Over the past few weeks, schools across the South West have been supporting their children and their families in so many wonderful ways. Here, Lindsey Oddie from The Grove Primary School in Trowbridge details some of the ways that the school has kept in touch with its community.
The whole Grove community has been focused on keeping things positive during these strange times. Our amazing children have created rainbows, in a variety of ways, to spread that positivity as far as possible. One of our Year 1 children has even been ‘rainbow hunting’ during her daily exercise as she has enjoyed seeing them so much!
When we are at school we love to stay fit and active, and our children have kept that passion alive during this period of home learning. We have received news of our children completing virtual 5ks, ‘a marathon in a week’ on their bikes and even a 2.6 Challenge linked to martial arts. Everyone has been so proud to see our children raising money for vital charities and also representing The Grove so brilliantly through their kindness and hard work.
Since school closures happened, we have developed a range of new ways to stay in touch with our Grove children. These include a special home learning email address, more regular social media updates and also our Grove YouTube Channel. The YouTube Channel is being used to share learning videos alongside other resources including a series of art tutorials from our Art Coordinator and Year 1 teacher, Mrs McKenna. The children have been using her art tutorials to get creative at home, sending in what they have created based on her ideas, alongside some amazing art ideas of their own.
It’s been fantastic to see home learning being taken outdoors. From explosive science experiments to bug hunts and topic box building, our children are combining their love of the environment with their love for learning, and we’re so proud to see it!
To celebrate children’s achievements and to maintain their great motivation, our teachers have been phoning them regularly to provide feedback, encouragement and praise. We have set up a homelearning@grove email, where children have been sending in pieces of work they are proud of, and their teachers have been replying and even awarding star points.
Being mindful of wellbeing is critical at all times, particularly now, so we have been sending children postcards and birthday cards. During Mental Health Awareness Week, we also set the children a ‘Five Steps to Wellbeing” Challenge to complete at home. Children have already started doing daily yoga, to look after their bodies, and sending postcards to look after those around them. Our Pastoral Team have been supporting families and signposting them to additional support where needed.
We would love to hear about how your school is supporting your children, family and community during these challenging times. Please feel free to send in a report – up to 500 words – and photos to email hidden; JavaScript is required