Hello everyone

We hope you are all keeping well and staying safe.

It’s been a strange couple of weeks not being able to do those everyday things that we take for granted yet now having the time to enjoy doing other things with our families. We have loved receiving your emails and seeing photos of some of the things you have been doing – enjoying family bike rides, building models, baking, doing the daily Joe Wicks workout to name but a few.

During the first two weeks of the school closure, we have been keen not to overload the children or yourselves with tasks to do at home. As we said in our message a few days ago, we know that many of you will be working from home whilst trying to care for your families at the same time – the last thing we want to do is create added stress or pressure by sending out lots of home learning tasks. The most important thing is for all of our children to feel safe, have time to play, to have fun and, above all, to feel loved.

For the next two weeks – what would have been the Easter holiday period – we have uploaded an Easter Home Learning Pack. There’s lots of activities to get crafty and creative with, while learning about the Easter story at the same time. Click on the links below to download the booklets.

Easter Home Learning Pack

Easter Home Learning Pack – editable Word version if children want to type into it.

Class teachers may also be uploading Easter-themed ideas and phonics / times tables activities, so children can continue with these daily routines if they wish, but there is no expectation for teachers to do this nor for children to complete the activities.

Please just look after yourselves and enjoy this time together. If you need support in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me on head@bicton.shropshire.sch.uk

Finally, and seeing as I have enjoyed hearing what many of you have been doing, I thought I’d share this photo with you of what I’ve been up to today. Don’t worry it’s not permanent!

Take care

Mrs Johnson

Hello everyone,

Firstly, please see below an urgent communication we received today from Shropshire Council regarding donations of PPE (personal protective equipment.) (Thank you to parents who contacted school following this email being sent out.)

URGENT REQUEST – PPE donations

Thank you for the messages of support and emails we have received which are keeping us updated on what you have been doing.  This means a lot to our staff and makes everyone feel a little less isolated knowing how our families are getting on and seeing some of the fantastic work that children have been doing.

If you haven’t had chance to look at this week’s learning activities, which teachers uploaded yesterday to their class pages, please don’t worry. We know that everyone’s circumstances are different and we don’t want anyone to feel that all of the activities have to be completed. They are simply there for your child to access when they can and there is no set expectation about how much they do, when they do it or how often they are working.

If you are trying to work from home as well, you cannot possibly spend hours every week trying to support distance learning and we really don’t expect you to try and do this. The minimum we would encourage your child to try and do is as follows:

• Reading every day – independently or you reading to them
• Free writing – could they keep a diary / journal or would they draw instead? (There are also lots of interesting writing tasks for children to choose from in the weekly learning projects.)
• Maths – can they play a maths game, use maths outside (where they are able to) or practise their times tables / number facts online?
• Fine motor work – Lego, cutting out, playdough – and physical exercise every day.

Please remember, we are grateful for whatever you can do to support your child through these difficult times. You staying safe and looking after yourselves is more important to us than anything else.

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To help support you, we are trying to provide regular updates of some of the extensive information that we have received from different organisations.

Energize Covid-19 support for schools and families to stay active and healthy

In order to try and support people to remain healthy and active during this period of social distancing and self isolation, Energize have compiled a range of free online resources including ideas for:

• Active Learning
• Quick Bursts and Active Blasts
• The Great Outdoors
• Mental Wellbeing
• Healthy Eating

https://www.energizestw.org.uk/energize-resources

Just click on the link above to access the resources directly from their website. The information on their website will be updated regularly and weekly challenges will be added with different activities for families to try.

MyShrewsbury: Coronavirus help

Please see the latest information below from MyShrewsbury (some information may have changed since it went to print.)

My Shrewsbury Help is Out There

Free FSC home resources to encourage fun and active outdoor learning

In light of school closures FSC wants to be able to support teachers and parents while continuing to promote outdoor learning for children.

They understand this is a challenging time and have created some simple activities below which children can do at home, to help them learn while also having fun.

FSC Weather

FSC Maps

FSC Scavenger Hunt

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Take care and stay safe

Mrs Johnson

Hello everyone!

I hope you have had a good weekend and you are all staying safe and well.

If you haven’t already seen it, here’s our school rainbow to spread a bit of hope and cheer.

Please see below a copy of the letter sent out last week, just in case you missed it.  There is also a list of free apps that you or your child might find useful. (A list of 20 useful apps was published in one of the Sunday newspapers but only the free apps are included on the attached list.)

Home learning update 25.03.20

Free apps

On Monday, remember to check the class pages area on the website for this week’s home learning tasks.

If you have any questions, or you just want to share something with us that your child has been doing, just drop us an email – we really do love to hear from you!

Take care

Mrs Johnson and staff

Hello everyone,

We hope your first week has gone as well as can be expected and we just wanted you to know we have missed seeing you all in school.

Home learning

Please see further information below on home learning activities and ideas to support you and your child.

Home learning update 25.03.20

Key worker childcare provision

Please remember to follow and adhere to the government’s lastest advice on staying at home. If you are a key worker, you should only book a childcare place at school if you and your partner are unable to work from home.

Scam email warning

We have been made aware that there is a scam email circulating telling parents who are eligible for free school meals to forward their bank details. Please do not provide your bank details, if you are contacted – parents whose children are eligible for free school meals have been contacted by school already.

Stay safe and well.

Mrs Johnson and staff

Firstly, on behalf of all the staff, THANK YOU for all your support this week. The immense challenges we have faced this week have been like nothing we have ever faced before. We are eternally grateful for your support and the way in which our whole school community has come together in these past few days and we cannot thank you enough for the emails and personal messages we have received. It really does mean so much to all of us.

Key worker childcare provision

I have contacted all parents who have identified themselves as key workers and who have requested childcare provision in school next week (Monday 23rd onwards.) Please can the children, who have been confirmed as having a place, wear comfortable clothing and bring an old pair of trainers/outdoor shoes/wellies.  Please can you also email me at head@bicton.shropshire.sch.uk to let me know if your child would like a school dinner on Monday.

Please do not bring your child to school next week, unless you have received a confirmation email from me.

Important letters sent out yesterday

key worker provision

Supporting your child at home 

The school office will be contacting parents on Monday to arrange collection of home-learning packs, reading books etc, for children who were not in school yesterday.

Thank you and stay safe and well.

Mrs Johnson

Please see an important letter below that all parents need to read and respond to as necessary. Thank you

key worker provision