Dear Parent/carers
I hope this finds you all well and looking forward to the start of a new academic year. The start of this year isn’t a normal start of term and life at MG will be different in many ways for the time being. For many of the children they have not been to school since the start of the close down and many will be feeling anxious as I expect many of you will be.
The information in this letter will hopefully ease some of those anxieties, but we need to be realistic that arrangements may change at any time. Please make sure that you regularly check the website for current information.
Changes to our normal routines
We will continue with extended soft start to the school day. On the south site gates will open between 8.25am – 8.55am and on the North 8.40am- 9.10am. Nursery doors will be open from 8.30 -9am on both sites and 12.45-1.15 for the afternoon session. We will be continuing with the one-way system in and out of the school. Please can I ask all parents to respect this and not try to ‘sneak’ back out the way they you came in. If possible, please leave your child at the gates and allow them to come in on their own as there will be plenty of staff on hand to show them where to go. Reception parents please bring your child to their classroom door, their teacher will be there waiting for them.
Reception 2020 parents should have received an email giving them their start date.
The entrances on the North are the Vehicular gate on Mission Grove Road and the green gates next to the Year 6 block. The exit is the pedestrian gates near the bus on Mission Grove Road. Nursery parents will still use the Buxton Road entrance. On the South all 3 gates will be used with signs stating which are in and out. The one-way system will continue at the end of the day, which will be staggered.
Timings for end of school
|
Year Group
|
South Site
|
North Site
|
Place
|
|
Nursery AM
|
11.30-11.50
|
11.30-11.50
|
Nursery door
|
|
Nursery PM
|
3.30-3.50
|
3.30-3.50
|
Nursery door
|
|
Reception
|
3.00pm-3.10
|
3.10-3.20
|
Classroom doors
|
|
Year 1 & 2
|
3.00 – 3.10
|
3.10-3.20
|
Main playground
|
|
Year 3 & 4
|
3.10- 3.15
|
3.10-3.20
|
Main playground except year 4 North under canopy in little playground with bus.
|
|
Year 5 & 6
|
3.15
|
3.20-3.30
|
Main playground except year 6 North from the year 6 block-external doors downstairs, front doors for upstairs classes
|
If possible, please ensure that only one adult brings and collects your child. If you have more than one child at school you will be able to collect your children at the later time to prevent anyone having to make unnecessary journeys or waiting around. We want to try to keep the amount of people in the playgrounds at the start and the end of the day to a minimum. Please do not try to stop and chat to staff, you can either make an appointment or contact them through the year group emails.
It is essential that all parents respect the times and safer distancing. The offices will remain closed to all parents unless you have an appointment, which can be made by calling or emailing office@missiongrove.org.uk. Breakfast and After School Club will run as normal. If you still need to apply for a place please download the application form from the website or email parentpay@missiongrove.or.uk requesting a booking form and return your completed form to the same address.
During the school day
- There will be no trips or enrichment happening in the Autumn term.
- Children will be taught in their own classes, of normal size. All desks will be front facing.
- Every child will have their own stationery pack, which is labelled.
- Children will be required to wash their hands on a regular basis.
- Playtimes will be staggered for each year group.
- Lunches will be staggered per year group with the tables and chairs cleaned between use.
- We have few corridors in school, but stairs on both sites that will be allocated to classes.
- There will be no daily assemblies, but rewards will be handed out in class.
- We will still hold class assemblies with audience of only 2 people per child and no other classes as we normally do.
- Lessons will be shorter, followed by 5-minute stretches, exercise or mindfulness activities.
- We will try to keep children in year group bubbles. School staff (including visiting staff such as Richard the music teacher and the Speech & Language therapist) may work across any class or year group, though this will be kept to a minimum.
- Children will have designated PE days, when they can come in their PE kit as normal. Additionally, they will have daily fitness activities, therefore appropriate footwear is necessary.
- Lessons will be planned and taught in our outdoor areas.
- The outdoor equipment will be used on a rota basis.
- We will try and run some activity clubs after school, they will be limited to one-year group per club, so there will not be the variety that we have had in the past.
- Parent consultations will happen via phone calls or microsoft teams meetings the week beginning 28thSeptember.
- Each child will have their own labelled water bottle, that will be sterilised daily.
Help children prepare emotionally for coming back
It has been six months since many children have been in a classroom, and it will be a huge transition. Children will have been used to spending time at home, with parents and perhaps with lots of screen time and not the structure of a school day. To ensure that we welcome the children back in a calm, confident and happy way we need to work together.
Some children will have a mixture of feelings- excitement, worry, nerves and happiness and not all of them will have the skills to process these emotions. If you can ask your children how they are feeling and reassure them that is normal to have mixed feelings. Get your child to write a list with you of things that they enjoyed at school before lock down. This may just be seeing their friends or playtimes, which is ok, remind them that this will happen again.
Check in with them daily about how they are feeling as we will be at school. You will be feeling anxious too, and need to try and not project this on to your child. Contact the school via email or calling the office. On our website we have a dedicated section for mental health and well being under the learning tab. There are resources and guidance here.
The plan is to post another short film on the website, showing you the entrances, exits and what classrooms will look like. We will keep you regularly updated if arrangements change, but this maybe with very short notice. Whatever we do we will always ensure the safety and wellbeing for all at MG. We look forward to seeing you all back on Monday 7thSeptember.
