Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have survived another week!! I know that the start of the new term has brought many last minute changes and stresses, but our St. Margaret's community is doing really well. We moved to remote learning for the majority within 36 hours of being told that schools were open only for critical workers and vulnerable children. The move was fairly smooth. This is an admirable achievement for all of us!
On Monday, when a significant number of institutions: schools; colleges and universities moved to online learning there was an understandable strain on the internet. Thank you for your patience. I think generally things were working much better by the end of the week.
It has been lovely to see the children in school and also in Zoom meetings and on Google Classrooms. Staff have been working on these - an area they are not trained for. I am proud of the way they have 'got to grips with it' and I am proud of the way the children and our families, have done the same.
This afternoon I have met (virtually) with Christian Wakeford, our local MP, and I have told him the realities of what life is like for us at the moment(In school and at home). He will take this information to his future meetings and we have his support.
Hopefully next week will be a little calmer. Please keep safe and well this weekend.
Lots of love,
Mrs. Perry x
Dear Parents and Carers,
I am pleased to say that our remote learning sessions have run more smoothly today. Thank you for bearing with us!! Staff are working extremely hard to make this work!
I have received a letter today from Bury's Assistant Director for Learning, Julien Kramer. He has provided an update for parents about National Lockdown Arrangements. Please select the link below to view this letter.
The numbers of children in school remain high and in some classes are putting pupils and staff at risk. Please read this letter and if you can possibly keep your child at home, please do. A big thank you, to those of you who have already decided to do this.
I have capped the numbers of children offered a place, in some classes, on health and safety grounds. Any child needing a place will be added to a waiting list. I know how hard this is for you and your families and I genuinely look forward to when we can all be in school, together again. Any decisions I make are for the benefit of our St. Margaret's community.
Thank you again for all your support and good wishes.
Keep safe and well.
Mrs. Perry :)
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to a new week. Goodness me! It has been all fun and games!! I know that technically there has been a few issues. The whole country has now moved to more remote learning and this would seem to be the issue. Staff are working as hard as they can to provide work on each class page and to provide lessons online. The work that is coming in from the children is really impressive. If required, School can print work off for you.
I know that these times are again really stressful and challenging! Please continue to work with us to support your children. Each day will get easier and smoother. Thank you for all your emails giving support to the school.
Also a big thank you from me to those who have revised plans and will now keep their children at home.
Keep safe and well.
Mrs. Perry xx
Dear Parents and Carers,
I am aware that there have been technical issues with some of our class Zooms and Parents also cannot log in to Tapestry, neither can Miss Glover. School has emailed Tapestry and their developers have increased their servers capacity for home learning traffic and they are still experiencing errors. They are working to resolve these as quickly as possible.
Hopefully, any issues with Zoom will also be resolved tomorrow.
Mrs. Perry.
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you have all had a lovely weekend? Personally, I have tried to have a quiet one in preparation for next week! Let's hope that we can be allowed to get on with the week without any more changes just for now!
Please can I make another plea to Critical Worker parents. The Government Guidance says that if there is one Critical Worker in a family of two adults, then your child is entitled to a place. However, I have consulted with the Local Authority and the Public Health England guidance and it is the same as it was when school was open for Key Worker and vulnerable children only, between March and July.
In classrooms, there should be 2 metres between all persons present. That is, in front, behind and to each side. That means that every classroom at St. Margaret's can only accommodate 8 children. Each class has at least this number.
There is no more room in school for any more children, if the situation is to remain remotely safe. My intention is not to take places away, but if there is any possibility that your child does not need a place each day, please can you let school know. A reduction in places on a Wednesday would be particularly appreciated, especially in Hawthorn Class, where the numbers are nearly double what PHE recommends is safe.
The number of positive cases in Bury continues to rise (by 40%). Bury has the third highest infection rate in Greater Manchester - in schools the number of positive cases has risen by 333% (this is PHE information I received in the School's Advisory Group last Thursday).
My concern is for the safety of everyone in the St. Margaret's community. We all need to do everything we can to reduce contact with others and, therefore, reduce the chance of transmitting the disease. Where there is a genuine need for any child to attend school, then a request will always be granted.
I thank you all for your continued support and I really appreciate all the heart-warming comments my staff and I have received this last week.
Keep safe and well.
Mrs. Perry. x
My Dear Parents and Carers
We have come to the end of one of the most difficult weeks in my whole career. I started teaching in 1985 and so that is a statement on what we are facing and will face for at least the next few weeks.
Staff have been expecting to get back in classes, teaching our children and that is what you were expecting too. All change!!! with less than 18 hours before the new term was to begin.
Can I express my thanks and respect to everyone in the St. Margaret's community for once again, getting on with it. From Monday, the school will move to remote learning for those at home. The children in classes will be able to access this as well so that we are able to have classes working together as far as is reasonable. Staff have put what they are doing each day on the class pages. If you are unsure about what your child's class is doing please contact their class teacher so that you will get the best answer
Please keep safe and well.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs. Perry :)
Dear Parents and Carers
It has been lovely to welcome the key worker children back today :)
Already we have had to make some changes due to the large number of key worker children. So, from tomorrow the children will be in their own classrooms and from Monday the teachers will deliver remote learning from the classroom.
It is very important that all parents sign up for Google Classroom so that the children can access the work and the teaching. The difference now, from the last lockdown is that the children are expected to complete the work set, it is not optional.
From tomorrow morning, children in Willow, Lilac and Oak will go back to using the entrance and exit that they used before Christmas.
Under lockdown conditions, children should only bring their water bottle and packed lunch.
As we are unable to change reading books, please see below a link to Oxford Reading Owls, which provides free on line reading books for children of all ages.
keep safe and well.
Mrs. Perry
Dear Parents and Carers
Due to the unexpected large number of key worker and vulnerable children , the school has reached capacity in terms of the number of children we can receive in order to keep to the directive on social distancing.
As a result we cannot accept any more children. We cannot make any changes to existing arrangements at this time.
If you are a family with only one key worker please can you give consideration to keeping your child at home for remote learning. I am sorry to ask this of you. Times are difficult enough. However, the directive is clear about the rules that need to be adhered to in school, to keep your child(ren) and staff safe, and we are struggling to keep to them because of numbers.
The Government guidance is very clear, 'Stay at home'.
Keep safe and well.
Mrs. Perry
Dear Parents and Carers,
As you can imagine today has been interesting!! We have now received notification of all key worker and vulnerable children who require a place in school and all your individual requests have been accommodated. If any changes are required, please notify the school office at the earliest opportunity.
The arrangements for this week are as follows:
1. Remote learning this week will be English / Phonics and Maths and can be found on the class pages daily.
2. This week there will be no Zoom or Google classroom provision, this is to allow school to prepare for this unexpected last minute lockdown.
In terms of class arrangements for those children attending school this week:
1. Willow and Lilac Classes will be Bubble 1 in Willow Class.
2. Oak and Hawthorn Classes will be Bubble 2 in Oak Class.
3. Years 3, 4 and 5 will be Bubble 3 and will work in the hall on separate tables. If the numbers in these classes increase significantly, we can split the classes into their year groups.
4. Year 6 will work in their own classroom.
Each Bubble will not worry about doing remote learning from the class pages on a laptop for now. The work will be printed off and staff will support the children in their bubbles to complete it.
I am sure that there will be many changes in the coming days and I thank you in anticipation of your continued support.
Tomorrow, all the children will come through the front door at 9am and be guided by the staff at hand to their bubble. This may change according to numbers in the coming days. Please remember all children are required to wear their school uniform. Unfortunately, we have made the decision to keep Smarties closed for the moment and will review regularly. The school day will finish at 3:30pm.
Lastly, we have just received confirmation from our catering team that the kitchen staff will be in school from tomorrow and children who usually have school meals can continue to do so.
Keep safe and well.
Mrs. Perry x
Dear Parents and Carers,
It is with deep regret that I tell you St. Margaret' s will not re-open on Wednesday. School realises the distress and inconvenience this will cause. As you know we aimed to re-open, but due to the fact England will move to national lockdown, this cannot happen. School has tried everything to stay open but this would now be illegal.
I have been told that the school MUST move to remote learning from tomorrow. Staff will move to this but since they were expecting to teach face to face, this will take till Monday to implement in full. We will be working on this tomorrow. Please bear with us, as you always have.
Provision will be made for key worker and vulnerable children as soon as possible. I am meeting with school staff imminently to ensure that arrangements are as smooth as possible for you.
I will be back in touch tomorrow to let you know the arrangements as they unfold.
Please keep safe and well.
We are shocked, as are school staff, that we are now unable to see our children until after half term. As I say, there will be more information tomorrow.
Lots of love,
A very distressed Mrs. Perry