Hello everyone
Thank you to the parents who joined us for the first ‘Google Meet Drop In’ on Tuesday and who shared some feedback and suggestions with us. It’s really great to hear that children look forward to seeing their friends and teachers during the live meets and that the weekly ‘Learning Links’ and ‘Home Learning Ideas’ are being used to scaffold the day’s activities. We were asked if paper copies of the Learning Links and Home Learning Ideas could be printed as it is sometimes easier to read a paper copy or to tick off some of the suggested ideas. We are of course happy to help with this so, from Monday 25th January and each Monday going forwards, we will have paper copies available on a table in the school foyer between 9am and 3pm. Please feel free to pop in to collect a paper copy if this would be helpful. Please remember to wear a face covering and to socially distance where appropriate.
It was also lovely to hear that a few of our nursery children have asked for ‘real work’. To quote the famous theorists, Marie Montessori, ‘play is the work of the child’ and while children might not realise that they are learning, they really are through all the day to day activities, household chores and play experiences you provide. While your children are busy exploring everything around them or taking part in the suggested home learning activities they are absorbing concepts through experiencing them, just like they would if they were in the nursery building learning with us.
We are really delighted to be able to share that we have been selected to be part of the Virtual Nature School initiative. As such, due to the current lockdown Virtual Nature School is providing us with a suite of outdoor play and learning resources which can be used by practitioners and parents as part of their home learning package. Please find attached a flyer for parents which explains how Virtual Nature School materials can be used to support outdoor, home learning experiences during this time.
We really do appreciate and understand that these are challenging times for everyone- juggling working from home, providing essential services, missing family or catering for the needs of different age groups of children. Please remember that there is no expectation that all suggested home learning activities are completed and we really do understand the pressures. Just do what you can- the most important thing that your child needs is just having you as a loving, happy and not too stressed parent, so please don’t be too hard on yourself right now.
As well as having us to speak to or contact, ERC have the ‘Family First’ team who can signpost parents to helplines, advice, training or useful websites. Please click on the link to access more information: https://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/article/2573/Family-First-information-resource
We have been asked to share the latest oral health newsletter which contains some really useful information on nutrition and snacks for young children. Please click on the link to access the Sway:
https://sway.office.com/6BKjL6VG4fVyPVKf?ref=Link
If you have not applied for a place for P1 please do so now…the closing date is today 22nd January. J
https://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/apply-for-p1
Please use this link to see the Scottish Virtual Nature School Brochure for ideas for outdoor learning Scottish Virtual Nature Schools Brochure
We hope you have a good weekend, try to spend lots of time outdoors if you can, and enjoy a well-earned break. We’ll be back in touch next week but please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at any time.
Yvonne Donaldson (HT) and Angela Kerr (Nursery PT)
