Dear Parents and Students,   Update as of 1504 on Friday 22 May 2020 I hope you and your loved ones are well.  I was going to begin by apologising for the length of this update but, as I’ve tried to keep you as fully briefed as I can, in my opinion it’s all necessary. You may have by now seen that the Minister for Education has announced that schools will remain closed until 5 June.  I have attached the full statement for your information.  Should schools reopen on 8 June, it is important that you understand that the JCG experience we know and love will not be the same for some time.  It will require us all to be patient and flexible and adapt to new ways of working as we slowly bring students and staff safely back into College.  All of us have had to get used to social distancing when outside our homes.  The same will be for when each of us return to JCG.  We will get there but it’s going to be slow, careful and in stages.   What do we know?

• We are developing plans for a phased opening whenever it occurs.  I suspect the Minister, based on advice, will signal within the next week which year groups should be prioritised for a phased return to assist our planning.  It is clear that Health will be carefully looking at the Covid 19 case numbers during this time and if they look positive, then give further direction for perhaps increasing the number of year groups to return.  I therefore at this stage cannot give you any assurance that all students will be back before the end of term.  What I can say though is if we are able, we will, in some shape or form.  It is also clear that when the phased return begins, we will have a blend of face to face and remote learning occurring at the same time.

  What’s the plan? Our planning is based on the following:

• Risk assessment - a detailed version for staff and a summary will be provided for parents and students.  Our overriding priority is the safety of everyone.
• Guide to re-opening - a communications document will be provided for students, staff and parents (include a Q&A) setting out how the re-opening is going to happen and in what stages.
• Staff liaison and wellbeing - ensuring staff know what to expect, which staff will be where, coordinating a preparation day, seeking input and giving reassurance.
• Student Wellbeing - provision will be made to ensure our students feel safe and are supported during this very challenging and confusing time.
• Timetable - a bespoke timetable will be written to provide for specific groups and at specific times.   Parents and students will receive bespoke timetables.  The number of lessons, their length and when they occur will be different from your daughter’s current timetable.
• Site preparations - The College campus is being prepared to include 2m markings on all floor surfaces, one way routes and cleaning stations in addition to many other adaptions.  I will be doing a video of how the college is looking and how we will move around it and this will go on JCGtv in the week after half term.  This will provide students and staff with a visual image of what to expect.  As I said, with social distancing and the need to avoid mass gatherings, we will all need to move around the College and each other differently.
• Coordinator of remote learning - Ms Rollo, our Vice Principal, will oversee the remote learning provision for students.  As I said earlier, students will be moving to a blend of face to face and remote learning.  The pace of this move will be different for different year groups depending on which year groups return first, the availability of staff for in-college learning and the capacity of the campus to maintain social distancing.
• Our guidance will also provide advice on how to get to and from school and start and finish times as these will need to change to accommodate the arrival and departure of different groups.

  What about Exam Week?

• As you may see, preparations for a phased return are complex and intricate but manageable.  It’s also dependent on many things out of our control.  Therefore to bring some certainty for students we have taken the decision that exam week for Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be done remotely.  While this is not ideal it has worked well for Year 12 this week.  The students are expecting their end of year exams and it’s important we have a diagnostic check on how they are progressing so we can prepare for their return.  I cannot guarantee that students will be able to return to school by exam week, hence the decision to provide certainty now that they will be done remotely.  Mr Palfreyman and Ms Hopkins are writing to parents today re. arrangements for exam week.

  My daughter and I are anxious about returning.  What should I do?

• The thought of returning will provide excitement for some and anxiety for others, or indeed a strange mix of both.  I would like to ask parents to contact Mrs Silvestri-Fox (silvestri-fox@jcg.sch.je) if your daughter is vulnerable due to an underlying health issue, or if you have loved ones in your family with health issues which would prevent your daughter from returning to school. We will be issuing guidance on this but please rest assured that if your daughter is unable to return to school when restrictions have been eased, she will be able to continue her learning online.

  Other items:

• Wellbeing Grab Pack: The Psychology and Wellbeing Service at CYPES has produced some helpful wellbeing resource packs on subjects including: sleep, mindfulness, working or studying from home and anxiety for parents and young people which can be viewed on the College Website: https://jerseycollegeforgirls.com/school-life/progress-and-wellbeing/wellbeing-during-lockdown/
• Year 11 A level Zoom sessions:  As a reminder, these take place over zoom and will last 40mins-1hour and their goal is to offer Year 11 students some support by having sixth formers give a brief introduction into the course as well as tips such as where to find resources, how best to take notes, and a basic overview of the syllabus.

All Year 11 students will have received an email from Lily Dobber, our Deputy Head Girl.  Please ask your daughter to email or message her to let her know if your daughter is interested in joining the Zooms and in which subjects, and then she will be emailed an invite for any she would like.

• Sports Science = 13:00, Monday 25th
• Italian = 14:00, Monday 25th
• RS = 12:00, Tuesday 26th
• Music = 13:00, Tuesday 26th
• Biology = 14:00, Tuesday 26th
• Art = 12:00, Wednesday 27th
• Physics = 13:00, Wednesday 27th
• Chemistry = 14:00, Wednesday 27th
• French = 11:00, Thursday 28th
• Drama = 12:00, Thursday 28th
• History = 14:00, Thursday 28th
• Politics = 12:00, Tuesday 2nd June

  A couple more subjects will be added with sessions in the coming weeks as we hope to cover as many A Levels as possible, so please encourage your daughter to keep checking your emails.  What I would add is, if a Year 11 student is not engaging with this support then I would question why she wants to do her chosen subject or indeed A levels at all? Next week is half term, a strange concept in such times given that it is usually marked by not coming to school for a week.  What it does mean though is it is time for a week of rest and freedom from a screen.  I remain incredibly impressed and proud of our students and staff and the way they have adapted to this way of teaching and learning.  Thank you.  And thank you too to you as parents who have supported us all.  Your many emails of support and thanks really do make a huge difference. If you are going to a beach you might want to watch today’s JCGtv; Miss Welburn has done a timely video on beach safety. And finally, this past half term has been the worst of times that has brought out the best in us all.   Take care.   Yours, Carl Howarth Principal     [pdf-embedder url="https://jerseycollegeforgirls.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Schools-to-remain-closed-until-5-June-22.5.20.pdf" title="Schools to remain closed until 5 June 22.5.20"]