Dear Parents,
Just a quick update on the Loreto building and site in general.
We have been working very hard over the summer to completely renovate three classrooms in the main (old) building and provide most classrooms with reverse air conditioning for the comfort of the children.
In August, we had a serious saltwater leak from a burst pipe which damaged areas around the music room and store cupboard. We are awaiting an insurance settlement in order to replace damaged instruments.
The other major project was the refurbishment of the Kusuma Sports hall and relaying of the sports surface by Casais.
Sports Hall
The East wall of the hall has been completely removed, steel structures replaced, electrical connections restored, new plaster board put in place and areas of the floor have been replaced.
Upper Play area
As you will be aware, the surface has been problematic and was removed prior to school closing. By the beginning of August, Casais had been unable to dry the insulation layer on the roof of the sports hall as they intended, and the only solution was to remove the upper concrete screed and start from scratch.
The new insulation finally arrived last week. Once it has been installed, the new screed will be laid. When the concrete has dried, the sports surface will be applied. If all goes according to plan, the surface could be completed by the end of September.
Having spent the whole summer chasing and pushing on this, no one is more disappointed than I am that the work has not been completed. But better, I think, that they got to the root of the problem which should now be solved once and for all.
We had planned our timetables around the two teaching areas and have had to amend them for the start of term. As Casais assure us that this will be completed as soon as possible, after discussion with the PE teachers we elected to offer theory as an additional lesson for the month of September. These lessons are planned to give the children a wider understanding of how and why staying active is an important aspect of our lives. They take place in the (old) school hall and still involve an element of physical activity, as children are given the opportunity to link the class discussions to their physical activity. Pupils are learning about blood flow and how exercise increases the heart rate, and they are doing vigorous workouts to apply this theory. This ties in cross curriculum links with Science and PSHE further enhancing the knowledge and understanding of physical education.
We always discuss issues such as healthy eating, mental health, being resilient etc. during PE lessons, however we feel these issues have become more relevant in recent years and are therefore taking this opportunity to discuss them in class.
Lunchtime clubs are taking place in the sports hall for years 3 – 6 where children are given more opportunities to continue their active lifestyle within the school day. These sessions have started this week. In addition, children have breaks during the day when they are free to run, jog, skip around the playground. They are not allowed to race or sprint during these times, but I can assure you, those who choose to be active are burning up plenty of energy!
Please rest assured that we are working very hard to ensure that we get back to a two-venue sports provision as soon as possible.
Kind regards,
Louise Napoli
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