We are all very excited and very positive about returning to school on Monday 7th September. Like you, we have been following the COVID developments closely and have put lots of things in place for the start of the school year to ensure the school is safe for the return of the children. We shared some of these with you at the end of the last academic year – Returning to school: Monday 7th September. There aren’t many changes at this point but, we are adapting to the latest advice as and when it is shared. We will keep you posted via the weekly newsletter on the website.
Some things will be different though.
If you contact us about any of the arrangements we may not always have the answers you need or want to hear, but everything we do is in the best interests of the children so please be extra patient and kind, we need your support.
Each day, we may discover new challenges to overcome – we may need to change things and we might not always be able to communicate this with you until the change has been made. Please know that we are making the changes for all the right reasons.
The classrooms have been set out as per Government guidelines to reduce the risk of infection, so when school starts your child may have to sit near someone they may not have chosen to. We have staggered and zoned break times and there may be other rules and routines that the children don’t particularly like. The drop off times and collections may also prove to be challenging for you, but again the changes have been made for the right reasons. It is a strange time for us all. Please bear with us on this.
Now, more than ever, we need to work as a team. The children will take their lead from the adults around them. We need to show them that we are supporting each other, treating each other with respect and understanding. Listening and sharing concerns in a supportive way without judgement. We need to be united!
Thank you,
Tracy and Mike
Update – When bringing/collecting your child/children using the gate by the traffic lights the entrance gate will be open and children and parents will be able to wait in the school grounds outside of the tennis courts. Parents/carers must not pass beyond the tennis court fence. This will ensure that there will be no need to wait on the pavement which will improve safety. Please observe social distancing.
Also, as it’s a requirement to have classroom windows open for ventilation it may be wise for the children to bring a warm jumper/top.
We have produced this short film to help the children understand the changes and, hopefully, alleviate some of the anxieties they may have about returning to school.
For the adults, we have produced a simplified version of our response to the guidance:
We also have various risk assessments that we have written and put in place. If you would like to recieve a copy of these, please email the school office.
Julian Wooster, Director of Children’s Services, has also asked us to share this letter with you. The link to the video will take you to a generic video for schools in Somerset. Our video, link above, is entirely about Elmhurst.
We have also been asked to share the Management of Covid 19 in school age children with you:
