Mental Health and Wellbeing Newsletter January 2021
Hi all,
Hope you are all ok and managing at home. Each month I will be sending out a Mental Health and Wellbeing newsletter. This month, I have focused on some wellbeing tips for lockdown and some apps you/your children could download.
If there is anything you would like featured in our newsletters please contact me on l.herkes@croft.school
Remember you are not alone, if you are struggling with anything please reach out
Stay safe
Miss Herkes
PS I have had to convert the document to a PDF so it is not in the correct order so hope it still makes sense!
Remote learning update
Morning Everyone
If your work pack has not arrived today, could your child access online learning platforms for today. Secondary pastoral staff have sent invites to pupils today to an online meeting to further explain how school will operate for the next six weeks. Primary staff will be in contact via Class dojo. The rewards for participating in Lexia and Accelerated Reader will continue throughout the next six weeks so please encourage your child to participate as much as possible. These are still logged remotely so we can record the participation of all pupils. These will count towards the Reading Rewards.
Remote Learning Timetable and updates.
Good Afternoon Everyone
The work packs have been posted out today so should hopefully be with you in order to start a full remote timetable by tomorrow or Thursday. Staff have been inviting your children to lessons today via TEAMS and Class Dojo all day today. The work that has been sent to your house is part of the lesson that the teachers will be delivering remotely. Teachers will either be conducting a live lesson, a pre-recorded lesson or be available during the lesson times shown for each class to support your child to complete the tasks that have been posted out. The remote learning timetable has the lesson and time for your child to participate except for the highlighted yellow boxes when those teachers are in school. Primary staff have been in contact with their children to organise their lessons along similar lines using Class Dojo, and other mediums. Pupils can either take a photograph of their work and send it to the teacher via email or class Dojo, keep the work at home and return it when they come to school, post the work back or drop it off back at school. For Every piece of work completed pupils with receive a Croft Dojo with fabulous prizes available so the more work completed the better the prize.
Staff will also be carrying out phone calls once a week to answer any questions you may have or provide support with anything else required.
We have also received our testing kits and will shortly be sending out consent letters and information about what the testing will look like at Croft and how it will all work.
We are just awaiting clarification with regard to school meals and will also inform relevant parents and carers as soon as we have clear information.
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Evening Everybody
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Return to school
Just to let everyone know that Croft will be open as usual to all pupils on Tuesday 5th January. The only exception to this are pupils who fall into the government’s Clinically Extremely Vulnerable category. If your child is unable to return to school on Tuesday due to being in this category, please could you either email school to let us know or follow the link on the text which will be coming to you later today.
We will be taking part in testing secondary pupils in school for those pupils whose parents give consent. This will not happen during the first week back to allow us to plan and prepare for the process. You will be sent a letter regarding consent in due course.
We hope everyone has had a nice holiday and look forward to seeing our pupils again in the new year.
Latest Government update
You will have heard that the government have made some changes to the return to school date for secondary pupils. It is not yet clear how that will impact on us in special schools. As soon as new guidance is published we will let you know.
Christmas Activities 80 (Articles 1,3, 31, 28)
During the last week of what has been a very trying term for everyone in 80 the pupils have still managed to enjoy their Christmas crafts, creations and rewards. Including a special delivery from a boy named Jack who has been making treasure boxes to help children with sensory needs and raising awareness of Mental Health in children. 80 have really taking on board the spirit of Christmas this week learning to emphasize on real meaning of Christmas and it’s more about giving than receiving. All the staff and pupils from 80 wish you all a Merry Christmas and hopefully a better and safer New Year in 2021.
Feeding Families and Foodbank
Yesterday, 8H prepared the hampers to be delivered to a local family and the rest of the food was delivered to Annfield Plain Foodbank. Thank you so much for all your donations. The family wanted to pass on a big thank you, we made their Christmas. Thanks to 8H for wrapping and organising the hampers.