The Chronicle

Dear Parents

I should like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy Easter as we are about to return to our first real taste of home learning.  Thank you for the various messages, cards and emails to the school or to me over the past few weeks.  It is so important that we remain connected as this helps to keep our relationships strong, respectful and loving.

I would encourage you to carefully read the three letters being sent to you this evening.  One is from Mrs Griffin, Chair of Trustees and is attached in to this Chroncile, the next is from Mrs Hill, Assistant Head: Academic and the third is from me, outlining the home learning program and the preparations that have been taking place over the past number of weeks.  The latter two communications have been sent via ISAMs.

As you might imagine, like many in the country, we have been dealing with outside pressures from various sources whilst working hard at what is necessary for the start of the new term.  What I would humbly ask is that everyone views this unnatural time with a ‘dislocation of expectation’, a term used in various circles.  Everyone seems to be working harder, yet receiving less for their efforts.  This will naturally be the way until we have pulled though this – hopefully together.  My firm belief is that we all have to adjust our expectations and then to watch carefully and monitor closely for how we claw our way back to where we were.

As many people are currently spending much of their time at home, the school has been dealing with an unprecedented amount of correspondence so I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to anyone who feels that they have had to wait a little longer than usual for a reply to an email or ‘phone call.  Although all the team at school have worked very hard, I would like to especially thank Andy Compton, Foundation Director of Digital Strategy, and Tanya Hill, Assistant Head: Academic for the additional work that they have taken on during this period.  Mr Compton has been instrumental in sourcing hardware and software packages and overseeing preparedness for the online learning platforms and structure.

As we ‘return’ to school on Monday, we will maintain limited provision for the children of key workers.  To avail yourself of this facility, I would ask that you email Ms Dyer via lorrainedyer@crackleyhall.co.uk to indicate your requirements.  We ask that key workers forward a letter from their employer and also consider which days of the week they would be able to care for their own child as this enables the school to create a rota that shares this provision amongst those who need it.  Pupils will be required to wear smart and sensible casual clothes and trainers to school. The school will operate this provision from 08:30 to 16:00 each day.  Strict social distancing measures will be in place as we strive to ensure the safety of pupils and staff.  We need to continue to fight against the spread of the coronavirus and, as such, we ask that this facility is only used when absolutely necessary by key workers. 

After discussion within the Foundation, I am pleased to say that we are able to offer a limited number of iPads on loan to families who may not have enough devices at home from which to access the home learning program.  I would ask that you only apply for this where necessary and then to indicate your interest in taking up this offer by emailing Mrs Dyer via post@crackleyhall.co.uk.  It is planned that live lessons will mostly take place at different times in each year group although there may be some overlap.  Lessons will be accessible via computer, tablet or smartphone, all of which will suffice.  We will consider any requests over the weekend and indicate to families who are allocated a device that they may collect them from the school from 09:00 on Monday next week.

A number of children celebrated their birthdays during the past couple of weeks and I would like to wish the following pupils a very happy birthday: Ria (J2), Penny (J3), Sebastian (J3), Evie (J1), Iman (J6), Lennon (J3), Francesca (J5), Georgie (J3), Francesca (Rec), Dillon (J4) and Conor (J6).  I hope that you are able to access the ‘happy birthday’ message from one of our classes (included in the Chronicle).

I wish you all a very happy weekend.  Keep one another in your thoughts and prayers, as well as those many people who are suffering from the death of a loved one or who are battling the virus themselves.  It is times like this when the greater good needs to outweigh individual need.

May God bless you all,

Rob Duigan