7th January 2022
Dear Parents and Carers,
Happy New Year to you all. I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I have heard from the excited children about their Christmas. It was lovely to hear! I told the children that Gracie and James woke up at 6:30am on Christmas morning and was told by lots of children that they were awake much earlier than that! J Christmas at St George’s was magical. The children had a super end to the term and will have so many memories of our build up to Christmas.
Father Christmas and the Christmas Elf
I want to say a huge thank you to Father Christmas and the Christmas Elf for taking the time to visit St George’s on the last Friday of the term. The children and staff were absolutely thrilled and very excited to see our special visitors.
Father Christmas and some families from the school took the time to raise money for St George’s Catholic School on Saturday 18th December in Taunton and raised an incredible £189. This was a lovely surprise to come back to and we are very grateful.
Monsignor Bernard
I had a special visitor on New Year’s Eve, Monsignor Bernard! I was absolutely delighted to see him. He asked me to pass on his love and best wishes to the whole St George’s Community.
Have you a child due to start school in September?
Can I please remind parents and carers with children due to start in September 2022 to apply by Saturday 15th January. There have been occasions where parents and carers have missed the deadline and their child has missed out on a place at the school. I spoke with the admissions team at County Hall this week and we have had many applications and I want to make sure that existing families have applied.
School Bags
Can I please ask that all families are mindful of how much is brought into school. I only wish our cloakrooms were bigger! Backpacks can now be used on days when your child has an after school sports club.
Half Term
We break up for half-term on Friday 18th February and return to school on Monday 28th February.
High School Musical
In February, The Castle School are presenting the popular uplifting Broadway show ‘High School Musical on Stage’. Tickets are on sale for £10 and available by either calling 01823 274073 or emailing: office@castle.somerset.sch.uk
COVID-19 including Close Contacts and Testing
Please remember that if anyone in your household displays any COVID-19 symptoms they need to stay at home and self-isolate immediately and arrange to have a PCR test as soon as possible. If the test is positive, they must continue to stay at home and self-isolate.
Anyone who is aged 18 years and 6 months or over and not fully vaccinated, and lives in the same household as someone with COVID-19, they are legally required to stay at home and self-isolate.
Fully vaccinated people or aged under 18 years 6 months, and live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, they are not legally required to stay at home and isolate, but should take a LFD test every day for 7 days. The results need to be reported to the government’s online reporting system, gov.uk. If the test is negative your child may continue to attend school. If the test is positive your child will need to self-isolate for 10 days.
It is possible to end the self-isolation early. You can take a LFD test from 6 days after the day your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you did not have symptoms) and another LFD test on the following day. The second LFD test should be taken at least 24 hours later. If both these tests are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, you may end your self-isolation after the second negative test result.
From Tuesday 11th January COVID-19 guidance changes so if anyone receives a positive LFD test result should report their result on gov.uk and must self-isolate immediately, but will not need to take a follow-up PCR test.
After reporting a positive LFD test result, they will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace so their contacts can be traced.
Best Wishes
Mark Braund Headteacher
