Make sure you’ve got your ticket and belongings and let’s board the train heading to Euston Station in London!  Don’t forget to check the departure board to find the right platform and then let’s find a carriage with comfy seats so that we can enjoy the scenery as we go whizzing south!

We have arrived!!  Get your packed lunch and coats, stay close….

first stop the toilets….

Right – now time for a headcount….stay in your classes, 2 by 2, we are off to Buckingham Palace!

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Today is World Book Day – although we all think that every day should be world book day, as books open up whole new world’s for children and can enrich everyone’s lives!

I am sure many of you are dressed as your favourite book character, and we look forward to seeing your photos – but don’t forget that the most important thing to do is to actually open a book and read or listen to a book being read to you!

There are also lots of resources and events being shared on www.worldbookday.com – including live sessions with authors, and lots of masterclasses giving you ideas and inspiration of how to enjoy and immerse yourselves in books at home.

Here is a video story to enjoy..

There’s also a World Book Day song to enjoy…

World Book Day is a great day to celebrate stories and books. We can all enjoy books because there are so many different kinds; we can all find something that we will love. Today, we can be thankful that we get to learn to read so that we can enjoy these books for ourselves. We can also be thankful for all the authors who have given us stories to enjoy.

But do you know what the world’s bestselling book of all time is???…..

Here are some clues…

This book isn’t just one book, it’s more like a book of books. In fact, it’s a bit like holding an entire library in your hands!
– This book is made up of 66 smaller books.
– For many years, the stories in this book were passed on by word of mouth. It took hundreds of years for them all to be written down.
– When this book was first translated into English so that people could read it and understand it for themselves, it was seen as such a dangerous book that the person who had done the translation was killed!
– This book has adventure, romance, danger, battles, poetry and more.

Any ideas??  It’s The Bible. The Bible is split into two parts: the Old Testament, which tells stories of what happened before Jesus was born, and the New Testament, which explains what happened when Jesus was born through to after he had returned to heaven.
There are stories about battles, shipwrecks and adventures; stories about miracles that Jesus performed; and stories about how the world was created. There are poems that people wrote to worship God, and letters that Jesus’ followers wrote to encourage each other.
Sometimes, we might see the Bible as a dusty old book with tiny writing that is far too long for us to read. However, there are versions available that just tell a few of the key stories, especially for children.

Today, the Bible is the bestselling book in the whole world. For Christians, this book is very special and important. It teaches them more about God and what it means to follow him. For all of us, it’s a book that we can take a look at for ourselves. We may already know some of the stories, but if we take a look at it, we will discover new things to learn and enjoy about it.

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for books and stories.
Thank you for the Bible, which tells us more about you.
Thank you for the opportunity to learn to read so that we can discover these things for ourselves.
Amen.

About 1 in 3 people with coronavirus do not have symptoms but can still pass it on to others. Regular testing of people without symptoms is important to help stop the virus spreading and protect your loved ones. As lockdown restrictions gradually ease we all need to play our part to help protect each other.

The following people in England will have access to regular rapid lateral flow testing made available to them as schools reopen:

• secondary school pupils
• primary and secondary school staff
• households, childcare and support bubbles of primary and secondary-age pupils
• households, childcare and support bubbles of primary and secondary staff

Primary school pupils will not be asked to test at this time.

Find out about childcare bubbles and support bubbles.

Learn what rapid lateral flow testing is and why it’s being used.

Here is a link to the full guidance and information.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff

Good Morning Brown Clee!

We have recently been thinking about learning skills and the importance of having a growth mindset – and as a reminder here are the differences between having a growth mindset and a fixed mindset:-

We have also been thinking about how important it is that we say “I can’t do it yet” instead of just “I can’t do it”. Today I want us to think about mistakes, and how we feel about them?  Ask yourself – how do you feel about making a mistake?  Does it worry you?  Are you scared of getting something wrong?  Have a watch of this story called “The Most Magnificent Thing” and see if it can teach you something about mistakes…

Thank goodness for her dog – as the dog managed to convince the girl to persevere and not give up – to carry on despite the mistakes and problems – and she did – and what a magnificent thing it was that she created!!  Imagine how she would have felt if she had given up?……sad, defeated, lacking in confidence, a failure!   But by persisting despite the mistakes, she succeeded and as a result she must have felt so proud of herself!

Have a think about a time that you have made a mistake, or got something wrong?  How did it make you feel?  Did you give up?  And if so how did you then feel?  Or did you push through and persevere – I bet this made you feel confident and proud, giving you a true sense of achievement!

We all make mistakes – we are human!  The important thing is that we aren’t worried about them, as mistakes are normal – and they allow us to learn and improve.

Take a quiet moment to reflect –

Do you see mistakes as failure?

Or are they an opportunity to learn and do better next time?

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,

Help us to learn through our mistakes.

Teach us to know right from wrong so that we do not hurt others by what we say or do.

Give us the strength to cope when mistakes are made and help us to deal with them sensibly.

Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

I have been wondering, since yesterday’s assembly, I wonder how many of you have used the words “I Can’t”?  Hands up if you think you’ve used them in the last day?  Today I want to try and teach you how you can change a negative (where you are stuck with a problem and can’t see any solution or hope) into a positive (where you feel happier and more confident). – and all it takes are 3 letters!

Have a watch of this video and see if you can work out what those 3 letters are…

Have you ever felt like Katie – where you are stuck but don’t want to ask for help and yet can’t solve a problem – so you feel like giving up?  What message is this story telling you?  If you add the word “Yet” onto the end of “I can’t do it”, it suddenly sounds like “I can do it if I try again” or “I can do it if I ask for help”.

So as you go through this week – when you come up against a problem or a challenge and are about to say “I can’t do it” – try adding the little word “Yet” on the end – and then ask yourself, “what can I do to solve it?”.

There is always a solution – the solution just might not be obvious – and it might need a helping hand!

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you that we can learn from every difficult situation.
Please help us to be people of resilience.
Help us to get back up again when things go wrong.
Help us never to give up.
Help us to persevere.
Thank you for the courage and resilience of people who have shown us that stumbling need not mean failure,
For people we know and for inspirational figures who are role models to us.
We are thankful for their example.
Give us the courage and determination to use the power of ‘yet’.
Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

What a beautiful weekend – wasn’t it so lovely to see the sunshine!

So remember, when you come up against a problem – try and think “how can I solve this” rather than “I can’t do it” – have a go – like crow!

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Sometimes, we need to think ‘I can’
instead of saying say ‘I can’t’.
Sometimes we have to look at old problems in new ways.
Sometimes we must keep trying
when we feel like giving in.
Thank you for always understanding and having faith in us.
Help us to have more faith in ourselves, in others, and in you.
Through Jesus Christ
Amen.

Don’t forget to join us in 10 minutes for whole school Show & Tell!!  The link has been sent my email – and the theme is your favourite Film or TV Programme – Busy Bees are looking forwards to seeing and hearing from their friends at home!

This will probably be the last one as next week we are off to London and then we are back in school!

Good Morning Brown Clee!

This week we have been thinking about how important having a Growth Mindset (positive, can-do’ attitude) is, and also reminding ourselves that it is ok to make mistakes, and that through identifying errors and mistakes and learning from them.

Another learning skill that children need to develop, is to know when to ask for help, and not to be scared to ask for help.  Have a watch of this video from the Pace Trust and see what you think…

We all have things that we find difficult, and it is impossible to do everything yourself – no matter how independent you are.  So it is really important, particularly in class, to not be scared or worried to ask for help – we are here to help  – it’s our job!

Sometimes you might need your friends to help – you might feel sad or lonely, but unless you ask for help how are they to know that you need help?

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for people who are there to help us.
Please help us never to feel like we have to manage all alone.
None of us is expected to exist in a vacuum.
Please help us to be aware of the needs of others
And to offer help in whatever form that may take.
Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Yesterday we learnt about how important it is to use our brains – and that by using them we can actually grow our brains – we develop them!  We also learnt about the importance of having a growth mindset.

We use the phrase “Growth Mindset” a lot in school, and you will see displays about this concept. Growth Mindset is an approach to teaching which promotes mindset as being more important than initial ability in determining the progress made by pupils in their mathematical understanding. Pupils with a growth mindset will make better progress than pupils with a fixed mindset.

Here are some examples to give you an idea of the difference between having a growth mindset or a fixed mindset…

Pupils with a growth mindset

• Believe that talents can be developed and great abilities can be built over time
• View mistakes as a learning experience
• Are resilient
• Believe that effort creates success
• Think about how they learn

Pupils with a fixed mindset

• Believe that talent alone creates success
• Are reluctant to take on challenges
• Prefer to stay in their comfort zone
• Are fearful of making mistakes
• Think it is important to ‘look smart’ in front of others
• Believe that talents and abilities are set in stone, you either have them or you don’t

We believe that everyone can succeed, it just involves having a goal/ambition/dream, believing in yourself and working hard to achieve that goal.

One aspect of developing a growth mindset is how we deal with mistakes and how we overcome obstacles and challenges.  Have a watch of this lovely story about a girl called Vashti, who thinks she can’t draw. But her teacher is sure that she can. She knows that there’s creative spirit in everyone, and encourages Vashti to sign the angry dot she makes in frustration on a piece of paper. This act makes Vashti look at herself a little differently, and helps her discover that where there’s a dot there’s a way.

Have a moment to think about the story – can you learn anything from it?

My message to you today, is don’t be worried about mistakes – they help us learn, and they should help to motivate us to want to improve.  We all make mistakes (even parents!) but it is how we deal with them and learn from them that helps us to become better people.

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
You know that we are human and you know that we make many mistakes.
Help us not to be defeated by our mistakes but to see them as a learning process.
Forgive us when our mistakes hurt other people.

Amen.

A slight tweak to the timings for families with siblings when school fully re-opens on 8th March – please can all families with children in different classes, arrive at school at the earliest time, and collect at the latest time – as this maximises time in school – thank you!

Due to success of the previous whole school show and tell sessions, we are holding another one this Friday at 10.30am.  So far we have had themes of “My Pets”, “My Favourite Toy” and “My Favourite Book/Story” – the theme on Friday will be “My Favourite Film/TV Programme” – which is tricky to ‘show’ but children could name their favourite film/tv programme and then talk about why they like it, what it is about and why they would recommend it to their friends.

I will email the link to the Microsoft Teams meeting on Friday morning, and please remember to join muted.  The sessions have worked really well so far, and are a lovely opportunity for children to ‘meet’ socially and just see their classmates and friends.  Even if your child doesn’t wish to speak, they are welcome to join to just watch and listen!

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Yesterday we thought about signs of Spring and how they can give us optimism and hope that things are brightening up!  It was so lovely indeed to see and feel the warmth of the sun in the afternoon!  Following the announcement last night, things are definitely brightening up in terms of getting back to normal in school too!  We are so happy that we can welcome all children back into their classrooms in 2 weeks time!

This week I would like to think about the importance of having resilience and motivation with learning (sometimes called Growth Mindset) and I’d like to begin with this video.

What did you learn from watching it?  Did you know that you could make your brain grow?!?  How amazing is that!  However it will only grow if we use it – and that is what we are asking everyone to focus on for the next 2 weeks with the remote learning – that you use your brain to practise key skills and carry out all work independently – so that you are using your own brain – and not borrowing a parent or siblings brain!

We know that it can be challenging when we are asked to learn something new, or are given an activity that seems really difficult – and we talk a lot about persevering and never giving up – resilience.  But it takes time and effort, and isn’t always easy!  But imagine if Steve Jobs had given up and not persevered – there would be no ipads or iphones!

So today, as you carry out your remote learning – make sure you are using those brain cells and firing your neurones through lots of practise and perseverance – and you will grow your brain!

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
We all face challenges.
They may be difficult, tough and even overwhelming.
We pray for calmness and peace as we approach these challenges.
We pray that when we feel like we are caught in the middle of a storm,
Your words will comfort and support us as we remember that:
‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’
Help us, today, to keep going with the right support when the going gets tough.
May we always be willing to ask for help.
Amen.

Following the announcement that schools will be opening to all children form Monday 8^th March, I thought it would be helpful to remind parents of some key information relevant to the safe and smooth operating of the school in this Covid19 world.  The start and end of day times and procedures remain the same, but here is a reminder:-

Start of the Day

*Siblings are to arrive at the time of the eldest sibling

End of the Day

*Siblings are to be collected at time of eldest sibling (if this includes a sibling in Class 1, then please collect from the infant playground.

• Please arrive and depart promptly.
• Please ensure you maintain 2m distancing at the start and end of the day – this is so important to keep the class ‘bubbles’ apart. If there happened to be a positive case of Covid19 within school, and the class ‘bubbles’ were not kept apart, then this could lead to school closure – which we do not want to happen.
• Children should only be collected by members of their own family/household or support bubble.
• Class 3 & 4 Parents: Please be considerate of local residents’ property and access when collecting children at the end of the day from the top gate.
• If you are going to be late collecting, please notify the school, and then wait until after 15:25, when all other children have left the school grounds.

Care Club

• Care Club will be available, but we kindly stress that parents should only book Care Club if absolutely essential and not as a convenience. We have a limit to the numbers that we can take and we need to ensure that we prioritise those essential workers.
• Bookings can only be made a week in advance, and should be made by noon on the Thursday for the following week – so the earliest booking for the week beginning 8th March is Monday 1st March.
• Further details in Care Club Procedures.
• Care Club Procedures

Illness / Self Isolating

• Please keep children at home if they are ill.
• If your child is displaying any coronavirus type symptoms, then they need to stay at home and be booked for a coronavirus test.
• Inform the school that your child/children won’t be attending due to self-isolating, as well as whether it is due to having symptoms and going for a test, or whether they are a primary contact of someone who has tested positive.
• Let the school know when the test is booked.
• As soon as the results of a test are known please inform the school via email: admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk (out of hours) or a phone call (in hours). This is really important.
• Ensure the school has an accurate email address, as if children are well they will be expected to follow our Remote Learning Policy

Communication

Due to the need for prompt arrivals and departures, as well as social distancing, we kindly remind parents that they ring or email the school with any queries.  If the query is general then please use the admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk address, or if it is specific to a class then you are welcome to use the class email addresses.

Uniform and Belongings

• We do feel uniform is really important, so kindly ask that full school uniform, including appropriate black school shoes are worn.
• Children can wear PE uniform all day on PE days.
• Children must bring in minimal belongings, so just a packed lunch (if required) and waterbottle, waterproof coat and reading book, all in ONE bag please.

Thank you so much for all your positive support throughout the Autumn Term and the last 8 weeks.  We know that school is still going to be operating in a Covid secure way rather than normal, and we look forwards to your continued patience and understanding so that we can keep school as normal as possible for the children, whilst respecting everyone’s safety and well-being.

We hope that you have had a good half term break, and managed to get out and enjoy the (slightly!) better weather!   In preparation for the return of all children to school (hopefully on 8^th March) we want to do everything we can to make this transition as smooth as possible.

We are very aware that children will have had different experiences during the lockdown, and as such our key priority is to do everything we can to enable all children to return happy and confident, as well as being prepared to get back ‘into the swing’ of learning as soon as possible.

With the disruption to children’s education over the past 12 months, we aim to do everything we can so that all children are as secure as possible at the end of this academic year in order to prepare them for a strong start in September. We have already identified the key learning that we need to reteach, and we have prioritised future learning across the school’s curriculum.

In order to prepare for a strong return to learning in school, the remote learning activities for the next 2 weeks will be focusing on the consolidation and practise of key skills/knowledge, as well as re-establishing essential learning skills such as active listening, concentration, work stamina and independence. So the priority is on the learning process and the thinking rather than the end result. Following any lengthy absence from school, we always notice a drop in these skills and have to re-establish them at the start of new terms.

We are aware of the challenges that families have supporting children with the remote learning, and of the time and effort it involves from parents, and we are very appreciative. Last half term was a long one, and we want to maximise the impact of the time and involvement that parents put into supporting the children at home, so for the next 2 weeks the focus is very much on practising and revising and preparing to start back in school ‘ready to learn’.  We will also be providing extension opportunities for those children seeking greater challenge.

We would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you for all your support and engagement, whether it has been with supporting with the remote learning, participating in Show & Tell sessions or just by communicating with us with questions and any issues – we really appreciate the partnership so that we can work together to do the best for the pupils at Brown Clee.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Yesterday we had a think about how we sometimes might worry about the future, as it is unknown and uncertainties can sometimes make us feel anxious or unsettled. But we also thought about how the future can also make us feel hopeful and optimistic, and how we can look forwards to things.  Another word for this is hope, or being hopeful.

So today we are going to think more about  our hopes, dreams and plans for the future, and I to start our reflections I am going to share a story –The Story of the Three Trees – watch and listen – and see what messages you can pick out.

In the story, each tree had a plan for its future, but it seemed that God had a different plan for them. Initially, God’s plan did not seem as exciting as their original plans, but eventually, God used each one of them to play an important part in the life of Jesus, from his birth to his death.

We all have hopes and dreams for our futures and that is a good thing. Sometimes we might think that things haven’t turned out as we had hoped for – but maybe like the trees, that is because we just haven’t finished our journey yet and better things are yet to come!

So going back to the power of positive thinking – it is important as it will help us to overcome any disappointments we might have, and to help us think that things will work out ok!

Prayer of the Day

In your journeys to and fro,
God direct you;
In your happiness and pleasure,
God bless you;
In care, anxiety or trouble,
God sustain you;
In peril and danger,
God protect you.
Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Yesterday I shared my list of ’10 things that I am grateful for’ and I asked you to think about what you would include on your list.  We discussed this in school too, and some of the children’s responses were that they are grateful for: family, friends, pets, school and the world around us.  We realised that we all have so much to be grateful for – things that can help us to stay positive even when things might be getting us down.

I have also thought of something else that I am grateful for – something that we kind of take for granted – light!  I thought of this as I drove home and noticed that it is staying lighter for longer; a thought which brought with it thoughts of Spring and warmer weather, as the days get longer – a sense of hope and optimism.

Light is something that we often don’t think about – but imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have any?  If it was dark all the time! Watch this short video produced by The Diocese of Hereford, where we are reminded of the importance of light, and how Jesus is often known as the Light of the World:-

In the Bible, in John 8:12 Jesus applies the title of light to himself: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. … When I am in the world, I am the Light of the World.

So maybe as you go through the day – have a look around you and see what you can see because of there being light; look at the horizon and the local views and take a moment to think how fortunate we are that the light shines so brightly on this beautiful world.

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for Jesus, the light of the world.
May your light shine in our lives, showing us the things that we need to change.
May your light shine in the world, exposing the darkness of injustice and suffering.
May your light help us to love one another and to live in peace.
Amen.

We just wanted to remind you:-

• SHOW & TELL: We are holding another whole school Show & Tell session tomorrow at 1pm with the theme ‘My Favourite Book or Story” – so don’t forget to look out for the link to the Microsoft Teams meeting that will be emailled to all parents tomorrow morning.
• SCHOOL MURAL: Thank you to the children/parents who have sent in their thoughts for the exciting school mural project.  We need the ideas in by Friday of this week at the latest – and in case you have forgotten, Rory McCann, the artist, has asked for the following ideas:

Class 1 and 2: What do you like about the local area of Ditton Priors.

Class 3 and 4:  What do you like, or excites you, about the wider world and universe?