Dear Parent and Carers RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch I hope that you saw the School Dojo page reminding you about this event. All you need is one hour to complete this survey. Do we need a better excuse to look out of the window? Click the link to find the resources page and see what you can find. Lockdown Learning Read Mrs Underwood's update here. The lockdown learning continues and the individual portfolios and Google Classroom files are bulging with some fine examples of home learning. I shared some quality pieces of writing in my assembly on Wednesday and look forward to many more opportunities to share and celebrate the efforts, both at home and at school. Letter from the Prime MinisterGet Set TokyoOur physical challenge is making considerable headway towards our goal to reach the Olympics destinations across the world! We have already travelled 3,358KM. Such a staggering distance. Keep going and keep active Team North Tawton! Children's Mental Health WeekChildren’s Mental Health Week is taking place on 1–7 February 2021. This year's theme is Express Yourself. Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. It is about finding a way to show who you are, and how you see the world, that can help you feel good about yourself. The class teachers will be incorporating activities in this week's teaching. On Friday 5th February please join us as we 'Dress to Express'. I look forward to hearing and seeing all the creative and fun ideas you have and I look forward to seeing the staff who will all be joining in too! Wishing you all a safe and happy weekend Thank you Miss Chauhan FONTS UpdateWhen we saw that there was a Virtual Balloon Race to get involved with we couldn’t say no! Thank you to everyone who has bought or gifted a balloon so far. We hope it will be a lot of fun! You can colour and customise your balloon, and watch it over the race (seven days). The balloon that travels furthest will win £500 cash or an iPad (EcoRacing prizes for all participants). FONTS are also organising some prizes for balloons bought in support of the school… details to follow. Here are the details and a link to the FONTS race page. If you have any questions – please contact us.
Keep safe and thank you for your continued support, FONTS Committee email [email protected] / or message FONTS on Dojo Home LearningWell done to the families at home who continue to support the learning. I have joined many live sessions during the week and I was very pleased to see so many smiley faces during the assembly on Friday. We have had excellent feedback on the quality of provision as the teachers juggle the many roles that the lockdown brings. Congratulations to the many pupils (and parents!) who are really putting in the extra effort and motivation – evident in all classes from the youngest children in Acorn Class right through to Y6 in Sycamore Class. We are very proud of the way in which the children have quickly adapted to the new regime and are becoming more familiar with the work requirements. The engagement is good and we aim to maintain this level by carefully monitoring both the quality and the engagement, adapting to the requirements as time progresses. Offering a daily structure is so very important when things are so unpredictable. Please do your best to complete the activities in the day, fitting in around your busy schedule and of course taking the best advantage of the sunshine when it appears. Our regular weekly assembly has now moved to WEDNESDAY 11am. Please do join us if you can. BT is offering Free WIFI Vouchers BT has provided a number of free Wi-Fi voucher codes available to distribute to pupils aged 16 or under who don’t currently have adequate access to the Internet at home. You can apply for free Wi-Fi voucher codes giving you access to Wi-Fi to support your home learning during lockdown. Simply call the school or send me a message directly. We will distribute Wi-Fi voucher codes and provide the unique login details (Wi-Fi username and password). Using the link below you will be instructed on how to connect and get started. “get started guide” “PDF” version Thank you to the parent who told us about this nationwide intitative. Travel to Tokyo and YogaFollowing the success of Laps to Lapland, Mr Foreman will be starting an exciting new physical challenge. More details to come on Monday (hint – it has something to do with Tokyo!). Kids Love Yoga Online! is a series of yoga lessons for children. Click below to enrol for free. You will need to click 'Enrol for Free' and then create an account to access your sessions and activities. Please state the name of our school when creating your account. https://kidsloveyoga.thinkific.com/courses/free-for-kids-at-home-yoga-mindfulness-online Have a lovely weekend (we might even see some snow I hear!)
Stay safe and well Miss Chauhan Home LearnersWell done to everyone who is managing to keep up with the learning at home. The engagement with Google Classroom and the Class Dojo has been pleasing and very well received. The teachers are posting the lessons everyday. Individual circumstances at home are not always easy at the moment when juggling work, siblings and life! We understand that there are limitations and restrictions posed to home learning but we are here to help. If you are unable to access the learning or need additional support then please get in touch. The expectation is that we meet live at least once a day to check in and explain the day's learning and continue to provide support during each day. Teachers are supervising, monitoring and assessing and are there to provide live feedback when needed. We aim to deliver the full curriculum using a timetable and structure familiar to the children. If you are in need of help get in touch with us. We might be able to help with loaning equipment, providing resources or by inviting you to a virtual lesson. So, if we can help you, to help your children keep up with their education then please contact us. Southampton Football Club (Saints) Despite the many connection disruptions, Saints were able to link in live with one very puffed out instructor. Keeping ourselves fit and healthy is vital while we remain in lockdown. Many of you joined us live in your own homes and I was pleased to see you all looking after yourselves and getting fully involved. Look out for your session as scheduled for the same time, at the same place, next week. This lesson forms part of your weekly P.E. curriculum and is so very important. The recording is available for you to access at any time – just click the link your teachers have sent. Live Meeting EtiquetteThank you very much for the kind words of support and gratitude. The staff team is working incredibly hard to make this difficult time as easy as possible.
Have a relaxing weekend and stay safe. Miss Chauhan Primary School (Reception class) application deadline: 15th January 2021
We have some places available in our Reception class for September 2021. If you have a child born between 1st September 2016 and 31st August 2017, then do not delay in making an application to North Tawton Primary School. Please pass on this message to parents you know. You can apply online at www.devon.gov.uk/admissiononline or if you have any access issues, please call the Education Helpline on 0345 1551019 or email [email protected]. January LockdownCongratulations and Well Done! Following the Government's announcement, our teachers swiftly adapted to offer a full programme of online study for all our children. Huge congratulations to all the children and parents who quickly adjusted to the online learning platform and who have fully participated in lessons this week. What a great start! We need to keep this energy up and maintain the level of interest, and reach 100% participation on Monday! This plan clearly lays out the school's expectations during another period of lockdown. The momentum of the first term and the many successes can only be built upon. Daily progress and engagement are recorded by all class teachers. I am monitoring this very carefully, checking in everyday, and popping into Google and Zoom meet sessions whenever possible. If you are unable to access the learning and have made zero progress this week a follow up call will be made to check if there is anything we can do to help get you started. Class teachers are extremely busy making sure all learning is accessed online and are assisting the children who are attending the Critical Workers/Vulnerable Club here at school. Feedback is given quickly and misconceptions are dealt with by giving extra support to those who may need it. The support staff are also on site helping to make the day run smoothly and are doing a fantastic job supporting their class teachers. We are following very strict social distancing with staff and pupils at all times. We aim to include more live opportunities in the weekly timetable so please do look out for the invite on your Class Dojo. We will be varying the times to cater for your needs and allow you time to juggle between siblings. Southampton FC (Saints) are also providing a live PE session for every class – parents you are invited to join in too! Please see your Class Dojo for the timings and to read the agreement that needs to be in place before Thursday. We are offering a wide curriculum and will use high quality teaching resources and skills to offer the best provision possible under these difficult circumstances. With your continued support at home and by using Google Classroom and the School Dojo we hope to maintain the high level of commitment that your children have shown towards their learning. The staff are available to support you at home and will answer any queries you may have as quickly as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you require assistance or clarification. The Administrators, Mrs Adams and Mrs Cassels, are also on hand to answer questions you may have. Nursery to Re-open The Nursery will open again on Monday January 11th to all children. You have been sent an individual letter regarding the situation. Apologies for the conflicting and confusing information. Government Help with Data This scheme temporarily increases data allowances for mobile phone users on certain networks. This is so that children and young people can access remote education if their face-to-face education is disrupted. get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/about-increasing-mobile-data Thank you for your continued support, patience and perseverance. Stay safe and well Miss Chauhan FONTS UPDATEA brief message from the FONTS committee to say Thank You for all your support last term. In spite of everything, a lot of money was raised for the school, and we had some new events along the way.
This half term will be quiet! With another lockdown in place, FONTS are taking a bit of a break. We’ve all got a lot to deal with BUT we’ll be back! As soon as we can we’ll be reaching out, and hopefully raising more funds for the school. Keep safe and thank you for your continued support. FONTS Committee email [email protected] / or message FONTS on Dojo. Dear Parent / Carer,
We wrote to you yesterday about delaying the start of term until Thursday. I am sorry to be writing to you again so soon on this subject. However, as you may have seen, the Prime Minister has last evening announced a new national lockdown because of rising infection rates of Covid-19 and to try to prevent the further spread of the virus. As part of this, all primary schools, secondary schools and colleges in England, including our school, North Tawton Primary, are to be closed from today until at least the end of half term in February, except for children of key workers or vulnerable children. From today: If you or your partner is a key worker, or if your child is classed as vulnerable, then the school will remain open, as now, and we look forward to seeing them in school today and beyond as normal for teaching and learning. If you are a critical worker and have not completed the survey issued yesterday evening, please let us know. As you know, we have worked incredibly hard since the start of the pandemic in March to keep our school as safe as possible, and I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of some of the safety measures in place at our school: o Everyone is expected to remain in their allocated bubbles o Students are encouraged to wash their hands regularly throughout the day Please note we are trying to work with windows open in classrooms for ventilation. As the cold days have returned, and with the need for ventilation in mind, pupils may need a few more layers of clothing, such as sweatshirts, tights or leggings underneath skirts or plain fleeces without a hood or large brand logos. We would like the children to come in school uniform for their sessions and arrive at their usual time slots from last term. They will either need to bring a packed lunch or will be given a school packed lunch. For all other pupils, our school is closed until at least the end of the February half-term. High-quality remote learning will be provided to make sure they continue to receive a consistent education. We know that this places pressure on you at a difficult time but your support in helping your child engage with the remote learning packs as much as possible is so important and we are very grateful for it. Teachers will be contacting you via class blogs and Class Dojo with details of the learning for each day. There is a high expectation that all children will complete home learning tasks, attend live lessons and submit work back to teachers for feedback. We will continue to stay in touch with you on this matter, and about your child’s education. However, if you have any questions, or if you require any support relating to these new arrangements, please email [email protected] I would once again like to take this opportunity to thank you wholeheartedly for your understanding and ongoing support in helping us to manage this unprecedented situation. Please continue to take care and to stay safe. Yours sincerely, Elizabeth Underwood and Sunita Chauhan Executive Headteacher Head of School Dear Parents and Carers,
Apologies for the late arrival of this news. We have made the collective decision as a multi-academy trust to move to blended learning for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to allow us additional time to ensure our risk assessments and health and safety measures are comprehensive and up-to-date, in line with all of the latest guidance from Public Health England and the Department for Education. More information can be found in the attached letter. The school will remain open for vulnerable children and the children of parents classed as critical workers. Please see the letter for further details on these classifications. If you believe that your child should be classed as vulnerable and attend school, please email [email protected] [email protected] If you believe that you child should attend school as you are a critical worker, please fill in the survey using the link below. Please complete the survey as soon as possible this evening. You only need to complete the survey if you consider yourself to be a critical worker. Link to Survey for Critical Workers Class teachers will be in touch via email and school blog pages with details of home learning for your children to complete. Please help your children to maintain their learning by ensuring that they complete all home-learning tasks. Kind regards, Elizabeth Underwood and Sunita Chauhan Click here for the letter from the Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust A Wonderful AchievementFollowing Mr Foreman's brilliant idea, our children have collectively run for more than 1, 400 miles in the last two weeks for the Laps to Lapland challenge. What a fabulous way to end the year. This achievement has reminded me of the strength of our school community, and of what we can do when we work together, even when faced with the most difficult challenges. I am so proud of our wonderful staff and community and I am sure that we will continue to rise to every challenge that we face in 2021. I wish you all a merry and peaceful Christmas and New Year. Miss Chauhan FONTS UPDATEThank you to everyone who took part in the Wreath Competition. Very creative! Congratulations to the three winners. We hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas shows on Thursday. It was lovely to see so many Santa hats! Don’t forget to get your Bauble Hunt forms from the Post Office from tomorrow. 24 baubles are hiding around the town for you to spot! Good luck… It’s not too late to finish off your Christmas shopping. The FONTS Virtual Christmas Market will be open until 24th December. All of the thank you gifts are now in school. Thank you so much again for your generosity. The staff team at school have received a hamper of festive treats, teas and coffees with personalised mugs, and frames for each of the classrooms, the office and the staff room. Photos are on the facebook page. Thank you for your continued support
We wish you a Happy Christmas, FONTS Committee email [email protected] / or msg FONTS on Dojo FestivitiesWhat a busy penultimate week! Full of surprises and joy. The week ended with another parade of children wearing colourful Christmassy accessories and jumpers. Well done everyone for joining in and making the end of term a little bit more special and adding a bit of much needed cheeriness. Our last week is equally eventful... Laps to Lapland update!We are making great strides towards Lapland. We have reached 700miles already! What an amazing achievement by all the children and staff. We are on target as we reach the half-way point! Keep it up. This fresh air and exercise is needed to prepare ourselves for all the over-indulgence to come! Monday 14th December Christmas Wreath CompetitionGet busy crafting and make sure your entry arrives to school on Monday. Tuesday 15th December 2pm Virtual NativityThe adults and children in our Nursery, Reception, Year One and Year Two have been very busy over the past few weeks rehearsing and perfecting lines, learning new lyrics, singing and dancing to present the Story of Christmas. The restrictions have made things very different this year but we hope you will be happy with the final result. The many recordings are being spliced together and will be ready for our first airing on Tuesday at 2pm and we are all very much looking forward to seeing the final results. We will post out the invite for you to join us. After its premier airing, you may watch the recording at your leisure. Many thanks once again to the many adults who directed and managed to work so well in their respective bubbles to make this possible and for making sure that every child (where possible) was included. Thank you also to all those parents who provided the costumes and supported their children at home to perfect their performance. Wednesday 16th December Christmas Lunch All booked and ready to go. Mandy and PJ are looking forward to providing a lovely Christmas lunch to all those who have booked one. We will still be following the restrictions but there will be a little treat waiting for the children in the hall. Children with home packed lunches will enjoy all the extra cheer alongside their friends. Thank you FONTS for the extra treats and please dress in festive wear. Thursday 17th December Hobgoblin Theatre presents Goldilocks / Best Christmas Ever FONTS have been really busy this year organising lots of lovely treats for the children who have endured a lot. They have organised the performance to be screened and every child in the school will be able to watch a virtual performance in their class bubble. This theatre company come highly recommended. We are all feeling very excited about this generous gift. Friday 18th December Family Celebration AssemblyOur last Family Assembly this Autumn Term to celebrate the achievement in our school. Please see the link on the Dojo to join us at 2:30pm. THANK YOU to all our parentsOn Monday a very big box was handed to me. This wonderfully festive box was full of tasty goodies and was given to the team who make our school the special place it is! It was given to the teachers, support staff, the Foundation staff, the Meal Time Assistants, the cleaners, the kitchen staff the administrators and every adult employed to help run this school. This particularly testing time has placed many, many extra pressures on us all. It was humbling to see that so many parents in our community are grateful and recognise the enormous efforts made by these adults going over and above the duties of their 'job'. The delicious treats were shared amongst the staff and were very much enjoyed. THANK YOU FROM US ALL Have a lovely weekend Miss Chauhan FONTS UpdateFONTS were very excited to share the news that the school will be watching two fabulous online Christmas performances in the last week of term. Goldilocks and Best Christmas Ever will be shown on 17th December in class bubbles. Please see messages on Dojo for more information. The Virtual Christmas Market is still open. Great local businesses are there, and have kindly donated raffle prizes. There’s only a couple of days to get raffle tickets, as the draw is on Monday 14th December. Please email [email protected]. A huge THANK YOU all for your kind contributions to the collection for all the staff at the school. A large box of edible goodies went into school on Monday this week and there are more gifts to follow – pictures of all the gifts will be shared soon. We hope everyone is busily decorating their wreaths for the competition... some great entries already on Dojo! Please get them into school on Monday 14th December. Thank you for your continued support, FONTS Committee email [email protected] / or message FONTS on Dojo PS – Don’t forget that Easyfundraising is a great way to use online shopping to donate to FONTS, and we’re part of the SeaMoor Lottery where a percentage of every ticket bought goes to FONTS. Covid Important InformationContact Tracing during the Christmas Holidays
If your child has a positive test for COVID during the Christmas holidays, please inform me by email at [email protected] I will then follow the guidance as to whether I need to contact families of children in the same bubble. Where a child or staff member has tested positive for COVID, but has not been in school in the time period two days before the onset of symptoms to 10 days after, there is no requirement for any contact tracing to be carried out with the school. Free School Meals during the Christmas Holidays From Tuesday 8th December DCC will be sending a unique code per child to all families known to the Local Authority that are currently in receipt of Free School Meals. The LA will provide us with a list of all their students that are being issued a voucher early next week. If there are children not on this list that we know to be receiving free school meals, we will notify the free school meals team immediately. Each code can be used once on a website called ‘Hawk Select’ to redeem vouchers to the value of £30 per child (£15 per week for the two weeks of school holidays) for Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrison’s, Asda, M&S Food and Waitrose. The website requires families to provide an email address for the vouchers to be sent to once you have chosen your preferred supermarket. When received, you can save the vouchers to your phone or tablet to use online (depending on the supermarket) or show at the checkout in store. Alternatively, you can print the vouchers to give to the cashier. We are conscious that some parents may not have access to the internet or a mobile device to receive and store the vouchers and so, in these exceptional cases, we can help you to complete the process on the Hawk Select website and print the vouchers for you. In this event, we would ask that parents come to school and provide us with your unique code in order for us to redeem the voucher on the Hawk Select website on your behalf. Please contact Miss Jackson (tel. 01647 432412) in the first instance in order to book a mutually convenient time. The education helpline is available on 0345 155 1019 for any questions about the distribution of the unique codes. There are also some useful FAQs on the Hawk Select website along with contact details for any technical support about using the codes and vouchers. If you think your child may now be eligible for free school meals due to a recent change in your family’s circumstances, please help us ensure you can access this holiday voucher support over Christmas by applying online through the Devon Citizen’s Portal to check if they are eligible as soon as possible. This is the quickest and easiest way for your eligibility to be assessed and you will get an instant decision. Alternatively, you can call the education helpline on 0345 155 1019. To ensure that you receive the free school meals holiday vouchers for this Christmas period you must apply by Friday 18th December 2020. Please go to the DCC website if you have any questions or ask myself or Mrs Adams. Finally, if you are worrying about money and struggling to pay for basic household essentials, you can also apply for help through funding made available via the District Council hardship funds. There’s more about what financial and food support is available for families in Devon on the DCC website. |
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