Here are this week's headlines:
1. New Chair of Governors: We would like to welcome our new Chair of Governors, Jane Housten. Jane is currently a parent governor and has two pupils at the school. She has a wealth of knowledge with regards Children's Rights, as she works alongside the Children's Commissioner for Wales. As we welcome Jane, we also are sad to say goodbye to Richard Verge who has effectively supported our school for a number of years. We are very fortunate to have a strong and supportive governing body which has always been very well led. We now look forward to developing our curriculum and working together to ensure our school is the best it can be for our learners.
2. After School Club Update: Following a detailed scrutiny of the costs and serious operational constraints , governors had concluded that for the foreseeable future we would have to suspend the provision of the After School Club.
Despite a number of different challenges we have endeavoured to keep this facility going for a number of years but continuing pressure on our educational budget means that we can no longer subsidise its provision . Governors agreed to revisit this decision should there be a significant change in circumstances at some future date .
3. Brrr Wrap up warm! The school needs to keep some ventilation going throughout the school, even as the weather gets colder. Please can we suggest that pupils wear an extra layer under their polo shirt.
4. Podlet Monster Ball: This year we will be celebrating with a "Freaky Friday" (23rd October) within the school day. If you are able to help please let us know as we will need some parents to help run the outdoor "Spooky Trail". In summary.....
- Bring £2 to support the event
- Dress up in favourite spooky outfit
- Every pupil will visit the "Spooky Trail" (with a prize)
- Class fun activities
- Pupils will all make a spooky healthy treat
5. Parent/Teacher Meetings: A reminder that we will be offering parents the option of having a parent consultation phone call after October Half Term. Teachers will phone parents between 3.40pm and 5pm during the period from Monday 2nd November to Thursday 5th November. The phone call will last up to 10 minutes. If you wish to receive a phone call, please contact Jayne in the office with your preferred date and time and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please note that this is an optional meeting and we will be sending home pupil progress reports at the end of term as we did last year. The agenda for the phone call will be to discuss your child's well-being, their progress in Literacy and Numeracy and their home learning.
6. Our approach to Blended Learning: I am sure you have all been enjoying the fantastic Pod Pages. Although these are a lot of fun, they are underpinned by our continuous drive to provide stimulating learning experiences. Our challenge is to provide the best we can for pupils both at school and at home. Nothing will replace the learning your child receives in school, however, should your child be at home, but well enough to learn, they are now able to access the same materials that are being used in class.
Agreed Local Authority advice for sending work home is as follows:
• If pupils are off schools as they are unwell, work is not required to be provided as pupils are likely not to be well enough to complete it.
• If schools go into a partial or full lockdown, schools will implement their blended/distance learning plans; work will be provided for pupils.
• If pupils have to go into quarantine, for example, after a trip abroad, no work is required to be set as the teachers will be teaching in class.
• If pupils are not attending school due to worries related to the virus, no work is required to be provided as school attendance is mandatory. In these cases, the school’s Education Welfare Officer will support families with re-integration.
However, for more information on Llanrhidian's approach, please visit our Blended Learning Page: Blended Learning Information
7. Health & Safety - Our drop off and pick up window does seem to be having a positive effect on parking and traffic. Thank you everyone! Just one thing - please could cars driving down the side lane "give way" to pedestrians. This is very narrow and cars squeezing past pedestrians could cause an accident. Thank you for your understanding.
Here are some pictures from this week's Twitter Page. Follow us on @llanrhidianp
