Letter from Miss Penny - 2nd November 2020

Dear Chagford Families, 
 
Welcome back to school. I do hope you have all had a good half term holiday week. As you will be aware, we are now facing another lockdown. This time the staff and children are expected to be in school unless they are in the “extremely clinically vulnerable” category. We do have a small number of staff and children who fall within this category who we have been liaising with over the weekend and today.
 
It is vital that we continue our procedures to keep us all safe. 

​Children will continue to wash and sanitise their hands on arrival and when going to the toilet or entering a new room.  We have seating plans so that children are facing forward in KS1 and KS2 classrooms and are in the same place. We must keep windows open so that we have good ventilation. As it gets colder, children will need to wear layers under their uniform in class as well as ensuring that they have their jumper or cardigan on, so please make sure children have these in school each day. Similarly, we need them to be outside as much as possible, so it is also vital they have warm, waterproof coats each day.  We will continue to have our rotating zones at playtime so each group remains in their bubble while outside playing. Additional cleaning at lunch time also continues, so desks are sanitised while the children are outside.
 
Children are accustomed to seeing staff wearing masks and face shields when working with groups or individuals or if they are entering another bubble. I am now requesting that all parents wear masks when bringing children to school and collecting. I would also like to remind parents that we must observe 2m social distancing from each other. Please observe this at the beginning and end of the day on the school grounds, but also in the village.
 
Please remember the staggered entry and exit times:
 
Group
Arrival
Departure

EYFS – through own door
8.40 - 8.50
3.20

Year 1&2 Beech – through own door at the front of the school
8.40 - 8.50
3.20

Year 3 Oak – through the side door
8.45 - 8.55
3.25

Year 4&5 Hawthorn – though the side door
8.50 - 9.00
3.30

Year 6 Birch – through the main entrance
8.50 - 9.00
3.30

 
Please can I ask that if you need to speak to Miss Jackson that only one person at a time enters the foyer and that you are wearing a mask. If at all possible, please email [email protected] or telephone 01647 432412.  
 
To reduce crowding at the beginning and end of the day, can we also ask that if possible you please email your class teachers, rather than speaking to them in person.
 
We have been advised that we should minimise contact time in school to core school hours. For this reason we will not be hosting any before or after school clubs as from tomorrow. I know this will be difficult for some parents but this is a precaution to keep our staff and their families safe as well as you and your families.  We will not have visiting tutors so I’m afraid music tuition, play therapy and volunteers will not be on site during this period. Mr Anstil will continue to teach sports on a Monday with each class bubble. He will lead lessons outside as much as possible and continue to sanitise equipment between sessions.
 
As many of you will be aware, we have now had positive COVID-19 cases in Okehampton and North Tawton. As before, if any staff or children show symptoms they will be required to isolate and have a test. Any positive cases will be reported and those who have been in contact will be required to isolate.
 
The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

 
As always, if your child has sickness or diarrhoea please keep them off school.
 
I know these are challenging times for us all. I do hope you will understand the need for these measures and support the school in keeping us as safe as we possibly can.
 
 
All the very best
Tara