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Dear all,
The end of a very busy week in school (as they all are) with snow/ice, burst outside pipes (all fixed), remote learning, the successful distribution of the Chromebooks, repairs to the generator at forest school (all fixed again), children learning in school, distribution of lateral flow tests for staff, roof leaks, phone calls to some families, mini bus MOTs, teachers monitoring and setting learning online and everything else in between as well as watching the news for the next set of instructions/guidance !
Thank you for the feedback regarding the Chromebooks and the positive impact that it has had. We pass on the general thanks (no names or photos) to the sponsors who provided them. A really, really positive element of lockdown.
Attached is a mud creature sent in by a child in Year 5 - brilliant and an inspiring idea for others.
1. Junior Foresters Award
Our Year 4 children work on a 6 week programme (one afternoon a week) to complete an award with The Royal Forestry Society. Attached is a resource they have developed for children and families to work their way through. It is different to the award we do in school so will still carry on with that next year but please feel free to use the resource.
2. Courtyard resources - The Courtyard are offering some workshops next week at 10am. As our Seesaw work is flexible then it may be something you wish to access (information is below or go to The Courtyard website for information).
CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK 2021
The fantastic children’s mental wellbeing organisation, Place2Be, launched the first ever Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015 to shine a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. Now in its seventh year, it has been given the theme of Express Yourself for 2021!
With that in mind, from Monday 1 – Friday 5 February, families and schools can visit The Courtyard’s Facebook page at 10am where a range of practitioners will be delivering free 45 minute workshops via Facebook Live covering a variety of different disciplines, all providing children an opportunity to express themselves.
Drama Games
Monday 1 February, 10am
Sing Your Socks Off
Tuesday 2 February, 10am
Yoga For Kids
Wednesday 3 February, 10am
Instant Poetry Making
Thursday 4 February, 10am
Dance For Wellbeing
Friday 5 February, 10am
3. Safety - Anyone (adults and children over 11) picking up equipment or paper MUST wear a facemask on our school site please. All parents/carers who attend school at the moment have to wear a mask in and around school unless they have a medical reason not to.
There are paper packs at the front of school for anyone who needs them.
Have a good Friday and a lovely weekend.
Best wishes
Mr Batstone
Hello everyone,
A very mixed week in lots of ways. It is a year this Sunday since the first patients with Covid entered hospital, sometimes it seems longer and sometimes shorter ! Next week would also normally be our Year 5 and 6 residential to Stackpole. Lets hope that within the next year life is back to as close to normal as possible and we can all re-connect with friends, family and the wider world again. We now know it will be at least March 8th before we have any return to school, any other information is unknown at this time.
1. Mindset
Attached is a document concerning 'fixed mindset' and 'growth mindset' - children must 'fail' in order to succeed but managing that is hard (and reactions at home would be different to school). We live in a world of fast success (gaming is a classic example) but children need to practise, fail, practise/improve and they might fail again but it develops resilience.
2. Mental health -
https://www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/services-for-schools/the-art-room/
3. Acts of kindness -
Attached is a kindness calendar from before Christmas. You can take the ideas and use them as a family challenge instead of a build up to Christmas.
4. Internet safety
Please make sure you are very aware of what your children are doing online or with their phone. Keeping children safe is vitally important and, with their lack of other freedoms, we all need to be aware of how they are using the virtual world (on-line gaming, texts, social media etc).
Seesaw advice is attached as well.
Have a good Thursday.
Regards
Mr Batstone
Hello,
Welcome to Wednesday and another change in the weather ! It is amazing how the weather has an effect on our mood and we all feel a bit better when the sun is shining or the buzz of snow on the ground !
Music can have a positive impact on our thinking so start the day with a burst of uplifting music/songs and have a 'blow out !'
I sincerely hope that you are all safe and well and that your wider circle of family and friends are ok. We must look after each other, be kind, value what we have and be thoughtful and we will get through this.
1. Seesaw updates
- Please could we make sure that all parents/children access the announcement from the teacher each day (can you make it the first thing that you do please). We can monitor who does (Year 6 have been the best so far but that could be because they are a bit older and a bit more independent ?).
- The more devices that the school has given out the more we expect children to be sending the correct work back and following the pathways set by the teachers, it has been lovely to see the value those devices bring and it makes life easier instead of sharing devices across the whole family or using old laptops etc.
A good routine is crucial (but don't compare with anyone else) and a balance to school work, exercise and being outdoors (you need a bit of everything). Everyone (children and adults) just need to do their best.
2. Forest school - not just in the woods but it could be ..... forest school can taker place anywhere outside. All of these activities also impact positively on well being, awareness and a 'connection' with the outdoors.
Simple activities - lie on your back on the ground (even in the rain) and watch the sky. If you are in woods it is good to watch the tops of the trees.
Stick tower - build the tallest, stable tower. Leave it for a week and see if it survives.
Animal tracking - how many tracks can you find. Can you safely follow them ?
Stick drumming - two sticks and a tree or log, create a beat or simply get rid of some frustrations !!
Artwork - using leaves, natural materials and anything you can find to create patterns on the ground, against trees or on top of logs.
Mud creatures - this might be a bit messy ! Create a hedgehog by rolling a big ball of mud then using small sticks to create the spines. You could make a range of creatures.
If time, the weather and work allows why not break up the week by spending Wednesday afternoon on a long walk, in the woods or outdoors. A flask of hot chocolate and time outside can help the pressure on people.
Enjoy Wednesday !
Regards
Mr Batstone
Welcome to Tuesday ! Hope you enjoyed the sunshine and snow combination yesterday and it had a positive impact. The news has been dominated with 'when will we return to school ?' but no-one knows so we just have to keep going, 'make the best of it' and keep learning !
1. Helpful resources for mental well being
Attached is a good resource for thinking about dealing with anxiety. Being anxious is a feeling that the majority of people are experiencing (in various degrees) at the moment.
2. Music resources for the week
Attached are the resources from Encore for the week which you may, or may not, use.
3. Devices - we have devices for people so please ask (we are currently phoning people as well). If every child had a suitable device (not a phone) then things will work much better and might make life a bit easier, we may also explore other opportunities if we continue with home learning after half term.
5. Internet safety advice for parents - https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents
6. Seesaw - please could we ask that every parent/carer views their child's announcements for the day.
Have a good day. A Parentmail for your child(ren) will follow later today.
regards
Mr Batstone
Dear all,
I hope you had a pleasant weekend and enjoyed the burst of snow (enough for a bit of sledging and some snow building as well).
1. Chromebooks - if you need a one then please ask (don't be too proud as they are there to help people) , we are now at Phase 3 (as we work fast !). Please e-mail admin@madley.hereford.sch.uk and I will bring one to you or you can collect from the front of school. They are yours for the duration of lockdown to enable home learning.
Seesaw is better than 'live' lessons as families with multiple children would have struggled for multiple lessons with one or two devices. Seesaw gives some flexibility to when work is completed.
2. Return to school - there is no more news except that they will give schools and parents two weeks notice. You receive information at the same time as us so we are all in the same boat ! The rumours and gossip will start to build towards half term again. We want to get the children back to school as soon as possible.
School is not closed and we are working harder than ever on multiple fronts !
3. Covid testing in schools - last week we received our lateral flow testing kits, these are used by all staff (though it is voluntary) to test themselves at home. This will not help a return to school but it does help to identify people who may not have any symptoms.
4. Social media - most things get back to school in some way (both positive and negative, thankfully more positive than negative) so could we please ask that people are mindful of the 'impact' that your gossip/comments have on others, especially members of staff who are trying their best and working hard (positive comments boost people and negative comments deflate). Social media is a great tool of support, encouragement and connection if it is used in the right way.
Everyone is making the best of the situation so please exemplify the values of the school and be kind, thoughtful and considerate during these difficult times.
On-line safety - please make sure you monitor your children on-line and are aware of what they are on, messaging and how they are using the internet.
5. Numbers in school this week (across the 2 Key Stage 'bubbles').
Monday = 24
Tuesday = 28
Wednesday =24
Thursday = 28
Friday = 22
Numbers have stabilised and sincere thanks goes to those parents/carers who have changed shifts, made other arrangements and been a real help, it is really appreciated as we balance in school supervision, remote learning and everything else in between. We also have a few staff absent for medical and personal reasons (not Covid related).
6. Mental well being
We are all very aware of the potential impact of staying at home, long periods on screens, less social interaction, less playing with friends and the nature of what is happening around us. I have added a few links of websites that may be able to help/advise people and give some ideas -
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters
https://youtu.be/nCrjevx3-Js (You Tube child centred film about mental health suitable for older primary age children) - this could give ideas for developing their own methods (drawing, writing it down, creating a film etc).
Attached is a leaflet with some useful tips.
But there are also some potential positive aspects -
- more family time.
- potential to do more cooking, baking, art, music and enjoy more time outside.
Each individual family will have their own views of the positives and negatives !
Have a good start to the week. English and Maths are vital each day and they need to be completed to enable the sequence of learning to work properly.
Regards
Mr Batstone
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Hello all, Hopefully you are reasonably dry and avoiding the flooding. Thank you to the many parents who have sent many positive messages and helpful comments, everyone is working really hard at the moment and doing their best (there is no instruction manual for this). Having been involved with both national (I am the Herefordshire President for the National Association of Head Teachers) and local headteachers within Herefordshire in the last week I think the work that we are offering through Seesaw and the personal nature of the feedback as well as teachers posting videos on Madley TV is often exceeding what many schools are offering. Remote learning does not mean 'live' lessons, as OFSTED have pointed out that is a fallacy, remote means you are not at school. Times set for remote learning are set by the government not by the school and they are expecting children to be learning at home and schools to be providing that work (we have to report on it daily to the DFE). There is no instruction manual or national approach, it is down to each school to manage it. 1. The bigger picture - More than a fifth of primary school pupils were in school last week in England, new government data shows. The figure is about five times higher compared to last year, when schools closed during the first lockdown between March and May. Overall in England, 14% of state school pupils were in class on 13 January. The figure was 21% of primary school pupils and 5% of secondary school students. During last year's first lockdown, attendance was as low as 4% in primary schools and 1% in secondary schools. Madley Primary Picture : - We are slightly below the national figure but have a 50% increase on last year. Every parent/carer has been amazing with their attitude and approach to places - lots of adjusting, changes of hours/shifts and awareness. We are here for those front line workers who have no alternatives. - We restrict the school adults on-site each day but teachers are working at home (often with their children present, like you), to reduce transmission risk, and work all day and into the evening. I am here everyday. LSAs work in teams to supervise the children in school with gaps in between to minimise the risk of transmission. There is minimal movement in school and it is extremely restrictive (not our normal approach but sensible at this time). - We have not had any cases ........ yet ! We are prepared. 2. ICT update - amazing news ! - Our new Chromebooks have arrived thanks to the amazing donation from a very generous parent and also Madley Charities as well as the efficiency of NS Optimum who arranged delivery so quickly (even before we had paid). The donations are in (blown away by the generosity) and the criteria for applying is below (we will look at it in 3 phases). We really hope that all parents appreciate the generosity and values of the benefactors in order to assist everyone, a truly amazing and heart warming effort. This is one of those real community and values moments that make our school what it is and make us proud to be part of it. Only children currently at Madley Primary School are applicable and they are for school work - Phase 1 - Children who do not have a device or are working on their parents/carer's phone or a very old, borrowed or re-vamped laptop. Phase 2 - Families of multiple children who share one device. Phase 3 - All Phase 1 and 2 children are covered. - Anyone else who does not have a device suitable to do their work. Please send a quick e-mail to admin@madley.hereford.sch.uk outlining your needs (we can also help with mobile data but not paying for wi-fi in your house). At the moment it will be one device per family until all families are covered then we will look at each family situation individually. All applications come with the understanding that these are school devices and we will have an agreement to sign to ensure they are used properly and looked after. Timeframes - we want to get these devices out and used as quickly as possible but Mr Freeman and myself will be setting them up and making sure they work properly. We will let you know when they are ready. Sport and PE We/you need to keep children active both for physical and mental benefits. Team sports/activities have gone so not it is about individual activity to keep the mind and body engaged and active (especially with a massive increase in screen time). At least 10 minutes a day is vital but it should be more like an hour of activity. Remote learning ideas - - Good teaching is based on relationships and this can never be replicated through a screen, via a microphone or on-line. As a school we do not use many worksheets/workbooks but home schooling is hard without the structure/scaffolding so we are adapting how we normally teach to assist you, we are giving you things/resources that do not come naturally to us. Parents are also teaching children how they were taught and the expectations of the National Curriculum are different (many of you will notice that things you were taught in secondary school are now part of primary school). - 'Free' online books read by authors through the Oak Academy - https://library.thenational.academy The Oak Academy has a wealth of ideas and lessons, some of which have been used by our teachers. Concerns - The amount of time that children and adults are spending on a screen is a real concern and is hard to manage. Teachers are finding this hard and are tied to their laptops managing SeeSaw, children must be doing the same. We have to strike a balance to make it manageable for everyone ........... We try to give a mix of on-line work and practical work but you have to develop a timetable for what works for you. We can't come into your home to assist with parenting and everyone has the daily battles (we would not have that in school but life is different at the moment). - Whats App groups or social media - these can be great support or a forum for negativity. If you have a question then ask the right person and you will get the right answer ! Patience, sensitivity and awareness are core values that we teach to the children and are helpful from everyone at this difficult time. Parents can organise 'get togethers' using social media if they choose to, school does not need to be involved. Have a good Thursday. There has been more than enough advice, ideas, clarity and good news this week so there won't be an update tomorrow (Friday) as we have 50 Chromebooks to get organised, distributed and in homes ! Regards Mr Batstone |
Dear all,
I hope you are all well and coping (not sure anyone is thriving at this time but coping is good).
1. Communication and class groups
Mrs Giles has a list of PTA contacts who facilitate the Whats App groups. E-mail admin@madley.hereford.sch.uk and Mrs Giles will put you in touch with the correct person. Parents can then organise on-line contact between children or the class.
2. Outdoor learning focus (lots of links that may or may not be useful. They care cobbled together from various sources so some may or may not work).
We used to have a 'Welly Wednesday' in school (a bit 'twee' and not really about integrating outdoor learning into the whole curriculum) but we have moved on from that BUT it may be a good thing for home as a mid-week break and a defined time for getting outside (if working from home and everything else allows).
Attached photos - these are ideas and you don't have to do a full 8m high version ! Small versions with pebbles and stones are just as good to explore art, engineering and Science. You don't have to print them but just show the image.
BACKYARD NATURE Want to become a Backyard Nature Guardian? Nature Backyard are inviting you to sign up and pledge to protect a patch of nature near you, “because by helping plants and animals in your own backyard, you will help protect the planet for the future”. Visit the above link for ideas to help plants and animals thrive on your patch with a range of resources and special missions. Size doesn’t matter, you could plant bee-friendly plants in a window box, make a bug hotel for your garden or patio, or simply feed the birds.
BECOME A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) have some great resources that may appeal to children. Well worth a look.
BOROMI Not outdoors per se but the concept is brilliant and could be adapted for outdoor use – realistically post lockdown. It’s essentially play boxes for nursery children with thought put into what’s being offered and why. Not sure if it’s about free play or supported by an adult.
BUCKET FULL OF NATURE – NATURE ACTIVITIES AT HOME Here is a list of 31 Bucket Full of Nature activities to help you access nature in your own home. These activities can be done indoors, or outside when it is safe to do so, and feature: make a weather chart and track the weather; create natural musical instruments; make numbers and letters using nature. A free eBook “7 Easy Steps to Making your Bucket Full of Nature” is also available to download.
CHILDREN IN PERMACULTURE PROJECT Lovely set of practical resources which dovetail nicely with Learning for Sustainability. It is an unsung hero of a resource. There is also a free downloadable manual too.
COUNCIL FOR LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM have a list of resources from a broad range of organisations that support education beyond the classroom. Refreshing and helpful if you have a specific project or focus or if you are just in need of more inspiration.
EDEN PROJECT have lots of online resources suitable for all ages and the ones on this page are particularly suitable for being at home.
FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL COVID-19 resources The FSC have a range of resources including #Fieldworklive will be a fortnight of free live lessons which will take place from Monday 20th April – Friday 1st May 2020, focussing on a range of Geography and Science content aimed at Primary (Ages 7-11), KS3 (Ages 11-14), GCSE (Ages 14-16), Progress GCSE to A Level (Ages 16-18)
FINDING NATURE – NEW RESOURCE The Children and Nature Network have launched a new resource to help children access nature during the current crisis. Finding Nature: Staying connected to the natural world during COVID-19, is a new website that will provide resources, events, stories and insights weekly from it’s partners, via tips, tools, blogs and webinars.
GREEN SCHOOLYARD RESOURCES Green Schoolyards America and their partners at the International School Grounds Alliance have published a set of books that include 250 hands-on activities and curriculum ideas, written by colleagues at organizations around the world. These free, downloadable books were designed to help schools make the most of their school grounds – but the majority of the ideas can be modified for use in children’s back gardens and neighbourhoods. A series of blogs will also be published to highlight activities from the publication, here are 2 examples – Explore Art in Your Backyard or neighbourhood and Maths in Your Backyard.
INDIGENOUS CLIMATE ACTION group have a COVID-19 page and this includes a range of practical suggestions and links. Well worth a read, even if not all is applicable to you.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL GROUNDS ALLIANCE (ISGA) This international website has two free hefty downloads packed full of lessons from all around the world. This is another of my “go to” freebie resources. It dovetails well with Eco Schools. They run an international conference every year and in 2021 IT WILL BE IN SCOTLAND – go to the Learning through Landscapes website to find out more. It will be online at least partly!
INTO THE OUTDOORS A US website full of environmental and outdoor suggestions. Lots of videos and full of energy!
KEEP CONNECTING TO GREENSPACES Greenspace Scotland have compiled a list of activities and ideas to keep you connected to greenspaces, parks, nature and each other while social distancing and isolating. The listing consists of links to organisations providing resources, projects, events and more. You may also wish to view their interactive digital map to locate greenspaces in your area. Another point of interest is their Growing ideas and outdoor fun resource which focuses on food growing and outdoor learning.
KIDS LAB – EDINBURGH SCIENCE FESTIVAL downloadable resources – DIY science activities to do at home. Most aren’t outdoorsy but still good to know about.
LEARN ABOUT THE CALEDONIAN FOREST What do you know about the Caledonian Forest? Trees for Life now have an informative website for you to catch up on your knowledge of Scotland’s wild forests. It features pages on Trees, Mammals, Birds, Plants and Insects as well as other creatures you can find while exploring the forest.
LEARNING FROM HOME RESOURCES Friends of Barnes Common in London have put together a set of home learning resources, most of which link to the curriculum while some explore wider issues such as the community and citizenship.
LEARNING INSIDE OUT is focus of a Canadian charity, Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF). They are curating a free weekly email of at-home learning activities for grades K-12 (Reception to Y11). There is an emphasis on activities that are simple for parents or teachers to implement, outdoor activities (where possible under social distancing practices), and hands-on sustainability education. All activities are related to curriculum and are reviewed by teachers. The emails will be archived here every week, and there is a sign up button for people to receive them directly in their inbox.
LITTLE CHATTERS An outdoor consultancy that also focuses on Philosophy for Children and Global Education as well as learning outdoors.
LOST – Learning Outside Support Team in East Ayrshire are also compiling ideas. This has become a really AWESOME place to find stuff.
LOVE OUTDOOR LEARNING blog. This is Carol Murdoch’s website and the blog contains lots of ideas and suggestions for educators and families. Carol is a Scottish primary teacher.
MARLEY’S SCHOOL OF GARDEN MAGIC This is the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh’s online learning portal for children. There are also links on the LH side to other courses for adults too!
MINDSTRETCHERS ACADEMY NATURE PLAY DIARY The above resource is aimed at children in the early years, taking inspiration from nature. It consists of a variety of downloadable sheets to create your own diary, which focus on stones, wood, shadow, reflection, mud and leaves. The resource is free and will help you to: create ideas and plans with children; gather ideas of things to do inside, outside and beyond; share images of the things you do.
Have a good day.
Regards
Mr Batstone
Welcome to Tuesday everyone. Days are getting longer and Spring is just around the corner (a few bulbs are emerging already) ..........
1. Parents supporting each other -
- linking children together - the PTA are facilitating a Whats App group for each class so you can all meet together, most classes have a group but it is about making sure everyone who wants to can be involved if they aren't already. You can manage that yourselves and school does not need to be involved.
- home learning support - everyone is going through the same ! You can only do your best, not compare with anyone else and make the best of it ! Your children need a routine, to spend time outdoors and to be active each day. There are real challenges for everyone but if you are struggling for food etc please get in touch.
2. ICT update and devices -
We are hoping to be able to offer 50 Chromebooks to the people most in need within the next few weeks (it might, hopefully, be quicker than that). After a very, very generous donation from a parent and also a local charity we are, hopefully, going to be able to assist people a little more. The Chromebooks will belong to school so their will be some strict criteria for their use (school work only) and they will be returned to school afterwards. More news to follow when we have sourced the correct hardware.
3. Outdoor learning ideas -
Attached are some ideas for you to do on a walk or at home. Getting outdoors each day is really important.
4. Reading
Reading in lockdown is ideal as it allows some peaceful time or shared time and allows the imagination to 'take you to another place.'
40 reads still counts during lockdown at home and in school so please keep recording.
Rules for 40 reads (we trust your honesty)
- Your child must read for at least 10 minutes with an adult (regardless of age as language development, intonation etc) are important for all ages.
- It must be a book and a mix of fiction and non-fiction to improve knowledge and imagination.
5. Resilience
Second lockdown is even more intense than the first as everyone knows what to expect so resilience is tested everyday. Attached is a resilience challenge from last July that can be used again (by everyone) ! Every emotion going is being felt by everyone and no two days are the same. One of the powerful words we talk about in school is 'yet..........' as it is very powerful.
As a family you might make a list of all the things you are going to enjoy together when this is over.........
6. Learn a new skill - set your child the challenge of learning something new each week or over a longer period (helps to focus, builds resilience and gives a different focus). It doesn't have to be school or work related and could be something totally different. ...........
Have a good day.
Regards
Mr Batstone
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Dear Mrs Giles, Madley Primary School has sent you a message Update - Monday January 18thDear 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
Attachments |
Welcome to Friday,
The end of a very busy week for everyone. I am sure you have endured every emotion, feeling and thought as you have journeyed through the week but you are not alone. Hopefully you will be able to have a peaceful, restful and enjoyable weekend.
May we take the opportunity, as a school community, to thank all of those on the front line who are experiencing the impacts of Covid in work, we especially thank those in the hospitals and community who are seeing the effects of this first hand. Thank you !
And a 'huge' thank you to all of the school staff who have adapted to new ways of working and are going above and beyond expectations and their roles. New 'adventures' appear every day but they are dealt with calmly, sensibly and with great teamwork.
1. Blue Peter !
School has received the following communication from Blue Peter which may be of interest:
We have launched Blue Peter on YouTube at CBBC and we were wondering if your pupils and parents would be interested in this, for entertainment outside of home-schooling hours now we’re in lockdown.
Blue Peter is the longest running kids TV show in the world and we are uploading videos to it that are suitable for 5-11 year olds. We have world record breaking challenges, arts and crafts, environmental videos, cooking and baking how tos, inspirational films, gaming, celebrity appearances, dance routines and music performances. We also feature ways of getting a Blue Peter badge, behind the scenes footage and extra content about our incredible presenters Adam, Lindsey, Mwaksy, Richie and Henry the Blue Peter dog.
If you think your pupils would be interested in this, please do send this out to your parents and ask them to subscribe to https://www.youtube.com/bluepeter - (it’s obviously completely free to subscribe!) and don’t forget to watch the live programme on CBBC at 5.00pm every week, or on BBC iPlayer.
Next week
- hopefully you have established some kind of routine (might be work all morning then exercise or other 'projects' in the afternoon or you might have established something that works for your family). As long as the work gets done and you follow what is being set then, when we eventually return to school, we should have people at a good starting point.
Some people put on their uniform. Some go out of the house and come back in to set the mind to work. Some start with exercise then work. There is no set pattern and you have to make it work for you ............
- please don't do your child's work for them or try to project 'perfection' as it is isn't real. Teachers know really well what your child can do and their capabilities and what they can be 'pushed' to do (that's why teachers comment on their work). You are not us (in the nicest possible way) and home school may be very different to school as perceptions, actions and responses are different.
Need help
Food - If you need any help with food etc then please get in touch with admin@madley.hereford.sch.uk and we will see what we can do or organisations who may be able to help.
ICT - we have some solutions that are in the pipeline. It can't solve every issue but could help a number of families. We have some very generous and helpful people in our community.
SeeSaw information
Teachers have been sending daily announcements on Seesaw. When this happens, it will appear in the inbox. There is some information about the day or there may be some attachments your child needs for their learning. You cannot respond to these messages.
Have a good, safe weekend.
Regards
Mr Batstone