Newsletters

Weekly Bulletin - Issue 24 - Friday 19 March 2021

Issue 24 - Friday 19 March 2021

Dear Families, 

I hope this finds you well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our families who have had loved ones pass or who are very ill.  Please know that we are here to support not only your child but you as well.   Should you need help and support you can contact:
  • your child's Form Tutor or class TA
     
  • your child's Head of Year:

            Miss Willis - Pathway 1;
            Mr Rainsbury - Years 7&8;
            Ms RIchards - Years 9/10/11;
            Ms Taylor - 6th form

  • the Home Liaison Officer
Covid
We have had no confirmed cases of Covid in our community since the last bulletin.
 
Advice for families about testing during Ramadan
The British Islamic Medical Association’s view is that taking the PCR or lateral flow device tests during Ramadan does not invalidate the fast.

People may feel more comfortable doing the tests when they are not fasting.  In this case, with the move to home-testing, tests can be carried out at any time.

Regular testing of staff and pupils in schools over the Easter holiday
It is important for staff and students to keep testing through the Easter holidays to manage the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), as part of a regular habit of testing at home every 3-4 days (twice a week).  NHS Test and Trace will be supplying sufficient test kits to schools and colleges to enable this to happen. 

Please look out for a letter regarding continued home testing.  If you have not currently given permission for your child to be tested you can still do this. Thankfully we have not found any positive cases within our community at present, but I am aware from my colleagues in local mainstream schools just how many asymptomatic cases are being discovered via the LFD tests.  Please consider allowing your child to be tested to stop the spread of the virus.

Calendar
We have published our calendar dates for next year.  Please be aware that pupils are due to start school on the 8th September 2021. There are three additional school closure days, agreed by the Local Education Authority and the Department for Education.  These are to allow staff to unpack in the new building and prepare the classrooms for pupils. There are then two staff training days.      (Term dates are attached later in this Bulletin).

Assembly
This week we looked at the life and history of St Patrick, as well as enjoying some traditional Irish music. 

This Saturday is the Spring equinox, where the hours of daylight and darkness are equal and this Sunday, 21st March, is World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), which is a global awareness day. You can find out more about this at https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/

Next Wednesday, pupils and staff at Meadow are invited to wear odd socks to show support for WDSD and we will be learning more about Down Syndrome during our assembly. 

Thanks to Jasmine for this week's play out / dance music, Bruno Mars - 24k Magic. A great funky choice that got us all moving!

Best wishes to you all for a relaxing weekend.

Mrs J Rigby
Headteacher

PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAILS

Please check your emails for an important letter being sent to parents (on Thursday) regarding an update on twice weekly COVID-19 testing at home for students.

Thank you
Senior Leadership Team

Term Dates for Next School Year

Please find attached below the list of term dates for next year (September 2021 - July 2022).  These are now also on the School Website.

Term Dates 2021/2022 PDF

Medical

Important information needs to be reported to school 

If your child has become unwell and is needing medical attention, for example new medication, testing, or there is new information on a condition, please can you update school as soon as possible, so that plans can be updated and any training that may be needed can be arranged.

Thank you 
Alison Wallington
Welfare Team

School Immunisation Programme Catch Up

Due to Covid 19 there have been delays in students receiving their school booster vaccinations.  We are now running catch up vaccinations in school alongside our normal vaccination programmes.

Our next vaccination will be Year 10's who missed their booster last year.   Some parents have returned their forms to school already.  For those parents who have not yet returned their form, I have sent out forms again.  Please can you complete the form and send it back as soon as possible, stating if you would / would not  like your child to have the vaccine.  I can then pass this onto the NHS immunisation team if your child is going to have it.

The Year 10 Boosters will take place on the 26th March 2021.

Kind Regards 
Alison Wallington
Welfare Team

Wear your MISMATCHED SOCKS
to school on 
Wednesday 24 March 2021

for
World Down Syndrome
Awareness Day

https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/

Red Nose Day
Friday 19 March 2021

Today, pupils and staff took part in lots of classroom based activites for Red Nose Day.   We hope to bring you some photos and how much we raised next week !   

In the meantime, if you would like to get involved or find out about the amazing work this charity does both in the UK and around the World, here is a link to the Red Nose Day / Comic Relief website

Calendar, Letters Home & Lunches

UPCOMING EVENTS

SPRING TERM:

Wednesday 24 March - Wear Odd Socks to School - World Down Syndrome Day

Friday 26 March 2021 - Year 10 Booster Vaccinations

Wednesday 31 March 2021 - Term ends at 2pm

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Thursday 1 April 2021 - Sunday 18 April 2021 - EASTER HOLIDAY

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SUMMER TERM:

Monday 19 April 2021 - Back to School 

Tuesday 20 April 2021 - School Photographer - Individual Pupil Photos

Monday 30 May 2021 - Friday 3 June 2021 - HALF TERM HOLIDAY

Tuesday 6 July 2021 - Transition Day

Friday 22 July 2021 - Term ends (2pm finish)

To view the school calendar visit the website NEWS/CALENDAR

LETTERS HOME

Update on Covid-19 Twice Weekly Testing for Pupils

 

SCHOOL LUNCHES

For those pupils currently attending school, lunches will follow the Autumn Winter menu as far as possible.  However, it may be necessary to make some changes to the menu during lock-down, due to supply issues and number of pupils having lunch.   

Week  - 22 March 2021 - 26 March 2021

Week 3 - Autumn / Winter Menu

NEW
Spring / Summer Lunch Menu
c o m i n g    s o o n !

Mrs Cross, the Catering Manager, has devised a new menu for Spring / Summer School lunches.     The new menu will start straight after the Easter holiday (on Monday 19 April).   Here is a preview of the new menu.  

Spring / Summer Menu   PDF

E-Safety

FREE APPS FOR PERSONAL SAFETY

In light of recent events on the news, here is some information about several Apps which you may find useful for yourselves/your family.   They are all available on the apple App store and Android Play store and are free.

What's app live location: 
This allows you to share your live location with anyone on your whats app contact list. You either send your current location or you can share your live location so when you are on the move, the person you share the location with can see where you are. You can decide how long you want to share this for - 15mins, 1 hour or 8 hours. 

What3words: 

image.png makes it easy to find your precise location. In the event of calling 999, if you click on this app and get the precise location you can share this with them and they will be able to locate you easily. We were told in the First Aid course yesterday this is widely used by the ambulance and fire services.

 
 
Emergency Call: 

image.png

The purpose of this app is to determine the emergency phone numbers for your current location in case of emergency.

 
Also worth noting that you can add emergency numbers (inc next of kin) to your phone which emergency services can access even if your phone is locked (you can also add medical information). Please look up ICE Emergency contacts on your phone settings to set this up. I have attached videos on how to set this up..  
Android phones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTWTRPfUjN0 
Apple Phones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEpDVMvOs1g
 
 
There is also some information below from National Online Safety about setting up your phone for an emergency situation.

COVID Information

Testing for parents and households of staff and pupils

Parents and other adults in households with children or staff at nursery, who do not have symptoms, can now also access regular, rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. This includes childcare and support bubbles. 
 
There are different ways for a household, childcare or support bubble to collect or order their test to take at home, twice-weekly. 

News & Events in the Community

FREE VIRTUAL TRAINING FOR FAMILY CARERS
Identifying early signs of worsening health in a person with a learning disability

This free online training is for family carers only and has been designed to help carers easily identify signs that someone may be unwell and to let them know what they should do next. The workshop is free and only for carers of someone who is over the age of 16.  This version of Restore2mini™ has been specially adapted for people caring for people with a learning disability. https://www.events.england.nhs.uk/identifying-early-signs-of-worsening-health-in-a-person-with-a-learning-disability

CHILDREN - TAKE PART IN A VIRTUAL WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT AT TOOTH BRUSHING !

School Children in Hillingdon are invited to take part in a Guinness World Record attempt to have the most people brushing their teeth online simultaneously.

11am - Saturday 20th March 2021.

Go online here to register and take part.

https://gwr.littledarling.co.uk/

A certificate will be sent to all children who take part !

School Website:   www.meadowhighschool.org

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MeadowHighSch

Youtube:  meadowhighschoolhello

Email:  meadow@meadowhighschool.org

Telephone:  01895 443310