St Mark's CE Primary School

Stars of the Week

In Friday's Worship, we celebrate children's achievements.  A Star of the Week is chosen for by each class, for those children who have demonstrated our HERO Values and let their lights shine!

We are proud to work in partnership with Whitehawk FC.  Every child who is selected as Star of the Week has the opportunity to be the match day mascot for the weekend home game.

Which means they walk out on to the pitch with the players, and can watch the match for free. Two accompanying adults can also attend for the special discounted price of just £5 for both parents/carers! (£2.50 each)

You can read all the latest news in the St Mark's Star Newsletter published every Monday and sent home via Ping and posted here.

SEVERE WEATHER PROTOCOL

At St Mark's, we will make every effort to keep the school open in the event of severe weather. However if it becomes difficult to open the school safely or if staff, parents and pupils are at risk travelling to and from school, then we are left with no option but to close.

• We will make a decision by 7.30am whether to open.
• We will inform families via PING and the school website.
• In the case of closure, we will share activities from Oak Academy for the children to access. these are recorded video lessons, in line with the curriculum coverage for their class.

• How will I find out? We need your up-to-date contact details so that we can text you when we have made a decision. We will Ping using the school messaging system and also post a message on our school website front page.  In the morning, we will make a decision by 7.30am so that parents can begin to plan their day. In the event that the school has to close during the day, we will let parents know via out messaging service, the time we are closing and when we expect parents to collect their children.
  
  
• Shall I call to check if the school is closed or closing? No. We need to keep the phone lines free in case we need to contact individual parents.  Please check your mobile or the website.
  
  
• I might need to come early to collect my child as it's getting bad round my way? Until the school has made the decision to close or to partially close, children will not be allowed to leave early. While we understand that some areas of Brighton are affected in different ways, we have to make a whole school decision.
  
  
• I get the bus and the services are becoming disrupted? Transport across the city is a huge deciding factor in us staying open or closed. We are in contact with Brighton and Hove buses as well as the Local Authority  during bad weather so that decisions can be coordinated.  You can find the latest information on the buses at this link here.
  
  
• How can I ensure my child is able to stay warm and dry at school? Children should be sent to school with a suitable coat and footwear. They can also bring extra clothes to change into if the weather is bad on the way to school and we will try to dry or air clothes during the day. In the event that the snow is not too bad, or conditions too icy, we would love to get the children out to play in it.
  
  
• I’m stuck at work so how can I collect my child from school? If we have made the decision to close, then it is also likely that transport across the city is becoming more difficult. Therefore, we recognise that lots of people may be experiencing problems getting to the school. We would ask parents to make every effort to get here themselves or to make arrangements for someone else to collect their child. The school cannot stay open later than normal hours to look after children. The staff, of course, will stay at school to be with the children, however please bear in mind that some staff also live further away and have their own children to collect from school so they will need to leave promptly.
     
• How will I get into the school safely? It may be necessary for the school to only open certain gates or doors, so please follow any pathways or signs that may be in place, to safely direct you into school. The front door will be open at normal times. We will, of course, try to grit the areas outside school if needed.   
• What learning will my child be expected to do if they are not in school? Teachers will set some home learning in the event that school is closed. We will try to make this as easy as possible for children to access.  In line with our remote learning policy, we will ise the Oak Acedmey video lessons, as these are in line with the curriculum coverage for your child's class.  And of course if the reason we are closed is due to snow, playtime in the snow is something we would hope to see! 

COLD WEATHER INFORMATION

• The attached ‘Keep Warm Keep Well’ leaflet: national information with resources for members of the public as well as information for professionals.
• Childcare.co.uk has a handy guide to keep children and staff safe in the colder months https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/staying-safe-in-winter
• 10 Winter Safety Tips for Children
• The Most Important Winter Safety Tips for Kids (parents.com)
• The BHCC Winter Weather  webpages will keep you updated
• Stay Well this Winter: British Sign Language (BSL) video on Youtube
• Stay Well This Winter | Campaign Resource Centre (phe.gov.uk) has a selection of printable material
• How to stay well in winter - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• We're here to help you stay well this winter (assets.nhs.uk) – in large print format
• Stay Well this Winter: audio file on Soundcloud
• Stay Well this Winter: easy read version (PDF, 1.2Mb)

SCARLET FEVER UPDATE

Owing to the rise in cases, the Local Authority and Public Health Team has shared the updated letter and guidance, which I attach for your information.

We have not had any cases reported at St Mark's and we continue to follow hand hygiene.

Please keep an eye out for the common symptoms:

* sore throat

* headahce

*fever

*nausea and vomiting

*red rash

* flushed cheeks

If you are worried, call your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible. We will continue to share any updates and guidance.

Keep safe,