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Friday 5th February 2021

Message from Mrs Hall

It has been a difficult time for many people with the restrictions of lockdown and children’s mental health and well-being is more important than ever. This week is children’s mental health week and the theme is ‘express yourself’. It is really important that children have opportunities to take part in activities that make them feel good, this could be through art, music, writing, poetry, dance, drama, sport, photography and film. The charities who support this initiative state that ‘it is important to remember that being able to express yourself is not about being the best at something or putting on a performance for others but by finding a way to show who you are and how you see the world that can help you feel good about yourself’. So, this weekend do try to take some time away from technology and find an activity that you all can enjoy safely as a family. Thank you for your continued support.

Reading At Home

Reading together as a family is a great way to share special moments, build confidence and spark young imaginations.  Why not have a look at the following link to find eight tried and tested tips and tricks to help get your family into enjoying books and kick-start a lifelong love of reading? 

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/children/2017/8-tried-and-tested-tips-to-get-your-family-reading.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Puffin%2520Beakspeak&utm_campaign=Your%2520activity%2520pack%2520%257C%2520Welcome%2520to%2520Puffin

Booking a school place in the Critical Worker and Vulnerable Child Bubbles

Please note all spaces for critical workers need to be booked on a weekly basis.  Please send an email to parents@whcps.org by 3pm each Thursday to book spaces for the following week, we will then confirm the space on Friday (please ensure that you provide evidence of your critical worker role).  If your child is attending school as a vulnerable child, this space will be kept for them and there is no need to book each week.  Please be aware that any space booked for your child will be for the full week (Monday to Friday) even if you choose not to send them in. This is to minimise the number of contacts children have and to work within our risk assessment.  If your child will not be attending on a particular day, please email the office on parents@whcps.org as soon as possible to confirm they will be absent. Please note we have a high demand for spaces at the moment, please only book a space if you need it – the government guidance remains – stay at home. Thank you for your assistance.  If you have any questions, please contact the office team on 01473 741249.

Free School Meal Vouchers – Half Term

Families who are entitled to receive Free School Meals are all receiving a weekly £15.00 voucher under the Government scheme to ensure children are able to have a lunch each day whilst they are not in school.   We have now had confirmation that the vouchers will be slightly different over the Half Term holiday.  Parents/Carers will receive their usual email from Edenred on Monday 8^th February.  This will be followed by a separate email sent on Tuesday 9^th February or Wednesday 10^th February from our finance@whcps.org email account.  This will also include a code to get a £15 supermarket voucher but will be via a different voucher scheme.  This will be in the same way that vouchers were sent for the Christmas holiday.  If you do not receive your email by Thursday 11^th February please contact the school office and we will check this for you. 

Lockdown Awards

EYFS:

Key Stage 1:

Lower Key Stage 2:

Upper Key Stage 2:

Key Stage 2 Live Lessons

We continue to be super impressed with the children’s engagement in live lessons and appreciate your support with these.  Please can we remind everyone of the safeguarding rules that apply to these lessons:

• Children should not be using mobile phones in lessons to message each other.  In addition, they must not record or take photos of classmates or members of staff during live teaching.
• Children should conduct live learning in an open space at home – e.g. a living room or kitchen.  Children’s bedrooms or bathrooms are not regarded as appropriate.  Please ensure that the setting chosen for your child to work in has an appropriate background and has no personal information on display.
• Children will not be able to log onto the lesson until the member of staff is online.
• Parents and carers are expected to remain in the vicinity during a live lesson but should not be visible on screen or heard by children or staff in the class.
• Please ensure other members of the household (for example brothers and sisters) do not appear on the screen as this will be distracting to other children.
• Children must be fully and appropriately clothed during live lessons.  Pyjamas, hats, hoods up and clothes with inappropriate slogans must not be worn during live lessons.
• Children should not make unkind verbal or written comments about other participants in the lesson – this could be perceived as online bullying and is not acceptable (please see Behaviour Policy Expectations)
• We expect all children to continue to follow the Golden Rules and The Whitehouse Way during live lessons.  The school’s Behaviour Policy will continue to apply.
• After live teaching has finished, the member of staff will be the last person to leave the platform, so that children are not left alone and unsupervised in a session.

Thank you for your assistance in ensuring everyone is safe on line.

Dinner Menu – 8^th February

Monday – Jacket Potato with Beans or Cheese (vegetarian option) and Mixed Salad

Tuesday – Chicken Meatballs with Tomato Pasta or Vegetable and Tomato Pasta with Sweetcorn and Peas

Wednesday- BBQ Chicken or BBQ Quorn with Vegetable Rice

Thursday – Toad in the Hole or Vegetarian Toad in the Hole with Roast potatoes and Mixed Veg

Children’s Mental Health Week

This week is Children’s Mental Health Week as Mrs Hall aforementioned.   Just as we must look after our physical health, we also need to look after our mental health too.  If you would like to know more about Children’s Mental Health Week, you can find lots of information and fun activities you can do as a family on the links below. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, who is the patron, has also recorded a message which you can view at this link: www.Childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk. For more information and ways you can look after your mental health please see:  www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/55890449 or Place2be.org.uk/about-us/children-s-mental-health-week.    For lots of fun activities to help your wellbeing along with enjoying wildlife see the following link: www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/childrens-mental-health-week-2021.

Financial Assistance

Did you know that if you are on a low income and unable to work because NHS Test and Trace have asked you to self-isolate, that you may be eligible for a lump sum payment of £500 as part of the Government’s Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme?  The is scheme is available to those who are receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Working tax Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income Support
• Housing Benefit
• Pension Credit

In addition, there is some limited discretionary funding which may be available to those who are not on the above benefits.   To be able to apply for this you must be earning less than £19,200 gross per annum as a single person or £37,400 per annum as a couple or single parent household, as well a having less than £3,000 in household savings.

To get more information and to apply for assistance, please see the attached website: https://www.ipswich.gov.uk/content/self-isolation-support-payments

Don’t forget!

As well as Google Classroom and Tapestry we have a number of other learning platforms that the children are able to use to support their learning. Please remember to log in to these resources as teachers are setting fun activities on these platforms as well. Every child has been provided with a username and password for these websites and these can be found in their reading journals. If you cannot access these websites, please contact the school for support.

Education City - https://www.educationcity.com/

Myon - https://www.myon.co.uk/

Times Tables Rock Stars - https://ttrockstars.com/

Accelerated Reader - https://ukhosted5.renlearn.co.uk/2248276/default.aspx

Also, a reminder to Key Stage 1 children they can use Numbots.  Log in details can be found in the children’s reading journals. Finally, if you have any queries regarding your child’s remote learning, you can contact a member of staff from your child’s year team by emailing:  

Nursery and Reception: blendedlearningey@whcps.org

Years 1 and 2:  blendedlearningks1@whcps.org

Years 3 and 4:  blendedlearninglks2@whcps.org

Years 5 and 6: blendedlearninguks2@whcps.org

Dates for the Diary

Friday 12^th February – PD Day (No school for children)

Monday 15^th February – Friday 19^th February – Half Term Holiday

Thursday 4^th March – Parent/Carer Evening - Online

Wednesday 10^th March – Parent/Carer Evening - Online

Monday 29^th March – Friday 9^th April – Easter Holiday