Hello everyone,
Thank you to everyone for their 'common sense' and understanding as we move from week to week (actually we go 'day to day' at the moment). Lots of information and requests below so please read through it all carefully.
Teachers have started their phone calls home to discuss the '3 stars and a wish' but this will take several weeks. We need to be quite strict with the 10 minute time limit or it may take months (we love talking to you but there are a lot of children to get through).
1. Attendance last week was R = 99.6%/Yr 1 = 97.9%/Yr 2 = 100%/Yr 3 = 95%/Yr 4 = 88 %/Yr 5 = 99.7% and Yr 6 = 96.1%
Children who are isolating do not count as part of the figures. I am sharing these are they are something to celebrate, well done everyone. We will take each day and week as it comes !
2. Online awareness
Do you know what your child is on ? Do you know the age limits of sites such as Tick Tock and other social media ?
Do you regularly check their devices ? Are their devices in their bedrooms unsupervised ?
Do they have age appropriate accounts ?
Do they have a phone and do you know what they do on it ?
Are your children on a screen too often or before bed ? (Extensive research has shown that watching tv or being on a screen before bed stimulates the brain and prevents good or sound sleep). Do you limit screen time ?
Regular safeguarding information is posted on our regular newsletter and we have posted a presentation from CEOP (National Crime Agency) on the Parent's page of the website (or Madley TV). Children are now on-line more than ever and need to be aware of the dangers as well as the benefits of an on-line life. Netflix have an excellent film called 'The Social Dilemma' which shows how social media can control what we think and do.
3. Stackpole news
Stackpole is a National Trust Centre that we have used for the past 12 years with groups of Years 5 and 6. Many, many children from Madley have enjoyed amazing times at Stackpole and we have held staff leaving weekends there as well. Unfortunately the National Trust have decided to stop using the centre for school residentials and we won't be able to visit again. We are hoping that they reverse their decision in years to come and open the centre again. Really sad news for our school.
We will hopefully be able to have a residential later in the year and I am working with Longtown Outdoor Centre on some alternative provision at a coastal location. More news to follow and 'everything is an opportunity'
4. Seesaw
You will have received the Seesaw codes along with your child's report. These codes are individual for home use only, no-one else will know the code unless you share it (so please don't as that is about children learning about password management etc, a skill for life). There are some practise activities for some year groups to get used to using it but the main purpose is for use in the event of having to isolate or if a class 'bubble' are all at home isolating. Any comments can be seen by the teacher and that child but is not open to everyone to view, it allows the teacher to feedback to an individual child. Please do not post photographs of children only work.
Seesaw use in school is different and the children will have a different way to access it as a class without using their home access code. The teachers will show them that and may use it in school.
The main purpose of Seesaw for us a school, at this current time, is in case of isolation a platform to post work and for you to post it back for feedback.
5. Parking around school and in the village
I have attached a map of Madley (Google have some things in the wrong place) for you to think about where and how you park. Please take the time to look for suitable places to park that :
1. Are safe.
2. Do not block driveways or residents (we had an incident again this week where a local resident had their driveway blocked and I have asked any resident who experiences this to record the registration and contact the Police directly).
3. May be a short walk from school but exemplifies the values of the school. The tennis club/park car park has a path across the field and doesn't involve crossing any roads.
Your parking is your responsibility and, as a school we can only remind and request that you exemplify our values, but ultimately you either have a positive or a negative impact on our school (and your children show the correct values in school).
If you always park with consideration, thought and in a safe manner ' thank you.'
6. 'Mental wealth'
Animals - we used to have rabbits, hamsters and chickens in school and are looking to get some more 'pets' for each class. We have some amazing fish tanks that have been donated to school so some classes may have take ownership of those. We won't have chickens (as they potentially attract rats) but we will be looking to get a hamster or rabbit (or more than one) for classes as the benefit and responsibility of caring for them is really beneficial.
We will check any allergies before we purchase any creatures and we also need to ensure that children/parents will be willing to look after them in the holidays.
If anyone has any unused, sterilised cages or wheels to donate then it will save the budget a bit !
7. 'Community Legacy garden' project
I have attached a very 'rough' drawing of the outline ideas for the Community Garden project. We have had an excellent response to requests for help and donations and are in the process of constructing a shopping list for materials (one company benefactor has asked for this) which will then allow us to source materials for our volunteers to construct. We have had offers for pathways and access. Madley Charities are paying for mains water to be put in. Sheep are already in place (Year 5 have tested their interaction and wanted to bring them back to school, they were a big hit but aren't house trained !! ).
We need some help sourcing polytunnels - the disused Nursery on Brampton Road has some frames so we are exploring a 're-use' approach but don't know who owns it. Can anyone help ?
We will need a lot of good quality soil.
We have been given a link to explore funding through a Council link as well.
We are in contact with a range of providers of containers and conversions for the kitchen and storage units.
Lots is happening in the background and 'under the surface' and is coming together nicely.
8. NSPCC walk at forest school
Most classes have completed their charitable walk for the NSPCC (any donation is appreciated) at forest school. The looped walk of our site takes in a big hill as part of the challenge as the NSPCC have a charity event for a very small group to walk up the stairs of a tall building in London. Our 'version' is no-where near as long but gives a 'flavour' of the idea. So far classes have achieved:
Class R = 2 loops 'sharing the rope' in small groups ('sharing the rope' is a mountaineering term where you trust others completely to look after you and vice versa).
Class 1 = Thursday afternoon
Class 2 = 4 loops
Class 3 = 5 loops (the equivalent to 2,736 steps or 18 floors of tall building ! ).
Class 4 = Friday
Class 5 = 10 loops ! (the equivalent of approximately 4 miles or from school to forest school and back via a direct walking route ! They also wanted to go further than Year 6 but Year 6 want to go back and go further than Year 5 !! Healthy competition !).
Class 6 = 8 loops
Some photographs have been posted on our Twitter account @MadleyPrimarySc
All the classes did the challenge in small teams and showed great resilience, communication, teamwork and determination. They enjoyed the 'buzz' of completing a difficult task together and kept going when they wanted to give up. We will et you know our donation to the NSPCC when we have all completed the task.
Lots is happening at school everyday, as well as all the current restrictions (or opportunities) we also have plans in the pipeline for many new opportunities.
Kind regards
Mr Batstone
