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

• Clayrazy and Bricks 4 Kidz

  Tue 08 Sep 2020

  After school classes delivered in your home via Zoom.

  Get signed up at
  www.clayrazy.co.uk

  All kits delivered direct to your home, choice of 2 zoom classes per week. Or YouTube pre recorded tutorials available.

  

• So Proud of these Guys

  Sun 06 Sep 2020
  

• Coughs and Sneezes etc

  Sat 05 Sep 2020

  Recent interviews on the media and information coming from the PHA/DE have created confusion around the issue of when children should or should not come to school.

  Our school policy was outlined in my recent email to parents and remains unchanged.

  It has always been our policy that children who are feeling unwell with temperatures, colds, flu, vomiting, diarrhoea earaches, sore throats etc should not be in school.

  1. They are miserable in school.

  2. They pass their illness on to their classmates.

  3. Minor illness can temporarily reduce the ability of the sick child’s immune system to fight more serious infections.

  Consequently, they should stay at home and only come to school when the symptoms are cleared.

  This policy hasn’t changed, in fact it is more important than ever, now that we have Covid-19 to contend with.

  We now add Covid-19 into the mix:

  Children MUST NOT ATTEND SCHOOL if they have COVID-19 symptoms:

  1. A new and continuous cough

  2.High temperature/fever

  3.Loss or change in sense of smell or taste

  Research by Queen’s University has also found that gastrointestinal problems may also be symptoms ie vomiting and diarrhoea.

  Medical evidence coming from hospital clinicians clearly indicates that Covid-19 symptoms are not exclusive to the three core symptoms and indeed symptoms are VARIABLE.

  To conclude, we are maintaining our existing policy of exclusions and adding to that list, children exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms.

  We are not trying to keep children out of school, nor to disrupt their learning further, rather we are endeavouring to keep our children and staff safe and healthy.

  Parents need to be clear that social distancing, is impossible in classroom bubbles. Please do not listen to the hogwash coming out of the DE. Children are mixing within their class bubbles. Consequently, if one child contracts Covid-19 all of their bubble classmates and staff will be off school for 14 days. That’s how important this fight against infections is, in terms of health and learning.

  We need all of our families to continue to support us in achieving our aim to keep our children and staff safe and healthy and to keep our classrooms open.

  This policy hasn’t changed, in fact, it is more important than ever, now that we have Covid-19 to contend with.

  

• Breaking News

  Wed 02 Sep 2020

  This year's post-primary transfer tests have been put back to January 2021.

  AQE - 9, 16 and 23 Jan
  GL - 30 Jan

  The AQE test will now last for 70 min.

  Results will issue to parents on Saturday 6 March

  I am sure many of us will have our opinions about the relative merits and demerits of this decision. However, it is vitally important that all parents of Yr7 pupils play this decision up as a positive to our children.

  Whether we agree or not is irrelevant and feeding our children's minds with negativity about a decision which is beyond our control will only serve to increase anxiety, when our role as parents and teachers is to minimise anxiety and maximise positivity.

  I would ask all Yr7 parents to play this as a positive: more time for catch up, more time for revision, more time for practice etc.

  And yes, it is vital that we do not allow the AQE/GL Grinch to steal our Yr7 children's Christmas 2020.

  Our pupils will be well-prepared, they know the drill, they know our mantra, 'I can and I will do my best'. Asking a child to give their best is something they can all achieve, something they can all do, something that, if we stick to it, will build their confidence.

  So it's not about the high score they would all love to achieve, and it's not about getting to their favourite school; these goals are not guaranteed for every child. Instead, we must shift our children's focus to something that they can all deliver, something they can all achieve; their best.

  And the outcome of focusing on an achievable goal for every child sitting the test, is reduced stress, reduced fear, reduced anxiety and maximum performance. It's a win all round!