Head Teacher Blog: Thursday 26th March 2020

Date: 26th Mar 2020 @ 11:28am

How is everyone doing? This is definitely not my usual style of blog as I don’t have the pleasure of telling you about all the lovely things that have been going on in school and what we have coming up, but I can keep some sense of normality for you all by actually writing a blog in the first place!

I hope that you have all managed to stay safe at home this week and are coping with the major change in everyone’s lifestyle. I know that some of you are trying to keep up with some sort of education at home and accessing the information on the class pages that the teachers are updating, where they are able. It is also really important to remember that this is a very strange and stressful time for children, so remembering to show them extra love and care is just as, if not more, important than their education right now. I shared a link with the teachers earlier this week that might help you to reduce anxiety and build resilience with your children. I have attached it below in case you have not seen it elsewhere on our website.

During the school closure, we are running with a skeleton staff at school. Currently, there are 2 members of staff with the children who are in school, there is a member of staff in the office on a rota basis and either Mrs Bettley or myself will be in school on a rota basis.

Don’t forget that we have set up a dedicated e mail address should you need any help during the school closure. This e mail address will be accessed during school hours and someone will do their best to respond to you when they are able, during school hours. help@overstjohns.cheshire.sch.uk

#WakeUpWednesday

As we all are spending a lot more time at home and therefore the use of technology is probably increasing, now is a really crucial time to ensure that we are keeping a vigilant eye on what our children are getting up to in their digital world.

In the current environment, many of us are using different ways to try and keep in touch with our friends and family. One app that has risen in popularity is Houseparty, which gained the no.1 spot on the app store after becoming one of the most downloaded apps since social isolation was introduced. Billed as a ‘face to face social network,’ the platform launched in 2016 but isn’t as widely known as Facebook, WhatsApp or Snapchat. That’s why National Online Safety have created a guide for parents and carers to help them understand exactly what Houseparty is all about – download your copy below.

Handwashing Competition

Medicspot is calling all primary school children to share their creative ideas to help encourage frequent hand washing – the best way to keep yourself and others safe from coronavirus. Find out how you can enter and win £500 for our school here: www.medicspot.co.uk/handwash  Also, 10 runner-ups will receive £100 for their primary school which could go towards hand sanitisers, software, books, stationery, or anything else for your primary school. There will also be a downloadable certificate for every entry received.

Free School Meals

Those of you who receive Free School Meals (not including the Universal Infant Free School Meals) will have this week received a text message with a link to follow where you can sign up for vouchers from your preferred supermarket, that will then be e mailed to you for you to use with your shopping. The voucher equates to £2.30 per child per day, which is the usual cost of a school meal. During this period of school closure, this text message will be sent to you on a weekly basis and you should continue to follow the link to receive your voucher. This now cuts down the journey of coming to school each day to pick up a lunch.

 

Take care – look after yourselves and each other

Mrs E Snowdon

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