February 3rd 2021

Dear Parents / Guardians

 

Thank you for your support of Home School today.

 

We hope that this further period of Home School will result in increased numbers of applications across the country for Teacher Training places in September 2021 – just as last year’s period of Home School did for September 2020.

 

Live Online lessons run for 20 – 30 minutes with time given over at the end of each lesson for students to complete their classwork and submit it to their teacher.

Lessons start and end promptly at the times shown in Google Classroom, with the start time following our school timetable. This then allows time for students to enter the next lesson on time. Classrooms will be locked on the dot at the start time to avoid the disruption of late arrivals.

 

Please do let us know if your daughter or son is unwell and cannot attend Live Online lessons, just as you would let us know about absence from school. Where a student tests positive for COVID-19, please inform us, as we submit a daily return to the Department for Education about positive cases amongst the student body.

 

We are increasingly concerned at the number of applications for students to attend school. If you are a critical worker, please do keep your child at home. Staying at home avoids social contact and is the safest option for students. We will request proof of employment and will satisfy ourselves that there is genuinely no realistic option for a child to remain at home and access their Live Online lessons, before we agree a place. School closures intervened for good reason on account of the rapidly rising levels of Covid-19 infection. We are strongly of the view that children of 12 and above can generally remain at home alone in the family home, whilst parents are at work.

 

We are acutely aware that some families may be encountering real financial difficulty, whereas they had not previously. The Kent Support and Assistance Service (KSAS) may be able to provide support with essentials at this time.

 

The Kent Support and Assistance service (KSAS)

 

We have now received confirmation from KCC that Free School Meal vouchers will be funded during the half-term week. We will be using the same WONDE system as we do each week, so parents will see no difference in the method of delivery.

During this Children’s Mental Health Week, we are emphasising provision of resources to parents to help with the promotion of good mental health with young people at this time.

 

Today’s resource is focused towards students:

Kooth Your online mental wellbeing community: Home - Kooth

Here also are the links from earlier to Young Minds charity with a parents’ helpline and NSPCC Learning, with information and tips for parents arers about the promotion of good mental health amongst our young people:

 

YoungMinds - children and young people's mental health charity

 

Supporting children’s mental health during coronavirus | NSPCC Learning

 

Students will also receive information on Mental Health as part of their PSHE assignments tomorrow, via their Daily Tutor.

 

Bookings for our Years 7 & 8 Parents’ Day on Monday, February 22^nd will remain open until

Tuesday, February 9^th at 3pm.

 

Parents’ Guide – Parent Consultation Days – How to book and attend Video Appointments

 

School will be closed completely during half-term from Friday, February 12^th until Monday, February 22^nd. On Monday, February 22^nd assignments will be set in Google Classroom for all students for each of their lessons and the assignments should be submitted to the subject teachers at the end of the school day.

 

We want all our students to remain safe by following the National Lockdown Guidance

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

 

as well as to remember social distancing, hand washing and face coverings, so as to play their part in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

 

Yours Sincerely,                               

 

Sonette Schwartz 

Principal   

 

Charles Joseph

Senior Vice Principal