February 4th 2021

Dear Parents / Guardians

 

Thank you for your support of Home School today.

 

Today, we wish to say a special thank you to our students for working so very hard and participating so well. Alongside their subject based learning they are acquiring skills and fluency with technology, which will stand them in very good stead when they access Higher Education or employment, and indeed throughout their adult lives.

 

This and next week, teachers are having students complete some tasks under test conditions, as it is important we continue to develop this skill with students in all Year Groups.

 

In Years 11 & 13, it is clear that the views of teachers will inform grades, though we do not yet know the detail of arrangements. We will do all we legally and properly can to support our students, but assessment of content we are currently teaching students via Live Online lessons and assignments set in Google Classroom will inform significantly any grades we are invited to submit by Examination Boards.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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 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 have emphasised provision of resources to parents to help with the promotion of good mental health with young people at this time.

 

Here they all are again:

 

Kooth Your online mental wellbeing community

 

Home - Kooth

 

YoungMinds - children and young people's mental health charity

 

Supporting children’s mental health during coronavirus | NSPCC Learning

 

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