Covid Update June 2020 Hamilton

10 June 2020 Dear Parents and Guardians 
 
COVID-19 Update

As per previous communications we are working towards all pupils returning to Hamilton College at the start of Session 2020/21 in August.  All pupils will be in school every day.  The Health & Safety of our pupils and staff remain the top priority and risk assessments will be continuing across the summer period and once school returns to ensure that this is maintained. The school has now been reconfigured to allow for social distancing at all times and to provide a one-way system around the building. Across the summer period there will be a flow of information from the School so that parents and pupils understand what the school environment will look like on our return in August.  Please watch out for these across the holiday period as our plans are implemented and / altered due to changing guidelines and local events. Towards the start of term we will be posting a video so pupils can see the changes we have made to the school to ensure that they are as comfortable with their return as possible.  We have met with our Pupil Councils and will take on board pupils’ thoughts and feelings, especially around mental well-being and their ability to adjust to their new environment. All update information is and will be filed on our COVID-19 page on the school website.  If parents have missed any communications or wish to refresh themselves of changes nearer the start of term, please use this as a library of relevant information.  This is also where the COVID-19 Working Group will be posting our risk assessments and planning guides to allow parents to review the measures that the school has taken and will be taking during the Phased Return (the period until all COVID-19 restrictions are lifted).  At the moment, we have the following specific COVID-19 updates - 
 
Return Date

August 2020 We are proposing an alteration to the term dates in Session 2020/21 as follows -  Staff only INSET days – 11th and 12th August Pupils return – 13th August October break – 12th - 23rd October Last day of term 3 – 24th June 2021 The early return in August is to allow the pupils some additional time in school during Term 1 to familiarise themselves with their new environment and routine, and the updated procedures within the school.  We are then offering a two-week break in October which may allow for some families to benefit from some time away or to visit friends and family. Please also note the slightly extended dates in Term 3. We understand that this is quite a substantial change but feel for the pupils this is the best option to allow them to fully benefit from the in-school teaching time in Term 1.  If you have any comments or concerns around these changes please do get in touch – [email protected]. From S2 to S6, the first two weeks of term will be focused on the consolidation of school work that has been taught and completed remotely.  It is important that we assess how the pupils have coped academically during lock-down and that we fill any gaps in knowledge before we move ahead with the curriculum. There will also be a focus on the pupils’ mental well-being to ensure that they are adjusting to the new school environment. 15 minutes will be timetabled each school day in the Senior School to support pupils in this area. 
 
Tuition Fees

As per previous communication and given the planned return to the school facilities in Session 2020/21, the school fees will return to the normal levels from July 2020.  Direct Debit mandates do not need to be altered but if you have any specific questions please contact our Finance Manager, Elsa Spalding - [email protected]. 
 
Classrooms & Communal Spaces

The classroom and communal spaces in the school building have now been reconfigured to allow for all pupils to benefit from full time in-school teaching while maintaining the requirements of social distancing. This means that in some areas the look of the school will be very different, and some spaces will be used very differently, for example the Guidance Suite and S6 Common room will be used for the S1 teaching base. 
Where possible, teachers will move to the pupils, rather that pupils changing location.   This is to minimise travel throughout the school.  We will be posting a video so that pupils understand the changes prior to our return in August. 
 
Uniform

We are aware that elements of the Hamilton College uniform do not allow for daily washing on a return from school.  Therefore, from August we are not requiring blazers or kilts or pinafores to be worn.  The uniform will be as follows -  In the JS, we are happy for summer dresses to be worn and the boys can wear their normal grey shorts or trousers (if parents are happy with washing requirements) and school shirt.  However, as an alternative, we are also allowing daily use of -  Hamilton College Sports kit  Black / navy blue joggers / leggings Black / navy blue hoodie / zipper Trainer type shoes are acceptable As we will be enhancing our outdoor learning provision, we ask that all pupils bring their blue fleece-lined waterproof jacket that is part of the compulsory uniform list.  In the SS, we are recommending Hamilton College sports kit.  Boys will be permitted to wear black or navy blue joggers with black / navy blue hoodies or zippers.  The school T-shirt should be worn.  Girls will also be permitted to wear black / navy blue leggings. Please note that despite these relaxations we are expecting pupils to be smart and maintain our high standards of dress. There should be no team “colours” worn and garments should be plain.   
 
Lunches and Snacks

Guidelines encourage the continued use of in-school catering to avoid pupils bringing items (such as packed lunches) in and out of the school building and to decrease “sharing”. The school will therefore continue to provide a lunch to all pupils.  For the first few weeks following return, this will be a cold option. A weekly pre-order service is being created for pupils to choose their preferred options and confirm dietary requirements.  Once this is operational, we will issue full details.  The lunch is likely to comprise -  Sandwich / pasta / salad / wrap Yoghurt / custard / jelly Wrapped fruit Snack / breakfast bar / crackers & cheese 
Low-fat crisp type snack Water The lunches will be “bagged” and delivered to the individual pupils for consumption either in classrooms or where possible outside.  Once there is a relaxation on social distancing, we will be moving towards the re-instatement of hot options and the use of the dining hall as an eating zone.  All packaging and eating utensils will be disposable.  Wrapped fruit will be available in all classrooms throughout the day. Pupils can bring their own snack to school however all packaging must be disposable and “sharing” must be discouraged.  Water will be provided in the classrooms and any bottled water brought to school should be clearly marked with the child’s name.  Empty water bottles will not be refilled at school but taken home to be washed and brought back the next day. The water fountains will not be in operation, but unlimited bottled water will be available in all classrooms. 
 
Bags, equipment and lockers

Lockers will not be used on our return. Pupils should be encouraged to bring to school only the items that they need and should not share pens, pencils and the like. All pupils from J6 upwards will be allocated a Chromebook for their personal use on return in August. This should be brought to school daily.  This will greatly assist in following the recommendations to avoid teachers handling “paper” exercises.  There will be more information on the roll out of the 1:1 Devices from Mrs. Stark in the coming weeks. For JS pupils, all equipment will be left in school.  There will be a direct communication from Mrs. Paterson on how this will operate.  
 
Before and After School Care and Wider-Curricular Clubs Before and after school care will be provided as normal in both the Nursery, Junior and Senior Schools. Unfortunately, there will be no Wider Curricular Clubs and Activities.  The provision of these activities will be assessed as guidelines change and restrictions ease. In the JS, normal booking of Aftercare will apply. In the SS, after-care will be in the form of a home-work club to be located in the Assembly Hall which will be set-up to comply with social distancing.  This will operate until 5pm each day. 
 
Masks

At the moment, there is no recommendation for masks to be worn within a school environment.  It is for individual families to decide if they wish their children to wear masks 
to school.  If this is your wish, the child must bring their own masks to school and all used masks must be taken home at the end of the day – they cannot be disposed of within the school so please provide a plastic bag for a safe return of used articles. 
 
School Transport

Our bus operator, Park’s of Hamilton, is putting together a proposal and safety information as regards how the school service will operate.  There will be a direct communication to parents who use this service in the next few days. 
 
School Day & Timetabling

A draft timetable of classes and how this will work has been drafted and SLT are considering this at present.  This will be shared with parents as soon as possible. This is likely to look quite different from that which was anticipated due to restrictions on activities and social distancing. On return in August, we will be operating strict pupil drop-off and pick-up procedures with designated one-way paths to and from the school building.  Please be aware that this will impact on car-parking and traffic flow.  Further information will follow. 
 
Daily Assessment

Track & Trace

In order for the school to complete a daily Risk Assessment during the Phased Return stage, we will be asking all parents and staff to notify us of any personal changes under the “track and trace” initiative.  We will be communicating separately on how this will operate.   However, we would highlight at this stage that full disclosure under this system must be made to ensure the continued Health and Safety of our pupils, their families and our staff. There is no recommendation to use daily temperature checks in schools – we will monitor this as guidance is developed. I appreciate that there is a lot of information in this letter but we feel it is important that parents and pupils are fully updated on our plans for the Phased Return stage at Hamilton College. As stated at the outset, further details will follow over the coming days and weeks but in the meantime, if you have any queries please do not hesitate to get in touch. We are aiming for our return to school to be safe, effective and calm.  We want to ensure that all our pupils and parents feel informed and confident in our plans and our background reasoning. As we move along the path to a full return please do get in touch with any questions you may have. Yours sincerely 
 
Katie Morton