Parents/Carers, Please see this useful guidance from Barnardos on managing the COVID-19 crisis at home with your children and young people.

Attachments:

COVID-19 Parent Information_.pdf

[COVID-19 Parent Information]

385 kB

Beating the Virus: a free downloadable story

We hope you are keeping well in these difficult times.  

Our big news is that we are in the process of creating a special resource about Coronavirus. The current pictures are in black and white. We are making them available now for free for anyone who is in urgent need.

In the story, we meet Kali again (some of you might recognise her from 'Belonging') when she starts to feel poorly with a cough and a temperature. Our short wordless story will help people to understand what to do if you have Coronavirus (COVID-19) to keep yourself and those you care about safe. The story also shows how you can safely help others who may be self-isolating.

Supplementary text at the end of the story gives information on where people can seek help if they are unwell and signposts to other useful resources.

This is an evolving resource which we will be updating regularly as our artist, Lucy Bergonzi, refines and colours the pictures.

You can download your copy, here: https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk/downloads-shop/beating-the-virus 

Hill Croft School is in the thoughts and prayers of Scripture Union NI as we face difficult and uncertain times.

THANK YOU for the care and commitment you show to pupils and families and the welcoming atmosphere created by your school community.

Links and contacts will be quickly renewed, once SUNI can support again through Assemblies, Bible Stories and RE lessons.

In the interim the following resources with a Christian worldview may prove useful for children and their families:

SUNI ONLINE

Mondays: Primary Assemblies / 10am / Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/ScriptureUnionNI  ) & Youtube ( https://www.youtube.com/user/scriptureunionni ) Post-Primary Assemblies / 10am / Instagram (@SUNIinfo)

Wednesdays: Primary SU Group Material / 1PM / Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/ScriptureUnionNI ) Post-primary SU Group Material / 3PM / Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/ScriptureUnionNI ) & possibly Instagram (@SUNIinfo) too.

Fridays: Family Devotions / 10am / Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/ScriptureUnionNI ) Saddleback kids – http://www.saddlebackkids.com  Worship for Everyone - https://worshipforeveryone.com  Play it by ear - https://en-gb.facebook.com/pg/playitbyeardrama/notes  Crossroads Kids Club - crossroadskidsclub.net

The Good Book Company – www.thegoodbook.co.uk  for resources and videos

💫During our preparations for this difficult time away from school when we won’t see our wonderful pupils the staff decided to make a film with a heartfelt message for everyone! We hope you enjoy it ...❤💛💚💙 #HillCroftathome

Pupils in Junior School (age 5-11) if your child is struggling and you feel it would be good for them to speak to our counsellor please use the link below to make a referral for support:

https://imagineif.org.uk/primary-special-schools

Pupils in Senior school (age 12-19) if your young person is struggling and you feel the counsellor may be of help please read the letter attached with details of how you can get in touch and make a referral. PDF download is below for Senior pupils.

Attachments:

How to make a new counselling request.pdf

[How to make a new counselling request]

145 kB

Dear Parents / Carers,

Learning packs have been delivered to each household today to support pupils in continuing with their learning at home. Facebook and website updates will be provided regularly.

Supporting Children of Key Workers in Special Schools

Yesterday evening the Minister for Education in Northern Ireland, Peter Weir MLA, made a statement outlining how schools will close to pupils from the end of the school day, today Friday 20th March. As a special school there are always additional health and safety considerations and we are awaiting further clarification, therefore, school will be closed to ALL pupils on Monday 23^rd March and will reopen on Tuesday 24 March to support children of identified Key Workers and sustain children’s distance learning.  We want to ensure that we support the children of key workers in a similar way across our schools, however we need to balance this with the ultimate aim of reducing the spread of the virus by trying to keep the number of children in schools to a minimum, in line with public health guidance. 

It is important that we are aware of how many children of key workers will be attending school next week.  With this in mind, if you are an identified key worker, with no other child minding provision, please make contact with the school between 9-11am on Monday 23^rd March to inform us. This can be by phone 02890837488 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Staff will then begin to prepare for their specific needs.    

Before contacting school, please pay particular attention to the following points.  Schools will not be able to operate a ‘normal’ school day.  Many of our schools are already operating with a significant reduction in staffing and this will probably continue to get worse over time.

Points to consider

• A list of key workers, issued by the Department of Education is listed overleaf.  Only children with BOTH parents working as key workers, and both parents out at work at the same time should consider attending school.  In single parent families, the individual parent MUST be a key worker.

• If possible, alternative childcare arrangements should be sought before deciding to send your child to school.  For example, with other family members, friends etc.  Please try and use school as a last resort.  This is to try and limit the number of children and adults together in a small space in line with recent social distancing guidance. Our school’s normal opening and closing time will apply, at this stage.

• Children attending will be required to wear their school uniform.  Please be advised that our school will be performing childcare duties, rather than teaching, as not all teachers are currently available. However, learning packs have been provided for all children.

We would ask that you pay attention to the points outlined above before deciding to send your child to school.  Obviously, it goes without saying, if your only option is to send your child to school, we will look after them in order to support you in your important role. No pupil will be admitted to school until arrangements have been made in advance with the principal. We are awaiting information regarding school transport and school meals.

We are aware that this is a difficult time for everyone, we appreciate your ongoing support.

Yours sincerely,

Roz McFeeters 

LIST OF KEY WORKERS AS OUTLINED ON DOCUMENTATION ISSUED TO SCHOOLS ON 19TH MARCH 2020

Please work with us to ensure that schools operate with a limited number of children.

• Health and Social Care. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector 

• Education and childcare. This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response 

• Public safety and national security. This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles 

• Transport. This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response 

• Utilities and Communication. This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including sewage) and primary industry supplies, to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in telecommunications, post and delivery, services and waste disposal 

• Food and other necessary goods. This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g hygiene, medical etc) 

Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response.

One of our teachers Holly has been involved in making this video to help explain coronavirus. Please watch and stay safe!

In these exceptionally challenging times the news is being updated minute by minute around the threat of COVID-19, especially to vulnerable people.

We are aware that many of our pupils are extremely vulnerable, as indeed are many of our staff.

Currently we have serious concerns regarding our ability to maintain the health and safety of all our pupils. We know that some of you have already taken the decision to keep your children at home as a precaution. We have therefore made the difficult decision to apply for exceptional closures for Wed 18th-Fri 20th March. The staff have already begun work on the best ways to support our pupils and their families during a potentially long absence from school and will continue to do so over the next few days.

School will be closed to pupils Wed 18th-Fri 20th and we will be in contact with you once we have further advice on the way ahead.

We appreciate your ongoing support and understanding during this difficult time.

Please stay safe,

Roz McFeeters