Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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#Illustration2Creation Issue 2
Tue 31 Mar 2020Hello - here is the second issue of #Illustration2Creation.
A reminder that these are ideas based on an illustration from a picture book that children could try at home. I have tried to include activities which most children could access and suggest resources that may be available at home.
Issue 2 is based on the incredible 'The Arrival' by Shaun Tan. It is a wordless graphic novel about a family who need to escape their life in one country to make a new life in another.
- Sketch a photograph you have using one colour - a brown to make it look old?
- Design a futuristic clock and make it out of cardboard (the triangular topped object on the left is a clock!)
- Use origami to create creatures
- Play old card games with your family
- Make an unusual pet from plasticine and create a short animation to show it move
- Design and make a fruit salad dish for your family - could you use an unusual fruit too?
- Write instructions for looking after your pet
- Open an exhibition of your drawings and paintings entitled 'My Family and I'
- Ask members of your family what their favourite objects are and put them together on a shelf/mantelpiece
- Make flowers from coloured paper
- Recreate this scene, take a sepia photo of it or take photos of each other. Use filters to age them
- Eat at least one meal together around a table
- For fun, dress up as someone different in your family
- Learn to make a simple meal for your family
- Imagine this scene in colour - draw it in the way you imagine it to look
- Which country would you like to live in when you are older - research it and make a information leaflet about it including the places you would most like to visit.
Hope you enjoy trying these ideas.
Mr Duke
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A letter to all
Tue 31 Mar 2020Good morning, everyone -
As I write the sun is out again which will hopefully give us all the opportunity to get some fresh air today. I know during this time we are balancing the extra time we have with our children, with the restrictions that are in place for our movements. Like many of you I will be using Facetime or Zoom to speak to loved ones miles away, including my daughter, as it may be the only chance to see them until we reach the summer months. Times are challenging.
Every single one of us is in a new place at the moment. One which I hope is a once in a lifetime place. We are all facing challenges which are testing us and will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months. I want you to know that the whole team at BcL are thinking about you and praying for you. We recognise how things may have changed for you personally and you are in our thoughts daily. When we finally return to school we will do all we can to regroup and continue to be the focal point of the community.
We don't want the learning at home to become a major issue for you either. Stress at this time is no good for anyone. It would be great if every day you did a bit of maths and writing to keep the basic skills going and I would love to hear about how much you are reading together as a family. Losing yourself in a book is definitely recommended and exploring the worlds within them is one way of leaving the endless media coverage behind. I've just finished reading Alastair Chisholm's 'Orion Lost' about a group of children stranded in space in the future. They had to learn to survive in a 'new normal' and for those hours reading it was good to escape our 'new normal'.
There will be days when you may just need to leave the learning. That's fine too; we will all do what we need to do to get through this time.
Anything we do post on the website is just a bit of help, something for you to explore and hopefully make use of the spare time, but we are all different and how you choose to plan the day is completely the choice of each of you.
Please take care everyone and Stay Safe.
Mr Duke
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#Illustration2Creation No. 1
Fri 27 Mar 2020#Illustration2Creation is all about using an illustration from a picture book to inspire lots of activities that could be created at home. I have tried to include resources that you may have at home, but appreciate at this time you may struggle to get hold of some. You may also think of ideas of your own.
The first image is from Linda Sarah and Ben Mantle's brilliant 'Tom's Magnificent Machines'. You don't need to own the book or even know the story, the ideas are just triggered from the picture you can see.
- Design a rollercoaster based on a theme
- Build a rollercoaster using recycled materials/paper/lego
- Watch rollercoaster rides on YouTube
- Sit in the bath tub and imagine being on a ride.
- Wear clothes for every season in 15 minutes.(Tidy up after!)
- Design a theme park on paper - based on a book,film or TV show
- Create a leaflet for the theme park
- Find out where the fastest/tallest/longest rides are in the world
- Plan a day out for the future at a theme park
- Imagine each room in your house/garden is a different ride
- Ask your relations on the phone what rides they have been on and ask them to describe what it was like. Write it down.
- Research theme parks in this country.
- Make a film of you at the front of a ride!
- Design a ride for a 6 or 12 year old.
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COVID-19 Update
Fri 27 Mar 2020Hello everyone -
We hope you are all keeping well. I know it is very challenging for you all at the moment so you are all in our thoughts and prayers.
An update on how things will move forward as the school closure continues.
Teachers will be putting together further activities, projects and guidance for you which will be posted under your child's class pages towards the end of the Easter holiday.
We do recommend you continue to explore the many apps and websites that have been posted under the Useful Links of the Parent menu. There are also so many educators and celebrities who are now delivering some fun ideas on social media. For instance, Joe Wicks and his exercises at 9am as well as Jane Considine with her Sentence Stackers writing ideas every morning. Both are available on YouTube.
Additionally, I will be posting on the website - under Latest News - a regular #Illustration2Creation list of activities that could be completed at home inspired by a picture book illustration. These will include ideas for lego, painting, drawing, researching and making amongst many other things. I appreciate you may not have all you need at home but they are just ideas which I hope help you to fill the time.
We will be moving more towards project based ideas with the apps we have suggested to support the basics of maths, spelling, reading and writing.
It is important that structure is in place during the day which may include time for learning, however, we cannot expect you to be teachers. Being parents is the most important thing at the moment and with the weather being kind to us we need to make the best of it because we know that can change in this country very quickly.
Please STAY SAFE, everyone. We miss you.
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Free school meal vouchers
Thu 26 Mar 2020Miss Miller and Mrs Haynes have been hard at work organising free school meal vouchers. Please note that these are only available to those children who normally receive the government free school meal (FSM) in school not the Universal Infant Free School Meal (UIFSM).
Thank you
Mr Duke
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Message from Rev Mark
Sat 21 Mar 2020It is so important at this time that we work closely with the church to support the many who are now at home and pray for those who have been affected by the viris. We have passed the food donations to Rev Mark - thank you to everyone for your generosity. We will continue to accept any donations and I am aware of groups already supporting in this way locally.
Message from Mark:
"The Trent Cliff parishes are now set up for Prayers at Home. One of the things those confined to home can do is pray for those who have to continue working - and they are. Please receive their support in this way from them.
I will be in church (alone) and offer prayers for everyone as is my duty. There is also a request from the Archbishops to join in prayer and reflection for those affected by Coronavirus at 7pm on Sunday evening. You are asked to light a candle and place it in the window as a sign of God's presence."
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Notice for Key Worker parents
Sat 21 Mar 202021.3.20
Good morning, everyone.
First of all, thank you for your prompt responses yesterday. This helped us to begin organising next week's provision in more detail.
I must make a plea:
Government guidance continues to tell us that the safest place for children is at home. Key Worker parents do not have to use the provision we are providing every day or even for full days. If there is one parent, an older sibling of suitable age or grandparent (many of our grandparents will not be 70+ or in the vulnerable bracket) at home to look after the children, they should be at home. We are an emergency childcare facility for this period in time.
Schools are looking at a maximum of 20% of the pupil population capacity in school. We are currently just over that if all children attend. A number of you have kindly already stated that the provision will not be required full-time or you will review over time. Can I just say that if a child does not have to access the provision at any time, they stay at home.
We all want to keep children safe, we all want to reduce the risk of the virus spreading and we all want to support your critical role as Key Workers.
Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.
In this together.
I will send further information regarding next week via text and if more detail is needed, I will ask you to look at Latest News here.
Mr Duke
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Guidance from government regarding key workers
Fri 20 Mar 2020Dear parents/carers
The most recent scientific advice on how to further limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear. If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.
That is why the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.
"Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be."
"If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response or your work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your child will be prioritised for education provision."
Please find below the link to the list of key workers identified by the government.
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Children, this is a letter for you.
Thu 19 Mar 2020Dear children – the SUPERSTARS of BcL,
Ever since I first arrived at Blyton cum Laughton Church of England Primary School you have continually surprised me with your talents, your courage and your kindness. Every day you make me so proud. The fact is, you are the reason why I absolutely love my job and cannot wait to come into school every day. I know everyone in the school feels exactly like me too.
The last few weeks in school have been very unusual and I am no longer surprised by how wonderful you are at following instructions, taking care of your friends and showing great compassion too. You have been asked to wash your hands a lot – I know it seems like you have spent all day washing your hands – and done so without any fuss. You have even been reminding other people to wash their hands and follow those new rules. Thank you so much for doing that.
You know that it may be some time until we are all back together again in our lovely school. During that time you will spend lots of time at home with your family. Enjoy being out in the garden, enjoy picking up and book and relaxing as you explore exciting worlds, enjoy playing games, kicking a ball against a wall and singing and dancing. I know, because I know you so well, that you will all show that kindness and care when your family need kindness and care. I know you will help out when people need help. I know because I HAVE FAITH IN YOU.
Your teacher is giving you a learning pack to keep you busy and we can’t wait to see how well you do. Don’t worry if you don’t understand something – we just want you to try. Look at the school website too. On there we have put lots of sites or apps that you could use to keep up your learning. You have all been doing so well in school, so do try to complete some learning every day – that would be brilliant and will help you when we come back. I am putting a timetable on the website which will help you plan how each day could look. It includes learning and time to relax.
For those who are using TTRockStars, I wonder how quick you will get before I see you again. You know how much I love books. How many books can you read while you are at home? I’m aiming for the 20 in 2020! Go on – see if you can beat me!
Children, you make me proud and you make me smile. All the time. In the next few weeks I know you will make your family proud and make them smile too.
Mr Duke
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COVID-19 Update:
Thu 19 Mar 2020We have been preparing learning packs for the children which:
- will be sent home with your child by Friday
- could be picked up by you tomorrow if you are not self-isolating
- can be picked up and delivered by a family friend at your request
All remaining packs will be posted on Monday to ensure you have learning at home to support the online options we have added to the Parent Tab - Useful Links.
Following guidance, the packs are suitable for your child but do not comprise of new learning. However, the school curriculum is available online to make links to subjects like history and geography.
I will be posting a timetable template shortly which may help as a guide for you in the coming weeks.
We will also continue to add ideas and links to the website to support you as much as possible and would be delighted to see photos of learning and experiences during this time. I will be posting on Twitter, so do please share children's learning via that format.
Thank you
Mr Duke
