Dear Parent,
We are nearly there after a term like no other.
Thank you for continuing to support the School during such a testing period. Adjusting to the many changes to school life prompted by the COVID pandemic has been hard work for us all. The fact that we have managed to do this, calmly, sensibly and with due consideration to others, is an affirming reflection on the qualities of this Church school. Adversity can bring out the best in a community and this has certainly been the case at St Christopher’s and we are stronger as a result.
Polite reminders
School will close for the Christmas break on Friday 18th December at 12.30pm, immediately following the screening of our Christmas service which was filmed earlier this week.
Should your son/daughter display symptoms of coronavirus or test positive during the first weekend of the holiday you must contact School via Synergy or through email and let us know. In this way we will be able to inform the parents of other pupils who may have to self-isolate as a consequence.
Please support us as we continue to maintain high standards of dress and appearance:
- Pupils must avoid haircuts shorter than a Number 2 razor cut. This refers to any form of haircut, including the current trend of moving from very short to longer hair.
- There has been some improvement in the length of girls’ skirts but this isn’t yet uniform (no pun intended). Whilst sensitive to issues of growth spurts, waist and leg length etc. we do know that skirts can be rolled and worn deliberately short. Please support form teachers and heads of year as they continue to address this issue.
- It has been good to see a greater number of pupils wearing a jumper (plain navy v-neck pullover or cardigan) to keep warm in cooler classrooms. With the worst of the winter weather still likely a blue or black outdoor coat is also a must.
- Masks will also be required into the spring term and Christmas is an ideal time to check that all equipment (pens, pencils, rulers, glue etc.) is in place.
- Finally, our Uniform guidelines are clear about school bags. A sturdy fit-for-purpose bag is needed which can hold a number of A4 files and books. Fashion bags are not suitable and do not set the right tone.
GCSE and A-level
Year 11 PPEs (Pre Professional Examinations – our versions of ‘mocks’) will begin on Monday 4th January. These will take place in the sports hall and mirror as much as possible the real exams scheduled for later this year. All students have been issued with a timetable and revision list.
Last week’s government announcement confirmed that public examinations in England will take place although with a number of changes to acknowledge the disruption to learning experienced by so many. These changes have been widely reported in the media and a full account can be found here.
Remote Learning
A likely spike in COVID cases in January will result in some pupils being asked to self-isolate. All pupils working from home will be able to access work for each lesson from School Synergy and the frequency of live lessons will continue to increase now that we have purchased cameras for each classroom. Where pupils are required to work from home, they should follow the school day as much as possible, abiding by the instructions explained in my last Update. No child should fall behind because they are without a suitable computer or tablet. We can help with this but only if we know that there is a problem.
Friends of St Christopher’s (FoSC)
This time of year would usually be marked by our highly successful FOSC Christmas market. In 2020 we are having to scale down our fundraising exploits to a non-uniform day (this Friday) and raffle. Although less ambitious the money raised will make a significant contribution to supporting pupils’ education in ways that government funding cannot reach. Thank you if you have purchased raffle tickets or contributed in any way. Here’s to 2021 when normal service will be resumed.
Carol Service
Another event to be jettisoned is the annual candle lit service held at St May Magdalene’s Church, Accrington. However all is not lost! We are moving to Blackburn Cathedral for one year only with a traditional service of nine lessons and carols (alas, no congregational singing but we do have our choirs), and with the Bishop of Burnley preaching. Admission is strictly by ticket only and these can be reserved free of charge by contacting us via this email. The congregation for this service at 7pm on Thursday 17th December, is limited to 100. What a joy to be able to worship together and give thanks for Christ’s birth.
In September we embarked on a version of school life for which there was no precedent. Our overriding aim was to open to as many pupils as possible, for as long as possible. The safety of the school community was to come first, closely followed by the need to teach great lessons and deliver a form of education as near to normal as possible. This hasn’t always been easy, particularly for those pupils who have had to self-isolate, some on more than one occasion. The overall picture however has been positive. We thank God that of the sixty or so positive cases diagnosed, all, whether staff or pupil, have recovered well, only having displayed mild symptoms at worst.
We look to 2021 with a sense of hope. The next few months will be challenging but we continue to pray for better times ahead.
With my best wishes to you and your family for Christmas and the New Year.
RD Jones
Headmaster
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14