Hello everyone! I hope everyone has had a good week! It’s been another very busy week here at school!

Please remember we start our new winter drop off and collection routine on Monday! Staff will be on hand to direct you to your new areas for queuing etc. Please make sure you read the winter routine and please be on time. It is going to be much busier on site – please take responsibility to keep distance from others!

Welsh Government guidance has now changed and all adults including parents and family members visiting school premises now need to wear a face covering / mask.

 Please help us keep everyone safe and wear a face covering / mask when you are on my school site. You will see staff wearing face coverings outside too. Please also use the hand sanitiser on your way in. I’d like to say how fantastic you’ve all been this last few days with wearing masks – it has been absolutely fantastic! I will keep a box of masks near the sanitiser stations just in case anyone forgets a mask! Please help yourself if you need one! We have about 300-350 adults around in the morning and afternoon and nearly everyone has worn a mask – you are fab! Thank you for helping keep everybody safe and reduce the transmission! If you do forget a mask – please take one from the box! 

As you all know, Year 2 are on Distant Learning and will return to school on Tuesday 1^st December 2020 if well. We look forward to seeing you all back in school on Tuesday! You have all done amazingly well with home learning for the past two weeks! I am very proud of the children, mums, dads and family members! You’ve done great!  Over 95% engagement with us throughout the isolation period! Well done!

Please check out the updated “Home Learning (https://homelearning.abercarnprimary.com)” and “Coronavirus (https://covid19.abercarnprimary.com” sections on our school website. They have been updated so they are easier to navigate and have extra bits on them to support you at home! Please take a look! 

Please do not become complacent - COVID-19 has not gone away yet and anything could be just around the corner –be prepared and ready for anything that may come our way.    

• Please keep 2m distance between you and others.
• Please wait until it is your time to enter in the morning – we need to keep groups separate.
• Please keep children close by – do not let them run in front of you or play outside.
• Please be prepared as much as you can be if your child’s class needs to close at short notice.

  

Restrictions in Wales from Monday 9^th November 2020:

• All services/businesses that have been asked to close have now reopened.
• You can travel anywhere in Wales but going into England and international travel will be a no unless you have a reasonable excuse to do so.
• Schools, childcare and universities are open.
• You are able to bubble with one other family
• You can take part in organised indoor events of up to 15 people and 30 people outdoors (all social distancing rules to be complied with).

The rules can be summed up as - stay home wherever possible and where you can’t, stay local.  Limit your interactions with people other than those you live with or the one other household you chose to bubble with. Always maintain 2m distancing.

Christmas Plans

I released this message and survey a few days ago! Can I just stress – I am simply asking for your feedback! I have no idea what will be decided by Welsh Government or those above me – I simply wanted to keep everyone informed of discussions and gain your views so if I need to feedback to anybody then I have your opinions too!  I recognise every family situation is different – I really do! Whatever happens and whatever decision is made (if there is one) then I think it fair and transparent for everyone to have been consulted. I think what we all have in common is that if a decision is made then in needs to be made quickly so that we can all plan for whatever is decided. If I need to bring things forward I will of course do so in order for our children not to miss out! Over 150 parents responded to the survey – if you haven’t – please do so!

Original message: I’ve been open and honest with everyone throughout this pandemic and I now find myself asking for your thoughts and feelings with a situation we may find ourselves in within the next few weeks.  I have already spoken to several parents regarding this situation but want to raise it with everyone and get your opinions even though the power I have is quite limited.

The last week of term could potentially be problematic for everyone’s festive plans. If we have a positive case here in school / in your child’s class during the last week, children and staff of that class would need to self-isolate for 14 days. This could potentially mean your child would need to self-isolate over Christmas - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day etc. How does everyone feel about this prospect and has anyone made any decisions regarding this situation e.g. not sending your child to school for the last week?

I have put together some direct questions to gain your thoughts and feelings. Please don’t be offended by the direct approach! I’d like to stress that no decision has been made by those above me and my power is limited – I simply want to find out how everyone feels, whether anyone has made decisions already and what parents would like to happen if I can make it happen.

Please complete the attached survey by Monday 30^th November 2020 at 9am. https://forms.gle/m9sQdjFNVE5xJDMd6

Elf Day

Abercarn Primary is participating in an ELF Day for the Alzheimer's Society and will be holding an ELF Day on 4^th December 2020. Children and staff can dress as an Elf instead of wearing school uniform. Please make any donations to our Just Giving page:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/elfday-christaeynon

Christmas Jumpers

Throughout the month of December if your child would like to wear a Christmas Jumper instead of their school jumper or cardigan that is absolutely fine! Mix and match between wearing a school jumper and Christmas jumper etc – your choice.  You don’t have to wear a Christmas jumper at all – just thought it may be nice throughout December and children would get some wear out of any Christmas jumpers they have.

Virtual Christmas Assemblies with Mrs Pardoe

Mrs Pardoe has recorded several Christmas themed assemblies during her isolation. If you would like to watch them they will be released every Tuesday on our YouTube channel. The first assembly will be on Tuesday 1^st December 2020 at 12.30pm.

Christmas Overview

Christmas cards – Children can bring in Christmas cards (if they want). However, cards can only be given directly to others in their class. If they have Christmas cards for children in another class, cards will need to go into the class box  - cards will then be delivered to the other class a few days later. Please ensure the name and class is written on the front of the envelope. 

Gifts – Children can bring in gifts although they will need to be placed in the class “Gift Box” for at least 48 hours before being opened / handled.

2^nd December 2020 – Christmas Tree lights turn on – We are aiming for an outdoor Christmas Tree this year so everyone can see it. Already up and lit!

4^th December 2020 – Elf Day – Dress as an Elf Day with contributions to Alzheimer's Society

7^th – 18^th December 2020 – We have arranged for every class to watch a virtual Pantomime “Jack and the Beanstalk” and take part in virtual meetings with Peter Duncan from Blue Peter.

7^th – 11^th December 2020 – As we cannot invite parents into school, Christmas Concerts will be recorded and released on our YouTube channel for parents and family members to view at home. Please note that we will only record children if you provided permission at the start of the year.

14^th and 15^th December 2020 - Christmas Markets – We will be sending home an order form and online payment details for Christmas market orders. If you purchase items they will be sent home on 14^th and 15^th December.

16^th December 2020 – Christmas Dinner and Class Parties (Children can wear party clothes / non uniform)

17th December 2020 - Carol Service

End of Term and INSET

We will finish for the Christmas break on Friday 18^th December 2020.

School reopens on Tuesday 5^th January 2020.

We will be taking Monday 4^th January 2020 as INSET.

Inclement Weather - Snow

We are moving into the colder months whereby the possibility of snow is more likely. Please read our Inclement Weather guide on our website: https://inclementweather.abercarnprimary.com  (It is in the Key Information section on our website). Staff will post fun activities on Seesaw for the occasional day. For prolonged closure due to snow our Distant Learning Policy will take over and staff will be online every day. We will of course keep you in the loop with everything!

REMINDER – Positive Cases and Test Results

Please use the covid@abercarnprimary.org email address to alert me to any positive test results out of school hours. Please only use this email for positive results out of school hours.

 If you use the out of hours email address – please expect a call from me using a withheld number.

Do not send children to school if you are waiting for test results. Wait until you have received the result before sending your child to school!

Live Streaming

If you have a child in Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6 and haven’t already provided consent for live streaming – please go to http://livestreamconsent.abercarnprimary.com If you have given consent previously you do not need to do it again! Do it now if you are happy to give consent! Don’t wait!

School Photographs

We have arranged for Year 2 to have photographs when they return on Tuesday 1^st December 2020.

All school photographs need to be purchased online! Please follow the instructions on the photo pack!

Absence Guide – Covid-19

Please familiarise yourself with our absence guide for these challenging circumstances. The guide covers different circumstances and advises the action you need to take and details about returning to school. The guide can be found here: http://absenceguide.abercarnprimary.com

Help and Support

If any family is struggling for food etc during these difficult times – please talk to us in confidence and we will do our best to support you! Please don’t be afraid or embarrassed to give us a ring or drop us a message (it will be totally confidential). We have links with local food banks and will try and get something sorted for you!

During the month of December we will have essential food items available and the school will arrange a parcel so no one is hungry during the festive period! We are more than willing to help! Thank you to the parents who have offered to support this too. Staff and I will fund this and if we need any further help we will be in touch! Thank you for your kind offers.

I’ve been open and honest with everyone throughout this pandemic and I now find myself asking for your thoughts and feelings with a situation we may find ourselves in within the next few weeks.  I have already spoken to several parents regarding this situation but want to raise it with everyone and get your opinions even though the power I have is quite limited.

The last week of term could potentially be problematic for everyone’s festive plans. If we have a positive case here in school / in your child’s class during the last week, children and staff of that class would need to self-isolate for 14 days. This could potentially mean your child would need to self-isolate over Christmas - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day etc. How does everyone feel about this prospect and has anyone made any decisions regarding this situation e.g. not sending your child to school for the last week?

I have put together some direct questions to gain your thoughts and feelings. Please don’t be offended by the direct approach! I’d like to stress that no decision has been made by those above me and my power is limited – I simply want to find out how everyone feels, whether anyone has made decisions already and what parents would like to happen if I can make it happen.

Please complete the attached survey by Monday 30th November 2020 at 9am.

https://forms.gle/jQHWQZysy8WZPHwZ6