Dear Parents and Carers,

 

We have had a lovely week even though there does seem a lot of illness around. The Carol Concert last night was lovely and it was great to all be back together singing in the hall. Thank you to those of you who came.

 

Scarlet fever cases are higher than we would typically see at this time of year, with some very serious infections requiring hospital admissions / paediatric intensive care. Scarlet fever is caused by bacteria called group A streptococci. It is usually a mild illness, but is highly infectious. In very rare occasions, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive Group A Strep (iGAS). While iGAS infections are still uncommon, there have been an increase in cases this year, particularly in under 10s and sadly, a small number of deaths. It is very rare for children with scarlet fever to develop iGAS infection. Currently, there is no evidence that a new strain is circulating. The increase is most likely related to high amounts of circulating bacteria and social mixing. Please read all the guidance I have sent and please let us know if your child has Strep A, chicken pox or scarlet fever. We are asked a cleaner to be here for longer each day to clean tables etc and we are reminding the children that they need to thoroughly wash their hands. Thank you for your support with this. It seems to always happen this time of year.

 

The winter reading challenge website is now live. Children are encouraged to sign up online or at a Hackney Library and read at least 3 books between Thursday 1 December 2022 and Monday 20 February 2023; children can read any book including ebooks and audio books. As they record and review what they have read they unlock online rewards and can download a certificate or get one from their local library. There are slides for an assembly and the reading record which can be accessed here. Hackney Libraries will also have hard copies of the reading records.  A reminder to check What’s on in Hackney libraries, alternatively you can follow them on Twitter on @Hackneylibs and Facebook @HackneyLibraries.

 

We have some openings for instrumental lessons beginning in January for the following instruments: Guitar (year 5 and 6 only), clarinet, saxophone and violin. Lessons are £120 for the Spring and Summer term and instrument hire is £30 for the Spring and Summer term. You can book on School Interviews. https://www.schoolinterviews.co.uk/code?code=qsr93 

 

I have heard that there are some concerns with the children’s toilets. We are always attempting to look after the toilets and ensure they are working. Please remember that we have over 400 children using them all day every day. We have experienced a problem with the soap dispensers being blocked and we are purchasing an alternative to see if that works better. There is always soap in the toilets but we need working dispensers. We also have automatic flushes that keep failing. We are looking to replace these with push flushes that will be more effective. We check the toilets a few times a day and remind the children to also look after them. I hope that helps answer concerns that you may have. Any concerns please come and see me. I am always happy to chat about things.

 

Thank you to those of you who attended the PTFA meeting this week. It was great to see so many of you there and to know that so many people want to support the school. Things are different now to how they used to be and school budgets are a lot tighter. We are always trying to find ways to save money without impacting the learning and teaching of the children, as they are what matters and are at the heart of all that we do. We want them to be happy and feel safe and valued at school and this will always be our aim and first priority. It is great to be part of a community who want the same. Betty Layward is very lucky. The PTFA are a really important part of the school and can really make a difference with fundraising so thank you for all your support.

 

I am really looking forward to seeing you at our Christmas events next week.

Please remember they are-

• Tuesday 13th December 2:00pm -Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Christmas Performance at St Mary’s Church Stoke Newington
• Wednesday 14th December 9:45am -Nativity- Year 1 parents invited
• Wednesday 14th December 2:00pm - Nativity- Reception Parents invited
• Thursday 15th December 10:30am - Nursery Christmas Performance at school
• Friday 16th December - Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas lunch. We break up at 2pm and there are no clubs or Fit for Sport. All children need to be collected. 

 

Christmas lunch will be paid for by the PTFA for all children so please let us know by Tuesday if your child does not want a Christmas lunch.

Thanks and have a lovely weekend,

Jessica

Headteacher