Dear Parents and Carers,
This Newsletter marks the end of a unique year in education and quite possibly the most unsettling 5 months of our lives, a time when so many things in which we usually have confidence changed in ways we have never before experienced. Normally I would reflect upon the year’s highlights; the memorable and successful times and the times that mean the most to the children, but these times are not normal.
Instead I will say thank you: to all the staff who had to change completely the way they work with 24 hours’ notice, cope with everchanging guidance and restrictions that kept them away from the children and the jobs they love and find new ways to reach and support families who need them, to you, the parents and carers who have tried their best with home learning and all the challenges it brings, whilst managing your rapidly changing circumstances and your anxiety, to the school’s governors and the Local Authority who have supported the school throughout the year but particularly since March when everything changed and nothing was certain, and finally to the children who are the reason I and the staff are here, whether they have remained at home or come back to school. They remind me that whatever happens, and whatever is thrown at us, it is our responsibility to make the best of it for them, to see the positive and the good and forge ahead.
Nothing lasts forever, so at Brunswick we will keep trying to do the next right thing until the situation improves. Which, eventually, it will. Brunswick’s reopening arrangements have been sent by email and ParentMail to all parents and carers, and they are also available on the school website. Please familiarise yourselves with them, as from September there will be staggered start and finish times and Picton Street will be closed twice a day to traffic to enable the school community to social distance. If you missed the email, look for this button on the website’s homepage: Also on the homepage and this Newsletter are directions and signup details for Lambeth and Southwark’s Summer of Food and Fun. It is available for everyone. Families who have used the school’s Grab Bag service will find it particularly beneficial. If you need support to access the scheme please contact us before Friday 24 July and we will help you.
I know that there are parents and carers who remain fearful and anxious about sending their children back to school. We have already put lots of work in to making attending school as safe as possible for everyone, and the children who have returned so far are confident and happy. We cannot know what will happen over the next 6 weeks, but I do know that as I write this, Brunswick is ready to welcome all children back in September, and I really look forward to seeing you. It’s been too long.
With best wishes for a safe, healthy and enjoyable Summer Break,