Update for parents and carers: Friday 22nd January 2021

Some key and additional information added from previous is included in bold.

We continue to operate within full national lockdown guidelines.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all who are unwell with Covid 19. We pray for the families of those who have lost their lives. We pray for our NHS and Social Care workers, who are battling hard to preserve life and to keep us all safe.

School remains fully operational throughout this period of lockdown, with all available staff without the appropriate exemptions, in school and carrying on with essential work to support our school and wider community. Colleagues, who cannot be in work through exemption, will be following their full working patterns from home.

Children of key workers and children identified by school as most benefiting from being in are following a fully taught curriculum. Please contact school if you feel that your child needs the support of being in school due to circumstances including difficulties in accessing online teaching etc. There are no limits on the numbers of places we can offer in school to children with these particular circumstances. We are delighted to welcome our youngsters into school.

All pupils and families will receiving an additional ‘Keeping in Touch’ (KIT) phone call’ at some point during this fortnight.

A member of staff will contact you to ensure that all is well and to offer any additional support that may be required. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask.

I very much enjoyed my virtual assembly to Year 11 via ‘Microsoft Teams’ on Wednesday 20th January! We are delighted that 95% of pupils tuned into the assembly. Perfectly reasonable explanations were offered by those who couldn’t tune in for the assembly and we hope that this can happen next time. The assembly was based upon the simple message that youngsters must remain focussed on their studies now more than ever due to the changes in assessment in the summer.

I look forward to delivering a virtual assembly to Year 10 via ‘Microsoft Teams’ on Wednesday 27th January during the following times:

Year 10 Assembly with C Crehan via ‘Teams’ 10I, 10R and 10E: 10.25 – 11.05

Year 10 Assembly with C Crehan via ‘Teams’ 10A, 10S and 10P: 11.10 – 11.50

This assembly will contain important information regarding current progress in Year 10 towards GCSE qualifications and advice on establishing good routines and maintaining positive well-being will also be provided. Where possible, every child in Year 10 should attend this assembly and further information will be sent via their school email and through ‘Teams’. Please contact school if there are any technical issues in accessing this assembly and our technical team will look to support / advice.

Thank you to all who attended school to collect paper based resources and guidance for online learning programme on Friday 29th January. Close to 100% of all essential materials have now been collected. It is important to note that our rationale for home and remote learning is to provide a ‘mix’ of learning opportunities to ensure that all children are supported. Through providing a ’mix’ and range of learning opportunities, we are determined to ensure that no child is left behind academically, socially and emotionally because of this latest lockdown.
If for whatever circumstance, has not been collected such as your family is isolating, please contact School Reception and we will arrange postage or delivery. It is vitally important that these resources be obtained, in order to ensure that no child at Holy Trinity is left behind.
We are delighted with the implementation of our ambition to equip all pupils with their own laptop device to support with remote and home learning. We are closing to achieving this ambition. Please contact school should your child require a device. In addition, we have acquired a number of ‘4G dongles’ that we can provide to families with no internet access other than that provided by a phone, or where internet has an inconsistent connection. Please contact School Reception if you wish to be allocated with a ‘4G dongle’.

All families should now have received their first Food Voucher. Please contact school if this has not been received or there is a problem in accessing the voucher. In addition, a food parcel / lunch is available for collection from school from 11 – 12 each day. School will provide pupils with at least their full entitlement of a £2.50 school lunch each day.

Mass testing for asymptomatic cases of Covid19 in school, continues to take place, with process effectiveness increasing weekly. Staff are regularly tested with this being increased to twice weekly from next week (w/c 25th January) in line with latest government guidelines. Testing for asymptomatic cases amongst pupils will pause from next week in line with latest government guidelines.

As we progress in this New Year together, we must be mindful that our continued collaboration and strong working partnership is the only way in which we can overcome the challenges that are faced.

Our school mission has been strengthened during this pandemic, which is to provide all of our pupils with an excellent education, to support them in achieving absolutely anything that they set their ambition for. There are ‘no limits’ to what can be achieved in our school.

With a new strain of Covid19 evidenced to be more highly transmissible, we must continue to take all proactive and preventative measures to ensure the safety of all. Thank you for your continued diligence in wearing a face covering and maintaining social distance when you visit school.

If your child or any of the household are displaying any of the main symptoms of Covid19, such as a new or continuous cough, a high temperature or fever, a loss or change to taste or smell, you are expected to stay at home, isolate and to seek a test.

Please look out for further information via text message, pupil email, ‘Microsoft Teams’ messages or updates to this website.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mr Crehan