Today, we have had a wonderful climax to a most unusual term with our International Day celebrations. However, you will have to wait until after half term for that to feature in the news. This week’s issue was already jam packed as we are including the autumn activities schedule for our local children centres.
Also in Issue 392 is a reminder about the flu vaccinations programme. Year 6 families must also check that their secondary applications are finalised. Over half term we shall also be running a Battle Of The Bands (class vs class) times table competition, so encourage your child to log on to Times Tables Rock Stars every day.
The Harvest Hampers created by Woodcroft pupils were also delivered to Barnet Age UK. Check out their lovely tweet …
The #HarvestFestival hampers have arrived! 🎉
We’re simply overwhelmed by the creative talents of the pupils from @WPS_Success who have decorated them so beautifully with innovative designs (eg hedgehog!) and touching messages for our older friends. Thank you so much! #barnetpic.twitter.com/mTNA7bb08e
In this week’s news issue 391 we remind you about the flu vaccination arrangements and how to be prepared for school. We also have some feedback from our first online parents’ evening. There is also a report from Abdul in Year 5 out a writing project the year group has been involved in that has been featured on the poet, Joshua Seigal’s website!
Next week is International Week and on Friday we will be leaving our uniforms at home coming to school in our national costume or the colours of a chosen flag.
Harvest Festival
Thank you to everyone for supporting Harvest Festival Week at Woodcroft. Each class has made a wonderful class hamper; take a look below. After a period in quarantine all of the coins collected will be counted and donated, along with the food hampers, to Age UK Barnet.
In this week’s news we cover the upcoming nasal flu vaccination programme. This year parents and carers will have to register their own child online. All of the information that you need is available in ISSUE 390
Click on the images above or download the full edition PDF of ISSUE 390. Included in the download are two handy term date posters that take you all the way up to September 2022!
This week we have also issued a NHS quick guide for parents / carers about absence during the COVID19 Pandemic … visit https://bit.ly/3iiUncs to download a PDF copy or click the images below to read the advice.
We celebrate another amazing Arts Award success, meet the new Woodcroft attendance officer, get a chance to check out this term’s upcoming events, find out about Acorns club reopening and read our plans for online Parents Evenings in a couple of weeks!
We have an epic 8 page newsletter to keep you busy this weekend. Lots of information about Breakfast Club and our phased return of hot meals in the dining hall. We also outline our learning continuity plans for any pupil who is required to stay at home for a short period. Our Woodcroft Online Team have also provided some advice for those parents asking about buying a chromebook.
Despite the restrictions, we are determined to make school feel as normal as possible, so we have outlined the extra events and activities taking place this term. Well done to everyone for sending children to school dressed for PE on their first class PE Kit Day – we have another reminder on page 6 for next week. We are also looking to employ a Meal Time Supervisor this term. if you are interested take a look at the information included or visit … https://woodcroft.barnet.sch.uk/mealtime-supervisor-vacancies/
And finally, we are re-launching another one of our successful learning apps today – Prodigy Maths. Look out for the letter being that is being sent home all about it today.
From Monday 21st September 2020 we are planning a phased return of hot meals in our dining room. We will be starting with Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. If this is successful and we are able to maintain social distancing during the service we shall then reintroduce hot meals to the older children in subsequent weeks.
Key information:
We will be providing a streamlined menu (see below)
Lunchtimes will be staggered
Children will eat together in their year group bubbles
Tables will be disinfected between year group sittings
*Note: Woodcroft will be offering the chicken option for sausages and roast dinners.
ISS, our school caterers, have produced a ‘back to school’ digital guide. It is aimed at parents, carers and pupils – this short e-booklet offers the reassurance that school lunches will continue to be prepared and served safely. To view the guide, click here …
As part of our phased reopening of school services we are planning to restart Breakfast Club from next week, Monday 21st September. Please be note that this will be a restricted service in order to maintain COVID19 safety.
Key details:
Places will be limited to 20 pupils. If demand exceeds capacity then priority will be given to key workers who have registered their status with the school (a link to the key registration form is available below.
Pupils will be seated on year group tables with other pupils from their own school bubble. Tables spaced out in 2 metre distances. They will not be allowed close contact with other pupils from different bubbles.
Pupils for breakfast will need to arrive at the main (middle) entrance between 8.00am and 8.15am and will be directed to the dining room. Pupils who arrive after 8.15am will not be allowed entry to the school until 8.30am and will be required to join the one way queue (this will be strictly adhered to). They will then be provided with a breakfast take out bag to eat in class.
At 8.30am pupils will go directly to class.
Pupils can only attend the breakfast club if they have booked before Friday afternoon of the previous week. We cannot accommodate late bookings.
A sample menu is provided below.
For registration please email on … office@woodcroft.barnetmail.net
This service is not currently available for Nursery or Reception pupils
Please note: this service is dependent on staff availability. If Breakfast Club staff are ill, or required to self isolate, we may need to suspend this provision at short notice.
Key Worker Registration:
If you qualify as a key worker please complete a registration form and return it to the school office.
We have been amazed by how well the children have settled back into school and adapted to the new routines. We would also like to thank every parent and carer for their patience and support this week.
We will not be sending out paper copies of the Weekly News but it is more important than ever to keep up to date with everything happening at Woodcroft. We have a bumper 5 page issue 386 to read this week. View the slideshow below or, for a PDF copy, click here: Woodcroft Weekly 386
Staffing and School Organisation for September 2020
As you can imagine, school organisation for September has been more complicated this year. We have also only been able to finalise planning following the recent distribution of Government Guidance. It must also be accepted that all planning is subject to change in response to any further developments.
The following plan has been created to achieve the following aims:
To ensure staff, pupils and parents are as safe as possible and that the school maintain the highest standards of COVID security
To support pupil and staff well-being when school opens fully
To maintain continuity of learning
This will be achieved by:
Ensuring staff are restricted to working in one year group
Retaining class teaching staff in the same year groups where possible facilitating immediate familiarity with the curriculum
Each year group will have a nominated senior teacher to provide integrated support and inbuilt cover release
Class Teacher Allocations
Nursery: Mrs Glass
Reception – RB: Mrs Brown and RP: Mrs Powell
Year 1 – 1A: Mrs Patel / Mrs Seth Smith and 1S: Miss Stewart
Year 2 – 2L: Miss Lloyd and 2M: Mr Mansour
Year 3 – 3H: Mr Hughes and 3J: Miss Hargreaves
Year 4 – 4B: Miss Bux and 4T: Mr Taylor
Year 5 – 5M: Miss Maynard and 5R: Mr Rees
Year 6 – 6G: Mr Guest and Mrs Gignac and 6J: Miss Jackson
Staffing Support September 2020
To maintain year group bubbles for COVID19 security and provide support and teacher cover we have allocated a senior teacher to each year group.
Year 6 – Mrs Federman
Year 5 – Mr Tallon
Year 4 – Mrs Valoti
Year 3 – Mr Russell
Year 2 – Mrs Caplan
Year 1 – Miss Blyth
Foundation Stage will be supported by our experienced qualified Nursery Nurses: Miss Finnegan, Miss Tolone and Miss Baker
School Timetable
Staggered entry 8.30am – 9.00am
Pupils can arrive at school between 8.30am and 9.00am and go directly into class. Families will follow the current one way system for drop off.
Lessons will start at 9.00am
Breaktimes
Pupils will have staggered break times within their year groups. They will not mix with other pupils.
Lunchtime
To begin with in September, pupils will eat a packed lunch in their classrooms. Either provided from home or by the school. We hope to reintroduce a hot meals service in a phased manner later in the term. Children will have staggered lunchtimes within their year groups and will not mix on the playground with other pupils.
End of the Day Collection between 3.00pm to 3.15pm
Lessons will finish at 3.00pm. Children who walk home from school will be dismissed at 3.00pm. Parents will be able to collect children between 3.00pm and 3.15pm. We have a marked queuing area at the front and back of school. We will then operate a one way system. Please watch the video here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11bcc2-2nQ5Jh_D4hC75XOZorXGDoe2uC/view?usp=sharing
Teachers have been asked not to talk at length with parents at the end of the day to avoid hold ups. We also ask that parents and carers leave the school promptly after pick-up to avoid congestion.
It is important to remember that we will expect all adults to maintain the social distance rule while on site.
The Woodcroft Learning Continuity Plan
We expect that there might be times when individuals, classes or even the whole school is asked to self-isolate. To overcome further disruption to learning we are developing a comprehensive learning plan.
Aims:
Enable seamless transition to online learning if a bubble or the school is required to self isolate.
Provide a consistent school offer for individual pupils who are required to self isolate.
Enable teachers to maintain ‘remote’ class teaching responsibility if they are required to self isolate.
Integrating the Google Platform into regular teaching practice.
Pupils become more independent with online learning.
All Families obtain appropriate technology (ideally a Chromebook) because it will be used weekly to support learning
What to expect online:
Weekly learning schedules published online in the class Google Classroom
Brain Builder activities will be published via Google Classroom and will include:
Online learning expectations e.g. Khan Academy / Prodigy / Time Tables etc
Topic based research linked to directed digital content and learning websites
Termly topics published online including essential knowledge, vocabulary lists, writing checklists, spellings, stories and videos
Other Important Information
Uniform
We return to wearing full uniform in September.
PE/Games
Our coaches will continue to provide 1 hour of PE per class. This will be mainly outside or in the main hall. They will remain socially distant from the pupils and thoroughly clean equipment between use.
Library Organisation
No staff or pupils will be able to visit the library this term. Each class will have a Library Book Box delivered each half term.
Breakfast Club
We hope to resume the 8.00am Breakfast Club from 21st September. Children will be seated within year group areas to maintain their bubbles.
Acorns After School Club
We hope to begin to run Acorns from 28th September. But this is subject to sufficient numbers of parents requesting the provision. We will need to maintain social distancing between pupils from different year groups so this planning is more complicated and will take place in September.
Extra Curricular Clubs
Teachers are not planning on restarting any extra curricular clubs during the first half term. However, we are currently looking at ways to restart clubs run by external coaches. However, this requires additional risk assessment that cannot be completed until September.
Other Things to Remember:
The office window will remain closed. Please email or call
Every child needs their own personal water bottle. They will take it home every day to wash and refill. All water fountains are turned off for safety reasons. We will not be able to supply water bottles if they forget to bring them.
Remember to provide your child with a personal pencil case to leave in school. See last week’sNewsletter Issue 385
Going Back to School
For children who have not yet returned to school since lockdown in March the following presentation may help families discuss any concerns …
click to view the slide show
School Risk Assessment and COVID19 Response Strategy
Staff and governors have carried out a series of risk assessments and associated planning based on the latest guidance to ensure the school’s safe opening in September. These documents are shared below – published 27/7/20.
