Dear Parent/Carer,
Well done to the students working very well at home at the moment under challenging circumstances. It is not easy to stay focused all day long without your teacher next to you and additionally it is a strain to be looking at a computer screen so much. Also please can I extend my thanks and congratulations to all parents who are coping with remote learning; as a parent of 2 secondary school children myself, I understand how challenging it can be to keep on top of them and their work! We are not certain of the return date to school at the moment but we have our fingers crossed for 8th March. As soon as I have certainty over this I will write to you again.
We are nearing the end of this half term and it has been a difficult one. The dark mornings, dark evenings and bad weather mean that we are not necessarily getting the sunshine and fresh air that kept us going through the first lockdown and without being able to go out or socialise in any way at the weekend, it makes the working week even more difficult. I am very concerned about the amount of time we have to necessarily spend in front of a computer screen at the moment and its impact on the mental health and wellbeing of our community and so next week we are going to have Tuesday Turn Off.
On Tuesday, years 7 – 9 will have activities set in place of their usual timetable of lessons which do not involve being in front of a computer screen. The students will be given a menu of activities to choose from ahead of the day so that there is no reason at all to log on to their screen in the morning. The students must report back on what they did and show their work during the tutor sessions later in the same week. The activities will take the same number of learning hours as their usual lessons and I hope that your child will involve you in showing you what they have done on the day.
Years 10 and 11 will have their usual timetable of lessons on Tuesday P1 -3 but at lunchtime will be asked to switch off their computer and complete an activity in the afternoon which is not screen-based. The compulsory activities will also be sent out to these Key Stage 4 students ahead of the day. Again, I hope your child shares with you the activities they undertake, please do ask them about it.
Please can I also remind you that Monday 22nd February is a Non-Pupil Day.
Thank you very much for completing the Remote Learning Fortnightly Survey that I have sent out and please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any concerns at all.
Keep going parents, you’re doing a great job.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Finch
Headteacher
