Gwersyllt CP

Please see below a message sent to schools by the LA today for the parents across Wrexham county.

I have tried to summarise it underneath the letter to provide some clarity.

Dear Parent/Carer

I would like to thank you for your continued support during this very difficult term. It has been extremely challenging and we appreciate the continued impact that this situation is having on all of our lives. Unfortunately, as we start to make arrangements for the Christmas break, the situation is rapidly changing. As you will have seen in the news, a national statement has been made regarding the beginning of the new term.

In consideration of the rapidly changing picture, Local Authorities have been advised by the Welsh Government that a flexible approach at the beginning of the term will be necessary, particularly as it is anticipated that numbers may rise following the Christmas break. As a result, we have considered the best and safest way to put in place arrangements for the new term. This has been done with the Local Authority and the Governing Body (and the diocese if applicable).

As you are already aware, we have INSET at the start of the term, Monday 4^th January.  The new term will begin on Tuesday 5^th January and education provision will made through online learning for at least the first week of term. This decision has been taken on the basis of the local context and concerns regarding the potential position after the Christmas break.  Face to face provision will be available for children of critical workers and children who are considered to be vulnerable on the third day of opening – this is Thursday 7^th and Friday 8^th of January. However, it is understood that provision may be required for some children of frontline critical workers, for example blue light workers with no other options, on the first two of the online learning days. If you require provision and are unable to make alternative arrangements, please contact us on Monday 4^th January and not before, so that we can discuss the required support.

Whilst it is intended for all pupils to be in school for face to face learning by Monday, 11th January, 2021, if it is safe to do so, we will contact early during the week ending 8^th to inform of arrangements for the following week.

We appreciate that this is a very stressful and anxious time for you and would like to thank you for your continued support and understanding.

I appreciate that this is a lot of information. Please see below for a summary of the first week.

Monday 4th Jan– INSET day. No pupils.
Tuesday 5th/Wednesday 6th Jan– Online blended learning. School to provide face to face provision to critical (blue light) workers only as a last resort.
Thursday 7th/Friday 8th Jan– Continuation of online blended learning. School to provide face to face provision to critical workers and vulnerable pupils (similar to March lockdown) if there are no other child care alternatives.
Monday 11th January– the school is to plan a return to normal provision (dependant on LA advice and staffing numbers)

Parents are to call on Monday the 4th January to request face to face provision if there are no other options and they fit the criteria (Tuesday and Wednesday are for front line/blue light workers).

The school will keep all stakeholders aware of the situation regarding the week commencing the 11th January during this first week.

Kind regards,

MR J Moore

Dear Parents,

As you know our schools will be closing for the Christmas period on the 18^th December 2020.  During the Pandemic you have been asked to contact the schools directly should your child test positive for COVID 19.

During the holiday period we understand that this will not be possible, however we do still need to know about any positive cases.  Could we please ask that should your child test positive after 18^th December 2020 and before 4^th January 2021 that you contact the Wrexham Public Protection Team directly.  They will need to know the pupils name, date of birth, school attended and year group.

The email address Food&FarmingCovid-19@wrexham.gov.uk and telephone number is 01978 297120

As I am sure you are aware we have just had information about a confirmed case in Early Years. The last contact being Monday 14th December. Please find letters attached for Barn Owls and Snowy Owls. As these two classes are in slightly different situations the letters are slightly different as advised by Environmental Health.

We will be in close contact with TTP and the Public Protection Team over the next few hours and will confirm the situation for pupils of Barn Owls as soon as we can.

Please see the letters below (a copy should also have been sent by text). Thank you for your understanding.

Mr J Moore

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Hopefully now most of you will have read the message regarding the closure of schools for face to face learning by Wednesday 16th December and a move to online learning for the final two days. The message from county came to us late this morning, we felt it was best to send this basic information out as soon as possible. I can now hopefully answer a few more questions specific to Gwersyllt CP. I will, undoubtedly, not be able to answer all of them.

Dinners

Firstly, and the question I have been asked most is regarding Christmas dinner. This was originally planned for Thursday 17th December. We have now moved Christmas dinner to Wednesday 16th December. We will assume that all those pupils that ordered for Thursday will still want Christmas dinner for this day. Please let us know if this is not the case. There will be no other options for school dinner on this day.

The hot party food dinner will remain on Tuesday. Again. this will be the only option for this day.

Class events

As always, on the final week there had been class parties and film afternoons planned. The teachers will be rearranging these for the beginning of the week and will let the pupils and your self know if they alter in any way.

Holiday Club

Holiday club will now commence on Thursday 17th December. Please call Lynne if you require this service for Thursday and/or Friday of next week. Places are limited.

Learning from Home

For the final two days of next week the teachers will be providing a form of online learning (Google Classroom/Seesaw etc).

Your child may also come home with a few sheets (Festive crafts/colouring etc).

We hope that this gives a little flexibility over the final two days as we appreciate that families will be in very different situations. Hopefully, these different options provide the children with a variety of tasks. Please use them/complete them as you see fit, there is not the expectation to do everything.

After the break

As far as we are aware, school will reopen to pupils on Tuesday 5th January 2021.

…and most importantly

All at Gwersyllt CP hope you have a happy and safe break over the next two weeks. Thank you for all your support this year, it has made all the difference.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Dear Parent/Carer

The message below has been sent through by County. We will get more detailed, school specific information out to you by tomorrow. We felt it was important to get this announcement to you all straight away. Many thanks.

I hope this letter finds all of you well. We are all aware that these are extremely difficult times for all members of our community in Wrexham and we know that Covid-19 has impacted on many aspects of our lives.

The purpose of my letter is to inform you of the impact of Covid-19 on the end of term arrangements.

As you are aware, many pupils across schools have continued to experience disruption to their education during this time and we have seen an increase in the number of positive cases of Covid 19 amongst children and adults in Wrexham County borough. As a result, many children and young people have been required to self-isolate. I am sure that you will join me in extending thanks to all of our school staff who have worked very hard to implement rigorous and robust safety measures and to do as much as they can to provide quality learning experiences. Your continued support and understanding in this situation is greatly appreciated.

All members of the Education Community are concerned about the rise in cases and the impact this is having on children and families. It has therefore been agreed with the Local Authority that face to face learning will cease for all pupils at the end of Wednesday 16^th December; and remote learning will be provided for all pupils on the 17th and 18^th December. The Local Authority has also agreed that on the basis of the circumstances of some individual schools, it may be necessary to make a local decision to move to remote learning earlier than Wednesday.

Having considered all of the factors we have agreed with our governing body and local authority that face-to-face learning will cease on Wednesday 16^th December when we will switch to remote learning.

The local authority and our school community are absolutely committed to offering the best provision under increasingly difficult circumstances and we recognise how worrying this situation must be for you.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy a safe, family Christmas and that we can all look forward together to an improving situation in the New Year.

Yours sincerely

Mr J.Moore

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Over the last few days a couple of the pupils have asked what they can do if they wish to pass out christmas cards to their friends in school, as school is the only opportunity they have to see them. Though we acknowledge that it is obviously safer not to give them out at all in the current climate, we have been thinking carefully about the safest way to do so within school as we feel it is important for the pupils to enjoy these wonderful aspects of Christmas as much as possible given the circumstances.

If possible we would advise other means of giving and recieving cards e.g. electronic cards. However, if you and your child wish to give out christmas cards then this can be done within their class bubble (no cards to be given out to other classes). We ask that all cards (and small gifts) be brought into their class bubble by Friday the December the 11th. This will allow for more than 72 hours prior to the cards being given out in the latter half of the final week. Unfortunately, we will not be able to give out cards that come in for the final week.

I know this is not ideal but I hope it provides a suitable middle ground with out compromising safety. Thank you again for your understanding.

Also, a few upcoming dates prior to the winter break:

Friday 11th December– Christmas jumper day- £1 donation for Save the Children.

Tuesday 15th December– Hot party food day for lunch.

Thursday 17th December– Christmas lunch.

Friday 18th December– School term ends

Of course, your child’s class and your child’s teacher may have also organised other events within the class bubble.

Cofion Cynnes,

Mr J Moore

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Thank you so much for your swift and understanding response to our message sent out on Tuesday and wearing your facemasks. The guidance is regularly updated and gets filtered down to us through County. We relayed that message to you on Tuesday afternoon and by pick up time the vast majority of people were wearing their facemasks on site. It is greatly appreciated.

I am also pleased to say that the number of lates has dropped this week. It is a huge help to getting all the pupils in safely and, as always, is the most settled way for them to start their school day.

With December just around the corner, the school is starting to show signs of the festive season. Though it is a bit different this year, the staff are doing what they can to try and give the building that warmth that this year usually brings. Over the next few days and weeks I will endeavour to get some pictures up on the school website to show this. Of course, many of the classes are already gearing up for the performances that we will record for the families this year.

Have a great weekend

Dear Parents,

Wearing of face coverings (primary)

The Welsh Government has updated its guidance on the use of face coverings in schools.

To reduce the risk of transmission amongst parents and relatives, please wear masks when visiting school, and at drop-off and collection areas. Maintaining clear social distance at the school gates will also reduce risk and set a good example to pupils.

If you have a secondary school aged child, be aware that face coverings should now be worn by year 7 and above pupils in all areas outside the classroom and be worn on dedicated school transport for year 7 and up.

Please follow these guidelines and encourage your child to follow theirs too.

Along with regular hand washing/sanitising and social distancing, this will reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 at school as far as possible.

They have been made stronger to keep you and your families as safe as possible. They are based on new advice from Welsh Government’s Technical Advisory Group, as we learn more about the way COVID-19 is transmitted.

Thank you for your help in doing all we can – together – to keep ourselves and others safe.

Yours sincerely,

Mr J Moore

Dear Parents/Guardians,
Just a couple of things to update you on this week. 
Before I do, can I say a huge thank you for the ongoing support for everything that we are trying to keep going in school. PTA organised Non-uniform days, Cauliflower Christmas cards, Poppy appeal and Children in Need have all had such a positive response and raised money beyond our expectations. Many of these charities have struggled to fund raise this year due to circumstances. Your contributions make a huge impact.

As I’m sure you will understand, and as I alluded to recently, there will be no Christmas fairs or concert performances this year. However, the teachers have met together and decided they would like to do something that can be shown to the parents via video. I will keep the exact details to myself in case I’m accused of spoilers but we strongly felt that doing something to continue the tradition was the right thing to do.

Finally, this week we have had a number of pupils late. Can I request that you do all we can to ensure your child arrives in the allotted window for their class. I understand that sometimes unforeseen circumstances can cause this however, in order to reduce risk of bubbles mixing and families being in close contact in reception we are trying, as always, to keep lates to as low a number as possible.

I’ll leave you with this weeks Learning power from Class 4… Don’t give up.

Many thanks and have a great weekend.

The end of an, at times, difficult week. As I wrote on Wednesday, thank you to all for the patience and understanding shown over the past few days. A huge thank you, also, to those that have contacted the school, in various ways, to let the school and staff know that you understand the complexities of the situation. Though school closures and blended learning has been frequent across Wales, it was the first time we had to deal with it, and came as a huge surprise. The hope is that we don’t have to deal with something like this again but if we do, as always, there will be many lessons we will take from it.

Those classes that have been required to close will have set up online learning opportunities. If you are struggling to access them please contact the teacher or, failing that, the school to see if we can assist in any way.

If your child is still coming to school as normal I can’t stress the importance of checking that the online is learning in case this situation happens again. Due to its very nature it will always be a sudden closure and it is best to be prepared.

It was nice to still be able to do our bit for Remembrance. A wreath from the school was lay on Sunday at the Cenotaph and those that have been on site will possibly have seen many displays of poppies, silhouettes and other artworks making reference to this important date in the calendar.

The school have also been working on Learning powers this term with every class creating a video or presentation to display to the school. Last week Class 1 introduced us to Co-operative Cayote. This week I would like to introduce you to Chris the Concentrator.