Dear Parents
Happy New Year!
We are not where we thought we would be when planning our return this term. I wanted to start off by expressing my pride in and gratitude to my staff for the sterling job they have done in turning round the start of term in 24 hours. Our online remote learning programme from last year is now up and running again with bells and whistles this time around. We aim to cover the breadth of the curriculum and give the children a balanced day. The academic programme is rigorous, well-focused and engaging and the pupils have responded so very well in these first few days. Physical activity is a priority and we hope you will encourage your children to get outdoors, soak up some Vitamin D and fresh air. Their emotional wellbeing is also a key focus for us and we are keen to ensure your children do not suffer in any way during this enforced closure. Some parents have asked what they can do to support their child’s learning. The simple answer is to be encouraging, positive and interested. We hope the children will continue to be as engaged as they have been, but if your child is struggling a bit one day, go with it; encourage them but don’t stress about things. Let their teacher(s) know if there is a problem, but missing the odd activity or session isn’t the end of the world.
It was good to see so many faces on the various Zoom calls today. Your wholly positive feedback is great to receive and I have passed this on to the staff who are beavering away. Thank you; it means a great deal to us to know we are appreciated.
We are keen to tweak and improve our offering as we go ahead and we will be gathering feedback from meetings and lessons to help us refine the experience for the children and yourselves.
On Monday 11 January at 10.30am, there will be an IT-Support Drop-In Session via Zoom for any parents wishing to ask questions about the various platforms we operate. We will send you an email with joining instructions.
If there are any pastoral matters you have, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher or tutor and, likewise, they will keep in touch with you generally and specifically if there are any problems.
Wishing you a lovely weekend with your families.
Alexander Mitchell
Headmaster