Latest News | Cherry Oak School

Advice to All Parents – Potential Single case of COVID-19

Fri 27 Nov 2020 Amy Findlay Head of School

Dear Parents,

We have been advised that there is a potential positive case of COVID-19 within the school. Unfortunately the case cannot be confirmed but due to the symptoms that the case is displaying and the fact that they are a close contact of a positive case of COVID-19 outside of school, we have been advised by Public Health that
we should treat this case as a positive case. We are waiting on further guidance from our local public health team and will contact you with further guidance if necessary.

In the meantime, we are following guidance as if this were a confirmed positive case. This is the guidance that must be followed unless we receive further information. We know that you may find this concerning but are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

The small number of children who have been in direct prolonged contact with the case will have received an individual letter and will be staying at home for 14 days. If you have not received individual contact from us then your child has not been identified as having direct prolonged contact.

The school remains open and your child should continue to attend if they remain well.

What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19

If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared.
Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
All other household members who remain well, must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.

Further information is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-
guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.
Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home.
If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.
Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community.
If you are able, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

a new continuous cough
a high temperature
a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/.

If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at
https://111.nhs.uk/ or by phoning 111.

How to stop COVID-19 spreading

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19

Do

wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
wash your hands as soon as you get home
cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you
cough or sneeze
put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

Further Information

Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

I would like to remind everyone, that the guidance is clear that if anyone displays symptoms of COVID-19, no matter how mild, then they and their household must complete the appropriate self-isolation period until the person with symptoms receives a negative test result.

You must not send your child to school if anyone they live with is displaying symptoms of COVID-19.

You must not send your child to school if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19, even if they are mild.

If you child develops symptoms of COVID-19 in school then you will be contacted to collect your child
immediately.
Yours sincerely

Amy Findlay
Head of School

Be Empowered Workshop – Early Support Programme for SEND Parent Carers

Thu 26 Nov 2020 Kate Thompson

Every Wednesday evening from 6pm-9pm for 6 weekly sessions Starting Wed 6th Jan 2021, and then continues on Wed 13th Jan, Wed 20th Jan, Wed 27th Jan, Wed 3rd Feb and finishes on Wed 10th Feb 2021

We warmly invite you to join in a series of evening online workshops that have been written and led by trainers who are parent/carers of a child with additional needs themselves.

These workshops are for parent/carers of children and young people of any age, with any additional need, following diagnosis. They are an attempt to support parent/carers through times of change and at whatever stage of the journey participants may find themselves. If you are interested in accessing these evening workshops online, you will need to have a laptop/computer/smartphone with a camera.

Please note, due to increased demand we may not always be able to offer places automatically. If you are placed on a waiting list, you will be offered a space on a future set of workshops this academic year.

Please apply by completing and signing the attached booking form and consent to either

Sarah Adams (Early Years Inclusion Support) Sarah.Adams@birmingham.gov.uk Tel: 07827 082751

or,

Oenca Fontaine (Parent Engagement Consultant) Oenca.Fontaine@birmingham.gov.uk

Deadline for receiving bookings is Friday 11th December 2020!

https://primarysite-prod-sorted.s3.amazonaws.com/cherry-oak-school/UploadedDocument/ada4ec1fbc924178af42e05e829a4ccd/online-evening-bew-booking-form-jan-feb-2021.docx

Anti-Bullying Week

Mon 16 Nov 2020 Claire Kings

The theme for Anti-Bullying Week 2020 is:

United Against Bullying.

Anti-Bullying Week will happen from Monday 16th - Friday 20th November and will start with Odd Socks Day to mark the first day of Anti-Bullying Week.

We take bullying extremely seriously in school. We are always working with the children at school to ensure they understand what bullying is, and what to do if they or any of their friends feel they are being bullied.

Here is a PowerPoint we will be using during the week with children to help their understanding of bullying and what they should do, who they should speak to if they are worried.

Anti Bullying Presentation - Click Here

If you are ever worried about your child or you feel you need to discuss any matter regarding bullying, please contact the school immediately so we can address the matter and support you and your child.

Here is a link to the Anti-Bullying Alliance website for more information and resources available.

https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/

We Will Remember Them

Wed 11 Nov 2020 P.Serge

This year in Creative Arts and Design Technology we have led a community arts project that takes our school art out into the community without compromising any Covid-19 restrictions. The staff and pupils have totally embraced the making process, using recycling and upcycling where possible.

Our families have also embraced this and made beautiful poppies, and shared stories of loss through military action and frontline service.

We took our moment, as a school community, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th Month and marked this with pupils and staff who wished to stop and remember.

Members of our local community were welcome to stand on the "public side of our school" and share this in the best way possible for a community fragmented by unprecedented times. Local PCSO's joined us, as parents, local residents and staff and pupils from St Mary's and University School were also invited to join us whilst adhering to national restrictions and social distancing. The local community in and out of school have enjoyed our display, and stories have been shared by the passing public.

Well done Cherry Oak for pulling together "We will remember them ....."