Everyone can come back! We are looking forward to welcoming all of our children back on 8th March; school has been too quiet these past few weeks. I know that many of you are looking forward to your children coming back too, even though many of you have enjoyed home learning! You’ve done a great job, and you, and your children, should be proud of what you have achieved in the past few weeks, especially with all the added pressures that have been there for many of you. I know that there have been many media stories which can add extra stress to what has already been a stressful time. So, just to reassure you:
Children have not been in an ‘education vacuum’. They have been learning. Not necessarily what or how they would have learned at school, but learning nonetheless.
Schools are experts at addressing most forms of crisis. And we’ll deal with this one too, if, in fact, a crisis is what it is.
Children’s physical, mental and social well-being will be our #1 priority.
I saw this analogy which I think explains things very well:
A young child breaks their leg badly. A full cast and a number of weeks in hospital. At this point, no-one is concerned about whether they will be able to run in sports day at the end of the year. Or even next year’s. They’re not thinking about whether they will want to run a marathon when they are an adult. Everyone is concerned about healing properly; not pushing the body to do too much too soon. Everything is taken slowly. No-one is putting in lots of fancy, expensive interventions to make sure they ‘catch up’ and run on sports day in July. Everything is done at the right time for the child, knowing that if the healing is done properly it will set that child up to be able to walk, run, hop, skip and jump, and maybe run that marathon, in years to come. Because if you get it right at the start then the rest will come.
As you probably know, I hate the term ‘catch up’. But, learning has been lost, just as that young child with the broken leg has lost physical development. Rushing to catch up is not the answer; making sure they are ready to learn at the place and pace that is required, is. And that’s what we’ll be doing.
Family Learning in Dudley
Here are some options to have a look at run by the Family Learning service. They run a number of courses which are available online and are free.
Family Learning courses information
Thrive Newsletter
Here is the link to this week’s Thrive newsletter – number 7!
SEND Page on Website
Mrs Robbins has added lots of information on the SEND page on the school website, focused on inclusion and wellbeing. There is a huge amount of information on a range of topics. Go along and have a look.
Return to School Arrangements
You will have received a series of ParentMails with details of the return to school on 8th March. All of these documents can also be found here.
Research into Electronic Device Use
“The University of Salford is conducting some research looking at children between 7-17 usage of personal electronic devices (PED) and their effects on postural, physical and musculoskeletal systems and the impact of COVID 19 restrictions on PED usage and physical activity. Please could your children complete this questionnaire? https://tinyurl.com/gcqlnqyp thank you”
The student’s participation in this research project will involve following the link provided below, which will take them to an online questionnaire. Participation in this research project is voluntary, and their anonymity and confidentiality will be ensured and respected.
Link to the online questionnaire on:
https://salford.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/childrens-technology-usage-during-covid-lockdowns
Participating in the questionnaire the children are eligible to be entered into a randomised draw to win an iPad.
If you have any questions regarding the research project or the online questionnaire, please contact:
Researcher – Anna Clark a.clark23@edu.salford.ac.uk
Research Supervisor – Anna Cooper-Ryan A.M.Cooper-Ryan@salford.ac.uk
Thank you for taking the time reading and distributing this email.
Many Thanks
Anna Clark
BSc (Hons) MSc
HCPC Chartered Physiotherapist
Friday 5th March
We have informed our key worker parents that school will close on Friday 5th March at 12:00pm, to enable us to put furniture back, prepare classes, etc., ready for a full return on Monday 8th. There will be no learning planned for that afternoon, nor any class catch-up sessions as all staff will be in school.
Take Care & Stay Safe
Mr Dunn