply asap. Please contact Mr Sterritt if you need any assistance.

We have some pupils with a severe NUT ALLERGY in school. It is essential that no nuts or products containing nuts are sent into school at any time; this includes conkers which are not permitted in school.

Voluntary Contribution – a letter has been sent home regarding a request for all families to contribute £20 in place of PTA fundraising events which have been cancelled this year. This funding is used to provide essential resources to all classrooms. Your support is appreciated.

Parent Interviews - As we are unable to conduct face to face parent interviews we will instead be providing a telephone interview next week. You will receive a letter tomorrow (Tuesday) which provides a date and a time when you will be contacted by your child’s class teacher. Please note you will receive a phone call from a withheld number at the designated time and interviews will be limited to 10 minutes.

Emergency Closures – Unfortunately the number of positive Covid cases continues to increase in this area. 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. Hopefully we will not need to implement this, however, I would 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.

Policies – A number of our policies and procedures have been amended slightly to take into account Covid-19. All are included on the school website. Copies are available from the school office if required. Please look through these carefully. If you’ve any queries, please contact Mr Sterritt (Designated Teacher) or Mrs Irwin & Mrs Shortt (Deputy Designated Teachers).

Flu Vaccination – This is scheduled to take place on Thursday 8 October for all those who have given consent. It is vital that you inform us if there is any change to your child’s health prior to the vaccine.

School App – You will be receiving a text message tomorrow evening (Tuesday) with instructions about how to download and register for our new school app. Anyone can access it and we would encourage all parents and guardians to download this. Once this is functioning we will post all messages and letters on the App.

Charity Fundraiser – We still hope to raise money for a variety of charities this year. Unfortunately, we will be unable to conduct this as in previous years due to the current social distancing restrictions. We will provide more details in the coming weeks.