Dear Parent and Carers

I hope that you saw the School Dojo page reminding you about this event. All you need is one hour to complete this survey. Do we need a better excuse to look out of the window? Click the link to find the resources page and see what you can find.

Read Mrs Underwood's update here.

The lockdown learning continues and the individual portfolios and Google Classroom files are bulging with some fine examples of home learning. I shared some quality pieces of writing in my assembly on Wednesday and look forward to many more opportunities to share and celebrate the efforts, both at home and at school.

Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place on 1–7 February 2021.
This year's theme is Express Yourself.
Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. It is about finding a way to show who you are, and how you see the world, that can help you feel good about yourself. The class teachers will be incorporating activities in this week's teaching.

On Friday 5th February please join us as we 'Dress to Express'. I look forward to hearing and seeing all the creative and fun ideas you have and I look forward to seeing the staff who will all be joining in too!

Wishing you all a safe and happy weekend
Thank you
Miss Chauhan

When we saw that there was a Virtual Balloon Race to get involved with we couldn’t say no! Thank you to everyone who has bought or gifted a balloon so far.  

We hope it will be a lot of fun! You can colour and customise your balloon, and watch it over the race (seven days). The balloon that travels furthest will win £500 cash or an iPad (EcoRacing prizes for all participants). FONTS are also organising some prizes for balloons bought in support of the school… details to follow.

Here are the details and a link to the FONTS race page.

Well done to the families at home who continue to support the learning. I have joined many live sessions during the week and I was very pleased to see so many smiley faces during the assembly on Friday. We have had excellent feedback on the quality of provision as the teachers juggle the many roles that the lockdown brings. Congratulations to the many pupils (and parents!) who are really putting in the extra effort and motivation – evident in all classes from the youngest children in Acorn Class right through to Y6 in Sycamore Class.

We are very proud of the way in which the children have quickly adapted to the new regime and are becoming more familiar with the work requirements. The engagement is good and we aim to maintain this level by carefully monitoring both the quality and the engagement, adapting to the requirements as time progresses.

Offering a daily structure is so very important when things are so unpredictable. Please do your best to complete the activities in the day, fitting in around your busy schedule and of course taking the best advantage of the sunshine when it appears.

Our regular weekly assembly has now moved to WEDNESDAY 11am. Please do join us if you can.

BT has provided a number of free Wi-Fi voucher codes available to distribute to pupils aged 16 or under who don’t currently have adequate access to the Internet at home. You can apply for free Wi-Fi voucher codes giving you access to Wi-Fi to support your home learning during lockdown. Simply call the school or send me a message directly.

We will distribute Wi-Fi voucher codes and provide the unique login details (Wi-Fi username and password). Using the link below you will be instructed on how to connect and get started.
 “get started guide” 
 “PDF” version

Thank you to the parent who told us about this nationwide intitative.

Following the success of Laps to Lapland, Mr Foreman will be starting an exciting new physical challenge. More details to come on Monday (hint – it has something to do with Tokyo!).

Kids Love Yoga Online! is a series of yoga lessons for children. Click below to enrol for free. You will need to click 'Enrol for Free' and then create an account to access your sessions and activities. Please state the name of our school when creating your account.

https://kidsloveyoga.thinkific.com/courses/free-for-kids-at-home-yoga-mindfulness-online

Have a lovely weekend (we might even see some snow I hear!)
Stay safe and well
Miss Chauhan

Well done to everyone who is managing to keep up with the learning at home. The engagement with Google Classroom and the Class Dojo has been pleasing and very well received. The teachers are posting the lessons everyday. Individual circumstances at home are not always easy at the moment when juggling work, siblings and life! We understand that there are limitations and restrictions posed to home learning but we are here to help. If you are unable to access the learning or need additional support then please get in touch. The expectation is that we meet live at least once a day to check in and explain the day's learning and continue to provide support during each day. Teachers are supervising, monitoring and assessing and are there to provide live feedback when needed. We aim to deliver the full curriculum using a timetable and structure familiar to the children. If you are in need of help get in touch with us. We might be able to help with loaning equipment, providing resources or by inviting you to a virtual lesson. So, if we can help you, to help your children keep up with their education then please contact us.

Despite the many connection disruptions, Saints were able to link in live with one very puffed out instructor. Keeping ourselves fit and healthy is vital while we remain in lockdown. Many of you joined us live in your own homes and I was pleased to see you all looking after yourselves and getting fully involved. Look out for your session as scheduled for the same time, at the same place, next week. This lesson forms part of your weekly P.E. curriculum and is so very important. The recording is available for you to access at any time – just click the link your teachers have sent.

Thank you very much for the kind words of support and gratitude. The staff team is working incredibly hard to make this difficult time as easy as possible. 
Have a relaxing weekend and stay safe.

​Miss Chauhan

Following the Government's announcement, our teachers swiftly adapted to offer a full programme of online study for all our children. Huge congratulations to all the children and parents who quickly adjusted to the online learning platform and who have fully participated in lessons this week. What a great start! We need to keep this energy up and maintain the level of interest, and reach 100% participation on Monday!

This plan clearly lays out the school's expectations during another period of lockdown. The momentum of the first term and the many successes can only be built upon. Daily progress and engagement are recorded by all class teachers. I am monitoring this very carefully, checking in everyday, and popping into Google and Zoom meet sessions whenever possible. If you are unable to access the learning and have made zero progress this week a follow up call will be made to check if there is anything we can do to help get you started.

Class teachers are extremely busy making sure all learning is accessed online and are assisting the children who are attending the Critical Workers/Vulnerable Club here at school. Feedback is given quickly and misconceptions are dealt with by giving extra support to those who may need it. The support staff are also on site helping to make the day run smoothly and are doing a fantastic job supporting their class teachers. We are following very strict social distancing with staff and pupils at all times. 

We  aim to include more live opportunities in the weekly timetable so please do look out for the invite on your Class Dojo. We will be varying the times to cater for your needs and allow you time to juggle between siblings. Southampton FC (Saints) are also providing a live PE session for every class – parents you are invited to join in too! Please see your Class Dojo for the timings and to read the agreement that needs to be in place before Thursday.

We are offering a wide curriculum and will use high quality teaching resources and skills to offer the best provision possible under these difficult circumstances. With your continued support at home and by using Google Classroom and the School Dojo we hope to maintain the high level of commitment that your children have shown towards their learning. 
​
The staff are available to  support you at home and will answer any queries you may have as quickly as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you require assistance or clarification. The Administrators, Mrs Adams and Mrs Cassels, are also on hand to answer questions you may have.

The Nursery will open again on Monday January 11th to all children. You have been sent an individual letter regarding the situation. Apologies for the conflicting and confusing information. 

This scheme temporarily increases data allowances for mobile phone users on certain networks. This is so that children and young people can access remote education if their face-to-face education is disrupted.
get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/about-increasing-mobile-data​

Thank you for your continued support, patience and perseverance.
​Stay safe and well
Miss Chauhan

A brief message from the FONTS committee to say Thank You for all your support last term. In spite of everything, a lot of money was raised for the school, and we had some new events along the way.
 
This half term will be quiet! With another lockdown in place, FONTS are taking a bit of a break. We’ve all got a lot to deal with BUT we’ll be back! As soon as we can we’ll be reaching out, and hopefully raising more funds for the school.
 
Keep safe and thank you for your continued support.
 
FONTS Committee
email [email protected] / or message FONTS on Dojo.

​Dear Parent / Carer,
We wrote to you yesterday about delaying the start of term until Thursday.
I am sorry to be writing to you again so soon on this subject. However, as you may have seen, the Prime Minister has last evening announced a new national lockdown because of rising infection rates of Covid-19 and to try to prevent the further spread of the virus. 
As part of this, all primary schools, secondary schools and colleges in England, including our school, North Tawton Primary, are to be closed from today until at least the end of half term in February, except for children of key workers or vulnerable children.
From today:
If you or your partner is a key worker, or if your child is classed as vulnerable, then the school will remain open, as now, and we look forward to seeing them in school today and beyond as normal for teaching and learning. If you are a critical worker and have not completed the survey issued yesterday evening, please let us know. 
As you know, we have worked incredibly hard since the start of the pandemic in March to keep our school as safe as possible, and I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of some of the safety measures in place at our school: 
o   Everyone is expected to remain in their allocated bubbles 
o   Students are encouraged to wash their hands regularly throughout the day 
Please note we are trying to work with windows open in classrooms for ventilation. As the cold days have returned, and with the need for ventilation in mind, pupils may need a few more layers of clothing, such as sweatshirts, tights or leggings underneath skirts or plain fleeces without a hood or large brand logos. We would like the children to come in school uniform for their sessions and arrive at their usual time slots from last term. They will either need to bring a packed lunch or will be given a school packed lunch.
For all other pupils, our school is closed until at least the end of the February half-term. High-quality remote learning will be provided to make sure they continue to receive a consistent education. We know that this places pressure on you at a difficult time but your support in helping your child engage with the remote learning packs as much as possible is so important and we are very grateful for it. Teachers will be contacting you via class blogs and Class Dojo with details of the learning for each day. There is a high expectation that all children will complete home learning tasks, attend live lessons and submit work back to teachers for feedback. 
We will continue to stay in touch with you on this matter, and about your child’s education. However, if you have any questions, or if you require any support relating to these new arrangements, please email [email protected]
I would once again like to take this opportunity to thank you wholeheartedly for your understanding and ongoing support in helping us to manage this unprecedented situation. Please continue to take care and to stay safe.
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth Underwood  and  Sunita Chauhan
Executive Headteacher        Head of School