Newsletter - 24th January 2023

Many of you will have heard that members of the National Education Union will be taking industrial action over the spring. The NEU has said it will hold strikes on: • Wednesday, February 1 (England and Wales) • Tuesday, 14 February (just Wales) • Tuesday, 28 February (Northern, North West, and Humber regions) • Wednesday, 1 March (Midlands, Western and Eastern regions) • Thursday, 2 March (London, South East and South West regions) • Wednesday, 15 March (England and Wales) • Thursday, 16 March (England and Wales) I am able to tell you that school will remain open as usual on Wednesday 1st February. I am unable to let you know whether we will be able to remain fully open, partly open or completely closed to pupils for the remainder of the dates, at this moment. I will conduct a risk assessment as to the extent to which we can safely open the school when I know further information. This cannot be assessed in advance and it may not be known until the day of the strike what the actual impact will be. I will endeavour to keep you updated as we come towards each of the proposed dates.

Choir Church

We are fortunate enough to have been offered the opportunity to start a Choir Church in school. The idea behind Choir church is to work with schools and church to engage children and their families in being part of a choir linked to the local church.

As part of this offer we have a teacher in school every Wednesday who will teach singing across the school then lead a Choir Church group after school, like an after school club. Choir Church will run from 3.30pm – 4.30pm in the school hall.

Some children have indicated they would like to join Choir Church and so a registration form has today gone home with them. If your child didn’t receive a form and would still like to join in just let us know and we will get a form to you.

Choir Church starts from Wednesday 25^th January 2023.

Food Boxes

As you may be aware there is a huge demand for boxes and support from the local food banks and they do an amazing job in helping people in our community. We continue to be fortunate enough to receive donations from Rapid Relief Team who provide boxes with food that has a long shelf life for people to access. If you, or anyone you know, could do with support from this charity, please contact Mrs Armistead direct to arrange – head@skertonstlukes.lancs.sch.uk OR 01524 65445.

Absence Reporting

If your child is going to be absent from school for any reason, you must inform the school office. You can do this by Parent App, telephone call or telephone answer message. Please do not send absence messages to Teachers/TA’s through Class Dojo.

Late Arrivals

Children arriving late, after 8.55am, should be accompanied by an adult to the School Office at the front of school. Parents and visitors must sign in and enter school through the secure entrance at the front of school. If your child arrives between 8.55am and 9.15am, they will be marked as late. If your child arrives after 9:15am they will be marked in the register as unauthorised 'late after registers closed’.

You may be subject to a penalty notice if your child is consistently late for school.

Hygiene

A number of parents have mentioned that their child/ children had contracted head lice last term. Many of them successfully treated it over the Christmas holiday and on return to school their child has lice in their hair again. I urge you all to check your child’s hair daily and treat the head lice straight away. Please ensure hair is tied back to help stop the spread. For more information about the treatment of head lice please follow this link:

NHS.uk-Head-Lice-Advice

Please be aware that Covid and Strep A are still around so if your child has a temperature or a bad cough, or has a strep A infection, you should stay away from nursery, school or work for 24 hours after you start taking antibiotics. This will help stop the infection spreading to other people. Serious strep A infections (invasive group A strep) need to be treated in hospital with antibiotics.

Please continue to follow good hygiene practices by washing hands regularly, using tissues and disposing of them appropriately and coughing into your elbow to stop the spread of germs.