2nd April, 2020
Dear all Pupils, Parents and Carers
As we near the end of the second week of a countrywide lockdown, of school closures and the ongoing COVID-19 crisis that has befallen the world, I thought it would be a good time to write to you all and share some important information.
As the whole world it seems, goes into lockdown and extreme social distancing is practiced, it’s with great admiration that as I drive into Prestatyn and home each day and observe that the call from the government to stay at home unless it is absolutely essential, is clearly being heeded. The young people, our pupils, are safe in their homes helping the national effort to reduce the spread of the virus. This will go a long way in helping us all turn the tide on this disease, reduce the spread, protect the vulnerable and reduce demand on our NHS services.
As I am sure you are aware, the school has stayed open over the past few weeks as we continue to educate and look after the children of keyworker staff such as parents who work for the NHS or other emergency services. We have also opened our doors to other pupils who have been identified by the pastoral teams as needing additional support during this very trying and difficult period. We intend to remain open until this crisis is over, we will still offer this support until society and our daily lives get back to “normal”. Whilst open, we operate a very strict hygiene policy to reduce the chance of any infection or spread of the disease. It cannot be over emphasised how important social distancing and hand washing is in school and also in our daily lives.
I am delighted to announce that Prestatyn High school will continue to offer this provision for pupils still attending school over the period of Easter break (excluding both bank holidays).
Please contact the school if you qualify but have not yet sent your child to school over the closure period and you would like to utilise this provision. There is a list of keyworker staff on the Denbighshire website and guidance to whether or not a parent qualifies to send their child to school; if in doubt please phone PHS and we will answer any of your questions. Please remember the advice from the Government that pupils are only to attend school if there are no other options. This will once again reduce any potential spread of the virus.
An essential way for our pupils to remain focused and to continue to develop and progress is to access and complete work set by their teachers. This has happened in two stages to allow PHS teachers the time to develop systems and procedures to set work. The first stage was to immediately upload work to the website so that pupils could gain access to some materials in the first week. The second stage and something that will continue for the duration of the closure, is to use Microsoft Teams to directly send work to pupils.
We will continue to monitor the uptake of this system, refine it where needed and improve the service we give to our pupils. If there are any suggestions you wish to make please contact the school through the normal channels so that we can act on this feedback. All parents and carers must ensure that pupils are engaging with this work to keep their minds active and ready to return to school whenever this may be.
We will ensure that over the closure period, we are in contact with all pupils, either by online methods or by direct phone calls. As a school, we want to make sure all pupils know that we are here for them.
Another key area the school has been focused upon is helping the community. We have collected food and provided vast amounts of produce to local food banks because we know that during this difficult period many people will lose income or jobs. We are also collecting donations from staff, local businesses and members of the community to provide vital supplies for the parts of Prestatyn worst hit by this crisis. The impact of COVID-19 is significant not only on health, but also financially. The school has already provided hundreds of pounds for the local food banks and community. We have added a facility to parent pay if anyone wishes or is able to make a contribution.
The school is also using its twitter feed to provide links for mental health charities and other support groups so that those people in our community that are feeling anxious can access the support that they need.
This change to all of our lives is unprecedented, surreal and something only a month ago we would have dismissed as fiction. In a very uncertain time one thing is for sure, this will come to an end and we will only get through this as a community by working together for the good of all. Everyone involved at the High School are so proud to be part of a community that is working together, helping each other and supporting the most vulnerable in society.
Please continue to stay home and please stay safe.
With kind regards
Neil Foley – B.Sc. MA.
Pennaeth Headteacher