Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that you and the children all had a good half term break even if it was probably a little different to what you might have planned. As we move into the next four weeks of tighter restrictions, we are pleased that school will continue to be open and give us all some sense of routine in these otherwise unprecedented times.

Welcome

We are delighted to welcome Miss Helen Banks who has joined the TA team working in Kindergarten. Helen brings lots of experience of working in pre-schools and we know that she is going to be an asset to the staff. We hope that she will be very happy at The Ridge.

Covid Arrangements

Thank you for adapting to our new arrangements for the arrival of Key Stage 2 children. This has sped up the time that we can safely get everyone into school. Please can we take the opportunity to remind you there should be no mixing of adults from different households on the school site and social distancing of 2 metres is required when waiting on the playground or walking around the site.

Traffic in Gregory Road

Unfortunately, there was a traffic incident in Gregory Road earlier this week. It involved a car trying to turn around while another vehicle was parked in the turning circle. Although no one was seriously hurt, it could have been serious.

Please can I implore you to ensure that you

• avoid double parking along the length of Gregory Road and obstructing the driveways of our neighbours. (Marked out with the white I-------I)
• do not park on the yellow' Keep Clear Zig Zags' or in the turning circle in Gregory Road.
• do not drive into, park or turn round in the school car park.

Although the overwhelming majority of motorists are very responsible, a small number of thoughtless drivers are causing issues. Parking complaints are currently taking up a lot of time in school. I know that not all traffic in the road is related to the school and I am also aware that discussions between parents and residents have not always been cordial. However, predominantly, this is a matter of safety.

Remembrance Day - Wednesday 11th November

Next Week we will be observing Remembrance Day. Children in Key Stage 1 and 2 are taking part in an interactive First World War Remembrance Webinar specially designed for primary schools. A historian will help the children understand why we remember those who fought in conflicts, and the session includes a 'Question and Answer' session. We will also be commemorating with a traditional period of silence at 11.00 a.m. To help the children see the significance of the day, we would like the children to wear a red top, instead of their school shirt and sweatshirt/cardigan. For classes with PE on Wednesday, please wear a red top with PE bottoms. (Please do not worry if your child does not have a red top: they could wear black or just come in uniform as usual.) We are also putting together a short reflection on Remembrance, which will be uploaded to the school website. We will let you know the details nearer the time.  Thank you for all your support for the Poppy Appeal this year.

I hope that you all have a good weekend.

Kind regards,

Deb Hudson