Dear Parents,

I just wanted to say hello and fill you in on a few things.
Firstly, I want to recognise how tricky this whole situation is for so many of us; we are all having to get used to a different way of doing so many things. Those who are currently dealing with loved ones who are not well are in our thoughts and prayers.
I want to give a big thumbs up and thank you to all our parents and family members who are working in a variety of key roles to help keep things going for the rest of us, including looking after those who are ill. If you want some tips on how to talk to children about this illness here is a great link to an article written by the British Psychology Society with some top tips: Talking to Children about Illness

Free school meals
We have recently received information from the government about the FSM voucher scheme which would enable all families who are eligible for free school meals to receive a food voucher.
The local authority has also organised their own scheme while waiting for the government one.
This means that those families eligible will receive a voucher for the Easter break (Local Authority) plus the government scheme which will be a weekly e-voucher. Both are sent via email and school is responsible for organising these.
We have used the email addresses you gave us for Class Dojo and information we hold about your eligibility.
All those eligible should have received an email from me indicating that they are eligible and the number of children in the family at Colebourne that are eligible. If any information is incorrect or you think you are eligible but do not receive the email – please get in touch with me straight away. Please note: This voucher scheme is different from the Universal Free School Meals that all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 get; the eligibility for this scheme is based on the types of benefits that you have and we already have the list of parents for this.

Home learning
I have been keeping a keen eye on all the work being set by the teachers and really enjoy looking through this and the responses from parents and children. I want to thank all the staff for their work in developing a new way of supporting the learning and I’m impressed with what has been made available; thank you for all your positive feedback and support.
We hope you are being able to get a good balance between the set home learning activities and other home activities. Remember, playing games, learning about home jobs, cooking and just spending time together are all incredibly valuable experiences and this is learning too. If you are finding doing the tasks set by the staff tricky or your child isn’t wanting to do them, please don’t worry – they are there for those who can. Each child and family is different and we know for some of our children the school work may not be a priority. Please ensure that this doesn’t become a battle; it is not there to cause an argument. Your child may want to lead the learning and activities in their own way.

The teachers will continue to set some maths and English work each week while school remains closed. This can be accessed via the planning Padlet. Please note: Teachers will not be setting work over the two week Easter break. If you want to continue your child’s learning during this time, please check the planning padlet for your child’s year groups plus the many activities on the whole school space theme and online platforms that you have login details for. I will be setting a few Easter challenges for you too!
Staff will be checking the class dojo messages every couple of days just in case any families have any problems. For urgent or important queries please continue to use the helpline number – 07841 010082 or email support@colebourne.bham.sch.uk if you need anything at any point, including over Easter.

Please note the following in relation to home learning:

• There is no minimum amount of work we expect the children to do and you do not have to try to do all that is set.
• Teachers will aim to give some feedback on the work submitted but this may not always be possible: please continue to add to your child’s portfolio but responses will not always be made.
• After Easter there will be a new daily text activity sent every morning a 9.30am (after Joe Wicks Workout). Again, this is just optional.

Computer equipment for families
We know how many aspects of learning from home relies on technology and sometimes there might not be enough technology to go around.
If you would like to borrow an iPad from Colebourne, we may be able to lend these out.
Please email support@colebourne.bham.sch.uk or text or ring the helpline number: 07841 010082

Expectations Re. Social Media site for children
We know that children are keen to connect with each other and we know for many this is an established way of keeping in touch and playing with their friends.
Please ensure you have spoken to your children about this and you all understand the expectations in terms of use, safety and politeness – as a school we will not tolerate children being unkind to each other over these platforms and we will take action when we find out – even while school is closed.
There is a lot of support available to keep your child safe online. Below are some useful links to help parents and carers:

Thinkyouknow (advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online)
Internet matters (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
Parent info (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
LGfL (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
Net-aware (support for parents and careers from the NSPCC)

Childcare
We currently have no children requiring childcare provision but if you do need this in the days and weeks ahead please let me know and we can discuss this. We currently have an arrangement with Audley School where we can send our staff to support where we have any of our children needing childcare.

Keep in touch and Helplines
We have a few ways you can get in touch:

• Class Dojo: you can message your child’s class team.
• Colebourne Coronavirus’s headline 07841 010082
• Support email: support@colebourne.bham.sch.uk
• Family Support Worker: t.edwards@colebourne.bham.sch.uk
• Safeguarding Concerns – s.smart@colebourne.bham.sch.uk or ring the helpline.

Refunds
Refunds for trips have now been processed so you should see this money back in your accounts. Any snack and dinner money owing will be offset against future payments.

Face to face online sessions
We are exploring the possibility of have a small amount of online video chats between the teachers and the class. We are having to look at the guidance around this to make sure we can do this safety and effectively. We will let you know if we manage to sort anything out.

All at Colebourne wish you and your family well and we thank you for your support and positive feedback we have received over the last few weeks.

Keep safe and remember: be kind to yourself and each other.

Mr. Guest
(Head Teacher)