Newsletter 29.01.21

Dear Chagford Families,
I hope you are all warmed up now from the exciting snow fall. I loved seeing the photos on our Chagford School Facebook of children enjoying walking on Dartmoor, tobogganing and ‘making new friends.’ If you use Facebook, do like our page, it’s a fun way to keep in touch with other parents.

Covid Update
We have had another case of covid at school. This brings us to four members of our school community testing positive over the past three weeks: two staff, one parent and one child. I am delighted to report that they have only experienced mild (although unpleasant) symptoms. We continue to follow the Public Health England regulations and follow their instructions.
This week we have started our NHS Test and Trace system which will help us identify if any of the school staff are asymptomatic.  We can then isolate following the guidance and help prevent spread.
Thank you to those of you who have had to isolate from work and school, and to all of you who are in lockdown and staying at home. I know how frustrating this is, but if we all carry on following the rules we will continue to keep our local community and our families safe.
Saints February Family Fitness Challenge
Please see the attached activity from Saints. This challenge is designed for all children and families to get involved in. The main objective is to encourage and promote families being active during February. 
Winterwatch
Are you enjoying Winterwatch? It’s on at 8pm Tuesday – Friday on BBC2 (or watch on catch up if it’s past bedtime.)  I love watching the ‘Watches’ and particularly enjoy their mindfulness moments. There are live cameras to watch during the day and lot of online activities and resources to get involved in. this weekend is the Big Garden Birdwatch which the RSPB organise. Do get involved!
 
Big Garden Birdwatch - Information from the RSPB website
 
Pick a time: You can choose any hour between 29 and 31 January. So whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, you can still take part.
 
Tell us what you see: Count the birds you see in your garden or from your balcony. Ignore any birds that are still in flight. To avoid double-counting, just record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not a running total. This year our advice is to take part in the safety of your own home. This could include a birdwatch from your window if you overlook a green space or courtyard.
 
Submit your results online at  rspb.org.uk/birdwatch from 29 January until 19 February, or if  you’d rather send your results by post, you can download a submission form from the website.  Every count is important so, if you don’t see anything, please still submit your result. Finding out which birds don’t visit your area is as important as understanding those which do!
 
Log on to their website for printable bird ID sheets to help you, or posters you can display to show you're taking part.
 
Live Lessons and Class Blogs
We will be putting on more opportunities for ‘live contact’ in lessons and assemblies over the next two weeks. This is a great way for children in school and at home to see another as well as a way for teachers to answer questions and support learning. Please let us know if you are having difficulty with Tapestry (EYFS) or Googler Classroom (KS1 and KS2)
I hope to see you all at 3pm today for our Praise assembly and again on Wednesday at 9.15 (technology willing!)
Follow the link to see what classes have been getting up to at school and at home.
https://www.chagford-primaryschool.org/school-blogs.html
 
Support
This is a tricky time. Please do ask for support if you need it. We are here to help as much as we possibly can. If you are experiencing financial hardship due to covid please let me know. I may be able to apply for funding for you, you may also be eligible for free school meals.
We have a number of new and refurbished devices for home learning. Please let me know if this would help.
 
Keep safe and keep in touch,
With very best wishes
Tara Penny
Head of School
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