Dear parents and carers,
COVID-19 update As the half term draws to a close, I wanted to update you with some changes in relation to our Covid-19 procedures in school. Following the Welsh Government’s announcement this week, learners no longer need to wear masks in classrooms on their return to school after half term, unless they choose to continue to wear one. However, pupils and staff are still required to wear masks in communal areas such as the corridors and the Diner, except for when they are eating. Furthermore, after half term, pupils and staff will only be asked to test using a Lateral Flow Device twice a week, not three times a week as we have been doing since January 2022. Pupils, students and staff are to now test on a Sunday and a Wednesday each week. Please ask your child to collect their boxes of LFTs from their year room as usual so that they can continue to test.
The school has worked incredibly hard this half term to remain open for face to face learning for all year groups despite the significant challenges we have faced due to the ongoing pandemic. We once again have got through a half term without having to switch to online learning for any year groups. We want to thank all of our young people and their parents who have supported our efforts in keeping the school open and following the guidance. We continue to ask that you remain alert to the signs and symptoms of Covid-19 and do not send your child to school if they have a temperature, loss/ change of taste and smell or a new, continuous cough. Only by us all working together can we keep the school as safe as possible.
Community update
On another matter, you may also have seen recent reports in the papers about anti-social behaviour in the Prestatyn community by a small minority of young people in the area. We want to reassure all of our school community that this sort of behaviour is not tolerated by the school and the school is doing all it can to support the police and the local community in addressing this unsavory behaviour. These young people are letting the community down and spoiling it for the vast majority of amazing young people we have in the school. As the school closes for the half term break, we ask that all parents and carers are aware of where their children are and who they are spending their free time with and ensure that they are conducting themselves in a responsible and respectful manner at all times.
Festival of Culture
Finally, we end the half term positively with our festival of culture and diversity, the last day being a non-school uniform day. As mentioned in a previous letter to you, we ask that a contribution of £1 is made for this day as we are raising money for New Hope, a school in Kenya. Many thanks to those who have already sent a contribution for this. This can be paid via ParentPay or by giving the money to the year teams on Friday morning.
I hope you have a nice half term break. We will see all students when they return to school Tuesday 1st March as school is not open to pupils on Monday 28th Feb due to this being a training day.
Yours sincerely
Neil Foley - B.Sc. MA. Pennaeth Headteacher