Dear Families

I just wished to clarify the situation with work set for pupils isolating from school. As you can imagine at this point in the year, we have now had many pupils isolating from school – thankfully at present only individual children based on their home circumstances/cases.

Work will not be set for the full two weeks in one go but will match what we are delivering in school – obviously, staff are still teaching and will set work when they are able.

We will set work for isolating pupils via our online provision, which has already been shared with families. Whilst we appreciate that working from home can be difficult, we are finding some pupils not completing any work – we have a duty of care to follow this up. The work set is monitored and marked by the child’s class teacher, so it is very clear who has or has not been accessing it.

There is an expectation that as a school we challenge this, for those isolating because of COVID, we will be emailing or ringing to check how families are and how they are managing with access to schoolwork.

Kind regards,

CJS Team

Dear families

If you have not done so already, please could you complete the forms in the following links. I have also added the link to the BBC Children in Need page for anyone who would like to donate ahead of tomorrow’s Children in Need ‘dress up day’.

‘Food 4 U’ Christmas message and donation alternative to sending Christmas Cards this year (to do before Friday 27th November)

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Uv_fRWSDc02_Oo-YvfENhzGYEp0zDERAnxWCoX5eIjVURFlZVUNKNkhVTVcyR0o0M0ZYUkZKNEdTSy4u

Parent/Carer school report feedback/comments (to do before Friday 13th November)

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Uv_fRWSDc02_Oo-YvfENhzGYEp0zDERAnxWCoX5eIjVURTgxQjU1Q1kxTVVXOFhYOUNYUjFDSlhFTC4u

Christmas Lunch Order (for children on packed lunch only- to do before Friday 27th November)

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Uv_fRWSDc02_Oo-YvfENhzGYEp0zDERAnxWCoX5eIjVUQVdHQk9OVUYwQzVXQzQzQ0xMVzhPRUE5Si4u

Children in Need Donation

https://donate.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/

Kind regards
CJS Team

It is with great sadness that I must inform you that Mrs Leggett has decided to leave our school after 14 years. She has taken the decision to have a career change and try something new. She informed her class yesterday.

Whilst it is always sad to lose staff, we will always support those who make such decisions. We want to thank her for all her efforts over the years she has taught at Consett Junior school and want to wish her and her lovely family all the very best for the future.

Mrs Leggett’s last day will be Friday 20th November, further information about the replacement of Mrs Leggett in Class 4 will follow in due course.

CJS Team

On Friday, children (if they would like to) can come to school in clothes themed with Children in Need, i.e. yellow, spots, pudsey tops etc.

We are very conscious that over the last few weeks and also towards Christmas, we have made requests for money, this has been to support Juvenile Arthritis, our local Food Bank and contributions to school fund for activities in school. We have done so much charity fundraising that we are reluctant to request further donations for Children in Need, however, this is a very important charity that absolutely depends on donations. Given the financial difficulties some of our families are in at present, we do not want to ask for more donations, yet still want our children to understand the amazing work Children in Need do.

On Friday we will be doing activities with the children in school, to promote and educate the wonderful work the charity do, but we request that you make any donations online using the link below. As a staff team we will also ensure we donate to this amazing charity.

https://donate.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/

What do they fund?

They work closely with a whole range of organisations so they can understand where the need is greatest, ensuring the money you raise goes to supporting the young people that need us most.

They fund over 3,900 local charities and projects which directly support children and young people in communities right across the UK.

They support children and young affected by a whole range of disadvantages such as poverty, disability, illness, distress or trauma. We also work with a range of partners to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the UK’s children and young people today, including: mental health and well being, violence impacting young people, child sexual exploitation, holiday hunger; access to employment, and social injustice.

Thank you so much to everyone who donated to help us raise money for our local food bank ‘Food4U’. We raised £698 in total which will go towards helping local families in this difficult time.

As we are unable to send Christmas Cards this year, we are keen to see if families would be happy to donate to ‘Food4U’ again as an alternative, and the children write their Christmas message on the fundraising page for all to see.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Uv_fRWSDc02_Oo-YvfENhzGYEp0zDERAnxWCoX5eIjVURFlZVUNKNkhVTVcyR0o0M0ZYUkZKNEdTSy4u

Thanks
CJS Team

Children who have not yet brought their school report home will do so tonight. This report identifies how they have settled into class during their first term.

We have removed the additional comments section from the report and replaced it with a ‘request a call from the teacher’. If you do have comments/feedback but do not wish to have a call we have created this online form.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Uv_fRWSDc02_Oo-YvfENhzGYEp0zDERAnxWCoX5eIjVURTgxQjU1Q1kxTVVXOFhYOUNYUjFDSlhFTC4u

Your request for a call or submission of the online form should be achieved/returned to school before Friday 13th November. This process is our alternative to the ‘drop in’ session we would usually offer you.

Take Care
CJS Team

Usually our Christmas lunch day for all children is on the same day. Due to Covid restrictions and the ability to clean the hall between bubbles. Christmas lunch this year will be over two days. This will allow for the cleaning of the hall between lunch sittings. The children, by year group bubble, will sit in the hall with Christmas music and festive decorations to brighten their special lunch.

The dates are as follows:

Wednesday 9th December – Year 3 and Year 5
Wednesday 16th December – Year 4 and Year 6

Please complete this form to place your child’s order for Christmas Lunch before Friday 27th November. This is to ensure the catering team can complete their orders.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Uv_fRWSDc02_Oo-YvfENhzGYEp0zDERAnxWCoX5eIjVUQVdHQk9OVUYwQzVXQzQzQ0xMVzhPRUE5Si4u

Thanks
CJS Team

As reported on our most recent Newsletter, we are still waiting to to find out about how we can donate new and unused toys to the Salvation Army to distribute to families in need at Christmas. What we have so far been told is that the Salvation Army will most definitely be supporting families this Christmas but it may mean that the gifts made need to be collected from the warehouse, rather than distributed to schools.

They will also provide us with dates and times where donations can be made by families direct to the warehouse, so they are not coming into school. Once we have more details we will inform our families.

Do you need help this Christmas time? Every year we take calls with confidentially in the deepest regard, this year is no different. If you are struggling we can and will help you, but please do not hesitate on giving us a ring. Due to Covid, many more families are in financial difficulties than ever before. This charity is here to help.

Thanks
CJS Team

As we move towards the Christmas period children enjoy writing Christmas cards for their friends and staff, however, due to the restrictions of Covid we do not feel this is an option for us this year. Also, as many shops will be closing for lock down, the option to purchase cards may not be available.

As an alternative we would like your views on supporting the local food bank (as we did for Harvest) as we feel they will be in significant demand this year. Christmas is going to so difficult and also very hard for those who are not working or struggling. We want to come together as a community and help support families. Children could be part of donating online by writing a Christmas message with their payment.

Some families may not send Christmas cards, so please do not feel this is something we are asking all families to do, we are simply trying to find an alternative option.

Please share your view using the link below. This is an anonymous form.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Uv_fRWSDc02_Oo-YvfENhzGYEp0zDERAnxWCoX5eIjVURFlZVUNKNkhVTVcyR0o0M0ZYUkZKNEdTSy4u