8th April 2020Paul Conway

Coronavirus Update 08.04.20

 

Dear parents, parishioners and friends of St Bernadette’s,

 

I am sure this Easter period will be the most unusual we have all ever had.  I do hope you and are families are keeping well in the circumstances.    Please continue to reach out to myself, the leadership team and the staff – we are here for you all.   We are one community and together we will emerge from this stronger than ever!

 

I am aware that people’s circumstances are constantly changing so please, if you are struggling financially in any way, I would strongly urge you to complete a FSM form (Free School Meals).  The form is available to download via the red link at the top of the school website https://stbernadettes.npcat.org.uk    Applications can be returned to the my school email or via our general school enquiries: [email protected]   If you would like to discuss this further or have any questions please contact school and speak to me directly.  By accessing this support, the TRUST CAN HELP YOU NOW through food vouchers/hampers!

 

For those children eligible for ‘free school meals’ but not attending school, a voucher system will be introduced wc 20.04.20. I will personally liaise with you to discuss the logistics of this arrangement.

 

Last week I talked about HOPE and my prayers were responded to via a conversation I had with the St Bernadette’s Parish SVP group this week (St Vincent de Paul Society-Turning Concern Into Action).  The SVP Parish group have offered to support a limited number of school families who are experiencing extreme hardship at this time.  I am extremely thankful for this offer of support from the SVP group and it is so heartening to see how our parish and school community can walk ‘hand in hand’ through this crisis.  If you are anxious about providing basic provisions for your family at present please contact me as soon as possible and we will endeavour to support.

 

Other financial points of note:

  • Our administrators are progressing with reimbursing Year 6 parents with their Northumberland deposits. We are just awaiting refunds from various pre-organised facilities.  Individual contact with parents will be made once this has been finalised after Easter. Thank you for your patience in this matter.
  • Schools debt reminders are being stalled for a few weeks but please continue to pay where you can.

 

Although there has been some recent press relating to the impact of school closures we remain closed for the foreseeable future – except for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. The safest place for your children at present is at home. I know the importance of our school being open for critical workers and their families and as a result St Bernadette’s will remain open throughout the Easter holidays.   Thank you to the whole staff team for their dedicated support of our school community.  Again, I would ask that if you need to go to work to support the country’s fight to tackle coronavirus, to contact myself, Miss Brady or school office by 3pm THURSDAY 8TH APRIL to request a place in our school for wb 13.04.20 and wb 20.04.20.

 

This week, the teachers have set mainly RE work linked to Holy Week via the Learning Platform.  Please engage in this learning next week at home as we prepare for the death and resurrection of our Lord.    If anyone is having any individual issues regarding the learning platform please contact your child’s class teacher via their school email.  If you are experiencing browser issues you may want to try using Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer.  A reminder that we will not set formal work over our planned Easter break (Friday 10th April – Friday 17th April) although teachers have suggested some fun activities to keep you all busy on individual class pages!   With this in mind, as a result of our current home learning, we would love it if you did this year’s Cookathon in your own homes over the ‘Easter holidays’.    Please e-mail photos of your entries to: [email protected]  Please can all entries be returned to Mrs Whitfield, our Reception teacher who is currently on Maternity leave, by Monday 20th April. 3 lucky winners will receive £5 Amazon vouchers via e-mail as a token of thanks for your participation from Millie’s family!

Over the ‘Easter ‘break,’ where possible, try to relax.   Further formal work be set again on Monday 20th April.

As children are now accessing more online material please regularly remind children around keeping safe online and discuss and monitor positive ways of communicating with others.  Please raise any concerns regarding inappropriate online activity or communication immediately to myself or your child’s class teacher.

The following links are recommended by GOV.UK-please have a look:

  • Thinkyouknow​ (advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online)
  • Internet matters (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe
  • online)
  • Parent info​ (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
  • LGfL​ (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
  • Net-aware​ (support for parents and carers from the NSPCC)

Please let me know if we could be doing anything more to inform, help, support or reassure you in the coming weeks.   We will try to continue to reach out…

  • Staff have contacted you again this week and they will continue to speak to you regularly to offer education support but most importantly to see that you are all safe and well.
  • I will continue to write regularly to keep you abreast of national and local matters
  • Our School and Trust website is refreshed regularly with support documentation and regular updates
  • Twitter/Tapestry is constantly refreshed to inform and celebrate joy amidst the crisis. If you are not already following us on Twitter please send a request: @stbernadettesm
  • St Bernadette’s Parish have a Facebook page. Request to become a friend to receive updates from Monsignor Hogan, Diocesan Mass links and parish notices – the group is called ‘St Bernadette’s RC Church, Nunthorpe’.   If you would like further information on this, please contact Joe Harrison, Group administrator and parishioner: [email protected]
  • If you need to contact school during the COVID-19 closure and you are unable to make contact via the school number, you may also try the school emergency contact numbers which are available via the red link at the top of the school website.

As the number of coronavirus cases continue to rise worldwide, positivity is perhaps more difficult to come by. Yet, there are some reasons to be hopeful. As the pandemic has deepened, the worst of the crisis continues to bring out the best in humanity.  Some examples are:

  1. We now all appreciate the simple pleasures in life: love, friendship and embracing others.
  2. We all appreciate critical jobs people are continuing in spite of individual risk – thank you!
  3. Countries such as Australia, China, South Korea, Spain and Italy are seeing a decline in new cases as a result of social distancing and self isolation. Keep following the Government guidance in this respect – it will come to an end quicker if we do!
  4. Scientific progress continues. Several vaccines are in development, with human trials already under way.
  5. Community spirit and acts of kindness are flourishing. Although coronavirus has been keeping people apart, communities have been coming together in their time of need through various means.
  6. In the UK, hundreds of thousands of people have signed up to join the NHS volunteer army.

It would be remiss of me not to offer our prayers to the Prime Minister this week and all those who are suffering from the severe effects of COVID-19.  My individual and our community prayers are offered to all who are currently ill in any way.

St Bernadette, Patron of our School, Pray for Them and Help Them

Blessed Nicholas Postgate, Pray for Them

I hope that the information within this message and the attachments are helpful to you. I will update you again wb 20.04.20 or as the situation develops. Once again – thank you for all that you are doing (wherever you are) to support everyone in our school and parish community. I’d like to reiterate my thanks to the school staff and to you all for your unwavering support during this very difficult time. We have significant difficulties ahead but I have no doubt that together, we will continue to rise to the challenge.

Best wishes for Easter

God Bless,

Mr P Conway

 

Latest Official Guidance

To keep abreast of the latest Coronavirus information or to access Trust support services please refer to our school website (https://stbernadettes.npcat.org.uk ) and click the red link at the top of the page.

 

A lovely poem

“And the people stayed at home. And read books, and listened and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listening more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and when the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.”

A retired teacher, Kitty O’Meara