3rd September 2020 Dear Parents, I hope everyone has had a good, restful summer break.  The weather wasn’t brilliant but there were some lovely days.  I also hope you’ve managed to keep safe and well and are navigating your way through these challenging times without too much difficulty.  If any family feels they need to discuss anything before the return to school, then please email headteacher@furnessvale.derbyshire.sch.uk or call 01663 744103. We’re almost at the point of a full return to school and I just wanted to make sure you had all the information you need to make the return as smooth as possible. Before we finished for the summer, a letter was sent out outlining routines and procedures in September.  This letter is mostly accurate so I will make sure it is on the front page of the website. The main difference is a change to the staggered opening and closing.  Instead of doing it by year group, we will do it based on surnames.  This means that if you have more than one child in school and they are in different classes, you won’t be waiting 10 minutes (twice a day) to drop off and collect. Children with the surnames beginning with A-M can be dropped off at 8:45 and collected at 3:10 and children with surnames beginning with N-Z should arrive at 8:55 and leave at 3:20.  For the safety of the staff and other parents, please observe the 2m social distancing requirements when on, or near, the school grounds.  If you need to speak to a member of staff, either send a Dojo or call the school to leave a message for the teacher to get back to you. The link below has the latest guidance for parents: What parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges in the autumn term Yesterday, we had a full day of training on spelling.  Consequently, we will be changing our approach to spelling and will let you know what we’ve put in place.  In some classes, spelling sessions will start straight after morning registration, so it is vital that children arrive punctually. We are very much looking forward to seeing you all again next week. Please get in touch if you have any concerns. Yours sincerely   Mrs Taylor Headteacher