End of term letter 17.12.21

Dear Parents/Carers,

The Pantomime was a real hit with our children and one we hope they will remember forever! It was such a lovely way to end the term and build the children up to their Christmas break. Mr and Mrs Claus came to school last week and you will be pleased to know, were super impressed with our children and are pretty sure that not a single child from this school is on the naughty list!

The Newdale team tried so hard to offer you all a time to come and share a snippet of Christmas in Nursery/School with the Winter Wonderland experience. They had to think on their feet as the weather continued to hit us with rain and wind! I do hope you enjoyed what we had on offer and we firmly hope to dust off the shepherd outfits and the crib for next year!

We are delighted in how Covid stable it has been in Newdale compared to many schools across Telford. We have had cases of Covid, but thankfully we have not had outbreaks that have caused too much disruption to our children’s learning. We ask that you are as careful as you can be over the Christmas holiday as the Government is warning that the peak for this new variant will likely be in January. We want to continue our face-to-face offer throughout the spring, and this will mean we have to work together again following the guidance and remaining vigilant.

If at all possible, it would be great if everyone could carry out a Lateral Flow test the evening before returning to school on the 5th January. We cannot insist on this, but it would really help us to keep on top of our infection rates. Many children who are testing positive, are asymptomatic (meaning they are not displaying any symptoms), which of course is very tricky to spot and can cause a huge impact in school.  You can pick up lateral flow tests via this link Order coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow tests – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or at your local pharmacy (though there may be little in supply at the moment).

All staff will carry out testing over the Christmas holiday and will carry out a test before they come back into work. If you have a child in school test positive up to and including Friday 17th December, then please do email the school on newdale.primary@taw.org.uk as we will need to ensure that we double check close contacts.

The teams at Newdale wish you a very happy Christmas and happy healthy Covid free new year.

Miss Cook

Headteacher

 

School Office Information

Due to staff training the school office will be closed on Friday 17th December between 10.00 – 12.00.

We are unable to take calls during this time.  If you need to forward a message please email newdale.primary@taw.org.uk

Many thanks

E-Safety Top Tip – Reporting to CEOP

CEOP is a great way for children and adults to report online concerns that they have.  CEOP stands for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command. They are part of the police who investigate and deal with cases of online grooming.

The Click CEOP reporting button can be found on many websites and it provides the website users with information and advice and a direct reporting route to CEOP.  Is your child aware of this button?

For more information check out the website below.

https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/

If you need more support or guidance with online safety please contact a staff member or send us an email newdale.primary@taw.org.uk

E-Safety Top Tip – A parent guide to Roblox

With more than 150 million users worldwide, Roblox is one of the most popular video games of recent times. Roblox allows users to create their own gaming experiences using Roblox Studio: building levels and games then allowing other people to play them. Similarly, players can play each other’s creations, either on their own or with other people online. While it’s a tool that can help foster creative thinking, Roblox is also intermittently in the news amid concerns over young users’ safety.

In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as in-app purchases, online dating and chat functionality.

Roblox parent guide

If you need more support or guidance with online safety please contact a staff member or send us an email newdale.primary@taw.org.uk

Booster vaccination information

 

Due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, it is more important than ever to get your booster vaccination:

Due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, it is more important than ever to get your booster vaccination:

Walk-in local vaccination clinics

No appointment needed.

If you are aged 18 and over and had your second dose 3 months (91 days) ago, you can go to a local walk-in clinic to get your booster. All vaccines will be given on a first come, first served basis. Clinics may close early if all allocated vaccines have been used.

Check all local walk-in vaccination clinics:

COVID-19 Vaccination Walk-in and Pop-up Clinics

Book your booster appointment

If you’re aged 30 and over and had your second dose 2 months (61 days) ago, you can book your booster vaccination

You will be offered appointment dates from 3 months (91 days) after the date of your second dose. From Wednesday 15 December, all people aged 18 to 29 years old will be eligible to book a booster dose.

Book an Appointment

Vaccination clinics may be busy, and you may have to queue. Please be patient as the vaccination team are working as fast as they can.

Thank you for helping to keep our borough safe!

School lunch menu change next week (Monday 13th – Friday 17th December)

Due to Christmas lunches next week there will be a few menu changes, please see below.

Monday – Pizza

Tuesday – Christmas lunch for Nursery / Reception / Year 1 / Year 2.  All other year groups will hot dogs and wedges with peas and sweetcorn

Wednesday – Curry or macaroni cheese

Thursday – Christmas lunch for Year 3 / Year 4 / Year 5 / Year 6.  All other year groups will have hot dogs and wedges with peas and sweetcorn

Friday – Fish & chips

E-Safety Top Tips – Video Streaming Apps and Sites

Are you aware of how much TV your child is watching and what they are watching?

Now that it gets darker outside earlier, everyone is spending more time indoors and watching a bit more TV.  However it is vital that you monitor what your child is watching, especially when they have access to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.  Did you know that you can restrict the amount of time your child spends on Netflix and the programmes they have access to.

For more information please see the parent guides below.

Netflix guide

Streaming apps and sites

If you need more support or guidance with online safety please contact a staff member or send us an email newdale.primary@taw.org.uk

Mobile phones

Dear Parents/Carers,

Please can we remind you not to use your mobile phone whilst on school grounds. When coming on to site could you please make sure you put away your mobile device and not use them for answering calls, text messages or taking photos. This is in line with school policy and is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.