Back to a ‘normal week’, next week.  Read below for details.
And apologies for the delay – An Internet Provider change-over, isn’t straight forward?!

Class Stars 🙂 Well done to…

Our Early Years… Blossom Hall

Class 2… Reuben Brooks

Class 3 & Class 4 – all of them, for their patience and understanding!

This ½ term’s school value is…

We are A Community.

We encourage a sense of belonging and responsibility to each other, our environment and the world we live in…

“Love your neighbour as yourself.” Matthew 22. v39

Attendance so far…

School average 94.5% (down from 95.2%)

It’s a little ironic that we send leaflets, letters and make comments about attendance, and then shut some classes due to Covid.  However, and you’ll agree after this week if you were one of those with children at home, attendance at school is really important.

We do have have a stomach bug and Covid-19 doing the rounds, but it’s really important to be at school when you’re well enough to.

Thanks again to those in Class 3 and Class 4 for an understandable break in service due to staffing absences and Covid-19.  It’s always going to be a last resort decision but, following advice from Devon County Council, it was something that we had to do.  Again, just a big thank you for your understanding.

Next week… We do still have some staff absences due to the potential 10-day isolation periods.

However, we will be opening up to all classes by making some staffing or timetable changes to the week.  At least, they will still be in school! (“Thankfully!” you say!)

Year 6… you’ll not be doing your usual Booster session on Monday morning, but you’ll be swimming instead.  Please remember to bring your swimming kits.

Children in years 1 to 6 have received their reports recently, but we know that there are several still on the shelves still to be collected, again due to Covid absences.
We were planning on holding parents’ meetings over the next fortnight but due to the staffing absences we’ll do a mix of Zoom and in person, and communicate about this to individual classes.

We’re cancelling our planned Mothers’ Day Lunches.
I think everyone’s also been looking forward to a bacon sarnie morning too, so we hope the weather continues and we’ll plan to do this after the Easter break.  This is a coffee and breakfast morning, with families sitting inside or on the front playground, from 8.15 onwards… and a lovely way to start the day!  (Plus it’s well ventilated and spaced apart!)

Don’t forget – there’s a cake sale after school, at the Church (where the children will be), in two weeks’ time – Friday 8th.  🙂

It’s also Class 4’s ‘Dress up as a Viking day’ on the 8th which will be fun!  More details soon!

Back by popular demand – FROGS BINGO Night
Friday 1st April… Georgeham Village Hall…. Doors open at 7pm, eyes down for 7.30pm.
Tickets in advance from Leisha Thomas & Caroline Hooper or the school office.

Year 5 Bikeability… the week after next, Year 5 will be in two groups, starting on the payground before moving on to the local roads.  It all starts from the 5th April so please have bikes in on that day please.
Year 6 children had theirs just before the lockdown last year.

Advanced notice – We’re planning on an Easter assembly at St.George’s Church on the Friday we break up for Easter – 8th April.
3.15pm pick-up from Church please.

Take note: clocks go forward this weekend.

Which Test?  PCR or LFT?

Have Symptoms?  Then book a PCR, as the LFT isn’t sensitive enough to pick it up.

Have symptoms but the LFD is negative?  Like above… book a PCR.

No symptoms? It’s a good idea to do an LFD test.

We have several children off with Covid at the moment (and staff) but we still have some mitigations in place and the guidance and expectations are still the same.

Stay off school if you are positive – that’s 10 days, but could be a max of 5 (return on day 6) if there are 2 consecutive negative tests.

We’ve seen that a sore throat or a headache are quite a clear indicators of an upcoming positive result, so please do an LFD to check… and a PCR if they do develop into the symptoms.

Attendance at school is still really important, but we understand if you have genuine reasons for staying off school.

Some children have asked us to help them understand what’s happening with the war in Ukraine.  Class 4, were shown the CBBC Newsround webpage that describes what’s going on, and we also showed maps to understand where this is all taking place.

link – Newsround: Why has Russia invaded?
link – Place to be: How to talk to children about this?
link – BBC’s Wellbeing resources for parents
link – Five ways to manage your feelings.

Our main focus is of supporting the children, and reacting and helping them understand it if it comes up in conversation.

Our front doors are open between 8.45 and 8.55 with children doing learning activities as soon as they arrive. Sadly, the ones who arrive late at 9.00 am would have missed this, and the ones who are later can even miss the introduction to the next learning task.

Please aim to arrive for 8.45am

Please do look at the school menu before you leave home in the morning. Keri is unable to adjust the menu each day and it’s important that the children know what’s on offer and are happy to make choices in the morning.

“Love your neighbour as yourself.”

Matthew 22. v39

Dates in the diary… bottom of the front page…

https://georgehamceps.wpengine.com/

Dinner Menu…

https://georgehamceps.wpengine.com/dinner-menu/

Our school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead is Julian Thomas
We have two Deputy Safeguarding Leads: Lucy Rinvolucri and Emma Hill.
You can contact us on dsl@georgeham-primary.devon.sch.uk

If you have any concerns that you’d like to discuss, please call through to Jo and ask for an appointment with one of us. You may also find some useful or helpful information on our Safeguarding webpage… https://georgehamceps.wpengine.com/staying-safe/