Brookfield Primary Academy

Weekly Messenger

W/B 30.03.2020

1. Communication

Welcome to our Weekly Messenger # 2! Whilst there's a lot going on with school closures, self-isolation and home-learning taking place, we'd like to keep you informed of what's going on, both in school at Brookfield and regarding the terrific home-learning that we have been receiving from our children.

Twitter - Please don’t forget to upload your children’s work onto our Brookfield Primary twitter account. Just upload a photo of your child(ren) enjoying a home learning activity or some work they are proud of and tag @BrookfieldSM3, #distancelearning and @Leoacademies as we'd love to see how they are getting on.

As you are aware, all the Distance Learning pages can be accessed here:

Brookfield Distance Learning website

Don't forget - you can still access the live lessons that are available both 'live' or in 'Online' sessions for both Maths and English. These can be accessed on each year group's Distant Learning website too.

2. What's new to online learning......?

Handwriting Practise

If you want to practise your handwriting while you are at home.

Log in to Letterjoin.co.uk and click desktop or tablet and click on your class.

From there you can choose lots of different ways to practise joins, patterns and shapes. You can either practise using a touch screen or you could watch the videos and practise on paper. We'd love to see how well your handwriting is developing so don't forget to send in some pictures of your brilliant letter joins!

Chillaz 4 kids

Mrs Grice has very kindly recorded a meditation for children (and adults) to use during this very strange time! Click on the link below to listen and have a go!


Bubble blower


Distance Learning - After the Easter break, we will continue to plan daily lessons on the Distance Learning website but we are going to start using a 'themed' topic across the entire week to make it easier for families to support their children's learning at home, especially for families who have more than one sibling, where they can collaborate and work together on a project together. Look out for the themes:

  • Week 1: The area we live in (Thursday 23rd April. To celebrate St George's Day, we would like all staff and children to wear red and white)
  • Week 2: Viewpoints (Themed day - Friday 1st: May Day. The first day of May (known as May Day) is a day when people celebrate the coming of Summer. Traditional celebrations include Morris Dancing and dancing around the Maypole)
  • Week 3: Animals (Themed day - Friday 8th May - VE Day. Friday 8th May is an extra Bank Holiday this year, to celebrate 75 years since the end of the Second World War)
  • Week 4: Food (Themed week - 9 - 16th May - National Doughnut Week. Money is raised by bakers up and down the country for The Children's Trust, a charity that provides care for children all over the country. This is your chance to get baking and try to make your own Doughnut recipes!)
  • Week 5: Get Moving! (Themed day/week 18th - 22nd: Walk to School Week. Whilst we can't all walk to school this year, perhaps you can find a way of making sure that you walk somewhere (even if it's just around a garden or something).

Key Worker Children - After Easter, the key worker children who are still coming into school each day, will carry on coming in to school but won't be taught at Brookfield. These children will attend Cheam Park Farm (Kingston Site), where we have decided to form a 'hub' to ensure we are adhering to social distancing whilst still able to keep up their education. Lessons will resume as usual, with a lessons in maths, reading and writing in the mornings, and an exciting 'topic theme' lesson in the afternoons. Their lessons will follow the same format as those accessed on our Distance Learning website so keep using these great resources that the teachers have set up daily for the children.

3. Online, Chrome Books & Google Hangouts.....

Google Hangout - This week we arranged a special treat for Year 4 and 6 where they took part in a Google Hangout to video conference their friends and teachers. The children were very excited to see their friends via video link and the teachers were happy to listen to how well the children were getting on with their home learning. Other year groups will be in touch to let you know when they will be hosting theirs in due course. An email will be sent out to parents/carers with this information so do look out for it.


Reminders about home learning - The teachers are really impressed with the effort that is going into establishing a routine to access and complete Distance Learning from our Distance Learning website. There are many children children completing all 4 activities set for them. We urge that parents please encourage their children to 'have a go' at all of the activities each day to maintain a routine and to keep up their skills and knowledge for their year group.

Please tweet any amazing work you are proud of @BrookfieldSM3 and tag #DistanceLearning and @LEOacademies.


Online Safety - The UK Safer Internet Centre are hosting a Summer Challenge. You can download the Family Summer Challenge chart here. If you want to share your family fun, please post and share with us on social media (@UK_SIC) using #FamilySummerChallenge and let us know how it’s going. Don't forget to tag @BrookfieldSM3.

4. Keeping Active and Time Away from Screens

Fitness - With school closures, we have had to work creatively to keep Brookfield open for our key worker children. They have enjoyed starting off each day with a healthy work out from Joe Wicks (follow him on Twitter @thebodycoach).

If you would like to take part in Joe's daily workout at 9am, click here.

Go Noodle - Here is another great fitness website aimed at entertaining and keeping our little ones active during lock down. Click here for a link.

Cosmic Kids Yoga - Follow this Youtube channel to keep fit with the calm vibes of yoga.

Time away from screens - it's really important that we have time away from our screens so please dedicate some of your day to exercise, reading, drawing and writing in a journal, diary or book.

5. Regular Reading

Read everyday please - Whilst there has been some disruption to your child's school routine, we urge you to please continue reading with your child everyday. In addition to setting aside some time to read alone, it is valuable that children listen to stories too. There is a wealth of stories available for free online, which we'll share with you over the coming weeks.

EPIC free reading resource - Epic is a wonderful App which the teachers will be sending you more information about in the coming weeks. By now, every child should have received their EPIC log on code. Please check that your child has access to this wonderful resource while school is closed and they have restricted access to books.

LEO Staff Book Reading - Thank you to the LEO staff who have recorded some live reading of their favourite stories. Watch and listen to them here.....

6. Initiatives, Celebrations and Certificates

We have been enjoying seeing all of the work that the children have been sending in and are really proud of the effort that they are putting into their home learning during this difficult time. Below are just some of the examples of things we have been sent.

Well done to all the Brookfield Primary pupils and their families. Keep up the good work!

Billy is bust working at home on his Nursery home learning - what an amazing smile!

Well done Billy!

Eva has been busy on a number hunt around her house - what fantastic number writing and sorting!

Well done Eva!

Mia in Year 1 has been practising her \ie\ blend and applying this in words. She has also been busy in the garden with chalk.

Well done Mia!

The Year 1 children were asked to watch the story of Jesus coming back to life and then re-create using flour, sand and glitter.

This is Barnado's image - truly beautiful!

Well done Barnado!

Christopher has been researching and creating a project on space - I love how you've made this 3D.

Well done Christopher!

Sheridan in Year 4 create a superb poster all about fire safety. She explained that we shouldn't leave our devices plugged in overnight or it could cause a fire.

Well done Sheridan!

Gulranga has been completing her math's, SPAG and writing activities. She had a really good time completing her work and has approached all of her work with a positive attitude.

Well done Gulranga!

7. Safeguarding Children

It seems timely to remind all parents that we consider Brookfield a safe place for children. All staff have attended child protection training. This training is updated yearly. The designated staff for child protection are Ms Wright (Principal), Miss Mander (Vice Principal on maternity leave from 9th December 2019), Mrs Meryick (Vice Principal), Miss Pearson (Year 5/6 Lead from 9th December 2019 and SENDCo) and Mrs McCandless (EYFS Lead and Acting Vice Principal from 9th December 2019). If a disclosure is made by a child, if a mark is noted on a child or if another adult makes an allegation regarding a child protection issue, it will be dealt with by one of us. It will also be discussed with the parent of the child. It will be reported as necessary to Children’s services, following advice and a risk assessment. All incidents are recorded and securely stored.

0300 123 3393

0800 169 6565

0345 1202918

8. Upcoming events...

Whilst we naturally now have far less dates in the calendar now, we would like to share a few dates of upcoming events where we would like pupils and their families to join in with from home. Please see details below:

April

  • Friday 3rd: Spectrum of Colour. To celebrate the end of Autism Awareness Week, we would like all staff and children to join in by wearing a range of brightly coloured clothing. Please share pictures of your children on Twitter or via email and your teachers will do the same!


  • Thursday 23rd: St. George's Day. To celebrate St. George's Day, we would like all staff and children to join us by wearing red and white. Please share pictures of your children on Twitter or via email and your teachers will do the same!


May

  • Friday 1st: May Day. The first day of May (known as May Day) is a day that has been celebrated for over 2000 years and is a day when people celebrate the coming of Summer. Traditional celebrations include Morris Dancing and dancing around the Maypole. Perhaps you could learn and perform one of these dances? Please share any videos with us.....
  • Friday 8th: VE Day. Friday 8th May is a Bank Holiday this year, to commemorate 75 years since the end of the Second World War. We invite staff and pupils to share via Twitter and email how they are celebrating this momentous occasion. Is it too soon to be thinking of our own modern VE Day......fingers crossed!!!!
  • 9th - 16th: National Doughnut Week. Calling all bakers to join in the fun........during National Doughnut Week money is raised by bakers up and down the country for The Children's Trust, a national charity that provides care for children all over the country. This is your chance to get baking and try to make your own Doughnut recipes. Don't forget to share some pics with us!
  • 18th - 22nd: Walk to School Week. Whilst we can't all walk to school this year, perhaps you can find a way of making sure that you walk somewhere (even if it's just around a garden or something) every morning this week before you start your work. Let us know your creative ways of "walking to school".


June

  • Friday 5th: World Environment Day. World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. We would like you to create a poster today to show how you think we can protect our environment and then share it via Twitter or email.


  • Monday 8th: World Oceans Day. A global celebration of the planet's marine environment. Throughout this week can you create a project about different ocean life around the world? Please share via Twitter or email.


  • 15th - 19th: My Money Week. My Money Week is a national activity week for primary and secondary schools that provides a fantastic opportunity for young people to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence in money matters to thrive in society. Please share photos throughout this week of your children setting up shops, pricing up their dinner, looking at old money - in fact, anything money related!


  • 24th: Wrong Trousers Day. Inspired by Wallace and Gromit, Wrong Trousers Day is all about having the right to wear wrong trousers to help children's hospices and hospitals across the country. We would love to see photos of you all in your "wrong trousers" please!

Happy Easter - Despite all that is going on around us, we hope you have a relaxing Easter break and make the most of this precious time we have with the people we live with. It's okay to take time away from Distance Learning (but feel free to continue learning if you wish!). Enjoy spending time with the people you share your home with. Play board games, laugh, relax, cook delicious meals, paint, draw, read, catch up with friends and family on the internet and be safe.

Distance Learning and teaching for Key-worker children at Cheam Park Farm will resume on Monday 20th April. Have an enjoyable break........

Best wishes,

Mrs Meyrick, Ms Pearson and Brookfield staff