Public Health updates
Public Health have created a webpage with information for parents about the rules that they must follow to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. There is also information for parents about what to do if their child is asked to isolate because they have had contact with someone with Covid-19 (both a web link and a printable/emailable pdf).
https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/24953/Self-isolating-for-schools
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Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place on 1-7 February 2021.
This year’s theme is Express Yourself – see the slides for the whole school assembly to kickstart the week and get your children ‘Expressing themsleves!’
express-yourself-primary-assembly-slides
For the toolkit that has all of the resources that you will find on our news page and class pages this week check out the link below:
DB Primary is our school’s new ‘Primary Learning Cloud’. The Primary Learning Cloud is a safe area on the internet for pupils, and members of our school community, to share information and access a wide range of learning resources, anytime, anywhere.
DB Primary is specifically designed to improve digital literacy standards for primary school children and support the teaching of online safety. Included are online activities for Maths, English and Computing, along with Forums, Blogs, shared spaces and creative online tools.
When pupils use DB Primary, they must follow rules similar to those in school. Please discuss these rules with your child. Please read through the agreement below and sign to say that you agree to the responsibilities as a user. Please return a signed copy to the school as soon as possible.
Well done to everyone for your efforts with your TT Rockstars this week.
This week we are focussing on the Most Correct Answers over the last 7 days.
Well done for all your efforts on Lexia this week.
Here are the children who achieved their latest Lexia Certificate.
Class 1 – The Rocketmole
Class 2 – Tiddler
Class 3 – The Thieves of Ostia
Class 4 – The Butterfly Lion Continued…
DCC Online Safety advice for parents and carers during Covid 19
Parents and carers will want to make sure that their children are as safe as possible.
Parental Controls
Almost all devices allow parental controls to be set. These can be adjusted
depending on the ages of the children. They can:-
• Stop children putting new apps on a device until the parents approve them
• Reduce the chance of a child accidentally spending money on virtual goods
• Limit the time that children use a device without having a break
A good starting point is the internet matters website
https://www.internetmatters.org/ , go to the SETTING CONTROLS section at
the top!
Talking
Probably the best thing you can do to help your son or daughter is to talk to them
regularly about how they use technology, which apps and sites they use and who
their online friends are. Some children struggle with online relationships perhaps
either sending or receiving hurtful messages. Parents and carers will be able to help
guide youngsters through this difficult area. If children receive unpleasant messages
these can usually be reported and each app or site will have a different way of doing
this.
Apps and Sites
The list of apps and websites children are using grows by the minute so printed
advice is likely to be out of date. In the UK the NSPCC have a site called Net-Aware
https://www.net-aware.org.uk/ which explains many current apps, the risks and the
benefits of their use. More apps are listed on the American site Common Sense
Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Activities for Children
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ is the website aimed at children and their parents
from the National Crime Agency. It has lots of useful suggestions and advice on how
to report issues. It also has games and activities including Jessie and Friends for the
younger children and Band Runner for the older ones.
For the youngest children being tricked into sharing pictures can be an issue. LGfL
have produced a lovely free video https://undressed.lgfl.net/ which has some great
advice and a very catchy song!
More Help?
Children can call Childline on 0800 1111 for advice on anything that is worrying
them.
Finally since 2015 is has been a criminal offence for an adult to send a message with
sexual content to a child (This is Section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015). If
you are concerned that this might have happened please contact The Police without
further using the device. This will help ensure that evidence can be preserved. The
Police can be contacted by phone or from the Thinkuknow website.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
Wednesday 27th January 2021
Dear Parents/Carers,
Home Learning
We would like to send another huge thank you to you all, you are doing a fantastic job under very challenging circumstances. We understand some days are easier than others, we are very proud of all the work you do. We know too well the challenges of parenting, work and home-schooling but will remind you as often as we can that your emotional well-being along with that of your child is most important. We love the photographs of the activities and work you have been doing and please keep sending these in. If you have requested a learning pack from us (printed resources for the week relating to daily online lessons), please remember to collect them from school. These are available from 9am every Monday. If you are unable to collect them, please let us know and we will arrange them to be delivered to you. If you are unable to upload the completed work via email to class teachers then you can also bring the completed work into school to be given to your child’s teacher to mark – this means any areas of misunderstanding can be identified as soon as possible. If you originally asked for a work pack but no longer need one printing, please inform the school office or your child’s teacher as this will help save time and costs for us.
We continue to review the on-line learning within the government guidelines, we know from feedback that you like the pre-recorded videos from staff and links to power points and online videos to help support the lessons. We want to ensure our children enjoy learning during this lockdown, we know that it will be the memories you make as a family that the children will remember in years to come.
Please watch out on our school website under latest news for story time with class teachers, Head Teacher Assembly and Lexia/TT Rockstars awards. We also add links to extra- curricular resources and constant updates of information.
We are setting up a new online platform called DB Primary, which gives schools a safe and secure environment for staff and pupils to collaborate.
Because DB Primary is all web-based, children will be able to access DB Primary anywhere with just a web browser and internet connection – there is nothing else they need to install on their computer.
Each child will be given an account for DB Primary and will help children upload their work back to their class teacher easily. We will let you know more about this platform as soon as it is set up.
Lateral Flow Tests
This week, school staff have now started taking lateral flow tests twice a week. It is hoped that the regular testing will help to keep the whole school community as safe as possible and pick up on anyone who has the virus but are asymptomatic and as a result, prevent it spreading.
Citizens Advice Energy Programme
Citizens Advice have issued some guidance about a new project. Across England, over 2.4 million households are classed as being fuel poor. The aim of this project is to assist new & existing clients with expert energy advice to maximise their income and reduce fuel poverty. The Citizens Advice Energy Advice Programme is now live and can help clients save money and manage their energy use more effectively through providing help and advice with the following:
❖ Fuel vouchers
❖ Energy tariffs
❖ Switching energy supplier
❖ Energy efficiency
❖ Fuel debts
❖ Meters
❖ Smart meters
❖ Grant applications
❖ Additional help and support from suppliers
If you would like our support with any of the above or you find yourself struggling to meet your energy costs, please give them a call on: 07592649158. Alternatively, you can contact them by going to citizensadvice.org.uk or calling our Advice line on 03444 111444.
February half-term
All schools will close as usual over the half-term and are not expected to stay open for vulnerable pupils and children of critical workers.
The Local Authority will use funds from the Covid Winter Grant Scheme to provide families with meal support over this time. These vouchers will be emailed to our Families.
I would like to thank everyone in our school community for everything they are doing at this time to ensure we all stay as safe as possible. My thoughts go out to families who have to self-isolate, have loved ones ill at this time or families who have lost loved ones. I know that the strength we had as a community during the first lockdown helped us through and I am sure this will be case again. We are here to support you in every way, so please get in touch with us, sometimes just a chat can help
Thank you again for your continued support
Mrs Donna Lee
Head Teacher
