Thank you for everything you are doing at home. We hope the following information is helpful:
- We would want the first priority for all our families to be the wellbeing of everyone at home. Please put that first before any focus is given to learning in some way at home.
- Anything the children are able to do at home will help. This could be a planned routine with a timetable, but anything that can be done at all including 15 minutes practising x tables or spellings makes a big difference and is absolutely fine. We know that there will be problems with technology and every home has its own situation to work in.
- Parents are and have always been the key educators for their children. Anything you can do or are doing with your children at this time is of the highest value. If you are able to support them with their work that is brilliant, but equally anything you do together including talking about books, baking, making, playing, reading a story together or watching something and discussing that helps just as much.
- Work sent home is designed as far as possible for children to try independently. There is no expectation that parents have to directly teach. This is particularly important for those parents or carers trying to work at home as well. This is also important for parents or carers with different aged children. We understand that it will be very difficult to manage with e.g. 3 different children of different ages. Anything you can encourage is really helpful.
- Please do not compare what your child has completed with others – everyone works and learns at their own pace. Please don’t worry about your child falling behind in any way. What is being sent home is intended as revision, reminders or stimulus to encourage continuing learning in any way possible in the most unprecedented circumstances. There will be time when we finally return to school to cover the most important things again after assessment. This goes for all schools.
- Keep an eye on our website if you can. We will be thinking about what we are providing through the next weeks and beyond. If there seems a lot on offer, remember that these are suggestions and signposts intended to support, not overload our families at Kilmersdon.
Finally, regular breaks and time for exercise are essential.
Generation Be - Wellbeing
Min Robertson hasbeen working with the children at school. She is a local mental health and wellbeing teacher and has 14 years teaching experience.
Min has started a You Tube channel called KidsFlow “GenerationBeUK”. On there you will find 10-20 minute videos designed to be active, creative and fun. Min uses Tai Chi, breath work and mindfulness in her lessons to bring about a mind- body balance in children and young people. Each session includes a mental health focus and opportunities to practice coping strategies that children can then use in their daily lives.
You can subscribe and keep checking in for new content.
Min also has a website: https://www.generationbe.net/
Emotional Literacy Support Resources
The link below leads to a wealth of free activities that can be done at home.
This includes activities that support dealing with the topic of Covid-19 and loads of printable activities about other areas including anxiety, low self esteem and more that can be fun to do together.
https://www.elsa-support.co.uk/category/free-resources/
THRIVE ACTIVITIES
The Thrive Approach is a dynamic, developmental approach to meeting the emotional and social needs of children. Below are a selection of parent and child activities recommended for use with children up to 7 years old.
An Activity Menu to Keep Active and Occupied
A helpful resource for families (or teachers!)to structure time and come up with things to do.
Children's Guide
The office of the Children's Commissioner has created a children’s guide to coronavirus to help explain the situation.
This aims to answer questions about coronavirus, explain how to stay safe and protect other people and how to help make the best of time at home.
Below is a link to the Healthy Somerset website for current guidance and information on staying Healthy, Happy and Safe at home:
https://www.healthysomerset.co.uk/covid-19/