Weekly Message 69 – 07 May 2020

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7th May 2020

Weekly Message – Issue 69

 

A short week this week, with the Bank Holiday to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. With most events cancelled, I know members of the local community, including our Key Worker School community, have found creative ways to mark the anniversary of the end of fighting in Europe during World War Two.

Despite a short week, colleagues have been busy working remotely with a continued focus on home learning activities, checking-in with pupils at home, Year 6 into Year 7 Transition and Year 9 Guided Choices. It is also the time of year when we start looking at next year’s timetable as well as the school calendar. Today, Mrs Harrison-Jones has written and sent a video message to all parents/carers and children of our new Year 7 intake who we know will be thinking about their transition to Cams Hill School.

 

This is not the Bank Holiday weekend we had anticipated as we started the year. There will be no new home learning activities set for the Bank Holiday, but as always there is a wealth of material available for pupils if they so wish. We hope that with a favourable weather forecast, sunshine and higher temperatures, you will be able to enjoy some quality family time together.


Keeping in touch

Assemblies

The Heads of Year conclude each week with a short assembly to update, share information and to keep-in-touch with pupils in their year groups.

Assemblies for the week will be posted on our new Vimeo Assemblies channel by the end of every Friday: https://vimeo.com/channels/1579277

Tutors

Tutors have also been in regular contact with their tutees and value the responses they receive; hearing that pupils are alright, what new things they have been doing and being able to offer guidance with work, with how they are feeling etc. If pupils haven’t yet been able to reply to a communication from their tutor, we ask that parents/carers encourage them to do so – even if just with a hello!

Pupil Emails

We ask that pupils routinely check their school email inbox for useful information and messages from their teachers, tutor and Head of Year. If pupils are having trouble accessing their account and/or have forgotten their username and password we ask that they contact ITSupport@camshill.com

Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

For support and guidance on how to manage mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak and beyond, please see the communication we sent out this week, which includes a booklet, some useful websites and apps as well as links to online courses.

Please also follow this link https://www.camshill.com/managing-mental-health-during-covid-19/ to our school website for further information and guidance from the DfE.

There is also the app ThinkNinja which is highly recommended and if you have Facebook, please do look at the Hampshire CAMHS Innovations and Events page which is incredibly useful and informative.  Please remember though, that this information is advice and guidance only.  If you have any serious concerns, please make contact with your GP or visit the Hampshire CAMHS website (https://hampshirecamhs.nhs.uk/) who can signpost you to the services you may require.


Key Worker School (KWS)

It’s been a sunny week at KWS and we have had a little more reflection on the circumstances around us. Miss Deathers led a creative writing session focusing on memories and feelings during lockdown, a project run by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) called the Covid Letters. We are proud that at least four of our KWS children have asked if we could send their writing to CAMHS be included in the collection of letters.

 

Then there was the competitive head -to -head between Mr Atkins and Mr Cole, who both wanted to win the title of best spaghetti structure…

We can tentatively announce that after much deliberation … Mr Cole won tallest and Mr Atkins was awarded … most “artistic”. They were both pleased and ate their Mars Bars appreciatively.

 

Finally, we have extended our competitive Couch to 5K, with Mr Barnard’s and Miss Caddy’s new challenge… The Main Corridor Sprint! Staff (and pupils) have been racing along the 90 metre stretch to clock the best time all week. So far, Mr Barnard is the one to beat, nailing 12 seconds over the distance! We’re yet to receive Mrs Harrison-Jones’ time so watch this space. #CatchMeIfYouCan

 


The Headteacher’s blog contains more informal reflections and is available here:

https://camsheadteacher.wordpress.com/

 

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