January 2021
Message from Mr Clarke
posted 29 Jan , 20:31 by J Croxon
By now, I’m sure you will have heard that the Prime Minister has announced that schools will not be open until Monday 8th March at the earliest. For many people in our community, I know that this will not be welcome news. The situation we are in is not one that any of us want and trying to juggle your own work with supporting learning at home, or trying to support several children is not easy. We understand the anxiety you feel about when all this will end, when children can return to school with confidence and the extra pressure it places on you, your children and our staff.
A huge, heartfelt thank you; in these very difficult circumstances, you are doing an amazing job.
We are doing our best to try and make things as simple and easy as possible. Whether you are a critical worker, or supporting your child’s learning from home, we want to make sure that you feel supported and that your child continues to flourish, knowing that they are loved, cared for and supported in their learning by us every day. If you’d like to leave a ‘thank you’ message for any of our staff, you can add and comment to our padlet.
Every child and family is unique and one of our priorities is to make sure the work set is right for your child. I know that not everything can be completed everyday and that you and your child(ren) are doing your best. As we face the weeks ahead together I want to reiterate my commitment to our 3 central themes:
1. Great Virtual Learning:
We continue to listen to your feedback each week through the pulse survey and, together with our Trust (AET), we are always looking at ways to improve the virtual learning both in quality and experience. So far this term we have introduced so many amazing initiatives and we are always looking to make our offer the best we can for each and every child. We will also be giving away an ipad in the next few weeks for remarkable home learning - watch this space! Check out our website to find out more.
2. Wellbeing Support:
Please do take a look at our well being tips, support and resources here. Over the last two weeks we have been busy carrying out check-ins with each and every child. We’ve also introduced Wellbeing Wednesdays to help you and your children.
3. Having some fun:
You spend a lot of time staring at screens everyday concentrating on learning and it’s important we get some ‘Screen Break’ time. It was wonderful seeing the creativity, excitement and fun so many of you had in the snow at the beginning of the week and Mrs Newbold was really impressed with the art entries she received for the competition she set. Winners will be announced next week. We are also taking part in the AET Remarkable World Competitions, which culminate in our Festival of Remarkable Lives in the Summer. And on top of that, we launched the very first competition this week. I was so impressed by our poem entries and found it really difficult choosing the winners. A big well done to everyone that had a go, but a special shout out to our winners: Hattie (REK), Lucas (3MC), Taraji (5NW) and Summer (6CF).
Again, thank you for all your support. Even if it’s incredibly hard at times, I know we are all doing our best, and we will get through this together. As ever, if you would like to talk, we are always here for you.
Children's Mental Health Week
posted 29 Jan , 20:31 by J Croxon
The week is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on children and young people's mental health. More than ever, we need to encourage children to share how they are feeling with others. By talking openly about mental health from a young age, children can learn to better understand their emotions, break down stigma, and feel safe enough to reach out for help when it’s needed.
This year's theme for Children’s Mental Health Week is ‘Express Yourself.’ Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. It is about finding a way to show who you are, and how you see the world, that can help you feel good about yourself. For Children's Mental Health Week 2021 we would like children to ‘Dress to Express!’ on our designated Wellbeing Wednesday Day. This includes all those children at home and those who are in school. Children can choose what they would like to wear to show their uniqueness, creatively and celebrate difference in a positive, fun way! We would love to see how children have decided to express themselves. Please send photographs from home through Class Dojo or Google Classrooms.
Children will complete some activities to support their understanding of their own wellbeing and the importance of talking about how they are feeling. This will promote and foster healthy, emotional and behavioural development by promoting intervention at an early age.
Virtual Library and Share Your Story
posted 29 Jan , 20:31 by J Croxon
Have you seen our virtual library? If not, click here or on the picture to pay it a visit.
It’s your chance to become a storyteller. We’d like you to record yourself reading one of your favourite stories and send it into us via ClassDojo, Google Classrooms or by emailing Mr Croxon at: ITsupport@leaforestacademy.org.
Tips and Resources for Parents
posted 29 Jan , 20:31 by J Croxon
Engagement and Achievement
posted 29 Jan , 20:31 by J Croxon
Well done to all of our children working from home. We have been so impressed by your enthusiasm and engagement with the lessons that have been provided for you. Here’s a summary of this last week…
A very special mention must go to our REMARKABLE Year 6 pupils who managed to achieve 100% online attendance every day this week. This is a huge achievement.
It is really important to try and keep a routine fat home to ensure children are not falling behind. If you need any support with your child at home, please speak to a member of staff or give them a message on ClassDojo.