Charlton-on-Otmoor CE Primary School

NEWSLETTER

- FORGIVENESS

Dear Parents,

After two months of remote learning, I along with the rest of the Charlton team, are delighted and excited to be welcoming your children back on Monday 8^th March. To ensure the safety of pupils, parents and staff, the school risk assessment will be reviewed over the next few days and shared on the website prior to opening.

For many children and families, the prospect of returning to full time education after such a long absence will be a daunting and an anxious time. The staff and I will be reviewing the curriculum to consider what additional measures we can put in place to support all the children with this transition. This may include modifications to certain subjects with a focus on particular knowledge. We can ensure all of you that upon returning to school, we will continue to offer all pupils a broad and ambitious curriculum with a wide range of subjects taking place.

We will be offering phone call parent consultations during the week commencing 22nd March to provide parents with an opportunity to speak to teachers about how their child has coped during the lockdown as well as giving teachers a chance to discuss with you about how your child has settled back into the school routine. More information regarding how to book these phone consultations will be shared next week. 

From Monday 8^th March, the usual rules on school attendance will apply including parents' duty to secure their child's regular attendance at school. We recognise though that a small number of pupils will still be unable to attend in line with public health advice to self-isolate.

We will be returning to a staggered drop off and collection timetable with the additional provision that parents wear face masks and adhere to the social distancing guidelines when they are on the front playground.

- Families whose surname begin with the letters A to G will need to arrive at 8.45 am & pick their children up at 3.05pm.  
- Families whose surname begins with letters H to Z will need to arrive at 8.55 am & pick their children up at 3.15pm.
This will ensure that the front of the school is not overly congested and help in keeping everyone safe. 

For those children and families who are unable to return to school from Monday 8th March, due to reasons set out in the government guidance, remote education will be in place. 

In other news, I am delighted to inform you that the school has appointed Jane Rawson to take on the SENCo leadership at Charlton during the summer term. Jane is currently the SENCo at Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary School and comes to us with over 20 years of teaching experience in the primary and secondary sector. Jane will be spending a few days working at Charlton during March prior to starting in her role so she can get to know the children and have a comprehensive handover with Mrs Bending.

Finally, I would like to inform you that we have an opportunity to work alongside Mrs Roberts in CAST on a Thursday afternoon over the next few weeks. If you are interested in being part of CAST for a few weeks, please contact the school office.

Have a great weekend

Mr Griffin

- Wraparound provision

From Monday 8^th March we will be resuming Breakfast Club in addition to CAST. 

In accordance with the government's guidance, this provision should be taken up to support parents to work, attend education and access medical care, and as part of pupil's wider education and training. Vulnerable children can attend these settings regardless of circumstance. 

Where parents are using external childcare providers or out of school extra-curricular activities for their children, we advise you to limit your use of multiple out-of-school settings providers, and to only use one out-of-school setting in addition to school as far as possible. 

If you need to book your children at CAST, please do it online using ParentPay unless you would like your child to attend 8 sessions before halft term and benefit from our early bird "8 sessions for the price or 7" option. If you would like to use the "8 for 7" option, please send your dates separately to parents@charltonono.co.uk and please pay for the item directly on Parentpay .

The 2 items are listed as follows on ParentPay: 

After School Club £42 for 8 sessions (only pay for 7) 3.15pm-4.15pm
After School Club £70 for 8 sessions (only pay for 7) 3.15pm-5.30pm

Thank you.

- World Book Day

Next Thursday 4th March is World Book Day.  Usually we would celebrate the world of books with an activity or two in school.  This year we have had to think a bit differently.  Each class will have a range of activities to choose from, which will be  loaded onto the class stream with instructions from the class teacher.  

- Wellbeing Activities by Ms Sandford -
WEEK 2 

Due to the Covid situation, the children's wellbeing has become even more important which is why the school has decided to provide some Wellbeing activities. These are to replace the Homework grids that teachers might have sent out. Here is week 2.

- Hot Lunches

Sarah, our cook, will be back in the kitchen on Monday 8th March for the last 3 and half weeks before halft term. On the 8th, she will use the menu from the WEEK 3, so please don't forget to speak to your child about their choices so that they know what to expect on their first day back at school. Thank you. 

- The children who received their Virtual Certificates this afternoon for excellent work are:

FSU
Archer
William
Lois

KS1
Jaxon
Orla

Yr3/4
Neive
Kit
Ruby

Yr5/6
Tia
Zak
Leo

Well done to all of you! Keep up the good work.

- Reading Milestones

- Mrs Ellam's activities - FINAL Week (week5)

How did you all get on with last week's activities?  Please send us your photos of some of the things you get up to during your Family Friday or Well-being Wednesday (or maybe you do Silly Saturday!).

- PE information for the two bubbles = REMINDER

- Talking Space Plus

Life has likely been stressful during this COVID 19 pandemic.  It is really important to take time to care for yourselves.  TalkingSpace Plus is a free, confidential NHS service for adults in Oxfordshire, to help people when they're feeling stressed, anxious or low and we offer our treatments online for your safety and convenience. 

If you feel you would benefit from support please contact our service directly on 01865 901222 or visit www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/talkingspaceplus.

- University of York - Psychology Department

* Frideswide Voices of Christ Church, Oxford

We are pleased to announce our 2021 Taster Events for Frideswide Voices of Christ Church, Oxford.

The girls' choir of Christ Church, Frideswide Voices, is open to girls of all backgrounds, from any school. Girl choristers at Christ Church do not attend the Cathedral School, but instead come to the Cathedral twice a week at the end of the school day. Choristers sing weekly Evensongs with the Clerks of Christ Church Cathedral, receive singing and theory lessons, receive instrumental lesson bursaries and are given a thriving social programme including choir tours.

Girls join the Choir as pre-probationers (trainees) at the start of Year 3. We are interested in hearing from potential choristers when they are in Year 2 with a view to membership from September of Year 3. (Occasional vacancies do occur for older girls). There is no need for girls to have extensive musical experience, or to be practising Christians: we are primarily looking for enthusiasm and a love of singing.

Parents, prospective choristers, and music teachers are warmly invited to attend a taster evening ('Be a Chorister for an Evening') - these are held each Spring. Our first Taster Event will be on Wednesday 17 March online, and the second on Sunday 8 May.

Please register by email for attendance at a Taster Event - frideswide.voices@chch.ox.ac.uk