Letter to Parents and Carers from the Headteacher – 8 October 2021
Dear Parents and Carers
We have enjoyed another successful week at St Cenydd. I am so proud of so many of our pupils and staff supporting ‘Young Minds’ today by wearing yellow as part of their global #HelloYellow campaign marking World Mental Health Day.
Covid 19 testing and symptoms – new information
Like nearly all schools, we have had a number of positive case in all year groups since the beginning of term and we ask for your continued support in ensuring that St Cenydd school community remains as safe as possible.
There have been updates from WG this week about Covid symptoms and who has to do additional tests which come into force from Monday 11 October:
- Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell / have Covid symptoms, however mild.
- As announced last week, the symptoms of Covid-19 have widened. They now include a cough, high temperature, loss or change to smell or taste, fatigue, muscle and body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhoea. It is important to rule out Covid-19 by booking in for a quick and free PCR test at one of the many mobile testing units. Relying on a lateral flow test when you have any of these symptoms could lead to a false result. To book a test, please call 119 or book a test via https://gov.wales/test-trace-protect-coronavirus
- If someone in your household tests positive, then secondary school pupils should have a PCR test on Day 2 and again on Day 8. Day 2 and 8 refer to the amount of days after a household member has tested positive. For example if a household member tested positive on a Monday, Day 2 would be Tuesday and Day 8 would be Monday the following week.
- It is recommended that secondary school pupils use a LFD test every morning for 7 days following a household member testing positive. This is in addition to the PCR tests on day 2 and 8. This will likely mean your child will have a LFD test in the morning and a PCR test later in the day on Day 2. No test is perfect so Welsh Government recommend testing in this way to help identify anyone that is potentially infectious before you leave the house in the morning and the PCR is used because it is a very sensitive test, performed in a lab, so it may detect any positive cases that have been missed by the LFD test. Pupils should take the 7 lateral flow tests even if they themselves are a vaccinated household contact. This is because vaccinated people can still catch COVID and can transmit the virus in the same way as an unvaccinated person.
Please continue to
- Provide your child with a clean face covering each day.
- Encourage them to wash their hands frequently or use hand sanitizer.
- Lateral Flow test twice each week on a Sunday evening / Monday morning and on a Wednesday evening / Thursday morning.
Information Booklets – all years
Our Information Booklets for each year groups have been updated and are on the school website. You will find information about our curriculum, information about support and key personnel in each of these booklets.
Assessments for Year 11, 12 and 13 before half term
Pupils in Years 11, 12 and 13 have important in class assessments in the coming weeks. In the unlikely event that exams are cancelled in 2022 these assessments, along with mock exams in the spring term, may contribute to any replacement assessment process.
If your child misses these in class assessments due to them being unwell or isolating, we will support them in catching up with these when they have returned to school.
Please encourage your child to organise their revision and prepare for these in class assessments.
Pupils in years 11, 12 and 13 will be guided by their teachers regarding the important dates within their courses and deadlines for any non-examined assessments. If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.
Qualification Wales have written a letter to all pupils taking external examinations this academic year which is available on their website. A copy of this letter will be posted in the year group google classrooms for Years 10-13.
In other news
- Our Year 6 videos and information are on our website for Y6 pupils and their parents to find out more about our school.
- We are looking forward to appointing our Pupil Senedd next week following a flurry of applications for these important posts.
- Our senior students and I will be attending the Annual Service of Remembrance in the Memorial Garden in Senghenydd next week.
- We look forward to welcoming Mrs Barton back from her maternity leave at the end of the October half term, when she will resume her Head of Year 10 role.
- Y9 Parents Evening is on Thursday 4 November. This will take place on School Cloud which is the same as last year. Information for Y9 parents will be sent soon so that you can book your appointments online for this important event.
- We have two schools weeks remaining until the half term break which is Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October.
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours sincerely
Miss Collins
Headteacher