Newsletters
Message from the Headteacher
It’s been yet another roller coaster of a term with various government announcements and the challenge of being in lockdown during these harsh winter weeks. Most of us have found this lockdown more difficult than previously but we should be incredibly proud of how we have worked together as a community to support one another. We have shown resilience and a commitment to learning that is truly amazing.
Mapledown staff have continued to work with your children, both onsite and virtually via our Google Classrooms and our daily Zoom sessions, but it has been wonderful to welcome almost all our students back on 8th March.
Despite the many COVID restrictions in place in school to ensure we remain as safe and COVID secure as possible, staff and students have had some wonderful few weeks in school this half term. We held a number of events, such as Science week (8th to 12th March), where all students took part in a series of exciting science experiments. It ended with a special Merits Assembly where each class showed the volcano they had designed and made, and when each volcano erupted for our Best Volcano and Best Eruption competition.
From 15th to 19th March, we held a Book Week to celebrate World Book Day, and our students and staff read many books in many unusual places.
On 19th March, we had a Superhero day, when we raised £120 for Comic relief. Well done to all our super heroes!
School updates
It has been a busy term for the school site too. We have brand new automated gates, which are now fully operational! Our school entrance is looking and feeling much more secure.
We are working with some of our current parents, some of our prospective parents and the Local Authority towards some additional self-contained classrooms on the grounds of a local secondary school. Watch this space!
We will have a number of vacancies advertised in the summer term to staff our new classrooms. Keep an eye on our website.
Learning Zones updates
It has been a busy term indeed, and the restrictions have not prevented our staff and students from working really hard. Students have learning new skills; they have kept active and created some lovely art. Here are some examples from Class 11 and Class 7!
Uniform consultation
You will have received the Uniform survey – please vote! As mentioned in the survey, we would adopt a flexible approach where parents and carers could, over time, get their child’s uniform: a white T-shirt/polo shirt, a green top (sweatshirt, or cardigan, or hoodie) and black bottoms (trousers or joggers/skirt), which could all be bought from any shop or supermarket, with the option to have a Mapledown School badge if you wished via an online uniform shop. Please vote! Thank you.
Message from the Friends of Mapledown (FOM – Registered Charity 295504)
Hi Everyone!
We would like to introduce ourselves as your new team of Friends of Mapledown (FOM).
Donal O’Keefe Honorary Chairperson
Ashraf Hussain Honorary Treasurer
Karen Boast Honorary Secretary
We cannot tell you all how delighted and proud we are to be part of this amazing charity, supporting our wonderful school & students.
Where do we start?.........
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Well, what can we say about the amazing support and contributions all of you marvellous people have made to our 100 club? The results so far this year has been awesome, so much so that we are oversubscribed. In this very strange Covid world you have been incredible – Donal & Ash have been magnificent in their ‘Sales Pitch ‘and it has been the swiftest take up ever!!!! 1st draw will be 1st Monday in May 2021.
We have lots of ideas for the coming year, thank you once again and please do not hesitate in talking to us and sharing your ideas & requirements for not only your class, but also your zones.
Look forward to working with you all
Karen Boast
Shopping Online?
Help us raise money for the school. The initiative Easyfundraising is steadily raising money for FOM (Friends of Mapledown School - Cricklewood), but it desperately needs the support of many more people in our community in order to have a significant impact on fundraising. So how does it work? You shop directly with the retailer as you would normally, but if you sign up to: www.easyfundraising.org.uk for free and use the links on the easyfundraising site to take you to your chosen retailer, then a percentage of whatever you spend comes directly to your nominated cause (FOM) at no extra cost to yourself. To date, we have only raised just under £130.00 in this way.
COVID-19 Update
We continue to adhere to our COVID secure measures to protect our school community. If your child develops symptoms on Thursday 1st April or Friday 2nd April, please contact head@mapledown.barnet.sch.uk so that we can undertake our contact tracing and inform all contacts.
Reminder for the Summer term:
Please ensure that you:
- Keep your child at home if your child, anyone in the household or anyone they have had contact with, becomes unwell with symptoms of coronavirus.
- Inform school immediately by telephone or email if your child, anyone in the household or anyone they have had contact with, becomes unwell with symptoms of coronavirus.
- If they have displayed symptoms, only send your child back to school when they have had a negative test for coronavirus, or after 10 days if they cannot be tested.
- Do not send your child to school if they are unwell with any illness and particularly not give any medication such as Calpol or Ibuprofen so they can attend school while unwell.
- Remain contactable at all times by telephone while your child is in school.
- Collect your child immediately and for any given reason, if school asks you to
Symptoms of COVID-19 – your child, or anyone in the household, must take a COVID test if they have:
- A high temperature
- A cough
- A loss of taste or smell
Our staff continue to test twice a week. If you would like home tests for your child to do at home, please call the office and request a pack of “Rapid tests” also known as “Lateral Flow Tests”.
We will continue to take all the COVID secure precautions in the Summer term, and ease them slowly in line with government advice. Our “bubbles” will remain small initially (2 class groups) and all staff will continue to test and wear PPE.
Our therapists are all back onsite to provide face to face sessions.
Open spaces
Barnet Family Services, in partnership with other agencies, invites you to their Open Spaces Scheme to have a chance to play all year round. Families can book exclusive and safe use of indoor and outdoor spaces within the borough for the whole family to enjoy. To book a 90-minute session, email OutdoorSpaces@barnet.gov.uk
|
Key Dates: Wednesday 31st March End of Spring Term Thursday 1st April – 19th April Easter / Spring Holidays Monday 19th April Inset day - School closed to students Tuesday 20th April Students back to school Monday 3rd May Bank Holiday – School closed Monday 31st – 4th June May Half term - School closed to students Monday 7th June Inset day - School closed to students Tuesday 8th June Students back to school Saturday 26th June International Evening – TBC Wednesday 7th July Parents Consultation evening - TBC Thursday 22nd July Leavers’ Graduation - TBC Friday 23rd July End of Summer Term Monday 26th July Summer break starts - School closed to students
2021-2022 Wednesday 1st September Inset day - School closed to students Thursday 2nd September Students back to school Monday 25th October – 29th October half term - School closed to students Monday 1st November Students back to school Friday 17th December End of Autumn Term 2021 Monday 20th Dec – Mon 3rd Jan Christmas Break 2021 - School closed to students Tuesday 4th January and Wed 5th Inset days - School closed to students Thursday 6th January Students back to school Monday 14th February – 18th February Half term - School closed to students Monday 21st February Students back to school Friday 1st April End of Spring term 2022 Monday 4th April – 18th April Easter / Spring Holidays Tuesday 19th April Inset day - School closed to students Wednesday 20th April Students back to school Monday 2nd May 2022 Bank Holiday – School closed Monday 30th May – 3rd June May Half term - School closed to students Monday 6th June Students back to school Thursday 21st July End of Summer Term Friday 22nd July Inset day - School closed to students Monday 25th July Summer break 2022 starts - School closed to students |
I wish our families celebrating Pesach a Joyous Passover.
Happy and blessed Easter to those celebrating.
Have a lovely and restful Spring Break, and see you all on Tuesday 20th April, as Monday 19th April is a Staff training day.