Dear Parents
There are lots of exciting things to share this week, plus news of Governor elections and updates coming up to the COVID guidance – please see below:
Thank you – PA Raffle!
Huge thanks to the Parent Association for organising the Rainbow Hamper Raffle and thank you also to the very many parents who bought lots of raffle tickets over the last week! The amazing total raised will be revealed in due course but it’s been a fantastic fundraiser! These funds will go towards events for the children for the Autumn Term. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
Congratulations – First Holy Communion:
Our Year 3 children have been making their First Holy Communion over the past few weekends and there are more celebrations to come in July! We are looking forward to receiving photos of all the individual children on their special day, so that we can display them in school! Can we also make a plea to parents to also keep the children’s First Holy Communion outfits until September – we are hopeful we may be able to have a special celebration in school with all our First Communion children from all their different parishes at that time.
Visit to St Peter’s, Hersham:
Year 6 began their World Faiths Week early this week, with a visit to our local Church of England church in Hersham. There are photos here. It was impressive that the children could engage confidently with the vicar’s responses to their questions and respectfully recognise and discuss clear differences and similarities in our Christian faith.
All classes will be focussing on developing their understanding of different faiths next week, including a visit from an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi to Years 2 and 3.
Transition Days:
Our children from Reception to Year 3 enjoyed their transition days this week, spending time in their new classroom with their new teacher for September. Year 4 and Year 5 children will have the same opportunity on the afternoon of Tuesday 20th July, while Year 6 children who are moving on to Salesian will be spending that afternoon in their new school too!
Sports Days:
Children across the school have been delighted to take part in Sports Day this year and it was great to see them using both their track and their field skills, including throwing (Primary appropriate!) javelin and shotput, jumping and running. The atmosphere was quite different with no parents to cheer the children on, but they did cheer each other on and have a lot of fun! We are delighted that the event managed to go ahead, albeit in limited form, and we look forward to next year… Photos from KS1 sports day can be found here and KS2 sports day can be found here.
Best Practice Science Sessions:
We have been working with the Primary Science Teaching Trust on sharing best practice in Science. The children have had a fantastic time, from making ice cream to exploring magnetic forces. You can see photos of some of the activities here.
Parent Governor Update:
Parents will have received the information about the Parent Governor Election and we would encourage all eligible members of the school community to vote. The voting system is online here and it is very quick and easy to use. Parents who have been nominated for the role of Parent Governor are:
Ana Eady
Clare Melton
Mike Mills
Felicity Spencer
Thank you to all of them for putting themselves forward to support and advance our school’s progress. Their statements are available via the above link and all parents / guardians with a child at Cardinal Newman are eligible to vote once.
COVID Update:
Some parents may be aware that we have had the Year 5 bubble out this week following positive COVID tests for pupils over the weekend. We are delighted that they managed to enjoy their High Ashurst residential prior to the bubble closing! Photos can be seen here. Across the school, we are making a concerted effort to avoid transmission within school – no-one wants their child to miss the end of the school year, and most of all not our Year 6 children who are gearing up for their Leavers’ Production and Thanksgiving Mass in the final week of term. Please continue to follow the guidance, both at home and within school premises, so that we can limit the disruption to children as much as possible.
As you know, the COVID guidance continues to change and the school is required to follow the current guidance in all circumstances. The Government have set out how this guidance is likely to change over the summer period – the link for this is below, along with a summary of the key changes for the summer holidays and into September. The guidance below does not come into force until Step 4 (which may or may not be on July 19th). Thank you for your continued support for the school as we work together to reduce the disruption for our children.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/step-4-update-what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges
As COVID-19 becomes a virus that we learn to live with, there is now an imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education - particularly given that the direct clinical risks to children are extremely low, and every adult has been offered a first vaccine and the opportunity for two doses by mid-September
The key messages from this guidance are:
nationally, education and childcare settings are open, and attendance is mandatory (for schools) and strongly encouraged (at childminders, nurseries and colleges
- the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has made it clear that the overwhelming majority of children and young people still have no symptoms or very mild illness only
- there is no need for primary age pupils (those in year 6 and below) to test over the summer period
- from Step 4 your nursery, school or college will no longer trace close contacts - close contacts will still be identified via NHS Test and Trace
- from Step 4, your child does not need to remain in a consistent group (‘bubble’)
- from Step 4, face coverings will no longer be advised for pupils, staff and visitors either in classrooms or in communal areas
Wishing you all the best for the coming weekend
Catherine Burnham
Headteacher
