Parents' Area

Updates

Scarlet Fever Information

Scarlet Fever Information (based on advice from the Health Protection Hub)
December 2022

5.12.22

Dear Parents/Carers,

You may have heard the sobering news of a six-year-old child dying after contracting a Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection in an outbreak in a school in Surrey.  The common childhood illness scarlet fever is caused by this bacterium and in the vast majority of cases is a mild illness but can sometimes be more severe.

Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever

The early symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours the characteristic red, pinhead rash develops, typically, first appearing on the chest and stomach, then rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, and giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. The scarlet rash may be harder to spot on darker skin, although the ‘sandpaper’ feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and pallor around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a ‘strawberry tongue’. As the child improves peeling of the skin can occur.

If you suspect your child could have Scarlet Fever, please

  • Seek advice from their general practitioner.
  • Keep your child off school and seek advice from the doctor as to how long your child should be off.
  • Inform school of any diagnosis and absence.

What we are already doing:

  • Encouraging children and staff to implement good hand hygiene
  • Encouraging staff, children to implement good respiratory hygiene
  • Children and staff are reminded that all scrapes or wounds, especially bites, should be thoroughly cleaned and covered.
  • Maintaining good ventilation in the setting.
  • Carrying out enhanced cleaning, to help reduce transmission.

If you suspect your child has Scarlet Fever, it is important that you let school know as soon as you can. This early notification would support us in taking any necessary precautions to avoid further spread.

Kind regards,

Mrs Tomlinson

Children In Need

Tomorrow, we will be supporting Children In Need.

Children can come to school dressed in Pudsey outfits, colourful clothes (spots) or their own clothes for a donation of 50p. All money will go to Children in Need so please ensure the 50p comes into school.

We also have a Pudsey Bear that we would like to fill with coins so please send some in and we will see how full we can get him.

Hopefully, school will be full of colour tomorrow.

Rotakids Stickman Championship 2022

Rotakids Stickman Championship 2022

This is the first competition run by the new Rotakids Committee. The children in this new club are keen to organise competitions and events for all to enjoy, to support school projects and charities. It’s been a busy time getting ready for the competition. The children, from Year 2 to Year 6 (plus the Den and Patch) have been busy getting their entries ready. After some great tool skills crafting hazel sticks into Stickmen up in The Hazels, they were delivered to classes for the creative process to kick up to new levels!

The finished entries were amazing, and they received lots of praise when put out for the voting part of the competition. Nearly 200 votes were cast, and after the Rotakids counted them all up the results were:

3rd Place went to Mr Broderick’s class “Nightmare on Elm Street” (Don’t tell Mr Broderick it was made of hazel not elm.

2nd Place belonged to Miss Harris’s class “Spooderman (Spooky Spiderman)”

1st Place, and 2022 Champions, went to Miss Hall’s class with their Pumpkin Patch epic scene. Well done to you all!

Finally, have a read of our assembly “Stickman” message.

There’s an old fashioned saying my grandma and grandad used to say about people who were helpful and kind. They would say “You’re a good stick”.

What a funny saying, it sounds a bit silly- we don’t use it much nowadays- which is a bit sad, because when you think about it sticks have many great qualities:

  • Sticks are helpful
  • Sticks are adaptable- they can fit in to lots of different jobs
  • Sticks are strong and resilient
  • Sticks can be a good friend; they can be something to lean on in times of need… just like a good friend

“Sticks are perhaps the best loved toy of all time- the starting point for endless adventures for generations of children all over the world. Choose it with care and it can be anything you want it to be: a sword with which to fight off fierce dragons in the forest, a tracking stick to help you creep after secretive creatures, a wand to cast a magic spell or a broomstick to transport you to other worlds.    Sticks are easy to find, natural and, best of all, free.”                                 

(From “The Stick Book” by Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks)

So, when my grandma and grandad said to someone “You’re a good stick” It really was compliment, a kindness, a saying from a bygone age but one that still holds truth.

So, on behalf of the Rotakids, Miss Harris, Miss Brown and Mr Ratcliffe, we think that YOU are all good sticks.