Happy Friday
everyone! I hope everyone had a really good first full week back in school! It’s
been great seeing everyone and having a catch up in the mornings. What beautiful weather to start the term. The
children have settled back into things really well and a big thank you to
everyone for following all the procedures we have in place to protect everyone
as much as possible. Thank you for wearing masks and for following the one-way
system, it is greatly appreciated. COVID is still with us and will be for some
time. We do need to be cautious as even though many adults are vaccinated our
children aren’t and vaccination does not offer 100% protection. Even though
restrictions will be easing we will be taking a cautious approach here in school
and across the Local Authority especially during the winter months. It is
important to protect everyone as much as possible and ensure we have as little
disruption as possible too. Even though we do not need to social distance, please
try and keep distance from others and respect those that may want to socially
distance when waiting on the yards. Please read the information regarding changes
to self-isolation and track and trace that I have summarised below. Although we
have relaxed things slightly in school e.g. breakfast club restarting, bigger
contact groups and looking to start after school provision later on this term, we
will be keeping some restrictions in place especially during winter so we can
keep everyone safe.
Positive Cases
Just
so you are aware, If I am informed of a positive case either by Test Track and
Protect (TTP) or via our email covid@abercarnprimary.org
this is the process I will follow.
1: I will inform the class
with the identified case via text. This is so you are all aware from the moment
I am informed. If you do want to collect your child and isolate, please
telephone the office for further information. If it is on a weekend then you can decide what
you want to do at home.
2: A letter will be sent home
that contains further information about being alert etc
3: When TTP contacts the
school and works with us to identify close contacts we will then send another
letter to the identified close contacts only. The letter will explain that you
can send children to school (current guidance) but you need to vigilant for
symptoms and go for a test if you are unsure.
School Start Time
Just
a reminder that school starts at 9am and our doors open at 8.50am, the law has
now reverted back to pre-covid times. In wet weather staff may open the doors a
little before this time but it will only be a few minutes. Please do not arrive
round 8.30am as we cannot open our doors that early.
School Photographs
Thursday
14th October 2021, Individual and Sibling will be taken on the day.
Changes to Self-Isolation and
Contact Tracing from September 2021 sent on behalf of Welsh Government
As
we return to school, there are some new arrangements in place when someone
tests positive for COVID-19. These changes have been made possible by the
vaccination programme and the significant reduction in numbers being
hospitalised and suffering severe illness due to COVID-19 over recent months.
If
your child tests positive for COVID-19 using a PCR test, NHS Test, Trace,
Protect (TTP) will contact you, using the details provided when the PCR test
was ordered. They will ask questions designed to identify recent close contacts
of your child, and for contact details if you know them of the individual or
their parent/guardian. TTP will then get in touch with these close contacts to
provide instructions or advice. The school will no longer do this.
Those
who are under 18 or fully vaccinated are no longer required to self-isolate if
they are identified as close contacts although you will be contacted and
notified of being in close contact with someone who has tested positive. Your
child will be offered two PCR tests and you will be provided with information
and advice on how to minimise the risks of onward spread.
If
your child is identified as a close contact, he/she can still attend school
unless they develop symptoms or are advised otherwise by TTP. The school does
understand if you wish for your child to self-isolate for the period. Please
continue to let the school know if your child tests positive at any point by
using covid@abercarnprimary.org.
If your child tests positive they must not to attend school and must
self-isolate.
If
a child tests positive, only a minority of their classmates will be identified
as close contacts. But if there is a pattern of cases TTP may ask us to update
you on the situation and remind you of key steps, including advising you to
keep an eye out for new symptoms your child may develop, and to stay away from
vulnerable family and friends in the short-term.
We
do expect that there will be cases of COVID-19 across our community over the
coming weeks, but this does not necessarily mean that COVID-19 is spreading
within the school. Please continue to be
vigilant for symptoms. If you are in any doubt, order a PCR test for your child
at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
Anyone
with symptoms, a new continuous cough, fever or high temperature or loss of, or
change in, sense of smell or taste, should remain in self-isolation until the
test result is known. You can find the latest information on self-isolation
arrangements at www.gov.wales/selfisolation.
We
recognise how difficult the past 18 months have been and the sacrifices that
all families have had to make. Thank you for everything you have done to
support your child and our school.
Abercarn Primary School shop / cafe
Over the next few
weeks Miss Hodges will be taking the lead to start our shop / café. Mrs Watson
will also be using it for McMillan Coffee and cake days towards the end of
September. We do not have a name for it at the moment, PLEASE HELP US. Can you
and your child think of a great name for our shop / cafe? Please comment below
with your idea and your child’s name, we will then have a whole school vote and
name our shop. Thank you!
Lost Property
Already we have a
considerable amount of missing items. Please can you check you have the correct
clothing at home and send back anything that does not belong to you. Please
ensure all clothing has your child’s name on it. Items that we are finding in
school have no name!
Breakfast Club – Astro Turf
Please do not walk
through the Astro Turf in the morning if Breakfast Club are playing outside, please
just wait a few minutes until they have gone back inside to start walking
around the one-way system. Staff will open the gate for you to walk through
when it is safe to do so.
Online Forms and Breakfast Club Forms
All forms must be
completed on our website in the “Virtual Office” section e.g. holiday forms,
reason for absence, change of details, consent forms, password requests etc.
Please note: We
will be using the consent for photographs, videos, GDPR, medical etc that you
provided last year until your child leaves our school. If you want to change
the consent we currently have, please complete the online “change of consent”
form that can be found in the “Virtual Office” section of our website.
Head Boy (Child) and Head Girl (Child)
Year 6 have been
told how to apply for these exciting roles this year. Application forms for
Year 6 children are online and can be found here https://hbhg.abercarnprimary.org .
Application close on 14th September 2021. We will shortlist the
application and ask the shortlisted children to produce a video. The whole
school will then vote.
Parent Evenings
Parent Evening
will be video calls again this year, they proved very effective last year. We
will be using our online booking system (https://abercarn.schoolcloud.co.uk/)
to book the appointments and also to run the video call – further details will
follow about how to book and how to log in to the video call. You do not need anything special to run the
video call – you simply log onto the system that you booked the appointment on.
Some parents know this system and know how to log in – please do not do this
until the system opens. You will be able
to book from Monday 20th September 2021 at 8am and the system will
close on Thursday 30th at 4pm. Details will follow. Please remember
parents cannot join the meeting from different locations.
Who is Who and Who do I contact?
Below is a summary
of school staff and their responsibilities so all parents are fully aware of
staff, senior staff and managers, who to go to if you have concerns regarding a
particular issue and who is in charge of certain areas etc. I will always speak
to parents and have done so since I’ve been at Abercarn Primary. However, on
some occasions I may not be the right person.
If you have
concerns or questions regarding your child, the first person to talk to is the
class teacher.
Please be
aware that Mr Roden is the Designated Safeguarding Officer and Mrs Tavas
assumes the responsibility in his absence. If both Mr Roden and Mrs Tavas are
absent then Mrs Parry will assume the responsibility. If all Senior Leaders are
absent there is a clear protocol in place that all staff are aware of. If the
school has concerns about your child or if your child makes a disclosure, we
will aim to talk to you first although please be aware we can refer to
Children’s Services without your consent in order to ensure the safety of the
children in our care.
https://abercarnprimary.com/whoswho.html
PTA
The
PTA is keen to hear your ideas and make a great start for the new school
year. If you would like to help, please make yourself known to the PTA.
They have their own Facebook page and there is a link to this page at the
bottom of our school website. A big “Thank You” to the PTA for helping to
organise a wonderful prom for our Year 6 leavers in difficult circumstances and
for the great donation so we can start our “shop” and chickens in the next few
weeks.
https://pta.abercarnprimary.com
Expressive Arts Theme During
Autumn Term
It
is the Expressive Arts theme this term. We may be showing clips / films that
are PG rated. If you have any concerns then please let them be known to the
staff in the school office by 13th Sept 2021. The themes / movies for
each class are:
Nursery
– Peter Rabbit 2
Reception
- Moana
Class
1 – – High School Musical
Class
2 – Madagascar
Class
3EJ – The Lion King
Class
3SW – The Lion King
Class
4/5H – BFG
Class
4/5J – Honey I Shrunk the Kids
Class
4/5T – Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom
Class
6 – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Provisional Christmas Dates
Wednesday 1st December 2021 - Nursery (am)
Reception (pm)
Thursday 2nd December 2021 - Nursery (am)
Reception (pm)
Friday 3rd December 2021 - Year 1 (am) Year 2
(pm)
Monday 6th December 2021 - Year 1 (am) Year 2 (pm)
Tuesday 7th December 2021 - Year 3 (pm) and
(eve)
Wednesday 8th December 2021 - Year 4/5HJT (
pm) and (eve)
Thursday 9th December 2021 - Year 6 (pm) and
(eve)
Monday 13th December 2021 - Nur, Rec, - am /
Y1 and Y2 – pm - Markets
Tuesday 14th December 2021 - Y3 – am / Y4/5
and Y6 – pm - Markets
Wednesday 15th December 2021 - Christmas
Dinner and Class Parties
Thursday 16th December 2021 - Carol Service
Friday 17th December 2021 - End of Term –
1.30pm
