Dear children,

This is a special blog just for you! I wrote a letter to your parents to explain a few things and I want to explain them to you too- just so you know how excited we are to have you all back and also to inform you about what to expect.

I speak on behalf of the whole school team when I tell you that we can’t wait to come back to school next week. Over the holidays, we have been very busy making school that magical place you remembered before we had to close for lockdown. There are a few things different but you won’t mind. Little things like bringing your own pencil cases won’t happen but that’s no problem at all because you will use school resources- this helps us to make sure we can keep everything nice and clean.

You will see cleaning things around school and in your classrooms but that isn’t a problem either. Everything else will be as you remembered ( although we have added some exciting resources for you to enjoy) and you will see us waiting for you with the biggest of smiles! As you will probably imagine, I will have the biggest of smiles and also the usual tears of happiness because I have been looking forward to school reopening since we closed in March!

It is very important that we look after each other. The first thing you will all do when you come into school every day is wash your hands and we will be washing hands more than you usually would. At the moment, we have to stay in our class bubbles and we can’t have assemblies. You will still receive certificates and Golden Awards and we will still have UFA but these things will also be done in class bubbles.

Some of you will know that Mrs Luke goes to university every Thursday and I take her place looking after the little ones in nursery. I won’t be doing that this year because Miss Woodcock will be going in there (she has been a nursery teacher before coming to St.Francis) and Mr Gilmour will be in Parlick every Thursday with Mrs Davies. Mr Gilmour misses teaching and he loves teaching in Year 2 so he will be a familiar face in the infants. We are delighted to see Mrs Davies back in school again and it really feels like a great start to the year is waiting for us.

We have bought you some lovely resources for break times and we even have a new outdoor Lego area for you to use- you won’t be able to miss the 5 foot Lego Movie sign on the outside wall to the playground and Mr Gilmour and I travelled rather a long way in the minibus to collect a big 5 seater Lego table- it even has built in Lego base boards and a Lego holder in the middle so you can chat to your friends and build your own separate creations!

We have bought lots of new clay and also sewing kits for you to make things at wet play to relax- we thought you could keep your sewing projects in your desk drawers and keep adding to them. I think you will find the classroom displays and topic areas very interesting and our school library now contains an octopus and a dragon! We have painted school and the hall has had a creative touch but I’m not going to tell you any more and spoil the surprises!

I know that I get butterflies in my tummy when I think about the first day back in September and I know some of you may feel that way too. I have written this to reassure you all that everything is going to be fun, safe and magical. Your teachers and staff team have been working very hard preparing exciting lessons for you to enjoy and when you come back you will feel like you have never been away for so long.

You will see us waiting for you to arrive and we will have the best first day back ever!

Enjoy the rest of the holidays-we will see you very soon.

Miss Deakin