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A letter to our parents

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Dear Parents

You might be inclined to create a minute by minute schedule for your children. You have high hopes of hours of learning, including online activities, science experiments, and book reports. You’ll limit technology until everything is done! But here’s the thing…

Our children are just as scared as we are right now. Our children not only can hear everything that is going on around them, but they feel our constant tension and anxiety. They have never experienced anything like this before. Although the idea of being off of school for 4 weeks sounds awesome, they are probably picturing a fun time like the summer holidays, not the reality of being trapped at home and not seeing their friends.

Over the coming weeks, you will see an increase in behaviour issues with your children. Whether it’s anxiety, or anger, or protest that they can’t do things normally – it will happen. You’ll see more meltdowns, tantrums, and oppositional behaviour in the coming weeks. This is normal and expected under these circumstances.

What children need right now is to feel comforted and loved. To feel like it’s all going to be ok. And that might mean that you tear up your perfect schedule and spend quality time with your children a bit more. Play outside and go on walks. Bake cookies and paint pictures. Play board games and watch movies. Do a science experiment together or find virtual field trips of the zoo. Start a book and read together as a family. Snuggle under warm blankets and do nothing.

Don’t worry about them dropping back in school. Every single child is in this boat and they all will be ok. When we are back in the classroom, we will meet them where they are. Teachers are experts at this! Don’t pick fights with your children because they don’t want to do maths. Don’t scream at your children for not following the schedule. Don’t set aside 2 hours of learning time if they are resisting it.

If I can leave you with one thing, it’s this: at the end of all of this, your children’s mental health will be more important than their academic skills. And how they felt during this time will stay with them long after the memory of what they did during those 4 weeks is long gone. So keep that in mind, every single day.

Stay safe. X

 

Prevent & wider safeguarding during COVID Crisis

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Prevent & wider safeguarding during COVID Crisis

With the prospect of schools across Wales remaining closed for a significant period of time, the likelihood of children spending a considerable amount of time researching, gaming or communicating online will increase. The priority for all parents and teachers is to keep children safe online, prevent harm and safeguard at all times. People may choose to exploit the most vulnerable within our communities because they understand during these challenging times children will be online more than usual. Please consider the following when you or your child is online;

Children should;

· Know who they are talking to

· Check if they can access material, play games

· Protect their online reputation

· Only open messages from sources they trust

· Do not give out personal information

· Do not share images, video of inappropriate material

· Speak to someone if they feel uncomfortable

· Understand not everything online is true

· Block and report people who are trolling

· Do not give into pressure

· Think before they post

· Keep safe online

Parents should;

· Monitor who their child is communicating with online

· Monitor the content and material accessed or downloaded

· Check content is appropriate

· Set boundaries and parental controls

· Discuss their online activity

· Manage / check privacy settings

· Know where to find help

Report concerns https://www.gov.uk/report-terrorism https://www.gwent.police.uk/en/advice/advice/t-z-terrorism-witness-of-crime/terrorism/prevent/ https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/en/advice-support/i-am-worried-about-terrorism-activity-radicalisation/i-am-worried-about-someone-being-radicalised/prevent-referral-form/ https://www.north-wales.police.uk/advice-and-support/stay-safe/combating-extremism https://www.south-wales.police.uk/en/

Message to our Pupils

RebeccaBarker 3 Comments

Dear Trallwn Pupils

I am writing to you as we have had to close school to prevent any further spread of coronavirus, as I talked to you about as something we may have to do in assembly last week.  Your parents and the people who care for you will be keeping you safe.

For most of you, Friday would have been the last day that you were in school for a long time.  When you come back, things will be different. It won’t be Spring any more, you will have grown taller, and you might even have lost a tooth!  You will probably be in the next year group.  For those of you in Year 6, we probably won’t have another school day with you.  This makes us feel sad, and we know you will be too.  None of us grown-ups have ever experienced anything like this, so it is as strange to us as it is for you.  We think about you every day, and we are all still able to be contacted by email, and if you really need us to help you with anything you can use the school text or the number I have given your parents to contact us.  If you are worried or upset or feel unsafe you must try to contact us or tell a grown up you trust.

You all have home learning to do, and we encourage you to continue with this every day.  We will be so proud of you all for continuing with your reading and writing, numeracy and IT skills. We will also be proud that you are helping to stop the spread of this virus by washing your hands properly. You can make the most of this by having fun too – play games with your families, do things outside in the garden, cook, bake, draw, make things, watch your favourite films together cuddled up on the sofa.  We will keep planning things for you, we still care about you, and will wonder how you are.

Some of you will come back to school tomorrow, but not many.  This is not because we don’t want you all back, but because some children will need to be looked after by us for their parents to go and work in jobs that are important for keeping everyone safe, such as nurses in the hospitals, firemen or teachers like us.  You will not be able to come to school tomorrow unless your parent or carer does this.

Remember that there is lots of good going on in the world right now too, such as communities helping each other, which is so important at a time like this.  We are saying goodbye for a little while, but think of this as a little adventure that we are all on together.  Be brave and take care everyone.  You’re the best pupils any headteacher and staff could wish for.

See you in a while.

From Mrs Barker and everyone at Trallwn Primary School xxx

SCHOOL CLOSURE INFO

RebeccaBarker Leave a comment

18th March 2020

 

18th March 2020
Dear Parents, Carers and members of our school community,
I have to firstly start this letter with a series of thank you’s:
• Thank to our teachers and TAs, who have put their own health (and possibly that of their families) to one side so that they can teach, nurture, support and care for your children.
• Thank you to our admin team, who have been bombarded with emails, calls and messages from anxious parents, suppliers etc. They have cancelled, rescheduled, prioritised and overseen everything behind the scenes.
• Thank you to our catering, cleaning and caretaking team, who have been extra vigilant, taking additional precautions.
• Thank you to our Chair of Governors and Governing Body, who have been supportive.
• Thank you to our parents / carers, who have heeded the advice regarding isolation and symptoms, or who have trusted their children in our care.
• MOST OF ALL….thank you to our wonderful pupils, who have been so sensible – you have kept us all going.
I have, of course, been monitoring the ever-changing situation and responding to advice from Central and Local Governments on an hourly and daily basis. I’ve been in constant contact with the Headteachers of our Cluster of schools, who like me, have been seriously concerned about these unprecedented times.
In light of the current situation I have made the decision to CLOSE TRALLWN PRIMARY SCHOOL ON FRIDAY 20TH MARCH ONWARDS. School will not reopen for pupils on Monday 23rd March and will remain closed until such time when the Covid-19 / Coronavirus improves. This will be until further notice. We will keep you updated via texts and website links, and our Twitter feed.
I have arrived at this decision reluctantly, as I want every pupil in school, every day. However, as my staff fall ill, need to self-isolate or to care for their own families, it becomes increasingly difficult to ensure safe pupil/teacher numbers. We have taken all necessary precautions so far, which has meant we have stayed open, but I feel I have to protect my workforce and safeguard our pupils. I am totally supportive of anyone’s decision to self-isolate, or to feel the need to prioritise their family. I too have vulnerable family members.
Since the very beginning of the outbreak, my staff have been working hard on learning packs and online learning materials to support home-learning, should we need to close. I cannot thank them enough. They have done this whilst also teaching the children who have been able to attend school. Please use this time productively to engage with the home-learning activities to minimise the disruption to children’s learning.

We have added a new section to our school website dedicated to distance learning – home learning (see link below)
https://trallwn-primary-school1.j2bloggy.com/distance-learning-learning-from-home/
All children have been provided with a distance learning pack (if they have attended) which contains all of their relevant login details to allow them to continue their education at home during this time.
Year 5 and 6 pupils will be expected to engage in learning opportunities via Hwb and Google Classroom where work will be set (see class pages on the school website for additional information).
Year 3 and 4 pupils will have work provided for them via Class Dojo, the website and J2E.
Foundation Phase classes will send updates via Class Dojo and the website.                                                       Bumblebees and Dragonflies Classes will send updates via Class Dojo and the website.

I urge you all to take care of yourselves and of each other. I am happy to offer you a contact number that you can use should you need advice or assistance in any way: 07955883445. This is a school mobile phone that should only be used if you feel you need help or assistance in any way that school might be able to help with, such as distance learning, safeguarding concerns or welfare matters such as isolation. Please be mindful to use it only if necessary.
I have never been more proud of our school community, or more grateful to be a part of it. Through the most challenging of times, we have demonstrated our ability to pull together. Thank you.
With best wishes to you all,

Rebecca Barker
Headteacher