As Highland is now in Tier 1 for Covid-19, there are a number of changes which we can and need to put in place to follow the updated guidance.
Indoor PE – from Monday 9th November, we will be starting to have indoor PE and all classes will have a session of up to an hour once a week.
Your child’s teacher will let you know their day. We have fully risk assessed this and children cannot access the changing rooms so need to change in the classroom. We therefore recommend that they either come to school wearing their PE kit under their clothes so they just need to take off the outer layer and then put it back on again.
However, children do not need to wear shorts for PE and could come to school that day in tracksuit bottoms and wear them for PE without needing to change at all. Likewise, they can have their PE lesson in their usual t-shirt or polo-shirt by just removing their sweatshirt.
They do, however, need to have some type of gym shoes and while most families have provided indoor shoes for children a few have not and children will not be allowed to participate in indoor PE in outdoor shoes if these are not suitable. We have made provision so that equipment is not shared across classes. We will also continue to do the ‘Daily Mile’ two or three times a week to provide exercise on the other days.
Schoolbags – We understand that some parents would like children to bring schoolbags to school, but we have resisted this as we have no storage for these and schoolbags can encourage children to bring more items back and forward from home to school than may be necessary, however, we understand that children in P6 and P7 who are taking home Chromebooks are worried about damage to them while in purple sacs.
Therefore, children in P6 and P7 will be allowed to bring schoolbags to school again for a trial period to see how this works. Children in P6 and P7 do not need to bring their charger to school as we have spare ones for emergencies if needed. Also, please do not put water bottles in school bags along with Chromebooks.
Children in P1-5 have very little to take to and from school and this should fit in the purple sac each day, so no schoolbags in these classes, please.
Morning start times – We would like to continue with our flexible start but tighten up a little on the times.
P4-7 flexible start 8.55 – 9.05 and P1-3 flexible start 9.10 – 9.20.
This will allow us to get started just a little earlier each day while still preventing classes mixing. Children in P1-3 who are in the playground before 9.10 will not be supervised as I do not have staff available for this role.
Face coverings – in line with government guidance for Tier 1, parents are requested to wear face coverings while visiting any school site.
This includes the car park and waiting areas outside the gates and I would be obliged if parents would wear face coverings when accompanying their child to and from school or nursery.
I would further request that we have NO DOGS in the school grounds. This has been school policy for many years and is there for the protection of all children and for hygiene reasons.
Activities next week
Flu nasal spray – Wednesday 11th November 2020.
Armistice – to commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the end of World War I, we will be making a ‘cascade’ display of poppies on the internal stairs in school and will chose two P7 pupils to lay a small home made wreath at this site at 11.02 on Wednesday morning after our 2 minutes silence.
We are hoping to video this to share will all classes and will post it on dojo and the school website so that parents can view this after the event. If time allows we are hoping to make a wreath of little crosses on the hill in the playground and you will be able to see this from the area outside the school main entrance looking down.
We have poppies for all children in P4-7 to wear and sticky on poppy labels for all children.
Children in Need – Friday 13th. The theme of ‘together we can…..’ will be reinforced in many ways in all classes with a range of activities. ]
We ask that children all come to school that day wearing bright colours so that together we can make a rainbow to remember our NHS heroes. No need to buy anything new, just wear whatever colour you like. We will have all sorts of fun activities in school, all of which will be free for everyone to join in.
As both Children in Need and the Scottish Poppy Appeal are charities who are trying to raise money, we will have a collection box in each classroom and will split the money collected between these two very worthwhile causes. We do appreciate money can be tight for many families and would simply ask you to give what you can afford to.
Parent Council – the Parent Council met on Tuesday evening and the minutes will shortly be posted on the school website. I am grateful for their continued support and advice as we steer our way thought this global pandemic while still trying to give the children the best education possible and make sure they have fun in school too.