Newsletter - 6th January 2023

Parents and carers are always invited to join us for Celebration Worship on Friday mornings in the school hall.  I would like to extend the invitation for parents and carers to stay after the children have gone back to class, have a cup of tea or coffee and a chance to be in the warm environment for a while.  Please feel free to bring your phone or tablet (with chargers) and use the school electricity to charge your equipment before the weekend. 

If you are finding things a struggle at the moment please feel free to ring school and choose Option 3 to speak to a member of the Pastoral Team.

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.

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.

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.

• Join in Friends of Skerton St Luke’s (FOSSL) activities.  All parents of pupils at the school are automatically members of FOSSL so anyone can come along to meetings and join in with all fundraising etc.  Keep an eye out for the up-coming Christmas events Newsletter. For more information email friends of skertonstlukes@gmail.com or DM on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/friendsofstlukesschool
• Become a School Governor.  School governors are volunteers who work together with the Headteacher and the local authority to improve education and other outcomes for all pupils.  The governors meet as a full governing body three times per year.  If you would like to know more about this role please contact Mrs Armistead on 01524 65445 or email contact-us@skertonstlukes.lancs.sch.uk.
• Volunteer to listen to children read.  If you have some time to spare, a good grasp of written English, and if you enjoy spending time with children, you could become a school reader. For more information please contact Mrs Goodwin on 01524 65445 or email contact-us@skertonstlukes.lancs.sch.uk.
• Offer to lead an after school club/ lunch time club in the Spring or Summer Term.  We love offering different extra-curricular activities to the children in school.  If you have a particular skill that you would like to share with children then consider offering to lead a club in school. Some examples might be gardening, sewing or cooking.  For information please contact Miss Garnett on 01524 65445 or email contact-us@skertonstlukes.lancs.sch.uk.
• Join Drop In on Wednesday straight after school.  Parents can join their child in the classroom to chat about and see what they have been learning.  No need to book, just turn up.

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.  

Primary School applications are open

Apply now at www.lancashire.gov.uk/schools

Closing date for Primary - 15^th January 2023