Dear Caregivers,
Christmas may be something you look forward to, or it may be a time of year you find a bit tough. What the Christmas period brings will be individual to each of us.
If you need help in the run up to Christmas, there are many support networks out there for you to access. Have a look at https:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
It is full of good ideas to support both adults and children. We are also here to help if we can.
Whatever Christmas brings for us as individuals, it will, however, be different for all of us in school this year. The latest government guidance and restrictions around the tiers mean that we are all going to have to do things differently.
We are doing all that we can, in school, to make sure that we make this time of the year special for all children. We will be doing our own version of a Christmas musical (please see note below), the ESA has been busy with the Christmas Elf (see the message below), Christmas lunch will be going ahead on the 10th December, the same day as Christmas jumper day, and there will be many, many other Christmas activities alongside. We will make it fun!
Due to the current regulations, we are not able to offer Christmas lunch for everyone. We are having to stick with the packed lunch version until January. We will provide a Christmas packed lunch for all children in receipt of free school meals. We would like all caregivers to make a special Christmas packed lunch for the children if possible. We will provide crackers and Christmas music to provide a little bit of a party atmosphere. Christmas jumpers will help to make it feel a little more special. We won’t be able to go too crazy but we will have some fun!!
Tracy and Mike
Important dates next week:
Thursday 10th December: Christmas lunch day/ Christmas jumper day (for those who wish to join in – no donation needed, just bring a packed lunch as normal)
DON’T FORGET: LAST DAY FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS IS TOMORROW. PLEASE ADDRESS ALL CARDS WITH FULL NAME (IF KNOWN) AND CLASS NAME
Attendance for the week beginning: 23rd November 2020
Whole school – 95.2%
Year 3 – 95.2%
Year 4 – 97.3% – Well done, year 4! Top of the leaderboard this week.
Year 5 – 96.0%
Year 6 – 92.4%
News items and updates
The Elmhurst Christmas Musical
All the classes have been learning a Christmas song linked to the “Off to Bethlehem” performance. We will be recording the performances next Monday/ Tuesday so please send the children in with a Christmas hat/ tinsel (if you have them) and if the children would like to.
We will be sharing the video link with you during the last week of term.
Helping children to understand lockdown
It’s tricky for all of us to understand the world at the moment. It’s even harder for the younger members of the school community. Annie Cree has shared this link with us. It’s a wonderful story with fun illustrations – it may just help to make sense of the world at the moment.
Hotel Flamingo LIfe in Lockdown by Alex Milway
A great idea for learning spellings
Thank you to Rufus Q and mum for sending in this great idea to help learn spellings. What a lovely and fun idea!
School Lunches – a reminder
We have decided to reinstate hot food for all children from 5th January 2021. There will be things we will do differently – the children will have to go in in two sittings and sit at their own class table. The adults will take the food to the children at the tables in order to limit movement. We will give it a go and make adjustments as needed.
We have taken the decision to add our menus to ParentPay for parents/carers to choose meals for their children, half termly in advance. All meals MUST be booked and paid for on ParentPay by 11th December 2020 for all meals from 05/01/2021 to the February half term, 12/02/2021.
For parents/carers in receipt of free school meals, bookings must still be made via ParentPay, whereby the balance due will be nil. The system will recognise whether you are eligible. For more information on free school meals and an application, please visit https://www.somerset.gov.uk/education-and-families/free-school-meals/ or visit the school lunches tab.
Please note that bookings for Spring term 1 cannot be made after the deadline of 11th December 2020.
For help with using ParentPay, or if you have any questions regarding the above, please do contact us in the school office or watch this short video:
The menu choices and allergen information for Spring term 1 can be found here: School Lunches
Somerset SEND
We have been asked to share the following letter with parents. It outlines the County’s response and action plan following the SEN County inspection earlier this year.
Flu vaccinations
Somerset SAINT will be doing a second round of catch up vaccinations on Thursday 10th December. If your child was not vaccinated, you will be receiving a paper copy of the permission form. Please return to school asap, even if you do not wish your child to receive the vaccination.
Parents who have already opted out will not receive a letter.
A reminder:
Whilst we have relaxed uniform rules slightly to help children keep warm, we have not relaxed the rule about nail varnish. There has been a significant increase in children wearing nail varnish to school, especially in year 5. Please make sure this is removed asap.
Christmas Elf and the ESA
We are busy, like everyone, making preparations for Christmas activities.
That naughty Elf, unfortunately, has been at it again. The children will find out more tomorrow! If you can display the finished product, it will make us all smile when we walk around the local area!
Whilst on the subject of elves, the Elmhurst Elf has noticed that more and more of his friends are coming into school. Elmhurst Elf has several worries about this and would like all his friends to stay at home where the real magic is. Christmas Elf thanks the parents for helping to make sure that the elves stay at home.
Christmas tracing
Whilst we hope that everyone has a safe Christmas, we still need to have a plan in place should a child have a positive test result in the first week of the Christmas break.
If this is the case, you will need to inform the school. We have set up a Google form for parents to complete.
We will then contact any parents we need to to inform them of the need to isolate.
More information about this is coming out next week so we will update you when we know more. The advice is very clear that any child who is symptomatic during the last week should not come into school. Of course, this is in place every day of the school term but is even more important in the run-up to Christmas. We really don’t want any of our school community to need to isolate over the Christmas period.
If your child tests positive before the end of the term and you would like to try using the form, please do so as it will help us to check that it works! You may also contact the school office as normal before the end of term.
Salvation Army appeal: Please help if you can.
Gallery of work
Remember:
“Hug your child for no reason at all.“