Newsletter - 18th December 2020

Dear Chagford Families,
 
Parent SIMS
Please can all parents access Parent Sims and check their details. If you have changed phone number or address or there is an update in your child’s medical or dietary details, we need to know! Please also check consent for photos to be put on our website.  
 
Creative Writing
Our Creative Writing Club wrote this list of gifts for Santa.
Gifts for Santa this Christmas
A pair of warm wooly socks
A large notebook for writing the names of all the angelic children
Extra carrots and flying feed for the reindeer
A cream tea from Devon (cream before strawberry jam, of course)
A shed made of gingerbread for storing candy canes
A robot to do all the cleaning
A book about how amazing he is
A button to turn off the sun to make the night longer on Christmas Eve
A fun festive day off with his family
A comfy bed to rest in.
 
What would you add to this list?

Farewell to Miss Jackson
I know you will all join me in thanking Philippa Jackson for her hard work here at Chagford. We will miss her greatly, particularly her ability to multitask a million things with efficiency and a smile!
 
We wish her all the best in her next steps both in career and family.
  
Contact Tracing during the Christmas Holidays
If your child has a positive test for COVID during the Christmas holidays, please inform me by email at [email protected] I will then follow the guidance as to whether I need to contact families of children in the same bubble. Where a child or staff member has tested positive for COVID but has not been in school in the time period 2 days before the onset of symptoms to 10 days after, there is no requirement for any contact tracing to be carried out with the school.
 
Financial Support
If you are worrying about money and struggling to pay for basic household essentials, you can also apply for help through funding made available via the District Council hardship funds. There’s more about what financial and food support is available for families in Devon on the DCC website. 
 
Support for Families experiencing financial hardship over Christmas period
A COVID Winter Grant Fund has been made available to local authorities and district councils to support families experiencing financial hardship over the 2020-21 winter. As you know children eligible for free school meals have been  issued with food vouchers and district councils are able to support families through their hardship grants. However, Early Help will also be able to help families in this situation with a grant of up to £100 per family to support them to buy food and pay utility bills over the winter.
 
If you are working with families that are experiencing financial hardship this winter then please contact Early Help so that they receive this and other financial support to improve their situation. Their hardship does not need to be COVID related or recently acquired but repeat requests for help may be best supported through Early Help partners to sustainably improve the family’s financial situation.
 
The criteria set by Early Help is as follows:

• You are a family (at least 2 people where at least 1 person is either pre-birth or up to 18 yrs old)
• You are not eligible for hardship grant funding through your district council or you have not yet applied
• You are experiencing financial hardship linked to or independent of COVID (e.g. unemployed, furloughed, being made redundant)
• You need financial help to pay utility bills or buy food and essential items for your family

 
You can contact Early Help by contacting one of the following mailboxes:
Northern Devon: [email protected] 
Southern Devon: [email protected] 
Mid and East Devon: [email protected] 
Exeter: [email protected] 
 
 PTFA update
Huge thanks to everyone that bought and sold tickets for the Grand Christmas Raffle, a little over £800 was raised which is truly marvellous! We had incredibly generous donations from local businesses and parents which made all the difference, enormous thanks to them all. Whilst not quite the usual affair of drawing the raffle at the Christmas Fayre, three of the PTFA committee were present to make the draw and contacted the winners afterwards (who were all very happy!).
The Chagford School Tote bags have been going down well too, thank you for your orders. It’s not too late if you missed ordering or would like to pick up any more! They will now be available to buy in Black’s Deli.
We also have a few of Sarah Clarke’s beautiful Dartmoor Calendars available, please contact Chloe or email [email protected] if you’d like one. Pick up or delivery can be arranged; they make the perfect gift. Thanks to Sarah who really kindly donated them to the PTFA to sell to raise funds.
There will be an online meeting in the new year (date tbc) and we look forward to organising some fun events to help us all through the Winter! Happy Christmas from the PTFA!
 
Spring Term Clubs
Clubs for the Spring Term will be available to book via School Gateway from 2nd January. Please note that we do have limited numbers so early booking and payment is recommended.
 
 
Monday 4th January is a staff training day, we look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday 5th January 2021.
 
 
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
See you in 2021!
 
Tara Penny
Head of School