At this time of year we usually celebrate Grandparents’ Day and use this as an opportunity to treat them to a special visit to our school. Despite the current restrictions, our Primary 2 pupils were determined to let their grandparents know how much they love them and have put together a special video to let them know how special they are. You will be able to view the video on our online platforms on Friday 19th March.
Easter Holidays – School will close at 12 Noon on Wednesday 31st March. The school will be closed from 1st April to 9th April. Both days inclusive.
Parents are reminded that the school must be contacted if there is a positive case in your household. Please ring 7181 0520 or email info@broadbridgeprimaryschool.com stating your child/ren’s class and a brief outline of the case.
Adults are reminded that they must maintain a social distance at the gates of the school. We would encourage the use of masks at these points due to the large gatherings at any one time!
A very warm welcome back to everyone after a lengthy stay away. We are delighted to see the children back at school once more. Please see below the routine that was in place before the Christmas break. There are one or two changes.
Dropping Children Off in the Morning – In an attempt to ease traffic congestion parents may drop children in the drop off zone inside the school grounds PARENTS ARE ASKED NOT TO EXIT CARS. This is to ensure that the traffic flows freely for all. Only disabled badge holders and parents with young babies may enter the carpark to park.
Morning Drop Off
∙ Only Primary 1 and Primary 2 pupils may be walked to their external classroom door. No other adults may enter the school grounds unless they have business at the school office.
∙ All adults exiting the school must do so at Gate 1.
∙ Primary 1 2,3 and Miss Doherty’s Primary 4 pupils are to enter through Gate 2.
∙ Primary 4,5,6 and 7 pupils are to enter through Gate 3.
∙ The school will be open from 8:45 a.m. for all pupils.
∙ We would encourage as many pupils to walk/cycle to school as possible to minimise the traffic at the school. Alternatively, pupils should be dropped off at the far side of the ‘Blue Bridge’ and walk from there. We do not encourage anyone to drop off at the ‘Maxol’ as this is a place of business and not a drop off zone for our school.
∙ Gate 1 can only be used as an entrance for pupils using the ‘Blue Bridge’ as their drop off point. ∙ Parents dropping off inside the school grounds must not exit their cars.
∙ Early morning provision 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Afternoon Pick Up
∙ Adults should stand back from the gates and socially distance themselves from others. Please do not congregate in groups, adhere to the government guidance. Inform your child where you intend to be. ∙ Encourage older pupils to cycle/walk independently home.
∙ Primary 1 pupils will be picked up at 2:00 p.m. Miss Wade’s Class from Gate 1. Mrs Quinn’s class from Gate 3. ∙ PLEASE NOTE P1 Pupils may wait for an older sibling from P2 at the Master’s Hall and leave the school together at 2:15 p.m.
∙ Primary 2 pupils will be picked up at 2:15 p.m. Mrs Hueston’s from Gate 1. Mrs Tracey’s class from Gate 3. ∙ Primary 3 pupils use Gate 1 at 3:00 p.m.
∙ Primary 4 pupils use Gate 2 at 3:00 p.m.
∙ Primary 5 pupils use Gate 2 at 3:00 p.m.
∙ Primary 6 pupils use Gate 3 at 3:00 p.m. Please note the change to pick-up time.
∙ Primary 7 pupils use Gate 3 at 3:00 p.m.
∙ Children being picked up at the far side of the ‘Blue Bridge’ will use Gate 1. There will be a member of staff there to ensure that they are collected. If you are running late, your child will be returned to school and remain at the front office until collection. Please do not call your child from the Bridge when picking up. If you wish to come to school to get your child, please come down to the Gate. It is safer for all concerned if we walk your child across the bridge in the afternoon.
From Monday 8th March until the return from Easter holidays, we are
phasing in the new cashless payment system ParentPay. The first phase
will be the booking of School Meals and the second phase will be the booking of Morning Club and 2-3 pm Club. All parents/guardians should have received their letter to activate their accounts on the system, if you have not yet activated your account please do so as soon as possible. If you have misplaced the activation letter containing your initial Username and Password, please contact the School Office and a replacement letter can be issued for you.
Phase 1 – School Meals – Monday 8th March-Wednesday 31st March
As of Monday 8th March 2021, all payments for School Meals MUST be paid for using ParentPay, any cash sent to school to pay for dinners will be returned home. If you would like your child/children to take dinner, please take note of the following:
∙ bookings must be made in advance before 8.45 am on the day that dinner is to be taken. ∙ parents of children entitled to free school meals must also book online using ParentPay, no fee will be incurred for these bookings.
∙ dinners can be booked up to 3 weeks in advance of the date needed.
∙ if you have booked and paid for dinner for a particular day and your child is absent an adjustment will be made at the office and no fee will be applied for that day.
Bookings and payments for Morning Club and 2-3 pm Club can also be made through ParentPay during Phase 1 but we will also facilitate cash for these payments during this period.
Some parents have reported difficulty booking meals this week, this fault with the system has now been rectified by ParentPay. As we introduce this new system we do envisage that we will encounter some initial issues, please be patient during this transition. If you have any issues using ParentPay or logging in, please contact the school office and we will do our best to work through any problems with you.
Phase 2 – Morning and 2-3 pm Club – Monday 12nd April
From Monday 12nd April 2021 all payments for Morning and 2-3 pm Clubs MUST be made through ParentPay, no cash should be sent to school from this date. If you would like to book your child/children into either of these Clubs please take note of the following:
∙ all bookings for Morning Club and 2-3 pm Club must be made in advance and before 12 noon on the Friday of the previous week.
∙ Morning and 2-3 pm sessions can be booked up to 3 weeks in advance.
∙ if you have booked and paid for a session for a particular day and your child is absent, an adjustment will be made at the office and no fee will be applied for that day.
Payment for other items such as school trips, school hoodies, swimming, music fees etc will also be paid for through ParentPay from Monday 12th April. These will be added as and when needed to the system and parents will be notified about the cost of these items through the class teacher and/or the school note. The only exception will be Mr Logue’s St Vincent de Paul, children will be able to buy these tickets with cash.
As a result of the current lockdown, it has not been possible to send out letters regarding credit/outstanding amounts for Morning and 2-3 pm Clubs for December, January and February. Any amounts owed or in credit will be added to ParentPay in due course and letters explaining these amounts will be distributed to children who are currently at school. For those families who do not have children attending school at present these letters will be available at the School Office.
Diary:
School Holidays – Wednesday 17th March – School Closed for St. Patrick’s Day.
The school will NOT be closed on the 18th & 19th March as originally planned.
Easter Holidays – School will close at 12 Noon on Wednesday 31st March. The school will be closed from 1st April to 9th April. Both days inclusive.
COVID-19 Update – Parents are reminded that the school must be contacted if there is a positive case in your household. Please ring 7181 0520 or email info@broadbridgeprimaryschool.com stating your child/ren’s class and a brief outline of the case.
Adults are reminded that they must maintain a social distance at the gates of the school. We would encourage the use of masks at these points due to the large gatherings at any one time!
Return to School – We are awaiting a decision by the Northern Ireland Executive in line with Mr Weir’s wishes that all primary school pupils return to school on the 22nd March. However, as it stands at present, P1-P3 would return to remote learning on the 22nd March and there has been no confirmation of the return to school for P4-P7 pupils after the Easter Holidays. For those pupils that are not back at school as yet we ask that they keep fully engaged in the Google Classroom platform provided. We are really looking forward to the return to school for all pupils, we can only hope that the correct decision for all comes through today.
Returning Resources – Please send back as soon as possible all reading books and resources that were assigned to your child during lockdown. The school has spent a small fortune updating these resources due to parents not returning books and resources from the first lockdown in 2020 and has not the finances available to do so again. Year groups that are continuing with online remote learning may bring back books on their return to school. Thank you for your co-operation with this matter.
Devices at School – There is no longer a need for any child to bring a device to school such as a tablet/laptop to access online remote learning. Parents are reminded that all devices that have the ability to take photographs, take and receive phone calls/text messages are not permitted in school. If a child needs to have such a device the class teacher must be informed. The device should be kept in the child’s school bag until they leave the school premises. Mobile phones are not permitted in school, however if there are exceptional circumstances it may be allowed, providing the mobile phone is given to the class teacher on arrival at school.
Fr Michael Keaveny – Congratulations to Fr Michael Keaveny who celebrated 70 years a priest on Wednesday 10th March. His Platinum Jubilee Mass was celebrated by Bishop Donal Mc Keown on Wednesday night at Star of The Sea.
ParentPay – Please read the guidelines on ParentPay at Broadbridge Primary School overleaf.
Post Primary Admissions – This year’s application process for Primary 7 parents closes at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday 16th March 2021. Please use the following link https://admissions.eani.org.uk/postprimary/Register to make your application before the portal closes.
‘Community Information – McGinnis Group’
The McGinnis Group has provided up to date details on their planning application for new houses off the Ballygudden Road in Eglinton. This is being done to ensure the local community has access to the latest information. The plans have been revised to take into account of the latest flood maps for the area so they will not affect flood risk; http://www.gravisplanning.com/current/view/170/farmleigh-residential development. Your feedback or questions are welcomed – please forward to info@gravisplanning.com.
ParentPay
From Monday 8th March until the return from Easter holidays, we are phasing in the new cashless payment system ParentPay.
The first phase will be the booking of School Meals and the second phase will be the booking of Morning Club and 2-3 pm Club. All parents/guardians should have received their letter to activate their accounts on the system, if you have not yet activated your account please do so as soon as possible. If you have misplaced the activation letter containing your initial Username and Password, please contact the School Office and a replacement letter can be issued for you.
Phase 1 – School Meals – Monday 8th March-Wednesday 31st March
As of Monday 8th March 2021, all payments for School Meals MUST be paid for using ParentPay, any cash sent to school to pay for dinners will be returned home. If you would like your child/children to take dinner, please take note of the following:
Bookings and payments for Morning Club and 2-3 pm Club can also be made through ParentPay during Phase 1 but we will also facilitate cash for these payments during this period.
Some parents have reported difficulty booking meals this week, this fault with the system has now been rectified by ParentPay. As we introduce this new system we do envisage that we will encounter some initial issues, please be patient during this transition. If you have any issues using ParentPay or logging in, please contact the school office and we will do our best to work through any problems with you.
Phase 2 – Morning and 2-3 pm Club – Monday 12nd April
From Monday 12nd April 2021 all payments for Morning and 2-3 pm Clubs MUST be made through ParentPay, no cash should be sent to school from this date. If you would like to book your child/children into either of these Clubs please take note of the following:
Payment for other items such as school trips, school hoodies, swimming, music fees etc will also be paid for through ParentPay from Monday 12th April. These will be added as and when needed to the system and parents will be notified about the cost of these items through the class teacher and/or the school note. The only exception will be Mr Logue’s St Vincent de Paul, children will be able to buy these tickets with cash.
As a result of the current lockdown, it has not been possible to send out letters regarding credit/outstanding amounts for Morning and 2-3 pm Clubs for December, January and February. Any amounts owed or in credit will be added to ParentPay in due course and letters explaining these amounts will be distributed to children who are currently at school. For those families who do not have children attending school at present these letters will be available at the School Office.
Broadbridge Primary School Thursday 4th March 2021 Note 18
Diary: School Holidays – Wednesday 17th March – School Closed for St. Patrick’s Day.
The school will NOT be closed on the 18th & 19th March as originally planned.
School Return Arrangements Primary 1-3 & Key Worker Pupils
A very warm welcome back to everyone in P1- P3. We are delighted to see the children back at school once more. At present we are having to follow Government guidance. The guidance states P1-P3 pupils will return to school Monday 8th March-Friday 19th March. They will then return to online remote learning from Monday 22nd March until the Easter break. Primary 1-3 will then return to school for full-time face-to-face teaching after the Easter holidays. There is no planned return at present for Primary 4-7.
For those year groups returning to school, our emphasis will be on supporting the children to reconnect socially, build positive relationships and engage enthusiastically with learning as they return to the school environment. We will have a balanced day, where children feel able to reconnect with school and with each other. For that matter we will be providing children with the opportunities to be actively involved in practical and challenging play-based learning in a stimulating environment. The children’s emotional health and well-being is our priority.
Please ensure that your child is provided with the necessary clothing that will enable them to play outdoors regardless of the weather.
Dropping Children Off in the Morning – In an attempt to ease traffic congestion parents may drop children in the drop-off zone inside the school grounds PARENTS ARE ASKED NOT TO EXIT CARS. This is to ensure that the traffic flows freely for all. Only disabled badge holders and parents with young babies may enter the carpark to park. All adults entering the school grounds must wear a face mask.
Please read the information below and follow when dropping off and picking up.
Morning Drop Off
Afternoon Pick Up
Primary 4-7 Pupil Arrangements
Primary 4 -7 pupils will continue with remote online learning. Their teachers will continue to use Google Classroom as their platform for teaching and learning. It is important that children continue to engage with their class on a daily basis. The packs for the next 2-week period for P4-P7 pupils will be ready for collection from 11:00 a.m. tomorrow Friday 5th March. The school will remain open until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow to facilitate pick up. Please follow the one-way system in place when entering and leaving the school.
SCHOOL MEAL PROVISION 8 – 26 MARCH 2021 Guidance from the Department of Education
Subject to Department of Finance approval, direct payments in lieu of free school meals will be made in respect of pupils in year groups that are not required to attend school and continue to learn remotely from home. Where pupils are required to attend school, school meals services will operate as normal.
Direct payments in lieu of free school meals will not be made in respect of pupils in year groups (P1-P3) that are required to attend school as these pupils will receive free school meals at school for the period they are required to attend. Those required to attend but who are unable to do so, on medical or PHA advice, for Covid-19 related reasons (e.g. self-isolation) should be offered a food parcel as was the position from September – December 2020.
Free school meals should not be provided to key workers’ children entitled to free school meals when at school for supervised learning as their parents will receive a direct payment. Any pupil at school who wishes may purchase a meal where school meals services are operating as normal for the period pupils are required to attend, otherwise they should bring a packed lunch.
School Meal Payments – From Monday 8th March all payments for school meals must be made via the ParentPay site. Please do not send cash to school for dinner.
Post Primary Admissions – This year Primary 7 parents will be able to make an application online between 12 noon on Monday 1st March 2021 and 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday 16th March 2021. Please use the following link https://admissions.eani.org.uk/postprimary/Register
World Book Day – At the request of many parents this has been postponed until later in the year so that all pupils may actively participate in the planned activities.
Home Learning Packs for the two weeks immediately after mid-term will be available for collection tomorrow and Friday from 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
Please follow all social distancing rules and safety measures both inside and outside the school building.
Thank you so much for the time and effort you’ve given to home schooling during the past five weeks. We really appreciate it as we couldn’t have done it without you.
Broadbridge Primary School Thursday 4th February 2021 Note 17
Diary: School Holidays – Monday 15th February-Friday 19th February (Both dates inclusive)
New Entrants – The application process has now closed for admissions to Primary 1. We look forward to welcoming our new entrants in September 2021. If you have applied for your child, information will follow in the coming weeks.
First Communion and Confirmation 2021 – Both ceremonies have been postponed to a later date. We will inform you once a new date has been agreed.
Parent Wellbeing Webinar – Shane Martin presents his outstanding talk ‘Your Precious Life, Live it Well’. Shane combines health and wellbeing support with entertaining anecdotes in a way that every parent can relate to and will also make you laugh. This event is guaranteed to sell out fast, so please use the Eventbrite link to register early.
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/derry-londonderry-primary-schools-tickets-139939224989
Google Classroom – Thanks to everyone for continuing to engage on the Google Classroom Platform. We will be continuing to engage with our pupils on Google Classroom until the 8th March, unless notified differently by the Department of Education. It is important that children register for their class on a daily basis. Each year group has a timetable outlining on a daily basis the activities set for your child. Please do what you can, we fully appreciate that everyone’s home circumstances are different, with many parents doing home schooling and doing their own work from home. It is vitally important that we strike the right balance with work and play for our children and ourselves.
If you are experiencing any difficulties, please contact the school and we will assist you in any way we can.
School Holidays – Monday 15th February-Friday 19th February – The school will be closed this week both dates inclusive. There will be no staff at the school. There will be no activities or lessons posted on Google Classroom for this week.
After Midterm Break – The school will continue with online teaching and learning after the midterm break. All packs for these two weeks will be available for collection during Thursday 11th and Friday 12th February, from 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Keep us informed! – Please feel free to contact the school and give us feedback on what is working well and not so well to date! We will forward your comments to the relevant staff for consideration. send an email to info@broadbridgeprimaryschool.com
Primary 7 Transferring – Parents of Primary 7 pupils may request a meeting to discuss the application process for their child for next year. All Admissions Criteria for post primary schools have now been posted online. These are available at https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions/search-post-primary-admissions-criteria. Before starting to complete child’s your application it is important that you read the admissions criteria of the schools you wish to nominate as a preference. This year you will be able to make an application online between 12 noon on Monday 1st March 2021 and 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday 16th March 2021. If you wish to meet with the Mr McLaughlin and/or Mrs Gillespie/Mr Morrison to assist you in making the right choice of school for your child please contact the school through the class dojo/school office requesting a meeting. All meetings will be held the week beginning Monday 1st March, meetings will be conducted through Zoom.
School Holidays –Monday 15th February-Friday 19th February (Both dates inclusive)
COVID-19 Update – Parents are reminded that the school must be contacted if there is a positive case in your household. Please ring 7181 0520 or email info@broadbridgeprimaryschool.com stating your child/ren’s class and a brief outline of the case.
Adults are reminded that they must maintain a social distance at the gates of the school. We would encourage the use of masks at these points due to the large gatherings at any one time!
New Entrants – Parents are reminded the Application Process closes on the 29 th January 2020. If your child is due to start Primary 1 – September 2021 please complete the application as soon as possible . Children born between 2nd July 2016 and 1 st July 2017 (inclusive) must commence primary education in September 2021. Further information on the process is now available on the EA website. Please make family and friends aware of this information.
Live Lessons – Thanks to all who have been logging in on a daily basis and taking part in the live lessons and Google Classroom activities. The rules of such meetings were sent out last week and feedback from the staff is that the majority of people are adhering to them. This week if we can all try to have headphones for such meetings to avoid unwanted distractions in the house and respect the privacy of all participants.
Removed Tonight! – All names not associated with the class will be removed tonight from the Google Classroom for Child Protection & Safeguarding reasons. We cannot have members logging on other than class members. All pupils have been issued with instructions to logon. Parents/ guardians may use the same instructions to add Google Classroom to their phones for the purpose of uploading work etc. This platform is now being used to monitor attendance, pupils must register on a daily basis in their Google Classroom. Registration opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 8:00 p.m. To access Google Classroom, go to Google Chrome, search for My School Login and enter the following details, for example. Username: jbloggs432 Password: Broadbridge21 You may be asked for further details, please enter the same username followed by @c2ken.net – jbloggs432@c2ken.net You will find Google Classroom in My Links. Open up Google Classroom and join class by entering the class code. Your old class code was a year group code this will gradually become redundant. Your new class code for this is in your pack. If you are unfamiliar with Google Classroom please follow the link. You will find a video guide and PDF attached that you may find useful. https://www.chrmbook.com/google-classroom- parents/
If you are experiencing any difficulties, please contact the school and we will assist you in any way we can.
Keep us informed! – Please feel free to contact the school and give us feedback on what is working well and not so well to date! We will forward your comments to the relevant staff for consideration. send an email to info@broadbridgeprimaryschool.com
First Communion April 2021 – This has now been postponed to a later date. We will inform you once a new date has been agreed.
Teachers will share on Google Classroom a link for Sustrans – Get weekly inspiration and resources for kids’ activities, games and challenges. Sustrans Outside in activities include videos, games, weekly challenges, themed activities and more. Designed by our knowledgeable, experienced and fun -loving Schools Officers. The four week activity pack is full of cycling, walking and scooting themed fun. Outside In weekly updates are packed with creative, active and interesting indoor and outdoor activities for all the family.
The application process for those children due to start school in September 2021 will close on the 29th January 2021. Children born between 2nd July 2016 and 1st July 2017 (inclusive) must commence primary education in September 2021.
Click on the image below to give you a brief snapshot of what our wonderful Primary 1 pupils have been up to since they began in September.
Broadbridge Primary School Thursday 14th January 2021 Note 15
Diary: School Holidays – Monday 15th February- Friday 19th February (Both dates inclusive)
New School Day – The new school day has started and most children have successfully joined their correct class which will be online up until the Mid-term Break (Unless told differently by the Department of Education) We have had teething problems in school but these are gradually being ironed out. Our Broadband at times does not have the capacity to allow for teachers to go ‘live’ at any one time. We are currently working with C2K and our Broadband provider to see if this can be rectified.
Logging in for lessons –
The school will be using Google Classroom as its main platform for remote learning. It is important that you use the login details and passwords which were given out in their packs to access all areas available to your child. When logging in please do not use Internet Explorer as we are experiencing problems with volume etc. when this is used.
To access Google Classroom, go to Google Chrome, search for My School Login and enter the following details. Username: jbloggs432 Password: Broadbridge21
You may be asked for further details please enter the same username followed by @c2ken.net – jbloggs432@c2ken.net
You will find Google Classroom in My Links. Open up Google Classroom and join class by entering the class code. Your old class code was a year group code this will gradually become redundant. Your new class code for is in your pack. If you are unfamiliar with Google Classroom please follow the link. You will find a video guide and PDF attached that you may find useful. https://www.chrmbook.com/google-classroom-parents/
If you are experiencing any difficulties, please contact the school and we will assist you in any way we can.
Parents Logging in – Parents should follow the same steps if they are accessing their children’s work on their mobile phones. Use the child’s login details. You can quickly navigate from account to account if you have more than one child. You will also find it much easier to hand in work through the scan button in notes or by simply taking a picture. We will be deleting unfamiliar accounts not linked to our school for Child Protection and Safeguarding reasons.
Teacher- led live lessons –
This is not compulsory. Parents may Opt-Out from their children attending.
Pupils or parents must not record sessions or capture screengrabs.
Parents must not take part or be present during livestreaming. (May assist in setting up initially for younger pupils)
Live lessons will not involve one-to-one contact with pupils and will only take place during what would be normal pupil class time.
Pupils must adopt the agreed behaviours during live lessons, e.g. taking turns to speak and not interrupting teachers or other pupils.
Pupils should wear headphones, this prevents the pupils from becoming distracted and respects the privacy of all participants.
Live lessons will only be undertaken through the use of an approved school forum, using their school account rather than personal accounts.
For individuals who do not adhere to these rules, no livestreaming will be permitted.
Our Expectations – We expect every child to login to the classroom. The delivery of work required will vary from year to year. We ask that you try to complete the activities set, however we fully accept that every family circumstance is different. Do what you can and do not worry if work is incomplete!
We will keep you informed of updates during the time of remote learning. If you have any concerns, questions or queries contact the class teacher or send an email to info@broadbridgeprimaryschool.com Teachers will only be able to respond during a normal working day. Please do not expect feedback or a reply from the school after these hours.
Confirmation February 2021 – This has now been postponed to a later date. We will inform you once a new date has been agreed.
Paschal’s Bus – Paschal’s bus is not on the road at present. The EA has cancelled all transport to schools.
New Entrants – Primary 1 – September 2021 – The application process for those children due to start school in September 2021 opened on 7th January 2021 and closes on the 29th January 2020. Children born between 2nd July 2016 and 1st July 2017 (inclusive) must commence primary education in September 2021. Further information on the process is now available on the EA website.
The application process for those children due to start school in September 2021 opened on 7th January 2021 and closes on the 29th January 2021. Children born between 2nd July 2016 and 1st July 2017 (inclusive) must commence primary education in September 2021.