Hello everyone,

 

We’re at the end of our first week. I hope you’re all continuing to keep well and not finding the Home Learning too stressful-yet! As a staff, we’re all still well, thankfully, and keeping safe. These are very strange and challenging times for us. I’m sure some of the children are finding this difficult as most need the daily routines and structure of school. Parents, you too have been thrown in the deep end with home learning.

 

P6, those considering AQE, we would have been starting our tests this week. Please keep trying to get as many of the practice papers done as you can, balancing this between the Revision activities on the website and practice at completing papers, aiming to reduce the time given as you go along.

 

As we come to the weekend, make sure to take a break. As these days all roll into one, we must keep perspective of weekends and take time to have a break from learning - pupils and parents. Try, whilst keeping within our current restrictions, to do something a little different as a family this weekend, even in a safe area of your local park as your daily exercise, to give the children in your immediate home, a break and some fresh air.

 

Please, be careful that the time spent in front of screens and play-stations does not rocket! Set a daily limit on this.

 

At the minute, it’s probably a bit of a novelty doing the Home Learning for pupils, but it will be challenging for many as times goes on.  For those pupils who attend Victoria, she should already have been in contact with you this week and will continue to do so. If others begin to find days ahead difficult, contact us, as we have other outlets that we can refer you to, to try and support you and our children through this.

 

Next Friday is the start of the Easter holiday fortnight. Please take a break for these two weeks and enjoy the holiday period as much as you can. It’s certainly not the Easter we were looking forward to.

 

My staff will not be sending work for these two weeks. They will however, work on a day or two, again, as we’d planned, to prepare ahead and have the next week of work ready to be uploaded for Monday 20^th April, what should have been our return to school date. This is your return to Home Learning date.

 

I’ve really enjoyed seeing your photos of your activities at home this week. Keep them coming! They really do cheer us up and the staff miss the one to one contact with the children too. Most of us are in the same boat as you, at home, struggling to keep children in, learning and occupied, so we know how stressful this is.

 

As we seem to be approaching a time where this virus may increase rapidly, I hope you continue to keep safe and well. Keep up all of the communication with us, and with friends and family that you can.

 

Take care,

Andrea Gourley.