Dear Parents                                                                                            2 October 2020

A reminder that the application window for Reception Class 2021 is now open. Due to the current circumstances we will not be holding an Open morning but individual visits are available by arrangement.   As I have said before there can be a misconception that only Catholic children can apply to our school. We welcome applications from all families of all or no faith. If you know of any families who are presently applying for a school place please encourage them to contact me to arrange a visit to the school. Applications for Reception Class 2021 must be completed online by 15 January 2021.

Hagley Catholic High School will be holding their annual Open Day on Saturday 10 October from 9.00am to 12.00pm. This is by appointment only so please see either our or Hagley's website for instructions of how to book a tour.The vast majority of our children transfer to Hagley at the end of Year 6, so do take this opportunity to take a look at the school. Our Year 6 children have now received their High School transfer forms.  If you have any queries regarding transfer please do not hesitate to speak to us.

On Monday 19 October our school photographer will be in school to take individual photographs of every child. We will ensure photographs with siblings are also taken. but unfortunately this year we will not be able to include pre school siblings We would ask that the children wear winter uniform of white shirt /blouse and tie . Sadly, due to the Lockdown we were unable to celebrate our First Holy Communion and First Reconciliation with our present Year 4 children . Father Richard and I have met to discuss ways that we can ensure your children receive these two Sacraments. With the present situation unlikely to be relaxed in the immediate future we are unsure anything can be planned until early Spring 2021. We will meet with parents to discuss plans as soon as we possibly can in the new year. Present Year 3 and Year 6 will soon be starting their sacramental preparation lessons and we will update parents as soon as we can confirm dates.

During lockdown, members of the Gardening Club have been growing pumpkin and sunflower seeds at home with some amazing results. Now is the time to submit your results for the competition.  Could children submit their tallest sunflower measurement and the girth measurement of their biggest pumpkin to Mrs Brown before next Wednesday, please. Photographs would be very welcome to celebrate everyone's achievements. The winner will be revealed in next week's newsletter.  Good luck!

Thank you to everyone who responded to our digital devices survey. Your responses will enable us to ensure that our plans for any possible future school closures provide the most effective support to our families. We are extremely grateful for the time you have given. Please see below for the information we gathered.

57 families responded to the survey, giving us a return figure of 44%.

How many children do you have at home that attend primary school?

67% of the families that responded have one child in the school with 33% having 2 or more children.

How many children do you have at home that attend secondary school?

67% of the families that responded have no secondary age children with 33% having 1 or more children at home that attend secondary school.

EXCLUDING smartphones, how many digital devices do you have at home that are available for children to use to access home learning?

98% of the families that responded have 1 or more digital devices available at home for children to use for their home learning with 77% of families having 2 or more devices.

Do you have access to the internet at home?

100% of the families that responded have internet access at home.

Any other comments:

· The lack of a printer at home makes printing off supplied work very difficult.

· The cost of printing work at home is very high.

· Could work be printed off by school and then provided to the children?

· Support and content during the previous lockdown was very good.

A reminder that next Friday, 9 October, is a staff INSET day and school is closed for the children. The school calendar is updated weekly, could you please check regularly for new dates, events and meetings.

Though it is hard to believe, half term break will soon be upon us. After half term all children will all need to wear full winter uniform. This consists of white shirt and tie and trousers for the boys( Red polo shirts are only for summer). The girls winter uniform is white blouse and tie and grey skirt or pinafore.I know many parents will take their children for haircuts over the half term break. Again we remind you that extreme haircuts are not acceptable. Several parents have asked what is the permitted cut and we request a Grade 3 is the shortest. Several children have had extreme haircuts recently and once grown out we request that you adhere to our uniform policy. Thank you for your support and to the many parents who double check with me before taking their child to the hairdressers.

It is our hope that one benefit of Lockdown was the eradication of head lice! We know parents are very vigilant in checking their children’s hair and notifying us immediately which is a great help. Please also ensure all hair is tied back to minimize potential contact.

This week I have visited every classroom to observe the children’s mathematics learning. It has been lovely to see both the children’s focus and enthusiasm. They have come back to school so eager to learn, it is wonderful to witness. We will update you soon on our plans for a variation on Parent Evenings.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding your child’s academic, social or emotional needs please do not hesitate to contact me or their class teacher by email or telephone. Many thanks for your continued support and enjoy a lovely weekend with your families.

KE Savage

Principal