1st March 2021

Testing for Households, childcare or support bubbles of school staff and pupils

With testing available for secondary school pupils, and primary and secondary school staff via school, the government has offered households testing for families whose children access education or childcare.  Primary school pupils will not be asked to test at this time.  Full details of this initiative can be found on this link:

Rapid lateral flow testing for households and bubbles of school pupils and staff - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

From 1 March 2021, if you’re a member of a household, childcare bubble or support bubble of staff or a pupil you can get a twice-weekly test:

• through your employer if they offer testing to employees
• at a local test site
• by collecting a home test kit from a test site
• by ordering a home test kit online

Get a test through your employer:   Your workplace may offer rapid lateral flow testing to you. Contact your employer to find out more.

Take a test at a rapid lateral flow test site:  You can take a rapid lateral flow test at a local site. Testing at these sites is assisted, which means you will swab yourself under the supervision of a trained operator. You may need to book an appointment.  To find your nearest rapid lateral flow test site follow this link: COVID Test Finder (test-and-trace.nhs.uk):  There are 7 sites across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Collect test kits  You can collect up to 4 home test kits at a local collection point. Each kit contains 7 tests. Anyone 18 or over can collect. You can check online if the location is busy before you go.

Order home test kits online  If you cannot get tested at your workplace, or are unable to go to a test site or collect test kits, you can order a home test kit online.  The online service will be available from 1 March 2021.

Kind regards

Kate Evans

22nd February 2021

Staffing News

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Staffing Update 

I do hope you all had a good break over the Half Term. 

I am pleased to advise you that Mrs Whalley (Hawk class TA) has made a full recovery from COVID and has now returned back to work. Mrs Kenzie continues to make good progress with her recovery but at this moment in time is still recuperating at home, and we are in regular contact.  I am sure that you join myself, and the rest of the staff in wishing her a full recovery. 

Eagle Class 

Miss Free unfortunately continues to be poorly and will not be returning to school until after Easter. To ensure stability for the class, I will continue to plan and monitor the teaching along with other key members of the teaching team.  We send Miss Free our best wishes for her recovery. 

Baby News! 

It is with great pleasure that I can announce that Mrs Turner is expecting her second baby and will be starting her maternity leave at Easter.   We will notify you how her roles in school will be covered during her maternity leave, at a later date.   Any families working with Mrs Turner in her SENDCO role will be contacted directly. 

Mrs Pinches (Peregrine Class TA) is expecting her first baby and will be with us until May Half Term.  Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Pinches! 

And a final baby announcement is that Mrs Nowak (Hawk class TA) is also expecting and will be with us until the end of the Summer Term. Congratulations to the family. 

One more thing….. 

Finally, I would like to inform you that after 13 years of loyalty and dedication Mrs Casciano has decided it is time for a change and will be leaving Teversham at Easter.  Mrs Casciano will contact those families who she works directly with before she leaves.  We wish her all the best for the future. 

Kind regards

Julie Godfrey

Deputy Head Teacher

14th February 2021

Rapid Coronavirus Tests for Keyworkers

Dear Parent/Carer,

Please see the below advice from Jonathon Lewis, Service Director of Education at Cambridgeshire County Council.

Are you leaving home regularly to go to work?

Parents and carers who are key workers or leaving home regularly to go to work are being urged to have regular rapid result tests to help track cases of Coronavirus and drive down transmission rates.

This is because up to one in three people who are infected with Covid-19 have no symptoms and could be spreading the disease without knowing it.

Sites have been set up across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire offering rapid result tests to people aged 18 and over who have no symptoms of Coronavirus. People are being urged to take a test twice a week.

The process of taking a test takes on average 15 minutes from arrival to departure. Results are known within an hour.

To book a test visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/rapidtesting or www.peterborough.gov.uk/rapidtesting

Dr Liz Robin, Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire, said: “We not only need people to have these tests regularly if they are leaving home for work, we also need them to act responsibly when they get their result. If you test positive, please isolate at home with other members of your household and ask for help if you need it. There is lots we can do to help you to self-isolate, including offering grants to those who will struggle financially or help with accessing food shopping, fetching medicines and so on.

“The NHS Test and Trace Service will also get in touch with you to offer advice and ask about contacts. If you test negative, please continue to follow national guidance and limit all non-essential contact with others. While the rapid test identifies many people with the virus it doesn’t identify everyone - so following the lockdown rules and other Covid-safe behaviours is essential even if you have a negative test.”

People with symptoms will not be tested at the rapid testing sites. Anyone with one or more of these symptoms – a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste – should book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.

Kind regards

Kate Evans

5th February 2021

Pupil Premium Funding

Dear Parent/Carer,

Have your circumstances recently changed? If so you could be entitled to Pupil Premium funding. KS1 children are automatically entitled to Universal Free School Meals, however, those on lower incomes are now being provided with supermarket vouchers whilst their children are learning from home. We urge all parents to apply for Free School Meals, even if you think you may not be entitled to them.

Please follow this link to apply https://cambridgeshire-self.achieveservice.com/service/Apply_for_Education_Welfare_Benefits

Kind regards

Kate Evans

5th February 2021

Free LIVE Dance Sessions for Children

Dear Parents/Carers,

 For any keen dance enthusiasts out there I’d like to sign-post you towards the LIVE dance sessions that Premier Sport are posting on Facebook every Thursday. By clicking the link below, you will be directed to Premier Education’s Local Facebook page where you can access the recordings from the last three weeks. All you need to do is play these recordings at home while children follow along with the dance routines:

Premier Education Cambridge and Newmarket Facebook Page Link:

https://www.facebook.com/PremEdCambridgeandNewmarket/  

It would be great to see some Teversham children joining in for the upcoming LIVE lessons on Thursdays at 3:30pm.

 Yours sincerely,

 Miss Katie Whitmore

 KS2 Lead, Head of English, PE Co-Ordinator

4th February 2021

COVID Update

Dear Parents and Carers,

 I am writing to provide you with updated information regarding COVID and our school.

So far we have had two members of staff test positive. Mrs Whalley (a T.A. in year 6) who was asymptomatic and discovered she had COVID following the introduction of staff taking the Lateral Flow tests. The Year 6 bubble was then closed. Mrs Kenzie has tested positive for COVID and she is currently recovering at home. Mrs Chadburn and Mrs Evans are needing to self-isolate at home due to being in Mrs Kenzie’s work bubble. We do not believe there was any link between Mrs Whalley and Mrs Kenzie contracting COVID as they were in separate bubbles at school. Staff in school will continue to undertake twice weekly COVID Lateral Flow tests to try and protect the whole school community. Staff take the Lateral Flow test and if this is positive, they then take the NHS PCR test.

We have also had two Year 3 children test positive for COVID. Therefore, we had to close Peregrine Bubble. The adults and children from that bubble are now in isolation. We wish Mrs Kenzie, Mrs Whalley and the children currently affected a speedy recovery.

To date, the school have only contacted the families of the affected bubbles, but we now want to make all parents and carers aware of how COVID has impacted the school. Closing bubbles is not what we want to do but the school do have to follow very strict Government guidelines. We cannot put the staff, children and their families at risk. As always, our priority is the safety of our whole school community.

Can we please ask that families support us in this too by following the national advice on staying home and keeping safe. When visiting site please do follow the ‘keeping distance’ requests and also only arriving on site (wearing face coverings - unless exempt) as and when your child/ren's bubbles open and close.

Yesterday the school sent out an email to families explaining the expectation of work from children whilst they are absent from attending school. The staff are keen to reiterate that when bubbles close they are still expecting children to complete their work and engage in Zoom calls to try and keep schooling as "normal" as possible.

Thank you for your support, it is appreciated.

Best wishes

Miss Godfrey

Deputy Headteacher

27th January 2021

Office Staff

Dear Parents and Carers,

Unfortunately Kate Evans and Rachel Chadburn (office staff), and myself are now isolating for 10 days, having been contacted by test and trace, in line with the guidance.

We will be working from home.

The office in school will be manned by Mrs Casciano; other school staff will be supporting on the gate when needed.

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding,

Best wishes,

Mrs Kenzie

20th January 2021

Reading Books EYFS and KS1

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are now following up on my email earlier this week regarding our new system of loaning books to children who are full time at home in order to support their reading progress.

This is initially for children in Sparrow, Hummingbird and Kingfisher Classes and will work as follows:

1. Once a week each family will be given a collection and drop-off time slot.
2. Each child will be allocated two named bags by school. They will be given a bag with their books in for the week. The number will depend on the class.
3. The following week the books will be dropped off in the same bag and the child will be given their second bag with a new set of books.
4. The following week they bring this bag back and will be given their first bag back with another set of books.
5. Books are quarantined for a week before being given to other children.
6. Bags are wiped on arrival and before leaving school.
7. Books need to be returned each week before a new set are given out. (We lost a large number of books in the last lock down and cannot afford to keep replacing them.)

This is an opt-in service so please can you let us know by responding to this email by 9 am tomorrow morning (Thursday 21^st January) if you wish to take part and collect reading books for your child/ren each week.

You will then be sent your time slot to collect your first set of books from the front playground on Friday 22^nd January.

Please note that all safety measures will apply:

• Face coverings on site
• Social distancing – 2 metres apart
• Only one adult per family – to limit the number of people on site
• Stick to your own time slot
• No gathering outside school

Please also note that all children attending school at any point in the week will be given their reading books when in school.

Many thanks,

Kind regards

Kate Evans

19th January 2021

COVID19 Testing for School Staff

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have been advised that 1 in 3 people who have the virus do not have symptoms and identifying these people so that they can then isolate helps to reduce community transmission.

The DFE are introducing rapid asymptomatic home testing twice a week for Covid19 for staff in primary schools starting from Monday 25^th January.

Please be aware that if any member of staff tests positive, even if they don’t have symptoms, then the class bubble may need to close and if your child has been in contact with the member of staff for the previous 48 hours, your child will need to self-isolate.  We will of course contact you immediately should this be the case.

In line with government guidance, everyone must continue to follow the rules and stay at home unless absolutely essential.

Please remember:

·       Hands – wash or hand sanitize

·       Face  - coverings

·       Space – 2 metres away whether inside or outside

·       Let fresh air in  - open doors and windows

·       Keep social distancing – no mixing within anyone outside your household

Critical Worker places in school: If you are asking for a place in school, please note that we are now at 42% (78 children with places) in school and need to reduce this if at all possible. Please can we ask that you consider Government guidance of sending your child to school if only absolutely necessary.  ​Public Health advice is to keep the number of children as low as possible in order to avoid replicating the effect of the first lockdown.

With best wishes

Mrs Kenzie

Headteacher

19th January 2021

Singing Together on Zoom

Dear Parents and Carers,

Following the success of last week’s sing on zoom Mrs Taylor is planning to make this a weekly event. The link below is for a recurring meeting. You might like to flag the email to make finding the link easy another week.

The singing session is not compulsory but all are welcome. It will be just a 15 minutes session from 10:30 am.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/6995408945?pwd=czVXK2J1NnlVR0VsQWluc2ZMbG5KZz09

Meeting ID: 699 540 8945
Passcode: sign

Many of the songs we are going to be singing this half term can also be found on the music pages of Starz.

 Thank you,

 Best wishes,

Mrs Taylor

18th January 2021

Class Zoom Calls

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are pleased to advise you that this week we will be starting class Zoom calls to enable the children to spend some time connecting with their teacher and other children who are at home.

The class teacher will be forwarding the Zoom link to you.

The timetable is below:

It would be lovely if you can join us and we look forward to seeing you on Zoom.

Kind regards

Kate Evans

14th January 2021

Keeping Active in Winter

Dear Parents/Carers,

 During this national lockdown, it is easy for children to slip into the habit of not being very active! Strong evidence proves that regular physical activity is associated with numerous health and education benefits for children. As well as the obvious physical benefits, other ‘hidden’ benefits of daily engagement in moderate intensity activity can include:

• a sense of wellbeing

• improved social and moral development

• enhanced self-esteem

• improved cognitive functioning and academic achievement in school.

• reduction in anxiety and stress

• opportunities for social interaction

 In order to support you with being more active at home, we have put together a bank of fun activities which can be set up easily at home using everyday items.

 We hope you find it useful,

 Yours sincerely,

 Miss Whitmore