A four day week always throws us out of sorts and this week has been no different. It was lovely to welcome the children back into class this week and to hear about the special times that they have had with their families this holiday. In assembly on Tuesday, Miss Hornby reminded us just what Jesus sacrificed so that we might live. He was our servant king and it is now our responsibility to action that on earth. We are his hands. This is where the hard work now starts.
We have introduced two new Jesuit virtues - eloquence and truth - such vital qualities to have. Over this next half term, we will be exploring these in more detail and discussing the positive impact we can have on our world. As Jesus tells us, “The truth will set you free.” (John 8:32).
Continuing to learn
I am incredibly impressed by the group of children who we see before us every day. There is no doubt that these past two years have been difficult for all to navigate, yet, these wonderful human beings see it only as a mission to get better - not what they have lost because of it. With three weeks to go until the end of year assessments, the class are striving to meet their personal goals. This week the children have completed the first set of maths papers and a reading paper, next week we will complete GPS and the final maths paper. This then gives us two weeks for focused revision and group revision on specific areas. Please can you ensure that the children have their revision folders in class every single day - they are essential.
It has been lovely to welcome Mrs Harrison into our class family this week to support us all through the final term in class. She is the GPS queen and has already upskilled the children in so many areas of our grammar curriculum. Over the next few weeks, she will be working much more closely with the class before heading off with them on their residential.
In addition to all of our focused assessment learning, we have also continued to look at 4 and 6 figure grid references in geography, Carl Linnaeus in science and Buddhism in RE - a really jam-packed week!
Leading Learners
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Leading Learners 〰️
Well done to Faye and Fin
Both of these children have been given the determined award for their sheer resilience and determination to be the best they can be. They have developed a real focused attitude to learning which has resulted in them making enormous progress. Well done both of you.
Online Safety
Unfortunately, myself and Miss Hornby have had to spend a large part of the week supporting the children with online safety issues that have arisen outside of school. The need to be connected to each other and the wider world has certainly increased during the pandemic, with WhatsApp, TikTok and other platforms being seen as being an essential tool for the children. When speaking to the class, the vast majority shared incidents where they have felt upset, targeted or vulnerable online, yet they have not sought the support of a trusted adult.
In class, we talk constantly about the difference between communicating face-to-face and online where comments can be misinterpreted or made flippantly. These comments can often cause upset and distress, even though they were never intended that way. As adults, we have a responsibility to role model the correct behaviour online and to deal with things appropriately though support, conversation and resolution.
We have spoken a lot about the class WhatsApp group and other groups which seem to have sprouted from it. Some children have reported to waking up to 90+ messages each morning. I urge you to have a conversation with your child regarding this and the issues that we have had in school this week. Online safety is such an important conversation to have.
Notices
Water Parks - next week I will be sending out some more information regarding the Water Parks residential including medical forms etc.
Have a lovely weekend, hopefully the sun will continue to shine!
Mrs Gregan