Parent Bulletin No.18
Dear Parent/Carer
I hope you and your family are well. Thank you to all the parents who joined our Year 11 virtual parents evening this week, I hope you found it informative. If any Year 11 parents missed the evening and would like an update on progress in certain subjects then please contact your child’s teachers directly. We are expecting an announcement on 7th February regarding this year’s GCSE exams.
I have been asked to share the latest advice and guidance from Test, Trace and Protect (TTP) which you will find below. I have also included ongoing information from last week’s newsletter for your benefit.
Latest Advice from TTP regarding positive test results and if you are a contact of a positive case.
Positive case at school. This applies to children and adults.
You must isolate for 7 full days after the day on which you test positive (which is ‘Day Zero’). The child or adult can return to school on day 8 if they have no symptoms AND report 2 negative LFDs, taken 24 hours apart on days 6 and 7. If either of these tests are positive, continue to isolate and retest each day until 2 negative tests 24 hours apart OR have isolated for 10 days, whichever is sooner.
If symptoms continue past day 10 (especially a fever) do not return to school until these have passed. You may have to take LFDs test routinely to return to school (if a child at primary school testing is not required). If this test is positive at any time within 28 days of your infection, retest each 24 hours until you have a negative result, at which point you may return to school. During the 28 days a positive test in the absence of new cardinal symptoms will not be considered as new infection.
Contacts of a positive case at school. This applies to children and fully vaccinated adults.
If between 5 and 18 years or fully vaccinated, you should do a daily LFD test for 7 days. If these remain negative you can return to school and your school’s pre-attendance testing programme
If at any point the LFD becomes positive, you must isolate for 7 days and follow the guidance above for positive cases. If you develop symptoms do a PCR.
Contacts of a positive case at school. Non-fully vaccinated adults.
If you are a contact and not fully vaccinated, you must isolate for a full 10 days and may return to school on day 11 if no symptoms, and pre-attendance testing is negative.
Lateral Flow Device Tests (LFDs)
Pupils received a fresh supply of test kits last week. Please support this by ensuring your child uses them as planned. Testing should take place three times per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the morning before leaving the house. If more convenient then it is also acceptable to test Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday evenings. Please report positive cases to school as soon as possible. Guidelines have recently changed to the following – if you record a positive LFD result but have no symptoms then isolate immediately and there is no need to book a PCR test. If your child has symptoms, then book a PCR test. There have also been updates to the length of isolation periods depending on vaccination status. Please refer to advice given by TTP. Public Health Wales have asked that all LFD Test results are reported to the NHS Portal. Further information on this is included with the test kit.
Face Coverings
Many students continue to attend school without a face covering. Please check they have one before leaving the house. We do have a limited supply at school but it is dwindling quickly due to the number of students not bringing their own. All students will receive two re-usable face coverings from us next week. Please encourage them to remember them.
Hey Girls Sanitary Products
A new initiative has been launched whereby students attending a Flintshire school, can order sanitary products to be delivered direct to their home address for free. All students need to do is complete the online form which can be found using the following link: Flintshire Home Packs – Hey Girls
FCC will then verify that they are on roll at school and post the products out – initially as a three month supply. I have attached a flyer and further communication from the council with this letter and have emailed the information direct to students today.
Parent Governor Vacancy
An opening has arisen on our Governing Body. Applications must be returned to the school for the attention of the Clerk to the Governors, by the end of the school day on Tuesday 25th January.
Arrangements for free school meals
Students who qualify will be able to collect their meal as usual. Any student who has to isolate due to Covid should receive direct payment from the Local Authority. Provision will also continue during school holidays this year.
Breakfast and Homework Club
These are available as normal from 8:15 and until 16:15 after school. Can parents please email contact@argoedhs.co.uk if you wish to request a place. Please put “Breakfast / Homework Club” as the subject of the email.
Parents Evenings and Contacting School
Until further notice, all scheduled Parents Evenings will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. If you need to contact school, please do so via phone or email. We will not be accepting visits without an appointment.
I hope you all have a pleasant weekend.
Yours faithfully
Mr P Smith
Headteacher