Dear Parent/Carer,

RED NOSE DAY-Friday 19^Th March, 2021

‘Funny is Power’

Article 39- “Children and young people have the right to recover from difficult things that happen to them, and they can expect to receive the help that allows them to do so”.

The Pupil Council have organised some activities for the children to enjoy to celebrate Red Nose Day on Friday 19^th March, 2021.

We are so proud of how our pupils have managed over the past few months and thought they would like the opportunity to have some fun.

We would like the children to wear something red to school on Friday 19^th March. Please do not go to any expense-Children can wear all red or just an accessory, such as a hat, hairband, scarf or socks.

The children will also be encouraged to take part in ‘Share a Smile’ by sharing jokes with their classmates prior to and on Red Nose Day. Some of these will be put on the railings outside the school.

Children can also share a smile individually at home, they can write their favourite joke on a piece of paper, put it up in their window at home, take some pictures and tag @ComicRelief, #REDNOSEDAY@StJohnsPrimHam.onTwitter

The children will also be taking part in a quiz in the class and some other fun Red Nose Day activities.

As well as taking the opportunity to be part of something positive, we will be using Red Nose Day as a learning opportunity to explore some of the issues facing young people across the world and how the money we raise can help.

This year there will be no cash collections in school. Donations, if desired (Suggested £1) can be made through our own Just Giving Page. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stjohnsprimaryhamilton

While there is no obligation to donate we would like all children to participate in Red Nose Day and no matter how much or little we raise, we’ll be helping change lives in the UK and across the world.

Thank you in anticipation of your support.

Yours Faithfully

Mrs Karen Prentice

Depute Head Teacher

Letter from Headteacher – 15th March Return

10 March 2021

Dear Parents/ Carers,

I am very pleased to welcome all our children back to school on Monday 15 March.

I am very much looking forward to seeing all our learners.

I want to thank all of our families for all your hard work with home learning and support over the past weeks. Your kind comments have been much appreciated by the staff.

Children can be dropped off at the main gate between 8.45am and 9.15am. There is an adult presence in the playground from 8.45am onwards.

To allow us to provide more space in the playground for children to play and remain in class bubbles we have staggered our break and lunch times. Children in rooms 2-8 will have a break with the teacher in the afternoon to allow them time to move about before starting learning again.

We ask all parents to remain 2m apart from other families and to always wear a mask and follow the one-way system in the school grounds.

I have put important times and collection points in the table below. Please check the time and gate for your child.

Children who have brothers and sisters in school will meet in the gym hall at 2.50pm and be dismissed from the gym hall doors at 2.50pm, leaving through the main gate.

We will be reviewing the staggered breaks to see if there is anything else, we can do to enhance safety for parents, staff and children in the school. We plan to continue with the staggered break times until the Spring Break.

We ask that as many parents as possible do not enter the school grounds at collection times but make arrangements with children to meet at an agreed point- the Bent Park is part of our Park and Stride initiative. We hope that older children will be able to meet an adult at a set place safely, thus reducing the number of adults in the school grounds.

If parents are waiting for children to exit the school by the main entrance please stand well back.

I am very pleased to tell you that we have most of our new support staff in place and extend a warm welcome to Fay Wylie- Team leader, Hazel Wyper- School Office, Danielle Cooper- SSA and one more School Support Assistant who will start in the next few weeks.

Our main focus between now and the Spring Break is to get children into a daily routine, reassure them about their learning and assess where they are in order to put in place individual/ group learning targets to support their learning journey.

Parent Phone consultations are underway providing the opportunity to discuss children’s learning and any concerns Parents/ Carers may have for a full return to school.

Yours faithfully,

Alison Hope.

Please complete and return the form below if you qualify for and require emergency child care for the upcoming 2 weeks.

It is important that this form is returned to school as soon as possible to allow appropriate staff to be allocated to support.

office@st-johns-hamilton-pri.s-lanark.sch.uk

NEC, Fusion App and Parent Pay

Please take some time to open and read the attached letter if you have a child in Primary 7.

Letter from Headteacher

17 February 2021

Dear Parent/ Carer,

We are very pleased to be able to have Primary 1-Primary 3 children returning to school on Monday 22 February.

There are a few changes to daily routines, which we hope will keep all safe in and out of the school building.

Dropping off

Children can be dropped off at the main school gate to enter the playground from 8.45-9.15am.

All adults entering the school grounds must wear a face covering and remain 2m away from other adults at all times.

Please remember that we have a one way system in operation as before around our entry and exit to the school grounds.

Our School Support Staff are in the playground from 8.45am onwards, any children dropped off before this time will be without adult supervision.

Collection

To allow for greater distancing between adults at the school gates there are some changes to collection points and times as below.

ASN Transport

Children who receive ASN transport will continue to do so.

Mainstream Transport

The school bus will collect and drop off at Philips Wynd as before.

There is no requirement for distancing between children but we have split up our playground into specific areas where children can play with children within their own classroom.

Lunches will start from 12.00 with each class coming to the dining hall as the previous group have finished and the tables cleaned.

These arrangements will be reviewed regularly to take account of all guidance.

Primary 4 -Primary 7 children will remain at home and continue to learn through Google Classroom.

All Primary 4 – Primary 7 Meets for Mainstream children are at 9.30am and ASN at 9.20am.

Parents of children who are in P3/4 composite classes have been contacted and arrangements made to ensure that they continue to learn.

Primary 4s in Room will be taught by Mrs Jamieson.

Primary 4s in ASN will join together for one Google classroom with Mr Ewart and Mrs Carle.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming some of our children back and hope it will not be too long until we receive further advice from the First Minister on the return of our older classes.

I want to thank all of our families for your very much-valued support during this challenging time.

Best wishes,

Alison Hope.

Please complete and return the form below if you qualify for and require emergency child care for the upcoming 2 weeks.

It is important that this form is returned to school as soon as possible to allow appropriate staff to be allocated to support.

office@st-johns-hamilton-pri.s-lanark.sch.uk

Please take 5 minutes to open and complete the survey below to allow us to build on the work we have been doing with Remote Learning.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc805dVOcVsjjdCF4PijlEQSMaHirR–Ktd4hMHoqmMVBz8fQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

A big thank you to Newton Farm Primary who have share this link to helpful Google Classroom video tutorials.

https://sites.google.com/sl.glow.scot/newton-farm-pupil-help/classwork

Arrangements and Revised Criteria for Key Workers on these Dates

As you know, St. John’s will be closed to all pupils on the 8th, 9th and 10th February. South Lanarshire have asked us to share the criteria and arrangements they have put in place for specific key workers.

Please open the document below for more information.

Please complete and return the attached form if you require Key Worker child-care places for the coming two weeks.

Please note that St. John’s will be closed for all children on the 8th, 9th and 10th February due to local holidays and an In-set day.

South Lanarkshire have made the following announcement in respect to the days schools are closed.

“Places are available for a limited number of children on these days at central Hubs throughout South Lanarkshire. Places will be limited and we would expect that most parents will use annual leave or make alternative childcare arrangements during this holiday period.  We have therefore reviewed the criteria for these three days of childcare to ensure that only the most critical keyworkers involved in directly supporting the COVID-19 response and other targeted emergency/critical services will be considered for placement.

A google application form is being finalised and the analysis of applications and allocation of places will be undertaken centrally”.

We will inform families of more details when they become available.