Week 26 - Friday 27th March 2020

Welcome to our newsletter for week 26 of the school year. We are keen to support parents and pupils as much as we can during our closure period so please do keep in touch with us as much as you can. We would love to hear from parents and children about how you are finding home learning, what activities you have been taking part in and please share any artwork or music with us.

You can share these via ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk, our Twitter page @oldcastleschool, or our You Tube site 'Oldcastle Primary School'.

We are keen to keep communication channels open and we are sure that your children will love to hear / see what other children are getting up to.

We have received some lovely feedback from parents and children and these are always passed onto staff. Thank you.

Don't forget to look at our website too www.oldcastleprimary.co.uk

Weekly Assembly

During our closure period, Mr Thompson or Mrs Littlewood plan to send a message to pupils on Friday and hold a weekly assembly as we would in school. The videos are uploaded to our website and can be viewed here. Weekly Assembly

Message to parents

Thank you for all the positive feedback regarding the work and activities staff are supplying and uploading to Google Classroom. As a school, we will continue to provide work during these very difficult times.

We appreciate trying to navigate Google Classroom and access the activities can be daunting. Staff will endeavour to make this as structured and accessible as possible. We are taking on board your feedback and comments and we will continue to adjust accordingly.

We also understand the pressure of trying to educate your children at home, especially when you have more than one child, you are working from home yourself or you are a key worker. Therefore, we would like to emphasise that the work provided is there for you to access at your own pace as a family. Teachers have provided timetables and deadlines but these are guidelines only and there is no expectation for parents to stick to them. This has to be a good experience for your child/children so find a working pattern that works for you. Children completing tasks little and often is the best way to keep them engaged. Reading books, doing PE with Joe Wicks, playing in the garden and keeping in touch with friends through Facetime or Skype are also very important.

Where possible work submitted will be marked by the class teachers, please appreciate that this will not be the detailed marking they would have if the children were in school, but it is important that recognition and feedback are provided when necessary.

If you have not yet accessed Google Classroom and would like some assistance please let us know.

We will continue to keep in touch with all our community through our regular communication channels and please use our dedicated email ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk if you have any questions. Our website is regularly updated with additional fun learning resources so please take a look around the new section via the link on the Home Page.

These are unprecedented times and we will continue to offer and provide support throughout.

Google Classroom Update

Here's just a little idea of what has been happening through Google Classroom this week....

Nursery children have been fortunate to see Miss Hughes read them 'A Squash and a Squeeze' through a link to Flipgrid videos. We know it is important for our younger children to have this contact with their teacher. Please do look for the link in the Nursery Classroom if you haven't seen it yet.

Reception children have also been able to view a video of Miss Williams talking through phonics sounds. There are also lots of links to the songs that reception children like to sing in school. A particular favourite is Heno Heno and here is a clip of Miss Walters class singing this in school last week. Heno Heno Link

Year 1 have been interacting with their teachers using Flipgrid. This allows teachers to share videos with children and also enables parents to add videos of their child doing activities at home. This is a great way to stay in touch but please note that all users of the class code will be able to see your video. The link to Flipgrid is included in the Year 1 Classroom.

Year 2 teachers asked their children to let them know what they have been doing at home. THANK YOU for all the lovely photos and messages - you all look like you have been very busy! We hope you are making lots of fun memories at home with your families. Children have also managed to do the school work assigned through Google Classroom.

Year 3 have also been letting their teachers know what they have been up to by uploading the information to Google Slides. There are a range of resources and school work included in the year 3 classroom including learning about primary and secondary colours, spellings and reading material.

Year 4 have created a Flipgrid video to allow children to ask their teacher any questions they may have. Its great to see that teachers and children can still communicate and resolve issues with school work even if we aren't in school. Year 4 have also been encouraging to log into the Flipgrid 'Show and Tell' video to tell their teachers what they have been doing whilst at home. Times tables, sentence structure and topic work are also included in the Classroom.

Year 5 - Miss James has assigned her class a link to a Flipgrid video that allows the children to let her know what they have been doing during the week. Miss Jones has been asking her class to record a short video explaining how to calculate the mean, mode, median and range of a set of data. It's important at these strange times for children to be able to communicate with their teacher so please encourage your child to complete a short video. School work has been assigned o children in year 5 and they should log into the classroom, complete the work and ensure they 'hand in' the work online.

Year 6 have been continuing to use Google Classroom in the normal way in which they would in school. Teachers have provided numeracy, literacy and topic tasks for children to complete. Children are also encouraged to complete a guided reading activity. All homework for year 6 children should be handed in via Google Classroom by 3pm on a Friday.

Google Classroom

If you or your child has not yet managed to log into their google Classroom please follow the instructions sent to parents via email. If you have not received the email please let us know via ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk. Google Classrooms is available for children in all year groups and will allow children to view school work. If you have not received an email or have difficulty accessing the classroom please email us on ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk

To log onto Google Classroom you do not need a Chromebook simply type 'Google Classroom' into an internet search engine and log in via the instructions sent by email.

Home Learning Resources

Our website has been updated to include a range of resources that parents might find useful to keep children entertained. There are a range of activities from phonics sounds for nursery children, to daily videos from Steve Backshall, to Dance sessions with Oti Mabuse! If you come across any additional resources or activity sessions on the internet please let us know via ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk and we will share them on our website for other parents to enjoy.

Emergency Child Care for Key Workers

Bridgend County Borough Council have updated their website with additional information regarding key worker child care. Please see below:

Due to the amazing generosity of staff volunteering their time, we are able to offer a limited amount of childcare:

• ​over this coming weekend (ie on Saturday 28 March and Sunday 29 March);
• during the school week starting Monday 30 March; and
• and over the Easter break (ie between Saturday 4 April to Sunday 19 April inclusive)

It is essential that any parent who is eligible for emergency childcare in Bridgend applies for this provision, even if you have previously made an application. Parents currently in receipt of emergency childcare must reapply for places for the period Saturday 28 March through to Sunday 19 April inclusive.

Please contact Bridgend County Borough Council for more information. Click here Emergency Child Care for Key Workers

Thank You

Some of our staff have been helping man our Hub school at Coety Primary School this week which is providing child care facilities for our Key Workers.

All of our staff are working hard to ensure that children are providing with the best opportunities during this time through the development of the Google Classrooms.

Thank you to all of our amazing Team Oldcastle staff.

Music

Our key stage 2 children sang a lovely rendition of Calan Lan in school last week. We have some very tuneful children. Calan Lan

Who doesn't love a bit of 'Spring Chicken'

If you haven't seen our staff You Tube video showing Oldcastle staff smiling through uncertain times please take a look via this link!!! Can't Stop Oldcastle

Additional Resources

Bridgend County Borough Council - Latest Coronavirus Advice

Wellbeing Support from BCBC Educational Psychology Service

Public Health Wales - Latest Guidance