Dear Parents/Carers,

Firstly, can I thank you all for your tremendous support this term. It has been a real challenge but we have had a successful 2 terms in school, keeping as safe as possible. I think everybody now deserves a happy and peaceful Christmas. 

Online Christmas Messages

All classes have taken part in a performance of a special Christmas poem this week. This was watched by the whole school community this afternoon and can now be soon on our Facebook page.

We also shared with children a special Christmas message from Fr Michael which can also be viewed on Facebook.

This will be shared online for all we will share details next week.

A thanks to Mr Purser and Jazleen in Year 6 for doing such a good job editing the video together.

An Important Reminder - Plans for Christmas Holidays Track and Trace

Over the first 6 days of the school holiday the school is required to track and trace COVID close contacts, in the case of a positive case being reported. If this happens, it is expected every person in each class will be identified as a close contact and advised to self isolate. We have a dedicated telephone number so you can text us if:

• Your child has COVID symptoms and has been tested
• Your child has received their result - positive or negative

When you text, can you inform us of your child's name and class, details of symptoms (including when they started) and time and venue of the test. It is likely that I will then phone families back to ensure I have all relevant information.

In the unfortunate event of a confirmed case, I will inform all families in their class ‘bubble’ the DfE advice for self-isolation, which is expected to be that everybody in that class ‘bubble’ would have to isolate for 10 days. We have been incredibly careful in school and very much hope that this does not happen and upset everybody’s Christmas plans.

The dedicated telephone number is 07596 820850 - it should only be used to text suspected or confirmed COVID cases.

Nursery Opening

Our new nursery class opens after the school holiday. We are very excited to welcome these new children and many new families into our school community. I know you will all make them all feel happy and at home in our school.

Christmas Hampers

We have been very pleased to distribute a number of Christmas hampers to families in our school community.

Can I say thank you to Julie Mackie from the Cater Road Cafe in Hartcliffe, for their donations as well ast St Brendan’s Sixth Form College for their generous donations.

The Cater Road Cafe is open for deliveries during lockdown (Postcode - Bs13 7TT, Telephone - 07852 589340).

Also a big thank you to Miss Channing for taking the hampers to homes. 

Headteacher’s Awards (which were awarded this week)

Reception - 

• Gloria - trying hard in literacy and RE to write about advent and form her letters. 

Year 1 -  

• Tyron - for always setting a great example to others by being kind, polite and showing he is ready to learn in class. 
• Braydon - for working tremendously hard on his blending in phonics and showing enthusiasm for reading. 

Year 2 - 

• Kian - For making a good start to our school by demonstrating his enthusiastic approach to answering questions in maths.  

Year 5 -  

• Deniro - for his enthusiasm for his learning this week. 
• Frankie - for searching for his maths book 1 to support a question in his maths book 2.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week: 

• Year 2 with 97% attendance.
• Year 5 with 99% attendance
• Year 6 with 97% attendance.

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way).

Dates for Diaries

Start of Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021

End of Term 3 - Friday 12 February 2021.

Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.

Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.

Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Plans for Christmas Holidays Track and Trace

Over the first 6 days of the school holiday the school is required to track and trace COVID close contacts, in the case of a positive case being reported. If this happens, it is expected every person in each class will be identified as a close contact and advised to self isolate. We have a dedicated telephone number so you can text us if:

• Your child has COVID symptoms and has been tested
• Your child has received their result - positive or negative

When you text, can you inform us of your child's name and class, details of symptoms (including when they started) and time and venue of the test. It is likely that I will then phone families back to ensure I have all relevant information.

In the unfortunate event of a confirmed case, I will inform all families in their class ‘bubble’ the DfE advice for self-isolation, which is expected to be that everybody in that class ‘bubble’ would have to to isolate for 10 days. We have been incredibly careful in school and very much hope that this does not happen and upset everybody’s Christmas plans.

The dedicated telephone number is 07596 820850 - it should only be used to text suspected or confirmed COVID cases.

Many thanks  

Mr Condon

Dear Parents/Carers,

Firstly a reminder that our last day of term remains Friday 18th December. We are all looking forward to a safe and happy Christmas week in school. 

Updated Guidance on Home Learning

In the case of isolation, updated guidance now states that children should be expected to work online at home for 3 hours each day.

COVID - Changes to National Self Isolation Guidance

On Monday 14 December, the change to the isolation period for contacts will apply to all those who are currently self-isolating including those who commenced self-isolation before Monday.

Self-isolation periods will begin on the day after exposure, a test or the start of symptoms.

The NHS Test and Trace service will tell people to self-isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days from Monday.

The passenger locator form will be updated from Monday.

Due to the time taken to test technical changes and release updates through the app store, the NHS COVID-19 app will tell close contacts to isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days from Thursday 17 December.

In England, if you receive a notification from the NHS COVID-19 app before 17 December to isolate because you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

• if you have also been contacted by NHS Test and Trace you must follow isolation guidance provided by contact tracers
• if you have been advised to isolate by the app (and not by NHS Test and Trace) then you can leave isolation when your isolation countdown timer says 3 days

COVID - Christmas Holidays Track and Trace

Over the first 6 days of the school holiday, the school is required to track and trace COVID close contacts, in the case of a positive case being reported. If this happens, it is expected every person in each class will be identified as a close contact and advised to self isolate. We will share more information about this next week.

COVID - School Guidance

To make the school as safe as possible - if any member of the family, that lives in your home, has suspected COVID symptoms, can you please keep all children in the family at home - and phone the school for further advice. 

COVID - Isolation

As you will all know if there is a confirmed care of COVID in a class, close contacts will be directed to self isolate; this may often be the whole class. Can we remind you all that isolation means NOT LEAVING YOUR HOME, otherwise you could be putting others at risk. 

Online Christmas Celebrations

Daily Advent Messages on Facebook

Each school day during Advent, children from different classes will be posting video messages on Facebook. This week messages have been shared from Years 4, 5 and 6 and have focussed on the theme of Hope, which is represented in the first candle of the Advent Wreath. Next week's messages will be focussing on the theme of Faith, which is represented in the second candle. 

Online Christmas Service

All classes will be involved in an online Christmas celebration next week. This will be shared online and we will share details next week.

Attendance Reminder

Can I remind you all that although we are doing our best to safely manage the school during this pandemic, school attendance remains compulsory. Generally an absence will only be agreed if the child is ill, if there are exceptional circumstances, and now also for statutory reasons in relation to COVID-19.

Where attendance is a concern, we will take further action which may include a referral to the Education Welfare Service and/or the issue of penalty notices.

Free School meals

If you think your circumstances have changed or you have been affected by Covid 19 and you think you may be able to claim for Free School Meals, then please go to the Bristol City Council website and apply.   You can also telephone school for a form. 

Vacancy for School Cleaner

We have a vacancy for a school cleaner starting on the 4th January 2021, if you would be interested in the position please contact the school office.  Hours for the vacancy are Monday to Friday 3.30pm to 5.30pm with some work required during the school holidays.

Christmas Lunch

Due to COVID restrictions, we are having an alternative Christmas lunch this year. We will be combining our festive lunch with Christmas Jumper Day and the children can wear a Christmas top of their choice for the day.

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way).

Dates for Diaries

End of Term 2 - Friday 18 December 2020.

Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.

Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.

Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.

Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

A Reminder - INSET Day (School Closed)

A reminder that the school is closed next Friday (Friday 11th December) for a staff training day.

Daily Advent Messages on Facebook

Each school day during Advent, children from different classes will be posting video messages on Facebook. This week messages have been shared from Years 4, 5 and 6 and have focused on the theme of Hope, which is represented in the first candle of the Advent Wreath. Next weeks messages will be focusing on the theme of Faith, which is represented in the second candle. 

COVID Guidance

To make the school as safe as possible - if any member of the family, that lives in your home, has suspected COVID symptoms, can you please keep all children in the family at home - and phone the school for further advice. 

Home learning in Year 1

A big thank you to the parents, teachers and teaching assistants in Year 1 for such a tremendous effort with their home learning during their isolation period.

Isolation Guidance

As you will all know if there is a confirmed care of COVID in a class, close contacts will be directed to self isolate; this may often be the whole class. Our Year 1 class recently had to isolate for 10 days due to such a case. On returning, a number of children have commented on places they went during their isolation days.

Can we remind you all that isolation means NOT LEAVING YOUR HOME, otherwise you could be putting others at risk. 

Attendance Reminder

Can I remind you all that although we are doing our best to safely manage the school during this pandemic, school attendance remains compulsory. Generally an absence will only be agreed if the child is ill, if there are exceptional circumstances, and now also for statutory reasons in relation to COVID-19.

Where attendance is a concern, we will take further action which may include a referral to the Education Welfare Service and/or the issue of penalty notices.

Face Masks

To help us keep the school environment as safe as possible, can I again request that parents and carers wear face masks when dropping off or collecting children from school. Thanks again for your support. 

Children in Need Donations

Thank you to all who donated money for Children in Need this Year - we raised a grand total of: £128.13!

Free School meals

If you think your circumstances have changed or you have been affected by Covid 19 and you think you may be able to claim for Free School Meals, then please go to the Bristol City Council website and apply.   You can also telephone school for a form. 

Vacancy for School Cleaner

We have a vacancy for a school cleaner starting on the 4th January 2021, if you would be interested in the position please contact the school office.  Hours for the vacancy are Monday to Friday 3.30pm to 5.30pm with some work required during the school holidays.

Vacancy for Nursery School Meal Supervisory Assistant Role

Would you be interested in a role supporting and supervising children at lunchtime in our new nursery? If so please let the school office know and we will let you know more about the role and hope to apply.

Christmas Lunch

Due to COVID restrictions, we are having an alternative Christmas lunch this year. We will be combining our festive lunch with Christmas Jumper Day and the children can wear a Christmas top of their choice for the day.

Home Learning

As an increasing number of children are off school, due to COVID symptoms or related issues, we have reintroduced online learning. We are hoping that in most classes this will be through Google Classroom.

Can I confirm that all children who are absent from school, but are not unwell, are expected to engage in home learning activities. Generally, children should be expected to work online at home for 2-3 hours each day. Online lessons consist of English, Maths, Topic work and reading. We appreciate and thank you for your continued support. 

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

• Reception with a fantastic 99% attendance.
• Year 2 with 97% attendance.
• Year 3 with 98% attendance.

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• Lily for doing independent learning through her writing at home and for using her learnt sounds and sound buttons. Well done Lily for setting a fantastic example to the rest of the class. 

Year 1 -  

• Harper G - for her super recount writing - great job! 

Year 2 - 

• Alfie - for exploring his own ideas creatively when making his Christmas stocking.
• Roxy - for being absorbed in her reading and demonstrating how well she is doing through our reading comprehension results. 

Year 3 -  

• Sofia- For showing perseverance with her maths work and not giving up when things are difficult
• Grace- For independently producing a fantastic and imaginative story using fronted adverbials and relative clauses. I was blown away! 

Year 4 -

• Anta - For connecting with the class and completing all of her whilst at home for the last week 

Year 5 -  

• Alexander -  for being a superb team  player and stepping forward to represent the class on the video Advent calendar.
• Chris - for writing a friendly story and making us laugh.

Year 6 

• Stephanie - for absolutely amazing notes in Phase of our reading sequence. You adapted and updated your notes, as your understanding developed - well done!

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way).

Dates for Diaries

INSET (staff training) day - Friday 11th December.

End of Term 2 - Friday 18 December 2020.

Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.

Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.

Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.

Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Christmas Lunch

Due to COVID restrictions, we are having an alternative Christmas lunch this year:

Home Learning

As an increasing number of children are off school, due to COVID symptoms or related issues, we have reintroduced online learning. We are hoping that in most classes this will be through Google Classroom and Year 1 are currently using this really well at home (as you can see below).

Can I confirm that all children who are absent from school, but are not unwell, are expected to engage in home learning activities. Generally, children should be expected to work online at home for 2-3 hours each day. Online lessons consist of English, Maths, Topic work and reading. We appreciate and thank you for your continued support. 

Year 1 Home Learning

Well done to all the children in year 1 for engaging with the home learning tasks that have been set. It has been great that so many children have accessed google classroom, the outcome has been far better than we anticipated. It has been a lovely way for children to keep in contact with one another and their teachers while continuing their learning at home. Thank you to parents for supporting your children with this!

Menu Change

Due to very low demand we will be taking Jacket potato with tuna off the menu and replacing it with jacket potato with cheese from Monday.

Nursery School Meal Supervisory Assistant Role

Would you be interested in a role supporting and supervising children at lunchtime in our new nursery? If so please let the school office know and we will let you know more about the role and hope to apply.

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

• Reception = 98%

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• Jenson - for always being a kind and supportive friend, particularly when walking down the corridor. Well done for setting such a good example.

Year 1 -  

• Lily B, Kamil, Harper G, Zuzanna, Phoebe, Lily R, - for their fantastic effort and super contributions to the home learning tasks.

Year 2 - 

• Amber Lane - For excellent ideas of her own when designing a Christmas Stocking in Design and technology.
• Filip - For working independently and using excellent vocabulary when innovating our class story.  

Year 3 -  

• Jenson- For being resilient and trying new things in his new class. A fantastic start! 
• Couture- For independently completing all of her home learning on Google Classroom to a brilliant standard and sharing her learning with others. 

Year 4 -

• Harley B- for being an active learner; Harley engages in class discussions, shows initiative with his learning and practises his timetables at home.

Year 5 -  

• Miley - for being willing to try out new things and seeing things through in all lessons.
• Reggie - for being so keen to learn and for setting a brilliant example of how to use his independent learning folder.

Year 6 

• Rubyleigh - for an amazing boost of independent learning. 
• Kristen - for leading our whole collective worship on love.
• Jazleen, Gabriel & Freddie - for exceptionally high scores in their maths tests. 

Well done to everyone!

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way). .

Dates for Diaries

INSET (staff training) day - Friday 20th November.

INSET (staff training) day - Friday 11th December.

End of Term 2 - Friday 18 December 2020.

Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.

Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.

Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.

Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

General letter regarding COVID case, to all school students/parents/guardians and staff

Dear Parents, carers and staff.

We have been made aware of a member of our school community who have tested positive for COVID 19. 

We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

The small number of children who have been in close contact with the individual who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) have received a letter informing them that their child must stay at home for 14 days. 

The school remains open and your child should continue to attend as normal if they remain well.

What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19 

If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.  

All other household members who remain well, must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.

Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection 

The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.

Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home. 

If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.

Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community

If you are able, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/. If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://111.nhs.uk/ or by phoning 111.

How to stop COVID-19 spreading

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19

Do

• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds 
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• wash your hands as soon as you get home
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

Further Information

Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers,

As many of you would have heard on social media, yesterday evening, we were informed of a confirmed COVID case in Year 1. To clarify, this is the only confirmed COVID case that was reported yesterday - other children have been tested and negative results have been confirmed. 

As always, we have informed the Department for Education, who have provided public health advice as well as assessing risks and directing the school on how to respond.

The advice is clear that action is only required in Year 1, where the positive case has been confirmed. This is because children and staff in this class may have been in contact with a child who was infectious at the time - this is not the case in other classes. I am also aware that it has been reported on social media that there are multiple COVID cases in certain classes - can I assure you all that this is not the case and if it were, we would immediately follow public health guidance.  

This is the second confirmed case of a child with COVID in our school. The first had been self isolating away from school for a significant number of days, before any symptoms occurred or a test taken. Public health advice was clear that there was not a risk of infection because the child was away from school during any possible infection period. Current public health advice states,  ‘The time when people who have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) are infectious to others is from 2 days before the onset of symptoms to 10 days afterwards (or from 2 days prior to the date of their test to 10 days afterwards if they have had no symptoms)’

I will be sharing information soon with staff, parents and carers of children in Year 1 of what precautionary measures we will be taking - closely following public health advice. There will also be a public health letter to be shared with the whole school that will be shared later.

We expect to see all other classes in on Monday as normal.

These are difficult and stressful times but please rest assured that we will always take action wherever there are concerns, following public health advice.

Kind regards

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

INSET

A reminder that next Friday (20th November) the school is closed for an INSET Day.

Parking on Pavement

To keep everybody safe, it is very important that we drive and park safely. Can we ask everybody to park on the road, not the pavement, even if it means parking a bit further down the road. Together we can make sure our children are safe.

School Dinners

As we have an INSET day next Friday 20th November, it will be ‘Fish finger Thursday’ on the 19th instead!

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• Zac - for growing in confidence working towards some of his goals this term including managing his self-care. 

Year 1 -  

• Flynn - For concentrating and persevering with his art work to create a wonderful Pudsey picture.
• Frankie - For trying new things by confidently using the chromebooks to access google classroom and helping her friends log on.

Year 2 - 

• Liliana - For understanding the importance of keeping our mind and body healthy.
• Jenson - For being aware of how we are feeling and discussing ways of keeping our mind and body healthy.

Year 3 -  

• Antony- For trying new things and joining in with our Joe Wick’s morning energiser with great enthusiasm.
• Ellis- For politely asking a partner for help in maths and listening carefully to learn from them and develop his understanding. 

Year 4 -

• Maisie - For thinking deeply about her writing and including the grammar features that were learnt throughout the week including embedded relative clauses! 

Year 5 -  

• Emily W for being resilient and diligent with her home-learning.
• Adi for taking ownership of his own learning space and organising himself effectively.

Year 6 -

• Jenson & Isabel - for resilience and perseverance to be successful with their 3 by 2 digit multiplication - well done!

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way). .

Dates for Diaries

• INSET (staff training) day - Friday 20th November.
• INSET (staff training) day - Friday 11th December.
• End of Term 2 - Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Holiday Food Help

Over the holiday Miss Channing was contacted by Julie Mackie from the Cater Road Cafe in Hartcliffe, offering donations of holiday packed lunches. Miss Channing and Miss Roberts worked with Mrs Selway to organise the donations and Mrs Selway made deliveries of the packed lunches each day to a number of families in our community.

I had no idea that this act of generosity and kindness had taken place until we returned and so wanted to share an extra special thanks to all involved. I know that the families receiving these lunches really appreciated them. 

The Cater Road Cafe is open for deliveries during lockdown (Postcode - Bs13 7TT, Telephone - 07852 589340)

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Remembrance Day

Sadly, due COVID, we will not be selling poppies in school next week. However, it is important that we recognise Remembrance Day on Wednesday 11th November. On that day children can wear poppies into school if they have then and offer a voluntary donation of £1 if it can be afforded. Year 6 will be leading a special online reflection just before 11am when the whole school will spend 2 minutes in silence.

Children in Need

Next week we are getting involved with Children in Need every day. Each day children will be doing activities focussing on making each class feel healthy and happier. We know things have been tough recently, so this year Children in Need are making children’s mental wellbeing our number one priority.

The week will end on Friday with a special Children in Need non-uniform day where children can bring in a £1 voluntary donation. 

Parenting tip of the week 

Help to regulate your child by asking them questions. 

When your child tells you about a problem in school, however small it may be, ask them: Is it a big problem or a small problem? 

What did you do about it? Who did you speak to? what could you do next time? 

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• George and Jackson for making an amazing start to the new term during their first week back, including their learnt knowledge of phonic sounds! 

Year 1 -  

• Damian - for making a great start since joining CTK and wowing his teachers with his Autumn writing!
• Matheo - for making amazing progress with his reading. We enjoyed listening to him share his books with us. 

Year 2 -

• Victor - For being an enthusiastic scientist when investigating waterproof materials.

Year 3 -  

• Frankie- For showing resilience and greater understanding when using column addition. 
• Ella- For being a curious and enthusiastic learner in our science lesson and completing extra work at home linking to our work on pollination.

Year 4 -

• Ralphie - For showing perseverance when using the inverse to check his subtraction calculations. This is not an easy skill and Ralphie kept trying and trying, until he had success!  

Year 5 -  

• Chris Kamga - for always working as a team, doing his best and being honest. 
• Cody - for showing empathy to others when things weren’t going so well for them. 

Year 6 

• Lexi - for responding well to verbal feedback to improve her writing to entertain.
• Marta - for her positive attitude towards her work and reflecting on ways to improve. 

Phonics Check

The phonic check will take place for year 2 pupils this term.

Refurbished Laptops

We are hoping to refurbish some older school laptops so they can be given to families to help with home learning. If you are interested in having a refurbished laptop, please contact the school office.

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way). 

Parents Guide to Google Classroom

Now all children in Year 3-6 are using Google Classroom, it is a really good time for parents and carers to learn more about how it works. A very useful guide can be found on the school website or by following the following link:

ctk.education/www/home-learning/parents-guide-to-google-classroom

Parents Evenings

This term, we will be holding a telephone Parents’ Evening. This will be an opportunity, for you and your child’s teacher, to discuss your child’s start to the new school year.

The remaining appointment dates are:

• Monday 9th November to Thursday 12th November

For each day, 10 minute appointments will be allocated at: 3:30pm, 3:45pm, 4:00pm & 4:15pm. Thank you to those who have already made an appointment. If you are yet to make an appointment, please get in touch with the school office.

Secondary school applications

A reminder to all of our Year 6 parents - The closing date for Secondary school place applications was the 31st October. If you would like support to complete your application please contact the school office - Mrs Selway or Mrs Jordan would be happy to support you.

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School – Virtual Open Day

As the Catholic partner secondary school of Christ the King, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School, is hosting a Virtual Open Day, so that prospective pupils and parents can learn more about the school, which has been judged to be an ‘outstanding Catholic school’.

Please visit our school website https://www.stberns.bristol.sch.uk and click on Open Day, where you can watch films of the pupils and staff and access a range of information about our vibrant and ambitious school. Any enquiries can be directed to info@stberns.bristol.sch.uk.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

• Reception with 98% attendance
• Year 1 with 98% attendance
• Year 3 with 98% attendance
• Year 5 with 97% attendance
• Year 6 with a fantastic 99% attendance!

Dates for Diaries

• INSET (staff training) day - Friday 20th November.
• INSET (staff training) day - Friday 11th December.
• End of Term 2 - Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021.  

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

A special newsletter from Clifton Diocese Director of Schools and Colleges, Colleen Collett

Dear Parent/Carer

I am writing as the Director for Catholic Schools and Colleges in Clifton Diocese to express my thanks to your school community for the work that they and you, as part of that community, are doing to support each other during these very challenging times.

You will have returned from a mid-term break which was not perhaps spent doing  things with your families that you would normally do – go on holiday, visit family in other parts of the country, share childminding etc. – however, I hope it enabled you to recharge your batteries for the next phase of the term and the uncertain months ahead.

I do not need to say how difficult and strange these times are for all but as the Director of our Catholic schools I would wish to reassure you that the leaders, and their staff are working tirelessly to ensure that the education of your child is not unnecessarily disrupted and that their experience in school is as productive and enjoyable as possible given the restrictions that have to be adhered to.  The restrictions that each individual school places on both the students and you are there for the safety of everyone; and to ensure that the school can remain open and in operation throughout the twists and turns of this pandemic.  School leaders must comply with government directives and are under unceasing scrutiny to ensure they do so.  Both Ofsted and Health and Safety executives undertake spot check visits and phone calls to ensure the risk assessments of the schools are fit for purpose and in line with current statutory advice and guidance.  This will continue for the unforeseeable future and will undoubtedly impact upon any forthcoming events like the usual Christmas celebrations of carol services, plays, Christmas lunches.  Restrictions on singing, the sharing of resources, the mixing of bubbles etc will impact severely on those key events that would normally occur.  As Director therefore, I would ask that you continue to be supportive and patient with your school leaders and staff during the forthcoming months. I am sure they will continue to communicate with you as and when they are able to.

As Catholic schools a holistic approach to education has and remains at the forefront of the work that is undertaken. The value of quiet moments in the day for prayer, reflection or a means to alleviate stress or anxiety remains central to the life of our schools.  As a diocese we endeavour to support our schools with the provision of this through resources and training.  Again, each schools’ approach to being able to hold a Mass or liturgy with pupils and parents will be determined by the priest and the school situation.  However, I know through their websites and talking to heads, schools continue to provide on-line opportunities for spiritual development of the faith and for personal well-being.

As the Bishop’s representative for his Schools and Colleges I am immensely proud of our schools, but specifically at this moment in time when they have put into practice the mission of the Church which is to work for the common good and serve the vulnerable.  We are all vulnerable currently in different ways and the need for support of one another and collaboration is vital to us all getting through this. 

Once again thank you and the pupils for your contributions to Catholic education. 

Yours sincerely,

Colleen Collett 

Director for Schools and Colleges

 Dear Parents/Carers,

You will have noticed lots in the news about providing food for families over this holiday. Our friends at Fareshare have shared the following information which I hope will be of help:

Vouchers from the council will be available to collect locally or by calling the #WeAreBristol helpline 0800 694 0184. More detail and applications at http://bristol.gov.uk/foodvouchers

https://www.kidsmealsmap.co.uk/ - for children in need of food

https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/food-service-for-individuals/ - individuals and adults in need of food

Food map of Bristol - https://bcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=14133b698ce24212bd100953a303ab65

We hope this helps and we will see you all next week.

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Filwood Fantastic Stay at Home Lantern Parade

This year the Lantern Parade will be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home. Join us for the 'Filwood Fantastic Stay at Home Lantern Parade'. Look out your window between 6pm and 7pm on Thursday 29th October. The parade will be travelling down Barnstaple Road, Filwood Broadway, Hartcliffe Road, Padstow Road, Newquay Road, Ilminster Avenue, Melvin Square, Leinster Avenue and Broadbury Road. Have a look for the wonderful lanterns made by Year 3 and the brilliant lanterns that were made at home. You can also watch the parade online by watching the facebook live stream on the Walk of Hearts and Stars Facebook page. 

For more information on the Lantern Project, please visit the Walk of Hearts and Stars Facebook page.

Refurbished Laptops

We are hoping to refurbish some older school laptops so they can be given to families to help with home learning. If you are interested in having a refurbished laptop, please contact the school office after the holiday.

Tip of the week

Please remember to put your clocks back an hour this weekend, this means darker nights and statistics tell us that road traffic accidents increase by 20% for two weeks following a time change. 

Past Pupil Success

We have heard a piece of very good news about a past pupil. 

Samantha Payne has been awarded an MBE in the 2020 Queen’s honours list. She is co-founder of a company that designs bionic arms for amputees called Open Bionics. 

Here is a link that tells her inspirational story:

https://www.bristolroboticslab.com/open-bionics-founders-awarded-mbes

Another Update - Bad Weather and Start and End of Day Procedures

We are doing our absolute best to manage children coming into school safely at the start of the school day. To do this children need to come into school in their class bubbles supervised by a member of staff. This is however becoming increasingly difficult to manage, especially when it is raining.

We can only manage this safely if children arrive at school on time - not too early or late. Children who do not arrive on time will have to wait until an adult can safely supervise them coming into school. If children are on time then they will be quickly escorted into school, otherwise they may have to wait.

Here is a reminder of all start and end of day times:

School Hot Lunches

We will be reintroducing school hot lunches from Monday 2nd November.  Drinks will not be provided so please continue to send your child with a drinks bottle, thank you. The menu will be as follows:-

There will no longer be any PACKED LUNCHES prepared.

If you pay for hot lunches then please make payment via the school gateway payment app.

The cost of school meals will increase to £2.25 from 2nd November

A Message from the Parish - regarding First Holy Communion

We just want the parents to know that we haven’t forgotten about those who were supposed to receive First Communion last summer. Unfortunately  we cannot make any arrangements due to the COVID pandemic. We will let you know as soon as it is possible to go ahead.

We will also let you know when it is possible to start preparations for the next group of children, who would normally be receiving their First Holy Communion this year.

Food Parcels

Each week we get food delivered to school that we are able to distribute to help families in our community. We never know what food will come and often, due to ‘use by’ dates need to be distributed very quickly.

If you would like to be added to the list to receive food parcels please call the school office and we will contact you when parcels are available.

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way). 

Parents Guide to Google Classroom

Now all children in Year 3-6 are using Google Classroom, it is a really good time for parents and carers to learn more about how it works. A very useful guide can be found on the school website or by following the following link:

ctk.education/www/home-learning/parents-guide-to-google-classroom

Information for all Parents

All parents who hold parental responsibility are entitled to receive information about their child. This includes parents who do not live with their children. If, as a parent, you do not currently receive appropriate texts, letters, reports and invites to parent’s evening, please contact the school office.

Parents Evenings

This term, we will be holding a telephone Parents’ Evening. This will be an opportunity, for you and your child’s teacher, to discuss your child’s start to the new school year.

The appointment dates are:

• Monday 2nd November to Thursday 5th November
• Monday 9th November to Thursday 12th November

For each day, 10 minute appointments will be allocated at: 3:30pm, 3:45pm, 4:00pm & 4:15pm. Thank you to those who have already made an appointment. If you are yet to make an appointment, please get in touch with the school office.

Chill Time Club

We can currently offer limited after school care for working parents. Activities are more limited than normal, as children cannot mix with those from other classes.

To book please call the school office by 12pm and pay on the school gateway app. 

Class Emails - keeping in touch

We are reintroducing the class emails, so if there is a concern you can more easily contact the class teacher. The class emails are:

• reception@ctk.education
• year.1@ctk.education
• year.2@ctk.education
• year.3@ctk.education
• year.4@ctk.education
• year.5@ctk.education
• year.6@ctk.education
• LH.2@ctk.education (for Learning Hub)

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Update on INSET Days - School Closed

Our next INSET (staff training) day is on Friday 20th November. We also have one on Friday 11th December. There will be 3 more INSET days later this school year.

Secondary school applications

A reminder to all of our Year 6 parents - The closing date for Secondary school place applications is the 31st October. If you would like support to complete your application please contact the school office - Mrs Selway or Mrs Jordan would be happy to support you.

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School – Virtual Open Day

As the Catholic partner secondary school of Christ the King, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School, is hosting a Virtual Open Day, so that prospective pupils and parents can learn more about the school, which has been judged to be an ‘outstanding Catholic school’.

Please visit our school website https://www.stberns.bristol.sch.ukand click on Open Day, where you can watch films of the pupils and staff and access a range of information about our vibrant and ambitious school. Any enquiries can be directed to info@stberns.bristol.sch.uk.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

• Year 3 with 97% attendance.
• Year 5 with 97% attendance.
• Year 6 with 98% attendance.

Overall is term 1 we had a positive attendance of 96%. Well done everybody.

Dates for Diaries

• End of Term 1 - Friday 23 October 2020.
• Start of Term 2    - Monday 2 November 2020
• INSET (staff training) day - Friday 20th November.
• INSET (staff training) day - Friday 11th December.
• End of Term 2 - Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

New Start Time for Reception

Due to the excellent way in which most people are managing the new 5 minute staggered start time, Reception children are to start at 9am from Monday. For the start of the days to be even safer we just need to improve lateness...

Lateness

Although the start of days are generally being managed much better, our key problem is the significant number of children coming in late. This makes it very difficult to keep groups of children separate and so increases the risk of infection. Please help everybody in our community be safe by bringing your child to school on time.

Due to the need to supervise children as they walk into school safely, from Monday children who arrive late will need to wait in mini ‘bubbles’ until a member of staff can come back to collect them.

Nursery of Christ the King Vacancies

We are currently recruiting a Teacher and a Teaching Assistant for our new nursery opening in January. 

To find out more about these positions please visit: www.eteach.com and search: School of Christ the king of contact us in the school office by email: christ.the.king.p@bristol-schools.uk 

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way). 

Parents Guide to Google Classroom

Now all children in Year 3-6 are using Google Classroom, it is a really good time for parents and carers to learn more about how it works. A very useful guide can be found on the school website or by following the following link:

ctk.education/www/home-learning/parents-guide-to-google-classroom

Information for all Parents

All parents who hold parental responsibility are entitled to receive information about their child. This includes parents who do not live with their children. If, as a parent, you do not currently receive appropriate texts, letters, reports and invites to parent’s evening, please contact the school office.

Chill Time Club

We can currently offer limited after school care for working parents. Activities are more limited than normal, as children cannot mix with those from other classes.

To book please call the school office by 12pm and pay on the school gateway app. 

A Reminder - Bringing Equipment into School

Firstly a big thank you for the big improvements in this area...

As you know, we are working hard to make classes COVID secure, but are struggling to manage children’s personal equipment in busy classrooms. Having additional belongings in the classroom increases the chance of infection at a time when COVID-19 is spreading rapidly across the country. We are not trying to inconvenience parents, but make our school as safe as possible.

To help us make the school as safe as possible can we please request that:

• Children bring their packed lunch and water bottle in a plastic box or disposable bag.
• Children bring books into school in their book bags - not larger bags that we do not have space to safely store in classrooms.

Class teachers will be sending out polite reminders by text,  so that we can hopefully reduce the amount of personal equipment being brought into school.

Again, we thank you all for your support.

Class Emails - Keeping in Touch

We are reintroducing the class emails, so if there is a concern you can more easily contact the class teacher. The class emails are:

• reception@ctk.education
• year.1@ctk.education
• year.2@ctk.education
• year.3@ctk.education
• year.4@ctk.education
• year.5@ctk.education
• year.6@ctk.education
• LH.2@ctk.education (for Learning Hub)

Secondary School Applications

A reminder to all of our Year 6 parents - The closing date for Secondary school place applications is the 31st October. If you would like support to complete your application please contact the school office - Mrs Selway or Mrs Jordan would be happy to support you.

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Bad Weather and Start and End of Day Procedures

When weather is particularly bad we will allow parents of children in Reception who would have to wait 15 minutes between pickups to collect siblings early. Parents must phone us by 2.30pm at the latest we will arrange for children to leave early with their siblings.

Managing these groups, and maintaining the safety of the bubbles, does require a number of staff to ensure children are in the right place, at the right time, without mixing with children from other bubbles. Because of this, we can only manage children leaving early when the weather is very bad and parents arrange this in advance. 

When the weather is particularly bad we will open the small gate by the nursery class to allow parents to wait under the canopy. Unfortunately we have no such shelter at the rear of the school but all parents are welcome to use the shelter at the front.

Hot School Dinners

We are working with the kitchen team to provide hot school meals after the half term holiday. Whilst this may not at first be for all classes, we hope to offer hot meals for all children as soon as possible.

Update on INSET Days - School Closed

Our next INSET (staff training) day will be on Friday 20th November. There will be 4 more INSET days later this school year.

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School – Virtual Open Day

As the Catholic partner secondary school of Christ the King, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School, is hosting a Virtual Open Day, so that prospective pupils and parents can learn more about the school, which has been judged to be an ‘outstanding Catholic school’.

Please visit our school website https://www.stberns.bristol.sch.ukand click on Open Day, where you can watch films of the pupils and staff and access a range of information about our vibrant and ambitious school. Any enquiries can be directed to info@stberns.bristol.sch.uk.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

• Reception with 97% attendance.
• Year 3 with 99% attendance.
• Year 5 with 98% attendance.

New School Nursery Opening in January

Our new nursery is looking wonderful - we will be opening in January and still have places available for both 15 hour and 30 hour places. Please contact Mrs Jordan or Mrs Martin in the office for more information.

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• Lilanna for always participating in phonics and for always giving her letters and sounds 100% effort. 

Year 1 -  

• Daiquari - For having a great attitude to his learning and trying to work independently in class.
• Bella - For being a great team player and being so kind, caring and patient towards her friends.

Year 2 -

• Justin- For being very kind and caring towards another child in our class.
• Matty - For always being very helpful and considerate in the classroom and outside in the playground.

Year 3 -  

• Conrad- For persevering with his maths work and not giving up when he found it difficult. 
• Lexi- For always being ready to learn with a smile on her face. 

Year 4 -

• Tommy - For showing independence when solving questions on negative numbers
• Pamadou - For practising and improving his handwriting this week which has had a great impact on his work 

Year 5 - 

• Frankie - for independently solving problems in maths.
• Marley - for managing distractions for himself throughout the day.

Year 6 

• Mimi - for motivating and encouraging the class during Gonoodle.
• Finley - for an amazing speed tables time of 2:37!

Dates for Diaries

End of Term 1 - Friday 23 October 2020.

INSET (staff training) day - Friday 20th November.

Term 2    - Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.

Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.

Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.

Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.

Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Lots of reminders this week! Thank you all for helping us to make the school as safe as possible.

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Bad weather and start and end of day procedures

When weather is particularly bad we will allow parents of children in Reception who would have to wait 15 minutes between pickups to collect siblings early. Parents must phone us by 2.30pm at the latest we will arrange for children to leave early with their siblings.

Managing these groups, and maintaining the safety of the bubbles, does require a number of staff to ensure children are in the right place, at the right time, without mixing with children from other bubbles. Because of this, we can only manage children leaving early when the weather is very bad and parents arrange this in advance. 

When the weather is particularly bad we will open the small gate by the nursery class to allow parents to wait under the canopy. Unfortunately we have no such shelter at the rear of the school but all parents are welcome to use the shelter at the front.

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way or if you would like to visit the school (in a COVID safe way). 

Bringing Equipment into School

Currently we are working hard to make classes COVID secure, but are struggling to manage children’s personal equipment in busy classrooms. To help us make the school as safe as possible can I remind you all:

• Children must bring their packed lunch and water bottle in a plastic box or disposable bag.
• Children should bring books into school in their book bags - not larger bags that we do not have space to safely store in classrooms.

Again, we thank you all for your support. 

Hot School Dinners

We are working with the kitchen team to provide hot school meals after the half term holiday. Whilst this may not at first be for all classes, we hope to offer hot meals for all children as soon as possible.

Update on INSET Days - School Closed

Our next INSET (staff training) day will be on Friday 20th November. There will be 4 more INSET days later this school year.

IMPORTANT - Changes to End of Day Procedures

To address certain issues and to make the start of the day safe but quicker for everybody, the following changes will take effect from Monday:

• There is now a 5 minute gap between classes in the morning and the afternoon.
• At the end of the day, can parents collecting children from the car park exit not enter the drive until the previous class are leaving. 
• All children will line up before their teacher allows them to leave with a parent or carer. Please can we ask you not to encourage children to leave before their teachers, as this makes it more difficult to manage the end of day safely. 

Can everybody remember to use the one-way system! Thank you.

Children Going Home at Lunchtime

Due to managing a safe, COVID secure school, we will no longer be authorising children to go home for lunch. 

Punctuality

To help us keep bubbles of children apart it is very important that children arrive to school promptly at their allotted time. Where punctuality remains a concern we will be contacting parents directly. Thanks. 

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School – Virtual Open Day

As the Catholic partner secondary school of Christ the King, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School, is hosting a Virtual Open Day, so that prospective pupils and parents can learn more about the school, which has been judged to be an ‘outstanding Catholic school’.

Please visit our school website https://www.stberns.bristol.sch.ukand click on Open Day, where you can watch films of the pupils and staff and access a range of information about our vibrant and ambitious school. Any enquiries can be directed to info@stberns.bristol.sch.uk.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

• Reception with 98% attendance.
• Year 5 with 98% attendance. 

New school nursery opening in January

Our new nursery is looking wonderful - we will be opening in January and still have places available for both 15 hour and 30 hour places. Please contact Mrs Jordan or Mrs Martin in the office for more information.

Lantern Project

Year 3 are very excited to be taking part in the Lantern Project this year. This year’s theme is ‘The Walk of Hearts and Stars’. Alan, who is leading the project, has kindly gifted us 10 lantern kits. These lantern kits are free of charge and are for your child to make a lantern at home. All of the materials will be provided in the lantern kit. There are only 10 kits available. These will be given out on a first come first served basis. If you are interested and would like a lantern kit, please contact the school office. These will be given to your child to take home. 

For more information on the Lantern Project, please visit the Walk of Hearts and Stars Facebook page.

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• This week’s head teacher award goes to Kiki for being an independent learner during our numeracy lessons by always participating & giving it a go. 

Year 1 -  

• Phoebe- for working hard to think of similes in our English lesson and being brave when her packed lunch leaked so she tried a school packed lunch instead!

Year 2 -

• Leo - For showing initiative and trying out new skills within our football session.
• Angelica - For listening to instructions and trying her best to demonstrate new ball skills.  

Year 3 -  

• Wilfred- For pushing himself in maths and achieving top marks in our maths assessment.
• Tracy- For persevering with her Stone Age writing and always trying her best. 

Year 4 -

• Benji P - For thinking deeply when building an electrical circuit and finding all of the parts needed for the bulb to light up
• Lilianna - For settling perfectly into CTK and being a great member of Year 4

Year 5 - 

• Adi - for making connections and links in history.
• Justin - for finding innovative ways to improve his writing.

Year 6 

• Hollie P - for showing resilience and creativity when writing her diary entry.
• Ruby - for being an independent learner when planning and writing her diary entry.
• Kristen - for using her inference skills to support her explanations in her reading lessons.

Dates for Diaries

End of Term 1 - Friday 23 October 2020.

INSET (staff training) day - Friday 20th November.

Term 2    - Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.

Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.

Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.

Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.

Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Punctuality

To help us keep bubbles of children apart it is very important that children arrive to school promptly at their allotted time. Where punctuality remains a concern we will contacting parents directly. Thanks. 

Bad weather and start and end of day procedures

As the weather goes from sunshine to rain and wind, we understand how difficult it can be for parents who have to wait for an extended period for time for siblings. To address this we are trying a new system to help those who wait the longest:

When weather looks particularly bad we will text parents who would have to wait 15 minutes or more between pickups.

If parents phone us by 2.30pm at the latest we will arrange for children to leave early with their siblings.

Managing these groups, and maintaining the safety of the bubbles, does require a number of staff to ensure children are in the right place, at the right time, without mixing with children from other bubbles. Because of this, we can only manage children leaving early when the weather is very bad and parents arrange this in advance. 

COVID Symptoms

With winter approaching, the UK is entering the traditional seasons for colds and flu, with the additional complication this year that symptoms of those two illnesses can be broadly similar to those experienced by people who have caught the coronavirus and may be at risk of spreading it.

The NHS in England has produced a guide to differentiate between the three types of illnesses, which health experts hope will make it clearer to people whether they have an illness they would have most likely brushed aside last year, but which this year might lead them to think they need to self-isolate or seek to have a coronavirus test.

If you are in any doubt and are concerned about your wellbeing or the health of someone you are caring for, you should seek medical assistance in the UK by dialling 111 or by following the Covid-19 advice on the NHS website.

Birthday Parties and COVID 19

Recently we have been made aware of a number of children attending parties at other children’s houses, seemingly often in breach of the government's new guidelines around groups of 6. Whilst we obviously want everybody to celebrate such events as birthdays, the restrictions are designed to reduce transmission of COVID 19, enabling everybody to live their lives safely and services such as schools to remain open whilst protecting the NHS

The principal of the new guidelines are if you’re gathering socially, it’s no more than six, which if at a party would include birthday boy or girl as well as parents before including friends. 

We ask you all that you are mindful of these restrictions so we can keep each other safe.

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School – Virtual Open Day

As the Catholic partner secondary school of Christ the King, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School, is hosting a Virtual Open Day, so that prospective pupils and parents can learn more about the school, which has been judged to be an ‘outstanding Catholic school’.

Please visit our school website https://www.stberns.bristol.sch.ukand click on Open Day, where you can watch films of the pupils and staff and access a range of information about our vibrant and ambitious school. Any enquiries can be directed to info@stberns.bristol.sch.uk.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

• Reception with 98% attendance.
• Year 1 almost made it with 96% attendance.
• Year 2 with 99% attendance.
• Year 3 with 97% attendance.
• Year 4 with 97% attendance.
• Year 5 with 99% attendance.
• Year 6 with 99% attendance.
• Medical needs and risk assessments 

We have been planning very carefully for the needs of individual pupils with COVID specific risk assessments. If your child has medical needs that you feel the school does not know about or may need an update on please contact the school office so that we can update risk assessment for your child. 

New school nursery opening in January

Our new nursery is looking wonderful - we will be opening in January and still have places available for both 15 hour and 30 hour places. Please contact Mrs Jordan or Mrs Martin in the office for more information.

Lantern Project

Year 3 are very excited to be taking part in the Lantern Project this year. This year’s theme is ‘The Walk of Hearts and Stars’. Alan, who is leading the project, has kindly gifted us 10 lantern kits. These lantern kits are free of charge and are for your child to make a lantern at home. All of the materials will be provided in the lantern kit. There are only 10 kits available. These will be given out on a first come first served basis. If you are interested and would like a lantern kit, please contact the school office. These will be given to your child to take home. 

For more information on the Lantern Project, please visit the Walk of Hearts and Stars Facebook page.

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• Emelia - for being a team player through her play with friends and for always helping the adults in the room to keep the classroom a safe and tidy place to be'

Year 1 -  

• Lily R - For working independently in maths to compare numbers using the correct symbols.

Year 2 - 

• Ralf - For great imagination and originality when drawing illustrations in his work.
• Kevin - For being resilient and moving up the levels when reading with Mrs Wakeford.

Year 3 -  

• Kaiden- For challenging himself in maths to complete problem solving questions. 
• Leighton- For making interesting predictions for our science experiment. 

Year 4 -

• Freddie- For being successful with his maths work this week and investigating four digit numbers independently as part of his ‘figure it out Friday’ challenge.

Year 5 - 

• Charlotte - for persevering with her shading techniques and being willing to try new things.
• Gracie - for working outside her comfort zone and showing steadfast resilience in her maths.

Year 6 - 

• Ellis - for resilience in his maths learning and for always being kind.
• Anya - Fantastic improvement in reading. 
• Olly - for being a great fun team player all week.

Dates for Diaries

End of Term 1- Friday 23 October 2020.

• Term 2 Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

IMPORTANT - Changes to Start of Day Procedures

To address certain issues and to make the start of the day safe but quicker for everybody, the following changes will take effect from Monday:

• There is now a 5 minute gap between classes in the morning.
• At the end of the day we are retaining a 10 minute gap for most classes. We hope to reduce this to 5 minutes ass oon as possible.
• At the end of the day, can parents collecting children from the car park exit not enter the drive until the previous class are leaving. 
• All children will line up before their teacher allows them to leave with a parent or carer. Please can we ask you not to encourage children to leave before their teachers, as this makes it more difficult to manage the end of day safely. 
• Can everybody remember to use the on-way system! Thank you.

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way. 

School Uniform

Can I remind you that all children should be wearing the following school uniform:

• PLAIN BLACK shoes or trainers
• grey / black trousers or skirts – no tracksuit bottoms, or leggings
• red sweatshirt or cardigan or fleece
• white / red polo shirts
• PE Kit (which is plain white t-shirt / plain black shorts and PE daps or trainers)

We continue to use S & H Workwear, 98 St Johns Lane, Bedminster.

New school nursery opening in January

Our new nursery is fully built and ready to be set up. We will be opening in January and still have places available for both 15 hour and 30 hour places. Please contact Mrs Jordan or Mrs Martin in the office for more information.

Government letter to share with parents on coronavirus (COVID-19) testing

Public Health England has produced a letter for schools and colleges to share with parents which explains when a child requires a coronavirus (COVID-19) test and what the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are.

Establishing Good Routines

As we all get back into the routine of regular school life it’s also important we all get enough sleep to be ready for the school day. In particular we are finding many children are unable to concentrate on a Monday due to late nights over the weekend. Please help us help our children by encouraging them to sleep well, especially before a day in school. Breakfast is very important and if your child is in KS2 we ask you to send them with a piece of fruit for tuck to keep them going.  Thanks. 

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at or over 97% this week:  

• Year 2 - 98%
• Year 3 - 99%
• Year 5 - 97%
• Year 6 - 99%

Medical Needs and Risk Assessments 

We have been planning very carefully for the needs of individual pupils with COVID specific risk assessments. If your child has medical needs that you feel the school does not know about or may need an update on please contact the school office so that we can update risk assessment for your child. 

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception -

• Lily M -  for joining in enthusiastically during phonics and for independently choosing to practice letters during play. 

Year 1 -  

• Harper L - For having a great attitude towards school, working hard to manage her emotions and always trying her best.
• Lianater - for always thinking carefully and sharing her wonderful ideas linked to a story we read in class.

Year 2 - 

• Amber Lane - For trying so hard at the start of the school day.
• Brody - For trying hard to work independently in our numeracy lesson.  

Year 3 -  

• Reggie - Challenging himself to complete extra work at home. Reggie created a Stone Age booklet all about prehistoric homes and how they changed over time. 
• Zack - Working hard to retell our class story using paragraphs and joined handwriting. 

Year 4 -

• Cheyenne- for always being engaged in his learning and contributing to class discussions. His vocabulary choices this week for his descriptive writing were superb. His tray is always immaculately presented too! 

Year 5 - 

• Deniro - for smiling and using his resilience when learning about negative numbers.
• William - for collaborating with others through play at breaktimes.
• Omar - for showing empathy in the playground.

Year 6 - 

• Roxanne - for completing her work efficiently each day and finding her own solutions.
• Imogen - for supporting Dylan and encouraging him with his maths work - well done!
• Freddie - for using excellent vocabulary in his English work and taking risks - great job!

Dates for Diaries

• End of Term 1- Friday 23 October 2020.
• Term 2 Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher