Category: Head Teacher Blog

Please take some time to look after yourself; take care of your physical health and your mental health and wellbeing at this time.

Lots of us are dealing with our own worries and anxieties as well as supporting our children, family and friends.

There are lots of ways to stay in touch with family and friends using technology even if we can’t be with them in person.

There are many sites and YouTube channels that have made their content free to offer support for people. These include sites for physical exercise, meditation and yoga.

Lots of services and organisations are offering online support. Here are some links to some sites that you might find helpful for yourself and your adult family members.

https://www.children1st.org.uk/help-for-families/parentline-scotland/guidance-advice/cat/support-for-families-about-coronavirus

https://www.rethink.org/news-and-stories/blogs/2020/03/managing-your-mental-health-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/

https://www.headspace.com/

We all need help sometimes and in these unprecedented circumstances it’s really important that we look after ourselves as well as everyone around us.

Good Morning!

I hope that you are all safe and well.

The new guidelines that have been issued are, as the First Minister has said,  unprecedented. You may want to take some time to watch Newsround (times in yesterday’s post) with your child and have a chat with them.

We have been thinking about ways to explore the world from our living rooms. There are lots of programmes like Blue Planet on BBC channels,  or Cbeebies Where in the World’ that available. I am sure you will have seen lots of posts and emails about the virtual tours of galleries and museums and live streaming webcams for zoos and wildlife parks all over the world that you can access.

This link has many examples BUT just a health warning, I haven’t taken every tour so you might want to take a look yourself first! We aren’t promoting any of these places or the adverts  that are on this site – but I found the Baltimore Aquarium live stream very relaxing and enjoyed spotting the different fish!

https://www.familydaystriedandtested.com/free-virtual-tours-of-world-museums-educational-sites-galleries-for-children/

Here are  a few that have been put into a document.

Virtual Field Trips

If your child is starting a project or just really interested in a topic, like space, then there are lots of ideas for them to explore.

If you have recommendations for similar sites, books and programmes – then please let us know!

Of course, as a famous author has already pointed out – Narnia, The Hundred Acre Wood and Hogwarts are also free to visit at this time!

 

 

 

 

Good Morning! I hope that you are all well and taking good care of yourselves. Please remember to follow all the advice about looking after yourself and others by self isolating if appropriate and  social distancing.

There are lots of resources like the two above as well as all the  learning grids and hints and tips on our website and class blogs.

A few tips for getting started I would suggest – agree a Timetable for each day, choose which activities on the learning grid you will follow. and talk it through together with your child. Put in some breaks, some down time for you both and some FUN!

Remember turn taking games – strategy games like Connect 4 and checkers – are all great for social skills and thinking skills. Good old noughts and crosses is a challenge – so remember to put them into your day. Jigsaws are great for fine motor skills and spatial awareness. Get your child to make their own – have a go yourself. Lego challenge cards are on the Blog so try one a day. Drawing and colouring in are creative and  relaxing and great for hand -eye coordination! Charades and acting out favourite nursery rhymes or stories are fun (and funny, but you have to take a turn too)

Make time to read – for your child to read independently and tell you about it later, to read with your child and to read to your child! Also read something yourself and tell them about it – be their role model! There are lots of books on line, sites like audible have also made content free and your child can use the City of Edinburgh library Service.

Enjoy some energetic activities – outdoors think about social distancing or indoors with Gonoodle or Joe Wicks.

You don’t have to know  the answers – let your child be a researcher, let them teach you by making fact files or quizzes about favourite subjects.

Write for a purpose – can they help you make lists of jobs to do, give them a shopping budget, make menus and buy the ingredients, or create new ones, help with the cooking – lots of weighing and measuring to do! Send neighbours who are self isolating or just on their own a letter, a joke or  a picture to cheer them up!

At the end of each day talk about what you did. Share the highlights (and the not so highlights) and talk about what you will do tomorrow.

Keep in touch, let me know how you are and what you are doing  and take care!

Mrs Jessop