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Letter to Parents from Mrs McBeth

Fri 27 Mar 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

I would like to begin by thanking you for your ongoing support throughout the last week. This is a worrying and challenging time for everyone and I know as a school community we will continue to support one another.

School continues to be open for children of Key Workers and other identified children. We will also continue to be open during the Easter Holidays.

I hope you have found the information on the website and App helpful. Remember if you haven’t already done so download My School App from your App Store.

The staff and myself appreciate the challenges you are currently facing and would like to try and provide support. From Monday there will be a weekly timetable for each year group in the Distance Learning Section of the Website and on My School App. However, can I add this is purely to support your day to day activities. Over the coming weeks due to the unprecedented situation you may see more meltdowns and tantrums from your child, whether this is due to anxiety, anger or frustration- this is normal and expected in these circumstances. Remember just as we are, the children will be frightened and uncertain about what is happening. This may mean to support them and yourself it is better to simply veer away from your daily schedule, instead take part in activities such as drawing, playing games, watching a movie or simply doing nothing. Please remember at the end of all this the mental health of both yourselves and your child is the most important thing. This is far more important than their
academic skills. We will concentrate upon that when everything is back to normal.
Don’t forget to look at our how to support home learning advice on the website.

We are also still providing daily packed lunches for children in receipt of Free School Meals. It is hoped that very soon the Local Authority will be moving to a national voucher scheme. I will obviously keep you informed with any developments.

I really hope I do see you all soon, but in the meantime take care and remember that we are still open and here to help.

Take Care,
Mrs McBeth

Letter to Children from Mrs McBeth

Fri 27 Mar 2020

To the children of Jarrow Cross,

The school is so quiet without you all, there is hardly anyone making a noise in the
corridors or laughing in the yards. The teachers and myself are missing you so much.

You will know a lot about what is going on at the moment and may be frightened and
anxious, but remember lots of people are working very hard to make sure things go back to normal as quickly as possible.

We hope that you are having fun at home as well as completing the tasks and activities the teachers have set for you. Use this time wisely to play games with your parents and brothers and sisters (please try not to fight over who wins!) be kind to everyone especially your parents as remember this is a very strange and uncertain time for them too.

We really really hope to see you all soon, but in the meantime take care, have fun and
most importantly stay safe.

Missing you all, take care,

Mrs McBeth and everyone at Jarrow Cross

Chester Zoo Live!

Fri 27 Mar 2020

Join Chester Zoo, live on Facebook to watch animals being fed: https://www.facebook.com/chesterzoo1 . Any that you have missed already (pandas, giraffes and elephants), the videos are available on their news feed.

Timings:
1PM: Butterflies
2PM: Sun bears
2:30PM: Tigers
2:45PM: Penguins
4PM: Aquarium

How to support home learning

Thu 26 Mar 2020

How to support home learning

Follow this guidance to create a positive learning environment at home

Be realistic about what you can do

You're not expected to become teachers and your children aren't expected to learn as they do in school. Simply providing your children with some structure at home will help them to adapt. Use the tips below to help you make this work for your household
Experiment in the first week, then take stock. What's working and what isn't? Ask your children, involve them too
Share the load if there are 2 parents at home. Split the day into 2-3 hour slots and take turns so you can do your own work
Take care of your own health and wellbeing. This will be new for your entire household, so give it time to settle. Take a look at the links at the end of this factsheet for some advice on mental health and wellbeing.

Keep to a timetable wherever possible

Create and stick to a routine if you can. This is what children are used to. For example, eat breakfast at the same time and make sure they're dressed before starting the ‘school’ day – avoid staying in pyjamas!
Involve your children in setting the timetable where possible. It’s a great opportunity for them to manage their own time better and it’ll give them ownership
Check in with your children and try to keep to the timetable, but be flexible. If a task/activity is going well or they want more time, let it extend where possible
If you have more than 1 child at home, consider combining their timetables. For example, they might exercise and do maths together – see what works for your household
Designate a working space if possible, and at the end of the day have a clear cut-off to signal school time is over
Stick the timetable up on the wall so everyone knows what they should be doing when, and tick activities off throughout the day
Distinguish between weekdays and weekends, to separate school life and home life

Make time for exercise and breaks throughout the day

Start each morning with a PE lesson at 9am with Joe Wicks
If you have a garden, use it regularly. If you don’t, try to get out once a day as permitted by the government (households can be together outdoors but 2 metres apart from others)
Get your children to write in a diary what they did each day – this can be a clear sign that the ‘school’ day has ended

Other activities to keep children engaged throughout the day

Where you have more freedom in the timetable, make time for other activities. Add some creative time or watch a dance video from Go Noodle to get the heart-rate going
Get your children to write postcards to their grandparents or to pen pals
Ask grandparents to listen to your children read on FaceTime (or ask grandparents to read to younger children)
Give them chores to do so they feel more responsible about the daily routine at home
Ask them to help you cook and bake
Accept that they'll probably watch more TV/spend time on their phone – that's ok but you might want to set/agree some screen time limits

Examples of home-learning timetables

Five Minute Mum has a timetable including lots of activities for younger children

Children write notes to keyworkers

Tue 24 Mar 2020

The children here at Jarrow Cross Primary School make us so proud!

They have spent their time writing messages to key workers to show how thankful they are. We have attached just some of the kind messages below. How kind!

Latest Information - School Closure

Mon 23 Mar 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

I am writing to you to ensure that you know Jarrow Cross’ position on school closures.

The Government now instructs that the child care that schools provide from Monday should be a last resort as children are safer to remain at home.

The guidance the Government released yesterday contains the following expectations:

“The most recent scientific advice on how to further limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear. If children can stay safely at home, they SHOULD, to limit the chance of the virus spreading."

That is why the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.

The fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.

Schools, and all childcare providers, are therefore being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children - children who are vulnerable, and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.

Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.

If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.

Please note

● Schools are not providing education, they are providing child care
● Children should only come into school if parents have absolutely no other option
● Children should not come in because they or parents would prefer it to staying at home
● Children should not come in because they want to be with their friends
● Children should not come in because they will get bored at home
● Children will not be taught when they are in.

I want to ensure that we are able to provide a safe environment for the children of Key Workers who have no other option but to rely on the school provision. Please note there is no requirement for these children to attend school each day. Their attendance can be worked around parents shift patterns rotas etc.

As well as this, I must ensure I fulfil my duty of care to the available staff.

I am concerned that, due to misleading information in the media, more children than absolutely necessary will be in schools, putting the health of other children and school staff at unnecessary risk.

In a nutshell, we should not have any child in school unless absolutely necessary.

The government slogan is
Stay at home
Protect the NHS
Save lives

As Boris Johnson said on Saturday,
“The numbers of deaths are stark, and accelerating. As a country we are dealing with unprecedented challenges for the NHS”

Today, he said.
‘‘The time has come to shield the vulnerable. We must all make sacrifices’’

"The reason we are taking these unprecedented steps... is of course that we want to save thousands of lives.’’

At Jarrow Cross we want to protect the NHS and we want to save lives. I am pleading with you, if you can, please stay at home.

This unprecedented situation will pass; we can do something now to reduce suffering in our school, our families and our wider community.

I have no doubt that as a community we will continue to support each other throughout this challenging time.

Thank you

Mrs McBeth

Y4/5 Cooking Dancing Challenge

Fri 20 Mar 2020

Year 4/5 have danced along to the cooking dance challenge and here is the link: https://youtu.be/3MS6I708VlI

Key Worker List

Fri 20 Mar 2020

Please use the following link to identify if you are a Key Worker. If so, please contact school ASAP.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on

Children make postcards for care homes in South Tyneside

Thu 19 Mar 2020

World Book Day!

Thu 05 Mar 2020

What great fun we have had on World Book Day! All of the children looked amazing in their pyjamas and costumes.

A big thank you to all of the parents/carers who attended our workshop. We hope you enjoyed listening to the story and decorating your potato!

We have had great fun in class too - drawing in the style of illustrators, watching Puffin World of Stories: Story Maker Show, spending time reading and taking part in a quiz, amongst other fun things!