DESS Newsletter - 43

Team DESS

After months of wishing, planning, preparation, site modifications, inspections, delays, more inspections, more regulations and approvals we were all so pleased to see the children finally arrive back at school last week. In fact, I am not sure who was more excited, the children, the teachers or the parents! All the hard work was certainly worth it to see so many happy (masked) faces, eyes glinting with excitement. (Miss Eldred even commented that it felt like Christmas morning.) I am thrilled to report that so far, we have had an unbelievably smooth start to the school year and that is undoubtedly down to the commitment and support of our whole DESS community. 

Over the past few months, we have had a whole new perspective on the importance of being part of this very special community.  All that time that we spent isolated in our houses forced to be away from school, has taught us how much we care for one another; that we are by nature, social animals. We have also learnt that wherever possible education needs to be delivered face-to-face and that nothing really replaces the in-school experience. That children need to feel part of a team and that we all work better when we work together.

Every single member of our school community has played a vital role in ensuring a safe and successful return to school.  From our incredible site staff, our brilliant medical team, our amazing SLT and admin team to all our dedicated and courageous teachers and LSAs. Everyone’s role has been made harder and everyone is facing new challenges, managing anxieties, solving new problems, but no one is complaining.  Everyone is just happy to be back. 

I would also like to show our grateful recognition that you, as parents, have also played your role brilliantly over the past few months.  Supporting your children at home, entertaining them over the long, hot summer and then preparing them to re-enter school.  Thank you for your patience and support.  Thank you for reading and digesting the huge number of emails and communications and a big thank you to those of you who have taken the time to write in with your thanks and support.  Thank you too for showing how much you care for our DESS community by respecting our new protocols and supporting your children in doing this too.  Please see below for important updates from Mr Clarkson and our Medical team who are working tirelessly to keep us all safe.

The strength of our community is the key to our success.  The pride that the children feel to be ‘like a DESS child’ that our teachers feel to be ‘like a DESS teacher’ help to spur us all on.  Many parents have told us that they feel proud to be part of the DESS family.  If you are new to DESS, I hope you too will quickly feel part of this wonderful, caring community.  I appreciate joining a new school at this time is a challenge and that it is not easy to get to know people quickly from behind a mask, therefore I will be inviting all our new parents to an online meeting so that we can start to build that relationship.  Everyone will also have the opportunity to meet their teacher online next week to hear more about the routines, curriculum and expectations for each year group.

Most importantly, I would like to say how incredibly proud we are of our DESS children.  They have already amazed us during the period of Distance Learning with their resilience, adaptability and creativity.  Some of our children, for medical reasons, are continuing to work from home and we hope that they too will soon be able to be back with us at school.  Today we had our first live online assembly for Years 2 to 6 and our DESS@home children joined us too.  I explained to the children that we are focusing on the theme of ‘Care’ this year; taking care of ourselves and one another has never been more important. 

This week the children have amazed us again at the way they have adapted so quickly to this new norm.  It is great to see so many of them walking proudly through the gates on their own in the morning.  We are encouraging all children that feel confident to do so, to walk onto site on their own.  There are adults on duty to ensure they will get safely into class so please encourage them if they are happy to do this.   Not only does this limit the number of adults on site, reduce the risk, make drop off so much quicker, alleviate parking issues but it also increases your child’s independence. 

Please click here to see this in action….

Have a great weekend team DESS, take care of yourselves and please stay safe.  

Catherine Dando
Headteacher

Revised Timings and Polite Reminders

Following Mrs Dando’s opening article, I couldn’t agree more that having the DESS family back together, including all its new members, made all the time and hard work required by so many people to reopen the magical gates of DESS all worthwhile. Seeing your children skipping in and you, the parents, skipping out once you’d dropped them off for the first time since March, has made us all smile and remember what we have all been missing so much. 

So, I’m writing to politely request that we continue to all work together and be collectively responsible for keeping each other safe and our magical gates open by remembering to: 

• Social distance when entering school and waiting outside of classrooms 
• Not send your child in with any symptoms 
• Wait outside: the children will come out of class to you 
• All stand still when the National Anthem plays 
• Send your child in with enough water for the day 
• Ensure your child has their iPad every day and that its fully charged 

Please also note our revised timings which will start from Sunday 13th September: 

Drop off window (Sunday-Thursday): 7:30-8:15am 

Pick up slots (FS2-Y6): 

 *FS1 Pick up window will now be anytime between 12:00-12:30pm everyday 

Thank you for your continued support. 

Take care and have a lovely weekend, 

Mr Clarkson 

Medical Updates

A reminder from the school nurse,

• If your child is unwell with a fever (temperature greater than 37.5) a sore throat, cough or congested nose, please keep them at home and allow them to rest and recover.
• If your child has come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID19 they must isolate at home for 14 days.
• Please remember not to give your child any medication, that may reduce their temperature, before coming to school.
• If your child, or someone within your household, travels into the UAE, please remember to complete the DHA health/travel declaration form.

Each week in the newsletter Dr Françoise will answer your questions

 Q1 - Can my child come to school if I have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID19?

A1 - Yes, your child can come to school, unless you start to develop symptoms or test positive yourself. 

Q2 – Can my child have playdates?

A2 – The key to slow the spread of COVID19 is social distancing and protecting each other by wearing masks. If your child is playing with others, it is essential that they maintain a 2-meter distance from each other.

Thank you for all of your support in keeping the DESS community healthy this week. Your children are doing an amazing job.

We have had a few queries about the use of the infrared thermometers to check temperatures. Unfortunately, there appears to be to be a short video circulating social media that claims these thermometers damage the glands in the brain. Thankfully medical research and studies have proven this to be untrue. The infrared thermal scanners work by measuring thermal energy (heat waves), emitted from the forehead.  The temperature difference is quite significant when scanning the forehead to any other part of the body, such as a wrist or hand.

The children are fabulous at wearing their masks. When choosing a mask for your child please make sure that is fits well. It should be comfortable, cover the nose and mouth and sit close to the face, ensuring no gaps. If a facemask keeps falling down because it is too big your child will be continually touching it.

If you are using a fabric reusable mask, please make sure it is washed and dried properly prior to reusing it.

Please see the useful guides to ensure the correct use of a facemask.

Medical Mask - https://www.who.int/images/default-source/health-topics/coronavirus/masks-infographic---final-(a4---web---rgb).png?sfvrsn=cb3153cf_11

Fabric mask - https://www.who.int/images/default-source/health-topics/coronavirus/clothing-masks-infographic---(web)-logo-who.png?sfvrsn=b15e3742_16

Social Distancing Competition Winner

Congratulations to George Davidson, FS2 Blue who has won the summer holiday social distancing hat competition! He has won 200 house points for Panthers!  Well done George.

Online Safety

S.M.A.R.T. Parents – Keeping Your Child Safe and Smart Online 

In this week’s edition, I would like to share some guidance for those families who currently use the Tik ToK app. You may be aware of some of the current content going viral on the app and the risk of young children being exposed to inappropriate content. 

TikTok is a video-sharing social media app available which lets users create, share and view user created videos much in a similar manner to Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. The main draw, however, is that users can record and upload bite-sized looping videos of themselves lip-syncing and dancing to popular music or soundbites, often for comedic effect, which can then be further enhanced with filters, emojis and stickers. 

 TikTok has been designed with the young user in mind and has a very addictive appeal. Estimates suggest that it now has anything between 500 million and over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide. (National Online Safety January 2020) 

Although it is a brilliant app for creating content, it can also be used as a platform to contact children. Also, even if you have your privacy settings controlled so that strangers cannot access your child’s account, your child can still access inappropriate and harmful material. 

To find out more, read Common Sense Media's full review of TikTok, and help your children to use it safely, along with the answers to parents' most frequently asked questions. 

Please use the guidance given by National Online Safety, to ensure that, if your child is using this app, feel confident that you have done everything within your control to keep them safe and internet smart. 

Andrea Harrow 
Computing Leader 

Welcome to FS1

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere!

What a fabulous start to this academic year for our new FS1 starters, who have joined our wonderful DESS family and community!  Despite a different looking FS1 department this year, our youngest students have proven that school really is a miraculous place once you see their smiling faces and hear their giggling laughter. 

A huge thank you to our wonderful new parents of this cohort for preparing our children so well for their start to school, as it truly has been a beautifully calm and peaceful start to the term.  The children are learning to settle and have fun playing in their ‘bubbles’.  We really hope you found the parent and child 1:1 meetings with the Class Leaders and Learning Support Assistants useful also.

In their bubbles, the children have already been on Bear Hunts, through their first Book of the Week, ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and have enjoyed exploring their individual ‘treasure chests’, whereby they have an array of different toys and resources to stimulate their creativity and imaginations throughout the day.  They have also been having plentiful fun popping actual bubbles, from the bubble machines, during outdoor playtimes.

As well as taking part in exciting Do Time and classroom activities, our FS1 children will be meeting their new specialist teachers next week, by participating in PE and Performing Arts lessons. 

Next week will also see them begin attempts at their pre-writing skills during their ‘Squiggle While You Wiggle’ lessons and the children have all loved getting their groove on during their daily ‘Dough Disco’; our fingers and muscles are really strengthening, ready for writing. 

Our Magical Maths sessions will also see them singing and acting out number songs and experimenting with numicon, number recognition, ordering and counting, as well as shape recognition and measuring activities.

Already the FS1 team have been astounded by the awesome imaginations, talents and learning skills that our newest additions to the school are displaying, in addition to their careful hand-washing and attempts to socially distance from others to stay safe.  Welcome to DESS FS1 – you teachers are all very proud of you!

Here’s to a successful year ahead (our exciting first year at school!)

Kindest regards,

Yvonne Sewnauth (Foundation Stage Phase Leader) & the FS1 Team     

Communications

Even with masks on, you can’t hide your beautiful, happy smiles. We have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming you all back this week. You have all been amazing and we appreciate the fantastic feedback and support from parents. Thank you.

Communication

There are many great ways to see our home of irresistible learning here at DESS. Please follow us on the following social media platforms:

Twitter: @Dessdubai (please ask your teacher for your individual year group twitter account details)

Instagram: @dubaienglishspeakingschool

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DESSDubai/

YouTube: Dubai English Speaking School

Please also visit our website www.dessc.sch.ae to view some of our amazing videos and for more information or if you have any questions in regards to your child, please email Mrs Jacqui Thurley, Parent Relations. Jacqui will ensure your queries reach the right person. Her email address is [email protected]