Dear Dorchester Families,

Hot Weather and Staying Safe

With temperatures forecast to rise next week, we will be encouraging children to take sensible precautions to stay safe and comfortable during the warmer weather.

Please ensure your child comes to school with:

• A named water bottle, which can be refilled throughout the day.
• A named sun hat or cap.
• Sun cream applied before school. If your child needs to reapply sun cream during the day, please provide a clearly named bottle that they can apply themselves.

We will make use of shaded areas where possible and encourage regular drinks throughout the day. Children should also remember that, even on cloudy days, the sun can still be strong enough to cause sunburn.

Water Safety

As the weather becomes warmer, many families enjoy spending time near rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, beaches and swimming pools. Whilst this can be great fun, it is important that children understand how quickly water can become dangerous.

Older children in particular should be reminded:

• Never to enter rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals or quarries without adult supervision.
• Never to jump into open water, even if friends are doing so.
• That cold water can cause shock, making it difficult to breathe or swim.
• To stay away from the edges of rivers, canals and reservoirs, where slips and falls can happen unexpectedly.
• If someone gets into difficulty in the water, to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard (at the coast) or emergency services, rather than entering the water themselves.

A few simple conversations at home can make a real difference and help children enjoy the summer safely.

Summer Fair Next Week

It's unbelievable how quickly it comes around, but next Saturday, 27 June, sees our annual FODS Summer Fair.

Our wonderful FODS committee have been busily collecting items for hampers today and one person in particular will undoubtedly be spending much of her weekend putting them together – thank you, Clare!

We need everyone to do their bit to help make the fair the success it always is. I know some parents wait to see whether volunteer slots are filled before signing up themselves, but this can result in stalls having to close unnecessarily and certainly causes a little anxiety for our hardworking organisers.

So please do sign up for a volunteer slot if you can. If everyone does a little bit, it makes things easier for everyone and helps ensure the day is a fantastic event for our children and families. https://volunteersignup.org/HFRRF

Thank you for your support.

Enjoy the weekend.

Cathy Bell

Headteacher