January 2021 Lockdown – Newsletter No2.

Dear Parents/Carers,

      We hope that you are all getting on as best as you can during these very testing times. Fortunately, the school took the decision to close on Monday and so we are currently offering remote learning via Google Classrooms (please see the first newsletter from Monday 4^th for more details). Foundation Stage are providing work packs which have been, and still are, available for collection from school (contact the office for details). Government delay has meant that some schools are still shut to all pupils, as I know from personal experience.

      The google classroom system allows teachers to provide support for pupils, mark their work and give feedback. Please ensure that your child (Years 1 – 6) takes part in the daily lessons. If you have difficulties, please contact the class teacher via google classroom or call the school office. Teachers will be actively on line for contact/marking/planning/feedback etc. from 9.00 – 3.00pm each day. An outline of the offer is in the first newsletter.

      The school is currently open to Vulnerable and Key Worker children and so staff are part of a Teaching Rota. This will involve all teachers teaching for two days, in class, for c.2 days in each 10 days. During this contact time they will not be able to be online with their class for google classroom work. The lessons for classes will still be provided however. Other year group teachers, or support staff, should be available to provide support and feed back to the class at this point, but clearly teachers cannot carry out both activities.

      There are a variety of other teaching/lesson resources available via the internet:

• Online video lessons are available (these were put in place during the first lockdown) via National Oak.

              https://www.thenational.academy/

• These may be of interest to parents, but they do not necessarily match the curriculum at              Coleman, and obviously work cannot be marked or feedback given to children, but they are an interesting resource. They could provide a change or extension for some children.

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• The BBC is currently setting up a range of support to help children during the lockdown. Details are available in the link to a Newsround page below:

               https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/55552432

               And an article from the BBC media centre below:

               https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2020/bbc-launches-biggest-education-offer-ever

• Resources already on BBC Bitesize can be accessed via:

               https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/dailylessons

• Other BBC teaching resources are available here:

                https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach

The first newsletter said that school would consider the lockdown position on 18^th January, but it now appears the lockdown will last longer than this. It may last until the end of the February half term break. As soon as we know what the government plans for reopening are we will share these with parents and carers. We hope and expect to be able to reopen for children at the earliest possible chance.

In the meantime, please help your child/ren to do the work we are providing remotely (contact the class teacher/school office if you experience difficulties) stay safe and take care of yourselves.

Yours Sincerely

N.Bruen.