Dear Parents and Children,

It's Day 2 of Covid-19 school closure and I'm emailing to check in with you all. The school building is closed, but we are still the St John's School Family and I pray that all of you are keeping safe and well.

Today I have discovered that trying to home-school my own two children is harder work than running St John's School! Thank goodness for the sunshine which enabled us to escape into the garden. I hope that you have been able to access the school website. I know that my children's school site was running very slowly because of the numbers of us all trying to log in. It seems that the internet has been challenged over the last few days- everyone suddenly wants to do everything online: shopping, socialising and now learning!

Teachers in Years 3-6 are using the school website and also Microsoft Teams to enable them to set work for children and make contact with them. The rule is that children must stick to the same behaviour code as they would at school: so no swearing or disrespectful comments can be made. Teachers have the power to take children out of the class Team if their behaviour breaks this rule, so please talk to your children about the importance of being respectful online.

Children have access to a range of software (including Word and PowerPoint online), and teachers will be setting work on these and expecting children to submit this. However, please don't worry if your child isn't able to get it done fast enough. We appreciate that some families have several children and only one computer, so just encourage them to do what they can. There is a variety of types of task: some printed out, some online and some involving making things. This is to limit the amount of screen time your children have, and to make sure they can do something, even when they can't get on a computer. The most valuable thing you can do is to read with, and to, your child.

Staff will be phoning your children towards the end of this week and throughout the following weeks. This is to ensure they are able to access their learning and to try and solve any problems they may be having. If you have more than one child, you will be hearing off more than one staff member as teachers will be calling children in their own classes. We are hoping this will help both you and your child to still feel part of St John's.

We have always said that the school is not the building, but the people within it. We are working hard to maintain our relationships, even though we are having to do so remotely. As I often say to children at the end of collective worship:

Peace be with you.

Best wishes,

Mrs Seymour