Dear Parents and Families

I hope that you are well. 

COVID Symptoms – please do not send your child into school.

Please do not send your children to school if they or anybody with whom they live has COVID symptoms or a positive test.

These include:-

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you have noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

If this is the case, please email stmonicas@st-monicas.co.uk at any time or phone 01908 606966  during school hours and we can refer you to NHS guidance on isolating and getting a test e.g. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/

We understand that these symptoms can be from something other than COVID but we ask you to follow the procedures as above if there are any such symptoms even if you think they are symptoms of something else e.g. a cold. This is in line with our school risk assessment and national guidance.

If we were to made aware of a positive case in school after Friday 11^th December, this would mean that the children and staff in the same year group bubble with the positive case would need to self-isolate up to and including Christmas Day. 

COVID Tests

If your child has a positive test, please let us have the following information as soon as possible:-

• Date symptoms started
• Last date in school
• Test date
• Result date

New job for a new year? Site Manager role available

At the end of this letter, you will see an advert for a site manager for our school.

If you wish to apply, please give me a call on 01908 606966 to discuss/get the application pack or you can email me at stmonicas@st-monicas.co.uk

If you know somebody else who may be interested, please ask them to get in touch.

This is a good opportunity to support the school and we hope there will be lots of interest in this potential new start for the new year.

The closing date for applications is Friday, 11^th December.

Christmas Arrangements

Due to COVID, there will not be the usual Christmas arrangements this year.

Please can children not bring into school Christmas cards or presents for staff and/or other children? This is to lessen chances of COVID transmission.

Nativity plays and carol concerts will not be happening in the usual way.

On Friday, 11^th December, there will be Christmas Wellbeing Day with activities for the day. Children may wear their own comfortable clothes for the day (including pyjamas) – please make sure that the clothes in which they come in are suitable for December weather.

On Wednesday, 16^th December, there will be class parties – class teachers will be in touch with arrangements for this e.g. there will not be food brought in for sharing this year.

The 16^th will be a Festive Fancy Dress Day at our school to raise money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London. Children can wear what they wish on that day including Christmas costumes, jumpers etc.

For more information on the work at the hospital at this time of the year, please see Christmas at GOSH here. 

Please can your child bring in a donation of no more than £1.00 on the 16^th if you wish to donate to the work at Great Ormond Street.

We regret the changes to our usual Christmas preparation and celebrations and look forward to things returning towards normal as time progresses. In the meantime, we are looking to minimise transmission for many reasons, including the desire to keep the school open to as many children as possible.

During this time, thank you for your patience and your help in keeping our COVID plans in place.

Rainbow Wrap around Care School Club Christmas Dinner, Monday 14^th December

Rainbow Club Christmas dinner will take place after school on Monday, 14^th December. Please book your child in until 6.00pm that evening if you want them to attend. Bookings are going well so far.

For more information on Rainbow Club, please see https://st-monicas.co.uk/information/wrap-around-care-rainbow-club-school-sports-club/

As ever, if you have any queries regarding your child’s time in school, please contact their class teacher, Miss Shanahan or me.

Kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Mr O’Malley

VACANCY – SITE MANAGER

 Required to start as soon as possible

37 hours per week
(7:00am – 9:30am & 1:15pm – 6:15pm)

Hours negotiable

Pay Scale E £22,183 – £24,491 per annum

St. Monica’s is a successful school with 392 children on roll, ranging in age from 3 to 11 years old.

We are seeking to recruit a Site Manager who will be a dedicated, reliable and a hard working member of the staff team who is also adaptable and responsive to the needs of the children and the school. The role of site manager will be to provide a clean, healthy and safe environment and be responsible for the security and general maintenance of the school site. The successful candidate may also be required to cover during lunchtimes where necessary.

The appointment will be subject to all relevant employment checks and a six-month probationary period.

Visits to the school are welcomed and encouraged.

The closing date for applications is 6.00pm on Friday, 11^th December 2020

Interviews will be held in the week beginning Monday, 14^th December 2020

For an application pack please contact the School Office on 01908 606966
or

Email: stmonicas@st-monicas.co.uk

 All school staff and Governors are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check and reference check from previous employers. We are an equal opportunities employer.