Parents' Area

Updates

Tuesday 26th January, 2021

Jorge’s birthday cake!

It is Jorge’s birthday tomorrow and he wanted to show you the cake his mum and sister Isabelle made for him!

Tuesday 26th January, 2021

Meet Fifi

Maisie was disappointed that she missed Pet Show and Tell and wanted to share this picture of her with her best friend Fifi!

Tuesday 26th January, 2021

Pet Show and Tell – more pictures

Lola has sent through some photos and information of her pets as she was unable to attend the Show and Tell session yesterday – here they are…

Her pets are…Ember her Doberman


Ziva her cat

and Gizmo our leopard gecko who is shedding her skin in the photo. She does this regularly when she’s growing, she eats locusts and she has to stay very warm…

Tuesday 26th January, 2021

Meet Lola’s pets!

Lola wanted to share her pets with you all.  They are Ember her Doberman,
Ziva her cat and Gizmo the leopard gecko who is shedding her skin in the photo. Lola says that Gizmo does this regularly when she’s growing, she eats locusts and has to stay very warm!

Tuesday 26th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

Good Morning Brown Clee!

I am in a bit of a tangle today – a tangle of knots!

Have you ever found yourself in a tangle of knots?  Or felt that you really could not solve something?  We all have – and it can be really frustrating!

I think we are all rather frustrated at the moment that we can not get back to ‘normal’, and it would be very easy to feel ‘tangled up’. It can take time and care to undo knotted laces, and the same is true of some of our fears and worries. We may need to share the problem with someone else and ask for some help.  A big step to solving a knotty problem may involve untangling some of our mental ‘knots’….so a positive attitude and patience and perseverance are vital!

Let’s have a quiet moment to reflect –

Let’s loosen any knots of worry that entangle us and hold us back . . .

Let’s get rid of the ‘nots’ and say to ourselves, ‘I can . . . I will . . . I should . . .’

Let’s remember that we are special, and each of us has something valuable to contribute to the life of our school community – help and friendship, ideas and energy.

Let’s get rid of the ‘nots’ as we remember how each one of us will learn something new today . . . about ourselves, about each other, about life and about God.

Today is the start

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Please help us to be positive in life.
Help us to concentrate on the good.
Help us to try hard in all situations.
Helps us to see good things in other people.
Help us to live lives that encourage others.
Amen.

 

 

Monday 25th January, 2021

Pet Show and Tell

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our first ever whole school Pet Show and Tell this afternoon!  It was so lovely seeing everyone and listening to you talk about your lovely pets – we had lots of dogs and cats, a mouse and rabbit, and even some tortoises and pigs!

There were some children who couldn’t make it this afternoon but who sent some photos in to share instead – here they are….

I will have a think what we can do next week, as it was so nice for the children to see and hear each other – so watch this space!

 

Monday 25th January, 2021

Zak’s snowman!

Zak wanted to share this photograph of him with his marvellous Snowman.  Well done Zak!

Monday 25th January, 2021

Pet Show and Tell Session

p.s I forgot to say – any child can join – they don’t need a pet – they can enjoy seeing their friends and their pets and listening to what is being said!

Monday 25th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

Good Morning Brown Clee!

I hope you managed to get out and enjoy the snow this weekend – whether it was sledging or building a snowman, snow always brings so much fun!  I was out yesterday afternoon clearing my paths and could hear the shrieks of laughter on the local hill where children go sledging and it was a wonderful sound!  Such joy and happiness!

Sadly snow and ice can also bring problems like icy roads and school closures – which we have sadly had to do today for our keyworker child care…apologies for the inconvenience to those families that needed the child care but the icy condition of the roads meant we have to put safety first.

The good news is that remote learning is still being posted, and we are still holding our first ever whole school Pet Show and Tell Session this afternoon at 1pm!  Watch out in your emails for a link to the Microsoft Teams Meeting!

So today we have good news and bad news – and this is often the case, that we can have good experiences as well as bad experiences.  The trick is to develop the ability to maintain a positive outlook and focus on the good – as vice versa, where there is bad news there will also be good news!

So being able to develop a positive attitude is an important skill, and one that can also help with learning.  Have a think as you watch this short video…are you a Sophie or a Jack?


Hmmm….I would like to be a Sophie, but I know at times I can be a bit like Jack and think that something might be too tricky or difficult, or that I’m not confident enough to do something….but I wonder if I started to think more positively, it might help me to be braver, and to give things a go that previously I might have thought I couldn’t do?

As you go through the day and if you come up against something that you think is difficult, or that you can’t do – be a Sophie, and have a positive attitude – and think what can you do to overcome the challenge.

 

Prayer of the Day

Lord God, you give to us

the joy of being alive,

the company of others,

the opportunities of each new day.

Bless this school community,

and each and every member of it,

today and always.

Amen.

 

Monday 25th January, 2021

School Closure Monday 25th January

Due to yesterday’s snowfall and the drop in temperature overnight we will be physically CLOSED to all children on MONDAY 25th JANUARY. This includes the children of critical workers and vulnerable children.

We have not taken this decision lightly as we know this will be inconvenient for families. However, the safety of staff, children and their families who may be attending the site in the morning has to be my priority. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding in a difficult situation.

The teachers will still be setting remote learning but there will be plenty opportunity to enjoy the snow and the virtual Pet Show and Tell will still take place…watch out for the link later!

Sunday 24th January, 2021

Keyworker Care – tomorrow

Could we kindly ask that if keyworker parents with children booked in for tomorrow (Monday 25th), are unable to bring children to school due to weather or icy roads/snow etc, that they email admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk to let us know as soon s possible.

Thursday 21st January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

Good Morning Brown Clee!

This week we have been continuing to think about our value of the half term, Friendship, and how important it is that we learn to be a patient friend.

Have a watch of this short video and see if you can work out what might have happened if Abby BumbleBee had been more patient…..

Oh dear – Abby BumbleBee was in such a rush and was so impatient that she was rude and unkind to the Queen Bee!  I wonder if the story might have had a different ending if Abby had been more patient and understanding to the Queen?

These days it is so easy to be in a rush – there is always something to do, or somewhere to be and it often feels there is such little time to do everything.  We sometimes see this in our school work, when we are so eager to get it done and finished, that we actually don’t do any learning – we just complete the task as quickly as we can!

Sometimes we are so engrossed in our own work or activity, that we don’t have the patience and don’t find time to help our friends.  Have you ever asked a friend for help, only for them to say that they are too busy?  How would this make you feel?

I find that if I want to be a good friend, I have to consider my friends feelings before my own – that I have to develop patience and understanding so that I can be a good friend – a kind and helpful friend.

So as you go through today, see how you can be a good ‘friend’ with your family at home – can you give them more time, more patience and understanding?

So in the words of Herbert – “Don’t be in such a rush”!

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Please enable us to recognize the fruit of the Spirit within us.
Please help us to work at growing these qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Please show us and guide us as to how best we can use them for the good of those around us.
Amen.

 

Wednesday 20th January, 2021

Thomas and his Tiger’s Den

Following on from his research on India, Thomas wanted to share his “Tiger Den” which he has made. Complete with scat (poo), Samba Deer fur, skull and bones, Ram skull and baby Tiger.

Wednesday 20th January, 2021

Pet Show and Tell Session – 1pm Monday 25th January

We are holding a ‘live’ Pet Show and Tell session on Microsoft Teams on Monday 25th January at 1pm.  All children are welcome to join (with or without a pet), and all children do need a parent to attend with them.

In order for the session to work as smoothly as possible we kindly ask that:-

  • You ‘join’ the meeting in plenty of time, as with the numbers potentially being large it may not be possible to admit latecomers.
  • Please ensure children are dressed and not in pyjamas.
  • You select mute on joining the meeting.
  • Miss Relph will be hosting the session and will manage the ‘show and telling’.
  • Children will be invited to ‘show’ their pet (either in the flesh or in a picture) and tell us some information about it. If there are a large number of participants we will have to limit the amount of information shared.
  • To volunteer to speak we ask that parents select the ‘raise hand’ symbol on the icon bar, and then to de-select once your child has spoken.

Please be patient with us – we have never done this before and have no idea how it will work – but we know how important it is for the children to see each other in a social context.

Please read the following Protocol and Communicating on Microsoft Teams document prior to the session.

Protocol and Communicating on Microsoft Teams

 

Wednesday 20th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Did you spot all the different fruits on the trees yesterday?  Some were quite tricky!  Can you remember the words that we shared about the qualities that would make someone a good friend?  There were 9! …………..

Here they are! 

Today I would like to think about one of these words – Patience – and what it means and why it is so important to be patient, especially if you want to be a good friend.

The Oxford Learners’ Dictionary defines patience as “the ability to stay calm and accept a delay or something annoying without complaining”.  Hmmmmm…..I wonder how many of us could put their hands up and say that they have never got annoyed when something was delayed, or we have had to wait for something that we were looking forwards to?  I don’t think I can if I am honest!  Have a think about a time when maybe you got niggled or annoyed because something wasn’t happening as quickly as you would like it.  Maybe you were hungry and you were having to wait for your tea?  Or you have asked a friend to do something and they took a long time? Have you ever asked someone to hurry up!?  This is called impatience – the opposite of patience.

Today I’d like you to think about the feelings that impatience can cause you to feel – irritated, angry, cross, upset, frustrated, niggled – I wonder which Zone of Regulation they would be in?  Can you think? 

I think if I was feeling impatient I would definitely be in the Yellow Zone. From our work in school we know that the yellow zone is not a good zone for us to be in when we are trying to learn.  Do you think it is a good zone to be in if you want to be a good friend?

Patience is a difficult skill to learn – and it does have to be learnt as it doesn’t happen automatically!  As we go through this week we will think more about the impact of impatience on our friends and ourselves, and also how we can learn to be more patient, and the benefits that patience can bring.

Enjoy this short video (younger children will need a reader!) and then discuss…

I wonder what you would do if given 3 kernels of corn……..

Have a moment to reflect…think about how important it is to be patient, to take your time and not rush, and more importantly to be patient with our friends and family….to appreciate that we all do things differently and need time…..

Have you ever wondered

Prayer of the Day

Dear Lord,
Thank you for my friends.
Thank you for their kindness, support, patience and company.
Help me to be a good friend to other people.
Help me to be kind and friendly to those who struggle to make friends.
Amen.

Tuesday 19th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

Good Morning Brown Clee!

We have been thinking about the Christian Value of FRIENDSHIP this half term and how wonderful it is to both have, and be friends.  We haven’t yet unpicked what qualities a good friend needs.  To help us with this I want to show you some pictures of different trees….see if you can spot which fruit these trees bear…

…..apples

…cherries

…pears

….apricots

….pineapples!

All of these fruits grown on trees….although pineapples are slightly shorter trees than we are used to seeing! Can you think what conditions that these trees might need to grow and produce fruit?

The four main requirements are enough light, enough water, nutritious soil and favourable temperatures. If these conditions are present, a tree should grow through the seasons and produce fruit in the summer or autumn.

The Bible talks about a different type of fruit. A man called Paul was one of the early leaders in the Christian Church and he wrote letters to several of the early churches to encourage them and to teach them more about Jesus. One of these letters was to a church in a place called Galatia, which would be in modern-day Turkey. In this letter, Paul wrote…

Do you think Paul is actually referring to fruit when he talks about the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’?  Have a think about what you think he is talking about….

….Yes, you are right, he is referring to the good qualities or characteristics that we can see in people’s lives, the sort of qualities that would make someone a good friend.  These qualities are…

Read each quality and see if you can think of an example…we will think about these different qualities as we move throughout the term.  Do you know friends that display these qualities?  Do you think you display these qualities?  Why do they make someone a good friend?

Most people would agree that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are all good qualities to have in our lives. However, they are not always easy qualities to develop.

Paul describes all these qualities as ‘the fruit of the Spirit’. Christians believe that these qualities, or ‘fruit’, will develop in people’s lives as they get to know God better. They believe that this happens by spending time learning about the Bible, praying and asking God to help them to live in this way. Christians believe that God sends his Holy Spirit to live in people’s lives. This changes them on the inside and helps these qualities to develop within their lives.

It’s My Life lyrics

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for the beauty of the world around us and for the lessons that we can learn from nature.
Please help us to develop good qualities in our lives.
Help us to grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Help us to treat others with respect so that we can be a good friend to others.
Amen.

 

 

Monday 18th January, 2021

Pet Show and Tell Session

Following on from this morning’s assembly, I am setting up a virtual Pet Show and Tell session for all children next Monday, 25th January at 1pm.  The session will be on Microsoft Teams and I have attached below guidance on how to access and how to use.

We are super impressed with all the fantastic remote learning taking place, but are also very aware of the importance of children being kept in touch with each other and having social contact.  For this session to work, parents will need to be present with their child and the link to the session will be emailled out next Monday morning (25th January) to parents email addresses.

If children do not wish to join remotely, they can also email photos, pictures or information about their dogs that I can share with the virtual Show and Tell session.  These photos and pictures will need to be sent to me – head@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk – by first thing this Friday (22nd January)at the latest.

I will host the session and each child will get the chance to ‘show’ their pet – either in the flesh (and if the pet allows!) or on a photograph, as well as tell us a little bit about their pet friend.  The duration of the session will depend on how many children take part.

Please can all participants join the session on mute.

Guidance on Microsoft Teams and Protocol – Children

 

Monday 18th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

Good Morning Brown Clee!

This half term we have been thinking about friendship, and today I would like us to think about the friendship we get – and give – from having pets.  I am just back from walking one of my pets, Rosie, and have been brave and recorded my thoughts – as I have had an idea!

I am very aware that during lockdowns, we can keep learning going with the remote learning activities we post, and with the support of your parents, but it is much harder to keep the connections and contact going – the chats and the interactions. This interaction is so important and I have had an idea…..

So I would like to set up a remote session for Brown Clee children to participate in a ‘Pet Assembly’!  This is something we definitely cannot do in school – can you imagine the chaos of having dogs, cats, horses, snails, fish, mice and goodness knows what else in the school hall all at the same time!  However, it is something that we can do remotely!

Last week I mentioned that pets are as much our friends as our classmates – and they are – as they bring us so much joy and love.  They make us smile, they are excited to see us, they teach us to be compassionate, kind and caring.  Pets are an important part of our lives and they make our lives so much richer and better for being part of it.

Some of you may not have pets (they are fun but they are also a lot of work and a huge commitment), but by sharing them in an assembly, I thought it would provide an opportunity for all of us to get together – even at a distance.  So later this week I will post instructions and guidance on the website about  how we can do this – you can either email in a photo, a picture, a description, or join us ‘live’ on Microsoft Teams (you will need your parents to help) to share your pets, and remind us all of the benefits and importance of sharing our lives with animals who are our friends.

He’s a Mutt Lyrics

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for all the wonderful animals in the world.
We thank you especially for our pets.
They make us so happy.
They teach us so much.
Help us to look after our pets.
Help us to be kind and loving to all of your creatures.
We thank you for the RSPCA who rescue many animals from danger.
Amen.

 

 

 

 

Friday 15th January, 2021

PE with Joe Wicks!

Emily, William and Libby have sent us photographs of their PE Lesson with Joe Wicks, it looks like they had fun!

Thursday 14th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Week

Good Morning Brown Clee!

This morning I would like you to look at the following pictures.  See if you can describe what you see and find something in common – something that is the same about them all….

…..a choir of children singing…

….children in a football team having a group hug…

…a group of children in a tennis club…

..a group of rainbow guides..

Have you worked out what they all have in common??  They are all pictures of people in groups…can you think of a word that we might call these groups?  ….yes, a TEAM!

Sing together lyrics

Sing Together MP3s

 

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
We all belong to various communities, clubs and groups.
We pray for all of the people we know in these groups: the leaders and the members as well as ourselves.
We thank you for all those who care for us, our families and our friends, and for our school.
Please help us to look after the people in our school.
Please help us to play our part in making this a happy and special community.
Amen.

 

 

Wednesday 13th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Today I want to think of the impact that having a friend can have – did you know that friends can change your life?  Have a look at this picture – does anyone know who it is?

Have you worked out who this dodgy character is?   It’s Burglar Bill from the book of the same name by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.  It is the delightful story of a thief who lives off other people’s fortunes, until two major events change his life forever. The first is when he steals a box only to find it contains a baby, and the second is when he, too, is burgled, by Burglar Betty. The improbable union that follows offers a convenient moral that turns both thieves into honest folk who vow to keep on the straight and narrow.  Their lives are all changed for the better – because they became friends!

In another book, The Bible, Jesus makes friends with a man called Zaccheus.  Now Zaccheus was a tax collector, but not an honest one.  Zaccheus stole from other people and took extra money when he gave them their tax bills and became very rich on all the money that he stole.   Something else that you need to know about Zaccheus – he was short!

So before Zaccheus met Jesus, he didn’t really have any friends because he was greedy, dishonest and selfish. Would you want to be friends with someone greedy, dishonest and selfish? But Jesus befriended him, he gave Zaccheus a chance and showed that he cared for him. I wonder why?

Jesus loved everyone when he lived on the earth. It didn’t matter how bad people were, Jesus was always there for those who needed him. This is true for us too – no one is so bad that God doesn’t love them. And the more time we spend with God – praying, thinking about him, finding out about him, the more we want to be like Jesus; kind, helpful and good.

Through showing Zaccheus his love and friendship, Jesus helped to change Zaccheus to being kind and caring.

Have a moment to reflect – have you always shown kindness and friendship to others when they aren’t being kind and caring?  I wonder if your friendship could help change how other people behave?  Friendship and love are powerful values and they can transform lives.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus Lyrics

Prayer of the Day

Dear Lord,
Thank you for our friends and for everything that they are.
Thank you for all their gifts and talents, the kindness they have shown us and the many things they have given to others.
Please continue to guide me, so that I may also be a good friend to others.
Amen.

 

Tuesday 12th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Yesterday we continued thinking about our Christian Value of this half term, which is Friendship, and about how important it is to be a good friend and have good friends.  We learnt that good friends are faithful, reliable, interested, enjoyable, neighbourly, dependable and special!.

Can you think of any other words that you would use to describe what makes a good friend?……

…..I can think of some: a good friend is kind, a good friend is thoughtful, a good friend puts other people ahead of themselves, a good friend care for others.

Today I would like you to watch this video from the Pace Trust, and have a think more about how important friendship is.

Having friends means that we are never alone – that there is always someone who cares about you.  It means that you are part of a team, and that applies even now, when we are apart.

 

Prayer of the Day

Thank you God, for the care of friends.
Help us to be good friends to others, even when we are apart.

Help us to think of our friends at this difficult time,
And may we always look for opportunities to help other people.
Amen.

 

Monday 11th January, 2021

Reflection Time and Prayer of the Day

 

Friends are so important – have a quiet moment now and try and imagine what life would be like without a friend.  How would you feel?  Now think about all the many friends that you have and how they make you feel?  How can you show your friends that you are thinking about them, that you still care about them even though you can’t see them?

If you decide that you wish to share a message, via email, photograph or video  to your school friends on the school website, then please ask your parents to email them to admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk and we will share your messages on school news.  It is so important that we maintain contact and stay connected with our friends in these difficult times.

Enjoy singing along with this song from Out of the Ark – Seeds of friendship

Seeds of Friendship Lyrics

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
We thank you for our friends and for the happy times that we share with them.
Help us to be a good friend to them.
During this time when we can’t play with our friends,
Please help us to find creative ways to keep in touch.
Thank you that you are our friend and will be with us always.
Amen

Monday 11th January, 2021

Well Done Rosie!

At the end of last term Rosie passed her Silver Award in Keyboard and her teacher thought she should share this with school.  Well Done Rosie who is rightly very proud of herself!

Sunday 10th January, 2021

BBC Lockdown Learning – TV, iplayer & Online

You may have seen this already but the BBC are providing curriculum-based TV programmes which will run alongside the BBC Bitesize collection of educational resources online. They begin tomorrow morning.

Please click on the link below for more information.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55591821

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/p093cv85

Click on slide for a clearer view.

 

Friday 8th January, 2021

Maisie’s was loving PE today!

Maisie loved her PE lesson this morning and then spent some time extending her weighing lesson by using water, beads and scales!

Friday 8th January, 2021

Jake and Connor enjoying PE!

What a lovely selection of photos showing Jake and Connor enjoying this morning’s PE!

Thursday 7th January, 2021

School Closure tomorrow

Due to the short term weather forecast being snow for all day tomorrow, starting overnight, and with the current situation, we are closing the school building tomorrow for Keyworker Care. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Remote Learning will continue for all children at home.