Dear Mrs Giles, Madley Primary School has sent you a message

Update - Monday January 18th

Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope you had a good weekend and are ready for the home learning challenges for the week ahead ! Hopefully the weather will be kind so you can get outside for exercise and play as well (adults and children !!). 

Comparisons and competition

- A school we are always 'outward looking' and explore ideas and aspects of education from other schools, countries, professional sports teams and businesses (lots you probably don't even see or hear about) but we do not enter into competitions with other schools or engage with 'look at us !'). Our Twitter is deliberately quiet at the moment and the media is full of 'aren't we great and look at what we are doing' from a variety of schools, brilliant to celebrate but not to compete.   We will go about our business doing the best we can, in the best way we can with the resources we have whilst trying to keep a reasonable work/life balance for everyone. 

- Social isolation - your child can still see their teachers on videos and hear their voices on SeeSaw but we have no plans for the next few weeks for any other Teams or Zoom interactions. We would suggest that you use Whats App/Zoom to engage with other families, friends and their class mates but you, as parents, manage it. Lots of classes have Whats App groups (hopefully everyone has been invited) that have been set up privately to share information/comments etc. A screen is not the same as 'real' life but it is the best you can do at the moment.

If you are new to the school and having had those contacts yet then please e-mail admin@madley.hereford.sch.uk and we will put you in contact with someone who could help. 

Online safety

- It is your parental responsibility to ensure that your children are safe online. While the vast majority are we did have reports last lockdown of some poor use of text messaging, social media etc. We teach the children to use the internet/social media responsibly and safely, we would advise any parent/carer to monitor your child's use of social media and, as a matter of good safeguarding, to ensure they access only age appropriate content (most social media platforms have an age restriction of 13). 

- In the event of any mis-use, bullying or inappropriate material we would advise you to contact the Police and report it whilst keeping screen shots as evidence. Instances are extremely rare but it does happen. 

- Mental health/wealth and exercise - 

Exercise daily is really important as is a change of scene by going for a walk, noticing nature or playing outside. Please follow the government guidance but daily exercise is vital. 

- Limit screen time (harder balance now than normal with screen time for work as well as leisure !). 

- Start the day with exercise, Joe Wicks, or something else to energise and get ready for the day. Winter trampoling is different, most trampolines are hard wearing and trainers/wellies can be worn without damaging them. 

- Share time together cooking, forest school or playing a game together if time allows. 

SeeSaw settings/updates/requests

- From today work will be posted on SeeSaw from 7am for people who want to get organised. This will happen everyday but teachers will not monitor until the times they did before. We will not post work the night before or it consumes a Sunday as well, teachers are working all day and into the evening (like everyone else) but there has to be a cut off time/down time or they won't be fit to return to school when we all come back. 

- Did you know that you can post photos as a Pic Collage so it is one document and not lots of photos. 

- Teachers are using a range of resources - video, voice, messaging to communicate with your child. 

- Parents - please don't tell your child the answers unless they are really stuck. 

- Writing grip - the beauty of a video is that we can see how your child is holding their pen/pencil. This is a crucial skill and bad habits cannot be broken, teachers will send some relevant information for certain year groups so the children form good habits. 

Attendance at school 

Despite what the media are saying schools are not closed and we are working harder than ever trying to balance home learning, in school provision and having new things like testing added ! We will deal with it all but it is not easy. Staff in school wear PPE and it is quite restrictive with movement, equipment and awareness but the children are coping well. 

This week we are accomodating the following numbers in school on each on each day across two 'Key stage' bubbles:

Monday = 21 children

Tuesday = 28 children

Wednesday = 35 children

Thursday = 34 children

Friday = 21 children 

And some of our frontline NHS staff haven't even taken spaces yet. These numbers are a 50%+ increase on March of last year. 

Recording your work (just an idea)........

- A pandemic hasn't happened for 100 years and we are in the middle of a 'moment in history' that will live with us all for the rest of our lives. Your child could keep a 'virtual learning journey' by using Powerpoint or another platform to keep photos, work etc as they are at home (an example is on our school website with the forest school booklet from last term). 

Have a good start to the week and I will add some WFH ideas as we progress (less of those this time as the teachers are posting daily work that should be followed and completed). Music ideas for all year groups are attached. 

If you need paper we have packs at the front of school but we are not encouraging people to leave their homes so please only collect if you are desperate. As a school we are trying to reduce the need for printing etc and there are no plans to print up work packs this week but we are constantly evaluating what we need (with limited staff). 

Kind regards

Mr Batstone 

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