Thank you to the Keyworker parents who have been keeping us informed of the need for child care.  We are aware that with more relaxing of restrictions, that the demand for Keyworker Child Care might increase, so we thought it would be helpful to provide the following information:-

• We can offer Child Care for children who have a parent with a job that is classified as being on the “Critical Worker List”  – Click here to see the guidance.
• The government also states the following principles for Critical Workers who are seeking child care in school:
  1. If a child has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
  2. Parents must do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially outside of school. They must observe the same social distancing principles as adults, as far as possible.
  3. If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed in the guidance, then your children will be prioritised for education provision.
• Our child care is available from 9am to 3.15pm and needs to be booked in advance, ideally by Midday on the Friday of the week before needed.
• We have a maximum capacity of 8 children, due to social distancing rules and staffing ratios.
• Children access and exit school using the main school reception door.
• Children can bring their own toys/resources in to play with, as well as a packed lunch if required (school packed lunches are available – please ask if required).

Good Morning Brown Clee!

I hope everyone had a good weekend, even though it was rather blustery!

Last week we were focusing on our Christian Value of the half term – Courage, and we learnt how we can be brave in so many different ways, and we don’t need to be a superhero to be brave!

As a school, we have 6 core Christian Values, one of which I think is kind of an umbrella that encompasses all values – and that is Respect!  We talk about respect a lot in school – as it comes in many different forms: Respect for yourself, Respect for others, Respect for School…..and when we discuss it and children explain what it is – they often say “Respect is treating other people how you wish to be treated”.  Which I think are wise words!

In school we learn about other countries and cultures and we discuss how we are all different, but yet all the same and we celebrate the diversity of the world.  We appreciate that this wonderful world is amazing because of it’s diversity, and because of it’s differences.  So this week I would like to think about differences and diversity – and here is a story that makes a good introduction…as stories can help us to understand the world!

Here are some questions for you to think about from the story:-

What is the main problem in the story?

How is the problem solved by the end of the story?

What is the message and lessons learnt in the story of “Mixed”?

For me, the story has made me think what a boring world it would be if we were all the same, and how wonderful it is that we are all different, in so many ways!  But that we should always treat each other respectfully, irrespective of our differences. Here is a song that helps to teach us how to get along …

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,

Thank you that you made us each different from each other,
yet each the same in some ways.
Help us to love the differences in other people.

Help us to be kind to those around us.
Help us to think about the needs of other people.
Please help us to seek to live in peace.
Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

We have been thinking about courage this week as it is our Christian Value of the half term, and today I would like to share a story from the Book of Daniel, Chapter 6 in The Bible, about a very brave man called Daniel.

Daniel was a man of God, who always put God first in his life. He was also a clever and important young man who helped King Darius to rule his kingdom. Daniel was so good at his job and so trusted by the king that he was in line for a big promotion. Sadly, this made the king’s other helpers jealous. The king’s helpers got together to hatch a plan to bring Daniel down.

Why was Daniel brave?  Was it just for facing the lions without fear? …….  I think he was brave for staying true to his faith that God is the only one God – rather than doing what everyone else was doing.  He knew it was wrong to worship Darius as he was not a God.

When Daniel decided to continue praying to his God, the true God, he didn’t know what the outcome of his decision would be. He must have been scared of the lions, but he had faith in his God,a God who had promised never to leave him or to forsake him. He knew that it was right to continue to trust in his God.

Sometimes it is hard to stick with what you know is right when everyone else is doing something different and wrong.  It is hard to be the ‘odd one out’.  But we should maybe take a leaf out of Daniel’s book, and be brave and have faith.  Maybe we can make a difference and encourage others to follow our lead, and lead them down the right path….

https://youtu.be/pDt_39G8214

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you that you promise to be with us always.
Thank you that you promise to be with us in every situation.
When things are hard to understand, please give us strength, faith and perseverance.
Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

We have been thinking about COURAGE this week as our Christian Value of the Half term.  We have thought about how sometimes we can be afraid of the unknown but that maybe we should be brave and think positively about it as we might be pleasantly surprised!  We have learnt about Derek Redmond, a courageous athlete who never gave up despite being in agonising pain, and as a result he achieved so much more than a medal!

Today I have a video asking ‘What is Courage?” showing that you don’t have to be a super hero to be brave, and that sometimes you can be brave in a very quiet mouse-like way!

Can you think of a time when you showed courage in school?

How can you find and use your courageous voice today!?!

Sometimes it helps to sing if you’re feeling a bit worried or scared, so here’s a song you can sing along to any time to help you feel brave!

Prayer of the Day

Let’s say our School Prayer together, so those of us at home and at school can be together in spirit…

Dear God

Thank you for our wonderful school.

Help us to be good learners.

Help us to look after each other.

Help us be respectful and kind and to make everyone welcome.

May our school be a happy, safe place where learning is fun.

Where we all work together to be the best we can be.

Amen

A quick reminder that our half day is Thursday, where Reception finish at 12.30, Year 1 at 12.45 and Year 6 at 13.00, every THURSDAY.  Children will have their packed lunch at school before being collected.

We would just like to say thank you to parents and children for helping us to make today successful! The start and end of day procedures worked well, and now that we have trialled them for a day, should run smoothly in the future.

The children have hopefully had an enjoyable day despite the social distancing measures, and we have all been so impressed with their positive response to the new systems. It has been so lovely to see the smiley faces of everyone around school!

A couple of learning points…..it is really helpful for children to have their belongings in one simple big bag to allow them ease of carrying and cleaning hands. Also, thank you to parents for collecting children and leaving the playground promptly at the end of the day (Reception and Year 1).

We did notice that children got a bit hungry mid morning, so please feel free to send a hard fruit eg apple, pear, in within your child’s packed lunch, that they can have as a morning snack.

Good evening,

It has now been confirmed that schools will be opening further on Monday 1^st June for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils.   Thank you so much to everyone for letting us know if your child would be returning on 1^st June if we opened, as that has really helped us with our planning.

You will have seen that the school looks very different, and those children that are returning will find it rather strange – as will we!  But we will ensure that they are happy and as safe as we possibly can.

You have also received all the information on procedures, and again we would like to draw your attention to the Start and End of Day Procedures, as this is where the risk of mixing is greatest.

Children only need to bring their packed lunch (if they are not having a school packed lunch) , waterbottle (the water fountain is not in use) and coat (we will be getting children outside as much as possible, and coats make a great picnic blanket!).  They can also bring one toy for use at playtimes.  Please keep it as simple for children as possible, as they will have to carry their own belongings from the reception gate and into class 4 cloakroom on their own.

Remember that school uniform is not a requirement, but a new set of clothes each day is.  If it is PE that day then children may come to school in their PE kit and stay in it all day – keeping things simple is definitely the key!

Please note that for safety, parents are not to enter the school (sorry!), so if you do need to see any member of staff, or have any questions, please ring or email to make an appointment.

Please be patient and bear with us on Monday, please be punctual so that children can arrive in their year groups and follow the one-way system using the ‘yellow circles’ to keep everyone at 2m spacings! We will have staff out on the playground and I will be there to meet and greet at the front of the school to help and support the children.  We will all soon get used to it I am sure, but it will seem very new and different to start off with.

Keyworkers requiring Child Care – I will be emailing to provide arrival and collection procedures tomorrow…and we really appreciate as much notice as possible of any Child Care needs for these critical keyworkers – who we really appreciate everything that they are doing!

In the meantime, enjoy the fabulous weather and if you have any questions please just ask!

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Today we ‘break-up’ for May half term, and we will be halting the remote learning activities for a week so that we can all get outside and enjoy the wonderful weather that is forecast! We will also be thinking about June 1st, when we may be opening for some children.

It has been 10 weeks since we closed to most children, and we are so proud of our school community for all working together and putting children and their families safety first. The wonderful communication and involvement with the work that the teachers have been setting each day and the sharing of photographs have been a real treat, as we are all missing seeing our school team!

I am quite sure that everyone has been experiencing a mixed range of emotions, and also now, with the potential broader opening of school for some children, there could be feelings of worry and anxiety.  We always talk about feelings in school and how all feelings are valid and ok! It is ok to be happy and it is ok to be sad….and likewise it is ok to be scared and it is ok to be confident. What matters is how we manage those feelings.  Here is a short video…see if you can guess the emotions!

Today I am feeling excited as I will get to see the fabulous Brown Clee school staff team, as we  getting together, in a socially distanced manner, to ensure that we are all prepared and ready to possibly welcome more children into school on June 1st.  However I am also feeling sad, as I know that the warm, welcoming, ‘cosy’ school environment has temporarily changed in order to comply with the necessary guidance to ensure that it is as safe as possible for everybody.  But I appreciate that the safety of our community is the top most priority. Have a wonderful half term week, stay safe, and also please keep in touch with the website and emails, as we will be sharing further information to keep you informed with all that we are doing to make school a happy and safe place for children.

So here is a little song for you to enjoy whenever you just fancy a sing!

https://youtu.be/ut5_ZaEAS3s

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for all the feelings we have and that each one has its place.
It’s right to be scared if we’re in danger.
It’s great to be happy when we can.
Please help us to control our bad feelings and not be overwhelmed by them.
Amen.

We have been asked to share the following documents that have been sent out by our Local Authority, Shropshire Council regarding the current situation.

Position Statement

Parents and Carers letter

Good afternoon and we hope everyone is enjoying the sunny weather!

We are working hard behind the scenes to prepare for a possible opening of the school for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children on the 1st June.  This involves a lot of changes and organisation, and we really appreciate your understanding, and openness with letting us know if you are planning to send your children back to school if we are told to open.  This has really helped us with our planning, so thank you!

This letter provides some information on the classroom organisation and structure, as well as staffing planning and days/timings if we open:

Letter to parents Class Organisation Staffing Structure

We will also be posting further information to be more detailed about the Start and End of Day procedures to minimise contact between groups and maximise safety.

If you have any questions please do email me: head@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk

These are unprecedented times, and I’d just like to reassure you that we are doing all we possibly can to prioritise everyone’s safety and well-being.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

We are approaching our May half-term break and at the end of the month, on Sunday 31st May the Church celebrates the festival of Pentecost that celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his ascension.  This day is also called Whit Sunday – and is often referred to as the birthday of the Christian Church.

The Bible describes the Holy Spirit in different ways. It speaks about the Spirit being strong like the wind, but gentle like a dove and as bright, warming and powerful as fire.

What would it have felt like to have been with the disciples in that room on that special day of Pentecost? It would have been amazing!

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
We thank you for sending the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Thank you that you keep your promises and can turn sadness to joy.
Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

It is a funny old world at the moment – and I am sure that everyone is experiencing a whole range of emotions – from fear and anxiety to joy and excitement – all of which are perfectly human and normal.  I think the one emotion that I am experiencing at the moment is Hope – hope that the cases of coronavirus will continue to decrease, hope that all our families are safe and well, hope that one day we will be back in school together again in a ‘normal’ happy school. Hope is an important word that can mean many things – have a watch and listen to this short video about Hope.

The week is forecast to be quite a sunny one, so as the sun comes out, lets enjoy listening to this well known song about the Sun Coming Out Tomorrow!

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
When things go wrong, help us to keep hoping.
When we are sad, help us to remember that happiness will come.
When we are lonely, help us to remember that people care for us.
When we are worried, help us to trust that you will never leave us.
Please help us to live in hope.
Amen.

Good morning everyone (it is just about the morning!) – today is a special day for Hugo – it is his birthday – so let’s join in and sing together!

With the potential opening to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on the 1st June, we would like to reassure the critical keyworkers that we can still offer child care if absolutely needed.

This Care will take place in the hall, between the hours of 9am to 3.15pm and children will be kept separate from the other children in school in line with the protection measures that we have to follow. The child care would need to be booked in advance, by the Friday the preceding week, as we have been doing since March 23rd.

If we open on June 1st, we will not be able to offer wrap around care before the school day or after the school day, as we have to ensure we keep children in their groups to minimise any risk of spreading the virus. We appreciate that this may be tricky for working parents, but we have to prioritise the protection of children, families and staff.

You are probably aware that, dependent on how the government assess the progress in controlling the coronavirus, the school may open on 1st June for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children.  We have been given lots of guidance on how this could happen, and are, and have previously been, putting plans and procedures together of how we could safeguard children and staff if there was a phased opening of schools.

The government have also provided guidance for parents which you can find here:-

Opening Schools and Educational Settings to more pupils from 1st June: guidance for parents and carers

The school has an action plan in place, and this will be a working plan as we move forwards.  We will be implementing hygiene procedures, cleaning procedures, social distancing procedures and drop off and pick-up procedures, amongst others.  I thought it would be helpful for parents to understand what school will be like for children if we do open on June 1st. So these are some bullet points:

• Children will be sitting at desks that are 2m apart. Year 6s will fit into class 4, Year 1s will be split between Class 3 and Class 2, and Reception Children will be in Class 1 and The Pod.
• Each group of children will have a teacher or a HLTA delivering the lesson, and this adult will stay with the children each day, to minimise contacts, as per the guidance.
• There is a one-way system through the practical area (middle of school open area) with 2m spacings marked on the floor.
• Children will socialise within their own group, and there will be staggered playtimes and lunchtimes, so that the groups don’t mix.  There will also be the expectation that children stay 2m apart at playtimes.
• Children will have their own stationery equipment and trays, as guidance is for children not to share resources. This will also impact on playtime equipment and classroom resources – so children can bring their own toys in to play with during breaktimes.
• Children and staff will be advised to wear different clothes each day, so we will be allowing children to wear their own clothes if they wish, to reduce washing demands at home.
• We will need to share drop off and pick-up procedures to ensure that parents and children are not clustering at the start and end of the school day, and this might involve a staggered start for different year groups. We do not yet know if the school buses will be running, and are waiting to be informed.
• We will still be providing critical keyworker care, and this would be in the hall, so lunch may well be in classrooms, with a packed lunch.
• The remote teaching activities may change for year 2 and 5.

There will be further detail, and there is still a lot to sort out, but I felt it important that we are open and transparent with parents, and that you are fully aware of what school will ‘look’ like if we go back on 1st June.  We are working very hard to ensure that we have clear and safe procedures in place to ensure we can do all we can to protect our school community, so please share with friends and keep an eye out on the website.

I would like to reassure you that we will be ensuring we provide children with the teaching and support that they need, and help them with understanding and coping with these different routines and procedures.  We will also be ensuring that we offer reassurance and comfort in this somewhat different environment.

We are aware that as parents you may have concerns and worries about your children being in school; worries about their or your families physical safety and protection from the virus, or their mental well-being when working in such a strange and distant environment.  We very much appreciate this, and also do not look forwards to working in this way, as it is totally against how we operate as teaching staff. However, we have to follow the guidance we have been given in order to protect the children, staff and families.

We would very much appreciate your feedback and so will be emailling out a survey to all parents (including Year 2,3 and 4) so please keep an eye out on your inboxes.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please do email at head@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk

Good afternoon – we hope you are having a good day, despite the significant temperature drop!

Following on from yesterday’s broadcast, and in preparation for opening for children at some point in the future, it would be really helpful if parents could keep us informed if for whatever reason you are ‘Shielding’.  The guidance on shielding for vulnerable people can be found here:-

Guidance on Shielding and Protecting People who are Clinically Vulnerable

Shielding simply means putting extra protection in place for people who are most likely to get very poorly from coronavirus, and it involves a whole family being shielded or protected.

This would also be a good opportunity to remind you that if you have any worries or concerns about your child returning to school, please feel free  to contact me on: head@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk  – we may not have an instant answer, but it will mean that we are aware of what parents issues may have and we can either reassure you that we will have procedures and routines in place, or hopefully find an answer for you.