Dear Parents,
It is truly autumnal this week and we are feeling the time change and the early evenings; it is virtually dark by the time after-school clubs finish. The children, however, are full of joy just being with their friends and seem unaffected by the colder weather. Children have adjusted to full-time school and have returned after half-term as though there was no interruption to their education last term. They are immersed in their work.
At the Upper School we have had to shuffle existing staff and have been joined by two new teaching assistants. Ainsley, our administrator, has taken on the role of project manager for the school expansion. Lilly has moved from Year 1 and has taken over the administrator role. Isobel and Pablo are now working alongside Rick in Year 1. Isobel taught drama and creative writing at Harrow and Pablo is a fully qualified teacher from Spain. We look forward to their contribution, including Isobel's drama club and Pablo's ball skills club next term. Welcome Izzy and Pablo.
Despite lockdown, our regular enrichment lessons are continuing, with dance, music, violin and Spanish teachers leading normal lessons across the school. Bronia Evers, puppeteer and storyteller, will continue to deliver shows and workshops at both sites. Face-to-face school tours have ended and are being replaced by virtual tours and zoom meetings.
Thank you for getting your children to school on time every day. Attendance and punctuality figures are much higher than normal and there has been very little illness in the school this term. I suspect our new hygiene regime, including timetabled handwashing, has had a positive impact on the spread of regular colds and viruses. An Islington public health team is due to visit us at the end of November to deliver nasal flu immunisations to the children. We will send out consent forms in advance and we need your response, whether it is consent or refusal.
Enjoy the class reports and photos that follow. It is wonderful to see the teachers' creativity in providing an inspiring experience for the children, despite the restrictions we are living with.
Enjoy the weekend and stay healthy.
Warm wishes,
Kate