Our staff are working incredibly hard navigating through Google’s full range of software so that they can provide work, but also work out how to show and explain for the children at school, as well as for those at home, the learning for the day.  We’re ‘sharing screens’ and we’re attempting to use two monitors so that we can see ALL the children (responses and raising hands etc, as well as for safeguarding reasons) and I think they’re doing an amazing job!  We’ve chosen the Stars of The Week already, but if we hadn’t chosen children, they’d be the incredible staff we have!

Live Meets are great for registration and introductions to the day’s learning, but even though we’ve two fast internet lines coming in to the school, we’re having issues with bandwidth too.  Teachers are therefore also recording their introduction videos, in case there’s a glitch, some downtime or a complete crash!   I hope the technology you have at home is working as it should do too, but please get in touch if you have issues and we’ll try to help.   

I know that you’ve also done an amazing job at getting online and learning your way through but, if they’re needed, here are a couple of help-sheets that could help you.  Thanks to Mrs Tucker for putting these together. 

How to log in to Google Classroom

 

How to upload work to Classrooms, and even make comments on it.

 

The DfE Guidance came out yesterday.  We’ve know about some items that were going to be in it, but we’ll communicate anything new to our parents as soon as we can.  

What we do know, is that parents and carers should keep their children at home if they can.  Our school staff are on the frontline, without PPE and with huge limitations on social distancing, so if you are able to work at home with your child, just as the majority of parents are doing at the moment, then please do so.  

Parents and carers who are critical workers should keep their children at home if they can.

We’ll now be emailing our booking form on Thursdays to eligible parents for the next week’s school places, and ask that this gets completed promptly so that we can confirm places via email on Friday.  We will not be admitting ad hoc requests for places, and it is vital that the booking form (that’s emailed to eligible parents) is used to book places.  We’re limiting numbers in our classes (helping to minimize the spread of the virus and due to limitations on our ability with social distancing) so please stick to the advice above, that if you are home, and can have your children with you, please do not book a place.

I did a Vlog on Wednesday, and as I’ve heard it’ s not been viewed by a few parents, I thought I’d share once more.  Click here (only 8 minutes) if you’d like to hear me tell you what’s happening in school.

It’s Friday!  It’s only the morning as I write this, but Well Done for coping with this week’s changes and demands on learning – you’re ALL Stars of The Week!

Have a nice weekend!
Julian Thomas
(Written in a cold office as the School House boiler is also broken!  Life tests us eh?!)