On 1st June we reopened to several year groups and it has been wonderful to see some children back at school in their class bubbles.
Having spent half term busily preparing for the return of some of our pupils, we opened with new one way systems, new signage in place and new social distancing arrangements in all areas including the classrooms, pick up and drop off areas, dining room, hallways and pathways.
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We have been speaking to our Pre-Prep teachers to find out how the children are finding the new set up.
Year 1:
The children are loving the ownership of their own work station, marking their own work and also having own equipment for break times.
They are using the Year 2 cloakrooms and enjoying getting to know their way around (before moving up to Year 2 in September!).
Lunch times are sociable and easy for the children with two sittings rather than one, enabling them to be more spaced out at their tables.
In terms of the timetable, this has given us the opportunity to build in creativity time, reading time and times tables practice into the day.
Reception:
The children in Reception are enjoying having their own resources including their own tray on their table for all their personal equipment. Playtimes are incredibly fun as everyone has their own ball or hula hoop to play with. We also visit lots of other outside areas including our new favourite; the tennis courts.
As we can’t bring our show and tell things in from home, parents are now sending in videos so children can talk about these at school.
We have enjoyed sharing all our songs for washing hands that normally last far longer than the necessary 20 seconds.
Nursery:
We have loved all the variations on hand washing songs! The children have enjoyed learning to use the hand sanitising stations and washing the toys. They like using ‘carpet spots’ to find their own space and are well versed in how to beat the ‘nasty bug’. We talk about how we will keep it out of our school by washing our hands and catching our coughs and sneezes.
They have been brilliant at understanding that toys can’t come into school- and have instead been showing photos that parents email in and they even accept that pictures can’t yet go home.
Thank you to our Pre-Prep parents for supporting us in these new measures, enabling us to keep our MHS families and staff safe.
