18/12/20
End of Year 2020 Newsletter
Dear Parents, Carers and Children,
As we approach the end of our first school term of 2020-21, may we thank you all for your support and encouragement this term. It has been one of the most challenging years in most unprecedented circumstances that any of us will ever experience. Despite this we have together tackled each challenge with positivity and determination to seek a way through. Well done to you for supporting your children and for your encouragement to the school at every stage.
It has been a pleasure to witness how the children have embraced the Christmas spirit in recent weeks. We hope by sharing your child’s performances via Google Classroom that you too were able to experience some of the unique Christmas joy that children bring!
Please can we respectfully remind you, following our Christmas performances, not to upload in-school photos to your own personal social networks.
Staffing update
Our Reception class teacher, Mrs Harris, will leave us at Christmas to take on a leadership role at St Clare’s for two terms. Mrs Harris is an excellent practitioner and we will greatly miss her. Miss Lumley who has been teaching Monday and Tuesday in Nursery will assume class responsibility for the Reception class (full time) for the remainder of the academic year from January.
Prior to Mrs Whitfield’s return from maternity in late February, Mrs Conway, who has been teaching Music each Wednesday and is a qualified teacher, will teach in Nursery on a Monday and Tuesday until half term (January and February). Mrs Andrews will continue to be in Nursery as normal Wednesday – Friday. After February half term, when Mrs Whitfield returns, she will teach in Nursery on a Monday and Tuesday.
Reception applications
Nursery parents please remember to apply for your primary school reception place online as soon as possible. (The website is open for applications between 16 November 2020 and 15 January 2021)
Children who are due to start primary school reception class in September 2021 and who were born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 should apply now!
Parents will be invited to submit their preferences for the three primary schools they’d like their child to attend. Even if you are currently attending our Nursery, your child won’t automatically be given a school place; you have to apply. Please use the following link to make an online application: https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-admissions/primary-school-admissions-reception-intake
Our indications based on Nursery numbers would predict there are a limited number of places still available so please spread the word and encourage family members/friends to apply.
E-safety Tips for Parents (gaming)
As the holidays approach, many children will be spending more time online and many will be having fun gaming and chatting to their friends online. The majority of children use gaming for socialisation over and above the actual game. It’s one of the reasons games like Fortnite and other games are so popular. These games obviously have age restrictions but we understand some children are accessing these or similar games.
CEOP released a YouTube video in August that might be useful for some parents. It’s only 38 seconds long but is well worth a view: YouTube video is HERE.
Some of your children may be receiving new electronic devices over Christmas. If anyone requires support restricting the content your children can access on their personal devices (like our school networks) please contact Mr Bourner or the school office and we will add parental locks to children’s home personal devices if requested.
COVID Winter Grant
The COVID Winter Grant application is for households getting Council Tax Reduction and with dependent children. You will not need to make another application to get the additional grant. The payment is available to anyone who meets all of the following criteria:
- lives within the Middlesbrough Council local authority area (find out if you live in the Middlesbrough Council area)
- has a liability to pay either rent or Council Tax
- has dependent children
- is getting Council Tax Reduction
The Winter Grant Fund registration is now live. Families must submit their own requests via the application link: https://my.middlesbrough.gov.uk/service/Winter_Grant_Application_Form_CTR
For more information to see if you are eligible, please visit https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/wintergrant
If anyone would like support with registering for this grant please contact Mr Conway or Miss Brady.
Recent events
Virtual School tour
We appreciate you cannot witness the inside of our school at present but hope you enjoyed our virtual tour which was shared via your child’s Google classroom last week. Our staff work so hard to maintain stimulating and vibrant classrooms! If you haven’t seen it yet it is available to view via our website. https://stbernadettes.npcat.org.uk/curriculum-support-videos/
PTA
Thank you for your purchases in recent weeks. Profits raised for children’s crafts, Hot Chocolate kits, Class photos, Reindeer hay etc will be directed towards PTA funds. Particular thanks to supporters of our Christmas gifts: Dawn McNamara, Sandra Rowney and Helen Gilpin Your contributions helped raise over £800.
CAUSE hampers
We would like to say a huge thank you for the gifts and provisions you kindly donated for the CAUSE hampers. The hampers looked wonderful and have been delivered to the families on Monday 14th December.
Y2 SVP support
Our Y2 children this week have been writing Christmas cards in conjunction the Parish SVP. The SVP will deliver the cards to our elderly neighbours and parishioners. We hope next year we may be able to invite them back for our annual Local Residents/Parishioner Party.
Sporting Events
Please be reminded that from January we will be asking children to wear PE kits again (Rec-Y6). PE kit consists of: a t-shirt in your child’s house colour, plain blue shorts, trainers (for outdoor use) and plimsolls (for indoor use), a purple hoody and navy joggers. We do not permit branded t-shirts/football tops etc so please ensure children come to school in the correct attire on their set days:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| · Reception, Y5 | · Y3, Y4, Y5 | · Y6, Y4, Y2 | · Y1, Y2 | · Y6, Y3, Y1 |
If you require any PE kit please place your order asap via our school website or order directly from Motiv8 https://www.motif8.co.uk/schoolwear/primary-schools/st-bernadette-s-primary.html
Please note that in line with wider Trust policy as a result of COVID, children will not get changed in school (except footwear if necessary) and will be asked to wear their PE kits in school all day on the days they have PE. We will continue to allow children to wear trainers in throughout the full academic year so there is no need to purchase additional shoes.
Please note as part of our COVID risk measures some PE days are fortnightly due to our decision to limit different adults in class eg Y5 is with Mr Peacock every fortnight for the full Tuesday afternoon. However, for ease of remembering please can children wear PE kits on the days as indicated above.
Future notices
Although events are still currently restricted, all significant dates/letters for the Spring and Summer term are regularly refreshed on our school website. A reminder that 2021-22 Term dates were sent last week and can be accessed via our website: https://stbernadettes.npcat.org.uk/term-dates/
Extended school clubs
We are proud of our extended school offer but as you will appreciate the logistics of an extended offer are difficult this year. We hope you had opportunity to try some of the YTP virtual sports clubs on a week night at 5pm – we will keep you updated if they continue in January (http://www.youtube.com/user/YouthSportTrust ). Mrs Smith, our new PE lead, is currently reviewing our extended school timetable for the Spring term. We are considering a return of clubs virtually in Spring – details will follow in the new year!
Primary assessment
It has been announced by the DfE (Department for Education) that as things stand primary statutory assessments will change this year as a result of school closures in March:
- Y6: Key stage 2 SATs in reading and maths and teacher assessment of writing will go ahead in 2021. The grammar, punctuation and spelling test at key stage two will also be non-statutory. The administration of these will be made more flexible with an extended timetable variation window.
- Y4: the multiplication tables check will be non-statutory
- Y2: Key stage 1 assessments in reading, writing and maths will be by teacher assessment only.
- There will be no teacher assessment of science in 2021 at either key stage one or key stage two.
- Y1/2: Key stage 1 phonics will go ahead in June and the Autumn term Y2 additional phonics check has taken place already.
Spring term routines
Thank you for dropping and collecting children at the staggered times we have had in place this year. Timings will remain unaltered as we move into 2021.
| Nursery | Reception | Y1/Y2 | Y3/Y4 | Y5/Y6 | |
| Drop off time | Morning: 8.30-8.40am
Afternoon: 12.15-12.30pm |
8.30-8.40am | 8.40-8.50am | 8.50-8.55am | 8.55-9.00am |
| Collection time | Morning: 11.15-11.30am
Afternoon: 2.30pm-3.15pm
From class/EYFS playground
|
2.30-2.40pm
From class/EYFS playground |
2.40-2.50pm
Y1 – Zone 1 Y2 – Zone 2 |
2.50-3pm
Y3 – Zone 3 Y4 – Zone 4 |
3-3.10pm
Y5 – Zone 4 Y6 – Zone 3 |
Please be reminded that to manage social distancing guidance we would like prompt drop off and collection times. To maximise curriculum time and minimise disruption to lessons, families with multiple sibling links should arrive at the earliest sibling time slot. Parents should collect at the latest time slot therefore please collect oldest children first and proceed to younger children’s exit points.
And finally,
Emergency contact
Should anyone need to contact the school in an emergency over the holiday period please could I ask that you email Mr Conway using his school email address ([email protected] ) The school emergency phone numbers are also on the school website (COVID 19 tab).
Enjoy spending time together this Christmas. May we take this opportunity to wish you all a holy and peaceful Christmas. On behalf of the whole staff team, we also extend our very best wishes for 2021.
If 2020 has taught us anything it is to treasure our loved ones and offer kindness to everyone we encounter: “Choose kindness. Those who do so become shining stars in the midst of darkness.” Pope Francis.
A reminder that school staff have a training day on Monday 4th January. See you and your children back at school on Tuesday 5th January 2021.
Best wishes,
Mr P Conway Miss S Brady
Head Teacher Head of School
