Principal Update to Parents and Carers 29th January 2021
Return to School
I am sure that you all heard the news in the week that there will be a gradual return of schools from March 8th. As I am writing this update, I can safely say that I do not know any more than you. The Government has said that they will give schools at two weeks to get ready for reopening. The current suggestion is that there will be a gradual reopening, so we would expect to be told who would come back and when. As soon as we have more details, we will share these with you.
Year 11 FAQ video
I have received a number of emails from Year 11 parents and students. Mr Collins and Mr Tong have made a FAQ video which is now available on the school website. Please do check this out. If you still have questions about exams/grading or anything else, please do email Mrs Pooley or myself here at the school. I know that it is a worrying time for all parents, but in particular, Year 11 are thinking about GCSEs and how they will get the grades for education post-16.
Live Tutor Contact
I hope that you will have received your letter about live tutor contact. This will happen twice weekly (starting on Monday 8 February). I will talk more about this in my video update on Monday.
Mental Health
I am aware that one of the costs of the pandemic is the mental health of the nation. As a school, we are already planning support for your children when we reopen. Indeed, we have a team of qualified counsellors and students can self-refer when they are in school. I have been having a look for resources which may be of use right now. Please see the link below which takes you to some short video clips which discuss a number of relevant issues. I particularly liked the clip about “sleep”. I think it’s so easy to get into a poor sleep routine, staying up later, becoming consumed by social media, leading to lack of focus the next day.
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/youth-mental-health/
Thank a Teacher
The teachers and staff at WCSA have been working really hard during Lockdown to ensure that students do not miss out on their education. Please follow the link below if you (parents or students) would like to “Thank a Teacher”. You can thank more than one member of staff - just click on the link to the form for each teacher you would like to nominate. Thank you for doing this. I am sure that the member of staff will be delighted to receive a message.
The deadline for submissions is Friday 5th February 2021. Thank you.
https://forms.gle/6x5rSG7VAiZgBG59A
Miss Scott - Principal