St George's CE School Parent Portal

Let's start our last newsletter of the term by Thriving!

The Thrive Programme - Final two concepts

The children have been introduced to the final two concepts from The Thrive Programme this week.

The first being 'remember you can cope'.

We talked as a whole school in worship about the potentially tricky/difficult/upsetting times we have been through e.g. when we couldn't see our family during COVID, our very first day of school, when we fell off our bike when we were learning to ride it etc... we discussed how those moments felt (which was of course different for all of us). Then we discussed how we got through those moments... because we did! Those times in life may have been difficult and unpleasant... but we got through them. In fact any hard time in life that we have faced so far, we have got through. Recognising this can be really powerful.

When we realise that every hard time we have been able to deal with, we can start to build the belief in ourselves that we can cope with difficult things. And when we believe we can cope with uncomfortable or difficult things, we generate much less anxiety about future uncomfortable or difficult things happening.

The very final concept the children have been introduced to is to recognise unhelpful thoughts. This really rounds up all the concepts that have gone before. Being aware of and listening to their inner voice and being able to label their thoughts as helpful or unhelpful is a key skill.

An example of a helpful thought would be 'Today is what I make of it'.

An example of an unhelpful thought would be 'Today is going to be awful and boring'.

A helpful thought is one that allows the children to create the experience they want to have of life. An unhelpful thought is one that gets in the way of that preferred experience and hinders their ability to create the experience they want.

All the concepts in The Thrive Programme take time, effort and practise. None are magic wands and none will 'fix' any problems on their own. However, by practising all 7 of these key skills in school and at home, we are equipping our children with the very best skills in managing their mental health and emotions and being actively involved in creating a life for themselves with minimal stress and anxiety.

I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing these concepts with the children and have been amazed at how quickly they have picked them up and started sharing examples with adults in school about how they are beginning to use them.

The staff have all been trained on the concepts and the concepts are on display in every classroom so they can be referred to on a daily basis. The leaf system is also now in place and children are beginning to get leaves when they demonstrate that they are trying to apply these new skills to their life.

While I begin my maternity leave at Christmas, I leave St George's in the very capable hands of Lucy Wood who is a senior Thrive Coach and part of the team at The Thrive Programme Headquarters. She leads The Thrive Programme in schools around the country and is more than happy to be contacted should you have any questions about the programme itself. Her e-mail is lucy.wood@thriveprogramme.org

So, for now, it is goodbye from me and a big, big thank you for all your support! Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Michelle

Dear Parent(s) / Carer(s),

Re: Increase in scarlet fever

We are writing to inform you of a recent [national/local] increase in notifications of scarlet fever to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), above seasonal expected levels.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the signs, symptoms and the actions to be taken if you think that you or your child might have scarlet fever.

Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is a common childhood infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS). It is not usually serious, but should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications (such as pneumonia) and spread to others. The early symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours, the characteristic red, pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, then rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, and giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. The scarlet rash may be harder to spot on darker skin, although the 'sandpaper' feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and be pale around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a bright red red ‘strawberry’ tongue.

If you think you, or your child, might have scarlet fever:

contact your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible
make sure that you or your child take(s) the full course of any antibiotics prescribed. Although you or your child will feel better soon after starting the course of antibiotics, you must complete the course to ensure that you do not carry the bacteria in your throat after you have recovered
stay at home, away from nursery, school or work for at least 24 hours after starting the antibiotic treatment, to avoid spreading the infection

You can help stop the spread of infection through frequent hand washing and by not sharing eating utensils, clothes, bedding and towels. All contaminated tissues should be disposed of immediately.

Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS)

The same bacteria which cause scarlet fever can also cause a range of other types of infection such as skin infections (impetigo) and sore throat. In very rare cases, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive group A strep (iGAS). Whilst still very uncommon, there has been an increase in iGAS cases this year, particularly in children under 10 years old. It is very rare for children with scarlet fever to develop iGAS infection.

As a parent, you should trust your own judgement.

Contact NHS 111 or your GP if:

your child is getting worse
your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration
your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher
your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
your child is very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
there are pauses when your child breathes
your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue
your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

Stop the spread

During periods of high incidence of scarlet fever, there may also be an increase in outbreaks in schools, nurseries and other childcare settings. Children and adults with suspected scarlet fever should stay off nursery / school / work until 24 hours after the start of appropriate antibiotic treatment. Good hygiene practice such as hand washing remains the most important step in preventing and controlling spread of infection.

Resources

NHS – Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Health protection in education and childcare settings

Hand hygiene resources for schools

Christmas Fair, and Christmas bingo