Dear Parent/Carer,
Firstly, apologies for not sending out a recent newsletter.
This Friday Note is an update for you.
Local Covid Alert Level
We were informed last night that the current level of local alert for Gwent has risen to ‘very high’. We have been extremely careful with all of our Covid measures to reduce the transmission of infection, and whilst we do not plan to change to staggered start and finish times at the moment, there are now a few extra steps that we will put in place to ensure everyone’s safety after half term.
All parents and carers are requested to wear a face covering at the school gates. This measure protects others and all staff have been doing this since September. Remember that it is possible to have Covid without having any symptoms so this measure is way of helping us to look after one another. I know that some parents who are unable to wear a mask because of medical reasons have been standing aside from other parents when lining up, and I would ask you to continue to do that please.
- Please ensure that you join the correct line for your child’s class outside the gates, rather than standing in the middle of the pavement. This will help us to separate groups of pupils or parents more effectively, especially on Stow Hill. (If you have asked a family member to collect your child, please let them know what class they are in.)
- School lunches will be served in individual classes until further notice.
- We will continue to keep year group bubbles on the yard but for all other activities, children will be in their class bubbles. Children will also be expected to remain in the same seat throughout the day wherever possible and teachers will maintain a seating plan to support with the tracking of contacts.
- Breakfast Club will continue but children from Reception to Year 2, will be served in the main school hall, away from the juniors. This will help us to spread out groups a little. We only have a small number of pupils currently attending so this measure mans that we can continue to run the Breakfast Club.
All children should continue to use the entrance on North Street, at the back of the school, for Breakfast Club in the morning.
These measures will continue to help us to keep everyone a safe as we can.
However, it is very important that anyone with Covid symptoms, has a PCR test as soon as possible.
If you have case of Covid in your family, you will all need to have a PCR test because you are contacts.
By doing these, it will help to ensure that children who are negative can come back to school as soon as possible and it will also reduce transmission between children and families.
Thank you for your continuing support with this.
Parent Consultations
We had tremendous engagement with parents in our recent phone consultations! Thank you. We hope that you found the calls as helpful as staff did.
As soon as we are able to, we will provide an opportunity for you to come in to school, but until then we will keep you as informed as we can.
New Building Name
Thank you for voting for the name of our new annexe. The final result was really close between the Uno or Cadog Hall. We received a total of 42 votes with a deciding percentage of 52.4% in favour of Cadog and 47.6% in favour of Uno.
Congratulations to winner Ayda and runner-up Sivasagar, who both won a book token!
We plan to have a small official opening when the current situation permits us, but in the meantime, we’ll continue to make as much use of our new Cadog Hall, as we can! (Cadog was the son of St Woolos.)
Defibrillator
We were recently visited by Peter Richards from Calon Cymru who handed over our defibrillator in the presence of our Midday Supervisors who, together with BMW Sytner, Newport, who was represented by Stephen Moore, contributed a substantial amount towards it through their fund-raising, We are grateful also to the parents who gave us an additional donation to go towards this.
This defibrillator has been installed just inside the main door and is available as a community resource whenever school is open.
Staffing
You will be aware that, like all schools, we have several staffing changes as a result of illness and that we have had various supply teachers in classes throughout the school. We have tried to maintain as much continuity as possible but it has become increasingly difficult to do so in some cases, particularly where supply staff have themselves become ill. I’d like to thank you for your patience and understanding if your child has been affected by this situation. I’d also like to thank Mrs Couch, our former deputy head who retired two years ago, who helped us by providing supply cover in Class 1 DM this week.
After half term, Mrs Derrick will continue to provide cover for Miss Driscoll and Mr Beckett will provide cover for Miss Spearey until her return. Miss Pretty hopes to return to us after half term and I’m grateful to Mr Griffiths and Mrs Heath, for providing cover to the class in her absence.
I’d also like to let you know that, after a lengthy selection process, our new deputy headteacher, Mrs Bowden BA Hons PG Cert, has been appointed. She is currently working in George Street Primary School, Pontypool, and I know that she will settle well and be an asset to our school. Mrs Bowden will be starting with us in January 2022 and will be visiting on Friday 5 th November to meet everyone.
Half Term
We break up for half term today and school starts back on Monday 1st November.
During that first week back we will be thinking about the Hindu festival of Divali, which takes place across the week, and also we will be preparing for Remembrance Day which is on Thursday 11th November.
I hope that you have a safe and healthy half term.
Very kind regards,
H L Vaughan
Headteacher