Dear Parents/Carers,
We have arrived at the end of another half term fortunately without any serious Covid related dramas. My fervent hope is that this continues to be the case when we return after the break and that in July, at the end of the school year, we can look back on another Covid free six weeks. This depends entirely upon how we manage things as we emerge from this pandemic.
The message we are receiving from the local authority and the Corporate Health and Safety department is that we are still not out of the woods and that we should approach any return to normal activities with a great deal of caution. This approach will affect many of the things we normally do during the summer term, but in light of cases leading to the closure of contact cohorts at other schools, we need to be careful and vigilant. I hope that things will be better in September.
Sports day will be different this year. Unfortunately, we cannot allow parents to attend but we will take film clips and photos of the events and share them with you via social media. We will arrange sports days according to the weather and we will try to organise things so that they happen on days the pupils have PE timetabled already.
Face-to-face meetings between teachers and parents will not be able to go ahead this term. We are working on alternative arrangements for parents of new nursery children and we will keep you informed of our plans.
Pupils will continue to eat lunch at their desks in the classrooms for the time being. The staff in the kitchen have been fantastic throughout and have coped superbly with any issues that have arisen.
I know that things are not ideal at the moment and I am thankful for everyone’s patience and understanding during what has been, and continues to be, a most challenging of times. Sometimes I will catch myself thinking why are we carrying on with all these measures when it seems that there’s no virus around? I’ve had two jabs, why do I have to wear this mask? Then I’ll watch the news or read the papers and see how things have deteriorated so quickly in places like Bolton and Blackburn. Then it becomes clear, I follow the guidelines to protect myself and those around me.
I would like to say a word about the positive attitude of our pupils. They have faced a really difficult year so far and some, understandably, found it difficult to readjust as they came to school following the trials and tribulations of isolation during lockdown. However, they have now found their feet once more. I had the pleasure of teaching year six yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed their company, their enthusiasm and effort. Diolch dosbarth Wyddfa.
And our staff. Cleaners, teachers, the kitchen staff, teaching assistants, Mrs Walsh and Mrs Thay in the office, Mr Owen our wonderful caretaker and our midday supervisors, thank you for all your hard work and commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our pupils. Enjoy a very well deserved half term break (there is no school for pupils tomorrow as it is a Staff Training Day) and I hope the sun shines all week. Pupils will be back in school on Monday June 7th.
All the very best, stay safe, be careful.
Yours sincerely,
Iwan Lloyd Jones
Headteacher.