Friday 24th April 2020
Dear Parents/Carers,
We hope that you all had an enjoyable Easter and are keeping safe at home. As you will be aware, school still remains closed until further notice.
New home learning activities were issued this week on SeeSaw and the website and will be regularly updated by the class teachers daily.
Different year groups will be set a range of different activities to be completed daily/weekly. If you need any support to access this provision, please email school contact@eastersideacademy.co.uk and we will direct your queries to your child’s class teacher. Teachers will continue to provide set activities and links to online resources which will include practise of English and Maths skills. In addition, there will be topic activities, creative activities, phonics and grammar for some year groups. Please also encourage your child to read each day.
These are unprecedented times and no one knows how long schools will be closed for. It is essential that your child continues to make every effort at home to learn and we want to fully support you in this endeavour. However, the most important thing to bear in mind is that learning should be fun. If activities become stressful for you or your child, please don’t continue. Encourage your child to take a break. Sometimes, the best home learning can take place through more practical tasks and we have seen lots examples of these on our Seesaw class platforms! English and Maths skills can develop when you’re making a meal together, weighing ingredients and following instructions. You could time physical challenges, play monopoly, compose spring poetry, make shopping lists, create research projects on different countries, read for pleasure in the sunshine, paint pictures of flowers and trees in blossom or walk together and look for signs of spring. The outcome of these activities can be shared on SeeSaw too, in addition to any work set by school. We would love to see what you are all up to.
Class teachers will also be sending ‘Marvellous Me’s’ and making phone calls home to ‘check in’ with everyone. Please look out for their calls. The number displayed may say ‘number withheld’.
The voucher scheme is now in operation to support those families who receive benefits related to free school meals. If you need assistance to access vouchers, please contact school via the school email or call school on 01642 273006.
As I am sure you are aware, staff have continued working in school during their Easter holiday to provide childcare for the critical workers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the staff at Easterside Academy for their continued dedication to our school community and for their support to the national COVID-19 response.
I would also like to thank the many other critical workers and frontline NHS staff once again for their selfless dedication.
We miss you all and look forward to welcoming you back to school, as soon as it is safe for us to do so. But for the time being, know that you are in our thoughts. We hope that you will continue to stay safe and enjoy accessing all of the learning provision at home.
Please contact school if you require any further support – we’re here to help.
Yours sincerely,
D. Linacre
Mrs D Linacre
Principal