This half term has raced by!  Since the first week of September, the school has been buzzing with learning: from the volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire to the Great Fire of London; from the streets of Rio to the valleys of South Wales; and many of our young scientists have been cosmologists, electricians and biologists. It has been a pleasure to visit classrooms around the school and witness the enjoyment for learning demonstrated by our children. They have spoken with such maturity and delight about the books they are reading, the maths they are learning and the topics they are studying as well as showing incredible recognition of what helps them to learn and how they can continue to develop.  

Thank you for continuing to support learning throughout this term. During the first week back, you will receive information regarding booking a meeting with your child/children’s teacher. We will again use our online meeting system. This is a vital opportunity to find out about how they have settled into the new term and to learn about the progress they are making.  

This October half-term, Gloucestershire County Council is providing vouchers to parents who have signed up to the holiday Free School Meals (FSM) scheme. These vouchers are provided by Gloucestershire County Council as part of its commitment to ‘no child goes hungry’ and are funded through Covid-19 grants.

The deadline to sign up for October Half Term Free School Meal Vouchers is the 22^nd of October at midday.

Parents who have signed up to the scheme will receive a voucher for £15 for each child who is eligible for FSM, which will cover the half-term week.

If you have signed up previously you do not need to re-register, and we are encouraging any parents not already signed up to do so as soon as they can.

https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/holiday-school-meal-vouchers/

We would like to thank you for all of the messages of support and understanding that we have received this week and are pleased to let you know that staff that have been unable to work due to illness are starting to feel better.

We are sad to announce that Miss Brook will be leaving Dunalley at the end of this term, next Friday will be her last day here. She will be a loss to our school, having made a tremendous contribution in her time here and will be missed by staff and children alike. I am sure that you will join us in wishing her all the best for the next step in her career.

We pleased to announce that Mrs Perrett will be joining the Dunalley team as Teaching Partner for the next term and we wish her a very warm welcome.

Year 1 will also see a slight change in the summer term, families have been informed of the changes.  Please refer to this letter for more information here.

Please be aware that, as is the case in many areas, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our community is continuing to grow.  Children and adults have been impacted by the virus and, whilst it is proving to be a mild illness for most, we continue to urge you to follow national guidelines, isolate and book a PCR test is you are displaying symptoms.  

 You will find information about how to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19 on the NHS website -

 How to avoid catching and spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Following on from last weeks newsletter about considerate and safe parking we understand that a neighour was unable to attend a medical appoitment due to a car parked accross their drive at school drop off time.  Once again we would ask that you do not park in front of driveways, on double yellow lines or double park. 

Why not take advantage of the parking available around the park and walk to school from there. 

We are still very excited about our OPAL initiative - Outdoor Play And Learning. We still need your help though.

Next week we hope to collect items listed below, it doesnt matter what condition they are in !    
 
Mrs Byrne would still love to have a little boat or a canoe..but we really need -
Picnic Blankets, Stickle Bricks, Lego or any other construction toys.  Dolls, dressing up clothes, buckets and spades, small world toys ..
Perhaps you are having a clear out after Christmas ? If so keep us in mind, if you are unsure if we want it, just drop us an email or give us a quick call.

If you have anything to donate please bring any small items to the office for the attention of Mrs Byrne, if you happen to have any larger items please email [email protected]

Given its success, our welly swap will remain open for the next few weeks.  If your children have grown out of their wellies, just bring them to our main reception and swap them for a larger size.  You will find the wellies on display on the window sills.   

Donations are all most welcome - please take pre-loved wellies to our main reception - we will add them to our collection.