Latest News

Letter to Parents

Wed 14 Oct 2020

Following the NI Executive’s announcement today, I am writing to provide clarification for parents as we move forward together into a short-term closure.

1. Moneyrea Primary and Nursery School will be closed for two full weeks from Monday, 19 October to Friday, 30 October, inclusive.

2. All being well, school will reopen on Monday, 2 November.

3. This closure is essentially an extended holiday and applies to all schools across Northern Ireland and to all children.

4. There is no key worker childcare provision.

5. During this two week holiday we will not be setting online learning or sending work home for the children to complete.

6. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer Holiday Club during this two-week closure.

I fully understand the stresses that this extended holiday will bring to many of our families, but agree with the Executive that this closure, whilst regrettable, is essential if we are to bring Covid-19 under a measure of control. The health and wellbeing of our pupils, staff and families is paramount.

We have enjoyed having the children back at school and are amazed at how well they have coped with all of the change. You have done a great job. However, we have noticed how tired they are as we approach half-term; they are ready for a break. So, while this additional break is unexpected and unwelcome, please take full advantage of this holiday at home, without the worry and stress of schoolwork.

If, however, you absolutely insist on completing some work with your child over this extended 2-week holiday, you will find lots of great links to dip into on the class page of our school website.

https://www.moneyreaprimary.co.uk/class-pages/

Year 7

Of course, Miss Daly will have some work for our Yr7 transfer group to complete over the half-term break and, if the two-week period is extended, Yr7s’ work will be posted on Google Classrooms from the 2 November. Sorry, Yr7!

Nursery – Yr6 Work Packs

Our teachers have prepared work packs, which will be sent home with your child on Friday.

Please note: These packs MUST NOT BE USED during the extended 2-week holiday.

The work packs are being sent home as a precautionary measure, should the NI Executive decide to extend school closures beyond this initial 2-week holiday.

These packs must only be used should we find ourselves in an extended closure from Monday, 2 November onwards.

Should this occur, the packs will provide parents with hard copies of worksheets etc. to get you through the 1st week of remote learning. Reading books have also been sent home for this purpose. Thereafter, we will resort to online learning using Seesaw.

Please keep the work packs safe and return them and the reading books on the first day school is back.

Hopefully, the measures put in place by the Executive will have a positive impact and we will all return to school on the 2 November.

In other news:

Non-uniform Friday and Class Celebration

As this Friday will be our last day before the two-week holiday, the children may come to school in non-uniform and may dress up if they wish (no obligation). I would however insist that parents do not send children to school in very scary masks. No clown masks etc.; they can be upsetting to the younger children.

Poppies

Please continue to send in your home-made poppies for our mini Remembrance garden. It’s beginning to take shape. Check it out at the front of the school.

Also, poppies are now on sale in school and metal badges (2020) are also available for donations of £1 and above. Please send all donations in a sealed envelope marked with your child’s name and class.

Foodbank Harvest

Please keep sending in items for our Foodbank Harvest Table.

New iPads

We are extremely grateful to have taken delivery of a further 20 new iPads, courtesy of our amazing PTA. Did I tell you how great they are? Our PTA’s fantastic fundraising exploits are helping to keep our school up to speed with changes in technology despite the stringent financial times schools are operating in.

Online Safety

The delivery of new iPads and forthcoming school closure has prompted me to remind parents of the importance of teaching our children:

(1) How to behave online, or when using social media;
(2) How to stay safe online.

Remind them to ‘BLOCK and TELL’

We have had to upgrade our security settings in school to ensure the safe search settings on our devices are as safe as possible. Parents should also do this from time to time on tablets and laptops at home.

Thank you for your continued patience, encouragement and support.

Roy Greer
Principal

New iPads

Wed 14 Oct 2020

We are extremely grateful to have taken delivery of a further 20 new iPads, courtesy of our amazing PTA. Did I tell you how great they are?

PTA’s fantastic fundraising exploits are helping to keep our school up to speed with changes in technology despite the stringent financial times schools are operating in.

ON LINE SAFETY

This delivery of new iPads and forthcoming school closure has prompted me to remind parents of:

(1) The importance of teaching our children how to behave online, or when using social media;

and,

(2) How to stay safe on line.

Remind them to BLOCK and TELL

We have had to upgrade our security settings in school to ensure our safe search is as safe as possible.

Parents should also do this from time to time on tablets and laptops at home.

Advanced Notice of School Closure

Wed 14 Oct 2020

The Assembly has announced that all schools are to close for an initial period of two weeks from Monday.

It is so important, for our own and our children’s mental health and wellbeing, that our school community approaches this closure as calmly and resolutely as possible.

At school we have been preparing for such an outcome and will inform all parents by email of our plans.

Thank you for your continued patience, encouragement and support.

We will get through this together.

R. Greer

At the Going Down of the Sun.....

Mon 12 Oct 2020

This year we are creating a garden of remembrance at the front of our school using the bases of plastic Coke bottles.

This idea was shared by Ballygowan & Carryduff Army Cadets

Food Bank Harvest

Mon 12 Oct 2020

This year we are celebrating Harvest by collecting imperishable items for our local FOOD BANK.

With Covid-19 causing chaos in the job market an increasing number of families have found their incomes slashed resulting in more families having to make use of FOOD BANKS.

Throughout this current pandemic we have all pulled together to help our NHS and to support the vulnerable in society. Your food donations can make a real difference to local families, when they need our help.

For those who are struggling, please remain strong, don't give up, we will see brighter days ahead. And above all do not be afraid to ask for help or to talk to someone if you feel overwhelmed.

You can contact Moneyreagh Community Support Hub in confidence on 077 865 47311 and we will be able to find someone who can help.

We are asking our families to contribute any of the following items:

baby food, biscuits, cereal, dried pasta, instant coffee, tea bags, long-life fruit juice, long-life milk, pasta sauce, rice, snack bars, tinned fruit and veg, tinned meat and fish, tinned soup, packet soup, vegetarian options and toiletries.