Dear Parents

Blue Letters

This week, our children have been reaching out within and beyond our community to offer support and appreciation to those who help us.  We have participated as a school in the Beelieve Foundation’s (click here ) “Blue Letter Day” initiative to support wellbeing and the children have written blue letters not only to family and friends, but also to our staff community and to those who help us beyond the community, for example Year 4 delivered letters to the Princess Alice Hospice and you can see photos of the Wellbeing Champions with their blue letters here. 

Wellbeing Workshop

Thank you to all those parents who have signed up for next week’s Wellbeing Workshop (info below) with Xavier Educational Psychologist Ali D’Amario.  There has been good uptake and we hope it will help all our families to support their children’s wellbeing.  Please contact the office if you would like to register to attend.

Football

Thank you also to Mr O’Donnell and the team of dads who supported us so ably with assembling the new goalposts last weekend!  We couldn’t have done it without you – thank you! The posts have been subsidised by Fulham FC and we are delighted to have this fantastic new resource.  This week our Girls Football team played against Holy Family and really represented our school well, showing great enthusiasm and determination!  Well done girls!

Mission Weeks

This week has been the first Mission Week of the new year.  Topaz Class attended Mass at St Erconwald’s on Tuesday morning – parishioners were delighted to welcome the children, as always, though I think for the children, the highlight was meeting an assistance dog in the congregation!  Today Topaz Class led their collective worship for parents – well done for your confidence and wonderful singing!  Next week will be the turn of Ruby Class!

Year of Pilgrimage

On Monday, our collective worship will begin the “Year of Pilgrimage” taking place in schools nationally and through this year, we will focus with the children on their journey of faith, including some places in the UK and around the world where pilgrims have travelled for many years, e.g. Walsingham, Lourdes, Fatima and Jerusalem. We are looking forward to helping the children find out more about these special places and perhaps they will even be inspired to go to them one day!

Covid Regulations

As in society, so in school – the regulations are changing regularly, so just a quick update:

• Children who test positive on a lateral flow shouldn’t come into school for the following five days.  If they have a negative lateral flow on Day 5 and Day 6 (24 hours apart), they can return to school on Day 6 if they have no further symptoms.
• Visitors to school from Thursday will not have to wear masks in the corridors in line with national guidance.  Parents who choose to wear masks in school may of course continue to do so.
• Parents are asked to be vigilant to symptoms in their children and to use the availability of PCR testing at the walk-in centre in Hersham to test when symptoms are seen.  Children testing positive are rarely very ill in our experience, but the impact we experience is on staffing and staff absence is the biggest negative impact on teaching and learning. If you are using lateral flow tests at home, please test over the weekend.  Thank you for supporting us to keep our community safe and learning in school!

Thank you for all your support during this week.  I wish you a very happy weekend.

Catherine Burnham

Headteacher