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Happy Friday !
1. Exciting times ahead (if things stay on track and it is safe to do so)
- Easter egg hunt for the children.
- sports day (either just the children or, hopefully, with parents present)
- Summer fete
- School discos
- Residentials for Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6 (maybe, even if it is just Longtown for all and just our school)
- Longtown activity days
- Comet's Meadow Community Garden project
- Clubs
- Curriculum visits (hopefully one to the beach !) - these can be local and outside to begin with
- The children mixing again on the field and playground
- Assemblies (first time in a year though we will have a mix of online ones as well)
- Parent's evenings
- New Reception parents meeting
- Family forest school sessions
- PRIDE mornings to enhance the school grounds
During this year there are some things that we have found to be better and we won't change whereas there are other aspects of school that will return to 'normal or pre Covid.'
2. Courtyard World Book Week activities - attached is information regarding sessions the Courtyard Theatre is offering online next week.
3. Next week will be 'World Of Books' week and the whole school will take part in the same theme based around a variety of books (don't panic you be expected to have them or order them - we will give you the relevant parts).
Have a good weekend.
regards
Mr Batstone
Dear all,
There has been a significant 'drop off' in the amount of work being submitted by some classes and children. Hopefully this is because they are actively pursuing the mountain project, feedback would suggest children are really engaged with the steps challenge and the various other challenges.
Some parents/carers have been very good at communicating reasons why work may be late or not coming in (work pressures, medical issues etc) and these are all acceptable and reasonable.
1. Travel update - From Friday March 12th until Monday 22nd March (between 9am and 5pm) Stoney Street will be closed for resurfacing.
2. Future thinking and planning -
From Monday March 8th (some aspects to be reviewed at Easter)
Lunches -
Normal service will be resumed from Monday March 8th with school meals provided. The process for ordering will be the same and deadlines will be the same. The order menu has gone out via Parentmail for you to order ready for Monday 8th March.
Children will eat in their classrooms (Reception in the hall) for the time being as we did before Christmas.
School uniform -
Don't panic ! It is highly likely that shoes, uniform and other things don't fit any more. Please e-mail admin@madley.hereford.sch.uk if shoes don't fit and we will allow trainers (but it isn't a fashion show and we expect compliance and 'common sense'). We are happy to wait until after Easter/when the shops re-open before you can purchase uniform or get shoes fitted.
The rules on jewellery are the same as always - small, plain stud earrings and nothing else. One charity wrist band may be worn. Hair accessories need to be plain and simple.
PE kit -
As before Christmas children will wear PE kit on the days they have PE. These days will be published next week.
School clubs -
Our aim is to get clubs going as soon as possible but in a different form to normal. Our aim is to have some 'year group' only clubs for certain year groups (boys and girls) before Easter, more details to follow next week.
Forest school -
Children/classes will be going to forest school again on the mini-buses (masks may be worn). We will publish the days that classes will go to forest school next week.
What can children bring to school ? (All belongings will be kept on or under their chair)
A coat
Lunchbox and drinks bottle (no fizzy drinks/energy drinks).
Bookbag
NO BAGS at the moment (except a plastic bag that could be folded up).
Transport to and from school
- You should not lift share unless everyone is part of the same support bubble (you can only have one bubble).
- Buses will operate as normal for those children who travel by bus.
Parking
- please park safely, sensibly and away from school if possible (park car park/roads further from school and walk). WE DO NOT OPERATE A DROP OFF SYSTEM.
- Do not park or pull in in front of the pub as that spaces acts as a passing place for traffic.
- The vast majority of parent/carers are thoughtful, aware and sensible with their parking. We will report (and encourage residents to report) people who don't.
- Timings at the end of school should result in people being able to park and get away much quicker.
Office access
Parents/Carers are not allowed into the school building until further notice.
Please phone or e-mail until further notice.
Have a good day.
regards
Mr Batstone
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Dear Mrs Giles, Madley Primary School has sent you a message Update - Wednesday 24th FebruaryWelcome to Wednesday. I take it all back, we have the guidance for school opening to more pupils from March 8th. Essentially we will revert to pre Christmas routines with a few 'tweaks' and expectations. We will be very cautious with our approach and review it at the end of this term. Updates for the next two weeks will contain information about now and 'drip feed' information for our wider return to school. Your own personal view may be cautious, 'get on with it', fear, excitement etc but we have a duty of care to everyone and act in a manner to keep everyone as safe as possible. 1.'Climb every Mountain' A really positive approach from parents/carers and children to the various challenges and the work involved in the 'Climb Every Mountain' challenge and it has been lovely to see all of the work and photographs. For the next two weeks it is really important that you ensure your children returns to school with the correct work ethic, habits and mindset. We know this is difficult but it is really important. 2. March 8th return for more children (as we have not been closed) Expectations of all parents/carers
R - 3:15pm 1 = 3:25pm 2 = 3:20 pm 3 = 3:30 pm 4 = 3:30 pm 5 = 3:20 pm 6 = 3:30 pm
School attendance From Monday March 8th the Government has stated that school attendance is mandatory and schools can fine parents for non-attendance. You may agree or dis-agree with that policy but those are the 'rules' that we are set that we have to work to. For Madley - individual circumstances need to be taken into account and we would rather work with people. Please e-mail if you have any questions or a particular situation. We will not operate 'flexi-schooling' where parents ask for certain days for their children. Learning for the rest of this term Teachers and school staff will be planning a range of learning for the rest of the spring term with a mix of outdoor learning as well as class based learning. All Seesaw direct interactions will end at 12 noon on Friday March 5th so teachers can prepare for the following week. More news to follow every day ...... Regards Mr Batstone |
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1. 'Climb Every Mountain' Hopefully you have 'had a go' at starting the challenge. There is no need for any fancy equipment as you can count the steps (or keep a tally) or use IT, if you have it. 'Little and often' is fine, as is 'one big push a day.' You decide how you want to do it but the purpose was to do something slightly different that was also active to get people back 'into the flow' of learning at home. As with everything 'do your best but do something !' 2. Staffing in school Everyone has been working extremely hard and making the best of it. We still have a number of staff off for medical and personal reasons, details of these would never be shared but we act closely as a 'team' and cover each other's backs but it does put pressure on everyone. 3. The Roadmap - what do we know so far ? How will it affect school ? Experience has told us that the details to any plans for schools comes much later after any announcements (and sometimes the night before the actual event). At least we have plenty of notice this time and we look forward to welcoming people back from Monday March 8th. We will go through every part of the planned return and then make a 'Madley plan' for everything from entry/exit times, expectations of parents/carers to MASC and everything else in between. We will then communicate that with you as soon as possible (hopefully this week) but it will still be very restrictive in and around school and we will have a very cautious approach. We will also be starting to unpick the pressures of 'catch up' or another term that is used. We have not had any cases in school but we have had families who have had it/currently got it and it is still prevalent in the community. We have to act with care and caution and make sure everyone is fully aware and safe. Everyone has played their part brilliantly so far so we just need to keep it going. More to follow soon (lots and lots of information so I will break it down over the next week or so). Have a good day Regards Mr Batstone
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Welcome back ! I hope you had a restful half term, it was nice to get away from a screen for a while !
Today was meant to be the announcement of the 'road map' but we found out that it is the week of the 22nd not on the 22nd ! Maybe it will be later, maybe it won't ....... we will all find out at the same time ! Once we know any dates etc we will give more information about what it means for us and how things will work. Need to dig out my white line marker spray and tape again !
We are all keen to get back to school and normality.
1. 'Back up and running'
It is really important to re-establish good routines and working habits. Getting dressed, setting the right space and sticking to a timetable is really important. It is now about making sure your child is in a good place for a return to school with good habits and work ethic.
Seesaw reminders for all
Back to work !
Before half term the teachers were already planning ways to get back into learning this week and have thought carefully about practical ideas and ideas that need few resources. It might be hard but you need to get your child back into the 'flow' of learning and establish a routine again.
'Climb Every Mountain' is our whole school theme for the week. Each class will have a mountain to climb and will need to count their steps over the week (it may take some classes longer than a week). All of the learning this week will be linked to mountains and there will be lots of opportunities for families to work together on certain tasks for research, design and Science. Each class might be set slightly different work to relate to their age.
'Sharing the rope' is a mountaineering term when you work together and trust each other completely. This is a challenge of teamwork for the children (and you if you have the time).
Photo competition - please send in any photos (real or 'set up') of you climbing' mountains in your house, garden or on a walk near to your home. If you really want to push yourselves then you could set up base camps and camp in or out ! The possibilities are endless..........
Photos to admin@madley.hereford.sch.uk
2. Numbers in school this week
Monday = 23
Tuesday = 32
Wednesday = 28
Thursday = 31
Friday = 27
3. Fancy dress Friday
Children in school will dress up on Friday (if they wish) in a costume of their choice (simple and easy is the order of the day) and we invite people at home to do the same (then share some pictures with us). Just a bit of fun ........
4. Simple ideas and starting points
Attached is a stone people picture. Really easy to do and photograph on a phone. Then use the picture or your stone character to develop some writing, it may even lead to a story or an illustrated 'mini-book.'
Have a good start to the week and 'good luck' to everyone.
Kind regards
Mr Batstone
Welcome to the final Friday of the half term. It seems a fast year since last March but also a slow one at the same time !
Enjoy half term and we will see you on the other side as we return to learning online on Monday 22nd February (the same day as the 'roadmap' is announced).
Well done for this half term and have a 'break' from home learning, screens and everything else that happens in every household.
Half term and Seesaw
- No work will be set for half term. Work will be set again from Monday February 22nd.
- Seesaw will not be monitored or checked and we ask that you do not upload anything after 3pm today as we do not want teachers returning to 250 pieces of work to check first thing on Monday February 22nd before they start anything else.
Addressing mis-conceptions
'Real' tests and exams
There are no formal or externally reports tests for any child at primary school this year. This is a good thing and takes any pressure on children away.
Year 6 transition to high school - teachers always report to the high schools the academic, social and history of any child who transfers. All high schools have their own systems of assessment at the start of Year 7. Your child will not be missed or 'lose out' in the transfer of information.
Have a restful and enjoyable half term. May I take this opportunity to thank all of the school staff for their work this half term with teachers online for many hours each day as well as planning etc, in-school staff have been keeping the school running for children in school as well as distributing laptops, food and anything else families may need. Everyone deserves a restful half term.
Kind regards
Mr Batstone
Hello everyone,
I hope you are all well and enjoying the cold snap ! Some ideas below and some thoughts ....
1. Letter/card/note of thanks
Ask your child to write a note of thanks/letter/card to all those people who have kept the country going throughout the pandemic - nurses, doctors, post people, bin people, supermarket workers, drivers etc
A little note can have a massive impact on others and give them a 'boost.'
2. Values hand challenge
Can each child draw around their hand, design their own individual design and put on words that relate to their personal values and their hopes and dreams. Then you could put it in your window or on the door.
3. 'Recovery plans' (actually it isn't a 'recovery' it is a re-alignment).
In school we always 'deal with today' but plan for tomorrow (well actually we are always planning well ahead and thinking of the next thing) and it was 'heartening' to read that music, art, play, sport and socialisation are all part of the government's agenda as we have already planned for some of that in our own approach to the children returning to school.
A child's brain needs to be stimulating in lots of ways to be successful and 'cramming' academic knowledge does not work in isolation.
'100 languages of children' - attached is a poem that we use extensively in school as a basis for our educational culture.
Drama - https://www.dramageezers.com/dramaathome
I have shared this link before as a way to bring drama into the home. We have also been contacted by the Drama Geezers about a potential visit to school when the children are back and it is safe to do so. We also work with The Courtyard Theatre (and have done for the past 12 years).
Outdoor education - we work with Longtown Outdoor Centre and have already planned some potential activities for the Summer term. Hopefully it will be able to happen.
Sport - sport is a bedrock of Madley, both in school but also within competitions (and we are very competative !!) so we are exploring even more opportunities. We already have close links with Madley Tennis Club, Herefordshire FA, Herefordshire Cricket, Hereford RFU Club, Luctonians RFU Club
Music - we work with Encore Music and, before lockdown, three classes were enjoying musical tuition with different instruments. Mrs Blaker was also teaching Year 2 the Ukulele. We will restart all of this and, hopefully add to it as well.
Dance - Jack Ludwig already does Irish dancing with Reception and we have worked with 2FacedDance locally as well as some national companies. Hopefully we can plan more for the summer term and beyond.
Musical Theatre - Jack Ludwig is our 'in-house' West End Director and musical theatre lead who worked with Year 5 last term, we will get this going again as soon as possible. Jack is also an accomplished Irish Dancer and Class R love their Irish dancing and are very good.
All the above are not new ideas as they are established parts of our culture but we will have academic pressures as well. All of the above also contribute to well rounded children and the agenda of 'mental health.'
Academically we need to re-align children as the work we have set for home learning and extensive worksheets are to make it easier for parents, it is not our normal style of teaching and learning.
More news to follow in the next few weeks.........
4. Forest school idea
'Tree face' (attached picture) - how many faces can you spot on a tree trunk as you walk ? Can you create a character for that particular tree or develop a story based around it ?
Have a good Thursday.
kind regards
Mr Batstone
Welcome to Wednesday ! I hope that you have been coping well with the weather (every day is an adventure) as well as home learning and everything else. Next week is half term so no work will be set and everyone can step back from a screen, hopefully the weather will be kind.
On Monday February 22nd we will discover the 'roadmap' for what happens next and we can start to plan how it will work and the logistics of the plan.
Wednesday is normally our forest school day at school so we plan for you to spend some time outdoors as well (if work allows).
1. Biscuit challenge !
Attached is a biscuit chart. Ask the children to assess their work using the biscuit chart as a chart of success e.g My work would be the Jammy Dodger as it is layered with an extra boost of sweet jam in the middle. Obviously you will have to adapt this for the age of the child but I have done this with all ages in school and it works.
Discussion stimulus - If you could only choose three biscuits to keep in production (all the others would have to disappear) which three would it be ?
2. Keep active in half term
100 challenge - what can you do actively 100 times each day ? Keep a record and record it for sharing if you wish.
3. Forest school ideas
Stick people - Attached are some photographs to inspire a simple idea. Your child could simply use their stick person to play or you can develop it to create a book, film or play.
Ice patterns - while the weather is so cold and, if the opportunity arises, then it is the perfect time to explore ice and how it forms.
Twig ID - the attached sheet is to use on a walk to look closely at twigs !
There have been lots of forest school ideas shared since the start of lockdown for you to 'dip' into, we have enjoyed seeing the photographs of some of your walks and work.
Enjoy today.
Kind regards
Mr Batstone
Your task for today is to have a go at some of the music resources attached and have a musical Tuesday !
Go on........ give it a go !
Welcome back !
The week before half term so you 'may' or may not 'hit a wall' this week. Everything is normal so don't worry if you do.
We expect lots of announcements, pressure and no 'real' news this week and over half term as other UK nations have different plans for schools and different groups want answers to an impossible question.
We are planning for after half term to help get the children back 'up and running' with their home learning and we are also planning ahead to whatever a return might look like.
1. Numbers in school this week
Monday = 22
Tuesday = 29
Wednesday = 30
Thursday = 29
Friday = 22
2. Virtual safety
Please check what your child is doing on-line, via social media and by text. Do not assume that everything is what you think it is until you have checked and children are very astute at using technology. A safety check is a good check.
3. The Alphabet Of The Human Heart book
Attached are some pictures from a book about values. Your children could have a go at some of their own.
4. Learning reminders for all
- Check the announcements on Seesaw everyday.
- Please could parents check their children have completed the work when the child clicks 'done.'
- Please always watch the White Rose Maths videos (it follows the same pattern as a 'live' teacher would in the classroom).
- Improvements from Seesaw use have seen less of a social media style and more of a work platform from some children.
- Every class is different in terms of work patterns, quality of work and posting work but, overall, we are pleased with what is happening and how everyone is managing it. Well done parents/carers and children (and teachers/people in school as well).
Paper is available at the front of school if you need it and can get here safely.
Have a good day.
regards
Mr Batstone