Stay safe over half term
Dear parent/carer
As we reach half term (school closes for half term Friday 12th February at the usual staggered times and reopens Monday 22nd February at the usual staggered times) we wanted to thank all those of you who have either supported us in school by following our safety measures if your child is still attending, or supported us by ensuring your child engages with our remote learning.
At this time, school closure are still set to continue until 8th March at the earliest. We do not have any more information than you do on this and our knowledge in schools is the same as yours. We don’t get any pre-warning of what is planned. We hear the messages at the same time as you.
We all hope for a return to full school opening as soon as is safely possible. The key word there is safe. Like us, you may well long for that time to come when places reopen, we can book a holiday, eat out (and maybe have a drink in the pub). We can only do that when it is safe.
As school closes for half term, please remember the national lockdown guidance, and in some cases law. These are all set out at here and are crucial in all of us seeing an end to the restrictions we have been living under for almost twelve months.
Our measures across school remain in place and when we start back 22nd February this continues to be only for vulnerable children and children of parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and EU transition response. This guidance states that parents and carers should keep their children at home if they can even when they come under these definitions and we thank you for supporting this. We want school to reopen, we understand it is hard to balance work and remote learning, we know that the children need to see their friends. We can’t let our efforts fall off now though, so please keep going, you are doing an outstanding job.
These are the most unusual and different times for many generations, and we are all doing an amazing job in keeping going for each other.
For those of you accessing school, please remember that the routes around school are still needed and staggered times are still in place. We still need to wear a face covering on school grounds and we need to distance. All little things that minimise risk and ease everyone’s concerns.
While it may be that the children from a variety of households are mixing in school, this doesn’t make it alright for them to mix elsewhere. We have measures and a risk assessment in place at school to minimise risk. The reason schools are partially closed is to limit the number of contacts people make. Please make sure you do this, not because we want to judge you or be cross at you but because we want you and your household to be safe and stay safe.
Please, for your safety and the safety of those around you, think carefully about your actions.
For many this virus is a mild illness, but we know our hospitals are busy with people where it is isn’t. For many you may never experience symptoms, but for others they have lost loved ones to this virus. We can’t live in fear, but we can take measures to stay safe, please do.
Take care over half term, ensure you take responsibility for your safety and being the role model to your children in how to keep you, them, and your family safe. That is what we have to do as parents and carers, remember your children look to you as their role model.
Take care, Mr Hanley, Mr Boulton and all the staff at Plantation.