Keep up to date with all the news happening in school at the moment!

• Hope Springs

  Tue 24 Mar 2020

  Today was a sad day for everyone connected with Moneyrea Primary & Nursery School. We all love this wee place and we love the people who make it special.

  It has been a real struggle to know what is for the best. I believe we have made the right decision.

  And as we all face an uncertain time ahead we are praying for the health and well-being of all our families.

  As I locked up tonight I took a moment to look around the school garden and was inspired to see the myriad flowers breaking through the claggy earth.

  Hope painted on every petal. Brighter days will surely come.

  

• The School is Closed

  Mon 23 Mar 2020

  WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT 
  THIS SCHOOL IS CLOSED 
  TO ALL PUPILS

  Pupil packs may be collected tomorrow between 9.00am and 12 noon.

  Please maintain social distancing.

• A Message from Mr Greer

  Mon 23 Mar 2020

  THIS SCHOOL IS NOW CLOSED

  CHILDREN SHOULD BE IN LOCK DOWN AT HOME

  I CANNOT BE CLEARER ABOUT THIS

  We will however, as previously stated, be open tomorrow to receive the children of frontline workers who cannot make alternative provision for the care of their children.

  CLASS PACKS

  Class packs may also be collected this week, but only on specific days.

  We will have a system in place for their collection, weather dependent.

  We would ask parents to arrive between 10.00am and midday on the following days:

  Monday Yrs 4 and 6

  Tuesday Yrs 2 and 7

  Wednesday Yrs 3 and 5

  Thursday Nursery and Yr1

  Where you have children in more than one class you may choose which of the given days suits best.

  At no stage should parents congregate in groups.

  Please be patient and wait for the person in front to move on.

  1. Maintain 2m distance between you and any other parent at all times.

  2. Use the hand sanitizer provided on entering and leaving the school grounds.

  3. On no account enter the school building.

  4. Please collect you child’s pack and leave immediately.

  These are trying, indeed frightening times for everyone, but in spite of the turmoil we continue to do our best for our school community.

  I appreciate your patience and understanding over the last two weeks. I have not been inundated with endless questions or emails and this has allowed me to function in an ever changing landscape. It may sound frivolous, but this has really helped. So thank you.

• A Message for All Moneyrea Parents

  Sat 21 Mar 2020

  A Message for All Moneyrea Parents

  
  Moneyrea Primary and Nursery School will be open on Monday for the children of key workers.

   

  We are here to support the families of our health workers and frontline keyworkers. We bow our heads in thanks for the selfless sacrifice so many are making on our behalf.

   

  However, I am deeply concerned by the lack of clarity provided by the DE around school closure/opening.

   

  School opening has not been risk assessed by the DE or EA (we will undertake asap);

   

  Protective resources have not been provided to schools;

   

  We have not received an action plan as to how to set up the school etc.

   

  I therefore feel compelled to write to you.

   

  My advice may be out of step with recent DE announcements; but this it is what I feel is in the best interests of our school community, pupils, families and staff.

   

  It may seem blunt, it is meant to be.

  It may offend, it is not intended to.

   

  1. School is now officially CLOSED.

  Schools have been closed to achieve social separation, to restrict transmission of the Coronavirus and to keep our children and staff safe.

   

  2. ALL parents should now make provision to keep their children at home.

   

  3. Children should NOT be in school.

  THE SAFEST PLACE FOR CHILDREN IS IN THEIR OWN HOMES.

   

  4. School will be open for the children of KEY WORKERS.

  • The children of key workers should only be sent to school when there is NO OTHER OPTION available to them.
  • Where a second parent is not a keyworker, they should provide care for their children at home.

   

  5. Single parents, who are key workers, and can make no alternative provision, may send their children to school.

   

  6. Vulnerable children, who have underlying health concerns should NOT be in school.

   

  7. Children who have statements of educational need for Autism, ADHD, learning support etc. should NOT be in school.

   

  I must be clear:

  • I want a minimum of staff and a minimum of pupils in school.
  • If we are to practise social separation, the fewer children we have in school the safer we will all be.

   

  However, we will be here to support our frontline health workers and key workers who are doing an amazing and selfless job for us all.

   

  Together we are stronger.

• REVISED INFORMATION FOR KEY WORKERS

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  REVISED LETTER REF KEY WORKERS

  Supporting Children of Key Workers / Vulnerable Children / Children on F.S.M.
   

  Dear Parents,           
   

  On Monday 23rd March 2020 our doors will re-open for a minority of pupils to support key workers as confirmed at 8.00pm this evening by the Permanent Secretary for Education. 
   

  This provision will:

  • be dependent upon the number of staff available for work in our school;
  • be dependent upon further clarification / changes by the Minister.
  • be dependent on current social isolation/separation restrictions.

   

  Please note the following:

  Our school closed from Thursday 19th March to achieve social separation, to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus and to keep our children and staff safe. Department of Health advice is clear; social separation is essential in the fight against Coronavirus. The more children attending Moneyrea the less social separation and consequently the more transmission will occur. 

   

  Before sending children to school, key workers should make every effort to make their own childcare arrangements with childminders, family members, friends or trusted neighbours. Key workers should only use schools as a last resort.

   

  Priority:

  • Priority will be given where both parents are working as key workers, and both parents are out at work at the same time, or in single parent families, if the parent is a key worker and can make no alternative arrangements.
  • Priority will then be given where both parents are working as key workers, but both parents are not out at work at the same time.
  • Where one parent is a key worker, it is expected that the other parent should provide childcare at home. However such cases will also be considered.

   

  Monday 23rd March 2020:

  Our school will not have wraparound services available. 

  The following opening and closing times will apply: 

   

  • Nursery  09.00 – 14.00
  • Yrs 1-3  09.00 – 14.00 (Mon – Fri)
  • Yrs 4–7 09.00 - 1500 

   

  Children should wear school uniform, bring a lunch / snack and own pencil cases.

   

  Our staff will primarily be providing childcare as teachers are also required to provide remote learning. 

   

  For key workers where your only childcare option is to send your child to school, we will look after your child in order to support you in your important role; we thank you for your service to our community. 

   

  List of key workers:

  • Health and Social Care. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector 
  • Education and childcare. This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response;
  • Public safety and national security. This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles. 
  • Transport. This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response. 
  • Utilities and Communication. This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including sewage) and primary industry supplies, to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in telecommunications, post and delivery, services and waste disposal. 
  • Food and other necessary goods. This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g. hygiene, medical etc.). 
  • Other workers essential to delivering key public services. 
  • Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response

   

  To help us plan ahead we need to know how many children of key workers are requesting a place! If you are an identified key worker and will be sending your child to school on Monday 23rd, please inform me on rgreer448@gmail.com, or dcarson763@gmail.com by midday on Sunday with the following information:

   

  • Names of Parent(s)
  • Names and classes of pupils requesting a place.

  Where both parents are key workers:  

  • Role of father
  • Role of mother

  In the case of a single parent identified key worker:

  • Role of parent 

  In the case of one parent identified as a key worker:

  • Role of parent

   

  It is hoped to notify parents of places by email on Sunday afternoon. 

   

  And finally:

  Children who are vulnerable to infection because of underlying health concerns should not attend school. They should be cared for in the safety of their own homes.

   

  We do not have the facility to provide meals for children on FSMs at the moment although this will change in the days ahead.

   

  I am grateful to my colleagues in Castlereagh Principals’ Group for helping me compile this response.

   

  Yours sincerely,

  R Greer

• How to Clean Devices

  Fri 20 Mar 2020
  

• Notice to Parents

  Thu 19 Mar 2020

  School is closed with immediate effect from today.

  School is closed to facilitate social separation, to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus and to protect our children, staff and families.

  Information will issue today from school via Facebook and the school website in respect of school opening on Monday for the children of key workers, who cannot make provision for the care of their children.

  Additional school work packs and exercise books may be collected on Monday between 10.00am and midday.

  For nursery pupils from the nursery unit;
  Years 1- 3 from the emergency exit doors of the school hall;
  For Yrs 4 - 7 from the classroom emergency exit doors in the main playground.

  Donations may be made to Moneyreagh Food Bank each week, from Monday to Wednesday between 10.00am and midday.

  Your patience at this time of uncertainty is greatly appreciated.

• Update - Thursday 19th March

  Thu 19 Mar 2020

  School is officially closed to pupils as of Monday 23rd March 2020. However, much confusion remains.

  To date schools have not been provided with substantive information from the DE as to the way ahead.

  Questions still exist regarding free school meal provision, schedules of work for pupils, staff deployment, skeleton or hub schools for the children of front-line staff and vulnerable children, as well as uncertainty surrounding exams at GCSE / A Level etc.

  These are unprecedented times, and whilst we are angered at the slow and inadequate response of the Department for Education and Education Authority, we wish the Minister wisdom, good counsel and success in the days ahead; if he wins the day, our children win the day!

  Our role at Moneyrea PS will be to bring a degree of clarity stability and calm by ensuring :

  - our parents are kept informed of developments;
  - our pupils have access to work schedules;
  - our parents have a means of contacting teachers;

  We remain committed to our pupils and their families. I am so proud of the efforts of our staff over the past couple of weeks; they have been amazing. I/we are truly blessed.

  We are saddened but not downcast; we know that the sun will rise again and that Moneyrea PS will return to some measure of normality.

  We feel for our amazing Year 7s, who are missing out on their school show, their Young Enterprise projects, Leavers' Assembly, Sports Day, Loch Insh residential, their Leavers' hoodies, signing each others polo-shirts and their last day hooley! Rest assured we will find a special way of celebrating your time at Moneyrea!

  To our families we wish you all: good health, resilience of spirit and soundness of mind.

  Finally, we are heartened to know that our school community is surrounded by the prayers of men and women of faith in our community.

  Look out for each other; our community needs everyone to step up to the plate. Together we are stronger.

• Ministerial Announcement Imminent

  Wed 18 Mar 2020

  It looks highly likely that the Minister of Education will announce school closures by the weekend.

  In this event please make good use of the initial packs which were sent home. This work should take the children up to the Easter break.

  The teachers are also preparing further worksheets and workbooks which will be available for collection. We will confirm when these packs are to be picked up.

  Staff are currently preparing additional work online which should be completed during the last two weeks in April.

  This work can be accessed on the Class Pages on the school website:

  www.moneyreaprimary.co.uk .

  The work is allocated to each month and is then subdivided into Maths, Literacy and World Around Us. It is then subdivided into weeks.

  This work is not complete. Teachers will be adding to their class pages during the extended closure.

  In addition, they will be posting links to websites, Apps, video clips and further support materials.

  They will also include suggestions for more creative and practical activities.

  Teachers will also provide a contact email should you require further advice. Please use this wisely.

  We will be doing our best to support parents and pupils during the difficult days ahead.

• Emergency Governors Meeting

  Tue 17 Mar 2020

  Dear parents,

  Following an emergency meeting of the Board of Governors tonight, it has been agreed that school will be closed on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th March to facilitate staff preparations for eventual school closure.

  School is open tomorrow, but if you are able to keep your children at home this would be appreciated.

  We apologise for the short notice, but this decision has been taken in the best interests of our whole school community.

  Regards

  R Greer
  Principal