Hello all,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our parents/carers for the work going on at home. I am fully aware of the time taken and the impact this is having at times, on family life. I want to reassure you that it is your parental choice and judgement to engage with the home learning, the frequency and amount. We naturally encourage the children to participate but also balance this with the reality of home schooling.
The work put on Seesaw is age appropriate; the Government has been very precise with schools this time that children at home and in school continue to follow their curriculum, wherever possible. Therefore, what the children are being asked to do is appropriate. However, I fully understand that school and home is very different; teachers and parents are very different; expectations are very different. I truly believe that parents have been put under a lot of stress and are in an almost impossible position, as have teachers, but we do what we can for the children.
I have had some conversations over the past few weeks with parent/carers and ultimately, as a parent, you know your child’s limitations; you know when they need a break from school, and that is absolutely fine. Some children are completing 1 activity a day; others complete them all. Again, this is parental choice. With March 8th as a preliminary date there are still a few weeks to go of remote learning. As in September, on the children’s return to us, following the March 2020 lockdown the staff adjusted the curriculum and this will again be done when school reopens.
We are all aware of the limits on our children’s lives at the moment and the impact this can have on their mental wellbeing. Working in front of a screen is only one element of this, further added to the fact that their free time can be in front of a screen also. From next week our remote learning will include activities that can support their mental health with an added bonus of a day that is totally screen time free. The children can enjoy ‘off curriculum’ activities that hopefully will add further variety and fun to their (and your) day. Your child’s teacher will share more with you this week including a grid of activities you could choose from but this is entirely your parental choice and you may chose to spend the day doing something completely different.
Best wishes
Miss Marshall