Headmaster's Welcome
Dear Parents
I’d like to wish everyone a very warm welcome back to a new school year and I am pleased to be able to open school to everyone once again. It has been an exciting and busy start to the new school year with new faces, new routines and new ideas. I am grateful for your understanding, good humour and smiles whilst we adapt our procedures to ensure that we can operate as safely and efficiently as possible.
The children are beginning to remember the new routes around school and most are enjoying the revised menus provide by Mr Sansum. Clubs will re-open next week and Mrs Vaughan has been trying to accommodate as many choices as possible within the restrictions imposed upon schools. After Care and Early Birds have been operating successfully within the bubble groups allocated and I am grateful that parents seem to be using this facility only when absolutely necessary. This helps to alleviate some of the logistical burden and worry.
There will be events on the school calendar such as the parent information evenings, LAMDA exams, Mass, school photographs, parent consultation evenings, nativities, etc but these will be taking place in a different format this year. You will be emailed if an event affects your family but I would advise keeping a close eye on the Chronicle and our website calendar for any updates.
Our online parent information evenings have already begun and sessions for Junior 5, 4, 2 and 3 will take place next week. If you have any questions following these meetings, please contact your child’s teacher by email.
I hope you were able to watch the assembly this morning where I shared our stars of the week, some of the certificates achieved during the summer were recognised and also advised parents and children of just a few of the guidelines we are following. Our stars this week were: Theoharis, all of Reception, all of J1H, Patrick, Leo, Ding, Sienna, Miley, Matilda, the whole of Junior 5L and 5R, Harry and Jacob. Congratulations to all of you, to our Da Vinci winners and to our merit certificate winner.
I met (socially distanced outside) with several members of our PTA this week and they are very keen for parents to contact them should they wish to become involved in their team. The PTA are already planning the Macmillan Coffee morning and will be discussing this and more at the AGM on Wednesday, 23 September. Please see the PTA’s message later in this edition and I hope that you are able to support them and assist wherever possible – they are a very friendly and welcoming group who provide so much for school and the children. Our Chair, Lucy Lamb, would be delighted to hear from you. The PTA will soon be selling second-hand uniform again; so please look out for how to purchase any additional items of uniform.
Unfortunately, we were unable to host our annual prize giving at the end of last term but book prizes were sent to children (Reception to J5) and many of you sent in photographs of them celebrating their awards. These can be viewed later in this edition. I have enjoyed looking through all these photographs and seeing the smiling faces.
The pupils have already started earning their house points in readiness for announcement at next week’s celebration assembly.
Please refer to government guidelines with regard to Covid-19 and when to keep your child off school. We, as a Foundation, adhere strictly to the published guidance. Please continue to monitor your child’s temperature and please do not send them into school if they are displaying any symptoms. A big PLEASE is to follow the regulations regarding socialising and social distancing in your personal lives as this has a possible impact on so many other families at school. We would not like to return to ‘off site learning’ so soon after being back.
It has been wonderful having everyone back again and to welcome new pupil, families and staff to Crackley Hall. I hope that you and your family have settled back into the first week of school and that you enjoy the weekend ahead.
God bless,
Mr Duigan
