Good morning……For the Year 1 children returning to school on Monday, I wanted to make them aware of what the classroom looks like now and how we will be working when they come back into class. Unfortunately, things look a little different and I wanted to give the children the chance to ‘see’ the classroom before their return. This will give you time to look at these pictures and discuss them, along with what will be happening, in preparation for Monday morning.
As you can see, the children have their own desks and there is screen around each one. On their desk the children have everything they will need for the day in a plastic wallet. In that wallet they have a pencil, scissors, glue stick, coloured pencils, number square, counters, whiteboard, pen and rubber. The children also have their water bottle and their own box of tissues. All this is to ensure that the children do not need to leave their seat during the course of a lesson, unless to go to the toilet and then they will be accompanied by an adult. We will ensure the children are thoroughly and regularly washing their hands throughout the school day. We obviously want to try to minimise the amount of movement around the classroom. The children are used to getting up and going to get the resources they need, especially in Maths, but unfortunately this can no longer happen. Everything the children need will be brought to them. Please talk to your child about the fact that Mrs Veasey and I are there to support them but in a different way now than how they were used to. Thank-you.
As you may be able to see there is no longer a role play area in the classroom, or a library area. We will not be able to undertake individual reading or reading groups with the children and they will not be bringing reading books home. It is also important that the children do not bring anything into school with them from home - so no school bags, books to show, work to share or pictures that they have drawn. Again, this is not the way we are used to working - but all this is essential to ensure the safety of the children and adults in the room. Year 1 will not be using the cloakroom area, so they will just put their coat on the back of their chair - this is to ensure that the Year 1 bubble does not come into contact with any other bubble in school.
Whilst in school I will be using the White Rose Maths plans and the Robin Hood weekly plans with the children. This is help you to know what you can start the WEDNESDAY parts of the plans when the children are at home with you and these are things that we will not have covered in class. The children should come to school wearing their PE kits as hopefully, weather permitting, we will do a form of a PE lesson on one of the days outside.
With this in mind, it is also worth pointing out to Year 1 that staff will be wearing PPE - gloves, full plastic face mask and possibly a face mask. Again, I think it is important that the children know this before they see Mrs Veasey and I on Monday morning.
Sorry for the size of this photo, I couldn’t seem to make it any smaller! I just want to prepare the children as much as I can for what they will see and experience on Monday. As Miss Haggerty will have made you aware the school day will run from 9.30am - 2.45pm for Year 1 and you will have been informed of your routes to and from the school gates. Parents will not be able to come into the classroom, so please either contact me by email or leave a phone message at the school office if you need to speak to me.
Thank-you all for your continued support - this situation provides enormous challenges for us all.
Mrs Hollinghurst
