We've got to the end of the first week! Thank you all for your patience as we all get used to a new way of doing things. The children have settled in so well to the routines and procedures.
School Timings
As the dropping off and picking up has been going so much better the past few days, we are going to amend the timings so that they are not so spread out: this should help those parents with children in more than 1 year group as it will avoid too much waiting around. It also allows us to have a longer school day, closer to our usual timings. Each year group now has a 10 min slot, again to try and space out the number of people on site at the same time:
Year 1
Porchester Road Entrance
8.30 - 8.40
3.00 – 3.10
Year 2
Church Hall Entrance
8.30 – 8.40
3.00 – 3.10
Year 3
Porchester Road Entrance
8.40 – 8.50
3.10 – 3.20
Year 4
Church Hall Entrance
8.40 – 8.50
3.10 – 3.20
Year 5
Fort Road Entrance
8.40 – 8.50
3.10 – 3.20
Year 6
Fort Road Entrance
8.30 – 8.40
3.00 – 3.10
Foundation Stage (Reception) are at the original timings that you've already been sent and we will review at the end of the week.
Please also do remember to keep 2m away from each other while waiting - I know it is difficult to remember this all the time, especially when talking to each other, but it is one of the best protective measures you can take. You might also want to consider the use of face coverings if you feel people are getting too close to you.
Symptoms and Illness
As explained earlier in the week, we have to all watch out for the 3 main symptoms of coronavirus: high temperature, persistent cough, loss of taste or smell. If your child has any of these symptoms, it is quite possible that it is something else (a cold, flu etc), but we still need to follow the guidance and stay at home until a test has been done. Please let us know if your child has any of these symptoms and we will go through the guidance with you - you can call us or email us on support@st-patricks.southampton.sch.uk
Building Work
Our new mezzanine floor has been completed to a very high standard and provides us with 3 new rooms to use as well as a beautiful galleried library area. At the moment, we can't use it as a whole-school resource, because of the restrictions, but eventually we will set up our school library up there. More of our new fencing and gates have been installed over the summer, including new fencing around the playtrail and the church garden and final sections should be completed in October half-term.
And finally, fantastic news that we have secured a grant through the Diocese of £50,000 to resurface the playground! We will be investigating the various options with a view to the work being completed next summer, as it is likely to be a long job.
Fr Ross
Fr Ross led a virtual liturgy for the whole school earlier in the week and is now on leave, so we hope to see him again in a few weeks. We will continue to do our weekly collective worship with the whole school, but again this will be live-streamed to each class. The churches are open again for Sunday masses for limited numbers and you can book a place on the parish website. Attached are resources about this week's Mass in case you can't get to church.
Have a lovely weekend.
Best wishes,
Michael Lobo