Stanmore Post - 29 January 2021
Dear Parents,
Reading is one of the few leisure activities still available to us during lockdown. Turning this into a positive opportunity to develop good reading habits could prove to be helpful in the future. We know that reading matters to children’s language development along with improving their chances at academic success. Sometimes we forget that reading also has the tremendous power to offer us pleasure and comfort in what are immensely challenging times. Now just isn’t the time to be too anxious about what your child is reading. Reading instructions, recipes, and even old baby books, are all valuable. Please don’t worry about the level or perceived challenge of a book when your child is reading for pleasure. Talking about the book is still a valuable activity. Your child may wish to return to their favourite stories, given the likely emotional benefits during this tricky time. Indeed, in such uncertain times, children may gain comfort from reading a book they enjoyed as a very young child. If you are not sure what to encourage your child to read we have suggested a list of 30 books that they should read before they leave Stanmore. You may already be aware of a fantastic website that can provide ideas - https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/
Children are continuing to achieve well in our Spring Term ‘Blended Learning’ Curriculum. We are seeing increasing numbers of children participating in all remote lessons and tasks. In RE this week Mrs Fenton and I were really impressed with the children’s responses and high level questions on the subject of creation. I recognise that sustaining children’s interest virtually is demanding, requiring considerable parental support and patience, but no effort is wasted. In addition to the maths and English tasks we have received videos of creative projects including: music making, how to plants a seed and re-telling stories. Children eligible to attend school are also engaging well and showing good learning behaviour. It is very encouraging to see the hard work invested in developing the Keys for Success: persistence, resilience, organisation, confidence, co-operation and respect reflected back through positive learning behaviours. We know this because the children are continuing to adapt so well to their constantly changing experience, however difficult that may seem at times.
If you haven’t done so already have a look at this routine checklist.
If you can’t find a space for your child to work, or you are struggling with technology, including internet connection or having enough devices to work on, then we may be able to help you. Please contact the school office.
We enjoy hearing about how well children are doing. We now know that restricted attendance is likely to continue for a few more weeks. The Government have indicated that the earliest that school’s will begin to reopen is Monday 8th March. As soon as we have a confirmed date and plan for this we will communicate with you through emails and text. If you have a suggestion for our ongoing improvement to our blended learning over the coming weeks please email Mrs Taylor via the admin office. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Best wishes,
Sharon Taylor
Science and our environment
This week, the children in Year 3 and 4 have been continuing their learning about rocks and soils. Building on their knowledge from previous learning, they re-created the formation of three types of rock using chocolate. They used melted chocolate to represent the molten rock, grated chocolate to represent the sediment that forms sedimentary rock, and applied pressure to the igneous and sedimentary rocks that they had created to produce metamorphic rock. The children loved this activity - with the added bonus of eating the rocks afterwards!
The children in EYFS have been exploring their environment.
Stanmore Post - 8 January 2021
Dear Parents,
Thank you for responding so well to all of the changes that have happened since Monday. It has been an extraordinary week, even in the current circumstances. The strength of our school community can be measured by how quickly children, parents and staff have adapted to two different situations in the space of one week. Everyone has played a part in making sure that this has happened as smoothly as possible.
I do not underestimate how challenging this has been for many families. If you have struggled with the technology this week then you are not alone. I imagine there are many people, myself included, who have been daunted by the step up into remote learning. The positive news is that the families who have taken the first step in engaging with remote learning, asking the school for support where necessary, are now up and running on Google Classroom. Some children and families felt overwhelmed initially, but the more they are getting used to this way of working the easier it is becoming. Who imagined a world where 5 year olds could so easily put themselves on mute?
This week children at home have participated in maths and English lessons that are similar to their usual classroom practice. The children in school are following the same routine. The curriculum next week develops this further with a wider range of subjects available. Planning follows the intended curriculum for this term with some necessary changes. For example art and design with Mrs Stanley will be a practical lesson using basic resources that you are likely to have at home rather than our usual art resources. In addition, ‘wellbeing with Mrs Mason’ and the ‘chill and chat’ session where children will just be able to see their friends under the supervision of the teacher, are there to support children’s mental health. It was wonderful to see so many faces on the screen for our Celebration Assembly. Next Friday we will run two sessions to allow for more than 100 to attend. Children across all year groups in the school will enjoy these sessions. The timetable can be found here.
We have resolved a couple of issues around the day to day management of the sessions. For example, children should now be unable to join a meeting before the teacher arrives. Find out more about how we are safeguarding your children and managing the expectations of behaviour in a remote lessons.
As well as juggling home education I am fully aware that families are coping with many other pressures. There is an expectation that children do participate in online learning this time. The Department of Education recommends that children in KS1 complete 3 hours a day and KS2 complete 4 hours a day. Of course, I would hope that this is possible, particularly once the Google Classroom routine becomes a familiar process. We are working hard to provide more support to parents through direct teaching on Google Meet. No-one would want to see children fall further behind because of a situation beyond anyone’s control. However, I am realistic and know that what is most important is that everyone stays positive, taking a balanced approach that keeps your family on track. Start small, be successful and build up from there. You are not on your own and we can help through re-assurance or in more practical ways if needed.
Contact adminoffice@stanmore.hants.sch.uk
We know that choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions you can make. At Stanmore Primary School you will find an environment that will support them in their development and positively challenge them in their learning. The deadline for Year R applications is January 15th 2021. If you or anyone you know has a child who will start school in September 20-21 please follow the link below:
Stanmore Post - Remote Learning Update - 5 January 2021
Dear Parents
Today has been a very quiet day in school and we have missed seeing all of the children.
You will have been contacted by us if you have requested a key worker space, or your child meets the criteria of vulnerable as outlined in the Government Guidance. If you are sending your child to school, please continue to follow the enhanced measures set out at the beginning of the week including:
Wearing face masks on the site
Collecting children without older siblings from Early Years/ KS1 at 3pm
Limiting adults on the site and arriving/leaving promptly
Remote Learning
Parents have been emailed two separate documents. One is a reminder of how you can access Google Classroom. The other is an example weekly timetable.
For the rest of this week our remote learning will be limited to Maths, English and a creative project. The creative project will be something straightforward for you to share at home with your child and there will be a different task for each year group with some examples. This limited timetable will allow us the time to make sure that all children and staff are confident in the process. From Monday 11th January, the timetable will be more varied to include a wider range of topics and activities.
Every child from Year 1- 6 who is not in school should log on to Google Meet for the early morning registration session from tomorrow and by Friday at the latest. If you have forgotten the password, or you are not sure how to do this, please contact the admin office. Registration is part of our safeguarding procedures as outlined in the statutory guidance. We have staggered the registration time so that siblings can join separately using one device where this may be necessary. Further information on how to do this for children in Catkins class will be posted on Tapestry by Miss Day.
If your child is unwell then you must phone 01962852941 or email the admin office.
We have to report attendance daily. As you can imagine, it takes a considerable amount of time to check in with families who do not make contact.
There is an expectation in this Lockdown, that every child completes work in line with the planned school curriculum. We can still arrange for printed worksheets to be prepared for collection or delivery where necessary, but this is in addition to participation in the online register and live sessions. If you would like paper copies, let the office know and we can arrange this for you. Completed worksheets can be returned to school with your child when the school re-opens. Parents are of course welcome to support home learning with all of the creative activity seen during the previous lockdown. This should be in addition to the set work rather than instead of.
Please support us in doing our best to provide a curriculum that is closely matched to our planned school curriculum. The next few days are the practice run. We have put in preparation ready to go live and we are looking forward to getting started. As always, please contact us if you have any difficulties, we are here to support you. Use google classroom or the admin office email to do this.
You will notice that there is more than one maths session. Core is the basis of the learning required for the majority of children. Some children may wish to access the support if needed or extension session for further challenge, as they would normally. Children can access more than one session if they would like to. This is just a guide, give it a go and find the best fit. If you have more than one child sharing a device, they will have to log on at different times - don't worry too much about this. The teacher can help with any questions.
Children will be awarded one house point for attending the morning register and one for each piece of completed work. Extra house points will be available for children who choose to go the extra mile. We are planning a weekly celebration assembly each Friday at 2pm using Google Meet. This will give us an opportunity to maintain our value of belonging. We are looking forward to the new opportunities that remote learning will bring to our curriculum.
Best wishes,
Sharon Taylor
Stanmore Post - Covid Update - 4 January 2021
Dear Parents and Carers,
You will have seen, I have no doubt, the message from the Prime Minister with regards to school closures with immediate effect.
From Tuesday 5th January, Stanmore Primary School will be closed to most pupils, with remote learning in place until at least February Half Term. I know that everyone in our Stanmore Community will be affected by this decision and I am so deeply sorry that the education of all of our children will once again be interrupted. The only reassurance that I can offer is that we are even more prepared in terms of staying in contact and providing improved remote learning, including some face to face, via Google Classroom.
School will remain open to vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers as during the previous Lockdown.
While the National Picture has been building, the immediate school closure of Primary Schools is nevertheless unexpected. We need tomorrow to get properly organised and so tomorrow will look slightly different from the days that follow.
Tuesday 5th January
Vulnerable Children
If your child was identified by the school as vulnerable in the first Lockdown you may attend school tomorrow.
Key Workers
If you identify as a Key worker or you simply can't manage without us in order to work tomorrow because of the short notice, your child may attend school
Remote Learning
Remote Learning will be available on Google Classroom, but there will not be any face to face learning. If you are unable to access this and need paper copies of work for home learning, please email the admin office.
From Wednesday 6th January
Vulnerable Children
You will be contacted if your child meets the criteria of vulnerable on Wednesday so that your child can attend daily from Thursday 6th January until school re-opens. If your child is on a part time timetable those hours will remain the same.
Key workers
If you identify as a key worker, you can complete an online form and you will be allocated a place based on the Government criteria and the days that you have to be in work. https://www.stanmore.hants.sch.uk/covid19-registration
Remote Learning
Children will access regular remote face to face learning in addition to the daily work on Google Classroom - details to follow.
Please bear with us for the rest of this week. There are likely to be technical hitches with the remote learning and some uncertainty about whether you qualify for a key worker space. We can work through all of this together over the coming days. The best interests of the children at our school remain the priority during this time.
For now, contact the school via the admin office at adminoffice@stanmore.hants.sch.uk if you have any further questions, but please help us by using the online form only to book a key worker space. Above all, please take care of yourselves and each other.
We will contact parents with children in receipt of free school meals tomorrow morning with details of how you will be supported.
Yours sincerely,
Sharon Taylor
Stanmore Post - Arrangements for January 2021
Dear Parents and Carers
I hope that you had a happy and healthy Christmas break. Apologies for this late communication, as you will be aware the situation regarding the opening of schools has been in debate up to and including today.
I write to clarify the position regarding the return to school for our children at Stanmore Primary School. As always we are looking to set out the very best course of action for our school community in line with the latest Government and Local Authority Guidance.
Following the Government announcement on Wednesday 30th December, I can confirm that our school will be open as planned on Monday 4th January and all children are expected to return. The Government has published a list of Local Authorities in Tier 4 where they feel primary schools should not reopen, Stanmore Primary is not on that list. Therefore, our start to term will begin as planned on 4th January.
Understandably some parents are concerned with the news of rising numbers of cases due to the spread of the new variant of the virus. News this morning from the Prime Minister indicates that restrictions may get 'tougher' in the coming weeks and that the situation including school closures remain under review.
With that in mind we have taken the decision to strengthen our risk assessment further. The enhanced measures will be in place for two weeks. By Monday 18th January it is likely that analysis of the latest Tier 4 restrictions will be available and the DFE and Local Authority will provide further guidance to Head teachers.
The enhanced measures include:
Postponing of RWI and other small intervention groups where children mix across a year group
Staggering of break times to further restrict mixing of bubbles
Further limiting adult movement between classes to that which is absolutely necessary to provide the core curriculum
Parents of children in Catkins, Rowan and Maple without older siblings in KS2 to collect children at 3pm to reduce the number of adults on the school site at the end of the day. Please leave the site promptly
Continuing a rigorous programme of handwashing
Maintaining ventilation - ensure children are warmly dressed with layers
Staff to wear masks in corridors and shared spaces
All parents to wear facemasks on the school site
One parent per child on site wherever possible
These enhanced measures will be reviewed on Friday 15th January. I am aware that the small group interventions and further limiting of adults moving between bubbles is a compromise to the quality of education. Therefore this measure is in place for the shortest possible time.
Children who are deemed "clinically extremely vulnerable" will have received a letter from their doctor confirming this, and should not return on 4th January. With regard to children whose parents are deemed clinically extremely vulnerable, the DfE's guidance (published on 24th December) states "Children and young people whose parents or carers are clinically extremely vulnerable can continue to go to school."
Staff who are deemed "clinically extremely vulnerable" will also have received a letter from their doctor confirming this and therefore deployment of staff may need to be changed for this purpose and to accommodate other absences i.e. isolating throughout the coming weeks. We will endeavour to keep as much continuity as possible for the children, but need to be clear that currently this may not always be possible to achieve; keeping classes open will be our first priority.
The confirmation that primary schools will open as usual tomorrow will come as a relief to some families - and will create a great deal of anxiety to others. To those who feel anxious, please be assured that we are rigorously following the risk assessments and infection control measures laid down by the DfE, and will continue to keep these under review, following Government guidance. As a school, we are committed to doing whatever we can to protect children and staff whilst doing our very best to deliver learning within the Government expectations.
We also have to be mindful that this is a changing situation, and the Government may make changes to their plans accordingly - which we will then have to implement. However, until that point, we have to work with the current expectations but will take this opportunity to assure you that we will be in touch if and when any further changes are made. We will communicate this on our website and via text message.
Please continue to help us by respecting the Government's directives on controlling the COVID pandemic.
Thank you for your ongoing support; this is a particularly challenging context for everyone, and your kind words and support mean a great deal. Please continue to contact us via the admin office if you have any concerns. We are here to help as much as we possibly can.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year. There is every indication that the new vaccine and increased testing offers hope that 2021 will be a brighter year.
Best wishes,
Sharon Taylor
Headteacher
Christmas 2020 activities in Stanmore Primary School
Children have enjoyed Christmas traditions with a 2020 twist. Christmas Dinner was served in the ‘bubbles.’ We managed this over the week rather than on one day, thanks to the efforts of Mandy and her team at HC3S. This meant that the children could still eat in the hall with Christmas Crackers and festive music.
Items were donated to the Winchester Basics Bank through our ‘reverse’ advent calendar. Families donated different items each day. Hampers were made for some Stanmore families from members of the Level 10 Church Community. Thank you to all involved in giving so generously.
![IMG_2833[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b545b978ab722298aeeb748/1608302612354-5A1AHH69QQLQ1HYXQWQS/IMG_2833%5B1%5D.jpg)
The team at Christ Church led a very special Christingle Service for us. This was held in class ‘bubbles.’ Every child made a Christingle and took part in the service virtually.
This year we have had to adapt some of our existing traditions. Carols in the Courtyard was replaced by the ‘Festival of Light.’ Each class decorated a Christmas tree, generously donated to us. These were put outside the classrooms so that parents and children could enjoy seeing them decorated and lit up as they walked around the one way system.
NOW SHOWING - Catkins Nativity 2020
Sit back. Relax. Put 2020 behind you and enjoy what is arguably the best nativity in Winchester this year!
Elf on the shelf
It is December, and the elves have been in school. As we find evidence of what they have been up to we will post it here. So check this page each day!
We need the help of all our children to identify the locations around the school where they’ve been. Make sure you fill in the form you will be given by your teacher.
Day 12 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 1 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 2 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 3 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 4 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 5 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 6 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 7 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 8 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 9 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 10 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School
Day 11 - Elf on the shelf - Stanmore Primary School