Following today’s group call update to parents please find further updates here…
Scottish Government Updates – School Closure Extended
Following this week’s announcement that schools will remain closed until at least the middle of February, we will continue to provide online learning for all young people at home and those in school who are vulnerable learners or the children of key workers.
Thank you to all parents for continuing to review and communicate with the school in regards to their weekly access to the hub and for making extra considerations around daily needs – this is much appreciated and continues to ensure that we are working together to minimise unecessary contacts and reduce risks of transmissions as we follow national advice and see through what looks to be an increasingly challenging period.
We will continue to respond to ongoing or new enquiries but would continue to advice parents making an application for this keyworker provision should be considered an ‘essential only’ service and if parents are working from home then children should also remain at home (if in the care of a parent). Support for our vulnerable pupils will also continue as arranged.
All keyworker places are still subject to a vetting and review process through contact with employers (which continues to be on an ongoing basis).
We will await further information when this situation is reviewed and a further announcement is expected on 2 February from the First Minister. Providing the transmission rates have significantly lowered then it may be possible that schools can begin working towards a phased or blended return for children, however, any such developments will be subject to further national and local advice.
Class Online ‘Catch Ups’
As messaged earlier to day we are pleased to announce the trialling of pastoral/feedback class ‘catch ups’ using online conferencing. This is our first step into using our MyTeams platform and we hope (despite undoubted logistical and technical challenges) that this will be a positive experience for teaching staff and children to enjoy.
Please click below for the parent information letter (updated due to class names error!) and a pupil code of conduct guide to be used with the children whilst participating online.
Class Catch Up Information Letter to Parents
A draft timetable has been created (featured in the letter) but this will still be subject to some tweaking/further planning between classes in order to accommodate class or group time-slots to be offered. This will likely develop over time as we trial, review and test this approach.
‘Well-Being’ Wednesday
In consultations with teaching staff, it has been agreed that there will now be more of a focus on wellbeing activities to be delivered on a Wednesday. There are a number of reasons why this will work well;
- Teaching staff have been planning/contributing across stage partners to provide a variety of choice based activities (some of which will remain as Literacy and Numeracy based tasks) for children to select.
- Encouragement of more alternative kinds of learning which will not always rely on being on a computer or device and will consider the wider curriculum.
- Allowing protected time to ensure that health and wellbeing is not forgotten under the constant pressures of online learning that we are all experiencing.
- Allowing protected time for staff for further personal planning/development time beyond the expectations of delivering online learning (as still still have a weekly entitlement to non-contact time and professional development beyond the online learning delivery).
Activities and further information will be posted by class teachers on Google Classroom (either as a choice grid or a series of activities) and we hope that this will allow some flexibility for learning engagement at home, in the keyworker provision at school and improved professional development support on a Wednesday for our teaching staff.