In what has been the most extraordinary week of my teaching career, I do hope that you and your children are settling into a new way of working, learning and living. I am keen to set up a weekly contact with families to share information and just to keep in touch.

Digital devices

On the whole we have had very few IT issues with most families able to access the online learning resources at home. If you are having any issues, please contact the school and we will do our best to help. Often we have just had to make minor changes to settings, however we can also offer a limited number of school chrome books to those who are enduring ongoing issues.

Please email Schoolmail@crookfur.e-renfrew.sch.uk if you need any help.

Google Classrooms and Nursery Blog

We have been amazed by the children’s commitment to completing and uploading set tasks and activities and the classrooms have been a wonderful way for the children to keep in touch with their classmates and teachers.

I must thank all of the teachers and early years practitioners for all of their efforts, particularly to maintain contact with their children through videos etc. There is no doubt that uploading videos is out with most of our comfort zones (perhaps not Mrs Cohen’s) but they are determined to do this for the children.

Over the coming weeks we will refine the systems within the Google Classrooms. As a parent, at times working from home, I have felt a little bit of pressure from my little girl’s google classroom. I never feel that I’m online at the right time or complete the right tasks and I don’t want any of our families to feel any more pressure than they do already.

We will ensure that it is clear across the week which tasks the children should do and which are just for interest. There will be a weekly overview which will offer the flexibility to complete the tasks at a suitable time across the week. We will upload activities by 9.30am.

This is a new way of working for all of us and we have to do what is right for our families. I know through social media, parents may feel that they are being bombarded by great ideas for home learning. These are indeed great ideas, but there will be a time and a place to do these things. You are already doing all that you are able to do so please don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself or your children.

To try to keep a sense of routine we will mute posts within the Google Classrooms at 3pm each day. Children should communicate with their friends as they would if they were at school e.g. using phones etc, but for the teachers, after 3pm they will be planning and assessing and will not respond to children’s comments out side of the school day or on weekends. Children will still be able to upload any work that they are doing and teachers may make comments on pieces of work by way of assessment, just as though they were marking at home.

Blog Posts

Staff will continue to post a weekly class blog update just as we would at school. They will summarise the main learning and events through the Google Classrooms and the St Cadoc’s Learning hub. I am sure we will look back on these blog posts in weeks to come and reflect on the journey we have been on together.

The nursery class are using their blog and twitter more regularly and these will be the main form of communication for our nursery children and early years staff.

Staffing Update

Staff are working in the St Cadoc’s Learning Hub on a rota basis and we will try to let children and families know in advance who will be working each day.

Class teacher interviews to appoint a member of staff to begin in August were due to take place this week. These have been postponed and will be rescheduled.

Thank you for your continued support. We are thinking of you all and send you our very best wishes, please stay safe.

Kindest regards

Mrs McGuigan