Latest News | Booker Avenue Junior School

Essential Use of Face Coverings

Tue 15 Sep 2020 Mr Thompson

Dear parents and carers,

Please see the message below received this morning from Liverpool's Director of Public Health. Your cooperation with this request is very important.

Essential use of face coverings:

Dear Head teacher,

Levels of COVID-19 in Liverpool are high and increasing every day - we need to take urgent action.
It is now essential that parents and carers in Liverpool wear face coverings when collecting and dropping off their children at school.

All school staff should role model best practice by also wearing a face covering if supervising during collection or drop off.

Those who refuse or cannot wear face coverings should maintain social distancing of at least 2m from children and other parents/ carers.

We thank you in advance for ensuring greater levels of safety in your school and our communities.

Many thanks,

Matt

Matthew Ashton
Director of Public Health

Matthew Ashton I Director of Public Health I Liverpool City Council

URGENT UPDATE

Fri 11 Sep 2020 Mr Thompson

IMPORTANT:

COVID-19 Public Health Liverpool update

Dear parents,

ALERT: We have seen a significant increase in COVID-19 positive cases this week in Liverpool.

We need your help and ask that your child limits group contact with friends over the weekend. When out and about your whole family should stay at least 2 metres away from anyone not from your household, wash hands often and wear face coverings when appropriate.

Thank you for your support. For further information visit:

https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/message-to-schools/?

Important Update

Fri 11 Sep 2020 Mr Thompson

Below is information received from Matt Ashton, Liverpool's Director of Public Health.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS, WE WOULD INVITE PARENTS TO WEAR A FACE COVERING IN PARTS OF THE SCHOOL SITE WHERE SOCIAL DISTANCING IS MORE DIFFICULT. I.E. WHEN ENTERING AND LEAVING, PARTICULARLY THOUGH NARROWER GATES. WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO STAY 2m APART, FACE COVERINGS COULD BE REMOVED.

Information as follows:

"There is currently a worrying situation in Liverpool, where COVID-19 positive cases have been increasing significantly in the last week.

Data extracted covering testing up to 07 September 2020 show that the total number of confirmed cases for the last 7 days is 245, an increase of 154 cases on the previous week. The latest weekly rate of COVID-19 in Liverpool is 49.2 per 100,000 population and the latest positivity testing rate* is 4.1%.

There is now widespread community transmission of the virus in Liverpool, with new positive COVID-19 cases recorded mainly in the working age population.

The wards with the largest number of confirmed cases are Riverside (27 cases), Allerton and Hunts Cross (19 cases), Picton (13 cases), Church (12 cases), Tuebrook and Stoneycroft (11 cases), Central (10 cases). Compared to the previous week, confirmed cases in all wards across the city have increased, except for Greenbank, Prince’s Park and Wavertree wards.

We all need to play our part in preventing further spread of COVID-19 in our city.

To protect yourself and others, when you leave home you must:
   •   Stay at least 2 metres away from anyone you do not live with or who is not in your support bubble
   •   Wash your hands with soap and water often, and as soon as you get home
   •   Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water not available
   •   Wear a face covering over your mouth and nose where social distancing is not possible outdoors and indoors. By law, you must now wear them in most indoor settings including public transport, shops, post-offices, banks, beauty salons, visitor attractions and entertainment venues, libraries, community centres, places of worship and public areas in hotels
   •   Avoid businesses that are not COVID-19 secure

If you have symptoms of coronavirus, get a test; stay at home until you get a result; your household or support bubble must also stay at home until you get your result.

If you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace, follow their instructions."

Home Learning

Wed 09 Sep 2020 Mr Thompson

Dear parents,

Today your child should be bringing home a folder containing an exercise book and pencil. This is for them to use in the eventuality of us having to send home one of our bubbles.

For your information, we will be sending home any of our bubbles if there was a confirmed case of Covid-19. We do hope, of course, that will not have to happen.

At any such point, the children of the bubble isolating at home would switch to home learning via the Seesaw app. Their teacher would ensure that the learning follows the learning going on in school as closely as possible.

Over the next couple of days, you will also be receiving a QR code to access Seesaw, if you have not done so already.

At the moment, we do have some individual children absent through sickness (not Covid related). Some parents have asked if home learning is provided while they are absent. This is not possible unfortunately, as would be the case if they were absent with sickness during 'normal' times. Teachers simply do not have the capacity to do both things at the same time. The home learning scenario will only start if a bubble has to self isolate.

If you do have an individual child off sick and would like them to carry out learning activities, there is information on this website about resources you can easily access:

https://www.booker-junior.com/home-learning-during-school-closure/

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

Mr Thompson

Dropping off and picking up

Tue 08 Sep 2020 Mr Thompson

Dear parents

We have been looking at our entry and exit procedures and would like to emphasise a few points to everyone. The measures we are taking are designed to promote social distancing and keep everyone safe. You may well be aware that cases of Covid-19 in our part of the city are on the rise so it is vital that we all play our part. Therefore, please take note of the following:

1. Stick closely to your child's given time to arrive and leave. As an example, Class 5M has an arrival time of between 8:40-8:50am. Parents should only bring their child on to the site between those times. Once their child has joined their line, parents should leave the site immediately via the one way system. Please do not hang around to see the class go in (unless you have another child going in at a later time.)

5M has an exit time of 3:20pm. Parents should do their best to enter the site as close as possible to that time. They should not arrive 5 or 10 mins early and wait on the site. If you are early, we ask that you wait outside the site, socially distanced from others.

2. Picking up arrangements. We will, from today, ask parents to come on to the playground in certain areas when it is time for their child's class to come out. This is in order for us to ease the congestion on the car park area. Year 6 parents can enter the playground via the small gate next to the vehicle gate and wait around the area with the sun shades.

Year 4 and 5 parents will be guided to separate areas of the rest to the playground.

Again, it is vital that parents stick to the given times for their child to exit.

3. Arrangements for picking up Year 3 have not changed.

4. Parents may wear masks if they wish to.

5. A final reminder to leave the site as soon as you have collected your child(ren). Please do not gather to chat with other parents.

Thank you all for your cooperation with this. We want to do our best to stop the spread.

Mr Thompson

First Day Back

Thu 03 Sep 2020 Mr Thompson

Dear parents,

The children had an absolutely brilliant first day back; it was so great to see them all. Every child settled very quickly and the there were lots of smiles; you should be proud of them.

A couple of things arose to bear in mind:

Thank you for your support in adhering to our entry and exit procedures. If you could remember to leave the grounds quickly after dropping off or picking up, that would be appreciated
Parking - please consider our neighbours and do not park on pavements or across driveways
Apologies for the confusion some had over the names of our Year 6 classes. To clarify, Mr Manning's class is 6J.

We are all adapting to new ways of working and your continued support is very much valued.

Mr Thompson

Information for parents/Carers: Free School Meals

Thu 09 Jul 2020 Mr Thompson

Information for parents/Carers: Free School Meals –

If your circumstances change and you think your child is eligible for free school meals after the schools close for the summer break you need to apply for FSMs using the link below

https://liverpool.gov.uk/communities-and-safety/emergency-planning/coronavirus/schools-and-education/free-school-meal-vouchers/

If you are eligible, you will receive a notification confirming this. During school’s summer holiday period, you will be sent vouchers by Liverpool City Council on a fortnightly basis.

New Classes For September 2020

Thu 09 Jul 2020 Mr Thompson

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you will be aware, the plan is for all children to return to school in September. We are looking forward to having everyone back and are putting plans in place to ensure that this can be done as safely as possible. Further information about these plans will reach you before the end of term.

What we can tell you is which teacher your child will be with next year. It is a pity that so many of our children lost time with their current teacher but we know that you have been able to have lots of contact with them via Seesaw. We have decided that the children will move to their new teacher from the start of term.

Both their new teacher and current teacher will be sending messages and videos to children over the coming week or so, so do look out for those on Seesaw.

The classes will move as follows:

Current class 2019-20	New class 2020-21
3M Miss Majumdar	4CQ Mr Quayle
3T Mr Thomas	4B Mr Bell
3B Mr Barker	4K Mrs Bradley
4Q Mr Quayle	5G Miss Gellineau
4B Mr Bell	5M Miss Munro
4K Mrs Bradley	5B Mr Bolton
5G Miss Gellineau	6M Mrs Moody
5B Mr Bolton	6J Mr Manning
5M Miss Munro	6Mc Miss McQuade

When we return, children will need to wear school uniform.

Finally, your child's annual report will be sent to you via email over the coming week. If you have not received it by Thursday 16th July, please contact the school office.

Best wishes to you all,

Mr Thompson

Admissions to Secondary Schools in September 2021

Thu 02 Jul 2020 Mr Thompson

For the attention of all Year 5 parents and guardians:

I am writing with regard to the primary school to secondary school transfer procedure for September 2021.

It is very important that all parents of children currently in Year 5 read the information.

An online booklet has been published which gives information about the transfer procedure and who to contact for more information. Children and Young People’s Service will notify eligible parents in September 2020 via their primary school to invite their applications during the admission round application window.

The leaflet is posted online on the Liverpool City Council website at https://liverpool.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/transfer-from-primary-to-secondary-school-2021/

It informs parents of the registration dates for schools which use aptitude assessments or ability tests as part of their admission arrangements.

Further information on how to apply and the wider admissions process can be found online through the Liverpool City Council website at :

http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/admissions

*Covid-19 Virus Outbreak Note* - Please be aware that there is still uncertainty around school open evenings being able to take place during the Summer and Autumn months until current social distancing regulations are relaxed. The same uncertainty also concerns any entrance assessments and exams that schools normally hold on their sites for prospective pupils.

It is advised that parents contact the relevant schools as early as possible to kept abreast of the ever changing situation so it can be established what plans can be put in place for potential open evenings and entrance assessment or exams.

Contact details

Wed 18 Mar 2020 Mr Thompson

Can all parents please ensure that the school office has up to date contact details, including an e-mail address.

Thank you