Head Teacher Blog: Tuesday 28th April 2020

Date: 28th Apr 2020 @ 10:06am

I hope that everyone is keeping well and staying safe in these difficult times. Although times are challenging for many reasons, I am very proud of our school family and the way in which everyone is managing at the moment – it is certainly far from easy! Please remember that although schools are closed, we remain partially open for certain children and as such, we are contactable everyday though our normal phone number on 01606 592608 and the admin@overstjohns.cheshire.sch.uk e mail address during school hours. If there is help needed in specific relation to the current pandemic, then you can also contact us on the specially designated e mail of help@overstjohns.cheshire.sch.uk

Class teachers have been updating class pages on a weekly basis with either new blogs or updates to the Home Learning Page on the class pages for suggestions of activities for you to carry out with your children. Please remember that schools are closed for education purposes but staff are still doing their best to support your child’s education at home, where possible. Please do not feel under any pressure to carry out lots of education with your child – everyone’s circumstances are different – use the suggestions from teachers as a guide to support you where you are able.

Please also find below a letter to parents regarding support for phonics at home.

Collective Worship Online

The Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL), in conjunction with diocesan education teams, will be providing a daily collective worship as part of the Oak National Academy resources. The first Oak National Academy assembly will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson and will go live at 10am on Thursday morning (30th April). This resource will be linked to the CEFEL’s own project set to be launched this week called ‘Faith at Home’ and is part of the on-going ‘Growing Faith’ work.

Edsential Supporting Families

Edsential, who provide our catering services, also provide a range of other services to schools, such as our violin tuition and their lead teachers and practitioners have come together (virtually!) to plan weekly themed ideas for families to explore and give exciting opportunities to learn and play together.

Edsential are delighted to introduce #EdsentialAtHome; a FREE weekly educational activity pack that can be downloaded and completed at home. Each week will be centred around a different theme and will have activities, using everyday objects and low-cost resources, around the below key areas:

• Make and Create – exploring the arts and cookery through a range of practical activities;
• Time to Move – PE and Dance sessions to keep moving indoors and out as well as healthy eating recipes for you to make at home to keep you well;
• Let’s go Outside – time to find out what is happening out in your garden or in the street where you live;
• Adventures at Home – activities to encourage you to embrace adventure, challenge yourself and develop your character and to build your resilience, confidence and curiosity.

The work sheets can be enjoyed by children and young people of all ages. Find out more and download the first Easter Activity pack here

The #EdsentialAtHome activities are supplemented by a number of daily challenges on their Facebook and Twitter pages:

• #EdsentialDailyChallenge – to keep us fit and try to beat the sports and PE tutors at their own games!
• #CultureDailyChallenge – to discover something new about the Arts and the world around us
• #SingingDailyChallege – to find songs around a theme
• #ConwayAdventuresAtHome – to experience the benefits of their residential centres at home

They will be posting videos of activities every day, so children and young people can see some familiar Edsential faces. Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdsentialUK and like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdsentialUK/ for all the latest updates.

Families Magazine

In normal times, Families is a print magazine for parents of young children. There is a UK-wide network of 40 local editions run by local editors (mostly mums) with over 800,000 copies distributed 6 times a year across the country. Until March this year there has been a local edition in Cheshire. Local editors now cannot get their magazine out as it is usually distributed by schools, nurseries and libraries. They have now created a digital issue which contains important and useful information to help families get through this difficult period. It can be viewed and/or downloaded at: Families Cheshire Magazine Lockdown issue

Bereavement Support

Jen McIlveen, the Christian Character Officer at the Diocese of Chester, has compiled a helpful document to guide schools and families who may be experiencing bereavement during this lockdown period. It provides helpful guidance and activities from a Christian perspective, as well as signposting to a number of online resources from the Childhood Bereavement Network. The CBN has collated a series of helpful resources to support families as they live through anxious times, either through illness or bereavement and grief, in what can be isolating circumstances. These include specific resources that relate to covid-19. Please download you copy below.

Please take care of yourselves and each other.

 

Mrs E Snowdon

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