Welcome to our News section!

• LET'S GET FUNDRAISING!

  Mon 27 Sep 2021

  Today, Monday 27th September, kicks off 4 weeks of fundraising for Brooklands Primary as part of the School Challenge NI campaign organised by Cash for Kids NI!

   

  The top fundraising school out of the participating 20 will receive a £5000 top-up to their total! 

   

  Click here to watch our fundraising launch video!

   

  Click here to donate on our fundraising page!

   

  Look for the special events for our pupils over the next 4 weeks - and check school bags for a newsletter detailing our plans! 

  

• Free School Meals and Uniform Grants update

  Tue 14 Sep 2021

  If you are waiting on expected approval for Free School Meals or a Uniform Grant, please click here to download an update from the Education Authority.

• Update - Covid-19

  Tue 14 Sep 2021

  Dear Parents and Guardians,

   

  Our thoughts remain with all children, staff and family members currently unwell and we wish them all a speedy recovery and return to health. 

   

  We face unprecedented challenges in keeping our school community as safe as possible at this time, with the Public Health Agency now taking full responsibility for identifying and contacting anyone deemed to be a close contact of those who have tested positive for Covid-19.

   

  We thank families for remaining cautious and for taking pro-active steps to ensuring we keep our children, staff and families as safe as possible during this time. 

   

  If a family member tests positive for Covid19, or you know that your child has been a close contact of someone who has tested positive, we thank you for taking safe steps beyond the current guidance, with families seeking tests, and keeping children at home when someone tests positive within the household. Work will be provided in this situation. 

   

  By working together in this way we can help to protect everyone's health, reduce the risks to vulnerable children and adults within our school community and minimise the impact felt on children's education and well-being as a result of time out of school. 

   

  Sincere thanks, 

   

  J Armstrong

   

   

   

   

   

• Breakfast Club - a great way to start your day!

  Sun 12 Sep 2021

  A warm welcome awaits each of our P1 - P7 pupils every morning at Breakfast Club!

   

  Breakfast Club opens from 8.00am each school day in the canteen and is staffed by a dedicated team of classroom assistants.  The cost of breakfast is just £1 per day and is payable by cash on a daily or weekly basis. Breakfast includes cereal, toast/pancake, fruit and juice.  At 8.40am children are escorted to their classrooms.

   

  If you haven’t yet visited Breakfast Club, why don’t you join us this week?  There is no need to pre-book; simply arrive no later than 8.30am.  In order to keep all our pupils safe, please do not drive onto school premises when dropping children off.

  

• Covid-19: Important Update

  Fri 10 Sep 2021

  Dear Parents and Guardians,

   

  Please see the Chief Medical Officer's letter attached below, regarding the new arrangements for test and trace within schools. 

   

  Within this new process, if your child tests positive for Covid-19, you will now deal directly with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and they will identify any close contacts with you directly. Those close contacts will then be notified by PHA.

   

  In limited circumstances, school may be contacted to aid the PHA in this process.

   

  This is very new for us all, and will take time for us all as parents and as a school to see how this works, and to assess the transmission rates as a result. 

   

  We want to thank our parents for your vigilance and action in cases where your child has been identified as a close contact thus far, and appeal to you to continue to be vigilant, as we within school strive to keep the school community safe, and transmission as low as is possible during this time.

   

  Our thoughts are with every family experiencing a positive test for Covid-19 and wish pupils, families and staff well, and for a speedy recovery back to health and back to school. 

   

  If a member of your household tests positive, we appeal to you to exercise extreme caution, isolating as a family for the 10 days previously required. In this case, school work will be made available for your child or children. 

   

  If your child is identified and contacted by PHA as a close contact, or if your child has symptoms of covid-19, the same procedures will apply. You will be asked by PHA to book a PCR Test, and must isolate until a negative result is given. 

   

  If your child tests positive for Covid-19, OR is identified as a close contact, you MUST contact school immediately to let us know. 

   

  Please email me and your child's class teacher to keep us immediately informed. Thank you.

   

  On receipt of a negative test result and your child's return to school, we ask that all negative results also be emailed to both myself and your child's class teacher, before your child returns to school. 

   

  We thank you sincerely for your support during this difficult time.

   

  By working together, keeping communication open and our actions pro-active, we will be able to keep our school as safe as possible for all children, their families and our staff into the days and weeks ahead. 

   

  Kind Regards,

   

  J Armstrong

  jarmstrong775@c2kni.net

• Letter to parents from Chief Medical Officer

  Fri 10 Sep 2021

  Please click here to download a letter to parents from the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Michael McBride.

• Covid-19 Update

  Mon 06 Sep 2021

  As you will doubtless be aware from watching the news, schools are coming under increasing pressure with the number of positive Covid-19 cases in classrooms. Our thoughts are with any people connected to Brooklands, children and adults, who are unwell and we hope they make a swift and full recovery.

   

  To clarify our position I have summarised our policy below which is linked to the guidelines from the Education authority.

   

  If a person in a class tests positive all children in the class will have to stay at home and book a PCR test immediately. The school will email a letter to you at this time with further information. It is vital that we have an up to date email address so please contact me at jarmstrong775@c2kni.net if this is not the case.

   

  Your child must self-isolate until the result is available. If the test is negative your child can return to school. I would request that before your child returns to school you email evidence of a negative test result to the class teacher. You then need to book another test for Day 8, which is 8 days from the last contact with the person who tested positive.

   

  If either test is positive your child needs to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test.

   

  In the event of there being a positive case in your household I ask that you keep your child/children at home for 10 days as we attempt to try and limit the spread of the virus in school. Work will be provided if children have to isolate for this reason.

   

  When on school grounds please continue to respect social distancing guidelines and you may want to consider wearing a mask. A one way system is in operation in the P1/2 playground and is clearly marked.

   

  At this time I appreciate your support as we all work together to keep school a safe environment for all pupils and staff.

   

  Kind regards,

   

  J. Armstrong