15th September 2021

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we settle into our new classes at school, I am writing to give you some updates about the Autumn term.

The new Early Years Hub is open and we are beginning to welcome our new nursery pupils to St Giles. Last week Ken Morcombe successfully completed a 50 kilometre walk with his son to raise money for St Giles. Ken has been a Governor at St Giles for many years and we are extremely grateful to him for all his support. The money he has raised will be used to support the development of the outdoor spaces at St Giles following the Early Years Hub build. If you would like to make a donation to Ken, you can do this by visiting his Virgin Money Giving page - Virgin Money Giving | Ken's 50K walk along the River Thames or https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LisaNegus3 . Ken has generously said that he will sponsor pupils and staff later this half term when we launch our “Strive for Five” week in which staff and pupils work together to complete a number of physical challenges.

EHCP reviews begin later this month and we will be holding Parents Evening on Wednesday October 13th. We are currently offering a choice of virtual or face to face meetings if we have a large enough room available with adequate ventilation. If you would prefer to continue to meet virtually, please let us know. There may be occasions where hybrid meetings are held e.g. if a member of staff or other professional is clinically extremely vulnerable. Following advice from Croydon Public Health, we continue to ask that all staff and visitors wear face masks in corridors and communal spaces.

We are looking forward to welcoming the Seeability Eye Care Team to St Giles later this month for the first time. They are a team of clinicians who have received additional training to deliver sight tests and dispense glasses to children with learning disabilities. If you would like further information about this service, please let us know.

If your child is aged between 12 and 15 years old and you would like information about the Covid 19 vaccination, please get in touch with the Special School Nursing Service.

Finally, this Friday (17.09.21) the school will be celebrating “Jeans for Genes” day. Jeans for Genes day raises money for Genetic Disorders U.K., a charity that works with hospitals and other U.K. medical facilities on genetic cures. Pupils and staff are invited to wear denim in some form and may want to make a donation to the charity.

Wishing you and your families all the best.

Yours sincerely,