Week four of home schooling and things are full on for our students and staff; five hours on screen each day certainly is tough going. This is why we decided to have a “pause the button” day today. The aim is a welcome break from screens where possible. We are encouraging our students and staff to use the time to catch their breath, do some remote filing, tie up loose ends, finish work and check in on friends and colleagues. Lessons will resume on Thursday, refreshed from our on-line mini break.
As we are talking about wellbeing, lockdowns are so tough for teenagers – they have lost some independence and miss their peers. Teenagers, in normal times talk more to their peers than to their parents and siblings. Lisa Demour, an educational psychologist and mother of two daughters, has presented and written extensively about teenage girls. She gives some tips on how to support teenagers through role modelling in this short UNICEF clip
Our practical tips to help you as parents support your tweens and teens would be:
Social support
- Eat at least one meal together as a family a day
- Encourage your daughter to fix up a Zoom/TEAMS social with her peers….and maybe to invite a couple of quieter girls from their form. The girls could play ‘Among Us’ or GeoGuessr…they played this a lot at lunchtime in the marquées.
- Encourage your daughter to meet up with one friend for a socially distanced walk in the park or to chat on the doorstep.
Happy Distractions
The snow was a lovely distraction this weekend….
- Regular movie night with the family – with treats!
- Watch a Netflix series/box set over a couple of weeks
- Call up family members
- Bake
- Plan, shop for and cook a family meal
- Run a family “Come dine with me” competition – siblings v parents
- Go through old photos
- Host a games afternoon/night using games from their younger years that might be stored away
Taking care of your body
- Exercise – go with your tweens and teens to start with…running/roller skating/scootering/cycling/walking, why not record your progress on Strava?
- Have a pamper evening –your daughters could do this over Zoom……face masks, jade rolling, face creams etc
- Smoothie making
Other updates for you:
Year 7 parents’ evening
Tomorrow evening from 4pm via Parentcloud, we look forward to meeting you along with your daughter, to discuss her progress. Year 9 parents’ evening will be next Thursday.
Year 11 PPEs
Due to the national lockdown in January, we had to postpone the PPEs until after February half term. Given now the uncertainty of re-opening of schools for all students after half term, we think it best to delay the PPEs once again. The new dates will be 8th – 24th March. Mrs Connor, Head of Year 11, will write to Year 11 parents and students separately with more information and timetables.
Year 13 PPEs
We have also delayed the Year 13 PPEs and these will now run from 22nd – 26th March. Similarly, Mrs Bellis and Miss Ward will be in touch with parents and students with more information and timetables shortly.
Year 10 POR PPE
The POR PPE has been postponed to 25th March.
Review grades for 11 and 13
The planned January/February review grades for Year 11 and 13 are where we share PPE exam results. As these were delayed, so too were the review grades. However, as we will now likely have further delay on a return to school, we have decided to send out reviews after all, albeit a slightly different format to give parents an overview of work being completed over lockdown and areas for improvement. This will help students to focus on what they need to do to prepare thoroughly for their PPEs when we are able to hold them.
Parents’ survey
Following on from our email earlier this week about updating our Mission Statement for the school, please see below the link for a survey for you to complete to help us generate ideas to keep it fresh
Please can you complete the survey by Friday 29th January.
Parent/Guardian Survey – January 2021
We will be in touch again next week with more updates
Best wishes
Anne Kennedy and Katie Pearce
Co-Headteachers