NO SCREEN WEDNESDAYS

Starting this week, we will be encouraging all our children, and staff to take a break from technology every Wednesday afternoon. We want the children, and adults, to have some digital detox time and enjoy spending some time creating, exercising, connecting and other enjoyable activities. Below we will provide a whole host of activities that the children can take part in during that time.

We hope you will agree that a technology free afternoon where the children learn through play is a wonderful way to take some time for wellbeing. During this time, teachers will be focusing on their wellbeing too so will not be online and there will be no Wednesday afternoon meet.

Home Learning activities from 5th January 2021 onwards can be found on the pupil's class page of Google Classroom.

LEARNING ABOUT ONLINE SAFETY AT HOME

www.thinkuknow.co.uk

This can be a very difficult time for most parents. These items are intended to provide you with support and resources to help you learn about online safety at home with your child.

Parents and Carers Helpsheets

If you haven’t already, the first thing to do is read our Parents and Carers Helpsheets - there is one for primary (click here) and one for secondary (click here), which could be used for Year 6. 

These contain key online safety advice and links to our resources, as well as support services.

Home activity packs

Once you have read the Helpsheets, click on the links below to download your second home activity packs for each age range.

Each pack contains two 15 minute activities to do with your child, using Thinkuknow resources.

The next two will be released in a fortnight’s time. If you would like to view previous home activity packs, they are in the archive below.

CORONAVIRUS - A BOOK FOR CHILDREN

Axel Scheffler has illustrated a digital book for primary school age children, free for anyone to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it. The book answers key questions in simple language appropriate for 5 to 9 year olds:

• What is the coronavirus?
• How do you catch the coronavirus?
• What happens if you catch the coronavirus?
• Why are people worried about catching the coronavirus?
• Is there a cure for the coronavirus?
• Why are some places we normally go to closed?
• What can I do to help?
• What’s going to happen next?

If you cannot access the pdf version below, click here to go to their website. 

Time Capsule

You are living through history right now, take a moment to fill in some of the pages in the document below for your future self to look back on.  You can include photos, a diary, newspaper clippings and art work. 

Daily P.E. lessons

Joe Wicks will be streaming daily P.E. lessons at 9:00 a.m. every morning on his YouTube channel for 30 minutes (Monday to Friday). These will be great for the whole family, not just the children!  Click here

Reading

One of the most enjoyable and most important things your child can do at home is READ.

Read books, read magazines, read comics, read newspapers, read blogs, just READ!!!

"There are many ways to enlarge your world. Love of books is the best of all."

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."

"To learn to read is to light a fire."

"You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book."

"Everyone is a reader... some just haven't found their favourite book yet."

READ!

READ!!

READ!!!

Musical Ideas whilst off school

1. Play a concert; Invite your family to the concert - design and print a programme and make tickets.
2. Play the piano/keyboard, any instrument, in your pyjamas!
3. Compose your own piece of music. Write it down or memorize it. Give it a name and play it to an audience – look forward to hearing it too.
4. Learn a piece you haven’t played before - surprise me!
5. Teach yourself to play a favourite TV or film theme tune.
6. With your parents, listen to a piece of piano music on the computer or tablet, by Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven or Rachmaninoff. Write down what you listen to and what you like about it.
7. Watch ‘The Piano Guys’ on YouTube with your parents.
8. Find out about a famous composer or musician. Write a short biography of them.

I hope you enjoy some of these activities. It is not an exhaustive list - you can make up some of your own if you want.
Mrs Rodriguez

PSHE Thought of the Week

You can now find the Thought of the Week in the PSHE star at the top of this Home Learning page.

TWINKL

There are also packs provided by TWINKL, these are free of charge when you register, and will support parents to help your children consolidate prior learning.

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/wellbeing-parents/school-closures-category-free-resources-parents/school-closures-free-resources-parents

Essex Library Services

We would also like to remind you about the wide range of free e-reading and online resources Essex Library Services has to offer. These include:

• e-books for children, teenagers and adults
• e-audio for children, teenagers and adults
• e-comics and graphic novels for children, teenagers and adults
• e-magazines
• e-newspapers
• online learning courses
• online reference materials

To see what else is available from the online library service Click here