Easter Break
Our school will remain open during the Easter break for our children of key workers but we will be giving our team (for those not in school) and your children a break with the online learning material. We are aware that for some families this long period of time without structured activity may be a concern. If this is the case, then you should still find ample content in the Google Classroom – including the free online resources that have been shared – to keep minds active and bodies moving!
Free School Meals
We are conscious that some families are having to deal with the added tragedy of job losses and reduction of income as the economic aspects of the crisis take hold. Some of you may find that this makes you eligible for Free School Meals and we urge you to sign up if this is the case.
Since school was closed two weeks ago we have been delivering pack lunches to our children who are eligible. Members of staff had been delivering daily but from this week this was changed to a weekly food parcel that went out on Monday.
Once you are on the list we will be able to support you with this service.
Important Message to our current Free School Families:
Please note there will be no delivery on Bank Holiday Monday and instead you will receive a parcel on Tuesday 14th April – which I am reliably informed will be jacket potatoes and toppings!
The link to apply for a Free School is below:
Apply for a Free School Meal
Parental Controls - staying safe online
If you have not already done so now is a really good time to make sure that your parental controls are set properly. Please find some useful advice here:
Parental-Controls for the internet
Real PE - Free Online resource to get you active!
Real PE at home includes an online programme which supports families to be active, play and learn together. It includes a programme specifically for children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 with 12 themes, 6 areas, over 250 activities and challenges and 1000s of hours of fun and activity. This programme is also great for family play and fun.
It also includes a programme for children in Key Stage 2, with daily and weekly guidance provided for both programmes (starting from next week) in addition to an option to choose your own themes and activities.
There are so many benefits to being active, not only to our physical wellbeing but also to our emotional and mental health, especially in such testing times for all of us. We hope that the ideas help support you and your family to stay fit and healthy in the coming months. Here are the details to access real PE at home:
Website address: home.jasmineactive.com
Parent email: parent@rownhamsst-1.com
Password: rownhamsst
Check out the links below to find out more information on this great resource:
Welcome to Real PE at Home
Highlights from the Google Classroom
It has been fantastic to see so many fun posts from children and families playing and learning together. Many of our teachers have taken to telling their favourite stories or continuing stories from before schools closed. For example, Miss Knight has been reading ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by CS Lewis, which you can find in the Year 1/2 Classroom and Miss Hamilton has been reading Galaxy girl. We were also lucky enough to capture Mrs Poulter, our favourite story-teller, reading ‘Mog’ by Judith Kerr before school closed.
I hope that you can find these videos on the links below but you may need to login using Google Classroom username and password first.
Miss Knight: ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by CS Lewis (Chapter 1)
Mrs Poulter: ‘Mog’ by Judith Kerr
Miss Hamilton: ‘Galaxy Girl’ by Bev Smith
Some of the posted highlights from children include this video from Olivia. This was her response to Mr Woodford’s Creative Challenge #1: In the garden… Her routine was entitled ‘Spring Flowers’. This optional challenge is open to all children and you can find the post in all of our Google Classrooms, including Mr Woodford’s Class (code: g335kin). Thank you to all those who have posted so far and you have until 24th April if you want to take part.
Here is a further selection of images that have been shared online via ClassDojo or Google Classrom or taken by teachers whilst children have been in school:
Finally, the header image for this blog was lovingly made by daughter, Charlotte (3), and I promised I would share it with you. It is now proudly on display in our front room window for passers-by to see.
Thank you...
I’d like to finish by paying tribute to my whole staff team who have, almost without notice, turned Rownhams into a virtual school that cares; not just about education – but about the whole child and their family, too. I know you appreciate their hard work and dedication and your heart-warming messages and emails are a real source of encouragement to us all.
If you’d like anyone on the team to receive a special e-card you can use this link: